No 'Juden', 'Zhidim' or 'Kikes'

Last time I checked, Israel was meant to be a Jewish State. Unfortunately, somehow, its current leadership has translated that to mean no Jewish prayer allowed on the Temple Mount, entire parts of the Land being judenrein, people being expelled form their homes because they are Jewish and 'Pride' Parades down Jerusalem streets.
From Arutz-7:

Arabs living in Jerusalem's Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood will only sell their homes to other Arabs, going so far as placing signs in the post-'67 Jewish neighborhood - named after Ze'ev Jabotinsky.

One sign, on a building at 15 Shlomo Street, reads: "For Sale/Rent to Arabs Only." Next door, at 17 Shlomo Street, lives the family of Sasson Nuriel, who was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists in September, 2005.

Contacted by Arutz-7, the home's owner at first denied speaking or understanding Hebrew or English, though eventually admitted, in fluent Hebrew, that he had placed the sign. "In the State of Israel, Arabs and Jews live equally. We want to be equals and we can therefore sell the house to whoever we want," he said. He declined to give his name, but insisted that his right to sell to "Arabs only" would even stand up in court.

Aryeh King, who conducted a survey of Arabs moving into Jerusalem's Jewish neighborhoods due to the construction of the Partition Wall says at least 120 Arab families had moved into Pisgat Ze'ev as of December, 2006.

French Hill as well has become the new home of hundreds of Arabs from Ramallah-area villages such as A-Ram and Hizme. "They lived there because it was cheaper and they could travel freely through checkpoints with Israeli ID cards," King says. "Now they are concerned that the wall will keep them from entering Jerusalem, so there is a migration."

Families from Abu Dis and the Bethlehem area have been settling in the Armon HaNetziv neighborhood as well, King says.

In 2000, Israel's Supreme Court required the Jewish town of Katzir, in the Galilee, to allow Muslim Arabs to move in and build their homes there, ruling that limiting who can purchase land there would constitute discrimination.
***
Also, the Islamic Wakf is conducting unsupervised excavations on the Temple Mount. The last time that the Wakf excavated the Temple Mount, this resulted in tons of ancient artifacts from the First and Second Temple Period being dumped in the Kidron Valley, thereby strengthening the Arab attempt to dejudaize Judaism's most holy site and claim that the Temple never existed. Jewish prayer is forbidden on the site and police escort any Jew who suspiciously moves their lips or sways, G-d forbid, praying.
We are in the Three Week period where we mourn the loss of the Holy Temple and it is so sad that we hold in contempt what our ancestors died for. Our Forefathers fought like lions to protect the Land of Israel from our enemies and yet we allow our enemies to 'democratically' and 'peacefully' steal it from us, let alone defend what they take by force. The Temple Mount is being desecrated by the Muslims and Jews have no right to their holy site.
How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! (Lamentations 1:1)

Likud Primaries

On Tuesday, the Likud Central Committee will meet to determine party primaries for party leader and Prime Ministerial candidate. The lone challenger to current Likud Leader Binyamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu is Moshe Feiglin of the Manhigut Yehudit. MK Silvan Shalom withdrew supposedly to prevent an electoral confrontation with Netanyahu. The polls currently show 78% of Likud voters in favour of Netanyahu and 14% for Feiglin.
Its time for the Right to learn that Bibi is not the answer. Bibi gave more weapons to the Palestinians that Rabin, handed over Hebron which led to the sniper death of 3-month old Shalhevet Pas, shook Arafat's, may his memory be accursed, hand and voted for the Disengagement. He talks tough now but it is only a matter of time 'til he will play the Left's game and hand over more land. The truth is that Israel needs a leader who is beyong the Right-Left continuum; Israel needs belief-based leadership. The answer is Moshe Feiglin.
From his website, here are his goals:
The time has come to make Israel the authentic Jewish homeland we've dreamed of for millennia -- an Israel motivated and governed by Jewish values and love for every Jew.

Our country must focus on our shared Jewish identity. All of its systems must reflect our Jewish values:

Firm faith that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People reflected in both internal policy and foreign affairs

Authentic Jewish education for every child in the country

A judicial system based on Jewish values

Jewish labor for an effective, creative and moral economy

Restoration of moral strength and deterrent power to Israel's army

Media that reflect Jewish values and morals

A massive Aliyah program designed so that every Jew in the world can come home and feel at home!

In last primaries, Feiglin won a respectable 12.5% of the Likud vote. Hopefully, with G-d's help, he will be the Likud leader. It's time for a change. Vote for a Jewish Israel. Check out his site and tell me what you think.

Updates from Cape Cod and a step in the right direction

Hello everyone! Shavua Tov! We arrived in Cape Cod on Thursday afternoon. We are staying at a nice little motel by the beach- very cute. Near us are quaint little towns with little shops and restaurants- again, very cute. I spent the whole day today at the beach in the sun. I made sure to put on sunscreen except I put on the spray-on kind. The problem with the spray-on is that it only goes on certain spots while you think its everywhere. The result is a red burn all over my arms and chest, with the exception of a few lines where the spray went. Anyways, all's good.
On to the world!
Thank G-d that Israel has amazing and committed citizens who are dedicated to their land. Five new Jewish settlements are being prepared to be built in Judea and Samaria. The first settlement will be in Givat HaEitam, in the northern end of Gush Etzion's Efrat, to the south of Bethlehem. A settlement there is needed urgently because Israel's Security Fence, which is yet to be built in that area, will, when completed, cut off the area from Efrat and give it to the Palestinians.

From Arutz-7:
Four other locations are being planned as well. Two of them, Elon Moreh and Kedumim, are in the Shomron, while another one is south of Gush Etzion along the road to Kiryat Arba, and a fourth is in Hashmonaim near Modiin. The organizers have experience in grassroots settlement campaigns; they organized the construction of 21 outposts a year and a half ago in various locations throughout Judea and Samaria.

Land of Israel Faithful spokesperson Datia Yitzchaki, formerly of Kfar Yam in Gush Katif and now living in Efrat, told Arutz-7, "We've had enough hiding behind protective walls and defensiveness and withdrawals. It's time to reclaim the pioneering spirit we once had, and start populating the Land again."

In addition, another group - former residents of Disengagement-destroyed Homesh in northwestern-Shomron - is planning to begin rebuilding the town on Tuesday, July 17. Two organizers, Akiva Smutritch and Yossi Dagan, write in this week's B'Sheva,

"It is practically two years since the expulsion... The time for action has come. We have the opportunity to repair. As we face the swamp of despair, corruption, decay and loss of path in which the country has been sinking in recent years, a new breeze is beginning to blow - one of values, Judaism and Zionism declaring out loud: The Nation of Israel Lives! ... We can now enter the driver's seat and turn the wheel in a different direction. There is no better place to start the change than from the northern Shomron - and Homesh first! The area [unlike Gush Katif] is still under IDF control, the roads and sidewalks are still there, the IDF continues to patrol, and the trees and flowers continue to bloom, waiting for the Jews to return and water them... Our leaders' pride and shame at admitting their mistake is the only thing holding us up. But ever since we began our campaign to return to Homesh, a new spirit has begun to take hold in the public, one that says that the terrible fiasco of two years ago can and must be fixed. It's just a matter of time; it is up to us."
***
This is the only way to win the struggle for the Land. When the Arabs will realize that the Jews will never leave Israel and that there will be severe retaliations for attempting to undermine the Jewish connection to the Land, all resistance will end. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a journey that will end in the rebuilding of Gush Katif and Neve Dekalim- hopefully.

How did they get so confused?

To all readers: Tomorrow, I'm travelling to Cape Cod with my family on vacation. I'll be there for 3 weeks. Have no fear- I'll have internet access. I promise to post but blogging may be a little light. Don't forget about me!
*****

How did they get so confused? Why weren't Muhammad Haneef, Mohammed Jamil Asha and the other British terrorist suspects told that Islam is a religion of peace? Who taught them this perversion of Islam? Which mosque did they frequent in which a "hijacked" version of Islam was preached?
I'm outraged that this peaceful, pacifistic religion is used so often to justify violence. What is it about Islam that is so prone to misunderstanding? How did Osama bin Laden, Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad get to be such big Misunderstanders of Islam? Didn't anybody tell them that "Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness that should not be associated with acts of violence against the innocent." (in CAIR's words) How dare Islamophobes like the Ayatollah Khomeini teach “Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those who say this are witless. Islam says: 'Kill all the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Kill them, put them to the sword and scatter their armies.'”! Is he suggesting that Islam is somehow connected to violence? How hateful and bigoted! What about the Muslim Brotherhood whose credo is "Allah is our objective, the Quran is our Constitution, the Prophet is our leader, Jihad is our way, and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations."? Don't they know that Islam teaches love and tolerance? How was it that they got so confused about the true meaning of Islam?
Islam is peaceful! Muhammad taught love of all peoples and to respect other religions and beliefs. Anyone who believes that Islam is aggressive is a hateful Islamophobe. It sickens me to think of all of the horrible Islamophobic books that push the idea that Islam mandates warfare. The worst of all is the Qur'an: "Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal harshly with them. Know that Allah is with the righteous" (Q:123) How hateful! What about sura 8:12- "I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers!" It's absolutely repulsive the lies told about Islam. How did such a great world religion get perverted so much? How is it possible that a wonderful faith like Islam gets such abuse? Why did Muhammad state in his farewell address "'to fight until all men proclaim 'there is no god but Allah!'? Didn't anybody tell him that Islam forbids warfare? He should have known that when he slaughtered the Jewish tribes of Khaybar. How could he have dared to teach that "The Hour {of the Last Judgment} will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him." (Sira p.550 Volume 4, Book 52, Number 177)? Why didn't he listen to CAIR?
The falsehoods that are told about this great religion! Every religion has been used to promote violence and Islam is no exception. Disregard the fact that the fatwas issued by Pat Robertson for the deaths of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are nowhere to be found. Forget that there have been no mobs of Jews marching in New York and Monsey claiming that Judaism will take over the world. Ignore the nonexistent holy war that Buddhists have been waging against the infidels. There is absolutely nothing violent or intolerant about Islam! Racist hillbilly slackjawed neocons are the only ones who would suggest warfare being a part of Islam.
I call upon all real Muslims to evict the hateful Islamophobes like Bin Laden, Ayatollah Khomeini and Muhammad from your midsts and to tear up the hateful Qur'an which makes it seem like Islam teaches beligerence and expansionism. It just reall makes me wonder how so many people could "hijack" such a tolerant religion...

Hating Jews may be hazardous to your health

Watch this video:
Boycotting Israel may be bad for your health

17 of Tammuz and 'Between the Straights'

Tomorrow is the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, the date when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army breached the walls of Jerusalem in the time of the First Temple and when Titus and the Romans breached the walls in the time of the Second Temple. The 17th of Tammuz marks the beginning of the Three Weeks of mourning for our lost Temples, the time 'Between the Straights' and culminates in the fast of the 9th of Av, the date of the destruction of both Temples and the razing of Jerusalem.
On the 17th of Tammuz:
- Moses smashed the first Tablets
- The daily offerings in the Temple ceased during the time of the First Temple
- The Babylonians and the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem in the time of the First and Second Temple, respectively
- The Roman governor of Judea publicly set a Torah scroll on fire
- An idol was erected in the Temple
(Many other horrible things have happened since then, most recently being that last summer's Katyusha bombardments began of the 17th of Tammuz)

Here is a brief explanation of the day from Arutz-7:
The Three Weeks of gradually-increasing mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temples and Israel's exile begin Tuesday. It begins with the fast day of the 17th day of Tammuz, the day on which Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian forces breached the walls of Jerusalem after many months of siege on their way to destroying the holy site. It ends on the 9th of Av - Tisha B'Av - the date on which both the First and Second Temples were destroyed, roughly 2,500 and 2,000 years ago, respectively.

The 17th of Tammuz is also the date on which Moses, having descended Mount Sinai and seeing the people sinning with the Golden Calf, broke the first set of Ten Commandments. During the First Temple Era, the priests were forced on this day - a year before the Temple's destruction - to stop offering the daily sacrifice due to the shortage of sheep.

In addition, the Talmud tells us, on this date some decades earlier, the evil King Menasheh had an idol placed in the Temple's Holy Sanctuary. Later, during Second Temple times, a Roman general placed an idol in the same place and publicly burned the Torah.

In honor of the day, and in view of the difficult situation Israel faces, the Chief Rabbinate issued the following call:
It is a time of trouble for Israel: Israel's enemies sound off and lift their heads in arrogance and conceit, opening their mouths wide with threats and terrorization. They boast of their desire to destroy the Jews; "they have consulted together with one another and made a pact against G-d... saying, Let us cut off Israel" (Psalms 83), and wish to war with us even as we are geared for peace.

We are in dire need of G-d's mercy and salvation; we have none on whom to lean except for our Father in Heaven. We must redouble our Torah study and observance of the Torah's commandments, with even greater strength and greater devotion - for "they come with chariots and horses, but we come calling in the Name of G-d" (Psalms 20).

We therefore hereby call upon the Nation of G-d to gather in synagogues on Tuesday, the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, an hour and a half before the afternoon Mincha prayer, for the recitation of selichot [penitential prayers] and Psalms. Let us cry out with all our strength, and call to our G-d and the G-d of our fathers from the depths of our heart - for "G-d is close to all who call upon Him in truth" (Psalms 145).

May our cries arise before Him, and may G-d arise from His chair of strict justice and sit upon the chair of mercy. May He guide and lead us with compassion and kindness, for G-d's salvation can come in the blink of an eye. And may we see the fulfillment of this verse: "I will give peace in the Land, and you will lie down to sleep without fear... and no sword will pass through your Land." May this occur speedily in our days, Amen.

Signed and sealed:
Shlomo Moshe Amar, the Rishon LeTzion, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel
Yona Metzger, the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel

Tagged

I've been tagged by Bald-Headed Geek so I've promised to post 8 facts about myself. Here we go:
1) Next year will be my last year of highschool (Grade 11 in Quebec). Don't let my age fool you- I can run mental circles around many adults that I know (I'm also super humble).
2) I was always one of the tallest in my class, but now I'm just average on the side of tall. When my doctor told me that I am average percentile in hight, I got so angry and thought to myself "you're average! You're an average doctor!".
3) I kickbox 2-3 times a week. I've lost so much weight and gained so much muscle in my few months of kickboxing- every go out and join a dojo!
4) I am an avid reader and especially devour anything written by a crazy conservative. Love her or hate her, Ann Coulter's books are on my bookshelf, along with Mark Steyn and Robert Spencer. For some balance, I watch CNN or read the newspaper.
5) I have absolutely no idea what I want to study. I always thought that I would go into medicine but I see myself as more of a lawyer since I love to argue, talk and hear my own voice.
6) I am so disorganized that I freqently lose school assignements in my locker.
7) I blog so that I don't have to mumble to myself whenever I hear the news.
8) I get a better workout when I argue politics that when I play sports (not that I'm bad or anything; I just love the shocked looks on people's faces when I say politically incorrect things.)

Now I tag:
- Nanc
- Brooke
- Angel (Woman Honour Thyself)
- Jungle Mom
- Joe Gringo
- Emet MitSiyon

Happy Canada Day!

Chag Sameach 140 years ago, on July 1, 1867, Confederation occured. The four British colonies of Upper Canada (Ontario), Lower Canada (Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick united to form the Dominion of Canada. I love my country, despite the liberals here, because it is a free, democratic country and we are the largest producers of maple syrop in the world. Here's some Canada Day fun:

We invented ski-doos, jet-skis, velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, zambonis, the telephone, short-wave radios, and Superman.

The Hudsons Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and is still around as the world's oldest company.

We have the largest English-speaking population that never, ever surrendered or withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere.

You know you're Canadian when:
You bring a portable TV on a camping trip so that you don't miss Hockey Night.
You can repeat the entire Molson's Canadian 'The Rant'.
You know all the words to "If I had a million dollars" by The Barenaked Ladies, including the inter-stanza banter between Steven and Ed.
You dismiss all beers under 6% as "for children and the elderly."
You hum David Foster's '88 Calgary Olympics theme in the shower.
You know that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) don't always look like that.
You make up patriotic lyrics to go along with David Foster's '88 Calgary Olympics theme.
You cried when Gus "drowned" on Road To Avonlea.
You remember when Alanis Morrissette was "Too Hot To Hold".
You think there isn't enough of Peter Gzowski to go around.
You think it's normal to have a grain elevator in your backyard.
You watch MuchMusic constantly, in the hopes of occasional fleeting glimpses of The Tragically Hip.
You have an Inuit carving by your bedside with the rationale, "what's good enough protection for the Prime Minister, is good enough for me!"
You can sing "O' Canada" in French and actually know what the words mean.
You send angry letters to the CBC demanding the return of the Hinterland Who's Who spots so you can finally find out what happens to the arctic ptarmigan in winter.
You participate in Participaction!
You think Peter Mansbridge is sexy.
You think Lloyd Robertson is sexy.
You think Peter Kent is sexy.
You think Matt Damon is so-so.
You stood in line for hours for Another Roadside Attraction tickets.
You killed your best friend for Another Roadside Attraction tickets.
You think Great Big Sea isn't Atlantic-centric enough.
Your backpack has more than one Canadian flag iron-on (and you always have room for more).
You know the names of all the guys in Sloan.
You have been on Speaker's Corner. Bonus points if they edited out your carefully prepared rant against the Harris government.
You know the French equivalents of "free", "prize" and "no sugar added", thanks to your extensive education in bilingual cereal packaging.
You still haven't taken down your "NON" posters from the 95 Referendum.
You know more than 3 guys named Gordon.
You think Ashley MacIssac isn't Celtic enough.
You remember "Jodie" from Today's Special and wonder why you keep seeing her reading news on the CBC.
You can do the hand actions to Sharon, Lois and Bram's "Skin-a-marinki-dinki-do".
You know why "killerwhaletank" is funny.
You can eat more than one maple sugar candy without feeling nauseous.
You had a crush on Joey Jeremiah from Degrassi Junior High.
You know that a "Premier" isn't a baby born a few months early.
You actually watch The Gemini Awards, The Genie Awards, and The Juno Awards. You wonder why Stompin' Tom doesn't get his own category in all three. You scream passionately at the television when your favourite Canadian performers are overlooked by their respective academies.
You think -10 C is mild weather.
You have twins named Donovan and Bailey.
You have twins named Wayne and Gretzky (alternately Gordie and Howe).
You know the ingredients for poutine.
You know what happens in the Evergreen Forest when Bert Raccoon wakes up.
You dressed as Bruno Gerussi for Halloween. You spent hours sifting through garbage on the beach to prepare for the role.
You substitute beer for water when cooking.
You carry empty beer cans from your camping trips home with you in your backpack so you can recycle them when you reach civilization.
You know that the 'Extra Creamy' in Kraft Extra Creamy Dinner is 'add more milk.'
You prefer Elvis Stojko when he has 'hockey hair' - a.k.a. 'the mullet' or 'the shorty-longback'.
You brag about the sweet herb in BC.
You know the chorus of "The Log Driver's Waltz" and are particularly fond of the 'burling down and down' bit.
You steal stationery from your Government of Canada co-operative education placement because you figure you can find lots of uses for paper with 'Human Resources Development Canada/Développement des Ressources Humaines Canada' written at the top.
You have daydreams that film-maker Don McKellar, and Hugh Dillon from The Headstones, skinned and ate Regis Philbin.
You recognize: CPP, RSP, and CCM.
You know what "Canuba" is. You think it's pretty damn funny.
Your gravy boat is shaped like the Bluenose.
You refuse to consume chocolate that doesn't come in either Smarties, Coffee Crisp, or Laura Secord format.
You die a little inside if you can't get your Tim's double-double every morning.
You know the difference between real snow and "television" snow -- the white stuff that passes for snow on tv and in films. You scream, "For Christsake! That should be sticking to their pants!" and "Lookit, it's not melting! That's *so* not snow!" when watching 'Winter' scenes.
Someone accidently stepped on your foot. You apologize.
You stepped on someone's foot. You apologize, then apologize for making them apologize.
You know Casey and Finnegan are NOT a Celtic rock band or imported beer.
You know who Foster Hewitt is.
You can spot MEC from a kilometre away, even if the little white tag is hidden.
You're either out to bingo or getting stinko (and you think no more of Inco) on a Sudbury Saturday night.
You've actually said, "Stay where yer at, 'till I gets where yer to."
You pity people who haven't tasted a "beavertail".
Complete the phrase: "The good old ____ game is the best ____ you can ____."
You've got some rocks and you've got to leave an important message -- Lucky you know how to build an innukshuk!
You have at least one ROOTS sweatshirt that always smells like cigarettes and beer.
You find it difficult to explain "milk in a bag" to non-Canadians, and even more difficult to describe the "snippy-thing" used on bag corners. (Bonus points if your collected snippy-things are stuck to your fridge.)
You're pretty sure you can see Alex Trebek smirking when Jeopardy contestants get the "Canada questions" wrong. Even if you weren't sure of the answer yourself, you consider yourself a hundred times smarter than the idiots who always guess, "What is .. uh, Toronto?"
Your Saturday nights in the Atlantic provinces include eating beans and brown bread as you watch Hockey Night in Canada.
You know that the Canadian Alliance is just the Reform Party with better hair.
You know that, contrary to general belief, the Inuit have about the same amount of words for snow as do English speakers. Your favourite Inuit word for 'snow' is "navcaq" (snow formation about to collapse).
Your local zoo is mainly flamingoes, giraffes and sad elephants freezing their asses off against a backdrop of pine trees, grey skies, and precambrian shield formations.
You wonder why squirrels and seagulls somehow manage to get in every zoo exhibit (including the parking lot and squirrel and seagull exhibits).
You live in a "beach town" and have to eat your brothers and sisters to stay alive during the winter months.
You wonder why Esther Canadas has been blessed with both beauty and the coolest name on the planet -- although Canuck cutie Shalom Harlow could wipe the floor with her.
You're such a hardcore Canadian punk you used ketchup-flavoured potato chip 'residue' to dye your hair. You know it's kind of gross, but at least you smell good.
You don't consider a date truly romantic until you've slow danced to Blue Rodeo's "Five Days in May". You accept "Lost Together" as a second option.
You're not offended by the term "HOMO MILK"
You understand the phrase "Could you pass me a serviette, I just dropped my poutine, on the chesterfield."
You eat chocolate bars, not candy bars.
You drink Pop, not Soda.
You only know three spices: Salt, pepper and ketchup
You know that a Mickey and 24's mean, "party at the camp, eh!!!"
You don't care about the fuss with Cuba. It's a cheap place to go for your holidays (not vacation), with good cigars and no Americans.
You know that a pike is a type of fish, not part of a highway
You drive on a highway, not a freeway
You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.
You know that Casey and Finnegan were not part of a Celtic musical group.
You cried when you heard that "Mr Dress Up" died recently.
You brag to Americans: Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Celine Dion & more, are Canadians.
You know that the C.E.O. of American Airlines is a Canadian!
You know what a toque is.
You design your Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
You know that the last letter of the English alphabet is always pronounced "Zed"
You live in a house with no front step, but the door is one meter up from the ground.
Your local newspaper covers the national news on 2 pages, but requires 6 pages for hockey.
You know that the four seasons means: winter, still winter, almost winter, and road work/construction.
You know that when it's 25 degrees outside, it's a warm day.
You understand the Labatt Blue commercials.
You know how to pronounce and spell "Saskatchewan"
You perk up when you hear the theme song from "Hockey Night in Canada."
You are in grade 12, not the 12th grade.
"Eh?" is a very important part of your vocabulary, and is more polite than, "Huh?"
You call it a BUN not a "Roll"
Its called a WASHROOM not a lavatory or powder room or rest room.
You've ever had your tongue frozen to something.
You know that in Canada the mosquitoes have landing lights
You have more kilometers on your snow blower than your car.
You have 10 favourite recipes for moose meat.
You know that Canadian Tire on any Saturday is busier than the toy stores before Christmas.
You've taken your kids trick-or-treating in a blizzard.
Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled in with snow.
You owe more money on your snowmobile than on your car.
At least twice a year, the kitchen doubles a meat processing plant.
The most effective mosquito repellent is a shotgun.
Your snow blower gets stuck on the roof.
You think the start of deer season is a national holiday.
You head south to go to your cottage.
You frequently clean grease off your barbeque so the bears won't prowl on your deck.
You know which leaves make for good toilet paper.
The major parish fund-raiser isn't bingo, it's sausage making.
You find -40C a little chilly.
The trunk of your car doubles as a freezer.
You attend a formal in your best clothes, your finest jeweler and your Sorrels.
You can play road hockey on skates.
The municipality buys a Zamboni before a bus.
You understand the Labatt Blue commercials.
You may be a little too Canadian if...
You wonder why there isn't a 5 dollar coin, as you can only use more change.
You spend hours in the dark making scale models of the Avro Arrow and cursing the Diefenbaker government.
You have memorized the Heritage Foundation's Heritage Moments, including your favourites, "Burnt Toast!", "You know I canna read a word...",
"One day we have tar paper roof!" and "Kanata".
You advocate the abolition of responsible government in favour of monarchist rule.
You think there isn't enough Queen on our currency.
Your graduation formal dress was made of flannel.
You use a red pen on your non-Canadian textbooks and fill in the missing 'u's from labor, honor, and color.
You are excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada. You make a mental note to talk about it at work the next day.
You automatically read 'Z' as 'Zed' and don't give a damn that it doesn't rhyme with "now I know my abcs".
You are moved to tears by those Bell Canada phone commercials they show around Remembrance Day, where the grandson calls his granddad from Dieppe. You understand the manipulative nature of the advertisement, but continue to be moved, nonetheless.
You stay up until midnight (the end of some television station broadcasting hours) to hear the Canadian national anthem.
You get up at 5:00 am (the beginning of broadcasting hours) to hear the Canadian national anthem.
You spit angrily when Americans say "ruff" instead of the correct "roof".
When abroad, you have a cold fear that somebody might mistake you for an American. You make a point of deliberately being kind to locals just to make it clear you are a Canadian.
You are too Canadian if...
You've ever said, 'I need more flannel clothing.'
You understand everything in this list, and email it to all your friends.
You read rather than scanned this list.



Jokes:

A French guest who was staying in a hotel in Edmonton phoned room service for some pepper. "Black pepper, or white pepper?" asked the concierge.
"Toilette pepper!"


An American, a Scot and a Canuk were in a terrible car accident. They were all brought to the same emergency room, but all three of them died before they arrived. Just as they were about to put the toe tag on the American, he stirred and opened his eyes. Astonished, the doctors and nurses present asked him what happened.

"Well," said the American, "I remember the crash, and then there was a beautiful light, and then the Canadian and the Scot and I were standing at the gates of heaven. St. Peter approached us and said that we were all too young to die, and that for a donation of $100, we could return to the earth."

He continued, " So of course, I pulled out my wallet and gave him the $100, and the next thing I knew I was back here."

"That's amazing!" said one of the doctors, "But what happened to the other two?"

"Last I saw them," replied the American, "the Scot was haggling over the price and the Canadian was waiting for the government to pay for his."
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Canada is great from eh to zed!!!

Homophobia, Islamophobia and more nonsense

Shavuah Tov! Shabbat has just ended and it's time to blog.
Yours truely is honoured to be the subject of a post on another blog, however, this particular disertation is a ridiculous diatribe that accuses me of being a homophobe, islamophobe, an anti-semite (?) and a mean poopy head. Let's look at these claims one by one:
1) Anti-semite:
Bar Kochba wants the Jews in Israel to continue getting themselves killed under the retarded leadership of rich statesmen who send young men and women to die daily. Has the estimed Baron ever read my blog? Why would I, as a Jew, want other Jews to be killed? What I advocate is for Israel to harshly retaliate against its anti-semitic genocidal foes and wipe them out, thereby preventing more Jewish blood being spilled.
2) Homphobe:
What prompted this serious charge? A comment on a post about the "Pride" Parade parade. An abomination... So sad that people are perverting the holy gift of sexuality that G-d gave them. It's a Shame Parade is G-d's eyes. Hardly hateful... If saying that I oppose homosexual behaviour is hateful, the I guess that I must be a bigot. Homosexual behaviour is against the Torah, against Hashem and is absolutely immoral- pick up a Bible. I don't hate homosexuals though, because there is no such thing as a homosexual, just people who engage in homosexual activity. People are more than just their sexual preferences and gays are people, created in G-d's image, who unfortunately happen to pervert G-d's holy gift of sexuality. I stand by my comments. Homosexuality is wrong- the Torah is reason enough for me. Gays, though, are just people deserving compassion and guidance.
Here are some excellent sites:
- People Can Change
- Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality
- National Association for the Research and Treatment of Homosexuality
3) Islamophobe:
How many times do I have to repeat that not every single Muslim is a terrorist? Just like not every Jews keeps kosher, not every Muslim wages Jihad. If you claim that Jihad means 'internal spiritual struggly', fine, but the onus is on you to prove it. How did Osama bin Laden, Hamas, Ahmadinejad, get to be such Misunderstanders of Islam? What about Islam's violent past and violent Scriptures? Any Muslim who rejects Jihad and Islamic supremacism is fine by me and I welcome him in the fight against hatred and intolerance. These Muslims who feel that al-Qaeda is "hijacking" Islam need to stand up, denounce terror, and prove to other Muslims why al-Qaeda and Hamas are wrong theologically, using the Qur'an and the Ahadith. Denying that there is a problem will not solve anything and will not make jihadis go away.
I would love nothing better than for Israel to live in peace with its Muslims neighbours, for democracy and tolerance to flower throught the Dar-al-Islam. I believe that most Muslims women would like a life that does not begin with a clitorectomy and end with being stoned to death for being raped. The real Islamophobes are those who deny that there is any such basis for this in Islam, thereby allowing for the greatest of savageries to be perpetrated in Allah's name. Baron, you are the real Islamophobe as you would like for Muslims to continue to live in abject poverty, be raised in a culture that worships death and continue to be at the mercy of despots and dictators. There certainly is a flaw in the Islamic and Arabis cultures. It is no coincidence that the UN reported that more books are translated into Greek, which has 25 million speakers, each year than Arabic which has 400 million speakers. The UN also reported that more books are translated into Spanish each year that into Arabic in the past 1000 years. Clearly there is something deficient in this culture.
Baron, it is the easiest thing to call someone a bigot or a racist without listening to them. Please, listen and you might just learn something.

P.S. BHG, I'll respond to you tag later, I'm tired.

Parshat Balak- A Lonely Nation

From the Canadian Jewish news:

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted by “consensus” a number of measures critics says unfairly target Israel and makes condemnation of the Jewish state a permanent feature of every future council meeting.

The measures will see Israel’s “human rights violations” placed on the agenda at all future council meeting – no other country is so treated – and will make permanent a special rapporteur to investigate Israeli human rights abuses. Ten other special rapporteurs have mandates that lapse and must be renewed.

The measures were part of a reform package that is meant to set out the mechanisms and procedures that will govern operation of the council, which was established a year ago to replace a largely discredited Commission on Human Rights.
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Why is condemnation of Israel a permanent feature of UN meetings? Why single out Israel rather than China, Saudi Arabia or Iran? Why is the world fixated on a little country that amounts to .000001% of the Earth's landmass? How come a little country in the Middle-East, whose people amount to such a small percent of the world's population, gets so much media attention?
Israel was created with the purpose of giving the Jewish People a state like every other nation. The secular Zionist ideal was a secular state, devoid of Torah and religion, which would be like every other people. Even today, Israel's elite is attempting to transform Israel into a country without Yiddishkeit, with a complete seperation of Church (or in this case Synagogue) and State. Israel's PM, Ehud Olmert, has repeatedly stress that Israel is fighting for its right to normalcy.
It is ironic that Israel tries so hard to fight in and "claim its spot among the nations" while the UN and the rest of the world continue to reject her. In order to please the Nations, Israel's leaders have given up Jewish land, allowed Jewish blood to be spilled, armed our enemies and declared war against those who keep G-d's Torah, by expelling and demonizing them. As Israel attempts to transform itself into a secular California on the Mediterranean, complete with pepperoni pizza, McDonalds and Gay Pride Parades, the Nations whom Israel tries to emulate continue to ostracize her. 'Maybe if we compromise some more or if we uproot the Jews from the West Bank, the world will accept us', Israel's secular leadership believe. 'All we have to do is give the Arabs more land, more rights, more concessions, there will be peace'.
The Jewish People are unique among all other peoples and the nations of the world know it. In the Mincha prayer for Shabbat, we say: "Who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation in the world?" We were not chosen by G-d to be like everyone else, to assimilate and to emulate the gentiles. Hashem did not bring us back to Israel after 2000 years of exile so that it should become a Western multicultural country or that we should fill it with nightclubs and Pride Parades. The nations know that we are different, something that we fail to comprehend. That is why the UN has devoted 45% of her condemnations to Israel. That is why Israel is singled out by anti-semites, even as they deny the Choseness and Uniqueness of Am Yisrael.
In this week's Parasha, the Children of Israel are getting ready to conquer the Land and they approach the borders of the land of Moab. The king of Moab, Balak, sends for the heathen soothsayer, Bilaam, that he should curse the children of Israel. When Bilaam attempts to curse G-d's people, he is unable to. G-d turns Bilaam's curse into a blessing. Bilaam climbed a mountain peak and say the camp of Israel. Amazed by the holiness and purity that he found there, a people completely immersed in Torah and mitzvot, and was in awe. How goodly are they tents, O Jacob, and thy dwellings, O Israel! He realized then, something that the Nations have always known, that we are am levada yishkon ubagoyim lo yitchashav- an people that dwells apart and among the nations is not reckoned.
G-d has other plans for us, a different destiny that that of the Nations, who also have their role in Hashem's plan. He has great things in store for us. Why should we run away from our Jewish destiny? The State of Israel was not created to be just another country, a secular paradise. As the Rav Kook, the father of religious Zionism wrote:
"A normal country is like a large insurance company. It is not the source of its citizen’s supreme joy. Ideals, which are the crowning glory of mankind, hover above a country and do not touch it.
“Not so a country founded on ideals and inherently based on the most lofty message. Such countries truly constitute their citizen’s greatest joy. Therefore, the State of Israel is truly the most supreme on the scale of joy, and it constitutes the foundation of G-d’s throne on earth. Its entire purpose is that G-d should be one and His name one, truly the greatest source of joy.” (see Orot 160). He wrote "The State of Israel is the foundation of G-d’s throne on earth.” How far have we strayed from this awesome task!
May Hashem send us real leaders who are not afraid of carrying out our Jewish destiny, Jewish leaders who will Sanctify G-d's Name in the world, by building a state based on Torah, holiness, justice and righteous. May we merit the day 'when Hashem will be King over the entire world and on that day, He will be One and His Name will be One.' Amen!

Defaming Ashkenazim

I've really had enough of anti-semites maligning Ashkenazim, European Jewry (I've had enough of them hating all Jews but they reserve a special hate for Ashkenazim). According to them, Ashkenazim are just white European invaders, unrelated to true Jews. Most of them are the descendants of the Khazars, a nomadic people that converted to Judaism, and as such have no place in the Middle-East but belong in Europe.
Time for a little family history:
Paternal Grandparents- from Dorahoi, Romania
Maternal Grandmother- father from Austria and mother from Birabijan, Russia
Maternal Grandfather- Spanish descent, his family has lived in Israel since the Spanish Inquisition, 8 generations ago. Actually, I'm related to one of the officials who signed Israel's Declaration of Independence, the Chief of Police, Bekhor Shalom Shitreet.
***
According to the hateful rhetoric of anti-semites, my paternal family and my maternal grandmother are simply Europeans and therefore less Jewish, if at all, than my Sephardic grandfather. This is one of the most oft repeated myths about Jews and Israel.
Why is this wrong?
1) Ashkenazim are not related to their European gentile neighbours and are more closely related to their Sephardic and Mizrahi (Spanish and Arab Jews) than Arabs and other semitic peoples are. The Ashkenazi genepool, actually, is not related at all to the Turkish genepool. This contradicts the claim that they are descendants of the Khazars. The most recent genetic research consists of obtaining DNA samples, and doing laboratory analysis and comparison of the DNA markers on the Y-chromosome -- which is passed from father to son, and on the mtDNA (mitrocondrial DNA) -- which is passed intact from mother to son and daughter.

"Despite their long-term residence in different countries and isolation from one another, most Jewish populations were not significantly different from one another at the genetic level. The results support the hypothesis that the paternal gene pools of Jewish communities from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East descended from a common Middle Eastern ancestral population, and suggest that most Jewish communities have remained relatively isolated from neighboring non-Jewish communities during and after the Diaspora."
(M.F. Hammer, Proc. Nat'l Academy of Science, May 9, 2000)

2)DNA and descent is not the most important thing. The Torah makes it very clear that very convert becomes a full fledged memeber of the Jewish nation, irregardless of their race or origin. King David's grandmother was a Moabite convert, Ruth, yet she merited tobe the ancestor of royalty. Her nationality is as unimportant as her hair colour.

The Jews today are the exact same Jews as in the Bible, whether they may originate from Poland, Russia, Germany, Morocco, Iraq, Ethiopia or even India. I put on tefilin each day; so did King David. I keep kosher just like our Father Abraham did. We celebrate the same holidays that Moses celebrated. In short, we are the descendants (genetically and spiritually) of the Biblical Hebrews and therefore G-d's promises to them are still valid. We Ashkenazim (I'm 3/4) are not European conquerors but are just as Jewish as Moses or King Solomon.
The most amazing thing, however, is that the Jewish people, despite all of their years of exile, retained its genetic identity, religion and culture. Even more amazing as that all of these different exiled communities have returned to Israel, together. Remember G-d's promise:

And God shall return your captivity and be merciful to you, and will return and gather you from all the nations whither God has scattered you. (Deuteronomy 30:3)

As the natural laws are set before Me, so shall the seed of Israel never cease from being a nation before Me, forever. (Jeremiah 31:36)

Israeli Films

This is the third year that I have gone to the Montreal Israeli Film festival. I've bought tickets to go see 6 shows throughout the week. Last night, I went to go see 2 amazing movies, Aviva Ahuvati (Aviva, My Love) and Shalosh Imahot, Three Mothers.
Here is a plot description from the Jerusalem Film Festival:
Aviva Ahuvati:
Aviva, a hard-working hotel cook in the small northern Israeli town of Tiberias, is on the brink of finally fulfilling her lifelong dream. For years she kept her remarkable writing abilities under wraps, until her sister, Anita, introduces her to Oded, an accomplished novelist. Immediately recognizing Aviva's talent, Oded takes her under his wing, promising to help her achieve greatness. But the journey to greatness effects her life and the lives of her family - her unemployed husband, her trouble children, her unstable mother, and primarily her sister, a funny and sensitive woman who have her own dreams. When Aviva discovered that Oded has other plans for her work, her world collapses.

Shalosh Imahot:
Rose, Flora and Yasmin were born as a triplet sixty something years ago in Alexandria, Egypt. Their well-off parents gave them names of flowers, and King Farouk of Egypt gave them his blessing. Today, in Israel, they live together in an apartment without men and without children. Flora has just retired from her work as a midwife, Yasmin awaits a kidney transplant, and Rose, once a successful singer, is wrapped in silence since the death of her husband. One after the other, the three sisters come to "This is your life," a place where people recount their memoirs, in order to tell their life story to Rucha (Rachel), Rose's only daughter, and talk about their symbiotic relationship. They are also searching for the long lost son of one of them who was given away for adoption under mysterious circumstances. During this period their lives and that of Rucha will change dramatically. Hidden ghosts will slowly appear, forcing the three sisters to confront the secrets and lies, and seek forgiveness. At the end of the journey into the past, after they redeem themselves, the sisters will embark on a new journey, to Alexandria, where Yasmin will undergo her kidney transplant and Rucha, who regained her own memories, will be able to start a new life.
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These are two fantastic movies and they both won awards in Israel and internationally, at the Cannes festival in Paris. I'm going back tonight to go see 2 more. I'll tell you about it afterwards. I would highly recommend these two movies if you can see them somehow.

Academics for Dhimmitude

Here are the Anti-Defamation League's ads against the British academic boycott of Israel. It bears repeating that while criticism of Israel is not necessarily anti-semitic (all democracies must be criticized to keep them in check), demonizing Israel and holding her to a double standard is pure antisemitism.

Secular Fanatics

Here is a great article by Rabbi Shmuel Boteach, from the Jerusalem Post. He writes about his debate with world-famous atheist Richard Dawkins. Dawkin's contempt of faith has led him on a secular crusade to missionize his scientific Truth. One question for Dawkins to ponder: Would the world be a better place if people sought comfort in the words of The G-d Delusion, or Christopher Hitchen's G-d is not Great, rather than the Torah?

From the Jerusalem Post:

I participated in two debates this week, and between them learned a great deal about the nature of science and religion in our time. The first debate, on the subject of religion, was with Richard Dawkins, the famous evolutionary biologist and atheist, in Toronto. The second, in New York, was with a leading Jewish-Christian missionary on whether Jesus died for our sins.

What startled me was how, in the religion debate, although my adversary and I challenged each other's most sacredly held beliefs, there was no offense taken on either side. Less so was there any acrimony directed toward me from the approximately 1000 Christians who were in the audience. Religious people are by now so used to having their faith challenged that being on the defensive is no big deal.

Not so science, which has enjoyed hegemony for so long that it has become its own orthodoxy and dare never be questioned, as the following experience demonstrates.

I had already either directly participated in or moderated five previous debates that featured Richard Dawkins, the Oxford Professor of the Public Understanding of Science. Through the debates, Dawkins and I had become friends and he even attended Shabbat lunch at my home in Oxford.

But the warmth of our former relationship was not in evidence as we sat waiting to be called to speak at the Idea City Convention at the University of Toronto. I detected a hardening in Dawkins' position and perhaps an inability to distinguish between religion and religious people, such that his disdain for the former led to his contempt for the latter.

DAWKINS BEGAN by arguing that he did not care whether or not religion had any positive social advantages. The only thing that mattered was whether not it was true. And it was his firm belief that religion was a canard. He was therefore inspired to crusade against it. He proceeded to argue for the logical and mathematical impossibility of God's existence and the truth of evolution.

When it was my turn I began by questioning Dawkins' point on his humanitarian crusade to awaken the world to the lie that is religion. Why, I asked, was religion the only "lie" that seemed to bother Dawkins. After all, he is an Englishman and lives in a country that promotes the "lie" that one human being is born royal while another is born ordinary.

Surely, as part of a modern egalitarian society that rejects the divine right of kings, Dawkins ought to be inveighing as much against the British royal family as he does against vicars, rabbis, and priests! Unless, of course, he has decided that, even though the idea of royalty is a fictitious man-made construct, it was OK to keep it around given that it is a thousand-year-old British tradition and has positive social value.

But religion is more than a useful myth. For me, my faith is true. I believe that God created the world. And yes, I said, I understood that modern science replaced creation with evolution. But the theory still had much explaining to do and many holes to fill.

I mentioned that I had participated in debated evolution with prominent evolutionary theorists, such as the late Prof. John Maynard-Smith of the University of Sussex at Brighton. In those debates, in the same way that the scientists who participated raised reasonable objections to religion, the other side had raised reasonable objections to evolution.

There are massive inconsistencies in the theory of evolution, which is why it remains just that - a theory. Foremost among these unresolved issues is, first, how evolution contradicts the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy increase.

Second, genetic mutation, the very engine of modern neo-Darwinism, is almost always catastrophically destructive to an organism, which severely challenges the notion that mutation with natural selection ultimately leads to higher complexity.

Third, after 140 years of digging up the earth, there still remain enormous holes in the fossil record, the missing links that account for tens of millions of years of evolution, which is why many leading paleontologists, most notably the late Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard, argued for punctuated equilibrium - giant leaps - in evolutionary development, rather than the slow and gradual ascent argued for by scientists like Dawkins.

Indeed, Darwin makes it clear in The Origin of Species that evolution was not developed as a theory to explain the origin of life but as a theory to explain the fossil record. Thus, the theory had to accord with existing fossil finds.

I mentioned that, from my experience, scientists responded to these objections by saying that, given sufficient time, all evolutionary obstacles could be surmounted. Billions and billions of years of accidental evolution could surmount the seemingly impossible mathematical odds that complexity and life could evolve from an amorphous cosmic soup.

Yes, mutations are nearly all harmful and life-threatening. But with infinite time enough of the beneficial variety could still be had. And with more time the missing fossils links will finally be found.

So, I concluded, what separates religion and science is seemingly semantics. What religion calls God science calls time.

For scientists, time had an almost divine quality and could provide for the miraculous materialization of near mathematical impossibility.

WHEN I finished, I received a warm ovation from the audience, that is, until I alighted from the stage. I was immediately set upon by an angry, world-famous physicist who told me that evolution was a fact and could not be questioned. I responded that I was not denying it was so, but rather thought it was the purpose of science to question everything.

A few reporters watched our exchange. One told me that it seemed that he had witnessed a role reversal. He would have expected the religious person to say that faith could not be questioned.

A few hours later, at a cocktail reception, a Harvard professor of physics and I were having a pleasant conversation. She suddenly interjected, "I find it curious that someone as smart as you does not believe in unaided evolution."

I thanked her for her backhanded compliment and told her, "Imagine if I said to you, 'I find it curious that someone as smart as you doesn't believe in God. You would probably think that I was a close-minded, condescending, ideologue."

Albert Einstein once commented on the co-existence of faith and reason by saying, "Science without religion is blind; religion without science is lame." But in our time, many scientists who harbor an unreasonable objection to faith are making science into a new religion.
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The Fakestinians

A few questions that everyone who claims to support "Palestinian" statehood should answer:
1) Who was the leader of the Palestinians before Arafat, may his memory be accursed?
2) What was the currency of Palestine before the Jews stole it?
3) Jerusalem was the capital of which Palestinian empire?
4) Which Palestinian kings are buried in Jerusalem?
5) What are some of the technological advances that the world owes the Palestinians?
6) What are some of the cultural gifts of Palestine?

Don't worry if you can't answer any of the questions; you weren't asleep during World History during high school. The "Palestinians" are a made up people who only came to exist after Israel's liberation of Judea and Samaria in '67. When they were OCCUPIED by the Jordanians and Egyptians, they never seemed to raise even a nationalistc peep. Palestine never had a currency because there was never a such country as Palestine. The name Palestine was coined by the Romans in honour of one of the biblical inhabitants of the Land, the Philistines, in, ironically, an attempt to remove the Jewish connection to Eretz Yisrael. Jerusalem was never the capital of a Palestinian empire, which never existed. It was always a backwater, neglected city when under the Arabs. It was never the capital of any Arab or Muslim empire. The only kings buried in Jerusalem and Israel are Jewish kings: King David, Solomon...
In reality, there is absolutely no difference linguistically, culturally and religiously between an Arab in Cairo, Damscus and "Palestine" because the Fakestinians have no history, no past and are simply an articial entity created to demonize Israel.