Articles which have caught my interest. Mostly Israel stuff and other nubbins from the ongoing holy war.

 
Happy Rosh Hashana!

Tomorrow is the New Year around here, a chance to kick back for a few days and eat apples with honey.

My dad has this habit of making a New Year's toast to the effect that "let things not get any worse." Last year, I decided that it was dangerous even to entertain the notion that things could get worse, but get worse they did. The violence, economic problems, and uncertainty around here continued to worsen with no real light at the end of the tunnel.

So, for this Rosh Hashana, let's all cross our fingers and pray that the next 12 lunar months are better than the last 12.

In the spirit of this, I propose a list of Things To Be Thankful for this New Year:

1. Linda Thompson is back after 17 years.


2. Abu Nidal won't be coming back. Ever. Neither will Salah Shehadeh.


3. Maccabi Haifa have brought great honor to Israeli soccer by winning the right to face Manchester United next month. Even if they're forced to play in Cyprus and will probably get their butts kicked.


4. The UN Environmental summit ended without getting hijacked by the anti-Israel bunch


5. The wonderful song stylings of Coco. (Need a fast Internet connection and a knowledge of Hebrew to appreciate this. Sorry for anyone who doesn't fall into both categories.

posted at 3:36 PM

 
Another Useless UN Summit Wraps Up

The big global environmental shindig in Jo'burg finally ended. The last highlight of the conference was Secretary of State Powell getting jeered by the anti-globalization crowd. (According to this, the anti-American rabble rousers actually get grants from Europe to fly to South Africa for these conferences). For some reason, the NY Times downplays the fact that Powell got jeered for criticizing Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's appropriation of white-owned farms in that country. On an Left-idealogical level, Mugabe's actions are honorable. However, like many honorable Left-ideological actions of past (collectivization of the Kulaks, the Great Leap Forward) they are also leading to some hella widespread famine.


posted at 3:24 PM

 
Making the Case Against Saddam

I suppose that going through the UN Security Council is a necessary evil. Either we'll come out of it with a weapons inspection regime that will be able to throw a monkey wrench into Saddam's nuclear weapons development program or else we'll have a causus belli that even the French will have problems arguing against.

The Arab states, of course, are lining up behind Saddam. It isn't necessarily in their individual interests to do so, but inter-Arab politics has always been characterized by the most radical states dictating the agenda. Apparently no Arab leader likes to be accused of not Keeping it Real.

There was a funny moment at the conference of Arab Foreign Ministers when the Qatari representative stormed out in a huff after the Iranian representative accused the Qataris of collaborating with the Zionist entity. History shows us, however, that Qatar will slink back quietly to the conference.
posted at 3:14 PM

 
Tom Friedman on the 9/11 Anniversary

I agree with Friedman on two of the three lessons we've learned in the last year (1. Most people in the world are basically good, with the odd smattering of murderous lunatics disproportionately concentrated in the Middle East and 2. Democratic capitalism is objectively the best system for society).

Friedman's third point (people hate the US because it doesn't live up to its own ideals when dealing with the rest of the world, plus all Americans drive SUVs) is a little superficial and specious. Plus, he tacks on his standard boilerplate chastising Israel for the settlements (or rather, chastising the President for not chastising Israel about the settlements).

BTW, the Larry Miller piece Friedman mentions can be found here. The Victor Davis Hanson book is a collection of his NRO columns. The Hanson archive can be found here.
posted at 2:45 PM

 
Arab-Americans, the Media, and 9/11

At the risk of being branded racist I have to agree with this analysis. Contrary to the fears raised last September, we haven't seen nationwide pogroms against Arab-Americans nor concentration camps outside NYC a la The Siege. And this despite the fact that American Muslim leaders have been mealy-mouthed at best when it came to denouncing the 9/11 attacks.

What we have seen, however, is the Media bending over backwards to balance discussion of Arab-American participation in 9/11 and terror with stories about discrimination against Arabs as well as "Most Arab Americans are Basically Decent, Law-Abiding Folk." Salon, which has been rapidly sliding towards idiotarianism recently, looks like it will devote its 9/11 anniversary coverage to little else.

To an outsider (albeit one who has a beef with Arab culture, though not Arab-Americans) this looks like another example of the overriding dictum in American discourse, namely Thou Shalt Not Be Insensitive.
posted at 2:17 PM

 
Uh oh...

Guess this means I need to get my gas mask renewed.
posted at 4:42 PM

 
Al Qaeda's New Best Friend: Syria

I hope this means that Bush will take care of Damascus once he finishes with Baghdad.
posted at 3:54 PM

 
Denmark, Denmark Uber Alles

The Danes, like their Scandinavian neighbors, have a bad habit about preaching tolerance and human rights to other countries. So, guess what happens when they wake up and realize they have a social problem with their Muslim minority?

From Daniel Pipes, another one of my favorite commentators about The Situation.
posted at 3:31 PM

 
Justice, Palestinian Style

I don't know how much play this story got, but it isn't enough.

Last week, Arafat's Aksa Brigades executed a 43-year-old Palestinian woman and her 17-year-old daughter on charges of collaboration with Israel. The evidence of this collaboration supposedly came from a family member. However, his confession came after the Brigades beat and tortured him senseless.
posted at 3:28 PM

 
New Victor Davis Hanson Article

Hanson is quickly emerging as one of the best post-9/11 commentators. Today's piece takes a look at the excuses for inaction in the Gulf.

Please bear it in mind when reading the latest entry from tiresome, one-note cartoonist Tom Tomorrow.
posted at 3:40 PM

 
Dennis Ross' Israel Experience

He's said it before. He's said it again. Here, he reiterates.

I think this interview tidily sums up the problems of negotiating with the current Palestinian regime. Ross lays to bed the major accusations put forth by Arafat's apologists (the lie that Arafat wasn't offered Bantustans instead of a viable state, etc).

It has become increasingly clear in the last two years that Arafat is a liar who went negotiated in bad faith throughout the entire Oslo process. Eventually, he chose to launch a terrorist war in an attempt to get a state without having to make any compromises about the right of return for Palestinian refugees into Israel.

Ross points out that no one is doing the Palestinians any favors by backing their leadership in the current fighting. Whether this makes an impression on our friends in the European Union, I doubt.
posted at 3:37 PM