Israpundit

by Bill Levinson

NJDC’S Guide to Responding to Obama, Clinton, and Edwards Smears aimed at Jewish Voters contains a statement from Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League. This statement leaves little doubt that Barack Obama must distance himself from the prominent racist and anti-Semite Al Sharpton if he expects voters to take him for anything but a sick and demented practical joke on the American people.

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman released a statement saying: “We welcome Barack Obama’s condemnation of the anti-Semitic rhetoric of Minister Louis Farrakhan, and his making clear that he did not agree with his church’s decision to honor Farrakhan. Issues of racism and anti-Semitism must be beyond the bounds of politics. When someone close to a political figure shows sympathy and support for an individual who makes his name espousing bigotry, that political figure needs to distance himself from that decision. Senator Obama has done just that.”

If the ADL expects Obama to distance himself from second-hand contact with a professional bigot and hate monger (the contact being through the intermediary of Jeremiah Wright and the Trinity United Church of Christ), then what are we to say of his direct and repeated contact with, and outright endorsement and promotion of, a racist and anti-Semite like Al Sharpton? (more…)

by Omri Ceren

Anyone had a chance to review Ha’aretz’s ranking of candidates and their positions on Israel? This is from the people on Israel’s political left - and yet Obama and Edwards still get ranked as the absolute worst candidates for the Jewish State. Before Joe Biden and Chris Dodd dropped out, Democrats made up the four absolutely worst candidates on Israel. Obama - the champion of next generation’s Democrats - remains dead last. The only Democrat who makes it out of the bottom is Hillary Clinton. That would be the same Hillary Clinton who embraced Suha Arafat after Arafat slandered Israel with a blood libel - she’s the best the Democrats have when it comes to Israel.

On the other side of the political spectrum, McCain gets ranked as the most reliable Republican on Iran. And this is from panelists who hated Fred’s objectively awesome “they would have been introduced to those virgins that they’re looking forward to seeing” line because it was “too harsh.” Even they seem unimpressed by the Democrats’ “we should sit down and chat with the ayotallahs” foreign policy sophistication - on a 1 to 5 scale, the Republicans get 3.75 to the Democrats’ 2.75.

So all those Democratic Jews condescendingly insisting that a Democratic vote is a pro-Israel vote? They must just be a lot smarter than the political observers at Israel’s major left-wing newspaper. Or they’re retarded. But definitely one of the two.

[Cross-posted to Mere Rhetoric]

by Omri Ceren

Last October we wrote that “the UN is preparing to blame Israel” as the Palestinians laid the groundwork for a manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Turns out, that was true:

Gaza’s only electrical plant shut down most of its turbines Sunday after an Israeli border closure blocked the entry of fuel that powers them, Palestinian officials said. But Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for Israel’s defense ministry, said Gaza has enough fuel and accused Palestinian officials of trying to create the impression of a crisis that did not exist. The fuel shortage was a result of Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s decision on Thursday to halt all shipments to the Strip… after Hamas renewed Kassam rocket fire last week, resulting in unusually heavy barrages on Sderot… In addition to the fuel it receives from Israel to power its electrical plant, Gaza gets about two-thirds of its electricity directly from Israel. Israeli officials said that supply would not be affected.

(more…)

by Omri Ceren

Just kidding, obviously. If you’re a country that’s not Israel, this is what you get to do when terrorists invade your capital city and murder your powerful politicians:

Pakistani artillery and helicopter gunships pounded militant positions Sunday close to the Afghan border, an extremist stronghold where a rebel leader blamed for the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is believed to be hiding, officials and witnesses said. The strikes came after authorities said they had arrested a 15-year-old boy alleged to have been involved in the Dec. 27 slaying of Bhutto, an opposition leader critical of rising Islamic extremism in the country… Two civilians were killed and five others wounded in the attacks near the border close to the towns of Lhada and Makin in South Waziristan, said Fazal Subhan, a Makin resident. However, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said there were no reports of casualties in the operations.

If you’re Israel, of course, the options you have in similar situations are a little more limited. Probably for totally understandable reasons that have nothing to do with anti-Semitism.

[Cross-posted to Mere Rhetoric]

by Omri Ceren

Remember that time when Hezbollah started a war with Israel and then went crawling to the rest of the world begging them to call off the IDF? If you do, then this might seem vaguely familiar:

The exiled leader of Hamas appealed to Arab leaders and his rival, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday asking them to forget their differences and help the beleaguered Gazans, who saw Gaza City plunge into darkness after Israel blocked a shipment of fuel that powers its only electrical plant. The plea was rare show of emotion for the hard-line Khaled Mashaal, who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria. “All Arab leaders, exercise real pressure to stop this Zionist crime…” In addition to the fuel it receives from Israel to power its electrical plant, Gaza gets about two-thirds of its electricity directly from Israel. Israeli officials said that supply would not be affected.

If Hamas returned Gilad Shalit and stopped dropping mortars and rockets on Israeli schools and hospitals, everything would get turned back on tomorrow.

[Cross-posted to Mere Rhetoric]