A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Mets Fading ... But NHL Coming Up

The great thing about sports is that when one of your teams collapses, you can usually move right on to another.

In 2005-06, the Rangers' surprising success alleviated some of the frustration of the disastrous Jets season. Then, last April, the Rangers collapsed down the stretch, ultimately getting swept by the Devils in the first round. Fortunately, baseball was back just in time, and the Rangers woes were quickly forgotten as the Mets got off to a dominant start to their season.

Now the Mets are in a state of collapse. While the rest of the NL is flawed and anything is possible, unless they play the Padres, I do not think the Mets will get past the NLDS. Unlike Elster, who professes endless optimism and insists on the same from all others, yet then abandons his purported teams as soon as they prove his optimism wrong (see his jumping ship from both the Knicks and the Rangers), I'll be at Shea for Game 1, as loud and as enthusiastic as anyone, but not naive about the prospects of a team with unreliable pitching and hitters in a slump, particularly against lefties.

Fortunately, the 2006-07 NHL season starts next week. I don't know what to expect from the Rangers. Some of the overachievers from last season won't be around - Dominic Moore having been traded and Jed Ortmeyer's status in serious doubt after he suffered a pulmonary embolism. Meanwhile, neither Jaromir Jagr nor Darius Kasparaitis are fully recovered from the injuries that limited them late last season. The Rangers main offseason acquisition was Brendan Shanahan, and while Shanahan will improve the power play, the Rangers still lack an offensive defenseman. Also, Shanahan is 37 and can't be relied upon for another 40 goal season.

The good news is that goalie Henrik Lundqvist is back, and apparently fully recovered from his injuries and migraine headaches. This season, the Rangers must ensure that they don't overplay Lundqvist as they did for much of last year. Peter Prucha will hopefully also return to the form he demonstrated prior to his mid-season knee injury.

I do hope the Rangers give a chance to some of their young players. Last season, despite insisting they would give their prospects a chance, once December came, Tom Renney stubbornly stuck to the guys on the roster. This year, he again is showing undeserved loyalty to the likes of Marcel Hossa.

Unlike last season, when the Rangers were excellent from opening night against the Flyers, I expect more turbulence early this season, with Lundqvist having to win some games by himself. The most likely result for the 2006-07 Rangers is a finish around sixth or seventh in the Eastern Conference (last year they were sixth). As last season proved, finishing strong and healthy in the NHL is the most important factor. In the playoffs, anything can happen, especially with a hot goalie.
posted on 9/29/2006

 
Mets On Cruise Control ... Heading Off The Cliff

Willie Randolph is doing a terrible job this month. Unlike Davey Johnson's '86 Mets, which played hard all season and finished on a big win streak and with 108 wins, this year's team is lethargic, the pitching is inconsistent at best, there is little discipline at the plate, and everyone seems to be going through the motions.

As of now I expect the Mets to lose the NLDS.

Nevertheless, as a good Mets fan, today I bought tickets to Game 1 on eBay, despite not knowing whether it will be played next Tuesday or Wednesday, and whether it will be a day game or a night game.
posted on 9/26/2006

 
Rosh Hashanah Sermons: Green Bay Packers and G-d's Role In The World

The rabbi at the shul I attended on Rosh Hashanah spoke during services on both days.

On the first day, the rabbi opened by mentioning that while he does not follow professional football and therefore does not known whether this team still exists, there was at one time a team called the Green Bay Packers.

The essence of that sermon was criticism of Packers coach Vince Lombardi's "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" philosophy. As the rabbi explained, this approach has permeated the observant Jewish community, resulting in those without a lot of money often being deemed failures, and diligence and community service being ignored and undervalued, in sharp contrast to the approach of Judaism.

On the second day, the rabbi spoke about the challenges relating to faith that people face during times of adversity. He noted that there are some who believe that G-d is involved in every aspect of their lives, while others believe that G-d is not necessarily interested in them or their particular problems.

The rabbi stated strongly that those who believe that G-d is actively involved in their lives deal far better with life's challenges that those who do not. This view, he noted, is in accord with the Ramban (Nahmanides).

While my knowledge of Jewish thought is rather limited (in yeshiva, we never studied the text, and were offered at best a superficial education in this area), my understanding is that Ramban holds that while G-d operates the world so that it seemingly runs b'derech hateva (in a natural manner), G-d is directly responsible for everything that occurs in the world.

In contrast, the Rambam (Maimonides) sets forth a more rationalist view of the world than the Ramban. While the Rambam of course recognizes that G-d can and sometimes does intervene in the world and perform miracles, my understanding is that he holds that the world does generally run in a natural manner, and reward and punishment are received in the "next world."

Admittedly, the Rambam does at times appear to contradict the strictly rationalist approach, such as - if my memory is accurate - when he criticizes those who believe that calamities are natural disasters, explaining that while a disaster itself may be a natural event, its victims are not random. Ultimately, it is probably fair to say that the Rambam's approach is that those who are close to G-d will benefit from relatively more hashgacha pratis (divine providence), and others less. It is not clear where the masses fit under this approach.

As for whether those who believe that G-d is actively involved in their lives deal far better with life's challenges that those who do not, while I accept the rabbi's representation that this is generally the case, I think this remains somewhat dependent both on the particular person and on the extent of the adversity the person faces. In the event of a terrible tragedy, a person who believes that G-d is actively involved in his life might accept that the tragedy occurred for reasons he cannot understand but which are understood by G-d and be comforted by that approach, but he also might become angry with G-d and become disenchanted with, and ultimately rebel against, Judaism.

At the same time, some who believe that the world operates b'derech hateva might feel despair and hopeless during times of adversity, but others might accept that the pain of illness, death, and financial challenges can (and usually do) occur at some point to most people, and that suffering is not necessarily indicative of being punished for sin or forsaken by G-d.

Ultimately, though, more than these particulars, what struck me about the rabbi's speech is how ignorant most religiously observant Jews are about these issues. Since, as the rabbi noted, most people will sustain challenges to their religious faith, it is vital that observant Jews be provided an opportunity to understand the different approaches in the traditional Jewish sources about G-d's role in the world.
posted on 9/26/2006

 
First Place

OK, not really, since the Patriots beat the Jets last week and therefore have the advantage. But the Jets' 2-1 record is a nice start for the Mangini era.

Since I didn't see a single snap, I don't have much analysis to offer. But here are a few quick thoughts:

1. A road win is always great, regardless of the opponent.

2. Clearly the Jets were outperformed on both sides of the ball. They again could neither run nor stop the run. JP Losman somehow passed for more than 300 yards. The Jets deserve a lot of credit for forcing three turnovers and committing none. But they will have little chance against the NFL elite so long as this persists. Fortunately, most NFL teams are rather flawed.

3. The Bills drove inside the Jets 30 yard line six times. They scored two touchdowns, kicked two short field goals, failed to convert a fourth down, and lost a fumble.

The Jets only sustained three solid drives, but scored touchdowns on all three.

Bill Parcells always understood the importance on putting the ball in the end zone. Herm Edwards was usually satisfied with field goals. That's why Edwards usually came close but lost tight road games.

Here's another difference: With six minutes left in the game and the Jets leading 21-13, the Jets had 4th and 1 from the Bills 33. Herm would punt in that situation, trying to pin the opponent deep. Mangini went for the first down, the Jets got it, and they then scored another TD.

4. The Jets scored that touchdown with 3:20 left in the game. Somehow they let the Bills back into the game, giving up a quick touchdown drive and failing to recover an onside kick. That shouldn't happen. 28-13 leads with 3 minutes left should be safe.

5. The Jets offensive line appears to have provided solid pass protection. Hopefully, the run blocking will come soon.

6. A friend with DirectTV has generously agreed to tape the condensed 30 minute version of the game for me - which includes only the actual play at a dizzying speed. I don't know when I'll be able to watch it, or if it will provide any additional insight, but will offer any thoughts if I have any new ones after watching.
posted on 9/25/2006

 
Shana Tova

5766 was not a very good year for Israel. During the past year, Prime Minister Sharon suffered two strokes, the second of which left him in a vegetative state. Hamas was elected to lead the Palestinians. Sharon was replaced by Ehud Olmert, whose performance has been unimpressive. Israel mismanaged the war in Lebanon, and while some accomplishments were made, Israel incurred far too high a human toll for those relatively limited achievements. Israel's political system has been riddled with scandal.

As 5766 comes to a conclusion, it appears unlikely that the Bush Administration, let alone the international community generally, can or will do anything to stop Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons. At the same time, Bush appears poised to pressure Israel to negotiate with a Palestinian Authority "unity" government comprised of Hamas and Fatah.

So much for the war on terror, which has become more of an absurd war on hapless airline passengers.

A few weeks after 9/11, when Bush tried to placate "moderate" Arab states by calling for a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, Sharon responded strongly, telling Bush:

Don't repeat the terrible mistake of 1938 when the enlightened democracies of Europe decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a temporary solution. Do not try to placate the Arabs at our expense. Israel will not be Czechoslovakia.

Bush reacted very angrily, but Sharon's warning - actually his plea - proved effective.

Today, Israel's leadership is far less capable than Sharon was, and the world has quickly gotten used to the idea of an Islamic terror group leading the Palestinians.

We can only hope and pray that with G-d's help, in spite of what appears to be a bleak situation, 5767 will be a year in which Israel will be blessed with real peace and security.
posted on 9/22/2006

 
Mets Clincher

It's been six years since the Mets last made the playoffs and 18 years since they won the NL East. So for a longtime avid Mets fan, this season's achievements have been exciting, especially in light of the condition the Mets were in after Art Howe and Jim Duquette's tenure ended after the 2004 season.

I have to admit, though, to being skeptical about how far the Mets can go with a starting staff that is filled with question marks.

When the Mets won the division in 1986, they were heavily favored and expected to win the World Series, which they eventually did, after putting their fans through 13 enormously stressful games. Two years later, the Mets again won the division and were favored to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS, and then face the Oakland A's in the World Series. Of course, the Mets blew it against LA, losing in Game 7, and what could have been a great World Series between the two most talented teams of the late 80's never transpired.

In 1999, the Mets collapsed down the stretch, then rebounded to gain the wild card in the regular season's final days. The next year, the Mets almost knocked off the Braves to win the NL East, but instead, strong starting pitching and superb managing by Bobby Valentine took them to the World Series, where Armando Benitez's usual meltdown stopped the Mets momentum in Game 1.

Because of how large the Mets division lead has been for so long, there has been little drama during this successful season. Because of my doubts that the Mets can win the World Series, I'm not quite as excited about the playoffs as I was the previous four times they made in there.

Still, I'll be watching closely once the playoffs start (and anxiously waiting for results if the Mets are still playing during the Succos holiday), and will probably catch a game or two at Shea, where I'll be as loud as anyone. As any Mets fan knows, the playoffs don't come around every year at Shea - this could well be the last time for that - so we must be thankful for the performance of the 2006 Mets.
posted on 9/19/2006

 
A Decade After Law School

The other day I visited my parents' home in Brooklyn. In my old room was a pile of mail, including a letter informing me that the ten-year reunion of my graduating law school class is coming up next spring.

One of these days - I'm guessing it will be about 11 months from now - Elster will receive a similar letter from his law school. He'll then likely follow up with a lament about his continued practice of law, a lament that could be written by many attorneys.

I'm not without regrets or frustrations, but upon receiving the letter from the school, my thoughts turned to my days in law school and to some of my old classmates.

There was the Christian Arab who was friendly to Jewish students during the first year of school but became increasingly militant; the guy with the tattoos, piercings and ponytail who now is a well groomed corporate lawyer; the smart, confident young woman whose novel purportedly based on her experiences in my class as an insecure naive girl from the Midwest will soon be published.

My time in law school was a formative period for me. I hung out in the halls, the libraries and in the lounges, eager to discuss anything with anyone. Sports, politics, religion, the Israeli-Arab conflict, whatever. Unlike many who inexplicably find law school to be a difficult experience, I was smart enough then to savor those years, knowing that things would never be as good once billable hours became an integral part of life.
posted on 9/18/2006

 
Week Two: Back To Reality

1. While the Jets have other flaws, it's on the offensive and defensive lines that they are vastly overmatched, and lost yesterday's game. When you can't run the ball (zero rushing first downs), can't stop the run, and your defensive line puts up little pressure and gets no sacks (Kerry Rhodes had the Jets only sack), you will very rarely win.

The good news, of course, is that the offensive line should get better. Defensive line will remain a problem, however, until it is addressed in the draft and perhaps also in free agency.

2. The Jets coaching staff was also overmatched yesterday. The offensive game plan was terrible, basically a Herm Edwards style insistence on running the ball even when it was clear that they couldn't run. The Jets punted on all five of their first half drives. On their opening drive of the second half, they stalled after a series in which they ran four straight plays, including up the middle on 3rd and 4th downs and less than a yard. Even with the Patriots putting eight men in the box, daring the Jets to pass, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer insisted on running up the middle.

By the time Schottenheimer let Chad Pennington throw the ball, the score was 24-0 and there was not enough time for a comeback.

Defensively, I thought the Jets should have blitzed more, particularly during the Patriots late 2nd quarter touchdown drive. Admittedly, however, when the Jets did blitz in the 4th quarter, Tom Brady picked it up and converted one third down after another.

One coaching move I could not understand occurred with 4:09 left in the 4th quarter, with the Patriots facing 3rd and 8 from the Jets 35. With the clock stopped after an incompletion, the Jets used a valuable timeout, and Brady then completed a first down pass. Eric Mangini preached throughout training camp that timeouts must never be wasted, and forced players to run laps when they had to use a timeout. Perhaps he and his staff should run a few laps today.

3. I also did not like Mangini's post-game statements expressing how "proud" he was of his players. That reminded me a lot of the Herm era. More importantly, I don't think the pride was justified. The Jets defense was awful in the 4th quarter, wasting the momentum by allowing the Patriots an 8 minute drive in which the Jets used all three timeouts and got the ball back with only a minute left and 91 yards to go.

The defense was also awful on the Patriots first drive of the 3rd quarter, in which a holding and a pass interference penalty wasted 3rd down stops and allowed the Pats to score another TD.

4. It's difficult to say whether the Jets problems running the ball are solely the fault of the offensive line, or whether running backs Kevan Barlow and Derrick Blaylock are also to blame. Regardless, perhaps it's time for Mangini and Schottenheimer to activate Cedric Houston, and see if he can provide a spark.

5. On the bright side, Chad Pennington, Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery all looked good. While Elster wrote that the outstanding touchdown runs after the catches by Coles and Cotchery "made Pennington's otherwise very average performance look better," I have a different take.

As stated, Pennington was handcuffed during the Jets first six drives in a manner similar to the way Brooks Bollinger was treated last season.

As for the two big plays, the stats of all quarterbacks with good receivers are boosted by the play of those receivers. Nobody suggests that Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne make Peyton Manning look better, or even that Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin make Kurt Warner look better.

On the passes to Coles and Cotchery, Pennington was blitzed heavily (and hit), yet picked up both blitzes and threw a perfect pass on both plays. Since the 2002 playoff loss to the Raiders, Pennington's weakness has been facing the blitz. If he can very quickly find an open receiver when blitzed, the Jets will likely have many more big plays, with their receivers having plenty of open field after the catch.

Of course, if the Jets running backs and offensive line fails to pick up blitzes and keeps leaving Pennington alone, Pennington will soon suffer another serious injury.

6. I got the sense that notwithstanding his denials, Mangini was hurt by Bill Belichick's snubs and insults. Whatever Belichick's motives for his disdainful treatment of Mangini, the latter should get over it.

7. Week 2 was also a tough week for my fantasy football team. Despite picking up 153 points, enough to defeat everyone in the league except for MoC, my team had to face MoC and fell to 1-1 when Team MoC amassed an incredible 159 points even while playing a defensive lineman short. In other games, Jetsphan improved to 2-0 over Akiva, while Elster looks poised to move to 2-0 over Team TO, after Team TO's star receiver - TO - was injured in last night's game.

8. There was some good news yesterday. Not only did Herm's Chiefs lose again, the Redskins also fell to 0-2. The Jets have Washington's second round pick.
posted on 9/18/2006

 
Kosher Food Issues

I'm not interested in gossip concerning the recent scandal involving non-kosher chicken (and possibly meat) being fraudulently labeled and sold as kosher.

Clearly, sad as it is, there is always the potential that this could happen.

What I am most concerned about is whether those certifying food as kosher are properly trained to ensure that fraud of this type is prevented. It is important for the observant Jewish community to have confidence that those providing certification are committed to implementing the necessary safeguards, and that they only employ people of both competence and integrity.
posted on 9/15/2006

 
Jets Prediction

This week's Jets vs. Patriots game reminds me of the early season matchup between the teams in 1997, when Bill Parcells faced his former team and the Jets were heavy underdogs.

In the 1997 game, the Jets had a chance to win on a late 4th quarter drive, but the drive stalled and they settled for a chip shot field goal attempt that would send the game to overtime. The kick by John Hall was blocked, and the Jets lost by three.

I have a feeling that this week's game will be more competitive than most expect. If I had confidence in Mike Nugent, I'd probably predict a Jets upset. Unfortunately, with Nugent as the Jets placekicker, I expect a close and frustrating loss not unlike the one nine years ago.
posted on 9/15/2006

 
Don't Mess With MoC

MoC seems like a very kindly fellow, and surely he is. But beware of ever crossing him.

On Sunday night, MoC's defensive end, Osi Umenyiora of the Giants, basically mailed it in, with just one tackle all game.

While Umenyiora had a big year in '05, MoC had no use for a player who did not give his full effort. On Tuesday morning, MoC placed Umenyiora on waivers, leaving his team with only one defensive end.

In an era in which athletes make millions but always demand more, and often don't play hard or when hurt, yet are pampered and coddled by teams, MoC deserves applause for his gutsy move.

I'm sure his players will get the message and give MoC a very strong effort in Week 2.
posted on 9/14/2006

 
9/11

Bloggers in particular have a talent for making themselves the center of a story that in fact has little if anything to do with them.

That's the main reason why, aside from brief posts about a law school classmate, and a post objecting to the nonsensical 9/11 miracle stories, I've written very little about September 11, 2001.

I doubt my experience on 9/11 is much different from most New Yorkers. I was in my Upper West Side apartment, the TV tuned to CNN, when there was a strangely innocuous mention about a report of a plane having crashed into the World Trade Center. There was a frantic man describing the scene who was basically told to calm down, then the live crashing into the southern tower, the calm man on a high floor in the northern tower who was interviewed on several stations, then the falling of the southern, and then the northern tower. I remember, when the southern tower fell, the TV anchor lamenting that New York's skyline would never be the same. Presumably, he was then unable to comprehend the human toll.

I remember calling my father telling him to leave his downtown Manhattan office. Eventually he did, walking to Brooklyn. When the phone circuits went down, I called a friend in Israel.

Back then, I literally kept no food and almost nothing to drink in my apartment. So by around 11:30 I was very hungry and thirsty, and went to get something to eat at the pizza store on 91st Street.

Then there was concern for people working in the WTC. Selichos at OZ were packed that night, and there was word about a young woman in the community who was missing, as was a guy with whom I went to shiur. The young woman was in the northern tower and had no chance to get out. The man was on the 100th floor of the southern tower, decided immediately to leave, and made it safely out, even as co-workers who waited a few minutes died. He walked to a friend's apartment in midtown, stayed there for the day, only returning home the next afternoon, presumably to a constant stream of phone calls from concerned acquaintances like me, to whom he would very calmly describe his experience.

The next day I had the misfortune of being assigned to work on matters relating to 9/11. That's when I found out, in passing, about the death of my classmate. I also found out awful things about individual experiences that are better left unsaid and unknown.

My initial reaction to 9/11 was that there was a colossal failure on the part of New York's government and both the Clinton and Bush Administrations, and that a commission of inquiry similar to those conducted in Israel was necessary. I still believe that. But Rudy Giuliani's superb post-9/11 performance managed to shield him from taking responsibility for the series of mistakes that caused countless deaths, and the country, not surprisingly or unreasonably, did not have the stomach for a serious internal examination.
posted on 9/11/2006

 
Opening Week

1. After all the offseason hopes, and with all of the talent of this team, to come out so unprepared today is shocking and inexcusable.

Oops, sorry. I forgot for just a second that Herm is gone. The Chiefs home debacle is not our problem. Those folks out in KC (and at least one fellow in Brooklyn too) don't know what hit them.

2. Ok, on to the Jets. I don't know if I can take much more of this. Today's game was torture. I'm writing at 4:30, just after it ended. I've placed my son on the couch, and turned on "Thomas The Train." He doesn't appear too interested in the US Open Men's final or the Cowboys vs. Jaguars game, though he does know to respond to J-E-T-S by saying "Jets, Jets, Jets!"

3. After going 0-8 on the road last season, a road win on opening week is fantastic, even if it came against a terrible Titans team. While today's win certainly did not prove that the Jets are a contender, it did prove that the Jets are not nearly as bad as most "experts" claim.

4. In addition to his injury history, critics of Chad Pennington point to his generally poor performance against top defenses. They have a point, but those critics should admit that Pennington has been dominant against bad defenses.

He was again today. He threw short passes, he threw accurate sideline routes and over-the-middle passes, and two very nice deep balls to Laveranues Coles. His arm seemed fine. He rebounded from his one major mistake, the fumble that led to the Titans tying touchdown, with the game winning drive, showing poise and leadership when the Jets looked poised for a collapse.

Most impressively, Pennington did all this with no running game, with two rookies on offensive line, and with other offensive linemen killing the Jets with false start and holding penalties.

5. Anyone who watched today's game knows it should have been a blowout. Mike Nugent does not look like an NFL kicker. The Jets should not hesitate to get rid of another mistake of ex-GM Terry Bradway if Nugent does not improve his kicking soon.

6. The Jets fourth quarter playcalling was disappointing. With the Jets in full control of the game, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did a good imitation of his father with his extremely conservative running calls. Despite Pennington's dominance and the failure of the run game, Schottenheimer kept running between the tackles on first and second downs, setting up one 3rd and long after another.

Even on the Jets winning drive, Schottenheimer ran the ball on both first and second down, both times for no gain. Ironically, the Jets got a break when yet another false start was called on Brandon Moore, forcing Schottenheimer to finally let Pennington throw the ball. Pennington's 12 yard touchdown pass to Chris Baker won it for the Jets.

7. On the next drive, with the Titans trying to tie the score, I thought the Jets played too conservatively on defense. They didn't blitz, and gave large cushions, letting the Titans drive all the way to the 8 yard line.

8. John Abraham had a good game for the Falcons today, with two sacks.

9. Speaking of Coles, with his star wideout Steve Smith out today, Elster made a shrewd fantasy football game day move, picking up Coles this morning and inserting him right into his starting lineup. I had drafted Coles, who I expect to have a very good season, but reluctantly had to let him go when I realized that the Jets bye week is the same week as my two other wide receivers. Coles rewarded Elster by putting up Steve Smith numbers, catching 8 passes for 153 yards.

10. Speaking of Elster, the Jets, and fantasy football, I could not help constantly thinking about Elster throughout today's game. Every time Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck - who is on Elster's team - tackled a Jet, I could see Elster get excited, preferring his fantasy team over his purported real one.

11. Gotta run. I can no longer ignore my son's running to me every few minutes as I've been writing this and telling me "Choo Choo. Choo Choo!"
posted on 9/10/2006

 
Jets Prediction

I happen to be one of the few people - perhaps the only person - who believes that if enough things go right, the Jets can take advantage of a relatively easy schedule and contend for a playoff spot.

That would require Chad Pennington to stay intact and at least regain his 2004 form, when he played very well against bad defenses; for one of the Jets running backs to step up; for the offensive line to quickly gain chemistry; for Shaun Ellis and DeWayne Robertson to improve significantly over last year's performance; for the three defensive linemen acquired in the last five days to contribute; and for Justin Miller to improve his play at cornerback. The Jets would also have to avoid injuries.

This is not impossible, but nor is it likely. The Jets offense shows signs that it will struggle during the early part of the season, and the defensive line is very thin.

Sunday's game against the Titans is a game that can be won. A strong performance can quickly raise player confidence, like the Jets opening day road rout in Bill Parcells' 1997 debut, which immediately erased memories of the Rich Kotite era.

I hope for an opening day victory and at least an 8-8 season, but expect a close, ugly loss, by a score of something like 20-16, and a 2006 record of 7-9.
posted on 9/05/2006

 
Should Israel Release Samir Kuntar

In 1979, Samir Kuntar, then 16 years old, held an Israeli family hostage, kidnapped the young father and four year old daughter, shot the father dead at the beach, and stoned the young girl to death. Back in the family's home, the mother and 2 year old daughter hid. To keep the 2 year old girl quiet, the mother put her hand over her daughter's mouth, accidentally smothering her to death.

That was the fate of Danny Haran, his wife Smadar, and their two daughters, Einat and Yael.

Three years ago in a Washington Post column, Smadar Kaiser - she remarried and has two daughters - expressed her opposition to Kuntar's release. She wrote, in part:

It had been a peaceful Sabbath day. My husband, Danny, and I had picnicked with our little girls, Einat, 4, and Yael, 2, on the beach not far from our home in Nahariya, a city on the northern coast of Israel, about six miles south of the Lebanese border. Around midnight, we were asleep in our apartment when four terrorists, sent by Abu Abbas from Lebanon, landed in a rubber boat on the beach two blocks away. Gunfire and exploding grenades awakened us as the terrorists burst into our building. They had already killed a police officer. As they charged up to the floor above ours, I opened the door to our apartment. In the moment before the hall light went off, they turned and saw me. As they moved on, our neighbor from the upper floor came running down the stairs. I grabbed her and pushed her inside our apartment and slammed the door.

Outside, we could hear the men storming about. Desperately, we sought to hide. Danny helped our neighbor climb into a crawl space above our bedroom; I went in behind her with Yael in my arms. Then Danny grabbed Einat and was dashing out the front door to take refuge in an underground shelter when the terrorists came crashing into our flat. They held Danny and Einat while they searched for me and Yael, knowing there were more people in the apartment. I will never forget the joy and the hatred in their voices as they swaggered about hunting for us, firing their guns and throwing grenades. I knew that if Yael cried out, the terrorists would toss a grenade into the crawl space and we would be killed. So I kept my hand over her mouth, hoping she could breathe. As I lay there, I remembered my mother telling me how she had hidden from the Nazis during the Holocaust. "This is just like what happened to my mother," I thought.

As police began to arrive, the terrorists took Danny and Einat down to the beach. There, according to eyewitnesses, one of them shot Danny in front of Einat so that his death would be the last sight she would ever see. Then he smashed my little girl's skull in against a rock with his rifle butt. That terrorist was Samir Kuntar.

By the time we were rescued from the crawl space, hours later, Yael, too, was dead. In trying to save all our lives, I had smothered her.

Kuntar continues to express pride in the "military operation." His family set up a web site in which it writes about his success in infiltrating the "settlement" of Nahariya (Nahariya is a northern Israeli city) and in killing 5 Israelis during the "operation."

Israel has refused to release Kuntar in previous prisoner exchanges, but has indicated that it is willing to release him now as part of a deal for the two IDF soldiers held hostage by Hezbollah.

I have been struggling with whether Israel should release Kuntar if it is necessary to do so to gain the freedom of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

On one hand, the cruel Arab enemy will not hesitate to keep Goldwasser and Regev hostage forever, subjecting them to the same terrible fate as the hostages from the first Lebanon War. Israel owes a debt to its soldiers and must seek their freedom.

On the other hand, releasing murderers is both immoral and, for all the obvious reasons, is the best way to encourage further acts of terrorism.

I don't have an answer.
posted on 9/04/2006

 
Jets Update

1. Last night, the Jets traded QB Brooks Bollinger to the Vikings for defensive lineman C.J. Mosley and a 7th round draft pick. Mosley was the Vikings 6th round pick last season.

I was never a big Bollinger fan. Two years ago, I called on the Jets to keep star CFL quarterback Ricky Ray over Bollinger.

While Bollinger does not have the talent to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, he has exceeded my expectations. Once Herm Edwards allowed him to pass the ball, his performance improved significantly last season, particularly when he passed for more than 300 yards against the Dolphins. This pre-season Bollinger played well. Had the Jets been faced with a choice between cutting Bollinger or Patrick Ramsey, I think Ramsey should have and would have been the one to go.

But this trade is a good one for everyone involved. The Jets received a player at a position they are very thin at. The Vikings are thin at quarterback, and Bollinger is better than what they have at #3. Bollinger gets to play in the Midwest, and will be reunited with Vikings head coach Brad Childress, who was his offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. With Brad Johnson starting, Bollinger might get a chance to play.

With Chad Pennington at quarterback, the Jets should look into signing another quarterback to their practice squad. Otherwise, they may need to look into bringing Vinny Testaverde back.

2. Pennington and backup Jay Fiedler both suffered shoulder injuries in the 3rd quarter of week 3 last season.

At the time, Fiedler's injury was expected to keep him out around 8 weeks. Perhaps the doctors underestimated the severity of Fiedler's injury, but he still is unable to throw, and was therefore released by Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

3. I wouldn't be surprised to see Doug Jolley, who the Jets traded to Tampa yesterday, have a good season there.

Jolley had his share of drops last season, but the Jets offense was in disarray.

If he can stay healthy, Chris Baker will have another chance to have an expanded role.

4. Herm is in mid-season form with his "You Play To Not Lose The Game" philosophy.

After last week's pre-season game, Herm ripped his offensive coordinator for having the gall to try to score a touchdown late in the first half:

When we took the shot in the endzone - two shots really before the end of the half - and we're up 13-3 and we're messing around trying to throw a touchdown pass. We got (offensive) pass interference when we have good field goal range and we have to now kick a 50-yarder.

I can't believe we actually got Leon Washington for this guy.
posted on 9/01/2006