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

 
Start Shonn Greene

Since Week 4, the Jets offense has almost always started slowly. Opposing teams put eight in the box, daring Mark Sanchez to throw. The Jets try to establish a run game, but Thomas Jones gets off to a slow start.

It seems that when the Jets put Shonn Greene into the game, things open up. Indeed, after Greene plays a few series, Jones gets more running room and Sanchez gets a little more time.

Why not put Greene in to start?
posted on 12/30/2009

 
Week 16

1. It is with shock, disgust, outrage and disdain that I must report that some purportedly observant Jewish fans of the New York Giants attended today's game, on the fast of the 10th of Teves.

Somewhere Superfeldman is fuming.

2. Colts President and GM Bill Polian gift wrapped today's game for the Jets, who - despite not playing terribly - would not otherwise have won.

3. Indeed, prior to the Colts' pulling their starters, the Jets couldn't get anything going on offense. The run game was not working, and Mark Sanchez couldn't carry the offense himself. The defense was fortunate that they had only given up 15 points, with both Lito Sheppard and Darrelle Revis beaten on several long plays.

4. D'Brickashaw Ferguson was awful, twice letting Dwight Freeney get an easy sack on Sanchez, both times killing a drive.

5. Fortunately, Sanchez did not turn the ball over, allowing the Jets to keep the game close and take control when the Colts put in their preseason unit.

6. Jay Feely came back from last week's debacle with two key field goals, and Brad Smith's kickoff return for a touchdown was huge.
posted on 12/27/2009

 
Week 15

1. As they did against the Bills, the Dolphins (twice) and the Jaguars, the Jets again did everything they could to lose today. Three interceptions, three dropped interceptions, three botched field goals, and three idiotic roughing penalties allowed the Jets to find a way to lose despite outplaying the Falcons.

2. I am glad I did not go to today's game. However, the announcing today was horrific. Dick Stockton thought Atlanta's winning TD tied the game; called the Jets the Eagles; kept mixing up players; and was confused about where the ball was, and even where the new stadium is.

3. I missed Ray Lucas on today's SNY postgame show. He's always very good to watch after losses.
posted on 12/20/2009

 
Week 14

1. The Jets ran into a terrible team today and couldn't find a way not to win.

2. Kellen Clemens was better in the 4th quarter, but overall showed poor accuracy and failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities.

3. That said, Clemens was again handcuffed by the coaching staff, with his main prerogative appearing to be not to turn the ball over. Consider, for example, the Jets opening drive, when after a David Harris INT, they ran three straight times and didn't get a first down.

4. Shonn Greene is a good back, but his fumbles are now a real issue.

5. Jay Feely did a good job in the first half.

6. The defense played great against a terrible offense.
posted on 12/13/2009

 
Bill Parcells, Al Groh and The Guy in the Glass

In exactly four weeks, it wil be 10 years since Bill Parcells resigned as Jets head coach. In explaining his resignation to his players, Parcells read The Guy in the Glass, a poem written in 1934 by Dale Wimbrow about integrity and self-awareness. Since then, I've thought about the message in The Guy in the Glass when advising others and (admittedly to a lesser extent) in my own decisions.

Following Bill Belichick's resignation the next day, Parcells was succeeded by Al Groh. Groh himself then quit right after the season to take the head coaching job at University of Virginia, where he coached for nine seasons before being let go last week.

After his final game last Saturday night, Groh read The Guy in the Glass to his players, and then added: "When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he's a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability. He's loyal. His spirit is indomitable. And he is caring and loving."

Groh wasn't any of those things when he quit the Jets, though he probably can't be blamed for taking a more secure long-term position.

But I can't help but think that in extolling his own virtues, Groh missed the point in The Guy in the Glass.


The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
posted on 12/06/2009

 
Week 13

1. Bad job by the Jets not letting Kellen Clemens throw the ball when he entered the game to get loose and force the Bills to respect the run. Giving the Bills a chance to win the game was foolish. If the coaching staff has so little confidence in Clemens, why is he the backup QB?

That said, Clemens didn't look good at all, and his fumble deep in Jets territory (fortunately recovered by D'Brickishaw Ferguson) was inexcusable. Clemens did throw a very nice pass to Jerricho Cotchery.

2. Rex Ryan was ridiculous ripping Mark Sanchez during the post-game press conference. Scrambling on 3rd down, Sanchez was absolutely right to go for a first down. He would not have gotten the first down had he slid and he may have gotten hurt anyway.

The bottom line is that while Sanchez needs to be smarter about not running right into linebackers and defensive lineman, Ryan needs to understand that football is a violent sport and that injuries are inevitable.

3. Alan Faneca is aging badly. With three years left on his contract and an $8 million salary, the Jets should take advantage of 2010 likely being an uncapped year and consider cutting him this offseason.

4. The Jets still don't seem to know how to win. Sanchez imagined pressure that wasn't there when he badly missed a wide open Cotchery in the end zone. Ryan seemed to think Braylon Edwards' horrible drop was hilarious. David Clowney also needs to hang on to the ball in the end zone.

5. Sanchez did come back with nice passes to Cotchery and Edwards - as well as the throw that Clowney couldn't hang on to.

6. Clueless gushing by the NFL Network announcers over Brad Smith, who supposedly is the new Jim Thorpe. Smith has four catches this season, and one career completed pass. He's a good special teams player, nothing more.

7. Indeed, the Jets still only have two receivers.

8. Seeing Solomon Wilcots last night reminded me how much I don't miss him on CBS - where he hasn't seemed to announce Jets game this season. Of course, Wilcots was sure to submit his absurd "report" that Sanchez was going to try to come back and play on two knee braces.
posted on 12/04/2009

 
Doron Sheffer

I followed Doron Sheffer when he played at UConn in the early-mid 90's - a period when I had time to watch lots of sports. I thought Sheffer would have been a solid rotation player in the NBA, but instead of playing for the Clippers, he chose to return to Israel where he was a star.

Haaretz has a long feature about Sheffer, who survived testicular cancer and has become religiously observant.
posted on 12/03/2009

 
Week 12

1. A win is always good, but at 5-6, the Jets are going nowhere this season. For that reason, their newly installed ultra-conservative passing game is short-sighted. Mark Sanchez has to stop throwing dumb INTs, but also needs to be allowed to throw to his receivers. Instead, whenever his primary receiver was covered, he either dumped off to Thomas Jones or took unnecessary sacks on Rex Ryan's orders.

2. Eric Smith has become a pretty good player.

3. Today, the Jaguars missed a 21 yard field goal. Couldn't they have shanked a chip shot two weeks ago?
posted on 11/29/2009

 
The Curb Seinfeld Reunion

Back when nobody was watching Seinfeld - when it was on Wednesday nights as a mid-season fill-in - I was its biggest fan. As had been the case with other unusual shows like Sledge Hammer, I don't think I convinced more than one or two people to watch Seinfeld prior to its shift to Thursday night after Cheers ended its run. Most who did watch in the early days thought the show was slow-paced and boring.

Alas, popularity caused Seinfeld to go from irreverent to bizarre and unrealistic - though for a while it remained a great show. But I found the last few seasons to be disappointing, with the main characters all turned into complete caricatures.

For that reason especially, I thought the last two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm were a rare delight. The fake reunion show was not great in itself, though it wasn't bad either. But watching the old cast perform together - and the banter between Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander - was a pleasant blast from the past.

Having said that ...

Who would have expected that more than 11 years after its finale, "having said that" would become a new classic Seinfeld line?
posted on 11/26/2009

 
Mumbai A Year Later, Netanyahu and Submission to Terror

The day before Thanksgiving last year brought the reports of the Mumbai attacks. Later in the day were the initial concerns about those in Nariman house. By evening things had become ominous. Thanksgiving brought all kinds of contradictory reports, and the news that Moshe Holtzberg had survived. Watching Indian TV on that Thursday and Friday was extremely frustrating, with the anchors and reporters in Mumbai having no idea of - and very little if any interest in - the fate of the Chabad shluchim and their guests. The horrible confirmation of their murders was at once both shocking and a confirmation of what we all already knew - absent a miracle - would be the result.

Just thinking about those few days is chilling. Is there anyone who today would free the lone surviving terrorist operative? If those who masterminded the Mumbai massacres were caught, would they ever be let go under any circumstances?

What has become of Israel, a country that went from leading the international fight against terror to becoming the leading appeaser of terror?

Is it a coincidence that 33 years after Yoni Netanyahu symbolized Israel's refusal to submit to the demands of terrorists, that his younger brother, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, now is ready to acquiesce to much harsher demands?

Consider Binyamin Netanyahu's words in his Foreword to Self-Portrait Of A Hero - From The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu:

The death of a brother cut down in his prime is traumatic in every way; it changed my life and directed it to its present course. But the impact of a loss of a brother is a distant second to the greatest agony of all, the death of a son. Over the years, as I have visited agonizing parents who have lost their children in battle or to bouts of savage terrorism, I have grieved for them as I grieved for my parents.

Prime Minister Netanyahu nobly wants to save Noam and Aviva Shalit from the agony suffered by his parents and the parents of many other Israelis. But in doing so, he is virtually assuring agony to many more parents in Israel.
posted on 11/25/2009

 
Saving Private Shaw

After more than three years in captivity, the Obama administration must finalize the prisoner swap deal for Priv. Kevin Shaw.

The terms of the deal are well known: The release by the U.S. of 450 al-Qaeda militants. al-Qaeda will not budge from its demands, with which President Obama must comply.

Reportedly, the remaining dispute centers around just five U.S. prisoners. But President Obama must not allow the continued detention of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Richard Reid, Jose Padilla, John Walker Lindh and Zacarias Moussaoui to be a reason to waste the opportunity to bring Kevin Shaw home for Christmas.

There is hardly any reason to keep these men locked up. Those who died on 9/11 will not be brought back to life. Some argue that Moussaoui or Sheikh Mohammed would if freed return to violence. More likely, they will return to their families, happy to have a new lease on their lives. In any case, there is hardly any shortage of frustrated Muslim men willing to fight; imprisoning five prominent members of al-Qaeda is sure to attract thousands more to militancy.
posted on 11/25/2009

 
Object to the Surrender to Terror



posted on 11/24/2009

 
Goldie and Shmuel Taubenfeld



Three month old Shmuel Taubenfeld and his mother Goldie were murdered in the August 2003 bombing of the number 2 bus from the Western Wall.
posted on 11/24/2009

 
David and Naava Applebaum



On September 9, 2003, the night before her scheduled wedding, Naava Applebaum and her father, Shaare Tzedek ER Chief Dr. David Applebaum, were murdered in the Cafe Hillel bombing.
posted on 11/24/2009

 
Noam Leibowitz



In June 2003, seven year old Noam Leibowitz was shot to death while riding in her family's car.

In December 2003, 22 year old Noam Leibowitz was murdered in a suicide bombing.
posted on 11/24/2009

 
Shiri Negari



Shiri was murdered in a bus bombing outside of the Gilo section of Jerusalem in June 2002. She was initially conscious but died of massive internal injuries. She was 21 years old.
posted on 11/24/2009

 
Koby Mandell



Koby and his friend Yosef Ish-Ran were stoned to death in May 2001.

Koby was 13 years old; Yosef was 14.
posted on 11/24/2009

 
Lessons Of Gilo

Israelis across the political spectrum have expressed surprise and dismay in reaction to the harsh U.S. and international criticism of the Jerusalem municipality's granting of a permit to construct 900 new housing units in Gilo, a post-1967 neighborhood with 40,000 residents in southwestern Jerusalem.

Two important lessons can be learned from this:

1. The Israeli left's position on construction in areas captured in 1967 is inconsistent, illogical and hypocritical.

The same people who bash all "settlements" as akin to land theft somehow, with a straight face, say that Gilo is different.

Now, it may very well be that housing in Gilo is, as a matter of policy, a better idea than a community deep in Samaria.

The issue, however, is this: Are the 1949 armistice lines sacrosanct? Do these lines (a/k/a the "Green Line") constitute an actual border?

If yes, then Israel has no right to build anywhere across the '49 lines. If not, then the area is, at least, disputed territory to which Israel can assert a claim.

The position of the Israeli left is that construction on the "wrong" side of the Green Line is bad - except in places where nice secular people happen to reside - like Gilo.

2. How did Israel get to a point where housing in Gilo is not only controversial, but something condemned much more harshly than, say, Iran's refusal to cooperate on the matter of its assembling nuclear weapons?

Part of the answer is that the Obama administration is more hostile to Israel than prior administrations over the past three decades.

But the continual erosion of Israel's positions is the main reason for the shift in policy.

The U.S. (and the rest of the world) never liked the idea of construction in the post-1967 areas. But for many years, the main focus was on the construction of new communities deep in Samaria. The "settlements" near Jerusalem were not the focus of more than token objections, and construction in Jerusalem itself was usually not an issue at all. Indeed, Gilo, Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, French Hill and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City were developed without much attention from anyone. Har Homa was criticized more strongly but President Clinton didn't do much to stop it from becoming another large neighborhood.

When Israel agreed to stop constructing any new communities, the focus shifted to removing small settlement outposts.

Then, Israel was pressured to stop building outside of Jerusalem and the large settlement blocs.

When Israel agreed to that, the demand was increased to no new housing anywhere in Judea and Samaria.

When Prime Minister Netanyahu signaled agreement, the pressure immediately turned to predominately Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem like Sheikh Jarrah.

Now Gilo has become the focus. Gilo is not even in the eastern part of Jerusalem - despite persistent media reports to that effect.

Ultimately, the world wants Israel to withdraw from every last centimeter captured in 1967. Thus, no concession will ever suffice; instead, each concession will result only in more pressure to retreat further.
posted on 11/23/2009

 
Israel's Release Of 1,000 Terrorists

There is a tendency among those with partisan political views to bash what their political opponents were ready to do, and subsequently support (or at least acquiesce in) similar positions by politicians whom they support.

For this reason, I feel compelled to clearly state that the impending release of hundreds of murderers in exchange for Gilad Shalit is an act of pure madness on the part of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government he leads.

Everyone will be happy to see Shalit return home and for his tragic ordeal to come to an end. But Shalit's return is only part of the story. The deal makes a mockery of Israel's legal system, callously disregards the pain and suffering of those murdered by terrorists, boosts the morale of the terrorists, and calls into question the purpose of the IDF operations to capture the very terrorists who are now being released - operations in which numerous IDF soldiers were killed or wounded. Most ominously, the release of the leading terrorists makes it very likely that it is only a matter of time until the next round of mass murder of Jews commences.
posted on 11/23/2009

 
Week 11

1. It's too early to label Mark Sanchez a bust, but the "Sanchez can do no wrong" mantra from Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum are hardly doing him any favors. Sanchez deserves to be benched, if only to demonstrate to the rest of the team (and to him) that the Jets will play those who give the team the best chance to win.

2. In this regard, if as appears to be the case the Jets have no confidence in Kellen Clemens, they should bring in a veteran this offseason who can at least modestly challenge Sanchez for the starting QB job.

3. The slot coverage and tackling were horrendous today. Kerry Rhodes in particular had another bad game. Bart ($8 million a year) Scott has been invisible too.

4. Wes Welker's monster game helped propel Akiva to an FFL victory over my team, putting us in a first place tie at 8-3.

5. The Jets have nobody who can return punts. When they drafted Darrelle Revis, wasn't he supposed to provide a big boost to their return game?
posted on 11/22/2009

 
Week 10

1. Mark Sanchez regularly seems to zero in on his primary receiver - and completely overlooks open secondary receivers.

2. Anyone remember Kerry Rhodes?

3. The first half tackling was awful.

4. The Jets' sideline frequently appears to be chaotic during player substitutions.

5. Braylon Edwards sometimes reminds me of Keyshawn Johnson. In a good way.

6. My schedule for today;

-Leave Queens at 9:50 A.M.
-Drop my wife off at work at 10:20 A.M.
-Arrive at my parents' home in Brooklyn to pick up my father and drop off my children at 10:45 A.M.
-Leave for game at 11:20 A.M.
-Arrive at Giants Stadium at 12:10 P.M.
-Leave game at 3:54 P.M.
-Arrive at my car at 4:02 P.M.
-Arrive in Brooklyn at 5:00 P.M.
-Leave Brooklyn at 5:45 P.M.
-Arrive home at 6:55 P.M.

I sure will miss having season tickets!

7. I've probably been to more than 90 Jets games since 1994, and have lots of memories. But I'm not really that nostalgic about the end of Giants Stadium.

It did occur to me today that with just three home games left, this would be the last time I'd sit in my longtime seats in section 119 with my father.

The first game I went to at Giants Stadium was with my father and brother, in 1987. I saw a blurb in the paper about a few seats being on sale at the Jets' then office in Manhattan. I arrived early and bought three tickets in the hope that my father would come to the game and wouldn't mind my cutting a few hours of yeshiva.

The Jets played the Colts - who had just traded for Eric Dickerson. Dickerson had a quiet game, but the Jets lost.
posted on 11/15/2009

 
Week 8

1. The Jets have become a team that finds ways to lose. Both Dolphins games and the Bills game were games the Jets should have won. Today the Jets outplayed Miami on both offense and defense, and the crowd was loud and into the game.

2. Rex Ryan was terrible today. He has to challenge the fumble even if he's not sure. His first two-point conversion attempts were ill-advised. His timeout before the late 3rd quarter attempt was idiotic. The fade (probably Brian Schottenheimer's playcall) following the timeout to Braylon Edwards was a very low percentage pass.

3. During the first half, Mark Sanchez looked like he was playing not to make a mistake, constantly underthrowing passes and never going downfield to Jerricho Cotchery or Braylon Edwards.

Obviously a lot of that is Sanchez's fault, but it doesn't help that the Jets have now inexplicably adopted Herm Edwards' philosophy of "every drive that ends in a kick is a good drive."

4. During the first half, Schottenheimer appeared to be more focused on tricking the Dolphins defense than on executing offensive plays. The most egregious example: Sending three receivers on the right, then running left.

5. Alan Faneca has been very disappointing in pass protection.

6. I did not like the playcalling on the final series. The Dolphins looked exhausted. I'd have run at least on 2nd down.

7. Jay Feely's kickoff on Ted Ginn's first TD return was awful.

8. The Dolphins punting was far better than the Jets, and helped Miami keep the first half at 3-3.

9. Halfway into his second season, Vernon Gholston is useless.

10. Marathon Sunday is always the best day to drive to a game.
posted on 11/01/2009

 
A Lesser Of Two Evils

There was a time when the Cubs were the Mets' biggest rivals. Then the Cardinals, then the Pirates, then the Braves, and then the Phillies.

Division rivalries come and go.

The Yankees - who represent everything that is wrong with New York City - are forever.

I expect Pedro to get rocked tonight and for the Yankees to win a high scoring game, and then win the Series in 7.

But for Mets' fans, the choice is clear: Root for Joe Girardi to maintain confidence in Phil Hughes, and enjoy the results.
posted on 10/29/2009

 
Week 7

1. Today's game had more to do with the terrible Raiders than the Jets. Still, it was an impressive performance on both sides of the ball.

2. Shonn Greene looked very good today, but the Jets won't be able to replace Leon Washington in the short passing game.

3. Calvin Pace finally stepped up today.

4. Vernon Gholston was invisible again.

5. Mark Sanchez's accuracy remains problematic.

6. Sanchez and Dustin Keller were again totally out of sync.

7. Nice game by David Clowney.

8. The Jets desperately need Jerricho Cotchery to return next week.

9. The Jets should have taken Sanchez out earlier.

10. The kickoff and punt coverage was excellent, but Jim Leonhard's punt returning has been poor.

11. Leonhard was solid again at safety.

12. The announcing was terrible. If this is my last season as a Jets season ticket holder (thanks again, Woody), I'll really miss the season tix when I'm forced to listen to these clueless announcers during home games.

13. Oakland was once a great football city. Today, it looked like the stadium was half empty, and the game presumably was blacked out in the Bay Area.

14. Good call by Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer going for it on 4th and goal from the 1 on the Jets opening drive.
posted on 10/25/2009

 
Week 6

1. The tease that was the 2009 Jets evaporated quickly. Now I can freely make vacation plans for January.

2. Mark Sanchez was dreadful, forcing pass after pass. He looks like someone who could use a season of mentoring.

3. Sanchez obviously misses Jerricho Cotchery.

4. Dustin Keller looked terrible, appearing clueless and totally out of sync with Sanchez on play after play.

5. In partial defense of Sanchez, not only was Keller horrible, but the Jets only had one legit WR playing today, and he's been on the team for 11 days. There are a number of average veteran WRs available, which makes inexcusable the neglect of the WR position by GM Mike Tannenbaum.

6. Hype aside, the Jets pass rush is at best mediocre.

7. Kris Jenkins looks like he will be gone for the season, which will make the run defense mediocre too.

8. The penalties on offense and special teams were disgraceful.

9. So were the repeated miscues on special teams.

10. Rex Ryan's clock management late in the first half was poor.

11. The Braylon Edwards trade doesn't look too good. Edwards has been fine - though he had a fairly quiet game today - but the Jets are not a contender, and non-contenders can't repeatedly toss draft picks aside like Tannenbaum has.

12. In what is likely my last season as a season ticket holder (thanks, Woody) I still get an adrenaline rush as I drive toward the stadium, but overall going to the games is less exciting for me than it was even a few years ago. I'm not even too upset about today's loss; I was more annoyed that my longstanding shortcut exiting the stadium resulted in my being completely fenced in and having to walk all around the stadium to get to my car. Fortunately, there was no traffic coming home.
posted on 10/18/2009

 
Week 5

1. The coaching staff simply did not prepare the Jets' defense for Miami's wildcat offense.

2. Phan is right - the Jets' defensive line is subpar. They cannot create any pressure on the quarterback, and last night couldn't stop the run either.

3. Kerry Rhodes is turning into an all-hype player.

4. Bart Scott and Calvin Pace were awful last night.

5. Where is Dustin Keller?

6. The offensive line is disappointing. There is too much pressure on Mark Sanchez and the run game is still very shaky. How many runs on 2nd and short have been stuffed?

7, Sanchez was out of sync at times but led the offense sufficiently for a win, thanks especially to Braylon Edwards.

8. Hopefully Jerricho Cotchery will be back for Sunday's game.
posted on 10/13/2009

 
A Visit To The Dark Side

Last night, I went to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time, taking my father to Game 1 of the ALDS.

I didn't see much of the stadium, going from the train to the gate to our seats. It looks like a nice place. My father seemed more impressed by the stadium. Perhaps that's because he's a Yankees fan, or maybe it's because he had not been to the new stadiums that have been built over the last 15 years.

One thing that was impossible to miss was the lack of intensity on the part of the fans. It's not that the place was dead, but for a playoff game it was pretty laid back. In fact, I've been to a fair number of playoff games in all four major sports (including at the old Yankee Stadium) and this is probably the least intense playoff crowd I've seen. Quite a few fans left early too.

So if there's a price to be paid for constant winning, it's that fans take the playoffs for granted.

The Mets are wretched and pathetic. Who knows when there will be playoff baseball at Citi Field. But when there is, there won't be a more excited sporting venue anywhere.
posted on 10/08/2009

 
Initial Thoughts On Braylon Edwards

My initial reaction to the Jets' acquisition of Braylon Edwards is mixed.

Edwards is obviously a talented player, but he's become a malcontent, and after allegedly assaulting a friend of Lebron James, was probably good as gone in Cleveland. It seems to me that in trading Chansi Stuckey, Jason Trusnik and two picks (reportedly a 3rd and 5th), Mike Tannebaum gave up too much for Edwards. The price, I think, would have been lower in a week or two.

It's not that the Jets don't need an upgrade at WR. They desperately do. And along with Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller - not to mention more utilization of Leon Washington in the passing game - Edwards could make it a lot harder for teams to put seven or eight in the box and prevent the Jets from running the ball.

But how quickly will Edwards learn the offense and get into sync with Mark Sanchez?

Will getting rid of two players during the season - and exiling them to Eric Mangini's Browns - hurt team chemistry at all?

Consider also that Edwards is unsigned beyond this season and - cap or no cap - will demand a huge contract, and also that the Bills acquired their own supremely talented malcontent WR as a free agent, not having to give up any players, while the Patriots gave up just a 4th rounder for Randy Moss. Tannenbaum probably should have done a better job of addressing the WR situation during the offseason.

Then again, if your goal is a championship, sometimes you have to roll the dice and hope all the stars align. The way the Jets' defense is playing, adding a potential impact player on offense could make them a real contender.
posted on 10/07/2009

 
The Pathetic Mets

Just as the media said all along, Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel will be back with the Mets next season. There will be no Bobby Valentine, who likely will sign with another team, perhaps the Marlins.

Perhaps something exciting will happen this offseason, but right now there is little reason to look forward to 2010 spring training. That the Mets are a disaster is bad enough. Worse is that their manager, front office and ownership aren't yet clued into this obvious fact.
posted on 10/05/2009

 
Neilah For Bobby V

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog calls (finally) for the return of Bobby Valentine.

This is my 32nd post calling for the Mets to bring back Bobby Valentine.

Soon the gates of Citi Field will close. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda will be desolate. Queens - 26 years after losing the Jets - will be without the sounds of baseball for six months.

For five years, with increasing fervor and urgency, I have advocated, pleaded, begged and demanded the return of Bobby Valentine to manage the Mets. What more is there to say now, other than one final statement:

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Next season with Bobby V!
posted on 10/02/2009

 
Succos and The Mets: Days of Yore

Originally posted October 9, 2006

It's 6 A.M. on Sunday morning, early on the second day of Succos.

I'm in my parents' Boro Park home. My wife and son are asleep. It's still dark outside, and shul doesn't start for three more hours, but I won't be going back to sleep.

I need to know whether the Mets won Game 3 of the NLDS.

I check to see if the newspaper has arrived. It hasn't, as I expected.

When I was younger, in situations like this, I'd walk to the Arab-owned newsstand about an 8 minute walk away, where the newspapers are conveniently placed outside.

But I'm too old for that now. Instead, I'll just wait. Doesn't matter. Mets either won or lost and I'll know soon enough.

I keep myself occupied by reading an article about elephants in the New York Times Magazine.

The Times finally arrives at 7:40. My father takes the sports section.

"They lost," he says.

I know he's referring to his Yankees, whose season has come to a shockingly swift end. I feel bad, but this is good for the Mets. They weren't going to beat the Yankees. The Tigers and A's? Those teams are far from invincible.

But did the Mets win Game 3? I know not to ask.

I wait for a few minutes while my father goes through the ritual of absorbing the bitter details of his team's demise.

He relinquishes the sports section. Nothing about the Mets on the front page. Nothing in the rest of the sports section either. Late edition of the Sunday Times must print pretty early.

I very quickly get dressed and walk even more quickly toward the newsstand. There's a cool breeze and the streets are almost empty.

Three minutes later, I see the word "sweep" on the back page of the Post.
posted on 10/01/2009

 
Five Days

Newsday's Ken Davidoff writes today: "The Mets are clearly going to bring back both Manuel and Omar Minaya." (He then explains why bringing back Manuel may not be such a good idea.)

The media universally agree that Manuel and Minaya will be back with the Mets next season. Presumably they are aware that the Wilpons (1) hate to eat contracts, and (2) have privately assured Manuel and Minaya that their jobs are safe for now,

Call me a wild optimist, but even a Wilpon should be able to muster up some common sense once in a while. So until I am told that the Omar and Jerry circus will be back in town, I'm maintaining hope.

We'll probably know the fate of Minaya and Manuel by Monday afternoon. If Manuel is fired, Bobby Valentine would have to be the heavy favorite for the managerial job.

For more than five years, I've been calling for Bobby V's return. Here, in no particular order, are ten reasons why:

1. Roger Cedeno.

2. Todd Pratt.

3. Matt Franco.

4. Benny Agbayani.

5. Rick Reed.

6. Turk Wendell.

7. Dennis Cook.

8. Timo Perez.

9. Bobby Jones.

10. Armando Benitez.

Compare what these ten players did for Bobby Valentine's Mets with the rest of their respective careers.

(Honorable mention goes to Melvin Mora - then seen as a career minor leaguer - whom Bobby V gave a chance to before Steve Phillips promptly gave him away.)
posted on 9/30/2009

 
Week 3

1. The Jets were fortunate to win, thanks primarily to the two fumbles they recovered on special teams.

2. Mark Sanchez is going to ruin his career if he doesn't protect his body. Let's not forget that the 2004 Jets were cruising at 6-1 when Chad Pennington hurt his shoulder while trying to run for a few extra yards.

3. The Jets run game is dormant; they cannot get anything going between the tackles.

4. Rex Ryan was wrong for benching David Clowney over innocuous comments by Clowney on Twitter.

5. The defense really stepped up in the 4th quarter, aided by the timely Titans drops.
posted on 9/29/2009

 
10 Days - Countdown To V-Day



With the Mets cruising along at 65-88, the media universally reports that the Mets have decided to bring Jerry Manuel back as manager.

Nevertheless, common sense so strongly dictates letting Manuel go and replacing him with Bobby Valentine, that until the Wilpons actually start the offseason with Omar Minaya as GM and Manuel as manager, we mustn't lose hope for a better future in '10 and beyond.
posted on 9/24/2009

 
Bobby V - The Time Is Now



Despite their impressive two-game winning streak against the Nats, the 65-85 New York Mets cannot bring Jerry Manuel back as manager. Injuries took a major toll this season, but not so huge to warrant the team playing completely listless baseball.

Bobby Valentine - the man who completely turned the Mets around in the late 90's - is a free agent. Valentine, who led the Mets to five straight winning seasons before being fired after going 75-86 in 2002 - a record better than the 2009 Mets will finish with.

This is an opportunity that will not arise again.

Here's what the Mets have to do: On October 4, as soon as the game ends, let Manuel and his staff go, and announce the return of Bobby V. Only this can end the malaise that surrounds the Mets.
posted on 9/21/2009

 
Week 2

A few brief observations, mainly based on watching replays and looking at the box score:

1. Last November, with the Jets up by seven and Patriots deep in their own territory and out of timeouts, Eric Mangini decided to go into a prevent defense. The result was a tying touchdown with one second left.

Yesterday in a similar situation, replays showed the Jets blitzing on the Patriots' final plays.

Through two games, willingness to blitz marks the biggest contrast between the current coaching staff and its predecessor.

2. I'm not among the Mangini bashers, but another major difference in yesterday's game was the Jets' second-half domination. It seemed that often in the Mangini years, the Jets would get off to a fast start, and then play not to lose in the second half. Yesterday, the Jets adjusted well, particularly in allowing Mark Sanchez to throw the ball.

3. The Jets are off to a great start, but let's not forget that in 2000, the 16 game Al Groh era started off 4-0 - including an exciting week 2 home win over the PatriotS.
posted on 9/21/2009

 
OU At The White House II

In a post two months ago, I criticized the Orthodox Union for its failure to articulate policy disagreements with the Obama Administration during the meeting at the White House attended by invited Jewish "leaders," including OU President Stephen Savitsky. I wrote at that time that this was "a betrayal of the public the OU purports to represent."

This week's Jewish Star reports on Savitsky recounting of that meeting, including this:

Savitsky took time to reprimand White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel.

“They all say he’s a foul-mouthed person and as a Jew, a menuval [a disgusting person]. I find it offensive. He’s a mishneh l’melech [advisor to a king], the language he uses ... I think it’s very unbecoming as a Jewish person.”

Savitsky has denied calling Emanuel a "menuval" but has otherwise confirmed the veracity of this criticism.

For the head of the OU to make a statement like this in a public forum is an absolute disgrace and another betrayal of the community the OU purports to represent.

If Savitsky wants to make foolish comments about the White House Chief of Staff, he should resign his position and join the rest of the frum people who pontificate about political events. Perhaps he can even start a blog.

He has no right, in his position as head of what is perceived to be a major Orthodox organization, to issue a totally unnecessary personal attack on Rahm Emanuel. His statements are an embarrassment and will obviously contribute nothing positive to Israel or to any part of the Jewish community.
posted on 9/17/2009

 
Week 1

1. From the first set of downs it was evident that this is a new era. The frequent blitzes and the aggressive playcalling on both sides of the ball even during the 4th quarter were a marked contrast from the Eric Mangini and Herm Edwards regimes.

2. Mark Sanchez showed excellent pocket presence and demonstrated both poise and accuracy on key third downs. In addition to his interception, he was fortunate that two other passes were not picked off.

3. The pass protection was excellent, as was Brian Schottenheimer's game plan.

4. Teams will likely continue to put eight defenders in the box and force the Jets to beat them in the air.

5. Needless to say, shutting out the Houston offense on the road was outstanding. David Harris was a force on defense, and Darrelle Revis must been pretty good considering how invisible Andre Johnson was.

6. Rex Ryan needs to lose weight.
posted on 9/13/2009

 
Jerusalem '09



If all goes according to plan, I'll be leaving for Israel tomorrow night, returning in two weeks.

I likely will not post from Jerusalem. In the meantime, please post your memories of Richie's Pizza.

And if next Friday night you spot an American kippa wearing man trying to pretend not to be confused while walking in the Muslim Quarter shuk, please point him toward the Western Wall.
posted on 8/16/2009

 
Citi Apathy

The 2006 NLCS debacle, followed by the 2007 and 2008 collapses, culminating in this season's pathetic showing, have brought the Mets to a new low, with their fans not caring about them anymore.

Has there ever been a time quite like this before? In the past, disappointment was accompanied by anger (George Foster, Bobby Bonilla, Victor Zambrano, etc.) and/or by hope that the young prospects (Craig Swan, Tim Leary, Generation K, etc.) would help turn things around.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have been the best team in baseball. Raising children to be Mets fans is going to be a real challenge.
posted on 8/13/2009

 
Rabbi Joseph Schick

From 1926 until his sudden death on Purim (which fell out on St. Patrick's Day) 1938, my grandfather, Rabbi Joseph Schick, served as rabbi of the West Side Jewish Center and as principal of its Hebrew school. The West Side Jewish Center still exists at the very same location at 347 West 34th Street, but there does not appear to be any evidence in the shul of my grandfather's existence; nor has there been for many years.

Rabbi Joseph Schick appears to have been a prominent rabbi in New York City during those twelve years. He authored at least two books and was quoted in the New York Times on various topics including, among others, his Rosh Hashanah sermons, the importance of keeping the Jewish Sabbath, the 1929 mass murder in Chevron and other Arab atrocities, and a defense of New York's governor against charges of anti-Semitism.
posted on 8/10/2009

 
Bobby V and the Limits Of Stupidity



The Mets are terrible. Injuries or not, over the last four seasons - yes, I am including 2006 - they have underachieved more than any team in baseball, if not all of professional sports. They have a bloated payroll filled with apathetic players. Their GM consistently gives away young talent for nothing. His two managers have both been mediocre at best; albeit the current manager is more likable.

I have been pleading for the return of Bobby Valentine for five years now, since the end of the awful Art Howe era (not that anyone has been listening). I was against his firing after the 2002 season, but understood it. 2002 was a bad year, and after 6 1/2 seasons, it could be argued that it was time for a change.

During these past five years, two reasons have routinely been given for why Bobby V could not come back - both equally stupid. The first: He loves it in Japan and will never leave Japan. That argument was always total nonsense, but now it is obviously irrelevant since this will be Valentine's last season in Japan.

The second reason endures: The Mets need to look toward the future, not the past. I have heard this from friends, from know-it-alls everywhere, and from numerous alleged sports commentators.

Cito Gaston can come back to the Blue Jays. Phil Jackson can come back to the Lakers. Sean Avery could come back to the Rangers. Heck, Bonny Bonilla came back to the Mets.

But Bobby V is a part of the past, so he can't be part of the future.

Hey wait, didn't Omar Minaya leave, and then come back to the Mets?

The Mets have to fire Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel after this season. Minaya should be replaced by either Gerry Hunsicker or Billy Beane.

The only possible replacement for Manuel is Bobby Valentine. Who else out there would have a baseball mind even close to his? And precisely because of Valentine's very strong personality, he will be able to shift the focus to himself and alleviate some of the pressure on the players.

It's so obvious, which is why it probably won't happen.

After all, why go back to the past, to a time when a slightly above average team went to the World Series?
posted on 8/10/2009

 
What Happens In Lakewood Doesn't Stay In Lakewood; Why Lakewood Matters

I come from what is probably best described as a moderate charedi background. I grew up in Brooklyn, where I attended "black-hat" yeshivas. When I moved to the Upper West Side in 1997, I gravitated toward shteibels and learned several nights a week at the local kollel.

Today, my hashkafos are more centrist. I have disagreements with the charedi approach on a number of issues. But I am not a rebel. I don't hate where I come from, nor the people from those places. I have no tolerance at all for charedi bashing. I particularly deplore certain ultra-modern Orthodox Jews who have tolerance and respect for everything and everyone - with the sole exception of charedim, for whom they muster only disdain and contempt.

* * *

Around eight years ago, the rabbis of Lakewood unanimously came out with a harsh edict banning the attendance of Lakewood BlueClaws baseball games. The edict did not suffice with a mere articulation of the standards of Lakewood's rabbinical leadership. It made clear that the children and siblings of anyone who attended a game would not be welcome in any yeshiva in Lakewood.

There have been a number of other disturbing developments in Lakewood in recent years. Emanating from Lakewood have been bans of all kinds of books; even a respected resident of Lakewood could not escape the decree as against his own fine and important work. Then the Internet ban. Then a ban of anyone with a television. Then the music ban. And of course the annual fiasco in which some people cannot get their children into yeshiva.

Yes, we are assured, eventually everyone gets into a school. At what price? The clear message is sent: Not every Jew in Lakewood is equal. Some schools are reserved for kollel families. Other schools aren't going to be for you if you don't conform with the dress code - and by dress code, I'm not referring to wearing yarmulkas, skirts and sheitels. If children don't conform, then they are bad boys and girls and can be expected to be expelled, perhaps to be sent somewhere out of town to be set straight, or perhaps to hang out in Lakewood.

* * *

I recall a shabbos around ten years ago when an old friend of mine, by then living in Lakewood for a number of years, was visiting the Upper West Side. To my objections about the Lakewood approach, he responded, essentially, that living in Lakewood is a privilege, not a right. If you want to live in Lakewood, you have to accept all of its rules.

If Lakewood were a self-contained cocoon, my friend's position might have merit. But Lakewood ultimately affects the entire observant Jewish world.

Whether banning concerts and sporting events as leisure activities, or students from the classroom, or books and the Internet from homes, Lakewood's stringency has carried over to the entire charedi world.

The result has not been more piety. Rather, it is an unprecedented amount of cynicism - including among many people who consider themselves charedi - toward the charedi rabbinical leadership.

* * *

L'chol z'man v'eis, l'chol chaifetz tachas ha'shamyim. (For everything there is a season; there is a time for everything under the heaven.)

Lakewood has provided us with an ideal of intense Torah study and Torah observance. Without Lakewood, it is questionable whether I would have had a kollel in Manhattan at which to learn. It is questionable whether Yeshiva University would also have become a place of widespread serious learning. It is questionable whether the Orthodox Jewish world - charedi, centrist, modern, whatever - would have bucked conventional expectations and flourished as it has.

Nobody should demand that Lakewood drop its own ideals. But Lakewood must realize that while there may have been a time for absolute zealotry, today's challenges are not the same as those of the 1950's. Our children are not tempted by the Conservative movement, by moving to the suburbs and having a nice car and house.

We face different sorts of serious challenges, for which there are no easy solutions. For some, bans may work, but not for most. Those who cannot or will not conform cannot be kicked to the curb. Even if it were otherwise consistent with the Torah path, there aren't enough of us around to afford writing off any parts of the frum community.

* * *

Thinking back to my five years on the Upper West Side, if I were to distinguish its charedi community's approach with the Lakewood approach, I would sum it up in three words:

Diracheha Darchei Noam. (The ways of the Torah are pleasant.)

The Upper West Side has its share of disagreements. The eruv is most prominent. The longtime charedi residents are not fans of the mostly modern Orthodox singles scene.

But the UWS is a place where a young woman who uses the eruv and wears short sleeves will be welcomed at the shabbos table of a yeshivish or chasidic family. Not tolerated as an act of chesed, welcomed.

And so another message is sent: Yes, we have our disagreements. We don't all dress alike, we don't all think alike. But much more importantly, let's daven together. Come to our shiurim. Join us at our shabbos table.

In navigating the challenges of the 21st century, the entire observant Jewish world - without abandoning its own hashkafos - must adopt this approach.
posted on 8/09/2009

 
The Trade 21 Years Later




Today is 21st anniversary of the Edmonton Oilers' trading of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.

I was in camp when it happened. When I heard the report on WFAN, I was completely shocked. The Edmonton Oilers trading Wayne Gretzky? How could that be possible?

The emotional press conference was two days later, on an afternoon the Mets came back in the 9th to defeat the Cubs at Wrigley and Gary Carter hit his 300th homer after a very long dry spell.
posted on 8/09/2009

 
The Mustache Must Return


posted on 8/07/2009

 
Sidney Zion

The great Sidney Zion - Yale Law School grad, lawyer, journalist, author, bereaved parent, medical reform crusader, congregant at the Vorhand shteibel on the Upper West Side, and staunch supporter of Israel - passed away on Sunday.

There certainly won't be another Sidney Zion. He will be missed.
posted on 8/06/2009

 
Yaacov Lozowick

Even though he apparently supports Tzipi Livni and Kadima, author and historian Yaacov Lozowick's blog is a gem. His posts invariably provide a unique and thoughtful perspective. (For the record, I have never communicated with Lozowick; this post is motivated by his outstanding site.)
posted on 7/30/2009

 
30 Years After Tisha B'Av 1979

A little less than three hours remain in the 25 hour Tisha B'Av fast day.

My family spent the summer of '79 in Jerusalem. I was six years old. On Tisha B'Av (which I think fell out on a Thursday that year too), at around 4 a.m., my father was rushed to the hospital.

In the morning, I decided to say tehilim (Pslams) for my father's recovery. Only I mistakenly did so while sitting on a chair - in breach of tradition that we not sit on chairs until the afternoon of the fast day. I felt guilty and was worried that G-d would be upset with me and take it out on my father.

As I recall, my father was hospitalized for most of the day with a kidney stone, and was released around mid-afternoon.

The next morning, we received The Jerusalem Post, which reported that on Tisha B'Av, Thurman Munson had died in a plane crash.
posted on 7/30/2009

 
More Nonsense From Nathan Jeffay

The Forward's Nathan Jeffay continues his impressive streak of making factual statements with no relationship to the truth. Here's his latest example:

One in four Kadima voters — 24% to be precise — see disengagement as having been a mistake. If you recall, the very reason for establishing Kadima was to facilitate the disengagement. Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister for Likud, could not secure his party’s support for disengagement and so he split off and set up Kadima to drive the measure through.

Except that the "disengagement" was implemented in August 2005, and Sharon quit Likud and founded Kadima in November 2005.
posted on 7/30/2009

 
On Gates, Crowley and Obama

President Obama had it exactly right when he at first stated that the Cambridge, MA police acted "stupidly" in arresting Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. As Obama pointed out, once it was obvious that Gates was indeed in his own home, the police should have left him alone.

It would have been better if Gates had not lost his temper while being questioned by Sgt. James Crowley. For some reason, however, many cops - Crowley apparently among them - seem to think that being talked back to justifies arrest for "disorderly conduct." Many citizens also seem to think there's some law about being silent and completely compliant while in the presence of police officers. While this is surely the most prudent approach, no such law exists.

Did Gates appear to be a threat to Crowley? I doubt it, in which case his arrest was worse than stupid. It was an abuse of authority.

This does not make Crowley a racist. Many white people are arrested for disorderly conduct for the "crime" of talking back to a police officer.
posted on 7/25/2009

 
Don't Bother The Times With The Facts

In the sports section of today's New York Times, Mike Tanier writes:

"The Jets just weren’t very good last year. Their won-loss record was inflated by an easy slate of opponents from the A.F.C. West and N.F.C. West."

Inflated? The Jets were 3-5 against the "easy slate of opponents" in those divisions - beating the Cardinals, Rams and (barely) the Chiefs, while losing to the Raiders, Chargers, Broncos, 49ers and Seahawks.

Meanwhile, the Jets were 6-2 against the rest of their opponents.
posted on 7/19/2009

 
OU At The White House

For several generations, the Orthodox Union has set a high standard in its kosher certification of food products.

If the White House caters an event and wants to serve kosher food, then by all means, the OU should be present and play a prominent role.

Meeting with President Obama is different. Last week's fiasco, at which the OU's president had nothing substantive to say to Obama about his antagonism toward Israel, was a betrayal of the public the OU purports to represent.

Nothing about Israel's rights to Jerusalem. Nothing about the real nuances of Jewish life in Judea and Samaria. No unapologetic expression of support for the government of Israel led by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The pareve (pun intended) press release the OU put out after the meeting was even more pathetic.

This is not a personal criticism of OU President Stephen J. Savitsky - who attended on behalf of the OU - nor of the OU's other leaders. They are all good people who have devoted themselves to the community.

But when it comes to politics they have no leadership skills whatsoever.

Nor can they be allowed to delude themselves - and us - that occasional access to the White House has any correlation with even minimal impact on policy.

We desperately need new leaders to emerge.
posted on 7/19/2009

 
Gary Ackerman: The Jew and the Politician

Here's my column in this week's Jewish Press about Rep. Gary Ackerman:

In January 2001, as President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Ehud Barak begged Yasser Arafat to take a break from killing Jews to accept the Old City of Jerusalem, hundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied in Jerusalem to oppose the city’s division. Simultaneously, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein's Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun hosted an event in solidarity.

A highlight of that event was a speech by Congressman Gary Ackerman, who told those of us in the audience: “I come here not as a politician, because this isn’t about politics. I come here as a Jew, a Jew who is troubled, concerned, pained and angry.”

An impassioned Ackerman said then: “Give it away. Chop it up. Parcel it out. Never! It’s time to let the world know that Jerusalem will never, ever again be divided!”

For six more years, Ackerman remained a strong supporter of Israel. When in 2006 Hamas won the Palestinian Authority legislative elections, Ackerman said: “U.S. foreign assistance is a gift, not a right. The Palestinian Authority, as long as it is led by Hamas, a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of dozens of Americans, is obviously disqualified from this kind of aid.”

Ackerman made clear then that he had no sympathy for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, saying, “he never demanded that Hamas and the other terrorist groups disarm and disband. Now, we see that after a year of trying things Abu Mazen's way and not feeling that they got any real benefits, Palestinians have voted to go in a different direction. That was their right. But it is absolutely critical that our policy adjust to reflect their decision.”

In 2006, it was “absolutely critical” for the PA to be “obviously disqualified” from American dollars. But the next year Ackerman became not just any Congressman, but a real player – the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

In 2007 – with Hamas still controlling the PA legislature and by then having taken full control of Gaza – Chairman Ackerman initiated a letter in Congress demanding an increase in aid to the PA – leading to the U.S. pledging hundreds of millions of dollars.

This year, when the Obama administration announced $900 million in additional support to the PA, Ackerman was fast to “strongly endorse the Obama Administration's readiness to put America's money where our mouth is.”

But Ackerman’s about-face was hardly limited to aid to Palestinians. In March 2008, Ackerman blasted Israel for “settlement expansions and new housing in Jerusalem.”

So much for letting “the world know that Jerusalem will never, ever again be divided.”

Ackerman really ramped things up following the election of President Obama. In February, he charged that the situation in the Middle East is “spiraling downward” due to “the march of settlements,” the “perpetration of settler pogroms,” and even “digging in Jerusalem.”

When President Obama decided to place settlement construction on top of his foreign policy agenda, Ackerman initially played the part of the town idiot, saying: “I have to hear specifically from the administration exactly how they define [settlement and natural growth] and is there room for defining the terms.”

Somehow, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia had missed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s prior statement that “the president was very clear when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here. He wants to see a stop to settlements – not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions.”

Within days, Ackerman was sure to fall in line, demanding a complete “freeze of settlement construction.” In case that wasn’t clear enough, in a tone sounding a lot like Clinton, Ackerman explained: “No expansions, no how, no way, no shticks, no tricks.”

That was followed by the State Department’s confirmation that Obama’s demand for a settlement freeze includes an end to any construction in the post-1967 Jerusalem neighborhoods. As spokesman Ian Kelly answered when asked whether the demand included Jerusalem, “We're talking about all settlement activity, yes, in the area across the [1949 armistice] line.”

In other words, Obama demands an end to construction in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, Gilo, Har Homa, Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, French Hill, and Pisgat Ze’ev. And since East Talpiot and Hebrew University on Mount Scopus were no-man’s land between 1949 and 1967, no construction can take place there either.

Gary Ackerman hasn’t had a word to say about that.

If you’re important enough for him to talk to you, Ackerman will probably recite for you the mantra about his commitment to Israel and its security, and about what a great friend of Israel our president really is. Ackerman may even boast about how many times he’s visited Israel.

Instead of the usual tired platitudes, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia should set the record straight about the future of Jerusalem. Will he “let the world know that Jerusalem will never, ever again be divided?”

Or – as alluded to in President Obama’s speech in Cairo – should Jerusalem be given away, chopped up, and parceled out?

The answer – which must be presented with “no shticks” and “no tricks” – will tell you whether Gary Ackerman comes to Washington and to his congressional district in Queens and Long Island as a Jew, or as a politician.
posted on 7/01/2009

 
What's Taking So Long?



When will the Mets finally bring back Bobby V?
posted on 6/29/2009

 
The Sad State Of The Nets



When Bruce Ratner bought the Nets, they were among the best teams in the NBA, coming off two appearances in the Finals. In just five years, he has turned them into one of the worst teams in the league.

As a longtime fan, and former season ticket holder, I can confidently say that this picture will represent the scene on opening night at the Izod Center.
posted on 6/29/2009

 
Iran and the Israeli Occupation

Events in Iran underscore the urgency of immediately removing all illegal Jewish settlements, ending the occupation of the West Bank, and establishing a Palestinian state.

So long as Jews live in the West Bank, hopes for a better future in Iran will be dashed. The sacrifice of brave Iranians will be for naught.

Dozens have been killed in Iran. Many more have been wounded or imprisoned. How long must the world passively watch these innocents suffer because of Israel's refusal to grant the basic rights of the Palestinian people?
posted on 6/22/2009

 
Could All The "Experts" Be Wrong?

The "experts" still insist that settlements are the weak point of any Israeli government, because most Israelis and most supporters of Israel abroad purportedly oppose settlements.

Never mind that - as documented here during the last month - poll after poll shows the "experts" are clueless.

The latest poll of Israelis, published by The Jerusalem Post, shows the following results

Do you consider Obama's administration to be pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian or
neutral?
Pro-Israel 6% Pro-Palestinian 50% Neutral 36%

Are you in favor of:

Freezing construction in isolated far flung settlements?
Favor 52% Oppose 42% No opinion 6%

Freezing construction in large settlement blocs like Gush Etzion, Ma'aleh
Adumim and Ariel?
Favor 27% Oppose 69% No opinion 4%

No expert analysis is needed.
posted on 6/19/2009

 
Interview With Rabbi Asher Lopatin

An edited and condensed version of this interview appears in this week's issue of The Jewish Press. Here is the full transcript:

Joseph Schick: You were recently quoted in Newsweek stating that, regarding Israel, "there is a lot of disappointment" in Rahm Emanuel, that "what we've seen is more of the tough Rahm Emanuel. Not the warm Rahm." What have you been hearing from your congregants about Rahm Emaunel in particular and the Obama Administration generally? What are your own concerns?

Rabbi Asher Lopatin: Since the Obama trip to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, I must say that there has been some pride that Rahm Emanuel was seen in all the pictures so close to the president – a Jew right there near King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, part of the talks and discussions. That is the closest any member of Anshe Sholom has gotten to the King of Arabia to the best of our knowledge!

At the same time, the vast majority of my congregants, as I’m sure many rabbis are experiencing, feel that Israel is not getting a fair shake in the discussion, pronouncements and speeches given by the administration. If there are no Palestinian leaders who are willing to recognize Israel as the Jewish state, then how can Israel be expected to make concessions – to people who vow to destroy it? Moreover, the idea of stopping natural growth in the settlements – and neighborhoods of Jerusalem – has been painful for some of my congregants who are Holocaust survivors. One of them told me that it reminded him that if someone got pregnant in the concentration camp, they were shot. Of course that is not what the administration is advocating, but they need to be aware those are the feelings their policies are arousing in the administration.

Frankly, I think people are more negative about Hilary Clinton’s remarks regarding natural growth in the settlements – she seemed insensitive and harsh.

Reports in the U.S. and Israeli media are that Rahm Emanuel is an architect of the Obama Administration's pressure on Israel. Do you believe this to be true, and has this been a particular source of frustration for you and others in your community?

I am aware of those articles, but it seems to me that Hillary Clinton has been far more acerbic and even nasty towards Israel than anyone else in the administration.

What was your reaction to the President's speech in Cairo?

I didn’t expect anything different. It was disappointing that he did not talk about Israel as the historic homeland of the Jews. But he didn’t recognize Mubarak either – that can be seen as a “dis” of his Egyptian host. Basically, I agree with the Iranians on this: The speech was just words. Now we have to work on convincing George Mitchell and Rahm Emanuel that there are far better – more moral and more pragmatic – alternatives to the Two State solution. We have a lot of work to do, but we need a strategy and an alternative that can appeal to a wide range of people. We need to create a solution that is the darling of the media, and then we will get the attention of the pragmatists in the administration.

Have you had a relationship with President Obama?

Not personal, but I did support him in the elections in the end because I didn’t feel McCain had any clue what to do regarding the economy – McCain didn’t even have any high power economists helping him. Moreover, I am not convinced that McCain would have acted much differently regarding Israel. The candidates all talk a good line, but in the end no one moves the embassy to Jerusalem, and no one supports the right of Jews to live in the land of their forefathers – in the land which according to the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate they were supposed to have.

In your view, do Jews have a right to settle in Judea and Samaria? If so, is settlement something that you support?

Yes. I strongly oppose any kind of a state that says that Jews cannot live in our homeland. I believe Jews have a right by international law to live all over Israel, as I said before, because of the Balfour Declaration, upheld by the British Mandate, the League of Nations, and never rescinded by the United Nations. However, I also believe there is plenty of room for Arabs – Palestinians, Druze, Bedouins –however they identify themselves – in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Don’t forget about Gaza! Jews lived in Gaza City until we were kicked out because of the riots in 1929. I think we need to push for a state where Arabs and Jews can live anywhere – as long as they acquire the land legally – and we should never accept the idea of Jews not being allowed to live in our land – yet again. But Palestinians should welcome the idea of Jews being allowed to live anywhere and Arabs being allowed the same. I’m a little disappointed that those on the Right say: Jordan is Palestine. No! Jordan should really be part of the Jewish state – as envisioned in the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate, before the British unilaterally, and perhaps illegally, cut it off from the future homeland of the Jewish people. But, OK, I’m willing to concede Jordan because of political realities – they’re as good an ally as we can get in the Arab world – but no more! We need a Jewish state from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean.

42 years after the Six Day War, many - perhaps most - Orthodox Jews are passionate about a united Jerusalem and the right to settle in Judea and Samaria; the idea of returning to the '67 borders is frightening. Is there any conceivable way for the bases of this position to be given a fair hearing in Washington, or is this position destined to remain a quirk limited to a tiny segment?

I have begun to explore what seems like a crazy solution, but a solution which embraces both the Left’s craving for Palestinian rights, and our need as Jews to live in our state, and for that state to be the Jewish state, and for the IDF to be in every corner of that state. I call it the One Democratic Jewish and Palestinian state. Before I get pilloried on the demographic issue for suggesting we give the vote to all Arabs who accept this One State, just remember that the three ways of ensuring lower Arab birth rates are: 1) Educating Arab women to become part of the middle class; 2) Welcoming thousands or millions of people from all over the third world who identify as Jews – or Israelites – and bring them to Israel to acculturate them into the majority Jewish culture of Israel 3) Converting the 300,000 FSU Israelis who want to become halachically Jewish. Those three steps will do more to rectify any demographic threat that comes from giving the vote to Arabs, who are willing to swear loyalty the Constitution of the One Jewish and Palestinian state.

Also, before I mention my idea that might appeal to the Left in America (and the world), remember, that the biggest moral, ethical, religious and strategic threat to Israel is a Two State solution where Israel gives up more land to a terrorist Palestinian state, or even to a Palestinian state that demands that it be Judenrein, ethnically cleansed of Jews. So if we can get the One State solution on the table, even if you disagree with it, at least it would open up a more ethical discussion, rather than just succumbing to the Two State Orthodoxy or Dogma, that it’s the only solution possible – which is what the administration is currently saying.

But if your readers are interested in this experimental idea, here it is:

One Democratic Jewish and Palestinian State:

Where Jews can settle everyone in the Homeland, and Arabs are also allowed to return to their homes and live as equals

Rabbi Asher Lopatin

Five Pillars of the One Democratic Jewish and Palestinian Democratic State from the Jordan to the Mediterranean:

1) New constitution - needing a super-majority to change - establishing a full democracy, with full separation of church and state, with both a Jewish Bill of Rights and a Palestinian Bill of Rights guaranteeing that the state can be both a Jewish state and a Palestinian state

2) Law of Return for Jews; Law of Return for Palestinians

3) All citizens – Jews, Muslims, Christians and others – can live anywhere in the land. Just as in America restrictive covenants are illegal, so, too in the One State: Jews and Palestinians can acquire property anywhere in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Gaza, West Bank, etc. Property rights will be respected, and returning refugees will be accommodated through new housing in or close to their original housing. All Jewish settlements that are legal by current Israeli law will remain, with compensation where necessary.

4) The IDF and internal police and security services will be integrated at a pace consistent with the security needs of the new state and will be stationed to keep the law in every corner of the One State.

5) A) Demographic issues will be negotiated with three possible solutions: increasing Israel’s Jewish population radically by admitting millions of Jewish identifiers from Africa, Asia and South America before the One State is implemented; returning Palestinians based on an equal admission of Jewish identifiers – perhaps limited to a certain time period; allowing for a natural growth of Jewish or Muslim – or other – populations, with the understanding that the constitution will guarantee that the One State remains compatible for a Jewish state as well as a Palestinian state.

B) Note: The most effective way for Israel to increase its Jewish population in the short and long term is by educating Arab women and men, which as been shown my many studies to be effective in significantly lowering birth rates, and by enabling the conversions of hundreds of thousands of FSU Israelis who are not currently halachically Jewish.

You refer to "people who vow to destroy" Israel. In light of this, isn't the mere consideration of a binational state a victory for Israel's enemies?

Firstly, I don’t really like the term “binational”; it implies the state is split down the middle. It will be one state, with one united Jerusalem as the capital. Secondly, only those who take an oath of loyalty to the constitution of this new state will be allowed to vote and have any say. Any party which is not loyal to the constitution that enshrines the rights of Jews and separation of shul/mosque and state, will not be allowed to participate in the elective process. No enemies of this state will have any power. In fact, they will be far more marginalized than they are now because the army loyal to the constitution and the new state will be EVERYWHERE – on every corner in every Arab village and town – and in Tel Aviv.

Suppose a bi-national state along the precise five pillars you set forth would be formed. Since the borders of this state would be open to Jews and Arabs, what would stop Hamas, assisted by Iran, from smuggling in all kinds of weapons? Wouldn't mass bloodshed be inevitable?

Ditto above – the army – the IDF – would be everywhere. Let me also remind everyone that there will be about two million machine guns in the hand of Jews even in the One State – no one is going to take our country away!

In an interview in January, you were asked what you thought Emanuel's influence would be on the Obama Administration. You responded then: "Rahm adds pragmatism. Certainly when it comes to the Middle East, people in the synagogue and in the Jewish community feel that it’s pragmatic for the United States to back Israel and not to pressure Israel and not to compromise Israel’s security."

Do you still believe he will bring pragmatism with respect to the U.S. relationship with Israel?

I do think he is a pragmatist, and as soon as we put something on the table, like the One State solution or something else that makes sense, and we push that solution, I think this administration, with Emanuel’s influence, will embrace the alternative to the ethnic cleansing of the Two State solution.

Do you believe that generally, the Obama Administration has demonstrated a pragmatic view regarding Israel's dispute with the Arabs?

Yes.

You have announced plans to move and form a new community in Carmit, in the Negev. What are your plans in Carmit, and where do your plans stand?

Carmit is a new diverse and pluralistic Jewish town springing up about 20 minutes north east of Beer Sheva. It will eventually have 2500 homes, but the first 200 homes are expected to be completed by September 2011. Carmit will have a mix of Anglos and Israelis, religious and secular and traditional Jews, and will emphasize sensitivity toward the natural and human environment of the Negev. I am working with an American foundation, CIPF (Chicago Israel Philanthropic Fund) which is partnering with the JNF and the main organization in Israel that is building Carmit, the OR Movement. Below is an article that I wrote about my plans to make aliya to Carmit with my family:

A Rabbi’s Vision for Carmit: Bringing the Best of American Judaism and Pioneering Spirit to the Negev by Being Part of a Diverse, Pluralistic and Forward Looking New Community

Let me introduce myself: I am a Modern Orthodox rabbi of a 400 family synagogue in Chicago, made up mostly of young singles, couples and families. Associated with our synagogue is a new pluralistic day school going through grade 8 – eventually – with rabbis from all movements represented on the board. In addition we have worked to build Kehilla – an organization which connects the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform synagogues in our area with the JCC, in order to come together for learning, social action events, and religious celebrations. On the one hand I am involved in internal Orthodox issues, on the other hand, my pulpit enables and encourages me to move beyond the Orthodox community to the other Jewish communities, and beyond the Jewish community to dialogue with Muslims and Christians. Beyond the religious communities, I have spoken at rallies on Israel, Darfur, immigration, affordable housing and even humanitarian treatment of animals. For me, Judaism has always been about connecting with our tradition by making it meaningful in a person’s life, and when the tradition becomes meaningful, it goes on to affect not only the individual or his or her community, but the world around them as well.

But nothing is more central to the Jewish tradition than the dream of returning to our land and building a type of utopia in the Land of Israel. As a rabbi who preaches, prays and observes that dream every day, at some point I have to say: It is my responsibility, and that of my family, to make this dream a reality. If it is to having any meaning, the yearning for Israel must become a reality, not just a vision. From the very beginning of my pulpit, 14 years ago, I imagined I would use the lessons of being a rabbi of a community in America to one day return to my homeland, to Israel, to put everything I learnt into reality – whatever could work in Israel. So for several years I have been searching for the right time and place to move from dreaming to actualizing: the OR Movement, in their vision of Carmit, has provided me with that time and place. My goal now is that within two to three years, I will be able to be a community rabbi in Carmit, making the Jewish dream as solid as the 700 sparkling homes which are planned for the first phase of Carmit.

My plan is to be a rabbi of an Modern Orthodox synagogue which has as its mission to reach out to all residents of Carmit, to be their spiritual and communal home. The synagogues may have many different services going on at the same time: the main, Modern Orthodox service; a side more liberal Orthodox service which includes women and men in the prayers; another side, more “chareidi” Orthodox service that gives people a more “yeshiva” feel. At the same time there will be numerous children’s and learning services – maybe even one for non-believers! However, the services will only be an anchor for a larger effort to create community: to make sure that everyone, single, couple or family has a place to go for Friday dinner or Shabbat lunch, or a seder or a festival meal; to make sure that everyone, whatever their level of observance, feels a sense of ownership in the community and an ability to make a difference. Their need to be social activities, but also opportunities for social action and social justice. Through the synagogue itself, there should be efforts made to work on environmental issues and social issues involving the Bedouin population around Carmit, and all those in the Negev or Israel who need our help. Yes, there may be many other organizations dedicated to different causes, and to even bringing people together socially, but the belief of many rabbis in Israel today, is that the synagogue, by being the institution that represents connection to Jewish tradition, has a unique role in galvanizing people’s efforts in all these areas.

The Carmit that I dream of would be diverse: Americans, Israelis and immigrants from all over the world; people of all different religious streams and affiliations, or those with no affiliation; people of all different economic levels – from those who are wealth off to those just starting their careers, or perhaps still students or artists searching for what they want to do in life. The synagogue in Carmit I would like to be the rabbi of would welcome everyone and not judge anyone – just empower them to grow and to connect to the Jewish tradition. Carmit will be welcomed by those who seek a Greener Negev because it will attract similar minded olim from America – who are Green advocates here; it will be welcomed by advocates for the poor and for Bedouins because it will attract the most sensitive and caring Americans who are coming to Israel to make a difference and create a more caring Israel. Carmit will be the engine for pluralism and respect for diversity in Israel.

I would like to be a rabbi in this incredible new town, to create the Jewish community that takes the dreams of all who move to Carmit, including my own, and realizes them on every level. I have joined with Rosie and Daniel Mattio to create the Chicago Israel Philanthropic Fund whose mission is to partner with the OR Movement to bring Americans to Carmit. We have committed to help OR build this diverse and pluralistic new Jewel of the Negev. With God’s help, I know Carmit is not just a dream, but a reality unfolding before our very eyes.

What is the current status of the community in Carmit?

Infrastructure is going into the ground as we speak, and it will prepare the ground for 200 homes which should be up by September 2011. Lots should go on the market in October of this year.

You've been an advocate for pluralism about the Jewish denominations. Can pluralism and Orthodoxy be reconciled? Rabbi Eric Yoffie has said "There are limits to what Reform Judaism can encompass… If you take halacha upon yourself as an obligation rather than as a choice, you’ve reached the point at which you’re no longer a Reform Jew.” Isn't there a fundamental and irreconcilable schism between Rabbi Yoffie's statement and the notion of the Torah being binding? Isn't Rabbi Yoffie's statement an implicit admission that the Reform movement itself rejects pluralism?

Orthodoxy, and Judaism in general, must reject moral relativism, which rejects the idea of truth. Orthodoxy believes there is a truth, which God gave us at Mt. Sinai – the Torah, in its written and oral form. So I would reject a pluralism which is based on the idea of denying truth. However, we, as Jews who believe in an infinite Torah MiSinai cannot possibly believe that we really understand the infinite word of God, or even the Talmud. All we can do, as mortals, is try to have as good an understanding as possible, and we lead our lives based on that imperfect understanding. And we have to be prepared, as the generations continue to study Gemorrah, and Rishonim and Acharonim, and IY”H, and we move closer to the never attainable Truth, that some of our understandings of Torah and even halacha may change. Thus, when we are confronted with different understandings from the different movements, we need to respect their sincerity, and just say, “Our understanding of the Truth, based on our Mesorah and our teachers and our s’farim, differs from yours. We reject your approach. However, we humbly accept that we, too, do not possess the ultimate Truth – only Hashem does.” This humility, I believe, is the underpinning of pluralism: accepting other Jews’ right to disagree with us, in sincerity and love. If I thought I was God, chas veshalom, I could say: I know the Truth and you are wrong. Since I am mortal, I say: “This is what I believe is what Hashem meant for me to do and believe, but I respect your right to disagree.” And I think it’s great that the Reform movement is willing to define itself as the movement which believes halacha is choice, not obligation. I would hope that Rabbi Yoffie would accept and respect my right to disagree with him, and to believe that Halacha is obligation. To be pluralistic, he doesn’t have to think I am Reform, but he should respect my Orthodox views as part of the quest for understanding what Judaism asks from us. And I think he does. Pluralism, then, is about respecting those we disagree with, and allowing them the space to grow in Torah and Yiddishkeit. That should be accepted by anyone who believes in Torah miSinai, and accepts that we are just Basar Vadam.

Do you believe it is appropriate to speak from the pulpit about political issues?

If you mean strategic policies – how Israel should defend itself or a solution to the issues in the Middle East – I avoid it. I think the only time I touched on such an issue was in criticizing rabbis who asked Israeli soldiers to disobey orders. I do speak out against the Rabbanut’s policies on conversions in Israel, or against religious courts in Israel who reject certain conversions, or who are cruel to women – agunot or otherwise. On American politics, I don’t speak up. But I think my congregants on the Right think I’m a leftie, and my congregants on the Left think I’m a right winger!
posted on 6/17/2009

 
The Truth About Settlements That Nathan Jeffay Won't Report

Two weeks ago, The Forward's Nathan Jeffay falsely reported that Israeli "public sympathy for settlers and the settlements is currently at an all-time low." As I demonstrated then and have continued to since, Jeffay's assertion is completely baseless, likely motivated by his and his newspaper's political bias.

The latest polls show that not only is Israeli support for settlements not "at an all-time low," but that it has steadily increased since Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and George Mitchell begin their jihad against them.

As a poll published today in Yisrael Hayom shows, 58 percent of Israeli oppose a halt to settlement construction, while 30 percent support a complete freeze.

Unfortunately, objective news reporting based on fact has been replaced by advocacy-based news, which is why Jeffay and The Forward won't report the reality that does not comport with their own slant.

Hopefully, Jeffay will soon find his true calling as a blogger, and The Forward will replace him with a real reporter.
posted on 6/16/2009

 
The Contrast Between a Defeatist Appeaser and a Statesmanlike Leader

"We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies."

-Ehud Olmert

"I know the face of war. I have experienced battle. I lost close friends, I lost a brother. I have seen the pain of bereaved families. I do not want war. No one in Israel wants war."

-Binyamin Netanyahu
posted on 6/15/2009

 
The Speech: Netanyahu Folds A Card - But Maintains His Principles

There is no such thing as a demilitarized state, and there will certainly be no such thing as a demilitarized state of Palestine. Even without a state, Palestinians have managed to smuggle in large amounts of weaponry, including tens of thousands of missiles.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has not experienced an ideological shift. He knows as well as anyone that any Palestinian state on the mountains and hills of Judea and Samaria poses a severe threat to Israel.

He also knows that the entire world supports a Palestinian state, as does half of Israel. Given all of the challenges facing Israel, getting bogged down in a dispute over the principle of a Palestinian state is not, in his view, worthwhile right now. It will inevitably result in a clash with the U.S. and division at home. Better - he has concluded - to maintain the support of a majority of Israelis and of Israel's friends in the U.S.

I don't know if he's right and I agonize that he may be making a terrible mistake. But I understand his decision, which puts the burden on the Obama Administration to make a persuasive case for how a two-state solution would not pose a severe threat to Israeli security.

Contrary to popular opinion, Netanyahu was correct to wait until now to conditionally accept some form of Palestinian state. Had Netanyahu done so during his visit to the White House, President Obama would have still picked a fight with Israel to curry favor with the Arab and Muslim world prior to and at his speech in Cairo. Better to take Obama's punches and move on.

Though Netanyahu has not agreed to completely cease construction in Judea and Samaria, it will now be more difficult for Obama and Hillary Clinton to continue bashing Israel. Even before today's speech, this morning on Meet The Press, David Gregory sharply questioned VP Joe Biden as to why only Israel is being pressured by the Obama Administration.

Aside from his conditional acceptance of a Palestinian state, I liked Netanyahu's speech. Netanyahu set forth essential truths about why the Jewish people are in their homeland in Israel, and why there has been no peace in Israel, that in recent years have been ignored and left unsaid by Israeli leaders.

In his reference to the sacrifice of so many Israelis, today was the first time I can remember Netanyahu mentioning the loss of his brother Yoni in a public forum.

There was one unfortunate omission from the speech: Netanyahu spoke about Gilad Shalit, but not the other Israeli MIAs. Zachary Baumel, Tzvi Feldman, Yehuda Katz, Ron Arad and Guy Hever were not mentioned today. Let us hope that Netanyahu remembers them soon.
posted on 6/14/2009

 
Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and The Truth About Settlements



Gush Etzion is where the settlement movement began, when just after the Six Day War, Israel resettled the Jewish areas destroyed by Jordanian soldiers in May 1948. After visiting Neve Daniel (pictured) in Gush Etzion today, Jimmy Carter expressed support for permanent Israeli retention of Gush Etzion.

It is possible that Carter will change his mind tomorrow, but regardless, what this demonstrates is the degree of ignorance about the communities in Judea and Samaria.

Almost all of the world, including many Jews - even some observant Jews - are under the impression that settlements are some trailers placed on Palestinian land, with the owners displaced.

The reality - this is obvious to most readers of this blog - is that Judea and Samaria are largely empty - mountain after mountain and hill after hill with nothing there. There are Arab villages, a few large Arab cities, and pockets of Jewish communities. But mostly Judea and Samaria consists of empty land.

It is not surprising that Arabs would oppose Israel using the empty land for further development. But the Netanyahu government has already agreed not to construct any new settlements, nor to expand settlements beyond present built-up lines.

A visit to most settlements will demonstrate - like it has to Jimmy Carter - that it is neither necessary nor appropriate to stop Jews from living there, that peace is attainable without Judea and Samaria being completely emptied of Jews.

President Obama claims to be a proponent of dialogue. Perhaps he too will pay a visit to Gush Etzion. Perhaps then he too will learn the truth about the Jewish presence in a small part of Judea and Samaria.
posted on 6/14/2009