THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER

I expect this year’s roster of dead Syrians, alone, has far surpassed the Pali total by now. Although not the toll of dead Syrians in 1982 and, as Bernie reminds us, there wasn’t then and there isn’t now a single Leftist complaint (Code Pink, where are you?) or a single tear from a single Arab [...]

Not only is the new director of Manhattan (NYC) College’s Holocaust Center a Muslim woman, but she isn’t sure who the Land of Israel belongs to; “….criticism of Afridi was partially provoked by an article she wrote for Common Ground but widely circulated by the Khaleej Times (Aug. 11, 2008), an Arab newspaper. “In the [...]

Shocka, right? But Spock’s alter ego, Leonard Nimoy, is obviously less prudent than the pointy-eared one when it comes to not interfering in the internal development of other civilizations. Hence his Hollyweird-esque meddling in Israeli domestic policy. Nimoy, who cribbed his split-fingers “live long and prosper” from Israel’s ancient high priests (without, natch, any attribution), [...]

One of my favorite spots in Israel is the national park at Gamla. Most of my “establishing” photos came out blurry, so I’ll use this one via Absolute Astronomy. Gamla dates to 81 BCE and was the capital of the Jewish Golan Heights for about 150 years, until it fell to the Romans in 67 [...]

I’m not sure what to make of the speech. As usual for one of his opuses, it was both too precise and too general. And, I’d be willing to bet money on this, it will have little affect beyond the anger it has generated among the pro-Israel folks. Not to mention Hamas. He can’t impose [...]

I saw this sticker on the back of a Toyota sedan on Highway 6, Israel’s first and only toll road, somewhere north of Tel Aviv. And I thought, nooo. They bought the sticker and put it on the car. Surely they didn’t ship the car all that way and then bring it back?

Looking back on my somewhat whirlwind trip to Israel last month, this spot, which I saw near the end, was one of my favorites. This thing is underground, and from above, you would not even notice the entrance if it was not marked. Which it is because the Israel national park service is very efficient. [...]

It seems to me that Israel’s new “Iron Dome” short-range rocket interceptor will have the same problem that the American Patriot system does. It nails the approaching rocket, true, and that’s impressive. But the explosion scatters fragments of the interceptor and the incoming rocket all over the place, some big enough to cause serious damage [...]

Snoopy says the Rehovot area is enduring its first major Khamsin wind of the year. It’s sunny and a scorching 97 degrees F there at 1 p.m. and forecast to reach 101. Then (“…as it is mysteriously traditional on Passover”) to fall back into the 70s daily tomorrow with overnight lows in the 50s through [...]

These wildflowers on the Golan Heights this time of year remind me how much alike the Texas hill country and Israel are, because we’re approximately on the same latitude and our climates are similar. Our wildflowers also are coming out all over, and although it’s getting steadily warmer, an occasional cold front  still blows through [...]