Category Archives: Israel

The real Nakba

Posted on May 16, 2011 | Comments Off on The real Nakba

The one the perpetually-whining Palestinians and their Lefty European fellow travelers never talk about:

“While many of the Arabs living in the Land of Israel left their [1948] homes voluntarily, goaded on by Arab promises that they would come back as victors and be able to displace the Jews, the Jews in Arab countries were generally expelled amidst violence, threats and confiscation of their property.”

Read. It. All.

MORE: “Colette left with only the clothes she was wearing and her suitcase was ransacked at the airport. Not only did Egyptian Jews face an uncertain future in exile, but they underwent the emotional trauma of seeing their communities destroyed and their families scattered to the ends of the earth.”

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Posted in Israel, Scribbles, The War

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Artzi

Posted on May 13, 2011 | Comments Off on Artzi

Artzi, the Israeli parks authority guy. Er, an ibex, actually. Snoop tracked down a stuffed one for Mr. B., who at eleven years old has one foot in adulthood, but the other still in stuffed-animal-collecting childhood.

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Posted in Israel, Mr. Boy, Scribbles

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Seeing the Palestinian Authority clearly

Posted on May 12, 2011 | Comments Off on Seeing the Palestinian Authority clearly

Aljazeera’s journalistic objectivity is debatable, but even a stopped clock is reliable twice a day. As in this piece decrying an alleged Israeli  aim to swap Israeli arabs for peace with West Bank Palestinians. Two Israeli arabs are candidly quoted about why they would fight deportation:

“‘[Israel] is a Western country, it’s more developed, there are more options, less corruption,’ said Ismail Athmani, 34. ‘And I was born in Israel. I’m not leaving.’

“But the economy wasn’t the only reason why Baqa al-Gharbiyya residents said they prefer Israel to Palestine. Several described the West Bank as a police state, and said that – despite the discrimination they face – they prefer the level of political freedom in Israel.

“‘It’s bad in the West Bank. We have family there, we hear things. The police in Palestine, you can’t talk about politics unless you’re in the most closed-off place. Otherwise you die,’ Athmani said.

His friend Abu Mokh leaned across the table to interrupt him. ‘Not die,’ he said with a rueful grin. ‘You just disappear.'”

Funny how Obamalot and its “diplomatic” mouthpieces can’t seem to see (and certainly never will say) what Israel’s “peace partner” really is.

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Posted in Israel, Obamalot, The War

So wave your flag

Posted on May 10, 2011 | Comments Off on So wave your flag

Cool song from Aish dot com. Video here. Happy 63rd, Israel!

Via Simply Jews.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Israel, Library

The Bulbul lost, alas

Posted on May 9, 2011 | Comments Off on The Bulbul lost, alas

I took several snapshots of the Israeli Bulbul, but none of them came out as good as this stock one from the Web. My pal Snoopy says it’s native to Israel. Even Haaretz (sometimes sneeringly called the only Hebrew-language Arabic newspaper in the Middle East) agrees.

“There is no doubt that the bulbul is ours: loud, quick to anger, lavishing gregarious affection, and in love with his friends. He makes noise as he brags to his pals about his exploits, and calls himself affectionate names. He doesn’t stop singing even as he is joyfully robbing fruit from others in true bulbul style.”

Alas, the bulbul lost the competition for national bird. Snoopy says it was because some politician pointed out that the bulbul is always fighting with its neighbors. So the hoopoe, found throughout the ME, won. Might also have been because of the alternate slang meaning of bulbul. But that’s just my notion.

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Posted in Israel, Scribbles

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This car climbed Mount Washington

Posted on May 7, 2011 | Comments Off on This car climbed Mount Washington

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?

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Posted in Israel, Scribbles

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Family crypt, circa 3rd century B.C.E.

Posted on May 6, 2011 | Comments Off on Family crypt, circa 3rd century B.C.E.

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.

A Sidonian burial cave, says the brochure from Bet Guvrin-Maresha, one of my pal Snoopy’s favorite spots in the Judean lowlands because, as he says, it’s usually pretty quiet and peaceful.  Not a big draw, in other words. No Masada. No Jerusalem. Etc. But imagine all the work that went into this place. The caves were discovered in 1902. The paintings are restorations of the originals.

UPDATE:  More on the park from Wikipedia.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Israel, Science/Engineering

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