Free Republic

Different Standards By Ari Bussel “And your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.” Leviticus 26:33 There is a monopoly on news and opinions for the Jewish community of Greater Los Angeles in one paper, the Jewish Journal. Not unlike most papers, the Journal’s existence was threatened until recently, when three local philanthropists injected a million dollars into its operations as silent investors. Some would say Rob Eshman, the Journal’s editor-in-chief, is a reflection of the community. In his latest editorial he wished for Israel to have acted differently with respect to the March on...

The President’s Message by Ari Bussel The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations met with the President of the United States recently. His message was simple: “I know that not all of you agree with one another and that you do not speak in one voice.” It does not take a smart person to point out the obvious, but it takes a very shrewd politician to take advantage of the situation. A rich and powerful man who plays global nations like pawns on his personal chessboard decided on a course of action. All he needs to do is pull...

Spitting in God’s Face by Norma Zager "And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them…” Exodus 32:9-10 God has not abandoned Israel; Israel has abandoned God. Just as the generation of the Golden Calf was denied access into the Promised Land, today also turning one’s back on God will have tragic repercussions for the Jewish people. Honoring God is not a religious issue. It is an obligation of every human being,...

Butting Out of Israel’s Business by Norma Zager “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…” John Ray, 1670. Recently I had the unfortunate experience of meeting with a group of liberal Jews who believe Israel is some kind of evil occupying government and the poor Palestinian people (actually a figment of the Arab public relations propaganda machine) deserve to have Israel’s land. After being viciously attacked and being told I was full of crap for my opinions on Israel by a Nazi camp survivor, whose anger at Israel is palpable, I came to some hard and fast conclusions once my...

Israel’s Ungrateful Children by Norma Zager “Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits 
To laughter and contempt that she may feel 
How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is 
To have a thankless child!” William Shakespeare’s King Lear One of the easiest things to do is break a mother’s heart. Shel Silverstein wrote a wonderful book that has now become a classic and a must read for children entitled “The Giving Tree.” It is a story about a tree that gives and gives, its leaves, branches and all it possesses until it becomes no more than a stump. Yet the...

Capitulation by Ari Bussel At one point, someone will be reading this Collection of Postcards. That person would not have known us. In fact, we will be long dead. Many things would have happened in the world between then and now. It may be months, years, decades or even a century from present time. This Postcard is for that person. Things with which we are very familiar today, thus consider obvious, will be complete unknowns as the dust of history covers over them. Some phrases may not be understood, and references may seem disconnected. This Postcard, although it may not...

A Changing Reality by Ari Bussel The face of the Jewish community is changing. The change is subtle, but the undercurrents are strong. Slowly, we are waking up. We are still dazed, more from the realization that we are suddenly leaning to the right, less “liberals” and more protective of our self-interests and ourselves. As if emerging from under a haze, even Democrats are uncomfortable with the direction of the new Administration. The New Deal is not good for the Jews. Those in a position of power face a double sword: They need to justify these actions and ensure their...

The Second Disengagement by Ari Bussel "According to the Hebrew calendar, today is the fourth anniversary of the disengagement. Israel uprooted approximately 10,000 Israelis – men, women and children – from their homes. To our regret, Gaza has become a base for Hamas-led, Iranian-sponsored terrorism; thousands of rockets and missiles have been fired at us. Therefore, today, I would like to emphasize … Peace will go back to being based on reciprocity, not unilateralism. In the framework of the peace agreements, Israel expects that the Palestinians will recognize the State of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People,...

AMERICAN JEWRY is experiencing a cognitive dissonance the likes of which it has never known. To illustrate, consider my recent lecture in Virginia Beach, Va.: "Anti-Semitism at the Universities: What Can We Do About It?" It is very significant that a mainstream (i.e., largely secular and liberal) Jewish organization (the Jewish Community Center) would fly a speaker from across the country to speak on anti-Semitism at universities. To understand how significant, one must appreciate how much Jews revere the university. First, education has a religion-like status in both religious and secular Jewish life. And the university is romantically thought of...

An Interview with Daniel PipesJerusalem Center for Public AffairsMay 2, 2004 Daniel Pipes has been researching Islam for the past three and a half decades. He directs the Middle East Forum - a Philadelphia think tank. Among his twelve books, four focus on Islam. In 2003, President Bush appointed him to the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace. Years before September 11, 2001, Pipes uttered warnings that militant Islam was a violent threat to American security. In 1998, he wrote in the European edition of the Wall Street Journal that militant Muslims were at war with America, not because...

Daniel Pipes has been researching Islam for the past three and a half decades. He directs the Middle East Forum - a Philadelphia think tank. Among his twelve books, four focus on Islam. In 2003, President Bush appointed him to the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace. Years before September 11, 2001, Pipes uttered warnings that militant Islam was a violent threat to American security. In 1998, he wrote in the European edition of the Wall Street Journal that militant Muslims were at war with America, not because of what America did, but because Islamists perceive themselves as being...