Taking "Kassam Shmassam" to a new level

Only a few days after Amnon Rosenberg was murdered by a Kassam missle in Kibbutz Nir Oz, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai (Labor) has hit a new all-time low: Today, in the Knesset, he publicly insulted and denigrated the battered and besieged residents of Sderot and other western Negev communities for daring to object to the government's abandonment of them -- going so far as to as to openly belittle their pain and suffering:

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai hit back Monday in the Knesset plenum at Gaza Belt residents who bitterly complained about the government's handling of the constant rocket and mortar attacks against their communities.

"We, here in Jerusalem, suffered hundreds of casualties, hundreds. You know that very well," he said. "In bus bombings and other maniacs trying to hit Israel at its very core, in our Jerusalem. Did we ever complain about not sleeping at night? Or that we cannot do anything? Or that we have been deserted? Have I ever contemplated anything of the kind as a Jerusalemite?" he demanded.

Israelis living in the Gaza Belt have lived with barrages of literally thousands of rockets exploding in their communities on a regular basis, sometimes daily, since the year 2000.

I cannot imagine a statement that more dramatically exemplifies the obtuseness, callousness, and utter degeneracy of the Israeli government.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Ehud Barak's hypocrisy

Ehud Barak has got stupendously mind-blowing chutzpa to presume to castigate Ehud Olmert from the moral high ground. Apparently, this entire country has completely forgotten the 2000 State Comptroller's Report, which laid out in excruciating detail the scandal of Barak's network of phony amutot (NPO's) – many of which purported to be charities – through which he illegally funneled millions of dollars into his own election campaigns. Barak did the exact same things that Olmert did. Barak even had his own personal Morris Talansky – an English millionaire by the name of Octav Botner. Barak's strategic advisor at the time – Tal Zilberstein – masterminded and oversaw the entire money laundering scheme, and became one of the prime suspects named in the criminal investigation opened against Barak. Zilberstein is a man who certainly gets around: Today, he is Olmert's strategic advisor.

None of Barak’s sordid history, of course, has deterred him from pontificating against Olmert today, demanding that Olmert resign or suspend himself. Nor do the media seem to have noticed the incredible irony and hypocrisy in Barak assuming the mantle of Mr. Clean with regard to a matter involving illegal cash transfers and money laundering. What a surprise.

For background and details on the Barak money laundering scandal, here are a few articles from the time of the release of the 2000 Comptroller's Report:

• Mr Barak and the millionaire car dealer who funded his victory



• Barak party told it is under inquiry over its finances



• The Prime Minister and the Amutot

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Chutzpa Challenge

Longtime friend JoeSettler posted here a few days ago about "The Brandeis Challenge" --

“The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University announces a competition, open to creative thinkers of every kind, to produce a major work in the English language that aims to change the way Jews think about themselves and their community.”

That's a rather lofty challenge.

However, as we say here in Israel -- "we need tachlis" -- give me something usable today, not after the chagim, but now.

Reading Treppenwitz's account of local Israeli Chuztpa almost boggles the mind.

Directly in front of me in line I noticed two women with a shopping cart that was 2/3 full. I politely pointed out that they were in the express line and that they had too many items. But instead of begging my forgiveness and going to another line, one of the women gave me a mirthless grin and said, "We're together... we each have ten items". The two of them stood with arms folded across ample bosoms, daring me to challenge their clever ploy.

I took another look at their shopping cart and my blood pressure started to climb as I noticed that just the items on top approached the stated number... there must have been two or three times that number of things buried underneath.

This is the moment of truth that most immigrants are intimately familiar with. Do you marshal your limited Hebrew and make a fuss... risking having unhelpful idiots around you jump in with "What's the big deal... just let them go... it isn't worth all the yelling"? Or do you sit quietly and feel like the biggest frayer in the world because somebody is flouting the rules and wasting your valuable time in the process?
(read how Trep cleverly dealt with the situation here)

Granted, I see this all the time...but kudos to Trep for dealing with it.

Therefore, I'd like to draw your attention (and Trep's) to something really important. Finally, someone is willing to put up -- The Chuptza Challenge! Forget prolific position papers about the Jewish Community at large -- there's barely any common denominator to even start with. This guy is offering SIXY THOUSAND dollars to provide the best solution to teach Israelis some politeness and manners.

A wealthy Israeli businessman is offering a cash prize for initiatives that instill manners in his native land.

Ronny Maman, who recently returned to Israel after 18 prosperous years in San Diego, announced this week that he will give $60,000 to anyone who comes up with a way to make the Jewish state more considerate.

"We should all be helping each other," Maman, 55, told Yediot Achronot, deploring what he described as the spread of chutzpah in Israel in recent years.

Maman invited contestants to send their proposals to his Web site, www.derech-eretz.org. The winner will be selected next year, and Maman said he may also publish a book with the best 100 ideas.

"The intention is to create awareness, which in turn will create action, and then everything will change," he said. (JTA)

I'll get right to work on this challenge, as who can't use an extra $60K? Granted, Israeli child care and school tuition rates haven't spiked to US levels, but I assume it's not too long till US Jews start doing this to their kids, and sending them off to Israel.


Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael