Flood Hits Modiin Mall

Today's rains brought a flood to the Azrielli Mall in the city of Modiin.

Divine retribution for Xmas Caroling in the Modiin Park...Offensive Billboards in the mall...preventing Jewish youths from putting on tefillin....Missionary Activity...?

Of course not!

It was simply poor urban planning for rainwater and sewage drains...don't worry Modiin, we still love you at the Muqata!

(or, this could simply be proof that G-d approved of today's laws passed in the Knesset)

photo credit: rotter

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There's Something Wrong in Modiin

Long time readers of this blog know that the Muqata Blog and the Israeli City of Modiin don't see eye to eye on many issues.

Be it their (alleged) call for Merriful Christmas Carolling in their public parks, to forbidding Jewish students from donning tefillin, to facing the wrath of the Modiin Moderator (though in all fairness, I have found many community list moderators are just as fanatical and vengeful), Modiin is a brash city that doesn't hide from controversy.

The latest one to have caught my eye is an ad campaign going on in the Modiin shopping mall. Ads for the "Lee Cooper" jeans store advertise their jean-clad mannequins with signs proudly stating; "Cut the Bulls***"

(actual photo below, with expletive covered up

by Jameel's Trademark smiley).

I'm not surprised by a vulgar language ad campaign, as its rather sadly typical. What I found sadly amusing was the back and forth on the Modiin email list, and the attacks on the people who dared to question the ad placement in a public mall.

Comments included:

I think the point is that everyone has a different definition of what is "distasteful".We should all "live and let live" unless it is a matter of life and death, no? Many of us came from the intolerance of Jerusalem to a more tolerant Modiin (hopefully).

Can you all stop being such prudes and concentrate on more important issues that can make this a better place!!

Your children and others are hearing worse at school, and the more importance you place on it the more forbidden all this is the more they use these stupid words - that is all they are however affronted you are by them they are just words. [Jameel adds: of course, words aren't just words" when dealing with "incitement", but that's another story]

Freedom of speech and ideas are paramount in a democratic society. Don't infringe on my speech and I won't infringe on yours.

The bottom line is that a loud cacophony of Modiin's secular society believes there's absolutely nothing wrong with exposing children to vulgarity, and they honestly believe that any opposition to it is based solely on religious objections.

Foul-mouthed language is crass, crude and poor manners. Modiin's residents "left the intolerance of Jerusalem" so they can freely expose Modiin children to foul language?

As opposed to more civilized Western societies who know how to value "proper" speech, Modiin would rather expose children to everything and talk like a toilet.

Since sensitivity to exposing children to foul language makes one a "prude," why stop there? Without any yardstick for decent behaviour (and challenging it makes you a religious, fanatical prude), what's to stop Lee Cooper from showing unclothed models as well?

I'm sure the enlightened Modiin hedonists would find this example from a USA Public School, "religious coercion" -- its just a shame they are too wrapped in "targeting the religious" than to realize how embarrassing (and foul) their own behaviour is.

ALBANY -- South Albany High School to students: Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will get you suspended.

South is cracking down on cursing this year, to the tune of suspending students any time their, um, stuff hits the fan.

Principal Brent Belveal, now one month into his first year at South Albany, said staff members told him shortly after he joined the administration that profanity was a campus concern.

The new policy: Mention a potentially off-color word -- that one that rhymes with "witch," say -- and you'll probably get a warning. Stronger language means stronger measures.

"If they drop an "F-bomb," which is one people really get offended by, that's going to be a suspension," Belveal said.

Belveal met with each class in the first few weeks of school to outline the enforcement policy. Part of South Albany's job is to train students for future job situations, he said, and most employers don't tolerate foul language.

The bottom line: "We're trying to help you to learn how to be productive employees." --AP

I suggest that next year's Modiin Christmas carols be sung in front of this Lee Cooper store.

Note to all the Modiin residents who braved the email attacks, and tried to unsuccessfully explain why foul language doesn't belong in a mall ad campaign: you have my sincerest sympathies.

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Humanitarian Crisis Video of Gaza's Shopping Mall

If this doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you're probably an evil Zionist.



h/t: EoZ

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Grand Opening of Luxury Shopping Mall in Gaza

The ISM, flotilla terrorists, and Israel-haters everywhere must be racking their brains how to un-spin the opening of a luxury shopping mall in the IDF-blockaded, starving-Gaza.

The mall has a website, where we can see that it has air conditioning and parking, as well as delivery and other amenities that one would expect in any major mall.

The mall web page advertises "Israeli men's trousers at an attractive price," men's shirts from the US, girl's dresses from France and boy's pants from Turkey.

Read all about it at the Elder of Zion (with more photos as well)

Meanwhile, something else to blame on Israel is the Al-Jazeera report that the Gaza tunnel smuggling business is in a slump (because of the influx of Humanitarian aid).



Lastly Bloomberg reports,

Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has been a bonanza for Palestine Food Industries Co., the only functioning juice maker in the Gaza Strip, with sales increasing ten-fold as the embargo kept out competition.

Now, as Israel relaxes its restrictions, the company has joined fellow manufacturers including Pepsi-Cola bottlers Yazegi Group in demanding that Hamas protect local industries and refuse imports of juice, soda and snack foods. Officials of the Islamic movement have heeded the calls and are barring entry of such items as Israeli grapefruit juice and potato chips.

...

If Hamas allows Israeli juice to enter Gaza, Palestine Food will have to compete with Primor juices made by Gan Shmuel Food Industries Ltd., based on the Gan Shmuel kibbutz south of Haifa, and the Tapuzina-brand produced by closely held Jafora Tabori Ltd., based in Rehovot, near Tel Aviv.

Gaza City-based Yazegi Group’s Pepsi factory published newspaper ads calling on Hamas not to allow rival soft drinks into Gaza, according to its director Rajab al-Ghazali. Al-Awda Factories Co., which makes cookies and ice cream and is located in Gaza City, has also sought Hamas protection from Israeli imports, said Manal Hassan, its executive director.

Angry Gazans at the fully stocked supermarkets.






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Party On?

A child's shoe at the scene of the rocket attack (14.5.08),
Ashkelon Shopping Mall.
photo by EFE

In light of yesterday's rocket attack, where over a hundred people were wounded at an Ashkelon Shopping Mall, should yesterday's gala dinner and celebration in Jerusalem hosted by Shimon Peres as part of the Israel's 60th birthday "President's Conference" have continued as planned?

Should Israel's leadership have gone to Ashkelon to comfort its residents or convened an emergency session with the IDF on how to provide minimal security for Israel? Or should they have continued, "business as usual" with the dinner, heaping lavish superlatives on George Bush and the United States insisting "the party must go on?"

Driving home, I listed to Shimon Peres' speech last night at the dinner party over the radio. Despite his initial mention of the terror attack, his speech was rosy and euphoric. Not mentioning Israel's missing soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon, Peres glowed as he addressed world leaders. VIPs and wealthy businessmen. The crowd cheered and clapped with his every mention of Sederot, the IDF, and America's friendship, specifically that of George Bush. There was only one statement that left the crowd strangely silent, "We have not lost our will for peace."

No one clapped, no one cheered.

The more the daily reality of Palestinian terror and violence contrasts with Shimon Peres' view of Middle East peace, the more his resolve and ideology is strengthened. It's almost Messianic. Sedeort? Ashkelon? Suicide Bombers? Gaza?

Forget yesterday. Ignore today. Let's look for tomorrow.

Dreams can be achieved through pragmatism yet the Peres dream for peace is based on fantasy.

While Peres and Olmert continue to party, the rest of us are mourning the dead and praying for a full recovery for our wounded.

Party on? I'll pass.



24 year old Adi Afgin, has requested that people pray for the recovery of his wife and 2 year old daughter who were both seriously wounded in yesterday's rocket attack in Ashkelon.

His 2 year old daughter's name is "Ta'eer bat Avital" and his wife's name is "Avital bat Penina"

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Mass Casualty Event: Rocket hits Ashkelon Shopping Center!

5:58 PM - Magen David Adom declares emergency mass casualty event -- direct rocket attack hit on Ashkelon Shopping Mall!

More to follow.

6:04 PM - Rocket (Grad/Katyusha) hits Kupat Cholim building within Ashkleon. Many wounded reported, unsure if they are victims of fright or wounded by shrapnel/explosion.

6:07 PM - Many trapped in rubble of the building. No estimates yet of # wounded.

6:08 PM - Wounded being evacuated to Ashkelon's Barzilai hospital by ambulances.

6:10 PM - No warning siren sounded prior to the rocket strike. Channel 10 reports dozens of wounded. Most of them are probably from fright.

6:17 PM - Five wounded taken to hospital already. Missile strikes Kupat Cholim (medical clinic) located in the Ashkelon Shopping Mall.

6:18 PM - No more wounded found...

6:23 PM - Another rocket landed in the shuk area of Ashkelon. Channel Two reports the Palestinian rocket launches came from the destroyed settlement of "Dugit" in the Gaza Strip which were evacuated as part of the Disengagement.

6:24 PM - As of now, 8 wounded: 2 seriously, 2 moderately, 4 lightly.

6:26 PM - 10 wounded: 3 seriously, 2 moderately, 5 lightly.

6:33 PM - Over 20 lightly wounded (shock/fright) being transported to hospitals

6:35 PM - Warnings of Additional Rocket Launches towards Ashkelon - emergency personnel running to shelters.

6:46 PM - More wounded found on 3rd floor of shopping mall.


Map/Location of rocket hit.

30 wounded treated so far.

6:50 PM - Channel 10 reports the Grad rocket that hit the shopping mall was smuggled into Gaza from Egypt and is manufactured in Iran.

6:56 Pictures from rotter.net of rocket attack on shopping mall.




6:58 PM - Reports that one of seriously wounded is a 2 year old baby girl -- both legs were severely wounded in the attack.

7:03 PM - Magen David Adom, IDF and Police raise Gaza surrounding community status to 3 (highest warning/preparedness level). IDF investigating why "Color Red" Emergency Broadcast system not activated.

7:09 PM - Shas MK Eli Yishai cancels dinner plans with George Bush and Ehud Olmert -- he is now on route to Ashkelon to meet the wounded.

7:11 PM - pictures of the rocket hit inside the Ashkelon shopping center



7:12 PM - Additional warning from IDF of possible incoming rocket attack on Ashkleon.

End of post. Not yet...

What better welcome could George Bush expect? Perhaps he and Olmert should visit the wounded in Ashkelon now as well? Cowards.

12:35 PM - Final Roll Call: 105 wounded, 4 seriously, 10 still hospitalized. Medical clinic inside the shopping mall totally destroyed.


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