I will be the first to admit I have a bad case of tunnel vision when it comes to the Palestinian conflict. This in itself makes it nearly impossible to choose a worthy candidate in a nation where allegiance to Israel is a prerequisite to becoming electorally viable.
I will also admit the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is probably the furthest thing from the minds of most Americans, who have more immediate worries such as mortgage payments, inadequate or non-existent medical coverage and/or loved ones deployed to some illogical war zone.
However, the Israeli occupation of Palestine is in so many ways a summary of the disasters plaguing the United States today. The staggering cost of aiding and abetting the Israeli government, to the tune of $30 billion over the next ten years, is both an economic drain and a major component of our failed foreign policy.
American taxpayers are not only forced to funnel hard-earned dollars to military and economic aid for Israel, but are also providing substantial assistance to the Fatah party, as reported last year by Christian Science Monitor.
According to CSM, “Senior US officials in Washington promised ongoing military support for secular Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas amid his power struggle with Islamist Hamas as part of an $84 million aid package largely aimed at improving the fighting ability of an elite corps of loyalists from his Fatah Party.”
Such action is used to exacerbate and prolong civil strife, whereby the lack of security in the Palestinian territories can be utilized as a perfect excuse not to establish a Palestinian state. With no official state and no defined borders, Israel is free to grab more land at will, whittling away at the last 20% of historical Palestine.
Additionally, the same Israeli lobby that demands Congress’s unflinching support of the Jewish state helped sell us the now over $650 billion Iraq War, a figure which pales in comparison to the human cost. Those who deny Israeli influence in the fiasco must remember former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s statement after the fall of Baghdad: “That’s one enemy of Israel gone.”
Next on their hit list is Iran. According to U.S. News and World Report, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is coming to New York next week to attend a “pro-Israel, anti-Iran rally.”
At one point, I was actually leaning McCain-Palin’s way; or rather leaning away from Senator Barack Obama and his expressed solidarity for the “brave citizens of Sderot.” His spineless denial of former friends who were pro-Palestinian activists in Chicago didn’t exactly raise his stock with me, either.
However, there is one thing Obama does have going for him: he is not of the Zionist “Christian” ilk that brought us eight years of George W. Bush. Lest we forget, McCain and Palin belong to the special evangelical breed that believes all Jews have to congregate in “Greater Israel” before Jesus Christ can return to earth. These views have been downplayed by the McCain-Palin ticket, as pointed out by conservative political activist George Ajjan on his website, www.ajjan.com.
In his analysis of Palin’s Republican National Convention Ajjan states:
“If Sarah Palin is the evangelical Christian's dream candidate, you'd never guess it from this speech - she used the word God twice, exactly as many time as Barack Obama did in his keynote remarks last week.”
Alaska’s governor may be more savvy than was our illustrious President about airing her beliefs. However, on August 17, 2008 at the Wasilla Bible Church attended by Palin and her family, the congregation was singing in Hebrew and blaming Palestinian reprisals against Israelis as “judgment from God” rather than the American-backed occupation.
All of which brings us back to our choice—or lack thereof—in the 2008 election: a candidate who supports Israel on the basis of warped religious beliefs versus a candidate who supports Israel on the basis of grabbing the Jewish community’s votes and money. Either way, the American people lose.
jeudi 25 septembre 2008
mardi 20 novembre 2007
Home-Grown Terrorists: "Hate Bloggers"
It may seem passé to speak of Islamo-Fascism Awareness week, held on our campuses in October. It may seem silly to harp on the likes of David Horowitz, Ann Coulter, and flustered Joe Kauffman--who could have used his hackneyed gig at UCLA to land a show on Comedy Central. It may seem counterproductive to mention these well-known bigots who make their millions preaching to the FOX News choir.
So let’s not waste more time or space rehashing the misguided babble of these nationally recognized pawns who somehow wind up on the bestseller list. We already know them for what they are.
Of more concern are certain bloggers, aspiring to join the ranks of Daniel Pipes and the ilk, dreaming of that name recognition that has thus far eluded them. These folks work at the local level to launch personalized attacks against private citizens, posting half-truths, rumors and malicious lies in cyberspace without all those pesky libel laws that constrain print media.
Several of my friends and colleagues have fallen victim to this type of intimidation in the past: one college professor, a Palestinian-American, found his name, work address and telephone number--along with thinly veiled threats--posted on the Fresno-based Free Republic website.
Most recently, an activist friend, also a Palestinian-American and a 20-year veteran of the armed forces, has found himself on the receiving end of a flagrant character assassination initiated by Patrick Poole.
Poole, a self-proclaimed “terrorism expert” and founder of Central Ohioans Against Terrorism (COAT) has posted the rough drafts of every letter to the editor my friend has written (how he obtained the originals is still a mystery), along with accusations that he supports suicide bombings and attacks on Americans. He even went so far to post my friend’s home address and phone number on the blog.
Curious, I decided to follow the links to Poole’s accounts on YouTube and MySpace. I was shocked when I played one of his “favorite” videos called “Open Season.” The song calls for the murder of Muslims. I clicked on another of Poole’s favorite videos and was treated to images of screaming fighter jets hitting soft targets in Afghanistan and Iraq to the repeated lyric, “Die, (expletive), die.”
Yet Arabs and Muslims are not the only ones considered “fair game” in the domain of these keyboard warriors.
In my former life, I was a staff writer and opinion columnist for the Daily Advocate, a small newspaper published in Greenville, Ohio. With a circulation of only 7,000 readers, I was quite surprised when one of my articles popped up in a smear on BizzyBlog.com run by one Tom Blumer. Blumer is a Certified Public Accountant out of Mason, Ohio.
My short article focused on how county agencies were being impacted by a data theft scandal in the Statehouse. I was informed no action was being taken because state officials told the agencies that the data was encrypted.
Several weeks later, Blumer posted my name all over his blog, attacking my credibility and citing a source claiming the data was not encrypted.
For those unfamiliar with Ohio geography, Greenville and Mason are not that close. Scratching my head and musing how a small article from a small newspaper could have incurred such wrath from a CPA located 70 miles away, I took a closer look at this self-proclaimed source of financial news.
What I found was much more than financial news: the bulk of BizzyBlog is devoted to attacking government social programs, peppered with virulent anti-Muslim articles and cross-posts to the blog of none other than Patrick Poole.
At that point, it all made sense. Blumer was evidently incensed by one of my opinion columns (which had been picked up by several newspapers in southwestern Ohio) and had been waiting for his angle. The attack on my credibility as a reporter, rather than as an opinion columnist, was a cheap attempt to do more professional damage.
Blumer even admitted to contacting my former editor, still obsessed with creating some kind of trouble for me in real life.
Why should we care happens in Ohio? Because the problem isn’t unique to Ohio. The aforementioned Free Republic is based right here in California, and hate-blogs are in existence all over the country. The real problem is that these bullies are rarely content to stay on their cyber-pulpits.
They attempt to interfere with your real world job. They post your real world address and look the other way when one of their faithful subscribers starts harassing you in real life. They post video of your real world kids on YouTube.
Any one of us could become the next target. Until legislation is passed to afford victims of cyberspace libel the same protections as those that are wronged in print media, we must stand together to face this enemy head-on.
So let’s not waste more time or space rehashing the misguided babble of these nationally recognized pawns who somehow wind up on the bestseller list. We already know them for what they are.
Of more concern are certain bloggers, aspiring to join the ranks of Daniel Pipes and the ilk, dreaming of that name recognition that has thus far eluded them. These folks work at the local level to launch personalized attacks against private citizens, posting half-truths, rumors and malicious lies in cyberspace without all those pesky libel laws that constrain print media.
Several of my friends and colleagues have fallen victim to this type of intimidation in the past: one college professor, a Palestinian-American, found his name, work address and telephone number--along with thinly veiled threats--posted on the Fresno-based Free Republic website.
Most recently, an activist friend, also a Palestinian-American and a 20-year veteran of the armed forces, has found himself on the receiving end of a flagrant character assassination initiated by Patrick Poole.
Poole, a self-proclaimed “terrorism expert” and founder of Central Ohioans Against Terrorism (COAT) has posted the rough drafts of every letter to the editor my friend has written (how he obtained the originals is still a mystery), along with accusations that he supports suicide bombings and attacks on Americans. He even went so far to post my friend’s home address and phone number on the blog.
Curious, I decided to follow the links to Poole’s accounts on YouTube and MySpace. I was shocked when I played one of his “favorite” videos called “Open Season.” The song calls for the murder of Muslims. I clicked on another of Poole’s favorite videos and was treated to images of screaming fighter jets hitting soft targets in Afghanistan and Iraq to the repeated lyric, “Die, (expletive), die.”
Yet Arabs and Muslims are not the only ones considered “fair game” in the domain of these keyboard warriors.
In my former life, I was a staff writer and opinion columnist for the Daily Advocate, a small newspaper published in Greenville, Ohio. With a circulation of only 7,000 readers, I was quite surprised when one of my articles popped up in a smear on BizzyBlog.com run by one Tom Blumer. Blumer is a Certified Public Accountant out of Mason, Ohio.
My short article focused on how county agencies were being impacted by a data theft scandal in the Statehouse. I was informed no action was being taken because state officials told the agencies that the data was encrypted.
Several weeks later, Blumer posted my name all over his blog, attacking my credibility and citing a source claiming the data was not encrypted.
For those unfamiliar with Ohio geography, Greenville and Mason are not that close. Scratching my head and musing how a small article from a small newspaper could have incurred such wrath from a CPA located 70 miles away, I took a closer look at this self-proclaimed source of financial news.
What I found was much more than financial news: the bulk of BizzyBlog is devoted to attacking government social programs, peppered with virulent anti-Muslim articles and cross-posts to the blog of none other than Patrick Poole.
At that point, it all made sense. Blumer was evidently incensed by one of my opinion columns (which had been picked up by several newspapers in southwestern Ohio) and had been waiting for his angle. The attack on my credibility as a reporter, rather than as an opinion columnist, was a cheap attempt to do more professional damage.
Blumer even admitted to contacting my former editor, still obsessed with creating some kind of trouble for me in real life.
Why should we care happens in Ohio? Because the problem isn’t unique to Ohio. The aforementioned Free Republic is based right here in California, and hate-blogs are in existence all over the country. The real problem is that these bullies are rarely content to stay on their cyber-pulpits.
They attempt to interfere with your real world job. They post your real world address and look the other way when one of their faithful subscribers starts harassing you in real life. They post video of your real world kids on YouTube.
Any one of us could become the next target. Until legislation is passed to afford victims of cyberspace libel the same protections as those that are wronged in print media, we must stand together to face this enemy head-on.
vendredi 19 octobre 2007
Grab an imaginary donut, the thought police are working overtime on our nation’s campuses!
While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent visit to New York’s Columbia University “speaks volumes about really the greatness of America,” according to George W. Bush, there is more wrong with this statement than just grammar.
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger’s vitriolic introduction of Ahmadinejad, the invited guest, only testified to a gross lack of hospitality and immaturity on the part of one of the United States’ most prestigious institutions of higher learning.
However, Bollinger’s rhetoric served its intended purpose: to make him look like the “big man on campus” by appeasing protestors serving as the thought police’s visible vanguard. Most of the demonstrators who gathered outside the lecture hall where Ahmadinejad spoke, along with the thousands assembled further away at the United Nations, represented various Jewish organizations. Some stood with signs bearing the Iranian leader’s picture, emblazoned with the words “Go to Hell.”
Still up in arms over Ahmadinejad’s call for further investigation into the Holocaust and for Israel to be wiped off the map—although no one cared when Palestine was effectively wiped off the map in 1948--they have the right to speak their minds. Just let them stand two miles away as is required when Bush comes to town.
Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman joined the maelstrom by decrying Ahmadinejad’s visit “because he comes with blood literally on his hands.” Oddly enough, Lieberman made no such utterances during any of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s numerous visits to the White House. The same Sharon who was indicted by a Belgian Court for his role in the murders of nearly 2,000 civilians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in 1982.
Regardless how one feels about a world leader’s rhetoric or policies, it is hard to imagine, were the situation reversed, an American leader would have received such an abysmal welcome in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
My personal experience at the Iranian Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey several years ago gave me a brief taste of Iranian hospitality. My husband and I were applying for tourist visas; as we were about to enter, a guard passed a hand-held metal detector over my husband. He merely looked at me and beckoned us to come in. As no female guard was present, he preferred to risk admitting me without a search rather than to take such liberties with a member of the opposite sex.
I stepped into the waiting room and no less than three men stood immediately to offer me their seats. Although we decided against traveling to Iran after the officer explained there would be a $60 fee for each application and a ten-day waiting period, I was nevertheless impressed by the treatment I received.
Yet higher education has become more about politics and less about real-world experience. It is more about censorship rather than exposing the minds of our future leaders to different viewpoints; more about belligerence than diplomacy. It is the new face of the thought police: the pro-Israeli lobby expanding its influence from Congress to the Quad.
Take for instance DePaul University’s recent decision to deny Norman Finkelstein tenure. He subsequently resigned. Finkelstein has accused certain pro-Israeli groups of using the Holocaust for political gain, including the justification of human rights violations against Palestinians.
Barnard College professor Dr. Nadia Abu El-Haj is in the midst of another tenure brouhaha. She wrote a book entitled Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli Society, a work which exposes how the Israeli government, in trying to build the case for a Jewish state, uses bulldozers to destroy the remains of other cultures.
“It isn’t good enough,” Alan F. Segal, a professor of Jewish studies at Barnard said of Dr. Abu El-Haj’s work. Dr. Abu El-Haj was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and fellowships at Harvard and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Ironically, Columbia University, as Barnard’s affiliate, will have the final say regarding Dr. Abu El Haj’s tenure.
If Columbia University officials do not exhibit any more backbone than was shown during the playground-style attack on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it does not bode well for Dr. Abu El-Haj. And if the thought police have their way, it does not bode well for the intellectual freedom of our nation’s students.
While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent visit to New York’s Columbia University “speaks volumes about really the greatness of America,” according to George W. Bush, there is more wrong with this statement than just grammar.
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger’s vitriolic introduction of Ahmadinejad, the invited guest, only testified to a gross lack of hospitality and immaturity on the part of one of the United States’ most prestigious institutions of higher learning.
However, Bollinger’s rhetoric served its intended purpose: to make him look like the “big man on campus” by appeasing protestors serving as the thought police’s visible vanguard. Most of the demonstrators who gathered outside the lecture hall where Ahmadinejad spoke, along with the thousands assembled further away at the United Nations, represented various Jewish organizations. Some stood with signs bearing the Iranian leader’s picture, emblazoned with the words “Go to Hell.”
Still up in arms over Ahmadinejad’s call for further investigation into the Holocaust and for Israel to be wiped off the map—although no one cared when Palestine was effectively wiped off the map in 1948--they have the right to speak their minds. Just let them stand two miles away as is required when Bush comes to town.
Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman joined the maelstrom by decrying Ahmadinejad’s visit “because he comes with blood literally on his hands.” Oddly enough, Lieberman made no such utterances during any of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s numerous visits to the White House. The same Sharon who was indicted by a Belgian Court for his role in the murders of nearly 2,000 civilians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in 1982.
Regardless how one feels about a world leader’s rhetoric or policies, it is hard to imagine, were the situation reversed, an American leader would have received such an abysmal welcome in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
My personal experience at the Iranian Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey several years ago gave me a brief taste of Iranian hospitality. My husband and I were applying for tourist visas; as we were about to enter, a guard passed a hand-held metal detector over my husband. He merely looked at me and beckoned us to come in. As no female guard was present, he preferred to risk admitting me without a search rather than to take such liberties with a member of the opposite sex.
I stepped into the waiting room and no less than three men stood immediately to offer me their seats. Although we decided against traveling to Iran after the officer explained there would be a $60 fee for each application and a ten-day waiting period, I was nevertheless impressed by the treatment I received.
Yet higher education has become more about politics and less about real-world experience. It is more about censorship rather than exposing the minds of our future leaders to different viewpoints; more about belligerence than diplomacy. It is the new face of the thought police: the pro-Israeli lobby expanding its influence from Congress to the Quad.
Take for instance DePaul University’s recent decision to deny Norman Finkelstein tenure. He subsequently resigned. Finkelstein has accused certain pro-Israeli groups of using the Holocaust for political gain, including the justification of human rights violations against Palestinians.
Barnard College professor Dr. Nadia Abu El-Haj is in the midst of another tenure brouhaha. She wrote a book entitled Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli Society, a work which exposes how the Israeli government, in trying to build the case for a Jewish state, uses bulldozers to destroy the remains of other cultures.
“It isn’t good enough,” Alan F. Segal, a professor of Jewish studies at Barnard said of Dr. Abu El-Haj’s work. Dr. Abu El-Haj was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and fellowships at Harvard and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Ironically, Columbia University, as Barnard’s affiliate, will have the final say regarding Dr. Abu El Haj’s tenure.
If Columbia University officials do not exhibit any more backbone than was shown during the playground-style attack on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it does not bode well for Dr. Abu El-Haj. And if the thought police have their way, it does not bode well for the intellectual freedom of our nation’s students.
jeudi 12 juillet 2007
Operation Northwoods and the Israeli Connection to 9/11
The 1999 movie The Matrix is based on the premise that everyday life is a dream and that the real world–one where comatose humans serve as energy sources for alien robots–is a closely guarded secret. Keanu Reeves’s character discovered the truth and was offered a choice: take a pill and forget everything, or see "just how far the rabbit hole goes."
This week I am offering readers a similar choice: skip over today’s column or venture with me down that rabbit hole. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
In light of current headlines, examination of 45 year-old Operation Northwoods is more pertinent now than ever. De-classified documents available at George Washington University Library reveal the CIA’s plot to justify Fidel Castro’s overthrow–regime change–and conduct military operations against Cuba.
One of the document’s headings "Incidents to establish a credible attack," describes how Cubans friendly to the United States would be planted inside the base at Guantanamo Bay posing as hostile saboteurs. Shelling the base, causing "some damage to installations" was also suggested. Undoubtedly the most telling scenario was: "Sink ship near harbor entrance. Conduct funerals for mock-victims."
Even more sinister, however, were the CIA’s plans to wage a terror campaign against Cuban refugees in the United States, pinning the blame on Castro and his sympathizers to further justify an invasion of Cuba.
"We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated)" the document reads. "We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding to be widely publicized." Exploding plastic bombs in "carefully chosen places" was another course of action.
Operation Northwoods included further provocative tactics, including the use of MiGs by U.S. pilots to drop "Cuban" leaflets bolstering the Communist underground in the Dominican Republic and other neighboring countries. Invasions of airspace by these fake MiGs would rally other Caribbean nations to support the U.S. against "Cuban" aggression.
Several pages were devoted to a plan "...to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a civil airliner en route from the United States to Jamaica, Guatemala, Panama or Venezuela." Hijacking was also suggested.
Any of this sound familiar?
Most of us have heard the conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks: a missile hit the Pentagon and timed explosives brought down the Twin Towers. These "theories" – which in all likelihood originated in some government agency–were planted in order to distract the "fringe Left" and others from finding the truth.
After all, what better way to conceal the truth than to circulate not one, but two diametrically opposed and equally far-fetched scenarios to explain how over 3,000 Americans were murdered on September 11, 2001. The idea that Flight 93 was repainted and still in service somewhere is just as nutty as finding Mohammad Atta’s miracle passport lying on top of World Trade Center rubble. And both stories conveniently ignore Israel’s connection to the attacks.
Between August 26 and September 11, 2001, a group of speculators, identified by the American Securities and Exchange Commission as Israeli citizens, sold "short" a list of 38 stocks–including those of insurance companies and airlines–expected to fall in value as a result of the pending attacks.
On Sept. 6, 2,075 put options–a bet on a drop in the worth of stocks–were made on United Airlines. On Sept. 10, 2,282 put options were recorded for American Airlines, which could have yielded the speculators as much as $2 million to $4 million.
Recently, new security system developed by an Israeli company was tested at Knoxville’s airport, designed to measure travelers’ biometric responses–blood pressure, pulse and sweat levels. Each machine will run the U.S. a cool $200,000.
They’re still profiting from 9/11.
By November 2001, 60 Israelis who had been working at mall kiosks or posing as art students throughout the U.S. were detained for visa violations. This number is in addition to the 140 Israelis who were detained prior to 9/11 as part of a suspected espionage ring. Nearly all had served in the Israeli army with specialties in either explosives or intelligence, although Carl Cameron of Fox News quoted a senior investigator into the attacks as stating "Evidence linking these Israelis to 9/11 is classified."
These cases were separate from the arrests of five Israelis who were caught filming the World Trade Center attack as it happened while laughing, giving each other high-fives and dancing–a story verified by the Washington Post, The Palm Beach Post and by ABC News. Now safely back in Israel, four of the five have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the United States for false arrest.
On October 12, 2001, Mexican authorities arrested two Israelis carrying weapons and explosives inside San Lazaro, Mexico’s congress. If the Israelis had succeeded in carrying out an attack, it would have presumably been blamed on Muslim terrorists in order to gain Mexico’s cooperation in the "war on terror."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the 9/11 attacks as "very good." Moments later he added, "Well, it's not good, but it will generate immediate sympathy."
Sympathy and justification for unprecedented U.S. aggression against countries that don’t recognize Israel.
So when another "Fort Dix Six" are nabbed for an alleged terror plot, or the next time a "pro-Western" official is assassinated in Lebanon, a church is bombed in Gaza or Iraq, or a "shoe bomber" is arrested on an airplane, remember the deception of our own government and whose interests it serves to keep fomenting the bogus "War on Terror." Ask yourselves if radical Islam is the real enemy. It is imperative that all of us ask these questions, no matter how far down that rabbit hole it takes us.
This week I am offering readers a similar choice: skip over today’s column or venture with me down that rabbit hole. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
In light of current headlines, examination of 45 year-old Operation Northwoods is more pertinent now than ever. De-classified documents available at George Washington University Library reveal the CIA’s plot to justify Fidel Castro’s overthrow–regime change–and conduct military operations against Cuba.
One of the document’s headings "Incidents to establish a credible attack," describes how Cubans friendly to the United States would be planted inside the base at Guantanamo Bay posing as hostile saboteurs. Shelling the base, causing "some damage to installations" was also suggested. Undoubtedly the most telling scenario was: "Sink ship near harbor entrance. Conduct funerals for mock-victims."
Even more sinister, however, were the CIA’s plans to wage a terror campaign against Cuban refugees in the United States, pinning the blame on Castro and his sympathizers to further justify an invasion of Cuba.
"We could sink a boatload of Cubans en route to Florida (real or simulated)" the document reads. "We could foster attempts on lives of Cuban refugees in the United States even to the extent of wounding to be widely publicized." Exploding plastic bombs in "carefully chosen places" was another course of action.
Operation Northwoods included further provocative tactics, including the use of MiGs by U.S. pilots to drop "Cuban" leaflets bolstering the Communist underground in the Dominican Republic and other neighboring countries. Invasions of airspace by these fake MiGs would rally other Caribbean nations to support the U.S. against "Cuban" aggression.
Several pages were devoted to a plan "...to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a civil airliner en route from the United States to Jamaica, Guatemala, Panama or Venezuela." Hijacking was also suggested.
Any of this sound familiar?
Most of us have heard the conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks: a missile hit the Pentagon and timed explosives brought down the Twin Towers. These "theories" – which in all likelihood originated in some government agency–were planted in order to distract the "fringe Left" and others from finding the truth.
After all, what better way to conceal the truth than to circulate not one, but two diametrically opposed and equally far-fetched scenarios to explain how over 3,000 Americans were murdered on September 11, 2001. The idea that Flight 93 was repainted and still in service somewhere is just as nutty as finding Mohammad Atta’s miracle passport lying on top of World Trade Center rubble. And both stories conveniently ignore Israel’s connection to the attacks.
Between August 26 and September 11, 2001, a group of speculators, identified by the American Securities and Exchange Commission as Israeli citizens, sold "short" a list of 38 stocks–including those of insurance companies and airlines–expected to fall in value as a result of the pending attacks.
On Sept. 6, 2,075 put options–a bet on a drop in the worth of stocks–were made on United Airlines. On Sept. 10, 2,282 put options were recorded for American Airlines, which could have yielded the speculators as much as $2 million to $4 million.
Recently, new security system developed by an Israeli company was tested at Knoxville’s airport, designed to measure travelers’ biometric responses–blood pressure, pulse and sweat levels. Each machine will run the U.S. a cool $200,000.
They’re still profiting from 9/11.
By November 2001, 60 Israelis who had been working at mall kiosks or posing as art students throughout the U.S. were detained for visa violations. This number is in addition to the 140 Israelis who were detained prior to 9/11 as part of a suspected espionage ring. Nearly all had served in the Israeli army with specialties in either explosives or intelligence, although Carl Cameron of Fox News quoted a senior investigator into the attacks as stating "Evidence linking these Israelis to 9/11 is classified."
These cases were separate from the arrests of five Israelis who were caught filming the World Trade Center attack as it happened while laughing, giving each other high-fives and dancing–a story verified by the Washington Post, The Palm Beach Post and by ABC News. Now safely back in Israel, four of the five have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the United States for false arrest.
On October 12, 2001, Mexican authorities arrested two Israelis carrying weapons and explosives inside San Lazaro, Mexico’s congress. If the Israelis had succeeded in carrying out an attack, it would have presumably been blamed on Muslim terrorists in order to gain Mexico’s cooperation in the "war on terror."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the 9/11 attacks as "very good." Moments later he added, "Well, it's not good, but it will generate immediate sympathy."
Sympathy and justification for unprecedented U.S. aggression against countries that don’t recognize Israel.
So when another "Fort Dix Six" are nabbed for an alleged terror plot, or the next time a "pro-Western" official is assassinated in Lebanon, a church is bombed in Gaza or Iraq, or a "shoe bomber" is arrested on an airplane, remember the deception of our own government and whose interests it serves to keep fomenting the bogus "War on Terror." Ask yourselves if radical Islam is the real enemy. It is imperative that all of us ask these questions, no matter how far down that rabbit hole it takes us.
jeudi 14 juin 2007
Liberty
June 8 marked the 40th anniversary of the heaviest attack on an American ship inflicting the highest number of casualties since World War II. The USS Liberty was an intelligence vessel, patrolling international waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The day was clear and sunny; the ship flying the American flag, as was standard. Suddenly and simultaneously, out of that clear azure sky and sea came a two-pronged attack by Israeli air and naval forces. Napalm, gunfire and missiles rained hell on Liberty’s crew for two hours while Israeli torpedo boats closed in.
In that two hours, 34 American sailors died. Another 172 were injured
The Liberty crew managed to send an SOS, heard by nearby U.S. Sixth Fleet aircraft carriers. Fighter planes launched immediately, however turned back on orders from President Johnson. Naval personnel listening to radio relays heard Johnson say “I don’t care if the ship sinks, I’m not going to embarrass an ally.”
Israel claimed it was a case of “mistaken identity.” You know, friendly fire. Israel’s ludicrous explanation was that pilots thought the USS Liberty was El Quseir, an Egyptian vessel having 1/4 of Liberty’s displacement and half the beam. El Quseir was 180 feet shorter and very differently configured. The Liberty had her name clearly written in English, while the Egyptian ship would have displayed Arabic script.
There are several motives for Israel’s deliberate attack: to prevent the USS Liberty from transmitting intelligence pertaining to massacres by Israeli troops which were taking place in the Golan Heights and that the 1967 War did indeed result from a pre-emptive strike by Israel.
The attack could have been used to draw the U.S. into the 1967 War as well. Most of the Liberty’s survivors believe that Israel’s goal was to sink the ship and kill everyone aboard. Had there been no survivors, the attack could have been pinned on an Arab country.
Ward Boston, Jr. was the chief legal counsel to the Navy Court of Inquiry investigating the USS Liberty attack. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran, having served on the USS Yorktown.
In an editorial published by The San Diego Union Tribune, Boston stated then President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara ordered the Navy Court of Inquiry to conclude the attack was accidental.
The late Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, the Court of Inquiry’s president, was given only one week to gather evidence for the investigation, although a proper inquiry would have taken six months, according to Boston.
“We boarded the crippled ship at sea and interviewed survivors. The evidence was clear. We both believed with certainty that this attack was a deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew,” Boston wrote. “I saw the bullet-riddled American flag that had been raised by the crew after their first flag had been shot down completely.”
For the official record, Admiral Kidd was ordered to rewrite part of the Court’s findings, including striking Lt. Lloyd Painter’s testimony in which he stated three life rafts filled with seriously wounded sailors were gunned down at close range by Israeli torpedo boats.
Crew members’ tombstones are engraved “...died in the Eastern Mediterranean,” rather than “killed in action.”
The USS Liberty’s Commander, William L. McGonagle was awarded the Medal of Honor in a quiet ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard, not in the customary White House setting. To this day, survivors have never been allowed to testify publicly. Nor have intelligence officers who received real-time Hebrew translations of Israeli commanders ordering pilots to sink “the American ship.”
Even now, the mere mention of the USS Liberty creates a furor. The town of Grafton, Wisconsin decided to name their new $1 million library–to be built with private donations and an $83,000 federal contribution–the USS Liberty Memorial Library.
Days later, Jewish community leaders cried anti-Semitism. An angry letter from one rabbi stated the name was “insulting to Jews.” Not surprisingly, the $83,000 federal money was put on hold. Even the priest at Grafton’s Catholic Church came out in opposition to the name, stating “The USS Liberty has become a symbol of hate.”
Ironically, the University of Wisconsin’s library was officially renamed the Golda Meir Library in 1979.
Survivors of the USS Liberty attack, their families and the families of those killed gathered in Washington, D.C. last week to demand a fair congressional inquiry, a plea which presumably fell on deaf ears.
While those family members seek justice, a small city in Wisconsin seeks to commemorate Liberty’s name and conscientious members of the American public seek the truth, their killers are still being called “God’s Chosen People.”
While I take time to honor those sailors who lost their lives over 40 years ago, some wannabe nationalist in New Madison claims I have “cheapened the sacrifice” of U.S. troops. While I speak out against an Israeli-driven U.S. policy and our appeasement of the Jewish State which has cost thousands of U.S. lives, I am being compared to Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. (Contrary to what some believe, I actually don’t mind the comparison. It merely reflects the intellect of the one doing the comparing.)
While I continue to speak out against the second-most powerful lobby in America–one that promotes the interests of a foreign government at the expense of U.S. resources, both material and human–the “real” patriots are pledging allegiance to Zionism. Indeed, Mr. Brown, you’re a regular Audie Murphy–although I doubt you know who he was.
Patriotism, for those who may be confusing the term with blind nationalism, means honoring your war dead and seeking justice for their families even if it means “embarrassing an ally.” It also means pursuing policies beneficial to one’s country, free from the yoke of foreign domination.
The day was clear and sunny; the ship flying the American flag, as was standard. Suddenly and simultaneously, out of that clear azure sky and sea came a two-pronged attack by Israeli air and naval forces. Napalm, gunfire and missiles rained hell on Liberty’s crew for two hours while Israeli torpedo boats closed in.
In that two hours, 34 American sailors died. Another 172 were injured
The Liberty crew managed to send an SOS, heard by nearby U.S. Sixth Fleet aircraft carriers. Fighter planes launched immediately, however turned back on orders from President Johnson. Naval personnel listening to radio relays heard Johnson say “I don’t care if the ship sinks, I’m not going to embarrass an ally.”
Israel claimed it was a case of “mistaken identity.” You know, friendly fire. Israel’s ludicrous explanation was that pilots thought the USS Liberty was El Quseir, an Egyptian vessel having 1/4 of Liberty’s displacement and half the beam. El Quseir was 180 feet shorter and very differently configured. The Liberty had her name clearly written in English, while the Egyptian ship would have displayed Arabic script.
There are several motives for Israel’s deliberate attack: to prevent the USS Liberty from transmitting intelligence pertaining to massacres by Israeli troops which were taking place in the Golan Heights and that the 1967 War did indeed result from a pre-emptive strike by Israel.
The attack could have been used to draw the U.S. into the 1967 War as well. Most of the Liberty’s survivors believe that Israel’s goal was to sink the ship and kill everyone aboard. Had there been no survivors, the attack could have been pinned on an Arab country.
Ward Boston, Jr. was the chief legal counsel to the Navy Court of Inquiry investigating the USS Liberty attack. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran, having served on the USS Yorktown.
In an editorial published by The San Diego Union Tribune, Boston stated then President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara ordered the Navy Court of Inquiry to conclude the attack was accidental.
The late Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, the Court of Inquiry’s president, was given only one week to gather evidence for the investigation, although a proper inquiry would have taken six months, according to Boston.
“We boarded the crippled ship at sea and interviewed survivors. The evidence was clear. We both believed with certainty that this attack was a deliberate effort to sink an American ship and murder its entire crew,” Boston wrote. “I saw the bullet-riddled American flag that had been raised by the crew after their first flag had been shot down completely.”
For the official record, Admiral Kidd was ordered to rewrite part of the Court’s findings, including striking Lt. Lloyd Painter’s testimony in which he stated three life rafts filled with seriously wounded sailors were gunned down at close range by Israeli torpedo boats.
Crew members’ tombstones are engraved “...died in the Eastern Mediterranean,” rather than “killed in action.”
The USS Liberty’s Commander, William L. McGonagle was awarded the Medal of Honor in a quiet ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard, not in the customary White House setting. To this day, survivors have never been allowed to testify publicly. Nor have intelligence officers who received real-time Hebrew translations of Israeli commanders ordering pilots to sink “the American ship.”
Even now, the mere mention of the USS Liberty creates a furor. The town of Grafton, Wisconsin decided to name their new $1 million library–to be built with private donations and an $83,000 federal contribution–the USS Liberty Memorial Library.
Days later, Jewish community leaders cried anti-Semitism. An angry letter from one rabbi stated the name was “insulting to Jews.” Not surprisingly, the $83,000 federal money was put on hold. Even the priest at Grafton’s Catholic Church came out in opposition to the name, stating “The USS Liberty has become a symbol of hate.”
Ironically, the University of Wisconsin’s library was officially renamed the Golda Meir Library in 1979.
Survivors of the USS Liberty attack, their families and the families of those killed gathered in Washington, D.C. last week to demand a fair congressional inquiry, a plea which presumably fell on deaf ears.
While those family members seek justice, a small city in Wisconsin seeks to commemorate Liberty’s name and conscientious members of the American public seek the truth, their killers are still being called “God’s Chosen People.”
While I take time to honor those sailors who lost their lives over 40 years ago, some wannabe nationalist in New Madison claims I have “cheapened the sacrifice” of U.S. troops. While I speak out against an Israeli-driven U.S. policy and our appeasement of the Jewish State which has cost thousands of U.S. lives, I am being compared to Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. (Contrary to what some believe, I actually don’t mind the comparison. It merely reflects the intellect of the one doing the comparing.)
While I continue to speak out against the second-most powerful lobby in America–one that promotes the interests of a foreign government at the expense of U.S. resources, both material and human–the “real” patriots are pledging allegiance to Zionism. Indeed, Mr. Brown, you’re a regular Audie Murphy–although I doubt you know who he was.
Patriotism, for those who may be confusing the term with blind nationalism, means honoring your war dead and seeking justice for their families even if it means “embarrassing an ally.” It also means pursuing policies beneficial to one’s country, free from the yoke of foreign domination.
jeudi 7 juin 2007
For Taha
Recent events have forced one particular travel memory to the forefront of my thoughts. I see his doomed eyes glaring at me, haunting me.
He was someone that no one should have to see, yet everyone should have to see him. Everyone who said to heck with a cease fire in the Middle East; Israel has to defend itself. Everyone who blindly supports our war on Iraq. Everyone who thinks they know the meaning of sacrifice.
Everyone who isn’t aware there are some things worse than death.
It was my second trip to the Middle East in less than five months. I went to Jordan Hospital to visit wounded Palestinians; victims in the latest round of Israeli attacks. The lucky ones had made it to Amman for more advanced treatment. The young men in the first floor room were recovering.
All were cheered by a visit from a foreigner and a few were even able to talk and joke a little. One of them, upon learning I was American, feigned shock and attempted to hide an 8X10 of Saddam Hussein on the wall. It was one of several photos of the since ousted Iraqi President. I discovered why he was so popular among the injured: he was paying for their medical treatment. I attempted to visit the Palestinian ward again after the fall of Baghdad in 2003, but everyone was gone. They had been sent packing, no matter what their condition. Just one of the little-known consequences of regime change.
After chatting with the patients several more minutes, they suggested I go see Taha Abu Snineneh. I felt a wave of dread and my hands were suddenly cold. I had heard about Taha, the mortally wounded man that was alive only because of the myriad machines he was hooked to. I stalled for awhile, then acquiesced. It was the least I could do for him, pay him a visit.
I am not a poet, but composed the following almost immediately after leaving Taha’s room. It was the only way I could process the trauma.
Breathe In
Barely hearing my own footsteps in the silent hall
Breathe Out
Barely smelling ruined flesh in the sterile pall
Breathe In
Barely seeing doctors pass in their endless rush
Breathe Out
Barely feeling my own body in this deathly hush
Breathe In
Just a few more steps my God, it seems so long
Breathe Out
Just a few more minutes pray God will keep me strong
Breathe In
You musn't see the tears of pity or anger in my eyes
Breathe Out
Though only the machines now express your silent cries
Breathe In
Your broken, crumpled body lies still as I draw near
Breathe Out
Just your eyes move slowly to see who has come here
Breathe In
Struggling to form a word the only sound is silence
Breathe Out
You bravely fought for life and land but only met with violence
Breathe In
And only man's machines and tubes now fill your lungs with air
Breathe Out
Powerless to offer comfort all I do is stare
Breathe In
I do not speak your language and I put you in this cell
Breathe Out
Bought the missles and the fire that made this living hell
Breathe In
I wonder if you hate me seeing torment in your eyes
Breathe Out
I wonder if you know I too am paralyzed
Breathe In
You know I am American but I am not to blame
Breathe Out
I tell you with my quiet eyes that we are just the same
Breathe In
And so I bend and gently kiss your pale and lifeless hand
Breathe Out
Then turn and curse the cowards who stole much more than your land.
Taha Abu Snineneh died three days later.
He was someone that no one should have to see, yet everyone should have to see him. Everyone who said to heck with a cease fire in the Middle East; Israel has to defend itself. Everyone who blindly supports our war on Iraq. Everyone who thinks they know the meaning of sacrifice.
Everyone who isn’t aware there are some things worse than death.
It was my second trip to the Middle East in less than five months. I went to Jordan Hospital to visit wounded Palestinians; victims in the latest round of Israeli attacks. The lucky ones had made it to Amman for more advanced treatment. The young men in the first floor room were recovering.
All were cheered by a visit from a foreigner and a few were even able to talk and joke a little. One of them, upon learning I was American, feigned shock and attempted to hide an 8X10 of Saddam Hussein on the wall. It was one of several photos of the since ousted Iraqi President. I discovered why he was so popular among the injured: he was paying for their medical treatment. I attempted to visit the Palestinian ward again after the fall of Baghdad in 2003, but everyone was gone. They had been sent packing, no matter what their condition. Just one of the little-known consequences of regime change.
After chatting with the patients several more minutes, they suggested I go see Taha Abu Snineneh. I felt a wave of dread and my hands were suddenly cold. I had heard about Taha, the mortally wounded man that was alive only because of the myriad machines he was hooked to. I stalled for awhile, then acquiesced. It was the least I could do for him, pay him a visit.
I am not a poet, but composed the following almost immediately after leaving Taha’s room. It was the only way I could process the trauma.
Breathe In
Barely hearing my own footsteps in the silent hall
Breathe Out
Barely smelling ruined flesh in the sterile pall
Breathe In
Barely seeing doctors pass in their endless rush
Breathe Out
Barely feeling my own body in this deathly hush
Breathe In
Just a few more steps my God, it seems so long
Breathe Out
Just a few more minutes pray God will keep me strong
Breathe In
You musn't see the tears of pity or anger in my eyes
Breathe Out
Though only the machines now express your silent cries
Breathe In
Your broken, crumpled body lies still as I draw near
Breathe Out
Just your eyes move slowly to see who has come here
Breathe In
Struggling to form a word the only sound is silence
Breathe Out
You bravely fought for life and land but only met with violence
Breathe In
And only man's machines and tubes now fill your lungs with air
Breathe Out
Powerless to offer comfort all I do is stare
Breathe In
I do not speak your language and I put you in this cell
Breathe Out
Bought the missles and the fire that made this living hell
Breathe In
I wonder if you hate me seeing torment in your eyes
Breathe Out
I wonder if you know I too am paralyzed
Breathe In
You know I am American but I am not to blame
Breathe Out
I tell you with my quiet eyes that we are just the same
Breathe In
And so I bend and gently kiss your pale and lifeless hand
Breathe Out
Then turn and curse the cowards who stole much more than your land.
Taha Abu Snineneh died three days later.
False Prophets and the Deception of Many
"Prophecy Conference Offered At Sugar Grove Bible Church," the headline jumped at me. Curiosity piqued, I drove to Tipp City just to see what all the fuss was about.
I walked in, was greeted with a handshake and handed a bulletin outlining the evening’s program. I looked at it and thought there must be some mistake. The graphic on the front depicted a large Star of David set against a scroll. I glanced around, thinking I had gone to a synagogue by mistake.
No, there was a large cross behind a pulpit and the altar in front bearing the words "This Do In Remembrance of Me." No wait. Upon the altar set a menorah complete with blue candles and an Israeli flag. The irony was astounding: an Israeli flag placed where the body and blood of Christ are offered at communion.
Before the presentation began, four ushers passed collection plates among the crowd of about 60 people. The congregation responded as if it was a traditional offering; digging in wallets, forking over money.
"None of this money will stay with Sugar Grove; all of it will go to the Friends of Israel Ministries," a man reassured the crowd.
Well, that was a relief. I wouldn’t want to see any of their money go to the sick and needy right here in our community.
Dr. David Levy was the guest speaker and his first topic was entitled "The Islamic Invasion of Israel." He started out by comparing the spread of Islam to a cancer, then outlined the Muslim "agenda."
"If Islam gets a foothold here in America, they will claim this land in the name of Allah and start killing non-believers," he stated.
As murmurs and whispers of fear rippled throughout the congregation, I had to wonder who really had the agenda. Someone daring to speak in the name of Christ about another people as a "cancer" is bad enough. Inducing panic by depicting Muslims as people who would kill Christians, Jews and other "infidels" at a moment’s notice is pure hate speech.
Of course the Zionist Christian agenda is no secret. A recent Zogby poll indicates 31% of registered voters adhere to the belief that all Jews must return to what is now called Israel before Jesus Christ can return. It was difficult to discern whether Dr. Levy actually believed this. Most likely, the lecture circuit guys are merely Israeli sympathizers utilizing scare tactics
to manipulate Christian beliefs. It was obviously working here.
Dr. Levy portrays the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as purely religious. Historical and political aspects, including the insertion of a foreign population on Arab land, are ignored. The plight of Palestinian Christians is never mentioned in his black-and-white, good-versus-evil fantasy where God is on Israel’s side and everyone else ends up as vulture feed.
To exacerbate this fallacy, Dr. Levy kept referring to "Allah" as if He were some sort of pagan moon god. The word "Allah" is simply Arabic for "God." Christian Arabs say "Allah." It is like saying Spanish-speakers do not worship the same God because they call him "Dios."
The presentation became more incoherent as it dragged on. I learned that Israel is at the crossroads of three continents. I guess Dr. Levy forgot about the large land mass comprising
Turkey and Syria between present-day Israel and Europe.
The implications of the statement, however, are sinister. Zionists not only desire all Jews go to Israel; they believe in a concept called "Greater Israel" (Eretz Yisrael) which ascribes Old Testament boundaries to modern-day nations. By this ancient biblical land grant, they believe that not only all of Palestine, but parts of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan belong to a Jewish state as well.
Dr. Levy continued, stating the Iraq War is a waste of time because Islam can never coexist with democracy. I suppose when the Palestinians went to the polls, their democratic process didn’t count. Electing Hamas candidates didn’t meet with Western approval. I just wonder how Dr. Levy would explain away Malaysia, a parliamentary democracy whose state religion is Islam?
Also fascinating is Zionist Christians’ contempt for the United Nations. They are irate that a U.N. peacekeeping force will be deployed in Southern Lebanon.
"U.N. stands for United Nothing," Levy quipped. Laughter erupted, ironic because without the so-called "United Nothing," their sacred cow wouldn’t exist.
The presentation was finally over. I stopped by the literature table on my way out, knowing I could not stomach another session before question-and-answer time began. I picked up a magazine entitled "Israel, My Glory." Its cover depicted a graphic photo of an Israeli soldier recovering the bloody corpse of an adult male, his eyes glazed over. "Restraint?" was the glaring headline.
Arabs and Muslims have long been accused of using images of bodies and mortally wounded children as "propaganda." Al-Jazeera, the 24-hour Arabic news channel is "inflammatory" when reporting civilian casualties in Palestine and Iraq.
Yet, littering a pseudo-Christian magazine with pictures of dead Israelis to justify a brutal attack on the Lebanese people, infrastructure, economic and educational institutions is somehow acceptable.
Zionist Christians play loosely with scripture, cherry-picking verses and applying them in a literal context to support their diabolical rhetoric against Arab and Muslim peoples. One biblical prophecy, however, is very clear: "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:11)
That much was being fulfilled before my very eyes.
I walked in, was greeted with a handshake and handed a bulletin outlining the evening’s program. I looked at it and thought there must be some mistake. The graphic on the front depicted a large Star of David set against a scroll. I glanced around, thinking I had gone to a synagogue by mistake.
No, there was a large cross behind a pulpit and the altar in front bearing the words "This Do In Remembrance of Me." No wait. Upon the altar set a menorah complete with blue candles and an Israeli flag. The irony was astounding: an Israeli flag placed where the body and blood of Christ are offered at communion.
Before the presentation began, four ushers passed collection plates among the crowd of about 60 people. The congregation responded as if it was a traditional offering; digging in wallets, forking over money.
"None of this money will stay with Sugar Grove; all of it will go to the Friends of Israel Ministries," a man reassured the crowd.
Well, that was a relief. I wouldn’t want to see any of their money go to the sick and needy right here in our community.
Dr. David Levy was the guest speaker and his first topic was entitled "The Islamic Invasion of Israel." He started out by comparing the spread of Islam to a cancer, then outlined the Muslim "agenda."
"If Islam gets a foothold here in America, they will claim this land in the name of Allah and start killing non-believers," he stated.
As murmurs and whispers of fear rippled throughout the congregation, I had to wonder who really had the agenda. Someone daring to speak in the name of Christ about another people as a "cancer" is bad enough. Inducing panic by depicting Muslims as people who would kill Christians, Jews and other "infidels" at a moment’s notice is pure hate speech.
Of course the Zionist Christian agenda is no secret. A recent Zogby poll indicates 31% of registered voters adhere to the belief that all Jews must return to what is now called Israel before Jesus Christ can return. It was difficult to discern whether Dr. Levy actually believed this. Most likely, the lecture circuit guys are merely Israeli sympathizers utilizing scare tactics
to manipulate Christian beliefs. It was obviously working here.
Dr. Levy portrays the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as purely religious. Historical and political aspects, including the insertion of a foreign population on Arab land, are ignored. The plight of Palestinian Christians is never mentioned in his black-and-white, good-versus-evil fantasy where God is on Israel’s side and everyone else ends up as vulture feed.
To exacerbate this fallacy, Dr. Levy kept referring to "Allah" as if He were some sort of pagan moon god. The word "Allah" is simply Arabic for "God." Christian Arabs say "Allah." It is like saying Spanish-speakers do not worship the same God because they call him "Dios."
The presentation became more incoherent as it dragged on. I learned that Israel is at the crossroads of three continents. I guess Dr. Levy forgot about the large land mass comprising
Turkey and Syria between present-day Israel and Europe.
The implications of the statement, however, are sinister. Zionists not only desire all Jews go to Israel; they believe in a concept called "Greater Israel" (Eretz Yisrael) which ascribes Old Testament boundaries to modern-day nations. By this ancient biblical land grant, they believe that not only all of Palestine, but parts of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan belong to a Jewish state as well.
Dr. Levy continued, stating the Iraq War is a waste of time because Islam can never coexist with democracy. I suppose when the Palestinians went to the polls, their democratic process didn’t count. Electing Hamas candidates didn’t meet with Western approval. I just wonder how Dr. Levy would explain away Malaysia, a parliamentary democracy whose state religion is Islam?
Also fascinating is Zionist Christians’ contempt for the United Nations. They are irate that a U.N. peacekeeping force will be deployed in Southern Lebanon.
"U.N. stands for United Nothing," Levy quipped. Laughter erupted, ironic because without the so-called "United Nothing," their sacred cow wouldn’t exist.
The presentation was finally over. I stopped by the literature table on my way out, knowing I could not stomach another session before question-and-answer time began. I picked up a magazine entitled "Israel, My Glory." Its cover depicted a graphic photo of an Israeli soldier recovering the bloody corpse of an adult male, his eyes glazed over. "Restraint?" was the glaring headline.
Arabs and Muslims have long been accused of using images of bodies and mortally wounded children as "propaganda." Al-Jazeera, the 24-hour Arabic news channel is "inflammatory" when reporting civilian casualties in Palestine and Iraq.
Yet, littering a pseudo-Christian magazine with pictures of dead Israelis to justify a brutal attack on the Lebanese people, infrastructure, economic and educational institutions is somehow acceptable.
Zionist Christians play loosely with scripture, cherry-picking verses and applying them in a literal context to support their diabolical rhetoric against Arab and Muslim peoples. One biblical prophecy, however, is very clear: "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:11)
That much was being fulfilled before my very eyes.
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