There is only one conclusion, and Moshe Dayan already said it in his eulogy over the grave of Roi Rutenberg, who was murdered by Arabs from Gaza in the 1950s: “This is our life’s choice: to be prepared and armed, strong and determined, lest the sword slip from our hand and our lives be cut down.”
From a column by Ze’ev Schiff in Ha’aretz. Ha’aretz is left of center in Israel, but everyone is beginning to understand that for the forseeable future there will be no peace for Israel.
On Monday, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of Military Intelligence’s Research Division, told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hizbullah has ‘returned to its pre-war capabilities and has even become stronger.’
‘Hizbullah is building up more firepower than it had before the war,’ Baidatz said. ‘Some of this ordnance has arrived, and some is still en route from Syria.’
Baidatz was asked more than once by committee members if he meant that Hizbullah now had more firepower than before the war, and he responded in the affirmative until Defense Minister Amir Peretz interrupted.
‘Hizbullah has not increased its strength but merely its potential,’ said Peretz.
Baidatz then retracted his previous statement and told MKs that he agreed with Peretz.
Meanwhile, Baidatz told committee members that Syria was preparing its military for a confrontation with Israel. — Jerusalem Post [my emphasis — ed.]
Leaving aside the complete absurdity of Peretz’ statement (how do you increase “potential strength”? — if you increase military capabilities, isn’t that the same as increasing strength?), one has to be impressed with his ability to bend minds.
Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don’t need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don’t need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along… move along. — Star Wars (1977)
Randy Ingram, the teacher who had been accused by the local Islamic Cultural Center of making ‘hateful’ comments about Iranians is back in class, according to the Fresno Bee (my previous posts on this subject can be found here and here).
The incident has been ‘investigated’, but a spokesperson for the school district has refused to discuss the results of the investigation.
Technorati Tags: Clovis, Fresno, Randy Ingram, islamophobia
By Vic Rosenthal
The UN’s “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967”, John Dugard, has produced a report which claims that Israel’s actions are forms of colonialism and apartheid.
The UN security council had given Iran 60 days to suspend enrichment of uranium; the deadline was today.
