Time to Come Together

Between Putin hosting the first G-8 Summit in Russia, the EU pressing Iran for a decision on (its) nuclear intentions, China pushing North Korea to return to Six Party talks and Israel fighting to recover its captured soldiers, Ameinu members might have been legitimately distracted as their President, KenBob debated the very raison d'etre for his organization’s existence with a heretofore unfamiliar provocateur, known only as the RavDav.
Throughout the past week, as the Crisis in Gaza grew over Cpl. Gilad’s kidnapping, these two philosophical polar opposites have debated the value of negotiations with Hamas. You can read the entire exchange in the Archives of Perspectives (7/5/06), Inseparable Events in Israel and comments.
Like watching two heavyweight champions going for the Gold, it becomes obvious to all but KenBob himself, that this is no simple 15 round bout, but rather a fight for survival of all he holds dear. Is Bob’s long-standing commitment to ‘being nice’ so ingrained in his very soul that he’d continue to push for Peace long after having been shown that there is no Partner for Peace to negotiate with? Has KenBob finally been confronted with the fact that his Progressive, Liberal values would actually now bring harm to Israel were they to be employed with the Terrorists in Gaza? Not only did the RavDav answer every charge and counter every rhetorical-punch KenBob was able to muster, but when he looked up from the mat all Bob could see was Labor’s own Minister of Defense, Amir Peretz vowing not to negotiate with violent Palestinians and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declaring ‘War’.
Has this debate come to and end? Is KenBob’s silence to be taken as his ‘swansong’? Have his core values been so shaken that he’s now ready to stand up to Israel’s enemies, to call a spade a spade and stop believing in the Easter Bunny? Perhaps this is KenBob’s ‘Come to Jesus’ moment – or ‘Yeah-shoe’ as we Jews are apt to pronounce the name. Whatever one might call it, it’s long overdue!
As President of Ameinu, you all know KenBob. You know he’s a smart as a whip, sharp as a tack and was an ardent Zionist by the time he was Bar Mitzvah. If the man at the top of your organization has come to realize that advocating for peace with the currently, elected Palestinian government is indefensible, then intellectual honestly would demand that you, as members of Ameinu, have little choice but to follow suit.
Kol Yisrael, all Jews everywhere are headed for some tough days ahead. As the IDF presses the Terrorists from Gaza to the Golan and from Bethlehem to Beirut, critics from the UN to CNN will attack Israel and extol its sworn enemies. Now is the time for all of us to come together and stand shoulder to shoulder behind Olmert and his cabinet.
May G-d’s blessings be upon y’all,
RavDav

RavDav vs. KenBob

KenBob, President of Ameinu, the liberal, progressive organization says that, the
RavDav is missing the subtlety of what is going on behind the scenes. While Olmert states categorically that there will not be a "straight up" prisoner exchange for Gilad, the negotiations taking place through third parties are all about the timing and the overall package deal. How much time must elapse from the release of Gilad and the release of selected prisoners? Are the Qassam attacks and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza part of the deal? Such matters aren't as simple as RavDav would like to them to be and painting me with "trusting in the words of terrorists" is just a cheap trick. I certainly can't guarantee that the negotiations will succeed but unlike RavDav, I think they are worth pursuing.

To which, the RavDav replies, As reported in the Jerusalem Post, Prime Minister Olmert told the cabinet that last month he had considered a prisoner release as a confidence-building gesture before he was to hold a long-awaited meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. However, before the meeting came to pass, Shalit was kidnapped, and the initiative was withdrawn.
That prisoner release would have helped the "moderates," Olmert said. According to a participant in the meeting, he then banged on the table and said the ministers had to realize that "releasing Palestinian prisoners to Hamas would be the end of the moderates. It would send a signal to all the international players that Israel only knows how to talk after a kidnapping, and only with the extremists, not the moderates."
And what could be more ‘subtle’ than ‘banging one’s fist on the table’, shelling Qassam Rocket sites with hundreds of shells and shooting Hellfire missiles up the tailpipes of Palestinian Terrorists?
The only ‘cheap trick’ going on here is the one KenBob would perpetrate on the Israeli people by trusting in the words of Hamasnicks. If only the esteemed leader of Ameinu would scrutinize the words of Gilad’s kidnappers, as much as he does the lowly little RavDav, his organization might just be taken seriously.
Memo to KenBob: The only thing worth pursuing is victory. It’s the only thing the enemy understands and you can be sure they intend to win or die trying. Is that ‘simple’ enough for you?

Elvis Envy

At a recent Press briefing, Tony Snow was asked why he thought, North Korea chose July 4th, at the very same moment NASA launched space shuttle Discovery, to launch seven missiles of its own, into the Sea of Japan? Did (he) think that with all the recent attention paid to Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons, the North Koreans wanted the world’s spotlight to again shine their way? With President Bush, fresh off his visit to Graceland with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Snow responded that the coincidence of launching on our Independence Day might have been intentional but he believed that there was no connection to the Shuttle lift off.
North Korea’s Dictator; Kim Jong Il; well-known for his giant glasses, playboy lifestyle and big, bouffant hair believes himself to be ‘the God-King’ and God’s gift to women everywhere. In effect - Elvis incarnate. Imagine Kim’s dismay when his nemesis from across the sea, Koizumi, was seen around the world, playing his air-guitar with Pricilla and Lisa Marie Presley, live in Memphis.
Personally, I believe that a severe case of ‘Elvis-envy’ pushed the little pot-bellied, dog-eating dictator to launch against Japan and Hawaii (site of numerous Elvis movies).
In the aftermath of this diplomatic faux pas, there are only three possible solutions; UN sanctions, Military action or President Bush could extend a similar invitation to Kim Jong Il to be his guest at Graceland as well. And just to make sure Kim doesn’t get to feeling like ‘sloppy-seconds’, the prez should take him to Disney World as well. After (he) gets a look at the night time spectacular pyrotechnics, narrated by Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy, Kim will realize his nukes and rockets are no match and will beg for peace and a little rendezvous with the Blue Fairy at Cinderella’s Castle.

Truth, Justice and The way of the World

In the 50s, when I watched George Reeves fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way - this Country was the ONLY outpost of Liberty and Democracy on the planet. Today, a new Democracy emerges onto the world scene every year or so offering millions the hope of Truth and Justice taking hold in lands once ruled by Nazism, Communism, Baathism or Islamo-fascism. Just as President Bush says in speech after speech, "Freedom is G-d's gift to Mankind", now may be the right time to replace the words 'American way' with 'The way of the World'.
Yeah, I agree that Hollywood inserting 'all that Stuff' was intended to disparage our Freedom, but even Hollywood's 'super' effort can't stop the march of Democracy. Fifty years later, Superman's territory is being expanded. As far as I'm concerned, the more people around the World who root for Superman, the fewer that are rooting for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

Trust & Verify

Ken Bob, President of the liberal organization, Ameinu, suggests an overall agreement that would include a release of Cpl. Gilad Shavit and a halt to the Qassam attacks by the Palestinians and an Israeli release of prisoners and a departure from Gaza. This course of action would follow in the great tradition of trusting Kim Jong Il to not enrich Uranium in exchange for two light-water reactors - Oops, believing Arafat was negotiating the Oslo Accords in good faith - Bzzz, or Neville Chamberlian accepting promises made by Hitler - game over! When will he ever learn? When will he ever - learn? After a week of IDF action in Gaza, KenBob continues to believe that in a prisoner exchange for the release of Gilad, Hamas would “seriously decrease” their Qassam rockets attacks. Such a statement, by the President of Ameinu, implies an enormous level of trust in the words of terrorists. Coincidently, a statement released by Israel’s Prime Minister's Office refuted remarks made Friday by Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter remarks that Israel would not rule out the possibility of releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Gilad Shalit and for the cessation of Kassam rocket attacks against Israeli targets. “The prime minister's position is unchanged," the statement read. "Dichter was not speaking for us, and his remarks do not reflect the government's position." Meanwhile, Hamas on Friday rejected Dichter's (unauthorized) statement saying that Israel would release Palestinians prisoners in exchange for the kidnapped soldier, asserting that "our people don't have any faith in Israeli good-will gestures.'"
Great – the kidnappers don’t trust Israel, but KenBob is ready to give them the keys to the city. “They can't hide they’re lyin' eyes, And their smile is a thin disguise, I thought by now you'd realize, There ain't no way to hide their lyin eyes.”
Today’s lesson in naiveté, was brought to you by the Easter Bunny.