Tag Archives: United States

Is it important to watch the footage of the October 7 torture and brutality?

The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. Visuals are important. They provide confirmation and proof. Maybe most importantly, they alter perspective. What it comes down to is that watching the footage makes a difference for some, but not for others.

When the war broke out, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken very professionally and very clearly expressed America’s support for Israel. But later, after he watched a screening of the torture and murder committed by Hamas he looked like a different person. His words of support did not diminish, if anything they got stronger, but the look on his face and in his eyes was that of a man who saw something that would haunt him for the rest of their life. Martha Maccallum of Fox News, someone who always comes across as a sympathetic figure, was so emotional after a viewing of the events that she appeared to have to control herself from breaking down, and has seemed somewhat on an emotional edge ever since. This tells you that whether you support the administration or not, and whether you like Fox News or not, these 2 people, representatives of both, are both human beings with a heart. As one is a journalist and the other America’s Secretary of State, it is probably helpful that they watched the film, but when push comes to shove, these are not the people who need to see it the most.

The people who need to see it the most are the protestors, many who think they know the facts but in reality have no clue. People who scream genocide when it does not apply and regurgitate the crap that Hamas are resistance fighter. Youth who think they are protesting for a good cause when they shout “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea” should see the worst of the worst. If it makes them sick, all the better. Then there are the Susan Sarandons and Angelina Jolies of the world who cry foul because Israel has the gall to defend itself, and speak as though they are diplomats working for the Palestinians against the Jews. I want them to watch every minute of footage of the barbaric torture and murder committed by the animals of Hamas that they hold so dear. Then there is Bernie Sanders, the Jewish traitor, who not only needs to watch it, he needs to watch it on a loop, over and over again. If he has any heart at all, he should watch it till he gets so ill he needs to be hospitalized, and while in the hospital he should stop and think about his responsibility to not betray his people and turn a blind eye to their suffering over decades, even centuries.

Those who do not need to watch it are those of us who feel the devastation whether we watch it or not. I still consider watching every minute of footage so that I can speak from complete knowledge about what took place, but then I ask myself this question. Why is it not bad enough for people to know that Jews were tortured, and that over 1200 were murdered in the year 2023? Why will it only be bad if they can see the gruesome details? As my friend Rabbi Amiel Novoseller said regarding this subject, “I don’t need to watch it. All I need to do zecher Amalek”. “Zecher Amalek, Hebrew for “remember Amalek” references the Amalekites, descendants of Isaac’s son Esau in the bible, who were the original haters of the Israelites and were known for brutalizing and murdering Jewish men, women and children indiscriminately and mercilessly. Rabbi Novoseller goes on to explain that in remembering Amalek, he knows all he needs to know about those looking to destroy the Jewish people today and what they are capable of doing in pursuit of that goal.

It’s a sad state of affairs when you need to make a case why murdering over 1200 Jews was a heinous criminal activity, but in this world lacking in moral clarity and empowered by misery, it is indeed the case. The fight is one that needs to be fought, and whether we make sense of it or not, we need to confront it head on, or the cancer causing it will grow out of control, and that is something we can not allow to happen.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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Argentina’s new President, the Rebbe, and the core of Antisemitism

The hatred displayed towards the Jewish people over the centuries is one of the most fascinating phenomena in world history. While I make no claims that we are by any means perfect, nothing that has ever been done to us has ever shown anything resembling proportionately. Yet as fascinating as it is, enough to demand further discussion, what it is as well is highly consequential. Societies have self-destructed around their hatred for the Jewish people, and while every empire that either expelled us, killed us, or both, no longer exists, the Jewish people remain. Which lends itself to the most important question of all. Why, with the history being as it is, do people not learn from the mistakes of so many others? Why do they not realize that no matter what they do, no matter how much they hurt us or diminish our number, we will endure, and that those who do not learn will ultimately vanish into obscurity with nothing more than a legacy of greed, hatred and murder?

I found myself inspired to write this after learning more about the newly elected president of Argentina, Javier Milei. I don’t know enough about the man to give a credible opinion, but I do know that he has ascended to power against incredible odds, he is unconventional, and without question, at least as things stand today, very polarizing. However, he won, and maybe part of the force behind his victory comes from understanding the Jewish people and their importance on this earth. An understanding that inevitably leads to a value system that is more productive than destructive. He has declared his intention to be an ally of the United States and Israel, has stated that he will move the Argentine Embassy from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, and as you will see in the video below, recognizes a force that exists within Judaism.

There are those who will take issue with the inference that their is something magical or mystical about Judaism and the Jewish people. They will say that to even imply something along those lines is an irrational, even crazy way of thinking. But let’s look at the reality. There are 16.5 million Jews in the world and 1 Jewish country. There are 1.9 billion Muslims in the world and between 30-40 Muslim countries. If you believe that thinking the fact that people see the Jews as the oppressor or the threat is not coming from something deeper, I contend that your thinking is irrational or crazy, because nothing about it makes sense. To be frank, nothing about it has ever made sense.

As one stands on our planet, they look up at what first looks like a relatively small orange ball in the sky, the sun, and that orange ball illuminates the earth. You could have a storm for days, clouds maybe even for weeks, but the sun always provides light, and when unobstructed gives off a radiant glow. If trees are burnt to the ground or bombs are dropped, eventually the smoke clears and the sun is there to give us light. The Jewish people are like the sun. We are the light of the earth, and just like the sun we only appear to some to be small. The closer you get to us, the larger we become. Those that bask in the sunlight grow and endure, and those that seek the darkness indeed find that as well, but if they are there for too long, they get mired in anger and despair. Ultimately, since they can not leave the darkness, they have nothing left but to hate the source of the light. Antisemitism is that darkness, and the Jewish people are the light. That is why so much of antisemitism over the centuries has been based in a struggle for which people have decided to hold Jews accountable. That is why every Jew hater on the planet likely has one other thing in common. They are not happy people. And that is why more often than not, Jews who push themselves away from their roots, usually deal with significant other struggles as well. It is not about religious observance, it is about understanding that you are part of something monumentally important.

There are those who will read this and hate me just for the fact that I am talking about what I am and who I come from as being something special. Who I am falls on me, and the constant effort to eliminate my flaws and get better are a lifelong challenge. But yes, what I am and where I come from is indeed very very special, and from that I will never back down nor apologize. Deep down those that hate us, do so because they know it to be true, and instead of sharing in the light we so enthusiastically want to offer, they will likely choose to support a cause that will attempt to extinguish that light. Like so many before them, they will fail, and they will be the ones who will disappear forever.

Am Yisrael Chai

Never Again is Now!

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Beware the Fifth Column

Make no mistake. This is a war not only against the Jewish people, it is a war against everything the western world, and particularly the United States, stands for. And unlike the efforts being made on our side to make it a cleaner, more humane war, the other side always has, and will always continue to fight dirty. While I have never been a soldier in combat, I do know that war is not a game. When it comes to war, the saying, it’s not if you win or lose that matters it’s how you play the game, does not apply. The objective of war, what bring you to that place when it becomes a necessity, should be the fact that winning is not only crucial, it is often a matter of survival. This means that having those concerns and alarms that would constitute paranoia in peacetime, in times of war are not only useful, they may be the difference between life and death. One such concern is that of the Fifth Column.

A Fifth Column is defined in Meriam-Webster dictionary as “a group of secret sympathizers or supporters of an enemy that engage in espionage or sabotage within defense lines or national borders.” In 1940, as full scale war broke out in Europe, President Franklin Roosevelt said the following in an address to the nation regarding the fifth column.

The methods of these “spies and saboteurs” was “to create confusion of counsel, public indecision, political paralysis and, eventually, a state of panic…. The unity of the State can be sapped so that its strength is destroyed.”

Identifying a dissenter or antagonist is much easier. Rashida Tlaib who spews hatred and vitriol towards Israel and the Jewish people, not only remains a member of Congress, she still receives classified briefings on Israel. While the danger someone such as Tlaib or an Ilhan Omar represents to ideology and the fabric of society is obvious, those that appear friendly, but work on behalf of the enemy are an even bigger enemy. To name anyone without proof would be reckless and irresponsible. To be tainted by prejudice towards even the most likely group of potential agitators may very well blind you from seeing the enemy in front of you. And while I have my suspicions, without facts to back them up, they are merely words. Words that will help no one and do nothing to make us safer.

So then what can we do to combat this potentially very dangerous element within the enemy’s army? It starts by changing your perspective. Putting woke ideology and progressive policy over the safety of your family and country is not only a mistake, its unethical. However, profiling when it comes to a danger as devious as the fifth column may cause you to look past the real danger. The bottom line is that unless you approach everything with an open mind, you are liable to miss what may be right in front of you. And even then the chances of missing it are far better than we would like them to be.

Ultimately, it is my contention that the best approach we can take as individuals is to listen to Maya Angelou’s famous quote that reads, “when people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

We do not have the luxury to see things as we want them to be, we must see them as they are, and to ignore the likelihood of an enemy within, leads us down a very dangerous path. We are at war, and the enemy will do anything to be victorious. We must never forget this, lest we make their goal easier. This is not a game. It does matter whether we win or lose, because losing is not an option. It is a war we must win.

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The life, times, and dreams of a World Cup fan

Let me tell you about the life of a World Cup fan. 30 hours from the time I finish writing this I will either be happy, ecstatic, or miserable. The World Cup has captured the attention of people everywhere. While countries with teams in the tournament have the most at stake when following the results, there are those among us with split loyalties. It so happens that I am one of those people, as my loyalties coming in were not only split, they were split 3 ways.

In a tournament that is played every day, situations with various teams are always changing. If I had written this 7 days ago, all my favorite countries would still be playing. 30 hours from now, all three may have been eliminated. Be that as it may, I am going to share which teams I support, and why, as well as tell you what would be not only my dream final-if it is even possible in the brackets-and why I rank my teams as I do.

I was born in the United States to Dutch parents. My first soccer memory, while faint, is of Holland losing in the final of the World Cup to Germany in 1974 by a score of 2-1. When I was 14 I started 4 years of High School in London. I was once married to an Argentinian, and Argentina was the second team to beat Holland in a World Cup final in 1978, in a game I felt Argentina manipulated unfairly. While some people think my desire to beat the Argentinians is connected to having an ex wife from there, that is not the case. It doesn’t help their cause, but it is more about 1978. If you want to know more about that game I suggest that you go on You Tube.

While I was berated by some, lovingly of course, for wanting the Netherlands to defeat the U.S. last week, Holland is my number one team. It’s not about loyalty or patriotism, it’s about emotional investment. However, I do admit that if the U.S. had won, while I would not have been as happy as I am, I would still have been happy. And last weeks victory for Holland set up what will be a very intense, potentially remarkable next 30 hours. In one hour Holland will play Argentina in the quarterfinal, 24 hours before England will play France. What makes this next day or so potentially even more speoial, is that should Holland and England win, and then go one to win one more game each, they would face each other in the World Cup final, an event that would be my personal ultimate in sports joy.

There is one final twist to all of this wonderful drama. My father, who passed away 15 1/2 years ago at the age of 87, was an enormous fan. Back in the day when it was not easy to call overseas, if you would call my father in the middle of a game he would immediately say, “Call me back. I am watching football”. Naturally, as a man born and raised in Holland, his favorite team was the Dutch national team. Because of the fact that this World Cup is being played in Qatar, for the first time ever the final is not taking place in the summer. If Holland is to win their first ever World Cup, it will happen on December 18th. A day that also happens to have been my father’s birthday.

The stars are all aligned for the perfect ending. Of course 3 1/2 hours from now that dream might be over, but whatever happens, the great thing about sports is that it is wonderful to dream.

Hup Holland! (You understand that if you are Dutch or a fan).

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Never Defend the Indefensible

World Leaders Gather In New York For Annual United Nations General Assembly

I have spent the past year, over the course of the US Presidential election cycle speaking out against the concept of what many might call the concept of defending the indefensible.  I take pride in being anything but a hypocrite.  So much so that I sometimes have views that are not in line with where I appear to stand politically. Therefore I can no longer keep silent regarding the current administration’s recent stance regarding Israel and the United Nations condemnation of the only true democracy in the Middle East.

This piece is not about Donald Trump, so I will only refer to him this one time, merely to make a point.  Those who have read my work over the past year or so are fully aware that I did not support him.  I found it bizarre and a bit scary when his supporters defended words and behavior many of us saw as indefensible. I can not be sure of what kind of person he actually is, but as president, to be blunt, I just don’t like him.  That being said, when I speak of dislike, my feeling towards the United Nations is on a different level.  So as I sit here and realize that my president, a man I voted for, has chosen as one of his last acts as leader of the free world to align himself with this bastion of corruption, I find myself in the position where I can not and will not defend the indefensible on a level far greater than any over the past year.

Ironically the issue, at least in my opinion, is not so much in the details.  There are many people in Israel who are opposed to the settlements.  There are also many people who believe the only real solution to the conflict is a two state solution.  But that’s not the issue. What is more significant here is the condemnation by the United Nations and the lack of loyalty and support the United States has shown to Israel in not only not obstructing this condemnation, but very possibly being a driving force behind it.  The United Nations has made a very lucrative business out of criticizing and condemning the Jewish State.  While nations have murdered and tortured their citizens, while terrorist groups have begun to form in various parts of the Middle East, and nations like Iran have called for the death and destruction of Israel and the United States, the United Nations has encouraged and arguably promoted the idea that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.  For any United States government to do anything other than oppose this, truly falls in the category of indefensible.

Just as a lie of omission is  still a lie, an abstention by the United States at a United Nations vote of this significance is the same as a show of support for the vote.  I truly believe Israel will get through this, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a clear act of disloyalty towards an important friend, and if it is personal and based on the relationship between President Obama  and Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is far worse than that. It interferes in Israeli politics in a manner not too dissimilar from a foreign government hacking America’s political parties and possibly influencing the election.  It tells the Israeli people, I don’t like the person you elected through your democratic process and subsequently as a result I am turning my back on you as I walk out the door.

This is not about being a Liberal or Conservative.  Alan Dershowitz, a man as liberal as anyone in the public forum has spoken out against this without any filter, and clearly feels the same sense of betrayal so many of us do at this time.  This is about how to treat a friend and knowing and acknowledging the difference between right and wrong.  Israel is a nation of equality.  A nation where people of all religions, races, nationalities and orientations have the opportunity to live in peace.  If an outgoing president and an international body decide to end the year attacking Israel instead of going after the real manifestations of evil in the world, this becomes nothing other than a vendetta, be it political, racial, or as many believe in this case, personal.  Regardless of the motivation it is an act that is truly indefensible.

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Petition Regarding State Department Involvement in Israel’s Political System

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This petition is a non-partisan demand to answers regarding the State Department’s involvement into internal matters of Israeli politics.  It has come to light that money has been used to fund an organization called the One Voice Movement created to oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION.

This is a serious matter that should be of concern for anyone who is Pro Israel regardless of whether they support Netanyahu or not. This information has been exposed less than 2 weeks since the Israeli Prime Minister’s message to Congress which the administration opposed because of a policy of not hosting a foreign head of state during that nation’s election process.

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The questions we want answered are as follows:

How does the State Department justify this funding in conjunction with a policy of non-involvement?

By what right does an American administration use government funding to influence the citizens of another country against its current leader?

What is the desired outcome of this attempted influence?

While the current administration appears to be bending over backwards to deal with a regime in Iran that sponsors terrorism worldwide, to learn that there was financial backing provided to support ousting Israeli’s current government is not only inconsistent with the administration’s actions, but to many of us unacceptable.

Whether we come from the United States or not, whether we are Democrat or Republican and whether we support Benjamin Netanyahu or not, for the security of Israel’s future it is more than reasonable that we expect honest and transparent answers to these questions.

Please sign this petition if you support this cause.

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Open Letter to Jimmy Carter…Actually Mr. Carter, for the record…

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Dear Mr. Carter,

I’ll get right to the point.  As you spew your disgusting commentary and once again show your anti-Semitic ways by saying that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the origins of Islamist violence, let me remind you of what is actually one of the main origins of modern-day Islamist violence.  The failed presidency of one James Earl Carter, Jr.

Back when Iran was in the midst of radical change, you did nothing. When Iran kidnapped more than 60 Americans in Tehran in 1979, you were powerless to get these hostages released.  Your failures empowered the beginning of Iran’s worldwide Islamic revolution, a revolution based in violence and terror.  To be quite frank Mr. Carter, Muslims should hate you for this as well.  You set the stage for what has been nothing short of an ongoing catastrophic disaster. While Americans languished as hostages for 14 months, all you offered were reasons and excuses for why you did nothing.  You failed the hostages, you failed your country, and you failed the world. Instead of owning up to your failings back then, you have chosen to once again fail everything that is sacred.  Most of all the truth.  I guess you feel that you would rather align yourself with terrorists today than admit to the world that you emboldened them.

It is rare that I am this disturbed when I write one of my Open Letters, and once again it is my respect for the United States, its government, and the office of the President that tempers my verbal attack on you, but make no mistake.  It is not based on any respect I have for you, for I have none.  Rumor has it that you are an intelligent man, so I can only assume your words come from cowardice and bigotry.  Either way they are words many consider to be disgraceful coming from a former American president.  You were an embarrassment to the office then, and you continue to be one today.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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A Holocaust Survivor’s view on the relationship between US and Cuba

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I have the wonderful blessing of hearing my mother’s views on world affairs, and whether I agree with all her sentiments or not, the one thing that is certain, is that I always learn something.  My mother has asked me to put into writing her opinion on the recent events regarding the relationship between the United States and Cuba.

The phrase she uttered 3 times in the discussion was, “Hate for the sake of Hate”.  She drew the comparison to the nation of Germany. Germany, the country responsible for the murder of 6 millions Jews and the evil protagonist in both WWI and WWII, is now a respected and civil democracy.  It is a nation where people can live freely and peacefully.  The Jewish people are able to live there happily and with a few exceptions no longer are exposed to anything resembling the hate once found there.  Whatever hate they do have to deal with is not sanctioned by the government.  On the contrary, it is condemned by the government.

It is my mother’s belief that if we can turn the page on Germany’s history, we can certainly do the same thing for Cuba.    Her feeling is by no means that Cuba is a perfect country without issues needing resolution, but the reaction people have had to the normalization of relations is nothing more that “hate for the sake of hate”.

There is much evil in the world today.  My mother recognizes that and often fears that we are headed for another global catastrophe. However, she also maintains that the world’s problems are not coming from Cuba, and that in reestablishing relations with the island only 90 miles from the United States, we have a lot more to gain than we have to lose.

Agree or disagree, it is hard to argue with the almost 93 years of experience of a clearheaded,  intelligent and lucid woman.

 

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ISIS: Their problem ISIL: Our problem

isis-flagLet me start by saying that the title of this piece does not reflect my personal opinion. I believe no matter what you call them, ISIS, ISIL, or the Islamic State, that they are everyone’s problem.  I do however feel the title may be reflective of how President Barack Obama feels, or at the very least used to feel about the terrorist group he now only refers to as ISIL.

Much has been made as to what is behind the president’s apparent insistence on only referring to this terrorist organization as “ISIL”.  Some of the most suspicious among you believe it is a way of attacking Israel’s sovereignty, by recognizing their pursuit of the entire Levant, the area of land represented by the “L” in the name of ISIL.  I personally disagree with this assertion. I believe there is something more political behind the President’s language.  “ISIS” stands for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria while “ISIL” stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.  Subsequently the Levant covers significantly more territory.  It also represents the rapid growth of this ambitious and very vicious terrorist organization.

As the Islamic State continues to grow it becomes an even more viable threat to the United States and its allies.  Obama, a president who seems to be ultra-isolationist, has basically made it clear that he believes Iraqis, Kurds and Syrians need to fight the main battle against the terrorist group in Northern Iraq and Syria.  He has spoken of its containment at least as often as he has spoken of its destruction.  It may be that in the eyes of this administration successful containment means the difference between calling it ISIS or ISIL.

Being a president with a tendency of putting appearance over substance, once the terrorists became strong enough to call themselves ISIL, Mr. Obama had the justification within his isolationist logic to get involved in the fight.  He has openly said that part of his strategy is leaving it to the locals to deal with once ISIL gets contained and shrinks back down to a more localized problem.  Perhaps then it will once again be referred to as ISIS.   If this group threatens the entire “Levant” or beyond, we can get involved, but once it only threatens Iraq and Syria it’s their battle to fight.

If this is indeed the President’s logic, it is a dangerously flawed one.  An organization such as this one, with its ambition and financial means, will never be satisfied remaining in the area of  Iraq and Syria. Ultimately it will go after Jordan, Egypt, the Gulf states, and of course most viciously Israel.  All of this is only a means of furthering its global ambitions. Furthermore, as all experts have been saying, it already poses a serious and dangerous terrorist threat to westerners at home and abroad.

Rather than worrying about whether or not it is called ISIS or ISIL, I hope this president mainly sees it as a dangerous and growing problem that needs to be eliminated at all costs. Anything else should be seen as unacceptable.

 

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Russia’s role in the war with ISIS

putin_2836730bAlthough I will support any efforts the administration makes in going after ISIS, I can’t help but wonder to what extent Russia is being considered in President Barack Obama’s decision.

There is no doubt Russia plays a role.  Regardless of whether the United States would be involved in the region or not, Syria is a Russian ally.  One can not help but wonder if the contentious relationship between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama is part of the equation.  In having a good excuse for getting involved in Syria, the President has an opportunity to make an impact on what might be considered Putin’s turf.  If that is a factor, is it strategic or personal? Whether it is a factor or not, it has created an added tension people seem to want to stay away from discussing for somewhat obvious reasons.  It makes the situation even more concerning and potentially explosive.  Should the U.S. hit the wrong target, one that angers the Russians, be it accidentally or as a result of collateral damage, what will Russia’s reaction be?  And let’s not forget that Israel, a U.S. ally, is always right there, has a serious stake in what is going on,  and never will have a good relationship with an Assad regime in Syria.

Even before attacks on ISIS in Syria start, the picture is murky and complicated.  Once Syria becomes a target it could get considerably more so. We’ll have to wait and see and hope personal feelings don’t come into play.

 

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