The Solid Surfer.com

Washington PAC and the 2006 Senate Elections

For all Americans who support Israel, an excellent resource is the Washington PAC, a political action committee founded by former AIPAC executive director Morrie Amitay. While less publicly known than AIPAC, Washington PAC well holds its own as one of Israel's strongest political supporters in America. At the same time, the organization is important not only to the Jewish state; Mr. Amitay clearly recognizes, as per his group's mission statement, that "a strong and secure Israel is in America's best interest" as well.

I have written about Washington PAC before (I met them through TheSolidSurfer.com's Washington correspondent "K-Swiss", and their website is a "My Heroes" link at left), but I'd like to showcase them again due largely to a recently updated document on their site.

Every quarter, Washington PAC publishes a newsletter that compares Israel support amongst upcoming Senate election cycle candidates and their opponents. Many, of course, are well known such as Joe Lieberman and Ted Kennedy. But beyond this, a large number of Senators remain largely unknown outside their home states, and it is very informative to see details and analyses of their Washington PAC support.

The newsletter provides an excellent barometer of how the 2006 political races could potentially impact the Jewish state. No matter where in America one lives, your Senatorial (and Congressional) elections highly matter.

Israel's Path To Victory Still Exists

What is Israel's government possibly thinking? The ceasefire with Lebanon and Hezbollah is just not going to work. Sure, there might be a few weeks of peace and quiet, but terrorists commited to Israel's destruction don't just roll over and decide to go home. Heck, they've already started firing again at IDF troops.

No, Hezbollah will quite predictably exploit the quiet and re-arm with the help of Iran and Syria. Then, when the UN "peacemaking" force arrives, they'll attack Israel again while the UN troops glance the other way.

Of course the ceasefire would be wonderful if it actually worked. But the history, actions, and openly declared objectives of Iran, Hezbollah, and the UN virtually guarantee that the war will continue. These entities all wish to destroy Israel, and Prime Minister Olmert and his government are playing right into their hands. Barring any shocking developments, Hezbollah will almost certainly mount another offensive, and this time the newly emboldened Iranian and Syrian armies may also enter the mix. If Israel continues its hands-off military strategy, it could be in serious trouble.

So how can the Jewish state extract itself from this mess? First, there is some good news. While Western analysts consider Israel to have lost the battle by not defeating Hezbollah entirely, Iran apparently believes the IDF won by destroying the terrorists' weapons capabilities. It took Iran six long years to arm Hezbollah, and now the terror group's function as a deterrent to Israel (and/or the U.S.) attacking Iran's nuclear plants has been seriously degraded. Hezbollah won't return to its former strength anytime soon.

But that said, it still plans to re-attack Israel as soon as possible. And to properly defend itself, Israel needs new leadership immediately. Olmert has proved himself unwilling to change, and a stronger PM must take over. (At the very least, someone who will allow the IDF to operate unencumbered.) Israel also must capitalize on Iran's difficulties and quickly destroy its nuclear facilities. This is an absolute must - Iran will likely attack Israel conventionally as a result, but its troops are no match for a non-restrained IDF, and Israel cannot allow the alternative, a nuclear Iran, to occur.

Furthermore, Israel must remember that it draws great strength from its Jewish nationhood and identity. Appeasing the "world community" is unnecessary and often dangerous. Rather, the Jewish state should look to its own political and spiritual leaders, such as Natan Sharansky and Rabbi Lazer Brody (whose website is a TheSolidSurfer.com blogroll link), for far better guidance.

This war is very winnable. Israel only needs to be up for the task.

Israel Prime Minister Speech - Must Read!

I'd like to reproduce below an excellent speech that, according to Internet rumor, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delivered on July 31. Unfortunately the hearsay was unfounded, as further investigation has yielded that the talk was actually written by an Israeli named Ben Caspit, who proposed what he would say in the Prime Minister's place.

But it's an excellent speech, and in my opinion, would have been Olmert's best had he delivered it. (Heck, he should hire Caspit as an official advisor - this guy seems much more confident and realistic than the PM himself.)

We Will Not Capitulate
by Ben Caspit
July 31, 2006

Ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world. I, the Prime Minister of Israel, am speaking to you from Jerusalem in the face of the terrible pictures from Kfar Kana. Any human heart, wherever it is, must sicken and recoil at the sight of such pictures. There are no words of comfort that can mitigate the enormity of this tragedy. Still, I am looking you straight in the eye and telling you that the State of Israel will continue its military campaign in Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces will continue to attack targets from which missiles and Katyusha rockets are fired at hospitals, old age homes and kindergartens in Israel. I have instructed the security forces and the IDF to continue to hunt for the Katyusha stockpiles and launch sites from which these savages are bombarding the State of Israel.

We will not hesitate, we will not apologize and we will not back off. If they continue to launch missiles into Israel from Kfar Kana, we will continue to bomb Kfar Kana. Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Here, there and everywhere. The children of
Kfar Kana could now be sleeping peacefully in their homes, unmolested, had the agents of the devil not taken over their land and turned the lives of our children into hell.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time you understood: the Jewish state will no longer be trampled upon. We will no longer allow anyone to exploit population centers in order to bomb our citizens. No one will be able to hide anymore behind women and children in order to kill our women and children. This anarchy is over. You can condemn us, you can boycott us, you can stop visiting us and, if necessary, we will stop visiting you.

Today I am serving as the voice of six million bombarded Israeli citizens who serve as the voice of six million murdered Jews who were melted down to dust and ashes by savages in Europe. In both cases, those responsible for these evil acts were, and are, barbarians devoid of all humanity, who set themselves one simple goal: to wipe the Jewish race off the face of the earth, as Adolph Hitler said, or to wipe the State of Israel off the map, as Mahmoud Ahmedinjad proclaims.

And you - just as you did not take those words seriously then, you are ignoring them again now. And that, ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world, will not happen again. Never again will we wait for bombs that never came to hit the gas chambers. Never again will we wait for salvation that never arrives. Now we have our own air force. The Jewish people are now capable of standing up to those who seek their destruction - those people will no longer be able to hide behind women and children. They will no longer be able to evade their responsibility.
Every place from which a Katyusha is fired into the State of Israel will be a legitimate target for us to attack. This must be stated clearly and publicly, once and for all. You are welcome to judge us, to ostracize us, to boycott us and to vilify us. But to kill us? Absolutely not.

Four months ago I was elected by hundreds of thousands of citizens to the office of Prime Minister of the government of Israel, on the basis of my plan for unilaterally withdrawing from 90 percent of the areas of Judea and Samaria, the birth place and cradle of the Jewish people; to end most of the occupation and to enable the Palestinian people to turn over a new leaf and to calm things down until conditions are ripe for attaining a permanent settlement between us.
The Prime Minister who preceded me, Ariel Sharon, made a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip back to the international border, and gave the Palestinians there a chance to build a new reality for themselves. The Prime Minister who preceded him, Ehud Barak, ended the lengthy Israeli presence in Lebanon and pulled the IDF back to the international border, leaving the land of the cedars to flourish, develop and establish its democracy and its economy.

What did the State of Israel get in exchange for all of this? Did we win even one minute of quiet? Was our hand, outstretched in peace, met with a handshake of encouragement? Ehud Barak's peace initiative at Camp David let loose on us a wave of suicide bombers who smashed and blew to pieces over 1,000 citizens, men, women and children. I don't remember you being so enraged then. Maybe that happened because we did not allow TV close-ups of the dismembered body parts of the Israeli youngsters at the Dolphinarium? Or of the shattered lives of the people butchered while celebrating the Passover seder at the Park Hotel in Netanya? What can you do - that's the way we are. We don't wave body parts at the camera. We grieve quietly.
We do not dance on the roofs at the sight of the bodies of our enemy's children - we express genuine sorrow and regret. That is the monstrous behavior of our enemies. Now they have risen up against us. Tomorrow they will rise up against you. You are already familiar with the murderous taste of this terror. And you will taste more.

And Ariel Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza. What did it get us? A barrage of Kassem missiles fired at peaceful settlements and the kidnapping of soldiers. Then too, I don't recall you reacting with such alarm. And for six years, the withdrawal from Lebanon has drawn the vituperation and crimes of a dangerous, extremist Iranian agent, who took over an entire country in the name of religious fanaticism and is trying to take Israel hostage on his way to Jerusalem - and from there to Paris and London.

An enormous terrorist infrastructure has been established by Iran on our border, threatening our citizens, growing stronger before our very eyes, awaiting the moment when the land of the Ayatollahs becomes a nuclear power in order to bring us to our knees. And make no mistake - we won't go down alone. You, the leaders of the free and enlightened world, will go down along with us.

So today, here and now, I am putting an end to this parade of hypocrisy. I don't recall such a wave of reaction in the face of the 100 citizens killed every single day in Iraq. Sunnis kill Shiites who kill Sunnis, and all of them kill Americans - and the world remains silent. And I am hard pressed to recall a similar reaction when the Russians destroyed entire villages and burned down large cities in order to repress the revolt in Chechnya. And when NATO bombed Kosovo for almost three months and crushed the civilian population - then you also kept silent. What is it about us, the Jews, the minority, the persecuted, that arouses this cosmic sense of justice in you? What do we have that all the others don't?

In a loud clear voice, looking you straight in the eye, I stand before you openly and I will not apologize. I will not capitulate. I will not whine. This is a battle for our freedom. For our humanity. For the right to lead normal lives within our recognized, legitimate borders. It is also your battle. I pray and I believe that now you will understand that. Because if you don't, you may regret it later, when it's too late.

Prime Minister Olmert Declares His Leadership

Wow. I'll have to admit, I certainly didn't see this one coming. But it's been a phenomenal turn for the better from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Just weeks after pledging to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and days after appearing wobbly in his resolve against Israel's enemies, Olmert has finally changed course to a far tougher direction. Enough is enough, he has declared, Israel must eliminate Hezbollah and Hamas.

Way to go Mr. Prime Minister! Israel has long desired and offered peace, but these terror groups have never accepted it and have always aimed to destroy the Jewish state. For years, Israel wishfully ignored this reality and allowed terrorism to fester. But finally the naivety is no more. As Olmert stated,

"It is of regional and international interest to control and dismantle the terror organizations and remove this threat from the Middle East. We intend to do so....We will attack every terrorist staging area, destroy every terrorist base and liquidate members of the terror groups. Israel will not agree to live in the shadow of the threat of missiles and rockets on its citizens."

Now there's a workable plan. For the first time in his tenure, I'd like to raise many cheers to Israel's Prime Minister! With this type of attitude, Israel is in great shape!

And I'm sure many Israelis also agree with Olmert's firm conclusion:

"I am more proud today than any other day in my life to be a citizen of the State of Israel. We will not surrender and we will not back down."

L'Chaim!

Israel News: The Best Defense Is A Good Offense

Finally, even Olmert and the peaceniks could take it no more. After countless Palestinian terror and rocket attacks, Israel has at last undertaken some offensive measures, striking Hamas in Gaza primarily through aerial attacks. According to the IDF, the strikes will continue until the terrorists release kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

This is certainly a good start, but Israel needs to continue the assault far beyond its stated objective. Of course Cpl. Shalit's safety is without question of the utmost importance, and we should steadfastly hope and pray for his quick return. But once this occurs, Israel mustn't relax its offensive and should instead continue to press against the terrorists with overwhelming force. These evil enemies of the Jewish state have repeatedly demonstrated their genocidal intentions, and clearly cannot be appeased by concessions and negotiations. Only utter defeat will stop them, and Israel must accomplish this immediately and overwhelmingly.

Other Israeli news:

One of the original investors in a Palestinian power plant destroyed in the recent Gaza operations was none other than disgraced U.S. company Enron. Even in the unlikeliest of ways, the Palestinian propensity for criminality still astounds.

Meanwhile, away from the conflict, Israel continues to be a hotbed of technology and innovation. Notably in recent days, software company Tuval Industries developed a program to simulate human speech in Microsoft Power Point presentations. Now just type in sentences and your slideshow can chatter away.

Also last night, two Israeli players were drafted into the NBA: Lior Eliyahu by the Orlando Magic (who subsequently traded him to the Houston Rockets) and Yotam Halperin by the Seattle Supersonics. No Israeli has ever played an NBA regular-season game (Doron Sheffer was drafted in the mid-Nineties, but opted to return to Israel), and it appears this will be a first in 2006.

Coming up on TheSolidSurfer.com:

Look for more analysis on Israel and the Middle East, and an essay on how an ancient lesson can apply to the New York Times' reckless, and possibly treasonous, publishing of U.S. counterterrorism secrets. Also in the works are an insider report on a virtually unknown but highly exciting new development in American support for Israel, more news from the cutting edge of alternative energy, some long-promised new site features, and much much more. Thank you for staying tuned, and hope you enjoy the site in the days and weeks to come.

New Sports Hero: Footballer John Paintsil of Ghana

TheSolidSurfer.com would like to present our new sports hero: Ghanian soccer player John Paintsil. After scoring two goals in a key World Cup win over the Czech Republic, Pantsil, who plays professionally in Israel, waved an Israeli flag to the cheering crowd. (Photo credit: AP)

Naturally, Paintsil's gesture has thrilled many Israelis, many of whom warmly celebrated Ghana's victory. Just as unsuprisingly, though, a number of Arab countries have erupted in fury, and as usual, the conspiracy theory allegations are already on the table. (And yes, you read that correctly - Egyptian newspapers think Paintsil is a Mossad agent. What next - an editorial claiming he's the Mayor of Tel Aviv in disguise?)

So why did Paintsil do it? In his own words, because he is a religious man who holds a special place in his heart for Israel. Also, as a foreign resident, he greatly enjoys living there, and wanted to show some appreciation for his many Israeli fans.

Sadly, Ghana's Football Association then succumbed to political correctness and apologized to those "offended" by the flag-wave. But Paintsil said he didn't care about political implications; he only wanted to support Israel and its people. And plus, he continued, many Ghanians agreed with him: "Everyone was very proud of me for bringing a little happiness to Israel."

Count me in among that crowd. That's why Mr. Paintsil is TheSolidSurfer.com's first official Sports Hero of the Day.

Rabbi Hecht on Fences and Borders

"Good fences make good neighbors."

Besides being the centerpiece of a famous Robert Frost poem, this line often accurately applies to international relations. Nations have a right to protect their sovereignities and defend their populations, and border fences frequently provide a handy solution. In just recent years, countries from India to Morocco to Spain to Botswana have employed walls and fences to successfully demarcate territorial lines and block out would-be invaders.

During construction of these fences, the world has collectively yawned, tacitly understanding the purpose of the barriers and muting any criticism. This large-scale acceptance of fences, in fact, has been so widespread and unremarkable that it would almost escape notice.

But in all this agreement, one striking anomaly stands out: Israel. The moment the Jewish state began constructing a fence to block out Palestinian terrorism, the international community erupted in anger. Hypocrisy? As is usual with hyper-critics of Israel, of course.

So what can Israel do? Guest contributor Rabbi Shea Hecht has an excellent answer: Expose the critics, and their hypocrisy will fall.

People Who Live in Glass Houses
by Rabbi Shea Hecht

Recently, native Hawaiians began struggling with the United States for autonomy. In another part of our country, a barrier is being built along the Mexican border to keep illegal immigrants out. These two current event issues don’t really have much to do with each other. However, they do mimic events in the Middle East. Since these events are so similar to events in the Middle East one would think that American reaction to the issues at home would be similar to their reaction of events in the Middle East.

Americans backed the overthrow of the Hawaiian government in 1893, annexed the country to ours in 1898 and Hawaii gained statehood in 1959. All of this was done because in that imperialist era many countries were vying for colonies and Americans were not the only ones who had plantations and farms in Hawaii. Being that its ruler, Queen Liliuokalani, was weak it was only a matter of time before some other country took Hawaii if the USA didn’t. Once the USA acquired Hawaii they assured themselves that the produce and taxes of the country remained in their hands and that no other country can take Hawaii over and push the American sugar planters out.

Now, less than 100 years later, some Hawaiians claim that what transpired back then was illegal, and they want self government. Though one solution that’s been offered is separate land and government for the Natives, many native Hawaiians aren’t satisfied and want complete secession from the USA.

The Middle East has a similar problem and based on American feeling there I feel Americans should give the Hawaiians their complete freedom. Israel is being urged to give away land to pre-war borders. Because of this American attitude I would think that Americans are aware that just because you lived in the land and have papers stating that it’s yours - or you won it through a revolution or war - doesn’t mean the land is yours. So perhaps the USA should go back to pre-war borders, too, and give the Hawaiians their complete freedom.

Furthermore, I didn’t hear any major protest by Americans when the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, or NATFHE, the largest teacher’s union in Great Britain passed a vote to boycott Israeli academia because of Israeli "apartheid" policy - policy that is not meant to separate but to protect. To me the lack of loud protest means what the British did is just fine. The solution that is on the table with Hawaii right now, to give the Hawaiians their own land and government within Hawaii, is similar to the two-state solution in the Middle East which is being dubbed apartheid. If Israel shouldn’t go there, I don’t think the USA should be either.

As for the issue of building fences to protect a country as the USA is doing at the Mexican border: when the House of Representatives voted in late May to tighten sanctions on Palestinians it drew the displeasure of the Bush administration because the legislation "went too far." Can a law that protects the victim from the aggressor go "too far?" The USA certainly doesn’t feel that way about the illegal immigrants coming in from Mexico. The news articles over the past few weeks reflect anger by Americans who feel their quality of life is being ruined by outsiders. When Israelis’ feel their very lives are in danger should they not have the support of nations that feel this same way? Mexicans are hurting the USA monetarily; they aren’t threatening American lives. Building a fence to take such a strong stand against people who are looking for a better life, seems like things are going "too far." When President Bush spoke at the graduation at the Military Academy at West Point, he told the cadets that ignoring the lack of freedom in the Middle East has not made America safer. I’m sure he can understand that it hasn’t made Israel safer either and they must protect themselves - just as the USA should.

Additionally, when Mexican President Vincente Fox said that the USA and Mexico must work together to manage immigration or Mexico will sue the US over immigration he became a laughing stock. You are hurting us and suing us? Yet, terrorists enter Israel under many different guises, hurt the citizens, kill people cause mayhem and they sue for damages and freedoms! Why is it different?

"People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones" is an old and overused adage. Nonetheless, it fits snugly into current events. If the USA isn’t vigorously protesting the British Academia boycott they shouldn’t be setting up a separate state for the indigenous native Hawaiians, because that would be the same apartheid set up in their own land. If the USA supports a wall between the USA and Mexico to protect the American population from the "invading" Mexicans who are hurting the "flavor" of our country and our finances, they certainly should not be complaining about any similar steps taken to protect Israeli citizens. Perhaps the USA should look into their own backyard before they throw stones.

TheSolidSurfer.com responds: Rabbi, thank you for the excellent piece. I couldn't have said it better myself. Hopefully the "glass houses" will crumble as more and more people recognize the folly of unfairly singling Israel for criticism.

Everyone please note also that the article is available as well on Rabbi Hecht's own website. If you enjoy reading TheSolidSurfer.com, I highly recommend paying him a visit. And, of course, stay tuned for more of his writing and that of our other guest contributors alongside our main content.

Warren Buffet Invests in Israel

Kudos to billionaire investor Warren Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway, who recently purchased Israeli machine tool maker Iscar Metalworking and several other local businesses. The Iscar investment, valued at over $4 billion, spurred an immediate boost to Israel's business climate, as both the Tel Aviv stock exchange and the value of the shekel subsequently hit record highs.

At a time of such great political uncertainty, the Buffett investments show some much welcomed (and in many ways, much needed) confidence in the future of the Jewish state. Furthermore, the "Sage of Omaha" isn't the only backer of Israeli ventures; computer chipmaker Intel, for one, recently announced plans to build a new hi-tech microchip factory in the nation as well.

Israel's economy and its people are alive and kicking, and regardless of what certain anti-Semitic Iranian nutcases may think, the Jewish nation will surely remain that way.

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Update: If you're interested in learning more about Israel's vibrant business, medical, and technology sectors, Israel21c is a superb and fascinatingly interesting resource.

Israel Independence Day and News

In celebration of Independence Day on the 5th of Iyar, we'd like to present some big-time digital fireworks!

What, haven't heard of the date? Well, it's not July 4th, but yesterday was Israel's Independence Day, and the Jewish state just put 58 candles on its birthday cake! Israel Insider provided some excellent coverage, plus a heartfelt assessment of Israel's past, present, and future.

Meanwhile, for the first time in about 2000 years, more Jews live in Israel than in any other nation. This trend, as I see it, is both welcome and troubling for the Jewish people. On the plus side, the Israeli population grows due to aliyah (Jewish immigration) and high birth rates. On the other hand, however, the Jewish population has fallen in America and other nations, as many Diaspora Jews intermarry and fail to raise Jewish children. At current rates, demographers estimate that within 25-30 years, the majority of *worldwide* Jewry will reside in Israel. This too is not unprecedented, as most Jews lived there throughout Biblical times. But it's far better to enter such a position through strength (i.e. aliyah) than even partially through weakness (Diaspora ultra-assimilation).

On a similar note, by the way, a new study of American Jews has found a highly expanding Orthodox contingency. In light of the above information, this should be quite expected, as the Orthodox virtually never intermarry and frequently have large families.

In other Israel-related news:

Hebron community leader David Wilder rightfully explains why the existence and location of his community (considered by Israel's government to be a settlement) is entirely legal.

Pundit Ilana Mercer defends Israel's security wall.

And finally, give a great big Mazel Tov to huge Israel supporter (and one of TheSolidSurfer.com's favorite fellow bloggers) MadZionist, who's wife is expecting a new little tot.

Roger Waters: Comfortably Numb (to Terrorism)

Roger Waters once wrote a song for Pink Floyd called "Brain Damage". Apparently it was autobiographical.

That's about the only way to explain the former Floyd bassist's lunkheaded decision to move a scheduled Israel concert from Tel Aviv to a joint Jewish-Arab village in response to Palestinian protests. Waters' comments regarding the incident are even worse; on the day an evil and horrific suicide bombing occurred in the very city he rejected, Waters was quoted as having recently said: "Being an Israeli does not disbar from being a human being."

Yeah, as if Israel's actions are really to blame for the whole situation. What Waters really should have said is "Being a radical leftist indeed disbars one from thinking logically." Because any way you look at it, Waters is an ultra-leftwinger and probably a socialist as well. Not only has he publicly supported a pro-Palestinian movement to remove Israel's life-saving security barrier, but he has often railed against against President Bush and the war in Iraq, and once even recorded an entire album protesting the British government's wartime policies. The other members of Pink Floyd didn't exactly agree with him either, jettisoning Waters from the band shortly after he released his politicized music.

I probably wouldn't go quite so far, as the Atlas Shrugs Blog has done, to call Waters a Jew-hater, as he sounds like he does indeed want peace in the region and did after all support his Israeli fanbase. But like most naive leftists, he's completely oblivious to the fact that Palestinian terrorism, and not Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria, is the root cause of the unrest. This moral blindness places Waters square in the camp of senile terrorist apologists like Jimmy Carter, and unless he changes, Waters too is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

If I were in Israel, I'd tell Waters and his leftist cohort just one thing: "We don't need no education!"