Rael Jean Isaac

Lebanon, Moderate?

Journalist Tom Gross observes that while the Lebanese government is routinely described as “moderate,” the crazy anti-Semitic venom emanating from Lebanon rivals that from Egypt, Syria and Iran. For example, on October 22 the TV channel affiliated with Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Beri aired a program that stated “Jews use drug trafficking to control the world and subjugate other nations.” The program quotes that notorious forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (which, Gross notes, is being distributed courtesy of Saudi money in mosques in London and Western Europe): “The third Zionist protocol states that other nations must be left sick, poor, and lacking any determination or strength. Naturally, drugs are the most effective means to accomplish this goal.”

The Triumph of Bad Ideas

The notion that a Palestinian state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza will resolve the problems of the Middle East is not the only false belief with terrible consequences now sweeping the Western world. The belief in man-made global warming is right up there, an artificially contrived “consensus” that has the potential, if enough actions are taken against the alleged environmental culprits, to wreck Western economies.

Latest to go on explosive record against the phony consensus is John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, who calls global warming (on the website Icecap) “the greatest scam in history.” Says Coleman: “I have read dozens of scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. I have studied. I have thought about it. I know I am correct. There is no runaway climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril. I am incensed by the incredible media glamour, the politically correct silliness and rude dismissal of counter arguments by the high priest of Global Warming.”

Kosovo

John Bolton has spoken out against what he calls the State Department’s anti-Serbian policy of the last fifteen years, the first important former administration official to do so. In a Voice of America interview he declared that the U.S. should not recognize a unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence, which would simply reward bad behavior.

Such voices, alas, are still being drowned out by a left-right “consensus.” Incredibly, as Julia Gorin points out on Frontpage (Nov. 19) the Wall Street Journal recently published an article on the “inevitability” and “rightness” of Kosovo independence by none other than Agim Ceku, the “former” terrorist chieftain (among many other crimes he was the officer responsible for slaughtering 200 Serbians–female rape victims were burned alive–in the Croatian village of Medak) and current “prime minister” of the province. Needless to say the Journal did not provide readers with his terrorist resume.

The Bush administration soldiers on, intent on encouraging another Moslem terror base. In a paper published by the Begin-Sadat Center, James Jatras and Serge Trifkovic write that with a veto by Russia blocking UN recognition of an independent Kosovo, the U.S. threatens to recognize a unilateral Kosovo declaration of independence and hopes to entice other EU countries (along with Canada, Turkey and Israel) to go along. For Israel to do so would be the height of folly. As the authors point out: “The theory that outside powers can award part of a state’s sovereign territory to a violent ethnic or religious minority would put in question not only Judea and Samaria…but even such areas as the southern Galilee and parts of the Negev, where non-Jews have, or may eventually acquire, local majorities.”

As for the U.S., its policy of currying favor with the Islamic world is dhimmi-witted. Illegally tearing Kosovo from Serbia to fashion it into a second Islamic state in the Balkans (after Croatia) will merely stimulate jihadists in their campaign to subjugate the world to Islam.

Hatikvah

Dr. Ron Breiman of Professors for a Strong Israel explains the rationale for Hatikvah, a new nationalist movement—and political party in the making. The party hopes to attract secular Jews who believe the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people and who have no real address for their vote. Says Breiman: “We want to be that address for them, in order to return the State of Israel to Zionism. Instead of worrying about the ‘right of return’ for Arabs, worry about our return to Zionism.”

Chief of the planks of the new movement/party is rejection of a Palestinian state and making army or national service a precondition for the right to vote.

We wish Hatikvah well. Although new parties tend to garner only a few seats (the ghastly Kadima is an exception only because of Sharon’s decision to head it when rebellion threatened within the Likud), the current political choices in Israel are so terrible that one can only hope that there are many Israelis, religious and secular, ready to vote for Hatikva (Hope) as against national suicide (the other parties).

“Debating” Israel’s End

Oxford University planned a “debate” on October 23 on the proposition “This house believes that One State is the Only Solution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” Some debate. Steven Plaut notes that while “some Israeli anti-Semites were to be on the side for the One State Solution” the notorious, viciously anti-Israel Norman Finkelstein was supposed to represent the pro-Israel side! After Alan Dershowitz and others embarrassed Oxford by denouncing this scandalous “debate,” it was cancelled.

But similar anti-Israel hate-fests go on sponsored by British universities. On Nov. 17 and 18 a Conference at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) attracted 300 people for a destroy-Israel conference entitled “Challenging the Boundaries: A Single State in Palestine/Israel.” Naturally there were a goodly sprinkling of “Israelis,” including Ilan Pappe (until recently at the University of Haifa), Haim Bresheeth (now on the faculty of the University of East London and an instigator of the British academic boycott-Israel movement), As’ad Ghanem of the University of Haifa, Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin of Ben Gurion University and Eyal Sivan, an Israeli filmmaker. A reporter for Haaaretz who attended says the very word Zionism was an immoral utterance at the conference.

Plaut makes the excellent suggestion that the heads of the University of Haifa and Ben Gurion University be told what readers think of the participation of their faculty members in such an event.

Choudhury Needs Help

Dr. Richard Benkin chief champion of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in this country, warns of a sharp turn for the worse in the position of this immensely courageous voice for good relations with Israel in Pakistan. Choudhury, on trial for his life on phony charges (his crime, attempting to attend a conference of journalists in Israel), on Nov. 15 appeared in court for the 36th time in the 31 months since he was released from prison. So far it’s been pure harassment: he is forced to sit for many hours and then the judge tells him to return in a few weeks. But this time, in a Catch 22 ploy, the judge wanted to revoke his bail on the grounds the Supreme Court had not yet heard his appeal!

Eventually his bail was restored but only until December 13 when he faces reincarceration. The actions of the judge and public prosecutor are in violation of the law (bail is guaranteed while an appeal is pending) but radical Islamists call the government’s tune and they are out for Choudhury’s blood.

Benkin points out that textile exports are Bangladesh’s lifeline and asks that people concerned for Choudhury’s welfare write to major U.S. retailers, asking them to boycott these goods until the government ends its persecution of Choudhury. That means contacting Wal-Mart’s offices (479-273-4000) and its global ethics office at ethics@wal-mart.com, the board of the Gap at board@gap.com and Nike at nikeresponsibility@nike.com along with Senators and Congressmen, especially Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith.