Here in La-La-land, the land of opening nights, red carpets, benefits and gala events, you almost drown in a sea of A- and B-list stars, paying for their 15 minutes with their privacy. Most of them have no idea of the charity they are allegedly supporting, only aware that their publicists arranged for them to show up for the accolades for, at minimum, an 'honor' of some sort. This way, they can be assured of walking the red carpet and having the national press cover the event. Often, the honoree walks back to the limo with a plaque.



California is wall-to-wall with 'causes' and 'issues'. We absolutely love the whales, the environment, our Jags, nannies and Botox, among many, many other "causes". Amazingly, some of the Jewish stars I have met actually kept their original names, despite, I'm sure, advice from agents with an eye to the box-office. Most, though, have no clue as to what the word 'Jewish' actually means. They seem to believe that once Gaza is cleared of the group they have been brain-washed for years into thinking were interlopers or 'settlers', that the "Palestinians" would go about printing their own currency and stamps and be on the way to their own peaceful country.



Now, faced with the predictable, wholesale, bloody carnage that - to my amusement - 'Palestinians' are perpetrating on their own people with a fervour that increases in savagery each day, because they can't get over the fence and kill Jews so easily, many of these ersatz Jews and people with 'causes', seem to be amazed that the answer to changing the nature of these Palligators isn't to throw them more meat. Or, to put it in language Hollywood relates to, more of our tax dollars, at this moment hard at work funding these barbaric groups. I did not have a doubt in the world about what is now occurring, I even wrote a year ago that the minute the Jews left Gaza, chaos would rein supreme and they would form an instant terror base from which to attack Israel in every corner of that small land. Why are the majority of the A-list so surprised? Don't they read the papers? That is what Islamic terrorists do, isn't it?



Peace? Not in my lifetime. Or yours, baby. They don't want the democracy that we are trying to push down their throats. They live and love to the tune of "death to the Jews" all day, every day; sort of a hypnotic melody that drones on and on in the background, widely reinforced by their media, schools, camps and clerics, so that, like Pavlov's dogs, they slaughter on cue. No matter how many pieces of land Israel gives away, there will never be acceptance of a Jewish state anywhere (I used to think, "in the Middle East," but I now know it is "anywhere"). The only thing that buys time for the Jewish state, and Western civilization as we know it, is power, and then, only if exercised. That, they understand. Hamas has only one myopic goal and that is the eradication of Israel. One slice at a time, until they break Israel's spirit and gain the submission that Islam demands and that they want over infidels, especially Jews.



I have always thought that once they got the Saturday people, the Sunday people were next. However, now it seems that the crazed culture of death is speeding up their 'final plan', hell-bent on destroying any remaining culture and country that isn't "them". Perhaps they realize the only chip they have, oil, has a "use-by" date that is approaching fast?



In America, as a nation, we are bankrupting our country with ineffectual and wasteful spending, for causes that our polls show only 28% are in favor of continuing. The same seems to be happening in Israel. Sometimes, the outright stupidity of what I see astounds me, but, frankly, nothing really surprises me anymore. Whose idea was it to raise millions of dollars to leave Israeli hothouses to Arabs, in the moronic belief that they would be used to find jobs for the new residents of the neighborhood when the Jews left? How long did it take "them" to rampage and burn their gifts, the synagogues and everything else in their path? How does one deal with this kind of leftist mentality? Why follow that path? So Peres or any of the other talking heads in Israel can walk home with an award for their supposed peace-oriented efforts?



Who pays for these stupid actions? Israel certainly doesn't have the money to make the mistakes being made by her corrupt politicians, who have lost sight of the only reality that matters to Islam - that, just like the Hollywood stars, they are Jewish. That this is true is proven by statistics and the evidence of our eyes. Unbelievably and shamefully, for the first time in her history, over 1/3 of Israel's children, more than 700,000, are living below the poverty level. Never, but never, would I have believed that the land of milk and honey could not even buy milk for its own children. This, in a society which supposedly honors its children above all else.



I was astounded to read that Israel, which I believed to be at the forefront of medicine, whose doctors and researchers have provided the world with dozens of Nobel Prize-winning breakthroughs and advances, now has thousands of cancer patients who can no longer receive the medicines they need to stay alive. I even heard - during the High Holy Days, when we were having services that were so opulent and where, from the audience, we could almost get the feeling that we were in a pageant as lavish as a production like Miss Saigon - over 40% of the population in Israel did not even have enough money this past year to buy the food needed for the High Holy Days. Could it be possible that 40 percent of our Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel make less than $800 a month?



I find it ludicrous that there are now 266,000 families, compared to 170,000 last year, who are considered destitute. Who would have believed, that in just a few short years nearly one out of every three elderly Israelis requires state aid to enable him/her to survive. In addition, the list of Israelis over the age of 65 in need of monthly financial assistance is growing. We are making out checks for the Katrina victims, as we should, yet, few are aware that about twenty-five percent of Israel's senior citizens must make a monthly decision to use their limited funds towards the purchase of food or medicine.



So, I wonder who benefits from the public relations bounty from the constant giving and giving of the Israeli people? My goodness, could the undeserving beneficiaries of the "aid" to the Middle East be the very same ones who have, at last count, over eleven billion dollars in hidden accounts in Switzerland and Suha Arafat's shopping bag in Paris, and who have just been promised a further three-billion-for-three-years deal? Will they be cashing the checks provided by our grandiose giving?



I do know that there are efforts being made locally, and that drop off and pick up locations are being organized in California and New York. And there are people who are finally taking notice and working on airlifts from Chicago, Toronto and Miami. A lot of good people are contacting [email protected] or calling (310) 508-0950 and The Israel Education Institute and Congregation Joseph Jacob Abraham, all of which are requesting help and participation for the Israel Clothing and Urgent Needs Airlift, which is leaving for Israel on October 30th.



So, some help is on the way; hopefully, a great deal. Don't misunderstand or misquote me, please. Helping needy causes is honorable, a responsibility we all have as humans, regardless of which country is in need of assistance. However, my momma, Queen Mollie, used to tell me, "He who tends everybody else's garden gets weeds in their own!" Besides, as they like to think in the land of the stars, is it tax deductible? In this case, it is. And, from me to you, dear readers, thanks in advance for your generous contributions.