Hollywood Applauds Suicide Bombers

When I woke up this morning and checked the news, I could not believe what I was reading: a Palestinian film that glorifies suicide bombers had won a major Hollywood award.

“Paradise Now”, which tells the tale of two Palestinians who are recruited to become suicide bombers, was named the year’s best foreign language film at the annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.

Mideast expert Daniel Pipes has described the film as “propagandistic”, saying that it “whitewashes Palestinian suicide bombing”, while Entertainment Weekly highlighted “the dignity bestowed on a pair of prospective Palestinian suicide bombers” by the movie.

Now, we all know that Hollywood does not seem to share the value system of most sane and rational human beings, as the antics of various celebrities make abundantly clear.

But to celebrate a film that “humanizes” bloodthirsty killers? To confer even a shred of legitimacy on the use of human explosives against the innocent?

Are they out of their minds?

The award given to “Paradise Now” only underlines the extent of the challenge that Israel and the West are confronting in the war on terror. It is a battle of ideas, a struggle between worldviews, and there are still far too many on the home-front who have yet to realize, or even to comprehend, the danger that our societies face.

Every pair of hands that was raised, every applause that was sounded for “Paradise Now”, was a betrayal of morality and human values, and a slap in the face to those who have suffered at the hands of the terrorists.

Shame on Hollywood – but more importantly, shame on all of us, for feeding this industry and for giving it so much influence over society and its norms.

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Palestinians Call for Attacks on US & Israel

Waving Hizbullah flags and chanting "Nasrallah, bomb Tel Aviv!", thousands of Palestinians rallied today in Ramallah and Shechem (Nablus) in a show of support for the Lebanese terror group in its conflict with Israel.

In addition, the protesters set American flags on fire (see the photo below), and voiced encouragement to the Iraqi insurgency to continue their attacks on US troops.

The rally in Ramallah was organized by – you guessed it – the Fatah movement, which is headed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and was joined by various other Palestinian organizations and terrorist groups.

Today's protests followed similar demonstrations held in Gaza in recent days, in which Palestinians burned Israeli flags and called on Hizbullah to hit Israel.

Of course, none of this is very surprising – during the first Gulf War back in 1991, Palestinians cheered when Saddam Hussein fired SCUD missiles at Israel, they have celebrated suicide bombing attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by handing out candy and sweets, and most recently they took to the streets to mourn Iraqi terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi after he was killed by US troops.

But what is surprising is that so many people still just don't learn from all of this, and refuse to accept the fact that the Palestinians are not just foes of Israel, but of the US too.

Israel's State of the Union

After army bulldozers demolished the Jewish community of Amona this morning outside Ofra, and Hamas terrorists prepare to take the reins of power in Gaza, it is worth taking a moment to contemplate Israel’s State of the Union.

Domestically, the Government is dividing the nation by continuing to expel Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel. An entire sector of the public is being targeted, its values and belief system callously trampled, all for the sake of Ehud Olmert’s election campaign.

The residents of Amona offered a number of compromise proposals in order to avert a confrontation, but Mr. Olmert seemed determined to put on a messy little show, in the hopes of consolidating his support among left-wing voters.

Mr.Olmert would do well to heed the words of US President George W. Bush, whose State of the Union address before Congress last night included the following words:

“…even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger.  To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of goodwill and respect for one another -- and I will do my part.  Tonight the state of our Union is strong -- and together we will make it stronger. “

Can Israel’s Acting Prime Minister make a similar claim? Hardly.

Moreover, Mr. Olmert seems determined to carry out further withdrawals from Judea and Samaria, sending a thinly-veiled hint to this effect last night when he said that his Kadima party would draw the country’s final borders.

Here, too, Mr. Olmert should consider well what Mr. Bush had to say last night:

“In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders.  If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone.  They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores.  There is no peace in retreat.  And there is no honor in retreat.”

And so, in these perilous times, America can be grateful that it has a leader of vision and courage who is willing to mend internal disputes even as he confronts his country’s external foes.

And Israelis can only look on with envy and wonder: when will we too merit to have a leader of similar fortitude?

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Dick Cheney for Prime Minister!

It’s election season again in Israel, and the various parties are gearing up for the balloting, which is now less than 4 months away.

With each passing day, it seems, confusion mounts, as the Right finds itself in disarray, the Left is in turmoil, and Ariel Sharon’s new party continues to lead in the polls.

So what is a clear-headed Israeli voter to do? The answer, I think, may be to try and draft a surprise candidate into the race.

And who might that be, you are wondering – well, perhaps the answer is none other than US Vice-President Dick Cheney.

In a speech last week, Cheney laid out a clear philosophy for how not to deal with terrorists: “It is a dangerous illusion,” he said, “to suppose that another retreat by the civilized world would satisfy the appetite of the terrorists and get them to leave us alone.”

In fact, Cheney noted, “such a retreat would convince the terrorists that free nations will change our policies, forsake our friends, abandon our interests whenever we are confronted with murder and blackmail.”

At a time when Prime Minister Sharon is said to be considering major withdrawals from Judea and Samaria, it is a shame that more Israeli politicians don't share the Vice President’s clearheaded thinking.

So that’s why I think it is time to launch a write-in campaign here in Israel, if only to send a message to our leaders that we want someone who will stand firm in the face of Palestinian terror rather than withdraw.

Dick Cheney for Prime Minister!

Thank you, Yossi Beilin!

The people of Israel owe a debt of gratitude to Meretz party Chairman Yossi Beilin.

With a single remark, the dovish Beilin provided a telling reminder of just how far the Israeli left has strayed from the basic principles of justice and morality.

After Marwan Barghouti, the imprisoned head of the Fatah Tanzim terrorist group, won a decisive victory in the Palestinian Authority’s electoral primaries over the weekend, Beilin wasted little time in calling for the terror-master’s quick release from prison.

“Barghouti heads one of the Palestinian camps that do want peace and so this is the moment to end his sentence and allow him to lead the Palestinian nation,” Beilin said.

Right there, encapsulated in that one remark, is everything that is wrong with the Left and its approach.

After all, Barghouti is currently serving 5 life terms for his involvement in terror attacks and the murder of Israelis.

But as far as Yossi Beilin is concerned, why should that get in the way of Barghouti’s promising political career?

So instead of standing on principle and insisting that all those who murder Jews be brought to justice and made to pay a price for their actions, people such as Beilin would prefer to look the other way, appeasing terrorists, accommodating them, and ultimately capitulating in the face of their ongoing dedication to violence.

That is neither moral nor ethical. And if that is the basis upon which Beilin wishes to make peace, then it is shaky, indeed.