Somewhere between the Chelm and Sodom of Israel?s airwaves, there existed a little island of sanity and truth. It wasn?t always easy to find. You had to bypass a lot of Arabic, rap, trance, heavy breathing, incessant chatter, screaming, leftist propaganda and hair-removal commercials before your radio dial would settle onto Arutz-7 and you could breath a sigh of relief.
There, you would find clarity on political issues, tunes you could sing along with and lyrics you understood, public service announcements, new immigrant programming, and intelligent conversation. It was a station promoting people, Torah and the Land of Israel. It was the last word of Zionism on the radio.
Give me back my succah! Ever since I emerged from that holiday reprieve, I?ve faced the following headlines:
?Malaysian PM has urged Muslims to unite against Jews?
?Rivlin: ?Geneva Initiative? Now on Public Agenda?
?Chirac Thwarts EU Condemnation of Anti-Semitism?
?Malaysian PḾs Speech Also Outlines Plan To Destroy Israel?
?Jerusalem Chosen as Site of International Gay Fest?
?Three Israelis killed in Ambush Near Ofra?
?Peres urges Pakistan to Discuss Forming Relations?
?Swiss Right Wing Win Challenges Political Stability?
?Five Year Arutz-7 Trial Ends with Guilty Verdicts?
At least the headlines are consistent - consistently bad. What horrific crime are the folks at Arutz-7 guilty of that could throw them into the current chaotic vat of terrorism, anti-Semitism, treason, perversion and reemerging Nazism that graces our front pages?
Well, according to the Israeli media reports, ?the group was convicted of transmitting from a boat within Israeli territorial waters and from locations in the West Bank without the required government permits.?
Oh my! Say it isn?t so! Transmitting Jewish music, Torah and pro-Israel opinions from within our territorial waters?!
At times like this, I?m reminded of that Midrash about Rabbi Akiva and the other rabbis who were walking near the Temple Mount. They saw a fox run out from the spot where the Holy of Holies had stood and they all began to weep - except Rabbi Akiva. He laughed, because he foresaw better days.
Well, so do I. I believe that one day, in the not so distant future, we?re going to hear strikingly similar media reports. Only this time, they?ll be broadcast loud and clear from a reinstated Arutz-7.
Here?s just a preview of things to come: ?...the group was convicted of negotiating from a country outside of Israeli territory and from locations in the East Bank without the required government permission....?
Truth and justice will reign once again. And then, ?our mouths will be full of laughter and tongues with songs of joy.?
There, you would find clarity on political issues, tunes you could sing along with and lyrics you understood, public service announcements, new immigrant programming, and intelligent conversation. It was a station promoting people, Torah and the Land of Israel. It was the last word of Zionism on the radio.
Give me back my succah! Ever since I emerged from that holiday reprieve, I?ve faced the following headlines:
?Malaysian PM has urged Muslims to unite against Jews?
?Rivlin: ?Geneva Initiative? Now on Public Agenda?
?Chirac Thwarts EU Condemnation of Anti-Semitism?
?Malaysian PḾs Speech Also Outlines Plan To Destroy Israel?
?Jerusalem Chosen as Site of International Gay Fest?
?Three Israelis killed in Ambush Near Ofra?
?Peres urges Pakistan to Discuss Forming Relations?
?Swiss Right Wing Win Challenges Political Stability?
?Five Year Arutz-7 Trial Ends with Guilty Verdicts?
At least the headlines are consistent - consistently bad. What horrific crime are the folks at Arutz-7 guilty of that could throw them into the current chaotic vat of terrorism, anti-Semitism, treason, perversion and reemerging Nazism that graces our front pages?
Well, according to the Israeli media reports, ?the group was convicted of transmitting from a boat within Israeli territorial waters and from locations in the West Bank without the required government permits.?
Oh my! Say it isn?t so! Transmitting Jewish music, Torah and pro-Israel opinions from within our territorial waters?!
At times like this, I?m reminded of that Midrash about Rabbi Akiva and the other rabbis who were walking near the Temple Mount. They saw a fox run out from the spot where the Holy of Holies had stood and they all began to weep - except Rabbi Akiva. He laughed, because he foresaw better days.
Well, so do I. I believe that one day, in the not so distant future, we?re going to hear strikingly similar media reports. Only this time, they?ll be broadcast loud and clear from a reinstated Arutz-7.
Here?s just a preview of things to come: ?...the group was convicted of negotiating from a country outside of Israeli territory and from locations in the East Bank without the required government permission....?
Truth and justice will reign once again. And then, ?our mouths will be full of laughter and tongues with songs of joy.?