The Last Exile

A few short stories which have caught my eye.

1. A Kuwaiti paper is reporting Iran will target Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barack if Iran’s nuclear sites are attacked by Israel. Uhmm…good luck with that.

2. One of the best pieces in a long while that I have read on the ancient Jewish city of Hebron and what lessons the division of Hebron tells us about the possibility of dividing Jerusalem (G-d forbid). And no, Yaccov Lozowick belongs in neither – the Israeli nationalist or left wing camps. In fact, he’s the rarest of all birds – a dyed in the wool centralist. Go read! Now.

3. Stageleft. One of the few times, in which I heartily endorse Balbulican’s position and sentiments. Actually, I will go so far as saying he can speak for me in this matter. Furthermore, for those who question what or should Canada have been doing with all Afghanis taken into custody by Canadian soldiers – diplomat Richard Colvin offers three feasible alternatives to having over prisoners for potential torture by Afghanistan officials….just saying.

4. Arutz Sheva on Israeli Border Police recruit litmus test – will you expel your friends and family from their homes?

5. Israel’s Chief of Staff on IDF Radio via Arutz Sheva.

(IsraelNN.com) IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Gabi Ashkenazi hinted Wednesday that in the future, expulsion of citizens from their homes should be carried out by the police and not the IDF.

“It is proper to use policemen vis-a-vis civilians, and to try and prevent a situation in which soldiers are involved in a situation of evacuating communities,” he said in an interview on IDF Radio’s Shirutrom telethon which raises money for the benefit of soldiers.

Is this not the very point I have been trying to make? The Israeli Defense Forces should never be used to carry out a political mandate or agenda derived via the government which does not involve defending the lives of the Israeli people from their mortal foes.