The Last Exile

Gilad Shalit has returned home.

I can hardly believe I have lived to witness such a miracle, and miraculous it is. The enemies of Israel have rarely returned any Israeli captive – let alone one who is still alive. After six years of captivity that can only be described as cruel and contrary to all established international law concerning the welfare and treatment of captured soldiers, Gilad Shalit has been redeemed out of Egypt.

The price for Shalit’s redemption from captivity was steep and bitter. The ransom has been paid with yesterday’s blood, and possibly, tomorrow’s tears. It is not a deal I would have wanted to be made and it is a deal which has caused controversy and much bitterness within Israel – and inside the Jewish community outside of Israel. But today, in harsh reality of day; we know the price and value of a Jewish life. One Palestinian is worth 1/1027th of a single Jew. I did not set this value on a Palestinian life, and neither did the government of Israel; this is the price the enemies of the Israel have demanded for a single Jewish life. So be it, and let the blood be on their hands.

Everyone and their grandmother has criticized the Israeli government. In an act of irony Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu even wrote a treatise years ago arguing against the negotiation with terrorists or the release of terrorists for any Israeli. And yet, it was the Likud government lead by Netanyahu, who was able to secure the release of Gilad Shalit. There is an old axiom in Israeli politics – Only the Israeli left can make war, only the Israel right can make peace. Only the Israeli right could have paid this bitter ransom..

Those outside of Israel often forget how small the country of Israel is – understandably so – given that Israel often punches above her weight. This smallness, creates an interesting dynamic within the society. Israeli society looks at the soldiers of Israel, as literally their own sons and daughters. There is a connection, a personalization of each soldier of the IDF. There is a ‘parental or family’ type relationship between civilian and military within Israel society so Gilad Shalit was not just the son of Noam and Aviva, but of everyone.

Intrinsic within this relationship is a trust, a sacred trust, between the soldiers of Israel and the people. It translates simply like this; no matter what, one way or another, we will bring you home, alive or dead, we will bring you home. The price for Shalit was bitter, but the sacred promise has been fulfilled and the trust preserved. And this, is far more important than what might possibly come in the future. Many other countries say this to their soldiers, but only Israel, fully lives out this creed.

Ask yourself this; who did Israel exchange for the life of Gilad Shalit? Murders and thugs, and such as these, are not the people to lay the foundation of a great society. This is a society based on infamy and blood which will topple under the weight of its own corruption. Someone explain to me how Israel is the loser of this exchange when the likes and lives of those like Amana Jawad Mona are no longer Israel’s responsibility to clothe and feed? I will take a thousand Gilad Shalits over the likes of her.
(Source: Arutz Sheva)

Even now, the enemies of Israel demand more Israeli soldiers be captured and held hostage for ransom. The truth is, the enemies of Israel, have never stopped trying to capture the treasure of the Israeli nation, but, Baruch haShem, their best efforts to date have resulted in only empty hands.

For the past six years, Gilad Shalit has been held in captivity, for six years, Rosh HaShanah has come and gone without Shalit numbered among us. On Yom Kippur, it is thought that our life and portion for the coming year is sealed in the Book of Life. On this day, it is held lawful to pray with even the greatest transgressors among us in the synagogue, and yet, for five Yom Kippurs; Gilad Shalit has not been counted among our midst.

But even so, for six Yom Kippurs, Adon Olam has written Gilad into the Book of Life and sustained his life against the odds of men. And in this year, 5772, Adon Olam has deemed that Gilad Shalit’s portion of life shall be that he can be counted among his people during the holy days of Sukkot. For those who do not know, after the Babylonian captivity ended, Sukkot was the first sacred holiday observed after the resumption of sacrifices in the Temple.

So it is right and proper that a captive of Israel has been redeemed and returned during Sukkot. For those who question the wisdom of the Israel government, perhaps, it is better to have a little faith in the one who has always sustained us and redeemed us.

I have had my share of death threats and I have been called some ugly names but Dr. Dawg’s comment – even for me – has hit a new all time low.

When a young vulnerable young woman can be left battered, bloodied, and raped in a stairway and the perpetrator of this heinous crime, in a plea bargain arrangement to a lesser charge (only to spare the victim further emotional trauma), receives a jail sentence of only 18 months should be used as evidence of the racist nature of the Israeli court systems against Arabs…what can one say to that kind of warped pathology? I am going to quote and paraphrase Benjamin Kerstein, The New Ledger –

These revelations prove that, put simply, the Israeli left, and Dr. Dawg Gideon Levy foremost among them, rushed to defend a rapist in a case about which they knew nothing and about which they cared to know nothing. It played to their prejudices about Israeli society and reinforced their hatred of Israeli their fellow citizens. They felt they knew all they needed to know. As a result, they compounded a young woman’s trauma, exonerated a monstrous criminal in the court of public opinion, and debased themselves as human beings.

Dr. Dawg Gideon Levy fancies himself a prophet, a teller of uncomfortable truths to an uncaring society. Where this has led him is frankly horrifying. Did he know the details of the case? No, but he made no attempt whatsoever to find out about them. Did he shrink from slandering a rape victim as a racist? Apparently, not for a moment. Did he shrink from condemning this entire society on the basis of almost no evidence at all? Absolutely not. Did he disgrace himself and his profession? Unquestionably. He was the leading voice of a group of Canadian leftists who, in ironically sexist fashion, defamed a victim of rape out of demented sympathy for the man who violated her. After all, these things happen.

Now Kerstein was originally talking about Ha’aretz columnist Gideon Levy and in my eyes, Dr. Dawg’s horrendous moral position is far worse than Levy’s – as Dawg cannot claim ignorance of the case details as Levy did when he penned his article. In fact, Dawg commented on my post recounting the details which were not widely reported outside of Israel on this matter. In my non-medical opinion, I would suggest that Israeli Derangement Syndrome has taken complete control of Dawg’s neuro-pathways. In the old days we had a name for this kind of individual….

The Toronto Star carries this article about a You Tube video which went viral showing Canadian airline staff letting a few veiled muslim women board a plane without demanding the woman de-veil in order to compare their faces with their ID presented and suggests the Muslim community fears a backlash over the hoopla.

Go watch the video and come back.

Okay, I’ll state the rather obvious and suggest the backlash was already in play which is rather the entire point of making the video and why it went viral. Once again, I will play the dissenting conservative and point out why the airline clerk might have broke with airline procedure but in no way does it necessarily imply airline passenger safety was compromised for one simple reason. And I know this from having flown out of Montreal and Toronto airports on more than a few occasions.

The women had already been searched, inspected, x-rayed, and clear prior to entry into the boarding gate areas. No one can directly entire the gate areas without going through a rather ridiculous procedure involving x-rays, searches and having your ID scrutinized by the airport security personnel. In fact, I am not sure that the airline steward has to do more than check that the passenger’s picture ID matches the airline ticket issued. It’s not for them to play ‘cop’ and demand a public de-veiling – although I could be wrong on that point. The airline rules are draconian enough these days when literally anything tagged as a ’safety’ procedure can literally fly.

All Canadians flyers know this, and if a little common sense was exercised; we should be asking why the video-grapher felt an innate need to target veiled Muslim women with their camera in the first place.

Flying is already a horrendous enough ordeal. and if this much-ado-about nothing video results in any more ridiculous safety rules issued by Canadian airport security officials, I suggest the entire nation hunts down this video-grapher and ensures he/she spends the next 50 years chained to the wall in their laundry room and fed nothing but stale pastries.

The Christians are threatening boycotting/divestment of Israel, again. This really grows wearisome, and after two millenniums of Christian prosecution; I really wish they’d get a new song and prey-book. This time, it is the Methodists…which are different from the United Church, World Counsel of Churches, and I don’t know how many other Christian churches – but more importantly – I don’t much care. However, I do have a proposal. Let’s ban the Methodists from visiting Israel, their missionaries/priests can be deported and their assets seized. They want justice, I say – payback is a bitch.

My grandfather used to use this expression all the time. Its’ been a personal favourite of my daughter for years. He use to say it to reinforce that even if there are negative repercussions for a doing a good deed one should always be govern one’s choices or actions on what is right rather than what is rewarded or praised. He believed in a turn for a turn principle and deeply believed that eventually matters would balance out in the end. I, on the other hand, am much more cynical about human nature.

I have to give credit to the anti-Zionist crowd because they never fail to miss an opportunity or a good deed to exploit a blood libel. And Wow. Just wow. This has to be heard to believed.

I have no idea how long this will be up and running, but perhaps, there is no rush as Blood Libels against Jews are really traditional – even ancient.

I was going to blog on why I would not be supporting Geert Wilders and on the mounting number of pedestrian deaths in Toronto – and maybe I will later – but I woke up late and went to read Ynet News over coffee.

 Ynet News:

WASHINGTON – Even when Israel puts itself on the front lines of medical and humanitarian aid sent to the ends of the earth and wins great praise for its professionalism in doing so, there are those who prefer to transform the act into an opportunity to spread hatred and lies at the expense of those suffering in Haiti.

(,,,)The man, who calls himself T. West, fronts a group called AfriSynergy Productions, whose declared goal is to empower the black man. The video purports to present something to think about while exploiting the horrible tragedy that has befallen Haiti to recycle false claims that IDF soldiers engage in organ trafficking. he bizarre host of the video collected praises broadcast on television channels regarding the advanced equipment and treatment the Israeli teams are providing in Haiti. After about a minute and a half of such praise, the man looks straight into the camera and made the claim that there are people operating in Haiti who do not have a conscience and are members of the search-and-rescue teams, including, he claimed, the IDF.

The man repeated the false claims that the IDF stole organs in the past from Palestinians and others. He asserted that there is very little oversight during such tragedies, and that the Haitian people must look out for their fellow citizens to protect them against international medical groups who arrived in the country “for the money.” He claimed that some people were looking to make money off the tragedy. In a conversation with Ynet, the man explained his beliefs behind the hate-filled statements he made. “I don’t have anything against Israel. I have a lot against the ideology of Zionism,” he explained. “We saw what you did in South Africa and with the Palestinians. Because of our history and the suffering of our people, I understand what the Palestinians are going through.” According to him, he is taking action “to promote positive change among Afro-Americans and in Africa.

All I can do is answer – Am Yisrael Chai!

Apparently, there is to be a decision announced today in the
Warman v. Lemire matter by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

I never got on the Free Speecher bandwagon and basically just passed the popcorn watching the show. Mostly because Marc Lemire is not a hero of mine nor is he my martyr. In fact, Lemire would never have found himself before the Canadian tribunal system in the first place if he was not giving a platform to the overwhelming white supremacist viewpoint and a place to openly cavort with the various and sundry riff raff that makes up the white supremacist movement in Canada.

I haven’t a clue as to how the decision will go. There are no heroes in this matter but if you ever wondered what the people were like who actually supported Adolphe Hitler when his Nazi party was elected to power in the 30’s – just take a long hard look on who cheers a Lemire win or cries over a Lemire loss because they are the current day German heirs whether they realize or not.