The Negev and Gaza

The part of Israel closest to Gaza and therefore especially vulnerable to the rockets from Gaza is the Negev.  The Negev is Israel's future. It is land inside Israel proper where there is room to grow without stepping on anyone else's sovereignty. It is not full of disputed religious shrines. It is just an underdeveloped land waiting to be developed. It is home to the Ben Gurion University of the Negev which is engaged in teaching and research not only for Israel and Jews, but for the outside world. Ben Gurion University has developed methods in water conservation  and farming which can be applied to drying up lands in Africa and elsewhere. It has done cooperative research projects with Jordan in creating a coral reef in the Red Sea. Ben Gurion's Medical School for International Health teaches students from all over the world. This is the Israel that Hamas fears and hates. Hamas probably loves the West Bank settlements which do nothing for Israel and give the Palestinian leadership the opportunity to play victim. Let us hope that one day the sane people on both sides will come together and prevail over the radicals who thrive on conflict. Meanwhile, the Hamas rockets need to be stopped militarily. There just is no other way for now.

Contribution to Academia in Israel

To the American Studies Association,
Thank you for reminding me to increase my annual end of the year contribution to the Ben Gurion University in Israel. The academic institutions of Israel have contributed much more to making the world a better place than you guys have.

Yityish Aynaw

Thank you, Yityish Aynaw for representing Israel in the Miss Universe competition and showing the world the diversity of the Jewish people. We hope to hear more from you in the future and that you will continue to make us all proud.

Anti-semitism in Malmo

In the year 2012 there was a medical meeting in Malmo, Sweden concerning a subject which particularly interests me. I did not attend because the city of Malmo has been the location of anti-Semitic physical as well as vocal attacks on the small Jewish community that lives there. To make matters worse, the mayor of Malmo, a person by the name of Ilmar Reepalu, does not recognize the anti-Semitism in his city but instead blames it on the Jewish community for not denouncing the State of Israel. That would be like blaming Catholics for not denouncing the Vatican. Why should we Jews have to denounce Israel? Mr. Reepalu wants us to be obedient to his ideas. I am sorry Mr. Reepalu. I have a brain and can think for myself. If you don't like me, I will travel elsewhere and spend my money somewhere other than in your city.

The Israel Palestine Relationship and Middle East Instability

There are people who say that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs is the root of instability in the Middle East. That is obviously incorrect. The turmoil in the Middle East is mainly due to conflict within the Arab and Moslem world, secular nationalists versus Moslem fundamentalists, Shiites versus Sunnis, and Iranians versus Arabs. The Jews have been a convenient scapegoat since before the formation of the State of Israel in 1948. If you can blame all your woes on Israel or the Jewish people, then you don't have to take responsibility for them yourself.
However, although the Israel/Palestine question is not the cause of instability in the Middle East, creating a stable relationship between Israel and Palestine that is reasonably accepted by both sides would go a long way in promoting the interests of both. It would make Israel less isolated and open Palestine to greater financial opportunities and stability. Actually with a little compromising, the common interests of both sides are greater than their differences. The cooperation that is actually going on already between Israel and the Arab world below the radar could come out into the open and blossom. It would not stop the conflicts that exist within the Arab and Moslem world, but it wouldn't hurt.

Visionary Israel

Some leaders have vision, but can't seem to make things happen on the ground. Others can pull things off on the ground but lack vision. Ehud Barak had the vision to offer Yassir Arafat the best deal that the Israeli people would have accepted at that time, but Arafat rejected it and started the Intifada. Netanyahu lacks the vision to offer the Palestinians a deal they can accept. He has the ability to keep things as they are with a temporary peace. The Israeli people are willing to accept the status quo because a temporary peace maintained by military superiority and a fence beats a present war. When Barak offered his best deal to Arafat, it was rejected. When Barak again tried to create a Palestine with a first step out of Gaza, the Palestinians elected Hamas and used Gaza as a base to fire rockets into Israel. My advice to the Palestinians is this. Cultivate and enable the visionary Israel of people like Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni, or you will be stuck with the Netanyahus.

Murder at Shopping Mall in Kenya

The mass murder by radical Moslem terrorists at a shopping mall in Kenya is an example of people who kill in the name of religion. This is not religion but a perversion of religion. The purpose of belief in God is to give meaning to life whether one is a Jew, a Moslem, a Christian, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or any other Religion. These terrorists do not give life meaning but rather promote chaos. If one would say that the opposite of God is called Satan, then Satan is who they represent.