“There’s something rotten in the State of Israel” (Bilad Al-Sham Act 1, Scene 4, Line 99)

The more I think about Bibi Netanyahu and the State of Israel, the more I realize how true Marcellus was when he told Horatio that “there’s something rotten,” but this time, not in Denmark.

In the space of less than seven days, the Israeli Prime Minister has expressed a verbal interest in making peace with both the Palestinians and the Syrians.

His statements and his desires for a real and lasting peace just sound too good to be true; they sound like too much of an effort from an individual who flat-out said “NO” to the establishment of a real Palestinian state and who vowed during his electoral campaign (and other times in the past), never to return the Golan back to Syria.

99.9% of the time, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Ammou Balfour, we salute you . . . Not!

Anyone remember that old show “حدث في مثل هذا اليوم” (It happened on a day like this) that aired back in the 70’s and whose two-minute re-runs you’d see at random moments on Arabic T.V.? Well, this isn’t that program.

Same Khara, Different Administration

It’s no real surprise to anyone with even the smallest insight into the biased U.S.-Israel relationship to witness the Obama administration with all its hype, its drama and its flowery rhetoric (or Haki Fadi, Arabic for ‘Empty Talk,’ depending on who you ask), cave in to the pressure and drop its demands for Israel to halt its illegal settlement activity

C.I.A. Groundhog Day

The New York Times published an insightful piece on the state of the War in Afghanistan on today’s front page. In short: Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother to Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been made an honorary member of the world’s most coveted and notorious V.I.P. list: the C.I.A. payroll! While the announcement may come as a shock to some, the fact that Mr. Karzai has been in bed with the C.I.A. for the past eight years is the undeniable reality of the struggling and troubled American-Afghan alliance.

“But Abba, I Love Him!”

An article I read today made me ask the question: Why is it always the Israeli guy who gets the Palestinian girl?

These past few years, several film directors have focused on such a forbidden love relationship between an Israeli guy and a Palestinian girl to serve as the main story of their sometimes funny and dramatic cinematic productions.

Some of these award winning films include West Bank Story where an IDF soldier falls in love with the beautiful Hummus Hut cashier; Strangers, where an normal Israeli guy and a typical Palestinian girl from Ramallah meet onboard a train on their way to 2006 World Cup, only to be separated and driven apart as the 2006 Hezbollah war breaks out and the guy returns home as a Reserve in the IDF; and the most recent production, David and Fatima where yet another IDF soldier meets and falls in love with a local Palestinian girl.

You Betta Recognize, Son!

An old roommate recently asked me over the phone: “Hey, did you hear that Abkhazia is an officially independent country?”

The excitement in his voice and his eagerness to hear my answer were the only things I could hear in that split-second silence before I answered in the affirmative.

This former roommate, it just so happens, is an Abkhaz Circassian from Syria, the son of an Abkhaz Kabardin father and an Adigha mother.

“Circassian,” “Abkhaz,” “Adigha” were all unfamiliar terminology two years ago, but as I came to discover, Circassians have a very long history in Middle Eastern, as Mamluks, Amirs and Sultans, ruling Syria and Egypt for almost three hundred years.

Ramadan 2008 brought me the opportunity to sit down with my friend’s father, a diplomat and a high ranking Abkhaz political figure and to hear an abridged version of the past 100+ years of Circassian history.

T.E.A.M. (Turkey + Europe + Armenia = Membership)

Slovenia’s public and unwavering support for Turkey to enter the European Union is seeing some immediate results with today’s announcement that Turkey and Armenia are preparing to take the necessary steps towards re-establishing diplomatic ties after so many years of hostility and animosity.

After a short period in the dark, it’s good to see Turkey mentioned in the diplomatic sphere of recent current events.

What really surprised me though, were the grossly flawed assessments and erroneous assumptions of what would happen after these ties are established (if they ever do get set up) namely, that once Turkey and Armenia tear down their walls of enmity and build up their bridges of diplomacy, Ankara’s bid for membership in the European Union will be on one way ticket towards becoming a reality.

Hamas got wood!

From the Hanitizer, who is currently in Gaza:

Spending a few weeks in Gaza and seeing the full extent of the Hamas media control in Gaza, you can’t help but notice the success of Hamas and its propaganda efforts in the Palestinian territories and beyond.

As someone who does not hold much affection toward Hamas and its ideology (their militia killed my first cousin and mutilated his body in front of cameras) I have to give credit where credit is due.

Israel: A Jewish State for both Jewish and Non-Jewish Immigrants!!!

The first thing many who read the title will do, especially those with a more Zionist-induced mentality, is to dismiss the word “immigrants” as a mistake in the way a Jew’s decision to come to Israel is to be seen.

They will write in the comments that for a Jew, coming to Israel is not an immigration, but rather an actual “return” to one’s homeland.

The second thing they’ll venture to say is that all those who have come to Israel are Jews and so for me to say “Non-Jewish” is the second mistake from the get-go.

In the name of the Father, the Gun and the Holy Ghost, Amen.

“Jesus supports the IDF and he wants his believers to be the best soldiers they can be” is the message that the Messianic Jewish Community gave to a 28 member group of 18-year-olds who recently participated in last week’s pre-military program called Netsor, the Hebrew word for “standing vigilant.”