Motzei Shabbat, Saturday evening

High speed Internet access makes it very easy to listen to radio from Israel. As I write it's 6:07 Sunday morning there 8:07 p.m. Saturday night here; I just heard the six a.m. news. So as Shabbat winds down here, Israel starts up its work week. It is quite striking to me how much my rhythm remains connected to Israel. For example, last Sunday we had an orientation at school, so the week was Sunday-Thursday, just as in Israel.

Sunday morning begins the new school year in Israel for the public schools. And Tuesday begins my school year at HUC in earnest; last week was a week long intensive on the academic study of religion. It was a comprehensive review (such that you can do in four days) of the social theorists of the 19th century.

Unfortunately after all of that great learning I got a little sick this weekend and I've been laying low all day today. But I realized it had been some time since I've posted and even though I have many thoughts on my mind, I'm going to keep it short. I will share, however, that next week at this time I will be the "student rabbi" at my congregation in the Northwest. I received the congregation's bulletin today and was shocked to see a big headline: Meet the Rabbi! Our New Student Rabbi Arrives. Wow, is this ever real!

Yom Re-vi-i, Wednesday


People here in the States, mostly Jews concerned with Israel, have expressed to me their optimism that this so-called Hudna would hold. I resolutely respond that the Hudna is an opportunity for the terrorists to continue their preparations for more terrorism. The PA has no control over the terrorist infrastructure...read on from this morning's Ha'Aretz:

Analysis: Ze'ev Schiff on Abbas, Dahlan and failure of hudna


By Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz Correspondent

Following the understandings reached at the end of
last week between Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and
his Palestinian counterpart Mohammed Dahlan, the
Palestinian Authority's security chief began
making phone calls to Islamic Jihad and Hamas
leaders.

Dahlan tried to convince the
senior militants to do all they
could to prevent terror attacks
against Israel, thus preserving
his achievements in his
meetings with Mofaz, namely the
transfer of security control of
four West Bank cities,
including Ramallah, to PA
security control.



Everyone made promises to Dahlan, yet the deadly
suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Tuesday night
is proof that they did not keep their word.
Tuesday's attack, the first such incident since
the declaration of the hudna (cease-fire) at
the end of June, marks a personal failure for
PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and
for Dahlan himself.

At the end of last week, defense and political
sources had expressed a slim, momentary hope
that appeasing the PA would yield results. But
the attack proves once more that the cease-fire
is fake. It now looks as if the voices may of
those who warn that a terror-state may be
established alongside Israel grow strong, and
that this outcome must be prevented despite its
inclusion in the road map.

Generally speaking, it is not important which of
the terror groups was responsible for the
attack. Whether it was Islamic Jihad -
according to an anonymous spokesman speaking
on Hezbollah's radio station, Fatah's Tanzim
gangs, or Hamas.

The territories are teeming with activity, and
despite the hudna, large amounts of cash are
being transferred to bribe people into carrying
out terror attacks.

Iran is using Hezbollah in Lebanon to transfer
funds that reach Islamic Jihad and Fatah
militants; funding also finds its way to those
organizations from those close to PA chairman
Yasser Arafat, who in effect controls (directly
or indirectly) Tanzim's operational apparatus.


Arafat controls the funds that arrive unchecked
from Europe. Dahlan's preventive security
organization also uses the funds, for the
purpose of preventing terror attacks. The
Palestinian security minister is getting
financial support himself, likely from the
American administration, which he uses to buy
off Fatah bands and their leaders and pay for
their guns, thereby taking them out of the
circle of terror.

This deterioration in Palestinian society -
which maintains only an extremely thin layer at
its top that is called the "Palestinian
Authority" - strengthens those who think that
it is impossible to control what happens in the
territories. A similar deterioration occurred
when the Palestinians started the civil war in
Lebanon, and the same happened when they caused
large-scale clashes in Jordan.

In light of Tuesday's terror attack, it seems
that the Israeli leadership will do everything
in its power not to move on to the
implementation of the second stage of the road
map, in the course of which a Palestinian state
is to be established prior to the sides
negotiating the final settlement issues.

Yet even before this question is addressed, the
government and defense establishment will have
to deal with the question of Israel's reaction
to the attack.

Israel has faced similar situations in the past,
after the attack on a discotheque on Tel Aviv's
seaside promenade in June 2001 and at Netanya's
Park Hotel during Passover 2002, as well as
after other deadly attacks.

These terror attacks were carried out prior to
the declaration of the hudna. The immediate
temptation in Israel will surely be to embark
on a large-scale military operation, yet the
solution does not lie there; it looks as if a
series of responses will be carried out, rather
than a single large-scale move.

Yom Shilishi, Tuesday

Late Tuesday night here. . .it's already light in Jerusalem as yet another day dawns in mourning for what is being described as the worst suicide bombing yet...And in Bagdad, the UN building is smoldering after being bombed, killing several, including the top diplomat, a career diplomat who was highly respected.

When I heard the news this morning about the UN, I was sickened. . .and when I was called at nearly noon LA time (ten pm Jerusalem time) I was shaken up. You see, my relationship to Israel and the people of Jerusalem is forever changed. The people murdered were people who I saw in my daily life. We probably agree on nothing--religion, politics, anything--but it is another day when Jewish blood has been spilled in our Holy City. It is a incredibly sad and horrifying day for all who love Jerusalem and the State of Israel. And being so far away feels strange.

May God comfort the mourners among Zion and Israel.

Yom Shilishi, Tuesday

Two more dead in Israel, two more suicide bombings, two 17 year olds blown to smithereens now being lauded by their communities. Abbas (the so-called Prime Minister who was at the White House a few weeks ago) blames the terrorism on Israel. Newly-released prisioners celebrate. Sorry if you want to call me cynical, but it's a tough neighborhood that Israel finds herself in.

To repeat something from an earlier post, one of the main items that illuminated the so-called "process" for peace is that the Palestinians constantly are moving the ball. Now the issues, not part of the "Road Map" are the security fence (gee, I wonder why Israel wants to build a fence to keep teenagers out who want to blow themselves up) and prisoner release. Last week the LA Times ran an article about how the prisoner release was nothing more than a "token gesture" on behalf of Israel. Yet the Palestinians are making these two issues...the fence and the prisoners...front and center. Where is the attention on the inability of Abbas to crack down on terrorist militant murderous crazies which IS part of the Road Map.

Terrorism is not the road map to creating a Palestinian state. And I'm sure Arafat is sitting in Ramalla with a gleeful smile on his face while he "condemns" the latest incident. . .

Yom Shani, Monday, 11 August

Just returned from Portland, Oregon which is one of America's most beautiful cities. It was a pleasure to be there and to see my friend from high school and college, Craig, his lovely wife Jan and their two beautiful children who I got to meet for the first time.

My classmate Josh was married to Channah yesterday afternoon...and the weather cooperated beautifully.

It was great to see lots of friends from Israel and to enjoy the Northwest climate. . .