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Thursday, December 27, 2012

CHINA ACTIVATES "BEIDOU" G.P.S. SYSTEM,

ANNOUNCING THAT THE SATELLITE G.P.S. SYSTEM IS DESIGNED FOR COMMERCIAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND MILITARY PURPOSES.

In 2000 China launched it's first satellite (coincidentally one year prior to Nine-Eleven) and now orbits sixteen satellites.

Today China announced it has activated it's "Beidou" GPS system;   by 2020 China will have launched at least thirty-five satellites.

Perhaps it's time to take the unfailing advice found in Chinese restaurant fortune cookies:  "Learn to read and speak Chinese...."


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

OBVIOUS IMPLICATIONS OF NUCLEAR IRAN, PAKISTAN, AND NORTH KOREA:

"TIC-TAC-TO (OR IS IT 'TICK-TOCK-TOW') -- THREE IN A ROW!"

Not quite there yet in drawing that connecting line from Northeast Asia (North Korea) through Central Asia (Pakistan) into Southwest Asia (Iran), China is already expanding a new game into the Pacific, claiming sovereignty over hosts of islands in all the various seas off China's coast and challenging South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and the other South Seas nations.

China itself is already stockpiled with diverse nuclear armaments;  so add to that the coming completion of China's expanded ring of nuclear military capability via it's client/proxy States.

Once China's limit was the Great Wall of China.  In 1949 China invaded and occupied Tibet, thereby expanding a second great 'wall' of China to the Himalyas de facto.  In China's eyes and more significantly in Chinese Law, Tibet is Chinese territory de juree.

It is not beyond reason to perceive that in the worldwide territorial game of "Go", there are now three great 'walls' of China: the Great Wall; the circle of mountains surrounding Siankiang in the north and Tibet in the west and south; and now the 'nuclear wall' comprising North Korea, Pakistan, and [imminently] Iran.

Let us not forget China's eyes in the sky, be they officially Chinese, nor those of contracted nations and their surrogates;  need the appropriate biblical metaphor [and therefore solution] be spelled out?

Sunday, December 23, 2012

CAN WE PREDICT WHAT THE NEW EGYPT WILL LOOK LIKE, IF MORSI AND HIS NEW CONSTITUTION SURVIVE?

HOW DOES MORSI'S NEW CONSTITUTION FOR EGYPT COMPARE TO THAT OF TURKEY?

A cogent understanding of the significance of the new Egyptian Constitution and Government may be learned out by making a comparison to the Turkish Constitution and Government.  The Turkish Government is by an Islamist party elected under a pre-existing secular Constitution.  Despite Islamist leanings, Turkey is still a member nation of NATO, and still has relations with Israel (strained of course by the Turkish role in the Mavi Marmara Incident).  A study of the new Egyptian Constitution in comparison and contrast to that of the Turkish Constitution may reveal the true meaning of the new Egyptian Constitution and, may make it possible to predict, whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood has become a kinder, gentler, more democratic influence in Egypt and in the region, or, whether on not the Muslim Brotherhood is without doubt merely the Hamas of Egypt.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

REVIEWING THE PROPOSITION THAT THE U.N. SHOULD GRANT NON-MEMBER OBSERVER STATUS TO TIBET...

SUCH A PROPOSITION MAY BE SUPERFICIALLY APPEALING BUT SUBSTANTIALLY WEAK.

The idea of non-member observer status at the UN for Tibet may or may not be uniquely mine, and I do not know, if it has ever been a goal of the Dalai Lama;  I do know that the Dalai Lama has publicly expressed his wish that China allow Tibet to function as an autonomous region of China.

It may be that non-member observer status at the UN, rather than furthering the cause of Tibet against Chinese Occupation, would instead put the lid on both Tibetan autonomy and independence.  Any such internationally legal voice gained by the Dalai Lama under the aegis of a theoretically independent Tibet having non-member observer status could be a voice less substantial than the wind, having no territorial hegemony.

The Dalai Lama may have chosen the harder, longer, more painful, more difficult, ultimately necessary road -- the road of the Tibetan Buddhist, may it lead to the reconstitution of Tibet.

IN RECONSIDERATION OF THE MEANING AND IMPLICATIONS OF NON-MEMBER OBSERVER STATUS AT THE U.N. FOR THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY...

A STATE OF PALESTINE, OR, A THEOCRATIC STATE OF EAST JERUSALEM?

Given the unlikelihood that the budding Third Intifada will lead to lasting unification of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and given that the inevitable result must be either a temporary or permanent  "Pax Yisrael" in both Gaza and Judea-Samaria, a State of Palestine under the Palestinian Authority is unlikely.  And Hamas is not [yet] recognized by the UNGA with respect to the non-member observer status of the Palestinian Authority.

There is increasing momentum for the PA and Hamas to come together in a Third Intifada, and talk that the military cooperation between the PA and Israel will soon be ended unilaterally by the PA, so the future therefore is quite tenuous.  It is not impossible to imagine that a Third Intifada will mean that both Hamas and the PA will be brought down once again by Israel, and that Israel will exert even stronger and more justifiable hegemony over Gaza and Judea-Samaria.  Nor is it impossible to imagine that Jordan and Egypt will either step in or be called upon to incorporate the "West Bank" (Judea-Samaria) and Gaza into their respective contiguous nations ("Back to the Future", so to speak).

So what then of East Jerusalem and the Haram-es-Sharif?  In the context of the present dubious equivalence between the status of the PA and that of The Holy See (The Vatican), as both the PA and The Holy See are legally of the same UN non-member observer status, the precedence of The Vatican as a theocratic State implies the possibility that there could be a transformation [from the presently  intended move to create a fully-fledged UN Member State of Palestine] to instead create a theocratic State of East Jerusalem under the political and religious authority of the Waqf and the Mufti of Jerusalem.  This is a logical implication for the future of East Jerusalem that cannot be ignored.

ANTICIPATING THE ARMED, DEADLY ANTHILL AND CRYPT OF A "HOLY CITY OF EAST JERUSALEM" (12/23/2012)

The Jihadist habit of tunneling is well known throughout the world.  Whether this tunneling be by Al-Quaeda in Afghanistan and in Pakistan or, by Hamas, the PLO, and Hezbollah in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon, the hazard is relentless.  Just imagine the Jihadist catacombs that already lace the Temple Mount and that may snake throughout East Jerusalem and throughout the entire City of Jerusalem.

"Do you know?  Don't you wonder?  What's going on... down under you???" (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

(1) ANSWERING FAYYAD'S CALL FOR A BOYCOTT OF ALL THINGS ISRAEL, AND (2) CHALLENGING U.N.G.A. RECOGNITION OF A PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY LED "OBSERVER STATE OF PALESTINE."

MAKING THE BEST OF THESE TWO WRONGS AGAINST ISRAEL AND THE FREE WORLD.


Israel has done much to support Abbu Mazzan (Mahmoud Abbas), Salam Fayyad, Hanan Asrawi, and the Palestinian Authority they lead.  Support has included political support, military support, and financial support.  Yet in less than thirty days the Palestinian Authority has twice spit on the Jewish hands lifting them up.

 (1) THE BOYCOTT INVOCATION

Israeli Premier Netanyahu should hold an international press conference and respond to Salam Fayyad's call for a boycott of all things Israel.

PM Netanyahu's response should be firm, yet compassionate, and should be designed to transform the invocative and provocative negative of the Arab-proposed boycott of Israel into a positive result.  PM Netanyahu should put forth a joyful, compelling, constructive call for the world to go out of it's way to visit the Holy Land this holiday season.  Customarily, at  this time of year, Jews and Arabs host throngs of tourists on pilgrimage tours to the Holy Land.  There is no better way to transcend the disturbed political airs than to remember that every day on the ground, ordinary Arabs and Israelis are remarkably hospitable and needing of the economic blessings of ordinary tourism and commerce.

Now, the Arab call for a boycott of all things Israel may or may not have been planned by the Arabs prior to and independently of Israel's response to UNGA recognition of an "Observer State of Palestine" [Israel froze $400-million NIS of PA taxes (collateral for money owed by the PA to Israel for utility services already provided) and commenced the  building of houses for Israelis on land the Arabs claim is theirs].

The Israeli actions are justified and overdue and are even relatively mute in the face of Arab behavior;  yet, Israel must be wary of the obsequious nature of Arab provocation, such as this call for a boycott of all things Israel.  Just as the Arabs establish their missile sites in their own olive groves in order to publicly decry olive grove destruction by Israel, when in self-defense Israel attacks these missile sites;  just as the Arabs establish their terror cells among their own civilians in order to decry the harm to civilians at the hand of Israel, when Israel attacks these terror cells in self-defense;  so too the Arabs find all manner of public propaganda ploys to distort reality and focus negative attention on Israel;  this call for a boycott of all things Israel may be such a ploy.

Therefore, while remaining firm where necessary, Israel may yet be warm, openhearted, and positive by inviting the world to come to the Holy Land.  PM Netanyahu may remind the world that the best way for the world to practice peacemaking in the Holy Land is to support the economy of the Holy Land by coming to the Holy Land and by enjoying all that the Holy Land offers in this season of the message of peace.

Much of the hospitality hosted in the Holy Land is hosted by Arabs, not only Jews.  Such an invitation to the world by PM Netanyahu, such an invitation to kindness inclusive of the average Arab struggling to make a living from day to day, may do much to diffuse animosity towards both Israel and PM Netanyahu, be that animosity local or out in the larger world.

(2) AN OBSERVER STATE OF PALESTINE

For the third time in recent years the UNGA has ramped up the prestige and legitimacy of Arab terrorism.  Twice it has empowered the PA with respect to the UN History and Antiquites Authority;  and now the UN has elevated the PA into the status of a recognized Observer State.

Setting aside Arab theft of the name "Palestine" from our Jewish Nation -- (though it is a name of humiliation, "Palestine" is a second name for the State of Israel, a name of occupation, forced by Ancient Rome upon Ancient Israel) -- by what insanity and by what precedent has the UNGA granted Observer State status to the PA?

There is no unified political authority for all of the Palestinian Arabs (e.g. it is Hamas that has the popular, financial, and authoritative rule in Gaza);  so, on what basis may the UNGA represent, even to it's own body, that the PA is the legitimate authority for any proposed Arab State of Palestine? 

No less important is this precedent:  the only preceding  Observer State at the UN is the theocratic State known as The Holy See (i.e. The Vatican).   Based on such a theocratic precedent, logic implies that the UNGA would more likely grant Observer Status to Hamas, not to the PA, as theocratic leadership is an Hamas hallmark (not that terrorist Hamas is any more worthy of a State than the PA).  Is it the intent of the UNGA to elevate Abbas, Fayyad, and Asrawi to the stature of the Pope?

And then there is the glaring omission at the UNGA -- that Tibet does not have recognition as an Observer State, nor does the Dali Lama have the appropriate international theocratic respect he deserves.

Legally, it should be clear and obvious that, by precedent of The Vatican, Tibet should be granted status as an Observer State.  The Dalai Lama, though in exile, deserves equivalent theocratic status at the UN to that of the Pope (despite the existence of a figurehead placed in that role by Tibet's occuppier, China).  Tibet has suffered forced occupation by China for more than half a century; yet, the Tibetan response to Chinese occupation has honorably and enduringly been non-violent in keeping with the non-violent philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism.


Were the UNGA behaving honestly, it would not give the PA a moment of credibility, and would shift it's focus towards the needs of the People of Tibet.


IN SUMMARY:


Israel's response to Fayyad's boycott provocation should be a compassionate, positive, inviting call for the world to support the economy of Holy Land by visiting both Jewish and Arab hosted sites in the Holy Land.


Israel's response to UNGA recognition of the OSP (Observer State of Palestine) should be to represent to the ICJ (International Court of Justice) in Brussels that there is neither basis nor precedent for the UNGA to recognize an OSP  and that the UNGA vote therefore must needs be struck down by the ICJ.

Friday, August 17, 2012

STEAM AND THE PRESSURE COOKER

ARAB AUTUMN IN RELATION TO ISRAEL

Events in Syria, which country is a pressure cooker boiled over into violence, have presently stirred the media into a daily frenzy of speculation that Israel will attack Iran.  Iran is the force behind Hezbollah and Syria, and Iran is a pending nuclear threat to the entire Middle East.  The Shia threat of the Syrian regime and the Iranian regime does not negate the also serious Sunni threat of other nations surrounding Israel, such threat being ever sustained on the ground actively from such terrorist groups as Hamas,  Al Quaeda, etc.

Israel is at the geographic center of much Muslim on Muslim violence, having the appearance of being the eye of the storm, even though Israel has little or nothing to do with that violence -- though to hear the nations of the world speak, one would think Israel was at fault for the slightest appearance of violence anywhere anytime, either explicitly or implicitly.

There has been much talk of "Arab Spring" and more recently talk of "Arab Winter".  It is premature yet to speak of Arab Winter, but, it may be appropriate to speak of "Arab Autumn".  A new relative stability may replace the prior relative stability.  Or a temporary stability may sooner or later yield to even deeper instability.  The present "Hot Arab Summer" could have been profoundly hotter, though Syria is still a wide open caldron.

Will Israel attack Iran?  The world at large may be projecting it's  own fears and desires onto Israel, such that the world in all it's ambivalence may be understood to fear the outbreak of war with Iran and yet to simultaneously be goading Israel into initiating that war.   

Monday, April 30, 2012

CONDOLENCES TO P.M. NETANYAHU.

AND LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM ARIK SHARON

On Yom Shayni this week a great leader of Israel -- the father of PM Netanyahu -- transcended into the Olam HaBah.  Benzion Netanyahu left us at age 102 to bring to us future blessings directly MinHaShemayim.  Today is Yom Gevurah Sh'b'Netzach 5772.

Sincerest of condolences to the Netanyahu family and to Bibi in particular, who as PM shoulders the safety of Israel, and who must do so now without his living father at his side.  Baruch HaShem, the legacy of Benzion Netanyahu is strong, present, and sustainable into the future.

Two quotes from Barry Goldwater (of blessed memory) come to mind from 1964 a propos of this day:  "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice... moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue..." and, "There are no old, bold pilots."  Extreme, bold love unmoderated is what is called for right now in Israel.

We must remind ourselves that it is only as a widower that Arik Sharon caved before the chicanery of Ehud Olmert leading to the giveaway of Gaza.  The consequences of this surrender led to the infested control of Gaza by Hamas and of Lebanon by Hezbullah; to the displacement of thousands of families Jewish and Arab; to the incessant rain of Qassam rockets into southern Israel from Gaza; to the kidnappings of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev; to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War; to the so-called "Freedom Flotillas" including the incident of the Mavi Mamara; to the necessary Israeli incursions into Gaza in 2008 and 2009; and to more than one "partridge in a pear tree...."

Now,  Israel is surrounded by massive generational tumult in every Arab nation.  It is called the "Arab Spring" and is a spring that has sprung for more than a year now with questionable historical direction.  May it yet bring the world Good and not Evil.

Also now, without respect even to Shiva Week for his father, PM Netanyahu is being blasted from Israel's Left with vulgar attacks upon his quality, credibility, and capability as PM.

This Blog calls for Israel's beloved PM Netanyahu not to cave before those, who would cease upon this moment, the death of his father, to politic and to undermine the Government of Israel.

This Blog further calls on PM Netanyahu to fully observe the Shiva Week, Shloshim, and first Year of the passing of his father and to not be distracted away from full observance by his detractors and the enemies of Israel.  That observance should include a firm, stealthy, quieter strategy towards Iran.  It should also include a firm and quiet strategy to detain, contain, and restrain Israel's Left from any gains it may seek via the technical process of elections.  Such Observance may be made manifest, if it is motivated, engaged, and brought forth in a spirit of intelligent love, be it Ahavas Yisrael or Ahavas Goyim.  And Ahavas practiced with Gevurah (if and only when appropriate and in appropriate measure) will and shall succeed.

The Nation of Israel should view the passing of Benzion Netanyahu in a proper and holy way:  not as an open window of opportunity for the destruction of PM Netanyahu and of the Government of Israel; but, as a closed casket of national heartbreak requiring a year of subdued national grief and unity.

Israel should also continue to pray for the recovery of Arik Sharon from his coma, even and especially now after all this time since his stroke in 2006.

Shalom v'Ahavas l'Mishpachah Netanyahu!


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

PURIM AND PESACH 5772: POLLARD, SHALIT, AND IRAN...

...AND SYRIA, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, KASHMIR, SIANKIANG, NORTH KOREA, CHINA, AND TIBET.

PESACH is now here and Purim is come and gone a month ago. We look now for revelations (or at least hints) of the hidden miracles that HaShem has set in motion for imminent realization.

And so, listening to the news from Israel today, there is talk in the air once again that JONATHAN POLLARD may be freed; it is said that both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres are communicating with President Obama on this subject. If and only if Pollard's treason was unforgivable should Pollard remain locked away; otherwise, Pollard should have been on a plane for Israel long ago. Anything less is cruel. President Obama will be accused of political dealing, regardless of any decision to free or not free Pollard. So, President Obama should take a deep breath, hold his nose, and just do the right thing: he should free Pollard immediately, and he should do so without thought to political gain.

GILAD SHALIT has been free now for approximately six months. He has put on some healthy weight and there is now a soft, humble, welcome smile to his face. May he go from strength to strength, and may Jonathan Pollard and wife be in Israel together and be imminently blessed to join Gilad Shalit at a Pesach table before Pesach concludes this Shabbos.

IRAN and SYRIA are on everyone's mind. May the Assad regime disappear quickly from Syria. May the increasing pressure that the USA applies to Iran cause Iran's present political tyranny to implode. Without any nuclear accidents nor incidents nor war, may there be a yield in Iran of a new, democratic, rights- respecting regime. May such a new regime be bold and immediately set a precedent for other Islamic nations by recognizing Israel.

May IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN follow suit.

May KASHMIR become free of terror.

May CHINA be wise and end it's occupations of SIANKIANG and TIBET.

May China never come to occupy AFGHANISTAN and therefore the waters of Central Asia.

May China end it's occupation of Siankiang and thus ease the tensions to violence in Afghanistan.

May China end it's occupation of Tibet and thus ease the tensions to violence along the Himalyas into Pakistan, Kashmir, India, and Southeast Asia.

May China end it's occupation of Tibet and return the physical, political, and spiritual security of the headwaters of the nations of Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China into the safe, respectful, loving robes of Buddhist Tibet.

China has nothing to prove to the world militarily and should free it's mind of dull, deadly, provocative military devotion to it's own military expansion and that of it's proxies (e.g. North Korea, Iran). In the great traditions of Lao Tzu and Confucious, China honor it's Ancestors and inspire the world in unexpected, non-violent, spiritual ways.