spas stories

Dropping Leaflets in Arabic near Lebanese Homes

spasticfreakshow — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:16:25 GMT

little known fact about the war in progress: Israel is dropping leaflets on residential buildings that we bomb in Lebanon, warning residents that they have been used as human shields by Hizbullah until now, but in a few hours we will bomb the building, so civilians should get out. why would we do this? doesn't it negate the purpose? hizbullah will be able to get out as well, which they indeed have been doing. well, we do this bc our military operates on more humane principles than other armies, as our religion actually influences what our army is allowed to do and we are not allowed to target civilians. but what actually happens here? Lebanese security forces, seeing the parachutes dropping from the sky, run to the site and collect the leaflets, supposedly to contain the israeli 'propaganda' and to stop the public from panicking?!? wtf? the Lebanese government is killing its own citizens on purpose (for what possible gain?) and we are sickened to have a hand in it. i am hearing about the warning leaflets in the israeli news all the time, but from watching CNN, i would gather that mainstream americans/europeans/etc are not being told. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22lebanese+security%22%2Bleaflets%2Bparachutes

how Kabballah fits into Judaism & how it parallels Christian ideas

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 19:10:13 GMT

consider this a public thread and feel free to disagree. My Dad and a Rabbi friend of his, visiting Israel from Ohio for a bit, were talking at dinner tonight about how the Sephiroth could be compared to the Holy Trinity. The ideas of various aspects of G-d, the ways of contacting G-d. Kabballah is the mystical way of perceiving Judaism. This is why you can't convert to Kabballah, though you can join a Kabballah cult, which is known as the Kabballah Center. Madonna and the other celebrity Kabballists belong to this cult, which is not considered Jewish by any rabbis - rather it is out there with Jews for Jesus and the Messianic Jews - in the wannabe Jew movement. The leaders of the Kabballah Center in Israel were arrested for extorting money from their patrons and are now in jail, yet to my knowledge Jewish groups are not choosing to insult Madonna and her famous friends in any way. Yet my Dad and the rabbi were saying that most of the famous rabbis have been Kabballists, and more than half the Hareidim (the ultra-orthodox) are into Kabballah. NOT that we practice it as it was practiced in 16th century Safed, with vegetarianism, incense and the like (recently bombed by Hizbullah in Lebanon, most of Safed is currently evacuated or in bomb shelters). I said I think the worship of the holy rabbis is akin to idol worship (one of the most grievous sins) and they cited people laying down on the grave sites of famous rabbis. It is bizarre how they go on pilgrimages to these sites; some super-famous rabbis are buried in Tiberias, next to the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias was just bombed and then entirely evacuated) Then we talked about Jesus or Mary statues that people pilgrimage to see and how both Jews and Christians rationalize this not being idol worship with the same logic (flawed in my opinon). (There are many shrines to Jesus around the Sea of Galilee because this is where Jesus gave food and wine to masses and many other famous Jesus events) Then they laughed about how many things are parallel in these two religions and I laughed. Never thought I'd hear that from my Dad.

no bomb shelter in my building

spasticfreakshow — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:38:53 GMT

it's really rare to come across a building with no bomb shelter, but my building is 100 years old or so. got my keys to my new apartment today, so maybe i will begin sleeping there, even with no furniture, as it does have a bomb shelter. haifa, nahariya, safed, all places i have been in the last month - nowhere near any disputed territories with palestinians - have all been bombed by hizbullah today. nobody i know has been killed in the last week or two. but almost all the men younger than my dad are leaving work and going to reserve duty (the soldiers kidnapped in lebanon were likely on reserve duty, judging by their ages, 26 and 31, but this hasn't been announced yet). cities are emptying out and the shekel is plunging, yet i suppose there are still israel-haters who say we shouldn't defend ourselves. sickos. at the same time, i feel, and i think most israelis feel, that if lebanon had simply kicked out hizbullah, we'd have made peace with them long ago. no animosity on either side. gwb may be borderline retarded, but he was right when he called iran an axis of evil. i don't remember things ever being this bad here.

More than 112 millimeters of rain fell in Jerusalem

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 16:52:30 GMT

in the last 24 hours. Five people were killed and many others left injured Sunday when heavy rain caused flash-flooding throughout the country. One lady gave birth in an ambulance, stuck due to floods. And I thought it was just me and my usual insanity keeping me hiding inside from the rain.

if sharon dies, we are so fucked!

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:43:01 GMT

we'll be as screwed as the palestinians, who only realized after arafat's death that they had no strong leader to replace him. they're still suffering horribly due to a lack of leadership, that is their biggest problem - even they know that now. we're about to have the same exact problem, g-d forbid sharon should not fully recover. it's too scary to even think about, yet weirdly, like the palestinians before us, we never thought it could happen until now. it never occurred to us that he could be taken from us. (yeah, i don't care if you don't follow israeli events and think he's a war criminal. if you think that, you just don't understand the situation on the ground.) he's the only one who can fix the situation here. mubarak said it in those words recently and the palestinians have too, believe it or not. we really don't have another good candidate. everyone here trusts him. we'll let HIM evacuate the west bank. someone else, no way. ugh. please g-d, let sharon be o.k. - an entire nation prays.

Play with me at Uncyclopedia? Is this Funny?

spasticfreakshow — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:35:53 GMT

If you consider yourself *very informed about the Israeli/Palestinian situation *funny as heck *a person who likes to play with SpasticFreak then perhaps you'd like to help me create a few entries, which I've started writing and I think are rather funny so far? (if this isn't you, still click the links and post here for: brings the funny or not funny at all, wtf were you thinking? Arab-Israeli Conflict (video game) http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israeli_Conflict_%28video_game%29 Shimon Peres http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Shimon_Peres

Israel sending emergency supplies, volunteers to U.S.

spasticfreakshow — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 15:41:31 GMT

The Bush administration has accepted Israel's offers of assistance to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, with a first shipment of supplies expected to be sent on Tuesday. Israel will send a search and rescue team, military rations and other emergency supplies to the United States to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, officials said Monday. In the first stage, Israel is to deliver IDF-type "battle ration" field meals, preserved food, water, tents, generators, baby formula, diapers and bedding. At the same time, a team of 25 volunteer medical, search-and-rescue and mental health workers will leave for Louisiana on Tuesday. The non-governmental aid is being organized by the "Israeli Flying Aid" group. "Israel was one of the first nations to offer relief aid, if not the first," said Israeli Ambassador to Washington Danny Ayalon, citing letters from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to President George Bush and the secretaries of state, defense, and homeland security. "Even if it will be modest aid, even if it will be symbolic aid, it is still very important. The flag at the Israeli embassy in Washington will be lowered to half-mast in memory of the victims of the disaster in line with flags throughout the United States, Ayalon said. Israeli diplomats are working on an emergency footing. "We will continue to be in contact with the administration and with the [Jewish] communities in the field," he told Israel Radio. Apart from extending aid to Jewish evacuees from New Orleans, "We were happy to locate three missing Israelis yesterday," he said. "To our sorrow, we still know of two [Israelis] missing in the Houston area." Envoy: Special pullout aid will not be cut Ayalon dismissed Israeli media reports that the massive aid needs engendered by the disaster could cut or cancel the $2 billion in special U.S. financial aid promised Israel in connection with the disengagement. "Absolutely not. On the contrary. America will continue to be America, great and strong, a superpower with global interests, and one of those interests was always strengthening Israel, and has supported the disengagement. I don't see any connection between these matters." However, Ayalon added, "Of course, we are not about to bother them about this at the moment, because at the moment we are busy dealing with ways that we can help them." A delegation of defense and health experts accompanying the first shipment of supplies will be headed by the director-general of the Health Ministry and the chief of the IDF Medical Corps, said Health Minister Danny Naveh. "We are organizing this morning in order to respond to all the needs that the Americans request," said Health Minister Danny Naveh. "We are well-schooled in this matter, having sent relief aid to disaster-stricken countries around the world. In this case, with our greatest friend, we will certainly do everything in our power, with everything we can." "We know that when we have been in distress in the past, in wars and other difficult periords, the United States stood at our side. At a time when the U.S. is undergoing so terrible a disaster, it is the most natural, human thing for us to stand up and do what we can with our modest powers, the little that we have, in order to help."

Hamas to move attacks to West Bank and Jerusalem

spasticfreakshow — Sat, 20 Aug 2005 16:00:35 GMT

the only thing this does is make us think leaving gaza was a mistake not to be repeated. stupid fucks. By Reuters The Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas said on Saturday it would fight to drive Israel out of the West Bank and Jerusalem after Israel completes its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. "Gaza is not Palestine," a masked spokesman for Hamas's armed wing told a news conference in Gaza City. "As for Jerusalem and the West Bank, we will seek to liberate them by resistance just as the Gaza Strip was liberated," said the spokesman, surrounded by gunmen and militants with rocket launchers. He did not explicitly say Hamas, committed to destroying Israel, planned to abandon a truce at the end of 2005. Militants had agreed to respect a ceasefire until the end of the year at the behest of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who wanted to ensure a quiet withdrawal from Gaza - due to end next week. The pullout is seen by the Palestinian leadership and international community as a step towards reviving negotiations on statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But militants see the first removal of settlements from land Palestinians want for a state as a victory for an armed uprising that surged after peace talks failed in 2000. Israel has said there can be no talks before the dismantling of groups like Hamas, the biggest faction behind suicide bombings, shootings and rocket attacks during the uprising. Abbas hopes to coax the militants along a political track and Hamas is expected to make a strong showing in parliamentary elections scheduled for January 25, 2006, but the group has rejected an question of disarmament. "Our arms removed the Zionist enemy and therefore we will not abandon our weapons and we will not hand the over to anybody," said the Hamas spokesman. He said the issue "was not up for discussion." At the same time, Hamas said it had no intention of clashing with Palestinian security forces. Palestinians welcome Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, but fear it is a ruse to hold onto large West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem - which Palestinians want for their capital and Sharon says Israel will never relinquish.

Almost Completely Out of Gaza Already

spasticfreakshow — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 09:20:15 GMT

and many people here are happy about it, now it's almost over. So many soldiers are in hospitals bc of settler violence, so many settlers in jail - again I say the world will never understand how hard it was for us to force those Jews from their homes - some of those towns were built in '46 on land purchased from Arabs living there. Yet the majority of Israelis supported disengagement because too many mainstream Israelis were dying as soldiers trying to protect those settlers. We were unwilling to continue shedding our blood for them. And we do pray for peace. This is a pro-peace rally/parade in Tel Aviv...the signs say Israel is Leaving Gaza.

Today Israel Begins to Pull Out of Gaza

spasticfreakshow — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 20:31:51 GMT

here a soldier comforts a settler as they remove the sacred items from their synagogue and attempt to dismantle the structure. it's very depressing and very scary. that's what i'm saying, not what might happen or will there be peace, but just that i'm scared and freaked out. the buildup to this, the three weeks before tisha b'av, have been somewhat nervewracking in jerusalem, though there has been good too, like the party at the army base, mentioned last post. today life changes. Ariel (Arik) Sharon's speech today (i'm genuinely moved, i hope the old turtle keeps his pm job) -the haaretz translation: By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent , and Haaretz Service Addressing the nation in a televised speech Monday evening, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the dispute over the disengagement has caused deep scars in Israeli society. He said that Israel could not expect to hold on to Gaza forever and that the unilateral pullout is Israel's answer to the current reality. "It is no secret that I, like many others, believed and hoped that we would be able to hold onto Netzarim and Kfar Darom forever," Sharon said. "The changing reality in the country, the region, and the world required a different assessment and a change in [my] position." The evacuation of settlers from Gaza that the withdrawal was vital despite the pain it caused, he said, and vowed the "harshest response ever" to any attack by Palestinian militants after the pullout. "This act is essential for Israel. Believe me, the pain I feel with this act is the full realisation that we must do it," Sharon said. "We cannot hold onto Gaza forever, more than a milion Palestinians live there... crowded in refugee camps, poverty and hotbeds of hatred with no hope on the horizon." Sharon also said the entire nation stands behind Israel Defense Forces soldiers and is proud of them. "Standing before you is a difficult mission, not an enemy but brothers and sisters," the prime minister said, addressing the security forces. "We are reducing the daily friction between the victims of both sides," Sharon said. "The IDF will redeploy in defense lines behind the security fence. Those who continue to fight us will be met by the IDF and the security forces in their full force." "The world is waiting for the Palestinian response -- a hand stretched out to peace or the fire of terror," the prime minister said. "To an outstretched hand we will respond with an olive branch." Sharon added that the disengagement will enable the country to turn its attention away from security matters and to focus instead on social and economic problems, namely closing the gaps between the rich and the poor. In comments aimed towards the evacuees, Sharon said: "Whatever disagreements there will be between us, we will not abandon you and after the evacuation, we will do all to rebuild your lives and your communities." On Sunday night, Sharon held his final consultations with senior military and intelligence officials before the disengagement process gets underway. "The plans are known, you are all ready, and we aren't changing the timetable," Sharon said. During his meeting Sunday, Sharon expressed firmness regarding the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip while mentioning his concerns about his position within the Likud party. Sharon on Sunday told a delegation of about 20 legislators from the U.S. Democratic Party that he was determined to implement the decision of the cabinet and the will of the Knesset to carry out the disengagement. He said it would take a few weeks to complete, during which it was to be expected that attempts would be made to disrupt normal life in Israel. The prime minister told the visitors that he was experiencing serious political problems and that he had lost the majority within his party, but that he believed he would overcome the difficulties. He expressed hope that the disengagement would be carried out smoothly and that the Palestinians would live up to the promises they made during coordination meetings with Israeli officials.

ALL LIFE IS ONE

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 24 Jul 2005 21:50:38 GMT

"Oneness is like the clear blue sky- everything arises, unfolds, and subsides within its all-compassionate love. Oneness is our real Self. Everything is an aspect of Oneness. And our quest to know this comes from Oneness. Abhinavagupta on the teachings of Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=oneness&btnG=Search though you might attribute it to my hippy-trolling-style, you'd be only partly right. i'm subliminally programming you to consider the possibility that all life is one and deeply interconnected. this is so profound and so powerful that it should dramatically alter our day-to-day lives the more we struggle to understand this ultimate unity in which we exist. please think for a moment and remember that we are all brothers and sisters, all life is one. then, when you've thought about oneness & you every day for a week, you may ask your dentist to remove the radio chip in your left rear molar.

German Jewish comedy sweeps Berlin film prize awards

spasticfreakshow — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 12:28:32 GMT

First German Jewish comedy since WWII sweeps Berlin film prize awards By Reuters BERLIN - A light-hearted comedy lampooning Jewish life in Germany and shattering post-war taboos in the process stole the show at the German Film Prize on Friday, winning six awards in the world's most lucrative film contest. "Alles auf Zucker" (Go for Zucker: An Unorthodox Comedy), the first Jewish comedy made in Germany since World War Two, won "Lola" awards for best film, best director and best actor, as well as top honors for screenwriting, costume and music. The film, which cost just 1.5 million euros but earned three times that at the box office, was the runaway winner at the awards, presented by the 600-member German Film Academy. It beat blockbuster "Der Untergang" (Downfall), about Hitler's final days, which went home empty-handed. "I just beat Hitler!" joked Henry Huebchen upon receiving the best actor award ahead of Bruno Ganz, who was nominated for his stirring and widely lauded performance as the Nazi dictator. "It's just great - a little Communist guy of Jewish origin beats Hitler," Huebchen said of his comic role as Jakob Zucker, a downtrodden sportswriter turned cash-strapped gambler. "Alles auf Zucker" was nominated in 10 of 16 categories at the awards ceremony, broadcast on national television, while "Downfall" got only three nominations. The awards, sponsored by the German government, are worth a total 2.85 million euros ($3.6 million). Best actress went to Julia Jentsch for "Sophie Scholl." The only other film with more than one prize was "Rhythm is it!," featuring Sir Simon Rattle, director of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. It won the best documentary and best editing prizes. Jewish humor in Germany "Alles auf Zucker", which pokes fun at German and Jewish cliches while ignoring rules about "political correctness" in Germany's uneasy relationship with Jews, is about two brothers raised on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. Jakob Zucker abandoned Jewish traditions after his mother and brother Samuel Zuckermann fled to the West just before the Berlin Wall went up. When their mother dies, the brothers meet for the first time in 40 years and learn they will only get their inheritance if they reconcile. Watching Zucker's awkward efforts to reacquaint himself with Jewish customs after his life unraveled in the 15 years since East Germany collapsed, one neighbor offers the wry comment: "He's really had a lot of bad luck. And now he's even Jewish." The film, which has struck a deeply appreciative chord in Germany and its 100,000-strong Jewish community 60 years after the Holocaust, was awarded the Ernst Lubitsch Prize for best German comedy by Berlin film journalists earlier this year. "The genuine joy that this film generated has been the best part of the last few months," said director Dani Levy, who also won a share of best screenplay honors. "I made six films before this and I don't understand why this one is different. "Maybe it's some films just have karma," added Levy, 47, a Swiss-born Jew whose mother fled Berlin in 1939. "Maybe it's just the right film at the right place at the right time." It took Levy four years to make "Alles auf Zucker" because it was difficult to find financial backing. Not only were producers and networks hesitant but older Jewish filmmakers in Germany also urged Levy not to make the film. "I think this film was a sort of 'liberation' for a lot of people," Levy told Reuters. "People tell me how relieved they are after seeing the movie about Jews that they are free to laugh about. I'm happy audiences enjoy it." The "Lolas," presented for the 55th year, are Germany's answer to Hollywood's Oscars and Britain's BAFTA film awards.

Repairing an aqueduct in Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 13:10:32 GMT

this wasn't a protest against housing demolitions in Silwan, it was an huge volunteer effort to help out our neighbors, as i see it. more pictures here at Levy's website: http://www.livejournal.com/users/levysjeans/402160.html#cutid1 one of the event announcements: http://coalitionofwomen.org/home/english/events/selwan_2705 silwan is a palestinian neighborhood in east jerusalem that was not super-developed in '67 when israel won that land from jordan. most houses have been build illegally since then, but then that's bc after taking possession the Jerusalem Municipality never formed a master plan for that area and refused all permit requests to build. on the other hand, the palestinians build helter-skelter, no rhyme or reason, never taking archeological sites or environmental issues into account. sewage spewed out on us from jury-rigged pipes as we passed through houses. and they barely leave a green dunam and if they do they turn it into landfill. this is fact and i have seen it. but i thought it beautiful and inspiring that well over 100 israelis came out on saturday to help clean the area from litter (we filled two garbage trucks) and repair the aqueduct. a few tourists and english speakers, but mostly jewish israelis. palestinians from the area joined us and it was an amazing group effort. totally awesome! the only thing negative i have to say about this is that the left-wing leaders of the trip, when educating us about the proposed housing demolitions there, chose not to mention how the israeli government got involved, halted the Municipality's demolition plans, and have now called for suggestions for a compromise master plan from the palestinians. and when i brought this up (hell! what i said was in the newspapers. can't these idiots read?) the organizers shushed me. the pro-palestinian "peace" activists are such liars! but the palestinians themselves weren't and they were -as always- super nice and hospitable and even made us breakfast and lunch. to be fair, a few israeli police sat around all day, occasionally harrassing volunteers, making calls and reporting on all we did. wtf for, we were all getting along very nicely. bc of the now-funtioning aqueduct a few trenches were dug and directed in new ways and a wall was built downhill of stone. a long line of people, jews and tourists, handed stones down the line from various areas to where the wall was being built. palestinians took the stones and placed them one on top of the other. together we built the wall, to improve local palestinians' water supply. maybe this wall, nobody will bitch about later.

Jews "evacuating" Jews - why is "transfer" good for the goose but not the gander?

spasticfreakshow — Sun, 26 Jun 2005 22:27:20 GMT

When Jews evacuated Jews Abraham Rabinovich, THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 23, 2005 First came the extraordinary spectacle – soldiers scaling barricaded buildings on ladders like Crusaders assaulting a city wall. Then the silence – the silence of resignation as militants filed without resistance aboard buses that would take them from a city already being destroyed around them. Twenty-three years later, the drama of the Yamit evacuation remains vivid to all who were there. To the extent that Yamit can serve as a precedent – an admittedly hazardous assumption – the coming confrontation at Gush Katif would appear to portend grand political theater more than national schism, despite the stark warning signals being raised. The white town on the shores of the Mediterranean was the handsomest Israel had ever built. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan had envisioned it in the 1970s as a port city of 250,000. Together with 14 farming settlements built with it in northeast Sinai, it was to serve as a buffer between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. This vision was subsequently scaled down, and only 600 units were actually built in Yamit over the six years of its existence. But the strategic dimension underpinned Yamit until the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, heralding a new strategy, obliged Israel to withdraw completely from Sinai. There were, even then, hints of armed resistance as the evacuation date in April, 1982 drew closer. "You never know what will happen till it happens," as one militant put it. There were threats of suicide as well, mostly from teenage, American-born followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane who had sealed themselves in a bunker. Then, as now, there were residents who demonstratively ignored the looming evacuation, letting it be known that they were making preparations for the approaching Pessah as if there were no order from the army to abandon Yamit before the holiday. Then, as now, religious youths and adults poured into the city to take over empty houses and prepare for the final struggle. Then, as now, the army quietly monitored developments and prepared its tactics. In the Kahane bunker – the rabbi himself was abroad – the holdouts said they had welded shut the door from the inside. They warned that a gas cylinder lay behind an inner door and any attempt by the army to cut through would touch off an explosion. Despite the clear drawing of battle lines, the atmosphere was less apocalyptic than it had been half a year before. A yeshiva head in Yamit had told me in September that he would leave Yamit only if he were carried dead from the ruins of his home. "There are rifles in every house," a distressed housewife said. "They're frustrated enough to use them. I'm afraid to live here." For some, militancy was linked to compensation, not ideology. "They won't take me from here alive if they don't come to terms with me," said a businessman back then. An anti-evacuation leader, Avi Farhan, said he expected tens of thousands of supporters to flood Yamit on the day of reckoning. "If we have 100,000 people, there can be no evacuation." If the army nevertheless attempted it, he said, "there could be blood." But towards the end of March, as the army prepared to seal off the city, trucks and moving vans piled high with possessions streamed out of Yamit. "A few months ago," said Lucy Brenner, who with her husband had set up the town's first supermarket, "we were so sure we would resist evacuation. Now everyone is going peacefully. We're tired. We've had enough." Some 100 residents gathered around a campfire one night together with the helmets, shields and batons they had prepared for their confrontation with the army and which they were now giving up. They sang songs and reminisced late into the night. Although few residents remained, the town was teeming with right-wing militants from outside. Leaders of the Stop the Withdrawal movement said that 3,000 supporters, many of them yeshiva students, had infiltrated in the past few days. The army put the number at half that. The arrivals, circumventing army roadblocks at night, were registered, given a mattress and assigned a place by the movement in one of the empty houses. "It will be very difficult if not impossible to get us out," said Uri Elitzur, one of the protest leaders. Sandbags and barbed wire were hauled up to rooftops chosen as redoubts. The town's water supply had been shut off, but the militants had filled a swimming pool and water tanks. To preserve the appearance of normality, the anti-withdrawal movement established a clinic, a supermarket, yeshivas and kindergartens. The army barred the media from covering the evacuation, but most newspapers managed to get reporters in, some in the trunks of settlers' cars, some inside cartons brought in by moving companies. I got in the night before the evacuation for The Jerusalem Post with a tractor driver who showed the border police on the town's approaches a document listing me as his assistant while I pretended to sleep. He dropped me off after midnight at the entrance to the town and I spent most of the remaining hours of darkness keeping clear of soldiers whose silhouettes were visible on roofs all around. Shortly before dawn, I found an empty house and lay down on the floor to nap. THE SHAKING of the tiled floor woke me. It was light outside and there was a terrible roaring. I ran out to see four bulldozers working their way down the line of buildings in my lane, reducing them to rubble with just a few thrusts of their blades. An officer entered the house I had just vacated to ensure that it was empty and in a few moments it too was rubble. Looking around, I was confronted by the most astonishing scene I had ever witnessed – an entire city being destroyed. Dozens of bulldozers and giant, mobile air hammers had been loosed on Yamit like a pack of predatory beasts. The air hammers, held aloft by cranes, pecked at the upper stories of buildings like dinosaurs. The bulldozers dealt with the one-story buildings, aiming blows at the corners to topple the walls. Beyond the roofs of an adjoining street, a tree top swayed and fell out of sight. A moment later, the roofs collapsed. One had to walk down the center of the street because houses on either side could suddenly crash as bulldozers pushed from the other side. Behind one house, still untouched, stood a woman holding a baby while her husband brought up their truck. "We just wanted to see what it would be like at the end," she said. "It's a pity we stayed." Close to 50 former residents had returned to Yamit the day before to spend the city's final hours in their old homes. "I've come to put stones on the grave," said one, alluding to Jewish burial custom. Soldiers and militants watched the destruction with awe. They were witnessing something beyond their experience and there could be no conventional reaction. "What can I say?" asked a grizzled, red-eyed bulldozer driver taking a cigarette break. He glanced sideways at his questioner as if he would like to hear what there might be to say. The outcome of the confrontation was clear before it began, but that did not deter the militants. "Our message," said a bearded man in the street, "is that you cannot lightly give up a piece of earth you have redeemed and made flourish, even if this means a confrontation with soldiers – in other words, a confrontation with ourselves." Soldiers and militants prepared for the confrontation like actors in the wings readying themselves for the final act. They mingled on the streets without fraternization, each side immersed in rehearsing its own part. The soldiers did not attempt to interfere as militants lugged doors, tires, and petrol up to the roofs. Militants filled canteens from water tanks the army had set up. In the town square, covered now with debris, soldiers prepared for the assault on the main redoubts on what was called X Street because of the marks the army had made on buildings occupied by militants. At about 2 p.m., a burst of automatic fire signalled that the operation was under way. THE ASSAULT began under the cover of white foam directed by army hoses at 600 militants who had barricaded themselves on the roofs of several adjoining houses. Teams from elite army units carrying scaling ladders suddenly appeared from behind buildings and charged towards the barricaded houses whose internal staircases had been sealed off by the militants. The soldiers climbed towards the roofs, but the defenders pushed down on the helmets of the officers leading the way. One soldier lost his footing and almost fell before swinging back onto the ladder. Molotov cocktails were hurled from at least one rooftop, but they were aimed away from the soldiers. The hoses covered both soldiers and militants incongruously in white foam, making the scene resemble after a while a college dormitory raid more than an ideological/political struggle over the nation's future. Finally, metal cages carrying soldiers were lifted by cranes onto the rooftops and the militants were subdued and lowered in the cages. Meanwhile, groups of 10-15 unarmed soldiers, male and female, led by a colonel or lieutenant colonel and accompanied by a policeman, made their way down other streets and knocked on doors. If there was no reply, the doors were crowbarred open. If there were occupants and they refused to leave, they were carried out, the women soldiers tending to the women and children. As the buildings were emptied, they were destroyed. There was strong resistance from a three-story villa taken over by 18 Kahane followers, including four girls, who flung stones from the roof and wielded clubs. They were overcome and the villa levelled. Rabbi Kahane himself, arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport from the United States, was flown to Yamit in a helicopter in order to persuade his followers in the bunker to abandon their suicide threat. An administrative detention order against him had been suspended in order to facilitate his entry into the country. Through an airhole, Kahane spoke with the leader of the group, 19-year-old Yehuda Richter, a student at the Yamit Yeshiva who had immigrated from Los Angeles three years before. Richter at first refused to let Kahane in, apparently for fear that soldiers would rush the bunker. "Do you have a rabbi or don't you?" asked Kahane. He repeated this several times before getting an affirmative answer. "Then I have a student and a son," said Kahane. The doors were opened and Kahane entered together with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren. I spoke with Rabbi Kahane through the airhole. He said that the holdouts had abandoned their suicide threat but would remain inside. Kahane denied that Richter had imposed a suicide pact on the others and said that the three young women among the holdouts had been even more determined about it than the others. (Richter, today a rabbi at the Elon Moreh Yeshiva, is now reportedly planning a reprise of bunker resistance at Yamit, this time with militants holing up in many bunkers. There was no mention of suicide threats. Richter had been sentenced to five years in prison for participating in the 1984 shooting of a bus containing Arab workers, six of whom were wounded.) The owner of a shop in the main commercial complex refused to leave when the demolition teams arrived, forcing the bulldozers to work around his premises. When all the other shops had been levelled and the bulldozers moved off, the man poured kerosene over his shop and set it afire. Pockets of resistance would continue to hold out until the following day, including a score of university students led by future internal security minister Tzahi Hanegbi (today minister without portfolio), who had barricaded themselves atop the town's Six Day War memorial. But the bulk of the militants were quickly overcome and led off to buses. They were deposited an hour later at the Beersheba bus station where they dispersed to the rest of the country, leaving Yamit behind to find its own place in the national memory. The demolition of the town shocked even those who supported its evacuation. In the previous six weeks, 13 of the nearby Sinai settlements had been dismantled and 500 pre-fab houses shipped back north into Israel together with 500 hothouses, 90 bomb shelters and fruit trees which had covered 500 dunams. One hundred custom-built houses that could not be disassembled were stripped of usable parts and demolished. The 14th settlement, Neot Sinai, the furthest from the border, was sold intact to Egypt as was the resort Israel had developed at Sharm e-Sheikh. The Jewish Agency had the year before drawn up a plan to truck all the buildings in Yamit back into Israel, but the government had not announced a decision on the matter. Only a week before evacuation was it learned that Yamit would be destroyed. The reason offered by army officers was to prevent diehards from infiltrating back. The evacuation of Yamit would be regarded in Israel as a trauma that exposed the dangerous fault lines dividing the nation. My own reaction was the opposite. The evacuation had indeed been a trauma for the settlers and their supporters, but the most telling thing I had witnessed was restraint, not conflict. Thousands of people had been engaged in a face-to-face struggle. The militants had thrown burning tires, bucketfuls of sand and other objects at the soldiers on the scaling ladders and tried to hold them off with staves. But after two days of skirmishing, there was not a single injury of any consequence. The militants had not tried to overturn the ladders and the Molotov cocktails had not been thrown to hit. The soldiers had used force when necessary, but in measured doses. The troops under Gen. Haim Erez, a Holocaust survivor, had behaved superbly, with a menschlichkeit that behooves a Jewish army. They efficiently did what had to be done – destroy a city and evacuate thousands of struggling protesters – but they did it with compassion. More surprisingly for many, the defenders of Yamit had proved rational idealists, not fanatics. I was far from sharing the militants' worldview, but I could not help admiring their dedication. And, in the end, their restraint. Rational idealism is a powerful force in nation building, and Israel has been particularly blessed with this form of energy. A thought I permitted myself as the bus carried us away from Yamit was that a few inescapable traumas down the road, the idealisms of Right and Left in Israel might again be harnessed in common enterprise. ========================== as jews are transferred even those of us who believe in disengagement see the inherent inequity in that it's ok to transfer jews but not ok for arabs. we know we are letting the world put us down, yet again. the gush katif people should be allowed to stay there and become palestinians.

FUCK NPR and the nazi-war tank they rode in on

spasticfreakshow — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 22:39:07 GMT

as .m. listed the 'support npr' thing as an event so i couldn't reply, i thought i'd start shit here. npr is a bunch of anti-semites, fairly blatant i might add. move on also proved themselves jewhaters, when they refused to let super anti-israel rabbi lerner speak at the anti-iraq-war protest in sf bc of his dirty jewish blood. even lerner realized at that point that there is SOME anti-semitism couched in anti-israel sentiment (he'd naively but vehemently defended the position the two were in no way connected until this incident) i don't think an organization that attempts to lynch jews on air should get public funding and i can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would think they should - but a lynchmob. i think it fitting that a jewish guy wrote billie holiday's song "strange fruit" - we jews understand something about lynchmobs and we're actively trying to stop them. we did it with the civil rights movement and we'll do it with npr. http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=4&x_outlet=28

sure as you're born you're never gonna see no unicorns

spasticfreakshow — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 21:02:44 GMT

is there some way to extend listings when they expire? i can't figure it out. <pulls out hair> so this is my now expired listing. A long time ago, when the Earth was green There was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen They'd run around free while the Earth was being born And the loveliest of all was the unicorn There was green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born The loveliest of all was the unicorn The Lord seen some sinning and it gave Him pain And He says, "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain" He says, "Hey Noah, I'll tell you what to do Build me a floating zoo, and take some of those Green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born Don't you forget My unicorns Old Noah was there to answer the call He finished up making the ark just as the rain started to fall He marched the animals two by two And he called out as they came through Hey Lord, I've got green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn I just can't find no unicorns" And Noah looked out through the driving rain Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games Kicking and splashing while the rain was falling Oh, them silly unicorns There was green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Noah cried, "Close the door because the rain is falling And we just can't wait for no unicorns" The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried And the waters came down and sort of floated them away That's why you never see unicorns to this very day You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born You're never gonna see no unicorns. ~by shel silverstein. want to hear an awesome mountainmusic rendition, with an extra, unicorn-saving verse to the song? click on the unicorn song on the following page.. www.soundclick.com/pro/

Israel Ornithological Center (IOC)

spasticfreakshow — Sat, 14 May 2005 15:50:33 GMT

http://www.birds.org.il/ Friends, the following is from a draft of a request for funding for the IOC, but the IOC is currently taking castoff fish (that would end up dumped in the Kinneret, polluting the freshwater there, otherwise) and distributing it in the Hula wetlands areas where migrating birds are arriving in droves. This program has succeeded in drastically slowing the death of birds by poisons put out by fishfarmers, by lack of food for migrating birds, and has substantially aided the fishfarmers in their efforts to keep birds off their farms. It's an amazing program that just makes sense. Many endangered birds stop in Israel on their way to Africa every year (some say millions, the website I've listed is considered the most scientific in the region) Founded in 1980, the IOC works toward preserving endangered species such as: the Lesser Kestrel, the Cranes, and the Houbara Bustard. The IOC has several successful ongoing projects, including: rehabilitating and conserving habitats for birds leading research and surveying activities running numerous educational programs in schools throughout Israel Ornithology sites and activities have become one of Israel’s greatest tourist attractions. Birds in the Sea of Galilee Wetland habitats are rare in this part of the world. Most of the natural wetlands have long since been destroyed to make way for agriculture. Existing wetlands are unprotected and highly degraded. The preservation of bird species in the Sea of Galilee region is continuously hindered by economic development. An important natural corridor for wildlife movement, the Sea of Galilee includes Israel’s major sites for fish breeding. The intense persecution of fish-eating birds by fish farmers threatens a large number of bird species with extinction. Bird Reserve at Kibbutz Ha’on The need for a strategically located sanctuary is crucial to endangered birds. The 50-acre sanctuary will conserve breeding bird populations by providing innocuous fish feeding sites, with the cooperation of fish farmers, who will donate their castoff fish. It is also expected to become an eco-tourism site attracting birdwatchers from around the globe. An excellent wetland habitat, Kibbutz Ha’on is located on the Sea of Galilee, along one of the major bird migration routes within the Rift Valley, where more than 500 bird species pass annually. Israel’s unique geographical location linking 3 continents represents a critical intersection for 500 million migrating birds. SPNI leads Israel’s partnership in the world of wildlife preservation and protection of bird species threatened by urbanization and economic development by creating sanctuaries and pursuing public educational programs emphasizing the importance of bird populations. http://www.aspni.org

Vandals spray swastika near Yad Vashem

spasticfreakshow — Thu, 05 May 2005 14:44:35 GMT

today, this happens. in israel. ON HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY!! wtf? http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/572832.html Vandals spray swastika near Yad Vashem Unknown individuals on Thursday sprayed swastikas and graffiti reading "Sharon is continuing Hitler's way" on the road leading into the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, minutes before the opening of the central ceremony marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Similar graffiti was also sprayed on the facade of the Central Zionist Archives building in the capital. Housing Minister Yitzhak Herzog, who was taking part in the March of the Living between the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps vehemently condemned the graffiti. "Only a sick mind can compare the prime minister to the Nazi enemy on Holocaust Memorial Day," Herzog said. "Unfortunately, there are no limits to the ignorance, evil and inhumanity of those on the fringes of the extreme right," he said. The Yad Vashem management also condemned the vandalism. learning about yom hashoah... http://www.amit.org.il/learning/english/Holocaust/

cell phone speaker system?

spasticfreakshow — Mon, 02 May 2005 15:18:53 GMT

my work just gave me a new cellphone (nokia 6100 - rockin'!) and a speaker system for my car. i want the speaker system (over a $140 fine if you're caught talking on your cell while driving here) but i don't want them to drill holes in my car. does anybody know about this stuff or what have you done with your cars? every new phone has a different speaker system, so you just end up with infinite holes in your car?