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ISIS

By now, most of you have heard of ISIS. Most people are cognizant of the fact that it is a militant Muslim group fighting in the Middle East, but few people have a detailed knowledge of who they are, what their objectives are, and how dangerous they are. In this blog I will attempt to illuminate the situation. No politics; just facts. You can make up your own mind.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (“ISIS”), aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (“ISIL”), is not an official state but an extremely militant Jihadist group. It was founded in 2003 as a reaction to the US invasion of Iraq. It has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia, among others. Its goal is to establish a caliphate with all Muslims under its control politically, economically and spiritually. The caliphate would be ruled by a caliph, which is a political and religious leader who is revered as a successor to Muhammad. The term “Levant” refers to a geographic region that includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and southern Turkey.

Until recently, ISIS was one of various Sunni insurgent groups, including, among others, al-Qaeda with which we are all familiar. Like many other Jihadist groups, it originated in the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1920s. However, it began to gain in influence and power following its success in the recent Syrian civil war and Iraq’s persecution of Sunnis following the death of Saddam Hussein. It should be noted that Shias constitute a majority in Iraq, but approximately 90% of the world’s Muslims are Sunnis. ISIS’s rise to prominence has also been aided by its strong leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

ISIS is known for its harsh interpretation of the Islamic religion and Sharia law. It brooks no deviations or modifications of its hard-line beliefs. It routinely brutalizes, i.e. murders, rapes, anyone, Christians, Jews, even other Muslims, who do not share its beliefs as it considers them all to be infidels or apostates. It imposes Sharia law on all who live within its domain. It is so extreme that even other Jidadi groups, such as al-Qaeda, consider it to be too radical. According to journalist Sarah Birke, Middle East correspondent for “The Economist,” who has covered the civil war in Syria extensively, it is far more ruthless than other Jihadi groups imposing Sharia law, such as maltreatment of women and beheadings of “infidels,” on all persons under its control immediately. For example, within two months of taking control of the Syrian city of Raqqa ISIS had established Sharia law, conducted several beheadings, enforced various bans on women, such as requiring them to wear full veils, banned the use of naked store mannequins, segregated boys and girls in school, kidnapped some of the city’s political leaders, kicked out foreign journalists and placed severe restrictions on news reporting. Additionally, those Christians who were not killed outright were given the choice of converting to Islam, paying a “religious levy” called a jizya, or death. All this in just two months!

ISIS is not merely a disorganized terror group. Far from it. What makes it so dangerous and effective is that it an organized, well-trained army with strong military acumen and fighting skills. Its members are very committed as well as violent, brutal and devoted to their principles. That is why it has been so successful in Syria and Iraq. Currently, ISIS is estimated to have over 7,000 soldiers in its army, although estimates vary, and the army is growing every day. Douglas Ollivant, a former US Army officer who served in the Middle East and is currently acting as a consultant on Iraq for the NSC, attributes their superior fighting skills to their experience in the Syrian Civil War and Iraq War. He considers them to be a formidable foe, much better than other terror groups or the Iraqi Army.

ISIS is also skilled in the use of propaganda, especially social media, such as twitter. Additionally, it is well-financed. Revenue sources include ransoms from kidnappings, funds from bank robberies, revenues from captured oil fields and other raw materials, the sale of plundered artifacts, and mandatory contributions from local cells to its headquarters. Outside contributions from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and private donors account for a very small portion of their revenues, maybe 5-10%. It even distributes annual reports to prospective donors much like a publicly held corporation. Yes, they are very well organized militarily, politically and economically.

ISIS has captured a great deal of weaponry, much of it US manufactured, which we had given to Iraq, including Blackhawk helicopters, missiles, and even fissionable nuclear materials. Chances are they will be returning these at some point, although in a less than pleasant manner.

In June ISIS ceased referring to itself as “Iraq and the Levant” and commenced referring to itself as an “Islamic State.” It declared all of its conquered territory to be a “caliphate” and Mr. al-Baghdadi as its caliph. This clearly signaled ISIS’s broadening its ambitions from just Iraq to all of the countries I mentioned earlier and, if unchecked, perhaps more beyond that.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

Yes, by all accounts, ISIS is a formidable foe militarily, economically and politically. It has widespread support, particularly in Muslim countries. I submit that many, if not most, of its supporters and sympathizers are unaware of the extent of its violence and intolerance. Others are supporting them, or at the very least not speaking out against them, out of fear of retribution. However, there is no doubt of its intentions – destroy all non-believers, especially Israel and the US. Its leadership has made that abundantly clear by both word and deed.

The question is what will the US do about it. Polls show that a majority of Americans want to stay out of any further foreign entanglements in the Middle East or elsewhere. Others feel that we need to take strong action now before ISIS gets stronger, conquers more territory, such as Jordan, Lebanon, and southern Turkey and, perhaps, threatens Israel. Still others advocate limited involvement, such as bombings or drone attacks. Until very recently, we did basically nothing. Now, we have instituted “humanitarian ” bombings. That is a good start.

At the outset of this blog I said I would not make this political, so I will not express any opinions. All Americans can decide for themselves. The only thing I will advocate is don’t ignore the situation; stay informed. More to come.

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TUNNELS OF TERROR

Imagine waking up suddenly out of a deep sleep in the middle of the night to the blaring sound of sirens. You are confused and disoriented. Your first thought is, what’s going on? Is that my alarm clock? Is it morning already? Then, you quickly realize it is not a dream; it is not morning; it is an air raid; and you have 15 seconds to get to the shelter. Or, you are 5 years old and in kindergarten class or the playground, and you have to find a shelter in the same 15 seconds. 15 seconds! That’s all the time you have. 15 seconds possibly separating you from life or death. That is how Israelis live every day. Israel is being attacked with approximately 300 rockets per day, day after day. The attacks are unrelenting.

Some young Israelis who were interviewed on television stated matter-of-factly that they have lived that way all their lives. They pointed out that whenever one goes to a particular location one immediately scopes out the location of the nearest shelter much like some of us might scope out the nearest bathroom. Of course, they don’t like living like that, but they are used to it. I’m sure most objective people would agree that is unacceptable. I’m sure that most Americans, if faced with such rocket attacks from, say, Canada, would advocate strong and swift retaliation.

But, that is not the worst of the situation that Israel faces. Recently, the world has learned that the Hamas terrorists have, over several years, constructed a massive network of tunnels from Gaza into Israel. Some fun facts about these tunnels:

1. They reach several miles into Israel.
2. They are more than 50 feet below ground.
3. They are very sophisticated and well-constructed. They are reinforced with concrete. They are large enough so that an average-sized man can walk upright through them. They have tracks so they can accommodate heavy machinery.
4. There are believed to be in excess of 100 such tunnels.
5. Many of them terminate at schools and hospitals and are designed to target children and/or sick people.
6. Ironically, they have been built, in part, with supplies and power provided by Israel to the Palestinians for humanitarian purposes – rebuilding homes and schools – (obviously not for this purpose).
7. The funds required to build them has come from Iran, Syria and Qatar, and possibly, indirectly from the US, which has been providing millions of dollars in “humanitarian” aid to the Palestinians.

According to Israeli army spokespersons, by now, they have destroyed most of the tunnels, and they are intent on destroying all of them. One can only hope.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

Let’s not forget who the aggressor is in this conflict. Clearly, it is Hamas, with the overt support of Iran, Syria and Qatar, and in my opinion, the covert support of the other Arab states and terrorist groups in the area. Remember, Hamas’ charter proclaims that Israel must be destroyed.

President Obama has said Israel is entitled to defend itself, but then his proxies, like Valerie Jarrett and John Kerry, have criticized Israel for doing so with too much vigor and success. The Administration is trying to have it both ways. They want to appear to be standing by Israel for political purposes and, at the same time, placate the Arab states in the area. Anyone who cares about Israel should not be fooled. I would much prefer that the US were more forcefully and definitively in Israel’s corner regarding this conflict. After all, Israel and the US have always been allies. When the country was born, President Truman took all of 11 hours to recognize it, giving it instant credibility as a nation. Israel has been the one nation in the Middle East that the US has been able to count on for unqualified support. One the other hand, the other side hates us, mocks us, and has attacked us several times.

No wonder the Israelis have strong doubts of the sincerity of the US’s support. From what I can see, their attitude is: regardless of the hostility of the UN, regardless of the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic demonstrations in many countries, regardless of the mixed signals emanating from the US, we will press on until we achieve our goals. We will not be deterred.

Whether you support Israel or not, you have to admire their tenacity and toughness. They remind me of the kid in high school who, although not the biggest nor the strongest, was nevertheless, the toughest, the most fearless, the one you didn’t want to mess with. Born into adversity, surrounded for its entire existence by enemies who have publicly vowed to destroy it, with few, if any, allies in the world, living more or less continually under the threat of war, Israel has persevered.

My prediction is that this conflict will follow the same predictable pattern as all the previous ones. The Arabs start it; Israel retaliates strongly and forcefully; and at some point the world convinces Israel it has made its point, so to speak, and it is time to cease hostilities. Hamas will acquiesce, because it is getting its butt kicked and will want to survive to fight another day. We are almost there, but not quite yet. I think Israel has a little more work to do, which it will accomplish shortly.

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JEWS AND PALESTINIANS CAN CO-EXIST PEACEFULLY

We are being bombarded continuously with examples of conflicts between Jews and Palestinians. The latest example is the war in Gaza, which has been dominating the news coverage of the area. As a result, the world at large is under the impression that all Jews and Palestinians are at each others’ throats. They can never find common ground. They will never be able to co-exist. This is misleading, counter-productive, destructive, and just plain wrong.

It is understandable that wars, terror attacks, and saber-rattling sell newspapers and drive television ratings, but it is important to realize that there are far more examples of Israelis and Palestinians living together and interacting peacefully. As anyone who has lived in or visited Israel knows, many Jews and Palestinians work together and live together in harmony. Most of them want to raise their families and earn a living in peace. When I was in Israel some years ago I witnessed this firsthand, particularly in Haifa.

As an illustration of this point, below please find a copy of an email I received from an American who has been living in Israel and who has been experiencing this first-hand.

“It’s war here. Even though living in the North, it’s quiet (aside from the tears and mourning from friends and families of the fallen soldiers who are from up here), I can honestly say that I wouldn’t mind a break from it once in a while. And, I’m not alone. One of my friends decided to go on a 3-day detox. (Not from sugar or wheat, but rather social media, like Facebook and Twitter). Another friend decided not to participate in the community event in which we created care packages for the soldiers on the border with Gaza – in a way to “protect her children from too much”.

One way I’ve been taking a break from all of this is by continuing to attend my weekly singing group on the kibbutz. Another break I’ve been taking is by continuing to teach yoga each on the kibbutz. In other words, instead of crawling up into a ball and literally escaping, I’m
escaping by continuing to live.

And this past week, I did something a little different. I decided to attend a basketball game. Just to escape. Last year, I used to attend the weekly Jezreel Valley League basketball games, which my husband was a part of playing on the Hannaton team, until he started to suffer some back pain and decided to quit. But, this past Monday night, he got a phone call from one of the guys on our kibbutz, asking if he’d be willing to sub in because too many of the men on the team weren’t around. (They’re “too busy” defending our country.) And, my husband agreed. Yet, when I walked up to the court, 5 minutes into the beginning of the game, I thought someone was playing a trick on me. Why? Because all I heard was yelling in Arabic. On the court of Kibbutz Hannaton. It didn’t take me long to realize what was going on. The opposing team was coming from a neighboring community in our municipality. A Muslim one. But, the yelling wasn’t anything you may be hearing out of the words of Hamas terrorists or even any recent anti-Israel demonstrations, such as: “Kill the Jews!” or “Destroy Israel!” “Jews back to Birknau. Hitler was right!” Instead, the yelling was the typical yelling you hear on a basketball court. “Hey, ref! That was a foul! Are you blind?” “Double dribble!!!!” “Back court! Back court!” “Nu, ref? Can’t you count? How long you gonna let him stay in the key?” It was beautiful. The whole game.

Even though our team was at a disadvantage and didn’t play too well, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Just the thought of it. The image. Two communities. Two religions. Playing basketball in peace. Giving each other hi-5s and hitting each others’ butts at the end of the game.
Walking off the court together. Going home. Peacefully.

It was beautiful. Especially during these times when so much of the media is being showered with anti-Semitism. Calling Israel an apartheid state. Oh, how little do they know. That Israeli Arabs are full-fledged citizens here. That have freedom of religion. And freedom of speech.
And freedom to an education, just like the Jews.

Sure, there’s discrimination. Just like there is in the States. Israel is not perfect. Is there such a perfect place in the world? But, believe me, there’s more discrimination against many of the lower class Jewish citizens than there is against the Israeli Arabs.

Did you know:

1. That my dermatologist is Arab?
2. And so is the surgeon who stitched up my son’s tongue when he split it open
running down a hill two years ago;
3. And so is my dental hygienist.
4. And so are 98% of the contractors my husband works with.
5. And so are the majority of people living in the Galilee (where my family and I live);
6. And so is about 20% of the entire Israel population;
7. And so are about 15 people making up the Israeli Parliament;
8. And did you know that I am woken up each morning (at 4 AM, thank you very much)
to the Muslim “call to prayer” (and then 4 more times throughout the day) from
the surrounding Arab communities’ loudspeakers. *****

So, when I read the anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli propaganda (and anti-American propaganda) and sit with not knowing what to do with it (except continue to share articles on Facebook), I think I’m going to just sit with staying stuck on beautiful for a while.
Beautiful that Israel has reached a place where two basketball teams, Jewish and Muslim, can come together and play peacefully. Without wanting to kill one another. Without denying each other’s existence. Just living. And, letting live. Just Beautiful.”

CONCLUSION

I think this beautiful email says it all. It is straight from the heart, a first-hand account that belies all the bu*****t put out by the terrorists, hardliners, the press, and certain politicians. I am sure there are thousands of others who feel the same way and would have similar experiences to relate. I have nothing I can add, except too bad that the world press doesn’t publicize these types of stories instead of focusing solely on the negative and violent ones.

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KERRY AND ISRAEL II

I have criticized Secretary of State John Kerry’s attitude toward Israel in this space previously. For example, in May Mr. Kerry compared Israel to an “Apartheid state,” an outrageous comment, especially coming from the Secretary of State. During the past weekend Mr. Kerry “doubled down.” During an interview with the Fox Network’s Chris Wallace he uttered a snide and sarcastic criticism of Israel’s retaliatory attacks on the Palestinians in Gaza. As we know, Israel is doing everything it can to limit civilian casualties; it is even giving advance of where and when it will attack so that civilians can vacate those areas. But, Hamas, on the other hand, is doing everything it can to inflate them, most notably by placing its rocket batteries in or near schools and hospitals and by forcing civilians to stay in harm’s way. The inevitable result has been to inflate the number of civilian casualties. Mr. Kerry’s snide and sarcastic comment, which he thought was off-camera, was that Israel was conducting a “hell of a pinpoint operation.” When pressed by Mr. Wallace to explain his apparent criticism Mr. Kerry ignored the question and continued with the Administration’s talking points.

We all know that all politicians possess an uncanny ability to lie, mislead and obfuscate. Otherwise, they would not have managed to be elected or appointed to high office in the first place. The difference between Mr. Kerry’s public and private comments has been stark. Which do you suppose reflect his true beliefs? As the kids would say, “duh.” I think it is fairly obvious that Mr. Kerry’s private comments about Israel and the Middle East, not his public ones, reflect his true opinions. In addition, as Secretary of State his comments, attitudes and actions are perceived by the world to be representative of those of the Administration and Americans, in general.

Hamas knows it cannot defeat Israel militarily. The only way it can prevail is by winning in the court of public opinion. Therefore, its game plan is to incur copious civilian casualties, make sure they are written about in the press and shown on television and on the internet, wait for the world’s innate bias against, or, in some cases, hatred toward Jews and Israel to play out, and force Israel into a settlement favorable to Hamas. Civilian deaths mean nothing to Hamas’ leadership. To them and their fanatic followers, life is cheap. This situation is reminiscent of Ho Chi Minh’s comment during the Viet Nam War telling the US, and I paraphrase, you will kill 10 of ours for every one of yours we kill, but in the end, you will tire of the killing, not us. That proved to be true.

Meanwhile, Jews should be mindful of the vitriol that is out there. Some of the blogs are non-sensical, not fact-based, and very poorly written, but they are an indication of how some people feel. A sampling of blogs:

1. …besides the bribe money factor – the other problem is politicians have no idea how many Americans do oppose Israel and the US Zionist corruption.”

2. “Politicians depend on political consultants to advise them… many of [the] principles [of these consulting firms], are Jewish…have made pro-Israel[i] statements themselves…”

3. It is a brilliant strategy. They [Jews] control the media, the think tanks and most probably influence polling companies.”

4. “The situation here is obvious. John Kerry knows that if he tells the truth and expresses his real thoughts and feelings, he will be targeted for destruction by the Israel[i] lobby. Barack Obama and Kerry have been intimidated into supporting another disastrous Israeli policy.”

The latest development is that because a rocket was exploded near the airport in Tel Aviv, the FAA has suspended all flights to Israel, because it believes the area is unsafe. It is reasonable to conclude that the FAA was acting with the concurrence of the Administration. At first blush, that sounds reasonable, but then how come flights to Afghanistan, Pakistan or the Ukraine, among others, have not been suspended? Are those areas not just as dangerous, if not more so? Last I heard, a civilian airliner had already been shot down over the Ukraine, accident or not. Many observers have opined that the FAA’s real motive for this action is to pressure Israel, through what amounts to a partial economic boycott, to tone down its retaliatory attacks. At the same time, we are providing approximately $47 million of aid to Gaza whose citizens have elected Hamas terrorists as their government.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

Mr. Kerry’s tepid, if not hostile, attitude toward Israel is consistent with that of the Obama Administration as a whole, which, I suppose, from Mr. Obama’s perspective makes him the perfect person to represent him in the Middle East. Don’t forget Mr. Obama’s veiled threat to Israel that if the peace talks were to fail Israel would be to blame. Or, how about his comment that Israel has a right to defend itself, but…. not TOO vigorously.

Meanwhile, Iran is proceeding to develop a nuclear capability, and the US is doing nothing significant to stop it. All we have done is threaten sanctions, then back off, then hold meetings, then repeat the process, like a broken record. I don’t think anyone takes us seriously anymore. Eventually, Israel, in order to protect itself, will have no choice but to make a pre-emptive strike against Iran, for which it will no doubt be roundly criticized by the world, including the US.

The Administration, in its misguided effort to be politically correct and not offend anyone, has been trying to stay in the middle of the road here. Is that appropriate? Hmm…, let’s see. On one side is an avowed terrorist group that has sworn to obliterate Israel. It even states that in its constitution. Furthermore, it is closely allied with people who have repeatedly criticized and attacked the US, physically. On the other side, is our one friend and ally in the region. To me, it’s an easy and obvious choice, but then I didn’t go to Harvard, so maybe I’m missing something.

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TURMOIL AND NUCLEAR TERROR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Right now, I believe the Middle East is considerably more dangerous than it has ever been before. Consider:

1. Iran continues to develop its nuclear weapons capability. This is the same Iran that has funded various terrorist groups, fomented civil war in Iraq, declared a Jihad against the US, and vowed to “wipe Israel of the face of the earth.”

2. Syria is in turmoil.

3. Iraq is embroiled in a civil war between the Shias and the Sunnis. For all intents and purposes, it is no longer a viable nation. ISIS has been gobbling up territory seemingly at will as any organized resistance has melted away. For the uninitiated, ISIS is an extremist splinter of al Qaeda, which al Qaeda, itself, has labeled as too radical. As they have expanded their territory they have captured weaponry that the US originally had provided to the Iraqi army. At some point in the future, they may be returning this weaponry to us in a less than pleasant manner. Even worse, in the last couple of days it has been disclosed that they have captured fissionable material, which means that they now have the capability to make nuclear bombs. True, they lack the ballistic capability to “deliver” these bombs, however, they can and likely will manufacture “dirty” bombs, which can fit in a suitcase. Setting off one of these “dirty” bombs in a mall or train station can do significant damage. Congressman Peter King and others have warned that the threat of such dirty bombs being detonated in the US is very real.

4. Israel and the Palestinians are engaged in an undeclared war in Gaza. The Palestinians have the backing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad with whom they have formed a “Unity Government.” The conflict was precipitated by the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers last week, one of which was an American citizen. Israel responded with rocket attacks and bombings. Since then, there have been a series of reprisal attacks back and forth. It has been raining rockets with no end in sight. Non-combatants are dying. Reportedly, Hamas is targeting Israeli civilians, including children. On the other hand, the Israelis, in an attempt to minimize civilian casualties, have been providing advance warning of their raids so that Palestinians civilians can vacate the targeted areas, although there have been reports that Hamas has forbidden these civilians to leave. (It seems that Hamas is more interested in creating martyrs than in saving lives.)

5. The turmoil is threatening to spread into other countries, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In the midst of all of the foregoing, what has been the response of the US, the supposed world leader? After all, these situations did not sneak up on us; they have been months if not years in the making. Has it done anything to rein in Iran? Has it attempted to settle the conflict in Syria? Has it taken any action to deal with ISIS? Drones? Bombings? Anything? The ISIS army is not hidden in mountains, jungle or caves. It is right out in the open traveling on major roads in large convoys and very vulnerable to attack. Has it come to the aid of its one ally in the Middle East, the only one that doesn’t hate it and repeatedly try to attack it? The answer is no, no, no, no, no, and NO.

The situation with Israel is particularly egregious. Throughout his Presidency, President Obama has given Israel the cold shoulder. His support has been tepid, at best. He has continually provided concessions to the Muslims, even their terror groups, despite the fact that they have publicly vowed to destroy us. In this case, it took Mr. Obama over a week to reach out to Israel, and, even then, it was only after several world leaders had already done so – Angela Merkel of Germany, David Cameron of the UK, Stephen Harper of Canada, Francois Hollande of France and even Ban Ki Moon of the UN. Build a consensus, and lead from behind indeed. And what action did Mr. Obama finally take? Did he pledge support? Did he condemn the violence of the Muslim terror groups? Did he threaten to withdraw the $440 million in foreign aid we currently provide to the Palestinians, and, indirectly to Hamas? Nooooo. Obama’s response was to caution Israel against responding too violently. Reportedly, he told Mr. Netanyahu that, yes, Israel could defend itself, but not too strongly. Well, I ask you, what does that mean? What kind of half-hearted support is that?

As it is, Mr. Netanyahu has been strongly criticized within his country, even among his political allies, for not responding strongly enough. For example, there have been reports in the Israeli press that Avigdor Lieberman, the foreign minister and heretofore one of his strongest supporters in the coalition government, may withdraw his support. If so, that will force a “vote of confidence,” which Mr. Netanyahu may very well lose ending his term as Prime Minister.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

It appears to me that most Americans are not taking the current situation in the Middle East as seriously as they should. The attitude seems to be “The Middle East is in turmoil again. What else is new. We don’t need to get involved. We’re tired of fighting. We have a big ocean between us and them.”

Well, I’m not advocating “boots on the ground” for several reasons, which, due to restrictions of time and space, I don’t want to get into at this time. But, there are many other actions that could be taken to stabilize the region, such as reinstating sanctions against Iran, withdrawing foreign aid to terrorists, droning and bombing ISIS and re-affirming support of Israel.

As it stands now, the US has left a power vacuum in the region and the bad guys are rushing to fill it. We need to take our heads out of the sand, stop hiding under our beds. The harsh truth is that the longer we wait, the worse it will get and the harder it will be to remedy it.

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INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today, July 4th, we celebrate our independence. Consequently, I thought it might be an appropriate time to test your knowledge of the holiday with a quiz. No peeking at the internet.

1. The primary author of the Declaration of Independence was

a. George Washington
b. Henry Lee
c. Benjamin Franklyn
d. Thomas Jefferson

2. The oldest continuous Independence Day celebration is in what city?

a. Bristol, RI
b. New York, NY
c. Waterbury, CT
d. Philadelphia, PA

3. The origin of the song, “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” was

a. American troops during the Revolutionary War
b. French troops during the RW
c. British military before the RW
d. Hessians at the battle of Trenton, NJ

4. The movie, “Independence Day” starred

a. Tom Cruise
b. Will Smith
c. Morgan Freeman
d. Daniel Day-Lewis

5. The first person to sign the Declaration of Independence (and the only one to do so on July 4) was

a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Patrick Henry
c Benjamin Franklyn
d. John Hancock

6. Each of the following was a member of the Committee of Five (assigned to draft the Declaration), except:

a. George Washington
b. Roger Sherman
c. John Adams
d. Benjamin Franklyn

7. Which President was born on the 4th of July?

a. John Adams
b. Grover Cleveland
c. Calvin Coolidge
d. James Polk

8. Each of the following Presidents died on July 4th, except:

a. John Adams
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. James Monroe
d. James Madison

9. The “Liberty Bell” was cast in:

a. France
b. England
c. Germany
d. Russia

10. The “Star Spangled banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during which war?

a. French and Indian War
b. American Revolution
c. Civil War
d. War of 1812

11. The origin of the nick-name “Uncle Sam” is purportedly:

a. The Continental Congress
b. The Sons of Liberty
c. Meat packer who supplied meat to the US Army
d. British troops during the RW

12. Who, along with John Adams, is responsible for designating the bald eagle as the US’s National Bird?

a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. Benjamin Franklyn
d. Patrick Henry

13. The other bird under consideration for the designation was the

a. Turkey
b. Chicken
c. Falcon
d. Hawk

14. How many persons signed the Declaration of Independence?

a. 13
b. 26
c. 40
d. 56

15. Each of the following celebrities was born on July 4th, except:

a. Mike (the “Situation”) Sorrentino
b. Neil Simon
c. Colin Powell
d. George Steinbrenner

16. Purportedly, the Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest was first held in

a. 1876
b. 1930
c. 1945
d. 1916

17. It has been held continuously since:

a. 1932
b. 1972
c. 1990
d. 1999

18. Last year’s winner was:
a. Joey Chestnut
b. Esagi Iwamura
c. Terry Bradshaw
d. William Perry

19. Washington, DC became the capital in

a. 1776
b. 1800
c. 1820
d. 1920

20. The 14th state of the union was:

a. Maine
b. Georgia
c. Florida
d. Vermont

ANSWERS: 1. (d); 2. (a); 3. (c); 4. (b); 5. (d); 6. (a); 7. (c); 8. (d); 9. (b); 10. (d); 11. (c); 12. (b); 13. (a); 14. (d); 15. (c); 16. (d); 17. (b); 18. (a); 19. (b); 20. (d)

CONCLUSION

Well, how did you do? I’d like to know.

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MURDER OF THREE ISRAELI TEENAGERS

Jews have been fighting prejudice for thousands of years. This prejudice has come in many forms ranging from subtle and covert comments and actions to extreme violence, such as pogroms, Nazi death camps and terrorism. Now, we have the latest instance, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas. Make no mistake about it. This was an act of terror. These young men – Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16, were abducted and murdered in the West Bank while hitchhiking home from seminary school. These were not armed combatants; they were innocents. Few things are more gut-wrenching for a parent than having their children murdered while returning home from school. Parents send their children to school every day with every expectation that they will return home safe and sound. For three Israeli families, that was not the case. Every parent can identify with this horror.

Reactions have been predictable. Tens of thousands of Jews all over the world have held memorial services to mourn the victims. The Israeli government has stated that it will bring the perpetrators to justice. Additionally, it will no doubt step up military action against Hamas. The cycle of violence will continue. Few doubt that Israel will extract its pound of flesh, and likely be condemned by most of the world for retaliating.

The UN has said and done nothing. No surprise there. The US Government has also acted predictably. It, too has said and done nothing. There have been no statements of sympathy, condemnation or outrage. Perhaps, the State Department is working behind the scenes, but I sincerely doubt it. Even when a group of Nigerian children was kidnapped and murdered recently the Government participated in a campaign to “bring our girls home.” That was fine, but where is the US Government now? Nowhere to be seen or heard, even though Mr. Fraenkel held dual US-Israeli citizenship. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, although it should be denoted that its inaction is consistent with its attitude over the past 5 plus years. Mr. Obama has characterized Islam as a religion of peace. In addition, he has not been particularly friendly toward nor supportive of Israel. Generally, he has pursued a policy of neutrality in the Middle East, preferring not to offend either side. We can all see the result of that policy.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

This was a tragic situation. But, the reality is that it will change nothing. To be sure, the murdered teenagers will be mourned in the Jewish community, but after a time the world will move on. Nothing will change in the Middle East; the cycle of violence and hatred will continue. There will be other events to capture the world’s attention.

The additional question is why any American Jews who care about Israel continue to support President Obama. I have been blogging this for over a year. His support for Israel has been tepid, at best. Once again, I am reminded of the famous conversation between former-Israeli Premier Golda Meir and former-President Richard Nixon. In the midst of negotiating an arms deal, Mr. Nixon asked Ms. Meir why Israel felt it needed so much weaponry when the US had always been there to support it and always would. Supposedly, her response was that in the event of a conflict Israel just wanted to be sure it had enough to hold out until the US decided to come to its aid. With all the turmoil in the Middle East at the present time, let’s all hope and pray that Israel has enough military strength to defend itself independently, because, in the event of a military crisis I seriously doubt that this President will rush to its aid.

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WAR ON WOMEN MUSLIM STYLE

For months I have been maintaining that the real war on women is being waged by Muslim men against Muslim women primarily through the strict application of Sharia law. One of the oddest and most preposterous applications of Sharia law to Muslim women is the case of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag. Meriam was born in Sudan in 1987. Her father is a Sudanese Muslim, but he abandoned the family when Meriam was 5 years old. She was raised by her Catholic mother. Catholicism is the only religion she has ever known. She married Daniel Wani, an American citizen living in Khartoum in 2011 and joined the Catholic church. For all intents and purposes, she was Catholic, not Muslim.

Nevertheless, and despite the fact that she was pregnant with her second child, she was tried and convicted under a Sharia law that prohibits apostasy under penalty of death. The case against her had been brought by a group of men that she had never seen before who claimed to be her relatives. One of them, who claimed to be her brother, threatened to carry out the death sentence even if she were acquitted. She was convicted and sentenced to death. She was imprisoned along with her one year old son.

Her case caught the imagination of the world. Almost 1 million persons petitioned to save her life through an online web site. Additionally, foreign officials from various countries, including the US, assisted by bringing pressure on the Sudanese government. At one point she was released from prison, but then on June 24 she and her husband were re-arrested at the Khartoum Airport for attempting to use forged documents to leave the country. Now, she is free again but still in fear for her life. Even in the US she will not be completely safe from retribution by her male relatives.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

This is but the latest example of Muslims’ harsh treatment of women – second-class status, kidnapping children, rape, honor killings. The list goes on and on. We have even seen examples of this in the US. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to maintain that many Muslim men value their camels more highly than their women. This is the real war on women. Although conditions may not be as consistently extreme as they were in the past, I do not this second-class status to disappear entirely.

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POLITICAL CORRECTNESS RUN AMOK

You cannot make this up! If someone were to submit this story to Hollywood as a script for a movie they would be laughed out of town. Political correctness and being polite is one thing, but the following story goes way beyond that. In my opinion, it progresses or, more accurately, regresses, from PC to absurdity.

There is a fish, called the “Asian carp.” It was imported to the US from Asia in the 1970s, hence the name Asian carp to distinguish it from native carp. The intent was to utilize the fish to alleviate pollution in fish farms, which it did. The unintended consequence of this, however, is that these fish have escaped from the fish farms where they were intended to be contained, have reproduced prolifically and have thrived in the cold waters of the Upper Mississippi and Great Lakes. Not only that, apparently this fish is extremely invasive; it has been feeding on plankton to such an extent that the supply of plankton in the area has been severely diminished. Since plankton is very low in the food chain, its destruction has been very damaging to the entire ecosystem in the area. As a result, many consider the Asian Carp to be the greatest threat to the area’s ecosystem.

Consequently, the name “Asian carp” has developed a very negative connotation. Many in the Minnesota legislature viewed it as an insult to Asians and wanted it changed to a more PC name. The legislature actually introduced and passed a bill to change the name to “invasive carp.” (I would like to denote that the sponsors of the bill were Caucasian, not Asians.) The bill was signed into law by the governor. (That’s not a joke; it’s the real name. Inane, but true.)

You might wonder why, with all the serious issues in the world, the Minnesota state elected officials would find it necessary to waste time and effort on Asian carp. Well, you would not be alone. All I can say is that it is symptomatic of the nature of our government these days. PC running amok indeed. I ask you, why stop there. As long as we’re being absurd, why not empower a new Cabinet-level Department, called the “PC Police?” They could cull through the dictionary and eliminate all other similarly pseudo offensive words, phrases and colloquialisms? There are plenty of them. Consider a few examples:

1. The Asian flu, which makes people sick, could be viewed as an insult to Asians. Just call it the “flu.” Similarly, isn’t the term “yellow fever” insulting to Asians as well? Why not call it “acute tropical viral disease?”
2. German measles, which is primarily a childhood disease but could be serious when contracted as an adult, could be viewed as an insult to Germans. Just call it “mild measles,” or “thank God I didn’t get the real measles, measles.”
3. The terms “black death,” which connotes a plague, “black ice,” which is dangerous and causes car accidents, often fatal, “black mark,” and “black comedy” could be viewed as offensive to blacks. Why not rename them “plague,” “dangerous ice,” and “serious comedies?”
4. The term “left-handed compliment,” which is not a compliment at all, is certainly a slap in the face to left-handed people who comprise approximately 10% of the population. The obvious PC solution is to outlaw its use altogether.
5. One of the worst phrases is “Indian giver,” which connotes dishonesty. It seems to me to be a greater affront to native Americans than “redskins,” which has caused such indignation of late, especially among certain non-native Americans. The latest polls show that an overwhelming majority of Native Americans are not insulted by the term, “redskins.” In fact the Wellpinit (WA) Redskins are very proud of their school’s nick-name, and, oh yes, the student body of the school is 90% Native American.
6. And, while were at it, the PC police must change the name of Oklahoma as the name means “red people” in Choctaw. Talk about an insult. (“Where are you from? I’m from the ‘red people’ state.”)

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

The foregoing are but a few of the many examples one could site. Most sane people know that these names and labels are not meant to be derogatory. Obviously, I have used sarcasm to illustrate a point. Hasn’t our mania for PC gone a bit too far?

Furthermore, enough of this apologizing already. A lot of people are way too sensitive. It seems that every day some public figure is apologizing for some perceived insult. The latest is Gary Oldman, but there has been a long line of them, too many to mention. For once, I would like to extend kudos to that noted philosopher, Charles Barkley, who refused to apologize for his comments about people from San Antonio, basically saying “If you don’t like what I said, too bad. Don’t watch me on tv.”

Often the apology gets more attention that the perceived insult. Enough of this nonsense. Instead, let’s focus on more important issues, both domestic and foreign, that desperately need our attention and have a real effect on our lives.

What pseudo non-PC words or phrases can you come up with? I’d like to hear them. I could use a good laugh.

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WORLD CUP

Quickly, what is the most popular sport in the world? If you said baseball, basketball or hockey, you would be wrong, not even close. According to a survey conducted by Sporteology, the most popular sport, i. e. most watched, by a wide margin, is soccer, or, as it is commonly called – football. It is estimated that soccer has 3.5 billion fans worldwide, approximately one-half of the world’s population, and is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries. Incidentally, cricket is number 2, and basketball, baseball and (American) football, the most popular American sports, are ranked 3rd, 8th, and 9th, respectively. Why is soccer so popular? There are many theories, however, consider (1) it is easily played on virtually any surface, even a vacant lot or open field; (2) it requires few pieces of equipment, really, just a ball; and (3) it is easy to learn at a young age. For most kids, soccer is the first organized sport to which they are exposed, as early as the age of five. Kicking a ball comes naturally to young kids, and they don’t need to have the coordination, size and strength required to play other sports, such as baseball, American football or basketball.

Soccer has been played for a long time. The first international soccer match was between Scotland and England in 1872. It ended in a 0-0 tie. Soccer became part of the Olympics in 1900 as a demonstration sport. It became an official Olympic competition in 1908. The sport’s governing body the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904.

At the present time, the 2014 WC is being contested in Brazil to determine the World Champion. The World Cup Championship has been held every four years since 1930 (in Uruguay), except for 1942 and 1946. There are 32 teams in the tournament, although there is discussion of expanding it to 40 teams. Each team consists of 23 players three of which must be goalies. Replacement players are permitted under certain circumstances, such as serious injury, but the procedures for replacing a player are strictly regulated.

The WC takes about one month to complete and consists of two phases. First is the group stage. The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four each. Eight teams, the seven highest-rated and the host nation, are seeded. The teams in each group play each other round-robin style. Points are awarded for each match – three for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. The two teams in each group with the most points advance to the knockout round. The knockout round is single elimination. One loss and you’re out. The two survivors will meet in the final on July 13.

These 32 teams have survived three years of qualifying tournaments, so, in a sense, the World Cup is virtually a continuous event. Almost as soon as one tournament ends the qualifying matches for the next one begin. The World Cup is the most widely watched and followed sporting event with a total audience approaching 30 million (the second being the Olympics). In most competing countries the entire populace gets caught up in the spirit of the tournament. Generally, soccer fans are extremely passionate. They are literally “fanatic” about their team, which becomes a tremendous source of pride and nationalistic spirit.

CONCLUSION AND PREDICTION

The US is in a group consisting of Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Each of the three is a quality team. The US has already won its first match against Ghana, which is fine, but the next two opponents figure to be tougher. My prediction is that the US will beat Portugal, lose to Germany and advance to the knockout round where it will lose in the quarter-finals.

Winning the WC would be a great accomplishment, but it is not realistic. A more realistic outcome would be for the team to capture the imagination of the country so that the sport continues to grow in popularity in the US.

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