I frequently like to the listen to the Hassidic music on an Israeli internet radio station Arutz which is called A7. It used to be an underground radio station that was primarily listened to by the first settlers in the Territories, those intent on reclaiming Judea and Samaria.
Now the radio station has come overground.
(here's a favorite string of music of mine, the second song Ano HaShem is a sung recitation of the 16th verse of the 116 Psalm
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/metafiles/asx/music/hassidic-157.asx
I was reading the news and saw this opinion column and thought I would forward it for your consideration, in the light of Brother Rahman's exploration of the Jewish experience.
Time to Think About Annex and Transfer
by Arlene Peck
August 16, 2006
I'd rather not be able to say, "I told you so." Yet, it's difficult not to gloat when I see how the rest of the world is reluctantly beginning to realize that something must be done soon about the evil and crazy culture that is attempting to thrust itself upon the rest of us.
For the past five or six years, I've been writing about "us" as a confused and myopic generation, that didn't have a clue about the enemy it was facing. Belatedly, I believe that we in the 21st century are finally recognizing some uncomfortable truths, which may save our lives yet: the culture of militant Islam, rabidly foaming at the mouth from across a yawning abyss of cultural and ideological implacability, is rooted somewhere in the 7th century.
We have woken only to discover that our culture is still in the midst of a crusade, which these poor people are conditioned to undertake (to their own detriment) by truly evil "religious" leaders, those carrion-eaters who call themselves imams and mullahs, and by corrupt politicians.
Gawd! A crusade! Perhaps Mel Gibson could make a movie addressing that. (Come to think about it, I told you so about him, too.)
One of our major problems in the West is that we have a leftist-fed "sound-byte" mentality, which hasn't been able to grasp the importance of "tribalism," which still holds sway over countries such as Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This is the mentality that underpins everything there - complete loyalty to the clan. That, and submission to a God they say is no friend of the West. We Westerners have been living in a delusional cloud. How else to explain the many nations and leaders who have been so blind to the signs, which have been glaringly obvious, for so long?
For the past six years, I have been warning that anti-Semitism has been growing at a rapid rate among Arabs and Europeans, the latter in a sort of déjà vu, totally reminiscent of pre-war Nazi Germany. This anti-Semitism is being actively acted out in the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict. The Islamist culture has never made it a secret that it targets all Jews for extermination; after all, it is called for by their prophet and holy writings. Pre-dating 9/11, when America's attention was so barbarically drawn to Islamist demands, the world stage has been overflowing with Islamist leaders who declared this. The question remains: Why didn't we listen?
I can only say that, for far too long, it didn't seem to bother anyone too much. However, I now think many Western nations are beginning to face up to the fact that these ongoing Islamist actions are not about land, but about religion. Their Koran tells the faithful 1.4 billion Muslims that anyone who won't convert must die. And some are now mindful of another truth - that after the Jews, Christians and Hindus are next in their sights. They have been burning churches and killing Christians in the Horn of Africa for years now, with barely a word of protest from Western nations.
In light of these facts, it is appalling that, due to world pressure, the Israel Defense Forces are forced to fight like a prizefighter with one arm tied behind his back. Had the United Nations followed up on Resolution 1559, agreed to by all parties, instead of sitting by for the past six years while Hizbullah armed themselves to the teeth, Israel would not have had to fight at all.
Incidentally, I was in many of those same "nests of vipers" cities, such as Tyre and Sidon, as a journalist, when I was reporting the conflict in June of 1982 and again in 1993. These border towns aren't neighborhood communities. They are enemy territory used for the explicit purpose of launching rockets into Israel. Don't tell me about agreements. The Arabs only begin negotiations after the terms have been agreed. Anything else is considered 'weakness' in this culture of war. Fortunately, many people are recognizing that the Middle East is littered with agreements that just did not work.
Today, many realize that radical Islam started this latest outbreak of violence, but unfortunately, it has fallen, again, on Israel to finish it. The cease-fire allows Hizbullah to declare itself the winner. Inside the Islamic world, it is seen in no other way. The United Nations, the European Union, the Vatican - all these paragons of virtue remain blinded to one incontrovertible fact: Israel is in a fight for her life.
The recent shooting attack at the Jewish Federation in Seattle, in which one innocent person was killed and six wounded, is a perfect example of what where facing. It was carried out by the son of one of the founders of the mosque in that city. Now, five years after 9/11, Islamist attacks are again being seen on our shores. Will there be an outcry from my country? I doubt it. However, if churches and Christian ministries are next, attitudes might change. Only then might we begin to admit, to ourselves first and then publicly, that Israel and its little strip of land has nothing to do with the Muslim craziness.
Since when did the media tail wag the dog? Now that they "won" a cease-fire with Hizbullah, with whom is Israel to negotiate? Is Israel to sit down with terrorists who represent no sovereign nation? Apart from the inanity of that idea, Hizbullah will only use this time to re-group and re-arm.
And how, exactly, did Israel fight this war? I know of no other army that warns the enemy by megaphone, television, leaflet, radio and even calling people on the phone to tell them that they must leave specific areas because they were going to be attacked. Only Israel does this, to avoid large civilian casualties. Then, the world condemns them.
Drastic times, drastic solutions. I feel now is the perfect time for Israel to annex Gaza and the West Bank, and expel all Arabs. All Israelis must have the security of knowing that those in Gaza will no longer have the leisure of running into Israel and bombing or kidnapping hostages. The same type of pamphleting campaign, which warns of Israeli retaliations, should carry a new message. If Arabs insist on continued campaigns of terrorism and warfare against any Israeli territory - anywhere - then ten percent of Gaza will be taken back by Israel. Be specific - which village, which well, which mosque, which street to which street - and then do it the next time they test Israeli resolve.
Transfer "the Arab enemy within" to any of the surrounding Arab countries. Let us see how well they like living in a Muslim-controlled country. And, like a mantra, let us repeat that this is only one front in a global war against Muslim domination. World War III has been going on for decades. We've just been so busy entering a new millennium that this monster facing us has only belatedly gotten our attention.
