The Fast and the Furious
Don't get me wrong; I am not a hawk. I don't espouse violence, and I do not condone military action as the only way to settle disputes.
For the past several years, especially since the withdrawal of forces (and every living Jew) from Gaza, the Israeli people and her supporters have been hoping against hope that the ruling government in Gaza would focus on nation building, commerce, trade, and peaceful coexistence.
It is with a deep sense of frustration with the Palestinian leadership in both Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Arab leaders throughout the Middle East, that I support the actions of the Israeli government these past few hours and days as they attack the terrorist government in Gaza.
Hamas has squandered every opportunity to show itself capable of governing.
Almost immediately after taking control of Gaza, terror units, shielded by the Hamas, began the barrage of rockets into Israel. They didn't target military installations. They were indiscriminate.
The speed at which Hamas built its terror infrastructure in Gaza was head spinning. Ordinary rights were dismantled. Religious schools replaced whatever was there before; religious policies were enacted and enforced, brutally, upon the citizens. In a poll taken about a year after Hamas took power in Gaza (by a respected Palestinian academic), over 70% of Gazans said they wanted the Israelis back in Gaza.
The rocket fire into Israel was non-stop. Some world leaders expressed an opinion that Hamas should do something about the rockets, but nothing substantial was done. Israel made some overtures and did respond from time to time, but not in force.
Even after Gilad Shalit was taken, the Israeli response in Gaza was muted (there was a war that was waged in Lebanon against Hizbullah, but the decision was made to keep the fight on one front; Israel desparately tried diplomacy in Gaza).
Now, after several failed international attempts to help Hamas become a nation builder, to become a government, it is time for action.
The recent rocket attacks and rhetoric out of Gaza and from the Hamas leadership clearly shows the world that terrorism is the name of the game over there.
Let Israel do what it does; let Israel take on Hamas and the terrorist government in a way that will dismantle the infrastructure in Gaza that supports the terror state. Let it happen fast, let it take its course, and let us support Israel to once again tell the world that terrorism will not defeat her.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
The End and the Beginning
It went off like a charm. No calls for recounting, no Supreme Court intervention, no irregularities with hanging chards.
All the hype about challenges at the polling sites, all the anxiety about disenfranchisement, all the concern over a battle that will stretch out over days or weeks vanished in the face of a six point margin and one of the largest electoral wins in years.
The concession speech came literally minutes after polls closed on the west coast.
Surely, it was a grand concession speech; filled with admiration and a promise to work with the new boss.
Some who heard the concession were unable to move to the next place and like rotten losers, they booed even the mention of his name.
The acceptance speech by our President-elect, just after midnight, was a focused and sober beginning. Mr. Obama began his transition to the Presidency as he began his candidacy, clearly and intelligently. Like a President. Like someone we would be proud to have lead us and this great nation.
The end of the campaign to win the White House was transformed into the beginning of a new era of leadership, one of hope and promise.
An Obama Presidency is what this country needs now.
Strength, intelligence, political savvy, and calm, clear, thoughtful diplomacy.
The Obama administration has a lot on its plate; Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Russia, oil, energy, education, Wall Street, Main Street, and saving the earth from the savagery of human insolence.
Our outgoing President has left Mr. Obama a mess for sure.
Let's not count the days after January 20, 2009 and evaluate Mr. Obama by how fast things are ticked off, taken care of and solved.
It is entirely possible that, as he said in his acceptance speech, it will take some time to deal with the mess left him. If we question a timeline, if we suppose that he will fail because things aren't done in a week, a month or in 100 days, we fall into the trap of being shortsighted. We elected Mr. Obama to lead us for the next four years, at least.
Let's remain confident that he will, with our collective help, bring us and our nation better days. We are in this together. Not just the blue states, all of the states, united and strong. We can do it. Yes, we can.
It went off like a charm. No calls for recounting, no Supreme Court intervention, no irregularities with hanging chards.
All the hype about challenges at the polling sites, all the anxiety about disenfranchisement, all the concern over a battle that will stretch out over days or weeks vanished in the face of a six point margin and one of the largest electoral wins in years.
The concession speech came literally minutes after polls closed on the west coast.
Surely, it was a grand concession speech; filled with admiration and a promise to work with the new boss.
Some who heard the concession were unable to move to the next place and like rotten losers, they booed even the mention of his name.
The acceptance speech by our President-elect, just after midnight, was a focused and sober beginning. Mr. Obama began his transition to the Presidency as he began his candidacy, clearly and intelligently. Like a President. Like someone we would be proud to have lead us and this great nation.
The end of the campaign to win the White House was transformed into the beginning of a new era of leadership, one of hope and promise.
An Obama Presidency is what this country needs now.
Strength, intelligence, political savvy, and calm, clear, thoughtful diplomacy.
The Obama administration has a lot on its plate; Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Russia, oil, energy, education, Wall Street, Main Street, and saving the earth from the savagery of human insolence.
Our outgoing President has left Mr. Obama a mess for sure.
Let's not count the days after January 20, 2009 and evaluate Mr. Obama by how fast things are ticked off, taken care of and solved.
It is entirely possible that, as he said in his acceptance speech, it will take some time to deal with the mess left him. If we question a timeline, if we suppose that he will fail because things aren't done in a week, a month or in 100 days, we fall into the trap of being shortsighted. We elected Mr. Obama to lead us for the next four years, at least.
Let's remain confident that he will, with our collective help, bring us and our nation better days. We are in this together. Not just the blue states, all of the states, united and strong. We can do it. Yes, we can.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A View of the World
Celebrations in Kenya, Indonesia, and across Europe. Impromptu street celebrations across the US. Well over 60% of the American voting public cast their ballots, some weeks or months ahead of time. Voting irregularities were minimal at best, non-existent in most areas.
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.
Born of parents from different races, different cultures, different beliefs; he lived in different cultures, nations and neighborhoods. He traveled across oceans and nations as a child. He experienced languages, diversity, the richness of cultures so unlike the American experience.
Yet he remains an American model. He is someone to look up to, someone to admire, someone to strive to be like.
How wonderful it would be if, in a few years, young children add his picture to their wall, along side the sports heroes and other cultural icons of our age.
How meaningful it would be if , in the coming months and years, people truly become colorblind.
Wouldn't it be just astounding if, instead of looking at our differences and dismaying at the gaps that keep us apart, we begin to look at our similarities, and revel in our shared diversity.
Wouldn't it be just perfect if in our lifetime, we take a world view and the world takes a world view. In many ways, this world already is a small neighborhood inhabited by families that sometimes get along and sometimes don't.
In the flatness that is our world, it is just grand that this leader, our leader, brings us back into the world through his vision, experience, and intelligence.
It is about time.
Celebrations in Kenya, Indonesia, and across Europe. Impromptu street celebrations across the US. Well over 60% of the American voting public cast their ballots, some weeks or months ahead of time. Voting irregularities were minimal at best, non-existent in most areas.
Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.
Born of parents from different races, different cultures, different beliefs; he lived in different cultures, nations and neighborhoods. He traveled across oceans and nations as a child. He experienced languages, diversity, the richness of cultures so unlike the American experience.
Yet he remains an American model. He is someone to look up to, someone to admire, someone to strive to be like.
How wonderful it would be if, in a few years, young children add his picture to their wall, along side the sports heroes and other cultural icons of our age.
How meaningful it would be if , in the coming months and years, people truly become colorblind.
Wouldn't it be just astounding if, instead of looking at our differences and dismaying at the gaps that keep us apart, we begin to look at our similarities, and revel in our shared diversity.
Wouldn't it be just perfect if in our lifetime, we take a world view and the world takes a world view. In many ways, this world already is a small neighborhood inhabited by families that sometimes get along and sometimes don't.
In the flatness that is our world, it is just grand that this leader, our leader, brings us back into the world through his vision, experience, and intelligence.
It is about time.
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