Hamas is talking big, but it’s position has become weakened as the Arab sands shift.
A good article in Ynet here explains how Hamas is now short of a bob, while its Damascus leadership is looking around for a home.
Maybe Elvis Costello and the inanely named Pixies can cheer them up.
The Torah portion this week, Bo, contains the first commandment given to the children of Israel. “This month shall be to you the first of the months of the year.”
According to Ovadia ben Yoseph Sforno in the 16th century, Hashem is saying that previously your time was not your own. It belonged to Pharoah. [...]
Caroline Glick has a good comment on how the U.S. is the big loser from the Arab upheaval here
The news from Egypt is as predicted.
It’s always worthwhile to consider terms to describe different characters in the middle east debate. The humanitarian racist is a descriptor that Manfred Gerstenfield uses here to describe those pious individuals who are incapable of finding the Palestinians at fault, as if they are not responsible for their actions.
Whatever you think about Newt Gingrich, he doesn’t mince words, and has a very clear understanding of Israel - as he replies well to a loaded question here.
An interesting story here about the Jewish man who played a leading role in the design of the VW Beetle, and then settled in Australia.
Israel is now a leader in the electric car
Shlomo Riskin draws attention to the use of the word “morasha”, which appears in this sedra. Hashem promised that he would give the land .. “to you as a morasha (a heritage) , Exodus 6-8 and in only one other place in the Torah - Deuteronomy 33-4 , where it is used in reference [...]
A human rights activist who protested at injuries to Gazan civilians, at the hands of Hamas and other militants in Gaza, was beaten and stabbed - possibly by Hamas.
The story is here.
Don’t expect to read about it in our vapid Australian press.
Hopefully the chinks might be starting to be exposed … but it’s a very dangerous time with Iran.
Melanie Phillips comments here
Meanwhile, it helps explain the annoyance by Netanyahu that the extra pressure put on Iran may be being held back by Obama here.
“After the 2-state solution ceases to be viable, there is always the 1-state + protectorate or ‘autonomous zone’ option, for Israel and the built-up Arab-populated areas. It is not ‘apartheid’, even if it offends the Moslem’s imagination since he does not come out with his foot on the other guy’s neck [...]