Soccer Dad

Around the web 10/03/2005

Secular Blasphemy explains why it was good that Fatah dominated recent elections over Hamas:

Still, it probably tells a lot that people are happy that a thoroughly corrupt and murderous party wins the election, since the alternative is worse.

One point I'd quibble with though is:

...recent Israeli arrests after the rocket attacks and anger over the explosion that killed several Palestinians have obviously hurt Hamas.

While I agree with the first part of that statement, in the past arrests by Israel have been portrayed as increasing the stature of terrorists. I couldn't find any specific stories about Hamas, but Israel's arrest of Marwan Barghouti was portrayed as boon to his image:

Marwan Barghouti is a hugely popular figure in the West Bank where he is widely regarded as a leader of the Palestinian uprising or Intifada.

And his appearances in an Israeli court have if anything added to his status as a figurehead of Palestinian resistance.

Found this interesting bit via Roger L. Simon, The Big Picture Blog reports that The Community of Netzarim -- Evacuated from Gaza -- Stays Together. Ehud Zinar from the governing council of Netzarim writes:

The community of Netzarim voted to relocate to the western Negev, by the Egyptian border. Populating the Negev is currently a national mission. Moreover, the members of our community feel it is the best place to recover from the trauma of the deportation, get back in shape and start focusing on our next missions. We feel community work and non-formal education - both in Israel and abroad - are our next mission.

For all the cynicism expressed toward the "extremist" Jews living in Gaza it's wonderful to see it demonstrated that they are idealists with positive goals.

Roger L Simon himself carries some speculation about where Syria might be headed in "Realpolitik in the Middle East... " If changes are in the offing for the offing of Rafik Hariri, it may well serve to bring another strongman in. The new Baath then, would be the same as the old Baath.

The Larry Franklin case has been rather odd. It seems that the government was leading to something big, but that never materialized. David Bernstein at the Volokh Conspiracy asks:

Anyone else find it strange that the government would offer Larry Franklin, a government official who actually leaked classified information, a plea agreement so that he would testify against two lobbyists who are accused of what would seem to be the lesser offense of knowingly receiving the classified information (something, I understand from media reports, is rather common in D.C.)?

It's not just that, but first it was portrayed as another Pollard case. At worst it seems that it's a case of a number of people talking too much about something they shouldn't have been. (One question: if the subject of the classified information that Franklin gave to the AIPAC employees had to do with Israelis secretly operating in Kurdistan - why hasn't Seymour Hersh been quesitoned at all? Didn't he report this - I think dubious - information?)

Orin Kerr also at the VC responds.

Kesher Talk refers to an article in the Jewish Week about Jewish leftists "...who believe the failure to protest the war in Iraq means the Jewish community has lost its moral voice."
And notes that Judith Klinghoffer reported that Michael Lerner has invited Cindy Sheehan to speak at his synagogue. I thought he knew better. I guess not.

Meryl Yourish explains why she's a Zionist.

Mere Rhetoric calls attention to his buddy, Bloggy Bottom, who asks:

Does anyone else notice that every time the State Department says that Israel has the right to defend itself; it adds the qualifier that “they must remain mindful of the consequences of their actions?” Has anyone else noticed that whenever the State Department says that the Palestinians have to stop terrorism, they never ask for the Palestinians to mind the consequences if they fail to stop terrorism?

Mere Rhetoric has a post in a similar vein.

Meanwhile my buddy Daled Amos compares the American response to Israel's response to the British response and finds the American response lacking. (The State Department. Again.)

(UPDATE: A missing link has been added.)

Technorati Tag: Israel.

Posted by SoccerDad at October 3, 2005 2:17 AM