Israeli Forces Enter Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Jun 29, 2006 (AP)
"Israeli warplanes struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry early Friday, setting it ablaze as Arab leaders tried to forge a deal that would halt the Israeli offensive and free a 19-year-old soldier held by gunmen allied with the ruling Islamic Hamas.
The bombing was one of more than a dozen across the Gaza Strip after midnight, though Israel called off a planned ground invasion of northern Gaza on Thursday in order to give diplomacy another chance."-more

Gaza/Ramallah June 29, 2006 (Bangkok post)
Israel arrests Hamas, attacks ministry
"In an unprecedented campaign against Hamas, Israel arrested much of the West Bank leadership of the governing Palestinian movement, then fired air-to-surface missiles in the predawn Friday attack that hit an empty interior ministry building in Gaza City."more

Israel's Army (1973)

This cartoon was done 33 years ago. It was two weeks after the Egyptian attack on Yom Kippur which launched the 1973 war.

Today, in 2006, at the time of this writing, Israel is gripped with worry about Gilad Shalit, a kidnapped soldier. We Israelis are an argumentative lot, but it's all in the family. Our soldiers are not faceless robocops, they are our kids, our brothers and our sisters.

Our enemies are cruel, proudly willing to sacrifice their children... It is what makes them strong!
We Israelis are soft inside and we worry about the lives of our kids... It is what makes us human.

And it's why I picked this Golden Oldie to run today.

Note how funny Mr. Shuldig looked back then.
Hey, we all looked funny back then, it was the seventies!

HURRAY! sort of. . .

It gets even worse.
In spite of initial reports that the six-pointed star would be used inside a red crystal, the truth, according to the BBC is that the star is still a "no no" unless the other countries participating in any UN rescue effort give their permission!?

"Israelis, including military medics, will be able to use the crystal by itself on a white flag. On their own territory - or with the agreement of other states participating in UN operations abroad - they will be able to combine it with the star of David."-more

The Religious Life (1993)

1993.
Thirteen years ago.
A cartoon showing one of the pillowcase-encased, bag-headed Hamas cuthroats... before they went into government.

Good News from the Presbyterians

Sometimes there's good news.
This is one of those times.
For an interesting view of what this means, check out the MidEast Web Log.

Desert Arab Islam

I just finished reading an exciting and highly readable book called The Trouble With Islam. It puts forth the theory that the trouble with Islam today is that it's been hijacked by Arab Desert culture. To find out about Irshad Manji, the amazing woman behind the book, check out her website, called muslim-refusenik.com.

Palestinian Missiles (1993)

15 years later and now we're being hit by Palestinian missiles from Gaza. Once again our citizens hide in bomb shelters. Once again we hit back from the air. Once again the world only responds to our responses. Once again...

The Folks Next Door

Click here to see an
actual video of the launching
of Qassam Missiles at Israel

Those British Academics

This cartoon stars Mr. Shuldig, my alter ego. When I first drew Shuldig he wore an open shirt and jacket in what was, years ago, the standard dress for Israeli men. With time he switched to a fuzzy sweater over a shirt.

During the pullout from Gaza, we Israelis were divided and we debated each other in a giant "color war." Opponents of the pullout tied orange ribbons to everything they could find. Pro-pullout people fought back with displays of blue ribbons.

Since then I've drawn Shuldig wearing both colors: his sweater is orange and the collar of his shirt is blue.

Oh, and about the Palestinian President of Al Quds University, that story is here.

Squeezing the Christians (1996)

Arafat's attempt to twist history and theology by turning Jesus the Jew into a sword-carrying Palestinian warrior was evident in a UN speech he had given in 1983:

"We were under Roman imperialism. We sent a Palestinian fisherman, called St. Peter, to Rome. He not only occupied Rome, but also won the hearts of the people. We know how to resist imperialism and occupation. Jesus Christ was the first Palestinian fedayin who carried his sword along the path on which the Palestinians today carry their Cross" -more

By 1996, the date of this "Golden Oldie" cartoon, PLO pressure had brought about a major exodus of Christians from Bethlehem and other towns under Palestinian Authority control.

These days, however, there's good news! The disgraceful 2004 Presbyterian decision to "divest" from Israel is being reversed as I write!!

Here's the background as described by CUANAS.

"In 2004, the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, as a reaction to Israeli policy vis a vis the Palestinians, voted to "divest" from Israel, which means to cease all existing investments in Israeli companies. ... more"

Here's Living in the Past, another Christian blog:

"This is really good news to Donna and I. Yes, we are members of the Presbyterian Church USA and I have never agreed with this original decision to divest itself from Israel. Finally more intelligent minds are beginning to prevail. ...more."

You can follow what's going on at the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (PCUSA) convention where the debates and voting is taking place, by visiting a site called Presbyterians For Peace.

If you are a Presbyterian (and even if you're not) check out the action at these sites by the folks behind Presbyterians for Peace:

• End Divestment Now


• Bearing Witness


• The National Christian Leadership Conference


• Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East


• Presbyterians Concerned for Jewish Christian Relations

1,000 Rifles!

Here's where I first heard the news, at DebkaFile.
For the reaction of an outraged Zionist, check out Boker Tov Boulder
For the reaction of an outraged Israel-basher, check out "PeaceForPalestine".

The Threat From Iran

Actually another thing has changed.
Today we don't have a feisty, tough, brave Prime Minister like Menachem Begin to make the decision.

Or do we?
Hmmmm?

A Second Sun?! (1977)

June 1977.
Twenty-nine years ago.
A cartoon about a science item then in the news. Interesting that if I did the cartoon today, the punch line would deal with global warming.

The CIA and the Jews

The paranoia about Jews in some Washington circles has been obvious from the outrageously cruel and unusual 21-year long imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard to the unsuccessful witch-hunt which finally resorted to a sting operation to entrap AIPAC employees, (now former employees ...And currently on trial).

And we all knew about the Washington's initial support for Osama Bin Laden,
but now there's something new!!! CIA assistance to Nazi war criminals to help them escape detection and arrest!

When the news broke I decided to list the facts, starting with the brand new Nazi revelations. And did this cartoon.

The CIA/Nazi news story is below:

Reuters:CIA HID TOP NAZI'S LOCATION

"WASHINGTON -- The CIA, in the 1950s, suppressed the whereabouts of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann to help protect ranking West German officials from possible revelations about their own Nazi pasts, according to CIA data released yesterday."
More

Peace Process Problem (1993)

1993. Thirteen years have gone by and the "Peace Process" is still hung up on this very same issue.

PA President Abbas

Not everybody thinks of Abbas as a partner for peace.
Folks who watch the Palestinian Media say that although the PA president makes moderate statements in English, his pronouncements to his people are a different matter. According to Palestinian Media Watch :

"his Arabic statements continue to show admiration for even the most depraved terrorists. Likewise, Abbas rejects terror for tactical reasons only -- not because it is immoral.
During a television interview this week, Abbas twice referred to those terrorists serving "tens of life sentences" in Israeli jails as "our heroes." The terrorists who are serving "tens of life sentences" are those arch terrorists who have personally killed tens of Israelis,, and are sentenced to one life sentence for each murder. These are the people whom Mahmoud Abbas calls "our heroes."
-more.

Zarqawi Killed, Trouble in Paradise!

The Americans took out Zarqawi!? Wow!
I was so happy doing this cartoon that I did it in color.
Whaddya' think?

Oh, and about the "72 Virgins or 72 Grapes" business?
Here's how Nicholas Kristof explained it back in 2004 in the NY Times.

Ethnic Cleansing (1994)

The Year was 1994.
The World was upset about "Ethnic Cleansing".
A UN Commission of Experts was set up to enquire into "grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law".
To avoid any misunderstandings the UN Commission defined ethnic cleansing as:

"a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas." - more

School children might think that this would include the Palestinian attempts to remove the civilian Jewish population from "certain geographic areas" by violence and terror.
I felt the need to clear up this misunderstanding.

Another Brick in the Wall

The ADL says:

"Once again, a labor union has voted to take the deplorable and offensive step of attempting to isolate and vilify the State of Israel while taking a strongly one-sided view of the conflict,"
more...

The story is commented on at Little Green Footballs.

oh, and if you're interested, here's a British pro-boycott site listing 39 different boycotts you can join.

The West Bank and Gaza (1991)

Fifteen years ago, back in 1991, I speculated about how to bring peace to the West Bank and to Gaza. Holding on to it wasn't bringing "peace"... and pulling out would not bring an end to the violence (we eventually proved that by withdrawing from Gaza).
The cartoon deals with the fact that we often think of our real-world problems as if they were like mathematical problems. They are not. Sometimes real-world problems just don't have solutions.

Saying that sounds awfully cold, so in the cartoon I said it with a joke.

Terrorists in Canada Target Canada!"

A Canadian View:

"These are mostly Canadian born people; raised in Canada; educated in Canada. This is the thanks we get! To be bombed for your buddy Osama. They purchased enough ammonium nitrate to repeat the Oklahoma bombing three times over."
- from a Canadian blog called Garvin

Exactness of Speech:

"There is no such thing as "a terrorist". Terrorism is a tactic. Oh golly it feels good to label groups with that word. Like calling someone a "bastard" or "liar" or "asshole." I have done it myself. Feels great. Yet it confuses things.
The venerable New York Times seems to have forgotten this. The article on a success in Canada yesterday is frustrating. Political correctness is allowing the war/debate/war to be framed with fuzzy logic. To use exactness of speech; you can not fight terrorists. You CAN fight Radical Islamists, Islamic Extremists or Islamic militants or any other group that has used terrorism as a tactic.
-from Brand to be Determined

Not a Border Problem:

"Soon after the announcement of the arrests of 17 alleged terrorists in Ontario the fears of border control filled the newsmedia in the US, threatening attempts to keep the Canada-US border open as possible. But the problem is not one of borders. The alleged terrorists were of the homegrown variety (most were Canadians), thus America should be worrying about its own backyard."
-from Coming Anarchy

Religion of Peace

The following are some excerpts from the speech by Hizbullah secretary-general Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, which was broadcast on Al-Manar TV on May 23, 2006, in which he boasts of Hizbullah's missile capabilities and details the weaknesses of the Jewish State:

"This [Zionist] entity, which has many strengths - I don't have time now to list them all - has weaknesses as well. One of its most important weaknesses is the fact that it is an extraneous entity. It is not deeply rooted. Another of its weaknesses is the fact that its society is not homogeneous.
Some Falasha Ethiopians, some from Russia, and some from I don't know where... They are bound together by a baseless and unfounded myth. Another weakness of this entity is that its people came because they were promised security, peace, and a life in the land of milk and honey. But if they encounter something else, they will leave this land.
"Another weakness is that both as individuals and as a collective, they are described by Allah as 'the people who guard their lives most.' Their strong adherence to this world, with all its vanities and pleasures, constitutes a weakness.
In contrast, our people and our nation's willingness to sacrifice their blood, souls, children, fathers, and families for the sake of the nation's honor, life, and happiness has always been one of our nation's strengths."

Want to see the Hizbullah TV clip that the two bar stool pundits are watching? With English subtitles?

Memri (the Middle East Media Research Institute) has it.

Click to Watch

Pentecost - Shavuot (1996)

Tonight, at sundown, begins the Jewish festival called Shavuot, (Shavuos in Yiddish-accented Hebrew).
For an intro to this Biblical holiday check out this prior posting which was entitled Shavuot Cheese.