Happy Passover

Each year, at our Passover Seders we link with Jewish generations through time and Jews around the world. It is a time of togetherness.

Outside of the borders of the Promised Land there are two Seder nights but here in Israel our one festive Seder meal will be held on Monday evening... and Tuesday will be a holiday.

* * * Passover week in Israel is a series of days which are "half-holidays" with everybody working shorter and erratic hours. Yesterday (Thursday) I had some print work done in Tel Aviv and the printer suggested that I stop back during "Hol HaMoed" (the half-holidays I mentioned). When I asked what hours his print shop would be open he thought a moment and then just suggested that I "call before stopping in".

So here's my schedule for the coming week. Or at least just the start of it:

Monday morning (Israel time) I'll post a new cartoon
Monday night I'll be crunching matza at a Seder.
Tuesday is a "full" holiday... no work, just matza crunching.
Tuesday evening (Israel time) I'll be posting a Golden Oldie
Wednesday I will put up another new cartoon.

On Wednesday I will also call Tzvika (the printer) to see if and when the Print Shop is open.

* * * Happy Passover to us All!

Arab Boycott (1994)

Back on March 29 1994, I counted the ongoing list of reasons given by our Arab neighbors for not implementing their commitment to cancel the anti-Israeli boycott.

Thirteen years have gone by and I've stopped counting the excuses.

- - - - - - - - - - For those who don't know the history of the boycott, or who think that it is anti-Israeli rather than anti-Jewish consider the following:

"Arab boycotts of Jewish interests started as early as 1921, 27 years before the establishment of Israel. The original boycott forswore with any Jewish owned business operating in the British Mandate of Palestine.

Aiming to isolate the Jewish community economically, a formal boycott was declared by the newly formed Arab League Council on December 2, 1945: 'Jewish products and manufactured goods shall be considered undesirable to the Arab countries.' All Arab 'institutions, organizations, merchants, commission agents and individuals' were called upon 'to refuse to deal in, distribute, or consume Zionist products or manufactured goods.'

Officially, the boycott covers three areas:

Products and services which originate in Israel (referred to as the primary boycott and still enforced in many Arab states)
Businesses that operate in Israel (the secondary boycott)
Businesses which have relationships with other businesses trading in Israel (the tertiary boycott)"-more

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Drowning in their own Sewage

The latest news from our neighbors in Gaza is a report of a major disaster. A village has been flooded by a massive spill of sewage and mud. The village is close to one of the areas used by the Palestinians to launch rockets at Israeli towns. Here's the story:

6 killed, many missing in Gaza sewage flood
"At least six people killed, thousands evacuated after sewage, mud flood northern Strip Bedouin village of Umm Naser" -more

* * * More than a month before the disaster there was this little noticed piece of news:

Israel Says PA Using Gaza Sewage Pipes for Kassams
(IsraelNN.com) "Israeli authorities have charged that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is digging up sewage pipes in the Gaza area so that the pipes can be used for Kassam rockets.
The charges were made after the PA accused Israel of causing sewage to be spilled on Gaza's main north-south highway by not allowing needed pipes to move through border crossings." -more

... and this interesting blog posting from March 5:

"There have been numerous reports about horrible conditions in Gaza due to the raw sewage flowing openly in the streets and being dumped into the sea because of the absence of the sewage system. And of course it was blamed on... yep, Israel. But you'll never guess where the metal pipes intended for the construction of a sewage system in Gaza have been going. They have been used for manufacturing Kassam rockets." --more

(1980) The "Good Guys"

Twenty seven years have gone by since I did this cartoon and the West still thinks of the fundamentalist, anti-female, anti-Semitic, anti-democratic, repressive Saudi Sheiks as the "good guys" in the region.

Of course considering the other players in the region, maybe they're right.

Ahmadinejad: The Visionary

I like to think that the current situation is really frustrating for Ahmadinejad, the latest arrogant little dictator and would-be destroyer of the Jews.

Or are things going his way? Are we all following his step by step scenario designed to bring a cataclysmic clash between the forces of good and evil?!

And what's up with the latest noise about an Israeli/Saudi meeting?

What's your take on what's happening?

Nu?

Bunny Rabbits

The shorter days of winter lengthen as the planet moves towards the long days and shorter nights of summer. The date on which the days and nights are equal in length is the vernal equinox. March 20. The first day of spring. Flowers in bloom, rebirth and optimism in the air.

* * * Only natural that great religions should mark this transition time.

The Baha'i faith marked the start of its calendar on March 20, the spring equinox itself, with a holiday called Norouz .

Jews will celebrate the start of spring on Passover, the week-long Jewish holiday which starts this year on the evening of April 2nd.

The Christian holiday of Easter Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox. Easter Sunday this year will be Sunday, April 8.

So happy spring, one and all!

And as for global warming... what do you think?
Nu?

Water (1992)

Back in 1992 it was becoming obvious that the world faced a water problem.

At the June 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), held in Rio de Janeiro, a plan for the 21st Century was adopted. It was called Agenda21. It called for a World Water Day.

On December 22, 1992, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring an annual World Day for Water to be observed on March 22 ...and today's the day!

Car Talk

I don't understand it. Here in Israel, guys who wouldn't dream of asking directions are turning on their GPS car navigation systems when they drive to the local grocery store!! I'm not sure what's going on but here's a clue: I don't own a car and I want a talking GPS navigation system too! My son-in-law says that his system can be switched to pedestrian mode!! I wonder if he'd let me take it out for a walk?

Welcome to the future.

Hamas Terror (1993)

This Dry Bones cartoon was done back in March 1993. At that time we were waiting for Arab leadership to condemn the Hamas terror campaign in Gaza.

At the time of this posting it's March 2007.
We're still waiting.

Hamas and its PA Poodle

This cartoon was fun to draw. I like the whacko powerless puppet quality of the "poodle". Meanwhile, in the "real world", we're being treated to both optimistic and pessimistic speculation about what happens next.

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US Says it Will Not Deal With PA Gov't
National security adviser Stephen Hadley says Washington will refuse to deal with new Palestinian government unless it forgoes violence and fully recognizes Israel -more

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Shin Bet: Economic Pressure on PA to be Reduced
Organization chief tells cabinet meeting establishment of new unity government may cause moderate EU countries to reduce economic pressure on Hamas -more

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Yaakov Kirschen Speaks!

Daryl Cagle is a dynamite cartoonist, a bright and funny guy, and an Internet innovator. Cagle.com is the place for professional cartoonists. Daryl's latest idea was to interview editorial cartoonists online for MSN. It turned out really well. Sort of like radio with pictures. Daryl chose me to be his second interview subject. We spoke over an Internet connection and did a dozen little shows, each about a different Dry Bones cartoon.

*** To listen, just make sure that your speakers are on, and click on Yaakov Kirschen Speaks.

*** And then, if you've got the time, let us know what you think.

Palestinian Authority Coalition Government

The phony fig leaf cover-up called the Palestinian Authority Coalition Government wont fool anyone. Nope. But I believe that it will provide an excuse for the appeasers to climb down from the moral stance that they've somehow been tricked into assuming.

What do you think?

Media Messages (1997)

Today's Golden Oldie is from ten years ago this month. March 1997. The news at that time was that Palestinian incitement was ignored by the Media, while Israeli archeology and the building of homes was condemned.

* * * As it was then, so it is now.

The latest incitement began when Israel began work to repair the crumbling earthen ramp leading to an entrance to the Temple Mount. The Islamic Movement in Israel accused Israel of destroying the Al Aksa mosque (which stands on the Temple Mount). By the way, Israel has now begun webcasting LIVE video images of the excavations and repair work in "an effort to allay Muslim fears that the work would damage nearby Islamic shrines". See for yourself. Check it out at The Israel Antiquities Authority website.

End the Incitement

At the time of this writing Israel's lackluster PM and the PA's irrelevant President are trying to prop each other up. The topic they've discussed is supposedly peace. But the only path to peace is through an end to incitement. And that's one item that I'm sure was not on their agenda.

For more info and links, check this previous posting about Incitement and the Peace Process.

Mayhem on the Roads (1987)

This Golden Oldie Dry Bones cartoon is from twenty years ago this month. The police, back in March 1987, were trying to fight the outrageously high rate of deaths on the roads. Back then we blamed the roads. We blamed the cars. What we didn't blame was our behavior behind the wheel.

* * * At the time of this writing, in March 2007, the road fatality plague continues. And this week was particularly bad. Newspaper headlines shout about the carnage. TV newscasters provide voice-overs for the news shots of the crash scenes. The only thing that's changed since this Golden Oldie was first published is that we now blame the drivers and not the "dangerous" roads, or the "unsafe" cars. * * *

Want to learn more... or maybe help? Check out a wonderful, dedicated volunteer group called Metuna "The Organization for Road Safety".

Not Just Another Pretty Face . . .

"The BBC survey gave respondents a list of 12 countries and asked whether they had a 'mostly positive or mostly negative influence in the world.' The country with the highest number of mostly negative responses overall is Israel (56% negative, 17% positive), followed by Iran (54% negative 18% positive), the United States (51% negative, 30% positive), and North Korea (48% negative, 19% positive).

Israel also stands out for having the largest number of countries (23 of 27) viewing it negatively. Iran is regarded unfavourably in 21 countries, the United States and North Korea in 20." -more

- - - - - - - - - - Here's what Conservative Thoughts thinks:

"What does this poll have to do with reality? First of all Israel the most hated country? Of course everyone hates the Jews Zionists. Especially in Islamic countries where children are taught that Jews are monkeys and pigs. Then we have the USA rated worse that communist and socialist countries where human rights and freedoms are virtually non-existent. North Korea is rated in a more positive light that the USA? Pollsters should have asked which country would you rather live the US or North Korea; I bet those numbers would change dramatically." -more

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What do YOU think?

Punch Drunk

Our Health Ministry tried to deal with it in secret, so as not to "panic the public." Well the story got out and the latest local headline reads:

Killer Bug Sows Panic in Israel

"Jerusalem - A killer bacteria resistant to antibiotics is sowing panic across Israel as it sweeps through hospitals, leaving scores dead and afflicting hundreds more.

Five hundred people in more than 10 hospitals have been struck down with the lethal Klebsiella bacteria strain in the past six months, with 30 percent of cases ending in death, senior health ministry official Yair Amikam told AFP.

Battling to cope, the health ministry is demanding an extra half a billion dollars to improve hospital infrastructure and for hundreds of new beds, as doctors raise alarm bells of a wildfire epidemic failing decisive action."
-more

Two Women (1979)

Today is International Women's day

Today's Golden Oldie stars two women trying to deal with what was our biggest problem back in '79. Israel's runaway inflation had reached an incredible 111%!

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As I write this International Women's Day posting, news is coming in from Iran. The headline is:

Iranian Women Arrested at Rally Protesting Detention of Women's Rights Activists

"According to unofficial reports, around 30 people were detained, including some of the most prominent women's rights activists in Iran.
The protesters had gathered in front of the revolutionary court in solidarity with five women on trial over their roles in a demonstration which was broken up by police in June last year."
-more

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So how is your International Women's Day going?

Incitement and the Peace Process

Folks who say that Israel surrendered land in return for empty promises are wrong. At Oslo we got a commitment to end the anti-Semitic insanity and anti-Jewish incitement that is such an important part of the Mideast equation.

So if the commitments are not being fulfilled, why aren't we demanding action?!

Would you like to see actual footage of official Palestinian TV incitement aimed at children? Check some of 'em out at Palestinian Media Watch.

So my question is simple.

Why aren't the governments of Israel and the "Quartet" taking some kind of action?!

Shouldn't any future Israeli-Palestinian agreement have provisions for the funding of an Anti-Incitement Authority?! An international watchdog committee with teeth?!

And shouldn't such an official Anti-Incitement Authority be expanded to include monitoring incitement in the border states of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria?

Your thoughts please?

Improving the Political System (1998)

Today's Golden Oldie cartoon was originally published on March 6, today's date ...back in 1998.

It's fun when a cartoon seems just as appropriate now as it was then... But THIS one, I suspect, would be better today than it was back then!!

Yikes!!

Oh, and by the way, the Israeli Prime Minister in 1998 was Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ask the Expert

Yup. The Israeli public has NOT lost faith in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Israeli public never had any faith in PM Olmert.

And now, Israeli State Comptroller and Ombudsman Micha Lindenstrauss is about to publish initial findings of his investigation into the handling of the home front during last summer’s Hizbullah war... (at the same time the Winograd Commission is preparing its report on the mismanagement of the war itself).

Incredibly, Olmert is refusing to cooperate with the State Comptroller's investigation.

"Unlike Defense Minister Amir Peretz and other senior officials, Olmert did not appear in person for his questioning and asked for an extra month to prepare written responses.

The report, said Knesset member Zevulun Orlev, chairman of the Knesset’s State Control Committee, had been held up more than four months “due to the Prime Minister’s failure to cooperate.”

The National Union / National Religious Party Knesset member accused Olmert of “unacceptable, unreasonable and unworthy behavior.” Orlev charged Olmert and his aides with actions which he said “conveys indifference and lack of concern to the State’s citizens as to their fate on the home front, if and when the next war takes place.”

Likud Knesset Member Yuval Steinitz also attacked Olmert Sunday for his failure to cooperate with Comptroller Lindenstrauss, saying Olmert has abandoned the home front three times.

First, he said, Olmert failed to stop the Katyusha attacks on Israeli towns. Second, he failed to declare a state of war which would have helped give civilians the proper support. Finally, he said, Olmert is now also working against Lindenstrauss’s efforts to learn lessons from the war." -more

Purim Joke

Yup. Ahmadinejad, the modern reincarnation of Haman of Persia is both a test for the civilized world and a trial for Israel. The future is looking more and more like the past. As the old curse goes: "May you live in interesting times!"

...And a Happy Purim to us all.

The Purim Holiday (1997)

This year Purim starts on Sunday evening, March 3 but because there's no Sunday Dry Bones, we'll run this year's Purim cartoon tomorrow, Friday.

Kids were already showing up today in school and on the streets in costumes and masks!! Yes, Purim is indeed the official "Spring Break" of the Jewish religion.

For a full explanation of the holiday, check what we had to say last year.