Israel's Bird

The winning woodpecker-like bird is called the Hoopie.
The story broke this morning:

Hoopoe Israel's new national bird

"Thousands of Israelis participate in election of country's first national bird; after months of voting, President Peres announces Hoopoe raked in 35% of votes

President Shimon Peres announced the Hoopoe as Israel's new national bird. The Hoopoe won an election held by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which concluded on Thursday after months of voting. 155,000 people participated in the nationwide election." -more

Hoopoe photo by Dhaval Momaya, India. November, 2005

Hillary (1998)

It was ten years ago this month (back in May of 1998) that Hillary caused a furor by being the first "administration figure" to call for a Palestinian State.

Judge Judy was, at the time, just a "TV Judge". Hillary Rodham Clinton was, back then, just "the wife" of the President.

Here's a news analysis published at the time.

Friday May 15, 1998
News Analysis: What motivated Hillary's call for Palestinian state?
MATTHEW DORF
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

WASHINGTON -- Did Hillary Rodham Clinton send a message of support for a Palestinian state on purpose?

Speaking during a satellite hookup with teenagers in Switzerland last week, she said "Palestine" or "state" at least seven times.

The White House contends she did not mean to signal a shift in U.S. policy when, in response to a question, the First Lady said, "I think it will be in the long-term interests of the Middle East for Palestine to be a state."

But many Israeli officials and Jewish groups remain unconvinced.

So the statement has set off a fury in Israel and among many American Jews who saw the comment as another way to pressure Israel to make concessions in the peace talks.

...Clinton's statement, if followed through by her husband's administration, would represent a major shift in U.S. policy, which for decades opposed the creation of a Palestinian state.

Only after Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo Accords earlier this decade did the United States say that statehood is a matter for negotiations between the parties.

The question is whether that shift was intentional -- even with the White House insisting that she was not speaking for the United States." -more

Hagee, CUFI, and Campaign 2008

The attacks on Pastor Hagee seem so obviously part of an "Obama had his extremist backer and so does McCain, so let's just forget about Obama's relationship with his pastor, Reverend Wright" campaign tactic, that I titled this cartoon "Campaign 2008".

Here's a Letter to the Editor that appeared in the New York Times on April 10, 2008

"To the Editor:

Re “For McCain, Little Talk of a Controversial Endorsement” (news article, April 8), about the Rev. John C. Hagee and the organization he founded, Christians United for Israel, and the reaction to his efforts on behalf of Israel:

Pastor Hagee has been a true friend of Israel for many years. Christians United for Israel is among the strongest supporters of Israel in the United States.

The signers of this letter have been chairmen of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and we appreciate and respect Pastor Hagee’s dedicated efforts and those of Christians United for Israel.

Harold Tanner
James Tisch
Mort Zuckerman
Mel Salberg
Lester Pollack
Shoshana Cardin
Ken Bialkin
New York, April 8, 2008"

It is also becoming embarrassingly clear that "united for Israel" is NOT what the American Jewish Community is at present.

To visit the CUFI website click on CUFI.

U.S. Presidential Campaign (1988)

Pro-Israel posturing and empty promises by presidential hopefuls is a traditional and seasonal event. As it was back twenty years ago in the campaign of 1988, so it is today in the campaign of 2008.

* * *

According to the Chicago Tribune:

Obama: 'Unshakable commitment' to Israel
By Mike Dorning | Tribune correspondent
May 23, 2008
"BOCA RATON, Fla. - Barack Obama went to a synagogue in South Florida on Thursday to pledge unwavering support for Israel's security as he sought to assuage Jewish concerns about his foreign policy views and strengthen his support within a crucial Democratic constituency in this swing political state.

The Illinois senator, the leading Democratic presidential contender, provided assurances of traditional positions on relations with Israel, promising an "unshakable commitment" to its security, praising the bond between the U.S. and Israel and declaring he would not negotiate with Hamas and Hezbollah, groups the U.S. considers terrorist organizations."-more

* * *

Your thoughts?

Lebanon "Agreement"

It's not only Europe and America.
As JoshuaPundit points out:

" The UN also okayed the arrangement, thus trashing three separate UN resolutions calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and making the organization even more of an obscene joke, if that's possible.

US ally Fouad Siniora is on his way out as prime minister, probably to exile and, rumor has it, a well-paid sinecure at the World Bank.That little tidbit of information is yet another clue that leads me to believe that the Bush Administration acceded to the takeover of Lebanon as part of negotiations designed to try and woo Syria away from its alliance with Iran." -more

Olmert's One Man Show

The "news" is that the Israeli government announced that it is in secret negotiations with the Syrians ...but the Israeli government made no such announcement nor did the Israeli government approve the renewal of talks with Syria. Mr.Olmert conducted the ultra-secret talks without government knowledge and made the announcement without Israeli government approval.

Am I the only one who is bothered by this?

Intifada and Lag Ba'Omer (1988)

Today's Golden Oldie is a Dry Bones cartoon that I did twenty years ago in May 1988. It was, like today, the day of Lag Ba'Omer eve. That evening, like tonight, Lag Ba'Omer bonfires would be lighting up Israeli cities, towns, and villages.

To understand the cartoon it is necessary to understand that in December of 1987, masked thugs began distributing threatening leaflets to Palestinian Arab businessmen. These leaflets demanded that the businessmen close their shops and offices to support the anti-Israeli tire-burning and the stone-throwing attacks on Israelis ...or suffer the consequences. This attempt to crush the then friendly relations between Jews and Arabs was called the Intifada and was a complete success.

The Intifada is now celebrated by Hamas as its founding act. The name Hamas, in fact, first appeared in an Intifada leaflet less than six months before today's Golden Oldie was first published.

Earthquake in China

The massive earthquake in China has turned the Chinese into victims. And in the politically correct West, victim-hood trumps everything.

Smell the Roses (1988)

Our small front garden is outrageously beautiful these days with red, orange, and pink clouds of bougainvillea blossoms entwined with vines of purple morning-glories, all attracting the attention of the delightful and tiny hovering, hummingbird-like Israeli sun-birds. Today's Golden Oldie is from a similar day in May twenty years ago in 1988.

Later this week it'll be Lag Ba'Omer again. Lag Ba'Omer is as close to a peasant festival as it gets. Bonfires are lit all around the country with people singing and dancing and tossing wood to the hungry flames ...and like a new generation of sun-birds, a new generation of Israeli kids is on the scene to experience the excitement of life ...to "smell the roses"

As usual in the old "Friday Dry Bones" cartoons Mr. Shuldig's dog Doobie adds a lemon-like slice of cynicism to the old guy's saccharine observations.

Rising Prices?

Rising prices or falling dollar? Out here in the world outside of America's borders we are used to thinking of the U.S. Dollar as the most sound and stable currency. So what's going on? Is the price of oil going through the roof or is the value of the Dollar dropping through the floor?

I remember when oil was $15 a barrel ...of course I also remember when a New York City Hot Dog on a bun was 12 cents (15 cents if you wanted sauerkraut).

Counting the Days

"Counting the days of the Omer and Counting the Olmert days" was an idea sent in by a loyal reader ...and I couldn't resist using it.

If you don't know about counting the days of the Omer click here.

Nakba (2006)

Okay so a cartoon from just two years ago is NOT a Golden Oldie. It was posted in 2006. But again this year, the Palestinians celebrated Nakba (the "look at us, we're victims" holiday) that is held on every Israeli Independence Day. They did so in interviews, demonstrations, newspaper pieces, and of course, by a major missile attack launched against us from Hamas-run Gaza. Well, I've decided to join the annual celebrations.

I plan to run this cartoon every year to mark Nakba, the catastrophe that the Palestinians continue to create for themselves.

Your thoughts?

Olmert's Crime

Olmert to resign because of allegations of criminal dealings when he was Mayor of Jerusalem?? It's on every Israeli newspaper's front page! I figure that Olmert's crime was in not stepping down in response to the Winograd commission's report and the clear wishes of the public.

As to anything else, he's innocent until proven guilty.

Ignoring Lebanon (1975)

In today's news the Main Stream Media is reporting fighting between Hezbollah and the "pro Western" government of Lebanon ...rather than reporting that it is the legitimate government of Lebanon that is being attacked.

I'm not surprised, because the West's abandonment of Lebanon (and the Christian, Jewish, and Druze communities of the Middle East) goes back a long way. The West's ignoring of the ongoing bombing of Sderot by Hamas, and of PLO terrorism and Palestinian anti-Semitic incitement and anti-Christian violence on the West Bank and in Gaza is nothing new.

Today's Golden Oldie is from November of 1975, more that 30 years ago.

Them and Us and History

Almost all of my cartoons are comments on a current event ...tied to a specific item in the news of the day. Today is one of those rare moments when I allowed myself to express a broader overview.

So if you want a doctrine to take over and dominate the world, a dissent-bashing cult like Radical Islam is obviously the way to go. Which raises the question of "How it is that Jews and Judaism have managed to survive so many such mass movements in our journey through thousands of years of history?"

And your answer would be?

Sunday Mail: 60th Celebrations

Posting a cartoon every weekday leaves no room for me to simply share news, ideas, and other stuff with you, so here's a Dry Bones feature called: 'Sunday Mail: Letters from Dry Bones'.

Party Time
We Israelis celebrated the 60th according to the Hebrew calendar (which fell this year on May 8) We partied, went to the beach, had barbecues, waved flags, went to parades, and sat in holiday traffic jams. But according to the civil calendar, Israel’s anniversary is celebrated on May 14. And so it is that a flood of international dignitaries, celebrities, and in general, important folk, are about to descend on the country to kick off the 60th celebration.

Guests
George Bush will address the Knesset (our parliament). Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will attend the celebrations, along with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Also visiting will be the presidents of Ukraine, of Albania, of Latvia, of Poland, of Rwanda, of Georgia, of Croatia, of Slovenia, and of Burkina Faso, along with the prime ministers of. the Slovak Republic and of Hungary. The Chancellor of Germany visited in mid-March for an early 60th celebration and the French President is scheduled to visit in late June. Elie Wiesel, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Google founder Sergey Brin, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will also be coming to the party.

Gifts
The Dry Bones "Israel at 60" Commemorative Mugs make great gifts. And they're not on sale in any store. These souvenirs are a limited edition and will only be available until the end of 2008. After that, you'll have to go to eBay and pay some outrageously inflated collector's price. Right now you can snag one or more of these mugs at an embarrassingly low $19.95 each. They are large (a hefty, 15 oz.) ceramic mugs with big, comfortable easy-grip handles. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. If you don't get one now, you'll be kicking yourself next year. Click on the photo below for more info, to take a peek at the other side (which is even prettier), and perhaps to buy one.

Only $19.95 each for these Dry Bones Commemorative Mugs?

Hezbollah at War

Today's front pages of every Israeli newspaper and all of our media, are screaming about Olmert's maybe going to have to step down because it looks like maybe he's going to be charged with criminal charges about stuff he did while mayor of Jerusalem.

Doing a daily editorial cartoon, however, means that I try to comment on the most important story.

So I was torn between the Olmert corruption story and Hezbollah's declaration of war on the Lebanese government, where the moves by the Iranian/Syrian axis now seem to be taking a dangerous turn.

So did I pick the significant topic to "cover" ?

What do you think?

Israeli Independence Day (1990)

Yom HaAtzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. Back in 1990 we were coming to grips with the twin surprises of the West turning its back on us and the miraculous rescue/return of the Jews from Russia and Ethiopia!

In this cartoon, done in April of 1990, I used my Miss Israel character to show the mood of the country on her birthday.

To see how she looked in 1978 click on Israel at 30.
And for this year's Miss Israel click on Israel at 60.

And a Happy Israel Day to us all!!

The Car

Ethanol was supposed to be the solution. Now it's part of the problem?!

According to the Associated Press:

With Food Costs Rising, Ethanol Benefits Now Questioned
WASHINGTON (AP) - "Just months ago, ethanol was the Holy Grail to energy independence and a "green fuel" that would help nudge the country away from climate-changing fossil energy.

Democrats and Republicans cheered its benefits as Congress directed a fivefold increase in ethanol use as a motor fuel. President Bush called it key to his strategy to cut gasoline use by 20 percent by 2010.

But now with skyrocketing food costs - even U.S. senators are complaining about seeing shocking prices at the supermarket - and hunger spreading across the globe, some lawmakers are wondering if they made a mistake.

"Our enthusiasm for corn ethanol deserves a second look. That's all I'm saying, a second look," said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., at a House hearing Tuesday where the impact of ethanol on soaring food costs was given a wide airing.

In a dramatic reversal, ethanol has shifted from being an object of widespread, bipartisan praise to one of derision, even among some of its past supporters." -more

Israel at 30 (1978)

In yesterday's cartoon I showed a "little girl" Israel anticipating her birthday party in 2008. In the posting I promised to show you how I've depicted "Miss Israel" in the past, so...

...click on the cartoon below to open a larger, more readable version of this full page Dry Bones Golden Oldie that celebrated Israel's 30th Independence Day (Yom Ha'Atzmaut) back in 1978 .

Click on the cartoon above to open a larger, more readable version of this full page Dry Bones Golden Oldie of "Israel at 30".

A President at Her Party!

The continued imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard has become an ugly stain on the reputations of both the U.S. and Israel. Given the ineptness of a succession of Israeli governments in handling the "Pollard Affair", and the embarrassing silence of major American Jewish organizations, we are reduced to hoping for a "birthday present".

* * *

In previous years I've tried to capture the flavor of Israel at significant birthdays ...drawing Israel as a sultry, sexy, Mediterranean beauty. On her 60th, however, the little girl and her birthday wish seemed more appropriate.

I'll try to dig up a previous "Israel on her Birthday cartoon" to post as a Golden Oldie to show you what I mean."

Sunday Mail: "Israel at 60" Mug

Posting a cartoon every weekday leaves no room for me to simply share news, ideas, and other stuff with you, so here's a Dry Bones feature called: 'Sunday Mail: Letters from Dry Bones'.

Dry Bones Celebrates "Israel at 60"
This week begins the festivities commemorating Israel's 60th year of Independence.

For the occasion I created the Official Dry Bones Commemorative Mug. These large (and dare I say attractive ?) souvenirs are a limited edition and will only be available until the end of 2008. After that, you'll have to go to eBay and pay some outrageously inflated collector's price.

I just received an email from a loyal reader who is coming to Israel with his family and wanted to know where the "Dry Bones Store" was.

Well, I hate to break it to you guys but there is no "Dry Bones Store" and there's no way you can get your hands on one of these gorgeous commemorative mugs other than by clicking on the picture below.

Being a terrible businessman, I've priced these mugs at an embarrassingly low $19.95 each. They are large (a hefty, 15 oz.) ceramic mugs with big, comfortable easy-grip handles. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. If you don't get one now, you'll be kicking yourself next year. Click on the photo below for more info, to take a peek at the other side (which is even prettier), and perhaps to buy one.

Only $19.95 for this Dry Bones Commemorative Mug?

No Brainer

Condi wants to know why "donor pledges" to the increasingly out of control and dangerous Palestinian entity are not being fulfilled?

According to Reuters:

LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - "Donor nations meet on Friday to discuss aid to the Palestinian Authority among recriminations that some have been slow to provide promised money and doubts about a U.S.-backed Middle East peace effort.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to press Arab nations to make good on their pledges of aid, arguing that it is vital to support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as he seeks to negotiate peace with Israel." -more

The Iranian-backed Palestinians are a clear threat to peace and to the countries of the region. Everyone in the area knows it but won't say it. Will Condi be successful in getting "donor countries" (including Arab states) to fund the monster that seeks to destroy them?

What's your opinion?

Nazi Murderer Sentenced (1980)

Today is Yom HaShoa.
Holocaust Remembrance Day. A difficult day for many of us. Today's Golden Oldie is from 1980. Back then I was angry. These days I just get depressed.