Happy Holiday (1999)

Today's Golden Oldie is from March 1999.

Back then, ten years ago this month, we were all wishing each other a "Happy Holiday!" ...because it was Passover.

* * * Passover does not begin this year until the evening of April 14, two weeks from now. ...but yesterday a cab driver wished me a cheery "Happy Holiday!" I didn't know what he was talking about. Later that day I heard a local radio show host sheepishly say "Is it too early to say 'Happy Holiday'"? Today, two other people wished me a "Happy Holiday!"?

I don't know why it's different this year but it is and we're getting into a holiday mood really early. So this Happy Passover 'toon from ten years ago seemed appropriate for today's Golden Oldie.

* * *

Happy Holiday to us all!
Hag Sameah!

CORRECTION FLASH!! UPDATE!!! THE WORLD IS NOT OUT OF STEP! IT'S ME!!! PASSOVER STARTS ON THE EVENING OF THE APRIL 8TH!!! CAN YOU EVER TRUST ME AGAIN??

Israeli War Crimes

So we all read and were shocked at reports of IDF atrocities in Gaza. The success of this latest bit of anti-Israeli incitement by the main stream media has been astounding.

So I want to alert you to an article just posted by CAMERA ( the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America)-- Charges of IDF "Wanton Killing" Crumble. Turns out that contrary to what was on the front page of the New York Times, the supposedly "eyewitness accounts" by Israeli soldiers of atrocities in Gaza were actually just hearsay, unsubstantiated rumors, and "Urban Myths". It is time for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the BBC, the Guardian, the Financial Times, etc., to be held to account for their reckless reporting of fictitious Israeli War Crimes and their anti-Israeli incitement.

And this applies doubly to Ha'aretz, (the Israeli newspaper which is a constant source of Jewish Defamation of Israel) which originated the false story.

To read the article Charges of IDF "Wanton Killing" Crumble written and researched by CAMERA's Associate Director Alex Safian just click here.

So what's your reaction?

Sunday Mail: War and Peace

Posting a cartoon every weekday leaves no room for me to simply share news, ideas, and other stuff with you. So welcome to 'Sunday Mail: Letters from Dry Bones', the new, once-a-week Dry Bones feature.

Item One: War and Peace:
Israel is always judged on its search for peace ... but our history is also the miraculous story of our fight for survival against all odds.

Somehow it is not politically correct to remember, mark, study, consider,or take pride in the incredible tale of Israel's War History. So it was a kind of guilty delight I experienced when I came across this full length (120 minutes) documentary film called "Israel's War History" being offered at a "one-third off" discount price of only $19.95.

"Israel’s War History is the most up-to-date comprehensive account of the battles that have shaped Israeli history and society. Tracing the Arab-Israeli conflict to British occupation of Palestine in 1917, Israel’s War History portrays the entire history of the State of Israel including the recent war in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, and its aftermath.

Along with the in-depth accounts of the wars, this feature-length documentary also reviews the attempts at peace and the major milestones in Israeli history. With captivating narration, the story is told using rare and fascinating archive footage and interviews with most of Israel’s former prime ministers, including Menachem Begin, Yitzchak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, Shimon Peres and Edud Barak,.

Hear Menachem Begin discuss Israel’s struggles, from when he was a wanted terrorist after the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946, until he became the architect of peace with Israel’s strongest enemy, during the Israel – Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979. Listen to Yitzchak Rabin describe his life, from when he was a young soldier fighting in WWII for the British forces, to acting as Chief of Staff during the Six Day War, to his historic handshake on the Whitehouse lawn with Israel’s most hated enemy, Yasser Arafat. Former Prime Minister Peres adds a philosophical dimension to the film with his views on peace and war and the Jewish nation." -more

Only $19.95 (plus shipping)for this important film documentary
CHECK IT OUT!

the New Israeli Government

I find something comforting in the makeup of the government that Bibi Netanyahu has apparently managed to put together. Is it comforting to you too? Or not? Will dissident Labor party members bolt the party to stay out of Bibi's government? Will opportunist Kadima members bolt their party to join Bibi's government? Predictions please? What do YOU think is going to happen next?

Forgetting Sadat (1981)

This Golden Oldie is from November 13, 1981.

The Egyptian Israeli Peace Treaty was signed on March 26, 1979, thirty years ago today.

* * * I decided to mark the anniversary by posting this sad cartoon from 1981 about forgetting Anwar El Sadat.

Anwar El Sadat
1918 - 1981

Pirate Captain

The cartoon talks about his ship ...but the real question is "who was part of his crew?" Will we find out? Could Bernie Madoff cut a deal for revealing some info? And if he could, would he?

What do you think?

Peace With Egypt (1979)

Today's Golden Oldie is from March 13, 1979.

Official cars, important visitors, and police motorcycle escorts roared through the streets of Jerusalem. Excitement and optimism were in the air! Police, the Press, and the Dove of Peace!! The Israel-Egypt peace treaty was signed in Washington on March 26, 1979.

Thirty years ago this Thursday.

AIG in 2009

What we've got here is an example of "chutzpa" which rises above the ordinary. * * * Actually, it reminds me of an old Jewish joke:

Every Friday, before the Sabbath, Cohen would drop twenty Shekels into the tin cup of Yossel the beggar. One week, to Yossel's surprise, Cohen put only five shekels into his cup. Cohen sighed and explained that his company had gone bankrupt, and that he himself had fallen upon hard times. To which Yossel replied "Your business goes bad and I should suffer?!"

Vengance!

I did not make up this cartoon.

According to a Deutsche Presse-Agentur report about Israeli government actions:

"A special ministerial committee appointed a team to examine whether it would be possible, in accordance with international law, to limit the amount of money transferred to prisoners for their personal use, their ability to watch television and listen to the radio, acquire an education and isolate them so they cannot enjoy physical contact with prisoners.

The committee is expected to complete its study within two weeks, Israeli media reports said Thursday." -more

Land Day (1989)

Today's Golden Oldie is from March 30, 1989

The folks at the international movement to destroy the Jewish State have been really active during the month of March 2009, beginning with Israeli Apartheid Week and planning to reach a crescendo of defamation and hysteria on March 30.

Usually marketed as Palestinian "Land Day", this year it will be promoted as Global Day of Action "against the Israeli apartheid regime". So what, exactly, does "Land Day" commemorate?

"On March 11, 1976, the Israeli government published a plan to expropriate approximately 21,000 dunams (5,250 acres) of land in the Galilee. Only 31 percent of the land in question, or less than one-third, was Arab-owned, some of which was to be used to expand the Arab village of Majar near Acre and to build public buildings in Arab towns. This action by Israel was no different than the eminent domain process that is regularly used in the United States or other countries to acquire land for public projects.

Nevertheless, the most prominent political party in the Arab sector at the time, Rakah (The New Communist List), cynically decided to seize upon the decision and called a general strike for March 30.

Riots broke out the night before - in which soldiers and police were attacked with stones and firebombs - and continued the following day, resulting in the deaths of six Israeli Arabs. Though the media portrays Land Day as a day when Israeli Arabs peacefully vented their frustrations, Land Day was in fact born in violence, the product of the machinations of a political party that proudly waved the dubious banner of Marxism-Leninism." -more

* * * Looking at this Golden Oldie makes me sad because today, twenty years later, I just don't share the optimism I displayed in the cartoon I drew back in 1989.

Optimist Pessimist

Not knowing what the future will bring can be exciting, even exhilarating and challenging. These days, not knowing what the future will bring is starting to be scary. Everybody I know is speculating, so I did this Optimist Pessimist cartoon. * * * I don't know which I am. How about you. Are you feeling optimistic, pessimistic, or just plain confused? And how do you think the future will view our current crisis?

The Search

Today's Golden Oldie is from 1984.

I did the cartoon back then because 30 days had passed since the Knesset Elections of 1984 and we still did not have a government. 35 days have now passed since the Knesset Elections of 2009, and still no government.

* * * In the cartoon I dressed Mr. Shuldig as the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who, so the story goes, carried a lantern as he searched in vain for an honest man.

Diogenes

United Nations

According to Claudia Rosett, writing at Forbes:

The U.N.'s Year Of Libya

"It's hard to think how anyone could be a worse choice than this year's president, the anti-American, radical leftist retread Sandinista, Nicaragua's Miguel d'Escoto Brockman, who opened last year's General Assembly by denouncing the U.S.

But the U.N. has found a way. The expectation is that this fall, when the U.N. clogs New York traffic for the opening of its 64th annual General Assembly, the new president of that 192 member-state body, sometimes styled as the Parliament of Man, will be the candidate of--and no, I'm not kidding--the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Or, in short, Libya.

More specifically, the new chairman of the U.N. General Assembly will be longtime Libyan diplomat Ali Triki. (His name is also transliterated as Ali Traiki.) While there has been little coverage to date of this impending exaltation of Libya's man to chair the main membership body of the world's leading multilateral institution, the AFP last week did run a story reporting that Ali Triki "is set to be the next president of the U.N. General Assembly." AFP quoted a Libyan diplomat who expected Triki "will be elected" sometime around mid-June." -more

* * *

Your thoughts?

Moderate Taliban

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

Obama: US should reach out to Taliban moderates
March 8, 2009
AP
"President Obama raised the possibility Friday that his administration might be willing to reach out to moderate elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan to help stabilize the region -- an approach similar to tactics used with Sunni militias in Iraq.

When asked in an interview with the New York Times whether the United States was winning the war in Afghanistan, Obama said bluntly, "No.'' He said the United States should shift its approach." -more

Your thoughts on this latest development?
...and was I right to title this cartoon Fantasy Island?
Nu?

Peace With Egypt (1989)

Today's Golden Oldie is from March 1989.
It was the tenth anniversary of the Peace Agreement with Egypt.

Another twenty years have slipped by since I drew this cartoon. March 2009 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Egyptian/Israeli Peace Agreement. Back in 1979, when it was signed, pessimists said it wouldn't last. In this 1989 cartoon I bemoaned the fact that a warm peace had not developed between our two nations. But nobody could have predicted that the Agreement would hold to the extent that we, Egypt and Israel, would one day together maintain a blockade of terrorist-controlled Gaza.

* * * At times like these I think of my friend Ihab. Please read about him by clicking on The Egyptian.

Depression

I had lunch with a friend today and he remarked that he thought we wouldn't hit bottom until 2011. I don't know how he came up with that calculation, but it started me wondering about what other people thought.

So tell me, when do YOU think this thing is going to turn around. When do YOU figure we will "hit bottom"?

Nu?

Putting It Together (1981)

Today's Golden Oldie is from 1981.

In Israel's election system, we get a new government when a majority of the newly-elected Knesset Members vote for it. So a would-be Prime Minister has to put together a list of ministers for which a majority of the Knesset will vote.

* * * Back in '81 we watched Likud leader Menachem Begin trying to solve the puzzle. Right now we're watching Likud leader Bibi Netanyahu doing the same.

Purim 2009

At Purim, Jews around the world read the story as told in the Biblical Book of Esther, usually from a stand-alone book called the Megillah.

For a 60-second summary of the Megillah, click here

Happy Purim!

Purim and Passover

Purim is on Monday, and I was mulling over the fact that with the current world-wide demonization of the Jewish State it looks like it's going to take a miracle to save us ...again. Thirty days after Purim is Passover ...both mark miraculous rescues of the Chosen People.

For a discussion of the relationship between the two holidays click on the Jewish Magazine.

Have a Happy!

Kibbutz Bailout Package (1989)

Today's Golden Oldie is from 1989 ...twenty years ago this month.

Israel's Finance Minister at the time was Labor Party Leader Shimon Peres. The following is a background report by Joel Brinkley from the NY Times of March 05, 1989:

"A few kibbutzim are very profitable, and about half of them end the year in the black. But the successful kibbutzim are helping to shoulder the staggering debts of the failures. So, together, the kibbutzim have a debt that totals more than $4 billion that few people believe they will ever be able to repay - contributing significantly to Israel's current financial difficulties.

Last week, the Finance Ministry, headed by the Labor Party Leader Shimon Peres, came up with a recovery plan. At the Government's insistence, the commercial banks will write off about $560 million of the debt over the next several years. Another $1.7 billion will be rescheduled at a low interest rate."- the Full Story

* * * So was it a bailout, a stimulus package, or just a giveaway?

Money For Gaza

According to the Jerusalem Post of March 2, 2009:

Over $4.4b. raised at Sharm for Gaza

"Palestinian officials from rival factions welcomed pledges of more than $4.4 billion to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip that were made at the donors conference held in Sharm e-Sheikh on Monday. "We appreciate this very much, and we hope it can be transferred into reality in an expeditious fashion so we can see the reconstruction of Gaza begin immediately," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told The Jerusalem Post.

Earlier on Monday, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told reporters in Gaza that the group welcomed "any Arab and international effort to rebuild what the occupation destroyed," calling the reconstruction process "a humane and moral" one.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Jerusalem on Monday to consult with Israeli government officials and with Palestinian officials in the West Bank, said the United States was pledging $900 million to the international aid effort for the Gaza Strip." -more

According to Haaretz of March 3, 2009:

Donors gather in Sharm el-Sheikh, pledge $4.4 billion for Gaza Strip reconstruction

"Rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip continued to fall yesterday as more than 80 states and organizations met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday to raise reconstruction aid for the territory battered during Operation Cast Lead.

At least $4.4 billion in aid was pledged yesterday by donors for both the Palestinian economy at large, and the Gaza Strip in particular. The plan is to make the money available to the Palestinian Authority over the next two years.

Originally, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had asked for a donors conference hoping that about $2.5 billion would be raised. However the figures have exceeded expectations and Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that in addition to pledges made before yesterday's gathering, the total figure comes to $5.2 billion." -more

Your thoughts?

Confidence (1989)

Today's Golden Oldie is from March 1989.

Exactly Twenty years (!!?!) have now slipped by since I did today's Golden Oldie. It's another one of those "I could run this Dry Bones today as is!" cartoons.

Yikes!!

Their Name Game

This "Israel Apartheid" operation is both a campus outreach and a threatening display of muscle flexing. By calling this travesty Israel Apartheid Week our enemies have made it a comfortable fit with the Jewish Defamers of Israel. * * * Israel an Apartheid State??! How can we counter such a colossal untruth?! Even though the facts prove it to be untrue, when a lie is big enough you can't really counter it.Want to know why? Here's the reason as explained by Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf:

"in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying."

* * * Your thoughts?