Israellycool

Having just spent the last 25 hours observing the Jewish Sabbath, I have only now learned of the events that have occurred in Britain over the past day - namely the discovery of two car bombs in London yesterday, and the terror attack at Glasgow airport.

While thankfully no innocent people were hurt in these attempted and actual attacks, I hope it serves as a warning to my British friends - and indeed everyone in the West - that we are all engaged in a war against Islamic terror. And while the Islamic terrorists know this, not everyone in our camp does.

Look at events in Britain over the past month or so. Whether it be Britain’s University and College Union vote to promote a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, the vote by Britain’s largest labor union to impose sanctions on Israel, or the decision by British schools to drop the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim sensibilities, the British could be forgiven for thinking that the Islamic fundamentalists actually appreciate their efforts.

But the fact remains that the Islamic terrorists will not be satisfied until the establishment of a worldwide caliphate founded on Shari’a law. Which kind of leaves us with two choices -  either appease the Islamic terrorists and be willing to convert to Islam, or fight them with all your might.

I am not usually into memes, but I’ve decided to do this one for a change.

The Rules are: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here goes:

1. I am married, with three children. Number four is due in September.
2. I joined the Australian Bone Marrow Registry before I moved to Israel, and it now seems like I may be a match for someone.
3. I have considered giving up blogging a number of times, the latest being now after this (some of the comments to the JPost article add salt to the wounds).
4. I grew up secular but became religiously observant about 14 years ago.
5. I used to have an upper ear piercing. Needless to say, it got infected.
6. I was invited in December of last year to the opening of France 25 television network in Paris - but refused to go because of my religious observance (and not because of my dislike for France).
7. I considered studying medicine, but am too squeamish.
8. I prefer steak over every other food.

I’m not tagging anyone because homey don’t play that.

Someone is clearly one short of a full house.

Warning: Video contains crude sexual references, incoherent ramblings, and general jerkiness.

The Jerusalem Post is taking credit for the CNN backdown on Jerusalem.

Following an inquiry from The Jerusalem Post, CNN has corrected a feature on its Web site that failed to identify Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and which had instead listed it as “Jerusalem, null.”The change was made on Wednesday, after the Post contacted a CNN spokesman in Atlanta, where the company is based, and asked why Israel was referred to in this way by the Web site.

The feature in question appears on the CNN home page, which offers visitors the option of checking the weather at various locations around the world by typing in the name of the desired city.

The page returns a result containing the city name followed by the country in which it is located, such that someone who typed in “Moscow” would receive the weather report for “Moscow, Russia.”

But visitors to the site who typed in “Jerusalem” received the weather forecast for “Jerusalem, null,” with no mention made of the city’s location in the State of Israel.

After being contacted by the Post on Wednesday, CNN spokeswoman Jennifer Martin said that the company had made “a clarification” to the Web site after having received “a few inquiries” on the issue.

The matter was first uncovered and publicized by pro-Israel activist Web sites.

While the post’s efforts may have helped, I find it to be the height of arrogance to claim they were responsible for the change. After all, readers from Israellycool, LGF, and many other blogs contacted CNN, and I would assume this pressure influenced CNN.

The article also makes no reference to the other issues with CNN Weather, namely Gaza and the West Bank being listed as separate countries, and the pre-48 Arab villages.

It also wouldn’t have hurt to mention Israellycool as being the first blog to report on this. After all, when I read about a story originating from the Post, I make the necessary attribution.

Update: The Jerusalem Post has amended the piece to include the contribution of Israellycool and LGF. As far as taking credit for CNN effecting the change, the Post has informed me that a CNN spokesman acknowledged that it was after receiving the inquiry from the Post that the change was made. If this is the case, then I think it is a spit in the face of all those people who wrote in and complained (CNN don’t care what they think, but only what another news organization thinks?), although the end result is positive.

As Charles has already reported, thanks to the public outcry, CNN has caved in and now Jerusalem, Israel exists on their site!

For as long as I can remember, when you clicked on the CNN drop-down menu for cities in Israel you got a short list of the major cities in Israel: Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel-Aviv, Beersheba, Tiberias, Eilat. Then about 6 weeks ago they added all the Arab names, but Jerusalem was still on the list. Then about 3-4 weeks ago they removed Jerusalem from the list. So I would say it’s a very deliberate change.

This is all you need to know about PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the man the West (including Israel) is trying to bolster as the “moderate” palestinian peace partner.

Members of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ declared military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, today denied claims by Abbas he asked the terror group to turn in their weapons, stating officials instead have encouraged them to continue their “resistance” activities.

Abbas pledged during a summit with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Monday he would immediately dismantle all militias in the West Bank not connected to security forces of his Fatah party. Abbas deputies have been telling the international media the Al Aqsa Brigades agreed to turn in their weapons in exchange for guarantees that Israel not try to arrest or kill them.

“No one from Abbas’ office ever asked us to disarm,” Nasser Abu Aziz, the deputy commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank, told WND. “We will never disarm until all issues are settled, including a complete Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Jerusalem and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees.”

Abu Yousuf, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Ramallah, told WND Abbas’ claims the Brigades will disarm “are more of a message meant for the Israelis, the Americans and the international community.”

“No one (from Abbas’ office) addressed a single member of the Brigades and asked us to turn in our weapons,” he said.

Zacharias Zubeidi, leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, told WND the decree from Abbas’ office for armed groups to be dismantled “has nothing to do with the Brigades. It’s meant for Hamas. Abbas recognizes the Brigades as a legitimate source of resistance.”

This accords with this post of mine from last week.

Together with the Islamic Jihad terror group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for every suicide bombing in Israel the past two years. The Brigades regularly carries out shooting attacks and has taken credit for firing hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip aimed at nearby Jewish population centers.

Many members of the Brigades openly serve in Fatah militias, including Force 17, Abbas’ presidential guard units which serve as de facto police officers in the West Bank.

In line with pledges made at Monday’s summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Abbas’ office today issued a decree for all armed groups to turn in their weapons.

“On the basis of the declaration of a state of emergency in the Palestinian territories, and by virtue of my authority, all armed militias, groups and brigades that do not belong in practice to the security services shall be treated as illegal organizations,” read the first order.

“The government must halt the phenomenon of armed groups, prevent the bearing of arms and confiscate guns, explosives and any type of weaponry purchased illegally, since they endanger the public order,” the decree continued.

Sources in the Al Aqsa Brigades said officials from Abbas’ office encouraged them in recent days to tell members of the international news media they are ready to hand in their weapons.

“But on the ground, not a single weapon has been turned in and it will remain this way,” a Brigades source said.

Brigades sources said Fatah officials have invited some Brigades leaders to seek shelter in PA security buildings in the West Bank.

Some Brigades members the past few years have lived regularly in PA compounds, including the Muqata, late PLO Leader Yasser Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah.

The Brigades sources said they were asked to leave the compounds last month, after the Israel Defense Forces threatened operations to arrest Brigades members. But the Brigades sources said they were told this week they could return to the PA compounds.

“It seems the threat of arrest from Israel for the time being is no longer there,” said a Brigades leader.

Soldier. Hero. Proud Jew.

In a standing-room-only crowd that snaked outside the chapel, Pfc. Daniel Agami was memorialized Tuesday by hundreds of friends – and even some strangers from the local chapter of Jewish War Veterans – as a happy-go-lucky man who was profoundly patriotic.

Agami, 25, who grew up in Broward County, was killed in Baghdad on Thursday.

Rabbi Yossi Denburg of Coral Springs Chabad Lubavitch remembered him as a young man who had “not been given a chance to grow old” and had joined the Army not for a paycheck, but because he found his calling.

After the tearful memorial service at the Star of David Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale, Agami’s family and friends walked to his burial spot. There were too many people in too many cars to drive to his grave, so they formed a procession and waited until his parents came to take the front row. His mother, Beth Agami, walked while supported in her husband Itzhak’s arms. The sight of them made some of his friends wail.

An Army officer gave his mother a folded flag and a handful of awards including the Purple Heart for being wounded in action, the Bronze Star for his dedication and a gold star lapel pin.

His friends first saw hints of his pending military career after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when he consoled them.

“He said, ‘America is going to fix the problem,’” said Rachel Kenner, 24, of Boynton Beach, his friend since childhood. “When he puts his mind to something, that’s it.”

Agami enlisted in the Army two years ago and was assigned to a station in Germany. He had been in Iraq for about a year and was often sent on raids to scope out bombs and other weapons.

He died when an improvised device detonated near his Humvee. The other men in the vehicle were also killed: Alphonso Montenegro II, 22, of Far Rockaway, N.Y.; Ryan M. Wood, 22, of Oklahoma City; Anthony D. Hebert, 19, of Lake City, Minn., and Thomas R. Leemhuis, 23, of Binger, Okla.

Brian Gross, 24, of West Palm Beach, his friend of five years said: “He loved to party. I close my eyes and I remember that.” He said he tries to block the attack on Agami’s Humvee from his mind.

Sandra Becker, Daniel Agami’s grandmother, said the family was moved by the outpouring of hundreds of friends who came to share their tears.

She said she’ll remember him by the nickname that his non-Jewish comrades affectionately gave him: “G.I. Jew.”

“How can you put it in the words? He was the best of the best,” she said.

Agami was well-known for taking pride in teaching his fellow soldiers, many of whom told him they were unfamiliar with his people, about Judaism.

In the Army “Jewish kids often hide the fact they are Jewish,” Rabbi Denburg said. “He was the only Jew on base that was openly proud to say he was a Jew.”

Agami is survived by his parents, Beth and Itzhak, of Parkland, who are known in the Jewish community for their philanthropy.

He is also survived by his sister Shaina, 7, and a brother Ilan, 23, who married just two weeks ago.

Erik Cilen, 25, of Coral Springs, was Agami’s best friend for almost 20 years. Cilen said they spoke the day before his death.

“He told me he was going on a mission and he was scared,” Cilen said. “He had said that if, God forbid, anything happened to him, this is where he belonged.

“I can’t forget him,” he said. Then he started to cry.

Memory-of.com have started this memorial site for Daniel.

G-d bless Daniel, as well as his fallen comrades, and indeed all of those fighting so you and I can enjoy our freedom.

Update: Here’s is Bill O’Reilly on Daniel, who appeared on the O’Reilly Factor in December of last year.

CNN is already well known for having an anti-Israel bias in their Middle East coverage, so it would not shock anyone to find a Middle East news report that reflects this.

What is shocking is the fact that this bias against Israel extends to their Weather site.

It all starts if you have the temerity to search for Jerusalem. In such a case, you receive 3 possible options:
- Jerusalem, null
- Jerusalem, OH
- Jerusalem AR

Needless to say, clicking on the Jerusalem without a country leads to the weather for Jerusalem, Israel.

Now if this was the only instance of weirdness, then I might even put it down to an innocent mistake. But like a bad infomercial, there’s more.

If you go to the Weather Location Selector for the Middle East, you are presented with a list of countries. Gaza and the West Bank are listed as countries separate from Israel.

And it gets worse. If you select Israel, a list of cities is displayed, which includes:

If like me, you are infuriated by this politicization of the weather, then you can contact CNN here.

And be sure to spread this around and have others complain to them.(Hat tip to the good citizens of Beit Shemesh for pointing this out to me)

Update: Here’s my latest post on the subject.

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised the following at the conclusion of the regional summit in Sharm el-Sheikh

For our part, we received a committment from Abbas to bring about the release of Gilad Shalit from Hamas (which he cannot possibly do, since he heads Fatah, the group with which Hamas is engaged in battle), and some very nice photo ops.

I can just imagine the negotiation.

Olmert: I see you need help, so here’s what I’m willing to do. I’ll release 100 Fatah prisoners without blood on their hands.
Abbas: 150.
Olmert: 250.
Abbas: Deal.
Olmert: But they cannot return to terror.
Abbas: You can get them to sign a note. They are men of their word who would never lie.
Saeb Erekat: Massacre!
Olmert: Ok. And I’ll throw in improved freedom of movement, frozen tax funds, and a bonus set of steak knives. Just don’t give them to the prisoners we release.
Abbas: Ok.
Olmert: Shucks, I see you are still a little sad. So I guess we could also supply Gaza with electricity, water, health servicesand food. After all, one cannot punish the people because they are being ruled by the terrorists of Hamas. It is not like they voted for them or anything.
Abbas: *cough*
Olmert: Ok, and I’ll clearly state that we recognize your government and we’ll work to bring about a palestinian state. Damn, you drive a hard bargain.
Abbas: Sucker
Olmert: Sucker. He doesn’t know I also would have thrown in my Get Out of Jail Free card.