The Way to No-Thing

Is BDS really Anti-Semitic?

2014-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

I hear a lot of people who claim that the BDS movement against Israel is Anti-Semitic {read Anti-Jew}.

Their reasons:

1. There are a lot of bad / worse actors on the world stage - boycott them.

Although how do you boycott Boko Haram or Isis? Do they have academics or products?

And with larger countries with wider issues, governments handle situations with the UN, sanctions, bombings, and other tools.

2. The people behind the BDS movement are pro-Palestinian Muslims.

I'm not sure who else would be behind the BDS movement. Israel is occupying the Palestinians - so it makes sense for them to fight back. The Israelis complain that the Palestinians pursue violence, the BDS movement is a non-violent Palestinian protest.

3. There are local causes people can protest - like the modern day slavery of the American prison system.

Amazingly though, there is no shortage of protests, political movements, and boycotts going on within America - everything from the app buypartisan.com to the Ferguson protests. People can walk and chew gum at the same time - they can integrate numerous social protest causes within their life - participating in BDS doesn't mean Israel v Palestine is your sole issue.

And yet, just as people can have more than one social issue in mind in their lives at any time - they can also have many reasons - both reasonable and less so. I don't think there is any doubt that the specific protests of the BDS movement contain a virulent anti-Jewish streak:

Much of the language involved delegitimizes Israel's existence - protesting for peace through the total destruction of Israel and genocide of Jews (again).

The academic boycott - stifling the free flow of information and speech is a form I am always against and find particularly abhorrent.

The followers who are not directly connected to the Palestinian movement; college students, university administrations - these are groups of people who deal in extremes and do present a specific focus and language against Israel that they do not levy in other causes - an attitude of 'who do these Jews think they are?' Reminds me of how Republicans try to degrade President Obama using language like, lefty, communist, tyrant, king - when they mean black.

Is BDS itself Anti-Jew? No, BDS is an idea - and while not an illegitimate concept, may of the people involved, and the followers are clearly anti-Jewish. So before you join in on piling on Israel - answer honestly, why is this your cause?

Family Tension

2014-09-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

My sister in law calls my cell on her husband's phone to talk to my wife.

How to fess up to not listening to your partner

2014-09-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry I zoned out for a moment honey, I was busy thinking about what you had just said beforehand.

What Atheists think about Religious People

2014-09-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ricky Gervais said, and I'll paraphrase, I hate cancer, I don't hate people with cancer.

And I say, I respect your religious beliefs as much as you respect other religions.

Everything you need to know about Iran and the Bomb

2014-08-30T07:33:00.003-07:00

They still don't have it.

Everything you need to know about Israeli Propaganda

2014-08-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

When Operation Edge began, and Israel wanted to amp up the nation to support their military operation (read: war), anytime Hamas fired a rocket the sirens went off in the whole region.

A siren means fear, running with children to a bomb shelter, middle of the night, in the shower... when the siren goes off you run.

And in case the wailing siren wasn't enough, Israel made sure to launch PSAs to inform people of the importance of running to a bomb shelter - and waiting in the shelter 'till 10 min had passed - just to be safe.

Now that Israel wants to de-escalate, and is trying to extricate themselves from their war footing hawkish posture, when a rocket flies now, at best a siren will go off in that specific city, certainly not the whole region.

Because the politicians amped up the nation - now a cease fire is weakness; and we can't have weak political leaders. So now they need to calm the nation down which means no sirens - which means the sirens previously were only for propaganda.

We are playthings for the games our leaders play.

Do they play these games for us or for them?

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

2014-08-18T11:28:00.001-07:00

Watch this show!

http://www.hbo.com/last-week-tonight-with-john-oliver#/

The Internal Struggle - Everything you want to know about being a geek

2014-08-15T21:08:00.002-07:00

It's true - deep inside me there is a little boy who is just a geek.

But that's ok because there's also another boy inside who beats him up.

Operation Protective Edge - A thought from a Secular Israeli

2014-07-25T23:09:00.001-07:00

Israel is at war again.

For the last few years the government of Israel has worked to find a way to bring Israel's ultra-orthodox, the 'charediim', into the military. That community has been fighting every proposal -They Do Not Want to Fight in the Army. Period.

Fallen Israeli soldiers - Where are the Charediim?

Found them! Here they are:

What Orthodox Jews do instead of military service

Getting Old

2014-07-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a Dad. I'm not that old, or I am really old, depends on which side you're looking at.

I had to punish my 8 yr. old boy the other day. I told him he was going to write lines. I hated writing lines when I was a kid, which is why it's a good punishment - suffering without violence and a repetitive message.

He of course told me that he'd be at my ex's tomorrow and she won't make him. I told him I would call her and make sure he did his lines.

And then it struck me, nowadays, when someone is doing lines, it's never about coke.

Fomenting Hate

2014-07-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

I don't think of myself as anything but a person, and not a very good one at that. But everyone tells me I'm left wing so I must be, I think.

I'm an American living in Israel. For a sorta Jew, I'm about as red white and blue as you get. Love the South, hate racism, don't mind racism in professional comedy, love free speech, hot dogs, pumpkin pie, gumbo and people smiling and saying thank you and have a nice day.

My daughter was moved here to Israel when she was 8, she's about to turn twelve. In the midst of this war, my wife baked cakes for the soldiers on the front line and we asked my two older kids (from my ex) to write letters to the soldiers. My ex is also called a lefty, but not as lefty as me. Just so you know the home influence.

My son didn't like how his turned out and ripped his letter up.

My beautiful sweet daughter wrote a letter and drew a picture on the other side. Look at the picture. You don't need kid's tv shows to inculcate hate. You don't need militant training camps. All you need is the corrosive influence of racism and hate that permeates a culture. Hate and fear are in the air.

Look at the picture my sweet beautiful darling daughter drew and tell me we are better than them. They are us.

Israel's Culpability for Gaza

2014-07-20T14:05:00.003-07:00

Now that they are in war mode, absolutely Israel is fighting in a humanitarian fashion while Hamas is fighting atrociously, but lets looks at the run up to the war.

Here is a timeline: 1st. It begins when the PA and Hamas formed a unity govt. Even though the PA was declared the head of the unity gov't, having hamas in the govt was unacceptable - even though we can see that when hezbollah joined the govt in lebanon they began the work of governing and we have had near total quiet on the northern border. But Israel made it clear that no way Hamas could be in a unity govt - why not? because it would destroy the non existent peace process.

2nd - shortly after that, at the end of may, 2 Palestinian youths were shot dead by the IDF - because they were near where a protest had recently ended.

3rd - The 3 Israeli youths were kidnapped. If Israel didn't know they were dead, they absolutely should have. Israel publicly called out Hamas because anytime a Palestinian does anything they can't be acting alone, even though Hamas said it wasn't them and that sometimes people do stuff on their own. Imagine if Bibi was a leader and fired the police who screwed up the emergency call - and leveled with the public about their deaths - swore to find the killers, and reminded his citizens of their humanity. Maybe it was ordered by Hamas, but if he knew that, how did he not know the kidnapped youths were already dead?

4th - Israel retaliated with total collective punishment - the iron fist - shut down the Palestinian ghetto cities, killed over a dozen, including youths, massive arrests, over 500 people, destruction of homes - breaking in at all hours yada yada yada. Imagine if Bibi had been a leader and responded without the iron hand - especially if he knew they were dead. Or did he have to cover up the incompetence of the protective services by immediately showing force?

5th, Israel finds out youths are dead -- whole nation and worldwide jewry calls for revenge - soldiers, civilians, politicians howled for blood - How quickly a nation can become a bloodthirsty mob. Imagine if Bibi had been a leader and the first response was not a call for revenge, blood, and settlement building, but a call for peace.

6th - politicians announce settlements will be built out of revenge! cant have a state if you take all their land - thats good revenge, not actually killing anyone outright, just subjugating them. Everyone remembers the worldwide howls for revenge, it became the trending selfie, even soldiers and rabbis, calling for blood.

7th - israelis burn a palestinian youth alive, though they are members of shas/likud/utj etc, no one blames those parties despite their public howls for blood, because when jews do bad they are acting alone. No houses demolished. No collective punishment. But it shocked a world of Jews to stop posting pics calling for blood.

8th - Hamas begins firing rockets and acting despicably and Israel begins fighting humanly. And your argument is that Israel didn't want war? They did everything in their power, every choice they made was a direct line to a conflict. Maybe on purpose, maybe because of a right wing constituency, maybe as a knee jerk response to take the nations eye away from the police who screwed up the emergency call, maybe just because they suck and can't walk and chew gum at the same time, but every choice was a choice to ratchet up the violence.

Hamas are terrorists. Make no mistake. Their mode of warfare is atrocious and despicable. Their civilians are in immediate danger because of many of their actions. But does Israel bear any responsibility? Can anyone dispute these facts?

Jew Magic

2014-07-07T04:48:00.003-07:00

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.603496

Iranian cleric says Jews are sorcerers.

Is he right?

Check out the power of Jew Magic at JewMagic.net

Can you tap into JewMagic?

Eric Cantor - American First

2014-07-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

Eric Cantor, the House Republican Majority leader, lost his re-election bid. I'm totally fine with that. I am staunchly against his politics and policies. However, what struck me were the two different tones regarding his defeat.

National American media outlets spoke of his job, his history, his campaign, what his loss means to politics in general and the Republicans and Tea Party specifically.

Israeli and local Jewish media outlets spoke about him being the last Jewish republican in the House.

America won and tribalism lost.

This disparate method of framing the conversation, those discussing politics and those discussing religion, reveals why America is great and why tribal logic is so dangerous.

To Americans, Erica Cantor was an American politician. To Jews, mostly around the world as few Jews are present in his district, he was a Jewish politician.

America has shown that assimilation and integration creates equality. Now compare that to Israel - a theocratic, autocratic, semi-democracy, run on the concept of tribalism and at war since its founding because of racial, ethnic, gender, and religious differences.

Settler Revenge

2014-07-06T00:29:00.001-07:00

By now everyone who cares about these things has heard the story of the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped and killed.

As revenge for their murders the settlers of Israel - which operate with support of the government of Israel, has decided to build on more occupied territory.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Israeli-settlers-councils-build-three-outposts-in-West-Bank-361618

The above article is one of many; the day after the bodies were found Israeli cabinet members called for immediate settlement building in occupied territory.

How is building in occupied territory revenge for murder?

Simple. By building in the occupied territory you

a) increase the amount of jews in the occupied territory making removal of them in the event of a peace deal near impossible. Removing 5000 jews from Gaza nearly split the country apart, wait till they try removing 500,000 jews.

b) break up any contiguity to a potential Palestinian state - with settlement blocks break up any connection from arab town to arab town.

c) force more Palestinians off their lands and into ghettoes where water, electricity, and movements are all under martial law.

d) prevent any possibility of a 2 state solution.

Building settlements in occupied territory is the non-violent form of creating a combination of apartheid, genocide, and transfer.

Hard to keep crying you're the victim when you refuse to acknowledge your own actions.

Free Healthcare?

2014-06-29T06:35:00.003-07:00

I think whoever designed the Israeli Health Care system must have worked in concert with the person who created the tax system.

I outlined how Israel frustrates workers and steals money here:
http://thewaytonothing.blogspot.co.il/2014/06/idealists-stay-home.html

Now I'd like to tell you my experience with the health care system.

Most of the time it functions. It's national single payer health care so you accept that system doesn't offer the latest medicines, off label usage, or easy access to expensive testing (MRI). Most of the time you get a doctor's appointment - specialists can take weeks to months.

This reasonable though not exemplary system, functions. You pay for this middling level of care with high taxes.

Emergency care - that's our issue.

Before seeking emergency care you have to get a form 17, basically a permission slip from the health care organization permitting you to go to the emergency room. Given that its an emergency and you may not be in a position to acquire this form beforehand, they allow you to request the form after you go to the emergency room.

My first run-in with requesting a form 17 after the fact came when my wife was 9 months pregnant. It was 2am and she felt something like contractions. We grabbed our stuff and went to the hospital. Turned out not to be contractions and it was a whole week before we went back and she delivered.

But because there were no contractions our form 17 request was denied. We had to pay out of pocket for the hospital visit - almost 1000nis.

I chalked it up to a one time bad luck situation. A loophole that we got caught in but won't get caught in agains.

But today I was informed again that our form 17 was denied, and 2 times makes a pattern.

When my baby was 6 months old he fell off the bed. The bed wasn't high and he landed on a pillow and seemed fine, but omg, he was 6 and fell off a bed.

So we rushed to the hospital.

Baby was all fine, just a swollen lip.

The next day we requested a form 17. Today we were informed that because nothing had happened to him, he hadn't suffered any damage, we should have waited 24 hours and if there was a problem then we should've gone to the hospital.

And we will have to pay out of pocket again. This is free healthcare?

#singleprayer #Healthcare #Israel #badmedicine #chasingmeoutofisrael

Bill Maher, World War 1, and Iraq

2014-06-29T04:17:00.002-07:00

Bill Maher, on this last weeks episode of Realtime with Bill Maher, asked what was World War I about?

We all know the basics, Archduke Ferdinand of the Hapsburg Empire was in Sarajevo and a young Serb Nationalist assassinated him and that started the war. That gives us the how but not the why.

And Bill Maher was right - many of the troubles we have today around the world are effects from that cause. WWI led to WWII, the Cold War, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East and specifically Israel, Sept. 11, Iraq and Afghanistan etc. Given these major ongoing effects, I agree with Bill Maher - what was the cause behind the effect of the Archduke's assassination, or what was WWI about?

So I looked into it, and wouldn't you know it but we all come out looking like a bunch of dumbasses.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina region had been under control of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) which was ruled by a Sultan (old school empire). Late 1800s and the times, they were a'changing. There was a revolution in the Ottoman Empire (young Turks) and the Sultan wasn't strong enough to control his vast and sprawling territory. (There's gotta be a lesson in there somewhere.)

So while the Sultan was weak, the Archduke, of the Hapsburg Empire (also an old school empire) took control of the Bosnia-Herzegovina region. The Hapsburg Empire was also called the Austrian-Hungary Empire and it also controlled vast and sprawling territory.

Both these empire were full of lands where people had their own identities and languages and culture, but not independence.

The Austrian Empire then invaded Serbia. Russia came to Serbia's aid which brought in Germany on Austria's side which brought in the French on Russia's side, yada yada yada; Iraq.

The assassination of the Archduke was for independence and today they have it and are in the process of joining the EU. The Ottoman Empire is gone, the Hapsburg Empire is gone, The Bolsheviks and Tzars and Warsaw Pact are gone.

And what we should learn from this is one country cannot control another people forever. People want independence. This is not a new concept, there is a reason Romans kept slaves in chains, because people want to be free.

Perhaps the EU and USA can serve as a model for places like Iraq, Shia, Sunni, Kurd and Israel and Palestine. Unions with independent states.

#billmaher #worldwar1 #iraq #shia #sunni #kurd #israel #middleeastpeace #archduke #100years

Everyone Hates Jews. Everyone is against Israel.

2014-06-27T00:47:00.002-07:00

As long as Israelis and the Israeli media are using propaganda to support our eternal victimhood - look who else supports the kidnapping of 3 little Israeli boys.

Why does Shia Lebeouf love the terrorists?

#israelipropaganda #shialebeouf #bringbackourboys

I am Not a Racist or do Jews Really Eat Matzah with Young Christian's Blood?

2014-06-26T10:45:00.002-07:00

The birther movement against President Obama has been a modern day blood libel.

The movement has gone on long enough that a short recap should do: on the President's side is a Hawaiian birth announcement and official records. On the birther side is a Harvard Law pamphlet written by someone acquainted with Barack Obama and a number of conspiracy theories.

There is absolutely no equivalency between those two sides.

Furthermore, the language used to promote the birther argument was classic bile of other, different, foreign, doesn't share our values, not 'American', Kenyan (ie: black), Muslim and more. And even many of those on the right who do not share the birther argument specifically still used many of the birther's racist terminology.

The racists, talking heads, and corrupt politicians were successful in creating a dialogue revolving around these points and convinced 41% of Republicans and another 19% of Independents that Pres. Obama was born in Kenya or somewhere not America and is not American.

Yet even now, at the trail end of the President's second term, right winger's are still out there claiming that the issue is not settled and that there is 'doubt' and that the issue has never been properly explored, as if someone who doesn't accept that the Earth revolves around the Sun has as legitimate argument as the rest of us.

I live in Israel where most of the people I meet are Jews and the vast majority of Americans I meet in Israel are right wing Jews who left America for religious/ideological reasons. As one said, "I could never vote for someone whose middle name is Hussein." They absolutely hate Pres. Obama here. Romney won the Americans in Israel vote by a landslide. They refuse to acknowledge the Pres. Obama has given more money and weaponry to Israel than any other president in history, "that's from Congress" they say. But every perceived failing is directly from the office of the president.

And when they bring up the Kenyan issue they claim that because they are merely asking questions but they are not racist.

So I wonder, do Jews really use the blood of young Christian boys to make their Pesach matzah?

I'm just asking questions. I'm not racist.

#bloodlibel #birther #kenyanpresident #racist #rightwingjews #Israel

There's no WE in American or, nobody likes language puns

2014-06-23T13:06:00.001-07:00

My wife is constantly after me to stop saying I and to say We instead.

I told her she should've married a Frenchman an she'd hear we we we all the time.

#AmericanisI
#marriedhumor

The Settler Solution

2014-06-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

The Palestinians will never have a state. Period.

That is the settler solution. When pressed for why the response is - "because this is our land, we've wanted it for 2000 years, we have it, and it is our right to settle and enjoy our homeland from the river to the sea."

What's your solution? "One state, Israel. Annex Judea and Samaria and make the Arabs (aka Palestinians) Israeli citizens with equal rights.

Which is another way of saying that the real solution to the "Palestinian Problem" is some combination of apartheid, genocide, and transfer.

Of course good people don't believe that. Those are terms for bad people.

So the settlers say equal rights! Touching that they care so much about equal rights for the Palestinians.

The Palestinians can't have a state. Period. Especially because they would have no equal rights there. So they should all become Israeli citizens with full equal rights.

Which is so patently blatantly false. The settlers know that the Palestinians will never be annexed and given full equal rights as Israeli citizens.

And so every time settlers move into and build on disputed territory, that is more land taken from the Palestinians. As one settler said, "it's getting to a tipping point, Har Homa has cut Bethlehem off from Jerusalem, Male Adumim has done the same with Ramallah."

Supporting unachievable future equal rights is the method to cover present injustices.

Settling Judea and Samaria, the occupied territories, with the support of the government of Israel, sends the message that the settler wants to send: The Palestinians Will Never Have A State.

Which is code for Apartheid, Genocide, and Transfer.

How would you fight back?

#bringbackourboys
#apartheid
#genocide
#transfer
#IsraeliSettlers
#kidnapping
#resistance

Idealists, Stay Home!

2014-06-18T14:00:00.004-07:00

I moved to Israel and met up with other Americans who moved around the same time. They were all gung ho zionists. "Yeah! Let's change Israel! Let's bring some American know how. Let's help make Israel a little better."

They're all gone now and I'm still here.

My dad owned a business. I remember as a little kid being told, "you never mess with people's paychecks. No matter how tight it is, you pay your employees first."I'm pretty sure he heard it from his dad.

I work 2 teaching jobs and I do freelance editing and writing and I can't make it here. But there are people living in tents in the park, so I still have room to fall. I feel bad for my kids though.

And Israel thinks that employees who work 2 or more jobs should pay 50% payroll tax on their secondary incomes because, "hey, if you're working more than one job you must be making plenty of money."

And to be fair, they give you the option of resetting your tax rate on your secondary incomes. Let me tell ya' how that worked.

First, you have to wait to receive a paycheck from your employers - a paycheck that had 50% taken out.

Then, you gather all your assorted documents, go to the tax office, take a number, fill out a form, wait, wait, meet with someone, and if everything is in order, you get your tax reset and pay the normal tax rate going forward. At some point you'll supposedly get that overtax you paid back - I've been here 4 years; any day now.

And you only lost half a day, which is a nice break from the 2 jobs and kids - so that seems ok.

It's really my own fault. I I never went and got a proper education and became a scientist, which sucks. So every time I take a freelance project that is big enough to put me on staff, I have to go back to the tax office and do it all over again.

And don't tell me you can do it online or fax it in - been there done that. When I lost 50% off the second month I went back to in-person.

So I got my first paycheck on this large freelance job that put me on staff. I went this morning to the tax office. They are on protest.

Not strike. Striking would be illegal. So the doors are open and the lights are on and a woman in the middle of the front door entryway, like a smiling tree on a hot dry middle eastern morning, nodding "no, we're on protest. ""not a strike, no, protest." "no you can't come in." "no, no one will see you."

Which was certainly a quicker trip then usual.

And when I came home and checked online, the system is on protest too, it actually says that on the screen. Someone took a break from protesting to add their protest that is not a strike, to the website. The operating system has joined their struggle. I imagine Olympians bowing their heads and raising their fists.

I have 2 weeks to get this fixed or I lose 50% off the next paycheck too. I wonder whats going to happen.

Did I mention that I have had one time paychecks that 50% was removed, but because the job did not require a second paycheck, I can apply in March of next year to get that money back. It's June now, still haven't seen last years. A little frustrating, but wait, here's the kicker:

One of my teaching gigs is for the public school system. During the year teachers conduct the Bagrut tests at other schools, to remove bias, cheating etc. The education dept. pays that day of work separately from a teacher's regular paycheck and guess what bam! - 50%

This reminds me of the story of the appliance discount - what a hoot. I'll tell it next time.

Didn't your dad ever teach you not to mess with people's paychecks? It's no wonder the ones who come for idealism are the first to leave.

#dontmesswithpaychecks #protestnotstrike #arghh

Visit to the Doctor - True Story

2014-06-18T03:25:00.001-07:00

I took my baby to the doctor - just a low grade fever but it had gone on for a couple of days.

I laid him down and the doctor began to check him. He turned and looked down at me, this tall older grave man and in a low quiet voice asked me, "The baby, how does he sleep at night?

"Doctor" I said, "give me a moment and I will call my wife and ask her."

This is a happy post

2014-06-18T03:20:00.002-07:00

www.jewmagic.net

Israeli Elections or Living in a Banana Republic

2013-10-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

My wife, our little baby, and I went walking last night to vote in our local Israeli Municipal elections: mayor and local council seats.

When we presented our identities my wife was told she could not vote; someone else had already voted under her name and identity number.

While I suspect fraud, and have some reasons for suspecting fraud, for the sake of argument, lets say it was an error of some sort. Mistakes happen in every part of life, including elections. However, the comedy of errors that followed have cemented in my mind the complete lack faith in the Israeli government as an elected government.

She was told she could not vote.

I asked the officials if she could have a provisional ballot, a vote that goes into a box with other discrepancies to be dealt with later, but at least not to deny her vote entirely. No. Nope. No you can't vote. Too bad so sad.

I asked if there was a form to complain or make a record of this event. No. Nope. No forms. Too bad, so sad.

I asked if there was someone, an official to speak with. No. Nope. No one you can speak with. Too bad, so sad.

We were advised to file a complaint with the police. The policeman in the hall would not take the complaint. The 2 policemen in the squad car outside would not take the complaint. We could go to the central station in the next town to complain. And you must go in person because they don't handle complaints over the phone. Because at 9 pm at night, with a baby that's what we're going to do, go to the next town to the central police station to file a complaint. I wonder how people without a car, or suffering mobility issues, seniors, how do they handle these issues?

Mistakes happen. But these elections reveal the truth of Israeli elections, they are not fair. There is no system of checks and balances. There are no official reports of discrepancies and no system in place to deal with these issues whatsoever. Israel is not a democracy, it is a banana republic.