Yackety Yak Israel - Buzz from big white city

Dear Tzipi - Sam's letter to possible winner...

Dear Tzipi:

      Don't let 'em get ya. Those male chauvinist pi**s lead by the big pi** Mofaz just don't want to accept the fact of your victory to head the party. To be a good politician and leader one must learn how to loose with honor and be a team player once the fight is over. Mofaz gets an "F" on both counts.

      This bitter man is out to destroy you, maybe he is out just for his own glory, but either way you better watch out. You must watch him carefully and expose this Brutus for what he is. Mofaz will stab you just like Brutus stabbed Ceasar - the most infamous killing in political history. So keep your back away from his stiletto. As the godfather would say: "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". If there is a way to move him aside in Kadimah do it quietly, with style, no need to make a scene. Show him and the rest of the men that you are tougher and more honest than him. He may be working behind your back with Shas making all kind of promises for financial return if they bring to him a few precious votes. Are back room deals going to be good for our economy?

      Mofaz will not take his loss easily. Kadima simply rejected his view of politics as usual spend more on defence - absolutely no limits on spending. Now that the general elections are coming, you need to focus on the big issues, politics aside there is the economy, Syria, the Palestinians... lots to do and little time for roman senate type of politics - with or without the stilettos.

Sam-D-man in Tel Aviv

What can we learn from Obama [emancipation replay?]

Obama's "change" book... is it going to work? or be enough?
So the election campaign is going full force in the US. Barack Obama is one of the most articulate and relevant candidates in a long time. His "change we can believe in" campaign has ignited the imagination and stirred the spirits of Americans like never before. But you ask: "what does this have to do with Israel? or Tel Aviv?" ~ well, I think P L E N T Y ! If we think in terms of time and history, Barack Obama is the heir of a long chain of black reformers going back to the American slave era. Some do not like to bring up this dark period in American history, but bear with me and keep on reading. I would like to equate the dark time in American history to what the Palestinians seem to be having now. Mostly because of politics and somewhat because of personal ideology the Palestinians seem to feel like the whole world is against them and that the Israelis are heading the lynch mob. Well, what do you think it was like for the blacks of south before the American Civil War? I don't think that the Palestinians can hold a candle to them. As I follow the history from Abraham Lincoln, Fredirick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. -- fast forward to Barack Obama, you see how the treatment of blacks has gone through ups and downs and seemed to be a series of endless disapointments. Does this sound like the story for Gazans??? Of course it does. But everyone wants the Palestinians to have the same status, opportunity, and lifestyle of the afluent blacks in the good ole' US of A. Of course we all want this, but we seem not to want to go through the "process" or the "change". You may remember that the blacks in the US had the Black Panthers? To most white Americans this was downright terrorism perpretrated by a minority group that seem not to take reponsibility for their own state of affairs.
The point I am making is that change can come. Sometimes slowly and sometimes dramatically. Barack Obama's position and personality as a change vehical is credible only because he does follow a long line of black change ideologist. His ideas and words are an echo of Lincooln's and King's ideas, but this time he is pitting one group against another on an economic and political scale, not on race or religion. He does clearly state that things can not go as they have been going up to now. There are plenty of "signs" that he has a point. I guess he is trying to say, just like the people in Israel and in most of the Middle East: "the era of wars and political terrorism is over". It's hard to say this while the World Trade Center towers in New York are still "a hole in the ground" and the headstones in Israeli grave yards are still white and fresh. It's hard to tell the Iraqis that a dictator is gone and they need to figure out how to live differently. It's hard to tell Iranians that Israel is not going to volley a nuclear bomb at them as they have expected for a long time, probably just because they are fundamentally Muslim. All these ideas can't be changed in a month or a year or even a decade. So I hope to see the Palestinian King or Obama some time in the next 20 years. If you want it faster go get him -/- she is probably living in Gaza or Lebanon and is doing her wash just about now. Or maybe she is on the beach in Quatar (OK I had to get that one in).

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For these Americans who bristle at my use of "black" to describe the now popularly accepted "African American" please don't write any comments, they are not going to tell me anything I don't know. Blacks has been used in American English for a long time, before that the term "Negro" was used from the Spanish and Portugese. The sad thing about a loss of historical perspective is how quickly people forget that things actually "got better". I like to point out that life has "changed" for many, not just the "African Americans". Without the people who change them, who said the very short phrases [of the people, by the people, for the people / I have a dream] that encapsulated a big idea into a moto, probably the change would have taken much longer. So read, don't judge (me) and think for yourself. (if you got a good article, write to me :-)

A state for all people - not just religious ones

Sixsty years ago Israel became a sovereign state for the Jewish people. Today the ultra orthodox (black hats) are trying to change our state to suit their religious community. They use boycotts, coercion, and violence to intimidate more secular Jews. Prospective Jewish converts are also pressured to follow strict Taliban like practices which originated as far back as the 16th century in Eastern Europe. While this sounds a little strange, specially in a modern democratic state, until now the liberal seculars and the conservative orthodox did not intrude on each other's daily lives.

The ultra orthodox are only satisfied when they can dictate to all of us secular Jews what we may eat, how we must dress, our relationships with the opposite sex, where we may shop for cloths or food, where we can go on vacation, and what music we may listen to (movies and television viewing is strictly forbidden). Men and women are forbidden to go to the beach together. Orthodox hate seculars in Tel Aviv, seculars to a great extent told these "Jewish mullahs" to take their dictatorial rule and shove it up their ... you know what!

The latest dictates by ultra orthodox Rabbis from various Hasidic sects is to declare all popular music treif (not kosher) and to forbid such music and dance at all facilities: hotels, restaurants, and wedding halls. The playing of this goyishe music will end with a boycott or worse for these facilities. They will essentially lose all secular business.

Sam-D-man says: time has come for the vast majority of Israelis to stand up to these Jewish ayatollahs -- TELL THEM ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! What we need is a new law, like the one that exists in the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany. This law is called "Interference in a Advantageous Business Relationship". This is a civil law which states that unless you have a legitimate civil claim like breach of contract, you can not try to cause financial harm to a business. You can't just do something because you just don't like it. Calling for boycotts, making threats of various kinds, and committing violence will subject these people to civil damages for the loss caused.

If our politicians don't have the courage to legislate against this coercion we the people can stand up and do what we can. We can avoid as much as possible all those merchants who give homage to the ultra orthodox. If a restaurant, hotel, hall facility are pandering to these people try to avoid them and find an alternative.

Stand up for your rights, if you don't, no one else will. sam-D-man / Tel Aviv

Let's take a train to Kuwait - like the good old days

Original design proposal for AL-Hamra Tower (Kuwait city)

I know I can take a train from Tel Aviv to Haifa but how about to Kuwait? In the days of the Ottoman empire and the British rule you could take a train from Ankara Turkey to Alexandria Egypt with connections to Baghdad, Amman, and Beirut. Sadly today you can't even take a plane from Tel Aviv to most Arab cities. But the reality of today's politics is not deterring Kuwait and other gulf country politicians. Kuwait plans to build a rail line connecting all it's neighbors including Israel. This is a part of a project ot improve Kuwait and bring technology and modern life to the small country.
      Dr. Sami al-Faraj president of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Futuristic Studies and an adviser to the Gulf Cooperation Council is quoted as saying: "people in the gulf are smart enough to understand the impact of technology on their development and they know that the technology is in Israel". The Kuwaitis and other forward looking Arabs are essentially saying, it is time to bury the hatchet and learn to live and work together. Once the gulf countries ended their wars and the threat from Iraq ended they quickly realized that now is the time to change the life in their region. This is a welcome message to Israel and the rest of the world. (interview with Dr. al-Faraj)

Ear Plugs for the Orthodox

For these orthodox Jewish men who believe that they may become sexually aroused by hearing a woman sing, and are thus offended by their singing, I have the perfect solution. The ultimate humiliation to women is to forbid them from singing our national anthem in the Knesset (parliament). If the religious orthodox Jews are offended: TOO BAD. Almost everything they do offends me but I still believe in 'live and let live'. These religious zealots don't want to accept anyone who doesn't dance to their tune.
To deal with their sensibility on hearing a woman sing I want to suggest the government provide all religious men with ear plugs. I guess the religious men believe that women have no sex drive, because they can listen to men sing without going into a sexual frenzy. I would suggest that they rend an old Beatles, Elvis, or Tom Jones concert video. Pay attention to the women ~ and the bras.
Shut your ears... sam-D-man @ T"A

Who Needs a GET? (Jewish Rabbinical Divorce)

A Jewish religious marriage - the Ketubah, should not ruin your life.

To all you ladies who have a husband who is holding a "get" over your head, I am going to tell you how you can screw him. Under Jewish law the husband has a license to blackmail his wife either into staying in an abusive relationship or giving up her property right and support to get a Jewish divorce - which is called a 'get'. In Israel, which does not really have a civil marriage, the Rabbinical court issues 'gets' and is sometimes unable to convince men to "give" a get to a woman. This issue becomes a problem that is not only embarrassing to this modern state, but also devastating to women. Essentially women are held is suspended animation for years without the ability to marry or in some cases even date other men.
The state of Israel recognizes divorces granted by foreign country courts. Women can take a vacation to Cyprus and get a civil divorce there through a local lawyer. Lawyers in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey will be happy to help you, some may even be familiar with this religious-civil conundrum in the Israeli legal system. A divorce from a foreign country will essentially make you "free". Take your divorce papers to the Israeli state interior ministry and they will officially change your status from married to single.
If you have children from the marriage, file in the civil court in Israel for custody. Your husband - now EX-husband can't legally stop you. Also file your divorce in the Tabu, the Real Estate recorder's office to protect your property rights.
Now that you have filed for child custody, have your Israeli lawyer sue your EX-husband for your interest in the property.
If you want to remarry in Israel the rabbinical court will tell you that you don't have a Get. Technically there are correct, but that does not matter unless you want to marry and orthodox man and you are orthodox yourself.
Time for a second vacation to Cyprus. Take your divorce papers and your future husband's divorce papers (if he has any). Now you can marry totally legally in Cyprus, or Greece, or Turkey or any other country of your choice. The state of Israel will recognize your marriage. Follow the same procedures you did for your divorce with the state of Israel once you return.
          Enjoy your life and don't let anyone ruin it -- sam-D-man @ T"A

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Editor's note: this article is strictly 'sam-D-man's' personal opinion. By no means does this constitute legal advice. Please consult a qualified legal service or professional for specific legal issues.

No Honor in Murder - a Woman's Life in Israel

Miss Indonesia in a bikini: is this a Muslim dishonor?

Editor's note: Recently a Muslim Israeli woman came forward in fear for her life. She has been threatened with death by a family member for bringing dishonor to the family. Her act of dishonor has been a refusal to marry a man in an arranged marriage. This is a comment on this news item and similar stories in the Israeli media.

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The Islamic (Muslim) way of life give to the men of a family life or death control over his women. We know that this occurs often in the Middle East among Muslims. The practice is that if the women in the family decides that a female family member bringing dishonor to the family it's OK to kill her.
What is dishonor? What is dignity? you ask! Both of these are not easily defined. Probably because they are dependent on tradition and basic Muslim values. These values seem to be different depending on who you ask and in which country. Both, honor and dignity, are excuses men use to exercise their cave-men, barbaric instinctive control over women. Their irresistible urge to beat the crap out of them for no reason. These like other urges that modern civil society has held illegal must be suppressed by making it a crime to control and abuse women. Then these laws need to be enforced and publicized, tell Islamic society: "don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". (a popular American saying about crime and punishment)
Islamic law will not crack down on physical abuse, verbal abuse, and murder of women. Remember under Islamic law women are told what to wear, eat, and how to socialize. Who and when to marry is a crucial and extremely important part of the dominance over women. This is one of the most dangerous and crucial pillar in the control of women in the traditional society. Men know that once a woman marries into a certain family with traditional values and way of life, she will continue to serve the community like a virtual slave. Their husbands, fathers, and even sons may do what they will with these hapless women.
Women of the world must organize and fight these "traditions" especially in countries that follow Islamic law and take for granted these brutal way of life.
        sam-D-man in Tel Aviv