Israel’s News Blog Magazine: Daily Stories Video and Photos

It’s official, in an online poll by Ynet News for Person of the Year 2005, 30,000 votes were counted and the winner was, Condoleeza Rice, who came in with 4,000 votes.

Condi, Mazal Tov !

David Goldfeld (63) lives in Kiryat Shemona. In last week’s Katyusha attack his house took a direct hit. The house was severely damaged but the man and his wife are fine and their only concern is 8 year old “Lutak” who was injured and is undergoing surgery. The owner said he hopes doctors can save him. Ynet photo by Effy Sharir

This was the kind of news that in Israel seems like it’s a practical joke. Both television anchors couldn’t have looked more amused at this story. Sharon Tendler, some sort of English millionaire, apparently married a Dolphin at the Red Sea. The woman (41) apparently fell in love with Cindy the Dolphin (35) who lives in Eilat’s Dolphin Reef, 15 years ago and has been visiting him regularly over the years.
The happy couple is expecting a Guppy !

Ynet advertised a guide for the voter, showing the differences and similarities between the leading parties - USE WITH CAUTION !

Palestinian State:
Likud – No
Kadima – Yes
Labour – Yes

Giving up land:
Likud – Unclear, the party provided a list of areas it will want to keep
Kadima – Yes
Labour – Yes

Clearing out of the settlements:
Likud – No
Kadima – Yes, while leaving settlement blocks
Labour – Yes, while leaving settlement blocks

Road Map proposed by the US:
Likud – No, due to ban on Jerusalem developments
Kadima – Yes
Labour – Yes, as a basis for understanding, not on all points

Division of Jerusalem:
All – No

Refugee Right of Return to Israel:
Likud – No
Kadima & Labour – Not to Israel, but yes to a Palestinian State

Separation Fence:
Likud – Yes, not as a national border though
Kadima – Yes
Labour – Yes, while taking into consideration the Palestinian population

Golan Heights Withdrawal:
Likud – No
Kadima – No
Labour – Yes in exchange for peace

Well we took a break from the elections but there’s no avoiding it any longer. They are coming. So what has happened in the last couple of weeks in politics you ask? All images are from Arutz 2’s “Eretz Nehedert“.

Well Bibi (Benjamin Neyanyahu) is leading the Likud. “Killed” Silvan Shalom real quick. I believe the term Silvan used when he heard the score was equivalent to “we’re screwed”. And they were. He did offer Silvan the number 2 spot though to keep the peace. Silvan took the job. What else.

Bibi was real happy and came into Likud HQ all Gung Ho.. First item of business was an attempt at getting rid of Moshe Feiglin, head of the Jewish Leadership faction in the Likud and what is considered the “radical” element in the party. Bibi also wants to clean house so he is suggesting that the Likud charter be changed to ban all members who spent more then 3 months in prison. This would again prevent Feiglin from running on the Likud ticket, he was convicted in 97 for incitement. He is expected to withdraw from running for Knesset and is expected to make the announcement Sunday. In recent polls the Likud is gaining and is now expected to get 14 seats, 21 for Labour and 39 for Kadima.

Labour is sliding a little. Shelly Yachimovich is out in the field. In an interview this weekend she voiced her support of the economic and social agenda and her severe, really severe dislike for Eretz Nehederet, the show that has included her in the usual cast of characters. In a TV interview she had with Yaron London she was grilled and then lashed back at the interviewer. Sour grapes from the media world on her departure according to her. An intelligent and articulate woman she is an intensive advocate of women’s rights, raising the minimum wage and better conditions for the working class. Maybe wound a little too tight though.

A little hostility there between her and Alon Pinchas, ex consol in New York and Labour contender. The latter claiming that Labour needs to have a national and political agenda that goes beyond becoming the “welfare party”. If Peretz is to make any headway he needs to concentrate more on the security, national and political agenda and gain the votes that are concerned with those issues. Seems like there is something there, polls also show this week that there is some concern about the capabilities of Amir Peretz as Prime Minister (40% in one survey) and his lack of experience in matters of security.

In Kadima things are holding. Lots of rumors and speculation about the health of Ariel Sharon. His weight in the papers (and we mean physical) was fluctuating anywhere from 110 Kg to 130 Kg (242 – 286 Lbs) amid ongoing speculation as to the state he was in on the night of the mini stroke. We now know he has 195 Cholesterol and 120 over 80 in blood pressure, what we don’t know is what exactly happened that night and how healthy he really is. We have a better chance of finding out who killed Kennedy though so no point thinking about it!

In a potential “Hot Potato”, Sharon ordered his campaign managers to halt all “paid bonus” schemes to member of his campaign staff for recruiting voters. Apparently the bonus plan was thought up by Avigdor Yitzchaki, campaign manager for Kadima, and was quickly stomped by Sharon when he heard about it in the news. Avigdor is an accountant. Phew…

A new addition to Kadima is Avi Dichter, ex Head of the General Security Services. He has done the research, weighed the evidence and decided to join Kadima. He first considered joining the party when he became head of the GSS. When working with government and political heads he realized the rate at which ministers where changing and noticing the lack of stability in the halls of power and the detrimental effect on work in the field he began looking into a political career. He is a patient man and should be an interesting addition to Kadima.

Stay Tuned!

As the EL AL plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport the voice of the captain came on: “Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until the plane has come to a complete stop and the seat belt signs have been turned off. We also wish to remind you that using cell phones is strictly prohibited.”

Pause

He continues: “To those of you who are seated we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy your stay…and to those of you standing the aisles and talking on your cell phones we wish you a Happy Hanukah and welcome home.”

Hat tip: Yifat Menchik

Ma Ma Ma MY menorah - Blast it !

By Denis Schulz.

When Jed Clampett heard that Arnold Ziffle needed a life saving operation he wrote out a check for $100; when Elvernie Bradshaw needed a breast reduction he chipped in ten bucks even though the very idea had him shaking his head; and when floodwaters threatened the folks on Coonskin Creek, Jed hustled down there, filled hundreds-if not thousands-of sand bags and got wet to the bone. But it one measures Jed by the standards set by Saudi Barbaria’s Royal Family for mastering the art of Noblesse Oblige Jed rates somewhere between skinflint and piker. Sure, he’s ahead of Jack Benny and Ebenezer Scrooge but he’s light years behind Islamo-fascist Royal Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Now there’s a man who knows how to throw money around!

When the World Trade Center came crashing down, Al-Waleed hastened to New York City to offer Mayor Rudy Giuliani $10 million to help the survivors of the massacre put their lives back together(Al-Waleed is worth $23 billion, Forbes magazine rates him the sixth richest person in the world. And it’s all because “up from the ground came a-bubbling crude”) It was an incredible humanitarian gesture! Ten million dollars!
A great example of Noblesse Oblige! And all Rudy Giuliani had to do for that ten mil was to accept a few words of advice from al-Waleed. “I believe the government of the United States should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause” instructed the Prince. “Our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of the Israelis while the world turns the other cheek.”

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By Denis Schulz.

Al Capp was one of the great cartoonists of the 20th Century-perhaps the greatest. There was Walt Kelly and Bill Watterson and not much else. Who can forget the Yokums and Marrying Sam and Senator Jack S. Fogbound? And Daisy Mae Scraggs did more for ragged short shorts than Marilyn Monroe did for hot air vents. Capp’s hillbillies were so rude and ignorant they made The Three Stooges seem almost as erudite as Noam Chomsky, Ward Churchill and Frank Rich, and, of course, better plumbers. Yet no hillbillies, from Granny Clampett to Grandpa McCoy, ever pursued Al Capp through the streets with a hickory switch.

Capp portrayed Joan Baez as Joannie the Phoney and his campus S.W.I.N.E.(Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything) were forever stuffing flowers down National Guard gun barrels-flowers which “naturally, somebody else growed,” said Li’l Abner. The radical left hated his guts. What he would have done with Michael Moore and Howard Dean can only be imagined.
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It’s Christmas Day and the weather here is as close as it gets to snow. Raining, gray and cold. I miss the holidays a little. I leave CNN on the whole day so I can hear Christmas Day news that always seem to have a slightly more positive note then the usual noise. Tonight is also the night we light the first candle of hanukkah. It’s a time to visit family and eat some Sufganiot (donuts). Cholesterol bombs. Yum..Does anyone remember the Chrismukah memo?

The apartments in Israel are made of stone and not really built for winter. In our place we use spiral electric heaters to keep the place warm and the orange glow makes it feel really cozy. You can almost pretend you have a fire place. You need to watch the dogs though, they seem to really get close to the heaters and the term hotdog takes on a whole new meaning.

There is a whole community of bloggers out there, each with their own opinions and style of writing. I recently witnessed (as many others) an angry exchange of comments on a site I enjoy reading. The instigators of the attack managed to get the worst out of people and to a certain degree I think that’s why we write. Frankly, better verbal violence then physical…Keep writing L.

So for all you out there – this is what a white Christmas would look like in Tel Aviv. Happy Holidays

This and some more amazing photos by Gilad Benari.

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My uncle is an avid photographer and in one of our recent family dinners he pulled out the “old” albums and we took a walk down memory lane. So these are some of the pictures. These were taken between 1967 and 1968, some are just days after the Six Day war and they are taken all over Jerusalem and the West Bank. The new header we now have on OJ is from this series of photos. There are over 50 photographs in the series.

Enjoy

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