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

A friend emailed me this and it’s just priceless. A dialog between George Bush and Condoleeza Rice..

I saw this today when I went to the Post Office. This is a poster put out by Police calling: “Let’s Catch Him Together - CALL 100“. That is just so strange on so many levels.

Police yesterday had a mild stroke when an officer thought he saw Benny Sela on a motorcycle near a large shopping mall in Ramat Gan. The Police are so confused at this point they don’t know weather to scratch their watch or wind their butt. This is a nightmare that is not ending and now the conspiracy theorists are saying that Sela may have left the country.

Another interesting side effect of all this is the fact that Sela now has been appearing in numerous dating sites and even has a page on MySpace. I am looking for it …

Ah, Erie! That Emerald Isle where Guinness stout flows like a bubbling stream and people still come from everywhere to kiss the Blarney Stone (photo) . Ireland has a lot to offer those who come to visit there, as well as work, in the new economic climate that has resulted in this country now being touted as the number one place to live, so far as quality of life goes. That this ‘miracle’ has happened to a country with one of the worst climates (it rains there a wee bit), and from where millions once fled as a result of famine and political unrest, is a miracle into itself. The Irish Republic now boasts one of the fastest growing economies and favorable investment climates in the world. Not only are people not running away from its shores; many descendents of disenfranchised ‘Finians’ from “the famine” are now returning to live there once again.

Why can’t we in Israel learn from such a country insofar as improving ourselves like the Irish did? A Channel 2 magazine program ran a half hour documentary recently, comparing various attributes in the new Ireland to their ‘equivalents’ in Israel, if you want to call them that. As a result, the only thing that both countries seem to have in common is that the dark brown, bitter tasting brew is sold regularly in both lands. Otherwise, that’s about it. Ireland, for example, has not only made an abrupt turnaround in its economy; the government there has introduced a number of new laws and social policies that we living in Israel should definitely take note of.

For one thing, a law was recently passed in Ireland forbidding smoking in pubs, restaurants, and other public places. Although many people there who smoke are not happy with this law, those who do not puff the cancer causing weed are grateful. Ireland for years has also had a law requiring pubs to close at a certain night time hour, which has resulted in less traffic accidents as well as alcohol related crimes. Israel tried to do this, but intense opposition on the part of pub and bar owners resulted in this ordinance not being passed. Another recently passed law in the Emerald Isle forbids loud talking or screaming in public. I’d like to see how far the passing of this kind of law would get in Israel.

And finally, all Irish children will soon be able to obtain free college education, if they meet certain entrance criteria. This benefit assures that country’s future; giving students a chance at a better life due to a higher education. Israeli young people have to pay for higher education themselves, with little assistance from the government.

While it can be said that Ireland doesn’t need a large defense budget, and that their army, such as it is, is all volunteer, Israeli governments can still better appropriate our country’s annual operating budgets, with more attention to social needs, especially education. The way that the Republic of Ireland is changing should be an example for everyone, especially people living in Israel. We certainly can change our social system, despite our security needs. And, once this is accomplished, perhaps we can become more like the Irish; at least in these positive aspects.

This is pricesless. Borat who has been doing very well with his movie and getting sued quiet a bit as well, is shown in the clip on Jay Leno with Martha Stewart. Borat who speaks Hebrew by the way and is an ex-Israeli is the antithesis to Martha. Who could imagine them both in the bedroom. All I can say is that it ends with Borat taking off his underwear. Need I say more?

Borat, Martha Stewart In Jay Leno SHOW - video powered by Metacafe

This is cool - this is a one man rap group. Metacafe is a video site that’s worth a look and is associated with some Israeli founders/developers they say they are the “world’s largest online video broadcasters with a global audience of 17 million unique visitors”. Looks good and worth a visit.

Rapper - video powered by Metacafe

With the Russian ex-spy that was recently poisened in the UK and the new James Bond out, this seems like the appropriate time for this. The CIA is recruiting and it’s using some funky new methods. This one is cute, its an online quiz that lets you find out if you are CIA material. I took it…go ahead you know you want to try it

Photo by Niv Caldreon
The Police here is sweating. All day they have been chasing after the convict that escaped Friday and the thought that someone will be attacked by this serial rapist is scarring the hell out of them. Avi Dichter, Minister of Internal Security and boss of the Chief of Police (Karadi) is pissed as hell. He already made suggestions that this case will not be finished with the dismissal of some cronies but something that will demand the heads of some higher ups…

There is no great love between the Chief and Minister Diskin. The latter is a military man who was the head of the SHABAK (Israel’s General Security Services). The talk is that he is looking for a way to get rid of the Chief and get one of his own into the position. In any case this is going to give him considerable leeway.

One of the newspapers here also mentioned that Chief Karadi was at a fancy restaurant Friday morning with friends when the call came in of the escape. He continued his meeting for an additional hour and a half before leaving for the scene. Another nail in the coffin?

There were a few supposed sightings and the Police went bouncing to a few different places on the tips they got but its evident that they have no clue where he is. This is definitely one of their biggest blunders to date!

I guess there is no end to the madness. A grandmother of 26 and mother of 9 children blew herself up a couple of days ago, wounding 3 soldiers in Gaza. Fatma Najer apparently was a big fan of Hamas and soon after the explosion a tape was released where she is announcing her intention to blow herself as a dedication to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. The video showed her wearing a black suicide belt and had an M-16 assault rifle slung over her neck. “I offer myself as a sacrifice to God and to the homeland,” she said. (Ynet News).

This is the oldest suicide bomber to date and its some sort of record (new low I guess). No matter how you think about it it’s wrong. Makes you wonder about the idea of “dear old grandma” blowing herself up and the great legacy left behind for the almost 30 grandchildren and children left behind. The name in one of the local papers was “Grandma Inferno”.

This is the real thing. A live prison break is going on right now in Tel Aviv. Benny Sela a serial rapist convicted on 14 counts of rape managed to escape Police while being taken to a hearing in a court that wasn’t even open today. The news channels are a buzz with the latest blunder by the Police department and it feels like you’re watching a bad chapter of Prison Break.

The prisoner was taken out this morning from a Prison facility with another inmate. Funnily (or maybe not) 2 cops came to pick up these 2 prisoners. Keep in mind that Benny Sela was a prisoner that had a High Flight Risk Classification and was expected to attempt a break. Of course the 2 cops that came to pick him up completely disregarded that fact and went ahead and picked him up. They also only used handcuffs and never used the leg irons which also made life a little easier (dumb and dumber ring a bell ??).

The prisoner waited for the first stop and while the first prisoner was taken in to the court he managed to climb a fence and disappear into the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv.

An eye witness later reported seeing a man get undressed and run off in a nearby side street. Police then found the Brown prison issue pants and it looks like the convict was prepared with a pair of Jeans under his clothing.
So far it looks like Sela faked the whole thing and really thought things out. The hearing document was fake. It also turns out that a strike in government offices prevented the Police from confirming the request for the hearing. So I guess when in doubt the Police would rather let the Prisoner go then hold them and wait for a confirmation. Interesting procedures..

The Police Commissioner (embarrassed as he should be) immediately announced an official inquiry into this screw up only to be completely overturned by the Minister of Internal Security who soon after announced an inquiry to supersede the chief’s inquiry. Even in times of mayhem and a major FUBAR event you can be sure that politics are alive and well. You see the Police Commissioner and Minister of Internal Security are not real friendly. I am sure this will be the ideal case to get them going again.

In any case the prisoner Sela was a notorious serial rapist and Police in large numbers are looking for him. People are asked to keep aware.
Stay tuned…

Picture by Joe Sioufi

Once again Lebanon is thrown into turmoil with a little help from “its friends”. It’s like watching a baby trying to walk and a bunch of older kids coming up to it and kicking it down. Every time this country tries to make a change and build a future for itself something happens to send it tumbling back.

On Tuesday, Minister of Trade, Pierre Amine Gemayel (34) was shot and killed when his convoy was attacked in Beirut.

Unlike the last 5 assassinations where explosives were used, this one was more personal and gunmen using silencers at close range killed Gemayel and one of his body guards. A few days earlier, Gemayel received warnings that he was being targeted and urged his wife and 2 children to leave Lebanon. The information turned out to be accurate.

Gemayel’s father, former President Amine Gemayel, urged his followers from the Phalange Party, which he currently heads, to exercise restraint and refrain from vengeance. “Pierre was martyred for the sake of a cause, for the sake of freedom and for the sake of Lebanon,” his father said.

The Christian community has taken the brunt of Syrian “foreign policy” in hopes of getting invited back in by the same Christian population. The recent attack is part of the barbaric Syrian strategy that attempts to literally drown out the voices calling for an international tribunal on the killings of Prime Minister Hariri and others.

Through all this, Nasrallah and Hezbollah showed their true colors. Nasrallah, the ever loving resistance leader showed what a class act he was and how “in touch” he is with the Lebanese people this week. After the murder the Hezbollah leader he never even called to express his condolences to the family while every major country leader in the world did. I hope the Lebanese people keep this in mind…

AlJazeera, the Qatar based Pro Syrian news channel had its own way of dealing with the murder. It posed a poll question quoted on BeirutSpring:

“with a viciously worded poll question: What is more important for Lebanon, the Hariri tribunal or fixing the economic mess? Of course, in the world of Aljazeera, an economy can thrive in an environment where there’s a killer on the lose. As long as the killer is Arab, Aljazeera thinks its okay.”

Hat Tips: From Beirut to the Beltway, Beirut Spring and Across the Bay.