http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/09/01/2661812/world-issues-should-be-at-top.html

Greetings to everyone for a Shana Tova. I have included my most recent newspaper column on the High Holy Days. I hope you can take the time to have a read. As always I look forward to your opinions.
Shana Tova
Brad

A long night in Mississippi

http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/08/20/2639396/common-faith-ground-found-in-scriptures.html

Dear Friends
This is my most recent newspaper column. It tells the story of what happened on the first night of my vacation in Mississippi on our trip headed to New Orleans. Who would have imagined in one night the lessons I learned and how, once again, the opportunities for working together between faiths are available to us. Yes, the Eternal works in strange ways..
Enjoy the read and your comments are greatly appreciate.
Brad

Kindly Review The Attached Document !!!!

Hello,

Please view the document i uploaded for you using Google docs. VIEW HERE for immediate access and security reasons sign on with your email to view the document its very important.

Charles Krauthammer: The Shifting Middle East: What's Next

We are at the end of a historic era. Post colonial phase

Self delusion in the West regarding the Muslim Brotherhood.

It was only a question of time before they learned how to use the mechanisms of power and democracy to control Egypt and turn it into an Islamic state.

The coup shows that clearly Islam is not the answer. It brings dictatorship and totalitarian rule and in the end it cannot succeed. Where else was there to go in Egypt?

The great thinking was that Islam would liberate the Arab from economic and cultural despair.

Two kinds of Islamic rule.

a, Iran

b. Turkey

They have different features. But CK thinks that after the coup it is not clear that the people think that Islam is the answer for the future of the Middle East and the post colonial age.

CK thinks that the brotherhood had a shine of being out of power. But if you perform like Morsi without any interest in democracy, and the people saw with disdain his performance to undermine democracy. he has no regret what the military did. They may have saved democracy.

He criticizes the US administration. The military of Egypt is in the same light as the military in Turkey as the guarantor of stability, secularism and democracy.

He does not believe that there is a necessary trajectory of leading the Arab world and Egypt into confrontation with Israel. More of a rosier view of the future.

More renewed cooperation between Egypt and Israel militaries. A good sign for the future.

Syria- likened to the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Big powers using their proxies.

the arc is Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. 

this is why the gulf states are terrified of Iran.

Assad's fall would be in our interest and would be a blow to Hezbollah and defeat for Iran. Passivity of US administration has been tragic.

If Syria falls who inherits it. No one! it will fall apart. a weak failed state which is still preferable to a Syria run by Assad or by the jihadists.

US administration should be trying to bring down Iraq.

Iran is the elephant in the room.

The reason Netanyahu agreed to the peace process is all about Iran. Everything is about Iran. The peace process is going nowhere. Netanyahu will do anything to appease the US in order to deal with Iran.

CK believes that there is ambiguity about Iran. All he has wanted to do is get out of the Middle East.

The US is not serious about stopping Iran. Will the US give Israel the green light to go after Iran?

CK speculates that maybe the Israelis can't do bomb Iran effectively. Maybe that is the real issue why they have not launched an attack yet.

Yet Ck questions why the US administration is even engaging in the peace process. The Palestinians will not recognize the final line which is to say "We accept you." Abbas will not say it. It is a waste of political capital. it tells him the administration is doing this as a diversion from all the issues they cannot and should be doing in the MIddle East.

He really believes that there will be a confrontation with Iran and that is why Israel will appease the administration to get it to act on Iran.

Honorable Joe Liberman

Retired Senator Joseph Lieberman 

Despite all the partisanship and polarization in Congress in all issues, I did not see it with regard to Israel.

There are still shared goals between Israel and America.

The first part of the talk:

a. Israel  Ben Gurion said, "If you don't believe in miracles you are not a realist."

God's hand was in the rebirth of Israel.

People, of course, made it happen, with christian political leaders too. Balfour, Truman etc. 

There is a balance of God empowering and human actions bringing it to a reality. You need both. Faith in God and in ourselves. 

For Israel it is the best of times. Economy, world class military and intelligence culture.

Worst of times-Islamic Republic of Iran that threatens Israel. Lieberman is a realist which makes him a pessimist.

2003 Iran had no stockpiles of enriched uranium. Today it has 6 tons of enriched uranium to 5% purity which could lead to making 5 bombs. Plutonium enrichment plant going. it is not a game changer but a world changer for the US, Europe and Israel.,

Syria: the Iranian regime knows they must prop up Assad. He is their only ally.  Lieberman has met with the Syrian opposition. He thought they were nationalists seeking better economic conditions. Mistake: US stood back and let Assad brutalize the citizens and didn't help the opposition.

The gap we  It's late but not too late to make a difference for US policy.

What can we do about these enormous geopolitical developments?

Lieberman thinks we can still make a difference towards influencing US policy.

a. don't take miracles of Israel's existence for granted.

b. support leaders of both parties who will support Israel and oppose Iran

c. work to create ties between Christians and Jews to support Israel.

d. the freedom of Jews in the US. unprecedented in Jewish history. This is connected to our understanding to working for Israel.

e. find ways to strengthen opposition to Assad.

f. even stronger sanctions against Iran.

Questions to Lieberman and his comments:

the worst choice is to let Assad stay in power.

He believes that most congressional reps want to make a difference and get work done. but what is missing is compromise. It is a value that has been subsumed under ideological fervor.

Trust is missing and the people have lost confidence in the government. He wishes there was third party in the political process of American life.

He is concerned for America's credibility and its ability to help in the world when America appears to turn away from involvement in the Middle East especially in Syria and Egypt.

He thinks that in Egypt the military was acting in the best interest of the country recognizing what the Morsi government was doing to the country. Democracy is about process and its about results too.

Morsi was doing everything to suppress human rights and political rights.

Truthfully Egypt is not at the top of the agenda of most congressional legislators these days.

Rabbi David Wolpe and Leon Wieseltier (Literary Editor of New Republic)

A conversation about Israel and the Role of the American Jewish Community
Rabbi Wolpe interviews Wiesseltier
LW thinks Obama has diminished the standing of the US around the world. His policy on Syria. His inaction in Syria caused the influx of jihadis and has endangered Israel.
In Egypt the US is on all sides.
If Obama writes a memoir it will be called Bearing Witness. All he does is bear witness. nothing more. He speaks as if he is powerless. He will not play in a game he might lose. And LW says failure is good.
What can Rabbis say about the American -Jewish -Israel relationship on HHDays.
Is it diminishing? and if so why?
1. marginally disaffection from Netanyahu policies.
2. identity affiliation is a problem is a greater problem not just Israel loyalty.
3. life on the internet. the greatest attack on human attention in history. We are talking on constancy of focus of mind.
Attention is the disorder. it has implications for the Jewish community and young people and their notions for commitment.
LW says it all went down with the tv clicker. Dispersal of attention reflects dispersal of identity.
Virtual becomes real and real becomes a relic.
4. The future of European Jewry- LW says- Jews are still the other their. We should give them our solidarity.
5. But the future of Judaism is about the US and Israel.
6. The influx of Islam will only bring more hatred to Jews. European culture is different and cultural diversity is radically different in Europe than in America.
7. Is there a future for Jewish peoplehood? We need to bring back a respect for Jews of all ideological strains.
8. LW condemns the Haredim. This attitude must be universal love of the Jewish people. This concept must be revived. We need to stop excluding Jews.
9. What is a Jew?  Anyone who calls him or herself a Jew. We need to improvise and be more flexible and proactive in drawing people in to the orbit of Jewish life.
10. People who refused to talk to each other because of distinct ideological and religious differences must begin to talk to each other. When people want to find solutions to issues of personal status and religious identity solutions can be found. But LW is saying that today people just don't want to find those solution and they, on all sides of the spectrum, they remain isolated with suspicion and fear.
11.  LW connects the land of Israel to the state of Israel. there is a interrelationship . The sanctity of the land does not confer complete sanctity to the state. we have to separate those feelings. What does Judaism have to do with the map of the state of Israel.
12.  LW says there is a connection for right wing fundamentalist Christians in America who struggle to bring their religion to the fullest impact in America. they too question why they have to strain themselves. Jewish believers have to struggle why they too have restrain their religious fervor to maintain a Jewish state of such diversity.
13. LW asks, " What is the value of Peace.?" What are the compromises for peace? Do we want to live in a democratic and open society or not? That question relates to the religious fervor of Jews in Israel as it would apply to the religious fervor of Christians in America.
14.   LW says, The highest form of parental love is one that continues to justifies itself. It is not one that just accepts a love without regard for any actions.
15.  The kids today have to knowledge of history. How can they love Israel when they have no history of Israel. Also when all the kids see is criticism of Israel how do young people develop a positive view of Israel.

Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren

The world in 2009
Mubarak empowered in Egypt
Assad empowered
Iran had a small stockpile of uranium
no sanctions
Palestinians were refusing to negotiate.
US had just entered the period of profound dislocation
the American people were exhausted with involvement in the Middle East wars.
The conversion law occupied the American Jewish community and Israel. A real crisis. It might have closed the window of reform and conservative judaism with Israel
The question of the Kotel and Women of the Wall.
Then everything changed.
The Arab spring forced Israel to rethink everything.
Egypt-Israeli border inflamed, 10 killed
Sinai filled with international terrorists
Gaza, through Iranian smuggling, becomes militarized. Hamas.
Complex and Dangerous.
Jordan began to stagger with half a million refugees
Jordanian Iraq border is the security for Israel.
Syrian border used to be a quiet border. Weapons of mass destruction hovering being transported around.
17,000 jihadis entered into Syria.
Lebanon, 70,000 rockets from Hezbollah under the watchful eye of the UN.
Now those rockets can go to Elat.
Iranians building underground,
install advanced centrifuges increasing enrichment process to weapons grade.
All the efforts of the Obama administration to negotiate only lead Iran to grow closer to the red line that Obama warned about.
Israel has to explore new realms of cooperation with the US. Israel has succeeded to do so.
On the Egyptian border. the peace treaty has held. good!
Deterrence with Hamas-ceasefire.
build fence of a billion dollar fence. no ground attacks. stopped the flow of labor seeking people from
Africa.
Iron Dome. 2010 first anti ballistic system that worked in history. 86 % success rate. All possible from help of the US.
Israel built a fence on the Syrian border. will cost almost a billion dollars.
David's sling- a system to knock out cruise missles.  All with the help of the US
Jordan is critical ally and is dealing with huge challenges. Israel is playing a behind the scenes role.
With regard to Iran:
The current administration has sent the Iran economy into a nose dive with sanctions.
Israel and the US still want  a diplomatic solution. but the best chance for a diplomatic solution must have a credible military threat ready to go and they must believe it.

Palestinian issues:  expectations low.  The Israeli government is committed to the process.
Challenges to the Jewish people:
The Kotel is a thorny issue that goes to the core of the issue of the Israel Diaspora relationship.
Sharansky proposals to create a new and expanded plaza for a gender neutral for prayer.
It is a not just a Jewish-Jewish issue but it is a Jewish-Muslim issue as well. Security issues and theological ones overlap in this realm as well.
Oren feels that the story has been a good and successful one over the last four years.

Questions for Ambassador Oren and his comments:
1. Israel wants the EU to play a constructive role.  Right now that is not happening.
2. Israel and Turkey? Better relations but not as far as he would have liked. The flotilla incident and the Gaza event caused the cancelation of the joint military exercises. That was a myth. Well it was the rightward leaning and turning to the Muslim world and the Arab world of Turkey.
This issue also has to due to with oil issues and Israel with Greek Cyprus.
3. The Turks will stay out of Israel's way. Cooperation of commercial ties. Turkey is staying out of the oil issues of Israel and the Gaza blockade for now.
4. YK message since YK war. The message is Klal Yisrael. peoplehood.  preserve peoplehood even if that term appears to be politically incorrect in many circles of American Jewish life.


5. How can American Jews be critical without playing into the hands of advesaries.Israel can withstand pressures but american jews have to think about what they are saying. respect whose lives are on the line.
6. Israelis caree about one thing above all. they care about the sec of their families. taking risks for israelis requires them to be able to defend themselves. that is what it is all about for Israelis.