You may have heard that Israel plans to let Google drive their camera car around and add Israel to their Google Earth photo database.

What you may have missed is that the Lefties are trying to organize and make sure there are anti-Israel slogans and banners everywhere the Google camera takes a picture.

You’ve got to ask yourself a basic question.

No, it’s not “Why do they hate their own country so much?” and its not, “Why would they want to destroy such an important and expensive project that someone is trying to build?” (though those are valid questions).

But rather, “Who’s bankrolling the organization of all these events?”

It’s easy to say, “Oh, it’s free, social media and all that”, but it’s more than that.

There are buses that take these anti-Israel activists and militants around the country every Friday to confront the IDF. Tents are paid for. Their leadership seems to always be available for an interview (with the right people at least) as if they don’t work (unless this is their job). Planes are hired to photograph settlements. Lawsuits all the way up to the Supreme Court seem to be a weekly event. There’s a lot of money being thrown at these agendas, and lots of people seem to have a lot of free time to pursue them. NIF funneled funding is behind parts of it, but it can’t be behind everything.

It’s a question that really needs a good answer. I don't have that answer.


Meanwhile, here’s a story to finish off the post with.

Last week or so, a religious person (but not a Settler) went to the tent party to sit and talk and learn their side of things, perhaps to show support if he agreed with them.

He sat in one of their groups, heard them out, and one of the men there started telling him that the national-religious are wrong for not supporting their cause.

The religious man explained that he is not against finding ways to improve everyone’s lot, but entitlements and socialism are not the answer. He then began to explain economics, privatization and capitalism to them and how those tools could be used to solve some of the the problems. The group sitting there were completely engrossed with what he was explaining to them. It was like nothing they learned in University.

One of the Tent leaders noticed something was amiss. A religious man was talking and all the tent people were listening intently to every word, asking questions and interacting.

He came over, listened a bit, and then told the religious man he had to leave.

“Why?” the man asked.

“Because you are confusing them,” was the answer he was given.

And with that the religious man left, not seeking confrontation by confusing Israel’s University youth with economic philosophies and theories apparently not part of their curriculum, and certainly the diametric opposite of the philosophy of the tent party leadership.

I spent much of the day writing up today's attack on Jameel's blog and twitter feed. As I was writing it, I felt the fog of war. I was writing down details, yet I didn't have the big picture as in reality I didn't have the time to analyze what was going on where and when. Just that so much was happening at the same time.

There were heroes in today's tragedy. The bus driver who managed to drive his bus as much out of danger as he could. The medics on the bus who treated the wounded. The MDA volunteers trapped in the firefight. And of course the soldiers who fought the terrorists.

There aren't words to describe this tragedy, and I think only later will we understand how complex and planned out a terrorist operation this was, and how the decline and fall of Egypt led to this situation, and what this now means for Israel.

The talkbacks in Ha'aretz are a cause for serious dismay - and one wonders how many sick people there are out there. There appear to be plenty.

At this point, one can only hope for recovery for our wounded, sorrow for our murdered, and disgust at the Palestinians, once again targeting little children for murder.

I can only imagine the confusion the typical "Social Justice" supporter must feel right now. The government announced that permissions were granted to build some 4000 apartments in Jerusalem.

Normally they should cheer, except that these apartments are being built in Gilo, Ramat Shlomo and Har Homa. All parts of Jerusalem, but formerly "over the Green line". Now mind you, no "private Arab land" was taken for the existing neighborhoods, but that's not the point of it now, now is it?

So you've got these "Social Justice" protesters confused. On one hand some of them hate the settlers and anything they deem as settlements and they are condemning these housing construction plans - even in parts of Jerusalem that are only populated with Israelis and only ever will be (and only were ever) populated by Israelis.

And then you've got them demanding the government build apartments.

This confusion must be tearing them apart.

6 years ago the communities of Gush Katif were destroyed.

Now people (mostly in Tel Aviv) are protesting they can't afford to buy or rent a home because there aren't enough homes on the market. One Rabbi recently said that if only these protesters would do Tshuva, and repent for not trying to prevent the destruction of the homes of the Jews in Gush Katif, they would be able to afford a home today.

It's an interesting remark on so many levels, particularly when one of the primary causes of rising home prices is the construction freeze in Judea, the Shomron, and Jerusalem.

It's all interconnected. We're all interconnected.

The Rabbis say the Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred. And here we are, with modern Israel facing the same internal threat.

If only we could unite together in the face of our dangers and realize we're in the same boat together, we'd be able to overcome it all.

Have a meaningful fast.

A Tent City protest has been set up to protest the high price of housing (which is high).

Ha'aretz is reporting on it. Some choice quotes include:


Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai was repeatedly interrupted as he addressed the crowd on the first night of the protest, and left after a protester poured beer on him.

Deputy Mayor Assaf Zamir, who represents a young people's party on the city council and who had helped the protesters obtain their permit, left after someone threw an egg at him.

Opposition MKs Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) and Dov Khenin (Hadash ) were welcomed more warmly.


I can only ask some obvious questions.

Where are the police? Why aren't they protecting these public officials from violence? Where is the outcry from the media against this violence against elected officials? Where is the prosecutors office, and why hasn't an investigation begun? These aren't just words, these are acts of violence.

But most importantly, why isn't everyone demanding an end to the effective freeze that still affects Jerusalem and Judea/Samaria which would almost immediately work to lower high housing prices?

But no, instead just silence.

Today is Friday. That means that the Left will be practicing their freedom of speech and their freedom to obstruct the freedom of movement of others by protesting in different neighborhoods against Jews . One such neighborhood is Ma'aleh HaZeitim, aka Ras El Amud.

In Ras El Amud, homes have been built on (legally purchased) Jewish owned land and that seems to upset the left who don't believe in equal property rights for Jews.

In recent history, one of the first land purchase in Ras El Amud was in the very early 1900's by Nissan Bak and Moshe Wittenburg who bought various plots.

But Jewish history in Ras El Amud goes even further back then a mere century. Archaeologists have uncovered a jar handle, dated to the First Temple, with the name "Menachem" inscribed on the handle (Menachem, not Menachem Mendel btw).

Pretty cool, but these protests against Jews happen every Friday, so why bring it up now?

One word. Glenn Beck. (OK that's two).

You don't get Glenn Beck TV on cable? Me either (I actually don't have a TV, which makes that all the more difficult).

Glenn Beck was in Israel this past week meeting and speaking with different people (except Moshe Feiglin). I was forwarded this link of Glenn Beck listening to one of Israel's local defenders telling him all about Jewish rights in Israel. It's an interesting story.

And as it happens, the meeting was in Ras El Amud.




This story is as good a Tikun as any for the anti-Jewish Friday protests.

And you get Glenn Beck (sort of) without needing Glenn Beck TV.

Shabbat Shalom.

You know what was nice this week?

Watching the international support Israel got from Greece, France and other countries against the Flotilla and Flytilla terror supporters.

I would add, that it was nice that Israelis defended Israel's honor against these terror supporters that made it through into Ben-Gurion. I would add the word "allegedly", in that they allegedly beat up the terror supporters that got through.

I was sitting in traffic today in Jerusalem.

Traffic on the other side of the street had built up and there was no room to cut across Herzl anymore. Or let me rephrase that, there was room to cut across, but you couldn't go any further into the street on the other side, so the cars ended up blocking Herzl Blvd.

And of course then comes the light rail. While the train had the green light (or the funny GO symbol, I didn't look at his particular traffic light), the train couldn't move forward because of the cars sitting perpendicular in his lane.

It always amazes me how drivers need to cut across, just because the light is green (or was just green), without concern towards the gridlock they will be causing.

Meanwhile, the train driver was trying to inch forward past his traffic light before it changed colors too, without hitting the car sitting directly ahead of him on the tracks.

Needless to say, the lights changed.

In the end it was a time-consuming mess that would probably never have happened if Israelis cared about gridlock in the first place.

(On my way back, so guy stopped, parked his car halfway into the street and left his car to talk to his friends on the sidewalk, leaving a lane and half for 2 way traffic and absolutely no concern for the honking horns).

Everyone wants Gilad Shalit brought home.

But there is a deep division in the country as to what price the country should pay (present and future) for this important objective.

Those on the left say that “any price should be paid” to free him. And they believe that hundreds, even thousands of mass murderers and terrorists should be freed in exchange for Gilad Shalit (if he is even still alive), if that is what it takes.

Those on the right believe that targeting Hamas leaders and collective punishment (shutting off water, electricity) against Gaza should be the first steps the government takes to free Gilad. As freeing hundreds and thousands of terrorists will invite more kidnappings of soldiers, and more terror attacks (as the precedents over the past 2 decades has proven).

In the end, those on the left are “willing to pay any price”, except the price that those on the right want, and those on the right do not want to pay the price that those on the left want.


Until Noam Shalit went into politics, the nation stood united behind him, and “any price” was something that was best left unspoken and purposefully vague, and whatever the price would be, it would be paid.

Certainly in the media, Noam Shalit is off-limits to direct criticism. Almost no one is going to openly attack this bereaved father for what he says or for what he believes are the right steps to get back his son.

But indirectly, the nation is starting to dislike (and even be disgusted by) the direction his campaign has been taken, as indirect criticisms, round-about discussions, and unfiltered talkbacks would indicate.

Articles have begun to talk about the left-wing politicians that have hijacked the Free Shalit campaign, and they discuss the personal beefs these politicians have against Netanyahu. More and more people are asking why is the Free Gilad campaign targeting the Israeli government and specifically Netanyahu when it is Hamas that is holding Gilad hostage. And when the government takes actions against Hamas prisoners, and Noam Shalit then responds that the action is populist, or “too little, too late”, well the nation stands confused. And when Noam Shalit criticizes the right by saying that “the right really doesn’t want Gilad Shalit back”, people understand the place of pain where these statements are coming from, but the damage is still being done.

Most media outlets are not saying outright saying that Noam Shalit is turning the nation against his campaign, whether out of his personal frustration, or because of the cynical political manipulation of left, but it’s easy to read between the lines to see that they are thinking it. But most won’t say it outright for all the right reasons.

This development is unfortunate, because the nation is united in getting back Gilad Shalit, and the nation is aware that if Hamas ever agrees to ANY terms at all, in the end Israel will be releasing thousands of terrorists and mass murderers, and Israel will face a wave of terror and kidnappings as a result. Israel is aware of that and aware we will be paying that price. But Noam, whether out of cynical political manipulations, or personal frustrations is becoming a divisive figure with his statements, and that isn’t helping his campaign.

On the other side of the spectrum is Jonathan Pollard.

Pollard has become a uniting figure. Perhaps surprisingly. And the demands and protests for his release from captivity are uniting two camps that are almost never seen together: Meretz Youth and Bnei Akiva have joined forces to campaign together for his release.



In their latest campaign (and a direct copycat of the actor’s campaign for Shalit), Meretz and Bnei Akiva are dressing up in prison clothing and sitting in a makeshift “jail”, as well as protesting in front of the US Consulate, and working to get signatures for a petition to free Jonathan Pollard.

I don’t know if either will ever be released alive, I just know that everyone wants them both of them home safe.