The Foundation for Constitutional Democracy

The Annapolis speeches of President Bush, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were of roughly equal length. They reminded the present writer of the congratulatory toasts of President Bill Clinton, King Hussein, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the White House after the signing of the October 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The frequency of Mr. Rabin’s use of “I” was rather astonishing, compared to its relatively modest use by Clinton and King Hussein.

Regarding the speeches at Annapolis: Mr. Bush used the first person singular (“I”, “me”, and “my”) no less than 7 times. Mr. Abbas used the first person singular no less than 20 times. Mr. Olmert used the first person singular no less than 39 times! (more…)

Overwhelmed by the ineptitude, cowardice, and even treachery of various Israeli governments, many Jews here and abroad despair of Israel’s future. Hardly a week passes when one or more of our brothers and sisters are not murdered by Arabs, while a devious government lies about peace and is preoccupied without how to transfer more Jewish land to the children of Ishmael—the pere adam. What is the pere adam?

Some commentators have translated pere adam as “a beast in the form of a man.” Genesis 16:12 says of Ishmael: “His hand shall be against everyone, and everyone’s hand shall be against him.” Midrash Rabbah (Genesis 45:9) refers to pere adam as “a savage among men in its literal sense, for whereas all others plunder wealth, he plunders lives.” (more…)