The Foundation for Constitutional Democracy

Edited transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, May 12, 2008.

Part I. Schizophrenia

Like his Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and his Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Ehud Olmert is tainted by multiculturalism, hence by cultural relativism. Hence, he cannot wholeheartedly believe in the justice of Israel’s cause vis-à-vis the Palestinians—and this is why he is ready to surrender even part of Jerusalem. Moreover, although all human beings are susceptible to egoism, relativism conduces to self-aggrandizement, moral indifference, and even schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is deemed the core concept of modern psychiatry. Fortunately, schizophrenia is not necessarily an all-encompassing illness that sets those affected apart from their fellow men. A World Health Organization study concludes: “schizophrenics, for all their vulnerabilities, are in the full sense responsive social beings like the rest of us.”

Various researchers distinguish between positive- and negative-symptom schizophrenia. The positive includes hallucinations and delusions. The negative includes escapism, apathy, self-effacement, anxiety, stereotypic behaviors, and impairment of volition. These negative symptoms obviously exist on a continuum with normal behavior. Consider Ehud Olmert. (more…)

Edited transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, April 28, 2008.

Since anti-Semitism is sweeping cross England and Europe, I want to read some passages from England’s greatest statesman, Winston Churchill, who, more than any other man, saved England Europe from Nazi tyranny.

I propose to read passages from Churchill’s official biographer Sir Martin Gilbert, whose recent book, Churchill & the Jews (2007) is fascinating.

Before I begin, I want to point out that Churchill was first and foremost a British statesman, and his duties as a British statesmen must be taken into account in any assessment one makes of his attitude toward Jews and Palestine.

Despite the anti-Zionist attitude of many of his Conservative Party colleagues, Churchill was steadfast in his support of the Jews, as Gilbert thoroughly documents. (more…)

YouTube video—Gingrich: “I am really deeply worried.”

Must view, ponder, worry, and disseminate as widely as possible.

‘Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.’
—Ronald Reagan (more…)

To radically change Israel’s dysfunctional system of government, which is leading to Israel’s demise, one has to know a little bit about Clausewitz’s concept of ‘the center of gravity.’

As I wrote thirty years ago in Sadat’s Strategy, an enemy’s ‘center of gravity’ is the necessary but vulnerable precondition of its strength. With respect to Israel, Clausewitz’s dictum that in “small states dependent on greater ones, it lies generally in the army of their allies would seem to apply. However, since the army or military power of Israel’s ally, the United States, cannot itself be directly attacked, it must be outflanked by an assault on public opinion”—in a democracy, a force more powerful than armies.

Clausewitz’s dictum prompted Anwar Sadat to shift his allegiance from Moscow to Washington in 1975. (more…)

Edited Transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, February 25, 2008.

I. Who is Zbigniew Brzezinski?

It was reported in The New York Sun on February 15 that Barack Hussein Obama has chosen Zbigniew Brzezinski to advise him on Middle East policy.

Back in 1985, I wrote an article on Brzezinski for The Intercollegiate Review. Before citing some of the more relevant passages of that article, it should be borne in mind that Brzezinski, a political scientist, served as President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser. One does not have to read Carter’s Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid to know that Carter is an anti-Semite. Brzezinski has earned the same reputation.

Not only has Brzezinski publicly defended the anti-Semitic canard that the relationship between America and Israel is the result of Jewish pressure, but he also signed a letter demanding dialogue with Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel’s destruction. (more…)

Contributed by Arlene Peck

Recently, I forced myself to attend a debate called “The Israeli-Palestinian Debate,” which is the continuing diatribe of a former Israeli now based in Los Angeles, Josef Avesar. When I said ‘forced,’ it’s because I knew I would return home with my blood pressure substantially elevated after another one of Mr. Avesar’s events. These are usually composed of group of individuals of various backgrounds meeting to ‘discuss’ how creating a confederation through private election is the way to go to achieve elusive peace in the Middle East.

Their premise requires a set number of delegates representing the population of the entire area of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, to be elected from the district in which he or she resides. Of course, it also presumes that the electorates are rational citizens of a democratic nation.

I knew that those who usually attend these meeting are the very same leftists who will continue to advocate for democratic socialism up to the point where they are marched into the ovens or beheaded. They don’t have a clue as to what is happening in the real world. (more…)

ACPR Policy Paper
No. 172

Courtesy of The Ariel Center for Policy Reasearch (ACPR)

The opinions expressed in the Policy Papers are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the members of the ACPR.

Quotation of the material herein is permissible provided that the ACPR is credited as the source. The ACPR requests a copy of any such use.

Additional copies of this and previous studies are available from the ACPR’s office.

September 13, 1993 was a momentous day in Washington, DC. It was on that day that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shook hands with PLO Chief Yasser Arafat and sanctified the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn. More than 14 years have elapsed since that ceremony, during which time literally tens of thousands of Jewish women, men, and children have been murdered, maimed, or traumatized by Arab terrorists and suicide bombers. Nevertheless, Mr. Rabin’s successors, Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Ehud Olmert have adhered to Israel’s agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organization—an aggregation of terrorist groups which have not concealed their intention to annihilate the Jewish state in stages. This they have been doing by means of Israel’s own policy of “land for peace”.

The continuity of this policy perplexes pundits. They puzzle over the fact that regardless of which party or coalition of parties controls the Government, the policy of land for peace continues despite its obvious futility and fatal consequences. (more…)

Some say that if the Arab missiles falling on Sderot were to fall on the Knesset, the Olmert Government would order the IDF to retaliate with overwhelming force. It should be borne in mind, however, that the government has constructed bombproof shelters for such an eventuality.

Still, if the Arabs were to bomb and level the Knesset, this might not be an unmitigated disaster, notwithstanding the national disgrace—which has already reached an all-time high. Do not rush to judgment. Sarcasm aside, my purpose is to expose the “politics of peace” that emanates from Israel’s parliament, the insidious road to power of Israel’s ruling elites.

During the past two or three decades, preserving the nation’s honor does not seem to have overly concerned Israeli prime ministers. Notice how they have hobnobbed with Arab terrorists, the murderers of Jewish women and children. (more…)

The above title is identical to that used in an article written by Jerusalem Post analyst Caroline Glick on June 21, 2005, when Ariel Sharon was Israel’s prime minister. The title surely applies to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who told a New York audience “we are tired of being courageous”—this, on June 9, 2005, when he was Vice Prime Minister.

Olmert’s mindless self-incrimination reveals more than meets the eye. It means that he and his cowardly colleagues want to surrender to Arab terrorists—of course under the façade of seeking “peace.” The trouble is that unlike Israel’s ruling elites, Arabs are willing to fight and die—and go on fighting and dying—to achieve their ultimate objective—Israel’s annihilation.

This is the true story of Israel’s mendacious peace process. Very much the same story is leading to Islam’s conquest of Europe. Yes, and this Big Lie of the Middle East facilitates and hastens Islam’s proclaimed objective, the conquest of America. (more…)

I do not see how any self-respecting general can serve under such despicable individuals as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Both are not only liars and cowards, but their continuance in office endangers the Nation of Israel to which the officers of the general staff owe their first loyalty.

I do not see how any self-respecting Jewish Member of the Knesset, who also owes his or her first loyalty to the Nation, can continue to serve under the treacherous government of Ehud Olmert.

It redeems no Member of the Knesset to merely call upon the people to engage in civil disobedience against this vile government. Indeed, I dare say such MKs are little more than demagogues. (more…)

Transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, February 4, 2008.

Part I

The Winograd Committee report and the continuance in office of Israel’s worst prime minister, Ehud Olmert prompt me to update an article on accountability written some years ago.

Whereas the Torah Jew knows he is accountable to God, Israel’s ruling elites are accountable to no one.

Notice that the deliberately delayed report of the Winograd Committee blamed the generals, not the Prime Minister, for Israel’s debacle in the Second Lebanon War. Similarly, the Agranat Committee blamed the generals and not the Prime Minister for failing to preempt Egypt’s attack in the Yom Kippur War, even though intelligence was probably available to the government months before the attack, as I learned while doing research at the American Library of Congress. (more…)

During the debates of the Federal Convention, which convened in Philadelphia in May 1787, a division occurred over the manner of compensating Senators for their services. At one point, a motion to have Senators compensated by the several States narrowly carried. In the end, however, and as seen in Article II, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, the arguments to have Senators (as well as Representatives) compensated by the national treasury prevailed.

What decided the issue? The majority argued that compensation by the States would diminish the political independence of the Senators. Some delegates opposed any stipends for Senators on those grounds. A public official whose livelihood depends on the interests or opinions of a particular group of men is less likely to have the political courage or reliability of a financially independent candidate.

Similarly, an office-seeker whose income depends on a party is not likely to take a stand even on vital national issues if doing so may jeopardize his political ambition or pecuniary interests. (more…)

Courtesy of Joel Skousen’s World Affairs Brief, February 1, 2008. Commentary and Insights on a Troubled World.

Copyright Joel Skousen.

The US political circus is an amazing, if not agonizing, show to watch. First, we saw Rudy Giuliani, the establishment’s pre-election favorite (only because the media said so) go from front runner status to a disastrous showing in the primaries—garnering less votes than Rep. Ron Paul, who was systematically denied any meaningful media coverage at all. It appears the public is either fickle or the media polls were just plain lying—perhaps both. Then we saw John McCain with almost no support suddenly rise to front runner status after a barrage of big name newspaper and personality endorsements so unanimous that there had to have existed some guiding hand. The establishment boost for McCain is still ongoing in a big way and is intended to gain McCain a majority of delegates before the convention convenes—which would eliminate a brokered convention where deals and concession have to be made in order to gain that majority. In an up or down vote between McCain or Romney, without Huckabee to draw away votes from Romney, McCain would lose. That’s what the king makers are trying to avoid by manipulating the public during the primaries. It’s time to let America know more about the real McCain. Believe me, he is no hero. (more…)

Courtesy of Arutz Sheva IsraelNationalNews.com

by Pamela Geller

The thing is, you can’t be a leader and not know what Islam means. The average Joe pumping gas on Route 66—okay, not on top of the issue. But there is no way you can be running for President and not know the hell being wreaked on the free and not-so-free world by Islamic jihad.

That said, Barack Obama went to a madrassa in Jakarta. A madrassa in a Muslim country. Whether he was devout or secular, he knows what was taught. He knows what is in the Koran. Even if he is ambiguous, he knows the stakes involved. His father was a Muslim who took three wives (without divorcing). His stepfather and close members of his family are devout Muslims. Not an unimportant influence.

Every Muslim who left Islam is very definitive about leaving and why. They are quite vocal—Wafa Sultan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Walid Shoebat, Elijah Abraham, etc. If he left Islam, Obama must have very definite thoughts about it. (more…)

Edited transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, January 7, 2008.

Having learned of my critique of Israel’s political system, people have asked me how did this dysfunctional system originate? To answer, I will cite a publication of the Beth Hillel Society for Social Research in Israel supplemented by passages from David Ben-Gurion’s Memoirs.

In June 1953, the Hillel Society published a pamphlet “Electoral Reform in Israel.” The pamphlet was based on discussions the Society held in October 1952. The pamphlet outlines the emergence of Israel’s parliamentary system.

Thus, on May 14, 1948, 37 Jews met in Tel-Aviv and published a Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed the creation of the State of Israel. These 37 Jews constituted the Jewish People’s Council, which had been set up in two months earlier. The Council was composed firstly, of all political parties in the country, and secondly, of the Executive of the Jewish Agency according to the election returns of the twenty-second Zionist Congress, which had convened in Basel, Switzerland in 1946. This 37-man body declared itself, on May 14, 1948, the Provisional State Council of Israel. (more…)

On January 2, 2008, Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpe told a conference of rabbis in Tel-Aviv that “Government leaders should be hanged for negotiating with the Palestinians” (The Jerusalem Post, January 3).

The conference was attended by rabbis who oppose transferring parts of the Judea and Samaria or Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority.

Rabbi Wolpe denounced “The terrible traitor [Prime Minister] Ehud Olmert, who gives these Nazis weapons, who gives money, who frees their murderous terrorists, this man, like Ariel Sharon, collaborates with the Nazis …” (ibid.)

Of course, Wolpe’s denunciation of Olmert and Sharon also applies to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ehud Barak, as well as many other Israeli politicians that have collaborated with the PLO-Palestinian Authority. (more…)

Yamin Israel is often asked why it does not form an alliance with nationalist elements of the Likud. After all, doesn’t the Likud represent “the trunk of the nation,” as one prominent Likud member has emphasized?” Hasn’t Yamin Israel always sought to form a united front of nationalist groups? Aren’t Likud hawks like Moshe Arens tried-and-true nationalists?

These questions reminded me of an article I wrote in 1989, “Cops and Coddler.” It was during the first Intifada, and in power was a Shamir-led national unity government. A slightly shortened version of the article follows:

On 6 February 1989, Prime Minister Shamir declared, “The time has come for the world to finally understand that Eretz Yisrael can only belong to the State of Israel. Anything else is inconceivable.”

Four day later, Shamir’s statement was contradicted by his Foreign Minister, Moshe Arens: (more…)

Speech by Meir Jolowitz on the occasion of the 17th yahrzeit of Rabbi Meir Kahane, ob”m.

Something terrible is happening to Israel.

There is a war being fought, and the people of Israel don’t even know it.

And we ask the question:

Does anyone notice?

Does anybody care?

**

It happened only a few years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak invited Yasir Arafat, a mass murderer, into his home in the exclusive community of Kochav Yair, on Erev Shabbat. (more…)

A current joke reflects the typical Israeli approach to the hudna:

Question: How do you say, “Hold on a minute, stop shooting while I reload my automatic rifle” in Arabic?

Answer: Hudna.

Question to Defense Minister Ehud Barak: “Any comment?”

Answer: “Duh.”

Question to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: “Do you support a hudna?” (more…)