I have had the pleasure of visiting Israel, our staunch ally, our great friend and the most exemplary democracy in the Middle East, a total of nine times. On one of those trips, I took my then 11-year-old daughter, Sarah, to Yad Vashem. As we faced the grimly surreal pictures from Dachau and Auschwitz, she confronted the horrors of the thousands of bodies stacked on top of one another like so much lumber - six million dead. At the end of our visit, Sarah went to the guest book and wrote simple words that I will never forget: “Why didn’t somebody do something?”

That is all she wrote, but with those words, I knew that, in her own way, she “got it.”

Unfortunately, some in America, even some running for president, don’t get it. Those who don’t understand that the war in Iraq is a critical part of the war on terror, don’t get it. Those who pledge to withdraw our troops according to some politically-motivated rationale before this war is won, don’t get it. Iraq must be stable and secure within its borders. It is not just Iraq’s security that is at stake, but the security of the entire region and of the United States.

But among those who seem to want to leave as soon as possible, regardless of the strategic and humanitarian consequences, is Sen. Barack Obama, one of the two remaining Democratic candidates for the presidency.

I have another grave concern about Sen. Obama, which was well-expressed by Matt Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition:

“We are deeply troubled by Senator Obama’s desire to ‘hold a summit in the Muslim world, with all heads of state’ many of whom have yet to renounce terrorism or refrain from anti-Semitic incitement. …Senator Obama said he wanted to listen to the ‘concerns’ of these nations. For many, their biggest concern is Israel’s existence. It’s worrisome that Senator Obama wants to ‘listen’ to those calling for Israel’s destruction.”

AMERICA MUST be effective in the Middle East, and we must of course listen - and learn, and safeguard. But most of all, we need to be resolute in our strength, military and moral. Specifically, we must not pay any sort of tribute to terrorist states - including the honor of “listening” in some formal setting, where every splenetic utterance will be aired worldwide. For example, what would the president do in the face of some outrageously anti-American or anti-Semitic statement: Just sit there? Get up and walk out?

We shouldn’t engage in impromptu diplomacy based on a misplaced sense of “empathy.” That’s why I am concerned about Sen. Obama’s suggestion.

I don’t want to hear the “concerns” of terrorist states - but I do want them to hear me.

I want everyone in the Middle East to know that America is committed to its strategic interests in the region, including a safe and secure Israel. Does Senator Obama really want to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, for example? Sen. Obama has said he wants to, both as part of his summit, and privately. Hard to believe, but true, according to his interviews with Paris Match (January 31, 2008) and the International Herald Tribune (November 1, 2007). Iran and its partner Syria bring danger and death to Americans and Israelis on a daily basis though their support of terrorists - in Gaza, Lebanon, and of course, in Iraq.

If the annihilation of six million Jews taught us anything, it is that appeasement doesn’t work; it just results in the deaths of innocents and makes the job of eradicating evil all the more difficult.

So I share Israel’s concern about an aggressive unchecked Iran. And I share Israel’s determination that Iran will not become a nuclear power. As president, I will not take the military option off the table. I will work to strengthen sanctions against Iran both through the United Nations and the European Union.

No one seeking the presidency in either party is more steadfastly committed to Israel’s security, survival as a Jewish state, and ability to defend herself than I am. As president, I will ensure that Israel always has the state-of-the-art weaponry and technology she needs. And in addition, I will dramatically increase American defense spending. Before there can be true peace, there must be the basic recognition of Israel’s right to exist and an end to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel lies and propaganda.

Together, we must prevent nuclear proliferation and defeat Islamofascism. Together, we must be the people who confront and overcome evil. We must be the people who take action now, so that future generations of Sarahs don’t look back and ask “Why didn’t somebody do something?”

by Mike Huckabee in the Jerusalem Post

Iran’s representative to the annual gathering of the International Co-operative Alliance held in Singapore last week fled the conference and hurriedly returned to Tehran after coming in contact with the Israeli delegation.

One of 80 nations attending the conference, the Israelis saw the event as an opportunity to try to create dialogue and possible economic cooperation between the Jewish state and the Islamic Republic.

During the course of the opening event, Israeli representative Rami Mendel approached the Iranian and asked for material regarding cooperation with his country. As the two men sat down to a cup of coffee, Mendel revealed his nationality to the Iranian, who after several seconds of apparent shock and dismay hastily left the hall.

Participants at the conference said the Iranian never returned, even for the closing ceremony. It was later learned that he had returned to Tehran, fearing another encounter with the Israeli delegation. Source

Good grief.

The Israelis didn’t even get a chance to try out their mind-reading techniques.

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Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, guerrilla radio, Right Truth, The Populist, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Big Dog’s Weblog, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, High Desert Wanderer, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

from Israel Today.

A man claiming to be the Mahdi, the promised redeemer of Islam, approached a leading imam in Gaza on Tuesday and insisted that local Muslims begin obeying his instructions.

The Bethlehem-based Ma’an News Agency reported that the enraged imam immediately called for the assistance of Hamas security forces, who demanded that the man recant his claim.

When the self-proclaimed Mahdi refused, the Hamas gunmen shot the man’s feet and then released him.

Anybody know the significance of getting shot in the feet?

Good thing the guy didn’t draw any cartoons.

Thousands of Christians have made the Pilgrimage to Israel for The Feast of the Tabernacles, the weeklong Jewish holiday known as The Sukkot. As is common with most Evangelical Christians, they express unequivocal support for the state of Israel.

Hundreds of white-robed Christian pilgrims from Brazil entered the gently flowing waters of the Jordan River on Monday, some so overcome with emotion that they sobbed and collapsed on the shoulders of friends even before it was their turn to be immersed.

The Brazilians, more than 700 in all, culminated a two-week pilgrimage to the Holy Land with a mass baptism at Yardenit, the site where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee — and where many Christians believe that John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

After two hours of sermons, prayers and hymn singing, the pilgrims were submerged into the water, 10 or 12 at a time.

“I felt like a new life was born again inside me,” said Fostenes Sousa, 46, of Salvador, Brazil. It was rewarding, he said, “to do the same thing that Jesus has done.”

Others, overcome by the experience, were reluctant to leave the muddy waters.

The Yardenit baptismal site is one of the few places where the much-depleted Jordan River is deep enough for people to immerse themselves. The site hosts thousands of visitors annually.

Pastor Milton Ebenezer, who baptized many of the Brazilian pilgrims, says the river holds miraculous powers.

“This is like rebirth,” he said. “Every year we see people who come here to be baptized. They are sick, and when they go back home they get a medical checkup and they are well again.”

The pilgrims, from cities and towns across Brazil, are affiliated with different evangelical churches. Most had been Catholic before being baptized, people at the baptismal site said.

The pilgrims were among thousands of Christians from over 90 nations who arrived in the Holy Land. source

Updated and Bumped
Momentum is building. Google hits 1,680,000 entries for the phrase “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history.” Hillary Rodham Clinton is now at the top of the heap. Keep it going folks!
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“the+greatest+campaign+finance+scandal+in+American+history”

“the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history”

Now that this phrase has been published by a respected member of the MSM, and, as such, is now in the LexusNexis search database, it seems appropriate to associate that phrase with the person to whom it refers: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I received a ping from FReeper “Spirit of Allegiance” this morning which pointed to an article which featured our pal, “Dougfromupland.”

The article was in the San Francisco Chronicle’s on line edition. Here is the introductory paragraph of the article about “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history.”

In his other life, Douglas Cogan, 59, is a San Bernardino County commercial real estate broker. But for years, the conservative Republican has spent thousands of hours painstakingly researching what he calls “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history” by a woman he calls one of the most dangerous political figures the country has ever seen - Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Since it appears that Google has enabled “google-bombing” again, I thought it might be interesting to get the phrase, “the greatest campaign finance scandal in American history,” permanently associated with Hillary Rodham Clinton. That is the purpose of this post. And, if any of you bloggers out there want to join in, just copy+paste this post at your blog, or pass it along in the comments section of your favorite blogs. The more the merrier. I’m going to track-post it to Linkfests, and post it at FR and Hannity. I’ll also activate every tag I have ever used to associate it with this post. Heh.
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