March 17, 2010

Sarah Palin Rips Obama on Israel

Notice Sarah Palin's lapel pin. I wear the same one on my suit.

On her Facebook page, Sarah Palin scolds Barack Hussein Obama and his radical anti-Israel administration for embracing third world tyrants and communists while attacking America's democratic and dependable ally, Israel.

It's all the rage among leftists—especially liberal Jews—to make fun of Sarah Palin.

These sophisticates espouse trendy post-Zionism, code for Jew-hatred, social justice, code for Socialism, and, naturally, tikkun olam, code for the dummies don't even know the true meaning of this very specific Kabbalistic term.

Instead, Jewish liberals—almost always secular, 85% of observant Jews vote Republican—choose to worship (G-d's so retro) the radical leftist Barack Hussein Obama who spent 20 years as a proud and faithful member of Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, Jew-hating, Marxist church.

I learned at a very young age that the greatest enemies of the Jewish people almost always spring from Jewish wombs.

In a few weeks we will celebrate Passover where we will chant this phrase from the Haggadah:

“In every generation they rise up to annihilate us.”

The 78% of American Jews who voted for this malignant enemy of Israel have helped elevate a modern day Pharaoh to a position of supreme power.

The Obama Administration reaches out to some of the world’s worst regimes in the name of their engagement policy. America and our allies watch as sanctions are eased on Cuba. Letters are written to Iran’s mullahs only to see that regime start killing protestors in the streets of Tehran. Envoys are sent to North Korea as they continue to defy the world’s demand to give up their nuclear weapons. The Burmese military junta’s representative is allowed to travel to our nation’s capital. The President’s envoy for Sudan talks about giving that genocidal regime “gold stars,” while the President shakes hands with Venezuela’s tyrannical leader. In the midst of all this embracing of enemies, where does the Obama Administration choose to escalate a minor incident into a major diplomatic confrontation? With Iran, Cuba, Sudan, North Korea or Burma? No. With our treasured ally, Israel.

Last October, Secretary of State Clinton recognized Israel’s desire for peace in the Middle East and praised Israel’s “unprecedented” concessions for agreeing to halt settlement construction in the West Bank, a concession that did NOT include halting construction of apartments for Jews in Jerusalem. Even last week after planned construction was announced, Vice President Biden still expressed “appreciation” for the “significant” steps taken by the Israeli government to address this minor issue. Now, however, we see the Obama Administration has decided to escalate, make unilateral demands of Israel, and threaten the very foundation of the US-Israel relationship. This is quickly leading to the worst crisis in US-Israel relations in decades, and yet this did not have to happen. More importantly, it needs to stop before it spirals out of control. Vice President Biden should rein in the overheated Obama Administration rhetoric and chill the political spin masters’ fire as they visit the Sunday media shows to criticize Israel.

Once again, the Obama Administration is missing the boat on a very, very important issue. They need to go back to the basics and acknowledge Palestinian leaders have not progressed any peace process since President Obama was elected. As Israel makes concessions (and is still criticized by the Obama Administration), Arab leaders are just sitting back waiting for the White House to further pressure Israel. The Obama Administration needs to open its eyes and recognize that it is only Iran and her terrorist allies that benefit from this manufactured Israeli controversy.

The ancient Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem, rebuilt, at last.

At this very moment, Arabs are rioting en masse in Israel.

You see, we just rebuilt the ancient and beloved Hurva Synagogue, founded in the 1700's, and destroyed by the Jordanian Arab Muslims in 1948.

In the Jew-hating Muslim world, a synagogue is, y'know, a provocation.

The Arabs have deliberately unleashed a tsunami of violence because of the rupture—engineered by Barack Hussein Obama—between America and Israel. The Arabs understand that no matter how Israel responds to Muslim Jew-hatred, the Obama administration will blame Israel.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:26 AM in Sarah Palin | Comments (4)

March 16, 2010

The 2010 Census: Nuremberg, American Style

“I actually feel sick.”

Karen is at her desk studying the 2010 U.S. Census form that just arrived in the mail.

“What's happening to this country?” Karen murmurs, “this obsession with race and color.”

Indeed, the 2010 Census overflows with grim little boxes that demand to know your race, color, ethnicity, and tribe.

The federal government has a dizzying array of racial programs that need to be fed. There are laws, there are grants, there are endless entitlement programs for your every racial/ethnic/gender category.

In 1935, the Germans created the Nuremberg Laws in order to “scientifically” categorize Jews.

I was brought up to believe that only Nazis—and vampires—are obsessed with blood.

I thought we were Americans.

Apparently not.

Bravo for Michele Bachman who refuses to fill out the entire form.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 09:14 AM in America | Comments (19)

March 15, 2010

The World Made Judenrein

Fatah just held a ceremony in Ramallah, naming a central square in honor of a terrorist. Keep in mind that Fatah are viewed as “moderates.”

Also keep in mind that Barack Hussein Obama has created a major crisis with Israel over Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish neighborhood in Jewish Jerusalem in the Jewish State.

Not a word from Obama, Biden, Clinton, or Axelrod about Fatah's glorification of Jew-killing.

Let's take a look at the bloodbath these savages choose to honor:

On the morning of March 11, 1978, [Dalai] Mughrabi and her Palestinian unit of eleven members, including one other woman, landed on an Israeli beach, killed an American photographer named Gail Rubin and hijacked a taxi, killing its occupants. They proceeded along the coastal highway shooting at traffic along the way. They next hijacked a bus and later a second bus, from which the passengers were transferred to the first one. The bus was finally stopped at a police roadblock. A shooting battle ensued. Eventually, Mughrabi blew up the bus which became a large deathtrap of fire. Many of the passengers were killed. In total, Mughrabi and her team killed 37 people, including at least 10 children. Some 71 people were wounded. Mughrabi and several other attackers died.

Look, I have no illusions about the so-called Palestinians. They are a proudly Jew-hating group who have no desire to establish a state, only to destroy Israel.

The so-called peace process is a fool's errand.

For the forseeable future, Israel can only manage the crisis.

Peace will come, as it did to Japan and Germany, when the West—meaning America—gets fed up and utterly lays waste the Arab Muslim terrorist states.

Arab Muslim terrorists cannot be appeased.

The beast is always hungry.

Unconditional surrender is the only language barbarians comprehend.

Barack Hussein Obama spent over twenty years as a faithful member of Jeremiah Wright's openly anti-American, Jew-hating Church. Obama is a man of the hard left who has spent his entire life in the company of fashionable anti-Zionists and rabid Jew-haters. It's in his intellectual DNA.

The notion that he is a reliable ally to Israel is proof that the 78% of American Jews who voted for Barack Hussein Obama exist in a willfull state of cognitive dissoanance.

Here's the crux of the matter: Barack Hussein Obama cannot dictate where Jews can and cannot live.

Jews have the right to live anywhere and everywhere.

We have the right to live in Ramat Shlomo, Brooklyn, Paris, Cairo, London, Los Angeles, etc.

Once you accept the notion that one patch of earth is legitimately made Judenrein, than the Jewish people are doomed.

And then the Arab Muslims will come for you.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 09:26 AM in Jihad Watch | Comments (18)

March 12, 2010

Friday Fotos

I'm not feeling well. Probably a mild case of the flu. Can't really concentrate. But here are two photos from Hillsdale College that should give you an inkling of what a very special place it is.

An inspiring sculpture of George Washington on the Hillsdale Campus.

A belated happy birthday to Offspring #3. Her birthday was on Wednesday.

And happy 4th wedding anniversary to Offspring #2 and her husband.

Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a lovely and peaceful Shabbat.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 08:44 AM in Hillsdale Film Festival | Comments (11)

March 11, 2010

Hillsdale College: The Films of 1939, Day Four

A bit more about the history of Hillsdale College.

A higher percentage of Hillsdale students enlisted during the Civil War than from any other western college. Of the more than 400 who fought for the Union, four won the Congressional Medal of Honor, three became generals and many more served as regimental commanders. Sixty gave their lives.

I'm back in Los Angeles now.

My trip to Hillsdale College was a life-changing experience. Spending time with staff, students and faculty left me with hope and optimism.

It's amazing, I've seen John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln at least a dozen times, but screening it here at Hillsdale made me see the film in an entirely new light.

Yong Abe, played by the young Henry Fonda, studies a book of law and comes to a revelation:

“By jing, that's all there is to it. Right and wrong.”

But his revelation is only complete when Ann Rutledge, Pauline Moore, appears on the scene.

John Ford was deeply rooted in Catholicism and Ann's appearance has an almost divine quality. The laws of man, Ford seems to be saying, can only be known when we recognize G-d.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 02:04 PM in Hillsdale Film Festival | Comments (2)

March 09, 2010

Hillsdale College: The Films of 1939, Day Three

Hillsdale has a fine athletics program, baseball, footbal, basketball, track and field, etc. But what grabs my heart is their shooting range.

At Hillsdale your practice the Second Amendment.

Here is your faithful screenwriter observing the range, getting ready to shoot trap.

I'm using a Beretta 12 gauge shotgun. The clay flies at about 40mph, and the range is approximately 50 yrds. You can see the shell ejecting from the gun. Of about 20 shots, I only hit the clay three times. It is very difficult.

Have to run to a screening of Ninotchka.

Movies and firearms; it's a wonderful life.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 01:31 PM in Hillsdale Film Festival | Comments (14)

March 08, 2010

Hillsdale College: The Films of 1939, Day Two

Hillsdale College. The imposing but elegant Central Hall houses the administrative offices. I know it looks like classic MGM, but it's actually Second Empire architectural style.

No tattoos. No body piercings.

That's the first thing that hits me about the students here at Hillsdale College.

This is an environment that is free from self-mutilations, an affliction that is rampant among America's young.

Hillsdale prides itself as a place “where an education in the permanent things is a matter of precedent, plan and procedure.”

The educational mission at Hillsdale rests upon two foundational principles: academic excellence and institutional independence. The college does not accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies for any of its operations. All funding come from donors and tuition.

A bastion of conservative thought, Hillsdale is a college where among other studies, you can major in Latin and Greek. Here, the Constitution is taken seriously and the Western Canon is revered in their core curriculum.


A sculpture of Winston Churchill stands in the entrance of the Hillsdale Library. I was told that the artist was a biology major here at Hillsdale. Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale, worked as Director of Research for Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill.

But this is no dusty, stodgy institution. Hillsdale has vital and active arts programs. There is a wonderful theater department. There are dance and sculpture studios. There are arty kids and nerdy kids. But from what I've seen Hillsdale students are refreshingly absent fashionable post-modern attitudes and ironic posturing.

The last time I saw so many women in skirts was when I visited my daughters at Yeshiva University Stern College for women.

This afternoon, a group of us met with several theater majors. We discussed career goals and dreams. Those of us with experience in film or theater, offered our advice. The students—incredibly mature and respectful—listened, took notes and asked relevant questions. I've met far too many theater students who project a sullen and tragic personae—getting all Stanislavsky—as if playing a romantic role. The Hillsdale students were, in contrast, good-natured, enthusiastic, if a bit nervous, to meet life's challenges after graduation.

Dan Ford, director John Ford's grandson, and author of Pappy: The Life of John Ford, offered valuable insights into the thicket of a Hollywood career.

My main advice to the Hillsdale actors and actresses was: talent is important but tenacity is even more important.

Last night we screened Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a wonderful film starring Robert Donat and Greer Garson. As the film ended, all around me, there were barely suppressed sniffles and sobs.

This profoundly moving film about the life of a teacher and his students in a fine old English school was particularly appropriate. For Hillsdale is the American version of the film's Brookfield Public School, where tradition and Western values are paramount.

Film scholar David Thomson delivered a dazzling lecture about the Hollywood of 1939. Speaking of the massive audiences that went to see films in 1939, Thomson memorably noted that going to the movies was not just a communal experience, but a “patriotic gesture.”

The applause that greeted this observation brought tears to my eyes.

A striking statue of Abraham Lincoln on campus. Hillsdale was the first American college to prohibit in its charter discrimination based on race, religion or sex. It was the second college in the nation to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women.

Click here for Hillsdale's exceptional website.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at 12:01 PM in Hillsdale Film Festival | Comments (10)