This Just In: Mel Brooks and the 'Art of War' (Video)

Abba Gav just plain nails it:

Hizballah's tactic of holding it's own people hostage as human shields is indeed working to an extent I haven't witnessed in years. It makes me think Nasrallah must have Mel Brooks, the master of this technique, on staff as a military consultant.

It worked for Cleavon Little in Mel Brooks' classic, Blazing Saddles. Sheik Nasrallah has clearly read, or rather watched Mel Brooks' version of "The Art of War" and thinks it will work again. Frankly, Kofi and the international community are reacting pretty much the same as the concerned lady in Brooks film, crying out: "Isn't anyone going to help that poor man?" The way they blame Israel for the deaths of civilians instead of Nasrallah, the one who intentionally imperils his own civilians and ours too, I'd have to say they might be proving Nasrallah right.

Watching the clip made me laugh before my morning coffee, as well. More bitterly than the coffee grounds, but still a laugh...

(Many links to useful analysis, as well)

Northern Exposure: R' Avi Weiss' solidarity visit to Israel

First thing in the morning from Daled Amos:

Rabbi Avi Weiss, the Senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, returned this morning from a week long trip in Israel. While there, he kept a diary of his travels and experiences.

Day 1: Arrival in Tsfat
Day 2: Shabbat in Tsfat
Day 3: Haifa
Day 4: Tiberias and Nahariya
Day 5: Tsfat and Raanana
Day 6: Sderot, Kiryat Gat and Jerusalem
Day 7: Haifa and The Shomron

Rabbi Weiss is the founder and Dean of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School. He is also Senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and President of AMCHA: The Coalition for Jewish Concerns.

IDF Golani Brigade cmdr.: 'He who cannot defend Liberty does not deserve Liberty'

A moving, powerful address an IDF Golani Brigade commander, Cap. Uri Lavie to his troops before going into battle against Hizbullah:

"This is our time to rise to the challenge, put on the helmets and the bullet proof vests and make sure that the northern border is secure.

We shall fulfill any mission in a most effective manner, in face of any challenge.

If we shall not fulfill our mission we shall forfeit the right to exist.

We shall not lose this war, which we did not start.

Our duty is to serve as a defense force of the Jewish People, and to secure the peace of mind of the civilians in northern Israel.

If we shall not do it, no one will do it in our place.

For two thousand years we waited for the establishment of the Jewish State, and we are not going to roll back because a bunch of terrorists assume that they can scare us.

He who cannot defend Liberty does not deserve Liberty.

If we will not be able to fight until our last drop of blood, in order to secure the Liberty of our People on its own soil, our People will not enjoy Liberty.

There is time to talk and there is time to act. At this time, when missiles and Katyushas afflict the North all the way to Haifa, in addition to the two kidnapped soldiers, the ten soldiers killed and the dozens injured, it is time to fight and not to talk. We are the force, which has been chosen to fight, and we shall perform in the most effective manner.

I will be the first one to enter the battle and the last one to come out, and will do everything in my power to get you out alive and well. On Friday, with G-D's help, we will rejoin with our families. However, I cannot do it alone. Once we cross the northern border, you should exercise full alert and full responsibility toward your fellow soldier." (Ha'aretz, July 27, 2006)

(Hat tip: Judy Lash Balint)

Pundit Review Radio: Bloggers talking across the front lines

Pundit Review Radio. Seriously good stuff:

One of the great things about the blogosphere is the ability to connect with people in parts of the world where news is breaking. All of us now have access to the so-called ‘man on the street’ and it is great to get that perspective, which is often very different from what you see in the MSM.

We saw that firsthand last Sunday on Pundit Review Radio when we spoke live with Jerusalem-based video/photojournalist and blogger Dave Bender who operates Israel at Level Ground. Dave had some very compelling, thoughtful things to say about the situation in Israel, its impact on Lebanon and his family. You can listen to that interview by clicking here.

We plan on speaking with other bloggers in the Middle East in the coming weeks, and have sent out some feelers to Beirut-based blogs. More details as they solidify. This is the future of media.

I, for one, can't wait (especially talking mike-to-mike with Lebanese bloggers)...

Beit Kobi: Home for immigrant IDF soldiers

Views of rooms

Once a "lone soldier," (a single immigrant to Israel doing their required IDF service) myself, I fully support this group and their operation:

Beit Kobie is a non-profit foundation that has been formed in remembrance of Sgt. Kobie Ichelboim, a commander and a fighter in the IDF who was killed on March 10, 2002, in active duty, near Nezarim in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF was created in order to defend the state of Israel and its citizens. Besides this obligation, the IDF became a central adhesive in the Israeli society and assumed social tasks such as receiving new immigrants.

Beit Kobie provides a home and family for lone soldiers serving in the IDF.

Views of facilities

Please donate or help out whatever way you can:

Beit Kobie (registered friendly society # 58-039-424-5)
45 Sheinkin st., P.O.Box 45, Givatayim 53111.
Phone: 972-3-5732216 , Fax: 972-3-5732210 , Mobile: 972-53-730837
E-mail: info@kobi.org.il
Web Site: http://www.blogger.com/www.kobi.org.il

Israel & Hizbullah: Krauthammer slams one out of the park (Op-ed)

IDF soldiers killed in Bint Jbeil battle

Charles Krauthammer:

'Israel's moral scrupulousness is being paid in blood — and yet they're still branded as evil personified'

"...Israel's response to Hezbollah has been to use the most precise weaponry and targeting it can. It has no interest, no desire to kill Lebanese civilians. Does anyone imagine that it could not have leveled south Lebanon, to say nothing of Beirut? Instead, in the bitter fight against Hezbollah in south Lebanon, it has repeatedly dropped leaflets, issued warnings, sent messages by radio and even phone text to Lebanese villagers to evacuate so that they would not be harmed."

Read it all.

Intel's 'Core 2 Duo,' Israel and heroic freakin' geeks

Dell, HP destops with Core 2 Duo chip

We cannot lose with this kind of dedication to purpose, this kind of international support, and yes: this kind of Israeli geekdom:

Intel's much heralded "Core 2 Duo" processor was introduced over the last few days. As if writing posts like this on a Dell-E1505 with an ole-fashioned "Core Duo" wasn't fast enough...

Intel had been falling behind rival AMD over the past couple of years, both in processor speed and in power consumption. The only bright spot was the Pentium M, which was designed in Intel's Haifa labs.

Intel is now betting the company on the same wizards who designed the Pentium M, and from early reviews, the new architecture out of Israel appears to blow AMD and all other competitors away.

More amazing is that Intel's Haifa workers have remained on the job continuously even while under constant rocket bombardment. Some worked from home, some worked from bomb shelters with Wi-Fi connections, but all of them continued to work with no loss of productivity.

Intel never explicitly trumpets Israel as the source of its innovations, but a small acknowledgment comes from the name of the laptop version of this chip: Merom, named after a lake in Israel during Biblical times.

From the JPost:

"Output has not been affected by the violence," said Koby Bachar, spokesman for Intel Israel. "The factory is still open although some of our employees are working from home and connecting to our server from there [as a result of the situation]."

Similarly, the city as a whole, which is renowned for its concentration of R&D and engineering activity, continues to work despite the attacks.

Yitshak Apeloig, president of the Haifa Technion, Israel's major science and engineering school, said the city's R&D activity was still functioning with approximately 75% of workers still attending work and many working from home."

---

When the 1973 Yom Kippur War erupted, the Israeli army asked a couple of Technion professors to come up with a way to scramble the guidance systems of incoming Russian-made missiles that were pummeling some towns, Technion spokesman Amos Levav said during an interview at the campus two weeks ago. The mission was accomplished in a couple of days.

(Note to those offended by the term "geek, geekdom," etc: please allow me a moment to remove my eyeglasses before you take that well-earned swing...)

(Hat tip: Elder of Ziyon)

'Hazak V'amatz, Be Strong - Be Brave' (Zionist Plugola)

Jewsy Couture, a Cafe Press shop is flogging the "Hazak V'amatz, " "Be Strong - Be Brave," tee-shirts, From their webpage they offer:

"special merchandise in support of Israel and from now until August 7th, we would like to donate all profits from these particular goods to the Israeli Red Cross. We have a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a hoodie, button packs, and magnet packs at reduced prices to encourage everyone to show their solidarity with Israel during this difficult time. Please help us spread the word.

Meryl Yourish sez' the company's owners are "job-hunting at the moment, so this is a pretty big gesture when they could use the money themselves."

Like she sez,' Check it out.

Just how much of Beirut has the IDF demolished? (Map)

The scenes of devastation by the IDF in Beirut and southern Lebanon are awful, the loss of innocent life among non-combatants deeply regretted by Israel and Israelis of all political stripes.

But here's a map showing exactly just how much Israeli air force jets and offshore naval barrages toppled in the Lebanese capital (hint: you'll have to look real, real close):

Hat tip: Vital Perspective and Serandez)

American-born, Israeli musician, IDF artilleryman on northern border (Music)

Eli Deutsch

A Soldier:
American-born IDF artillery corps soldier Elie Deutsch serves in a religious Hesder unit that is currently stationed on the northern border of Israel.

A Song:
Elie, a budding musician, is working on his first Jewish music album. Elie’s music career has taken a backseat to his National obligations since his army discharge has been indefinitely delayed due to the current military situation.

A Project:
By “selling” a downloadable audio album with Elie’s music and conversation clips, we will direct the proceeds to assist the people who need it the most; residents of the north and our weary soldiers, while promoting the career of one of “our own” dedicated IDF soldiers in the process.

Your $10 payment entitles you to download a zipped audio file that includes 5 songs from IDF soldier/musician Elie Deutsch's album-in-progress. The file also includes clips from conversations recorded by Elie and his army friends, who are currently fighting in an artillery unit on the Northern Front.

Go to the site, listen to the clips, and do your part!

(Hat tip: Meryl Yourish)