'Can We Get Over It Already?' We Are All Jews Now

'The Taking of Christ' by Caravaggio ca.1598 

 

I have written enough about Israel, the so called 'Palestine', and the whole mess in the Middle East, for everyone to know that I am fiercely pro-Israel. Realizing that the Arabs in Saudi are finally reaching an understanding of the realities facing the present conflict in the Middle East, it is uncanny to think that, sanity is prevailing, and the region is accepting that siding with extremists is going to get them killed at best, and let them be seen to be 'sleeping with the enemy' and then get killed anyway, at worst. I have said it before and I'll say it again: after nearly 40 years of pin-point targeted response to Arab rabid hostilities leading to this perverse situation where the West pays the Palestinian officials, synonymous with terrorism, billions of Dollars so that they can keep spitting into Israel's face, we have come a full circle.

It's time to point the spot-light not only back at Thug-In-Chief Ahmadinejad and his purpose for Hezbollah, but also at Russia's tacit support for the murdering Jihadists. As much as I know of Russians, they are all fiercely anti-Semitic, and arrogantly feel that they have never quite forgiven the Jews for giving up our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just so that we all understand each other, I am a devout Christian, and I am vehemently against the tyranny of Islamofascism. I am once again clarifying my stand in case my question below is misunderstood to mean that I am neither interested in the Christian faith nor what it stands for. Caravaggio's painting depicted above 'The Taking of Christ' tells the story, and my question is this: "Can We Get Over It Already?"

I give you one of my favorite quotes from Charles Moore @ The Telegraph published a while back, to be never more relevant as it is today

All I want to ask my fellow Europeans [and Americans] is this: are you happy to help direct the world's fury at the only country in the Middle East whose civilization even remotely resembles yours? And are you sure that the fate of Israel has no bearing on your own? In Iran, the new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes the link. The battle over Palestine, he says, is "the prelude of the battle of Islam with the world of arrogance", the world of the West. He is busy building his country's nuclear bomb."

Dennis Prager had another oldie but goodie with great insight as to why the left are not with us in this fight, hating inequality more than they hate evil, which in today's world of terrorism is the kiss of death

"...everyone hates someone, and that includes people on the Left. The problem is that because they don't hate evil, they hate those who oppose evil. That is how liberals went from anti-communist to anti-anti-communist. To paraphrase one of the greatest moral insights of the Talmud, those who show mercy to the cruel will be cruel to the merciful. So, George W. Bush, not the Islamic terror world, is the Left's villain; life-embracing Israel is the Left's villain, not their death-loving enemies; and religious Christians who note moral weaknesses within the Islamic world are the real danger, not the moral weaknesses within the Islamic world."

It is uncanny that today this very problem has escalated as the talented Dean Barnett points out in The Weekly Standard

When the bombs began to fall in the Middle East, the Daily Kos had a problem. And the Daily Kos's problem could soon be the Democratic party's problem.

On the one hand, one of the most solid blocks of support for the Democratic party is America's Jewish community. Not only do America's Jews tend to vote for Democrats, they tend to actively campaign and raise funds for politicians on the left. But for many American Jews, even the most liberal, Israel's welfare is a going concern. Politicians who enter the Democratic party (and for that matter the Republican party) usually make a conspicuous show of the fact that they are "right on Israel."

The vast majority of American political sentiment supports Israel while it is engaged in a shooting war with Hezbollah. To date, not a single prominent American politician has issued a statement that could be construed as being less than whole-heartedly supportive of Israel.

An old classic from Siggy, giving us invaluable insight into the never changing Muslim duplicity and the endless spin of history

The obsession with Israel as a moral failure is absurd. If it weren't for the Israelis, the Palestinians would still be in the dark ages, without heathcare, education or even sanitation. One has to ask oneself, what is the obsession with Israel all about? Well, if you say you don't know, think again. At least be honest with yourself. A transparent sheet is still a sheet.

Whilst we may be confused about the Democrats, we all know where our Thug-In-Chief stands. His latest broadside on Sunday says it all: "By attacking Lebanon, the Zionist regime triggered its own extinction." Why are we not surprised? It is of course what he was hoping would happen when he ordered Hezbollah to attack Israel on July 12th. Memri explains the relationship for those who still doubt that such order was given by the Iranian Mullahs.

The ties between Iran and Hizbullah are an open-ended religious and strategic symbiosis.

Hizbullah is not an independent Lebanese organization. It is part and parcel of the Iranian state, and Iran sees in Hizbullah "one of the mainstays of its strategic security." Hizbullah is "Iran's first line of defense against Israel" and the West. One of Hizbullah's founders, Subhi Al-Tufeili, stated in an interview that "Hizbullah's leadership is Velayat-e-Faqih – that is, Ali Khamenei."

For these reasons, Iran was even willing to commit itself to a joint military pact with Syria in order to assure the steady flow of weapons to Hizbullah. The agreement was signed one month before the outbreak of the war, and the Iranian and Syrian defense ministers announced on the occasion of the signing that "Iran sees Syria's security as its own."

There can be no doubt for any serious observer that this is so.

This piece of bull today from Hezbollah's Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is a classic, check out Michael van der Galien's take: "I Told Lebanese Political Leaders We Would Abduct Israeli Soldiers". Just in time to put a spanner in the works as a welcoming gift to Secretary Rice, who has today made a surprise visit to Beirut, in an effort to shore up Lebanon's fragile government. Well we cannot have that now can we, all toys must be thrown out of the cot, and fast...Well for 'Willy Pete's' sake!

But what about our darling anti-Semitic Russia? Memri confirms that "Russia has not only been the backbone of the Iranian nuclear program; it is also providing the primary diplomatic umbrella for Hizbullah and Iran's activities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has gone so far as to claim that there is no connection between Iran and Hizbullah. Russia also does not include Hizbullah in its list of terrorist organizations."

Let's go to my dear friend the inimitable Mark Steyn for a breath of fresh air and crystal clarity on how we have managed to empower Iran

But Saudi-Egyptian-Jordanian opportunism on Palestine has caught up with them: It's finally dawned on them that a strategy of consciously avoiding resolution of the "Palestinian question" has helped deliver Gaza, and Lebanon and Syria, into the hands of a regime that's a far bigger threat to the Arab world than the Zionist Entity. Cairo and Co. grew so accustomed to whining about the Palestinian pseudo-crisis decade in decade out that it never occurred to them that they might face a real crisis one day: a Middle East dominated by an apocalyptic Iran and its local enforcers, in which Arab self-rule turns out to have been a mere interlude between the Ottoman sultans and the eternal eclipse of a Persian nuclear umbrella. The Zionists got out of Gaza and it's now Talibanistan redux. The Zionists got out of Lebanon and the most powerful force in the country (with an ever-growing demographic advantage) are Iran's Shia enforcers. There haven't been any Zionists anywhere near Damascus in 60 years and Syria is in effect Iran's first Sunni Arab prison bitch. For the other regimes in the region, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria are dead states that have risen as vampires.

Meanwhile, Kofi Annan in a remarkable display of urgency (at least when compared with Sudan, Rwanda, Congo et al.) is proposing apropos Israel and Hezbollah that U.N. peacekeepers go in, not to keep the "peace" between two sovereign states but rather between a sovereign state and a usurper terrorist gang. Contemptible as he is, the secretary-general shows a shrewd understanding of the way the world is heading: Already "non-state actors" have more sophisticated rocketry than many EU nations; if Iran has its way, its proxies will be implied nuclear powers. Maybe we should put them on the U.N. Security Council.

So what is in reality Israel's first non-Arab war is a glimpse of the world the day after tomorrow: The EU and Arab League won't quite spell it out, but, to modify that Le Monde headline, they are all Jews now.

The writing on the wall is clear: Thug-In-Chief Ahmadinejad with his co-conspirators in tow is gearing up to issue tactical nuclear arms to his proxy army Hezbollah to annihilate Israel, thus being able to evade direct responsibility and holding up innocent Lebanese civilians as human shields against any nuclear retaliation.

The lines in the sand have been drawn...We are all Jews now.

Comments

[Golara Hamzeh]

jews who use the term "islamo fascist" should be aashamed of themselves. I can already the biggest wave of new anti semitism being started by the same evangelical christians who worshipped the chosen people and Israel in the height of US power, but would blame the coming downfall of america on none other than those "nazi jews".

when the christians come after the 'jews" (one more time) we muslims will forget them and promise to be there to shelter them in our countries cities neighbourhoods and basements. they dont even have to repent for all the hate they prepetuated against islam for a few kilometers of real estate property in the holy land.

[Kenny Pierce]

Majid,

Don't SHOUT. It's rude and it annoys people unnecessarily. You do, I presume, want people to listen to you. If YOU COMMENT IN ALL CAPS, NOBODY WILL PAY YOU ANY ATTENTION.

It is, of course, possible that Alexandra is writing about stuff that only exists in her mind. But then it is also possible that you and your friends, and the peacenik Jews of whom you speak, are only seeing and writing what is in your mind only. Have you considered that possibility?

[majid]

AM WOUNDERING ! WHY IS ALEXANDRA IS VERY JEWS THAN JEWS THEMSELVES WHO R AGAINST ISRAEL AGGRESSION MILITARY ACTION .... MAY BE BECAUSE SHE ONLY SEE AND WRITE WHAT IN HER MIND ONLY !
EVEN IF IT NOT THE REALITY
I WOUNDER WHY !

[Buddy Larsen]

Good work, Alexandra. It is appreciated, and valuable.

[weekenderman]

Keep up the awesome work, Alexandra! More and more, people are either with us or they're against us.

[Crusader.NoRegrets.]

Ghost,

And none of this would have happened had the US not invaded Iraq when they did, because, as you so consistently imply, Saddam Hussein was actually going to be the first human being to live forever! Who knew?

[igout]

Thug-In-Chief Ahmadinejad with his co-conspirators in tow is gearing up to issue tactical nuclear arms to his proxy army Hezbollah to annihilate Israel, thus being able to evade direct responsibility and holding up innocent Lebanese civilians as human shields against any nuclear retaliation.
Ah, but two can play that game. We, too, have a North Korea, only its name is Israel. Publically: "They have nukes, so you Almadine or whateveryourfreakingnameis be real careful 'cause we may not be able to retrain them if you keep riling them.... (sotto voce) ...Hey, Olmert, go cook us up some mullahkebobs"

[Patrick]

Saul and jess1dering...

Beautiful pieces.

[Saul Davis]

Jess: The url worked with Windows Media player; I understand the download is free; I am not sure of the website which has the download; the video clip is worth the time to find it.

[Ghost Dansing]

"was worth a fortune---and not a small one"...is what I meant.

Let me take this opportunity to point out that the problems in the Levant have distracted attention from Iraq, where evidence of this Republican adminstration's incompetence in selecting and prosecuting that particular war continues to mount.

First, after a number of year after the declaring the end to major combat operations, we still have to pacify Baghdad itself. Secondly, Maliki's stance on the current war in Lebanon underscores the apparent fact that the emerging Government in Iraq will actually be aligned more with Iran and Shia extremists, versus the shining pro-Western Liberal Democracy advertised by Dubya and his neocon advisors.

Interestingly, the Sunni part of the new government wants the U.S. to "stay on" awhile to, ironically, protect the Sunnis from the possibility (probability) of Shia genocide...and of course, we won't even discuss what kind of suprises will occur in the North with the Kurds...and maybe the Turks?

But Maliki did say "...Allah willing, there will be no Civil War in Iraq..."...at least not in Republican spin.

[jess1dering]

Have you seen this beautiful piece ??
http://www.chabadcares.com/library/article.asp?AID=306272

BTW: I saw the most AWFUL piece of Islamo-fascist propaganda re: the devastation in Lebanon right now. It came complete with background music full of pathos. It was sickening.

[jess1dering]

Saul,
My computer won't play your suggestion above. I'm dissappointed.

[gringoman]

From The Doctor's Diagnosis:

Rice.
A predestined name.
“Never sticks.”
Like Madison Avenue’s favorite Uncle Tom marketing icon (see picture).

Funny how the tag-line on the box even says “Converted Rice”.

And I thought Israel’s ancient Pharisaic Law forbade proselytism…

But hey, as a leading Dixie intellectual famously said, miracles do happen!

“Praise be to Yahweh, the God of Yisrael, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gringo to The Doctor,

Has Yaweh also shown you that race-baiting any black who dares wander off the White Liberal Plantation ("Üncle Tom/Aunt Jemima" etc) was a typical ploy of the Progressive Sanctimonial at least as far back as the 60's heyday of Manhattan Maoists, Sophomores For Trotsky, not to mention the Young Horny Socialists of America (which admittedly had a few fairly hot Fidel-loving babes "activating"for them? Or do you remember it well?

[Saul Davis]

What is the difference between Israel/Israelis and her enemies?
A small indication may be seen in the focal point of videos made in support of Israel, and demonstrations supporting Israel versus those made by her enemies. See the attached url -- a message of hope, be strong and peace; compare that with the videos published by her enemies, and the many pictures we have seen of their demonstrations in support of Hiszbullah

http://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/eng-video/music/hazak-300.wmv

[gringoman]

from GD: It was the gift of a benefactor and, presumed to have been done by von Honthorst, was given an honorable place for most of those years in the dining room. When the superior of the community, Fr. Noel Barber, SJ, decided to have the painting cleaned and approached the National Gallery of Ireland, the truth came out. It was a Caravaggio, painted in 1602, but long lost and worth not a small fortune.
==========================================================

from gringoman to GD:

Point of Clarification (or rather a request for such)

Did you really mean this Caravaggio was "worth not a small fortune"?

Or did you in fact mean (as I take the liberty of revision) that this Caravaggio "was worth a fortune---and not a small one"?

[Jeremayakovka]

Welcome to the Bolshevik-Capitalist-Banker-Industrialist-World-Zionist-Conspiracy, Alexandra!

[rich]

Before Ahmadinejad, Iran's most famous nut was the pistachio.

Karl Rove must be moonlighting as a consultant for Israel.

How else to explain how Iran's president pistachio -- er Ahmadinejad -- got lured into the trap of supporting those losers Hezbollah in Lebanon but Karl Rove? One estimate of Iran's support is 2.5 billion dollars!

How else to explain such a major misunderestimation -- er miscalculation but Karl Rove?

It is not enough to say that pistachio -- er Ahmadinejad -- is a political gambler.

It is not enough to say that he sees green lights when he speaks at the U.N.

It is not enough that he writes the prime minister of Germany that the holocaust was no big thing.

It must be Karl Rove.

Who else but Karl Rove could get pistachio -- er Ahamdinejad -- to throw Hezbollah to the dogs.

Is there a chapter of gamblers anonymous in Tehran?

Pistachio -- er Ahmadinejad -- needs a twelve step program of some kind.

[Hucbald]

What an amazing blog! I just spent an hour in your archives just looking at the featured art. Speaking of which, you should caption and credit them all.

The thing about the whole "The Jews Murdered Christ" meme which has always flummoxed me is that it WASN'T the Jews, and it wasn't even the Romans who murdered Christ; rather it was the errant law of man that murdered Christ. And, the ultimate author of the errant law of man is? Exactly.

[Tom Konetski]

Alexandra,
Excellant observations the past several days on the topics of true leadership and who is really pulling the strings in the Middle East. Russia certainly appears to be quietly smiling down on this parade.

[Aviel Yogev]

I'm an Israeli and have been in the Portland area on a biz trip for the all of last week while my house was in the range of the Hezbollah rockets and few missiles hit close enough to my house so that my family heard the explosion and felt the window glasses shaking.
I was listening to your broadcast and loved to hear to your words of wisdom and your clear understanding of the situation, wish more people around the world would have understand that it's a civilization war between western democratic nation seeking for peace and a fundamental religious organization that just seeks to destroy whatever doesn't meet their way.
It's not an Israel Lebanese war, we would love to have peace with Lebanon and be able to visit Beirut who is considered to be Paris of the Middle East, but until than we will need to protect our lives and smash the hand that was raised against us.
I'm now back to Israel with my family and back to work (in the Haifa area who only today was hit by 16 rockets). In spite of the terrorists attempt to paralyze Israel, we are strong, we go to work and we continue to build our beautiful country
I'm proud to be part of a great nation seeking for peace for the last 58 years and I would like to thank you for being our friend.

[Old Dad]

I think that Isrqael's current course of action is, perhaps, the only incremental solution. Returning to the status quo ante, ultimately would have force Israel (or the United States) to disarm Iran. Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

If the elimination of Hezbollah leads to a free and Democratic Lebanon (a very very big if) that might lead to further isolation of Syria and Iran and allow internal political pressure to frighten the mullahs into a real negotiation.

[Dr Victorino de la Vega]

The Washington Post tells us that:
“Rice told her Lebanese counterparts that she was ‘deeply concerned about the Lebanese people and what they are enduring.’ She brought blankets to prove it.”

Hmm… Guess it all depends of your definition of “concern”!
Quite ironically, Ms Rice was also concerned the Israeli armed forces might run out of ammunitions and other banned weapons used liberally against Lebanese civilians such as cluster bombs and phosphorus-enhanced shells:
“The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign. … The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said.”

Rice.
A predestined name.
“Never sticks.”
Like Madison Avenue’s favorite Uncle Tom marketing icon (see picture).

Funny how the tag-line on the box even says “Converted Rice”.

And I thought Israel’s ancient Pharisaic Law forbade proselytism…

But hey, as a leading Dixie intellectual famously said, miracles do happen!

“Praise be to Yahweh, the God of Yisrael, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness”

[Good Lt]

Great post.

[Alexandra]

Ghost,

Well the story of 'The Taking of Christ' by Caravaggio is indeed an interesting one. The painting which you see there is as you say hanging in the National Gallery in Dublin, but there is an almost identical (although quite different in many aspects) one hanging in Rome. Sir Denis Mahon, who I happen to know personally, was called in last year to authenticate this painting in Dublin, with pleasing results to the Irish as he confirmed it to be an authentic Caravaggio. He confirmed it to be the latter of the two and so of course the Roman dealer believes his to be the so called 'original', in the true Italian sense. LOL!

As far as the armor in the painting is concerned the painting in Rome has a more authentic armor to the period than this one does. The mind does ponder, however Sir Denis is the world specialist on Caravaggio so one has to bow to his greater knowledge.

[perica]

After reading this only thing I can say is:
"What on Earth have you been smoking?!"

[h]

I have been reading your blog for a while now and I would be remiss not to say that your summations of events and overview is nothing short of brilliant.

[antimedia]

Frightening times, aren't they? Only God knows where all this is leading, but it's a certainty that many peoples and countries will be put to the test - do you stand for freedom or don't you?

[Angel]

I can feel how righteous you are Alexandra...right through your words.........brilliant overview..God bless u always..:)

[Ghost Dansing]

The Taking of Christ hung from 1960 to 1991 on the wall of the Jesuit community on Leeson Street in Dublin, Ireland.

It was the gift of a benefactor and, presumed to have been done by von Honthorst, was given an honorable place for most of those years in the dining room. When the superior of the community, Fr. Noel Barber, SJ, decided to have the painting cleaned and approached the National Gallery of Ireland, the truth came out. It was a Caravaggio, painted in 1602, but long lost and worth not a small fortune.

The painting is no longer in the Jesuit house, but on loan to the National Gallery of Ireland. The Jesuits of Leeson Street, by the way, produce Sacred Space, a deservedly popular prayer place on the web and well worth a visit.

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

[Kenny Pierce]

Alexandra,

That goof-off takedown of Juan Cole I did for you the other day is holding up better than I expected. Indeed, and rather embarassingly, it seems to be holding up better than most of my actual attempts at serious analysis do. Perhaps I should stick to parody all the time :-P...ah, well, as the old saying has it, it's better to be lucky than good. (Which has always sounded to me like a shameless incitement to choose promiscuity over virtue...)

[Saul Davis]

Alexandra: Thank you; it is articulate -- as usual -- and most appreciated.

[Francis W. Porretto]

The consequences of wishful thinking among Middle Eastern Muslim governments might be about to arrive. Iran is flexing its muscles in a way that, no matter what develops from here, will be unpleasant for every other regime in the region. Even if Iran should finally draw a liberating American invasion, the Saudis and the Egyptians will be sorely vexed, for it will sever them from the direct path to Europe they've long enjoyed. The Turks are already on the short end of the stick, now that America and the new Iraqi republic are providing protection to the Kurds; matters will become that much worse for them once they're geographically severed from their Muslim support system, for if Iran falls, the Ba'athist regime in Syria cannot long stand.

The geopolitics of the Middle East are about to be completely reengineered. Pray that the bloodletting is held to a minimum.