CHELMsford 123 Dept. (2)

Nottingham, England:

"Mother banned from breastfeeding at poolside 'breached food and drink rules'"

Right on.

CHELMsford 123 Dept. (1)

"Council only fills in part of a pothole - because it doesn't own the rest."

I kid you not. Well, the place is called Bloxwich so what can we expect? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1185467/Complete-half-wits-Council-fills-pothole--doesnt-rest.html

To the director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America.

Dear Rav Shafran I enjoy reading your articles but was very surprised to read that apparently no approach seems to have been made to your Rabbinical authorities regarding a resolute stand and public campaign against the “two states for two peoples” policy. Even if it were not for the fact that the intention of those among its proponents who actually understand this issue is in fact two states for one people (“Palestine” to be judenrein, “Israel” to be overrun by millions of “refugees”), this is a recipe for war and mass killings. No downside of maintenance of the status quo could possibly match the clear and present danger of this lunacy. And if standing strong brings on an international invasion, so be it - that is what the prophets foretold! Point is, at bottom, for those of us (including the undersigned) who in the past were concerned about pikuach nefesh to the extent of giving the “Palestinians” a chance to prove themselves, they have proven themselves over and over again. All the pikuach nefesh is on the side of shev ve’al ta’aseh and there must be no more uprooting of Jews from their homes in Eretz Yisroel for any reason. I beg you, go to the Rabbis with this and create a revolution. Maybe there is a Morgenthau out there who will then take it to fruition… Thank you for your attention

Gilad update

So it turns out that the Gilad Schalit petition is yet another elaborate hoax. Even this old geezer was taken in this time. And as for the tax case, seems this is one case where our infallible High Court Shalita (pun intended) is indeed about to be by-passed by legislation cancelling their ruling or emptying it of relevance. So yesterday's post was a bit of a waste of cyber-breath I'm afraid. I'll try to do better next time, honest...

Oink?

Received from a correspondent:

They once said that a black man would be president when pigs fly. His first 100 days and wham!! Pigs flu!

Comment: I am sure that while a few years ago the above description would have raised no issues, today perhaps my correspondent should have described him, not quite accurately, as an African American.

Gilad Schalit

I just received a forward of the following request (which I have translated) to add my name to a petition:

They have accustomed us to think that the number of terrorists released will determine Gilad Schalit's release. Turns out that it doesn't. Gilad can be set free for $300m. There has never been so high a ransom set for one captive. The US intends to provide this sum for the reconstruction of Gaza. There is a slight chance that $300m will convince somebody to release Gilad. Please sign this petition, which will be given to the President of the USA with the request that the money be made conditional on Gilad's release ...

This is the gist of my reply:

A... - I have every sympathy for the Schalit family, who have not once but twice gone through the scenario of every parent's nightmares.

However, I have no desire whatever to encourage the president to give those people this ransom(and 300m is but a small part of the sums pledged) and I also do not believe you can buy Arabs with a cause as you can buy Westerners; in fact this is the very error all Western Governments (and our own) have been unable to comprehend up to now. It is simply not about money but principles, something Moslems seem as a group to be able to be pretty single minded about. The principles may be wretched and inhuman, but they stick to them like glue and they won't give up until Doomsday. Seems to me that's something the rest of us could learn from.

Furthermore, the president is getting enough contradictory messages from Jews as it is without confusing him still more. I for one would be happier if he were more interested in the security of seven million Israelis than he has been up to now, not just one Israeli, and would prefer he cease surrounding himself with folks who are hell-bent on "saving us from ourselves" in the words of one George Ball when the world was young. And if we can't get Gilad out by force of arms as we should have done three years ago it seems to me that he just isn't coming home.

You know, it reminds me of the recent High Court case in which they found against the Income Tax Authority's refusal to grant the cost of care for pre-schoolers as a deductible expense. I would normally be the last to cheer the tax man in his quest to take more of our hard earned cash, but this time they just happen to be right! I looked around and couldn't find any young Mum capable of complying with the requirements to make this claim unless she was filthy rich to start with!!! Better to give the money to the women who didn't have enough money to pay tax. And I am no socialist.

People think that spreading money around without consideration whether it goes in the right direction will solve everything. It won't.

Kind regards P.

Vatican update

Well let's hope there is some good news on this front. See http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131124