Ynet says that Condoleeza Rice is coming to Israel tomorrow to say thanks for the raid on Syria. What exactly, one has to wonder, would be so important that the Secretary of State herself would be shaking the pilots’ hands (so to speak)?

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is coming to Israel on Tuesday to “say thank you” for the alleged Israeli air force operation in Syrian territory, Dr Alon Liel, a former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, told Ynetnews.

Addressing the numerous media reports which claim Israeli jets penetrated Syrian territory, Liel said: “I think what we did, if we did it, is work for Americans. Maybe even as an intelligence operation for the Americans, and therefore I think she (Rice) came to say thank you, more so than to discuss Palestinian affairs,” the former top diplomat said.

Northeast Syria, where the jets were said to have flown, according to Damascus, “is not an area that bothered Israel in the past, this is an area that bothers the Americans very much,” Liel added. “We did work for them, as you know they pay a lot so that we work for them. Seemingly they are satisfied. This has helped them to complicate the Syrians and push them deeper into the axis of evil,” he added.

And by the way, here’s why the would-be peacemakers are simply idiots:

Liel made no efforts in disguising his disappointment with the alleged Israeli operation. “Israel has a clear interest in making peace with Syria,” he said, adding that the incident in Syria’s skies has “shut the door to peace in the near future.”

Something very big went down in the Syrian desert. Either a critical test of air defenses were performed, or a possible nuclear bomb making site was destroyed, or, if you believe the [now] least likely scenario, a boatload of weapons headed for Lebanon were destroyed. And a man who has been involved in trying to make peace between Israel and Syria can only see that Israeli actions have “harmed” the peace agreement. Not the Syrian actions of hiding some kind of weapon—possibly even nuclear—in the desert near the Iraqi border. Shyeah. Let’s not blame Syria. Let’s blame Israel. And this is a former member of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, no less.

Regardless of whether or not he’s right about Condi’s trip, Liel is axiomatic of what is wrong with certain factions in Israel right now. I expect that from the Europeans. But not from Israelis.

This week’s feature interview is with the author of the London Times piece on how jihadis are running Britain’s mosques.

My piece compares Hollywood war films from 1945 with Hollywood war films of today. (Hint: Hollywood does not come off well in this one.)

You don’t need an iPod to listen, just Windows Media player. Go. Listen. Tell your friends.

In recent weeks Israel’s apparently carried out two spectacular raids that brings back memories of times passed. Mere Rhetoric observed

And Israel specifically still needs to be able to convince its enemies that not only can it use its tanks and soldiers, but that it’s willing to do so. Since Halutz resigned and Ashkenazi took over, the IDF has moved away from the over-reliance on the IAF that had marked Halutz’s disastrous tenure.The Defense Ministry under Barak is trying to take care of the second part, which involves restoring Israel’s deterrent. Barak has ordered the IDF to undertake riskier missions, from dropping troops a mile inside Gaza for Hollywood style special forces operations to ordering the IAF to conduct airstrikes in Syria that are nothing short of humiliating (article is subscription-only, but if you search for it on Google News you can get the full article behind the Google-subscription link)

Given that PM Ehud Olmert seems risk averse, these operations are likely the idea of new Defense Minister Ehud Barak (as Mere Rhetoric notes). Realizing that failure to act will only hurt him politically, Olmert accedes to these ideas, even if he is strengthening a future rival.

Ehud Barak is well known as a former commando. In his most famous (alleged) mission he led the assassination of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), Arafat’s #2 at the time, in Tunis.

Current chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi is credited with participating in one of Israel’s most daring military strikes: the operation to rescue the hijacked passengers at Entebbe in 1976.

And Israel’s chief of military intelligence is Gen. Amos Yadlin who might be the third most famous member (after the late Ilan Ramon and Yifrach Spector) of the group of pilots who destroyed the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981.

With three men of action in charge of the military now, perhaps the two attacks that have recently made the news are harbingers of future actions.

I don’t pretend to be happy with the political situation when any military gains are likely to be wasted by political and diplomatic maneuvering. But at least its possible that Israel will start striking fear into the hearts of its enemies again.

UPDATE: The Hashmonean asks

Who turned off the music in the first place?

and expresses his skepticism that things have changed. He wishes that Israel’s leaders would keep hitting real targets instead of boasting about the ones they already did.Crossposted at Soccer Dad.

The AFP, still being shut out in the Syria matter, is now bashing Israel for being “boastful“—when the Jewish State is being anything but. In fact, the AFP has written several stories about how Israel is “uncharacteristically” silent on the Syria raid.

But hey, don’t let facts get in the way of the story, AFP. You go bash that nasty ol’ Israel.

Israel says deterrent ability recovered after Syria strike
Israel boasted on Sunday it has recovered its “deterrent capability” after an air strike in Syria triggered warnings of retaliation and intense media speculation over the aim of the operation.

Are you ready for the boast? No, really. Prepare yourselves:

“The new situation affects the entire region, including Iran and Syria,” military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin told parliament’s powerful foreign affairs and defence committee, local media reported.

In keeping with an official Israeli wall of silence on the event, Yadlin told lawmakers he would not address the incident directly, but his statements “alluded to the Israeli raid,” public radio reported.

He said Israel had now recovered its “deterrent capability” following the 2006 war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Holy crap! What a trash talker! This guy should be in the NBA!

Wow. What a boast. I feel faint.

That’s what I thought when I read the headline “Madonna: I’m an ‘ambassador for Judaism’“. Who better to represent the Jewish state than a Catholic born superstar from the 80’s who parades around the stage in her underwear? (via memeorandum)

Madonna met Peres at his official Jerusalem residence on Saturday evening and the two exchanged gifts, with Madonna receiving a lavishly bound copy of the Old Testament.She gave Peres a volume of “The Book of Splendor,” the guiding text of Kabbalah, inscribed “To Shimon Peres, the man I admire and love, Madonna,” the Yediot Ahronot daily reported.

A Peres aide confirmed the meeting but had no details.

“You don’t know how popular the Book of Splendor is among Hollywood actors,” Yediot quoted Madonna as telling Peres. “Everyone I meet talks to me only about that. I am an ambassador for Judaism.”

Madonna, who was raised a Roman Catholic, has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist in a Jewish tradition to ward off the evil eye.

Yes the Book of Splendor is a many splendored thing, as is the rest of Kabbalah.

The Haaretz daily quoted Kutcher as telling a group of Israeli businessmen and entertainers on Saturday that Kabbalah had answered fundamental questions in his life and made him a better actor.

Will wonders never cease? The star of “Dude where’s my car?” is now a better actor? I mean 4 years later he starred in the immortal “the Butterfly Effect.” It’s already working!

The commitment of these stars to Judaism is absolutely beyond belief. I am so glad they represent me!

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

Shameless self promoter that I am, I’m taking advantage of Meryl’s kindness to announce that Haveil Havalim #134 is UP at my place, Soccer Dad.

This week’s edition features posts discussing Israel’s ongoing two front war, Walt and Mearsheimer, the tenure controversy at Barnard College and, of course, Rosh Hashannah.