Having successfully dispensed with the issue of God (god, deity, Intelligent Designer, Allah, as you will), Richard Dawkins is targeting now a new obstruction on his way to nirvana:

In an interview with the Guardian, he said: “When you think about how fantastically successful the Jewish lobby has been, though, in fact, they are less numerous I am told - religious Jews anyway - than atheists and [yet they] more or less monopolise American foreign policy as far as many people can see. So if atheists could achieve a small fraction of that influence, the world would be a better place.”

Of course, it figures: after deity, the next natural target is the chosen people…

Nothing to say but to quote this:

Go Richard.

Go Walt. Go Mearsheimer.

Go Ahmadinejad.

Cross-posted on SimplyJews.

Oh those Afghan girls, the way they wear their clothes, they keep the mullahs warm at night…

Nearly six years after the overthrow of the strict Islamist Taliban government, almost all women in deeply conservative Afghanistan still only appear in public wafting past in the burqa’s pale blue, their dark eyes only occasionally visible behind the bars of its grille.

But in the relatively liberal northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a local television station has started to show a different image of Afghan women with an extremely low-budget take on the hit “America’s Next Top Model,” a reality TV show in which judges choose prospective models from a group of contestants over several weeks.

Be still my heart! An Afghan “Top Model” show? Wearing skimply clothes? Like what?

Four girls in brightly colored traditional costumes with baggy pants and long loose-fitting shawls and headscarves strode down the impromptu catwalk decked out in traditional Afghan rugs. Seemingly less confident than their Western counterparts, they avoided the gaze of the all-male film crew and press.

Hold your camels, Omar! They’re not wearing the head-to-toe burqas?

A quick change later, the same four appeared in camouflage combat trousers, sneakers and embroidered smocks. Then came denim jeans, open-toed sandals and colorful lightweight jackets.

Holy crap! Toes! They exposed their toes! Ahmed, call out the morality police! Get the whips and canes! Beat them! Hurt them!

“According to Sharia law, Islam is absolutely against this,” said Afghan Muslim cleric Abdul Raouf. “Not only is it banned by Islamic Sharia law, but if we apply Sharia law and to take this issue to justice, these girls should be punished.”

Not to worry. The religious police will hunt them down and punish them.

Model Timour said she wanted the outside world to see a different image of Afghan women.

“I have seen outside Afghanistan they have a different kind of idea about women in Afghanistan — they think they are always wearing the burqa and sitting at home but it is not like that,” she said. “Girls in Afghanistan are beautiful.”

Yeah. Tell us about it when you get out of prison, honey. Gee. Why do we think you’re all sitting around in burqas? Could it be because, well, you’re all sitting around in burqas?

Who? Me? Skeptical? Well, yeah.

afghanistan burqa era feminism

A couple of weeks ago the Jerusalem Post asked a number of experts if Israel had restored its deterrence. Danel Pipes, for one, answered, “no.”

Deterrence is not something established by a single raid but through a persistent, protracted effort over years and decades. Israeli leaders laboriously built up such a reputation during the era 1948-93, only then to throw it away by adopting a policy of appeasement. It will take years of hard work – not yet begun, I might add – to reestablish the old deterrence. For now, Israel’s many enemies are feeling emboldened and aggressive.

News stories like this one demonstrate that Pipes is correct.

In a surprise move, about 80 Palestinians, including Hamas members and militants from other factions wanted by Israel, crossed from Egypt into the Gaza Strip before dawn on Sunday, according to Hamas and Israeli officials. The entry, through the closed Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border, was a result of what Hamas said was an agreement it made with Egypt. The Rafah crossing was closed in June after Hamas, which many consider to be a terrorist organization, seized control of Gaza, routing forces of its rival, Fatah. The closing of the crossing was meant in part to prevent militants outside the territory at the time of the Hamas takeover from moving freely into Gaza. Since the closing, anyone who wanted to enter Gaza from Egypt had to pass through Israeli territory.

The news isn’t interesting (and disturbing) only because of what happened. The entry of more terrorists into Gaza suggests that Hamas is planning a new offensive against Israel. It’s interesting in the way this was reported. Of course we have the standard weaselly “which many consider to be a terrorist organization” instead of “which fits the legal definition of a terrorist organization.” But what’s missing here is any mentions of how Egypt’s complicity in aiding an enemy of Israel constitutes a violation of its peace treaty with Israel. Of course it will be hard for Israeli officials to complain too loudly as the government has once again freed prisoners.

A convoy with 57 Palestinian left Ketziot Prison late Monday morning and started on its journey to Beitunya checkpoint, between Givat Ze’ev and Ramallah. At about 1.30 p.m. the prisoners will be freed at the checkpoint and transferred to the Palestinian territories. In total, 87 security prisoners are due to be freed Monday. Their expected release was delayed until President Shimon Peres completed the signing of special presidential pardons for 26 of them.

The reason for the release, of course was “confidence building measure.”

Olmert expressed the hope on Sunday that the prisoner release would help achieve progress in the peace talks and lead to a further reduction in the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. He was addressing senior police and Israel Prisons Service officers in his succa at the prime minister’s residence. “I hope and am making great efforts so that the number of your inmates will be reduced, particularly the number of security prisoners - and I am not just talking about the 90 Palestinian prisoners set to be released tomorrow,” he said. “I hope that these efforts will lead us to a path [of peace] with the Palestinians and to a situation where one day our prisons will be less crowded with security prisoners who have tried to harm Israelis.” The cabinet agreed last month to free more Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Abbas ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The detainees - 58 from the West Bank and 29 from Gaza - are mostly Fatah activists, and none of them are classified as “having blood on their hands.”

Of course these confidence building measures, do have their risks.

Each of the prisoners is required to sign a commitment not to engage in terrorism in the future. Two months ago, when some 250 terrorists were released in another good-will gesture, one terrorist refused to sign, and was returned to jail. The Almagor organization has documented dozens of cases in which terrorists freed by Israel have returned to active terrorism. Some of the prisoners had been sentenced to remain in jail until as late as 2012; one of them was arrested as early as 2002.

When are we going to see some sort of Palestinian “confidence building measure?” At least one that isn’t a hoax?

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

israel.

Benny Regev wants to make proof of his brother’s life a requirement for a peace conference with Mahmoud Abbas.

“Ehud Olmert, demand a sign of life of the captives before the peace conference in November, and make this demand a condition for your arrival,” Regev said Sunday, speaking before a crowd of 3,000 at the Nokdim settlement in an event marking the 40th anniversary of settlement in Gush Etzion.

I think that’s a great idea, but he’s working with the wrong terrorists. Abbas has no influence whatsover with Regev’s captors. I say instead, that the answer to Hamas’ latest call for a ceasefire should be this: Israel will consider talking about a ceasefire—but only after they see proof of life from Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud Goldwasser.

Hamas called on Sunday for a cease-fire with Israel, a possible indication of the effects of the growing pressure the Islamic group faces after months of isolation in the Gaza Strip.

“Gaza’s Hamas government is ready to offer a truce at this time,” Mohammed Awad, a senior Hamas official, told a Gaza Web site affiliated with the Islamic group. Awad’s office confirmed he had made the statement, which echoed similar calls by Hamas in recent months.

Hamas is feeling the heat, definitely. That’s a good thing. Put even more pressure on them.

Mind you, I don’t think it will work. But it’s worth a try. From now on, Israel should preface all dealings with Hamas with a demand of the captives’ proof of life. No proof, no deal. Ever.

israel hamas gilad shalit