Leo doesn’t heart Mel: Word is that Leonardo DiCaprio exited a film he was going to do with mysognist anti-Semite Mel Gibson. The insider quoted doesn’t give a reason, but perhaps the fact that Leo is dating Israeli model Bar Rafaeli might have a little to do with it.
Depressing spot-on analysis number one: Barry Rubin on how stupid the British ambassador is for blaming the Hamas problem on Israel. (Okay, he didn’t say “stupid,” but I will, because, well, Master of Juvenile Scorn™ and all that.)
Depressing spot-on analysis number two: Jonathan Spyer on how Iran controls Lebanon, and why Syria will not be leaving the mix anytime soon. (In case you missed it, Baby Assad took a victory lap in Beirut just this week, where the Saudis put their official blessing on the Iran-Syria control of Lebanon. He also said, once again, that the region is heading for war—because Israel refuses to surrender. The March 14 movement? Dead. Hezbullah—and world inaction—killed it. Before blaming Obama for this, remember that George W. Bush didn’t follow up on it, either. By the way, if you’re not on the GLORIA Center‘s mailing list, you should be. And you should also consider contributing to an organization that constantly publishes the side of the story that the mainstream media ignore.
Yeah, but the kids are still going to have to convert if they move to Israel: Chelsea Clinton and her husband stood under a chuppah and were co-married by a rabbi. Before sundown on Shabbat. Way to start a Jewish life, guys! (Two million for a wedding? Wow, it totally pays to be president these days!)
Hamas is training child soldiers: But there will be no outrage from human rights groups, or the UN, about this. Hamas is distributing pictures of their leaders’ children being taught to fire automatic weapons (among other things). I think the course title was”How to kill the Jews.”
Actually, the fact that a Methodist Minister took part, means that it actually is not a valid (Jewish) marriage, even if the rabbi alone could have made it “valid”. In fact if the groom actually said “K’das Moshe V’Yisrael” [According to the rules of Moshe (the Torah) and Israel (the rabbinical enactments)] means that he was declaring explicitly that the “wedding” is invalid.
Would Leonardo pull of a film directed by Oliver Stone?
My guess is that the issue is a combination of unsavoriness and bankability. Mel Gibson is no longer a star. Oliver Stone might still bring in the dough.
Yourish writes: “Before blaming Obama for this, remember that George W. Bush didn’t follow up on it, either.”
Agreed: In fact, I would go further, saying that Condi Rice (knowingly) put the pieces in place for the currently impending disaster — not so much because she was actively malicious, but rather because she was passively evil (and incompetent). In fact, the Bush Administration willingly and knowingly “kicked the can down the road” with regard to the Hezbollah-cancer-in-Lebanon issue. Obama was given little to work with. However, somehow, I doubt the latter is upset with the current ominous situation.
If the Mezvinskys move to Israel, then they will at least get away from Marc’s Larouchie uncle.
Yeah, well I’m not sure what the US could have done to stop the reenslavement of Lebanon by Iran and Syria, short of getting the Lebanese to fight and destroy Hezbollah. The last chance the Lebanese had to retain their independence was in the Summer 2006 Israel-Hezbo War. If the Lebanese had actively helped Israel and extended the authority of the Lebanese government over south Lebanon they would have had a chance to retain their independence, allied with Israel. But they could not stand the idea of allying with (yuk) Jews and getting cooties and all from it, so they didn’t do anything. Hezbollah rearmed and, supported by Iran and Syria, took over the Lebanese government. Lebanon is again a colony, by the choice of the Lebanese.
As for Syria, if everybody had joined in a complete blockade, air, sea, and land, on Syria immediately after the Hariri assassination the Ba’athist government might have been overthrown with minimal violence. But of course nobody was willing to do that, Condi and the stripy pants boys at State especially. Putting it through the UN was a predictable waste. That meant delay, and delay meant that nothing would be done.
All this means that there will be a bigger and bloodier war in the future, since the neer do wells pushing for it have been left in power and allowed to extend their power and influence. Cracking the heads of swine like the Dorktator and Gorilla Boy while they are still small and relatively weak is the way to avoid worse violence later.