The Israel Situation » Internet

Kehila Carnival #1: The First One Ever Edition

Eric — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:18:15 +0000

I am proud to present you the first ever Kehila carnival. The Kehila, for those of you who don’t know, is a community of Israel and Jewish bloggers that have joined together to help each other build and promote our blogs. We hope to reach new readers and make a difference for our communities, both offline and online, through our support and interactions. If you want to be the fifteenth member of this wonderful group, check out the home of Kehila.

Izgad, the next host of the Kehila carnival, recently wrote a series of posts discussing the social implications of Asperger’s.

Liberty’s Spirit shared a video of Caroline Glick discussing the Iranian nuclear threat.

Bat Aliyah had an adventure shopping in Ramat Levi. She mentioned one of the things I love most about Israel, and impromptu Minyan on the way into the grocery store.

In the Pink shares how sometimes everyone wants to help in the kitchen, but often no one wants to help at all.

My buddy Yaakov at Esser Agaroth gives us ten more ways you know that you are Israeli. Some of these are pretty funny.

Rutimizrachi found a place where everybody knows your name. (I just sang the Cheer’s theme song out loud when I read that title.)

The Minnesota Mamaleh, who as it turns out knows one of my old college friends, is trying to slow down.

Ima 2 Seven found that repenting during the month of Elul is hard.

I just saw that Hasbara with Attitude sells t-shirts. They make normal IDF t-shirts look pretty lame.

Baila wrote about some of the hardest parts of making alyiah.

Lady Light thinks religious tolerance is good, but stupidity is not.

Susan at To Kiss a Mezuzah found that getting the photographer to leave a sanctuary during Shabbat davening was much more difficult than it should have been.

And last, but certainly not least, I wrote an awesome post (read it to verify if it is, in fact, awesome) about the Iranian nuclear program. Did you know that Russia is sending uranium over starting this month?

That does it for this week’s Kehila carnival. Do you want to be in our next carnival, which takes place in two weeks? I bet you do. It is free and easy to be a part of it, but you don’t fill out a form at Blog Carnival. Head over to the Kehila home page and sign up. It is that easy. You also get to chat online with all of these great writers, so what are you waiting for!?!?!

Kehila Carnival #1: The First One Ever Edition is a post from: The Israel Situation

Bloggers Defend Israel on Wikipedia

Eric — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:26:32 +0000

A new blog has appeared called Wikibias. The new site is written by two bloggers who appear to be, like me, fed up with anti-Semitism on Wikipedia. They wrote a recent post about becoming an effective Wikipedia editor. One tip from the article is:

*While you are making a lot of effective edits, the anti-Israel gangs may take it to the next level. They may begin posting messages on your talk page falsely accusing you of being combative, of slander, of being a banned user who has returned under a new name, of bringing unreliable sources, of starting edit wars, or other violations of Wikipedia rules.

If you are wondering how you can support Israel in your pajamas at home, take a look at Wikiproject Israel and be sure to check into Wikibias for articles needing attention.

Bloggers Defend Israel on Wikipedia is a post from: The Israel Situation

Haveil Havalim #278 – The Kehila Edition

Eric — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:00:18 +0000

First, for the newbies at Havaeil Havalim, welcome to my fourth Haveil Havalim (though we have hosted five times here at IsraelSituation.com). Here is what you are about to get yourself into:

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term ‘Haveil Havalim,’ which means “Vanity of Vanities,” is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other ‘excesses’ and realized that it was nothing but ‘hevel,’ or in English, ‘vanity.’

I just returned from my fifth wonderful trip to Israel, and I had many amazing experiences that have led to renewed inspiration for maintaining this blog. But, in addition to spreading the truth about Israel, something else has kept the site alive when I have had doubts about the time commitment and impact of the site: community.

While many of them are silent, I am always inspired by every single comment I receive, good or bad, because it means someone is reading. I am inspired by each one of you, who increased my hit counter by one. I am inspired by other bloggers, from the prolific Elder of Ziyon to the friendly Esser Agaroth. From the long time bloggers like Israel Matsav and Daled Amos to the community leaders like Soccer Dad.

As some of you know, I also have a personal finance blog, Narrow Bridge, where I have also found a community. One finance blogger, known as the Financial Samurai, was inspired by that community to build it one step further. He created the Yakezie Challenge, which has grown to a group of nearly 100 bloggers selflessly promoting each other. I thought that if the money crowd can do it, the Jewish/Israel crowd certainly can as well.

That is why I am founding the Kehila. Kehila is Hebrew for community. The idea is simple and the commitment is minimal. The idea is that we each agree to help each other out and promote each other’s blogs. I am the first to admit that I only link to other blogs when I find something useful or I take the extra step to host Haveil Havalim, but there is no reason I can’t do a more regular link roundup. There is no reason I can’t just give other blogs a “shout out” from time to time. I am always entertained by Benji at What War Zone and always love the personal stories of Treppenwitz and support Israel after calls by my friend Dan Illouz. When I see something good, I commit that I will start to share on my site.

If you want to join, it is easy. First, go to the new Kehila page and leave a comment saying that you are in. That will announce to the world that you have joined. Second, go to the Google Group to sign up for the forum. Finally, add the Kehila badge to your sidebar so visitors can see that you are a member and find out what it is all about. Last, but not least, write a short post telling your readers that you are now part of the Kehila, the Jewish/Israel blogger community on the net. That’s it. It is free and easy.

If you have other questions, send me a note or post a comment on the Kehila page. Since I have taken far more liberties that the typical HH host, I will just jump straight into this week’s posts!

Israel

Batya at Shiloh Musings discusses why Turkey might not care about being friends with Israel in Israel, Going Cold Turkey.

Religion and State in Israel gives us a July 26th roundup and July 26th roundup part 2.

Lady Light believes that all 18 year old youth, including Haredi, should serve in the Israeli military.

Harry at Israelity talks about the new Israel Museum. He also gives us a lasting impression at Einot Tzukim.

Yisrael Medad writes about the dirt, excuse me, holy soil, on the Temple Mount.

Benji wonders why Israeli drivers are so bad in a post at What War Zone?

Yaakov Ben-Yehuda found that the Red Cross has been harboring Hamas fugitives and gives us his ten cents on the matter in a post at Esser Agaroth.

Judaism

Izgad presents Ungodly Words: Toward a Political Philosophy of Heresy (Part II) – Is Uncle Moishy Kefira? posted at Izgad.

Rabbi Oliver talks about Sensitizing Ourselves to Hashem at a Chassidishe Farbrengen. (What a cool name for a blog!)

Mordechai Torczyner presents Involuntary Homosexuality and Free Will posted at The Rebbetzin’s Husband.

Yechezkel presents Gay…Gezunteheit?? posted at Achas L’Maala V’Sheva L’Matta, describing his post as a Chareidi perspective on the newly released Statement of Principles on the Place of Jews with a Homosexual Orientation in Our Community.

Joshua Waxman discusses the parsha at the parshablog. He also talks about the Haftorah.

Chayeei Sarah gives us part three in a series, which discusses JAPs and Educational Gaps.

Tu B’Av

Ki Yachol Nuchal gives a truly wonderful story on Erev Tu B’av about travel, connections, visiting new places, trying new things, and the great results that may take years to understand.

David Levy at Jewish Boston found Y-Love’s latest song, just in time for Tu B’Av.

Lady Light gives a modern look at Tu B’Av.

Miriyummy talks about happy days during Tu B’Av.

Living Life

A Mother in Israel continues her series about dating and marriage with Diabetes, Genetics, and Shidduchim.

Illana-Davita posts an interview about an interesting subject, Michael, who grew up non-religious and went through a few changes, and aliyah.

Mrs. S at Our Shiputzim gives us another game of NAME-THAT-COUNTRY! (I imagined that going to the tune of Wheel-of-Fortune in my head)

Batya writes about Losing Direction during a trip to the United States.

Hadassah Sabo Milner presents Relationships posted at In the Pink.

Susan discusses conversations she doesn’t remember in You Don’t Need Postage for That at To Kiss a Mezuzah.

Isramom talks about her Summertime vacation.

Yisrael Medad talks about feminism in his post So, NOW, We’re Misinformed.

Snoopy the Goon asks Paul the Octopus, of World Cup fame, about Mahmoud the Mad (aka Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).

Minnesota Mamaleh gives words, and great pictures, about cooking with kids in her post at TC Jewfolk. (I am partial to TC Jewfolk, as I was born in Minneapolis)

That does it for this round of Haveil Havalim. Please take a look at the new Kehila group and join if you are a Jewish or Israel blogger. Next week, HH will be hosted by Ima on the Bima. You can submit articles at Blog Carnival. I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. See you next time!

Haveil Havalim #278 – The Kehila Edition is a post from: The Israel Situation

New Articles Worth Reading

Eric — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:38:51 +0000

I would love to write more about each of these stories, but I am preparing for a trip to my favorite little country in the Middle East. (hint: not Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, anywhere in Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Yemen, or Qatar. I came up with that list off the top of my head)

If you have ever tried to write for Israel on Wikipedia, you have probably experienced the frustration I have from anti-Semites battling to against anything Jewish. If you have, or have not, had the experience, I encourage you to get involved and keep Wikipedia, one of the most linked to sites on the Internet, free from anti-Israel and anti-Jewish lies. Either way, take the time to read this well written article by Karin McQuillan on Front Page Mag. The article, called Wikipedia’s Jewish Problem, has a pretty self descriptive title. Make sure to read to the end to understand what is really happening out there.

If you are Reform or Conservative, you might be very interested in reading about Israel’s plans for treatment of olim (new immigrants). Today, anyone with a Jewish mother or anyone who has gone through any Jewish conversion is eligible to move to Israel and become a citizen. A Knesset committee is looking at giving control of this immigration policy to the Chief Rabbinate, which would no longer recognize Reform or Conservative conversions for immigration purposes. I would love to read your thoughts on this in the comments. Thanks to Joel for bringing this article to my attention.

My friend Dan wrote a lengthy, well reasoned, intelligent post about pressure on the government to free Gilad Shalit. Dan argues that pressuring the government is just giving Hamas more leverage to demand more terrorists in exchange for Shalit if the deal ever comes to fruition. He suggests that you camp out on the Gaza border to bring attention to Hamas rather than on Benjamin Netanyahu’s door step.

New Articles Worth Reading is a post from: The Israel Situation

Military Operation Canceled After Details Posted on Facebook

Eric — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:02:22 +0000

The IDF had to cancel a planned operation in the West Bank after finding that a soldier had posted the details on his Facebook page. Here are the details from the Wall Street Journal:

“On Wednesday we clean up Qatanah, and on Thursday, god willing, we come home,” he wrote, according to the Israeli paper. He also posted details such as the time and place of the planned operation. The soldier was reported by his friends, court-martialed and sentenced to 10 days in prison, the Associated Press writes, adding that the Israeli military is “cracking down on soldiers’ use of social networking Web sites.”

Reports of the snafu in Israel coincidentally come just a few days after the U.S. military changed its policyon social-media use by ordinary troops, allowing certain military computers to access previously blocked sites like Facebook and Twitter. As the New York Times’ At War blog points out, the new policy is intended to help troops stay in touch with friends and family, and commanders have leeway to block the sites at certain times. And, obviously, posts such as the one that scuttled the Israeli raid would not be allowed in any case.

I figured not posting classified military operations on Facebook and Twitter was a given. Apparently not.

Military Operation Canceled After Details Posted on Facebook is a post from: The Israel Situation

Haveil Havalim #258: Purim 5770 Edition

Eric — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:45:53 +0000

Welcome Haveil Havalim Readers! Please subscribe to our RSS feed through a reader or Subscribe to The Israel Situation by Email to make sure you get our updates in the future.

I love Adar! I can’t help it. Something about this month just makes me jovial. Could it be the hamentashen? Could it be the anticipation of l’chaims on Purim? Could it be the Jewish Blogging?

I will never forget the Purim I spent as a student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I jumped on an Egged bus #36 (if memory serves) and was welcomed by a group of three girls playing my favorite Adar song. It was an example of the wonderful Jewish atmosphere in Israel. I can’t think of anywhere on Earth I would rather spend Purim than in Jerusalem.

Last year, I shared thoughts about why Purim in fun on Haveil Havalim #206. This time around, I will let the videos and pictures speak for themselves, after a short d’var. For those of you new to the Haveil Havalim scene, this is what you are in for:

Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It’s hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term ‘Haveil Havalim,’ which means “Vanity of Vanities,” is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other ‘excesses’ and realized that it was nothing but ‘hevel,’ or in English, ‘vanity.’

When you think of the holiest Jewish day of the year, what do you think about? Most of us think about Yom Kippur right away. Yom Kippur is a day to connect with G-d through deprivation and repentance. Purim and Yom Kippur are actually close relatives on the Jewish calendar. In Hebrew, Yom Kippur is actually Yom HaKipurim. Did you notice the relationship? Yom HaKiPURIM. Purim is actually the “other holiest day of the year.”

While we connect to HaShem through self sacrifice on Yom Kippur, we connect through indulgence on Purim. It is also at the polar opposite time of the year from Yom Kippur. At each end of the year, we have an opportunity to find a highly elevated connection.

Now that you are deep in thought, turn your speakers up really loud and click here. (Feel free to post links to videos of you or your friends dancing to this song in the comments.)

Now, on to the blogs:

Special Feature: Israel Situation blogger Joel has recently started up a blog featuring news and information on non-profits and NGOs around the world. Check out NGO Meter.

Purim:

Batya from me-ander learned about being ripped off when buying nearly a kilogram of candy in bulk rather than one piece at a time.

Binyamin Miller wrote about the idea of a world with no evil.

Homeshuling shares lovely artwork depicting scenes in the Megilla, care of six year old Ella.

Rabbi Oliver at A Chassidishe Farbrengen talks about consistency despite diverse challenges during Purim.

Yisrael Medad shares some Purim humor with us at My Right Word.

Israel:

I wrote a post on corruption in the Palestinian Authority. An investigative journalist found that the PA has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the Palestinian people. I also wrote a post about a group of Israelis marching to a shul in Jericho.

Anthony wrote a post about gift giving in Israel and how to decide whether to give a gift or money, and how much.

Jacob Reichman gives us some good cultural news from Israel, and wonderful pictures to go along with it. Stop by and look at photos from the opening of the Moshe Castel Museum of Art. He also posted an annual computer jobs in Israel (CJI) survey results.

Batya posted on a Sad End to a Great Aliyah Story at Shiloh Musings. This one does make you stop and think about how fragile our lives really are.

Joel Katz gives us two regular updates from his site on religion and state in Israel.

Yisroel at Artzeinu gives us a glimpse into his reason for making Aliyah in a portion of his essay to Nefesh b Nefesh.

Israel21c has an interesting post on using the average Israeli for an international PR campaign and discusses how Israel’s size does not impede innovation on the Israelity blog.

Maya, in her quest of learning how to be Israel, found that life in Israel is a lot different than people outside of Israel think. The conflict is just not that important in day to day life for most people.

David Morris writes on Tzedek-Tzedek that the view from Turkey is not so nice. He also writes about a letter to his shul personally attacking him (is it real or not, read the article to find out…)

Snoopy the Goon (who’s name is so cool I never fail to be impressed) explores how Allah treats a female shahid (aren’t you all impressed by my Arabic skills). He also finds that the late Hamas terrorist allegedly killed by the Mossad was so cheap that even your Bubbe would be impressed.

Yisrael Medad at My Right Word writes about a mistake by Ethan Bronner writing about Eastern Jerusalem.

Rahel at Elms in the Yard gives us beautiful pictures from a recent hike through the Judean Hills.

Jewish:

Robert Avrech at Seaphic Secret discusses anti-Semitism in college.

Meryl at Yourish gives us a blogger’s guide to anti-Semitic comment trolls.

Rachel from Shavua Tov gives an enlightening view into being a convert to Judaism.

Schvach Yid revived his blog to share a song by the Jewish music group Pharaoh’s Daughter.

G6 wrote a funny piece on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Check out the Guide to Guests.

Hadassah enlightens us about Miriam’s Cup at the Pesach Seder. It is an interesting view into Jewish feminism.

The Rebbetzin’s Husband does not disappoint in a discussion titled Rabbi Motti Elon, Rabbi Leib Tropper, and our Yosef Mistake. Be sure to read through the lively discussion that follows. He also shares what we can learn from the Toyota failures.

Frum Satire found an amazing product: the personal mechitza for air travel (really!).

The “My Views on the News” blog from Chabad has an interesting article on the limit of how much charity a person can give. The Chabad parenting blog talks about discussing an invisible G-d with your children.

A Chassidishe Farbrengen talks about the real tests of poverty and wealth.

Yosef at Yachdus gives us thoughts on The ‘Balkany’ Syndrome and the Halacha of copying music.

Personal:

Be sure to visit the world renowned Israeli comedian Benji Lovitt when he stop in your town on his North American comedy tour. You can read a recap of his Calgary stop here.

Lady Light writes about going back home, and the personal feelings of visiting where you grew up.

Hadassah vents at her site, In The Pink, about matchmaker double standards when looking at men and women.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading. Next week, Haveil Havalim will be hosted at Ima on (and off) the Bimah. If you want to be included, you can submit your posts at the submission form. If you are interested in hosting, contact our fearless leader, Jack.

Haveil Havalim #258: Purim 5770 Edition is a post from: The Israel Situation

Creating the Media

Joel — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:57:39 +0000

The Internet–particularly the invention of blogging–has irreversibly transformed the way we receive and process information. No longer can mainstream media define the plane of debate; anybody can independently fact-check a source and publish their findings for the world to see. The ongoing debate over the Goldstone Report is evidence of this fact: even primary sources, such as UN documents, no longer go without heavy scrutiny.

With a much greater diversity of sources available for general consumption, the argument can be made that one no longer has to be quite as careful when scrutinizing sources. If you have a question about something, you can always just ask a field of (self-proclaimed) experts from all over the world. If you need something explained, or you’re looking for an analysis of a news item, the information is at your fingertips. This revolution has given NGOs an unprecedented power. Now, any group can publish their own watchdog website or blog, thereby introducing an alternative source of information into the marketplace.

However, unlike the heavily regulated print and television media, the Internet is uncensored. Anybody can make any claim, no matter how absurd or ridiculous. Therefore, though there exists a greater variety of sources, the need to be aware of perspective is even greater; since any advocacy organization can publish any piece they want without editorial verification, we have to be hyper-aware of bias if we really are looking to find truth.

For example, I will use the NGO Monitor blog. I have quoted the organization before, and I still believe that they do positive fact-checking and rumor-killing in the name of advancing peace in Israel. Much of the blog reads as an objective analysis of the lies and truths produced on both sides of the Israel-Palestine debate. For an organization like NGO Monitor, whose goals require at least the image of objectivity, these articles are highly effective. Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to discern facts from opinion in the pieces, which does credit to the writers.

As I scrolled down the page, my blood ran cold as my eyes fell upon my least favorite political cartoon of all time: Dry Bones. Aside from using blatant factual distortions for political purposes, the cartoon tends to take a blanket stance against the UN and the non-Jewish Arab people of the Middle East. Dry Bones is more than just a set of panels with a political message; it usually represents the voice of far-right extremists.

I am disappointed to see that an organization which seeks peace through truth supports an extremist ideology. There’s nothing wrong with a group that uses online media as a method for disseminating their own ideas, but we must remember that authors and readers have a shared responsibility to the truth. Authors should make clear their biases, while readers have to pick up on subtle (or not-so-subtle, as the case may be) hints as to what motives a particular writer has. Only when this is fulfilled can we come close to approximating truth.

Creating the Media is a post from: The Israel Situation

Israel Bloggers to Watch in 2010

Eric — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:53:12 +0000

[Welcome ProBlogger readers! Be sure to subscribe by RSS to keep on top of the situation in the Middle East. Also, come back on Sunday for the blog carnival featuring the best of this week in Israel blog posts.]

As we are just into 2010, I thought it would be fun to search to Jewish/Israel blogging world for people to watch in 2010. Some of these have been around for a long time, and some are new. Either way, they are all worth giving a read, or re-read, in 2010. In no particular order:

The Elder – The Elder of Ziyon

manages to write so many great, investigative posts that I am often looking to him for important news on the PalArab (his term for Palestinian Arab) side of things. His PalArab self death count is a great reminder that we are not the bad guys.

David Bogner – Treppenwitz

Treppenwitz reminds us that Israel is a fun place with some lighter posts and some posts of more depth.

Benji Lovitt – What War Zone?

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to move to Israel, you don’t need much more than Benji’s candid stories of life in the land of humus and shwarma. Benji, a comedian by night, is an entertaining blogger with a lot to say about moving to Israel.

Ya’akov Ben-Yehuda – Esser Agaroth

Ya’akov is another oleh blogging his stories and experiences in Israel. His mix of politics and religion often give a version of Israeli life that you will not see in the news. He gives stories from the perspective of someone living in Judea/Samaria, though his recent move to Jerusalem has given us yet another view of a religious Jewish life in Israel.

Joel/Anthony/Eric – The Israel Situation

Yes, I know I put myself on my own list. Joel, Anthony, and I have big plans for 2010, including a blog face lift and post series to keep you informed and excited. Joel’s recent addition of a weekly NGO/Non-Profit watch has brought a valuable new genre to the site, and we are looking to add new Israel politics, Science/Technology, and Sports/Entertainment bloggers to the site (contact us if you are interested or know someone who might be).

Israel Bloggers to Watch in 2010 is a post from: The Israel Situation

Two Sites Worth Visiting: Havail Havalim Second Cut

Eric — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:34:08 +0000

I felt bad about a few good sites that were sadly excluded from this week’s Haveil Havalim due to technical reasons, so I thought I would pass on their great posts for the week:

Benji, at one of my favorite Israel blogs, wrote about a good Israeli wedding. Benji also noticed a problem I had while living in Israel. Israeli jeans are not made for normal sized men. They just don’t fit. He also expressed frustration over explaining sour cream in Hebrew.

Lady-Light presents Happy Birthday Month posted at Tikkun Olam. She also wrote about a speech she liked from Andrew Roberts.

So, please visit those ones as well. Again, sorry for those who didn’t make it in. I got about three hundred e-mail twelve hours after I finished the carnival.

Two Sites Worth Visiting: Havail Havalim Second Cut is a post from: The Israel Situation

Buy Uranium Online, Be Like Ahmadinejad

Eric — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:41:51 +0000

Have you ever wanted to build your own nuclear power reactor? You can be like Iran and buy uranium ore for your own top secret nuclear factility. (Yes, that is an Amazon affiliate link to buy Uranium from The Israel Situation)

I was doing a little online perusing, and stumbled upon radioactive uranium ore for the low price of $29.95. I don’t know how legit this really is, but it is shipped by Images SI Inc.

So, if you want to be a government outlaw or nuclear scientist, you too can build a nuclear reactor. All you need is $30, centrifuges, scientists, and billions of dollars.

Buy Uranium Online, Be Like Ahmadinejad is a post from: The Israel Situation