Hot off the press: "Ki Yachol Nuchal!" boycotts YouTube, switches to "WeJew " and "12 Tribe Films"

Yom rishon, 1 Tamuz 5770, Rosh Chodesh.  Happy Birthday, Rabbi G.

This blog is usually about the fun, exciting and happy things that happen to family and friends in Israel.  After all, there are plenty of sources to tell you everything that is difficult about living in Israel.  There are even several sources dedicated to "educating" you about how evil Israel is.  ("We don't hate Jews.  We just hate Israel."  Yeah.  Right.)

But today, it seems only fair to join the small chorus of voices pointing out that YouTube, everyone's favorite site for downloading videos, has once again bowed to pressure to hold Israel to a different standard regarding copyright laws, freedom of speech, and the Fair Use Doctrine.  (Since the attack was on Caroline Glick's Latma TV parody, "We Con the World," I link to her article explaining what took place.  Briefly, she describes the detailed efforts made by Latma TV to ensure that all laws were followed; and her commenters point out that several other parodies have been made of the original version, without being banned for the copyright infringement reasons cited by YouTube.  Worth a read.)

Over the years, I have become increasingly aware that Hashem seems to be offering every human being a choice.  To paraphrase what I perceive the Almighty to be saying:  "You're either with Me, or agin Me."  There used to be confusing gray areas.  Now, it seems that choices are becoming so clear, we are almost living a parody of ourselves.

It would be unthinkable to American sensibilities for any nation in the world to have its babies and grandmothers blown up while eating ice cream -- except that when it happened in Israel, many people could rationalize it.  A pregnant woman and her four small daughters being shot at point-blank range would not be an acceptable protest anywhere in the world -- but when it happened in Israel, there were deeply caring people in the world who said that it was the pregnant "settler" who was to blame.  When the IDF has defended its country from attack, its soldiers and officers have been threatened with being tried for war crimes.  And so on.

My small protest will be to begin featuring our own home-grown video services instead.  WeJew, founded by Shlomo Wollins, is one source.  Another is 12 Tribe Films, created by Avi Abelow of Home Game fame.  I have been aware of these sites for some time, and have waited for them to "grow up" and shake out their developmental glitches.  They are both excellent video sharing resources.  I encourage Am Yisrael to take advantage of services that won't bow to pressure to exclude a pro-Israel voice.  By all means, check out both sites' now-extensive libraries of excellent historical and modern videos.

Here again is Caroline Glick's parody, We Con the World.  (As stated in comment from Shlomo Wollins:  "Youtube has BANNED this video for copyright infringement - which stretches their editorial credibility beyond belief - feel free to spread this link - as the critical video has become one of Israel's best PR responses to the flotilla.")



Even though Rabbi Tarfon is speaking about the study of Torah in this Pirke Avot quote, Jews traditionally bring it to mind for issues of social consciousness has well:  "You are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to withdraw from it."  This blog must speak out.  Thanks for listening.

A week in The Life

Yom rishon, 24 Sivan 5770.

The Kinneret, showing off a higher water level than in years past

Last week was a powerful week, full of individual gifts for each member of Chez Mizrachi.

 We spent time with friends, welcomed new olim, attended a military tekes, celebrated an anniversary, witnessed change and development, and watched the world behave with increasing weirdness toward our tiny little country.  (I am always amazed that no matter when I switch on the BBC -- for the purpose of being lulled to sleep quickly -- the top story is ALWAYS about Israel.  I wonder if Luxembourg is jealous.  Nah -- probably not.  Maybe if the BBC ever has anything nice to say about us...)

On Yom Rishon, there was the tiyul with my ulpan to Givat HaTachmoshet.

On Yom Sheni, while I was meeting with my friend Adi Brito, here from Baltimore to take care of her dear father, I got a great phone call from Yeshiva Bochur:  "Ema, I'm the last Eastman to make aliyah!"  Baruch Hashem!  After a year-long struggle, my son is a citizen of Israel.

Aryeh, to his brother:  "DUDE!  Nobody else in the WORLD could take a year to make aliyah!"

"Shut up and smile for the camera.  Do I tell people how long it takes for you to clean your ROOM?  We're talking months here, people."

On Yom Shlishi, we attempted to meet new olim at Ben Gurion, but ended up having to greet them by email.  But since we were already in Tel Aviv, it seemed worthwhile to go the extra distance to visit our dear son, Stunt Man, at his military ceremony for moving up to a new level in Basic Training.

"Now I'm no longer lower than bovine excreta.  I have reached the new level of -- bovine excreta."

Yes, Baltimore people -- that's a Verschleisser on Aryeh's right.

It was our 25th wedding anniversary; so the Dearly Beloved took me out to dinner.

(It was a little hard to find a kosher restaurant in the Haifa train station.)  Later, when we were on our way home, we found a terrific little eatery near the Tiveria bus depot.  It may have been near-starvation that made the food taste so good -- or it could have been that the pargiot and veal kebabs were spiced to perfection.

When we got home, we exchanged gifts.  Since it was the Silver Anniversary, Benzi's got some more business.

And because he gives to everyone else, and hardly ever tells anyone what he might want, the Dearly Beloved got a present hand-made by Be'gdei Hemp.

Don't you just WANT to be a settler, when you can look this good?

In the course of the week, we saw pictures of our Soldier Boy (the First)'s new truck, purchased for his landscaping and hauling business.  Way to go, Josh.  You're keeping the family tradition:  your father's father, and his father before him, were in the hauling business.  (Baltimore folk are welcome to call him at the number on the side of the truck.  Hey!  A mother's gotta look out for her grandchildren!)

And we coped, as best we could, with the end of an era, as Sports Guy's hand-made Gush Katif kipah bit the dust, and he decided it's time to "wear a normal kipah."  (Sorry, Devra.)

Stunt Man (aka Soldier Boy the Second) poses with a sleepy Sports Guy, to illustrate that the Orange has moved on.  Note black, barely-visible kipah on Sports Guy's head.  How will we find him in a crowd?

Last but not least, the brilliant Caroline Glick put together a video using humor to teach the Israeli perspective on the Great Flotilla Debacle.  [At the initial posting, I could show you this video here.  However, under pressure, YouTube has since pulled it.  So now, hop on over to Eye on the World to view the Live Leak copy.  The freedom of speech laws are a little harder for Israel to access, even when she carefully follows the Fair Use Doctrine.]



And I don't even see a point in making more than a passing mention of Helen Thomas...

All in all, a totally not-boring week at Casa Mizrachi. Looking forward to whatever new adventures are in store!  (Are YOU coming to Israel soon?  Come to see us.  You will add to the light!)

Glossary:
Olim: immigrants to Israel
Tekes: ceremony
Kinneret: Sea of Galilee
Yom Rishon: Day One (Sunday) -- the days of the week are called numerically, in their progress toward the Sabbath
Tiyul: day hike
Ulpan: intensive Hebrew-language immersion class
Givat HaTachmoshet: Ammunition Hill
Bovine Excreta: look it up, unless you're in the military, in which case you will understand by implication, and wonder why I'm using such big words for such basic ----
Pargiot: chicken thighs, prepared here, like so much in Israel, "al ha-aish," on the grill

Watch The Third Jihad for Free on 9/11

I don't waste time being an alarmist. That's not what this blog is about.

But for the past ten years, I have listened not just to the propaganda that I prefer -- we all choose to listen to, read, and watch those media that agree with our perspectives, after all -- I also have followed websites of those with opposing views, in order to see what they really think.

What you are about to watch is narrated by a Muslim, Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser who has bravely chosen to speak against the growing threat.



Related to this is an excellent post by Robert Avrech at Seraphic Secret. Caroline Glick is one of the most brilliant thinkers speaking out on behalf of Israel. She speaks plainly, and will remind those who may have forgotten that the current "two state solution" policy didn't even exist in American and Israeli thinking prior to 1993!