Arguing with himself

The liberal blog The Daily Beast has an excellent article blasting President Obama's foreign policy. Authors Christopher Dickey and John Barry call it an "unmitigated disaster" and argue that the problem lies at the top: "Maybe the simplest and in many ways the most disturbing explanation for all the flailing is offered by veteran journalist and diplomat Leslie H. Gelb: 'There is one man in this administration who debates himself.' President Obama." They chronicle Obama's dithering and its cost, including North Koreans reportedly telling the Chinese that, if U.S. action in Libya is any indication, they need not fear the Americans. And that's not even talking about the cost in terms of our influence in the Mideast.

Free speech on campus

In this video, David Horowitz shows disturbing scenes from various American college campuses. In response to the annual Israel Apartheid Week organized by the Muslim Student Association (an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood), he has proposed a Palestinian Wall of Lies. Needless to say, his efforts meet with considerable resistance - a less brave soul would easily be discouraged. As for whether Israel society is apartheid, watch this video from a Candid Camera-like Israeli show. In it, one actor poses as an Arab woman asking to be served in a convenience store while another, behind the counter, refuses to serve her. The video records the reactions of the Israelis who witness this exchange. Based on this admittedly unscientific poll, the bystanders pass with flying colors. (Thanks to Mona Charen.)

Protecting civilians

While NATO is tearing out its hair trying to protect Libyan civilians (sometimes from the Gaddafi forces, sometimes from the rebels), Israel has premiered a new, automated anti-missile system. Last weekend, after a Qassam missile hit a schoolbus and injured a boy, Iron Dome shot down nine incoming missiles fired from Gaza. No civilians were injured. Now, don't wait for the UN to applaud this rescue of innocent civilians, because in the UN world there are no innocent Israeli civilians - only evil Zionists. But take a moment to feel sorry for the folks pushing for a boycott of Israeli goods: since Iron Dome is a unique technology, other countries may want to buy it to augment their own defense systems. You can also feel sorry for Hamas. They didn't expect Israel to retaliate for their targeting of the schoolbus by attacking Hamas positions in Gaza. Now they're asking for a ceasefire, most likely because, according to YNet, "some 20 terrorists were killed in Gaza, dozens of others were wounded, and assorted targets across the Strip had been destroyed." I say, 'go, Bibi, go!'

The future of France

This CBN video clip offers a drastic and shocking glimpse of how much ground France has already ceded to Islam. From a beleaguered French shopkeeper holding her ground in a suburb of Paris, heavily veiled women and rows of praying Muslims blocking the street to riots and rumors of coming civil war, it's a disturbing and grim picture. So what, you may ask, is the French government doing about this? Well, French Interior Minister Claude Gueant is facing a possible lawsuit for saying that that the growing number of Muslims posed a problem; his predecessor was convicted and fined for a similar statement. (Thanks to drzz.info and Jihad Watch.)

Goldstone and goose feathers

Judge Richard Goldstone, author of the infamous United Nations report blaming Israel for intentionally targeting civilians during the recent Gaza conflict, conceded in an op-ed published in the Washington Post on April 1 that Israel did not do so. He also conceded that Hamas was guilty of such conduct. I'm reminded of the story that opens Joseph Telushkin's Words That Hurt, Words That Heal (one of my favorite books). In it, spreading slander is compared to scattering the feathers from a pillow to the winds. Collecting the feathers is impossible, as is repairing the damage done by the slanderous words. Goldstone lent his name and prestige to a genocidal hatchet job; one op-ed now cannot remedy the consequences.