NeemUS platform number one

OK so things are really getting crazy here.  BB has blackmailed Members of Knesset (Israel's parliament) to vote against a law that would have made any Jewish 'settlement' that is established for more than four years, protected and permanently established.  There were more than enough MK's who had stated that they were going to vote for this, yet BB bailed and worse, he threatened any of them who are Likud members (his party) that if they did vote for this he would have them removed from the Likud list and the Knesset.  Since when does the Likud party, supposedly a rightest party flip on Israeli citizens living in villages established by the Israeli government, in strategic locations for the protection of Israeli citizens, leave us hanging out to dry?  This party list controlled politics must stop.

1.  New system of government must be formed that will allow for direct representation. This will ensure demographic and geographic power of the people and not power by elitist parties without having to answer to the nation at large.

This will be a combination of the British and existing systems which would allow for an MK to be elected by his constituency and therefor be directly responsible to his voters. There would be approx. 100 MK's elected directly and the balance of approx. 20 seats would be allocated to the parties after the complete vote is in; awarding those seats in accordance with the percentage of overall vote.

The Bus Issue

Foreigners look at this with 'Rosa Parks' glasses.  They see the civil rights movement and they cringe.  Let me enlighten you.  You are using near sighted glasses for a far sighted problem.  And it don't work. 

The issue isn't putting a sub class of people at the back of the bus to degrade them.  The issue is that the community chooses separation of the sexes as a way of retaining a level of purity and modesty in a world where men and women sleep around like no body's business.  The buses in Israel get jammed packed and this was the option that was decided upon.  It could have been women on the left and men on the right just as easily.  It is not meant as and not seen as and not felt as degradation by those who ride these buses.  Believe it or not it is quite liberating to not have to be bumping up against the opposite sex.  In particular I remember a ride when a man's privates were right in my face the whole time.  It was very unpleasant. 

The issue is that there are buses which are designated as separate seating, but it is not enforced by the bus company nor the law.  Therefor it is at the rider's discretion to
A.  ride that particular bus and
B.  sit according to the accepted practice. 
That means that if I want to travel to Tel Aviv, there are many buses and have the option of both separate buses or a non separate ones.  If I choose the separate bus I know in advance (and its posted all over the bus) that travelers are requested to sit according to the format of men in the front and women in the back. 

Don't like it, take a different bus.  You want to take that separate bus but want to sit where you like, not according to the request.  Know that this will be an issue and you may or may not be requested to move.  Sometimes people are polite and sometimes not.  The status quo should be to politely explain and request that the person moves.  They don't want to, deal with it.  However, there are people who have not been brought up right from all walks of life and we now find ourselves in a situation where we are plastered all over the media because some idiot made a fool out of himself.  This has been an on going topic / subject here for at least 7 years.  I was on a separate bus when I was pregnant and there were no more seats in the back, I moved to the front where there were seats.  A couple of men explained that this was a separate bus and requested that I move politely.  I politely told them men that I was not willing to do so and that was then end of it.  99% of the time, that is how it pans out.  99% of the time there is no problem.  Things seem to have come to head and 'This too shall Pass'. 

The person I really feel sorry for in all this hoopla is the little Margolis girl who has become the international poster child for the anti Haredi (Ultra Orthodox)protests, Sinat Hinam (baseless hatred) and Hilul HaShem (Desecration of G-D).  I can't imagine that she is thrilled (or will be in the future) to have her face and name plastered all over the world.  I don't think her parents did her any favors.

Exchange of death

I'm not the first and I won't be the last to comment on the ridiculousness of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.

There is no doubt that everyone is happy for the Shalit family.  However, there is no one who is happy at the price being paid, the terrorists with blood on their hands (who in the past were never part of deals) being released, the 1000 death sentences being pardoned, the fact that they have all said that they will go back to terrorism, the lack of sensitivity to the families who have lost loved ones already by the hands of these terrorists, etc....

Were the government to also release Jewish security prisoners, had the US in an act of good will released Jonathon Pollard in addition,  were the entire 1000+ terrorists released ONLY to Gaza putting many of them in exile and not next door to me or other Israelis, it would have been a little bit easier to stomach.  The government should have dealt with this situation by force years ago.  Taking one km a month until he was returned, it would be a completely different story now.  Instead, this is what we end up with.  The Fogal family murderers were spared the death penalty for what????  They show no remorse and have said, 'we'll sit here for 15 years and get out just like these guys, we'll still be young'. 

All are happy for the Shalits.  They have been living in hell for over 5 years.  But don't think for one minute their hell will be over.   Every time another Jew is killed by one of the terrorists that was release in this deal, they will feel it.  They will know that others are suffering in their stead and that is a huge burden to live with.

Attack in the South

Yesterday there were three separate attacks in Israel's south.  Many people are still unaware that for the last 6 years there has been a constant barrage of missiles fired from inside the Gaza Strip - which Israel gave up control over as an act of good will and in a bid to get the peace process going.  That went well didn't it?????

Yesterday not only did terrorist fire a grad missile into a random car of two middle aged couples going on vacation but they attacked two public buses filled with civilians.  Then they bombed a car with a soldier inside.  8 people killed and many injured including children.  The Israeli government responded by taking out the terrorists but in my humble opinion, there needs to be a much stronger response and I believe that this is also the answer to the situation with Gilad Shalit.  You take back the Gaza Strip one kilometer at a time.

Clear one Kilometer and replace the boarder.  This kilometer is now annexed to Israel and no longer has a conflict, as all the Arabs living there will be relocated into the remaining Gaza Strip.  After a three month period of quiet and the return of Gilad Shalit.  Then talks can begin.  If there is no quiet and Gilad Shalit is not returned, then we take another kilometer.

Why is this the answer, because there is only 13 kilometers to the Gaza Strip.  They'll get the picture fast and that will be the end of it.  But if for any reason, and I don't believe that it would happen but, if it did, and they don't stop the attacks and don't return Gilad Shalit, then in the end all the Arabs in the Gaza Strip would end up in the Sinai - basically back to Egypt which is where they come from anyway.  The Gaza Strip would be back in Israeli hands completely empty and Gush Katif can rise from the ashes.

Its a simple plan but it would work. 

This is how terrorism works.

Listen to the web casts or read the articles about Pvt. Nasser Abdo.  He's the Muslim American who was planning a terrorist attack on Fort Hood.  They all say that it appears he was 'acting alone'.  Listen to the guy who alerted the authorities, he comments that the reason he did this was that Nasser asked some 'strange questions', like what is odorless gunpowder?  The shop owner comments, you don't buy large quantities of this stuff if you don't know what it is.

Now put the two together.  Why is he buying stuff that he doesn't even know what it is, unless someone else told him to buy it.   There's the connection.   He was not working alone. 

He was being groomed as a terrorist.  Here's why.  All of a sudden Nasser Abdo asked to be discharged from the US army a year ago, on grounds of being a conscientious objector.  These are the guys who are usually pacifist and object to armies etc... in general.  But Nasser was in the army so how could this be???   He woke one day and decided to be a pacifist?  No, he is a pedophile and his Muslim brothers, who knew this, were giving him a way out, while retaining his Muslim and family honour.  You see many of the people who blow themselves up have some kind of secret, homosexuality, pedophilia, extra marital affairs, etc...  The terrorist organizations collect dirt on people and then approach them giving them an option, they either blow themselves up or become terrorists, bringing honour and glory back to themselves, their family and Islam or they will be killed in an honour killing by their family and friends.  Oh and the US army also knew that that Nasser was a pedophile, they had caught him with child pornography and this is why his discharge was pending, for him to have psychological testing and treatment and for them to keep an eye on him.

Many of the suicide bombers we've had here, had something in their past which caused them to choose between being honour killed and killing to bring honour back to their families and Islam.

Ramadan Cancels Rosh Hodesh Av March Around Old City - News Briefs - Israel National News

Ramadan Cancels Rosh Hodesh Av March Around Old City - News Briefs - Israel National News

Now this is another thing that is absurd in this country.  

Yes, this a democracy and yes, we are in theory 'rule of the majority with protection of the minority'.  However, when there is a situation like this and you have two traditions which coincide then logic says that the majority rules.  Not here.  They are cancelling a very ancient Jewish tradition (records of this go back to the Byzantine period) of walking around the walls saying Psalms on the Eve of the New Month (Erev Rosh Hodesh).  Why???  Because this month it is the same night as the beginning of Ramadan. 

No one is saying don't have Ramadan, no one is saying they don't have rights, but in 22 Muslim countries around the globe, this isn't a problem.  There is only one Jewish country and I'm sorry, our traditions take precedent.  Assign the Muslims a specific gate and for that one night they should have to use that gate.  The Jews can either start or finish at that same gate according to what the Police deem best in order to prevent altercations at the end of the Muslim prayer time.

Enough is enough, NeemUS!!!!!

Housing Crisis

Anyone following the news in Israel realizes that we are having a housing crisis.

This is due to a number of factors.  One is that the country's population has grown in 63 years from less than 1 million to over 7 million, TG.  The other is that a large percentage of apartments were bought by foreigners when the Israeli Shequel was low, for investment and as holiday apartments for them and their families.  While we are thrilled that so many Jews feel that this is home and this is where they come to celebrate holidays and hang out during vacation times, it has created a situation where there is an huge amount of apartments that are empty most of the year.  Together, the fact that most of the jobs, as well as three of the largest universities in the country, are in the center and an in proportionate number of apartments are not available to rent, has shot rental prices, even for the ones that are available to ridiculous levels.  It has created a situation in which no student, young couple, large family or old couple for that matter can afford to rent or to buy.

The answer could be that salaries need to be more proportionate to the cost of living, which should include rental and mortgage prices.  There is a huge par between what people earn and what they can afford.  We are a family of 8 and our income have gone down over the last few years, while the family and expenses grew TG.  If I could work in Jerusalem and live in Dimona, then I could afford something.  As it is our work is centered around Jerusalem and so here we must stay.

There needs to be government subsidies to help families who don't own and would like to.  Also, government housing should be built, in the areas of the university; hostels which are like dorms for use of the students and their families while they study.

Last but not least, there should be a government program to build new neighborhoods, like Homat Shmuel (Har Homa), and to encourage the building and growing of a strong Jewish presence in and around our eternal capital.