Steven Plaut's

1.  You know how the classic definition of "chutzpah" is the guy who kills his parents and then asks the court for mercy because he is an orphan?  Well, we may have to update that.

It seems that many of the illegal Eritrean infiltrators in Israel are whining that they are afraid of an outbreak of hostilities with Syria.   After all, the state has not arranged for these criminals to get gas masks and other defensive equipment.  See this:

 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4423587,00.html

Foreigners without gas masks: 'We're frightened as well'

Some 220,000 foreigners in Israel are not equipped with gas mask in case of Syria strike; Eritrean refugee: 'State has to take care of us'

 

Now here is an idea.  Since they are so frightened, now would be a really good time to send them all home!

2.  I mentioned this matter yesterday but I think it is important enough to raise again, and in fact I would like to ask for your assistance in petitioning the Attorney General to prosecute this guy for racist incitement.

The Anti-Semitic Professor at the Univcersity of Haifa Micah Leshem Published a Neo-Nazi Cartoon, displaying a blood libelous defamation against Jews in a jihadist web site:

http://isracampus.org.il/third%20level%20pages/HaifaU%20-%20Micah%20Leshem%20-%20Pens%20Anti-Semitic%20Cartoon.htm

Writing to the heads of the University to demand his dismissal would be a helpful although useless gesture.   Israel, however, has anti-racism laws that criminalize racist incitement.   I cannot imagine a more appropriate incident to which the law should be applied.  Therefore, kindly take a moment and drop a note to Yehuda Weinstein, the Israeli Attorney General.  Demand that he indict this malicious anti-Semite immediatedly for racist incitement. 

The most effective way to do so would be to fax him at    972-2-6467001
You should send the same request to the Attorney General of the Haifa district at 972- 2-6467060
If you are reluctant to fax, then the second best is by email:  Send your demand for indictment to the Israeli Attorney General via pniyot.tzibur@justice.gov.il.  Send a copy to the Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni at sar@justice.gov.il .  Her fax is 972- 2-6285438

Try adding a CC to these addresses:  mancal@justice.gov.il and tel-aviv@friedman.co.il  (the last is the legal advisor to the University of Haifa)

3.  What with Rosh Hashana approaching, let me take a moment for something happy and lovely and sweet, obviously behavior uncharacteristic for me.  As you know, I occasionally like to post material about what I think are interesting developments in Israeli culture and especially in Israeli music.

I would like to introduce you to a young Israeli singer named Gila Hassid.  She is an Israeli singer who grew up in a Greek-Jewish family from Saloniki although I think she actually was born in Tel Aviv.  A talented singer, for years she simply sang standard Israeli Hebrew music.  Like New Yorkers who have never been to the Statue of Liberty, she thought Greek music was boring and not worth performing.  But the past few years she changed her mind and is in my opinion a rising star.  She sings authentic Greek music, not the commercial knockoffs that are also popular in Israel.  

These days, she has emerged as one of the leading musical voices in Israel singing in Greek, in Ladino (the medieval Spanish spoken by many Sephardic Jewish communities, including Saloniki;  my father-in-law grew up in Egypt speaking Ladino as one of his mother tongues).  She also sings Hebrew versions of Greek songs.  Israelis in general are the second greatest aficionados of Greek music after the Greeks themselves.  And I am one of them!  She is not the only Israeli singer of Greek and Balkan music - Yehuda Paliker is another and is also quite good.   If you are interested you can see lots of examples of his music on youtube.

Take a little time off from worrying about what Syria is about to do or about the appeasements by Netanyahu.  It is almost Rosh Hashana.  Get into the mood for something really sweet.  Sit back and relax and count to 10 and then listen to this, for this too is Jewish/Israeli music.  You will not be sorry:
http://www.gilahassid.co.il/nina.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaMT3u9jRt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgr8zYRompI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42RmNJICXeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=IL&feature=related&v=a9bjX5Bc6q8&hl=en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NoXn3dQ4uY

Finally as desert, since we are talking about Israeli singers of Greek songs, the following is really a spoof of Greek music by Arik Einstein but has become an Israeli classic, and the video is unusually amusing.  Take a moment and open http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cygVEtou0E.  It will make your day!

(More generally, you cannot go wrong listening to almost ANYTHING that Arik Einstein sings!)