CIAcc

2 points
Hopefully my son Elli will blog while I am away


my son Ari brought over  a Bergen paper with the hatchet job that someone  in the administration or the CIA did on Israel.
Anonymous stories, making it appear Israel is weak on global terrorism ,and not a real partner.
Isn't that Leon Panetta going to Israel again for the 7yh time in a a few weeks?
If they are so untrustworthy ---why? why not partner with MORSI ? , ASSAD?   or the SAUDIS?

Mitt in Israel

It is interesting that over the past 3 years when Obama made a bunch od diplomatic gaffes re; England  including Michelle putting her hand on  the Queen's back,an inappropriate Obama toast ,and his present of a tape of his speeches to the Queen, neither the liberal press here or in the UK made any big deal about it.Howevever they have been all over  Mitt for his truthful comment about the Olympics
Obama went all out to try and undercut Mitt. The signing ceremony for additional Drone funding was opposed by Obama,but put into the budget by Congres after a strong push by GOP committee chairmen.
Jack Lew is coming to NY tomorrow to speak to the JCRC.
Yet, the Romney speech on and in Jerusalem was outstanding.As Gorge Will points out, the Evangelicals besides some Jews will br moved.   

Nice $7000 jacket Michelle wore in London!

We leave tomorrow for 3 weeks in Europe on 2 Kosherica cruises, where I will serve as Scholar-in-residence.

Rasmussen points out that Romney is exactly where Obama was 4 years ago in his polling --

CRUCH TIME

We are getting closer to crunch time with Syria and Iran.
Sadly as Def. Minister Ehud Barack said today the world especially the UN and US are impotent in Syria.
Today Iran announced the addition of 1000 new centrifuges
IF ISRAEL PROMISES TO PREVENT IRAN FROM GETTING THE BOMB, AS BIBI DID TODAY,THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO GO IT ALONE
IN THE MEANTIME AS THE JP REPORTS, THE ISRAELIS ARE CAREFULLY MONITORING SYRIA.
THIS INCLUDES SATELLITES WITH ADVANCED RADAR TECHNOLOGY,RECONNAISSANCE,DRONES AND HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.They ALSO HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF us INTELLIGENCE...

the campaign

WHILE MITT IS OVERSEAS, HE HAS PROMISED NOT TO CRITICIZE US FOREIGN POLICY.
THIS HAS NOT STOPPED THE WH TEAM FROM ATTACKING.MITT.

THEIR ATTACK THAT ROMNEY has no foreign policy experience seems lame when you consider 2008 and Obama was a total novice with no record, but a bunch of slogans.
Romney did promise to return the bust of Winston Churchill to the WH if elected.Obama sent it back to the British Embassy, after the last election.

Some fast food chains speculate they will have to raise food prices by 2% for Obama care.

it was lucky that no VP announcement was made.
What with the massacre, the Olympics and the foreign trip, it would have not held the attention of the public for too long.

OBAMA AND THE ME

Gov. Romney hit the nail on the head when he attacked Obama for lecturing Israel during his 3 /2 years of his Presidency.Advised by left wing Jewish advisers ,Obama felt he could bully his way to a withdrawal of Israel from  Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem.
He failed miserably and at the same time showed Israel's enemies that he really does not care for Bibi and Israel.
Obama has not accomplished anything in the ME.
The NYT in its usual anti-Israel bend cannot stand Bibi,because he has the nerve NOT to follow their lead.They blast Russian olim AND ORTHODOX-ULTRA ORTHODOX CITIZENS BECAUSE they do not trust the Arabs or the NYT.
They forget that Democracy sometimes has results that the Tom Friedmans of the ELITE WORLD do not agree with.  

SYRIA

We came back to NJ today,to prepare for Tisha B'av, and then off to Europe for our cruises.
Beyond the movie massacre, is the Syrian situation.
For the first time Assad admitted he has chemical weapons.We know his father used it on his own people.The dangers are many.
Losing control of them to the rebels-some of them are Ql Quida
handing them over to Hezbollah to use against Israel
attacking Israel himself to divert attention
Imagine if Iran were to get the Bomb,how difficult it would be to control their terror threats.At present Assad threatens to use them against an external enemy  only.
Remember it would take only 2 hours to remove weapons fro Syria to Lebanon.
As usual Obama is impotent.What good is a threat to Assad that the world would not forget the use of these weapons, if by then 100,000 ISRAELIS HAD DIED?

  As I said last week, he is in way over his head, and should step aside.
As Pres Peres said today, Israel is now in an open war with Iran.

Gun control / Flight school

THE QUESTION OF GUN CONTROL COMES UP AFTER EACH INCIDENT WHERE INNOCENTS ARE SLAUGHTERED.
As an urban citizen, I worry about the number of guns available.Yet as we see in Israel, the presence of guns by settlers does not lead to individuals going on rampages.
The question is why do we need such rapid firing weapons that have such huge clips of ammo.These are not hunting weapons nor are they needed to protect a home or person.
The presence of a  6 year old at a midnite show of this type is sad and outrageous.
When you go the the movies and see the loud coming attractions ,they are all mega-violence.
Similarly sexual content seen by young children leads to earlier and unprotected sex.
The role of parents is still paramount. 

Shame on the TSA for not protecting us from illegal immigrants going to flight school,and after they are trained then looking up if they should even be in this country .and getting flight training,or even running a flight school.

phony cam-kiss / Release from Gitmo == kill Israelis

I have no problem  with any public servant kissing their spouse in a spontaneous gesture.Thus when Pres. Obama kissed his wife the other nite in a public sporting event,that was nice.After the kiss, the press was led out of the arena.
One hour later, they were were brought back to re-record another kiss.
BS ===The kiss was as phony as everything else about him!

The blood of the dead Israelis in Bulgaria lie on the hands of those in this Administration that freed this criminal-jihadist from Gitmo.

MORASHA FLASH MOB

IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, WE HAVE HAD PICTURES OF BLACK YOUTH STORMING A WALMART DOING DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
YESTERDAY MY SON ARI SENT ME AN E-MAIL FROM CAMP MORASHAH, WHERE THE H.S. DIVISION WENT TO A LARGE MALL, AND THEN IN AN ORDERLY ORGANIZED FASHION STARTED TO SING AND DANCE.HIS 2 CHILDREN JONAH AND MATTHEW GO TO THE CAMP.
THE SHOPPERS STOPPED TO TAKE VIDEOS ,SMILE AND GIVE A THUMBS UP.
AT THE END OF THE DANCING, CHILDREN IN WHEELCHAIRS FROM YACHAD, THE DIVISION OF THE OU THAT WORKS WITH DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED,CAME MARCHING DOWN THE CENTER WITH THEIR TEEN- AGE
 COUNSELORS.
THIS WAS A KIDDUSH HASHEM-A SANCTIFICATION O9F G-D'S NAME.
I SENT A COPY OF THE TAPE TO DRUDGE

My Minuet with Hillary / ARIEL U. / ADELSON / BYE BYE MOFAZ

I have a description in my autobiography  of the meeting between Hillary Clinton and myself,Marcel Weber then Chairman of the OU Board and Rabbi Butler then Exec V.P. of the OU in the OU office as she started her campaign for the Senate.The chapter is entitled "My Minuet with Hillary".
One of the issues we discussed was Johnathan Pollard,She was against releasing him on humanitarian grounds then,and now years later took the same tack when she was in Israel.
Today there is a truly magnificent op-ed in the WSJ by Bret Stephens which totally wipes out any objective conclusion that she has been a successful Sec. of State.
Yes she has been loyal to the Pres., and kept faraway from Bill, but accomplishments=ZERO.
One line in the op-ed points to the only world leader she bawled out was Bibi Netanyahu, while she gave passes to Putin etc over Syria, Iran  and other despots.
Anyone who believes that she has been a TRUE friend of Israel is really enamored with her PR machine.
A MUST READ!

Congratulations to the newest UNIVERSITY in Israel ARIEL, which moved from a college to U. status  despite opposition from other universities and the left
.They have 14,000 students, 95 % from within the Green Line, 5% Arabs -plus many Ethiopians.

Another set of kudos to Sheldon Adelson for another 13 million dollar gift to Birth Right, which will enable thousands of additional young men and women to go to Israel.G-d should bless him for these gifts, and his support of pro-Israel candidates in this years election.

As I've said many times you cannot predict Israeli politics.The 91 or so days of merger with Mofaz has come to an end.Yes the Tal law was important however the future actions vs. Iran really require broad
political support.
I have no idea what the polls will show, but I would find it hard to believe that Kadimah helped itself with this quickie marriage-divorce.Nor will Bibi look like a winner for his short-sighted merger in order to avoid an election he would have won easily. 

WASHINGTON POST / ISRAEL POLICY FORUM

The Washington Post has a long front page story starting on page 1 this past Sunday,written by a long time anti-Israel correspondent Scott Wilson.
The article which I read, blames Bibi and Obama for lack of progress in ME peace.Not only does Abbas come off as the good guy,but Wilson claims that pre-1948 the Palestinians has a land,that they lost to Israel.
He totally forgets the League of Nations and the UN partition,and the war by Arab countries.
There is an excellent rebuttal in the American Thinker  today by Leo Rennert(can be seen on Real Clear Politics.com)
What is more worrisome, is that a 2nd Obama term would have him place the screws on Israel  regarding  "refugees, settlements, Jerusalem  and  security".
We have to pray that he does not win!

I almost totally forgot about the left wing Israel Policy Forum.Yesterday, they sponsored a letter signed by 40 left-wing Jewish " leaders" calling on Bibi to reject  the Levy report that would legitimize Israel settlements etc. Well a zebra does not change its stripes.

GENUGH!

After watching just a few minutes of the charges -counter- charges from Obama and Romney,I could not take it anymore.
The bottom line is that Obama has nothing positive to run on.
1-NOT HIS RECORD
2-NOT HIS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
3-NOT HIS ABILITY OR PLANS TO REDUCE THE CRIPPLING NATIONAL DEBT
4-NOT ANY REASONABLE PLAN TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT
5-NO PLAN ON HOW TO WORK WITH A CONGRESS/SENATE THAT WILL BE REPUBLICAN (AT LEAST ONE OF THEM) EVEN IF HE WINS .

Therefore it is all character assassination "felon" "liar" -ANYTHING BUT THE ISSUES THAT MUST BE SOLVED.
BAIN CAPITAL by all independent experts is something that Romney can be proud of.
Not perfect, but inherent in capitalism is risk taking and the opportunity for profit.
When you take Bain Capital, his stewardship of a failing Olympics, and his Governorship of Mass., he is a proven entity.
The rest is garbage-Perhaps they can shift the debate for awhile,but as we get closer to Nov., even Blacks will see that beyond pride they have not benefited from Obama(14% unemployment).
Perhaps more people like me, not only Republicans, but Independents will say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"
With all this negative attacks, the race is still tied-hopefully as people assess the negativity, they will wake up, and say "IT JUST HASN'T WORKED' or in the words of Hillary in 2008 "SHAME ON YOU BARACK OBAMA"

TAL negotiations ,youtube / Hezbollah

As of  now, there is no agreement between Kadimah and the Coalition regarding the Tal law, exempting Haredi students from military service.Whether they will extend the deadline,come to some agreement or break up the coalition,I would not venture a guess.AFTER ALL THIS IS ISRAEL

 My son Elli called to say that on YOUTUBE.COM/GANCHROW there was a lady in Denver from a Hebrew book store explaining  what my book Sasson Vesimcha was about(sheva brachot).
I called her and told her about the new book.

 Yesterday I was on a TIP conference call with Ehud Eilam, an expert on the military situation in Israel.
I had submitted a question regarding how Israel would act if Hezbollah tried to transfer weapons including poison gas from Syria to Lebanon.?
He answered that it was a difficult situation,as Israel does not want to get involved in Syria-=for many reasons.If they attacked Syria ,then there might be a reactionnfrom Syria on the Golan.If they attacked Hwzbollah in Lebanon, Hezbollah could  unleash up to 800 rockets/day from a 60,000 weapon stockpile.

MITT TO ISRAEL / MITT AT NAACP

The news that Mitt Romney will spend 2 days in Israel,meeting leaders is a welcome event. He will have a $60,000 a plate fundraiser and will deliver a major address on the middle east.
Two Republican leaders, Ari Fleisher and Matt Brooks have left for Israel in order to stimulate absentee ballot registration.
It is estimated that there are 100,000 American citizens in Israel who could vote.Those from Florida, Nevada and Penn. could help pushing Mitt over the top.
It is still a close race, especially in swing states.

The fact that Mitt was booed  at the NAACP shows poor respect for the office of a Presidential candidate, and a lack of self respect for those who booed.
Common courtesy should have dictated silence.
When I was Pres. of the OU, we had a debate scheduled between Arik Sharon and Yussie Beilin.Of course our delegates favored Sharon.
In the morning I told everyone.Beilin is a guest in our home-Do not embarrass us by being disrespectful.The group was terrific.
Similarly AIPAC has told their delegates not to boo speakers that we do not agree with.
NAACP should learn a lesson.

Obama / Peres

Shimon Peres was always a left wing actor.I remember when I was Pres. of the OU, we had a dinner in the Plaza hotel that was televised live.He sat between Sheila and me.
He could not stand me for my strong (r wing) opinions, so much so ,that the whole dinner, he never spoke to me , only to my better half.That was during his brief PM stint after Rabin died.
He was given the Presidency as a "senior" present,and although the Presidency has no official power,he has performed well.This is due to the fact that the lefties in Washington like him better than Bibi.
However, his attack on the committee report that pushes for legalization of Judea-Samaria-Jerusalem buildings is way out of line.

The campaign is getting very dirty,and Obama is not only negative,his ads and statements on Bain,outsourcing  and other economic news is totally false.He ignores the Fact checkers,but it is a long campaign, and in the absence of a RECORD ,the truth will catch up with him.

Obama shouldn't he do the honorable thing?

In any organization or corporation,if the CEO or President cannot turn that organization around in 31/2
years that person would be asked to resign or be fired.
Any executive where there is conflict between sides, who during his or  her tenure not only cannot work with other groups,but rather makes matters worse,and even brings up issues not to resolve the problems   but to sharpen the disputes, could not last in any organization.
If we had a parliamentary govt.the members of the dominant party in the legislature would remove their leader and substitute another one.
Obama is guilty of being in way over his head.He  is a great gutter Chicago-style politician.But economics, leading a country -that is not his strong point.
Only the American people can save us before we go over the cliff.

IDF DRAFT / ABBAS / THE RCA BATTLE

The current controversy regarding drafting of Haredim (and Arabs) is long overdue.The fact that the Haredi community has grown,with large fanilies mired in poverty with little or no contributions to the welfare of the State (and its economy) could not go on forever.
Torah study is basic to our way of life.However, throughout our history great scholars have also been physicians and merchants.Yes there are a few-very few gifted individuals who deserve to remain in Yeshiva to attain the roles of dayanim and teachers on a high level.
HOWEVER, THESE SLOTS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED BY EXAMS AND NOT POLITICAL PULL.
From the economic point of view, military or public service can be a gateway to learning a profession.
The law will have to be constucted with sensitivity and common sense.
So far we have not seen massive Harerdi demonstrations.

That anyone should be suprised that Abbas is going to Tehran for a conference is beyond me. From the days of his PHD in Lumumba U. in Moscow (on Zionism and Nazism) he has been the consummate anti-semite.He has no desire,for peace with Israel,and all of his actions have negated agreements he made with Israel.
We have no peace partner,and anyone who talks about unilateral anythin(-withdrawal etc)-is just  smoking funny stuff 

The battle currently being waged in the Rabbinical Council of America is for the soul of modern Orthodoxy. After the death of Rabbi Steve Dworken, the leadership of the RCA has been in uncertain hands.
The attempt to hire a left wing Executive vice-President would open the door to admitting graduates of Rabbi Avi Weiss's yeshiva which is way to the left of the modern orthodox spectrum.
The battle is being played out in an on-line election of vice-presidents,who will be in line in 1 year to become President.
Should the left  wing win, I believe  that the organization will have a high chance of breaking up.The majority of YU Rabbis could not tolerate the left taking over,and the Roshei Yeshiva would be in the lead to reject a left wing takeover.  

Hezbollah / UN

Although the northern Israeli border has been quiet for a long time, the dangers are great.
The IDF called in reporters yesterday to clearly make the point that while Hezbollah is stronger now than during the last conflict,should there be hostilities, there will be no question as to who will be the victor.
Though they are encamped within population centers,the Israeli air force and infantry will move with massive forces to rapidly neutralize Hezbollah.

The UN has called for a tax on world billionaires for wealth distribution.Then they have a list of taxes that are unbelievable.This tax would be an annual tax.Of course when the crooks and corrupters in 3rd world countries  finish robbing everything,they would have to tax millionaires.Thereafter the middle class would be subject to UN discipline and taxes.
Our best shot is to leave theUN and their hairbrained schemes.

TEMPLE BNAI CHOSHECH

WEN WE PRAY 3 TIMES PER DAY, WE ALWAYS MENTION OUR FOREFATHERS.
We are the chilgren of Abraham,  Isaac and Jacob.
In Fort Lee, people would say -"my grandother kept strictly kosher""grandfather had a seder"
"my parents almost nothing ,and us zero"

Thus I find it both sad and humorous at   an ad  in the Palm Beach Jewish Journal this week.
Temple Bnai Or has an ad for the High Holidays
(OR MEANS LIGHT)

QUOTE-
THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDATHER' SYNAGOGUE
THE CANOR (ETTE) SALVA BERTI
"SHOFAR -BLOWER/DANCER CHARLES SCHEIKOVITZ"

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE CONGREGATION CHOSHECH (DARKNESS-OF JEWISH TRADITION)

SOME THOUGHTS

WHAT WITH THE 20 LARGEST OIL IMPORTERS FROM IRAN GIVEN "PASSES' from boycott-the whole thing is a sham!

The Presbytarian dis-investment from Israel involving such companies as Caterpillar is ridiculous on the face of it.
PURE ANTI-SEMITISM!
CATERPILLAR DOES NOT SELL TO ISRAEL.THE MACHINES IN ISRAEL BELONG TO THE US GOVT. FOR PROJECTS.THEY TRIED THIS BEFORE,AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE CATERPILLAR IS DOING FINE WITHOUT THE PRESBYTARIANS.

TOMORROW IS HE 4TH, AND I WILL BE FLYING MY FLAG IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE.THE FLAG AT ONE TIME FLEW OVER THE US CAPITAL ,AND WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY OLD FRIEND CONG GILMAN.

IF ANY CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY ARE PUNISHABLE-ASSAD IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.HOW IMPOTENT IS THE UN, AND OUR PRESIDENT-WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING A SECOND RATES POWER.TODAY ANOTHER APOLOGY TO PAKISTAN.

Israeli politics

A report from CNN today notes that the US polls have remained relatively static in recent weeks.
Israeli politics is much more dynamic and difficult to  predict.
The Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the Tal law exempting Haredi youth from the IDF was unconstitutional (despite the fact that there is no constitution in Israel)
The PM appointed the Keshev commitee and it was on this basis that Mofaz and KADIMAH JOINED THE COALITION.
As the committee was preparing a report for the Knesset this week,which may have include Arab, secular and Haredi communities on the draft,.the PM disbanded thje committee.
Says Mofaz no legislative solution to the Tal Law-NO COALITION!
In the meantime the Labor leader,had a meeting, and an internal poll says that if elections were to be held today,Labor which was on its deathbed a few weeks ago would get 20 seats.
Why? anti Netanyahu and anti- Kadimah for joining the coalition.
Who knows how it will turn ouit?

THE ONLY GOOD NEWS-ROMNEY IS GOING TO VISIR ISRAEL THIS SUMMER!

POLITICAL PRESSURE

My hat is off to the W.H., the liberal press such as the NYT and WP as well as such politicos as Pelosi and Sen. Lahey. Their warnings to the Roberts Court after Citizens United, caused the Chief Justice to do some mental gymnastics, to allow him to come down with a decision that saved the Obama plan,yet knocking out its reliance in the Commerce Clause.
In essence he saved the"reputation" of the Court.from the left.
This type of pressure is seen everywhere in our society.
Take all the marches and campaigns for AIDS. Yes AIDS is a bad disease,however  it can be mostly prevented ( in non-hemophiliacs) by abstinence and safe sex.The Gay community pushed and popularized this.
Yet,the Alzheimer campaigns,helping with a disease which affects millions through no fault of their own,and is a growing publichealth epidemic  is dwarfed by AIDS.
The political power of the homosexual community    which is certainly a small minority of our population-perhaps 1-2% ,has captured the Democratic Party and the liberal media-thus same sex "marriages".
They have huge amounts of money for their cause.A normal family with 2-3 children in our Orthodox
community spends 40-80 thousand dollars on tuition in elementary-H.S. annually.Plus synagogue dues,charity above and beyond normal household expenses.
Absent that, you have plenty of money to spend on liberal causes,and to push the liberal agenda so that it becomes politically correct to espouse these causes.
One has laugh when you see a headline in a Anglo-Jewish paper  quoting a "Rabbi" saying the those Jewish streams (Orthodox) that don't join the same sex bandwagon are missing their place in Jewish destiny.
Unfortunately I will not be around, but I will place my great-grandchildren (AND PEOPLE LIKE ME) against their progeny from a Jewish point of view in 50-75 and 100 years.
As an aside my grandson Jack Ganchrow leaves tomorrow for a summer in Israel-he is a student at TABC.Another grandchild Zachary Ratzker returned last week from Israel after a year of Yeshiva study, and starts Yeshiva College in the fall.