by Ronnie Cohen

I think that there's just so much that a normal person could put up with. We hear the sword rattling and ongoing rhetoric of the Iranians as they thrive to achieve nuclear power for "peaceful" purposes but under the same breath make no secrete of wiping Israel off the face of the earth. We hear the ongoing ranting of the Turkish government concerning their "peace" flotilla to help the poor besieged and suffering Gazans. Their "Love Boat" had terrorists from all the lands of the Middle East and were planning, in advance, a violent confrontation with the Israeli navy and, hoping, that someone gets killed so they can film it and send it to all the international press organizations. The only thing that was filmed was the beating of the Israeli unit as it boarded the ship. They were beaten and clubbed and still the Turkish govt. together with the rest of the Arab world and, unfortunately, many other nations, condemned the affair as "piracy, murder and a massacre". Well, it's good to see that the impartial United Nations has began an inquest into the affair.

Last week a number of rockets were fired by Hamas from Egyptian territory towards the gulf cities of Eilat and Aqaba. The resort city of Aqaba had one killed and many wounded. It was obvious who fired them but initially the Jordanian govt. refused to acknowledge that it was done by their Arab brethren. There comment was, "It was fired from somewhere in the west". And if that wasn't enough, Hamas makes a statement that Israel fired them in order to blame Hamas. Wait! Things get better! It's been an exciting week!

Along the Israeli-Lebanon border an Israel group of soldiers were cutting fallen a tree that had fell on the Israeli fence from the other side. Two shots were fired from snipers in Lebanese territory killing the commanding officer and wounding another. The Israeli army swiftly retaliated by hitting a number of Lebanese army positions killing four, including press reporter (Gee, did he just happen to be in the neighborhood?) It was a major incident and obviously well planned by someone on the other side. The UN troops stepped in to calm the scene and actually made a statement in favor of Israel that they were in their own territory and the assault was unprovoked. Right away the Arab press backed the Lebanese story that Israeli troops and entered their territory and they were protecting their sovereignty against Israeli aggression. It seems that since the Israelis were in the right, most of the world kept silent and made no comment of the affair.

Now, besides all this distorted press there seems to be another matter of grave concern that really bothers me and I assume, many others. What's the deal with the Muslims getting permission to build a 13 story mosque at "Ground Zero?" Is this insane or what? Of all places, why there? It's a slap in the face to all the families who have lost their love ones there. It seems to me a very much "In your Face!" by the Islamic world. I can understand tolerance of other faiths in the Home of,   "The Brave and Land of The Free" but this has gone far enough. But the OK came from Washington. Is anyone really surprised? It's going to be an Islamic cultural center as well. I wonder if they'll have a little exhibit of relics from 911.

I think much of the world is starting to lose their minds. I think there should be an awakening before it's too late! Hey, maybe now the Islamic world will be tolerant enough to allow a 3rd. Temple built upon the Temple Mount? Time will tell.