PRAYING WITH THE PMO EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON
OTTAWA – “Our Father Who art in Heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless Thou the State of Israel which marks the dawn of our deliverance,” the prayer leader, a pro-Israel lobbyist on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, recited in Hebrew Saturday morning in the Marriott Hotel’s Orchard Room, which was temporarily turned into a synagogue.
“Shield it beneath the wings of Thy love. Spread over it Thy canopy of peace; send Thy light and Thy truth to its leaders, officers, and counselors, and direct them with Thy good counsel.” Just then, during the recitation of the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel, one of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s top advisors closed his eyes and bent his head, like someone concentrating fiercely when receiving a blessing.
This past Shabbat was Shabbat Parshat Zachor, the Shabbat preceding Purim when there is an additional reading from Deuteronomy (25:17 – 19) — obligatory for religious Jews to hear read from the Torah — dealing with the command to remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people when they left Egypt, how they killed the stragglers and the enfeebled. It is a paradigmatic passage relating to anti-Semitism, telling of an obsessive, all-consuming hatred of the Jews. In that passage, the Jews are commanded to later blot out Amalek’s’s memory.
Somewhat ironically, Netanyahu — stopping in Ottawa on his way to Washington — will meet US President Barack Obama on Monday to discuss how to stop a Persian tyrant interested in killing Jews, just just two days before Purim, a holiday retelling a similar tale involving a Persian tyrant intent on killing Jews thousands of years earlier. Do not be surprised if Netanyahu somehow connects those two dots during public comments he will make in Washington.
The religious obligation to hear this particular passage from Deuteronomy last Shabbat provided a bit of a dilemma for the religiously observant advisors in Netanyahu’s entourage staying in a hotel in downtown Ottawa — new Chief-of-Staff Gil Sheffer, National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror, and senior advisor Ron Dermer.
The Prime Minister’s Office found the solution by doing what thousands of other Jewish travelers do when they find themselves abroad and in need of something Jewish: call Chabad.
And Chabad delivered.
Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky, of the Chabad Student Network of Ottawa, located downtown, moved the regular minyan that takes place Shabbat morning in his home, to the Marriott.
Boyarsky brought to the hotel a tiny Torah scroll no bigger than a bread-box; siddurim (prayer books); tallitot (prayer shawls); a minyan (prayer quorum); grape juice for kiddush; challot, gefilte fish, chopped liver, and cold cuts for lunch for 40. The night before, Chabad provided Shabbat dinner in the hotel for 15 (Netanyahu was not there, staying at the Canadian government’s official guest house).
At Shabbat dinner Amidror said a few words about the Torah portion, and how the Amalekites who attacked the Jews, had no reason to do so — the Jews were not going through their territory, nor bothering them in any way. Iran was not mentioned by the National Security Advisor, but Iran was in the air.
The next morning one of the journalists in the group led the morning services, Amidror read the haftorah, Israel Radio’s Ronen Pollak hoisted the Torah, and Dermer, Sheffer, cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser and Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev were called up to recite blessings over the Torah. Neither Hauser nor Regev are observant, but joined to make sure there was a minyan.
Hauser, a Levite, was called to the Torah. “A Levite,” Amidror quipped. “I never knew. His status in the office has just been upgraded.”
And Regev — well, Regev was a star, with Parshat Zachor marking the 39th anniversary of his bar mitzvah. After the spokesman concluded reciting the blessing, Sheffer started the “lei-lei-leis” of the song customarily sung to bar mitzvah boys called to the Torah for the first time. Someone found some candies left in the room by a previous party, and tossed them at Regev. One of the rabbi’s children scrambled to get them, only to be told not to eat them because they were not kosher.
Israel’s strength, said Dermer — who was asked to say a few words at lunch — is based on two pillars. The first is the strength and dedication of the Israelis themselves, and the second is the support from Jewish communities and supporters abroad. Both were in unique evidence on Shabbat Parshat Zachor in the Orchard room of Ottawa’s Marriott, as Netanyahu is headed for his fateful meeting with Obama on Iran.
yes 15 years is long emough. bibi has been huffing and puffing , making unfulfilled, empty threats. now might be way, way too late.
ho hum, I’m in moderation again. 🙁
Canada’s position re: an Israeli attack tends to prove my long standing arguments:
A- Words however soothing to our ears are still only words and not deeds.
B- Israel cannot rely on anyone but ourselves, we are alone; which may be quite scary to most but acceptance of this truth might just be the one thing that saves and preserves us down the road.
C- Israel alone acts one way and Israel relying on others another way.
Elections cause Obama to favor non-aggression towards Iran
A new poll indicates that while most Americans support military action against Iran, the numbers of those who favor American involvement is decreasing. Statements that Iran could attack American interests are having an effect.
When asked if Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, its about 50 percent for, and 42 percent undecided. So the overwhelming majority of Americans favor an Israeli strike on Iran.
When asked if the US should confront a nuclear-armed Iran, more than 70 percent opted against it, insisting instead on isolating Iran. At the same time, they thought it impossible to get an international consensus to isolate Iran.
When asked if the US should stop financial support of Israel if this support caused conflict with a nuclear-armed Iran it was about 50/50. This figure is projected to increase once the US is faced with a nuclear-armed Iran.
The type of poll and timing might indicate that Obama will use GOP’s tactics against them next November. If the Obama Administration can successfully project that a nuclear-armed Iran is a danger to US interests if provoked, then he could run on a non-aggression-with-Iran platform, which would buy him votes. This would be similar to his 2008 campaign, in which he succeeded by promising a fast US withdraw from Iraq.
Plainly put, if Iran gets a nuclear bomb, it would be good politics for Obama to drop his support for Israel and play the voice of reason and peace for American voters. This would be in contrast to the GOP candidates, most of whom have already committed to support an Israeli air strike.
Don’t know why anyone expects BB and Barak to attack Iran. They can’t even despite campaign promises stop the missile attacks from Gaza and 50% of Israelis don’t have gas masks because they were not budgeted for. Gas masks are a minimal requirement for protecting against attacks from Syria or Hezbollah not Iran.
That said, in the unlikely event Israel does attack Iran:
I don’t think Iran would retaliate directly against Israel and am not convinced either Syria or Hezbollah would either. Our retaliation would be so destructive that on balance self interest (protecting each regime or hierarchy) would trump any inclination to attack Israel over a third country that is more blowhard than being a real-threat.
Israel lost our only ally in attacking Iran
During Netanyahu’s visit to Canada, their PM made it clear that he does not support Israeli unilateral strike on Iran, nor would his country join Israel in the operation. Earlier, Harper was the only foreign leader who indicated willingness to join Israeli attack.
And no wonder. Netanyahu was able to muster two reason for confronting Iran: that country hangs gays and stones women. Mind you, the Torah prescribes exactly same things. And of course few Canadians are concerned about homosexuals in Iran. Really, Iran poses no threat to any country but Israel, and we are wrong to count on outsiders.
Obama was more undiplomatic than ever, calling Israeli attack on Iran, unacceptable.
My concern is that Netanyahu is too secular and he fears Obama more than G-d.
If Obama will not announce sensible red lines for action on Iran then Netenyahu should do it for him and say it loudly to the world. That will put Obama on notice that he is being tested and judged by little Israel who will not hesitate to act if Obama fails. Obama wants Israel to do nothing in return for empty words that allow Obama to enable Iran to go nuclear. Then Israel will be told it is now too late to act and containment is the only option.
Will Bibi have to eat in the kitchen with the servants?
..
While the Ogoilema goes off to eat with his family thinking “I need to take a break from dealing with those filthy lying Jews.”..while he thinks up new lies to tell them?
Pretty picture.
So Bibi’s gonna meet with the Ogoilema! The whole idea is that the Ogoilema wants to tell the Israelis to sit still and get annihilated.
Wear a garlic necklace. The Ogoilema might not drink so much blood.