Chit Chat

By Ted Belman

From now on comments on every post must relate to the content of the post.

Comments that don’t relate to the post must go here.

Any person who contravenes this demand will be put on moderation. Also their offending comment will be trashed.

The reason for this demand is so that people who want to read comments which pertain to the post, don’t have to wade through the chatter.

Everyone will be happier.

April 16, 2020 | 8,673 Comments »

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44 Comments / 8673 Comments

  1. I just reposted this article from Arutz Sheva on my Facebook page with my comment:

    “2 hurt, 1 moderately, in club and rock-throwing attack in Jordan Valley
    Helicopter dispatched to provide quick evacuation after Jews were attacked by a group of Arabs with rocks and clubs.
    Israel National News
    Israel National News
    Published: Jun 5, 2025 at 6:”

    My comment: I was pro-Pal from the late 70’s to the late ‘90s, but you know, after a daily diet of such stories for the last 25 years, I’m so fed up with them. It’s not Israeli Jews who need to be “evacuated.”

    • Trouble for GOP is that they will no longer have Musk’s money to run campaign’s with. Musk does not always know how to act while part of the Trump crew. He is not a good yes man, like Trump wants in public from the people close to him.

      Musk was correct about the budget being bloated with too much spending. Trump was correct not to appoint Musk’s guy a Democrat to run NASA.

      It is not good to have Musk running candidate’s against the GOP, which is a possibilty if he follows through on his threat to run a third party.

  2. Edgar

    You raise many important facts all of which are foundational

    See Bat Ye’or the greatest exponent of this foundational knowledge.

    I know that the real estate magnates made their play to the most reactionary leadership of the Antisemitism of the Arabs – the Abraham Accords.

    So my point honestly stated must not be overplayed, as I well know, but at least not rubbished either, as I have very often on israpundit been (though NOT BY YOU Edgar)

    Your other points I’ll come back to.

  3. FELIX-

    They “may” have lost the majority of the Gaza Arabs, but you know….Arabs……????????????? They would swing back in a jiffy for thieir own reasons and can NOT be depended on for anything rational from a normal viewpoint.

    They have a totally alien mindset, not like normal people but rooted in 7rh-8th Cent mysticism and ideology. Their slavish adherence to their Qu’oran puts them outside humanity’s norm.

    Even when some Moslem States have the appurtenances of civilization……….!!!

  4. @Edgar
    We have enabled the reply function on the site. So you can click the reply button beneath any given comment and the response will be listed below it as a reply, as is my previous response to your first comment.

    Regarding the selling of books, you could sell them on Ebay, one at a time, or as a collection of several related and/or rare editions.

    Beyond this, I am not sure how you might sell them besides selling them as a job lot, which I would agree with your own statement that it would be a poor choice.

    • Thanks for the suggestions. One of my daughters has just emailed me with the idea of speaking to the local library ,also to a school librarian.
      Sounds enterprising. Maybe a site member has experience or other suggestions. Can only wait and see.

      It’ll take quite a time and other ideas may come.

      if any member has positive experience and wants to contact me please give him/her my email…thanks.

  5. Peloni-

    Interesting that MY post is ABOVE your response…….

    Now to my REAL issue. I have recovered aboutv1/2 of my varied library, and have been looking at it in horror. Have decided to sell it off by individual items at going prices, as some are rare and valuable to collectors and others. No job lots for booksellers.

    Does any member have a concrete suggestion as to how
    I might proceed in this matter. I know that first things must come first and so on. Beyond that …..????

    So far I’ve opened only one box and looked at a few books, recoiled and closed it again.

  6. PELONI-

    This YNet item (also an Arutz 7 item) just shows that the terrorists are merely toying with the purported “negotiations” and are feeding their fancied superiority, boosting themselves despite all the results showing the contrary.

    It shows US…or SHOULD…that it’s purely a waste of time trying to negotiate with them, allowing them to amplify the value of taking hostages.

    It’s truly pathetic that we, a powerful military nation, have been at War with this tiny enclave for nearly two years and have suffered nearly 1000 dead highly trained soldiers, as well as more than that in civilian casualties.

    Not to mention the tens of thousands wounded and traumatized.

    MY advice, although never noticed or commented on, by our members, for rolling barrages flattening everything, from north to south Gaza to near the Egyptian border, was I’m certain, the best , quickest, life saving, surest way to destroy the terrorist menace for ever.

    The whole population would have to be penned up against the border and easily processed to weed out the terrorists at leisure.The hostages would still be with them in hopes of negotiations.

    In the meantime the failing judiciary could brush up on the finer points of executions, and the politicians could make terrorist executions mandatory, depending on the amount of culpability of each prisoner.

    P.S. I’ve noticed for years that much of our space is filled with items already printed in Arutz7 , the Timers and other news outlets, and original conceps and ideas are woefully lacking…..A Shame……!!

    • @Edgar

      This YNet item (also an Arutz 7 item) just shows that the terrorists are merely toying with the purported “negotiations”

      Quite so. Hamas have demonstrated a complete lack of sincerity in their response, and in truth, they have no reason to give up the hostages. The US and Israel stand fixated on the notion that the hostages are the primary focus of the war. By giving up the hostages, Hamas gives up all their cards. The political will to finally take out the refugee camps is all that has kept Hamas in power in Gaza over the past 18months, and even now, most of what is taking place is to retake territory previously won by Israel. While there have been complicating issues, with both the Trump and Biden administrations, Israel has demonstrated a lack of will to take the hard position of ignoring the hostages and moving towards victory using the techniques you have noted, ie

      flattening everything, from north to south Gaza to near the Egyptian border

      Taking your advise would lead to victory, but even now Bibi lacks the interest in following such a wise policy. And so the butcher’s bill, associated with the more timid approach of going house by house, continues to rise.

      As was true of the Shalit deal, the political will to act with precision and speed is forestalling Israeli victory, which again, is why Hamas would be foolish to give up the only possible leverage against the Israelis.

  7. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran now has enough enriched uranium, which can quickly be increased to weapon-grade, for the cores of roughly 10 nuclear warheads, with it believed that Iran also currently or will soon possess the ability to deliver such warheads potentially as far as Europe.

    @OSINTdefender

  8. I see SEB, contrary to your appeal Pelonii, is still on the warpath with his “thumb down” for my immediate positive response.

    I suppose outraged (male) embonpoint, can’t melt away overnight.

  9. The Greenhouse Effect Joseph Fourier 1824

    Prompt
    Hello. Joseph Fourier estimated that without the atmosphere the earth would be only -18°C (0°F). What do modern instrumentation make it?

    Answer by Gemini

    Joseph Fourier, in the 1820s, was indeed one of the first to theorize about the Earth’s temperature balance. He calculated that, based solely on incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation, the Earth should be much colder than observed. His estimate for the Earth’s temperature without an atmosphere was around -18°C (0°F).
    Modern scientific instrumentation and calculations largely confirm Fourier’s insightful prediction. Current estimates for the Earth’s average surface temperature without the greenhouse effect (i.e., if there were no atmosphere to trap heat) are consistently around -18°C to -19°C (0°F to -2.2°F).
    The difference between this calculated temperature and the actual average global temperature (which is currently around 14-15°C or 57-59°F) is attributed to the natural greenhouse effect, where gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane in the atmosphere trap outgoing infrared radiation, warming the planet.

    Sources
    https://explore.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/greenhouse-effect?hl=en-GB

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourier?hl=en-GB

    PS by me that even a very ungifted supposedly homo sapiens SCIENCE DENIER would conclude that if we add to those heating gases in the atmosphere, by chucking millions of tons of those warming gases into that our atmosphere, the planet cannot do other than to become hotter.

  10. PELONI-

    OK Pel, thank you for the most undeserved plaudit; I accept and agree with your post. You can see a lot further than your nose indeed. I’m glad you saw the humour in my posts.

    And I still maintain that my comments were not Ad Homi/nem attacke but repetitions of Sebs own posts or pure and OBVIOUS humour, several times stated by me so as to be verging on the ridiculous.

    I thought some -especially the Gallagher and Shean ditty- were pretty good. Also the re-spectacles…all being instant ad lib.

  11. @Sebastien
    @Edgar
    You two are among our most prolific and intelligent posters, if not the most. Furthermore, both of your inputs and interactions are to be counted as a value to this site and its community and I consider you each to be good friends, accomplished conversationalists, and men of good intent. I hope you can each move forward beyond this dispute, while noting the long term nature of your relationships with each other and with the Israpundit community.

    Notably, while I did take Edgar’s comments to be of a facetious nature as he explained, Sebastien clearly took them more directly.

    Given that each of us three have expressed an obvious dislike of ad hominem attacks, and it would be out of character for any one of us to employ such low born fruit, it would be helpful if we can drop any further unpleasantries over this dispute and just move forward. The choice, however, is of course your own.

  12. PELONI-
    As I seem to be the chief offender Sebastien having displaced Felix in my favour, I may point out that an ad hominem attack has an immensely broad base. My facetious remarks can hardly live up to these definitions, because Mr Zorn choses to be Ian object .of ridicule to virtually all the posters.

    I deny that my facetious comments are ad hominems…whilst agreeing with your admonitions.

    1
    1
  13. NOTICE:
    I have enabled replies in the comment section. We will try this for the next week or two to see if it helps organize conversations. Please leave feedback in the Chit Chat column.

  14. Trump’s tariffs cancelled for now:

    Trump’s entire global agenda has just been torpedoed

    It is impossible to overstate the impact of Wednesday night’s decision by a panel of three judges in New York who, at a stroke, upended the central pillar of President Donald Trump’s economic policies.

    The little-known Court of International Trade in Manhattan ignited a process that may bring the President’s so-called Liberation Day crashing down around his ears. The judges ruled that when Trump took to the Rose Garden of the White House on 2 April and revealed the “reciprocal” tariffs that he was imposing on nations worldwide, he acted illegally…

    https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/trump-s-entire-global-agenda-has-just-been-torpedoed/ar-AA1FIdrn

  15. Trump major error in thinking he is going to get Iran to give up nuclear enchrichment! Iran is playing him just like they play anyone who negotiates with them.

    They are stalling while they work on getting a bomb. Very sorry to say but his ego is getting in the way of the safety of Israle and USA.

    Only blowing up Iran’s nuclear sites and regime change will stop their path to a bomb in the near term.

  16. @Adam

    All in all,not altoether a safe country, from the Israeli perspective, in which to relocate the Pals.

    Yet, in the description of Jordan as you describe it, you fail to note that this is the Jordan of the Hashemites, where Islamists are welcome, and the Pals actually are not. Indeed, the Bedouins were the powerbase around which the Hashemites ruled and these two centers of power held the Pals in a perpetual state of servitude over the years. Yet, the alliance between these two groups, the Hashemites and the Bedouin tribes, is not what it once was, and the largest of these tribes has joined the ranks of the opposition to the king. Notably, the Pals comprise some 4/5 of the Jordanian population, leaving the king with a tiny reserve of support, among whom are to be found the Islamists of Jordan.

    Under the New Jordan, the Islamists, including those originating from foreign lands, such as Syria and Iraq, will be banished from Jordan, and the Pals who live in Israel will regain their Jordanian citizenship. They will be given free housing, which will concentrate their numbers in a central area away from the Israeli border, and where they will be monitored for any Islamist tendencies which may manifest. The Islamist teachings which now fill the Jordanian schools will be banned and a curriculum based on facts rather than dogma will be substituted instead.

    So, not only will the threatening elements of the population in Jordan be ejected or confined, but the coming generations will find that there is not real outlet for either the teaching or practice of the radical Jihadi temperament which is commonplace in Jordan today.

  17. SEB.-

    FAUDA happened to have been the name of a Bedouin Chief associated with Lawrence of Arabia, Feisal et al….

    Any connection …….???

    Nearly forgot. Finally got my books out of storage at least about 1/2 of them, still thousands of all kinds. I’m appalled at the monstrous task ahead of me. I think it’s about 4-5myears too late, when I could bend and lift far better than now. Don’t know what the hell I can do with them..
    Must have a dozen at least of large folders of music scores, piano copies, Lists etc plus several boxes of complete orchestral scores for from 7 to 13 instruments.

    Plus several books which are very rare, even non obtainable anywhere, not because of merit but low print output-like Eleph in Jet…..

    Some time ago I mentioned “Elephant in Jet”, of which World cat finds only 4 copies world wide in 3 Universities and 1 in the British Library.

  18. @peloni. Thanks again for your explanation, Peloni. I would add a reservation, however. The population of the Kingdom of Jordan is not homogenious, event hough they are all Arabs. But the group classified as Bedouins, who are tribes indigenous to Transjordan, resents the Palestinians, whom they regard as foreign interlopers who have taken jobs away from the indigenous tribesmen, and who receive all sort of benefits from UNWRA thay they, the natives of Transjordan, are denied. The Palestinians, for their part, resent the native tribes’ complete domination of the army. There has also been a large influx of Syrians and Iraqis over the past few years/ They are rresented by all the Jordanian citizens, whether Palestinian or Transjordanian, for taking jobs from them, serving as cheap labor. THese refugees from Syria and Iraq include many terrorists among them, and as a result are a threat to Israel as well as to the Jordanian citizenry of all groups. a threat to the Israelis as well as the Jordanian citizens. All in all,not altoether a safe country, from the Israeli perspective, in which to relocate the Pals.

  19. MUST READ FROM AMIT SEGAL N12: Hams’ military leadership in Gaza has severed ties with its overseas leadership. Hams is experiencing a broader crisis. Hams’ military wing in Gaza did not want to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander—but caved to pressure from the Qataris, who demanded Edan’s release as a goodwill gesture to the United States. – The day after Edan was released, the IDF struck a Hams command center in Gaza, killing, amongst others, Muhammad Sinwar, commander of Hamas’ military wing and brother of Yahya – Hams’ military wing viewed the attack as a direct result of it releasing Edan, and the ensuing anger saw it cut ties with its overseas leadership just a few days ago.

    Raylan Givens

  20. Netanyahu expects to be able to make an announcement on the hostages either today or tomorrow. This comes after Kristi Noem delivers “candid’ message to Bibi which Bibi states he never received before. No word on the content of message.

  21. @Reader

    AI Overview
    Learn more
    Fauda (TV Series 2015– ) – IMDb
    Netflix offers a variety of original Israeli series and films, including popular titles like “Fauda”, “Shtisel”, and “The Spy”. The streaming platform also supports the development of new Israeli content through partnerships with institutions like the Sam Spiegel Film School. Additionally, Netflix has picked up several original Israeli productions for 2025, such as “Bad Boy” and “The Girl from Oslo”.
    Elaboration:
    Popular Israeli Originals:
    .
    Netflix has acquired and distributed numerous Israeli-produced shows and films, including the critically acclaimed series “Fauda” and “Shtisel,” as well as the movie “The Spy”.
    Support for Israeli Content:
    .
    Netflix has partnered with the Sam Spiegel Film School to support the development of new Israeli series, providing opportunities for students to work with industry professionals.
    Recent Acquisitions:
    .
    In 2025, Netflix has added several new original Israeli productions, including “Bad Boy,” “The Girl from Oslo,” and “Off-Road,” showcasing the platform’s commitment to showcasing Israeli-made content.
    “Bad Boy” on Netflix:
    .
    The Israeli drama series “Bad Boy” premiered on Netflix on May 2, 2025, and is available in 190 territories, according to ISRAEL21c.
    “Bros” and “A Body That Works”:
    .
    Since October 7, 2024, Netflix has also premiered two new Israeli shows, “Bros” and “A Body That Works”, according to the Jewish TV Club.

  22. @Adam

    Once again, have I accurately understood this concept of a “cleft” group of people?

    Yes, but with regards to the Pals, it must be understood that the Cleft population is actually of a foreign origin entirely. Recall the crime against humanity which was committed when jolly good king Hussein of Jordan revoked the passports, and thus the citizenship, of the Pals in Judea and Samaria and Gaza? Too many overlook this point, and its relevance is unavoidably and highly relevant to implications for Israel regarding the Pal cleft.

    While the international community forgoes any consideration for the debt which Jordan owes their former citizens, it ties the resulting burden of this quarrelsome bunch of well trained barbarians on Israel. There is no basis for Israel to be responsible for the citizens of a foreign country, nor is there a basis for Jordan to erase its responsibility for its own citizens. Hence, while the Pals are indeed a cleft population in Israel, they also represent a foreign population, making the suggestion of pursuing a facilitated emigration policy towards a homogenized population far less worrisome or troubling than the policy which oversaw the translocation of Germans out of Poland, or Jews out of Arabia, or Indians out of Pakistan, all of which followed WWII or shortly thereafter, just to name a few examples of forced translocation of national populaces elsewhere.

    When including the context of this fact alongside the concept of the Cleft population, it provides a greater and more responsible representation of what we are talking about with the facilitated migration of the Pal cleft.

  23. GLOBES
    US Ambassador to Israel: Leave Chevron and Netflix alone

    Mike Huckabee has expressed dissatisfaction about Israeli government initiatives that would harm Chevron and US streaming services.

    …During the event in Jerusalem, the new ambassador, who has consistently held pro-Israeli positions for decades, delivered warm and embracing remarks about Israel that went beyond standard diplomatic compliments.

    However, “Globes” has learned that in closed meetings, Huckabee conveyed messages from Washington to the government about a number of economic issues that are bothering the US administration and pressed to consider addressing them. This is in addition to the trade barriers that the administration has already mentioned as part of Trump’s tariff plan…

    https://en.globes.co.il/en/article.aspx?did=1001511054

  24. @ peloni. I think that I understand the concept of a Cleft Population from your most recent explanation. A population in a country, usually a minority population, that is incompatible with the majority because its values, belief system and even what they believe to be their nationality is inconsistent with the values and national identity of the majority population. In Eretz Israel, we have a very dramatic example of this phenomenon with the Arab “cleft” within the Israli nation, whose values and national-religious allegiance is completely inconsistent with that of the Jewish majority. According to this interpretation, the Palestinian Arabs are not exactly a separate nation that is entitled to self-determination, but rather an unassimilatable “cleft” living with the Israeli nation. Therefore they must be resettled elsewhere in countries that share their national, religious and cultural vslues, at least extent, as the only way to benefit both this “national cleft” people and Israel. Once again, have I accurately understood this concept of a “cleft” group of people?