You've GOT to Love the Israelis

Last Saturday the Jerusalem Post reported on a very unfortunate error committed by the Israeli Government Press Office:

The Government Press Office’s distribution of an e-mail containing a link to a satirical video on the Free Gaza flotilla affair was “an honest mistake” and has been corrected, the head of the GPO Daniel Seaman said on Sunday.

Seaman said the link to the video “We Con the World” was accidentally sent out to members of the foreign press on Friday along with hundreds of e-mails that are sent out on a daily basis, and does not represent any official stance of the GPO. After the e-mail was sent, the GPO sent out a statement explaining that the video “was not intended for general release” and that its contents “in no way represent the official policy of either the Government Press Office or of the State of Israel.”

Oh my. What an unfortunate error. How much more embarrassing that the darned video went viral, and quickly garnered over a million hits on YouTube. While it would be interesting to know how many hits it's received over the last week, alas, we'll never know. Because YouTube took it down, citing ". . . a copyright claim by Warner/Chappell Music, Inc." Users keep posting copies on YouTube, but the links get taken down, go back up, are taken down, and so on.

But the collection of tubes that is the interwebs is rather more robust than our wannabe masters might wish it were:

Racist Bastard!

Jumping the Shark.

If you think that maybe Israel ought not to be wiped off the map, or that Israeli leaders are justified in being just a bit concerned about an Iran armed with nuclear weapons, you're a racist.

Around here we were already racists inasmuch as we were not convinced that Barack Obama's touch was likely to cure scrofula.

I guess we're all racists now.

Just So

"Israel never responds, never confirms and never denies."

All Israeli Ambassadors Called Home

Nothing to see here, folks; just move along, nothing to see here.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has called home all ambassadors and consuls-general for a week-long conference beginning yesterday. The foreign ministry "explained":

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs . . . will host a conference next week (27-31 December) for Israeli Heads of Missions. At the conference, Israel’s ambassadors and consuls general serving throughout the world will discuss broad diplomatic and strategic issues.

This is the first time a conference for all of Israel’s Heads of Missions has been held. The idea is to facilitate direct dialogue with the country’s leaders, mutual updates on major diplomatic issues, and a discussion of action plans to deal with the challenges awaiting the State of Israel in the international arena in the coming year, including the Iranian threat.

A major part of the conference will be devoted to examining Israel’s integration and potential contribution to items on the world agenda such as the environment, renewable energy, water and sewage treatment, and new technologies. The participants will discuss how to develop and promote Israel’s foreign relations and its image as a country that contributes to creating a better future for everyone. They will also talk about the rise of new global powers and how to deal with them.

[snip]

Foreign Minister Liberman will open the conference. Other officials invited to attend include Prime Minister Benyamin Natanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, and senior officials of Israel’s diplomatic and security community.

We're confident that the Minister of Defense, and the head of Intelligence, not to mention Bibi himself, will have some nifty ideas respecting "the environment, renewable energy, water and sewage treatment, and new technologies."

It's Long Since Time to Pick Sides

Speaking of Israel

"Waiting for Hand Grenade Practice"

From a photo essay by Rachel Papo.

Dog Bites Man

The always reliable Elliott Abrams feels compelled to once again point out that Jimmy Carter is wrong about Israel. Of course, all thinking beings are aware that our tedious ex-President is always wrong about Israel. But how's this for an ambitious title:

What Carter Missed in the Middle East

Solidarity

G&S expresses its solidarity with Israel and the IDF. Something about a young woman who can field strip your Galil gets and holds our attention.