In whom do we trust?

Israeli President Moshe Katzav put on quite a performance on national television last night.

Wagging his finger in the air, pounding the table, and shouting at various points throughout his 50-minute harangue, Katzav's appearance was both gripping and detestable as he sought to deflect allegations that he was a serial rapist and sex offender.

For a country that has been inundated of late with allegations of corruption and dishonesty at the highest levels of power, there is something even more disconcerting about the sight of the nation's president accused of such terrible crimes.

Katzav now joins the long list of prominent personalities, ranging from the prime minister himself to the finance minister to a former justice minister, all of whom are suspected of various types of offenses.

We'll leave it to the courts – including those of public opinion – to decide their fates, but the spate of such cases points to a fundamental problem underlying Israel's leadership – namely, a lack of faith in G-d.

Israel is currently ruled by people who look out only for their own narrow self-interest. They are not guided by a sense of historic responsibility, national duty or Zionist commitment, nor are they anchored in an abiding sense of trust in the One Above.

With the Palestinians hurling rockets at our cities, and the Iranians threatening to decimate them, Israel can not afford the "luxury" of having self-centered, and self-interested, people at its helm.

What we need now is a leadership that is guided by faith, and by certainty in the justness of our cause. That, as always, is our surest guarantee of success.

Comments

[Gentile Warrior]

Question: Is it a lack of faith or not even thinking of going to him? Your last statement is right on the mark:

"What we need now is a leadership that is guided by faith, and by certainty in the justness of our cause. That, as always, is our surest guarantee of success."

Not only does your country need it, so does mine. As we fall farther away from G-d, more wicked things occur and are justified and explained away while ignoring the very truth right in front of us. Tragically, here in the states, any leader who kept his face towards G-d would never have a chance to attain a leadership position. "Bible Thumpers" are oft ridiculed and ignored.

(I wrote a piece in response to Yosef Lapid's article today. It appears he want's everyone to give Mr. Olmert a break. I understand but seriously disagree with his request.)

[yair pachima]

Mr Freund, your article was ill considered.

President Katzav's was a lucid and passionate speech not a harangue.

[M. D'Souza]

Pres.Katzav did the RIGHT thing defending himself against judicial tyranny and against the arrogance of the obnoxious liberal-leftist media of Israel.

Just reading about the accusations against Pres.Katzav at the very start of the case, one could discern that the woman accusing him sounded like a serial 'soap opera' viewer/addict. That's from where these women pick up their dirty tricks against men in power.

Pres.Katzav's testimony yesterday was gripping, but definitely NOT detestable. He has every right to defend himself and his innocence. I would anyday trust Pres.Katzav, than the accusations brought upon him by the detestable leftist-liberal-media snipers. Rush Limbaugh rightly calls their counterparts here in the US as the 'Drive-by Media' - because, these godless folks will say anything, allege anything, sound-byte anything, inorder to accomplish their goals as 'King Makers'.

Rush's definition fits well even for the Israeli 'drive-by media': 'They are exactly like drive-by snipers. They pull up to a congested area, and spray a hail of bullets into the crowd. It causes mass hysteria, confusion and misinterpretations, and sometimes careers are actually killed and lives destroyed. Then the 'drive-by media' smirk and ride away, unnoticed in the mayhem.'

Yesterday, Pres.Katzav did the right thing by going after the jugular vein of all these snipers. The throttling done may not have been appealing, but he HAD to do it. He has had enough of sniping done upon him for the past six months by the Israeli 'drive-by media'. He as an authority figure in Israel, has to stop this media nonsense - because, they'r never blamed and they're never held accountable.

Enough is enough! Israel's godless 'drive-by media' snipers have done enough and more damage. The righteous Jews and the Land of Israel has suffered because of them. Pres.Katzav requires our full support.

[mariel]

"...where these women pick up their dirty tricks against men in power." You've got a lot of nerve perpetuating negative stereotypes of women, especially when this dirty political game is run (mostly) by men.

Further, to bring unprincipled, loud-mouthed liars like Limbaugh into the fray destroys your credibility.

President Katsav has been ill treated by the press which does seem to lean toward the left wing, 'peace-at-any-cost' types. He is innocent until proven guilty.

Still, this must be seen as what it really is - a distraction from the very serious matters at hand. While the press focuses on Pres. Katzav, will Olmert and Peretz give away more of Israel? Displace more Israeli citizens in the hopeless attempt to placate an enemy that can't be placated?

[M. D'Souza]

To Mariel,

Why do you selectively omit words to make your point, just as the mainstream media folk do?

It is the popular ‘entertainment’ called soap operas, that many women are addicted to and they are influenced by it. Do you think that this is 'perpetuating negative stereotypes of women'? Islamists too accuse the Zionists for polluting the air-waves, because they do not wish their women to consider this to be the stereotype for women.

Men, especially those in high positions, are not the aggressors. It’s the women who entice them with their mannerisms, slick talk, dress, etc. These are their sly, dirty tricks.

Thanks to conservative talk show hosts, like Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, Mark Levin and others, who expose the ‘loud-mouthed, unprincipled lies’ the anchors and anchorettes of the mainstream media spew at us on a daily basis. We don’t have the time to watch these mannequins who are more conscious of their appearance on TV while they parrot their stuff to us, than they are conscientious of the contents of the actual news.

I don’t have to rely on your comments to destroy my credibility. If one has discernment, then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. Leave the credibility gap to the politicians. I’m not one.

[Edgar G. Wallace]

Why do you use such a term as "detestable" when there are so many better suited words in the lexicon?? "Embarrassing" might be one-but "detestable"....???. I would reserve THAT word for such vermin as MAZUZ, OLMERT,(One could also use "snake" for him), Beilin, Mafuz (the grashopper who hopped from Likud to Kadima in a whirlwind 1 day turnaround) and others.

[Luigi Frascati]

Well Mr. Freund, I have two problems with your post.

Even assuming for a second that President Katsav is found guilty as charged, how does this prove that he does not have faith in God? Let me put this differently: if one so happens to be a serial rapist, a sexual harasser or even a murderer – how does God fit into anything and everything that this person is guilty of? Wouldn’t any of these abominable acts constitute a breach of human morality and an infringement of social ethics and of legal and even religious commitments, but not necessarily prove a lack of faith?

Even in the event where one breaches the fundamental commandments of God, as in the case of a murderer for example, how can it be said with absolute certainty that this individual has no faith – even though he has taken someone else’s life, the most ominous of all sins? Isn’t God - whether the Christian, Jewish or Muslim God - supposed to be over and above any and all miserable acts that we humans, and all of us, commit by the millions on a daily basis – including sexual harassment and rape?

Otherwise, what kind of God would she be? I do not want to sound like a heretic, but to me there is a great distinction between God and faith on one side and what we all end up doing at the end of the day on the other side. And for most of us the two sides just about never reconcile.

I believe, like you said, that the occurrence and recurrence of such cases do indeed point to some fundamental problems underlying Israel’s leadership, but I do not believe that lack of faith is the one.

The second problem I have with your post is the reference to the ‘courts of public opinion’. These courts are possibly the least objective and most unreliable, in that they base their verdicts not on firm, sound and proven principles of law but rather on the whims and fancy of the moment. In this respect, I so happen to agree more with Mr. D’Souza than with you, to the extent that the President has been tried already over and over by the ‘courts of public opinion’ of the liberal media, and the trials continue unabated. The media has found President Katsav guilty of the same crime not once, not twice, but about a thousand times, and the day after tomorrow they are going to try him all over again.

I would hardly suggest, therefore – even by implication like you seem to be doing in your post – that the courts of public opinions match the courts of law in the matter of integrity of judgements, and I would in fact suggest to you that the courts of public opinion have conducted in this instance a public lynching, which will all the more compromise the case that Attorney General Mazuz might rightfully have as against the President.

Besides, the courts of public opinion ought to remember that it is because of the ties that President Katsav has with Iran – his place of birth – and because of his connections with the Iranian Immigrants Organization that Israel can use its long-standing contacts, particularly among Iran's Kurds to foment opposition to Tehran, especially in this critical times.

[Al Strap]

Although I agree with the commenters who disagree with Mr. Freund and consider President Katsav to have conducted himself with honor and decency (in his speech and through the many months of character assassination), I believe we can find common ground as follows:
As an observant Jew, Mr. Katsav is entitled to be judged in a Rabbinical court in accordance with the laws of the Torah. As Mr. Freund preaches faith in G-d, let us all join in urging President Katsav to call upon the Chief Rabbis of Israel to convene an appropriate Rabbinical court to hear and study all the evidence and issue a final ruling. After all, is this not what G-d wants?

[Shlomo Walfish]

Katzav is probably innocent although now he is getting a taste of being demonized and trashed like the settlers of Gush Katif. Perhaps because of his silence during the expulsion G-d is showing him what it's like to be in their boat.

I agree we need Jewish Leadership, and every one should support Manhigut Yehudit, aspiring to do just that. www.Jewishisrael.org

[Pritt Sehmi]

Pawns and the Puppets,
The Clarion call is sounded,we are now doing all we can so that our security is not breached,Through all the talk of peace a call of arms is taking place...Our government is in turmoil with corruption and the nations are gathering..A freeze has been put on funds in the Gaza,Korea any nation that does not align with the powers that be...The same sanctions to be deployed in the middle east...America is accused of finding Koreas weak point... While our teachers teach that the gentile care is only for money, and the political battle is on for the gas in the Gaza. Who are the pawns and who are the puppets...???What would happen if the nations put a freeze on our assets worldwide..????What would happen if the world overnight declared us to be the terrorists ????What would happen if all the borders were closed for specific people to move freely?????With the incoming advanced super computer technology it will be impossible to use duplicate or forge anything, without the person present..like the new virtual reality worlds--if you're not in it,you have no part of it..no grey areas....it will be for- or -against...
''As for me and my home,we shall serve HaShem''There can be no grey areas..
Mount Zion ,Israel was to be the centre of the world for the worship of the true and living G-d,the G-d of Avraham Itzaack and Jaacov.Until this very day...and yet we see the land rampant with every form of corruption..to such a degree that it can no longer be hidden,These embers were hidden under a haystack,and it's caught alight.The haftarah for shabbat parashat Bo,proclaimed,That HaShem will not utterly destroy Israel,but she will be judged.
Quote ''For I am with you;I shall make a comlete end of all the nations where I have scattered you,of you I shall not make an end;I shall punish you with justice,but I shall not utterly destroy you..''Jeremiah.
The american spokesman for the CIA said that Iraq,Syria and Iran need to be subdued ,(Daniel Report)When this happens,will the nations come against Israel???Zecharia Report.The world is being fed a global warming catastrophe,The evolution mentality,when each individual can see that the facts do not match the properganda.Why????The first time in recorded His-Story the world was created perfect,to last an etenity,because of the lie the ground brought thorns,a climate change that effected the whole world...It is no different today !!!!The climate change is the direct result of all that man is doing wrong and justifing it,just as it was in the Garden before the expulsion..
Fact!!Unless we do Tshuva here in Israel ,the nations will come into the land, HaShems judgement.For the remainder it will be Tshuva shlema.In the shul someone spoke on mida cneged mida.All that we see in the world is mida cneged mida..(eye for an eye) Shimon and Levi killed a city for the rape of their sister Dinah.The men of the city had complied with all that had been requested to right the wrong...As I remembered this story, I wondered what I should request from HaShem,for the murder of my unborn child,!!!mida cneged mida on those that perpertrated the crime..????one of the perpertrators approached me in Qiryat Sefer,smiling laughing,My words to him were ''you murdered my child!!!''He fled from me...and people still say forget it..Even as the nations forget the halocaust,or those that use it as a leverage for gain..I can not forget the cruelty of these so called wise men nor the trauma it has caused.(This is one movie MGM will not touch).
JPost magazine Upfront,Article ''Jeremiahs Wish'' author Richard (not lionheart)E. Friedman.gave nearly a two page explanation as to why you can do what ever you want,because one can not build a case against abortion simply on the Tanach..his last words are ''that abortion is permissible''end quote....Question !!!! Does he believe that the Torah was given to Moshe???Does he believe that the prophets played a vital role in the composition of the Tanach???Does he understand that Jeremiah was murdered for saying''The babies that you have slaughtered ,will stand before HaShem and condemn those that killed them''Every arguement against the murder of the innocent is in the Tanach,Moral ,Legal and on principle,spiritual and ethical,,Does he consider, that on his conclusions,that the halocaust is permissable,????Rephrase his own arguement..Quote last paragraph''I am not arguing that the halocaust is moral or that it should be legal.What I conclude is that one cannot base opposition to it on the Bible,And,second on the basis of the principles we have considered here..''end quote... I would not like to be in his shoes in the judgement..or maybe there won't be one..We will all die happily ever after killing one another until doomsday......soo soorriiiy dats not going to happen ida...baaaack to da dwawing board ....The Tanach teaches a person is to live upright before HaShem and man >>>>The Tanach teaches that all who corrupt the word of truth HaShem will Judge...no grey areas...His works are a set of works that shall not be on my shelf and I'm not HaShem nor the Meshiach...
Long after I have gone,life will carry on,I know that these articles will not change the blindness of the people be they Israeli or Gentile.But!!!this will be one reason of many for the judgement of HaShem to come upon His land.In the words of Yeremiyahu the prophet ''If they do not come,it is because we have done Tshuva''
At times it feels that the final pieces of the jigsaw are falling into place. Our security breached the day the first child was aborted in his/her mission to be born.How many have died in the 54 years of statehood?????
The Clarion call was sounded ''Give Glory to HaShem the creator of Heaven and Earth'' 2000 years ago when the Temple was destroyed... never has the Clarion call been so loud and clear,as it is today.....
The communication industry, the most powerful tool in existance has destroyed nearly all reality.The illiterate is a pawn and the heirachy rises up to the leaders as its pawns..In between you have bishops and knights etc.Our leaders are in the process of fraud and sex scandals,and the religious put curses on the apposing parties...Quote from source ''Theology in the Responsa'' by Louis Jacobs page 219 ''Hatam Sofer admits it,but argues that the rabbies in order to safegaurd the tradition,are entitled to adopt the sternest strictest emergency measures,even if these are otherwise illegal''end quote.source from the Gemara not given..Once again The Gemara is a documentation as to why HaShem destroyed the Temples and why the galut happened...Question;;Whose Tradition are they trying to preserve???to cross the line of The Ten Commandments,HaShems Tradition has been rejected much like rome teaches tradition of the fathers !!tradition of the fathers !!.If you have followed these articles,then you as an individual ,as a child of HaShem must decide between right and wrong....the punishment for doing wrong will not fall on the rabie for what he has told you to do..Where does legality start and where does it finish without the Ten Commandments anarchy reigns supreme.The Rabies will be able to take your savings from your account,and who can say what they have done is wrong. Katsav who had the backing of Shas to be in power, with the proper strings pulled can come out smelling like a rose..and the ladies in question damaged for life, hating HaShem for what the religious have done...
The Tanach being the most powerful reading in all His-story is not a document calling us to be religious, but to have an active role in history as a child of The King of all kings, discerning between right and wrong..before the diaspora in the days of Yeremiyahu,there was the master of slaves,this person feared HaShem,as Israel went into Galut, Hashem preserved his life and rescued him from harm...The eyes of HaShem seeks the Earth for the upright ,be they Yehudi,Israeli Arab or Gentile.
''Song Of Moshe'' from the CD ''Mashu Pashut'' Distributor & Publisher JMY Music....at present this can be obtained from one store in Yerushalaim.
''For I shall bring them to The Land that I swore to their forfathers,which flows with milk and honey.But!it will eat and grow fat and turn to other gods and serve them.It shall be when many distresses come upon him,then shall this song speak up before him as a witness.For it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of his offspring.For I know its inclination,what it does today.Before I bring them to The Land that I have sworn''
''Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of the scornful.But!!his delight is in the Torah (LAW) of HaShem,And in His Torah(LAW)does he meditate day and night.
The music of JMY Music is for the encouragement of Yehudi,Israeli,Arab and Gentile.The CD is not for those that want to look religious......
Rather than buy the CD, >>>>>buy the Tanach and start reading....ifff you already have the Tanach and you're reading it,,better still,,, buy a Tanach for someone that does not have one...........happy reading
Shabbat Shalom
Pritt Sehmi

[sopitikoj]

Hi

Hi all!


G'night

[Power Home Solar Review]

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[Tory Burch Outlet]

Now, if they really truly cared about the fate of their Palestinian brethren, would oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain be so miserly and cheap when it comes to improving their living conditions?

[Saints Jerseys]

"Chen Shuji, after the subscription card to buy the stock, is not to have to get money to buy stock when?" Big village of Ma Mingyi first to ask questions. "Yes, comrades, according to estimates on behalf of the East