May 12, 2008 Chosen Words: A newsletter for personal and spiritual growth gleaned from classic biblical and other sources that will help you enhance your day to day life. Likely the most constructive three minutes you will spend today Mark Steyn: Israel's 'doom' could also be Europe's JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When Faith Meets Fate, Part One May 9, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Reverence, Yes; Worship, No Mona Charen: Did Israel Drive Out the Arabs 60 Years Ago? JWisdom: Ultimate opportunities by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky May 8, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Israel at 3,500+ Jonathan Tobin: Still Fighting the Same War Steven Plaut: How ‘nakba’ proves the fiction of a Palestinian Nation JWisdom: Taking Israel for Granted? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher May 7, 2008 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Israel is irrelevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Dion Nissenbaum: Latest Olmert scandal could derail efforts to force Israel's compromises JWisdom: My Inner Ventriloquist by Sara Yoheved Rigler May 6, 2008 Caroline B. Glick: Anti-Zionism at 60 The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with a smorgasbord featuring the taste and essence of the Jewish homeland JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Jewish Deer in Nazi Headlights May 5, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Busy work Jonathan Mark: Remarkable half-century old Mike Wallace interview with Abba Eban puts current anti-Israel sentiment into perspective May 2, 2008 Rabbi Berel Wein: Rote religiosity Caroline B. Glick: Whitewashing Hamas JWisdom: Parent trap? May 1, 2008 David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis April 30, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 29, 2008 Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable April 28, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time? Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron April 25, 2008 Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III April 24, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II April 23, 2008 Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen April 22, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior April 18, 2008 Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 17, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition? JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron April 16, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 15, 2008 Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go! Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 14, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games! JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 11, 2008 Rabbi David Gutterman: A Mystery in the Middle East Caroline B. Glick: Why Ahmadinejad smiles JWisdom: Elevated illness by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 10, 2008 Stratfor Intelligence Briefing by George Friedman: A Mystery in the Middle East The Kosher Gourmet By Steve Petusevsky: The spring elegance of asparagus JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: The Power of Rational Lies April 9, 2008 Michael Feldberg: An all but forgotten Colonial doctor who put his Jewish values before his life Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel's "Everything's Relative" gets philosophical JWisdom: Four Rabbis in Bnei Brak by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 8, 2008 Caroline Glick: Covering for the enemy Elliot B. Gertel: 'House' goes Hasidic JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part III by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 7, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I have a translating business. Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree? Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 4, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 3, 2008 Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier! JWisdom: The importance of retaining a 'slave mentality' by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 2, 2008 Mitch Albom: Child abuse, disguised as faith Jonathan Tobin: Unreasonable Accommodations JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith with Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Eliminating Jewish Influence over Germans March 22, 2007 J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !) Oct. 29, 2003 Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Dec. 28, 2006 / 7 Teves, 5767 The Real Case of Denial By Jonathan Tobin Iranian threat requires action, not just harsh talk about Holocaust buffoonery http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | For most politicians and pundits, it was just like shooting ducks in a barrel. Rarely has an international event united so diverse a group of writers and power-brokers in revulsion. The cause of all this unanimity was the Holocaust-denial conference sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its irrepressible President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It was the sort of freak show that no rational person could defend. The assemblage of Islamist hate-mongers and Western anti-Semites (accompanied by a handful of rogue lunatic ultra-Orthodox "rabbis") earned its hosts a level of international opprobrium that's rare for a Third World country. Condemnation came from just about every corner of the civilized world. From coast to coast, bipartisan and interfaith coalitions lined up to keep alive the memory of the Six Million, as well as to flay Iran. All of which is well and good. But there is also a bit of bad news about the indignation that the Holocaust-denial meeting has generated. As much as we can take satisfaction in the negative press attention devoted to Iran, it also needs to be said that if some huffing and puffing about Ahmadinejad's mad chutzpah is as far as our Iran policy will go, then we're in big trouble. GENOCIDE'S THE GOAL Unless the same people who were eager to take a shot at Iran are willing to put their support behind a decision not merely to isolate it but to encourage action ‹ up to and including force — to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, then it is only Ahmadinejad who will have the last laugh. For the religious oligarchy that controls Tehran and their irrepressible front man, their Holocaust campaign isn't an aberration. Nor is it unrelated to their policy goals. Their purpose in promoting denial rests primarily on their wish to delegitimize the State of Israel and demonize the Jewish people, whom their propaganda machine routinely accuses of being the oppressors of the world. As Yigal Carmon, the head of the Middle East Media Research Institute that monitors the Arab and Islamic world, as well as publishes translations from such media on its Web site (www. memri.org), has written, Ahmadinejad's goal is no mystery. If — as the Iranian insists — Iran wishes to "wipe Israel off the map," it must be preceded by the same sort of campaign of incitement and hatred of Jews that was the harbinger of the Holocaust. "In order for Ahmadinejad to bring his plans to fruition, however, he has to demonize the Jews and the State of Israel," said Carmon at a symposium on the subject given at Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum. " Demonization is a necessary precondition to genocide." Iran's openly stated objective is not merely to thumb its nose at the pieties of the West or to raise Jewish blood pressure. It wants to murder millions. Inappropriate analogies to the Nazis are used far too often, but this is one case where it's hard to argue that the terms don't apply. It's true that Iran isn't as powerful as Nazi Germany. But we may be only a few years away from a situation where Iran's genocidal intent will no longer be merely a theoretical possibility. And though obvious differences exist between Nazism and the extremist version of Islam that Iran's Shi'ite rulers champion, the role of the despised Jew in both of their worldviews remains striking. Ironically, the clownish nature of the denial conference and the prominent presence of bizarre personalities, such as former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, may serve to undermine the resolve to resist Iran. Few seem to take them seriously. In the 1930s, both Adolf Hitler and his lesser dictator buddy, Benito Mussolini, also struck many otherwise right-thinking individuals in the West as more a source of comedy than menace. Only too late did most people realize that the buffoonish bullies ridiculed so accurately in Charlie Chaplain's film "The Great Dictator" were actually capable of mass murder. All of which leads us to ask whether those now in a position of power in the West understand the threat, and whether they are willing to do something about it. There has been some fine rhetoric about Iran and the need to stop it coming from the Bush administration, but the White House's ability to lead on this issue is hamstrung by the conflict in Iraq. Most Americans are no longer willing to discuss "weapons of mass destruction," such as the ones Iran covets, because of the association the issue has with Iraq. The bloody stalemate in Baghdad that has so soured opinion on the war leaves little room for rousing the public to back action on Iran. The furor over the denial conference also does not diminish the impact of the Iraq Study Group, led by former Secretary of State James Baker, which had as one of its key recommendations an attempt to conciliate the Iranians while at the same time force Israel into dangerous concessions. These so-called " realists" are about as interested in confronting a genocidal threat coming from Tehran, as the appeasers of the 1930s were to stop Hitler. Such "realism" in Europe will similarly spike any efforts to make meaningful sanctions against Iran stick. AN EMPTY GUN Even worse, Robert Gates, the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, made it clear during his confirmation hearings that he opposed action against Iran, thus removing any doubt that there are no bullets in the gun that the West was trying to use to threaten the Middle Eastern nation. It's true that some are sounding the alarm. Both Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Israeli Likud Party head Benjamin Netanyahu have been giving speeches describing the current position as analogous to 1938. Yet both men lost elections in the past year (for reasons that had little to do with their positions on Iran), and so will be in no position to do anything but talk for the foreseeable future. Some believe that it is possible to indict Ahmadinejad under international law for inciting genocide. It's a nice idea, and could help establish a legal record to aid the isolation of Iran. But anyone who thinks the United Nations or the International Court of Criminal Justice — institutions more interested in aiding the demonization of democratic Israel than in fighting Iran — will help this cause are dreaming. It may well be that the real case of "denial" is our own refusal to take Iran and its genocidal intent seriously — not just their ravings about the Holocaust. With appeasement masquerading as "realism" about the war on terror dominating the discussion, getting people to concentrate on the Iranian threat may be too hard a sell right now. But if those who lined up to bash Iran this month don't realize that there is a connection between the Holocaust and the need to confront Ahmadinejad's drive for nuclear weapons, then all of their rhetoric will be meaningless. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. Let him know what you think by clicking here. Jonathan Tobin Archives © 2005, Jonathan Tobin