http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/mar/17/israel.usa
http://ccun.org/News/2007/September/20%20n/Palestinian%20teenage,%20Mahmoud%20Al-Kafafi,%20crushed%20by%20invading%20Israeli%20bulldozer%20in%20eastern%20Gaza.htm

I’m just curious as to why the term “terrorist”, which has become orwellian in its usage. I counted seven times you used the term terrorist in your post. I understand you believe his crimes to be horrific (I assure you I agree), but surely the crimes speak for themselves. Considering Israel’s penchant for bulldozing people, I am astounded at the double standards and the hypocrisy of such a term.

Thank you.

I enjoyed reading your blog! it’s very well writen and interesting.
I’ve been in Israel twice in holidays for 5 months in 2007, and all Macrch 2008, and what can i say.. i am completely inloved for the people, the country, the culture and the religion!

I am Portuguese, 22 years old, and the reason why i found Israel and the Jewish in my life was because my girlfriend is Israelian. We met here in Portugal 1 1/2 year ago, and since the first time we looked to each other, that our eyes met, it was love at the first sight Since then, she has been in Portugal twice, and i’ve gone to Israel twice also. We have been just some months separated, but we think it was good to test if what we were doing was what we really wanted, and we found we can’t live far from each other.

I can speak and write 5 languages correctly: Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and Italian. And im also learning the Hebrew, but i’m learning by myself, although i know already many stuff - the basics.
I know the country, i traveled through all Israel except Eilat!
I know a lot of Israelians that worked and work here in Portugal (Dead Sea Products), all young people between the 20 and 30 years of age, i help them always with all the kind of stuff that they need and they really love me. i also know a lot of people in Netanya, where my girlfriend lives.

Now… i am not Jewish. Portugal is a country where half of the 11 million population descends from Jewish, and my grandfather also descend (he died in December 2007) , but the most part of the people don’t know it, as this is a Cristian country, and the parents that had Jewish blood didnt even told to their sons, so it got lost through generations.
I have the appearence of an Israelian, people tell me i look like Jewish so i can presume that if there is descendents in Portugal - so i’m one of them.´

After my visits to Israel, where i passed Pesar, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Purim, and many other religious holidays, and all the Shabatt etc. i even gone to a Hatuna, and Shabatt Hatan! i enjoyed so much, and i felt something inside me that i can’t explain. And all the time i’m in Israel i feel i have some connection with the country, that holy land…

I’m studding Advocacy in University, and i work as receptionist in a Classic Hotel in my city (PORTO) in part-time, but i’m not satisfied…
I want to convert to Judaism, by many reasons, of course i meditated, i thought a lot about this decision, for months and months, and i’m gonna make it!
And me and my girlfriend (she is 24 already, she’s not a kid) we both think the best option for us would be that i immigrate to Israel. i want that so much!

Sooo, i could be here writing you about me, about israel, and Judaism for hours, i dont even know where to start! I just would like that you give me some advices, and if you could, i would aprecciate very much if you could give me contacts of places, or sites, that i can call or contact, that will help me study to become Jewish and immigrate.

With my best regards,
Mikhael, Pedro

they charged him 3 times the going rate for coffee, he probabluy became angry, as Americans do and started crying . he is an old man, after all, this had nothing to do with being Jewish

[snip]

i might also ask of you, sir, what is wrong with your world, that you JUMP so quick without finding out the truth of this sad story. the man was a crazy old skunk who was angry about money. MONEY! not about his yarmulke at all, have you never heard of Jews like that

[snip]

The story should have been reported:

Marcel Kalmann, a 64-year-old US professor, told the Antwerp Jewish magazine Joods Actueel that he was ejected from the renowned restaurant Le Panier d’Or in Bruges after he became angry about the high price of coffee the waiter was charging him.

When the waiter saw his yarmulke under his cap, he used this detail to call the man a Jew, , but that was not the reason the man became angry in the first place.. . .

allen bean is making a case and I don’t think it’s one he thinks he’s making. Just out of curiosity, was Le Panier d’Or charging everyone 3 times the going rate for coffee. Even if the answer is “yes” bringing the Jew thing in still shows a lack of class and common courtesy.

shalom aleichem from a fellow Jew

I am following this story. It appears that the Professor was angry about the high prices and started arguing with the waiter about the money……and THIS is what led to his being kicked out, not his Jewish religion or his yarmulke……and being born in SS camp had nothing to do with this. He might be a liar. There are good Jews and there are bad Jews. Like all people. he might be a crazy kind of guy. check into this.

KEY HERE:

since they charged him 3 times the going rate for coffee, he probabluy became angry, as Americans do and started crying . he is an old man, after all, this had nothing to do with being Jewish…Ａ

Joods Actueel contacted him and he didn’t deny that he kicked out the man, but said ***he did so because the man acted peculiarly. ****

Realizing that there might be consequences the waiter said that he was willing to apologize to the professor if he would so wish.

Sir,
you got the news wrong. this man was angry that the price of coffee in this five star restaurant was very high, for all people, and he got angry and made a stink and that is why he was kicked out. Not because he was a Jew or wearing a kippa. Get the facts correct before you JUMP to conclusions. i might also ask of you, sir, what is wrong with your world, that you JUMP so quick without finding out the truth of this sad story. the man was a crazy old skunk who was angry about money. MONEY! not about his yarmulke at all, have you never heard of Jews like that?

The story should have been reported:

Marcel Kalmann, a 64-year-old US professor, told the Antwerp Jewish magazine Joods Actueel that he was ejected from the renowned restaurant Le Panier d’Or in Bruges after he became angry about the high price of coffee the waiter was charging him.

When the waiter saw his yarmulke under his cap, he used this detail to call the man a Jew, but that was not the reason the man became angry in the first place.

this story has been blown completely out of proportion, the man was a jerk. and acted like an Ugly American, not like a Jew. his religion had nothing to do with it

check the facts. o i forgot, facts are not important anymore. pure emotion is all that counts. esp in regard to antisem, which
is real

I do obviously agree with your worries and feel the same way. Anno 2008 you’d think we would have learned something. It is indeed a shame.

Gut sjabbes for later today!

Did you notice all the people you link to all have the same quotes? I expect they are all based on the same article.

I’ve had a good look through Gazeta Wyborcza, as being likely to be the most Jewish-and-left-sympathetic-and-respectable, and while it takes to task the Jesuits for giving Novak a platform, and both Nowak and Wolniewicz for the content of their speeches, all it mentions about the bishop is that he said “he who loves some great international entity rather than his own country loves really neither that great one nor that one, single, dear thing” (from the context the great international entity might be the EU? don’t see why they thought this was worth mentioning) the only other thing they quote from him is the last phrase of his sermon “Long Live the Glorious Polish Republic”, and that he was asked to recount how he saved Jews during the war.

I was a bit surprised by the “the Jews are attacking us” headline that Gazeta published, but again in context it phrase was used in talking about public debates - the Gross book, Bartoszewski not defending Poland against charges of anti-semitic violence, and what not, not anything more sinister and conspiracy they’re-coming-to-get-us-ish. What the audience took away I don’ t know, I am constantly surprised at people’s stupidity and willingness to render what is said into something quite different.

The Islamic reaction to the Pope’s Regensburg speech (and the reaction of much of the press!), ditto the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sharia law comment - consider them. Not that I agree with what the Abp of C did in fact say, but it was a loooong way from what he has been represented and hoo-ha’d and so on as having said. There’s enough hysteria and pleased outrage around, let’s not feed it. The unhyped truth is usually far more interesting, all else apart.

Not that the general tone sounds that healthy, on the contrary, but there’s no point in dressing up the facts, it just creates smoke and aggro - you’re only following the example of the people you’re condemming. Never heard of Nowak or this other guy (don’t really keep up with the news) but they sound a bit mad. And of course their rhetoric translates into violence on the streets by the braindead.

I enjoy reading your blog. Do you think you can just update my blog address for “Rabbi Miller” in your blogroll? It is now blog.rabbijason.com.

I really appreciate you including it in your BLOGROLL of Jewish blogs!

Thanks and all the best (keep blogging!!!).

Rabbi Jason Miller

–
Rabbi Jason A. Miller
http://www.rabbijason.com
blog.rabbijason.com