November 2, 2007, - 5:15 pm
Netanyahu’s Detroit Speech & the 90th Anniversary of Balfour; Bad Security & Kosher Caterer’s Hezbo Employee
By Debbie Schlussel
**** UPDATE, 11/04/07: I added a paragraph I forgot to put in on Friday (scroll down). ****
Today is the 90th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, in which Lord Balfour declared a Jewish State in “Palestine”. Carl in Jerusalem has the complete details on this important document in Jewish, Israeli, and Mid-East history, including the actual document.
Last night, in honor of the Balfour anniversary, the Detroit chapter of the Zionist Organization of America hosted former Israeli Prime Minister (and perhaps, the next Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu a/k/a Binyamin (Benjamin in Hebrew) Netanyahu.
Bibi was his usual charismatic self, and his strong speech made all of the important points about how Israel made horrendous decisions in giving Iran three fronts–essentially, three states–1) in South Lebanon, with Israel’s boneheaded move to abandon it in 2000; 2) in Gaza, with Israel’s boneheaded move to abandon it in 2005; and 3) if Israel gives the Palestinians a state in the so-called West Bank, also, in Israel’s ongoing boneheaded moves.
He used a great example of a famous scientific experiment in which an invisible glass pane is put in the middle of an aquarium. On one side, a big, predatory fish. On the other, a small fish–the prey. The big fish keeps trying to go into the other side of the aquarium to eat the small fish but finally gives up because he figures out the glass pane. But, as Netanyahu points out, Israel does not have the luxury of the glass pane keeping its predatory enemies out. And in fact with the Iranian fronts in South Lebanon and Gazastan, Israel has essentially lifted the glass pane, only to be devoured.
**** UPDATE: Problem is that Netanyahu, while being the best of the recent Israeli Prime Ministers (but for Yitzchak Shamir, who totally stuck to his guns against Muslims and U.S. demands for concessions to them), was far more soft in office, including at Wye, when he was planning to give away almost everything in the Wye Accords (thankfully rejected by Arafat). If only Netanyahu the Prime Minister were as strong and principles as Netanyahu the non-Prime Minister. ****
The most important thing I saw or heard at last night’s event, however, was the absolute lack of security and the presence of a Shi’ite Muslim who very likely supports Hezbollah on the staff of the caterer at the synagogue where the event was held.
There was such a huge crowd at the sellout, I had to park on the Detroit-area synagogue’s lawn, as did many others. When I went to park, a private security guard told me the Secret Service wanted that distant part of the lawn free. I thought to myself, if anyone is going to prevent harm to Netanyahu, it won’t be the Secret Service, it will be the Israelis. But going inside, it became clear I was wrong. No-one was going to prevent harm.
No walk-through metal detectors. They–private security–barely checked me and didn’t my check purse. They wanded my chest and arms. That’s it. I could have easily had a gun or bomb strapped to either of my legs. Then, they didn’t even take tickets. Anyone off the street could have walked in and sat down at the event, as one of my friends did (she did not yet obtain the ticket I got her). During the speech, anyone could have taken a clear shot at Netanyahu from at least one side of the stage (stage left), which was completely unguarded and shielded by a giant videoscreen around which anyone could have snuck and taken a clear shot of Netanyahu. The lack of security was startling, and I felt unsafe. If this is the way the Secret Service protects dignitaries, um, good luck.
Finally, at the end of the event, the kosher caterer, Paul Cohen of Quality Kosher Catering, told us that he has a Lebanese employee who “has been able to pick up a few words of English here and there in the few years he’s been here.” I asked if the employee was a legal alien. He did not respond. Then, I asked the man’s name. He said the man’s name is Ali Chami (can also be spelled, “Shami”), and he is apparently from Dearbornistan. The fact is, the Chami/Shami family is a well-known Shi’ite from South Lebanon, from the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil. They are all strident Hezbollah supporters.
So, you tell me: How safe is it to employ a Shi’ite from Hezbollah country who barely speaks English and whose family is well-known for their support of the terrorist group . . . in a Jewish, kosher catering company? Did the Secret Service do a background check? Don’t bet on it. It would be very easy to poison the food we ate afterward and some ate at the banquet before. And it would have been very easy for this man to have set off a bomb or shot at Netanyahu.
Looks like the U.S. Secret Service and the Orthodox Jewish kosher caterer needed to hear Netanyahu’s message about the fish and the glass pane . . . and the Iranian bases in our midst, more than the largely secular Jewish audience for his speech.
Some people never learn.
Tags: Ali Chami, America, Arafat, Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, Debbie Schlussel, Detroit, Detroit-area synagogue, food, FUJIFILM CLEAR SHOT V II 35mm Film Camera, Gaza, Gazastan, Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil, Hizballah, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jerusalem, Kosher Catering, non-Prime Minister, Palestine, Paul Cohen, Prime Minister, private security guard, Secret Service, the 90th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the Balfour anniversary, United States, walk-through metal detectors, West Bank, Yitzchak Shamir, Zionist Organization of America
Every wannabe somebody for the ages, in his or her mind, trys to get a settlement in the Middle East which is little more than an agreement from Israel to give up some of its territory in the name of peace. That does nothing but cause an ever growing ignorant population of Arabs to play nice for limited time.
An independent Kurdish Republic could have made the region a two front war on the extremists in Iraq, Syria and Iran. But the narrow minded thought process in the region seems to think that Turkey is some sort of Alamo and Ally. Hardly, Israel and the U.S. have become too arrogant to look at the reality which is nothing more than simply looking at who has the will to fight for a purpose larger than a selfish camel screwing tribe of idiots.
code7 on November 3, 2007 at 2:48 am