SoulTrain Israel Fair to Make Stop in Missoula

(Great Falls, April 22) – Can’t you just smell the frying falafel? A taste of Israel is coming to Missoula!

The Montana Association of Jewish Communities; Missoula’s Congregation Har Shalom and the University of Montana Hillel House have arranged for the Soultrain Israel Fair to make a stop in Missoula. The Fair, which will highlight Israeli culture through food, music, dance and crafts, will take place at Har Shalom’s new synagogue at 3035 S. Russell on Thursday, May 3 from 3 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Fair will bring a small part of Israel to Montana. Programming for the event is directed to adults, children and teenagers throughout the State. Participants will get to know Israeli culture, get information about Israel, taste Jewish and Israeli food, dance Israeli dances, listen to Israeli music. In addition to a mini Israeli bazaar, with vendors stocking Israeli products, there will be arts and crafts projects, fun games and Israeli films for both the young and old.

SoulTrain is an Israeli outreach group that began in the Pacific Northwest in 1999. They have since expanded their activities across the United State, Europe and Africa, dedicated to bring Jewish and Israeli culture to small communities throughout the world. The organization has brought many Israeli cultural figures to Montana over the years. It’s mission is to connect to smaller Jewish communities in order to offer them a direct connection to Israel. Come learn about Israeli culture at this fun-filled family event!

For more information, call Congregation Har Shalom at 406-549-9595.

Big Surprise; NPR airs another biased, anti-Israel story

I know I shouldn't be surprised any more, but the audacity of this NPR (motto: All Anti-Israel, All The Time) story on the deteriorating Palestinian economy gave me pause.

In short, the story highlighted the decline of the Palestinian economy since September, 2000. It specifically spoke about the difficulties faced by a Gaza Strip family in finding work, and laid the blame squarely on Israel for closing the border. However, the story did not make the obvious link that closing the border was a direct response to the terrorist attacks that had flowed through the border since the beginning of the most recent Intafada, which began in (surprise) September, 2000.

Finally, the article emphasized the economic troubles that would beset the Gaza Strip Palestinians once Israel pulled out. What chutzpah! Talk about damned if you do and damned if you don't; NPR criticizes Israel for occupying Gaza, and now criticizes Israel for pulling out.

Here are the facts, as I see them. Israel needs to control its borders against terrorists. It is not acceptable to allow terrorist thugs to kill innocent bystanders with suicide bombs or rockets. Israel is making a magnanimous gesture in pulling out of Gaza. Sharon is doing the right thing, and should be commended for it.

UPDATE: Visit CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting, for more examples of egregious anti-Israeli reporting by NPR.

British Prove Themselves Hypocrites

A new British Telegraph poll shows that the majority of British subjects view Israel as one of the world's "least democratic counties" and the least deserving of international respect.

Well, I guess that open, fair elections, true respect for the rule of law and a free press make a country undemocratic. In Israel, Arabs have always been given the franchise and have served in the Knesset. The same can not be said for the British in Ireland.