Post-Passover

In order to augment our Hebrew/Aramaic content, here is a fun video:



For those less Hebraically inclined, there is an English version...

Passover Post

Here are two great links for your consideration:
http://text.rcarabbis.org/?p=857
http://jewishmag.com/89mag/brandoseder/brandoseder.htm

A Note on Several Things...

It has come to our attention that we have reached 100 posts- in fact, this is B"ZAYON's 101st post! So first, just a little self-congratulation. Secondly, we would like to address a trend in this and other Anarcho-Zionist blogs (the only other active one which we know of, In The Gloaming, certainly holds to this trend) to deal with Zionist issues above and beyond anarchist ones. There are many reasons for this, but here are, we think, a few:

• Anarcho- modifies Zionist, so Zionism understandably takes a front seat much of the time.
• There is a lot more blatant anti-Israel sentiment in the world than anti-anarchist. For that reason, there is more work to be done on that front than that of government and other by definition oppressive authorities.

However, we will try to make an effort to have some more anarchist thought on the blog, as that side of the world deserves to be heard as well. We will, of course, continue to bring our characteristic mix of Zionist news and other randomnesses.A Happy Israelite Freedom Holiday to all!

Primary Source-a-riffic

One of our outstanding associates has recently brought to our attention an important semantic point relating to Israel. The the 1947 Partition Plan refers to the geographical area on the west side of the Jordan river, or the 'West Bank', as Judea and Samaria, or rather 'Samaria and Judea'. Here is the source: http://www.undemocracy.com/A-RES-181(II).pdf, on page 13. A search for "West Bank" in the New York Times during 1966 yields only stories about finance in West Germany: http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?frow=0&n=10&srcht=s&daterange=period&query=west+bank+1966&srchst=p&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=sub&hdlquery=&bylquery=&mon1=09&day1=18&year1=1851&mon2=12&day2=31&year2=1980. Facts are inconvenient so often for the anti-Israel crew. Let us not fall prey to "Newspeak" of any sort!

Content

It is here we ponder, and present ot you a thought which very well may be worthless: what is content? Must a post link to some news, decry some infamy, or may it simply impart a mood? Here in Boston it has been raining hard and flooding. As you are at home tonight, hopefully dry and warm, take a moment to think about where you are, physically and metaphysically. As Pesach approaches and we clean our house, let us also set flame to mental chametz and try to bring our world near the day which is neither day nor night, as the seder song says. What is anarchism, (or Zionism, for that matter) of any stripe, if not an impatient messianism?

Cold Turkey

The concept of "historical truth" has never seemed complicated to us at B"ZAYON; if something happened, then it probably happened. But Turkey seems to be unacquainted with objective reality. Their denial of the Armenian genocide is famous, but recently they have further sullied their standing among rational nations by pulling their ambassador to the US, and more shockingly, denying any Jewish connection to the Cave of the Patriarchs or Rachel's Tomb. Genocidal fascist fools...

It Never Stops

So much anti-Israel rhetoric is based on willful ignorance. It should be obvious to everyone the offensiveness of acknowledging Maarat Hamachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs), which is in Hebron, as a "national heritage" site. (Of course, Kever Rachel, or Rachel's Tomb, has no historical or religious connection with Islam, but that doesn't keep it from being "another move of aggression"). Sure, parts of the building over the cave date from the period of Herod (before the creation of Islam), and that Hebron is mentioned many times in the Torah. Sure, Hebron was King David's first capitol, and is among the holiest of Jewish sites. But really- do you think that is why Maarat Hamachpelah is a heritage site? This is just another racist attempt to steal land from the Ancient Ones who, obviously, were the REAL inhabitants of the land. Look at their ancient culture, their distinctive religion, their miraculous survival through the millenia! What about their countless contributions to Western civilization, not to mention their pioneering work in the arts?! And, of course, that most "Palestinian" of all foods- a steaming hot chulent. Wait a second...