by Steven Shamrak

It might surprise some Jews, considering the disproportional anti-Israel coverage in the media and from international pressure the on Israeli government, that there are many non-Jews who strongly support the State of Israel. What is even more surprising is the fact that many of them enthusiastically approve the idea of the reunification of Jewish land, the creation of Eretz-Israel (Land of Israel), as it was designated by the League of Nations in July 1922, even more than most Jews.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

President Obama and his policies are in trouble, no doubt. It is interesting to note how several mainstream media outlets basically admit his ship is sinking, yet try to throw a positive spin on their “news.” The BBC enumerates six high profile resignations from the Obama team, asks, “So is this a case of rats fleeing a sinking ship?,” but spins, “Most presidential watchers say no. ” TIME Magazine asks, “Obama Is in the Jaws of Political Death: Can He Survive?,” but spins, “The politically good news for Obama is that no matter what the outcome of the midterm elections, everything changes in January.” TIME does correctly point out, “Republicans will have a greater obligation, politically and morally, to help govern, rather than thwart and badger” — i.e., “put up or shut up” and “we’d all like to see the plan.” But let’s see what these two mammoths of mass media concede about Obama’s performance.

The Beeb:

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Obama and Congress are doing a great job getting themselves voted out of office. Must be all that “popular” legislation (Obama Likely to Scale Back Legislative Plans). Keep up the great work guys! The latest polls:

President Obama Job Approval
RCP Average
Approve 45.4
Disapprove 49.7
Spread -4.3

Congressional Job Approval
RCP Average
Approve 20.5
Disapprove 71.3
Spread -50.8

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By Stanley Renshon, CIS.org

The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday on the latest Quinnipiac University national survey on American opinions about various immigration matters. The title of the article, “Immigration issues hurting Obama, poll finds,” reflects the finding that, “By a 60%-to-28% margin, respondents disapproved of the way Obama is handling illegal immigration.” What isn’t clear is whether the president is losing support because he hasn’t been able to sign a “comprehensive immigration bill” allowing the legalization of approximately 11 million illegal immigrants or whether it’s because he’s proved much less than serious about border control, workplace enforcement, and deportation. Probably both.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

Thousands turned out in New York City yesterday to commemorate the 911 attacks and oppose the planned construction of a mosque (”community center”) near the hallowed ground where the World Trade Center was savagely destroyed by Islamist terrorists. According to CNN, “Protest organizer Pamela Geller… said the NYPD and security at the rally told her about 5,000 demonstrators were there.” CNN added that, “the protest was peaceful. Human rights advocates, politicians and families of 9/11 victims addressed the crowd.” Atlas Shrugs contends that 40,000 people turned out to protest the planned Ground Zero mosque, and provided pictorial evidence to back its claims (see below). Conversly, pro-Ground Zero mosque “protesters” carried acrimonious placards stating, for example, “The attack on Islam is racism” and “Tea Party Bigots,” according to the Associated Press.

Story continues below…

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by Daniel Pipes*

As September 11 comes around each year, those of us who focus on radical Islam inevitably ask whether the lessons of 9/11 have sunk in — or whether they are fading as the event itself becomes a memory. Are we, in other words, progressing or regressing in what once was called the war on terror?

In contrast to a conventional war, in which objective markers such as control of territory or the output of steel indicate trends, in this new kind of war one must look to subjective factors like understanding the enemy or pride in one’s own civilization. How, on this slippery basis, does the United States stand on the ninth 9/11?

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by Daniel Pipes*

The furor over the Islamic center, variously called the Ground Zero Mosque, Cordoba House, and Park51, has large implications for the future of Islam in the United States and perhaps beyond.

The debate is as unexpected as it is extraordinary. One would have thought that the event to touch a nerve within the American body politic, making Islam a national issue, would be an act of terrorism. Or discovery that Islamists had penetrated U.S. security services. Or the dismaying results of survey research. Or an apologetic presidential speech.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

President Bush was right about Iraq, sticking to his guns, and helping plant the seeds of democracy there. Even John Murtha admitted that Bush’s troop surge was working. More importantly, Iraqis agree:

… A new poll by an Iraqi company found that nearly 60 percent feel it is the wrong time for U.S. soldiers to leave and 53 percent oppose President Obama’s ending of the combat mission. A little more than half believe the withdrawal will hurt the country and only one-fourth view the development positively. And in a statistic that is sure to bother those that boast of Obama’s worldwide popularity, nearly 42 percent feel the president does not care about the situation in Iraq.

Back in September 2006, the year when Iraq nearly fell to civil war, 71 percent of Iraqis wanted U.S. forces to leave their country in a year or less. There was a widespread perception that U.S. soldiers were the ones responsible for their misery. Most disturbingly, 61 percent of Iraqis felt attacks on U.S. soldiers were legitimate, a 14 percent increase from the beginning of 2006. But by March 2008, only 38 percent wanted U.S. forces to leave immediately and a majority wanted them to stay until the country was secured.

What happened? The surge is what happened. Contrary to what opponents of the surge said, the increased presence and aggressiveness of U.S. forces did not trigger a popular backlash because security visibly improved. The increased exposure to American forces likely also led to a certain degree of affection and respect as the anti-American myths were busted by reality. …

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by Steven J. Rosen*

Just before dawn on May 31, 2010, a team of Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish ship to enforce a blockade against the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza. As they came aboard, the Israelis were assaulted by a violent faction of Islamic militants. A melee followed in which several of the commandos were seriously injured and nine of the Turkish militants were killed. The clash was over before the sun came up.

It was still daylight when, 5,600 miles away, the Israeli delegation to the United Nations was summoned to appear before an emergency session of the Security Council to be chastised for the actions of the commandos. Convened just hours after the violence, the council spent the night of May 31, into the wee hours of the morning, absorbed in “a highly emotional emergency session…[to express] international anger over the Israeli attack,” as the Washington Post described it.

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By Barry Rubin

The current debate over the roots of Islamist revolution, clashes in the Middle East, and conflicts between forces in that region and the West involves two critical issues of interpretation:

First, is there a threat to the West from groups whose members are Muslims or does the fault arise from Western policies and shortcomings which, if altered, would make any conflict disappear?

Second, if there is a threat does it stem from Islam as religion or Islamism as political philosophy?

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by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi*

News that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has come out in opposition to the planned construction of a 13-storey ‘Córdoba House’ or ‘Park51′ mosque, two blocks away from ‘Ground Zero’, should prompt us to ask whether it is truly right to oppose the building of this particular mosque.

To begin with, it should be noted that there is no basis for opposing its construction on legal grounds. That said, a distinction needs to be made between legality and morality. The key question therefore is: would the mosque fulfill the apparent, declared intention of fostering outreach and mutual respect between people of various faiths?

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A vast majority of New Yorkers oppose — “By a margin of 61 to 26 percent” — the building of a mosque (Muslim “community center”) near the hallowed ground in New York City near Ground Zero — where 3,000 people where savagely murdered by Islamist terrorists on 9/11. This is according to a Siena College, NY poll published today:

By a margin of 61 to 26 percent, New Yorkers oppose the proposal to build the Cordoba House, a multi-story Muslim Cultural Center in lower Manhattan two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center according to a new survey released today from the Siena College Research Institute (SRI). …

“Large majorities of all New Yorkers, every party, region and age give a thumbs-down to the Cordoba House Mosque being built near the Ground Zero site,” according to Dr. Don Levy, SRI’s Director. …

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by Stephen Schwartz*

John L. Esposito, professor of religion and international affairs and director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, is America’s best-known apologist for Saudi Wahhabism, the Turkish fundamentalist Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Islamist ideologies in general. To many, he personifies all that’s wrong with Middle East studies in America today.

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By Andrew L. Jaffee

President Obama is losing political support on all fronts — and, “Now comes evidence that the war in Afghanistan cannot be won — certainly not with the effort and constraints now in place,” according to Dick Morris:

Having already lost all Republicans and almost all independents, Obama is shedding Democrats these days. According to a Fox News poll, his job approval among them has dropped from 84 percent at the end of June to 76 percent in mid-July. A combination of the Afghan War, the oil spill, Guantanamo and his failure to act on immigration reform have all eroded his credibility with his liberal constituents.

Now comes evidence that the war in Afghanistan cannot be won — certainly not with the effort and constraints now in place. It is obvious that Obama and Hillary Clinton are being duped by the Pakistani government and the Afghan leadership is awash in corruption. With Pakistan offering the Taliban sanctuary next door and the government in Kabul staying in office in order to steal American aid, the Afghan war is looking more and more like Vietnam.

And now we have the equivalent of the leak of the Pentagon Papers discrediting the war effort from the inside. …

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by Kathy Shaidle*

Toronto’s motto is “Diversity Our Strength.” According to the city’s official website, it is where “more than 150 languages are spoken daily and where 50 percent of [its 2.7 million] residents are born outside of Canada.”

When multiculturalism was declared official national policy in 1971, some citizens bristled, but others merely envisioned — to employ one Canadian blogger’s cynical expression — “more pavilions at Folkfest.” Already the destination of choice for many immigrants, Toronto duly appointed itself the country’s capital of multiculturalism.

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