PLO'S HATEMONGERING PREVENTS PEACE

Yuval Steinetz wrote an op-ed for the NYT - one of the few gems you can find there - about how Mahmoud Abbas's hatemongering campaign at the UN, for example, is an act of hatemongering:

On Sept. 26, the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, told the United Nations General Assembly that the Palestinians “keep reaching out to the Israelis saying: let us work to make the culture of peace reign.” Honorable sentiments, to be sure, but sadly not free of hypocrisy.

Just after returning from his U.N. speech, Mr. Abbas cleared time to host the celebrated Egyptian poet Hisham al-Gakh, author of a famous hit proclaiming that “our enemy is the fork-tailed Zionist devil.” That evening, Mr. al-Gakh had an opportunity to recite his “lovely” song upon receiving an award from the Palestinian minister of culture.

And in July, the program “Palestine This Morning” featured two sisters reciting a poem referring to “sons of Zion” and “barbaric monkeys” and “wretched pigs.”

These are but a few of the thousands of examples of Palestinian incitement against the Jewish state and the Jewish people. There are even numerous instances of the glorification of Hitler on the Facebook pages of some government-supported Palestinian schools and in children’s publications funded by the Palestinian Authority. Such messages, propagated daily in P.A. media and classrooms, are internalized by the population at large — and children in particular.

Two decades ago, I was a chartered member of Israel’s Peace Now movement and an unabashed supporter of the peace process. Since then, I — and many Israelis like me — have become deeply skeptical about Palestinians’ real intentions. And it’s not only because of the terrorist attacks which have emanated from areas handed over to Palestinian control, but also because of the repeated Palestinian calls for Israel’s destruction. Jewish history has taught us the hard way never to underestimate the power of hatred.

And never underestimate the content of the Koran. I'm certainly glad Steinetz came to his senses and distanced himself from that atrocious movement called "Peace Now".

SELF-HATERS CAN'T HANDLE TRUTH, AND DELIBERATELY WANT TO LIE

Caroline Glick wrote about self-hating Jews like Ilan Pappe and Motti Lerner, who've practically admitted they despise facts:

Had that been the end of that, the “Tantura Affair” – that is, Katz’s blood libel against the IDF – would have been long forgotten. But Katz’s academic supervisor, then-senior lecturer at Haifa and celebrated anti-Israel propagandist Ilan Pappe, refused to let the truth get in his way.

Pappe rewrote the history of the “Tantura Affair.” In Pappe’s telling, Katz heroically revealed the truth about the evil core of the Jewish state, and was then persecuted for going against Zionist orthodoxy.

Pappe has won international acclaim and prestige by being among the most outspoken, virulent foes of Israel in academia with an Israeli passport. He has openly called for Israel’s destruction.

He is also an admitted liar.

Benny Morris wrote of Pappe that his “contempt for historical truth and factual accuracy is almost boundless.”

As Pappe sees it, truth is only important if it is aligned with his ideological goal. The French newspaper Le Soir quoted him saying, “The struggle is about ideology, not about facts. Who knows what facts are? We try to convince as many people as we can that our interpretation of the facts is the correct one, and we do it because of ideological reasons, not because we are truthseekers.”

For his part, Lerner, who has dramatized Katz’s blood libel, was quoted by The Washington Post saying that his purpose wasn’t to tell the truth, either. “The play is trying to suggest that these historical memories [of what happened at Tantura] have to be explored and revised continuously in order to create a solid basis for reconciliation between the two people.”

The “revised” – that is, false – memory Lerner seeks to create serves a clear purpose. By portraying the Jews as murderers and as the aggressors in 1948 and the Arabs as their victims, he wishes to convince everyone that it is okay for the Arabs to continue seeking Israel’s destruction, and for the world to keep pressuring the Jewish state for more unilateral concessions. Only if justice is solely on the side of the Arabs is it possible to promote “compromises” in which the Jewish state makes endless concessions to the Arabs, and in return receives terrorism, war and hatred.

The true history of Israel’s War of Independence in which local Arabs, assisted by invading Arab armies attacked the Jews of Israel with the declared purpose of annihilating them, is inconvenient for the likes of Lerner and Pappe. They have no use for the fact that every area conquered by the Arabs was rendered Jew-free, by massacre or expulsion. They certainly don’t want anyone to know about the heroism of Jews who defended themselves and their nascent state, and prevailed, albeit at great cost.

They shouldn't even be living in Israel if that's what they think. If they really despise facts so much, they'd best make a move to the Islamic world. No joke.

NORWEGIAN SUSPECTED IN ATTACK ON KENYA MALL

CNN reports that a Norwegian citizen is suspected of involvement in the jihad at Westgate mall in Nairobi:

Kenyan counterterrorism sources are looking at a Norwegian citizen of Somali descent as a possible suspect in the Westgate mall attack last month, the sources told CNN on Friday.

The Norwegian citizen is believed to have ties to Mohamed Abdikadir Mohamed, known as Ikrima, who is regarded as one of the most dangerous commanders in the Somali terror group Al-Shabaab.

Norwegian intelligence services are in Kenya investigating Ikrima and the Norwegian citizen, the Kenyan sources said, and have also spoken to the latter's sister in Norway.

It seems the terrorist gang recruited members from quite a few places that makes this all the more disturbing.

BILL DE BLASIO COULD MAKE NYC DANGEROUS AGAIN

And the worst part is, this Democratic candidate for mayor really could end up being elected:

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio told a group of Muslim supporters Wednesday that they won’t have to live in fear of being under constant surveillance if he’s elected mayor.

As WCBS 880′s Jim Smith reported, de Blasio, the front-runner in the Nov. 5 general election, said that, on his watch, NYPD surveillance tactics would only be authorized to follow up on specific leads and that the police force would be under the supervision of a new inspector general.

One who doesn't value safety very highly, you can be sure. As Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller note (via Front Page Magazine), de Blasio's met with horrific figures like Linda Sarsour, who's used the same "Zionism is racism" tactic used by the UN decades ago. A man like him would be awful for NYC, and tragically, he's bound to continue some of the worst things about the Bloomberg tenure.

JUDGE BARS LIKUD MUNICIPAL ADVERTISEMENT FOR OFFENDING MUSLIMS

This judge might even be Muslim himself:

A Likud ad promising to end loud Muslim prayers in the early morning hours has been nixed by Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran, who heads the Central Elections Committee, Maariv/nrg reports.

The ad reads, “Silencing the muezzin in Yafo? Only the Likud can.” The muezzin is the prayer leader who broadcast the Muslim call to prayer over a loudspeaker five times a day.

Member of Knesset Omer Bar-Lev of the Labor party complained to the Elections Committee about the ad.

Joubran decided to ban the ad despite an opinion from Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein stating that Joubran only had the authority to ban advertisements publicized in media outlets, but not on billboards or online. Weinstein also argued, “It’s doubtful that the content [of the ad in question] justifies restricting the freedom of political expression.”

Joubran disagreed. “This campaign will almost certainly be highly offensive to the Arab-Muslim population of the state of Israel,” he determined.

But noisemaking isn't? This judge doesn't deserve his position, and should be ashamed of himself for his own dhimmitude, as should Bar-Lev for the same.

A WEBSITE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO ENROLL YOU IN A PROGRAM DEVISED BY POLITICIANS AND LOBBYISTS IN A CONVOLUTED 2000 PAGE LAW WITH 20,000 PAGES OF REGULATIONS IS NEVER GOING TO WORK!

JUST SAYING...

AND THAT'S WHY USING EBAY AND TWEETING AND BUYING ON AMAZON AND SIGNING UP FOR A TRIP TO MARS WILL ALWAYS BE EASIER THAN BUYING HEALTH INSURANCE UNDER THE OBAMACARE LAW.

BUYING WHAT WE WANT IN AN OPEN/FREE MARKETPLACE - LIKE AMAZON - WILL ALWAYS BE EASIER AND BETTER THAN BUYING WHAT POLITICIANS AND LOBBYISTS THINK WE SHOULD WANT.

THAT'S WHY IT WILL NEVER EVER WORK WELL.

IT'S TOO COMPLICATED, TOO IMPERSONAL, AND TOO RIGID.

IF PROGRAMS LIKE OBAMACARE COULD WORK WELL, THEN THE USSR WOULD BE THE BEST ECONOMY ON EARTH.

JEWS GET ARRESTED FOR SINGING ON TEMPLE MOUNT

Here's another violation of free speech at an ancient site now overlorded by conquestors:

Ten Jewish men were arrested on Monday after they unfurled Israeli flags and sang the Israeli national anthem atop Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

What could be so wrong about public displays of national pride in one’s own national capital? Unfortunately for these 10 men, all expressions of Jewishness, be they nationalistic or religious, are strictly forbidden atop the Temple Mount, which ironically is Judaism’s holiest site. [...]

Citing Israel’s laws guaranteeing freedom of religion, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed the right of Jews to pray at the Temple Mount. However, the court also continues to permit police to halt any Jewish expressions of faith if they feel such actions could “disturb the peace.” And the Muslim authorities that control the compound have made sure Jewish prayers will indeed result in a disturbance.

Today, any Jewish visitors to the Temple Mount are closely monitored by Muslim guards, who will demand Israeli police action at even the hint that said Jewish visitors are praying.

Fearing an explosion of Muslim violence, Israeli police dutifully play along, leading to repeated criticism that Israel has effectively lost control of the Temple Mount.

This is exactly what's atrocious about the police, that they repeatedly cave to violence. Their own management has to be overhauled if this kind of cowardice is to be changed.

BIDEN-KERRY 2016! ... THE KNIVES ARE OUT!

Hillary Clinton: I backed Osama bin Laden raid, Joe Biden didn't

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday took some indirect swipes at Vice President Joe Biden at an off-the-record gathering, a state representative in attendance told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I know she’s running for president now, because toward the end, she was asked about the Osama bin Laden raid. She took 25 minutes to answer,” George State Rep. Tom Taylor told the newspaper. “Without turning the knife too deeply, she put it to [Vice President Joe] Biden.”Taylor told the newspaper that while answering the question about bin Laden, Clinton depicted herself and former CIA Director Leon Panetta as champions of the raid, while also noting Biden’s opposition to the action. Biden is also a potential 2016 hopeful. “She took the rest of the time and went over, answering that question,” Taylor, a Republican, said. “She was ready to speak on that.” Clinton struck a similar theme at another recent speech before the Long Island Association, according to an attendee. She was asked about bin Laden at that event as well, and in her telling, the attendee said, “She and the CIA director were for the attack, and Biden and the secretary of defense were against the attack.”

I THINK BIDEN, KERRY AND HILLARY RE ALL RUNNING.

THE BOYS WILL NOT SIT BACK AND LET BENGHAZI HILLARY OFF WITHOUT A FIGHT.

A DIRTY FIGHT.

:)

70 PERCENT INCREASE IN JEWISH BUILDING FOR JUDEA/SAMARIA

The Times of Israel says there's been an increase of 70 percent in construction for Jewish homes in Judea/Samaria, to the chagrin of Peace Now:

The first half of 2013 marked a 70 percent increase in construction projects started in Israeli settlements compared to the same period last year, according to a report by a left-wing activist organization released Thursday.

The study by the Peace Now group also found that 44% of the new projects were located east of the security fence, and the vast majority of all the new construction, 1,469 units, began without tenders in settlements where they are not required.

In addition, 1,794 units were completed and 2,840 units in total were under construction during the six-month period.

Peace Now has only succeeded in bringing everybody good news. Gee, I thought they wanted to bring bad news. In that case, what's their whole point?

DUBYA MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT PRO-JEWISH/PRO-ISRAEL EVENT IN NYC

Former U.S. President George W. Bush told guests at a Jewish gathering Tuesday night that he believes it is unlikely that Iran’s hostile intentions towards Israel have changed, despite a recent charm offensive initiated by the Islamic Republic’s new president Hassan Rouhani. 

“The United States’ foreign policy must be clear eyed; and understand that until the form of government changes in Iran, it is unlikely that their intentions toward Israel will change,” he said. 

Addressing the current ongoing negotiations between Iran and Western powers, the former President said that he does “not believe in Iran’s peaceful intentions until they can irrevocably prove that it’s true.” 

Bush delighted guests at the gala event at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel when he was revealed to be the evening’s surprise guest speaker, attendees told The Algemeiner. Photography and recording during Bush’s speech was prohibited, and he reiterated his longstanding policy not to comment on public policy matters out of respect for the sitting president.The crowd of 1200 who gathered in support of The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Fund rose to its feet and applauded enthusiastically as Bush ascended the podium. He offered praise for former Senator Joseph Lieberman, who was in attendance, and welcomed newly appointed Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer. 

He also congratulated COP leader Malcolm Hoenlein and past leaders of the organization who were honored at the event.[GEORGE W. BUSH] also read the following excerpt from a speech he delivered in 2008 in front of Israel’s Knesset, and stressed that he holds it to be relevant today and for at least the next decade: 

“As we go forward, our alliance will be guided by clear principles & shared convictions rooted in moral clarity and unswayed by popularity polls or the shifting opinion of international elites. 

We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation. 

We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world. 

We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms & whether by those who openly question Israel’s right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them. 

We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel’s leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction. 

We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve. 

The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies. 

This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. 

In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.

GREAT.

CANADA'S JIHAD PROBLEM

Global News wrote about Canada's Islamofascists who traveled overseas to wage jihad:

Earlier this year the world was captivated by scenes of horror in southern Algeria when a group of extremists attacked a gas plant in which over 800 people were taken hostage. Close to forty foreigners lost their lives. We were soon to learn from the Algerian government that two Canadians, Ali Medlej and Xristos Katsiroubas from London Ontario, played a lead role in this terrorist attack and that both had died as the Algerian army tried to end the siege.

Lastly, we now also have information that several Canadians have traveled to Syria to wage Jihad. A few weeks ago Ali Mohamed Dirie, a Canadian of Somali ancestry, died there. It is important to note that he was a convicted member of the Toronto 18, which had planned to bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange and storm the Canadian Parliament and behead Prime Minister Stephen Harper. We also learned that an Acadian named Damian Clairmont from the Maritimes, grew up in Alberta and converted to Islam a few years ago is also now in Syria fighting alongside Al-Qaeda.

Yes, they've got a jihad problem alright and they're going to have to reconsider their ultra-liberal immigration policy if they want to protect themselves.

WOODY ALLEN MAKES SOME SENSE

For once in his iffy film and stage career, Woody Allen's said something worth listening to:

Jewish Hollywood big-shot Woody Allen says there is no difference between being anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.

In an interview with Channel 2 on Monday, 77-year-old Allen told the Israeli news station that political criticism of Israel conceals a deeper hatred, that of the Jewish people. [...]

"Many people disgiuse their negative feelings toward Jews as Anti-Israel criticism, political critism," he said, "when in fact what they really mean is they don't like Jews."

That's exactly the problem. The same argument could be made about Holland, if the Dutch fall victim to any similar sentiments. I'm amazed that after all these years, he's gathered the courage to admit it.

PANETTA REBUKES OBAMA'S HANDLING OF THE DEBT CEILING AND THE CR

Panetta rebukes Obama’s handling of shutdown

Leon Panetta served in Washington with nine presidents, starting with Lyndon Johnson. He has been a member of Congress, Office of Management and Budget director, White House chief of staff, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and secretary of defense — the last two under President Obama. He is a man who knows Washington and knows how to choose his words. So Panetta’s implicit rebuke of the president’s hands-off approach to the budget crisis at a breakfast Monday was striking. Indeed, implicit may be an understatement. 

Asked repeatedly whether he was being correctly understood as critical of President Obama, Panetta was careful to assert that “I don’t want to put it all on the president” and that there is “enough blame to go around.” But he did not spare Obama. Ruth Marcus An editorial writer specializing in politics, the budget and other domestic issues, she also writes a weekly column and contributes to the PostPartisan blog. Archive @RuthMarcusFacebookRSS Gallery The best of jokes about the government shutdown: In trying to make the best of a bad situation, late night comics have used Obama impersonators, mourned the loss of the panda cam and mocked Fox News’s coverage. Miley Cyrus lent Saturday Night Live a hand in a shutdown sketch. You may also like... On a (right and left) wing and a prayer Dana Milbank On a (right and left) wing and a prayer A breakthrough we need Matt Miller A breakthrough we need “We govern either by leadership or crisis. . . . If leadership is not there, then we govern by crisis,” Panetta said at the start of the session, sponsored by The Wall Street Journal.  

“Clearly, this town has been governing by crisis after crisis after crisis.” Which raised the obvious question: What does this say about the president’s leadership? Several observations ensued. “This town has gotten a lot meaner in the last few years.” Relationships have deteriorated. Redistricting into safe seats hasn’t helped. Neither has the explosion of money in campaigns, or the elimination of earmarks. (Negotiating one Clinton budget, Panetta recalled, “I think I sold about six bridges to get there.”) Then, to Obama. “This president — he’s extremely bright, he’s extremely able, he’s somebody who I think certainly understands the issues, asks the right questions, and I think has the right instincts about what needs to be done for the country.” Next came the “but” — without a name but with a clear message. “You have to engage in the process. This is a town where it’s not enough to feel you have the right answers. You’ve got to roll up your sleeves and you’ve got to really engage in the process . . . that’s what governing is all about.”  

Bloomberg’s Al Hunt asked Panetta how Clinton would have handled the current situation differently. “We were negotiating up to the last minute in the Oval Office” before the 1995 shutdown, recounted Panetta, then Clinton’s chief of staff. “Some of us were nervous that Bill Clinton was bending over backwards to try to see if he could get a deal.” Panetta’s image of clustering in the Oval Office with all the key players — Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Dick Gephardt, Tom Daschle, plus Clinton and Vice President Gore — offered a vivid contrast to the current state of play, with talks having collapsed between the White House and House Speaker John Boehner, and with the 11th-hour action shifted to Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell.

OBAMA'S RECORD SO FAR...

OLDIE BUT GOODIE.

REMINDS US THAT OBAMA HAS MADE EVERYTHING WORSE.

EVERYTHING.

NOT ONE THINGS IS BETTER NOW.

GOOD NEWS FROM NEW JERSEY: Steve Lonegan can defeat Corey Booker!

LONEGAN CAN WIN. I HOPE HE DOES.

Watch this:

And this:

ISRAEL SUSPENDS TRANSFER OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT TO GAZA

Following the discovery of the terror tunnel:

Israel has temporarily stopped allowing shipments of construction supplies to reach Gaza through Israeli territory, following the discovery late last week of a 2.5-kilometer (1.55-mile) tunnel built by Gaza terrorists into Israeli territory.

"Due to security reasons, (the army) decided to stop for now the transfer of building materials into Gaza," Defense Ministry spokesman Guy Inbar told AFP. He did not say how long the ban would remain in force.

Last month Israel permitted delivery of cement and steel for use by the private sector into the Gaza Strip for the first time since 2007, when Israel banned their transfer fearing that Gaza's Hamas rulers would use construction materials to fortify its positions and build tunnels for terrorist attacks on the Jewish state.

Oh for crying out loud. Didn't it occur to them that even "private sector" materials could be used for a horrific purpose like attacks and kidnapping?

And this ban on transfer of shipments for building shouldn't be temporary, it should be permanent.

THE REAL QUESTION IS: "WILL WE SEE A SUCCESSFUL SECOND PARTY IN OUR LIFETIME?"

GLENN REYNOLDS LINKS TO WR MEAD WHO ASKS:

October 12, 2013Will We See A Successful Third Party in Our Lifetimes?

THE REAL QUESTION IS: "WILL WE SEE A SUCCESSFUL SECOND PARTY IN OUR LIFETIME?"

ALMOST HALF THE GOP ARE RINO'S - LIKE MCCAIN AND PETER KING - WHO ARE AS OPPOSED TO REAGAN AS CARTER WAS.

THEY SUCK UP TO THE MSM AND CARRY WATER FOR THE OPPOSITION.

THEY ARE BIG SPENDING, PRO-AMNESTY LIBERALS.

THEY THINK OF THEMSELVES AS CENTRISTS - AS IF CENTRISM WAS A GOOD AND MORAL THING.

LET'S GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT: CENTRISM IS NOT GOOD OR MORAL.

WHEN YOU'RE AIMING AT A TARGET AND YOUR MISSING TWO FEET TO THE RIGHT, MISSING TWO FEET TO THE LEFT DOESN'T EQUAL A BULLSEYE.

A POLICY THAT IS BAD AND HARMFUL AND WRONG IS NOT MADE GOOD AND BENEFICIAL AND RIGHT BY SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE WITH A GOOD AND BENEFICIAL AND RIGHT POLICY.

DON'T GET ME WRONG:

COMPROMISE IS ESSENTIAL IN A PLURALISTIC DEMOCRACY.

BUT ONE DOESN'T HAVE TO COMPROMISE ONE'S PRINCIPLES TO FORGE COMMON GROUND.

THE CURRENT CR BATTLE AND DEBT LIMIT WAR CAN BE SOLVED BY COMPROMISE.

BUT THE ROOT PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF A BUDGET.

THE SENATE'S FAILURE TO PASS BUDGETS AND IN THE PROCESS PROPERLY VET SPENDING PROGRAMS IS THE ROOT PROBLEM AND WE SHOULD BE UNCOMPROMISING IN OUR REJECTION OF THIS.

THE SENATE LIBERALS DON'T WANT THEIR WASTEFUL BOONDOGGLES VETTED.

OBAMACARE IS JUST THE BIGGEST ONE EVER - BUT IT HAS LOTS OF COMPANY.

THE FEDERAL BUDGET SHOULD BE ABUT 50% OF WHAT IT IS.

WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND MORE NOW THAN IN 1993.

THEREFORE WE SHOULDN'T.

THE BEST WAY TO CUT THE WASTE WOULD BE THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS - NOT THE CR PROCESS OR A DEBT LIMIT.

THIS WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL WE ELECT A NEW MAJORITY IN THE SENATE AND GET RID OF OBAMA.

SIGH.

SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE, AND GET A FREE SMART PHONE

From NashvilleBizBlog:

Community Health Alliance, Tennessee's health insurance co-op, is running a unique promotional program to drive enrollment in its plans for sale on the exchange: health insurance in exchange for a smartphone.

As part of its Community Health Connection Program, CHA is offering qualified individuals an LG Lucid 2 4G smart phone (or equivalent model), a phone plan and tech support, included as a cost of their health plan benefits. The phone plan includes unlimited talk, unlimited texting and 1.2GB of data....

More redistribution of wealth!

Meanwhile, many in the hard-working middle class cannot afford a SmartPhone and cannot keep a decent share of the fruits of their labors. This, of course, is the essence of what Obama has called "a level playing field."

A TERRORIST TUNNEL UNCOVERED

A tunnel whose goal was to infiltrate an Israeli town has been revealed (Hat tip: Big Peace):

IDF soldiers recently discovered a tunnel, built by Gaza terrorists, that led from Gaza to a nearby Israeli community. The discovery was made late Wednesday night, but was under a gag order until Sunday morning.

Terrorists were apparently planning a large-scale infiltration and attack, and were possibly planning to bring Israeli civilians back to Gaza as captives.

Terrorists have made several attempts to kidnap Israelis in recent months, with the goal of exchanging captives for terrorists being held in Israeli prisons. A terror tunnel similar to that found Wednesday night was used in the 2006 kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, along with the killing of two other soldiers.

The terror tunnel that was exposed began in the Gaza town of Absan al-Zariz, located between the city of Khan Younis and the Gaza security fence. It extended for 2.5 kilometers (over 1.5 miles).

The tunnel had been packed with explosives at various points. Several offshoots had been dug leading off in various directions.

Special IDF engineering troops with the Yahalom unit went along the tunnel over the weekend neutralizing explosives and locating and sealing offshoots.

Thank goodness they found it. There could have been a pure horror if they hadn't. This is just one more thing the authorities need to be on the lookout for, in case jihadists are planning more sick plots with tunnels and caverns.