Commenter Profile

Total number of comments: 10 (since 2010-11-20 17:38:47)

jgarbuz

Born in DP camp in Germany, 1946. Raised in Brooklyn, New York. Lived and worked in Israel for a decade. Presently live in Queens, NY.

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  • New resource tracks and analyzes Israeli arms exports
    • jgarbuz October 7, 2011 at 12:52 pm

      So why didn't the US sell Nazi Germany more arms than it gave to Britain in 1940 too? Nazi GErmany would have paid well to get some US arms, oil and other things. In 1940, had we thrown Britain under the bus we could have been good friends with Nazi Germany too. Just like the Muslims will be happy to be "friends" with America if it throws Israel under the bus. Of course, thankfully there are still some people in America who don't see things that way. But the Muslims are working on it, to bring America around, and doing a good job of it. No matter if they bomb Manhattan, or whatever they do, we need their oil so we won't do much. $3 billion in military aid to ISrael is a pittance. And sure the Muslim can afford to pay, because OPEC controls oil prices and can raise all the money they need at your local gas pump whenever they want, because the US oil industry is in cahoots with them. But ironically, Saudi Arabia doesn't really want Israel to go under right now, because they have no one to defend them against Iran other than ISrael,. The US is backing out of the Middle East because we are bankrupt in part due to high energy costs.
      So it's a complex dynamic.
      But, once Israel's offshore energy resources comes online, Israel will not only have the money to pay for US arms, but it will have money to produce even better arms of its own indigenously.

    • jgarbuz October 7, 2011 at 1:52 am with 1 replies

      A light unto friendly, decent nations, and a blight unto its all too numerous enemies.

    • jgarbuz October 7, 2011 at 1:49 am with 2 replies

      God Bless Israel, and may it be strong and prevail. First of all, there is this nonsensical view held by many Americans that everything "originates" in America! As if other people have no brains or scientists and cannot develop their own competent indigenous arms industries. Trust me, if Sweden, only slightly more populous than Israel, can develop its own planes, ships, tanks and other armaments, Israel certainly can and does do the same. Israel did not become amongst the top 10 arms exporters because it was Israel's choice. Israel had no choice because it was at the mercy of French and other suppliers who kept betraying Israel. As for the US, it first began to share arms with Israel AFTER the 1967 war. Israel has developed its own tanks, its own ship to ship missiles, its own UAVs and a host of other indigenous weapons systems because it cannot totally rely on the US or anyone else. For example, Egypt manufactures Abrams M-1A tanks under licence. The US sells Israel's adversaries far more arms than it gives to Israel. Hence, Israel chose to produce its own tank, and not be dependent on US tanks that are also sold to Israel's adversaries. IN aircraft, US planes destined for ISrael are produced in accordance to Israeli specifications and often use Israeli avionics and radar systems, as well as Israeli air to air missiles. A considerable amount of Israeli technology is now incorporated into US defense systems as well, and so technology transfer is increasingly a two way street. A number of US defense subcontractors are now Israeli subsidiaries, bought out by Israeli companies. Israel never wanted to become an arms merchant, but circumstances were such that ISrael cannot trust anyone completely, and needs a vigorous arms industry of its own.

  • Trying to rationalize Israel's bar on intermarriage. No can do
    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 2:24 pm

      Civil union is the same thing, only I don't why the word "marriage" has to come into it. I believe that the kind of union called "marriage" represents a covenant or contract that is above and beyond the state. If you give the state the right to create marriage, then aren't you also giving it the right to break up marriage? Like slaves in the antebellum South, where families could be broken apart by slave-master, and families broken apart as slaves were sold off.

      The main interest of the state in contractual unions is so that future soldiers, workers and taxpayers be produced and reared in a manner beneficial to society. It did not want bastards to become wards of the state, and so it encourages such unions by giving certain subsidies or tax breaks to families. Otherwise, what is the interest of the state in who you sleep with and such?

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 2:13 pm

      I don't see why you call Israel an apartheid state when Muslim Arab men and women and all non-Jewish citizens have been allowed to vote since 1948, and Israel has Arab supreme court justices and members of parliament. Just because Israel, like most other Middle Eastern states, has elected to leave domestic matters, like marriage, divorce, burial and such to the clerics. As I said, Jews and non-Jews can live together and have households, but under civil unions. It is simply the business of ANY state to proclaim people "married!" I don't know why in western countries the state has decided to arrogate this power to itself. Of course, in olden days there was no such thing as "civil union" but many people lived together out of wedlock, or in "common law" marriages. But the takeover of marriage by the state is relatively recent phenomenon, and frankly I don't see where it is the business of the state at all.

      This calling ISrael "an apartheid state" is just another routine blood libels placed against the Jews. Saudi Arabia, the Muslim "holy land." doesn't even let Jews in, unless they are diplomats or some such. Jews and Christians are NOT allowed to be citizens of Saudi Arabia or even live there except under narrow circumstances. You can't even bring a Bible into that country. And that is the birthplace of Muhammad, the father of Islam.

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 12:15 pm with 3 replies

      What do you know about Ottoman Land laws? Do you know the difference between the six classes of land under the 1858 Ottoman land law? That is the difference between mulk, miri, waqf, mawat, mahlul, and matruka lands? Do know what the Mushaa farming system was?

      For example, when miri lands were not cultivated for three years, the state could take the land back because it was unproductive and not producing taxes for the state.

      Israeli land laws are so complicated, that most lawyers there admit that nobody can understand them. That is because they are a mismash of tribal ARab laws, Ottoman land laws, British laws, and of course Israel land laws, a small bit of which is based on ancient Biblical land laws.

      So, if you want an introductory text on the subject, I recommend "The Land Question in Palestine, 1917-1939" by Emory professor Kenneth W. Stein. After you've become well acquainted with the subject matter, your criticisms of Israel allegedly not respecting "property rights" might be a tad more credible.

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 11:59 am with 2 replies

      That is the case in the Israel. You don't need to "marry" in the Rabbinate, or the Muslims or in Church to get all the state benefits, and the usual custody issues, with a civil union.

      However, I am not sure about adoptions. That part I do not know.

      Of course, a civil union between a Jew and a non-Jew will not be recognized as a "marriage" by the Rabbinate, nor will the marriage of a Muslim woman to a Christian or Jewish man be recognized by the Muslim religious authorities. But who cares? If you don't care about all that religious stuff, then it shouldn't matter.

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 11:54 am with 2 replies

      I don't know what "being married" means to a total secular. What do you need a license from the state for? What, is the State your God and you have to take some kind of oath before a bureaucrat? I don't get it.
      If you and your mate have made a commitment to each other, all you need in Israel for tax benefits is to register as a civil union. Why do you need the word "marriage" for? Today, it's a meaningless word anyway.

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 10:17 am

      Jews are a tribe - an ancient nation - and it is true that marriage outside of the tribe is frowned upon and discouraged. However the State of Israel is a secular democratic state, but does not perform civil marriages. It registers civil unions - be they heterosexual or homosexual - and recognizes civil marriage certificates obtained abroad. But the State of Israel does not perform marriages. Nor, IMO, should any state.

      Otherwise, the Jewish state is no different than the Irish state, the German state, or the Polish state. It is the homeland of a specific tribe of people, but also the country of all of its many citizens who are not of Jewish nationality as well. Over 1/4 of all Israelis are not Jews.

    • jgarbuz July 24, 2011 at 10:12 am with 8 replies

      It is good that there is no civil marriage in Israel, and I don't see why it should be the business of any state to "marry" people. However, in Israel a couple can register as a civil union, be they hetero or homosexuals. But "marriage" is an oath to God - a religious function - carried out by the Rabbinate, the Muslim or Christian authorities, and not by secular state bureaucrats.

      So if a Jew and a Muslim, or a Muslim and a Christian, or any two individuals of age - be it a heterosexual or homosexual couple - want the legal protections and tax benefits, they can register as a civil union or alternatively they fly to nearby Cyprus and get a civil marriage there, and that civil marriage certificate will be recognized by the State of Israel.

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