The JPost.com blogosphere got off to a relatively quiet start this week with the holiday season coming to an abrupt end. While the majority of our bloggers seemed to be off enjoying the scent of etrogim and the beauty of autumn leaves, there were a few notable exceptions.
Yisrael Medad was busy avidly following the events and reports of the violence
on the Temple Mount and the "Controversial anti-Islam ads set for Washington
DC," offering criticism of the coverage by The New York Times, The Washington
Post, and even The Jerusalem Post in two blogs,
Let us have just the
unembellished news and
The NY Times and the Temple Mount.
He dissects the
reports in these leading papers, questioning their use of language and omission
of certain details, failing to provide the full picture. Questioning,
"Exactly
what political ideological line does their news fit?"
Ira Sharkansky was also
blogging away this week, publishing two posts. The first, written while abroad
(now that's dedication!) entitled,
With Varda in Berlin depicts a more personal
blog, delving into familial history in Germany. The second,
Bibi as pest and
extremist, takes a different tone, offering harsh criticism of the Obama
Administration and defending Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's latest actions
in the wake of the Iranian threat and upcoming elections in both Israel and the
US. He writes,
"Netanyahu has served Israel well by succeeding in putting Iran's
nuclear program high on the international agenda. Pest he may be, but pest he
should be, given all that Iran's leadership has said about Israel, and the ample
evidence that it has spent years wasting the time of international worthies who
would negotiate and move only slowly and gradually to serious
sanctions.
In sharp contrast, Ed Koch blogs in his latest piece
Mr.
President, take heart, offering advice and encouragement for US President Barack
Obama following his, shall we say, not so successful debate with Republican
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He writes,
"So my advice to the President is
recognize your strengths which include high intelligence, courage, passion,
integrity, likeability and most importantly, being on the people's side of the
issues... I would also say to the President - put aside the anger that you might
feel towards those, like Chris Matthews and a host of others, from whom you
might have expected more support at a moment you needed it, so that it doesn't
take away any of your energy and ability to concentrate on what it is you have
to do to prepare for the next debate and, ultimately, lead this country for
another four years.
On another front, Dennis Mitzner and Petra
Marquardt-Bigman brought to light recent Israel de-legitimization efforts making
headlines.
Dennis's post,
Despite warnings Estelle determined to reach
Gaza, analyzes the latest Gaza bound flotilla sailing under the Finnish flag,
and offers interviews we might otherwise have missed of the organizers from a
leading Finnish news outlet.
Petra, on the other hand, continues her
documentation and crushing critique of Egyptian-American writer Mona Elthawy's
latest comments against the "anti-Jihad" ads in New York, in her latest blog,
How to stoke Islamophobia.
Now for a lighter and happier note we turn to two
bloggers, Dr. Leah Hakimian, who introduces us to yet another happy couple to
have tied the knot, in her latest piece,
How Becky met Mark. Interviewing more
than 75 couples over two continents, Leah will not rest until she answers the
question – How do couples meet and marry?
Perhaps our next blogger, KJ Hannah
Greenberg can answer that question as she informs us in her latest blog,
Quietly
Now, that this coming month she is expecting not one but two weddings! She
writes,
"The joyous tumult of the season of Rosh Hashanah, of Yom Kippur, of
Sukkot, and of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (these holidays share a date in
Israel) have passed. Crisper, brighter autumnal air cools my home. My family’s
thoughts turn back to school, to work, and to matters of other mundanities.
Nonetheless, with us, b’ayin tova, the partying continues.
As I hope it
will for all our readers. Mazal Tov Hannah!