The Mexican Flu? You've got to be kidding

I love Israel. I love living in Israel. I love what Israel stands for in the history of the Jewish people. However, sometimes Israel does things that remind me why we really bug the world.

A few days ago Yakov Litzman, the ultra-relgious, deputy health minister, announced that because swine isn't kosher, Israel should call the new flu racing around the world: "the Mexican Flu". The fact that it originates with swine among other living things -- whether you eat them or not -- and the fact that it was a totally unnecessary insult to our Mexican friends, apparently had nothing to do with Litzman's reasoning.

And this is one of the reasons that ultra relgious people scare me. The world is not -- and I repeat NOT -- about you. You are welcome to your view of the world as far as I am concerned, but really, are you so narrow minded that you are not aware that it is not a view shared by very many people? Not even among your own people?

No one was talking about eating swine or pork or pig! And the word offends you so much that you cannot even have it in your lexicon? Give me a break.

And while I am on that break may I suggest that you turn your attention to the myriad other words that have the letters P-I-G in them. (I didn't even bother to research "swine" or "pork".) While you are sitting in your office apparently doing nothing useful, here are some words that will need replacements: pigtails (how about Mexi-tails?); pigmentation; pigeon; piggyback; pigmies; pigout; pigpen; and the one I have reserved specially for you: PIGHEADED.

Apparently you are unaware how few friends we have south of the Mexican border. Or perhaps you fear using the word "pig", "swine" and "pork" more than you fear the alliance between Iran and Venezeula. Why worry about Iran when you can spend your time on a stupid word that doesn't mean anything to the bulk of the hebrew-speaking Israeli public.

I realize that Litzman backed down yesterday from this idiotic plan but that's not good enough. The damage is done. In a country with so many issues that they are too many to count, the deputy minister of health found nothing better to do that stir the pointless-pot.

Jewish Reality Check: Durban 2

Before I started writing this post, I did a quick Google search for "Durban 2" and got the reality check of the week. Every posting on the first page and a half of Google referring to Durban 2, was posted by a Jewish organization or individual. In other words: While it might be a big issue for Israelis ..... No one else really cares.

I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings but sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade.

As you probably know, Durban 2 is supposed to address the fight against racism and discrimination in the world, but just like Durban 1, it has been hijacked to become anti-Israel forum.

Okay, the world was off to a bad start when it appointed Libya the chair of the conference, and Iran and Pakistan (those bastions of democracy, liberty and fair play) vice-chairs of the biggest racism scam on earth. Oh, Cuba is special rapporteur, but I have no idea what that means. With such an unholy trinity in charge there was really nowhere to go but down.

Apparently Canada recognized this abuse of the anti-racist cause -- and obviously so did Israel -- and decided to boycott the conference. Even the not-so-worldly and probably anti-semetic President Obama, who first tried to influence the conference in order to put it back on the right path, ultimately decided to boycott when he realized that he was whistling into the wind.

As someone pointed out to me: the fact that the first black U.S. president in history decided to boycott the conference shows that this conference has little to do with combating racism.

So, so far, all the expected players have backed out. What improved my day somewhat was Italy's announcement that it would not participate in the conference. But before you start cheering, the ever-careful-no-to-upset-their-massive-Arab-population-states Britain and France, and Germany who just can't seem to really move away from its modern historical role as the King of Anti-Semetism Executed, have voiced a protest. Wow, I'm sure that really scared the bejeebers out of the Durban 2 planners!(?)

Australia and many other Western countries have expressed their protest and their intention to withdraw if certain "red lines" were to be crossed. The European Union has made the same announcement on behalf of all its members. Frankly, that is pretty wussy too, but that brings me back to my point. It isn't their fight. They really don't care. What's wrong with a world without Jews/Israelis?

The joke is that they should care. They should all have enough smarts to realize that once the Arabs are finished with Israel, they should be content for about .... nine minutes. Just enough time to go to the bathroom, have a cup of tea and some halva, and get back to focusing on their next target. Roll your eyes if you wish, but they have been advance planning -- they have many angry people in place all over Europe (ready to burn your car to smithereens if you look at them sideways) and they are well-entrenched in North America as well.

So forget the countries, important individuals, intellectuals and journalists who support the boycott. Use your common sense. How can the starting point of any conference on human rights begin with the defamation of religions? How can you take seriously a conference where the only country in the entire world under the microscope is the democratic Israel? Doesn't that, in and of itself, contradict a fight against racism? Singling out one entity for being different?

Don't take my word for any of this. Use your brain and use your computer. And then, do a quick reality check.