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The End of an Era
Summary ... We are approaching the end of an era. Democracy and communism have both proven they do not work. All objective truth is being destroyed before our eyes. Soon the Kingdom of God will be established in our midst.
We are approaching the end of an era. Politics and democracy have entered their terminal stage. Party government has become nothing more than a struggle for power, and parliaments are but arenas for self-aggrandizement. This was inevitable. It was inevitable because, in its modern conception, democracy separated politics from morality. As a consequence, individual egoism was bound to supplant family and communal values.
Democracy has fulfilled its historical function. Its two cardinal principles, freedom and equality, liberated the acquisitive instincts, facilitated the conquest of nature, alleviated widespread toil and poverty, and opened the door to talents. But while men and women in democratic countries enjoy unprecedented freedom and equality as well as material abundance, a frightful number find their lives lonely and meaningless. The reason is not far to seek: democracy is the dissolver of ideologies, of traditional beliefs and values which alone can endow people with a sense of solidarity and purpose.
The decency and civility still visible in contemporary democracy have nothing to do with democracy itself. They derive from the morality of the Bible and the urbanity of Greek philosophy.. Neither democratic equality nor democratic freedom provides any moral standards as to how man should live. What is there about democratic equality that would prompt a person to defer to wisdom or to show respect for teachers or parents? What is there about democratic freedom that would prompt him to restrain his passions, to be kind, honest, or just?
Today more and more people are beginning to see that democracy is in a state of decline. Advanced democracies have succumbed to the reign of quantity over quality, of opinion polls over truth. Spin has become the norm of politics. Centralized government and bureaucracy have eviscerated personal responsibility and civic mindedness. The masses vote every few years and then relapse into servitude, stupefied by the tube.
Actually, there is no such thing as democracy—not in the modern world. The language of democracy is nothing but a fig-leaf for self-serving elites steeped in decay.
The decay will become even more evident as Eastern European nations, liberated from Soviet tyranny, discover that democracy will not solve basic human problems, which are moral. Indeed, the collapse of the Soviet Union was soon followed by an anti-politics movement among Eastern European intellectuals. The problem confronting mankind, as former Czech president Vaclav Havel said, transcends politics or the political system: Mankind must overcome its unauthentic existence. Men and nations need to break the chain of lies, to live in truth and to exhibit honest concern for others.
Democratic politics is still politics, is still devoid of honesty. Corruption and deviousness on the part of public officials is rampant. Democratic governments cannot overcome horrendous crime rates, drug addiction, pornography, sexual perversions, mental disorders, broken families, and the decline of intellectual standards. Democratic hedonism fuels these maladies.
Meanwhile, multiculturalism in the universities is destroying all notions of objective truth. This presages the end of Western civilization (which accounts for the resurgence of Islam). How can one readily teach Plato and Aristotle, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, at Stanford University, when half of the undergraduates are Asiatic?
With the decline of Communism, no one can take Marx seriously, even though Marxism, in diluted form, continues to influence Western politics. As for Christianity, its doctrine of separation of church and state precludes its having architectonic significance on contemporary society.
Enter Israel. Despite its grotesque political system, Israel's rebirth in 1948 provides the national foundation for the universal recognition of the Torah as the paradigm of how man should live. Even now we behold a renascence in Jewish philosophy as well as a convergence of science and Torah that surpasses the works of the great Jewish philosophers of previous ages.
It is in this light that we are to understand why the nations are trying to truncate and destroy Israel. Subliminally, they know and fear that their modes of thought and ways of life have no intrinsic validity.
The same may be said of Israel's secular parties. Those of the Left—if one can speak of a "Left" when there is no serious "Right"—those of the Left, I was saying, represent the dregs of Western civilization. Although they control all the levers of power in Israel, they are actually powerless. Witness how they have yielded to Arab barbarism despite the awesome power of the Israel Defense Forces.
As for Israel's religious parties, they have succumbed to the politics and leveling tendencies of democracy. But so it must be as Israel approaches the end of this era.
Despite its present degradation, Israel will survive its turncoats and tormentors, as it has for more than two millennia. The Jewish people have a Covenant with God, and "God is not a man that He should deceive, nor mortal that He should change His mind."
[ Published: January 16, 2006 ]
In Depth Analysis
Where is Palestine?
Where, exactly, might another Palestinian state arise? "Another," because Jordan, constituting two-thirds of Mandatory Palestine, with a "Palestinian" majority population, already is a de facto Palestinian state. And although several international documents clearly state the boundaries of Israel, Netanyahu seems more than happy to change them and give land to Israel's sworn enemies.
Israeli Attack on Iran Won't Follow the American Script
Since Israel's exact capabilities are known only to a handful of senior government officials, it's impossible to predict exactly what an Israeli strike against Iran would look like. But based on past experience, one can confidently predict that it won't resemble the US blueprint. Israel is quite capable of dealing with situations with its limited resources and without provoking massive retaliation.
Is the Peace Treaty Between Israel and Egypt Finished?
The deterioration in relations between Israel and Egypt should serve as a reminder to all that the new generation in the Arab world is not marching toward moderation, particularly when it comes to making peace with Israel or even recognizing its right to exist.
Emet Blog
Benzion Netanyahu and the All Important UN Clause to Save the Jewish State
Benzion Netanyahu, (father of the current Israeli prime minister) who recently died in Jerusalem at the age of 102, along with Irgun activist Peter Bergson (nephew of Mandatory Palestine Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook), and liberal US Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, drafted an article for inclusion in the United Nations Charter that could yet save the Jewish state. Benzion helped to write the fundamental principle of Zionism — the right of Jewish settlement throughout the Land of Israel — into the United Nations Charter.
Bin Laden Lessons for Israel
The US assassinated bin Laden, tried to kill Hitler, and also hunted and eliminated Saddam Hussein, yet nobody said a word. For every targeted elimination carried out by Israel, it was hit with numerous condemnations and protests, yet the daily US surgical strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Iraq are met with silence. Every time Israel unintentionally harm civilians, the world raises a hue and cry, yet if it happens in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, or Kosovo nobody protests.
Murder at Tomb Illustrates the Future of Jewish Holy Sites in a Palestinian State
On April 24, 2011 Jewish worshipers at Joseph's Tomb were attacked by members of the US-trained PA/PLO police. One person was murdered and several others wounded. Rather than keep the peace and root out the terrorists who are a threat to the safety of both Jews and Arabs, the PA/PLO police have yet again proven themselves to be a group that is willing to commit acts of terrorism themselves. And this is not the first time they have done this at Joseph's Tomb.
Views/Commentary
Those Contradictory Militants
The mainstream media, politicians, and others, prefer to use the term "militant" instead of "terrorist," especially in the case of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Doing so fulfills many different agendas, in addition to furthering the user's cause. Whatever the case may be, the usage generally distorts the story and causes confusion for the reader, which many times is its exact intention. As with much post-1970s journalism, the longer news media use such language, the less they sound like journalists and the more they are heard as political partisans.
Who Will Teach Tolerance to the Muslims?
There was a time when police officers told battered wives that they had to be more understanding of their husbands. Today they tell Americans to be more understanding of Muslims. They do work hard you know. And if they try to car bomb you sometimes, maybe it's because you don't please them anymore.
But There is a G‑d in Israel
The Jewish exiles shall be ingathered only through faith. If they have it, if they truly believe in the existence of the Creator and Guider of history, the G‑d of Israel, they can bring the final redemption today. Far from fearing what the Gentile will do if they do such a thing, let the Jew tremble as he considers the anger of the Almighty if he does not.
Selected Reading
Reconciliation (Unity) Agreement Between Fatah and Hamas
Under the auspices of Egypt, delegations from the Fatah and Hamas terrorist groups met in Cairo on April 27, 2011 to discuss the issues concerning ending the political division and the achievement of national unity. Both political parties mutually agreed that the basis of understanding made during the meeting are committing to both parties in the implementation of the Palestinian National Reconciliation Agreement. This is the basis of understanding agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas.
The Arab Pulse: What Policymakers Can Learn From "Palestinian" Social Media 
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has released the first-ever study mining the Arabic-language "Palestinian" social media environment to determine Arab public sentiment and its potential impact on US foreign policy. At FDD's direction, the Washington, D.C.-based Web analysis company Constrat viewed approximately 10,000 Arab social media entries between May 3 and August 3, 2010, of which it analyzed approximately 20 percent for relevancy. In the end, the company analyzed 1,788 statements contained within 1,114 unique posts across 996 threads written by 699 authors.
Why Is Israel's Presence in the Territories Still Called "Occupation"?
When an armed force holds territory beyond its own national borders, the term "occupation" is usually used to describe its holding on the land. However, not all the factual situations that we commonly think of as "occupation" fall within the limited scope of the term "occupation" as defined in international law.
Commentaries, Documents, Booklets, and Miscellaneous Materials Relating to the Gaza Strip
These commentaries, documentation, and booklets provide much otherwise unknown information regarding the truth ("emet") about what is really happening in the Arab-occupied/Hamas-controlled Gaza area. Included are weekly and monthly summaries of humanitarian assistance, as well as the infamous Goldstone Report, Israel-related United Nations Resolutions, and miscellaneous materials providing information and analysis of the situation in Gaza.
The History and Meaning of "Palestine" and "Palestinians"
Palestine has never existed . . . as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs. PDF Format