Yechezkel Gordon: UN RESOLUTION ON IRAN IS PREDICTABLY SOFT AND PATHETICALLY MEANINGLESS

Inside the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna, diplomats from around the world tried to formulate a resolution to repudiate Iran for it's suspicious nuclear intentions. Sitting around a long conference table in a spacious room were the leading diplomats of the west including the US, Britain, France, Germany, and the diplomats of Russia and China.

The meeting was held in response to a report released the other week by the IAEA, indicating that they had gathered clear proof that Iran's nuclear program was not designed to produce energy for civilian use, as they claim, but rather to built a nuclear weapon.

Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, addressed the gathering. "Throughout the past three years, we have obtained additional information which gives us a fuller picture of Iran’s nuclear program and increases our concerns about possible military dimensions," he said.

"The information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device," Mr. Amano said.

"I ask Iran to engage substantively" with the I.A.E.A. "without delay and provide the requested clarifications regarding possible military dimensions to its nuclear program."

Now with such clear evidence, you would expect it to be a slam dunk that the international community would issue a strong and powerful condemnation together with a new round of crippling sanctions. But this is the UN, and nothing is ever simple at the UN.

So the diplomats spent hours together passing around a pen and paper, quarreling over the weakest possible wording for the resolution. In the end Russia outdid China, turning the resolution into one big diplomatic joke that's certain to make the Iranians erupt into laughter.

According to the AP, the resolution expressed "serious concern that Iran continues to defy the requirements and obligations contained in the relevant IAEA Board of Governors and UN Security Council Resolutions." It also spoke of "deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program, including those which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions."

Maybe we should just put Iran in time-out until they start behaving. Or threaten to take away there dessert until they promise to be our friends. I mean are you kidding me! This is what the UN expects to force Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program? No wonder the Israelis are preparing for a military strike to end this problem for once and for all.

Yechezkel Gordon: THE ENIGMA OF RICK SANTORUM

Dissatisfied Republicans have looked everywhere for an authentic conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, everywhere that is, except for the one place where it might already exist.

First there was Michele Bachmann who shot to the top of the GOP field with an impressive victory in the highly touted Iowa straw poll. But she soon found herself out of the spotlight when the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, made his highly anticipated entrance into the election.

The buzz for Perry was so strong in the media at first, that many commentators declared the election came down to Romney vs Perry. But Perry began to unravel in the GOP debates when his not so conservative views on illegal immigration and securing the border came to light. The intense scrutiny by the national media didn't help either, and before you knew it there was one negative story after the other on Perry. Conservatives started asking themselves, if Perry can't hold is own in a debate against his fellow Republicans, how can they expect him to fair any better against Obama. That's when a new conservative star was born.

To the surprise of most pundits, businessman Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll, propelling him to the front of most national polls alongside Romney. His credentials on fixing the economy were boosted with his previous experience as CEO of a national pizza chain, and his catchy "9-9-9" tax plan seemed to resonate with voters. But the Cain train was suddenly knocked off course when Politico reported that Cain had been accused of improper behavior with two previous female employers. The harassment allegations took on a life of there own, and before you knew it two more women stepped forward with similar claims.

The fall of Cain has led to the rise of former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich. And that's pretty much where the race stands today. Most polls have Romney and Gingrich leading the pack, with Cain rapidly falling and Perry nearly knocked out after his "oops" blunder in a debate when he forgot the third department of government he wanted to abolish. Ron Paul continues to have a steady showing of support by his loyal supporters, but his fringe policies make it unlikely he'll be able to widen his support base any further.

And that leaves us with Rick Santorum, a former Senator from Pennsylvania. Santorum is arguably the staunchest conservative in the race, with strong conservative values across the board. His strong support for Israel and hawkish approach to Iran is not simply an election gimmick, he has a solid twelve year record in the Senate that backs it up.

In an earlier interview with the Washington Post, Santorum explained his foreign policy credentials. “During my time on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I chaired a subcommittee that worked on all military procurement issues, helped transform the military and our intelligence system as well as delved into the issues facing our nation in the Middle East. That is how I came to authoring legislation to protect Israel from the threat posed by Syria and to assist pro-democracy movements in Iran. I worked with my advisers, but I also dove into the issues, learned about them, weighed the advice of divergent viewpoints and then came to my policy decisions. This is the combination of experience and intangibles that our next president needs, and it’s what I alone bring to the table.”

Santorum is also unique in his strong pro-life and pro-family policies. In short, he's a social and fiscal conservative with a hawkish foreign policy. He's has the experience and track record to back up his rhetoric, but for some reason he continues to show up at the bottom of every poll. Even in Iowa, where's he's spent the bulk of his time campaigning and visited all 99 counties, he only has 5% support in the latest poll. He's done well in the debates and has given three major policy speeches, but so far it hasn't helped.

Republicans are tripping over themselves trying to find a true conservative to take on Romney in the primaries and Obama in the general election, so why not give Santorum a chance. Let's see how he does under the bright glare of the media spotlight. Will he fumble on Libya like Cain did the other day? Does he have a strong moral past that can stand up to the controversy diggers in the media? There's only one way to find out. Ronald Reagan is no longer alive to save the Republican party and defeat Obama, but Santorum is. It's time to give him that chance.

Yechezkel Gordon: ARE YOU PREPARED FOR WAR? THE IRANIANS WON'T BE THE ONLY ONES SURPRISED BY AN IAF STRIKE

Whether you support a military strike on Iran or are against it, or you simply don't care much about it, you better be prepared for it.

Over the past few weeks there has been much speculation and debate regarding Iran and it's quest for a nuclear bomb. It originated in Israel with front page articles in the major newspapers and spread world wide when the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, released an intelligence report that Iran's nuclear aspirations go far beyond civilian purposes.

If Israel does indeed attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran and it's proxies would be expected to retaliate. That means in a worst case scenario, Hamas in the south could launch hundreds of rockets and Hezbollah could terrorize the north with it's deadly arsenal of missiles, and that's before we even mention Iran!

The Iranians have the capability to make the scud missile attack by Iraq look like child's play. It has been reported, that Iran has a vast arsenal of weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, that are within striking distance to every city in Israel. That means that even if you live in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, cities that have been relatively safe from the rocket attacks, you will now find yourself on the front lines of a dangerous war.

Now, if you were expecting one of the cars with speakers to roll down your block announcing the military strike will start at 9pm tonight, you're in for a surprise. It's not going to happen! You will be just as surprised as the Iranians will be.

And that means that the time to prepare for such an attack, is now. Does you're family know where the closest bomb shelter is? Do you have an emergency supply of food and water saved up? Do you have a radio to stay updated and informed inside the bomb shelter?

Of course we all hope and pray that the above scenario won't happen, but a little preparation now could have an enormous effect later if it does, so what's the excuse not to be prepared?

Yechezkel Gordon: OBAMA'S UN SPEECH PROVES THE WHITE HOUSE IS PANICKING OVER LOSING THE JEWISH VOTE

In the history of pro-Israel speeches it wasn't that dramatic, in the history of Obama's speeches it was downright monumental!

President Obama has heard you loud and clear. You sent him a clear message earlier this month by voting for Republican Bob Turner in the special congressional election- well, today at the UN Obama has said message received.

Obama started off his speech at the UN by stating his opposition to a unilateral Palestinian state. “Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations -- if it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians -- not us -- who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them: on borders and on security, on refugees and Jerusalem,” he said.

Then he affirmed America's commitment to Israel's security, "America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakable," he said. "Our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. And so we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day." That was pretty much where the old Obama ended and the new Obama took over.

"Let us be honest with ourselves: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it," Obama said. "Israel’s citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses. Israel’s children come of age knowing that throughout the region, other children are taught to hate them. Israel, a small country of less than eight million people, looks out at a world where leaders of much larger nations threaten to wipe it off of the map. The Jewish people carry the burden of centuries of exile and persecution, and fresh memories of knowing that six million people were killed simply because of who they are."

Israeli officials were extremely happy with the Presidents speech, and they all made sure to go out of there way and express it. Netanyahu called Obama's position a “badge of honor” and thanked him for “wearing that badge of honor.” Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gushed about the speech saying, "I laud this speech and sign off on it with both hands. The president made two important points in his speech: first, that it is impossible to resolve the conflict in any international forum and second, he did not mention the issue of the 1967 borders. This was the speech of a friend and ally." Defense Minister Ehud Barak continued the Obama praise parade, "It has once again been proven to all the doubters that President Obama is an ally and friend of Israel. The Obama administration has lent its support to Israeli security in a broad, comprehensive and unprecedented manner."

The Palestinians on the other hand were fuming. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas could be seen shaking his head in disapproval during the speech, and afterwords his henchmen competed for ways to express their anger. "All that's left is for Obama to join the Zionist Congress," said a senior member of the Palestinian delegation. Another senior official said, "Americans massacred the Indians and now they identify with the massacre perpetrated against us by the Israeli occupation."

It seems like the true colors of the Palestinian Authority are starting to finally seep out of their carefully crafted suits and ties.

But before you start popping champagne or begin campaigning for Obama to win re-election, remind yourself that once Obama wins his second term, there's nothing stopping him from turning back into the original pro-Palestinian peace lover.

Max Brody: A SURPRISE ENCOUNTER AT A JERUSALEM BAR

Living in Israel awards you with many unique experiences, here's one of my best ones.
I was desperate for a bathroom one day in Jerusalem, and the only store in sight that would have one was a bar. As a religious person I never usually got anywhere close to a bar, and I quickly debated in my mind if I should make a one time exception for my current bathroom emergency. It took me less than a second to come to the obvious conclusion: I had no other choice, I would have to enter the bar to use the restroom.
Feeling quite embarrassed, I pushed open the door to the bar and asked the man behind the counter where the bathroom was. My plan was very simple: get in and out of that bar as fast as humanly possible, and hope that no one else sees me.
The bathroom was down a flight of steps so I quickly descended towards the bathroom. Suddenly the flash of a camera went off just bellow me, what was that I wondered?
It didn't take long to figure it out. There was a big time VIP in the bar, and he was being photographed with every move that he took. With his royal-looking up-hat and long jacket, it became increasingly clear that it was none other then the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger!
He was in the neighborhood checking out the kashrus of all the restaurants, and this bar was one of his stops. I asked one of the men in his entourage if I could get a bracha from him, and before I knew it I was being introduced to the Chief Rabbi of Israel, and I got a bracha from the Rav as the cameras continued to flash in front of me.
Not bad for a first time bar experience, don't you think? Only in Israel my friends, only in Israel.

Yechezkel Gordon: EHUD OLMERT'S PEACE PLAN IS REALLY A DEATH TRAP

Ehud Olmert, the previous prime minister of Israel, tried to stick his head into the ongoing UN fiasco by penning an op-ed for the NY Times titled, "Peace Now, or Never." After reading it your left wondering how Israel ever survived three years under him.

He's obviously feeling left out and unimportant, so he's doing a politicians version of jumping up and down and screaming look at me, look at me! Well Ehud, we're all looking and it's not a pretty sight.

He starts off reminding us of his offer he put on the table back in September 2008. He writes, "The parameters of a peace deal are well known and they have already been put on the table. I put them there in September 2008 when I presented a far-reaching offer to Mr. Abbas." Now wait a second Ehud, if you have the best solution to the ever-lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and you already laid it out 3 years ago, why do you think all of a sudden now it's going to be accepted by both parties if it was already rejected the first time you tried it?

Anyways, the wizard of peace continues, "According to my offer, the territorial dispute would be solved by establishing a Palestinian state on territory equivalent in size to the pre-1967 West Bank and Gaza Strip with mutually agreed-upon land swaps that take into account the new realities on the ground." Okay that's not too crazy, but wait until you read what the wizard of peace wrote next.

"The city of Jerusalem would be shared. Its Jewish areas would be the capital of Israel and its Arab neighborhoods would become the Palestinian capital. Neither side would declare sovereignty over the city’s holy places; they would be administered jointly with the assistance of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United States."

Are you kidding me? We will be forced to get on our hands and knees and beg some Jordanian official every time we want to daven at the Kossel? Or have some Saudi Arabian official decide who's holly enough to go to the Kossel?

All I can say is, thank G-d he isn't the prime minister any more. And judging by the last election where the right wing blocks won the majority, I think most Israelis agree with me.

Yechezkel Gordon: ORTHODOX JEWS PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE GOP CANDIDATES PRO-ISRAEL STANCE

Texas Governor Rick Perry, a contender for the Republican Presidential nomination, held a press conference at the W Hotel in midtown Manhattan a few months ago. It was a clear showing of his strong support for Israel, and criticism for what he believes are the failed and misguided policies of President Obama on Israel.

"We would not be here today … if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn’t naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous,” he said. "There is no middle ground between our allies and those who seek their destruction," continued Perry, who is being advised on foreign policy by some of the leading conservative voices of the George W. Bush administration. "America should not be ambivalent between the terrorist tactics of Hamas and the security tactics of the legitimate and free state of Israel."

Strong words indeed!

Standing on stage behind Perry at the press conference were some of the leading Jewish activists in NY and a few Israeli politicians. But standing out among them were three individuals who stood together just one week ago at the winning rally of newly elected Congressman Bob Turner; NY Assmblyman Dov Hikind, NYC Jewish Community activist Chaskel Bennett, and the newly elected Congressman Turner. Some might have wondered how the orthodox Jewish leaders managed to be front and center in a major press conference with someone who might be our next President. But the answer is simple: Israel.

The Republican Party is doing all it can to woo Jewish voters who usually vote democrat but might be susceptible to vote republican in 2012 if they feel that the security and safety of Israel depends on it. That's where the orthodox Jewish leaders play a prominent role. Since, unlike conservative or reform Jews, the orthodox have already clearly embraced the GOP and have voted heavily for them for over a decade. (Lieberman was the last presidential election that many orthodox also voted democrat) On both social and foreign policy issues the orthodox and GOP see eye to eye. Being pro-Israel also helps in the Republican primaries, where the Christian conservatives who strongly ally with Israel, play a major role. Hence, it was no surprise to see Perry embrace, both literally and figuratively, prominent orthodox jewish leaders at the Israel press conference.

The GOP has tactically used Obama's vulnerability on Israel to their benefit, by making Israel a major issue in the 2012 elections. This creates a tremendous opportunity for the orthodox Jewish community as a whole, and it's leaders in particular, to rise up to the occasion and make a tremendous kiddush hashem. Let's make sure we don't make the Republican Party regret their embrace of us.