The logo of Yemen\u2019s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
It reads, in Arabic:
\u201cGod is most great.
\u201cDeath to America.
\u201cDeath to Israel.
\u201cA curse upon the Jews.
\u201cVictory to Islam.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the flight over, my wife and I shared our row\u00a0with an extremely pleasant older Jewish man, a British-born economist with a Ph.D. and a newly minted American citizen (as of three months ago), who had been a volunteer with Israeli forces during 1967\u2019s Six Day War and who had, since, lost a son in military service to Israel.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was coming over to check on some family property.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
We enjoyed several lengthy conversations with him. \u00a0(The flight from New York City to Tel Aviv is nearly twelve hours long.)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was witheringly contemptuous of the Obama administration in general, and particularly of its policy toward Iran, and expressed hope that Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government would soon take out Iran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
On a related note, today was Israel\u2019s Independence Day. \u00a0(Yesterday was the \u201cDay of Remembrance,\u201d a memorial day for all those who have given their lives in, as they see it, defense of the State of Israel.) \u00a0Along with thousands in the park across the street from our hotel, we watched formation after formation of Israeli military aircraft fly low over the beach.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt leading its carrier battle group to the waters off of Yemen and Iranian vessels steaming toward the same location, carrying arms for the America-hating Houthi rebels there, it will be interesting to observe how the negotiations between Iran and the United States over the Iranian nuclear program fare.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I\u2019ve said several time before, I wish we had a president.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Posted from Tel Aviv, Israel<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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