First Israeli in Space

Sleepyman writes "CNN has a story about the first Israeli in space going on STS 107 Slated to takeoff today from NASA's Space Center in Florida this afternoon. Good luck to him and the rest of the crew of STS 107."

Comments

'Jeeeewwss Iiiiinnn Spaaace!!!'

[MonTemplar]

For some reason, the scene from the end of Mel Brooks's film History of The World Part 1 just bounced into my head... :)

anti-semitism

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, I am always shocked by the amount of anti-semitism on slashdot. I always thought the /. crowd was different. I was wrong.

Re:anti-semitism

[Anonymous Coward]

What anti-semitism? All I can see is expressions of anti-Israel sentiment which is quite a different thing. If you look at what Israel is doing these views are quite understandable. The anti-semite label is a great way of shutting up vocal opponents, but it doesn't wash with me anymore.

Re:anti-semitism

[Anonymous Coward]

Being anti-israel != anti semitism.

Re:anti-semitism

[Anonymous Coward]

This is probably going to be off-topic, but Slashdot is a discussion site, and I'd like to get everyone's viewpoint.

I'm Jewish, but not Israeli. And it's an important thing to note that not all Jews are anti-Palestine. The Reform Jewish movement (Judaism has "movements", like Christianity has denomonations) has publically stated it's for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Several Orthodox (!) congregations have chimed in as well.

However, that doesn't mean that Israel should cease to exist. This is an overused analogy, but considering my wife is full-blooded Chickasaw, a useful one. The Chicaksaw (a Native American nation) were here first, but nobody expects the United States to dissolve and give back the land to the Native Americans. Instead, they've established semi-soverign "states within states" for the Chickasaw. How long does Isreal have to exist before they're considered a valid nation, and not illegal conquerors?

Now, in Israel/Palestine, the land is still ethnically divided across more geographic lines. Therefore, it'd be easier to make it two states, instead of states-within-states. I'm totally for this.

But, I've also often noticed that, among a lot of people today, it's "cool" to be anti-Israel. I'm assuming this is because their parents were pro-Israel. I dunno.

Think about it. Atrocities have been comitted on both sides. Great Britian, who had mandate over the land, gave it to the Zionists for a homeland. Was that right? Maybe, maybe not. But the UN recognized it, and the greater community of nations recognized it, so it happened. Now, we have suicide bombings, and tanks running down children.

I've lived all over the world, and it's amazing how different the media handles things. Here in the US, it's Palestinians bombing busses. In Europe, it's Israelis shooting houses. Given Europe's past history, I'd be inclined to believe that there is a bit more anti-Semitism in play than we are led to believe. (Before I get flamed into extinction - I'm not saying that all of Europe is anti-Semtic, I just think that European media is anti-Semetic, just like the American media is anti-Palestine. The media takes sides, don't forget). I lived in Europe for two years, and never had a problem. Just noting the media bias.

So, before you get on a high horse and say "look at how evil Israel is", yadda yadda yadda, remember that boths sides are to blame. *Both* sides. Not one, not the other.

And it sucks.

Re:anti-semitism

[StressedEd]

If there's one thing sure to annoy me it's the use of throw-away terms like "anti-Semitic" used by people incorrectly.

I'd be inclined to believe that there is a bit more anti-Semitism in play than we are led to believe.

Are you sure you mean anti-semitism? Semitic refers to the Jews, Arabs and many less well known groups.

Surely in this context you wanted to say anti-Jewish.

Reference below for your edification (emphasis mine)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]

Semitic \Sem*it"ic\, a.
Of or pertaining to Shem or his descendants; belonging to
that division of the Caucasian race which includes the Arabs,
Jews, and related races. [Written also Shemitic.]

Semitic language, a name used to designate a group of
Asiatic and African languages, some living and some dead,
namely: Hebrew and Ph[oe]nician, Aramaic, Assyrian,
Arabic, Ethiopic (Geez and Ampharic). --Encyc. Brit.

However, in the current political climate you are probably right, there is almost certainly increasing anti-Semitism. Currently this seems to be mostly coming from the USA and directed at the Arabs of the Middle East in a country whos name begins with "IRA" and ends with "Q" (pun intended).

-ed

Re:anti-semitism

[puterguy]

You may be a student of Latin, but you are certainly no student of history. Go learn some Roman history and you will see when and why the Romans changed the name on their maps from Judea to Palestine. (hint: it had something to do with punishing the Jews for a recent revolt). Similarly, Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina (some more Latin for you :) Or look at some more modern history, where the major English Jewish paper was called the "Palestine Post". Before 1948, the local Arab population actively refused to identify with the term Palestine since that term had long been used to refer to the Jewish concept and geography of the Holy Land. Here is some background: It was not until the Romans crushed the second Jewish revolt against Rome in 135 A.D. under Bar Kochba that Emperor Hadrian applied the term Palestine to the Land of Israel. Hadrian, like many dictators since his time realized the propaganda power of terms and symbols. He replaced the shrines of the Jewish Temple and the Sepulchre of Christ in Jerusalem with temples to pagan deities. He changed the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitalina, and changed the name of Israel and Judea to Palestine. Hadrian's selection of Palestine was purposeful, not accidental. He took the name of the ancient enemies of Israel, the Philistines, Latinized it to Palestine, and applied it to the Land of Israel. He hoped to erase the name Israel from all memory. Thus, the term Palestine as applied to the Land of Israel was invented by the inveterate enemy of the Bible and the Jewish people, Emperor Hadrian. It is interesting to note that the original Philistines were not Middle Eastern at all. They were European peoples from the Adriatic sea next to Greece. It may have pleased Hadrian to utilize this Hellenistic term for the Jewish land. In any case, the original "Palestinians" had nothing to do, whatsoever, with any Arabs.

Re:anti-semitism

[corebreech]

The Chicaksaw (a Native American nation) were here first, but nobody expects the United States to dissolve and give back the land to the Native Americans.

Nobody expects Israel to dissolve. Just stay within your borders, the same as we expect from every single other nation on the planet. Stop invading other peoples' land and demolishing their homes. Stop killing their people.

And we do give land back to the Native Americans. As much as we should? Hardly. But there's another factor at play here: time. The land stolen from Native Americans was done by Americans who are now long dead. Not so with the Israelis.

Your position seems to be that simply because people have stolen land from others in the past that it is OK to do so now and in the future. Clearly, that is an unacceptible position. It's embarrassing that anybody even needs to be told this.

But, I've also often noticed that, among a lot of people today, it's "cool" to be anti-Israel.

I suppose it never occurred to you that a lot of people think it sucks when a mighty military power subjects a defenseless people to a brutal occupation, taking their lives and stealing their land in the process. Do you think that might have something to do with it?

Do you understand that a significant chunk of the money I pay in taxes is diverted to Israel every year so they can engage in these brutal exercises? And that they are only able to get this money by virtue of their having bribed our Congress into being so generous with my money? That the reason Israel possesses this mighty military machine is almost entirely due to the aid it receives from America? That most if not all of the news we get from our media here is so hopelessly biased against the Palestinians that I now have to rely on foreign news organizations to keep me informed on what is really happening there?

"Cool" has nothing to do with it.

Atrocities have been comitted on both sides.

Since Sharon's trip to the Temple Mount the number of Palestinian dead exceeds that of Israeli dead by a ratio of nearly 3-to-1. That fact, coupled with the naked aggression on the part of the Israelis by occupying Palestinian lands by force and demolishing Palestinian homes clearly places the atrocities Israel commits in a different class altogether than those committed by the Palestinians.

Great Britian, who had mandate over the land, gave it to the Zionists for a homeland.

Why not stick to the matter of Israelis stealing land beyond what was "given" to them by Great Britain, the matter that is foremost in peoples' minds, the matter that so provokes the Palestinians.

So, before you get on a high horse and say "look at how evil Israel is", yadda yadda yadda, remember that boths sides are to blame. *Both* sides. Not one, not the other.

Nice try. Israel is the aggressor. Israel is brutalizing a defenseless people. It's amazing that anybody would even try to spin it any other way. The fact that they are is a testament to the tremendous influence Jews have in American media.

This is news ?

[Eivind]

What exactly is news in this ? The *nationality* of a astronaut ? Will we now have slashdot storeis about the first astronaut from all countries ?

Apparently what he's doing or what the mission is for or anything of the sort is not interesting enough to be worth metioning, only the nationality is so sensational it deserves a story of its own.

Oh, and offcourse anything who says /anything/ that is a) negative and b) involves israel, however indirectly, is a rabid anti-semite.

This IS worth news here...

[0x69]

This IS worthy Slashdot Science Section news, but NOT because of the "first person from country X in space" angle.

The important science news here is all about political use of the Space Shuttle, the security problems created thereby (how many lives and $millions would certain terrorists happily give to sabotage or shoot down this Shuttle?), etc.

(Yes, i know that the whole Shuttle program is at least as much about pork spreading as space science, and that's *very* old news.)

Re:This IS worth news here...

[thelaw]

look - space exploration has always been about politics.

why did the US start the space race? to beat the soviet union to it.

why did the US want to hit the moon by 1970? to beat the soviet union to it.

much of the technology used in ICBMs was converted to NASA gear, and vice versa.

don't fool yourself - no country explores space for the joy of exploration. they do it because it has tangible payoffs in the economic, political, and military worlds.

jon

First /. posting by a feline

[RevDobbs]

And now, for your enjoyment, the first /. posting by a cat:

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(missed were the multiple function keys that were also stepped on.)

Important information

[Anonymous Coward]

Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut, was one of the F-16 pilots who had bombarded and destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor back in 1981. If not for him (or rather, if not for the Israeli Air Force), ten years later (in 1991) the USA would have had to face an Iraq that owns nuclear weapons. Not a nice prospect.

Mel Brooks was right.

[cosmol]

Remeber the end of history of the world? "We're Jews in space, zooming around protecting the hebrew race!" I wish I could find a screen grab of that.

Why are Europeans so fixated on hating Israel?

[puterguy]

Could it be Anti-Semitism?

When you think about it, Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. Even if the Israeli and Palestinian populations fought to the death it wouldn't make a dent in the world popultion. Despite all the tragedies, the number killed on both sides combined account for only a tiny fraction of the violent deaths in the world. Israel has no natural resources which Europeans covet. If Europeans were truly concerned about doing good in the world, there are many jucier projects both among the neighboring MidEast dictators and in just about every other corner of the world.

To many distant observors, the pathological fixation of Europeans on Israel while at the same time selling their soles to the most evil dictators in the world smacks of a delusional illness. That illness bears an uncanny resemblance to the thousand year fixation of Europeans on opressing their small and weak internal minorities. In the scientific and medical world, when 2 species or maladies exhibit many similarities, Occum's razor calls for classifying them as similar. So, to many European knee-jerk anti-Israel sentiment is near indistinguishable from knee-jerk anti-Semitism. Wh

What else could explain the boycott of Israeli academics even though the academic segment in Israel is about as left wing and pro-Palestinian as any segment?

Of course, since much of Europe contributed collectively to the near extermination of European Jewry, it is only natural that they now need to turn to Israel to find new sources of Jew hatred.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.