You think ISIL is extreme?

Try the right of the Israeli Zionist faction. One of their number, a rabbi Glick, was shot yesterday, probably by agents of Hamas. And you can hardly blame them. Rabbi Glick was one of a group of Israeli extremists who want to cast the Muslims out of "Temple Mount" as they call it, bulldoze the two mosques that currently occupy it and rebuild the great Jewish Temple, just like it was before the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. As the site is considered the third holiest place in the Muslim world, you can imagine they are not overly enthusiastic about the idea.


In a way the Muslims are fortunate it hasn't happened already. In 1967, at the height of the Six Day War, a heavily armed Israeli platoon was advancing on the Dome of the Rock. With them, acting as "spiritual advisor" was another one of those ultra-Zionist rabbis. He launched into a passionate plea to the soldiers to blow up the mosques once they had gained control of the site. According to stories I have heard, they drew back from this Armageddon-inducing act only at the very last moment. I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't more than a few Zionists around right now who wish that rabbi had got his way.


But it isn't all bad news out in the West Bank. I hear Sodastream, shaken by a 10% fall-off in its sales, has decided to close its plant in one of the illegal Israeli settlements. Boycotts do work sometimes, it seems. And poor old Scarlett Johanssen! Must be a bit of a blow to the ego when a company takes you on as its poster girl and its sales fall by 10%. Never mind darls. You can still cry all the way to the bank.