Top arms exporting countries 1999-2006 (from here) and see here for the original source)

USA $14,008m
Russia $5,800m
UK $3,300m
Germany $1,000m
China $700m
Canada $600m
France $400m
Netherlands $300m
Israel $200m
Spain $200m
Sweden $200m

So the Netherlands exports more arms than Israel, and Israel the same amount as Spain and Sweden. So in fact, Israel is a fairly average player in the world arms market. Also, Diveroli is not an Israeli name and a search of Hebrew web sites hardly turned up anything. While he may, not definitely since I never met an Israeli (I lived there for nine years) whose first name was Bar Cochba, have an Israeli uncle, what about his own dad who seems to be heavily involved in the whole thing.

Posted at March 28, 2008 12:11 AM in response to Today's Must Read

Aish ha-Torah is a religious organization which is headquartered in Israel and whose goal is to make non-Orthodox Jews Orthodox. May I venture to say, with the possibility of the family relation being different, that David Packouz lives at home with his parents? Or he at least gave that address. It seems that his father also goes by the Hebrew name of Kalman, also see here. I could be wrong about Kalman=Kenneth, but it is common for Jews to have their Hebrew and English names begins with the same letter, and it wouldn't be surprising if Kalman's legal name was really Kenneth. Kalman seems like a pretty hard-working rabbi trying to spread the message of Torah whose son made it into the NYT's for all the wrong reasons.

Posted at March 27, 2008 6:29 PM in response to Waxman Scheds Hearing for Twenty-Something Arms Contractor

While I agree with that McCain is way out of the Bush league, he did tow the party line during the elections, even if he has criticized Bush and Cheney since them. If he is VP he is very close to getting the nomination in 2008, something which I think that he would have had trouble doing otherwise. Bush needs a BIG turnaround and I doubt that Iraqi elections in January are going to provide this.  As for Condi, I don't like her very much, but McCain needs to look for support outside of the "base" and she may be the ticket. People seem to like her and hardly anyone remembers her testimoney before the 9/11 Commission. On the other hand Guiliani is very popular, although not so much here in NY as in other places. I would actually think that Rove would be in favour of bringing McCain aboard, it might be one of the best thing to strengthen Bush's image, bringing aboard one of the only honest men in the Republican party. McCain would have to swallow a lot of pride and other substances, but if it brings him closer to the White House he may do it.

Posted at October 29, 2005 4:15 PM in response to If you've listened to Fitzgerald

My wild prediction-Cheney eventually resigns not necessarily b/c of an indictment and who does Bush bring on board to save his presidency...John McCain.  A McCain-Condi ticket in 2008 would be just around the corner.

Posted at October 28, 2005 12:16 PM in response to If you've listened to Fitzgerald

For some reason many critics of Soros always seem to ignore the work that he has done in Easter and Central Europe in support of democracy, a free press, etc.  I guess that they aren't so excited about his "Open Society".  See what happens when you help try and spread democracy around the world peacefully, they don't let you own a baseball team in DC.

Posted at June 30, 2005 6:41 PM in response to Tom Davis: Bad For The Jews