Meet Osama bin-Laden's niece

I've identified the woman I want to marry...

... and her name is Sarah Silverman. If you haven't already, go see her new film, "Jesus is Magic." I knew Silverman's humor was riske, but I was still in for a surprise.

Just when you think you understand her level of depravity and perversity, she hits you with a punchline that far exceeds any expectation (or worry) you may have had.

Further, Silverman is:

*Beautiful
*Intelligent
*Hilarious
*Talented
*Jewish
*Proud of Being Jewish (Self-hating Jews can kill themselves for all I care-- or let an anti-Semite doing it for them, I don't care...)
*The most politically incorrect person in America
*And despite the above, a sweetheart.
*Plus she smokes pot.
*Oh, and sexy, too. "Yes, Sarah, I want to hit that tuchus of yours!"

Oh, I'm in love... that milky white, unblemished skin; thick jet-black hair; sculpted dark eyebrows; mischieviously gleaming brown eyes; long neck (she's very proud of her long neck)...

Oy!

Jimmy Kimmel, watch out!

'Talks won't stop Iran's nuclear plans'

Reflecting Israel's quandary regarding Iran, OC Intelligence Maj.-Gen Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash) told the cabinet Sunday that while he doesn't think diplomatic efforts will stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb, he believes these diplomatic efforts must continue.

Ze'evi, in his final cabinet briefing before his term of duty ends in January, said Iran has turned into a regional power and that by next September it could have the independent know-how to create a nuclear bomb. He said that having the know-how was more important than building the bomb itself, and predicted that this could come some six months after Iran begins enriching uranium, something he said could begin as early as March.

It may take Iran another five or six years after it reaches this stage to actually build a bomb, he noted.

"I don't see any real possibility of diplomatic efforts stopping Iran," Ze'evi said. He added, however, that the international community should not give up its diplomatic efforts, and that it should develop a common front in doing so.

Although Iran is one of the major threats looming for Israel in 2006, it is not the only one, Ze'evi said. He listed a number of other major concerns for Israel, including:

A buildup of missiles in the Arab world that could strike at "the heart of Israel." This includes everything from the relatively primitive Kassam rockets from Gaza to the Iranian Shihab-3.

The rise of Islamic radicalism in the Arab world through the ballot box, from Hamas in the PA to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt which recently went from 17 to 88 seats in the Egyptian parliament.

A change in the agenda of world terrorism, with a focus - in addition to Western targets - on carrying out attacks in "the heart of the Levant," i.e. Israel, Syria, Egypt and Jordan.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is facing the most difficult challenge of his political life as international pressure on Syria continues to mount. The US and France are interested in creating a new reality in Lebanon, and there is concern that Assad could use Hizbullah to significantly heat up the situation on the northern border in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

The Palestinian Authority has lost effective control of Gaza, which Ze'evi said is turning into "Hamastan," while retaining control in the West Bank, which he referred to as "Fatahstan." As the PA loses control over the situation in Gaza, Israel will lose any leverage it has over events there.

On the positive side, Ze'evi said that radical Islamic groups such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad were losing some of their legitimacy, as Arab leaders such as Jordan's King Abdullah come out against terrorism.

Ze'evi also said that at present there did not appear to be any coalition of Arab states interested in waging a conventional war against Israel. He also said that Israel's ability to fight terrorism had improved significantly, and said there was a marked decrease in both terrorist attacks and casualties this year.

Ze'evi also said that Israel's position in the world has improved as a result of disengagement and that there was greater understanding and legitimacy, even in some corners of the Arab world, for Israel's actions against terrorism.

Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin also provided a security briefing, and said that the PA was not a significant factor in Gaza, where "everybody does what they see fit." He said that the Palestinians were trying to carry out attacks on the security road that runs parallel to the border with Gaza. In addition, he said, they were trying to smuggle terrorists through Rafah into the Sinai, and from there into Israel through the Negev.

When asked by Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra whether the release of Marwan Barghouti from prison would strengthen Fatah's position, Diskin said that it was "not worth" talking about his release since "he is a troublemaker who causes problems." Prime Minister Ariel Sharon cut off any debate on the matter, saying that "no one is talking" about releasing Barghouti.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, meanwhile, told the cabinet that because of the security situation and continued terrorist threats Israel would not at this time start operating convoys for Palestinians from Gaza to the West Bank. According to an agreement worked out last month by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, these convoys were to begin on December 15.

An open letter to Javier Solana

[As I wrote before, I think Germany should take the lead on this. Germany should have at the least immediately declared that Ahmadinejad was perosona non grata in Germany. After all, it is against German law to deny the Holocaust, and other than threatening to "wipe Israel off the map," the Iranian government's official policy is that of Holocaust denial. This is a perfect opportunity for Germany to take a leading diplomatic role in the EU on an issue of great importance; in fact it's a perfect opportunity to take the lead for the entire civilized world on this issue. Germany, more than any other country in the world, has a moral obligation to do this. From the perspective of national prestige, it might even be a boost for German diplomacy and leadership. -Zak]

By Shlomo Avineri

I am taking the liberty of writing you because you symbolize, to so many of us, the best in the current attempt to develop a European statecraft based not only on common interests, but one that also expresses a community of values. It is as the European Union's High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy that, in the midst of the present crisis of the EU, you have an opportunity to again remind skeptics what Europe really stands for.

That opportunity has to do with Iran - not with its nuclear program; this is an extremely complex issue, dealt until now, albeit not very successfully, by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the EU-3 and the United States. Whether Iran will be referred to the Security Council or not, there is a process under way, and though unsatisfactory, it should be allowed to take it course.

It is the recent statements by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about Israel which I would like to take up. When President Ahmadinejad called for Israel "to be wiped off the map," you promptly called his remarks unacceptable. Similarly worded reactions came from practically all democratic governments.

Yet since then President Ahmadinejad has gone from bad to worse. At an Islamic conference in Mecca (of all places) he went further: He denied that the destruction of European Jewry by the German Nazi regime took place and called for Israel to be dismantled and transferred to Europe.

This time he also added a bit of ignorance to his rhetoric, obviously not knowing that about half of Israel's Jews are Sephardim, hailing from Middle Eastern countries, not from Europe.

Despite the shock caused by his statements, there are no adequate international mechanisms to deal with such a case wherein a head of a member-state of the UN openly calls for the destruction of another member-state.

The UN Charter does not offer an answer. Sanctions against Iran because of this are unlikely. And no country will go to the length of cutting diplomatic relations with Iran.

But the European Union can strike the right note: It should declare President Ahmadinejad persona non grata in the countries of the European Union. No EU country would allow his entry.

Such a step, while mainly symbolic, would still be unusually sharp. The message it would send to everyone - foremost to the Iranian people - would be clear. It does not involve the use of force; no sabre-rattling need be involved, and no person would be physically hurt.

Yet ostracism is a powerful weapon.

Holocaust denial is not an Israeli or Jewish problem; it is a European - indeed, universal - problem. Similarly, threatening to destroy Israel is not only an Israeli problem; it too is a universal problem. After World War II, certain statements are beyond the pale.

You can act and prove that the European Union is not a dream, nor is it a glorified customs union, nor is it moribund.

It can rise to the level of its founders - a community of values, anchored in Europe's history, its travails and failures, its hopes and ideals.

You can - and should - send this clear message to the world. You owe it to yourself.

The writer is a former director of the Institute for European Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.