Britannia Radio

Amir Peretz finds vindication Until this week, Amir Peretz's security credentials were little respected. His stint as defense minister during the 2006 Lebanon War was best remembered for his push for an ill-fated ground invasion in the war's last 48 hours. But Peretz's legacy got a boost this week when the Iron Dome defense system proved itself remarkably adept, taking out more than 75 percent of the rockets fired at cities in southern Israel. It was Peretz who pushed for the system to protect Israeli civilians living within striking range of Gaza and Lebanon. The system is expensive -- it cost hundreds of millions to build and thousands more for each interceptor rocket -- and Peretz had to push reluctant military commanders to get it done. But one thing is undeniable: if not for Peretz's support of the project, Israeli casualties this week would almost certainly have been more severe.dies Paul Noth wades into pro-Israel wars Calling those who criticize Israeli policy all sorts of nasty names has long been par for the course in community debates about the Jewish state. ButPaul Noth ruffled some feathers this week with his cartoon in the New Yorker magazine suggesting that even the man who liberated the Israelites from Egyptian bondage is not above having his pro-Israel bona fides questioned. Under a depiction of the Jews being led through the Red Sea to freedom was a caption (spoken by a disgruntled former slave and aimed at the man holding a staff at the front of the pack): "He's all right. I just wish he were a little more pro-Israel." Maybe that's why Moses didn't merit making it to the Promised Land. Greg Smith ignites Wall Street Greg Smith dropped a bomb on Wall Street this week when he accompanied his resignation from Goldman Sachs with a scathing Op-Ed in The New York Times slamming his former employer for what he described as its “toxic and destructive” culture that puts profit before clients. Smith, who spent more than a decade at the firm before coming forward with his accusations, has ignited debate, denials and at least one priceless Darth Vader parody. Plus his offhand remark that one of his proudest moments came when he won a bronze medal in table tennis at the Maccabiah Games in Israel is the highest-profile plug the “Jewish Olympics” has gotten in years. Noah Ickowitz confronts Farrakhan When Louis Farrakhan was invited to speak at the University of California, Berkeley, Jewish students didn’t lose their cool. Their most visible spokesman was Noah Ickowitz, a student government senator. He and other Jewish students launched a petition stressing that while the Nation of Islam leader had every right to speak, he has a history of hate not only toward Jews, but also toward gays and whites. Farrakhan didn't disappoint, ranting against Jews and mocking Asians, but Jewish students didn’t take the bait. Instead of trying to stop Farrakhan from speaking, Ickowitz was outside the auditorium expressing to the press his revulsion at Farrakhan’s bigotry and emphasizing Jewish students' respect for freedom of speech.