WhatFinger


Diane Weber Bederman

Diane Weber Bederman is a blogger for 'Times of Israel', a contributor to Convivium, a national magazine about faith in our community, and also writes about family issues and mental illness. She is a multi-faith endorsed hospital trained chaplain.

Most Recent Articles by Diane Weber Bederman:

What happened to free speech?

Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar wrote in 2010: "The West is going through a period of confusion over the shape of the world's future. To a great extent, this confusion is caused by a kind of masochistic self-doubt over our own identity; by the rule of political correctness; by a multiculturalism that forces us to our knees before others."
- Sunday, February 28, 2016

Does a fetus have the protection of Human Rights?

My partner's son and wife just gave birth to a beautiful little boy. And I mean little! He is 3 pounds. And two months too early. It seems the mommy's womb was not a big enough room for their little fellow. He had to move.
- Sunday, February 14, 2016


Why do Democracies demand Israel appease theocracies and despots?

Columnist Roger Cohen from the New York Times is one of many who has painted the late Prime Minister of Israel, Yizhak Rabin, as a hero because he apparently was prepared to give away half of the land of Israel for peace: this despite the fact that Israel had been forced to defend herself from three wars initiated by the Arab countries around her. The Arabs lost in 1948, 1967 and 1973, yet it was expected and continues to be that Israel “return” land for peace, return to the 1967 borders with agreed upon swaps.
- Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Let's hope Oscar puts a spotlight on "Spotlight"

I watched the Golden Globes, more to listen to the beautifully irreverent Ricky Gervais than any other reason, because I am out of the loop when it comes to television series and Netflix. But I was fascinated by the choice for best picture. "Revenant." I haven’t seen it, I won’t be in the near future. I have no doubt that the cinematography is wondrous. And DiCaprio, I am sure he was superb. But the story? It’s old. There are a million stories in the naked city (look up that TV show); just the names change. Same with this one. Revenge. Lots of blood and gore. Retribution. Primal instincts at work. The Bible tells us to leave vengeance to God. Then go out and live the best life you can. That is the sweetest revenge.
- Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Children facing discrimination at the airport. WHY?

How sad that children with names that are the same as people on the no-fly list have been put through extra screening. All because they share a name with someone the government considers dangerous. Today, dangerous refers to terrorists; the vast majority of whom are Muslim.
- Saturday, January 9, 2016

Canada is proudly open to all ethnicities

I took umbrage with the underlying thesis Erna Paris expressed in her Globe and Mail article about our attitude toward Syrian refugees "Let's not cave to fear in 2016." After the shame of None is too Many that embraced Canada during the Holocaust, when Canada's government decreed that one Jew allowed into the country was one too many, Canada and Canadians have opened their hearts and wallets to refugees from around the world. I sent my concerns to the Globe and Mail as an op-ed. And was refused. Not surprised.
- Wednesday, January 6, 2016

I have been radicalized!

I confess. I have been radicalized! I am a radicalized westerner. I am a staunch supporter of the morals, values and ethics that underpin my country, Canada; ethical monotheism-the Judeo/Christian ethic that tells us we are all intrinsically equal and must care for the other. I am so radicalized that I spend hours writing articles, posting them, going to events, speaking at some.
- Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Time to go Back to the Ethic

In 2011 George Jonas wrote in the National Post, “Don’t let Western civilization—the best and most humane form of civilization developed by mankind—perish by default.” I saved that quote. And today it is one of the most important quotes in my newly released book BACK TO THE ETHIC: RECLAIMING WESTERN VALUES from Mantua Books, an award-winning publishing company in Canada.
- Monday, December 21, 2015

Triumphalism

Much ado about Trump. Seems he has touched a nerve, a big one, so big that he has brought about agreement between the left and the right; against him. The media came out fighting mad when Trump talked about the illegal immigration through the southern border and his call for a wall, and putting a stop, or a temporary stop to Muslim immigration. Name calling was ubiquitous. And comparison to mad men of the past have been flying. He continues to be compared to the great fascists of our time and portrayed as a dangerous buffoon, a clown.
- Thursday, December 17, 2015

Plant Trees: Don't Conference

We have just witnessed the gathering of 151 leaders from 151 countries fly 151 planes to the Conference on Climate Change in Paris. Actually, I’m not sure that is correct as I just heard that 190 leaders attended. Whatever the number, they did not come alone. Canada had one of the largest teams with more than 380 politicians, government staff and bureaucrats in attendance; double the U.S. team, and about triple the number from the U.K.
- Saturday, December 12, 2015

Clash of Culture in Canada

I went to public school. In those days excerpts were read from the Bible but were not taught from a particular religious perspective. When I was in grade 10, my English teacher talked about God and perfection. He told us that only God is perfect. We will never be perfect, he said, but we can aspire to perfection by trying to live up to the high expectations of ethical monotheism, the underpinnings of Western civilization: we are all created equal and we are to care for "the other." Sounds simple, but we have a long way to go.
- Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The UN History of the Palestinian People:From Arafat to Abbas

It is time to stand up and accuse the UN of Crimes Against Humanity-Jewish humanity. This organization, through its recommendations and resolutions encouraged and continues to encourage the terror taking place in Israel by Muslims against Jews. Their policies continue to condone these activities.
- Friday, November 27, 2015

There is a light after terror

Israelis are tired-tired of war, operations, skirmishes. They would like to raise their children with the knowledge that there will be no more wars.
- Sunday, November 15, 2015

Emotional Abuse=the silent killer

It’s been far too long since I wrote a piece about emotional abuse-the silent killer-too often by suicide far more often the death of the soul that is felt but not seen. Unlike physical abuse where you can go to the authorities and say –see-look at my injuries, you can’t show the damage of emotional abuse to others. Sadly, too often, people in authority won’t see the abuse no matter how well it is articulated.
- Thursday, November 12, 2015

Will the real Justin Trudeau please stand up

Aryeh Green, an expert on Israel, media issues, human rights in the Middle East, spoke about media bias at a breakfast meeting I attended in New York. At the end we talked about the election of Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada. Mr. Green had read that Trudeau’s policies would not be that different from Prime Minister Harper. Perhaps he read the opinion of Myer Siemiatycki, a professor of politics and public administration at Ryerson University, who said Trudeau “has signalled his commitment to the security of Israel, and he has also signalled, in a way that may prove to be more beneficial to Israel, a kind of openness to dialogue and to Canada playing something of a mediating, honest broker role, and significantly promoting a two-state solution. That might actually prove to be much better in Israel’s interests in terms of getting to a point of security, peace, etc.”
- Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Aiding and Abetting Terror in Israel

Israel suffered another terrorist attack. A philistine ran into a bus station - not to catch a train - but to kill as many Jews as possible. Encouraged by the Imams of the “religion of peace” (something President Obama constantly reassures us) who have been calling for the stabbing deaths of Jews, the man entered the Beersheba Central Bus Station and killed IDF soldier Sergeant Omri Levy. He then grabbed the soldier’s rifle and began shooting, wounding at least 10 Israelis before being shot dead by police.
- Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Islamic Grandiose Infantile Delusions of Entitlement

Hajera Khaja, a Canadian Muslim woman who is now "scared of the new face of Canada," had the opportunity to write about her fears in the National Post, a major media outlet in Canada.
- Friday, October 16, 2015

Stop the Terror-Jewish Lives Matter

There was a rally for Israel at Times Square at the “red steps” on West 47th Street, Sunday evening, October 11. Organized by Ido Siman Tov and Nofar Avigdor, it started at 8 p.m. and lasted until 11 p.m. More than 800 people arrived with only a few days’ notice on Facebook. They came from places like Fort Lee, New Jersey; Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn; Washington Heights, Manhattan; Lower East Side, Manhattan; Flushing, Queens, to speak “For those who walk the streets of Israel’s cities in fear. We are their voice.”
- Wednesday, October 14, 2015


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