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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Coming soon: suicide surf terrorists
2007-08-23
Dorian Paskowitz, a retired doctor who has been surfing for 75 years, donated 12 surfboards to Gaza's small surfing community on Tuesday in a novel gesture to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "God will surf with the devil if the waves are good," Paskowitz said. "When a surfer sees another surfer with a board, he can't help but say something that brings them together."
Here's something the surfers can say to each other: "Didja ever see Mo on a surfboard?"
Tanned and shirtless, Paskowitz emerged grinning at the Israel-Gaza border crossing after handing over the dozen boards to Palestinian surfers waiting on the other side. He said he was inspired after reading a story about two Gaza surfers who could not enjoy the wild waves off the coastal strip because they had only one board to share between them. "So I said to my son 'come, we'll go to Israel and get them some boards,'" Paskowitz told AP Television News. He described his mission as a "mitzvah," Hebrew for a "good deed."

During his visit, Paskowitz said he wanted to "do something spectacular, like getting all the surfers and paddling around into the waters of Gaza." But those plans were scuttled because of security concerns. Arthur Rashkovan, a 28-year-old surfer from Tel Aviv, said Paskowitz's project was part of a larger effort called "Surfing for Peace," aimed at bringing Middle Eastern surfers closer together. He said eight-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, who is of Syrian descent, is expected to arrive in Israel in October to take part in the drive. "We want Palestinians to enjoy the surfing experience until a fatwa outlaws it. We believe it brings people together," Rashkovan said. "The idea is for people to forget about the violence and follow the journey to peace on the waves."

Paskowitz is venerated by Israeli surfers as the man who brought the sport to the Jewish state five decades ago. Rashkovan called him a "guru" to Israeli surfers. Paskowitz said he first arrived in Israel in 1956 during a war between Israel and Egypt. He tried to join the Israeli military but was turned down. So he surfed off the coast of Tel Aviv instead, he recounted, and was mobbed by Israelis charmed by the strange sight of a man riding the waves standing upright on a board.
A sailboarder won Israel's first-ever summer Olympic medal in 2004. I imagine he was taught or at least inspired by this man.
The father of nine served in the Navy during World War II, practiced family medicine for more than half a century and has published books on surfing and health. He said he has surfed for 75 years all over the world, and he ranks the waves off the Israeli and Gaza coasts as among the world's best. "I'm 86 years old. I can't stand up very well, I have a piece of titanium in my hip. But I still love it," he said.
The man is trying to use the tools he has for peace. It won't work, but I respect his accomplishments and WWII service. Good luck, and may the "surfing lessons" not end up providing cover for Syrian frogmen attaching mines to things.
Posted by:Gary and the Samoyeds

#16  Don't do Portugal for surfing. The best surfing in Europe is Lahinch, Co. Clare, Ireland. No kidding. In fact, the Euro championships are held there regularly. You can play golf in the morning on the most funky links golf in the world and then go down to O'Looney's and watch the riders come in on big long sets in Liscanoor Bay. Nothing better than Guinness, Galway Bay Oysters and watching the sun set over Liscanoor Bay with the surfer babes all lathered up.
Posted by: Jack is Back!   2007-08-23 17:06  

#15  And furthermore, congratulations to Fred for having an advertisement on this page for a surf camp in Portugal. If I could afford it, I'd go.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2007-08-23 12:57  

#14  phil_b, check out this link:

Gaza surf .

As a longtime surfer, I believe this could be some of the best news to come out of the Middle East in a long, long time. If a guy gets stoked from riding waves (I said stoked, not stoned) it will give him something to live for so he won't want to die making jihad. After several hours in the water he will be too tired to be bothered with jihad. Yes, the clerics are certain to be unhappy with it because it is fun and it might make them forget about one or more of their five daily prayers. But then, the clerics should be shot for perpetuating superstition.

The Gaza strip with its Mediterranean climate and nice beaches could be one of the nicest places on the planet. Much of the disrespect I have for Palestinians is they don't understand what they have or what they could be doing with it. They should be surfing. They should be building resort hotels to generate some revenue and jobs. Then if you were a young Palestinian you could get a job as a waiter working the lunch shift from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That would give you time in the morning for surf. After your shift is over you go home for something to eat and a nap. Then you could go back into the water for the evening glass off (wind goes down and the waves get smooth and glassy). Later on you go to the nightclub for some dancing with the local hotties. There you have perfection.

That's what the Lebanese do (or at least it's what the Lebanese do when they're not fighting knucklehead Palestinian refugees or Hezbollah idiots).

But, no, they want to make jihad. They want to kill the Jews who could be the best friends they ever had...the Jews who want to give them surfboards because it's a mitzvah.

Of course the Jews surf. Jews are civilized and surfing is one of the most civilized things you can do.

Take this surfboard, my brother. May it serve you well.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2007-08-23 11:53  

#13  I was in Israel in 1984 and saw a lot of surfers off Tel Aviv. And a lot of hot Israeli surfer girls. Surf was about 5 feet that day.
Posted by: Steve   2007-08-23 09:52  

#12  phil_b,

Actually, there is a good surfing spot in Hazuk near the Gaza - Israeli border. There are even "kosher" surfing lessons and boards "shaped" in Israel. I believe there is a number of Paleo surfers. The ultimate "your so radical, dude".

Posted by: Jack is Back!   2007-08-23 09:32  

#11  Surf Jihadis Must Die.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-08-23 09:08  

#10  TW, you mean Hamasistan finally gave up the farce that they're constituting a "Navy"? I must've missed the memo, LOL.
Posted by: BA   2007-08-23 08:56  

#9  Do you know of another way to make virgins, boeserker?
Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds   2007-08-23 08:55  

#8  "Surfing for Peace" in Gaza would be something akin to phueching for virginity.
Posted by: Besoeker   2007-08-23 07:57  

#7  I guess none of yall ever saw "Surf Nazis Must Die". California Surfer Dudes repelled a Nazi Surfer Attack.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2007-08-23 07:52  

#6  Thanks, NOLA. Patrick Swayze's childhood dance classes have paid off for him in a number of interesting ways.

Separately, what's the over/under betting on how long will the Gazan surfers (and I'm sure there are more than the two in the story who would like to try this) be able to use the boards peacefully before the newly constituted Hamasistan Shore Police stop the fun?
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-08-23 04:54  

#5   Patrick Swayze Movie---Point Break, 1991. They also don Nixon and Reagan masks to rob the bank. I can picture it redone with a terrorism plot. Might be on next summer's list.
Posted by: NOLA   2007-08-23 04:18  

#4  Surfing in the Med, I don't think so.

The Eastern Med is an almost enclosed body of water about the size of Lake Michigan. On a windy day you would be lucky to get waves a foot high.

BTW, nice headline, Gary.
Posted by: phil_b   2007-08-23 02:13  

#3  That explains the Lebanese bikini babes on DRUDGE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-08-23 01:36  

#2  Wasn't Patrick Swayze in a movie where they attacked on surf boards? I was reminded of this, with a fun visual ;) although I don't remember the name of the movie.
Posted by: Jan    2007-08-23 01:16  

#1  Surfing is fun. That pretty much makes it un-Islamic as far as I can tell.
Posted by: SteveS   2007-08-23 00:33  

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