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HONORING THE MEMORY OF DANIEL WULTZ
Posted by Cinnamon Stillwell, May 31, 2006. |
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In times of war, when daily doses of death and destruction are the norm, one learns to steel oneself against the tide of bad news. Particularly since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the many horrors committed by our enemies in the years since, it often feels as if nothing's shocking anymore. Yet occasionally something pierces the armor that we've constructed about ourselves and reminds us just what we're up against. The tragic death of Florida teenager Daniel Wultz[1] was one such instance. Daniel was visiting family in Tel Aviv for Passover last month, when he was seriously injured in a suicide bombing at the restaurant where he and his father were having lunch. They were two of sixty innocents injured, on top of the nine who were killed. Daniel remained in a coma for several weeks, only waking up once, before succumbing to his injuries on May 14. American-born Israeli novelist and playwright Naomi Ragen[2] became personally invested in DanielÂ’s recovery and her writings on the subject touched a nerve. Following the bombing, she sent out several e-mails to her mailing list asking members to pray for Daniel's recovery and to send messages of support to his family. As a result, his family received hundreds of such e-mails and expressed their profuse gratitude. When the news came that Daniel had woken up briefly, it seemed as if all those prayers had been answered. But sadly, it was not meant to be. The last message sent out on the subject included the eloquent words of Rabbi Michael Gold[3] of Temple Beth Torah, Tamarac Jewish Center in Florida. Rabbi Gold visited Daniel's Hebrew Day School and spoke to the students he'd known. When faced with the moral relativism so common among the youth these days, the rabbi told them this: "There are absolute standards of good and evil. The deliberate taking of innocent life to advance a political cause is always wrong, in every culture and every society." Such moral clarity is in stark contrast to the sentiments of Abu Nasser, a senior leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which along with the Islamic Jihad was one of the terrorist groups involved in plotting the attack that ultimately killed Daniel. Nasser[4] rejoiced in the news, saying that he was, "sorry there was not more of this stuff. American and Zionist -- this is the best target combination we could dream of. This is the ideal target. He is a young American who came to encourage the enemy to continue his war against us." Daniel was one of over 200 Americans[5] to either be wounded or killed by Palestinian terrorists, but such crimes against humanity should be condemned, whether the targets are American, Israeli or anyone else. Yet somehow when it comes to Jewish deaths, there are still those who dismiss them as some kind of deserved end. Apparently any Jew inhabiting or visiting Israel, whatever their nationality, is fair game in their view. Meanwhile, Palestinians can get away with any atrocity (even when their own people are on the receiving end) and there will always be those willing to turn a blind eye. Furthermore, far too many in the Jewish community seem to believe that they can avoid such violence by ingratiating themselves with their enemies. Author and talk show host Dennis Prager[6] devoted a recent column to trying to explain this very pathology. But Jews' enemies do not differentiate between the secular or the devout, the young or the old, the civilian or the warrior. As Islamic Jihad senior member Abu Ayman[7] put it, "The meaning and the goal of our lives is to fight the devil spiritually and physically. The Jews are the expression of both kinds of devil. No mercy for devils." Still, all too often, appeasement continues to be the order of the day. Indeed, as Israel's new Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits the U.S. asking for funding so that his government can continue to expel Jews from their homes, one can only shake their head and wonder what has happened to the Jewish people? What happened to the warrior spirit, the pride and the ability to overcome even the most insurmountable odds? Have Jews been so crippled by the self-loathing endemic to years of leftist indoctrination that they no longer have the will to survive? A glimmer of hope can be found in a Washington D.C. rally timed to coincide with Olmert's meeting with the Bush administration. The "anti-retreat" rally on May 23 was the brainchild of Jonathan Silverman, who with the help of groups such as B'nai Elim, Chabad, Women in Green, AFSI, Manhigut Yehudit and the local chapter of the ZOA, organized the rally in order to urge the US government not to fund further Israeli withdrawals and concessions. But ultimately, it's up to the Israelis to chart their own course. Let's hope they do so wisely. For Jews owe it to Daniel's memory to stand up for themselves and for the existence of a Jewish State. Footnotes 1. www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961336110& pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 2. www.naomiragen.com/ 3. www.heartfelt.com/ 4. www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49952 5. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060514/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_american_victim 6. frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22479 7. www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49952 Cinnamon Stillwell is a columnist for SFGate.com, The San Francisco Chronicle online, and a staff writer for the New Media Alliance. She maintains a website at www.cinnamonstillwell.com and can be reached by email at stillcinn@yahoo.com |
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TEACHING JOHNNY ABOUT ISLAM
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 31, 2006. |
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Read the below 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision about the right to teach Islam in our Calif schools. If this were about Judaism or Christianity, the teaching would have been declared as a violation of separation of church and state. I hope this case is appealed to the Supreme Court! This was an Issues & Insights editorial in Investors.com May 19, 2006 (www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20 &artnum=3&issue=20060519). Please send this to all you know, especially talk radio show hosts. Education: In our brave new schools, Johnny can't say the pledge, but he can recite the Quran. Yup, the same court that found the phrase "under God" unconstitutional now endorses Islamic catechism in public school. In a recent federal decision that got surprisingly little press, even from conservative talk radio, California's 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it's OK to put public-school kids through Muslim role-playing exercises, including: Reciting aloud Muslim prayers that begin with "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful . . . ." Parents of seventh-graders, who after 9-11 were taught the pro-Islamic lessons as part of California's world history curriculum, sued under the First Amendment ban on religious establishment. They argued, reasonably, that the government was promoting Islam. But a federal judge appointed by President Clinton told them in so many words to get over it, that the state was merely teaching kids about another "culture." So the parents appealed. Unfortunately, the most left-wing court in the land got their case. The 9th Circuit, which previously ruled in favor of an atheist who filed suit against the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, upheld the lower court ruling. The decision is a major victory for the multiculturalists and Islamic apologists in California and across the country who've never met a culture or religion they didn't like -- with the exception of Western civilization and Christianity. They are legally in the clear to indoctrinate kids into the "peaceful" and "tolerant" religion of Islam, while continuing to denigrate Judeo-Christian values. In the California course on world religions, Christianity is not presented equally. It's covered in just two days and doesn't involve kids in any role-playing activities. But kids do get a good dose of skepticism about the Christian faith, including a biting history of its persecution of other peoples. In contrast, Islam gets a pass from critical review. Even jihad is presented as an "internal personal struggle to do one's best to resist temptation," and not holy war. The ed consultant's name is Susan L. Douglass. No, she's not a Christian scholar. She's a devout Muslim activist on the Saudi government payroll, according to an investigation by Paul Sperry, author of "Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives Have Penetrated Washington." He found that for years Douglass taught social studies at the Islamic Saudi Academy just outside Washington, D.C. Her husband still teaches there. So what? By infiltrating our public school system, the Saudis hope to make Islam more widely accepted while converting impressionable American youth to their radical cause. Recall that John Walker Lindh, the "American Taliban," was a product of the California school system. What's next, field trips to Mecca? This case is critical not just to our culture but our national security. It should be brought before the Supreme Court, which has outlawed prayer in school. Let's see what it says about practicing Islam in class. It will be a good test for the bench's two new conservative justices David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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AN ENDTIME PROPHECY IN ISRAEL WAS FULFILLED THIS VERY DAY
Posted by Renalee Colon, May 31, 2006. |
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This was written by Reuven Prager of Beged Ivri and it is called "Shavuoth 5766". Contact him at http://www.begedivri.com or send an email to reuven@actcom.com On 26 Iyyar 5766 (May 24, 2006) I received a phone call summoning me to the upcoming weekly meeting of the Sanhedrin, followed the next day by a written invitation to appear. This was followed by two more calls that day preparing me for the meeting. I was told that I should be patient. It was likely that I would be the last called to speak, and the possibility existed that because of the amount of work covered at each meeting, they might not even get to me, and I might need to come to a subsequent meeting to speak, I shouldn't take offense. Asked if this was okay with me I responded with "of course". I was also told that I would have a maximum of 15 minutes to speak, without exception. I was informed that there was at least one Chaver Sanhedrin that was already predisposed to rejecting my entire work on behalf of the restoration of the Holy Half Shekel, who had himself created a Half Shekel coin. I asked if it was possible to purchase two of his coins for our archives. I was also told that it would be recommended at the meeting that a committee be appointed to deal with the whole subject of the Half Shekel, on an ongoing basis, to act as liaison between the Sanhedrin and Beged Ivri. What prompted the summons was a discussion at the previous session in which ideas were raised as to how to create a means of income to support and expand the activities of the Sanhedrin, and the idea was raised to institute a levy of 1/2 NIS as a monthly donation given by Jews resident in the Land. The discussion led to one Chaver Sanhedrin suggesting that since they were talking in terms of a half shekel levy, they should contact Beged Ivri, as an expert in the field, to come to the next meeting to discuss it. Wow. After nine years of minting, distributing, collecting, and performing 26 Trumat HaLishka ceremonies, the Holy Half Shekel was to have its "day in court." Sort of. It was clear to me that the intention of the Sanhedrin WAS NOT to discuss the restoration of the fulfillment of the commandment of giving the Half Shekel. Nonetheless, I also knew that this was exactly what it would become. I spent the week preparing for the meeting. I put together 23 packets which each included the following; 1) 1 Year 58 Half Shekel What was to be my goal here? After all, I was being summoned, I hadn't asked to appear. I certainly wasn't seeking confrontation or permission. I knew the reason I was invited. So how to make the best of the opportunity? It became clear to me that my goal for this initial meeting was to leave that room having taken the Half Shekel from "concept" to "reality". When I left, I needed to leave those people in attendance with a clear, unambiguous knowledge that the Half Shekel was REAL, not just a concept, not something that was merely to be "used" as has been the case for the last century, where the concept was used, in remembrance of the Half Shekel, to raise funds for various religious institutions in the month of Adar. How best to affect this? I put together from our archive's collections, a fabulous selection of ancient weights, scale pans, and coins from the First and Second Temple Eras, actual ancient artifacts that were used by our ancestors to fulfill the commandment. In addition, I brought to the meeting the nine coins we have issued to date as well as photos of the Chests for New Shekels and Old Shekels, which have been used to collect the coins. As the day of the meeting approached my thoughts became more concentrated on the upcoming encounter. This morning, 3 Sivan (May 30th) I awoke with just one thought; how to make the Half Shekel REAL in the minds and hearts of the Chavre Sanhedrin, and rather than start work or run errands, sat wrapped in Tefilin (phylacteries) for hours concentrating and focusing my energy on this momentous meeting. My thoughts flew at an accelerated pace. Though the meeting was called for 1:30-4:00 pm, I was there at 1:00. I waited outside for 10 minutes, watching for the Chaverim to arrive. I saw one elderly gentleman arrive and enter the building. I waited outside trying to figure out whom from amongst the people passing the building would turn into it. The thought occurred to me that the Sanhedrin members ought to have a special dress appropriate for the office, just as judges who appear at the bench don robes to distinguish themselves from the public. At 1:10 I entered the building and made my way to the meeting room. There were two members present. When I entered the room one asked me who I was, and not recognizing my name, asked for what purpose I was present and when I replied the Half Shekel he responded; "ah Beged Ivri, please, have a seat." A few minutes later a third Chaver entered and seeing me sitting there began to ask the other two members if it was correct to have a guest present for the opening of the meeting or if the invited guests should wait outside and be called when it came time for them to speak. I immediately arose and offered to wait outside so they could discuss this privately and they asked me to remain, and went into a huddle at the far side of the room to discuss it between themselves. They decided that I should come to them and discuss whatever it was I had to share with them, right then and there, and to be rid of me within minutes before the other members arrived and the meeting began. Now I had prepared myself for what I thought was any eventuality; not being allowed to speak at all, being shot down, being given short shrift, and even fantasized a standing ovation for the exceptional contribution I had made to Am Yisrael. But this? Being treated with such disdain? Given five minutes to have my say and thrown out before the majority of attendees even arrived? Of course I complied, came to the head of the conference table where the three Chaverim sat, asked if it wasn't more sensible to wait till the meeting began so what I had to share could be heard by all those expected to attend? I was told -- no, begin now and whoever comes while you're talking comes. My head swimming with this unexpected slight, especially since I had invested so much thought into what I brought to share, I said "I would like to begin by giving you the historical background of what the Half Shekel was, so that we can better understand what we are talking about." They agreed. I opened my briefcase and began to fill a tray with weights and coins, silently, and during the five minutes it took me to prepare the tray, several other members arrived. I began to explain the items on the tray and how they were used to fulfill the commandment in each of the centuries, each of the millennia. The first question asked, and repeated over and over again, was, "are these real?" Again and again I repeated that by me, everything is real. Forty five minutes later, after I had covered the historical background as well as the work of the last nine years I tied it to the reason I was invited. By this time the room was full, I had regained my composure and was speaking at full force, having completely established my credentials and the direction of the discussion. When it was said that the Sanhedrin can not be involved in sales, I suggested that an affiliate group be established to distribute the coins, both regarding the soldier's program and the general public, under the auspices of the Sanhedrin, which would earn an income for the Sanhedrin. Questions were raised. How many coins have been collected by Otzar Hamikdash and what was their value? I answered that Otzar Hamikdash has not counted the coins collected in the last nine years, but that their value had increased threefold in the last year due to the rise in the price of silver, and that we were talking about thousands of coins. I was asked if I was willing to oversee the programs I was suggesting and I replied that by myself I would not be able to achieve these goals, but that working together with the Sanhedrin I could. This prompted one member to remark that nothing plus nothing is nothing (meaning that the Sanhedrin, as yet unrecognized by most, together with Beged Ivri's efforts, also universally ignored by the Jewish People, would amount to nothing.) I replied; "our Aperion (Royal Wedding Litter) weighs about 350 pounds, and together with the bride, is a heavy load to lift. Individually our Litter bearers would not be able to lift it, but together they lift it easily. Likewise, two groups that come together can accomplish more than the individuals can working alone." I emphasized that just as the public ignores Beged Ivri's efforts, likewise they ignore the Sanhedrin, and that working together we can bring legitimacy to both endeavors. I then went on with a vision track, how rather than the Sanhedrin meeting in such an incongruous venue, a first class, though temporary, venue should be established in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, big enough to house the Sanhedrin, Otzar Hamikdash and the Lishka (Treasury Chamber) with enough room to create the other 11 Chests for the collection of Temple related funds and how the Half Shekel could provide the means to accomplish this. I shared how the universal reinstitution of the Half Shekel would provide enough funds to replace the ridiculous security "fence/wall" surrounding Jerusalem with proper Walls of Jerusalem. A latecomer, who also happened to be the Chaver who I was forewarned, was in opposition to my work, arrived during the last five minutes of my speaking. He asked if the Sanhedrin was considering the recognition of the restoration of the fulfillment of the commandment or was merely speaking about selling coins to raise funds. The chairman of the meeting replied "the latter" and another Chaver repeated several times "as a zecher" (as a remembrance), thereby allowing everyone present to accept the proposal. A committee was duly established to continue discussions with Beged Ivri, and I was dismissed. It was mentioned in passing that this Chaver had also created half shekels, and that he had made copies of the ancient Tyrian Half Shekel as his suggested "restored half shekel". (In the Talmud, bringing down teachings from the Second Temple Era, it is stated that "anywhere where the Torah commands payment of Shekalim, only Tyrian coinage can be used." This was because of the 95% silver purity of the coins, as well as the fact that we were under Roman Imperial rule forbidding us from minting our own coins. Of course with the outbreak of the First revolt, our first act of rebellion was to mint our own 95% silver coinage, without the face of a foreign god on the obverse, which obviously ignored the halachah quoted above.) The ridiculousness of reviving a coin depicting the face of a foreign god was so overwhelming at this point that this Chaver did not even offer his "revived" coin for consideration. When I left the meeting I sat down to consider what had transpired. It became clear to me that I had succeeded in leaving the meeting with the Half Shekel as an absolute physical reality in the minds of everyone present, which I thought beforehand was my goal, and at the same time completely failed to make the half Shekel a spiritual reality in those same minds. They just weren't ready for it. A complete disassociation between physical reality and spiritual reality, the same disassociation that haredi elements make regarding the State of Israel. The Half Shekel coins -- yes, as a fund raising means, as a zecher (a remembrance) . The restoration of the fulfillment of the commandment -- no way. And this from our revived Sanhedrin, which is exactly on the same plane as the Half Shekel. How amazing. And it doesn't matter an iota. The fact is that whatever one wishes to call it, what has begun will eventually become the universally acknowledged fulfillment of the commandment of giving the Half Shekel, just as Hebrew has returned as the universal language of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael, over the objections of all the nay Sayers, just as the restoration of the State of Israel has become reality despite all those "holy warriors" who still bury their heads in the sand with their muffled screaming Galut is our salvation! G-d Bless,
Contact Renalee Colon at renalees@yahoo.com |
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PLEASE HELP US PASS THE US ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERATION ACT
Posted by Jack Halpern, May 31, 2006. |
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Please urge your representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to call for swift Congressional passage of the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act highlighted in Prime Minister Olmert's Speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. HR 2730 the House Bill, and S 1862, the Senate version, respectively of the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act are sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of more than 65 House Members led in the House by Representatives John Shaddegg (R-AZ) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) and in the Senate by Senators Gordon Smith, Dianne Feinstein, Maria Cantwell, Bob Menendez, Barack Obama, Frank Lautenberg, Tim Johnston and Mike Dewine. It is an outgrowth of efforts by AJCongress over the last three years to promote U.S.-Israel collaboration on energy research and development. It would apply Israel's extraordinary engineering and scientific talent to help the United States address our energy needs through a collaborative program of alternative energy technology R&D. Not only would passage of the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act reduce United States dependence on foreign oil, it would reduce the flow of petrodollars that currently support terrorism and the arming of Israel's and America's enemies, and it would help establish a new energy industry in Israel. Background In 2003, the American Jewish Congress under the auspices of the Energy Independence Task Force Chaired by Senior Vice President Jack Halpern hosted a conference in Israel, along with the U.S. Department of Energy and Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructures to initiate cooperation between our two countries to solve the energy. At that conference, the concept of establishing a permanent mechanism for such cooperation was established. Key to this concept was the understanding that Israel has enormous scientific and engineering talent, as exhibited by those who helped produced the Arrow Missile in cooperation with the U.S.; those who produced unmanned aerial vehicles; treatments for heart disease and cancer; and advances in computer science. If past collaborations are any measure of future success, these similar talents should be applied in helping solve America's energy problems. When we arrived back in the U.S. our staff worked with members of Congress to establish such a cooperative program of research and development in alternative energy technology. We were fortunate to find skilled and committed champions in Congress who took up this cause and shepherded the bill to the point where passage this session is possible. This past Tuesday, we visited Washington in advance of Prime Minister Olmert's trip and hosted a meeting on Capitol Hill in order to promote passage of the bill. Senator Frist helped make that meeting possible; he joined us at it, along with more than 15 other Members of House and Senate. HR 2730 and S. 1862 would both establish a program of grants totaling $20 million per year for alternative energy research and development (both basic and applied research) through the U.S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) and Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD). Only projects entailing both a U.S. and an Israeli partner would be eligible for funds. It is important to note that funding pursuant to the bills are grants, not foreign aid, and are subject to repayment provisions. All you need to do is click here to reach your Senator. Once you do, you will then be directed to the page where you can reach your House Representative. Jack Halpern chairs the American Jewis Congress Energy Independence Task Force. Contact him at EITF@AJCongress.org. Contact the American Jewish Congress by email at communications@ajcongress.org |
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THE REAL CONFLICT
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 31, 2006. |
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At least three years before George W. Bush entered the White House in January 2001, Ariel Sharon said a Palestinian state is inevitable. Israel's greatest warrior had succumbed to a self-fulfilling prophecy, to defeatism, in fact, to Arafat's cunning campaign of psychological warfare. Given Mr. Sharon's reputation as a hawk, is it any wonder that Mr. Bush became the first American president to publicly advocate a Palestinian state? Sharon's self-fulfilling prophesy, repeated over and over again by the media, has demoralized the people of Israel. That self-fulfilling prophesy has advanced the Arabs' phased plan for the annihilation of the Jewish state. That self-fulfilling prophecy reveals that Sharon was not only a defeatist, but also ignorant of some basic principles of military science. Carl von Clausewitz, perhaps the greatest military scientist in the modern era, understood that to achieve excellence as a military scientist one must also possess the knowledge of a political scientist. One must understand not only the strengths and weakness of your own country and of its allies, but also the strengths and weakness of the enemy and of its allies. This is not merely a matter of taking a few courses in comparative government and international relations, because political science, properly understood, includes knowledge of the social sciences, especially psychology. By propagating the self-fulfilling prophecy that a Palestinian state is inevitable, Sharon, the world-renowned warrior, must be held responsible -- more than others -- for the Palestinian Authority's psychological, diplomatic, and political victory over this country. There is not a single nation in the world whose policy toward Israel is not warped by that prophecy. But this does not exhaust Sharon's culpability. Prime Minister Sharon was actually given the green light to destroy the entire leadership of the Palestinian Authority! In The High Cost of Peace (2002), Yossef Bodansky, then director of the U.S. Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, writes: "In late June [2002], a very senior member of the Bush White House privately told a senior Israeli minister that the administration 'would not shed a tear if you (Israel) get rid of Arafat.' And on July 11 [2002], National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, told Israel's Channel 2 TV News that the Bush administration resolved that the entire PA leadership should be replaced..." More than 1,000 Jews were murdered by Arab terrorists during the premiership of Ariel Sharon -- on that basis alone the worst prime minister in Israel's history. And now Prime Minister Ehud Olmert boasts of being Sharon's heir. He is certainly committed to Sharon's brainless legacy. The people of Israel must know and face the truth: They have been undermined by their democratically elected prime ministers at least since July 1992 when Yitzhak Rabin formed the government responsible for the disastrous Oslo or Israel-PLO Agreement. Democracies do make mistakes. But one of the virtues of a genuine democracy is its inherent tendency to be a self-corrective system of government by virtue of freedom of speech and of the press -- a freedom that facilitates criticism of government policies. But is Israel really a democracy? I have exploded this myth in books and in countless articles. But if further proof is wanted, Israel's gallant Nadia Matar is being tried for "insulting a public servant," Yonaton Bassi, who was appointed by Prime Minister Sharon to head the Evacuation Administration, which supervised the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria. Mrs. Matar sent Bassi a fax comparing his appointment with a letter that had been written by the Berlin Judenrat in 1942 to the Jewish community, with details and explanations of their approaching deportation. The trial of Nadia Matar is not only indicative of the paltry despotism to which this country has fallen. No, her trial for insulting Sharon's lackey is symptomatic of the on-going psychological victory of the Palestinian Authority over the militarily powerful but morally impotent and degraded State of Israel. Far more than freedom of expression is involved in the trial of Nadia Matar. Israel's raison d'etre as a Jewish state is on trial. The conflict is between what the heroic Nadia Matar stands for and what defeatists like Ariel Sharon or Ehud Olmert stand for. It is nothing less than a conflict between good and evil -- indeed, between life and death. Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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ISRAEL HAS SURRENDERED ITS RIGHT OF SELF DEFENSE
Posted by Marcel Cousineau, May 31, 2006. |
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Israel Has Surrendered Their Right of Self Defense. Israel has surrendered this right to the Master of the false peace Road Map. They are not permitted to defeat their enemy and willingly go along with the dead end Road Map which is set up to exterminate the people of Israel and their land. The two state solution of emperor George is Israel's death sentence and the blind and faithless, the fearful and the Idol worshipers go along with the suicide of their nation. Their hands are tied and they must 'consult' the emperor before any real action is taken. Only token, limited and useless responses to attacks are permitted and the new Puppet P.M. Olmert is very,very obedient to his Master, sacrificing Israel to the president's demonic vision 2 state final solution from hell. The Road Map is Satan's plan and the president is his loyal disciple. Israel has been severly limited by the dragon who slowly destroys her before our eyes under the LIE and LIAR of peace. The Jews are 'cautioned' not to endanger this phony peace by any determined action against the growing Palestinian threat. So Israel has allowed it self to be restrained in every response. This is why we see such small rockets fired by the IAF and why the IDF fire artillery into empty fields. The marriage Israel has made to the U.S. for no peace is a noose around it's neck which has choked much of the life from it! Will G-d annul this marriage? YES, He will !!! Contact Marcel Cousineau by email at up2zionsg8@yahoo.com or
visit his website:
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PRESBYTERIANS: DIVESTMENT IS A COSTLY MISTAKE
Posted by Larry Rued, May 31, 2006. |
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Two years ago, Presbyterian Church USA leaders began a divestment of corporations doing business in Israel. Since then, thousands of writers have written millions of words on the topic. Today, a Google search with keywords (Presbyterian(s), Israel, and Divestment) produces 181,000 hits. Missing in the 181,000 results is an analysis of the money spent by the PCUSA creating and promoting its Israel Divestment Movement. A volunteer group of Concerned Presbyterians[1] have studied the obvious and hidden costs of our church's anti-Israel actions. One finding: "The Middle East resolutions passed by the 216th and prior General Assemblies have created a network run amuck of headquarters staff, GA committees, and outside organizations receiving PCUSA funding." Our three page report details the major players. Another finding: "As the estimates show, our leadership has directed 4% of the national budget to staff, committees, and outside organizations dedicated to promoting a propaganda attack on Israel." Four percent of the PCUSA national budget is $4 million per year. Our letter rhetorically asked: "Who has paid for this biased and unfounded propaganda against Israel? We have, through our contributions to per capita and special offerings." Contributions from churches to the denominational offices are voluntary. Our analysis has been emailed to over 11,000 Presbyterians. While the number is large, it is but 5% of the membership. We are asking for your help to reach the other 95%. As we wrote in our letter to fellow members: "Presbyterians, neither the Israeli Government nor the American Jewish Community can stop this assault on Israel. It is our problem -- and our responsibility." Presbyterians need to contact their commissioners before General Assembly begins June 15. The actions detailed in our analysis have been reported by many writers. For the first time, the actions have been put into one document[2] with their associated cost. Thank you for your consideration and help to End Israel Divestment Now. Larry Rued
1. "Divestment is a Costly Mistake"
2. Download the document from
http://concernedpresbyterians.net/Funding.pdf"
Contact Larry Rued at LRued@tampabay.rr.com
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HEBREW UNIVERSITY MOONBAT'S WANT TO BAN MILITARY OFFICERS FROM CAMPUS
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 31, 2006. |
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1. So the daughter of the head of the Hamas gets arrested inside Israel while trying to sneak into a prison to visit with prisoners using a fake ID. And what do the cowards who run Israel do? They let her out again! 2. A minor brouhaha has been operating at the Hebrew University in recent weeks. It seems the university opened a special program for officers in Israel's intelligence services. The Campus Moonbatocracy, led by the far-leftist anti-Israel "post-Zionist" professors, had a conniption. The leftist profs claimed that the Hebrew U had lowered admissions requirements for the officers. The University denied that. The leftist profs oppose lowering admissions standards for anyone unless they are Arabs. But of course the real reason for the selective outrage on the part of the Hebrew University's academic friends of the Hamas was the same as the reason for all those protests on US campuses against ROTC and the right of army recruiters to speak to students. They simply hate their own country and express this hatred by doing everything they can to show their contempt for the military. The difference of course is that in Israel the military is the only thing standing between the jihadniks and their plans to conduct a second Holocaust of Jews. The irony is that Israel's security services are themselves largely dominated by leftists who would feel well at home in some of the goofier corners of Mt. Scopus. The two main crusaders against allowing intelligence service officers on to the Hebrew U campus have been Moshe Zimmerman and Baruch Kimmerling. Both are fanatic anti-Israel extremists. Zimmerman is best remembered for his frequent denunciation of settlers as nazis and of settler childen as Hitlerjugend. (see http://www.meforum.org/article/87) This same prof who wants to bar the intelligence officers from campus has a policy in his classes according to which students in prison for refusing to do military service get automatic exemptions from assignments and tests, while students called up for reserve duty do not. Kimmerling is a Marxist sociologist who is widely acknowedged by himself as being some sort of expert on Palestinians. He claims to detect signs of a Palestinian "sense of national identity" centuries before any Palestinian claimed any such thing. He turns out pathetic poorly-written, shallow, transparently propagandist "books" about "Palestinians". Kimmerling in the past has justified terrorist bombings of Jewish civilians (see http://www.meforum.org/article/87). Kimmerling is so extremist that he is a hero of the fanatic anti-Semite Jonathan Cook at the fanatically anti-Semitic Counterpunch magazine (see www.counterpunch.com/cook05302006.html). Israel's failure to tar and feather Cook or at least deport him to Syria has long been a matter of great regret. Kimmerling also writes for Counterpunch, in part because he despises the United States (see www.counterpunch.org/kimmerling1009.html). He played a crucial role in the "Jenin Massacre" fabrication and blood libel (www.counterpunch.org/kimmerling0501.html). He is arguably the worst anti-Zionist at the Hebrew University (see www.frontpagemag.com/ARticles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=14906), although Zimmerman is also a serious contender also (see www.discoverthenetwork.org/moonbatcentral/2005/03/ hebrew-ward-churchills-of-_111044620767719192.html). 3. Hang George Galloway! George Galloway, Saddam's paid agent in the British parliament, unreformed commie stooge, has issued a call to murder Tony Blair. The Independent reports that Galloway wants to see Blair assassinated! In an interview with GQ magazine, the reporter asked him: "Would the assassination of, say, Tony Blair by a suicide bomber - if there were no other casualties - be justified as revenge for the war on Iraq?" (In photo, something here stinks.) Mr Galloway replied: "Yes, it would be morally justified.... It would be entirely logical and explicable. And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Iraq - as Blair did." Galloway has never seen an Islamofascist terrorist he does not wish to promote. He makes Lord Haw-Haw look like a patriotic Brit. He has never met a Jew he does not think needs to be murdered. He is the darling of teh Left and personally exemplifies the convergence between the Far Left and the Neo-Nazi Right. We strongly recommend the Hang Galloway blog. 4. May 30, 2006
Two months ago, at a government-sponsored training course for Bucharest's political elite, I had the opportunity to teach a section on the Holocaust. The topic sparked some unexpected reactions. One participant ranted on about how Israeli companies and employers doing business in Romania are allegedly the source of contemporary anti-Semitism in the country. Another wondered how so many Jews managed to escape from the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, thus giving credence to the anti-Semitic lie that the Jews and Israel were behind these terror attacks. On Romanian TV, meanwhile, it is not unusual to see Orthodox priests repeating that 2,000-year-old charge of deicide: "The Jews killed God." Jew-bashing in Romania seldom comes without racist attacks on the country's other ethnic minorities, Roma and Hungarians. Nationalism is so popular that not one but two xenophobic parties compete for votes. There is the extreme nationalistic Party of Greater Romania (PRM), which won 13% in the last parliamentary elections and gets up to 18% in recent opinion polls. Then there is the New Party Generation (PNG), not (yet) represented in parliament but also gaining in popularity, getting around 6% in polls. Finally, the illegal but tolerated Iron Guard -- which traces its roots to the main pre-World War II fascist party of the same name -- is gaining influence on university campuses. Even the mainstream media have found praise for some members of this criminal movement. The leader of the PRM is Corneliu Vadim Tudor, a megalomaniac demagogue whose political program boils down to vicious hatred toward Hungarians, Jews and Roma. He was Nicolae Ceausescu's court poet and denounced fellow writers and dissidents to the former dictator's feared secret police, the Securitate. An open admirer of Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein, Mr. Tudor regularly publishes in his weekly Romania Mare publication anti-Roma and anti-Semitic incitements, Holocaust denials and "black lists" of political adversaries he considers "guilty of anti-Romanian activities." Among his campaign promises is to rule with the machine gun and organize public executions. Mr. Tudor believes that "America is a colony of Israel...a small mouse dragging after it a giant elephant" and that "Zionism keeps the planet under terror, and puts Christianity and Islam into a state of conflict and of reciprocal extermination." Gigi Becali, leader of the PNG and a rich, vulgar, violent man, promises to "turn Romania into a country like the holy sun in the sky," a close variation of an old Iron Guard slogan. Mr. Becali calls himself an "athlete of Christianity" and has generously endowed the Maglavit church, the gathering point of Romania's mystical extremists in the '30s. While everywhere else in Europe the extreme right is politically isolated, some of Romania's political establishment help these demagogues gain an aura of respectability. One could not imagine Jean Marie le Pen even coming close to the gates of the Elys.e Palace, let alone being invited into the president's office. And it would simply be inconceivable for a French socialist leader to negotiate with the extremist Front National. But in Romania, Mr. Tudor maintains friendly ties with many prominent members of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), who discreetly try to help him gain credibility with Western governments in exchange for cooperation from Mr. Tudor. The two parties are in talks for a formal parliamentary alliance. The recently elected president of the Romanian parliament, Bogdan Olteanu, who represents the pro-Western, business-oriented Liberal Party, won his new job with the crucial support of the PRM. The president of Romania, Traian Basescu, receives Mr. Tudor at his palace and socializes publicly with Mr. Becali. The PSD, meanwhile, gives Mr. Becali campaign advice in hopes of weakening the PRM. That mainstream politicians would find it so easy to rub shoulders with extremists is not that surprising in a country where the use of racist and populist rhetoric is not limited to the fringes of the political spectrum. Particularly anti-Hungarian, anti-Roma and homophobic comments have become vote-winners for all political parties. The boundaries between extreme and mainstream parties are more fluid in Romania than in other countries in the region. And although Holocaust denial is a crime, no Holocaust denier has ever been punished in Romania. As in many other domains, the country does not lack tough laws but rather the will to enforce them. How are such odious dealings possible in a country that is a NATO member and ready to join the European Union next year? History is, as always, a good guide. Visceral nationalism has a long tradition in Romania, going back to pre-World War II times when the Iron Guard, which would later play an important role in preparing the destruction of the Romanian Jewish community during the Holocaust, advocated hate toward foreigners in general and Jews in particular. Communist dictator Ceausescu for years hammered the same themes into the national conscience. Is Romania now reverting to its pre-World War II roots? Is nationalism the only real ideology in today's Romania? Is it justifiable to get close to the extreme right in order to divide it and steal its votes, as some mainstream politicians have claimed? Romania's political class should not have a short memory. Striking alliances with extremists always backfires. After the 1937 elections, when the Iron Guard and the anti-Semitic National Christian Party won 22% of the votes, the Romanian political class followed the same course as it is doing again today. Back then, mainstream political leaders also entered into electoral alliances with extremists, foolishly believing they could control them. Fifty-one years of fascist and communist dictatorship followed. Playing this dangerous game with the extreme right tarnishes not only Romania's image abroad but threatens its national security. Mr. Ioanid is author of "The Holocaust in Romania" and "The Ransom of the Jews."
Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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THE TAXI DRIVER
Posted by Naomi Ragen, May 30, 2006. |
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I had a lecture to give in Haifa the other day. My usual driver wasn't available, so I called a local cab company to arrange a ride. Call it instinct, but when the cab arrived and I looked at the driver, he just didn't look the part. For one thing, he was in amazing shape: handsome, young, with an athlete's lean body. Not what I usually find in the men who sit behind the wheel all day. Something about his face, the way he spoke, too, struck me as unusual. "It's a long ride to Haifa," I finally said. "How do you like being on the road so much?" "Oh, it's fine. I like driving. Actually, I haven't been in the business long. Just a few months," he said smiling. 'And before this....?" "I worked for the Ministry of Defense. I was a security guard." We spoke a little more, and I began to realize that I was in the presence of one of the men from those elite units who protect the lives of our most elite citizens, including our former Prime Minister. "You didn't like the work?" "No, actually....." This is what happened. A yeshiva graduate, he had served in the army's most elite units. He had been trained in advanced counter-terrorism techniques, and had been asked to lead men into battle in some of the most dangerous missions possible. He had spent 3.5 years in Lebanon. It was no wonder that the leaders of the country had put him on staff to protect their lives. And then came the disengagement. They asked him to be responsible for leading soldiers to attack the residents of Gush Katif should trouble ensue. He knew Gush Katif well. he had been stationed there. "The people there treated us so well," he said. "They made sure we had enough to eat and drink. They invited us over on Shabbat and holidays. They were the most wonderful people in the world. How could I now go into their communities and treat them like enemies? How?" So, he walked into Sharon's office (which should give you an idea of who this person is, and what kind of job he had). I said: "I'll do anything you want. If you want me to wipe out a terrorist cell. Fine. That's what I'm trained to do. But please don't ask me to do this. Please." Sharon didn't budge. Wasn't interested. He also didn't budge. Despite the years he had spent risking his life to defend his country, and the people who run it, he was not only fired, he was thrown into jail for more than a month! When he got out, he married his girlfriend. He wasn't worried about getting another job. "The security companies were lining up to hire me. But when I went to get a weapon's license, I found he'd been blackballed. "It was pure revenge. So it was impossible for me to work." He bought a taxi, and now he drives. His wife is expecting. He's not making anywhere near what he used to make. You've paid quite a price, I told him. "I'm not sorry for a minute. I got my medal when my father told me he was proud of me. In the end, I have to live with myself. I have to face my little nephews. What would they think of me if I treated my own people like the enemy?" Instead, he went to visit the people of Gush Katif, in their hotel rooms and dormitories. He hugged them, and they hugged him. "I don't have a single regret," he shrugged. He has a court case against the government for denying him a license. I wished him well. And I thought of the men in power, those complacent, greying old men whose lives he had risked his young one for so many times. And I was glad he wasn't protecting them anymore. Glad that he wasn't being sent on dangerous missions anymore. Not for these men anyhow. And I thought of what he had sown, and what he had reaped. And how much we were all losing because he couldn't use his skills. And once again, the reality of living in a country with wonderful people and terrible leadership struck me full force, making me want to punch somebody in the nose; somebody really high up; somebody fat, complacent, and careless, who makes all the wrong decisions and makes others pay the price. Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist and journalist who lives in Jerusalem. She can be contacted at www.naomiragen.com, where you can subscribe to her newsletter. |
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"BURN HER TWO CHILDREN TO DEATH..." TO MAKE HER "CONFESS"
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 30, 2006. |
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Where are the militant feminists? Why are they not picketing the Iranian embassy? Why are there no human shields for female activists and their children in Iran? Why is the ISM, an INTERNATIONAL solidarity movement, showing no solidarity with Iran's dissidents? Note the child abuse: "It was only when they threatened to burn her two children to death in front of her that she agreed to put her name to the documents." Burn her children to death in front of her!!.....where are the advocates on behalf of children? Where is UNICEF? And let's recall that this is extreme barbarism of Moslems against Moslems, in the name of Allah and the Moslem clerics. Where is the Moslem outrage of such treatment of Moslems and such a desecration of the teachings of Islam? Why does gut-wrenchingly brutal Moslem barbarity against Moslems, Christians, Jews, women and children get a free pass with most Western press? This is called "Child Abuse - Mullah Style" and was written by Philip Sherwell. It appeared today in www.Telegraph.co.uk. A leading Iranian pro-democracy and women's activist, who was jailed on trumped-up charges last year, has revealed how the clerical regime cynically deploys systemic sexual violence against female dissidents in the name of Islam. Roya Tolouee, 40, was beaten up by Iranian intelligence agents and subjected to a horrific sexual assault when she refused to sign forced confessions. It was only when they threatened to burn her two children to death in front of her that she agreed to put her name to the documents. Perhaps just as shocking as the physical abuse were the chilling words of the man who led the attack. "When I asked how he could do this to me, he said that he believed in only two things - Islam and the rule of the clerics," Miss Tolouee told The Sunday Telegraph last week in an interview in Washington after she fled Iran. "But I know of no religious morality that can justify what they did to me, or other women. For these people, religion is only a tool for dictatorship and abuse. It is a regime of prejudice against women, against other regimes, against other ethnic groups, against anybody who thinks differently from them." Miss Tolouee's account of her ordeal confirms recent reports from opposition groups that Iranian intelligence officials use sexual abuse against female prisoners as an interrogation technique and even rape young women before execution so that they cannot reach heaven as virgins. Few women from the Islamic world are willing to discuss such matters, even with each other, but Miss Tolouee said that the regime routinely committed sexual attacks against female detainees. She dropped her voice to a whisper and sobbed quietly as she described her experience, hoping not to upset her six-year-old son, Nima, as he picked at a piece of pizza in a hotel restaurant. But he tried to comfort her. "I don't like it when my mummy talks about prison. It makes her cry," he said sadly. Miss Tolouee, who founded a women's group in Iranian Kurdistan and then launched a monthly magazine that was closed down by the judiciary last summer, was detained in the city of Sanandaj in August after taking part in anti-regime demonstrations that spread across Kurdish areas. "Four armed men and three armed women barged into my house at night and took me away," she said. "My kids were terrified and crying. I was questioned all night by different interrogators and then thrown alone into a cell." She was held in solitary confinement in the prison of the feared internal intelligence service, with only a blanket and a cup that often had to serve as a lavatory. For the first six nights, she was taken to a basement where interrogators demanded that she admit to organising the protests, and also that she identify co-conspirators on a list of names they put to her. "When I wouldn't do what they wanted, they slapped me. But after the sixth night, the routine changed. I was left alone in a small dark room with two men. One was the assistant prosecutor and called himself Amiri. The other had a filthy mouth and said terrible things. They started slapping me again. For the rest of the night they did to me what no woman should ever experience. Amiri said, 'I'm going to hang you, but before I hang you, I will make an example of you so that no woman will dare to open her mouth here again'." He then sexually assaulted her. When she asked Amiri how he could act like that, he told her that only Islam and clerical rule were important to him. The attack left her badly bruised and bleeding internally, but she refused to sign the papers they put before her. To her assailants' fury, she demanded to see a lawyer and cited international treaties on human rights. The following night they did not sexually molest her again as she was still bleeding - and hence "unclean". Instead, they told her that they would kill her children by setting them on fire before her eyes. Finally, she admits, she cracked. "I threw myself at Amiri's feet and begged him not to harm my children. I said I'd do anything they wanted. Whatever they wanted, I would sign." She admitted to conspiring against the regime by giving interviews to the foreign media and leading the protests, but said that she did not implicate others. After several more nights in solitary confinement, Miss Tolouee was moved to a general women's prison, where she saw horrendous festering wounds inflicted by lashings on other detainees. Trying to maintain her dignity and strength, she taught the women about their basic human rights and helped to secure the provision of sanitary supplies for the first time. "We had a great feeling of camaraderie," she recalled. Miss Tolouee was released on bail after 66 days in jail because, she said, "The regime had got what it wanted". But she still feared for her children's lives and decided to flee. She made it first to neighbouring Turkey with Nima and then her daughter Shima, 14, was smuggled out to join them. Fearful of the reach of regime agents, who have killed exiled dissidents, an opposition group called the Alliance of Iranian Women helped them to reach the United States last month. Miss Tolouee has been granted political asylum and intends to maintain her campaign against Teheran. She still has relatives in Iran - she does not want to go into details for reasons of security - but says that they have given her their blessing to speak out, despite the possible consequences. The world's attention is currently focused on Iran's nuclear ambitions under its hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who came to office while Miss Tolouee was in prison. But inside Iran, she says, little has changed. "Sometimes the regime seems a bit better, sometimes a bit worse, but for the people of Iran, the suffering continues," she said. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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WHO CAUSED THE ARAB "REFUGEE" PROBLEM?
Posted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, May 30, 2006. |
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Arab leaders told us to flee Israel in 1948 PMW has documented yet another corroboration by an Arab "refugee" that it was Arab leaders who were responsible for the flight of Arabs from the new State of Israel in 1948. A backbone of Palestinian Authority (PA) ideology, and indeed of anti-Israel propagandists worldwide, is the myth that Israel expelled hundreds of thousands of Arabs from Israel and created the Palestinian "refugee" situation. However, an elderly woman who left Israel during Israel's War of Independence, and is today still considered a "refugee," confirmed in a PA newspaper last week that it was Arab leaders and not Israel who told her and her neighbors to flee, for tactical military reasons. This corroborates Israel's contention of the last 58 years that Arab leaders were responsible for telling their own people to leave Israel, and for the subsequent "refugee" problem. Following is this most recent testimonial, as well as two earlier statements by other "refugees" that have appeared in the PA press, all of which corroborate Israel's historical narrative. The latter two are significant because they were corroborated by still other more public Palestinians, indicating that the responsibility of the Arab leaders is known in the Palestinian world. One was confirmed by Arab Member of Knesset, Ibraham Sarsur, who was then Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and the other by a Palestinian journalist, Fuad Abu Higla, in the official PA daily. The following are three statements corroborating that Arabs fled Israel, under instructions of the Arab leaders: 1. Woman who fled Israel in 1948 "We heard sounds of explosions and of gunfire at the beginning of
the summer in the year of the Nakbah [1948]. They told us: The Jews
attacked our region and it is better to evacuate the village and
return, after the battle is over. And indeed there were among us [who
fled Israel] those who left a fire burning under the pot, those who
left their flock [of sheep] and those who left their money and gold
behind, based on the assumption that we would return after a few
hours." 2. Son and grandson of those who fled in 1948 An Arab viewer called Palestinian Authority TV and quoted his father and grandfather, complaining that in 1948 the Arab District Officer ordered all Arabs to leave Palestine or be labeled traitors. In response, Arab MK Ibrahim Sarsur, then Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, cursed the leaders who ordered Arabs to leave, thus, acknowledging Israel's assertion. Statement of son and grandson of man who fled: "Mr. Ibrahim [Sarsur]. I address you as a Muslim. My father and grandfather told me that during the "Catastrophe" [establishment of Israel in 1948], our district officer issued an order that whoever stays in Palestine and in Majdel [near Ashkelon- Southern Israel] is a traitor, he is a traitor." Response from Ibrahim Sarsur, Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel: "The one who gave the order forbidding them to stay there bears guilt for this, in this life and the Afterlife throughout history until Resurrection Day." 3. Article by senior PA journalist Fuad Abu Higla, then a regular columnist in the official PA daily Al Hayat Al Jadida, wrote an article before an Arab Summit, which criticized the Arab leaders for a series of failures. One of the failures he cited, in the name of a prisoner, was that an earlier generation of Arab leaders "forced" them to leave Israel in 1948, again placing the blame for the flight on the Arab leaders. "I have received a letter from a prisoner in Acre prison, to the Arab summit: Conclusion It is clear from these statements that there is general acknowledgement among Palestinians that Arab leaders bear responsibility for the mass flight of Arabs from Israel in 1948, and were the cause of the "refugee" problem. Furthermore, the fact that this information has been validated by public figures and the media in the Palestinian Authority confirms that this responsibility is well-known - even though, for propaganda purposes, its leaders continue to blame Israel publicly for "the expulsion." Itamar Marcus is director of PMW - Palestinian Media Watch - (http://www.pmw.org.il). PMW is based in Jerusalem. Barbara Crook, a writer and university lecturer based in Ottawa, Canada, is PMW's North American representative. Contact PMW by email at pmw@pmw.org.il |
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SAUDIS FLOUT VOW TO US TO END ISRAEL BOYCOTT
Posted by Michael Freund, May 30, 2006. |
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Despite renewed assurances given to Washington that it is no longer enforcing a trade boycott against the Jewish state, Saudi Arabia continues to prohibit Israeli-made goods from entering its territory, The Jerusalem Post has learned. And while a senior US trade official sought to assure Congress last week that the embargo had in fact been removed, the Post found ample evidence to indicate that it remains in place. "If a product is made in Israel, then it is a problem. It is not allowed here," Muhammad al-Matrafi, a spokesman for the Director's Office of the King Khalid Airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, said by phone on Monday. "That is the law here in Saudi Arabia, and we do not allow those kinds of things into the kingdom," he said, adding, "If there is any mention of Israel on the container or on the product, then it can not enter Saudi Arabia." A Saudi customs official at the Persian Gulf port of Ras Tanurah was equally adamant that no Israeli-made goods would be permitted to enter the country. "There is still a ban on Israeli products, and anything declared as coming from Israel will not be allowed," said the customs official, who gave his name only as Capt. Hosni. "Some people may try to say that a product was made elsewhere, but if there is anything which shows it was made in Israel, then it is a problem," he said. Another Saudi customs official at the Al Durah land crossing on the Saudi-Jordanian border reaffirmed that the ban on Israeli-made goods remains in place. Asked by phone if products made in Israel could be brought into the desert kingdom, he angrily replied, "No, no, no. Absolutely not," before hanging up. The Saudi position appears to contradict assurances given last week by US Deputy Trade Representative Susan Schwab. In written responses to questions raised by members of the Senate Finance Committee, Schwab said that Saudi Arabia had told Washington that it was abiding by its pledge to end the boycott of the Jewish state. In November 2005, the Saudis promised the Bush administration that they would remove restrictions on trade with Israel, after Washington conditioned Riyadh's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on such a move. But, as the Post first reported on March 7, the Saudis went ahead and played host to a major international conference aimed at intensifying the anti-Israel boycott, raising concerns in Congress about Riyadh's compliance with its commitments. In addition, an official Saudi delegation took part in a meeting of the Arab League's boycott office in Damascus earlier this month. "We have raised this issue directly with senior Saudi officials on several occasions, both in Riyadh and in Washington," Schwab told the Senators last week. "In all cases, we have received assurances that Saudi Arabia fully understands and remains committed to its WTO obligations, including the WTO obligation to treat all WTO members according to WTO rules." The WTO bars members from engaging in discriminatory trade practices, such as embargoes or boycotts. Nonetheless, the Post has also found that a report authored by a former US diplomat and issued recently by one of the largest banks in Saudi Arabia reaffirms that the country's boycott of Israel remains in place, despite Riyadh's accession to the WTO. The 44-page document, "Saudi Arabia and the WTO," was prepared by Brad Bourland, chief economist at the Saudi Samba Financial Group. Bourland previously worked for the US State Department for 18 years, including as first secretary of the American Embassy in Riyadh, where he was responsible for analyzing the Saudi economy on behalf of the US government. In a question-and-answer section Bourland's report notes that, "Saudi Arabia's trade stance toward Israel does not change due to WTO accession... The primary Arab League boycott of Israel remains in place." Michael Freund served as an adviser to former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. This article is archived at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/ Satellite?cid=1148482069432&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |
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SYRIA EXTORTS TERRORIST SUBSIDY; RUSSIA AND THE ARABS, AGAIN
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 30, 2006. |
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THE ANTI-FREE-SPEECH MOVEMENT A new trend in the West is to demand that one's adversaries be investigated and punished for mere opinion, and be tried for crazy conspiracies and impossible-to-commit crimes. US government officials constantly leak and try to railroad opponents by falsely accusing them of leaking. A Pentagon anti-terrorism expert, Michael Rubin, was accused of making a leak from a country he was not in at the time. Mr. Rubin lectured in Iceland, where local activists, some even calling themselves democrats, tried to block his events and called him a war criminal for having served in the US military and advocating the liberation of Iraq. His other crime is being a Jew. "On April 15, 2002, Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden endorsed a U.N. Human Rights Commission resolution legitimizing suicide bombing as a legitimate form of resistance. Europe calls its lock-step approach multilateralism, but it is group-think. Human-rights groups have condemned Israel's security fence, while ignoring previous construction of anti-terrorism barriers on disputed land not only by India, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, but also by the United Nations itself." The resolution shows the good sense of Bush administration policy against the Intl. Criminal Court, which would subject Americans to sanctions by criminal judges. Unfortunately, Sec. Rice indicated that the US is veering towards accepting that Court (Middle East Forum, 5/12). The UNO makes more trouble than it is worth. Imagine, endorsing terrorism, totally criminal! NEW SYRIAN WAY OF AIDING TERRORISM Syria has compelled some minority-owned businesses to contribute to foreign terrorist organizations (IMRA, 5/13). One does not want to be arrested by the police of Syria! I READ THIS HASTILY "Jordan: About 2,500 Immigrants to Arrive in Israel This Summer" That was the headline of an IMRA article. I misread it as indicating that Israel was accepting 2,500 immigrants from Jordan. I was dismayed at this further evidence of Israeli stupidity about the Arab enemy. Actually, the Jordan news agency was reporting immigration of Jews into Israel. ANOTHER ARMS SMUGGLING ATTEMPT Another ship was spotted sailing from Gaza to Egypt and then back through prohibited areas. The Israeli Navy halted it. Israeli sailors boarded the ship before the Arabs could throw all the bags of explosives overboard, to destroy the evidence. This is the second known attempt at maritime smuggling, this month (IMRA, 5/15). I won't report every such incident, but wanted to show that the effort to smuggle arms continues. The proposal to let the P.A. have a port would lead to more terrorism. RUSSIA & THE ARABS, AGAIN The government of Russia intends to subsidize the P.A.. The euphemism for supporting the P.A.'s bigoted jihad is "humanitarian." It is the only evidence I have seen of Russia being humanitarian. What a strange way to manifest it, by bolstering a jihad society! The Soviet Union did the same thing, using the euphemism, "anti-imperialist." Pres. Putin, who was a dedicated Communist functionary then, and claims to have transformed himself, although he expresses nostalgia for the good old days (of mass-murder), learned to express his imperialist drive in a more acceptable, positive term. The frightening thing about this new drive against the Jewish people, as the memory of the old drive fades, is the spectacle of the supposedly more reformed and decent Western world jumping on the bandwagon. Europe is hardly Christian, and many Christian sects in the US don't level charges of "Christ-killer." But they nevertheless put the Jews in jeopardy in the name of human rights. Their indignation is reserved in behalf of Arabs hurt by Jewish self-defense, and not against Arabs acting out their bigotry in violence against Jews' human rights. Many Islamists deny that Jews have human rights or are human. The West ignores that. Sometimes people suggest that someone is not all bad, for being sincere. No credit is deserved for evil programs just because some of their followers are sincere or idealistic. Evil is evil. EVERY ONE FOR HIMSELF The "not in my neighborhood" syndrome has reached a new low in Europe's lowlands. A naturalized member of the Dutch Parliament, an ex-Muslim who reveals Islam's program for conquest, had to have guards at her apartment house. Her neighbors won a lawsuit demanding her eviction. They complained that her presence risked their lives. Muslims trying to murder her might injure them. Then evict the Muslims! They are making the whole country unsafe. In what house might she live? The government found she lied on her immigration application, so it is deporting her. She had changed her name to avoid her husband tracking her down to capture her. Muslim men do that. It's another mark against their religion, not against her. She is taking refuge in the US. The Netherlands is a country from which loyal citizens must evacuate under threat from disloyal ones, because it thinks tolerance means condoning the disloyal ones, who are intolerant and violent. Worse, political correctness is combined with selfishness. Each person looks out for himself. There should be national solidarity against the alien threat of Islam. The Dutch should expel the Muslims, and live in freedom and security. They have political correctness but neither security nor freedom of speech. Let them jettison political correctness, which couldn't be more ethically incorrect! Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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INT'L SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT CONTINUES ANTI-ISRAEL OPERATIONS
Posted by Hillel Fendel, May 30, 2006. |
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The Int'l Solidarity Movement, an organization working in tandem with terrorist groups in Palestinian Authority areas, has begun its summer recruiting activities. Some call it a dangerous cult. The organization's goal, writes long-time anti-ISM fighter Lee Kaplan, is "to interfere with anti-terror operations of the Israeli army [and to] act as human shields for terrorist groups opposed to the existence of Israel." Citing the example of the anti-Israel rallies every Friday in the village of Bil'in, he says ISM activists incite the local Arab villagers to riot and attack Israeli soldiers guarding the security fence, and interfere at IDF roadblocks set up to keep out suicide bombers and armed terrorists. Investigative journalist David Bedein of the Israel Resource News Agency told Arutz-7, "The Israeli government classifies the ISM as a terrorist organization. This has been known ever since it was found that the two terrorists who committed the Mike's Place terrorist attack entered Israel as ISM activists." Three Israelis were murdered in that Tel Aviv attack in April 2003. Several weeks afterwards, it was learned that the terrorists had gained entry into Israel as British "peace activists." They spent the next two weeks before the attack taking part in anti-IDF demonstrations, as well as visiting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Hevron, Ramallah, Shechem, and Gaza. They even had themselves photographed by the Western Wall, complete with kippot on their heads, while in fact they were observing and recording the security arrangements at the holy site. While traveling the country, the pair made use of their ISM contacts, some of which had been made in Gaza, with Italian journalists and with an Arab from the village of Na'ama. The Prime Minister's Office released a statement at the time condemning the ISM for playing an active role in "illegal and violent actions against IDF soldiers...." and for conducting activities "under the auspices of Palestinian terrorist organizations." Undercover Agent Kaplan, who has attended many ISM meetings in the United States, writes that the organization's volunteers are told to work "in solidarity" with Arabs who throw Molotov cocktails or rocks at soldiers. The goal is two-fold, he writes: "To try and create an international incident by having ISM activists from abroad be arrested by Israeli Authorities to undermine Israeli sovereignty, and to train US and other foreign anarchists for their perceived 'revolution' against the capitalist West and, most notably, eventually against the United States itself." Kaplan says he knows of an ISM cell in Massachusetts, named Boston2Palestine, whose members are apparently "planning on going to the Middle East for a summer of fun interfering with the Israel Defense Forces and aiding the new Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority." He has forwarded their photos to the Israel security services. In Georgetown several months ago, would-be ISM volunteers changed their minds about joining when they heard that their identities would be forwarded to the Israeli border authorities. Robert Malovany, the father of one ISM activist has written to Kaplan as follows: "I thought I would give you an update on our situation with our son Brian. As you might have expected, our relationship has gone from bad to worse. We had hoped that we would have some warning [before he went] back to the West Bank with the ISM. It didn't work out that way... He took off for Israel and stayed there for 4 or 5 months doing the kind of mischief the ISM is famous for... Interestingly, we stayed in contact with his girlfriend [who] gradually realized that he had become absorbed in a cult (ISM)... The ISM cult really has a hold on him... The local director of the Solidarity Movement, George Rishmawi, explained to the San Francisco Chronicle that the recruitment of American student volunteers is useful to the Palestinian Movement because "if some of these foreign volunteers get shot or even killed, then the international media will sit up and take notice." For more information, go to http://www.stoptheism.com/ Hillel Fendel is Senior News Editor for Israel National News. |
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'ASABIYAH
Posted by Gerald A. Honigman, May 30, 2006. |
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In light of all the current unilateral concessions the Jew of the Nations continues to make to merely gain acceptance for its survival from a largely hostile world, there is some important advice and wisdom to be heeded originating in the Muslim world itself. Zionism has come to mean different things to people over the millennia. The one thing that all the various interpretations have had in common, however, involved an eradication of the victimization and statelessness the Jew had witnessed since he took on the Roman conqueror of much of the world for his freedom and lost. Massacres, forced conversions, ghettoization, demonization, dehumanization, inquisitions, and such all carefully paved the road to Auschwitz. The Jew was the alleged deicide people in the Christian West and kilab yahud--"Jew dog"--killers of Prophets in the Muslim East. Zionism meshed together all of the Jews' subsequent diverse fears, hopes, and dreams for a better tomorrow. And the key to its future had everything to do with transforming the powerless state of the Jews as a people. Enter 'Abd-ar-Rahman Abu Zayd ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun. Born in the early 14th century C.E., Ibn Khaldun was one of the most important philosophers, jurists, and scholars the Islamic--or any--civilization would ever produce. Graduate students in Middle Eastern Affairs usually come to know Ibn Khaldun through his work, The Muqaddimah. It is actually the introduction to and Book I of the Kitab al-'Ibar, his History of the World. Besides simply giving an account of events, he offers a rational explanation of the "hows" and "whys" they occurred. Using frequent historical illustrations to make his points, it is here that this great Muslim scholar has some very important things to say about both Jews and Israel. Indeed, Israel's current leaders should pay careful attention to the lessons. Before The Muqaddimah was introduced into this discussion, I had mentioned the tragic state of the Jewish experience and the negative consequences which had derived from this. Ibn Khaldun spoke to this matter as well. Let's listen: "Students, slaves, and servants brought up with injustice and tyrannical force are overcome by it ... it makes them feel oppressed induces them to lie, be insincere... their outward behavior differs from what they are thinking. Thus they are taught deceit and trickery... they become dependent on others... their souls become too indolent to acquire ... good character qualities. Thus they fall short of their potentialities and do not reach the limit of their humanity. That is what happened to every nation which fell under the yoke of tyranny and learned the meaning of injustice. However one chooses to respond to his assessment, Zionism's non-religious raison d'etre would have been obvious to Ibn Khaldun, one of the world's most important thinkers of all times. He devoted much effort to the evolution and development of the Jewish nation, its early struggles with its adversaries, and its later fight for freedom with the mighty Roman Empire and its consequences. He then followed this with an analysis of the Jews' condition of powerlessness throughout subsequent generations. Ibn Khaldun would have well understood the rebirth of Israel and the 'asabiyah -- the essential group consciousness emphasized throughout his writings--which made it possible... even if it was a consciousness born not only out of a "noble house" but also from the desperation of the Jews' perpetual victim, scapegoat, and whipping post status. While he commented that the Jews, who had one of the most "noble houses" in the world, had subsequently lost their 'asabiyah and for centuries suffered constant humiliations as a result, he would have applauded and understood their desire to end this unfortunate turn of events. The Muqaddimah emphasizes that the Jews were forced to wander in the desert for forty years due to their "meekness." Ibn Khaldun stressed that this was necessary so that a new generation would arise with a new, more powerful 'asabiyah. Prime Minister Olmert and his supporters should pay close attention to this...Jews can't afford another of such wanderings. At a time when Arabs are demanding their 22nd state (most having been created by the conquest of non-Arab peoples and their lands), this great Muslim scholar would have approved and viewed the resurrection of Israel as an answer to the unique plight of stateless Jews... the end of an even more tragic and extensive wandering and period of meekness and powerlessness in the desert. Gerald A. Honigman, a Florida educator, has created and conducted counter-Arab propaganda programs for college youth, has lectured on numerous campuses and other platforms, and has publicly debated Arab spokesmen. His articles and op-eds have been published in both the print media and on websites. Contact him at honigman6@msn.com or go to his website: http://geraldahonigman.com/blog.php |
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WASH POST CONTINUED SLANTED REPORTING ON ISRAEL
Posted by Robert Samet, May 29, 2006. |
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Friends:
The Washington Post has continued its steady drumbeat of slanted and agenda-driven reporting and editorializing on matters pertaining to Israel. Many of you have been following our alerts on the Eye On The Post web site at http://www.eyeonthepost.org. For those of you who may have missed them, we are setting forth below the headlines of our alerts for the months of April and May, 2006, along with a clickable link to enable you to read the full alert. Whether or not you live in the Washington, DC area or even subscribe to the Washington Post, you are vitally important to us. Part of our success depends on widespread circulation of our message. The Post is protective of its reputation as one of the leading newspapers in the US, and it will respond if shown that its image worldwide is suffering because a few editors or journalists are determined to inject their own political opinions and biases into news reports. You can help us simply by reading our alerts, being aware of the Post's anti-Israel agenda and then forwarding this email alert to as many people as you know who care about the damage being done to Israel's image. Our alerts are already reaching many thousands of people around the world. With your help we can expand our readership exponentially. Sunday, May 21, 2006 The Washington Post Fails To Report On The Constant Stream Of Vicious Anti-Semitism Preached And Taught Throughout The Arab World Friday, May 19, 2006 Carping At Israel Is Habit Forming - Post Prepares for Olmert Visit By Donating Op-Ed Space to Critics of Israel's Planned Unilateral West Bank Withdrawal Thursday, May 18, 2006 The Washington Post Doesn't Just Report News, It Makes It - Post Campaigns To Reverse International Community's Suspension Of Direct Aid To Hamas Monday, May 15, 2006 Post Op-Ed Piece Advocates Appeasement Of Hamas Friday, May 12, 2006 Post Reporter Injects Own Opinion By Asserting, Without Adequate Support, That Withholding of International Aid is Causing Palestinians to Increase Their Support for Hamas Tuesday, May 9, 2006 On Eve of Quartet Meeting, Post Publishes Slanted Article Favoring Resumption of Funding of Hamas-Led Palestinian Authority - Conceals Hamas's Violent Past and Goal To Destroy Israel Monday, May 8, 2006 Post Uses Terminology Portraying Terrorist Groups and Their Acts As Those of Legitimate Armies During Times of War - Continues to Airbrush Hamas by Omitting Any Reference to the Thousands of Israelis Murdered and Goal to Destroy Israel Saturday, April 29, 2006 Post Columnist David Ignatius Sees Iran, Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hizbollah as Fighting A War Against The West For Dignity and Respect Saturday, April 1, 2006 Washington Post Fails to Report Terrorist Launch of Katyusha Rocket
Into Israel
Robert G. Samet is Chairman EyeOnThePost, Inc. Contact "Eye on the
Post" at info@eyeonthepost.org
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THE REVOUTIONARY REVELATION
Posted by Sarah Yoheved Rigler, May 29, 2006. |
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In Honor of my mother
What would the world look like if the Torah had never been given? Join me, if you will, for a tour of New York City in a hypothetical world where the revelation at Sinai never took place. We drive across the Brooklyn Bridge, speed down the FDR Drive, and park our car in a massive concrete-and-steel garage. We walk through the streets of downtown Manhattan and crane our necks to gaze at the glittering tops of the skyscrapers. Knowing that the pagan civilizations of antiquity excelled in technological accomplishments, we're not surprised that technology forges ahead in a world devoid of Torah. Next we meander through Lincoln Center. We hear the music of a concert in progress, pass a theater where a contemporary drama is being enacted, and see well-dressed people lined up to buy tickets for the ballet. Art does not need Torah to flourish. From there we head to Wall Street. We peek into the Stock Exchange. Business and commerce are thriving. No difference here. Our tour then takes us to residential neighborhoods crammed with high-rise apartment buildings. Here for the first time we notice something missing. There are no schools. What happened to PS 132 and Woodrow Wilson High School and City College? Uptown, we are told, there is one lively academy for the wealthy and well-born, but education for the masses? Our guide snickers. "How ludicrous!" As Rabbi Ken Spiro points out in his superb book, WorldPerfect education for all was an implausible notion in the pagan world (as in polytheistic societies today), where the literacy rate was generally 1/10 of 1%. Even ancient Rome, which needed a literate ruling class to administer its far-flung empire, boasted a literary rate of only 10-15%. Not only did Greece and Rome not deem it beneficial to educate the masses, but they viewed education as a potential danger to the stability of society. The Torah innovated the idea of education for all. It specifically commanded parents to educate their children. [Deut. 6:7] In fact, a code of law as intricate as the Torah and as obligatory on all members of the society, inherently demanded study. If a Jew didn't know what all the commandments entailed, how could he fulfill them? Thus mass education was a Torah-mandated value throughout Jewish history, causing the medieval monk Peter Abelhard to write: "A Jew, however poor, even if he had ten sons, would put them all to letters, not for gain as the Christians do, but for understanding of God's law. And not only his sons, but his daughters." As we continue our tour of New York City, we notice that we have not heard a single ambulance siren. When we ask, "Where are the hospitals?" we are met with a blank stare. "You must know what we mean," we persist, "the place where the sick are cared for and lives are saved." A glint of understanding: "Oh, yes. We have a place which provides medical care... for those who can afford it, of course." "And for the others?" we ask, appalled. "You can't just let them die." "Why not?" is the puzzled retort. No society before Torah or without Torah attributed intrinsic value to human life. It follows that for the government or society to spend its resources to heal or preserve life -- and to feel such urgency to save life that they would outfit ambulances -- would be considered a nonsensical enterprise. The right to life, which the American Declaration of Independence considered "self-evident," was not evident to any society in the world before or after Sinai, except where the Torah's influence penetrated. On the contrary, infanticide of undesirable babies (such as girls and those with even minor disabilities) was universally practiced, and endorsed by such "enlightened" thinkers as Aristotle. Killing for entertainment was the most popular amusement in ancient Rome, where 50,000 people would crowd into the Coliseum to watch convicted criminals (for capital crimes such as professing Christianity), slaves, and POWs fed to the lions and gladiators fight to the death. In between these spectacular killings, lest the crowd get bored, routine executions by burning, beheading, and skinning people alive were offered for amusement during intermission. Into a world where killing for convenience or sport was the universal norm, the Torah introduced the concept of the sacredness of life. "Do not murder," the sixth of the Ten Commandments revealed at Sinai, was not simply ethical pragmatism as it was in other ancient law codes, whose goal was to protect not the individual, but rather the stability of society. The Torah asserted that all human beings -- including infants, slaves, and convicted criminals -- were holy because they were created in the image of God. As the Talmud proclaimed: "He who saves one life is as if he had saved the whole world." The value of the individual -- and therefore his or her life -- is a Torah innovation. In India in 1981, I knew a couple whose 22-year-old son had been injured in a traffic accident while riding his motor scooter through the streets of Calcutta. The young man lay on the crowded thoroughfare for seven hours, until he bled to death. This is a society where Torah has not penetrated. Our tour of Manhattan-sans-Torah takes us to a small but stately building. We're informed that this is the courthouse for the entire city. "How can such a small courthouse serve millions of people?" we ask, perplexed. "Millions of people?" is the astonished reply. "Only a few thousand people -- the elite -- have the right to bring lawsuits." When the Torah laid down the principle of equal justice before the law, the rest of the world must have laughed. "You shall not commit a perversion of justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the mighty" [Lev. 19:15] would have been regarded as outlandish had not God commanded it. According to the Torah, even a king is not above the law and even a slave is not below it. Jewish courts do -- and always have -- heard cases initiated by wronged workers, women, and foreigners. By contrast, ancient Athens, the so-called "cradle of democracy," extended full legal rights to only a few thousand men who owned land, leaving its other hundreds of thousands of residents (including women, artisans, peasants, and slaves) with no recourse to the law. In the corridor of the courthouse, we notice something curious on the wall. It is a conglomeration of twelve lines of numbers. "This is a calendar," our guide explains. "It marks off the days, months, and years." "What about the weeks?" we ask. "What are weeks?" our guide inquires quizzically. The division of time into seven-day units punctuated by the Sabbath, a day of rest, is an invention of the Torah. It corresponds to no natural cycle. Completely counter-productive of material goals, the Sabbath addresses the unique spiritual need for reconnection and re-creation. Even those denizens of the Western world for whom "the weekend" means not spiritual refreshment but shopping at the mall must appreciate the Torah's gift of one day off in seven. Having lived in India, a society where every day resembles every other (except for the Sunday closing of schools and government offices, imposed by the British colonizers), I have seen how human beings are eroded by the tedium of a 365-day year of unremitting work. Now, in the small courthouse, I look around and notice the same exhausted expressions. We head over to First Avenue and 46th Street only to discover that the familiar landmark of the United Nations headquarters is absent. Bewildered, we ask: "Isn't there some international body whose purpose, at least in principle, is to settle disputes between nations in a peaceful manner, without resort to war?" Our guide is confused. "What would be the point of that? War is the noblest endeavor of man. War spawns heroes -- mighty warriors whose prowess vanquishes the enemy. And how else will a nation expand its borders and increase its power without the glorious enterprise of war?" We despair of a meeting of minds, and begin to search for a curved wall where the antithetical vision of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah is emblazoned: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nations shall not lift up sword against nations. Neither shall they learn war anymore." We search in vain. There is no inscription, no wall, not even the ideal of peace in this world in which the Torah was never given. We walk north, past the fashionable uptown, into a low-income neighborhood, and here the most conspicuous difference grips us. The streets are lined with unfortunates -- blind people, crippled people, starving children. They reach out their hands and plead with us for help. It reminds me of the cities of India. "Why are these people on the street?" we demand. "Where are the orphanages? The social service agencies? The institutions for the blind and the deaf? The soup kitchens? The rehabilitation centers for the handicapped?" "What are you suggesting?" comes the outraged response. "There's nothing like that here, and why should there be? We didn't hurt these people. It's not our fault if they're hungry or handicapped. We bear no responsibility to help them." As Ken Spiro points out in WorldPerfect, into a world where numerous law codes prohibited murder, theft, and various anti-social behaviors, the Torah burst into the scene with a completely novel concept: the obligation to proactively do good. "Love your neighbor as yourself," [Lev. 19:18] and "Do not stand by your neighbor's blood," [Lev. 19:16] charged humankind with social responsibility, an idea that sans-Torah societies never dreamed of. The Torah, which Thomas Huxley called, "the Magna Carta of the poor and of the oppressed," drove this point home with a multitude of specific commandments aimed at providing aid to the impoverished, the widow, the orphan, and the alien. The Torah obligated human beings to take responsibility for the welfare of people outside their own clans and beyond the precincts of their own homes, not because it was salubrious for the body politic, but because a just and loving God demanded compassion from all His children for all His children. This planet has never known a more original idea. THE TORAH REVOLUTION Our tour of New York City would not suffice to reveal the truly cataclysmic revolution caused by the revelation at Sinai. Without Torah not only our world but also our lives would be profoundly different. If we lived in a world in which the Torah had never been given, we
would be unrecognizable to ourselves. As author Thomas Cahill, a Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings. And not only would our sensorium, the screen through which we receive the world, be different: we would think with a different mind, interpret all our experience differently, draw different conclusions from the things that befall us. And we would set a different course for our lives. It is important to keep in mind that all the innovations with which Cahill credits the Jews (whom he labels, "the inventors of Western culture") have their source not in the Jews themselves, but in the Divine revelation to the Jews. While the Patriarch Abraham was indeed an original thinker and the one who discovered monotheism, no person or force in the world could have so radically changed the world. The lever which lifted the planet had to be positioned outside it. Such drastic transformation could have been initiated only through Divine revelation. What was the paradigm shift that revolutionized human thinking and striving? Cahill points out that all ancient cultures viewed time as cyclical. No event or person was unique. He writes: The Jews were the first people to break out of this circle, to find a new way of thinking and experiencing, a new way of understanding and feeling the world, so much so that it may be said with some justice that theirs is the only new idea that human beings have ever had. But their worldview has become so much a part of us that at this point it might as well have been written into our cells as a genetic code. Time is the warp upon which human beings weave their sense of reality. Where time is regarded as cyclical, reality is characterized by fate, the inexorable predictability of nature, the devaluation of the present moment, and the futility of human striving. Circles have no purpose; they revolve round and round. The gods of the ancient pantheons, like the gods of India today, claim no purpose. Their actions are divine sport, lila in Hindu terminology, meaning "play." In such a worldview, the only worthy human goal is liberation -- to somehow escape the wheel of birth and death. The Torah introduced a purposeful God, with a plan for human history. If humankind will obey the commandments -- the Divinely ordained blueprint -- then a utopian world will ensue. The future will be different -- and better -- than the past. Thus the Torah introduced linear time. In so doing, it catapulted humanity into a world of meaningful moral choices, where human beings could create their own destinies, forge their own futures. The narratives of the Torah take place in linear -- not cyclical -- time. They recount the stories of people who were important not as archetypes (as in all other ancient epics), but as individuals, people who were important not because they wielded great power, but because they made significant choices. Those inner choices impacted their descendents and created history. History not as a record of wars waged and won, but as a testimony of moral battles that gave life meaning and purpose. Abraham obeying God even at the cost of his precious son's life, Jacob wrestling with the angel of evil, Joseph resisting the temptations of Potipher's wife, Moses reluctantly accepting the mantle of leadership at the burning bush -- these are the momentous events which the Torah chooses to recount. In so doing, it imbues all of our lives, all down the ages, with meaning and possibility. THE REVELATION AT SINAI The upcoming holiday of Shavuot commemorates the world-shaking event of the Divine revelation at Sinai. It is a day to reaffirm our commitment to studying and implementing the Torah. On that day 3316 years ago, the infinite God burst through the barrier of human finitude and in the presence of an entire nation revealed His Commandments. Thomas Cahill's description of the setting is lyrical: It is no accident, therefore, that the great revelations of God's own Name and of his Commandments occur in a mountainous desert, as far from civilization and its contents as possible, in a place as unlike the lush predictabilities and comforts of the Nile and the Euphrates as this earth of ours can offer. If God -- the Real God, the One God -- was to speak to human beings and if there was any possibility of their hearing him, it could happen only in a place stripped of all cultural reference points, where even nature... seemed absent. Only amid inhuman rock and dust could this fallible collection of human beings imagine becoming human in a new way. The revelation at Sinai was the singular most momentous event in human history. When I consider what our lives would have been without it, I can only shudder. Sara Yoheved Rigler is a graduate of Brandeis University. Her spiritual journey took her to India and through fifteen years of teaching Vedanta philosophy and meditation. Since 1985, she has been practicing Torah Judaism. A writer, she resides in the Old City of Jerusalem with her husband and children. Her articles have appeared in: Jewish Women Speak about Jewish Matters, Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, and Heaven on Earth. Sara Rigler is one of the feature authors in Aish.com's latest book, "Israel: Life in the Shadow of Terror". This article is archived www.aish.com/shavuotthemes/shavuotthemesdefault/ The_Revolutionary_Revelation.asp |
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HUMAN-RIGHTS SCHIZOPHRENIA
Posted by Gerald M. Steinberg, May 29, 2006. |
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Human Rights Watch shows a disturbing disparity in its treatment of Israel and China. This article appeared in National Review (http://article.nationalreview.com/ ?q=YzdkNDA3NTY4ZmMwMzFmNWYwYTBkMWU4MzFiMTMxNGM) Human Rights Watch, published a powerful piece on China coinciding with President Hu's recent visit to the U.S. It was an eloquent defense of the need to press China to implement basic human rights, and it was evidence that HRW, when it is not influenced by personal political agendas, can be an effective advocate of human rights. Unfortunately, when it comes to Israel, this has not been the case. HRW has been criticized in the past for Israel-bashing. This has been the source of intense disagreements between Roth and me. I went so far as to call for his replacement, accusing him of exploiting human-rights norms in promoting a radical anti-democracy agenda. In his article on China, however, I found myself agreeing with his every word. And the same has been true with respect to HRW's recent emphasis on Sudan, Syria, and Iran. So either it is I, along with other critics of HRW, who blindly oppose legitimate criticism of Israel (it might be dismissed as part of a neoconservative ideology), or it is Roth and HRW who apply different and unique criteria that single out Israel unfairly. The evidence shows that it is the latter. As a detailed NGO Monitor study has shown, between 2001 and 2004, during the height of the terror attacks against Israel, HRW focused one-third of its entire Middle East effort on condemnations directed at Israel. This went far beyond legitimate criticism, and suggested an obsession. Far more pages, reports, press conferences, letters, films, and photography-exhibits sponsored by HRW were devoted to allegations against Israel than to the slaughter taking place in Sudan, or the Palestinian terror campaign. Roth and other HRW officials adopted the false characterization of an "all powerful and aggressive Israel" in contrast to "Palestinian victimization." In the process, human-rights norms were reduced to instruments used to promote personal ideologies and entirely subjective perceptions of power. The most infuriating instance of HRW's bias came in 2004, when Roth went to the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem to promote "Razing Rafah," a one sided denunciation of Israeli policy. Its contents were based primarily on unsubstantiated reports of Palestinians, selected journalists, and so-called experts on tunneling. (The IDF actions were in response to the smuggling of weapons and explosives through tunnels under the border with Egypt.) Apart from the tendentious reporting, the extensive use of loaded terms, such as "war crimes," "violation of international law," etc. -- used far more often in HRW reports on Israel than in reports on all other Middle East states -- fed anti-Israel divestment and boycott campaigns. HRW officials participated actively and directly in demonstrations to promote the Caterpillar boycott, and in pressing the U.N. resolutions referring Israel's security barrier to the misnamed International Court of Justice. As a result, it is questionable whether HRW's reports on and activities concerning China and elsewhere can be considered credible. The answer, which is far from satisfactory, lies in the recognition that Israel is increasingly treated emotionally, making for an exceptional case in almost every sphere. In contrast, there is no such political or ideological framework that taints HRW's activities with respect to China. After the Cold War, Robert Bernstein, who founded Helsinki Watch (HRW's original name) in the 1970s, has focused much of his energies and attention on China. For him, and for many other HRW's founders, opposition to China's oppression of dissidents is a direct continuation of Helsinki Watch's original mission. Moreover, HRW's activities concerning China are overseen by serious professionals, such as Harvard Professor Merle Goldman. As a result, HRW's articles and reports on China are focused, credible, and do not reflect personal and agendas and emotions. This is not the case for HRW's activities with respect to Israel. In addition to Roth, Reed Brody, who served as legal counsel, has shown a particular antipathy to the Jewish state. Brody headed HRW's delegation to the NGO forum of the 2001 Durban Conference, which adopted the strategy of labeling Israel as an "apartheid state." He was also among the leaders of the effort to bring Prime Minister Sharon to trial in Belgium. (Brody's candidacy for a position on the U.N. Commission on Human Rights was recently withdrawn.) HRW's Middle East group also includes Joe Stork, who had been a senior figure in the radical MERIP, Sarah Leah Whitson, whose anti-Israel agenda was reflected in her work with MADRE, and Lucy Mair, who had previously written for the Electronic Intifada. These are not professional appointments, and do not create confidence in the credibility of HRW's reports on Israel. This bifurcation, or even schizophrenia, in HRW's approach to evaluating human rights is disturbing. The absence of credibility in one area inevitably spills over into the others, as HRW's board members increasingly recognize. In the past year, they have imposed a control mechanism on activities dealing with the Middle East, leading to a noticeable (if belated) emphasis on Darfur, as well as adding Syria, Libya, and Saudi Arabia to HRW's agenda. The hostility toward and distortions concerning Israel continue -- as seen in recent public letters with the standard condemnations -- but the volume has been reduced significantly. Nevertheless, if HRW wants to be seen as credible, and to have the moral impact on China, Darfur, and elsewhere that its founders and main supporters seek, the emotional anti-Israel agenda that goes far beyond legitimate criticism must go. Beyond rehabilitating this important organization, these measures will help to restore the tattered reputation of human-rights worldwide. Gerald Steinberg heads the Program on Conflict Management at Bar Ilan University and is the editor of NGO Monitor. |
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ISRAELI POLICE FOLLOW ABUSIVE SOVIET MODEL; ISRAEL'S WORST GOVERNMENT PICKS WRONG ENEMY
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 29, 2006. |
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HEAVILY ARMED EGYPT TOTTERING Egyptians are rising up in. Only naked power keeps the government in position, for now. The US has again confused the arming of a foreign government for external war with keeping it stable against civil strife. As people protest openly against corruption and oppression, their ostensibly democratic movement may pave the way for Islamist hegemony. The result would be more oppression and the use of that big army that US taxpayers provided. It would be a big victory for jihad. I don't know whether US criticism of Egyptian corruption and oppression, unaccompanied by warning about Islamic oppression, helps or harms. We don't want to be identified with the outgoing regime, but we don't want to grease the skids for an incoming Islamist regime. There is no indication that the US is aware of the problem. Likewise, there is no indication that, when the US denounced Russia for its retreat into totalitarianism, it stressed the issues it is likeliest to get results with. Did we just goad Pres. Putin to dig his heels in? Were we warning him or our own people of the Cold War's return? Did we try to convince Putin that Russia's interest lay in working with the US to stop Islamism, contain China, and gain prosperity without risking nuclear war by rogue states? How come he talks about the US being an enemy? How do we try to dissuade him? Tactfully or bullyingly? But I digress. How did Egypt descend into semi-anarchy? For one thing, Pres. Bush set in motion a movement for democracy without defining "democracy." All the dissidents now claim to speak in its name, though some of them are far from democratic. For another, dictators often don't have good retirement plans. They usually try to retain power until they are too feeble to sustain it. They defer putting their successors into the limelight in time to show there is what appears to the people as a legitimate succession. Perhaps they amass wealth too long, far beyond what in the few years left to them, they can spend in eventual exile. ISRAELI POLICE: LIKE U.S. OR SOVIET POLICE? Hebron Jewish activist Noam Federman has been arrested on false charges dozens of times. Recently his wife, of slight build, held weekly, legal demonstrations outside his jail. One night, the police kicked her, threw her down, and beat her in front of her children and followers, whom the police kept at bay. She asked to go to the hospital for her injuries. The police instead interrogated her for three hours at the station, before letting her go. Her injuries kept her from demonstrating the next week, but she is not afraid. She has her husband's courage. Those are people to be proud of. The government is to be ashamed of. It has a reputation of being a democratic, but speech is not free, policemen's fists are. US police would have let her be treated first. ISRAEL IN DENIAL ABOUT ROCKET MENACE The Arabs have been firing rockets daily from Gaza. They have been trying to smuggle rockets into Judea-Samaria and to manufacture them. IDF raids have destroyed some of those rocket factories. The IDF raids have been minimal, rather than sweeping. Several times the Army denied that rockets have been fired at Israeli cities from Judea-Samaria, but then admitted they were fired from there. The political leadership knows of these attacks, but does not comment about them. If the leadership publicly admitted that rocket raids have begun from Judea-Samaria, and that if the Jewish population and Army were removed from Judea-Samaria, the Arabs would get thousands of rockets, which could reach all of Israeli cities, the withdrawal policy would come in for thoughtful criticism. Could official government policy be that what the people don't know, will hurt them? (IMRA, 5/11.) Persisting in a policy that the leaders know would lead to thousands of casualties is more than stupidity but neurotic. It shows the grip upon supposedly sentient human beings of ideology, corruption, bias, and neurosis. SHORT-LIVED TRUCE IN P.A. After a long period of daily strife among the armed groups in Gaza, Hamas and Fatah declared a truce. It lasted one day. Then Hamas people attempted to assassinate Fatah members. Fatah men shot some Hamas men in retaliation. The EU got Israel to relinquish some funds into that snakes' den for "humanitarian" reasons (Arut-7, 5/11). MUSLIM ARAB COMPLAINTS Since the 1920s, before there was modern Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, the Palestinian Arab leadership frequently has tried to rouse its masses to violence by claiming that "the Jews" were attacking al-Aqsa mosque or planning to destroy it or were at war with Islam. A Nazi ally, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem accused the British of plotting to destroy Islam (Prof. Steven Plaut, 5/11). Islam does not respect other religions' rights; Israel does. Britain and Israel practice appeasement of Islam. Muslim complaints about attacks and plots by Britain and Israel bear no truth. Non-Muslims should disregard Muslim complaints as mere propaganda. The complaints are no reliable than those of the Nazis and Communists. Totalitarians paint themselves as victims to mask their aggression and to provide a pretext for attack. Our government and journalists should become adept at exposing the false accusations. JORDAN DOESN'T GET IT Jordan has uncovered plots by Hamas, which smuggled arms into Jordan, to attack in Jordan. Jordan invited Hamas to discuss a resolution with it, but Hamas refused. The royal government issued a statement expressing puzzlement that despite its support for the Palestinian Arab cause, Hamas tries to attack it (IMRA, 5/11). Doesn't Jordan get it? Islamists don't work against its enemies in an orderly, hierarchical way. It doesn't attack only those whom it considers its worst enemies. It attacks lukewarm friends. It seeks power wherever it can get it. As fellow Muslims sharing the same religious beliefs and code of ethics that permits dissembling and requires intolerance, Jordanian officials should understand that. Just as W. European appeasement of Islamists did not leave it safe from the Islamists, neither does Jordanian appeasement. The only safe way to be safe is to crush the Islamists and to keep them from organizing. ISRAEL'S WORST GOVERNMENT PICKS WRONG ENEMY Israel may have its worst government ever. From the Prime Minister on down, all the officials seem to have been given their posts as inducements to support PM Olmert's abandonment scheme. Many of these officials are under threat of indictment for corruption. Few are competent to run any department. They have been acquiring riches and power, while neglecting water shortages and defense. They are training the Army to attack Jews and not the real enemy. The abandonment scheme fits in with Bush policy. There may be a fake peace obtained by major Israeli concessions, so that Pres. Bush can pretend he is leaving a legacy of peace and to have solved the Arab-Israel conflict (Winston Mid East Analysis, 5/12). If there were the alleged Zionist propaganda machine, it would denounce Olmert's scheme and undercut Bush's pretense by showing no fake peace would last. ARAB REFORMER SEES VICTORY An Arab reformer took the taped death threats by the three most notorious Islamist leaders as marks of desperation. He contends that they know they cannot win by argument, so they resort to threats. He thinks they are being ground down and that the reformers slowly are winning (IMRA, 5/12 from MEMRI). Not convincing. Although those three are in hiding, Islamists are gaining ground in the P.A., Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Israel. They are strong in Lebanon, are fighting now in Somalia, and are making a comeback in Afghanistan. The other N. African countries just granted Islamists an amnesty, which indicates seeking their support. The government of Iraq is dominated by Islamists. The US and Israel practice a degree of appeasement. Appeasement encourages people to join the Islamists. Our timidity emboldens them. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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THIS IS OUR LAND
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 29, 2006. |
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In his book The Future of Israel, historian Devin Sper writes eloquently about the Land of Israel. He cites ancient writers who confirmed that the Land of Israel had the most excellent and fertile soil, productive of every variety of fruit. Josephus is quoted: The whole area is excellent for crops or cattle and rich in forests of every kind, so that by its adaptability it invites even those least inclined to work on the land... All their steams are remarkably sweet, and lush grass is so plentiful that the milk-yield of their cows is exceptionally heavy. The final proof of their outstanding productivity is the swarming population of [Judea and Samaria]. Linen from Beth Shean was considered the best in the Roman Empire. Israel was the only source in the world for balsam, the most valued fragrance in the ancient world, sold for its weight in gold. The Dead Sea produced a superior asphalt known as "Bitumin judaicum," valued for caulking ships and for medicinal purposes. From the Mediterranean shores of Haifa and Tyre came the world's only source of the snail from which was produced the purple dye sought by all royalty in the western world, still the color of royalty today. And on these same shores were beaches -- seasonal delights -- and elsewhere hot springs for relaxation and natural mineral baths. Crowning this glorious land was her capital Jerusalem. Jerusalem was deemed by foreign observers as among the most strongly fortified and most beautiful of cities. Alas, all this beauty was destroyed by the Romans, and, over the centuries, the Land itself was laid waste by the Arabs. But Sper reminds us: "In what other land do people, whose ancestors resided elsewhere for almost 2,000 years, on arriving for the first time, kneel down and kiss the ground? 'For every Jew, wherever he lives, possesses a portion of the Land of Israel.' What other people, when forbidden the opportunity, to live in its land, has over centuries, insisted on being buried there, consoled by the hope that their remains might yet touch its sacred soil." This land is ours. Our law instructs us to mourn for the land as we would mourn for the dead. Rav Avraham Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine, teaches us: "The hope of Redemption is the force that sustains Judaism in the Diaspora [and] the Judaism of Eretz Israel is that very Redemption." Nahmanides (the RAMBAN) instructs us: "In all generations we were enjoined to conquer the land; and I say, that the precept to which the Sages ascribe such importance, namely to dwell in the Land of Israel -- all of it is a positive precept. Consequently this is a positive precept incumbent on each generation, binding upon every one of us even in time of exile." The Rabbis taught, "A man should ever strive to live in the Land of Israel, even in a city whose inhabitants are mostly heathens, and should avoid living outside the Land even in a city whose inhabitants are mostly Jews. For he who lives in the Land is like one who has a God, whereas he whom lives outside the Land is like one who has no God." Sper reminds us that, "Jews, whose ancestors had resided in other lands for centuries, proved ready to pick up and leave at a moment's notice when promised even the faintest hope of return to the Land of Israel. In the 17th century, return to the Land of Israel was not only preached but also actualized by followers of Shabtai Zevi, the Gaon of Vilna, and the Baal Shem Tov: hundreds settled in Safed, Tiberias, and Jerusalem." Most remarkable, the Jews of Yemen, who had resided in Yemen since Biblical times, upon hearing of the reestablishment of the Jewish state in Israel in 1948, simply started walking "home" en masse, across the Arabian Desert! In every synagogue throughout the world the entire congregation faces the Land of Israel. This land belongs solely and exclusively to the Jewish People. This land is ours. Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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'GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE' HAVE RIGHT TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Posted by Gary S., May 29, 2006. |
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This was written by Susan Philips, who has been a delegate to the Church of Ireland Dublin and Glendalough synod and was for several years an independent member for Wicklow County Council. Rite and Reason: It is disconcerting that God's plan for the Jewish people - their return to the land from which they were dispersed - is ignored by those who support the Palestinian cause, writes Susan Philips. If any sense is to be made of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict it is imperative for writers to understand that politics and religion are inextricably intertwined. To even remotely suggest that the hatred and antagonism between the two is merely a matter of land, completely ignores the dictates of Muslim extremism where jihad (holy war) is not an option but a duty. The very roots of this argument lie in a spiritual conflict between two opposing faiths and therefore can never be resolved solely through political initiatives or liberal ideological reflection. The Church of Ireland is a broad-based church and therefore allows for diverse opinions in relation to biblical understanding. However, when John Couchman, writing in this column from his position as a delegate at the recent General Synod, discusses the Palestinian/Israel impasse and openly champions the Palestinian cause, it is disconcerting to find that in doing so he ignores the spiritual and Biblical exhortation to bless Israel. He prefers to adopt an anti-Semitic stance in his open support of Hamas, a recognized terrorist group whose demands include "a single Palestinian state from the sea to the sea". Their recent elections may indeed have been under democratic rules, but does that confer legitimacy to an internationally-labelled illegitimate organization? As Europe sped towards the Holocaust in the 1930s, similar misplaced liberal support helped keep the train for Hitler's final solution firmly on the tracks. Central to the Israel/Palestinian dispute is that land which was for centuries the home of Jewish people, was conquered by Muslim armies in the 7th century and generally remained under their control until the Ottoman Empire was disbanded after the first World War. It is important to understand that within fundamental Islam it is considered an abomination for land that was once Dar al-Islam (land controlled by Muslims) to become Dar al-Harb (land where the struggle for ownership continues). This explains why Muslims are waging war along the edges of the Islamic world in countries such as Chechnya, Indonesia, Somalia, Kashmir, the Philippines, Sudan and Ethiopia and why those behind the Madrid bombings spoke of the return of the Spanish city of Seville to the "lost paradise" of Al Andalus. The Moors left Spain in 1492! Meanwhile Israel has had to fight five wars in order to survive the barely 50 years of official statehood. It is of little wonder that although they do react to international pressure and recently, for example, withdrew from the Gaza, they also resort to fences, checkpoints and some pretty brutal retaliation in order to preserve their existence. Actually, many know that the concept of some "land for peace" will never lead to a settlement because Muslims see it as their religious duty to cleanse all land previously under Muslim rule. And even if the international community managed to herd Israel into a patch the size of a tennis court, the Palestinians will demand more. But at least on this point Hamas are totally upfront with both their manifesto and rhetoric demanding the total destruction of Israel. Such aspirations are summed up by Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi who was reported as stating in a Gaza City mosque recently: "We are convinced of the future victory of Allah; we believe that one of these days, we will enter Jerusalem as conquerors, enter Jaffa as conquerors, enter Haifa as conquerors, and all of Palestine as conquerors, as Allah has decreed." How on earth can anyone do business with that sort of opinion? Jewish and Christian belief places the roots of their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and understand from the Old Testament that God's plan for the Jewish people was always to include a physical return to the land from which most were dispersed by the Romans. Christian replacement theologists like to see such God-given promises as spurious and confused, but the fact remains that against all odds the Jewish State was established by the United Nations in 1948, fulfilling biblical prophecy. Many argue that as Christians we should support the existence of Israel as it faces the vast opposition of the Islamic world. As the Quartet (US, Russian Federation, EU and United Nations) discuss the holding back of funding to the Palestinian people, perhaps we should wonder why it is that we never hear about any serious alternative funding by their oil-rich Arab neighbours. When John Couchman refers to the "superb" record accorded to Hamas in areas of social provision, some might wonder what he makes of their official policy of honouring/financing those who offer their sons and daughters to the fire of suicide. The inference that Arab Christians are suffering due to Israeli aggression is to totally ignore the Muslim practice of dhimmini where Christians in Muslim jurisdictions are relegated to second class citizenship with rights to property and participation totally limited. In recent times, Islam has been particularly harsh to the Christian population of the Middle East and Christianity leads a precarious existence in the region, with the Copts of Egypt fearful for their future or in Saudi Arabia where churches and the Bible are totally banned. Interestingly, the only country in the Middle East which has genuine freedom of religious practice is Israel. Come on guys, let us here in the West wake up to the threats on our doorstep and not even consider lending credence to Hamas, a regime fully intent upon a 21st century Holocaust. Ireland has not always had a very good record in relation to its treatment of the Jews, and it behoves us as a nation to demand the right of "God's chosen people" to survive and thrive. Contact Gary S. by email at ahavat@telkomsa.net |
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CREATING JOBS FOR THE GUSH KATIF REFUGEES
Posted by Rachel Saperstein, May 29, 2006. |
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With the expulsion of our people from Gush Katif came the reality of almost total unemployment. The need for jobs became acute as government promises of fair monetary compensation remained just that, promises. FRIENDS OF GUSH KATIF, under Lior Kalfa and Dror Vanunu, are behind many exciting projects providing employment for refugees. JOB KATIF, founded by Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, came to the rescue with an excellent program of finding employment in nearby cities. Unfortunately, the vast majority have yet to find work. OPERATION DIGNITY is taking another approach complementary to the efforts listed above by creating businesses that will employ Gush Katif refugees. "The Orange Gallery" is moving ahead with plans to establish a Gush Katif gallery for artists and artisans in Nitzan, the largest relocation center. The plans include mobile shows throughout Israel as well as an on-line website for people abroad to view and buy directly from the gallery. Artwork will include paintings, sculpture, paper-cuts, glassworks, Judaica, mosaics, jewelry and original hat designs. A brochure and disc are now in preparation. The staff includes Artistic Director Miriam Greenblatt [0545-684158, motag1@biu.013.net.il] , Marketing Director Debbie Rosen [0547-775779, debbie_r@walla.com] , and Financial Director Einat Danino [0547-446741, asherd1@014.net.il]. The gallery appears to have excited not only the powers on high, but our artisans are delighted that their wonderful wares will be on sale. On Thursday night, 22 June, we will be exhibiting and selling our artwork at the Gerard Behar Auditorium in Jerusalem. A music play in English for women only based on a Gush Katif motif, written and performed by the women of Beit Shemesh, will be presented. On the evening of 27 June a musicale, for women only, dedicated to Gush Katif will be presented at the Emunah Center, 7 Ben Zion Street, Kiryat Moshe, Jerusalem. Once again the Orange Gallery will be exhibiting and selling our artwork. A "Beauty Spa" will be established to cater to the needs of women from nearby Ashkelon and Ashdod. Over thirty Gush Katif women took "beauty culture" courses, only to find no jobs available. A planned day Spa will give each woman an area of her choice. The Spa will provide manicures, pedicures, hair design, facials and massage under one roof. "A Gift of Makeovers" will be the thrust of our advertising in the southern cities. We are in need of a building and the equipment necessary for this venture to come into fruition. "Dr. Fixit" is our third employment venture. Many Gush Katif men worked in maintenance and are skilled craftsmen. Their skills will be used to provide much needed home repairs to city people. Providing honest labor by religious men would be a godsend to women living alone. This project will need an office, a toolshed, tools and a van to transport our men to their jobs. The various funds you are supporting are working together to bring employment to our people, who were turned into refugees and need your help. And the best help is a job. OPERATION DIGNITY, in the forefront of creating jobs, continues to aid families in need. Send contributions earmarked for OPERATION DIGNITY to Central Fund for Israel
OR Central Fund for Israel
Rachel Saperstein and her husband Moshe lived in Neve Dekalim, Gush
Katif, Gaza, Israel. She was a teacher at the Neve Dekalim ulpana and
a spokeswoman for the Katif Regional Council. Her recent book,
"Eviction: A Gush Katif Viewpoint", with photos by Moti Sender can be
ordered from www.pavilionpress.com.
They now live in a trailor camp in Nitzan.
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THE MARRIAGE IS NEARLY OVER
Posted by Arlene Peck, May 28, 2006. |
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Years ago, I remember speaking with a psychologist who told me that the opposite of love was not hate, but apathy. When a couple came into her office fighting, she knew that they had a chance. However, when one of them sat there, bored and uncaring, she knew the relationship was over. That, folks, is how I am getting to feel about my constant defense of Israel. Oh, I still feel that unshakeable tie to and emotion about the Jewish State. I, even for the most part, consider myself an American-born Israeli. However, I am getting to that point of apathy in the relationship. For more years than I care to count, I have written columns and given talks to groups and on my television show promoting Israel and trying to warn about the dangers that I hoped were obvious to everyone. I would write about how they just didn't "get it". However, I never considered the people of Israel being so stupid that they would vote people into government who are determined to destroy the country, either for their own greed or for personal political power. Yet, from what I see, it is fast approaching the point of no turning back and I just do not want to deal with it anymore. Hell, I don't even have the energy to deal with my anger on a local level anymore. I write a syndicated column and also have a television show, Wow! It's Arlene Peck! My program has a pretty wide audience. For the most part, I have a celebrity interview show. However, every four or five shows, I try to do something for Israel. The next topic would have been "Victims of Arab Terrorism". Virtually every time I have called into the consulate office and offered my show as an outlet to show Israel's viewpoint, I've been told on a regular basis, "Sorry, the Consul or the Vice Consul or anyone from the media or any other office is 'too busy' to go on." In my less-than-humble opinion, they should have at least six fabulous speakers available who, at a moment's notice, could be ready, even raring, to go on camera and promote Israel. So, why should I be surprised or even appalled that the people of Israel now have a prime minister who seems to be hell-bent on finishing the incompetent and incomplete job that other loser, Ehud Barak, started? I just cannot anymore support and promote the Olmert-led corrupt and stupid coalition now in power. I cannot justify a government that promotes national suicide, even if voted in by the people of Israel. They don't need the terrorists and their suicide bombers to destroy them. The conduct of the corrupt and incompetent officials they voted in will do it for them. All this, they believe, is done under the guise of compromise. However, you do not compromise with enemies that want to kill you. They need to be destroyed. Period. And Israel needs to remember that she once had guts and did not consider herself impotent or act like a banana republic. This would be the time to conduct a mass protest attended by millions - millions! - protesting the Chamberlain appeasement now in progress. It is ironic that while I was reading about the trip of Olmert to beg for 10 billion dollars to cleanse the Jewish areas of Judea and Samaria, the anti-Israel Los Angeles Times had a headline that said: "Gaza Gets Police Force of Militants". Who gives George Bush and Olmert the right to give away a country? If Israel is really a democracy, don't the people of Israel have the right to debate and then vote on something as crucial to their existence as this? Frankly, I am delighted that Palestinian Authority savages, because of the security fence in Israel and specific targeted killings of the Hamas leaders, cannot get into Israel with the ease they once did. Now they're 'forced' to kill each other. It's almost comical that the Times considers the terrorist group Fatah the "good guys" and writes, "Until now, the security forces have been dominated by the largely secular-minded Fatah." It doesn't matter anyway, because everyone knows that Bush and Olmert are gleefully and stupidly planning to de-Judaize much of Israel, leaving the fate of the Jews to the 80,000 Palestinian "security forces" that Shimon Peres and others like him armed, resulting in the armed terrorist state of Gaza. I'm surprised, considering the mentality that I've seen these past few years in Israel, that they haven't offered the terrorists seats in the Knesset. Perhaps I speak too soon. Arlene Peck is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess. She can be reached at: bestredhead@earthlink.net and www.arlenepeck.com |
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OPRAH'S ANGEL NETWORK AND "FREE THE CHILDREN" IGNORE THE REAL VICTIMS
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 28, 2006. |
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Two emails commenting on Oprah Winfrey and her strangely one-sided approach to helping victims of terrorism. 1. "Oprah Winfrey's world," Last month, Oprah's "O" asked readers to understand "The Heart of a Destroyer," Mohammed Atta -- the Al-Qaeda ringleader of the 9/11 hijackers who murdered 3,000 Americans. Beneath a picture of young Mohammed and his smiling sister on the Egyptian beach, "O" exhorts you to read a book that "sets out to understand the hearts and minds of the men behind the photos" of the 9/11 hijackers, a group of "lonely, exiled young men." The book, "O" tells us, "is a simultaneously passionate, compassionate, and dispassionate book that [doesn't] indict Islam." But the fatherless and motherless children who lost their parents to Atta -- they go unmentioned. To add insult to injury, the latest issue, "O"'s June 2005 edition, demands that we understand the pain and turmoil of Yusra Abdu, a teen-age Palestinian would-be homicide bomber, fiancée of Hani Akad, leader of Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group. Akad's group, funded by Libya (one of "O" Mag's "Five Places to See in Your Lifetime"), murdered 27 children and injured 134 when they attacked a Jewish school in Ma'alot, Israel (and has carried out hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians since then: DML) "O" calls Akad "a charismatic and young rebel." (a new euphemism for terrorist? DML). "O" describes Abdu and Akad as "a Shakespearean tragedy." Nowhere in that tragedy is there any awareness of the death and suffering of the innocent civilian victims of these "Shakespearean" players. And it's not their fault that they're homicide bombers. Or Islam's fault. "O" quotes Saudi-funded Islam apologist John Esposito blaming not Islam, but the desperate "context" of their lives. Nowhere is it mentioned that in reality most Palestinian homicide bombers, like the 9/11 hijackers, come from well-to-do middle class or even wealthy families. Also omitted conveniently is their oft-proclaimed hatred for Jews, America, and Christianity; and the Palestinian education into hatred and "martyrdom" that begins in kindergarten. Incredibly, Oprah calls this psychobabble-ish, understanding-the-world's-Islamic-terrorists sob-story, "Rescuing the World's Girls, Part Five." And to help right the wrongs of this "Shakespearean tragedy", Ophra urges readers to donate to Oprah's Angel Network, "which is awarding a grant to one or more programs that work to prevent Palestinian children from becoming suicide bombers." Or donate to UNICEF, "which runs summer camps and trauma programs for Palestinian children." [Nowhere it is mentioned, but actually, UNICEF helps UNRWA (both UN agencies) propagandize future Islamic terrorists from cradle to grave, maintain terrorist training bases in refugee camps, and provide bombs and ammunition to terrorists]. And through all of this caring about the impact of violence, nothing emerges about Israeli children's trauma resulting from the heinous deeds of these "Shakespearean" terrorists? Oprah's agenda isn't new. Her unique understanding of Islamic terrorists is manifest in:
Keep the above in mind when someone solicits money from you to "Rescue the World's Girls" by donating to Oprah's Angels Network. [Edited and shortened from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/columns/column052505.shtml by David ML] 2. Subject: Your work
Dear Sir "Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah's Angel Network." This all sounds very encouraging. Before I send you a donation, however I would like to know how "Free the Children" is helping Palestinian children's education and safeguarding their human rights: I know that Palestinian children exhibit a range of psychological problems. Hamas, (and before it Yasser Arafat's PLO and Fatah) rarely takes steps to shield children from the consequences of their incursions into Israel. Rather they deliberately launch attacks on Israeli civilians from centres of civilian popluation in the West Bank and latterly in Gaza. There is widely available television footage of children hurling stones, rocks and molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers whose standing orders are not to retaliate. Palestinian terrorists deliberately launch attacks on soldiers using these children as human shields. What are you doing to encourage the parents of these children to take more care to keep them safe? The incidence of neglect and violent child abuse is high in the West Bank and elsewhere in Arab countries in the Middle East (in Iran little girls as young as nine years of age are married off to much older men). What are you doing to safeguard these children's rights? Quite apart from all this, there is the deliberate encouragement of Palestinian children to aspire to an early and horrific death by suicide bombing, by means of comic books, school textbooks and children's television programmes. This, whatever the distorted rationale for it, is morally reprehensible and is an infringement of their human rights. This wish for death is inculcated into them almost from kindergarten age, thereby ensuring that there will be generation after generation of children who are reared to love killing and death: www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/pal-child-abuse/ index.php?imgIndex=0&autoShow=off www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/pal-child-abuse/ index.php?imgIndex=0&autoShow=off www.internationalwallofprayer.org/ A-096-Child-Abuse-In-The-Palestinian-Authority.html www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=5626 www.antiwar.com/ips/biedermann.php?articleid=3863 And this one in particular: www.jcpa.org/jl/vp441.htm Once again, my question to you, and to Oprah Winfrey whose idea
the Angel Network is, are you going to speak out against this and do
something about it, or do you just want to look nice?
David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli,
currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern
studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director
of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org).
Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com
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KEEPING OUR ENEMIES ALIVE
Posted by Fern Sidman, May , 2006. |
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It has been recently reported by Arutz Sheva that Israel has decided to arm PA President Mahmoud Abbas' (Abu Mazen) Presidential Security Force in light of growing reports that he has been targeted for assassination by Islamic opponents. Violent clashes and shooting attacks between Hamas and Fatah-aligned security forces have sharply increased over recent weeks, prompting a Ramallah meeting on Thursday, seeking to reach a truce that would bring an end to the internal fighting and increasing death toll. While Abbas is powerless to speak on behalf of the PA since losing the winter election to the now-ruling Hamas party. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to a recommendation from Defense Minister Amir Peretz, permitting the transfer of a limited number of weapons to Abbas' security personnel. The weapons are intended for the expressed purpose of keeping Abbas alive. According to Israeli sources, the weapons will be closely monitored and only handed to those troops known to be loyal to Abbas. Opponents to the move have stated that the weapons will be turned against Israel and fired at residents of Sderot and western Negev communities. Ironically, Olmert has signaled his intent to enter into negotiations with Abu Mazen in the immediate future, but openly commented that Abu Mazen cannot speak on behald of the PA since he is no longer in a position of power. PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah, affiliated with Hamas, has repeatedly stated that he and his colleagues will never recognize Israel's right to exist, and the existing western-nation economic boycott will not succeed in bringing his administration to its knees. Haniyah stated he will raise the badly needed funds among Arab nations, thereby substituting the missing donor nation funds previously forthcoming from the European Union and the USA. And while Israel is making attempts to protect Abbas from an assassin's bullet, Abbas, the so called moderate and peacemaker is busy declaring that Arab terrorists are "heroes" of the Palestinian people. Palestinian Media Watch, an organization that monitors and reports on anti-Israel hatred in the PA media, reveals that Abbas twice this week referred to Arab terrorists servings "tens of life sentences" in Israeli jails as "our heroes." PMW's Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook report that the terrorists referred to are "arch-terrorists who have personally killed tens of Israelis and are sentenced to one life sentence for each murder." Speaking on PA TV on May 23 about the jailed terrorists' recent "conciliation plan" between Fatah and Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas expressed his satisfaction with the initiative of those he called "our brothers, our jailed heroes... their initiative proves that these heroes, who are sentenced to tens of life sentences, fell too that the homeland is in danger." The PMW concludes that "Abbas rejects terror for tactical reasons only, and not because it is immoral... Abbas has always been careful, in Arabic, not to condemn terror because it is evil or immoral. He has criticized suicide terror only because it hurts the PA cause, as he did after the December 2005 suicide attack that killed five in Netanya." It is quite clear that Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is no friend of Israel. It is also clear that President Bush's attempts to persuade Olmert to enter into a diplomatic process with Abbas are clearly futile. Despite Bush's hopes that this move will help Abbas muster enough support to regain control and once again move into a decision making position is unrealistic at best and totally preposterous at worst. Hamas is clearly in control and they voice the desires and aspirations of it's constituency. They do not want peace and will not accept a Palestinian state in pre-1967 borders. And while the state of Israel rushes to protect it's enemies such as Abbas, it also attempts to expedite the process of evacuating tens of thousands of Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria in the futile attempt to reach an "unreachable" peace with Hamas. Abbas' influence in negligible despite his political rhetoric aimed at the Bush administration. In the last few days we witnessed tens of thousands of Jews in the streets of Jerusalem and it's old city, in celebration of the 39th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem. In 1967 we witnessed the power of the Almighty G-d of Israel when Israel defeated six Arab armies and the holy city of Jerusalem was once again in Jewish hands. It was General Mota Gur who declared, "the Temple Mount is in our hands." And yet, we took this great and awesome miracle and threw it away. The leaders of the State of Israel seek to protect the lives of those who would celebrate the eradication of a Jewish presence in Jerusalem. We protect the rights of those who would destroy our holy sites and defile the name of the G-d of Israel. The leaders of the State of Israel are busying themselves with providing military aid to protect our enemies, while Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco appeared in Supreme Court to defend his decision not to allow the Temple Loyalists to visit the Temple Mount. He said that the site is "extra sensitive," and that the Moslems would be likely to respond with violence to any perceived Jewish intention to visit the Mount en masse. It is now the Arabs that can say that the Temple Mount is in their hands. Who is the conqueror and who is the conquered? Is the holy city of Jerusalem truly liberated and in Jewish hands. Is it truly the undivided capitol of the State of Israel, under sovereignty of a Jewish government? Despite all the governmental pronouncements of the special and unique quality of Jerusalem for the Jewish people, it is the very same government that is paving a path towards the relinquishing of Jerusalem as it's capitol. And that is just the first move towards the relinquishing of the entire State of Israel into the hands of its enemies. The same enemies that it seeks to protect. If only the leaders of the State of Israel would make such attempts to preserve Jewish lives and Jewish land. Woe to a people that has turned it's back on it's only savior. Hashem Yisborach, the Almighty G-d of Israel, who in His infinite kindness and compassion allowed us to reunify Jerusalem and preserve it as His holy city. It is only through Jewish pride and Jewish power that we can maintain our very existence in Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. In the next few days, we will (G-d willing) celebrate the Yom Tov of Shavuot. And we will beseech Hashem as we do on all the Shalosh Regalim (three festivals) with the words of the Ya'aleh V'Ya'avo prayer we can ask for "the remembrance of Jerusalem the city of Your Holiness, and the remembrance of Your entire people, the House of Israel, before you for deliverance, for goodness, for grace, for kindness and for compassion." May it be the will of the G-d of Israel that he give us the wisdom and strength to protect ourselves and not our enemies. Contact Fern Sidman at AriellaH@aol.com |
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ISLAM MAY TRIUMPH IN WW 4 DUE TO CHRISTIAN RIVALRIES AND ANTI-SEMITISM
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 28, 2006. |
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Below in (1.) is an email from a Chicago Professor of Modern Italian history. He compares modern UK and EU anti-Israel sentiment to 1938 Italy and its fascist collaboration with Nazi Germany in the isolating and demonizing of Jews. His comparison is apt. Many have pointed out the similarities between the pre-World War 2 Nazi Jew-hatred that permeated much of Europe, and the current rise of Jew-hatred and Israel-hatred which is spreading, thanks in large part to Islamofascist Arab leaders, throughout that same Europe and the UK. Historian Will Durant condemned Europe (including the UK) for the near-success of Nazism and the even-nearer-success of the Holocaust. He called that great and incredibly tragic debacle the "failure of Civilization". Durant minced his words. It was NOT a failure of "civilization". It was a failure of Christian civilization in Europe (including the UK). Now, 70 years and 2.5 generations later, it looks as though Christian civilization in Europe is heading toward the same failure, with the same victims, deja-vu all over again. There is, however, one critical difference that today's UK and EU and USA hate-mongers fail to notice. Islamic leaders along with rank-and-file Moslems before and during World War 2 were the camp-followers of the Nazi war machine. Moslem states in the Balkans, Syria, and Iraq declared their fealty to Germany and lined up behind Hitler's leadership. The Hajj Amin el-Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and thus chief spiritual leader of all the Moslems in British Mandatory Palestine, tagged along after Hitler in Germany, urging Der Fuehrer to transplant his genocidal campaign against world Jewry into the fertile soil of Moslem Palestine, with pre-Israel Zionists as their target. Today, the Moslem leadership under the guidance of the European Arab League (EAL) has taken the lead (*). This time, the Christian Jew-haters and Israel-haters of the EU and UK enthusiastically fall into line behind the EAL's anti-Israel machinations, and they gleefully cooperate with Arab anti-Jewish propaganda. The boycott movement in the UK and the divestment movements (in universities, churches, and minor political parties) in the USA are manifestations of just this active and enthusiastic cooperation. Universities' acceptance of the ghastly anti-Semitic diatribe of Moslem anti-Israel events on campuses all over the USA, England and Canada, along with the routine and nonchalant acceptance of toxic anti-Jewish hate speech as protected manifestations of free speech... hese are examples of Western society's tacit but no less palpable cooperation. But, blinded by their hatred of Jews and/or Israel, these Christian collaborators in the Arab genocidal campaign against Jewry world-wide (with its epicenter in Israel) fail to note that they are helping history to repeat itself in a manner that augers ill for Western Civilization and for Christianity world-wide. The early Caliphs, leading primitive and ill-equipped armies much smaller than those of the Greeks, conquered the Eastern Byzantine Empire in part because they were sly enough to employ the age-old tactic of divide and conquer. With the help they received from renegade Christians who had a theological or financial axe to grind with Byzantine Christianity, the 7th century Arab Moslem armies of Arabia were able to dismantle Byzantine defenses in Israel, Syria, and Egypt....piece by piece. The Christian collaborators thought they were advancing their own ends against their Christian Byzantine brethren. Too late they discovered that their fate was the same as that of their Christian erstwhile enemies.....dhimmitude: crushing, humiliating, impoverishing, blood-sucking dhimmitude, under the religious apartheid and imperialist triumphalist supremacist rule of Islam. The same strategy worked in the East as the Arab Moslem armies conquered Persia and destroyed the Sassanian empire and imposed first a "convert or die" and then a "dhimmitude or die" regime over the Zoroastrian world. There was no need for this strategy as the forces of Jihad swept across north Africa, conquering and converting Copts and Berbers (**). But mighty Christian Visigoth Spain fell to its Arab invaders in 711 only because of the same successful Arab strategy of divide and conquer. Local princes of one Spanish Christian kingdom connived with the Arabs against an enemy neighboring Christian kingdom. And in the end, all but the very northernmost of the Christian kingdoms of Spain fell to the Arab invaders.....for almost 800 years. The same strategy worked for a while in France, where the Arab armies crossed the Pyrenees and enlisted the cooperation of Lang-d'Oc French against the forces of Lang-d'Oiu Charles Martel. But, fortunately for Europe and the West, Charles Martel decisively defeated the Moslems at Poitiers (English historians say it was Tours) in 732. And his son, Pipin the Short, and his grandson, Charlemagne, continued the victorious campaign until the Moslems were bottled up in Spain. Had they failed, all of Europe would have fallen prey to Islamic Jihad. Sicily fell to the Arab onslaught, and southern Italy, in the same way, with the help of Christians who thought they could advance their own particularistic designs by enlisting the aid of the Moslem Jihad leaders; only to discover too late that they and their Christian enemies were both, in the end, easy prey to the advance of imperialist Jihad. Jihad continued for hundreds more years. In the 15th century Constantinople fell to the Ottoman militant purveyors of Islam; in part because of the alliance of Hungarian Christians with the Ottoman Turks. The Hungarians, after all, were very unhappy with the overlordship of the Greek Byzantine Christians. Western Christianity failed to come to the aid of their eastern co-religionists; because, after all, the Eastern Christian (Byzantine) Empire was at odds with the Western Christian (Roman) Empire over a variety of doctrinal differences that still engage the zealous interests of the Latin and Greek Orthodox churches today. The Hungarians regretted their perfidy when they too fell to the Saracen scimitar, brutal slaughter, conversion at sword-point, and centuries of humiliation and degradation as dhimmi to their new Moslem overlords. And Western Christians soon rued the day that they abandoned their Greek Orthodox brethren in the East, as Ottoman Moslem Jihad continued to assail the gates of Europe and turn the eastern Mediterranean into a great Islamic lake for the next two hundred years. It took two hundred years of Turkish Moslem imperialist aggression before eastern Europe could unite to end the endless threat of Islamic Jihad. John Sobieski, king of Poland, decisively turned the tide against the Turks in 1673 and 1682, when he led a three-country army to victory against the Turks, at the very walls of Vienna itself. Had he failed, all of Europe could have fallen prey to Islamic Jihad. But it took two hundred years more before Hungary, Romania, the Balkans, Crete and Greece would be able to free themselves of what Byron's Childe Harold called "the dead hand of the Turk" -- the dhimmitude fate of the non-believer under the religious supremacist imperialism of Islamic Jihad. Today, after 1,300 years of almost continuous Moslem assault against Christianity at one end of Europe or the other, leaders in Christian and secular institutions in the EU, the UK, the UN, Russia, and the USA are still unwilling or unable to unite in order to face the old, but newly invigorated, threat of Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad is a war against global non-belief. Global non-belief is all of us: Christians and Jews and atheists and agnostics, and even Moslems who are not Moslem enough (***) Under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, Ayman ez-Zawahiri, Abu-Mus'ab az-Zarqawi, Abu-Yusuf el-Qaradhawi, Khaled Mash'al, Hassan Massawi, and scores of other mostly Arab terrorist practitioners, the Moslem world is being led into an unrelenting religious and imperialist war against the West. And all of Western civilization is in its cross-hairs. The boycotters, the divestors, the media who refrain from calling a terrorist a terrorist, the diplomats and parliamentarians and congresspersons who accept petro-dollar bribes, the academicians who rant against Israel and the USA as their institutions crave and receive multi-million petro-dollar grants, the anti-Semitic hate mongers who maintain an endless rabid diatribe against Israel and Jews while praising the Islamic purveyors of religious apartheid and hatred of all things non-Moslem, and the countless followers who mouth the vapid words and chant the toxic slogans and attack Jews all across Europe... they are all, knowingly or not, setting themselves up for the dhimmitude or death that has befallen every other Christian quisling to Islamic Jihad. The fascist Nazis led the war against the Jews in the 1930's, and most of Europe followed. By 1939 the fascist Nazis began their war against the rest of the world. Within a year all of Europe was in flames, and over the next five years somewhere between 50 and 70 million died. Today the fascist Arab world leads the war against the Jews (and Israel)... and most of Europe is following. How long will it take before Europe is again in flames, and how many millions will die before Christian Europe wakes up to the threat of its own extinction? Footnotes (*) The European Arab League, EAL, established in the 1970's with headquarters in several European cities, is a mechanism for the Arab League to have direct interaction with, and influence over, European leaders on behalf of the rapidly growing and increasingly influential Moslem communities in Europe and the UK. EAL Arab leaders are in close contact with the Prime Ministers and Parliamentary leaders of EU countries and the UK. The EAL has very heavily influenced, and to some degree even guided, the development of the EU's and UK's failed policies of dealing with the massive immigration of Moslems into Europe and the UK. It was directly involved in the instigation, and indirectly involved in the management, of the massive Moslem riots that afflicted many European capitols from September 2005 to February 2006. (**) Many Copts, fervently believing Christians, chose death over Islam. Many others submitted to dhimmitude. All Berbers, pagan animists at the time, converted to Islam. (***) See below articles (2) and (3) from recent JihadWatch email newsletters. The practitioners of terrorist Jihad tell us, in no uncertain terms, that they intend to conquer the West, destroy Christianity, and make Islam uber alles. The first article below is about 1938 Italy and modern Europe. It was written by Wiley Feinstein, Professor of Italian at Loyola University, Chicago. The other two are from Jihad Watch. My comments are in square brackets and italics. (1.) As a scholar who has worked in the area of Italian anti-Semitism, I find campaigns against Israeli scholars particularly appalling. I have studied in depth the anti-Semitic campaigns in 1937-38 Italy and the zeal with which two or leading cultural figures of the 1930s Giovanni Bottai and Giovanni Papini attacked Jewish thought and Jewish scholars in particular and led the successful charge to have all Jewish professors expelled from Italian universities as per the Sept 5, 1938 edict. In the 1930s in Italy as now in Europe, Zionism was hyper-demonized and Italian Jews were forced to repudiate Zionism in absolute terms. In the 1930s when the anti-Semitic campaigns were raging in Italy, a famous WWI area Italian Jewish general (Liuzzi) marveled at how all the newspapers in Italy could be so adamant in singling out Jews as alien elements in an Italian society in which there were many other ethnic and racial elements (Liuzzi gave the examples such as Greek and Albanian elements). I along with many others ask the precise same question that Liuzzi asked in 1938 Italy: why are British teachers so intent on the singling out of Israeli scholars for boycott? Whose vision of peace and justice is being promoted by this boycott? Is there no knowledge among British teachers that the work of scholars who blame Israel for all the problems of the Palestinians and of the Arab world has many serious detractors and that reasoned consideration of the controversial nature of anti-Israel "scholarship" would incline one to stay far, far away from reckless boycott campaigns? Have none of you any sense of reason, proportion and also ... decency? www.spme.net/cgi-bin/display_petitions.cgi? ID=2&Action=View&Rank=1&Mode=all For more on the UK boycott, check out: (2.)"Jihadists coming home to roost" In my book Onward Muslim Soldiers I discuss the phenomenon of mujahedin traveling the world, going from jihad to jihad. From the looks of this report by Kathryn Haahr for The Jamestown Foundation, the next battleground is Europe. "Foreign fighters allegedly returning to Europe," from the International Relations and Security Network: Recent pronouncements by a Spanish judge who has led high-level inquiries into al-Qaida in Spain, Baltazar Garzon, and the head of France's domestic security service, Pierre de Bousquet, imply that Iraqi foreign fighters are already returning to Europe to re-establish or establish new networks to support terrorist operations in Europe (AFP = Agence France Presse, 9 May). While Garzon's and Bousquet's official comments provide no concrete details about the number of European Islamists returning from Iraq nor their nationalities, it is apparent that there is terrorist activity. With Iraq being the new center of gravity for jihad, Europe has become the de facto center of gravity for recruitment, weapons and financial activities, all critical to ensuring the continuation of jihad in Iraq and, increasingly, in Europe. The return of jihadists from Iraq and Afghanistan would transform European states from logistical platforms (support infrastructure) to "battle front stations" (operational structures). After their experiences in Iraq, jihadists are probably returning infused with the intention to engage in jihad in their respective European countries and to make Europe the new front in the international jihad. These jihadists will bring back ideological concepts and recruitment and fighting techniques that can assist their efforts in radicalizing and mobilizing segments of the Muslim populations in Spain, Italy and France. Of particular concern is training they may have received in fighting techniques (such as IED's and suicide bombings) and the use of chemicals for unconventional attacks. Several jihadi personalities, including Abu Musab al-Suri, have legitimized the use of chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons as a tool in jihad. (3.) "Terrorism: Europe A Target of Iranian Suicide Bombers,"
Tehran, 26 May (AKI) - (Ahmad Rafat) - On Thursday afternoon in Tehran's cemetery of Behesht Zahra a group of 100 aspiring suicide bombers was sworn in at a ceremony also attended by a group of Hezbollah militants from Lebanon. The would-be terrorists are the new recruits of a movement which claims to have 50,000 members and is called Setad Pasdasht Shohadaye Nehzat Jahani Islam (Headquarters for the Commemoration of the Martyrs of the International Islamic Movement). A day after the ceremony, Mohammad Ali Samadi, the organisation's spokesman, told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a phone conversation that "Each Israeli, soldier or civilian, must not feel safe wherever he or she is." [How is it that this devout Muslim doesn't know that Islam forbids the killing of civilians, as we are tirelessly told in the West? - Jihad Watch editors ask] Samadi said Israel is a target of the group along with the US and European Union countries where the group has allegedly recruited militants. "We have brothers who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the triumph of Islam in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and also the United States," he said. Samadi's organisation was created two years ago and is led by a woman, Forouz Rajaifar. According to Samadi, there are over 50,000 members of the group who are ready to become suicide bombers. Sources in Tehran say the number is widely exaggerated though they claim the group can still count on 25.000 would-be attackers. "A fatwa from a leading cleric is enough to set off these madmen," said a political analyst and reformist, who asked that his name be withheld. [Why would a leading cleric, who has devoted his life to the study of Islam, issue such a fatwa if it were really so patently un-Islamic as Islamic apologists in the West would have us believe (without a shred of evidence)?: Jihad Watch editors ask.] Samadi said aspiring organisation members must fill in forms asking them, among other things, which enemy they want to fight against. The options ain the form are three: "Americans who desacrated the sites of Shiite Islam occupying Iraq and Afghanistan"; "Jews who occupy Jerusalem"; and the "British who gave protection to [Indian writer] Salman Rushdie" against whom Iranian clerics have issued a fatwa for his 1988 book Satanic Verses. However, Samadi said his group is thinking to "widen the list" of targets in the membership forms and include the Netherlands, Italy and France. "We have learnt that they want to make a follow up to the trash movie 'Submission'," by Theo Van Gogh, who was killed in 2004 by a Dutch-Moroccan Islamic militant, he said. Submission highlighted the repression of women in some Islamic cultures. France will reportedly be a target "for greatly offending Islam after it prohibited to young women to go to school with the hijab." [Why does he think that violence is a legitimate response to those who offend Islam?: Jihad Watch editors ask.] Italy was included in the potential list of new entries for granting political asylum in March to an Afghan man who risked the death penalty for converting to Christianity from Islam. "Giving political asylum to an idiot who defied Islam is a very serious offense which cannot be ignored," said Samadi. "We will make Italians pay for this offence." [Why doesn't he know what Abdurrahman Wahid assured us, that Islam actually allows for freedom of conscience?: Jihad Watch editor asks.] Samadi's group, Setad Pasdasht Shohadaye Nehzat Jahani Islam, is registered in Iran as a non-governmental organisation and is supported by leading members of the religious elite. [Why would leading members of the religious elite support something that is so obviously un-Islamic -- or at least not in accord with the view of Islam that we must accept in the West or else risk being denounced as "Islamophobes"?: ask Jihad Watch editors.] Many Ayatollahs in the holy city of Qom support it along with members of Abadgaran, the main political force supporting the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Its meetings are attended by well known clerics such as hojjatolislam Heidar Mosalahi, who represents within the armed forces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme guide. Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani, a mujtahed - a cleric with the authority to interpret the Koran and Sharia, and who can issue a fatwa - is another supporter of the movement. Recently Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, who heads the secretary's office of Ayatollah Khamenei, also gave his blessing to the group. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khameni has still not issued a fatwa supporting suicide attacks but he has recently said that "should the United States or the Zionist entity [Israel] attack nuclear power plants in Iran, the Islamic Republic would respond without hesitation and would strike the aggressor's interests worldwide." Suicide attacks were also blessed by the head of the office of Iran's spiritual guide. "Our leader [Seyyed Ali Khamenei] has volunteers ready to take action everywhere, also in the United States and Israel," said hojjatolislam Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani. [What has gotten into all these clerics? Don't they know the Qur'an teaches peace?: asks Jihad Watch editors] Members of parliament such as Mehdi Kuchekzadeh, Marzieh Dabbagh, Fatemeh Alia, Eshrat Shayegh and Mohammad Hossein Rahimian regularly attend the group's meetings. The man who is believed to be the group's strategist is Hassan Abbasi, a professor at the University Imam Hossein in Tehran and an advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Our youths who are ready for martyrdom will be more effective in striking the enemy than any missiles system," Abbasi allegedly vowed to the would-be suicide bombers at the cemetery Behesht Zahra in Tehran on Thursday night. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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A RATHER IRONIC ALTERNATIVE TO THE QUR'ANIC TEACHINGS OF CONQUEST AND HATRED
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 28, 2006. |
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An alternative to the Moslem tradition of Jew-hatred and Fascist Imperialist Triumphalist Supremicist Totalitarian Terrorist Jihad There are many Moslem spokespersons in the West who speak to American groups: students from high school through university, military and prison populations, corporate and government leaders, media editors and journalists. Their message is the same: Islam has been misunderstood. True Islam does not countenance terrorism. True Islam is "Radiant Islam": a religion of peace, a religion that respects other religions, a religion of love and acceptance and universal caring. The problem that some in those audiences encounter is the abundance of hate speech, hate preach, and call to universal and eternal Jihad that is so abundant in the Qur'an and related sacred text (the Sunna, collection of Ahadith, and rulings of Shari'a Islamic religious jurisprudence). And those who know Moslem history wonder at the incongruity between the Radiant Islam of these spokespersons and the 1,300 years of brutal barbaric bloody imperialist triumphalist totalitarian Islamic Jihad. There are at least (after a while it is hard to keep count) 123 verses, in the Qur'an's 114 chapters, which command the Moslems to the war and murder and torture and execution and captivity and enslavement and degradation of Jews and Christians and pagans (kufar and mushariqoon). And there are many other verses that command the Moslem to avoid contact with Jews and other non-believers, to shun them socially, to consider them impure (najji = putrid, unclean, foul) and thus not touch or greet them, and to look upon them as thought they were the descendents of apes and pigs. And then there are numerous verses in almost every surah (chapter) which declare in no uncertain terms that all other religions are false, and that the practitioners of these religions will burn in hell for all eternity. No one cometh unto the Father save through the Prophet. And then there is the famous "Hadith of the rock and the tree", listed in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim (and a few others) from which we learn that Mohammed, in an extra-Qur'anic tradition, taught that the final redemption of the world, the Moslem "end of days" scenario, would come only after the Moslems had killed all the Jews in the world. Salvation must await the genocide of the world's entire Jewish population (Hmmm... no wonder the Hajj had such an affinity for Hitler). The Moslem knocks on heaven's gates with the skulls of Jews. But our Moslem spokespersons focus only on the verses listed below, which tell of God's choosing the Jews for a special relationship with Him, giving them the Holy Book of Power( the Book of Moses), settling them in their Promised Land, and then bringing them all back to the Holy Land before the apocalyptical events of the end-of-days. And, of course, there are the oh-so-often-quoted verses in Surah 109:2 ("Your religion is your religion, and my religion is my religion"), and Surah 2:256 ("let there be no compulsion in religion"). These are the only two verses in the entire Qur'an which describe Islam as a religion that seeks tolerance, peace, and accommodation with other religions. The Israel-friendly verses: 2:47 & 122: Oh, Children of Israel! Call to mind the favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all other nations. 5:20-21: "Remember when Moses said to his people: 'O my people, call in remembrance the favor of God unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave to you what He had not given to any other among the people. O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned unto you, and then turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.'" 7:137: And We made the children of Israel, who were considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride). 10:93: We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling-place, and provided for them sustenance of the best: it was after (divine) knowledge had been granted to them. 17:104: And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell securely in the land of promise"... And we said to the Children of Israel afterwards, "... scatter and live all over the world -- and when the end of the world is near We will gather you again into the Promised Land". 20:80: O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy, and We made a Covenant with you to give you the right side (the blessed side) of Mount Sinai, and We sent down to you Manna (special food) and quails. 32.23-24: And certainly We gave the Book to Moses, so be not in doubt concerning the receiving of it, and We made it a guide for the children of Israel... And We made of them Guiding Lights and leaders to guide by Our command as they were patient, and they were certain of Our communications. 44: 32 And We have chosen them (the Children of Israel) above the 'Alamîn (mankind, and jinns) and Our choice was based on a deep (i.e., divine) knowledge. 45:16: We did aforetime grant to the Children of Israel the Book the Power of Command, and Prophethood; We gave them, for sustenance, things good and pure; and We favored them above all other nations. So, to summarize the above: according to the uncreated, inviolable, and inerrant Qur'an: The Jews are Allah's chosen people The Jews are Allah's chosen people, chosen from among all other nations (2:47 & 122; and 44:32). He protected them and fed them in the desert (20:80); and He made them a chosen people, blessed with Divine knowledge in the divinely bequeathed Book of Moses (Book of Power: 45:16); and He made them as a guiding light (unto other nations? Would that include the Moslem nation?)(32:23-4) Allah gave them the Holy Land as an eternal possession Allah gave the Jews the Holy Land as their divinely pre-destined possession, thus recognizing the sovereign right of the Jews over the Land of Israel (5:20-21) Allah made the Holy Land the inheritance of the Jews because they were loyal to Him (7:137) Allah settled them in that beautiful land once they were equipped with Divine Knowledge (10:93) Allah will gather Diaspora Jewry back into the Holy land before the End of Days Allah had them dwell there securely, then scattered them, but will bring them back to their Holy Land shortly before the end of days, thus declaring that it is the will of Allah Himself to gather the Children of Israel again in their promised land before the end days (17:104) (How, then, can any Muslim interfere with the in-gathering of Diaspora Jews back into Israel -- since by doing so, the Muslim will be countervailing the sacred will of Allah and thus interfering with the Divinely promised end-of-days?). And what our Moslem spokespersons showing us the "radiant face of Islam" neglect to tell us is how, over 1,300 years of Islamic jihad and Jew-hatred, Islamic religious leaders reconciled the so very numerous verses of hatred and rejection and Jihad against Jews with the fewer but very specific verses of Israel's election and its divinely ordained possession of the Promised Land. And the same regarding the endless relentless Qur'anic diatribe against the kafir (Christian and Jew as unbeliever but possessed of divine scripture) and the pagan (all other non-believers bereft of divine input). For that we must ourselves learn about and understand two very important Moslem theological concepts: the concept of naskh (also pronounced nasikh = abrogation), and the concept of "satanic verses". Naskh Mohammed himself (Abuh) recognized that there were earlier verses in his teachings that were contradicted by later revelations. So, several times in the Qur'an, he declared that if a later verse contradicts an earlier verse, the later verse rules (*). The later verse abrogates the earlier verse. The verses speaking kindly about Jews and affirming the Jewish concepts of "chosen people", divinity of the "Book of Moses", "Land of Israel for the people of Israel", and in-gathering of exiles at the end of days, are all chronologically early in the process of Qur'anic revelation. So, per many Moslem theologians, they are abrogated by the later verses. The later verses rule. Thus, Moslem animosity to Jews is what Allah wants. Unfortunately, the only two verses in the Qur'an which decry religious imperialism (Surah 109: 2, "Your religion is your religion, and my religion is my religion:, and Surah 2:256, "let there be no compulsion in religion") are both considered to be abrogated by the very many other verses calling every Moslem to the imperialist triumphalist supremacist Jihad by means of which Islam will replace all religions and reign supreme in the world. The most famous of these later verses is in Surah 9, especially vss. 5 and following; also known as ayat as-sayif (the verse of the sword). So, conversion or death for the pagan, and conversion or death or dhimmitude for the Jew and Christian, still remain the only religiously viable options for non-Moslems according to traditional Islam today. Satanic Verses Later Moslem theologians had difficulty with some verses that contradict others even among chronologically contemporaneous segments of the Qur'an. To explain this, they developed the concept of "Satanic verses". These are verses that were put into the sacred text by Satan himself (**). Satan did this in order to confuse the true believer and make him doubt that the Qur'an is divine, and thus inerrant, inviolable, and uncreated. The problem with this theological legere-de-main is that different scholars disagree as to the number and the identity of the verses in question. The lowest number of verses identified as "satanic" is 5. Some scholars find hundreds. And, predictably, the theologians don't agree as to which specific verses are of Satan's authorship. The Way Forward Ironically, these two concepts themselves open the portals to a re-interpretation of Islam's militant, violent, and hate-mongering texts. It is interesting that Moslem scholarship does not seem to have noticed a rather obvious oxymoron in the concepts of Naskh and Satanic Verses. These two orthodox, Moslem, centuries-old and widely accepted concepts disprove the traditional Moslem insistence that the Qur'an is uncreated, inerrant, and inviolable. This is an important issue. The inerrancy and inviolability of the Qur'an, and the belief that the text of the Qur'an is in toto a product of divine revelation (hence: uncreated) and not the product of human interaction with the divine (created by man under divine inspiration), are critical cornerstones of orthodox Moslem belief. Yet, the concepts of Naskh and Satanic verses make it clear that:
And, indeed, as noted above, over the centuries, Moslem scholars have disagreed as to which verses abrogate which, and which verses are to be ascribed to Satan. They cannot all be right, and they could all be wrong. So, given that by virtue of the orthodox and revered theological institutions of Naskh and Satanic verses, there is room for human interpretation in the Qur'anic tradition, and that some verses can be condemned to the trash-heap of history (as abrogated by other verses) or rejected as the product of Satan, it stands to reason that Moslem religious scholars today could apply these same two concepts to the verses of hatred and violence, compulsion and conquest... if they chose to. It might be possible, therefore, for modern Moslem Qur'anic scholarship to argue that the verses that speak positively about Jews are not abrogated; and that Jew-hatred and Christian-hatred and Hindu-hatred and hatred of all things non-Moslem are themselves the verses inserted by Satan. Indeed, is not hatred a characteristic of Satan, and quite the antithesis of peace, love, and acceptance of others? As such, the modern phenomena of el-Qaeda and Wahhabi Islam and Jihad against "global non-belief" and Hamas' genocidal insistence that Israel must be destroyed and its Jews exterminated...these are all of demonic origin and are at variance with Allah's divine will expressed in the Qur'an. But, so far, to my knowledge, the only Moslems pontificating on the Islam of peace and love are those speaking to Jewish and Christian audiences in the West; and telling us about the "radiant face of Islam" -- the religion that preaches love and peace and respect for other religions. When will Moslem religious leaders like Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid (see below: the Indonesian scholar writing in the Washington Post) start issuing fatwas and huqums against Osama bin Laden and Ayman az-Zawahiri and Abu Yusuf el-Qaradhawi and Abu Mus'ab az-Zarqawi and Hassan Nusralla and Khaled Mash'al and Isma'il Haniyeh? When will these Moslem spokespersons for the radiant Islam start telling Osama and his pals how wrong they all are, how they have misunderstood Islam, how they are really under the influence of Satan? If Islam really is a religion of peace, then thousands of Moslem leaders, with hundreds of millions of Moslem followers, have demonstrated their total mis-understanding of the true tenets of "radiant Islam"...for 1,300 years. Then, today, the hundreds of millions of Moslems who cheer at the deaths of innocent non-Moslems, and the hundreds of thousands of terrorists world wide (almost all of whom are Moslems) who perpetrate almost daily acts of terror and mass murder against non-Moslems all over the world. ...they are all fundamentally mis-directed. Isn't it time that those Moslems who do understand "radiant Islam" start to educate the deeply misguided and tragically mis-informed Arab terrorists and Moslem Mujahideen who seek to destroy Israel, genocide its Jews, conquer the West, put an end to Christianity and Judaism, re-conquer India, and ultimately make Islam "...uber alles"? At very least they could issue some supportive statements for those very few and very courageous individuals who have spoken out: inter alia Wafa Sultan, Walid Shoebat, Brigitte Gabriel, Nonie Darwish, Joseph Farah, Irshad Manji, and Fu'ad Ajami. What are they waiting for? Or are they part of the demonic Islam of Jihad and genocide and hatred and terrorism? Is their role the application of Taqiyyeh and Kitman to lull the West into a placid acceptance of the religion and its practitioners who seek to destroy Western civilization? .all in accordance with Mohammed's pronouncement: "War is Deceit." (***) Footnotes (*) Cf. Surah 2:100: "For whatever verse We cancel or cause (the messenger: aka Mohammed) to forget, We bring a better or the like." Surah 13: 39: "Allah deletes or confirms what He wills; with Him is the mother of the Book." Surah 16:103: "When We substitute one verse for another -- Allah knows best what He sends down -- they say: 'Thou art simply an inventor'; but most of them have not knowledge." (**) Surah 22:51: "We have not sent a messenger or prophet before thee; but when he formulated his desire Satan threw (something) in to his formulation; so Allah abrogated what Satan threw in, then Allah adjusted His signs". (These are from Richard Bell's translation in his An Introduction to the Qur'an, as quoted in Ibn Warraq's What the Koran Really Says.) (***) For a detailed explanation of taqiyyeh (lying to advance the cause of Allah), and kitman (deceit), cf. "Islamic Honesty and Honor" in Faithfreedom.org, by: Vernon Richards (islam_undressed@yahoo.com); extracted from his book Islam Undressed, available free upon request. See also at http://www.think-israel.org/richards.html See also Robert Spencer's critique of Wahid's article in Front Page Magazine. "Is Islamic Law "Extremist?", May 26, 2006, www.FrontPageMagazine.com. The article below is called "Extremism Isn't Islamic Law." It is by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, and it appeared May 23, 2006 in A17, The Washington Post. For a few days this year the world's media focused an intense spotlight on the drama of a modern-day inquisition. Abdul Rahman, a Muslim convert to Christianity, narrowly escaped the death penalty for apostasy when the Afghan government -- acting under enormous international pressure -- sidestepped the issue by ruling that he was insane and unfit to stand trial. This unsatisfactory ruling left unanswered a question of enormous significance: Does Islam truly require the death penalty for apostasy, and, if not, why is there so little freedom of religion in the so-called Muslim world? The Koran and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad do not definitively address this issue. In fact, during the early history of Islam, the Agreement of Hudaibiyah between Muhammad and his rivals stipulated that any Muslim who converted out of Islam would be allowed to depart freely to join the non-Muslim community. Nevertheless, throughout much of Islamic history, Muslim governments have embraced an interpretation of Islamic law that imposes the death penalty for apostasy. It is vital that we differentiate between the Koran, from which much of the raw material for producing Islamic law is derived, and the law itself. While its revelatory inspiration is divine, Islamic law is man-made and thus subject to human interpretation and revision. For example, in the course of Islamic history, non-Muslims have been allowed to enter Mecca and Medina. Since the time of the caliphs, however, Islamic law has been interpreted to forbid non-Muslims from entering these holy cities. The prohibition against non-Muslims entering Mecca and Medina is thus politically motivated and has no basis in the Koran or Islamic law. In the case of Rahman, two key principles of Islamic jurisprudence come into play. First, al-umuru bi maqashidiha ("Every problem [should be addressed] in accordance with its purpose"). If a legal ordinance truly protects citizens, then it is valid and may become law. From this perspective, Rahman did not violate any law, Islamic or otherwise. Indeed, he should be protected under Islamic law, rather than threatened with death or imprisonment. The second key principle is al-hukm-u yadullu ma'a illatihi wujudan wa adaman ("The law is formulated in accordance with circumstances"). Not only can Islamic law be changed -- it must be changed due to the ever-shifting circumstances of human life. Rather than take at face value assertions by extremists that their interpretation of Islamic law is eternal and unchanging, Muslims and Westerners must reject these false claims and join in the struggle to support a pluralistic and tolerant understanding of Islam. All of humanity, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, is threatened by the forces of Islamist extremism. It is these extremists, masquerading as traditional Muslims, who angrily call for the death of Abdul Rahman or the beheading of Danish cartoonists. Their objective is raw political power and the eventual radicalization of all 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide. Western involvement in this "struggle for the soul of Islam" is a matter of self-preservation for the West and is critical given the violent tactics and strength of radical elements in Muslim societies worldwide. Muslim theologians must revise their understanding of Islamic law, and recognize that punishment for apostasy is merely the legacy of historical circumstances and political calculations stretching back to the early days of Islam. Such punishments run counter to the clear Koranic injunction "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256). People of goodwill of every faith and nation must unite to ensure the triumph of religious freedom and of the "right" understanding of Islam, to avert global catastrophe and spare millions of others the fate of Sudan's great religious and political leader, Mahmoud Muhammad Taha, who was executed on a false charge of apostasy. The millions of victims of "jihadist" violence in Sudan -- whose numbers continue to rise every day -- would have been spared if Taha's vision of Islam had triumphed instead of that of the extremists. The greatest challenge facing the contemporary Muslim world is to bring our limited, human understanding of Islamic law into harmony with its divine spirit -- in order to reflect God's mercy and compassion, and to bring the blessings of peace, justice and tolerance to a suffering world. The writer is a former president of Indonesia. From 1984 to 1999 he directed the Nadhlatul Ulama, the world's largest Muslim organization. He serves as senior adviser and board member to LibForAll Foundation, an Indonesian- and U.S.-based nonprofit that works to reduce religious extremism and terrorism. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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WHAT ABOUT THE SAUDS?
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 28, 2006. |
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Perhaps the most influential terrorist regime in the world Saudi Arabia, underwriters of Wahhabi madrassas most notably in Pakistan, a/k/a homicide/suicide human bomb factories, escapes the evil eye of industrial oil-dependent Western nations that are customers, including the U.S.A. and E.U. Should any significant war on misogyny and terrorism not include that "evil-doer" country on a short list of villains? Is such a sanctimonious pass even tolerable if morality and justice have any meaning whatsoever? Schools within that Islamic royal autocracy, despite promises to reform, still demonize Jews, Christians, and all those including other Muslims who do not adhere to an intolerant jihad-obsessed repugnant hate-filled fundamentalist faith. Rulers of that regime, alas, know that the reservoir of fossil fuel they possess trumps all. Oil uber alas, indeed, remains the motto of this "fascist in robes" dictatorship, and Western nations, especially the U.S.A., that rail about terrorism let the Sauds get away with their criminally abhorrent policies. On the other hand, let us note former and current despotic Middle East sovereignties such as Iraq and Iran, likewise saturated with fossil fuel, not so curiously were and are lambasted in much of the Western press. The Bush Administration and a handful of allies, including Britain, preemptively invaded Sadist Hussein's dysfunctional Iraqi enclave, a regime more enthralled with petroeuros than petrodollars, and now attempt to put the pieces back together. Emerging nuclear nemesis Iran, with a yen to direct its oil flow eastward, concurrently yearning to wipe Israel off the map, is boldly and justifiably displayed in the crosshairs of many Western governments including the U.S.A., ruminating the possibility of branding it with the scarlet S (for sanctions). What about the Sauds? Of course, you don't bite the hand that turns the fossil fuel faucet for you. No doubt, Iran's nuclear ambitions are of paramount concern, still any Saudi wealth that directly or indirectly finances WMD projects worldwide should also be of paramount concern, yet it is not. There is nothing accidental about the fact that 15 of the 19 infamous 9/11 hijackers, as well as the planetary mindset-altering event's planner bin Laden, were all native products of Saudi Wahhabiism, yet dots remain intentionally unconnected when it comes to holding the House of Saud, in fact the Allahfather of the worldwide Islamic terror network, accountable. Faustian fossil fuel contracts denominated in petrodollars trumps all, thus that one overriding factor explains an otherwise inexplicable Western case of regal blindness, especially in the U.S.A., when it comes to the despicable Sauds. Furthermore, Russian reluctance to sanction Iran is also traceable to its fossil fuel contracts with that terror promoting state. Not surprisingly, the choice by "humane" nations planet wide to provide ineffectual lip service in lieu of a coordinated military effort ever-needed to stop the genocide in Darfur Sudan, is similarly explained by heartless world leaders, especially those in China, not wishing to ruffle the robes of sadistic Islamic rogue royal rulers in Khartoum lest they renege on contractual agreements, withholding addictive black gold ever necessary to power oil-dependent economic dynamos, especially one possessed by that up and coming Oriental superstar. Essentially, there is little chance the Sauds or kindred spirit terror promoting nations will alter their behavior while they hold their particular clienteles of energy craving industrial states hostage. Hence the war on terror is truly a war complicated by fossil fuel dependence, not likely winnable until planetary powers break their addictions to the vicious viscous substance, allowing them to deal appropriately with their favorite pushers. Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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GET REAL!
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 28, 2006. |
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In response to Nadia Matar's article, "Psychiatrist Needed Urgently!" (see below) which contains much wisdom, allow me to say the following: As that gallant lady well knows, far more than a psychiatrist is needed to overcome Israel's malaise. Needed is nothing less than a revolution. But inasmuch as the government controls all the levers of power, what can be done to facilitate a revolution? WORDS will accomplish nothing if not geared toward ACTION -- by which I do not mean protest demonstrations. Episodic ACTION will not change the suicidal course of this country. The people of this country are jaded. They are sick of words and unaffected by conventional demonstrations. They have been inundated by so many lies, and have either witnessed or suffered so much abuse, that questions of truth and falsity, of right and wrong, do not seriously impact their lives any more. So long as they can repair to the malls on Saturday night, they cannot take words about existential threats seriously. Only "right-minded" people worry about existential threats -- yet they too have serious shortcomings. They indulge in excessive ANALYSIS which only leads to PARALYSIS. Mere analysis is futile because the Left, having corrupted the language of public discourse, has corrupted the mentality of countless Israelis. And there's nothing "right-minded" people can do about this decrepit state of affairs merely by calling "Disengagement" of "Realignment" a CRIME, or by saturating Internet with CRITICAL ANALYSIS. WORDS are not going to cure Israelis of their moral malady. Nor will words deter the Olmert government from repeating the CRIME of its predecessor. The SYSTEM is a cesspool of corruption, of self-aggrandizing and heartless politicians -- religious as well as secular. So allow me to suggest this to our "right-minded" people -- those who fear that Israel faces a threat to its existence. If this is what you fear, GET REAL. If you are going to talk about an "existential threat," GET REAL and form a Congress of National Salvation! If you think Israeli governments¸ regardless of which parties are at the helm, are perfidious, don't wait for another (futile) election, but form an "Alternative Government." GET REAL! Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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ISLAMISTS KILL TENNIS PLAYERS IN BAGHDAD FOR WEARING SHORTS
Posted by Avodah 15, May 28, 2006. |
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(Hat tip: LGF readers.)
BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi tennis coach and two of his players were fatally shot last week in Baghdad because they were wearing shorts, authorities said yesterday, reporting the latest in a series of recent attacks attributed to Islamic extremists. ... In the Baghdad incident, gunmen stopped a car carrying the Sunni Arab coach and two Shi'ite players, asked them to step out and then shot them, said Manham Kubba, secretary-general of the Iraqi Tennis Union. Extremists had distributed leaflets warning people in the mostly Sunni neighborhoods of Saidiyah and Ghazaliyah not to wear shorts, police said. "Wearing shorts by youth are prohibited because it violates the principles of Islamic religion when showing forbidden parts of the body. Also women should wear the veil," the leaflets said. Wearing shorts "violates the principles of Islamic religion" -- but murdering athletes apparently doesn't. Contact Avodah 15 by email at avodah15@aol.com |
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PROPHETS OF ISRAELI DEMOGRAPHIC DOOM CAN'T COUNT CORRECTLY
Posted by IsrAlert, May 28, 2006. |
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This was a JTA oped May 4, 2006. It was written by Bennett Zimmerman, Dr. Roberta Seid and Dr. Michael Wise. 1. Demographic fatalism underlies the assumption that a retreat from geography -- which possesses a critical security significance -- is required to salvage Jewish demography. Demographic fatalism (that Jews are, supposedly, doomed to be a minority west of the Jordan River) has marginalized the role played by the issues of History and Security in Israel's political debate about Judea & Samaria. 2. The "Prophets of Demographic Doom" have managed to weaken the resolve of the Jewish State -- and its friends - more effectively than have Palestinian terrorism and global pressure. They've instilled unprecedented faintheartedness in the national state of mind - a self-destruct prescription in the Mideast. 3. However, the "Prophecy of Demographic Doom" has been based on grossly erroneous assumptions and on misrepresentations. In fact, a 67:33 Jewish majority has been in effect west of the Jordan River (without Gaza), at least, since 1967! Long term trend indicates a rise in Jewish birth rate with sustained positive migration (Aliya), while Palestinians experience (since 1990) a decline in birth rate and a high annual emigration. 4. This OpEd, on the Jewish Demographic Momentum in Israel, sheds light on some of the misrepresentations perpetrated by the "Prophets of Demographic Doom" (JTA, May 2006, http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=16575&intcategoryid=1). The OpEd was written by Bennett Zimmerman, Dr. Roberta Seid and Dr. Michael Wise. 5. Corroborated by evidence from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Central Elections Commission, a 70% inflation in the number of Arabs in Judea & Samaria has been documented. 6. According to Dr. Nick Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the recent study on Palestinian demography "caught the demographic profession asleep at the switch." 7. For more information on the demographic study -- which featured
at a March 8, 2006 House International Relations Mideast Subcommittee
hearing -- please visit www.pademographics.com.
Arab Demographic Momentum has become part of the Israel lexicon. In this theory, population growth in the Arab sector will overwhelm the Jewish population as "baby boom| generations give birth to an even greater number of children. Arab births will accelerate even if birth rates remain stable or drop slightly because such a large number of women will enter their childbearing years. But the evidence is now in: demographic momentum exists -- but the momentum is occurring among Jews, not Arabs. Jewish births grew rapidly, from 80,000 per year in 1995 to 96,000 in 2000 and to over 103,000 in 2003. The demographic outlook for Jews has been improving because the Jewish total fertility rate (TFR), or the number of children a woman is likely to bear over her lifetime, has been rising. In 2005, it reached 2.7, the highest rate in any advanced industrial nation. While the ultra-Orthodox contributed to this rise, secular Israelis and the immigrants from the FSU also experienced increasing fertility. When aliyah and returning Israelis (averaging over 20,000 per year from 2001 to 2004), are added to the mix, the demographic weight of the Jewish sector grows even further. In contrast, the absolute number of births in the Israel Arab sector grew from 36,500 births in 1995 to 40,800 in 2000 and has remained there ever since. In fact, after rising slightly to a record 41,400 births in 2003, the number of Israel Arabs births fell for the first time in 2004 to 40,800. The overall Israel Arab fertility figure (which includes Israel Moslem, Christian Arabs, and Druze) declined from 4.4 in 2000 to 4.0 in 2004. Israel recently enacted policies that are impacting the highest fertility sectors of the Israel Arab population. In 2004, the government stopped granting stipends for every child born to a family, restricting them to only the first two children born. There was an immediate drop in Bedouin pregnancies. The problem with demographic predictions is that they apply yesterday's or today's fertility rates to tomorrow's forecast. However, earlier childbearing patterns may have little relationship to the number of children the next generation will have. By applying the Muslim TFR rates from the 1960s (between 9-10 births per woman) to forecasts, Israeli demographers had projected that Israeli Arabs would overtake Israeli Jews by 1990. When the TFR dropped to 5.4 in the early 1980s and 4.7 in the second half of the decade, demographers applied this rate to their next series of forecasts. However, by 2005, the Arab TFR had dropped even further, to 4.0, echoing the more dramatic drops reported throughout the Middle East where most nations display fertility levels near 3 births per woman while countries such as Iran have displayed fertility below 2 births per woman. Furthermore, Israel Arab women currently in their 20s will not necessarily repeat the same childbearing characteristics of today's 30 year olds. Thus, Israeli Arab women who are having fewer children in their late teens and 20s might have fewer children in their 30s than today's 30 year olds who still display fertility characteristics of earlier generations. In contrast, Israeli Jewish women in their 20s might carry their choice to have more children into their 30s, at numbers above the current set of 30 year olds. The practice of applying yesterday's activity to tomorrow's forecast is a common mistake. The UN Population Division had confidently predicted in 2000 that the world's population would balloon to 12 billion people by 2050. Remarkably enough, four years later, they dramatically revised the forecast and now predict that today's 6.3 billion global population will plateau at 9 billion persons by 2050. With constantly changing birth patterns, what is a forecaster to do? To have any relevance a forecast must constantly be updated with the most current information and any changes in trend. The Gallup organization recently published the results of a survey which showed a convergence in desired family size among Jews and Arabs west of the Jordan. The ideal family size has fallen to 5.1 for Arabs in Gaza and 4.5 in the West Bank. The desired family size among Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs is now identical at 3.7. While Gallup found no difference in the preferred number of children by younger Israelis, younger West Bankers aged 15 -- 19 believe an ideal family should have 4.1 children versus their older relatives over 50 years who believe the ideal family has 5.0 children. The convergence in desired birth activity among Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and particularly among younger West Bankers is likely to further impact the future demographic outlook for Israel and the West Bank, where Jews now form a two-thirds majority. Demographers had concentrated on past patterns in the Arab population while they were blind sighted to evidence of a slowdown in the Arab sector and the demographic revolution already being measured among Jews. By focusing on the past, forecasters anticipated demographic momentum in the wrong sector and produced an outlook that couldn't even get the present correct, let alone the future. Bennett Zimmerman, Roberta Seid, and Michael L. Wise are authors of Arab Population in the West Bank and Gaza: The Million Person Gap, recently published by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Israel. Forecast for Israel and West Bank 2025 debuted at the Herzliya Policy Conference in Israel and in the USA at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. The studies can be found at www.pademographics.com Harv Weiner, a businessman in Dallas, Texas, is the founder and moderator of Isralert. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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SECRET CONVERSATIONS RELEASED: KISSINGER WANTED A "SMALL ISRAEL"
Posted by IsrAlert, May 28, 2006. |
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This is an Associated Press article from Ynet. It is archived at
We encourage you to read the whole document at
The United States reached out to hostile Arabs three decades ago with an offer to work toward making Israel a "small friendly country" of no threat to its neighbors and with an assurance to Iraq that the U.S. had stopped backing Kurdish rebels in the north. "We can't negotiate about the existence of Israel," then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told his Iraqi counterpart in a rare high-level meeting, "but we can reduce its size to historical proportions." 
left to right: Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir, Kissinger and Lea Rabin (Photo: GPO) A December 1975 memo detailing Kissinger's probing conversation with Foreign Affairs Minister Saadoun Hammadi eight years after Iraq severed diplomatic relations with Washington is included in some 28,000 pages of Kissinger-era foreign policy papers published in an online collection Friday. George Washington University's National Security Archive released the collection, drawn from papers available at the government's National Archives and obtained through the group's Freedom of Information requests. p>With Rabin in 1975 (Photo: GPO) In it, Kissinger tells Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in June 1972 that the United States, mired in Vietnam, probably could live with a communist government in South Vietnam as long as that evolved peacefully. "If we can live with a communist government in China, we ought to be able to accept it in Indochina," he said. He also hints that the United States, newly courting China, would consider a nuclear response if the Soviets were to overrun Asia with conventional forces. At the time, Chinese-Soviet tensions were sharp and the United States was playing one communist state against the other as best it could while seeking detente with its main rival, Moscow. But when the Japanese recognized China with what Kissinger called "indecent haste," he branded them "treacherous." 
With Ariel Sharon in 2001 (Photo: GPO) The transcript of Kissinger's meeting with Hammadi in Paris sheds light on a little known maneuver that spoke to America's broader effort to win friends in the Arab world even as it was giving military support to the Jewish state. The meeting was frank and open - diplomats' preferred description of any such meeting but in this case, true. And Hammadi, a friend of the Soviets, was a tough sell. "We are on the other side of the fence," he asserted. "What the United States is doing is not to create peace but to create a situation dominated by Israel." Kissinger pressed: "Our attitude is not unsympathetic to Iraq. Don't believe; watch it." He said U.S. public opinion was turning more pro-Palestinian and U.S. aid to Israel could not be sustained for much longer at its massive levels. He predicted that in 10 or 15 years, "Israel will be like Lebanon - struggling for existence, with no influence in the Arab world." Mindful of Israel's nuclear capability, a skeptical Hammadi peppered Kissinger with questions, including whether Washington would recognize Palestinian identity and even a Palestinian state. "Is it in your power to create such a thing?" Kissinger said he could not make recognition of Palestinian identity happen right away but, "No solution is possible without it." "After a settlement, Israel will be a small friendly country," he said. Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula, one of its territorial gains in the 1967 Six Day War, to Egypt in a 1979 peace deal. Current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has offered to give up at least part of the West Bank for a Palestinian state. President Bush is the first U.S. president to call explicitly for creation of a Palestinian state. Kissinger said U.S. officials had believed Iraq was a Soviet satellite state but had come to a "more sophisticated understanding now. We think you are a friend of the Soviet Union but you act on your own principles." Saddam Hussein was then vice president, in control of internal security and oil. When Hammadi persisted with complaints about U.S. support for the Kurds, Kissinger brushed them off by saying, "One can do nothing about the past." "Not always," Hammadi countered as the meeting closed and he escorted Kissinger to the door. Washington and Baghdad renewed relations after the start of the Iran-Iraq war; Hammadi became prime minister in the Saddam era. The collection, also available in microfiche, consists of some 2,100 memoranda of Kissinger's secret conversations with senior officials abroad and at home from 1969 to 1977, serving under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. William Burr, senior analyst for the research group, said the papers are the most extensive published record of Kissinger's work, in many cases offering insight into matters that the diplomat ignored or merely touched on in his prolific memoirs.
Harv Weiner, a businessman in Dallas, Texas, is the founder and
moderator of Isralert. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to
isralert@aol.com
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PSYCHIATRIST NEEDED URGENTLY!
Posted by Nadia Matar, May 28, 2006. |
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If we want to save the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria, and thereby the very existence of the State of Israel, we apparently will have to begin with a considerable portion of our national-religious public receiving psychiatric care so that he can cure us of a mental disease that is deeply entrenched within us. As long as we suffer from this malady, we will not be able to act properly. I am referring to the fact that most of our public apparently does not regard the plans for the deportation of Jews, the destruction of settlements, and the handing over of parts of the homeland to the Arab enemy as a CRIME . And once this is not seen as a CRIME, then the public does not go out of its way to stop it. I received proof of this, once again, when I read through the responses to a report on Arutz7 Internet about Rabbi Lior's statement that "a community must vomit out a Kadima Member of Knesset." On his weekly show on Arutz 7, Rabbi Lior from Kiryat Arba had been asked by a resident, who is a neighbor of a Member of Knesset who went over to the Kadima party, what should be the attitude to this MK. "I want to ask about the attitude we should have to a religious MK, who acts for the destruction of settlements in our land. This MK has spoken for some time about the need, so he says, to destroy a large number of settlements in the Land of Israel. Since his election to the Knesset, his talk has not been just the expression of an opinion. He takes concrete actions in his position as a legislator, apparently at the behest of the Prime Minister, for the actual preparation for the deportation of Jews, the destruction of their property, and their exile from their place of residence. How are we to relate to him? I have known him for many years, and at times I meet him. His behavior is quite cordial, but I find it very difficult to respond to him in a friendly manner, as I did in the past." In his response, Rabbi Lior said: "A healthy body that eats something spoiled immediately vomits it. If you are a healthy public, you will naturally vomit him out in order to stay healthy. If he had any intelligence, he would leave the settlement on his own, and would not live in a place that he is taking steps to destroy." Dozens of people responded to the article, many of them attacking Rabbi Lior's answer. The following two responses show the severity of our mental illness: one comment is by a woman who defines herself as a "proud settler"(!), who says: "We must not forget that we are all brothers, and before all, even when there are differences of opinion, we must respect one another." And an even more pathological comment, from a resident who calls himself: "Boaz - a resident who does not want to vomit": "Yes, I, we, the residents of the settlements in Judea and Samaria, totally oppose the withdrawals, and loathe the insane ideology behind them, but to vomit out neighbors? With all due respect to his eminence (i.e. Rabbi Lior), the Rabbi does not understand the meaning of life in a communal settlement. If and when we succeed in building healthy community life, this is mainly because we had among us quarrels, intrigues, nonsense, and the like, over the course of years.... If we extricated ourselves from all this, it was because we undertook, as a group and as individuals, to forgive, to ask pardon, to understand weaknesses, and not to vomit. If we vomit what is not suitable - we will fall apart." I felt compelled to answer those attacking Rabbi Lior. This is my response to Boaz and to that "proud" settler: I have a question for you. What if someone in your community was known to go around among the people in the settlement, especially among the children and youth, and forcibly inject them with dangerous drugs, and for whatever reason the authorities did not arrest him, and despite all the times people spoke with him, he did not desist? To the contrary, he was proud of his criminal acts, and publicly announced that he intends to continue with his terrible deeds, and perhaps even to begin to rape little girls. If, in consequence, a group of parents arose and demanded that this person be vomited from the settlement - what would you say? "That we must not forget that we are all brothers, and we must respect one another? That in our communal life, we must forgive and understand weakness? That all in all, we are talking about someone with different opinions, who we should respect?" Or, perhaps, you would join those who want to vomit him from the community, and in order to protect the community and your family, you would not have anything to do with him? I am certain that you would join those who want to remove him from the area. You would understand that there is a difference between a person who takes drugs, and thereby harms only himself. This is sad, but that is his own personal concern. With such a person, it is possible to sit and talk, and even to persuade him to stop. Someone, however, who goes about in the community and actively takes measures that endanger the lives of those living in that area, must be sent away. And if there are people in the settlement who do not want him far away - then they suffer from a mental illness. Now I have an additional question for Boaz, and the "proud" settler, and our entire camp: Why do you think that someone who actively takes steps for the destruction of the entire settlement undertaking in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza - activity that endangers the entire national homeland, and not just your private house - should be treated differently than a criminal? Why don't you relate to such a person in the same way that you relate to the one in the settlement giving drugs or to a rapist? Master of the Universe! How can we relate to people from Kadima, including people who call themselves "religious" such as Otniel Schneller, Yonatan Bassi, and others, as people with "just another opinion"? As regards the acceptance of people with "different opinions," no public is more tolerant than the national-religious public, for which we can be proud. But deportation-plan criminals no longer represent "a different opinion"! They are acting with force, against our will, to impose their opinion on an entire public; now, they are planning to destroy, raze, and demolish the entire life's work of that public! There is a difference between a person who eats non-kosher food, that is his private concern, and a person who comes to your home, and, threatening you with a gun, forces you and the members of your household to eat non-kosher food! We continue to respect and love the first person, but we cast out from our midst and vomit the second. If there are people who are willing to embrace the second person, the one who comes to you and threatens you with a weapon, then these people are suffering from a mental illness. This might be the profound, underlying real reason for our failure last summer. We might have found here the true problem with our public: perhaps the problem is that our public felt, and still feels, the pain of the destruction of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria and the handing over of the territory to the Arab enemy, but it did not really regard this as a CRIME. When a CRIME is planned and implemented, then regular life stops, as long as the criminal is active. If we are not successful the first time, then we mobilize even more seriously, so that the second time we will triumph and prevent the criminals from carrying out their malicious plans. But if something like deportation is perceived as "not good," but still within the category of "it's not so terrible, either," then we merely protest in a moderate manner! We will then be written in the history books as having protested, but nothing much more than that. The fact that a majority of our public did not relate to the destruction of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria as a CRIME, and did not view the implementers of the deportation as criminals, with all that this implies, is the greatest failure of the national-religious education. This is the reason why these places were destroyed so easily. This is also the reason why so many rabbis defied former Chief Rabbi Shapira's clear ruling and did not call upon their yeshiva soldiers to disobey the order of the uprooting. For if something is not considered a CRIME, why should a soldier refuse orders? The solution for a successful struggle against Olmert's plan to destroy the settlements in Judea and Samaria apparently is to be found here. We must give our public a quick psychiatric session, to heal the public of its mental illness. I describe this illness as: "If someone comes to eliminate you, get up early to embrace him". We must explain to everyone that the Olmert plan constitutes an existential threat for us and for the entire State of Israel. It should, therefore, be regarded as a CRIME. As soon as we understand this, we will also know how to act decisively, without "sensitivity", so that the government will understand that it will not be worthwhile for it to take us on! Where is that psychiatrist who can treat our public ÂÂ and urgently? Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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ISRAELI MEDIA FINALLY ADMITTING OLMERT'S US VISIT NOT A ROARING SUCCESS
Posted by Batya Medad, May 26, 2006. |
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The Israeli media is finally admitting that Olmert's U.S. visit wasn't such a roaring success. It's one of those classic "good news/bad news" stories for me. The good news is that they don't like the plan, but the bad news is the reason why. I don't like Olmert's plan and strategy, because it endangers the security, the very existence of the State of Israel. It's based on a fallacy that by giving away our historic Homeland, the Arabs will give us peace. According the article I linked to in the first sentence and can be found at samizdatblogfree.blogspot.com/2006/05/jm-post-article-about-olmerts-us-visit.html, the reason the Americans and the rest of the world don't think Olmert's unilateral (that means doing it for nothing in return) withdrawal isn't good is that: "A viable Palestinian state," The New York Times on Thursday wrote, "It's long been clear that getting a workable, feasible Palestinian state out of two geographically separate masses of land in the desert will be an uphill battle. Now, because of two culprits and one enabler, Hamas, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and President [George W.] Bush, that hill is becoming a mountain." That's right. The aim of the world is a "A viable Palestinian state," not an independent viable State of Israel. It's about time, or rather late but never, for Israel to face facts. We have no friends and no allies. The United States, England, Europe, United Nations etc are willing to sacrifice us, the State of Israel, for another Arab state, one whose essence, very aim is our very destruction. This is not something one can negotiate. Wise up! Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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THE IMPACT OF ISRAEL'S PROPOSED RETREAT ON U.S. INTERESTS
Posted by Yoram Ettinger, May 26, 2006. |
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This article appeared on http://yoramettinger.newsnet.co.il 1. VITAL U.S. INTERESTS would be impacted by Israel's proposed retreat ("Realignment") from terrorist strongholds in Judea & Samaria. 2. Israel's retreat from So. Lebanon catapulted HIZBALLAH from a small -- to a regional - terrorist organization, the role model of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), haunting US servicemen in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN. 3. Israel's 1994-1998 series of retreats from 85% of Gaza and 40% of Judea & Samaria created the Palestinian Authority: the Mecca of homicide bombing and anti-US and anti-Jewish hate-education (please see Cloakroom #190). Palestinian terrorists fought the US in Iraq and Afghanistan. ANTI-U.S. TERROR has increased since the initial 1993 Oslo retreat! 4. Israel's 2005 retreat ("Disengagement") from Gaza and Northern Samaria has established the largest terrorist base in the Mideast, adrenalizing anti-US terrorism. 5. Israel's 2005 retreat has been perceived as a cave-in by the role-model of counter-terrorism to the role-model of terrorism. It paved the road to HAMAS' electoral victory and upgraded the posture of ISLAMIC JIHAD and AL-QAEDA, thus providing friendly platforms for IRAN, SYRIA, SUDAN, YEMEN and the PRO-SADDAM elements. 6. Bolstered Palestinian profile constitutes a present and immediate lethal DANGER TO PRO-U.S. REGIMES in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states, threatening US troops in the Gulf area. 7. Expanded Palestinian Authority facilitates the strategic re-entrenchment of RUSSIA, CHINA and NO. KOREA in the Mideast at the expense of US interests in the eastern flank of the Mediterranean and throughout the Mideast. 8. Another Israeli retreat would further undermine Israel's posture of DETERRENCE, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability. 9. U.S. ENCOURAGEMENT of another Israeli retreat from Palestinian terrorist strongholds would exacerbate the threat to US interests. Would the US learn from recent history by repeating -- or avoiding -- past errors?! Ambassador Yoram Ettinger is a consultant on US-Israel relations as well as the Chairman of Special Projects at the Ariel Center for Policy Research. Formerly the Minister for Congressional Affairs to Israel's Embassy in Washington, DC, Ettinger also served as Consul General of Israel to the Southwestern US. He is a former editor of Contemporary Mideast Backgrounder, and is the author of the Jerusalem Cloakroom series of reports. Contact him at yoramtex@netvision.net.il |
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AMERICAN ZIONIST ORGANIZATIONS
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 26, 2006. |
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Watching the many standing ovations Ehud Olmert received when he addressed a joint session of the American Congress and spoke of his so-called Realignment Plan -- which would dispossess and displace 50 to 100 thousand Jews in Judea and Samaria -- it occurred to me that those standing ovations were living proof that American Zionist organizations have no significant impact on U.S. foreign policy regarding the Israel-Arab conflict. The leaders of these Zionist organizations must surely realize that all their noble efforts have not diminished the American government's commitment to a Palestinian state, hence, to a tortured future for the Jewish people. Surely the leaders of these Zionist organizations, which have labored so long and so hard on Israel's behalf, raising and spending considerable sums for lobbying missions to Washington, for trips to Israel to boost the morale of depressed settlers, and for publishing reams of articles critical of Israel's insane policy of "territory for nothing" -- surely they must realize that none of their brave and tireless efforts has made the people of Israel more secure, or Israel's government more Zionist toward Eretz Yisrael. Gaza has become the Mecca of international terrorism, and arsenals of weapons are being shipped from Gaza to Judea and Samaria such that every city of Israel will soon be threatened by missile attacks. Nevertheless, senators and congressmen and other public officials gave Ehud Olmert standing ovations for his Realignment Plan to forcibly dispossess countless Jews from their homes to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian state. Those standing ovations make a mockery of American Zionist organizations. Surely the leaders of these organizations ought to engage is serious soul-searching. They should try to understand why, despite all their lobbying in Washington, congressmen continue to respect and applaud Israel's paltry and perfidious politicians so anxious to give away the birthright of their people to appease the Palestinian Authority -- a consortium of thugs and terrorists. The leaders of these Zionist organizations should try to understand why, despite all their efforts in America and despite all their missions to Israel, they have failed to have the slightest impact on the course of the Jewish state. They should try to understand that regardless of the evil consequences already experienced by retreat from Gaza -- a policy criticized by Israel's highest military and intelligence officials -- Prime Minister Olmert received standing ovations by asking the United States to play the role of Dr. Kevorkian and help Israel commit national suicide. What is there about Israel or about its reputation that fosters this madness? Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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"REALIGNMENT" IS JOINING IN SYMPATHY WITH THE ENEMY NOT THE WAY OF RUTH
Posted by Evelyn Hayes, May 26, 2006. |
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In Memory of My Mother, Marion D. Solomon A"H who always read me the news and influenced me to write to right the wrongs of men who thought they saw what they wanted to see, who realigned truth because they had an unaligned agenda, hallucinating that their misaligned view is true. As Kadima goes forward with its realignments, let's consider the symantics of the romantics romancing with Hamas, Jihad, Hizballah and other terrorist organizations. Let' s consider the reconsiderations of those who would rather be like any other nation than those who chose monotheism in contrast to Sodom and its warlords, who chose The Creator and not destroyers, who chose the higher laws for a better world and not the law-asiding for their personal interests. As we are about to read The Book of Ruth, the geress, the great, great, grandmother of King David, that happened in the days when the Judges judged, we see the wisdom of following the path of the Jews and the blessings. It happened that Elimelech chose to flee Beis Lechem and not trust in HASHEM; he and his two sons perished in the land of Moab. The people of Beis Lechem were remembered and the famine subsided. Ruth chose to continue with her mother-in-law, Naomi saying, "Wherever you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge, your people are my people, and your Gd is my Gd, where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried...." Ruth, with the kindness of Boaz, partook in the lechem, bread of Gd's house and he redeemed her and like Rachel Imeinu who died "on the way" in Beis Lechem and Leah buried in Hevron, so close to Tel Rumeida where Ruth and Yishai, the father of David HaMelech are buried, Ruth merited and her good deeds are recorded in the Torah given on Shavous. The Pathways of the Torah are the way to actualize the positive potential of the world. As some intellectuals at a Hillel Conference in Washington DC attempted to bust the foundations of Judaism such as monotheism and midos, redefining monotheism as a basis for terrorism and not a purging of warlords, immorality and decadence, and reclassifying the first Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Kook as a terrorist and not one who appealed to both the religious and the secular and was a friend of peaceful Arabs as well as an appreciator of all Gd's gifts to the world, all the variations of people and nature, the time tested Torah truths are still the prognosis for reality. As an Iraqi refugee in a Washington Hotel asked me, "What's wrong with the Jews? Don't they know that they lived in Iraq, Iran, Syria. Lebanon. Egypt, that they were exiled without their property, that even the property they sold and the money already in Swiss banks was stolen, that they were in refugee camps in Cyprus? What's wrong with the Jews, don't they know the West Bank is theirs and their enemy is my enemy. Why don't they know when we know? They are hurting my people in Iraq." He asked me to help him who fears reprisals even in America. As this Iraqi refugee and his people are suffering from the same pan-Jihad warlords as those in Darfur and in Israel, it is strange that the intellectuals at the Hillel Conference cannot connect the dots from one terrorist to another, cannot see that their own people are victims and are excusing their scapegoating by scapegoating and blood libeling themselves and America. For some strange reason, Kadima is realigning with the enemy while sacrificing its roots, relatives and reality. Kadima is out of tune. It's time for a tune up of their "idol" peace rushing down the road, crashing and crashing again and causing a multiplication of crashers. Kadima is without brakes, breaking up the Judeo-Christian foundations which have moved humankind forward. Kadima is unkind to its disengaged and planning more amputations for further terrorist invasions. Unsympathetic to its victims, Kadima plans to victimize not only its settled, but unsettle Israel's very foundations and its place among nations. This unsettlement is having repercussions all over the world from the universities to the governments and is a thorn in the tires of those too tired to fight for their legacies, legitimacies, life. At this time of Shavuos, let us rally as our ancestors did from past to present in unity, with conviction and confidence. As Ruth, the geress, chose the ways of graciousness, goodness and giving and got to merit the lineage of Moshiach, let us not change our allegiance to our role models because they are ancient. Our models have endured, keeping the Jews as survivors while all the taking imperialistic empires and mass fads have passed, annihilating themselves and their allies. Let the Jewish people continue to follow the lead of our role models and actualize the potential granted by HASHEM for all future generations. Contact Evelyn Hayes at haze@rcn.com |
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WHAT WOULD ARIEL SHARON DO?
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 26, 2006. |
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What would erstwhile field general Ariel Sharon do? Israel's neighbor Gaza is in chaos, on the brink of an anything but civil, civil war. Iraq is in chaos, likewise on the brink of a similarly dysfunctional civil war. The core issue for both enclaves is Islamic fundamentalism verses a more secular brand of that faith, albeit in Iraq centuries of Sunni verses Shiite hatred further complicate their battlefield. Indeed, Shiite vengeance is not something savored cold nor is the second fiddle role foisted upon a Sadist Hussein bereft minority Sunni populace, starkly inferred by scores of tortured bullet ridden cadavers belonging to both sects, strewn about the surreally battered landscape of what was once the cradle of civilization. Although Gaza abuts Israel and Iraq does not, both enclaves would be presciently assessed by warrior Sharon and savvy advisors, before surrendering most of Judea and Samaria to morphed Jordanian Arabs in turmoil. Conflagrations throughout the entire Middle East region could merge into a unified raging inferno, thus any major land concessions by Israel could result in disaster to say the least. Iran's Persian fundamentalist Shiite rulers salivate, ever-enriching their cache of wealth with extorted fossil fuel revenues, anticipating a wider sphere of influence in the longed for Shiite dominated Iraq of their maniacal dreams, and the monetary means to assert a fundamentally intolerant influence throughout the Middle East. Do farsi translations for Gaza, West Bank, and even Jerusalem sound sweet to fanatically intolerant AhMADinejad and company? Jihad obsessed fundamentalist Islam trumps all, even those fighting feuding Muslim-style Hatfield-and-McCoy-like Shiites and Sunnis, thus a few billion petrodollars morphed to rials funneled towards fundamentalist Hamas Sunnis to purchase weapons of Fatah destruction, compliments of got-rocks fundamentalist Iranian Shiite oil tycoons, could be in the Persians' deck of kings and aces. Would Sharon pull his troops out of Judea and Samaria, leaving those enclaves ripe for jihad junky pickings, considering all this? Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, presumably carrying Sharon's baton, has little of the military strategist's instincts. A good coach changes game plans when warranted, as does a good leader. Per barrel oil prices have surged dramatically over the last year or so, as has the wealth of Jew/Israel-despising Middle Eastern regimes. Furthermore, one such regime Iran has suggested Israel be wiped off the map. Ceding land emboldens terrorists, casting an image of weakness to those that yearn for Israel's destruction. Hamas would once again loudly assume credit for Olmert's folly, if it is perpetrated, accept financing from Iran, buy bigger and better weapons, perhaps of the WMD variety, and attempt to use them against the perceived retreating Jewish State. In a Middle East jungle, weakness begets aggression. Sharon might have adopted a more prescient point of view, noticing among other things current unrelenting wanton missile attacks from Gaza into Israel, contemplated the error of his ways, and changed course. Then again, perhaps Sharon knew all along that Gaza would erupt in chaos if given the chance, thus presume world opinion would encourage him to maintain control over Judea and Samaria lest those enclaves too would become potential bastions of terrorism. We cannot be sure as to what the former Prime Minister of Israel was thinking when he gave away Gaza. However, it should be crystal clear that any more land giveaways would only bring more tsuris to an already beleaguered Jewish State. What might it take to convince the current Prime Minister that he must reverse direction; no longer offering justifiably secured Israeli land for in effect nothing at all? What might it take for but an ort of sanity to permeate the minds of Israel's current leaders? Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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FOUR CROCKS DO NOT A SETTLEMENT MAKE
Posted by Ted Belman, May 26, 2006. |
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A close look at the addresses of President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert yesterday yields the following. Bush addressed the goal, "In 2002, I outlined my vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. Prime Minister Olmert told me that he and his government share this vision. The international community seeks to realize this goal to the road map, which calls for a comprehensive settlement that resolves all outstanding issues between Israelis and Palestinians."So the Roadmap is a path to the "vision" and does not supplant it. That's good for Israel because the vision places high hurdles on the "Palestinians". But what this wonderful vision fails to make clear is that the green line is the intended border. "While any final status agreement will be only achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes, and no party should prejudice the outcome of negotiations on a final status agreement, the Prime Minister's ideas could be an important step toward the peace we both support." Thus Olmert's convergence plan are now considered to be "ideas" only. One wonders why a final status agreement can "only be acheived on the basis of mutually agreed changes" as opposed to negotiations. Bush repeats the mantra "no party should prejudice the outcome of negotiations". This was and is an outrageous imposition on Israel. To illustrate, when it comes to Iran, "all options are on the table". When it comes to Israel only one option is on the table. Israel must have the right to take steps to better her position while negotiations are ongoing and even more when they are not. As for the Iranian bomb, "We're determined that the Iranian regime must not gain nuclear weapons." This is a very weak statement. A strong statement would have been, "under no conditions will the US permit Iran to gain nuclear weapons". It is little comfort, that in "the event of any attack on Israel, the United States will come to Israel's aid." What ever happened to "pre-emption"? Olmert also referred to the "vision" as the basis for a settlement. "The vision which you outlined in your historic speech of June 2002, of two democratic states living side-by-side in peace and security, is the basis of any progress towards a solution in this region."Bush demanded, and Olmert agreed, to attempt negotiations before resorting to his ideas. but even then Olmert said, "The implementation of these ideas would only be possible with the comprehensive support of the United States and the international community" So clearly convergence is conditioned on support. Just as Bush is required to exhaust all possibilities for diplomacy to stop Iran before taking more aggressive action, so too must israel demonstrate that she has exhausted all possible diplomacy first. In both cases it is fair to say, Is vet du gournisht helphen or in English, "diplomacy doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell." Furthermore, The Roadmap does not require negotiations until there is an end to violence etc. So why is Bush demanding negotiations now? Another crock. Underlying all their remarks is the message, "Abbas, good; Hamas, bad." This is a crock, too. Nevertheless the US strategy continues to be based on the need for a "negotiating partner" rather then on the existence of one. Abbas and Fatah have done nothing to confirm that they are such a partner and they are not in power. Another crock is to separate the people from their duly elected government. "Our beef is not with the Palestinian people. Our beef is with the government that -- a group in the government that says they don't recognize Israel." Bottom line is that there will be no convergence without international approval and no international approval without more diplomacy. My take is that the international community will exact a heavy price for recognizing Olmert's proposed borders, should it decide to do so, and will insist on a quid pro quo for the "land grab". The idea that Israel can get more from negotiating with the US than with the Palestinians is another crock. Friends of Israel must realize that the peace process and all negotiations with respect thereto lead only to one place, the Saudi Plan. Ted Belman is a Canadian lawyer and editor of the IsraPundit.com website, an activist pro-Israel website. Contact him at tedbel@rogers.com |
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ABBAS AT THE NOBEL COMMITTEE; BAHRAIN DISSEMBLES ABOUT BOYCOTT
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 26, 2006. |
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ABBAS AT THE NOBEL COMMITTEE
Abbas discussed peace with the Nobel committee. He told them there is no military solution nor clash of civilizations. Favoring inter-faith dialogue, he wants to negotiate peace. As head of the PLO, which signed the previous agreements with Israel, he may conduct negotiations. He requests foreign arbitration, however, because, he said, otherwise Israel would make arbitrary decisions. Israel violates international law. It commits terrorism by using missiles to assassinate people, claiming civilian lives in the process. There would be peace, if Israel would release all prisoners, adhere to UNO resolutions and signed agreements, and not withdraw unilaterally nor build settlements. UNO Resolution 194 would resolve the refugee problem, if followed. He seeks a state on 22% of "historic Palestine." "Let us make Jerusalem, as we dreamed, the capital of two states, Palestine and Israel, open to all believers who can exercise their freedom of worship." But PM Netanyahu passed legislation that compelled the Arabs to flee Jerusalem, and change the Arab character of the city. Israel blocks many P.A. Arabs from working in Israel and denies the P.A. a port and airport. Israel thus keeps the P.A. economy down. Israeli actions produce Arab hatred, and Israeli strikes against the P.A. police prevented the P.A. from stanching Arab violence. Israel has many settlements in Gaza and is striving to keep 76% of Judea-Samaria (IMRA, 4/26). The fundamental distortion in his presentation is to make the Arabs seem the victims. Ignoring the state of war that his side launched, he blames Israel for fighting back. The real problem besides Arab aggression is that the war drags on, because Israel does not fight to win and to win quickly. His favorite Arab propaganda trick is to turn history on its head by truncating the last half-century and more. Then he claims that the Arabs merely are reacting to Israeli initiatives and hating Israel for them, in what he falsely describes as a territorial dispute. His Fatah and PLO Covenants and the Hamas Covenant make clear that the war is Islamist. The Arabs started terrorism decades before Israel, in self-defense, took over the Territories and turned to methods of anti-terrorism about which Abbas now complains. Indeed, it was Israel's peacefully intended offer of autonomy that enabled the Arabs to mount its escalating terrorism. Such is that state of the world that the committee sat there and accepted his crock of false and misleading statements. I've explained many of these points before, but summarize them here, to show how much of a liar an Arab leader is, and how meekly or ignorantly the world hears him. 1. "No military solution"? There is no diplomatic solution, not to jihad. If Israel fought to win, it would solve the problem as far as the P.A. is concerned. To solve the problem with the surrounding countries would require reform of Islam. 2. No "clash of civilizations"? Iran declared a clash of civilizations. The Islamists declare jihad. Most Muslims are sympathetic, until the Islamists turn on them for insufficient zeal. 3. Inter-faith dialogue is the Muslim way of gaining respectability among infidels and putting them off guard. 4. Negotiate peace? He lacks authority to implement agreements. Arafat had the authority and violated them. Islam sanctions violations, not peace. Islam wants victory, not conflict resolution. Hence, Hizbullah contrived an excuse for continuing to wage war on Israel, even after Israel evacuated from southern Lebanon. UNO Resolution, negotiations, and withdrawals all make matters worse, because even if not biased, though they usually are, they help the jihadists. 5. The Arabs want foreign arbitration, because in the anti-Israel climate, foreign governments take the Arab side, however unjust and however harmful to themselves. 6. Israel does not violate international law. Missile attacks on terrorists are legal. That's war. Civilian casualties are by-products of the Arab war-crime of keeping their militias in civilian areas. Terrorism is aiming at civilians. Israel does not do that. The Arabs do violate international law, by committing terrorism and aggression. 7. Israel does adhere to signed agreements, but the Arabs breach them all, until Israel decides, upon occasion, that its one-sided compliance is unfair. The Arabs put deliberately false interpretations upon signed agreements, such as: (a) Claiming that a UNO Resolution requires total Israeli withdrawal, when the US that drafted the Resolution explained that its draft does not; (b) Ignoring the requirement that withdrawal be predicated upon peace; (c) Asserting that Olso forbids Jewish settlement-building, when it expressly permits it and the Palestine Mandate expressly requires it; and (d) Ignoring that 194 does not require refugee return. Abbas the supposed moderate demands refugee-return knowing that those enemies would destroy Jewish statehood from within. 8. There is no requirement to release Arab prisoners, not even at war's end. They are not prisoners of war, but war criminals. Half of the ones released resume terrorism. Better to keep them in prison. 9. Who dreamed of making Jerusalem also the capital of an Arab state? Not Israel but its enemies, using the notion to further undermine Zionism. When the city was divided, the Arab sector fired into the Jewish sector. Abbas citers freedom of religion asa false pretext for a land grab. Fact is, the Arabs deny freedom of religion and Israel grants Muslims and Christians freedom of religion within some limits for security. The Muslims have been destroying ancient Jewish artifacts on the Temple Mount and attack Jewish shrines and synagogues. 10. There is no "historical Palestine." Palestine just was a concept, not a governmental area until the Mandate. Judea-Samaria and Gaza are about 4% of the Palestine mandate, as of before Jordan and Israel gained independence. But the Arabs already have, in Jordan, 78% of the Mandate. If they gained that additional 4%, they would have 82%, leaving Israel only 18%. No parity, there. All told, the Arabs have about 500 times as much land as the Jews. It is false to say that the Muslim Arabs want statehood over only Judea-Samaria and Gaza. They want sovereignty over Israel, too. Their Covenants reflect Arafat's strategy of conquering Israel in phases, using the Territories as a base for taking over Israel. 11. Israel chasing out Christians? Arabs? PM Netanyahu did not promote such legislation, and, in fact, the population of both has increased in Israel. The population of Arabs has increased in Jerusalem. The P.A., however, like Muslim states, has oppressed Christians and made many flee. The Christian population in Judea-Samaria is but a shadow of its former self. Abbas made a generalization without supporting specifics. He is covering up for ethnic cleansing by Muslims. 12. Jerusalem did not have a particularly Arab cast. It long was a Jewish city. Israel would be within its rights to keep it that way. It happens that Arab rulers repress minority cultures, Israel doesn't. 13. Yes, Israel bars many P.A. Arabs from working in Israel. That is its right; the P.A. Arabs have no right to work in Israel. When they are allowed to enter freely, they bring in terrorists among them. That Abbas failed to mention. By omitting Israel's reason -- Arab perfidy -- he hides Arab guilt and makes Israel seem guilty of arbitrarily imposing hardship upon the Arabs. The same is true about the port and seaport, after the Arabs smuggled weapons in even without those ports. 14. Israel was willing to do much for the P.A. economy, but the Arabs made war on Israel, thereby discouraging Israeli help, foreign investment, and domestic investment. The Arab rulers extorted, stole, monopolized, and failed to institute business law. Hence the Arabs stifled their own economy. Abbas became rich as a result of his position. 15. Israel produces Arab hatred? What about the P.A. media and curriculum of bigotry, calling for the murder of Christians, Americans, and Jews? One of the actions usually cited as producing Arab resentment is establishing checkpoints. If Israel didn't have them, terrorists would murder thousands more Israelis. The fault is the Arabs. Abbas was supposed to have eradicated terrorism, but he honored it, yet blames violence by Arabs on Israeli reaction to Arab violence. 16. Abbas claims that Israeli attacks on the P.A. police crippled its ability to fight terrorism. Nonsense. The P.A. still had 70,000 police. If properly paid and motivated, they could have eradicated Fatah and Hamas, but they were allies of those militias. If I were the PM of Israel, I would have attacked Hamas more, but the point is, the P.A. police either were committing terrorism or fought against Israeli raids on terrorists. The P.A. never made an effort against terrorism. Arafat financed terrorism! I checked the given date of the speech, and saw that it was 4/26/06, which is months after Israel evacuated from Gaza settlements that Abbas complains about. Obviously he is lying. It also is clear, both from plans that PM Olmert has alluded to and from the evacuation from northern Samaria, that Israel is striving to keep just a few percent of Judea-Samaria. Abbas' complaints are false, seeking to give an unfavorable impression about Israel and to make the Arabs seem the victims. Abbas and his people are as deceitful and vicious as any ever. He and they should be international pariahs. They they are not, and that Israel is, demonstrate the pervasive power of antisemitism, ignorance, political correctness, mercantilism, and Western defeatism. U.S. DECISION TO CONTINUE P.A. SUBSIDY UNSURPRISING For 12 years, the P.A. Arabs have violated their peace agreements, and the US has subsidized them. They never had to face serious consequences for their war crimes. Finally, their election of a nakedly belligerent P.A. regime got some Western donors (whose contributions largely have been embezzled or diverted to war) to indicate they would withhold the funds until the Hamas regime dropped jihad. Hamas makes clear at every opportunity that it won't. The West caved in. Not surprising, in view of its record of not holding Palestinian Arab war criminals accountable. Its rationalization that it is providing only humanitarian aid is a thin tissue. For one reason, many of the P.A. employees who would thereby get paid are the teachers who indoctrinate Arab children in hating Jews and Westerners (IMRA, 5/11 from ZOA). The US boycotts other totalitarian regimes, why not this one? BAHRAIN'S BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL Bahrain negotiated a free trade agreement with the US. An agreed-upon US condition was that the Arabs would close the anti-Israel boycott office and end the boycott, in favor of free trade. As the agreement is about to go into effect, the Arabs claim they are in process of closing the office, but one of their officials asserts they won't (IMRA, 5/11). Why should closing an office take long? This is the usual Arab way of dissembling -- conflicting stories, stalling, and non-compliance. Their promises mean nothing. Their behavior is disgusting, but since the US winks at it, the US is contemptible -- pretending to have principles. If the US were serious, it would make its condition that the agreement does not take effect until Bahrain complies. Imagine how much simpler Israeli life would be, and how many fewer terrorist attacks, if Israel had not invited the PLO into the Territories to take over the Arab areas and had insisted that the Oslo accords hold only so long as the Arabs repress terrorism! IRAN UNCONCERNED ABOUT ISRAEL Iran's list of major Mideast problems did not include Israel. Israel needs to get the point across that the region has so many problems, that stability would not be enhanced by its making concessions to the Muslim fanatics. Those fanatics may divert their people from the problems by blaming Israel and making war on it (Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA, 5/10). Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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WHAT IF OLMERT DROPPED A 'BOMB' IN CONGRESS
Posted by Ted Belman, May 25, 2006. |
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Make no mistake about it, it was a great speech. Olmert said all the politically correct things in just the right way. Assume for a moment that instead of doing so, Olmert spoke truth to power. That's the bomb I am speaking of. iMembers of Congress We hold these truths to be self evident;
Only this will end the conflict and bring peace to the Land of Israel. So I ask you, the Members of Congress, will you support Israel in the cause of peace. Or will you instead punish Israel for telling the truth. Remember the words of our great rabbi, "The truth will make you free". Ted Belman is a Canadian lawyer and editor of the IsraPundit.com website, an activist pro-Israel website. Contact him at tedbel@rogers.com |
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PLEASE DO THIS ONE TINY YET HUGE FAVOR FOR ME! BUDDY
Posted by Buddy Macy, May 25, 2006. | |
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Please take 120 seconds out of your busy schedule and make this one call. I just did it myself. Call President Bush between 9 & 5 Eastern Time, at: 202-456-1111, and, when the operator personally answers, say, "Please tell Mr. Bush to release Jonathan Pollard NOW!" THAT'S IT!!! Thank you so much!!! If you have never acted on one of my suggestions in the past, I beg of you to take action on this one; it is so simple to do. I am sending this email to nearly 2000 people. Imagine if all of you make the call, and send this message to all of the people on your email list. If the White House receives 10,000 phone calls in one day, demanding the release of this Jewish Martyr, he WILL be freed!! Please imagine yourself in his jail cell for one hour. He has been there for seven thousand, five hundred days! buddy macy Jonathan Pollard is serving his 21st year of a life sentence in the U.S. for warning Israel about the build-up of unconventional weapons of war for use against Israel, and about enemy plans to destroy the Jewish state. Pollard's life sentence is the harshest sentence ever meted out by the U.S. for spying for an ally. Indeed, it is much harsher than the sentences meted out to most of those who have committed far more serious crimes by spying for enemies of the United States. Jonathan's speech was delivered today, Jerusalem Day, on his behalf. It follows:
*Translation of title: Zion won't you seek the welfare of your
captives? ** The Shechina: In simplest terms, the Shechina (n.f.) is the
presence of G-d which dwells with Israel, offering comfort in sorrow
and accompanying her in exile.
Contact Buddy Macy at vegibud@aol.com
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TALKING TO ARLENE KUSHNER
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 25, 2006. |
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Shalom everyone. Please read the following of my talk with Arlene Kushner, all of which are extremely important. If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts, especially with regards to Arlene Kushner's call to action (which is underlined), please share them, as we are all in this together! Tizku lemitzvos. Arlene's email address is Lee
Lee Caplan: What's your reading on the meeting between Bush and Olmert yesterday? Arlene Kushner: What to make of the meeting yesterday between President Bush and Prime Minister Olmert? There were press reports that focused on various aspects of what was said in their press conference or shared by diplomatic staff. The emphasis within these press reports varied, but tended to be upbeat. Bush, while hesitating to fully endorse Olmert's plan, seemed surprisingly positive, calling it "bold," and saying, it "could be an important step toward the peace we both support. I'm encouraged by his constructive efforts to find ways to move the peace process forward." I read that, and I had one of my "HUH?" moments, which tend to come frequently these days. Bush has been advised by several sources -- including Jordan's King Hussein -- that Olmert's plan will destabilize the region and give terrorists a larger area within which to operate. This advances the peace process? Of course, Bush qualified his statements by saying that a negotiated final status agreement would best serve the cause of peace. But, he conceded, it's difficult to negotiate such a settlement with Hamas in charge of the PA. And, if it turns out that negotiations are not possible (because Hamas won't abandon terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and accept all previous agreements), Olmert's "ideas could lead to a two-state solution." Another "HUH?" Pulling back and giving land to Palestinians who won't abandon terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist or accept all previous agreements leads to a two-state solution? Well, it turns out, unsurprisingly, that there's a lot of diplomatic double talk in all of this. There was a desire to make things positive and smooth and upbeat during Olmert's first visit. Certainly there could be no overt public tough talk. However, what is clear -- which we knew going into this meeting -- is that Bush is signaling Olmert to try to negotiate seriously with Abbas. No one realistically thinks a full settlement will come tomorrow, if Olmert meets with Abbas, but, as a State Department spokesman said, "We think it's very useful to keep those channels of communication open." I would guess that as long as there are "channels of communication" open then the U.S. is going to say hope isn't dead, there is a chance of negotiated settlement, and so the time for unilateral action is not yet. Bush says that he will want to learn more about this plan in the months ahead before signing off on it. And, say diplomatic sources, Bush will be looking for an international consensus on this. According to the Jerusalem Post, "The U.S....does not want Olmert to push forward with his plan before it has a chance to gain support from European countries and from Israel's Arab neighbors [Jordan and Egypt]." Need I tell you what the chances are of the international community and Arab nations signing off on an Israeli plan that the Palestinians object to, and that Jordan and Egypt fear? This may be Bush's out. Having gone it alone on Iraq and fared badly, he is unlikely to buck international consensus on this to support Olmert. And there is yet more. President Bush, in his press conference with Olmert, said, "...any final status agreement will be only achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes, and no party should prejudice the outcome of negotiations on a final status agreement..." Aaron Lerner, Director of IMRA, explains this: "The United States won't stop Israel from bulldozing Jewish communities - but warns that just because Mr. Olmert bulldozes some communities doesn't mean Israel can keep the ones it doesn't bulldoze. That's up to the deal Israel ultimately strikes with the Palestinians." Olmert originally said that Israel would unilaterally set borders if the Palestinians won't negotiate, and then hedged a bit, saying the lines would be very close to final borders. Bush is saying, "No way." Olmert has been saying that Jewish settlements that will be retained will be annexed and made part of Israel proper. Bush is saying that this would "prejudice" later final status negotiations. The Palestinians aren't going to agree to Israel keeping anything over the pre-67 lines, and State Department policy supports this. At the press conference -- see http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=29378 -- Bush was asked by a journalist about major settlement blocs being annexed to Israel and whether he would support this. His answer: "...refer to my April 14th, 2004 letter. I believed it when I wrote it, and I still believe it." This is an extremely instructive answer. He is referring to the letter that PM Sharon returned with when the "disengagement" was being discussed. "You see!" he crowed then, "President Bush has given us the right to keep major settlement blocs. We have gained his support." It wasn't true then, and it isn't true now. A simple reading of that letter made it clear that (even though it would seem that demographic changes should influence the situation) the U.S. supports the right of the two parties to determine borders and will not interfere. But who read it? People believed Sharon. The task that now falls to those of us on both sides of the Atlantic who understand the folly and the dangers of Olmert's plan is to make sure people are not taken in a second time. Olmert must not be given the opportunity to hype this visit and make it seem as if the president of the U.S. supports his intentions. Who is going to read the press conference text? Everyone must know Bush's real position. Everyone must be made to realize that even if Israel pulls back, further pullbacks will be demanded by the international community down the road. There will be no Israeli unilateral setting of borders with the Palestinians and no international recognition of Israeli annexation of any settlements. Giving up land now simply weakens us. Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams and Assistance Secretary of State David Welch will be coming here next month to discuss the plan, and reportedly Secretary of State Rice, who has already done us damage with the Rafah agreement, is scheduled to be here in the fall. For the record, the plan is apparently being renamed "realignment," because it sounds better. That's the key for Olmert, isn't it? Packaging what he intends to do so it is palatable for the people. In a later conversation. Lee Kaplan: What do we need to do to make sure that people are not taken in a second time? Arlene Kushner: That is the key question, isn't it, Lee? For
starters, we who write must make these matters clear.
Communication on lists helps as well. Exposure, focus on the
facts, as much as possible. What I wish for, here in Israel,
is the small fortune that would be required to place ads in
Hebrew in all the major papers responding on a regular basis
to the lying claims Olmert is going to make. Know anyone there
who has that small fortune and might be interested in
investing it this way? Short of this, there are ways of
getting information into the news without cost via press
conferences by people important enough to make the news, and
other techniques. We have to think creatively and dynamically.
We cannot lose this time.
Contact Lee Caplan at leescaplan@yahoo.com
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WITH WHOM SHOULD ISRAEL NEGOTIATE?
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 25, 2006. |
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Your editorial, "A Viable Palestinian State" (NY Times, 5.25.06) speaks eloquently for the need to create a state for the Palestinians. But your assertion, couched in the language of advice to President Bush and PM Olmert, that "...there will not be peace in the Middle East unless the Palestinians have a say in creating a state that can function", is a sad testimony to your abysmal ignorance of the history and reality of the Arab-Israel conflict. For the 27 years from June, 1967 to June, 1994, the West Bank and Gaza Strip experienced an amazingly successful expansion of economy, education, infrastructure, technical and medical advances, and democracy....under Israeli sovereignty. World Bank statistics show that the GDP of these territories grew between 6 and 13% per year during those 27 years, there was almost no unemployment as close to 300,000 Arabs crossed the "green line" daily to work in the Israeli economy, tourism skyrocketed, roads and sewerage and water supply and telephones and electricity were brought into the 20th century, the population more than tripled (from c. 950,000 in 1967 to more than 3,000,000 in 1994), infant mortality plummeted and life expectancy rose, and seven universities sprang up where only 3 teacher-training colleges had existed before. Most of this unprecedented progress and prosperity was due to Israel's "Mini-Marshall plan". Israel poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in the hope that the economic progress and material well-being of the Arab residents would translate in to what we then called a "peace dividend"...the recognition that peace is better than war, and cooperation promises a better life and life-style for all of us and our children than does the endless relentless commitment to terrorism and confrontation. It didn't work. When Arafat came to power, thanks to Oslo (9/13/1993), Israel's sovereignty over much of the West Bank and Gaza Strip came to an end; but all of this progress and prosperity came to a grinding halt and was quickly reversed. By 2004 the GDP of the West Bank was less than one-tenth of what it was ten years earlier. All thanks to Arafat and his terror war. The prosperity and viability of these territories during the 27 years of Israeli sovereignty can be easily replicated no matter where, or how, the borders of the new state are determined; but only if and when the Arab leadership abandons violence, rejects terrorism, stops incitement, sits down to peaceful negotiations without pre-conditions, and commits to a future of peaceful cooperation with Israel and with Jordan. Abbas has no power to do this. He cannot control his own government. He cannot stop Hamas' terrorists or even his own. He cannot deliver. So there is no point to negotiating with him. Hamas is in control of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas can deliver. But Hamas will not negotiate with Israel. Hamas will not recognize Israel. Hamas will not stop the terror war until Israel is destroyed and its 5,400,000 Jews are dead. So what is the point of pressuring Israel to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority? Today, no matter what size or shape the future state of Palestine may be, and whether those dimensions are decided by Olmert unilaterally or via negotiations with some future Palestinian Authority leadership, the Palestinian state's viability will be determined by its leaders' commitment to peace and cooperation. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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MISTER CON MAN GOES TO WASHINGTON
Posted by Ruth Matar, May 25, 2006. |
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Dear Friends,
This morning I read the following front page headline in the Jerusalem Post: BUSH, CONGRESS APPLAUD WEST BANK PULLOUT PLAN I literally wanted to cry! My native country is falling for this con-artist who went to Washington D.C. for the express purpose of pulling the wool over America's eyes with his "convergence plan". By the way, Ehud Olmert changes the name of his plan almost daily. First it is "convergence"; then it is "consolidation"; presently it is "realignment". He is like a vendor of snake oil in the Old American West, who is looking for a catchy label for his product. The intent of Olmert's plan is the withdrawal of Israel from the heart of its own country; withdrawal from its inheritance and lands, that, in essence, endanger the very existence of the State of Israel. Olmert's "Convergence Plan" will bring Hamas, Hizbullah, and Al-Quaeda, and in their wake, Iran--the true power behind these powers--to the very heart of Israel, inside Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel, and to the rest of the cities of this country. The "Convergence Plan" is in essence a plan for Israel's suicide. Mister Olmert stops at nothing! He insists that he is following Sharon's plan to retreat from Judea and Samaria. This is an outright lie. But since Sharon is in an irreversible coma, he is not able to refute Olmert's declarations. On the last visit which Ariel Sharon made to the United States, then Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom accompanied the Prime Minister. Silvan Shalom, in an article in today's Jerusalem Post denies that Olmert's "retreat plan" was "the Sharon way". "Arik said that there would not be another disengagement AND PUBLICLY DENIED IT when Olmert spoke a year and a half ago of a second disengagement." EXCERPTS FROM THE BUSH-OLMERT PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE: PRESIDENT BUSH: "I outlined my vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security. Prime Minister Olmert told me that he and his government shared this vision." [RM: What Olmert should have told President Bush is that the People of Israel do NOT share this "dream" of the creation of a second Palestinian state carved out of the Holy Land. In the historical perspective, the "Land of the Bible" is the birthright of the Jewish People as G-d promised to our forefathers.] President Bush said that it is necessary to come up with a mechanism to get food and medicine and aid to the Palestinians and invited Ehud Olmert to comment on this. OLMERT: "Thank you, Mr. President. Indeed, the government, Sunday, decided to spend NIS 50 million buying medical equipment--about $11 million--for the time being, to buy medical equipment and drugs needed for the hospitals in Gaza. And as I said during the cabinet meeting, we will spend any amount of money needed to save lives of innocent Palestinians suffering from the indifference of their government." [RM: Olmert forgot to mention the Israeli colon cancer patients who are currently demonstrating in Jerusalem for drugs to be included in the government's health basket, which have until now been denied. They have been hunger striking and demonstrating outside the Knesset, demanding the National Government include lifesaving drugs in the national healthcare basket. The protestors told the media that the drugs that have the potential to save their lives cost tens of thousands of shekels monthly, and that they do not have the ability to acquire them privately, blaming the government for "signing their death sentences". The cancer patients announced that their demonstration is being joined by breast cancer and chronic asthma patients. Ehud Olmert, charity begins at home! Why don't you concern yourself with saving the lives of innocent Jews suffering from the indifference of their government, since you are the Prime Minister of Israel?] OLMERT'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS Suddenly Olmert loves to quote the Bible, something we have never heard from him before! "My parents came to the Holy Land following the verse in the Old Testament in the book of Second Samuel, 'I will appoint a place for My People Israel and I will plant them in the their own land and they will dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more.'" [RM: Olmert has no shame whatsoever! He, together with his mentor Sharon, "disturbed" 9,000 Jews in Gush Katif by forcibly expelling them from their homes in the Holy Land. Some of these Jews, who only nine months ago were productive homeowners, with farms, businesses or employment, have now become homeless "refugees" still waiting for their compensation payment. Some have been paid a pittance advance money, which they are still using for food, rather than being able to save for a new dwelling place. Others have received nothing at all and have to rely on charity for food and clothing.] OLMERT: "We owe a quiet and normal life to ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. After defending ourselves for almost 60 years against attacks, all our children should be allowed to live free of fear and terror." [RM: Does Mr. Olmert think we are all mentally incapacitated? The Kassam rockets and the more dangerous Katusha rockets are increasingly raining down on southern Israel, and Ashkelon, with its essential installations of electricity plants and oil pipelines. Terror and suicide bombing has increased substantially since the disengagement from Gaza. A recent victim of terror is Daniel Cantor Wultz, a 16-year-old high school student from Florida, who came to spend Passover in Israel. Some people are surprised that Olmert invited the Wultz family to hear his address to Congress, since their son was a victim of the increased terror after the disengagement from Gaza.] The megalomania of Ehud Olmert has no boundaries. On every possible occasion, he keeps repeating, almost like a mantra, "I WILL SET THE PERMANENT BOUNDARIES OF ISRAEL." Ehud Olmert has put himself in direct opposition to the words of the G-d of Israel and the Bible: HASHEM said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Raise now your eyes and look out from where you are: northward, southward, eastward and westward. For all the land that you see, to you will I give it and to your descendants forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring, too, can be counted. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth! For to you I will give it. And Abram moved his tent and came and dwelled in the plains of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built there an altar to HASHEM." (Genesis: 13:14-18) On that day HASHEM made the covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates." (Genesis: 15:18) "I will make you most exceedingly fruitful, and make nations of you; and kings shall descend from you. I will ratify My covenant between Me and you, and between your offspring after you, throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant, to be a G-d to you and to your offspring after you; and I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourns - the whole of the land of Canaan - as an everlasting possession; and I shall be a G-d to them." (Genesis: 17:6-8) Ehud Olmert, add the following scripture to your list of Bible quotations: "You shall not move a boundary of your fellow, which the early ones marked out, in your inheritance that you shall inherit in the Land that HASHEM, your G-d, gives you to possess it." (Deut: 19:14) With Blessings and Love for Israel, Ruth Matar PS: Dear Friends, it is very important that you pass this Letter from Jerusalem on to everybody you can think of. Especially to President Bush, your Senators and your Congressman. In order to find out the names of the two Senators of your State, and the Congressman of your District, call the U.S. CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD: 202-224-3121 The telephone number of President Bush is: 202-456-1111 His fax number is: 202-456-2461 |
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SAYING NO TO OLMERT
Posted by Ragen, Naomi, May 25, 2006. |
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Friends, We live in strange times. An Israeli Prime Minister comes to America to ask American approval to throw thousands of Israelis from their homes, in order to hand the land over to her sworn enemies. Americans, who probably can't figure out what the heck is going on, and why an Israeli thinks this ridiculous idea is good for the country,are scratching their heads while calling it a "bold plan." Try "reckless," unthought-out", "stupid." The "if-we-don't-have-a-peace-partner- then-we'll-have-to-insist-on-retreat mantra, currently in vogue among Israeli politicians, who puff out their chests when they say it, as if it's a threat to our enemies, instead of a wonderful reward, has to be the dumbest line our Foreign Ministry has ever tried to sell. But then, our Prime Minister was never a very bright man, but rather a shrewd, self-serving, unprincipled politician who was in the right place at the right time. He's like a car salesman going to sell the latest BMW to someone he knows loves BMW's, only buys BMW's, and wants another BMW. Selling another Israeli withdrawal to the Americans has to be the easiest task any Israeli Prime Minister ever had to "achieve." I hope Israel still has some real friends in Congress who will see through this sickening travesty of a foreign policy and resist. Below, Caroline Glick describes all we have to lose by giving in to the slick campaign to pull the wool over our eyes once again. Her article appeared in The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1148287842900) May. 22, 2006. I'm afraid I'm no longer a good customer for the Israeli leftist-propaganda machine. I was there when Oslo was being sold. We all paid the price for our passivity and ignorance. And keep on paying. Resist. Question Israeli spokesmen. Don't line up like ducks behind the Olmert machinery. Resist, resist, resist. In your synagogues. In your Jewish organizations. In your communities. To support Israel, means to support all her people, her long-term needs, not the deluded government of the moment. Naomi If all goes as planned, as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meets today with US President George W. Bush in the White House, several thousand protesters from around the US and Canada will be across the Mall by the US Senate protesting Olmert's visit. These will not be the standard Israel haters from the Left or the Islamist crowd. They will be neither neo-Nazis nor Communists. Rather the planned protest is being organized by Israel's staunchest Jewish and Christian supporters. The people getting on buses to travel to Washington to protest Olmert's visit believe that Olmert's planned withdrawal from some 95 percent of Judea and Samaria and partition of Jerusalem are suicidal for Israel and will have a devastating impact on US national security. As they note in their press release, Olmert "seeks to secure the approval of President Bush to carry out more Jewish expulsions and giving over of land to Hamas (a Teheran-sponsored terrorist group), actions that totally undermine America's war on terror." Voices from inside of the Bush Administration claim that Olmert's planned withdrawal is "a done deal." The relevant administration officials argue there it would be futile for the US to register any objection to Olmert's plan because Olmert and his government are wholly committed to carrying it out. But the "plan" is anything but a done deal. The mass expulsion of Israelis from their homes in Judea and Samaria has not begun. The security fence whose completion is supposed to precede the enactment of the mass expulsions is far from complete. Indeed its route has yet to be finalized. The IDF has made no plans of any kind for defending Israel from the indefensible 1949 armistice lines. Top level Jordanian government officials have voiced serious concern to US lawmakers, Israeli officials and the media about the ramifications of Olmert's plan for the survivability of the Hashemite regime. It is simply disingenuous to say that it is too late for the US to consider opposing Olmert's plan. ASIDE FROM that, over the past 58 years, the US has never considered anything that Israel has done to be "a done deal" if it hasn't agreed that it should be a done deal. In 1956 for instance, Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula. Then prime minister David Ben-Gurion got on the radio and announced joyously that Israel would never leave the Sinai. Washington had other ideas. Several days later, after some overtly hostile strong arming from then president Dwight D. Eisenhower and his advisors, Ben-Gurion got on the radio and announced that Israel would be withdrawing from the Sinai forthwith. In 1999, Israel finalized an agreement to sell three Phalcon spy planes to China. The Chinese started making their payments. Then president Bill Clinton summoned then prime minister Ehud Barak to the White House for urgent consultations the day before a planned visit to Jerusalem from China's leader, and Barak cancelled the deal. So there is no credibility to the claim that the US cannot stop an Israeli government from doing what it has its heart set on doing. THE QUESTION is not whether the US can weigh in on the issue. The question is whether the US should intervene. To determine the answer to this question it is important to keep certain truths in mind. First, Olmert maintains that the election results that propelled him to the Prime Minister's Office were proof that he has public support for his planned withdrawal. Yet, as Hillel Halkin pointed out this month in Commentary, the elections were anything but a referendum regarding Olmert's plan. The election results, which gave Olmert's Kadima faction less than a quarter of the seats in the Knesset, were a sign that Israel's body politic is unraveling. The electorate's fragmentation was made clear both by record low voter turnout and by the dismemberment of the major parties like Likud and Labor and even Kadima to the benefit of sectoral parties like Shas, Yisrael Beitenu and the Pensioners Party. During the campaign Kadima registered its greatest losses of support after Olmert began discussing his plan to withdraw from Judea and Samaria. Yet even if Olmert did not receive a mandate for his withdrawal plan from the Israeli voters, he is the legally elected prime minister. In the eyes of many of Israel's supporters in America, it is wrong for the US to second-guess the wisdom of the Israeli leadership. While in theory this position is correct, it comes apart at the seams when the ramifications of Olmert's plans for US national security are taken into account. Knowledgeable sources in Washington policy circles maintain that in the two weeks preceding Olmert's visit to Washington, Israeli officials were asked to allay American concerns regarding the security consequences of Olmert's plan. Specifically, Israeli officials have been called upon to explain how Judea and Samaria will be prevented from following the model set in Gaza when Israel's retreat enabled the transformation of Gaza into a base for international terrorists along similar lines to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Israel's military attache in Washington, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel was reportedly sent to the White House to dispel these concerns. It should be recalled that Harel commanded last summer's retreat from Gaza. Harel was lionized at the time by the Israeli media for successfully implementing the mass expulsion of Israeli civilians from Gaza while averting civil war. Yet Harel has never been called to account for the fact that he made no plans for Israel to defend itself from the threats that - as foreseen - arose from Gaza and from the Sinai in the aftermath of the retreat. Because of his failure, IDF forces in the Southern Command were left without contingency plans for contending with the transformation of Gaza into a base for global jihad and without adequate means to secure Ashkelon and the other communities bordering Gaza from the daily missile, rocket and mortar attacks to which they have been subjected since the retreat. This is relevant because Harel reportedly told his US interlocutors that they have no reason to worry about the consequences of Olmert's plan because it only involves the mass expulsion of Israeli civilians from Judea and Samaria. The IDF, he said will retain its current positions in the areas. WHETHER OR not Harel realized it at the time, he was not being wholly truthful to his American audience. Even if the plan today is for the IDF to retain control of the areas in which the civilians are set to be expelled, and to retain their present deployments, any educated observer of Israel's political and cultural dynamics will attest that there is no way that this can happen. If Olmert expels tens of thousands of Israeli citizens from their homes, he will destroy the entire domestic rationale for the IDF deployment. As was the case in Lebanon, radical leftists within Israel will rise up and demand a full retreat. For its part, the nationalist camp will become so alienated by the expulsions that in the best case scenario, its members will simply cease to identify with the state. They will not support any military activities in the heartland of Jewish civilization that the state ethnically cleansed of all Jewish presence. Aside from this, whether the IDF remains or not, the Israeli destruction of Israeli towns and villages will be broadcast throughout the world and be celebrated - rightly - as a strategic victory of jihad. Zionism isn't about the IDF, it is about Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. Israeli destruction of Israeli villages in the Land of Israel is the death of Zionism and our enemies know it even if we insist on denying this basic truth. AND SO we return to our starting point. Olmert will meet Bush today and present to him a plan that will unravel Israeli society, which was already dangerously fragmented by the withdrawal from Gaza. He will present to him a plan that is based upon the anti-Semitic notion that Jews should be prohibited from living in certain places because they are Jews, and the perverse notion that a Palestinian state founded on the principle of lebensraum and racial purity because by definition no Jews will be allowed to live in Palestine, will be capable of living at peace one day with the Jewish state. Olmert will present a plan that provides a strategic victory to the forces of global jihad in a war they wage not only against Israel but against the US and the Western world as a whole because they will see Israel destroying itself under the gun of their terror and enabling the establishment of yet another base for global terrorists. Given all this, the question of whether or not the US should object to Olmert's plan is superseded by the question of how the US should make its rejection of this plan known to Olmert and whether its objection should similarly be communicated to the Israeli public. Any ambiguity on this issue to Olmert; any retreat behind disingenuous statements about "done deals," will be nothing less than the revocation of the cardinal US strategies for winning this war: the advance of liberal values and the denial of bases of operation to global terrorists. Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist and journalist who lives in Jerusalem. She can be contacted at www.naomiragen.com, where you can subscribe to her newsletter. |
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THE PALESTINIAN CHARADE
Posted by Bryna Berch, May 25, 2006. |
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This is a news item from the Telegraph in England (www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/ opinion/2006/05/25/dl2502.xml). A reader commented, "Abbas (Abu Mazen) did not lift a finger to make peace, or even carry out the first step of the "Road Map", when his Fateh movement wss in power. It is highly, highly unlikely that he could deliver any pact with Israel that the Palestinians would honor and stick to." A second reader said, "Hitler too was democratically elected, and for most of the 1930s Britain was at the very forefront of those who appeased him. This was an appeasement that ultimately cost the lives of many millions of people including the great majority of Jews then living in Europe. Is the Telegraph now suggesting that the world appeases once again a group dedicated to the destruction of millions of Jews? Has the Daily Telegraph really learned nothing in the last sixty years?" Another commented, "It is so rare to read a sensible article about Israel in the British or European media." (Or as sensible as Eurobia is likely to get. Appeasement by any other name is still appeasement. It never works.) In their dealings with the Palestinians, the United States and Israel are engaged in a charade. During Ehud Olmert's first visit to Washington as prime minister, George W Bush reiterated his support for a two-state negotiated solution in accordance with the Middle East "road map". He also praised his visitor's plans as "bold ideas" that could be an "important step" towards peace, should that process falter. The reality is that the road map has been in tatters since it was first agreed by America, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations in 2003. Steps towards permanent borders have been taken by Israel on its own: the building of the barrier and the withdrawal last year from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements. Having assumed the leadership of Ariel Sharon's Kadima party, Mr Olmert has campaigned for a continuation of that unilateralism: pulling out of more West Bank settlements, but incorporating the larger ones within Israel, thereby imposing a border. In the face of unremitting hostility by Hamas to the existence of a Jewish state, the prime minister has said he will attempt to negotiate with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. But Mr Abbas, whose Fatah movement was defeated in parliamentary elections in January, is a busted flush, unable to deliver anything. Unless Hamas radically changes its views, Mr Olmert will go through the motions of talking to the Palestinian president before proceeding unilaterally with his plans, which he hopes to complete within three to four years. The prime minister realises the futility of talking to Mr Abbas, and so probably does Mr Bush. But his administration is tying itself in knots over how to deal with Hamas. Unwilling to talk to a terrorist organisation, it is planning to channel funds to Mr Abbas to pay the security services and fund public works. In an attempt to starve a democratically elected government, it is favouring the co-founder of a movement that has became a byword for corruption. Nothing is better calculated to boost support for Hamas in the Occupied Territories. The Islamist challenge is real, but does not justify policies that are just plain stupid. |
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ABBAS: TERRORISTS ARE "OUR HEROES"
Posted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, May 25, 2006. |
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Israelis leaders anxiously look to Mahmoud Abbas as a potential peace partner, largely because of his moderate statements in English. However, his Arabic statements continue to show admiration for even the most depraved terrorists. Likewise, Abbas rejects terror for tactical reasons only -- not because it is immoral. During a television interview this week, Abbas twice referred to those terrorists serving "tens of life sentences" in Israeli jails as "our heroes." The terrorists who are serving "tens of life sentences" are those arch terrorists who have personally killed tens of Israelis,, and are sentenced to one life sentence for each murder. These are the people whom Mahmoud Abbas calls "our heroes." In the statement on PA TV about the jailed terrorists' recent attempts to bring peace between the Fatah and Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas expressed his satisfaction with the: "initiative of our brothers, our jailed heroes, who have presented a similar initiative [for dialogue] ... the initiative proves that these heroes, who are sentenced to tens of life sentences, feel too that the homeland is in danger..." -- [PA TV May 23, 2006] As PMW has reported in the past, even in his so-called "condemnations" of terror attacks, Abbas has always been careful in Arabic not to condemn terror because it is evil or immoral. He has criticized suicide terror only because it hurts the PA cause, as he did after the December 2005 suicide attack that killed five in Netanya. Read "PA on Terror: 'Condemns' on paper, praises in practice" at the PMW website. PMW Comment: Israeli and Western leaders are so eager to find a viable partner for peace that they often mistake Palestinian Authority leaders' "lip service" in English as statements of truly peaceful intentions. But as PMW has reported for the past decade, the only way to understand these leaders' real opinions is to pay attention to what they are telling their own people in Arabic. These are the only messages that count. Itamar Marcus is director of PMW - Palestinian Media Watch - (http://www.pmw.org.il). PMW is based in Jerusalem. Barbara Crook, a writer and university lecturer based in Ottawa, Canada, is PMW's North American representative. |
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WHY BRING THE CHAOS OF BAGHDAD TO JERUSALEM?
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 25, 2006. |
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Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, with the not so subtle connivance of President George W. Bush, was not content with the debacle they brought to the Gaza Strip. They now wish to destroy Jerusalem by bringing the chaos of Gaza and Baghdad to Israel's Eternal Capital City. Olmert, playing the role of Machiavelli, urged Sharon to abandon Gaza and Northern Samaria for the self-serving advantages Olmert and Sharon said it would bring. Here we find the other mirror image of Machiavelli, the Arabist State Department, whispering their pernicious hate-filled advice to the sophomoric boy President to sign on to another Gaza-like blunder in the "west bank". It wasn't enough to fail to pacify Iraq as the Iraqi people and the Mujahadeen (a mixture of terrorists for Islam) are killing American soldiers by road-side explosives and suicide bombs - with impunity. Now they wish to bring the same failed pacification to Israel! It wasn't enough to attempt the pacification of Afghanistan which is failing as the Taliban radical Muslims mount resurgent attacks, killing Afghans, U.N. and American soldiers. It wasn't enough for Ariel Sharon to (at first) successfully fight off the Arab Muslim Terrorists at the furthest reaches of Israel's minuscule land mass but, they had to bring the enemy closer by running out of Gush Katif/Gaza and then from Samaria. What exactly did each of these men hope to gain by pretending they knew how to appease and pacify the Muslim Jihadists (fighters for Islam)? We know President Bush is desperate to politically offset American losses in Iraq and Afghanistan by creating an illusion of successfully befriending the hostile Palestinians whose votes demonstrate that they prefer Hamas Terrorists as their nation builders. We know that PM Olmert cares almost nothing for the Land of Israel, her Jewish history and the Jews' Right of Return. We know he is has a reputation as a self-serving politician and lawyer, dedicated to his own pockets and the power he squeezes out of his position as Prime Minister. If ever there were two men who were willing to spit in the face of a G-d they either despise or simply don't believe in, it is Bush and Olmert. Even the earliest of Muslim scholars believed the Land was bequeathed to the Jews by G-d but, not Bush and Olmert. Some believe, and with good reason, that the calamities which have cascaded down upon America are the fault of President Bush and his allegiance with his oily Arab Muslim friends - to the detriment of Israel. Those Jews, now called Kadimites in the new Sharon/Olmert Party, have similarly called down upon the nation of Israel Katyusha Missiles and Kassem Rockets with an ever increasing range and accuracy, plus car bombs, drive-by and sniper shootings, suicide/homicide bombing with explosive belts worn by Muslim Arab Palestinians - and more. The Price Israel is going to pay will shock even the most radical Leftists, including the Kadimites. But, Olmert, a small-minded, insignificant man wishes to be known for something bigger than he could ever be, even if it means sacrificing Jews he doesn't really care much for anyway. In brief, two selfish political charlatans are perfectly willing to use an embattled nation IF they can gain advancement for themselves politically or for their historic legacies. We all know many unethical politicians feed on their own people to gain political or monetary advantages. In this case the banquet will be the Israeli people and, of course, Jerusalem will be the featured entreé. Is there any doubt that Olmert and Bush will bring the chaos of today's Baghdad to Jerusalem? They are already preparing their denials of fault and carefully drafting excuses as to why it's best for all if Israel must suffer missiles, rockets and suicide/homicide bombings. As for Bush's pledges to protect Israel, you will note the absence of specificity. Bush needs to improve his poll numbers and Olmert must get whatever financial rewards plus an historical change of reputation from low to high. So, both juggle with the safety of Israel at the top of their voices. But in the end, both will be ignored by history - except for the endless trail of victims who will be the casualties of their pathetic ideas that failed. Even Sharon, who had an earned reputation as a great warrior finally succumbed to the lure of being regarded by the world as a "peacemaker" who sacrificed his own people to grasp that elusive trophy of glory, gifted by the U.N., E.U., U.S. State Department and other notorious practitioners of Jew-hatred. For me, I had prayed before Sharon has his first message to desist, that he would lie in his bed, staring at the ceiling and only be able to hear the news caused by his perfidy against the Jewish people. As for Olmert and Bush, similarly may no man lift his hand against them but, let them inherit a like judgement for their planning to sell the Jewish people to the Ishmaelites. May they and all other Kadimites who hate the true Jewish people share the emptiness of Sharon's poor judgement. If you don't believe that they hate their own people, then ask: "Why are they deliberately cutting the tiny state of Israel down to an even smaller size that will look vulnerable and attractive for the Muslims to attack?" Why, too, are they so desperate to bring the chaos of Baghdad to Jerusalem? And finally, why would Olmert compress the Jewish people of Israel into the smallest compressed Ghetto he could manage. There is a belief among observant Jews that, should a man experience justifiable, long term pain before he dies, his time in Gehenna (Hell) will be somewhat lessened for the evil he did during his life. Clearly, there are many leaders and nations who failed the litmus test of how they treated the Jewish people who are now paying their debt and with much more to come. So, let us set the penalties now so those who play carelessly with the lives of their own people, thinking there is no penalty, will not be so quick to throw them to the Muslim Arabs and Palestinian wolves. I wonder how many millions of lives have been lost by arrogant, stupid leaders who believe they know best, merely because they have captured the levers of power in government. Rarely are they stopped in time before they have sacrificed the very lives of their own people. Occasionally, they were held accountable either by a victorious adversary or by their own people. One thinks of Mussolini hanging for his crimes strung up by his own people. Hitler died by his own hand while his collaborators were hung by the Nuremberg Tribunal. Hafez Al Assad died of cancer before he could be brought to man's justice. Saddam is now going through a trial for crimes against his own people and, no doubt, he will be (should be) hung by his own people. That indeed will be true justice. Dictatorial leaders invariably punish their people for daring to defy their insane orders. They tell their people, often by way of a corrupt court system slaved to their tyrannical rule, that they are teaching them a lesson in obedience - only they call it "the law". One looks forward to the day when decent, truly law-abiding people will rise up and teach their arrogant tyrannical rulers a lesson. But, why wait for the inevitable "big" lesson from on high to pronounce judgement on a travesty waiting to happen. There is already a delayed sentencing for what Sharon and Olmert have done to their own Jewish people in Gush Katif and the entire Southern Front which will soon be emptied of Jews, more Jews will be forced out by rockets and missiles from the Global Center for International Terrorism, created when Israel "ethnically cleansed" the Gaza Strip. Remember that before the garush (evacuation) of 10,000 Jewish men, women and children from Gush Katif and Northern Samaria and destruction of their beautiful homes, farms, schools, synagogues, businesses, factories and even the cemeteries those 21 Jewish communities in Gaza were declared "at risk". Before his "ethnic cleansing" in August of 2005, Sharon had the Knesset vote that, instead of the 21 communities at risk, after the eviction 44 communities in the Negev would then be at risk. Sharon knew those in so-called "Israel proper" would come under fire but he put them at risk anyway. And so they are. Katyusha Missiles (Grad missiles from Russia by means of Iran) and "homemade" Kassem Rockets are falling on the Negev communities. The schools in Sderot were ordered by the Knesset to have their roofs reinforced with concrete - but, this was never accomplished. Only miracles have so far prevented deaths and dire injuries - so far. The people of Israel should be furious and unforgiving and NOT ignore the dangerous criminal stupidity of Sharon, Olmert and the entire Cabinet who voted for this uprooting. Those responsible should (minimally) be charged for crimes against the Jewish people after having exposed these innocent people to the predictable missiles and rockets that are now falling on the South. Why should the innocent, hard-working people of Israel pay this price when the shallow political dimwits have comfortable, safe dinners at home when they foisted this danger upon them with their frivolous decisions? I have always believed that the Oslo Accords caused the subsequent 1500+ deaths and thousands of injuries - many maimed for life. Those who voted for Olso should have been held culpable and should be tried with penalties ranging from prison to a hanging offense as perpetrators of causing death. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN ISRAEL; THE FIELDSTON'S SCHOOL LEFTIST AGENDA
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 25, 2006. |
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This is another Israeli case originally reported earlier, but which has since then come to trial, part of which my colleague attended. She also interviewed defense counsel. I added explanatory comments. This trial went on for about 3 years, with different appeals and legal work. David Ha'ivri, a former American known as David Axelrod from Long Beach, L.I., was on trial for selling T-shirts with a picture of Rabbi Kahane on the front and a slogan on the back, "No Arabs, No Terror." Claiming the slogan means to kill all the Arabs, the prosecutor charged Ha'Ivri with "incitement" and racism against the Arabs. The Defense attorney David Heimowitz explained that if Americans were bombing buses, he would write, "No Americans, No terror." That would be a factual statement, not a call for murder, but the judge did not gasp that logic. My colleague perceived the trial as trying Rabbi Kahane from the grave. They said that his picture on the front of the shirt was a punch in the face to the Arabs and the slogan on the back was racist. Actually, the trial was political (ideological warfare carried on by politics). (If the courts really oppose bigotry, why aren't Arabs prosecuted for actually chanting "death to the Jews," which are not mere expression of sentiment but rabble-rousing words?) Rabbi Kahane's son testified that his father taught him to love Jews, and didn't speak about killing or hating Arabs. Prof. Paul Eidelberg (whose book on democracy I found enlightening) offered his documents on democracy and freedom of expression. The judge would have accepted it, but the prosecutor rejected them. Since the official language of the country is Arabic or Hebrew, said she, the court must rejecting Prof. Eidelberg's lesson on freedom of speech, written in English. (In that politicized judiciary, judges often take their cues from prosecutors carrying out the government line, rather than seeking justice.) What happened in the street? A policeman confiscated the shirts on Ben Yehuda St. from another person, not Ha'ivri. The owner was arrested, but not charged and soon freed. Meanwhile, the cop gave the sack of shrits to a second cop, who didn't know what was in it. This cop didn't remember or see if the rabbi's picture was on the back or front. Meanwhile, where was Ha'vri? He was standing at a demonstration on Aggripas St., when the shirts were confiscated on Ben Yehuda St.! He was nowhere near the shirts. The police, however, sent him a letter to pick up the shirts. Ha'ivri came to the police station to get them. Well, if they weren't your shirts, the prosecutor said, why did you come to the police station? His answer was that the police asked him to come. The police had a letter ostensibly signed by him and bearing his identification number. Ha'ivri said, "Look at the signature! It isn't mine. I don't know who got my number. Someone else sent it in and you called, so I came." The prosecutor admitted she was not prepared by asserting she didn't know about the police report that the shirts were taken from another person, though the report was described in the documents given to her before trial. The police testimony did not add up to inculpate the accused. In America they would throw that case out, and defense counsel asked in vain that this case be dismissed. The prosecutor retorted that if Ha'ivri goes free with the slogan on the shirt, then Israeli is like Nazi Germany. (No, she is like the Nazis, in punishing innocent Jews.) The judge said, "He may not be guilty of the Incitement charge, but he still may be guilty of something. I am charging him with something. I am charging him with 'Obstruction of Justice.'" That is for not asserting at the outset that he had not signed the petition to get back the shirts. After postponements and appeals, a judge dropped the new charge but reinserted the original one of "incitement." Ha'ivri was sentenced to hard community service for 2 months with a two-month suspended sentence. He lives in Tapuach, from which he has to go quite a distance to fulfill the sentence and work all day lifting heavy boxes. Ha'ivri said that it would be easier in jail. (A suspended sentence gives the system a lever for intimidating protestors from persisting.) In Israel, Jews are considered guilty without evidence, unless proved innocent. Their self-defense against Arab assailants and warning against Arab sedition are considered criminal! The justice system pretends that it is concerned to safeguard life, but it prosecutes Jews who shoot in the air, and not Arabs who attack them with rocks and threaten to mob them. (If there were justice in Israel, prosecutor and judge would: (1) Recognize that the slogan was political and factual and not criminal; (2) Investigate how the police got the ID number of the defendant. This seems to be like another case of the secret service framing an nationalist Jew. It is a terrible subversion of democracy, when the secret service is out of democratic control like that; and (3) At least shift the prosecution to the one distributing the shirts, rather than blaming for it someone else. At another incident, Ha'Ivri's daughter was in court, having been arrested at a demonstration for Israel to keep the Territories, which are in the Land of Israel. Mr. Ha'Ivri insisted on the right to speak with his daughter. Court police rushed into the room and beat him badly, until the judge demanded they cease. Likewise, young Shimson Cytrin, indicted for attempted murder because he threw rocks back at Arabs who were not indicted but had thrown rocks at Jews, was sitting in court when his sister came to say something to him. Police pulled her away. Their father said, "Don't you dare touch my daughter." Security men came into the room and beat him until he had to be taken to the hospital. The family related this incident to my colleague. The Arabs have a different attitude towards their daughters. If the daughter is merely suspected of having done something immoral, which may have been only kissing a man to whom she was not married, her parents or brother will stab her to death for "shaming the family." The murder doesn't shame the Arabs, it 'redeems' the family honor. Such a story was shown on Israeli TV news, recently. Those are the primitive, brutal, feuding Arabs with whom the Israeli leftists imagine they would make peace, if only the Jewish settlers wouldn't block the deal of a territorial give that the leftists suppose would bring the peace. But jihadists don't make peace, and Arabs don't keep agreements, as the dozen years of their violations of the Oslo Accords demonstrates. The Left would be wiser to think about how to win the war. When anti-Zionists call Israel a fascist state, they are half right and half wrong. They are right that the government uses fascist tactics, but wrong that the Arabs are the victims of fascist tactics. It is more like Egypt, when it had Jews, for it beat them up and dispossessed them. Much of the Western media is anti-Zionist. It looks for opportunities to criticize Israel. It does not criticize Israel, however, for persecuting Jews. What a reflection upon media for not being objective! If the NY Times were a decent newspaper, it would criticize these political persecutions, star-chamber trials, and wanton beating of dissidents. It would ask Israel why it doesn't order police to tell people who may be speaking out of order in court to sit down, then arrest them, and not to use force beyond what is necessary to arrest them. A country lacks justice when police feel free to punish dissidents brutally. PRES. OF ISRAEL TO MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS Speaking to a group of Muslim religious leaders, Pres. Katsav asked how come Israeli Jews contend that Islam does not sanctify blowing up buses of innocent people, but the Muslim leaders either fall silent or deny the contention (MEFNews, 5/8). By now it should be clear that Muslim leaders sanctify terrorism and have a firm religious basis for doing so. It is futile and fatuous to appeal to humanitarian instincts in a religion that puts conquest first. The mass of Islamic officials, if not also of Muslims, apparently accepts any means of deceit and violence that advances the supremacy of Islam. They don't recognize international law, the rule of law, and Western ethics except to distort their meaning in attempts to appeal to Western good nature so as to lull its defenses. FIELDSTON SCHOOL IMPOSES LEFTISM The Fieldston School in Riverdale had scheduled a debate on the Arab-Israel conflict by two Muslims. One would argue that Israel should give up the Territories, and the other would argue that Israel should give up the ghost. The School called that balanced. Parents and alumni objected sufficiently to get the event canceled. The School scheduled a new event, supposed to be more balanced. Pro-Israel speakers were restricted to side panels, but the main, school-wide forum featured Prof. Tony Judt, who opposes Jewish statehood, and Rashid Khalidi, who supports the Arab struggle against Israel. Again there were protests, but the School persisted. The School has an agenda, an anti-Zionist one. Replacing Israel with an Arab state, however, means setting up an Islamist state. That hardly accords with the supposed ethical culture principles of Fieldston (Andrew Wolf, NY Sun, 5/9, p.3). Some attendees thought the forum was fair, and that the panelists were scholarly. A parent said that Hamas acceded to power because some Jewish groups call any counter argument about the conflict antisemitic (Shlomo Greenwald, NY Sun, 5/10, p.3). What could be sillier than to suppose that the Arab voters in the P.A. voted for Hamas because some Jewish groups call arguments against Zionism antisemitic! One wonders whether such people can recognize what is fair. Leftist educators pursue their agenda regardless of facts and logic to the contrary, the failure of their theories, and other people's feelings, whether it is anti-Zionism or reading instruction by memorizing whole words. They are not democratic. WHO'S STUPID, BUSH OR KERRY? Iran has offered again to negotiate its nuclear development. UNO ambassador Bolton responded, "The Iranians are always interested in talking when the squeeze is put on them." The White House said the offer doesn't address international concerns (Benny Avni, NY Sun, 5/9, p.5). The Bush administration realizes that Muslim dictators stall for time. Kerry didn't, at least when the issues of Iraq and Iran came up during the election. He mistook negotiations and UNO proceedings for serious attempts to solve the problems. WORD OF INTERNECINE P.A. VIOLENCE GETTING OUT For months, armed militiamen and clans clashed with each other in the P.A., injuring bystanders in the process. The media focused almost exclusively on injuries from Israeli counter-attacks against terrorism, professing great concern about those Arab casualties but not noticing the others. I've remarked about that inconsistency. By mid-May, P.A. civil strife was featured in the NY Sun and NY Times. But the world has not yet washed its hands of such vile people. JURIES TOO CONFUSED TO PUNISH TERRORISTS PROPERLY? A jury was deciding whether to apply the death penalty to Moussaoui, who confessed to being part of the 9/11 hijacking crew. They decided against it. They felt there were mitigating factors. One was his "unstable early childhood and dysfunctional family." Other people with poor home lives, however, do not become mass-murderers. His religion, however, encouraged him to do so (Cal Thomas, NY Sun, 5/9, Op.-Ed.). I don't think he should be rewarded for having had a poor home life. Neither is it a mitigating factor, because it is not relevant to the crime, for which he is responsible, not his mother. A mitigating factor in, say, a robbery, would be if a robber administered first aid to a victim or returned his share of the loot. SELF-INFLICTED GAZA POVERTY The Arabs blame their problems on other people. The poverty in Gaza, however, is self-inflicted. The upper class has no sense of responsibility for the lower class, and no compassion for them. (Indeed, it exploits them, via monopolies.) It shucks that responsibility off onto UNRWA, to which the US has just doubled its contribution. The Arabs do not try to develop their economy. (They are not about development but about jihad. The Arabs refused Israeli help in development) The P.A. also pretends it has no responsibility for its own people on the false grounds that it is occupied. What that has to do with it, is not explained. It got ridiculous when, from having a slight supervision over Gaza, Israel withdrew almost entirely, but the P.A. still calls itself occupied, as an excuse for lack of progress and as a means of continuing to denounce Israel and maintain a war footing against it. The excuse that poverty and occupation drives people to terrorism is false. The ones who exhort to terrorism are the professional clergy and government officials. The people who become terrorists mostly are educated and affluent. Terrorism began before Israel controlled the Territories. Unfortunately, the Arabs have persuaded the world otherwise (Middle East Forum news, 5/10). How were the Arabs able to persuade the world of these canards? The media is not honest about it. Western education neglects or is politically correct about jihad, although jihad is the West's primary enemy. Partly, of course, Westerners and others are receptive to defamation of the Jewish people, constantly repeated. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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ROADBLOCKS -- THE ONLY ONE WAY TO FIGHT OLMERT
Posted by Zeev Shemer, May 25, 2006. |
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25 years ago we discovered the one thing that Israeli officials and left-wing oriented Israeli citizens fear the most: Road Blocks. Zu Artzeinu, was the group that started blocking roads through out the country. The group was lead by Moshe Feiglin (currently in the almost extinct Likud as a minority and outsider) and Shmuel Sacket (currently in the US raising funds for Feiglin). They were ferociously persecuted, incarcerated and harassed because they had discovered Israel's real weakness. Much money and effort was put by Sharon and his cronies to make sure that the "leaders" of the right (the Orange fringe) would not allow their followers to commit to such a strategy. The Yesha Council (a bunch of corrupt self-appointed leaders of the settlement movement) made sure to indicate to the thousands of young activists to limit their actions to handing out orange stripes and literature but for no reason they were to block highways or major intersections. So it was that when Sharon deployed his Kappo police to Gaza and northern Shomron, the Yesha leaders advised the 250,000 protestors that showed up at Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv, to drive down to Gaza and persuade peacefully our troops to desist from expelling our Jewish brothers and sisters from their homes. Needless to say, Jews were stopped in places not even close to the communities they quickly destroyed. The youth was dispersed and lost, as they saw the destruction take place while their leaders (purposely) wasted time giving useless directions. With 40,000 Jews, we could have brought Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Hertzlia, Ramat Aviv and Hod HaSharon to their knees. There would have not been a Disengagement. If no individual would have been able to go to work or get back home, every hour that Tel Aviv would have stood still it would have represented millions in economic losses and there would have been an immediate call to stop the Disengagement. Before Zu Artzeinu, the people had an even more terrifying weapon: Rabbi Meir Kahane, a controversial right wing voice that through reason and logic, attracted hundreds of thousands of diverse Jews to the understanding that throwing the Arab out was the key to Jewish survival. After he was murdered, and after the subsequent murder of his son, the only weapon left is Road Blocks. They are terrified that someone will raise his voice and advocate such action against the supporters of national suicide. But they are not too worried, because they know they have the Yesha Council in their pocket, together with the sold-out Shas and their always loyal "mamlachti rabbis" (politically correct rabbis). Feiglin, Sacket, Kleiner, Marzel, none of them will remind the people of the power they have. The Road Blocks that can stop Olmert will forever only be "if only we had..." Zeev Shemer lives in Ramat HaGolan. Contact him at liviorosenberg@yahoo.com |
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OLMERT'S CONVERGENCE PLAN -- POLICY, POLITICS OR INEXCUSABLE STUPIDITY?
Posted by Mordechai Ben-Menachem, May 25, 2006. |
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"For all the morons out there who haven't figured this out for themselves. Olmert is destroying Israel -- he must go!" The above line was the "subject field" in an email that I sent out to some of my lists yesterday. I received two objections (from about a thousand people) and many supporting emails. They both objected to my use of strong language (moron). The expected thing would be to apologise for such use. That is not the intention of this mail. I object to being blown up in my bed, or bus, or train, or anywhere else, or for that matter, to my friends being murdered by these modern monsters. As I continually tell my students at the U., Real Life is Tough! One person said that they stop listening when tough language is used. That is childish. Tough language is called for when tough subjects come up. Perhaps that is cultural. That is the culture that I live in. I do not think it is "coincidence" that I am writing this on Jerusalem Day. The objection seems to be based upon the concept that this is an issue of a policy decision and that policy can be legitimately debated. If this is the case, then the use of strong language can be objectionable. This is not an issue of a legitimate policy decision. This is an issue of one of the most stupid concepts yet thought up. And, for this area of the world, that is really saying something. I do apologise that this email is rather much longer than is my wont. Evidently, some people are either lacking basic information or need it to be shown to them in a manner that prevents them from continuing to ignore it. Real life is tough. Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We have retreated from both Southern Lebanon and Gaza. In the former case, the retreat was done in the most cowardly manner, clearly showing Hezbollah that it was their victory and not our choice; even leaving some two billion dollars worth of military equipment in the field for their added prize. We now have some 12,000 Hezbollah rockets on our northern border. This has changed a tactical annoyance into an existential strategic threat. In the case of Gaza, we knowingly expelled some 9000 citizens, with legally owned property, houses, businesses, social and religious infrastructure. It is to be emphasized that all of this was legally owned property, incontrovertible, even by our leftist-extremist court system that continually attempted to find excuses to make life difficult for law-abiding citizenry. Not a single family has yet to be accommodated in permanent housing, many are still out of gainful employment (ALL were gainfully employed previously), it has already cost the Israeli taxpayer almost twenty billions of sheqels, and NONE of them have yet to be fully compensated for their losses, nor is there any such intention. Legality of property was ignored. In addition, while previously, the Egyptian government "allowed" smuggling via tunnels, now there is wholesale importation of major, long-range weapons systems. The Egyptian government views our weakness and has been assiduously working towards abrogation of the treaty preventing remilitarization of Sinai. There is constant smuggling of weapons, terrorist, drugs, prostitutes and etcetera over the Sinai border, in never heretofore quantities. Again, changing a minor tactical annoyance into a strategic necessity -- there is now a movement afoot to build yet another fence along the entire Israel-Egypt border, of hundreds of kilometres, at an enormous cost. (It will need to be much more than just a physical barrier as it is in desert and needs to be constantly patrolled, both on the ground and from the air.) Anyone of sense ought to know why it is important for Egypt to remilitarize Sinai, as they've spent tens of billions of dollars on arms for the past two decades. Hint: they do not need the weapons against Qaddafi? Okay, let's presume the absurd and say this time, it'll be different, with a different result. Einstein was wrong. Let's examine this. First the basic facts of the plan, what are we being asked to do? The idea is to 'converge' over 100,000 people into territory that it incontrovertibly Israeli. In so doing, we would be strengthening our holds, enhancing the Jewish-ness of the population and making Israel more defensible. This will cost between 100-200 billion sheqels (more than tens times the number of people, less than ten times the cost -- there is no reason why this should make sense). That cash does not exist, even if the US can be convinced to contribute to it. Israel today is one of the most densely populated nations in the world, with a population density of 270 persons per square kilometre, as compared with Arab population density of 46. By the way, don't tell me about desert, 2/3 of Israel is desert. The evacuated areas have about fifty percent of our water supply. This will lengthen our eastern border by many hundreds of kilometres, making the path of the border very circuitous, and over terrain difficult to patrol. On our eastern border today sits Jordan, the only Arab country with whom we have reasonable relations. They, of course, strongly object to this proposal, for obvious reasons. Hamas is already working very hard towards a crash of that regime, which is over 70% Palestinian. It is clear to anyone that this would spell a rapid demise of the Hashemite kingdom, putting Iran in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. This is not smart; this is not even foolish; THIS IS MORONIC! Not even a stupid person can justify support of this. For the first time since the seventh century, the Persian Empire stretches from the Gulf to the Mediterranean -- they already control Syria and Lebanon, via their proxies, the Alawites and Hezbollah. For the first time since the ninth century, Sunni (Moslem Brotherhood) and Shi'a are uniting; not just common cause, but actual unity of action AND purpose, and by choice not conquering. The US military in Iraq will be faced with organized enemies on all sides. Israel will be faced with organized enemies of all sides (one of the results of the Six-Day War was to break the encirclement -- that is what we are being asked to return). What are we offered in return for all this? In future negotiations, we'll have nothing to give. What will then be the Europeans' demands? They are already hinting that then they can demand controlled immigration (Aliyah). Obviously, the 'demography' bluff can't be used to justify this; even if it did exist (the Palestinian population figures are grossly inaccurate). Okay, so you dislike my use of strong language. Fine, I dislike having my murderers supported by stupidity. I have yet to hear one, single argument which can be used to support this moronic idea. One person said, "Then, because they'll leave us no option, we can go to war with them. It's the only way to resolve the issue. Either they win, or we do." To be gentle, this is not the way real life works. A country is not a laboratory: either they win or we do. If they win, we are all dead -- get that? Dead, as in a second holocaust, a second six million dead! Just as the Arabs have stated, since Oslo. Get that? Either we win or we die -- there exists no third option. This stupid thinking is the same kind of stupidity that brought us 1429 dead since Oslo, with 29 dead in Lebanon, alone (by the way, not 3, as is promoted by the media). After this stupidity, the breadth of the country is 9 miles. What are the chances of our survival when our ENTIRE infrastructure is attackable from the sea? Olmert's plan is a certain recipe for national disaster. You don't like me calling its supporters morons? Neither do I. Show me an option. Mordechai Ben-Menachem is at Ben-Gurion University. He can be reached by email at quality@computer.org |
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WHICH 37 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS VOTED AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT?
Posted by Jerome S. Kaufman, May 25, 2006. |
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Information and quotes from various sources.
May 23, 2006, by an overwhelming vote of 361-37, the House of Representatives passed the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, H.R. 4681. The bill ends direct aid and contact with the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority until Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel's right to exist, and agrees to abide by all previous agreements. "The bill preserves necessary humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people, while keeping American taxpayer dollars out of the hands of a government run by terrorists. Hamas is a terrorist organization, whose involvement in the governmental process has not altered its stated goal of destroying Israel." Instead of using these last few months to work toward better relations with Israel, Hamas continues to reject Israel's right to exist and to endorse continued violence against the Israeli people. Hamas' newly appointed Foreign Minister stated in a recent interview that 'there is no place for the state of Israel on this land.' A Hamas spokesperson endorsed a recent suicide bombing that killed nine Israelis, stating that terrorists have "every right" to carry out suicide bombings against the Israeli people. This legislation sets out a clear path for the Hamas government -- end your support for terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist and you will be recognized as a legitimate member of the international community. But until those conditions are met, the United States will not allow American taxpayer dollars to be used to support or legitimize a terrorist-led Palestinian Authority. Commended was the extraordinary work of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) who initiated the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006. The bill is the farthest U.S. lawmakers have ever gone towards cutting off the Palestinian leadership from U.S. aid and restricting assistance through non-governmental organizations. To voters curious as to Party affiliation of those that voted against the bill, the following information may be of interest: Of the 37 that voted against the bill 31 were Democrats and only 6 Republicans. The 37 are listed below: Arizona: Kolbe (R), Grijalva (D)
Some names will immediately stick out for their long anti-Israel voting record - Cynthia McKinney (D), Conyers (D), Dingell (D), Kilpatrick (D), Kucinich (D), Rahall (D), Obey (D) and most of the others that I have neglected to mention. Also of note is that of the 9 representatives who were present but elected to not vote, all were Democrats. The 9 are listed below: California: Watson (D)
Perhaps this information will be of some use when you are about to make political contributions or at your next visit to the voting booth? Comment from reader: Kucinich (D-OH) has a large Arab constituency and almost no Jews in his district, so his voting record should not be a surprise. He took over a seat previously help by Mary Rose OaKar, who went on to become president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee after being charged with seven federal felonies in a 1995 indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Fred Taub
Jerome S. Kaufman is National Secretary of the Zionist
Organization of America. and host the Israel Commentary website
(http://www.israel-commentary.org).
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THAT SUPPORTERS OF FREE SPEECH -- ACLU --GAGS ITS OWN BOARD MEMBERS
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 25, 2006. |
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Quick! When does the ACLU NOT believe in free speech?
Yes, the NY Times reports that the heads of the hyper-Left ACLU have gone on a jihad (or is it jughad?) against the rights of free speech of those critical of it! It seems that the American Civil Liberties Union is weighing new standards that would discourage its board members from publicly criticizing the organization's policies and internal administration. Where an individual director disagrees with a board position on matters of civil liberties policy, the director should refrain from publicly highlighting the fact of such disagreement," the committee that compiled the standards wrote in its proposals. "Directors should remember that there is always a material prospect that public airing of the disagreement will affect the A.C.L.U. adversely in terms of public support and fund-raising," the proposals state. Given the organization's longtime commitment to defending free speech, some former board members were shocked by the proposals. Nat Hentoff, a writer and former A.C.L.U. board member, was incredulous. "You sure that didn't come out of Dick Cheney's office?" he asked. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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PATHETIC, IT REMINDS ME OF...
Posted by Batya Medad, May 25, 2006. |
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Last night, close to midnight, I caught a bit of the TV news. A very excited guest-"expert" was raving about how marvelous Olmert was, because they clapped for him in Congress when he gave this speech. The "expert," who was jumping so, you'd think him drugged, kept saying that Olmert's policies make him an international statesmen, and everyone loves Olmert, since he's doing what they want. Well, it reminds me of the girls who let the guys do "what they wanted," just to be popular. They would do absolutely anything, just so they'd be called again, to do it some more. Of course the entire school, both the boys and the girls, all laughed behind their backs. But "those girls" were oblivious to the ridicule and didn't care about the STD--Sexually Transmitted Diseases they were catching. So when I hear or read the Israeli "spinners," political commentators, justifying the destruction of Jewish towns and the exiling of Israeli citizens just because it makes the world love us, it reminds me of the pathetic tramps and whores... Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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CAROLINE HAWLEY AT THE BBC
Posted by Barry Shaw, May 25, 2006. |
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TO: Editors
Sirs, What type of journalistic standard is the BBC projecting when your reporter, Caroline Hawley, questions the arrest of a leading Hamas terrorist with the words "It is not clear why the (Israeli) army moved against Hamad". In light of the fact that Hawley knew Ibrahim Hamad was directly responsible for the murder of seventy Israelis in repeated suicide and terror attacks against civilian targets in Israel, this was an inexcusable accusation against Israel, and one that requires Hawley to be strongly censured if not fired. How dare your reporter put a personal statute of limitation on the arrest of murderers who deliberately target and kill innocent civilians. Or maybe, as she is the official spokesperson on the ground for the BBC, she is reflecting the official position of your organization? As this is just one more example of the constant Israel-bashing so prevalent from the BBC you have become unable to divorce your staff from adopting a strongly anti-Israel position -- even when we are upholding the law by putting our soldiers at risk by going into terrorist-controlled Palestinian areas in an effort to bring murderous terrorists and criminals to justice. According to the BBC, we are damned if we kill them, and we are damned if we bring them to justice. This ongoing support of Palestinian terrorists by the BBC has to stop! Barry Shaw is founder & chairman, the Netanya Terror Victims Organisation, in Netanya, Israel Contact him at netre@matav.net.il |
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SAYING NO TO OLMERT
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 24, 2006. |
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Thousands of street smart Jews and Christian Zionists protested PM Olmert's naive plan to divide Jerusalem and eliminate many of the Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, creating a vacuum which is custom designed for Terrorists to occupy. Sadly, many of the primary Jewish organizations are repeating what frightened Jews of the 1930s and 40s did or didn't do when their leaders refused to confront their governments over the Genocide taking place in Europe. The Sha-Sha Jews, such as the AJCs, ADL, Conference of Presidents, National Council of Young Israel, Orthodox Union, etc. are not participating for all the wrong reason and are simply not to be relied upon. We must organize to protect ourselves as well as our brothers and sisters in Israel. This article was written by Caroline Glick and appeared yesterday in
the Jerusalem Post If all goes as planned, as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meets today with US President George W. Bush in the White House, several thousand protesters from around the US and Canada will be across the Mall by the US Senate protesting Olmert's visit. These will not be the standard Israel haters from the Left or the Islamist crowd. They will be neither neo-Nazis nor Communists. Rather the planned protest is being organized by Israel's staunchest Jewish and Christian supporters. The thousands of people who traveled by bus to Washington to protest Olmert's visit believe that Olmert's planned withdrawal from some 95 percent of Judea and Samaria and partition of Jerusalem are suicidal for Israel and will have a devastating impact on US national security. As they note in their press release, Olmert "seeks to secure the approval of President Bush to carry out more Jewish expulsions and giving over of land to Hamas (a Teheran-sponsored terrorist group), actions that totally undermine America's war on terror." Voices from inside of the Bush Administration claim that Olmert's planned withdrawal is "a done deal." The relevant administration officials argue there it would be futile for the US to register any objection to Olmert's plan because Olmert and his government are wholly committed to carrying it out. But the "plan" is anything but a done deal. The mass expulsion of Israelis from their homes in Judea and Samaria has not begun. The security fence whose completion is supposed to precede the enactment of the mass expulsions is far from complete. Indeed its route has yet to be finalized. The IDF has made no plans of any kind for defending Israel from the indefensible 1949 armistice lines. Top level Jordanian government officials have voiced serious concern to US lawmakers, Israeli officials and the media about the ramifications of Olmert's plan for the survivability of the Hashemite regime. It is simply disingenuous to say that it is too late for the US to consider opposing Olmert's plan. Aside from that, over the past 58 years, the US has never considered anything that Israel has done to be "a done deal" if it hasn't agreed that it should be a done deal. In 1956 for instance, Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula. Then prime minister David Ben-Gurion got on the radio and announced joyously that Israel would never leave the Sinai. Washington had other ideas. Several days later, after some overtly hostile strong arming from then president Dwight D. Eisenhower and his advisors, Ben-Gurion got on the radio and announced that Israel would be withdrawing from the Sinai forthwith. In 1999, Israel finalized an agreement to sell three Phalcon spy planes to China. The Chinese started making their payments. Then president Bill Clinton summoned then prime minister Ehud Barak to the White House for urgent consultations the day before a planned visit to Jerusalem from China's leader, and Barak cancelled the deal. So there is no credibility to the claim that the US cannot stop an Israeli government from doing what it has its heart set on doing. THE QUESTION is not whether the US can weigh in on the issue. The question is whether the US should intervene. To determine the answer to this question it is important to keep certain truths in mind. First, Olmert maintains that the election results that propelled him to the Prime Minister's Office were proof that he has public support for his planned withdrawal. Yet, as Hillel Halkin pointed out this month in Commentary, the elections were anything but a referendum regarding Olmert's plan. The election results, which gave Olmert's Kadima faction less than a quarter of the seats in the Knesset, were a sign that Israel's body politic is unraveling. The electorate's fragmentation was made clear both by record low voter turnout and by the dismemberment of the major parties like Likud and Labor and even Kadima to the benefit of sectoral parties like Shas, Yisrael Beitenu and the Pensioners Party. During the campaign Kadima registered its greatest losses of support after Olmert began discussing his plan to withdraw from Judea and Samaria. Yet even if Olmert did not receive a mandate for his withdrawal plan from the Israeli voters, he is the legally elected prime minister. In the eyes of many of Israel's supporters in America, it is wrong for the US to second-guess the wisdom of the Israeli leadership. While in theory this position is correct, it comes apart at the seams when the ramifications of Olmert's plans for US national security are taken into account. Knowledgeable sources in Washington policy circles maintain that in the two weeks preceding Olmert's visit to Washington, Israeli officials were asked to allay American concerns regarding the security consequences of Olmert's plan. Specifically, Israeli officials have been called upon to explain how Judea and Samaria will be prevented from following the model set in Gaza when Israel's retreat enabled the transformation of Gaza into a base for international terrorists along similar lines to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Israel's military attache in Washington, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel was reportedly sent to the White House to dispel these concerns. It should be recalled that Harel commanded last summer's retreat from Gaza. Harel was lionized at the time by the Israeli media for successfully implementing the mass expulsion of Israeli civilians from Gaza while averting civil war. Yet Harel has never been called to account for the fact that he made no plans for Israel to defend itself from the threats that - as foreseen - arose from Gaza and from the Sinai in the aftermath of the retreat. Because of his failure, IDF forces in the Southern Command were left without contingency plans for contending with the transformation of Gaza into a base for global jihad and without adequate means to secure Ashkelon and the other communities bordering Gaza from the daily missile, rocket and mortar attacks to which they have been subjected since the retreat. This is relevant because Harel reportedly told his US interlocutors that they have no reason to worry about the consequences of Olmert's plan because it only involves the mass expulsion of Israeli civilians from Judea and Samaria. The IDF, he said will retain its current positions in the areas. WHETHER OR not Harel realized it at the time, he was not being wholly truthful to his American audience. Even if the plan today is for the IDF to retain control of the areas in which the civilians are set to be expelled, and to retain their present deployments, any educated observer of Israel's political and cultural dynamics will attest that there is no way that this can happen. If Olmert expels tens of thousands of Israeli citizens from their homes, he will destroy the entire domestic rationale for the IDF deployment. As was the case in Lebanon, radical leftists within Israel will rise up and demand a full retreat. For its part, the nationalist camp will become so alienated by the expulsions that in the best case scenario, its members will simply cease to identify with the state. They will not support any military activities in the heartland of Jewish civilization that the state ethnically cleansed of all Jewish presence. Aside from this, whether the IDF remains or not, the Israeli destruction of Israeli towns and villages will be broadcast throughout the world and be celebrated - rightly - as a strategic victory of jihad. Zionism isn't about the IDF, it is about Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel. Israeli destruction of Israeli villages in the Land of Israel is the death of Zionism and our enemies know it even if we insist on denying this basic truth. AND SO we return to our starting point. Olmert will meet Bush today and present to him a plan that will unravel Israeli society, which was already dangerously fragmented by the withdrawal from Gaza. He will present to him a plan that is based upon the anti-Semitic notion that Jews should be prohibited from living in certain places because they are Jews, and the perverse notion that a Palestinian state founded on the principle of lebensraum and racial purity because by definition no Jews will be allowed to live in Palestine, will be capable of living at peace one day with the Jewish state. Olmert will present a plan that provides a strategic victory to the forces of global jihad in a war they wage not only against Israel but against the US and the Western world as a whole because they will see Israel destroying itself under the gun of their terror and enabling the establishment of yet another base for global terrorists. Given all this, the question of whether or not the US should object to Olmert's plan is superseded by the question of how the US should make its rejection of this plan known to Olmert and whether its objection should similarly be communicated to the Israeli public. Any ambiguity on this issue to Olmert; any retreat behind disingenuous statements about "done deals," will be nothing less than the revocation of the cardinal US strategies for winning this war: the advance of liberal values and the denial of bases of operation to global terrorists. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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THE CEASE-FIRE THAT NEVER CEASES THE FIRE
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 24, 2006. |
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Craig Gordon's "Bush praises Olmert but urges talks with Abbas" (SF Chron 5/24/06) does a good job of balancing Israeli input with Hamas assertions. But he does make two serious factual errors which skew the content and message of his article. "...Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said..(that Hamas)..will continue a sixteen month cease fire and that Israel can enjoy a long-term truce if it withdraws from the West Bank and east Jerusalem..." Mr. Gordon is right to note that this offer does not satify Israel or President Bush. But what he neglects to point out is : a.) the the Hamas assertion about continuing the cease-fire is false. Hamas, while pretending to observe the cease fire of February, 2005, has guided, directed, funded, trained, armed, and sheltered the terrorists of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, el-Aqsa Martrys' brigade, Hezbolla and even el-Qaeda. Hamas, far from abiding by the cease fire, has sub-contracted its terrorism to kindred groups so that it can play "good cop - bad cop" with the West....and the West merrily buys in to the charade. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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A CALL FOR POLLARD -- PLEASE ACT NOW!
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 24, 2006. |
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mishpachah@mac.com wrote: Please read and send this to as many fellow Jews as possible. Please send "blind" copies, so that others' e-mail addresses are not given out against their will or preference. Thank you! A CALL FOR POLLARD: It takes only a few seconds to pick up the telephone and dial 202-456-1111. This is the White House Comment Line. It is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Comments are taken by operators to be given to the President. We are beseeching all Jews to call this line daily to seek immediate freedom for Jonathan Pollard. We are all commanded by G-d not to stand by while our brothers blood is shed. It appears that Jonathan Pollard is slowly dying in prison. We are also commanded to help secure the release of our brothers and sisters in captivity. It is a great mitzvah to help secure Pollard's release. When, you call the Comment Line, tell the White House operator: WE ARE CALLING TO IMPLORE THE PRESIDENT TO PARDON AND RELEASE JONATHAN POLLARD FROM PRISON IMMEDIATELY. Our plea is insufficient to compare to what Pollard himself has written. You can see the text of his letter to The Jewish People in Pollard's Yom Yerushalayim letter, by clicking on his website at: http://www.jonathanpollard.org. Further, on the home page of the website, you will find a wealth of information about the Jonathan Pollard case including many ways to help. You will also find a listing of Israeli and U.S. government officials, including your Congressmen and Senators, whom you can call, e-mail, fax and/or write. Pollard's address is also on the website in case you want to write to him. Make the White House Comment Line a part of your daily routine: 202-456-1111. Both husbands and wives, and all children old enough to understand the basics of the Pollard case, should try to make this call every day, except, of course, on Shabbat or the other Jewish holy days. We ask that you send this e-mail to as many fellow Jews as possible. We also ask that, as a courtesy to others, you send blind e-mails, so that others' e-mail addresses are not published at large, perhaps against their will or preference. Last, but what should be first, is of course, to pray for Jonathan (Yehonatan ben Malka) and for his release and reunification with his wife Esther and for his return to to the Land of Israel. Call Lee Caplan at leescaplan@yahoo.com. |
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HOW TO TELL A TERRORIST FROM A FREEDOM FIGHTER
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 25, 2006. |
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If you, or anyone you know, gets to thinking that maybe "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"; or that ... Hamas or
......or any of the other scores of terrorist groups in the world [almost all of whom are Moslem, with almost all of the Moslem ones being Arab or led by Arabs]........ ....... are really just popular liberation movements struggling desperately against some juggernaut oppressor (like Israel or the USA).... ....read Prof. Beres' article below, and attached. If they intentionally target innocent civilians, children, toddlers, babies, pre-natals in utero, women, elderly, ill, crippled.....they are terrorists. It does not matter what their ideology, what their cause. The ideologies are merely the convenient excuses by means of which psychotic mass murderers justify or lionize their own psychoses, white-wash or sterilize their mass murder, to gain the support of others who are not (yet) the target of their psychotic urges. This is called "International terror law" and was written by Louis Rene Beres, who is the author of many books and articles dealing with terrorism and international law. This was in today's Washington Times. From the standpoint of international law, there is little point to linguistic transformations of murder. Those who would identify the willful maiming and execution of noncombatants in the name of an abstract ideal are defiling legal rules. When Palestinian insurgents claim the legal right to use "any means necessary," they are flat out wrong. Even if their claims for "national self-determination" were supportable, there are always firm limits on permissible targets and levels of violence. The limited rights of insurgency under international law do not include the use of nail-filled bombs dipped in rat poison. These rights can never supplant the rules of humanitarian international law. Nowhere is it written that there are political goals so worthy that they can allow the incineration of infants in cribs or the shooting of children at play. Supporters of Palestinian terrorist violence against Israelis still argue that the ends justify the means. But the ends can never justify the means under conventional or customary international law. For more than 2,000 years, binding legal principles of world politics have stipulated that intentional forms of violence against the innocent are always prohibited. Under law, one man's terrorist can never be another man's freedom fighter. Although fashionable to repeat at cocktail parties, this expression is merely an empty witticism. While it is true that certain insurgencies can be judged lawful, these permissible resorts to force must always conform to the laws of war. Even if Palestinian claims of a hostile "occupation" were reasonable, their corresponding claim of entitlement to oppose Israel "by any means necessary" would remain false. National liberation movements that fail to meet the test of just means are never protected as lawful. Even if we were to accept the spurious argument that Hamas and its sister groups somehow meet the criteria of "national liberation," it is plain that they do not meet the standards of discrimination, proportionality and military necessity. These critical standards have been applied to insurgent organizations by the common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and by the two protocols to these conventions of 1977. They are also binding upon all combatants by virtue of broader customary and conventional international law, including Article 1 of the Preamble to the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907. This rule, called the "Martens Clause," makes all persons responsible for the "laws of humanity" and the "dictates of public conscience." Every use of force by insurgents must be judged twice, once with regard to the justness of the objective (in this case, a Palestinian state to be built explicitly upon the charred ruins of an ecstatically dismembered Israel) and once with regard to the justness of the means used toward that objective. Murderers of young children are never "freedom fighters." If they were entitled to such a designation, we would then have to concede that international law itself was nothing more than an authorization to commit evil in world affairs. American and European supporters of Palestinian independence continue to presume a "two-state solution." For them, the new Arab state will simply coexist with the extant Jewish State. Significantly, this kindly presumption is dismissed everywhere in the Arab/Islamic world. The "Map of Palestine" at the official website of the Palestinian National Authority still includes all of Israel. Terrorist crimes mandate universal cooperation in apprehension and punishment. As punishers of "grave breaches" under international law, all states are expected to search out and prosecute, or extradite, individual terrorist perpetrators. In no circumstances are any states permitted to characterize terrorists as "freedom fighters." This is emphatically true for the United States, which incorporates all international law as the "supreme law of the land" at Article 6 of the Constitution, and which was formed by the Founding Fathers according to the timeless principles of Blackstone's Commentaries and antecedent Natural Law. As Americans, we have a genuine and historic obligation to avoid specious manipulations of law. Whether in New York or Tel Aviv, "freedom fighters" do not war against office workers, nursery schools, buses, flower markets or ice-cream parlors. Until we accept this most elementary human understanding for the Middle East, we will run the real risk of transforming ghoulish gangs into governments. And in time, these terrorists-turned-governments will likely have easy access to weapons of mass destruction. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY DECLARES WAR ON ISRAEL!
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 24, 2006. |
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1. So let us see if we have this straight. No illegal Mexicans entering the US are committing mass murder nor suicide bombings. Yet it is reasonable for the US to wish to control access to its territory by erecting a sophisticated security fence. But when Israel does it, it is a human rights violation and makes Israel an "apartheid state"... Got it?
"What is a Jewish state, anyway?" my professor asked the class last week. "Is it like a Jewish chair? I mean, I know what a Jewish person is, but how can a state be Jewish?" A few minutes later, the same professor compared Israel to apartheid South Africa, calling it a "fake democracy." Not for the first time at Hebrew University's Rothberg International School, I squirmed in my chair. Was this a course on Israeli politics, or a Hamas press conference? David and Goliath The following day, another professor of mine informed students that Israel has no reason to make its case in the international arena. "You look at the occupied territories and Israel is Goliath and the Palestinians are David," the professor said. "Why bother trying to explain anything Israel does if this is all people see". The rhetorical question was followed by silence from the class. My classmates, both Jewish and non-Jewish, come to Jerusalem from Argentina, Taiwan, and a score of countries in between. Prior to studies in Israel, many of them received information about Israel from biased CNN coverage and anti-Israel divestment and boycott movements back home. Some classmates. Questions early in the year shed light on their impressions of Israel. "Did the Jews murder Arabs at Deir Yassin because they were hungry for blood, or was there an actual reason?" a young German woman asked the professor in my friend's Palestine 1948 class. "Since a Jew murdered Rabin, we can say Jews don't really want peace, right". asked a young man from Azerbaijan during an introductory class on Israeli history. Balance needed It's clear that some of my classmates would benefit from a balanced, multi-sided examination of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Many will leave Jerusalem to become journalists, diplomats and teachers around the world. Unfortunately, some will depart with the words of professors ringing in their ears: "Israel is a fake democracy. Israel is an apartheid state. Israel has no excuse for its actions vis-a-vis the Palestinians." Not all professors at my school ignore historical and political context for Palestinian suffering and Israeli actions like the security fence. Some have impressed me and other "pro-Israel" classmates with their ability to distill the conflict's complexities and foster reasonable discussion of the issues. Others, however, let their political beliefs determine classroom discourse, such as one professor's labeling the Israeli government a "colonialist regime" and another referring to an outspoken, kippah-clad student as "Lieberman". Obviously, professors are entitled to their opinions, and to elucidate them in class; however, there is a line between political commentary and "Israel-bashing," as one classmate described some professors' behavior. Special responsibility Labeling Israel an aggressive "Goliath" victimizing the helpless Palestinian "David" distorts the conflict's true scope -- that of a tiny island of Jewish sovereignty surrounded by more than a few genocidal extremists. Like every democracy on Earth, Israel is flawed. Does this mean the Jewish state has no more intrinsic value than a "Jewish chair," as my professor implied? I respect the academic freedom and vigorous discourse abundant at
my school; however, the international division of Israel's flagship
university bears a special responsibility to students and supporters.
If Israel cannot receive a fair hearing in the hallowed halls of Mt.
Scopus, where can it?
4. Getting the French Upset:
Steven Plaut's description of France in his article "Le Bouffon Grandiose" (op-ed, May 5,) does not fit the facts. First, actor Dieudonne's provocative remarks are his alone and he has been convicted and fined by a French court, on the basis of the Lellouche Act which is among the world's toughest legislation on hate speech and anti-Semitism. Second, to claim that an individual's anti-Semitism reflects French society as a whole is unjust and wrong: According to a poll published in Maariv in September 2005, 82 percent of the French like the Jews, with France ranking second among countries expressing a positive opinion (after the Netherlands). Anti-Semitism is in total contradiction with France's values. As President Jacques Chirac declared on Nov. 17, 2003, "When a Jew is attacked in France, it is an attack against the whole of France." The French Government has demonstrated its absolute determination to fight this scourge, and its efforts have been widely recognized by both the Israeli authorities and the national leaders of the American Jewish community. Its zero-tolerance policy has borne fruit: anti-Semitic acts in France declined 48 percent in 2005 compared with 2004. Finally, Mr. Plaut's references to an "Islamic republic" in France are totally baseless. France is actively pursuing a strategy both to combat radical Islam and better integrate its Muslim community into the French society. France acted to stop the Eurosat satellite from rebroadcasting Al Manar channel programs to its territory and moved successfully to have Yahoo.fr filter Internet sites promoting hate and anti-Semitism. Francois Delattre
Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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CHURCH OF SCOTLAND REJECTS BOYCOTT
Posted by Simon McIlwaine, May 24, 2006. |
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From Anglicans for Israel: We are pleased to announce that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has accepted a motion which calls upon the Foreign Secretary to use her influence both as the representative of Her Majesty's Government and in co-operation with her colleagues within the EU to encourage HAMAS to issue a statement accepting Israel's right to exist. But there's more: the whole motion explicitly recognised Israel's right to security, rejected a boycott and called for economic engagement with both sides. We congratulate the General Assembly for having the courage to stand against the militants and, naturally, we recommend that Anglicans seek to emulate the good sense displayed by the Church of Scotland. Contact Simon McIlwaine by email at Simon.McIlwaine@ormerods.co.uk
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IN THE STREET?
Posted by Anita Tucker, May 24, 2006. |
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Today the head of the board of the Netzer Hazani community in EIn tzurim, Monique Zarbiv, received a phone call from an admistrator of The Sela Commission (Minhelet) Motti Elimelech,that since he sees that our Netzer Hazani "disengaged" families are not yet moving into the caravillas as per the letter they had sent some of the families, he was sending a letter to the Kibbutz Ein Tzurim guesthouse and the Hafetz Haim guesthouse that The Sela commission was stopping all further funding to the guesthouse for the Netzer Hazani families. Our representative asked to receive this in writing. This in fact is saying that since we will not move into the caravillas though they are not yet completed, some without water nor electricity,and though the site as a whole is far from completed, and though the site is very dangerous for the children as well as the ill and the elderly -- i.e., open sewage holes, protruding poles, piles of blocks, hills and ditches, obstacle courses, etc. etc. -- then we will be thrown into the street (this after nine months in the minimal old small rooms of the guesthouse, which we obviously anxiously await leaving -- however not to be thrown in the street). If you care, please feel free to call Minhelet SELA and express you opinion to Motti Elimelech and whomever else there as to why it is taking them so long to complete the Ein Tzurim caravilla site completely as planned. If they don't complete site quickly, properly and safely there will be caring Jews from all over the country and the world working to publicize their incapabilities. Sela:
Anita Tucker is a farmer and grew formidable vegetables before she together with the other Jews of Gush Katif were kicked out of their homes and saw their greenhouses destroyed and/or vandelized by the Arabs. Contact her at tucker.anita@gmail.com |
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NEWS FROM JUDEA-SAMARIA; WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN YESHA?; PA SLANDERS CHRISTIANS & JEWS
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 24, 2006. |
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NEWS FROM JUDEA-SAMARIA
A former colleague whose reports I find reliable has retired to Judea-Samaria. She is filling me in with news witnessed by herself or her neighbors. Much of it is not reported elsewhere or rarely so -- which, itself is a sad commentary about the dearth of reliable news in the supposed "information age." Her news is informed by insights from decades of Zionist activity and a non-conformist attitude. She was among the traffic-blockers protesting against the expulsion of Jews from their houses in Gush Katif, Gaza. A policeman roughly tore her banner out of her hands, and threatened to "take care of her." (What, are police brutality and threats legal?) Fortunately for her but not for others, he turned to younger people to fling onto the pavement, hard. (Injuring instead of arresting means government policy is brutal aggression, not law-enforcement.) The special anti-settler police corps went to Amona, after having tried to provoke violence in Hebron as if seeking a pretext to shoot some. The police walked through a group of Jews in Hebron, praying on the Sabbath, shoving them for no reason. The worshippers prudently did not react. Carnage avoided. My colleague went to visit friends in Beit El. Her armed caravan hurried through some Arab towns. They were prepared to defend themselves. The government insists, however, that Jews under attack turn back. She considers that neurotic. (Many Israelis, including soldiers, fail to fire back until given permission by some politically correct commander. Others defend themselves but then are investigated for criminal sanctions. (Cowardice forfeits Arab respect and therefore encourages more Arab attacks.) The caravan suffered no attacks, but the roads are dangerous (partly because the government fails to demolish Arab houses illegally built too close to them). The government of Israel responded to this menace by barring Jews from many of the roads, instead of removing the Arabs. "In Beit El the checkpoint was at the back entrance to keep Jews from leaving Beit El for Jerusalem on that road." "The road leading from Tekoa to Jerusalem is a closed Military Zone for Jews, and Arabs are allowed to travel the road." Again, it more than doubles the time for people from Tekoa to get to Jerusalem and cuts out the short cut to Efrat. A resident of Tekoa "told me that the road is not dangerous. Tekoa will be on the Arab side of the fence, and they want to make life hard for them and cut them off from Efrat and double the time to Jerusalem." Restricting Jewish drivers isolates some Jewish towns, by making their commuting onerous. She observes that this outcome coincidentally, or is it coincidentally, makes it easier to pick off those towns and dispossess the Jews from each, one town at-a-time.
(The NY Times has articles about the hardships endured by P.A. Arabs. It ignores the hardships endured by Jews. The differences are that the Jews are innocent but the Times is anti-Zionist and practices advocacy journalism.? (A few years ago, one read complaints about the bypass roads built for Jews. The complaint was that this discriminated against Arabs. The complaint was not so much asinine as biased, for it ignored the fact that Arab vehicles were used to commit terrorism against the Jews. Now that Jews are being denied the use of roads in favor of the Arabs, those same upholders of human rights are silent. Hypocrites!) WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN YESHA? Fair reporters elicit the truth by interviewing both sides. Experience teaches, and Islamic philosophy holds, that the Arabs lie about the Arab-Israel conflict and the government of Israel lies against Israeli settlers. Sometimes right-wing news reports assert all sorts of drastic conclusions that I find the stories do not back up. Other interpretations may be possible. Sometimes they omit unfavorable things. The news about Judea-Samaria in the NY Times generally omits bad news about the Arabs and favorable news about the settlers. In the NY Sun, the editorials and columnists are reliable in disputes between Israel and the Arabs, but not about the settlers. The Sun gets much of its foreign news from the Daily Telegraph and Associated Press, and one of its editors is Hillel Halkin, who favors abandonment without considering fairly in his columns the arguments against it. The major media rely upon Arab handlers and reporters and upon police and official statements ranged against the settlers. It does not check with settlers. My former colleague is on the scene there, and explains what really goes on. She reports, for example, that Arabs constantly dumped garbage in an Efrat security employee's yard. One day he saw them. He told them to stop. Three Arabs then came out of the truck and approached him. He called the head of security, and asked him to call the police. The telephone was busy. He took out a pistol and ordered them to halt. They came closer, whereupon he fired in the air. Then the police came, but arrested them. They told him that the Arabs had telephoned to complain that he attacked them. (The police usually take the word of Arabs over Jews, because they favor Arab settlers over Jewish settlers.) The police had not gotten the call from the head of security. They were going to put the victim on trial. The Arabs were laughing at him and at Israel. (The police ignored their mocking attitude about their trickery.) The victim fortunately had witnesses, and the head of security backed him up. He was released. The Arabs went unpunished. (Ridiculous laws are enforced against Jews and necessary laws are not enforced against Arabs.) Shimshon Cytrin, a Jew from Gush Katif, Gaza, is soon to be tried for attempted murder, for having thrown rocks at Arabs. The media did not photograph the Arabs throwing rocks, but waited until Jews retaliated. However, a Jewish girl was shown whose face the Arabs had smashed, earlier, with a rock. When an Arab was slightly hurt by a soldier's rifle butt, as both admitted the police arrested young Shimshon, without any evidence that any rock he threw had struck that Arab. They boy's family, not affluent, already has spent $40,000 on legal fees. Why no Arabs indicted? A Jew was walking with his dog on the beach in Gaza, before withdrawal. Arabs came and threw rocks at the dog. The Jew fired into the air. The police arrested him for shooting an Arab in the leg. (If he had, it would have been justified, but Israel is not a country of law, common sense, or justice for settlers.) The allegedly wounded Arab was not found. Nor did the Arab doctor there treat one. The Arab complainant did not identify the accused. But the judge convicted the Jew and sentenced him to two years for "endangering life." While awaiting his appeal, he sits in jail. He's already spent eight months there. No habeas corpus or trial by jury, just pro-Arab prejudice. FATAH & HAMAS HAVE AT EACH OTHER After trading accusations of previous attacks, members of Fatah and Hamas opened fire on each other with automatic weapons. They wounded 11 people, of whom three were fellow gunmen and eight were civilians, including five children (IMRA, 5/9). Wanton Arab violence does not produce international condemnation for shooting innocent civilians, including children, nor for terrorist movement among civilians. When Israelis shoot an Arab civilian incidentally in the course of self-defense against terrorism, it reaps international condemnation for harming innocent civilians. That is not a humanitarian response but a hypocritical and anti-Zionist one. WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE The Quakers, or Friends, have a philosophy of non-violence but a politics of leftist violence. They supported the leftist revolutionaries in Latin America but opposed the anti-leftist forces. The Abington Friends School in Jenkintown bans t-shirts that advertise for causes that embrace violence, such as Israeli Army symbols. On the other hand, the school does not ban t-shirts that publicize the violent Che Guevara. The Friends contradict themselves. The Friends called exaggerated the reports of genocide in Cambodia, but used Saddam's exaggerated figures of children's deaths in Iraq (largely from Saddam having sold their food and medicine), ignored Saddam's murdering an even larger number, and mostly ignored the genocide in Sudan. It does protest vigorously against Israel's security fence, though the fence does reduce violence by terrorists. The Friends issued a report calling for ending the Arab-Israel conflict. It failed to call for ending terrorism. Terrorism, the ultimate evil in violence, since it deliberately but randomly targets the innocent, should be the most denounced type of violence by a supposedly pacifistic organization. The Friends demand that the US stop subsidizing Iraq and that the US keep subsidizing the P.A., even as the P.A. declares war and lauds terrorism (MEFNews, 5/9 from Michael Rubin & Suzanne Gershowitz). Because the source's argumentation for other severe charges is not logical, I omitted them. UNO REFORM? Annan started his UNO career as a reform candidate. He still is, though he has secured no major reforms and his regime is noted for corruption. The Secretary-General improperly defended an official accused of sexual harassment, until he had to try to get the accused official to resign. Annan's aide, brought in to reform the UNO, told the supposedly independent internal investigation agency to exonerate higher ups. He advised Annan to accept a $500,000 prize from Dubai, but told other staffers to refuse gifts for more than $250. Annan appointed one of those who helped him get that prize head of the UN Environmental program. The problem with most reform proposals is that they would centralize power with the Secretary-General. With Annan there, what reform is it? (Benni Avni, NY Sun, 5/8, p.6). P.A. SLANDER OF CHRISTIANS & JEWS A senior P.A. religious figure, Hamed Al-Tamimi, a member of the Supreme [Islamic] Judicial Council and the director of the Inter-Religion Dialogue Department, accused the YMCA of worshipping Satan. He accused Christian pro-Zionists and Jewish Zionists of hating Muslims and seeking to destroy Islam. His diatribe had other, similar defamation. Public prayers in the P.A. often call for the murder of Christians and Jews (Arutz-7, 5/8). Worship Satan? Is he crazy? Maybe not, but that is the level of Islamic discourse. The YMCA in the P.A. has Muslims on its board, and far from hating, it offers charity to the Arabs there, non-denominatinally. The hatred that the Muslims impute to Christians and Jews, too many of whom are appeasement-minded towards the Muslims, does not exist. The hatred is Islam's and the defamation is part of their jihad, to rally their faithful to war. Christians and Jews should awake to the danger that Islam poses and to the need to fight against Islamism, if not also Islam. ARAB MARCH: RIGHT TO PROTEST OR ORGANIZING SEDITION? Israeli Arabs want to parade in Lod to protest creation of the State of Israel as a catastrophe. They would carry banners of Hamas, which is in a terrorist war on Israel, and would urge the destruction of the Jewish state (Arutz-7, 5/8). "When Israeli Arab MK Jamal Zahalka (National Democratic Assembly) was asked in a live interview broadcast on Israel Radio's ... news magazine today to relate to the question of loyalty to the State of Israel, Zahalka replied "we are loyal to values -- not institutions." (IMRA, 5/8.) Translation: Israeli Arabs are loyal to Islam and not to their country. The Arabs don't put it baldly for Jews to hear and to become alerted to their Arabs being a fifth column. Arabs reply by saying what their people know is aggressive but naïve Westerners do not. The march is a rally for sedition. Get away with that, and they become bolder. HOW OLMERT STRIVES TO PUT OVER SCHEME To strengthen the likelihood of his scheme for territorial abandonment passing in the Knesset, PM Olmert's party is granting more key committee seats to Arab Party MKs. The Arabs then would support the scheme. Right-wing MKs object to the resulting disproportionate representation conferred upon the Arabs (IMRA, 5/8). Olmert is letting the country's enemies tip the balance on issues of national security. It indicates inability to persuade the country of his policy. His policy allies himself to those enemies. The Arabs complain about Israel being a Jewish state. Why are they complaining -- can't they see that the Left is dismantling that state? The Left's strategy is elevating the Arabs into a gradual position of dominance. That would make the country untenable for the Left. But for now, it controls the country, and informed patriots are unable to stop it. Were normal Israeli Jews in control, they would stop kowtowing to the Arabs and start getting the Arabs out, in self-defense. The West must learn fast that it cannot co-exist with internal Arab populations, because the Arabs strive for dominance, are intolerant, and are deadly. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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UNITED ORANGE
Posted by Alan Jay, May 23, 2006. |
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Did you know Ehud Olmert's "Convergence" plan:- 1. Places Tel Aviv and All Other Israeli Cities (except Haifa and Ashdod!) within Ketyusha Rocket Range (22km) from Israel's new border with Hamas; 2. Evacuates and destroys entire Jewish Cities, Towns, Villages, Yeshivas, Shuls, Schools, Businesses.... directly creating 70,000-90,000 Destitute Jewish Refugees; 3. Gives Hamas and Global Islamic Fundamentalism their greatest "victory" since 9/11. 4. Will NOT bring Israel either internationally recognized borders, nor any step towards Peace. If this concerns you, join the new "United Orange" email list, by sending an email to:- unitedorange-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Contact the poster at alanjay7236@yahoo.com |
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A NEW UNIVERSITY - WITHOUT POLITICS
Posted by Professors for a Strong Israel, May 23, 2006. |
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Now that a suit has been filed opposing the upgrading of the College of Judea and Samaria to a university, Professors for a Strong Israel wishes to point out that the college in Ariel is, by any academic standards, the most highly qualified for this step among all colleges in Israel. The diversity of its faculties and departments and the quantity of research undertaken join with its sheer size in making it the largest college in the country. We urge that the process of turning it into a university be accelerated. The political voices in opposition, which have no academic basis, should simply be ignored. Contact Professors for a Strong Israel at 050-551 8940 |
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FATAH VERSUS HAMAS
Posted by Barry Rubin, May 23, 2006. |
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Is there going to be a Palestinian civil war? Probably not. But there is a major struggle going on that could be described as the biggest internal Palestinian conflict in memory, perhaps in history. On one level, the battle is between Hamas and Fatah, between Islamism and nationalism. It is also a struggle between two groups each wanting the fruits of leadership: power, prestige, and money. With the demise of unchallenged Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and--no less important--Fatah's inability to gain a state due to its own intransigence, the way was open for Hamas's rise. This trend was also made possible by Arafat's encouragement of anarchy and attempt to use Hamas for his own purposes. Of course, it can also be traced to Fatah's corruption and incompetence in running the Palestinian Authority (PA) for 12 years. The turning point was Hamas's landslide victory in the January 25, 2006, election, partly due to Fatah's internal splits. Another factor was Fatah's incredible arrogance and inflexibility. It assumed that no one else could possibly lead the Palestinians. As Fatah's campaign manager told me before the balloting, "People will vote for Abu Mazen and everything will be okay." Since then, power has been divided between Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazin), the PA's leader and self-styled president, and a Hamas-dominated parliament and cabinet. Abbas has unilaterally given himself control over borders, the media, and some security agencies. Hamas is fuming but cannot do much about this power grab. To make matters worse for Hamas, the 60,000-member PA bureaucracy, including security forces, is dominated by Fatah members. International sanctions against giving money to the Hamas regime also hurt the Islamists. Yet the European Union had earlier stopped aid to the PA because of its financial irresponsibility. This kind of thing should be remembered in the face of a strong temptation to declare Fatah, as opposed to Hamas, the "good guys" or at least the lesser of two evils. While Fatah is somewhat less horrible than Hamas--and of course there are some different views within the organization--it is Fatah's past incitement, terrorism, and refusal to make real peace that are at the root of the current situation. There is no reason to believe it would do better in future if restored to power. There is much discussion on why Hamas won the elections. Some would say that Palestinians supported Hamas's program; others that voters were merely reacting against Fatah's corruption. Both points are valid but there is more to the story. About half of Hamas's voters have shown they support its program. The other half has no problems with its views except that of Islamizing society. Yet regarding terrorism, Israel, peace, and general world view there is not a big difference between Fatah and Hamas, except on this issue. What of the future? First, can Fatah return to office? This is possible but far from certain. Not the slightest reform has taken place in Fatah nor has any of the leadership been replaced or the younger generation fully incorporated. Fatah, as was once said of France's reactionary Bourbon dynasty, has neither learned nor forgotten anything. A Hamas-Fatah deal is also possible but not so likely. Any such arrangement would necessitate Fatah accepting the role of junior partner, which Hamas never did. Given the Fatah mindset this seems unlikely though some cadre may join Hamas out of their own views or opportunism. One reason for keeping up the pressure on the Hamas regime is to discourage such a rapprochement. Second, how is Fatah competing with Hamas? Certainly, it is not doing so by laying out an alternative, moderate line. If Fatah so wished it could--an option available for a decade--urge an end to the eternal struggle and a compromise with Israel that would quickly win it a state and international support. While a few people in Fatah do think this way, Abbas among them to some extent, there is no sign that anyone is seriously considering such a strategy. Instead, Fatah is competing by trying to prove that it is just as militant as the Islamists, including the escalation of its own attempts at terrorism. Since the election, Fatah statements and actions are more, rather than less, extreme. Of course, Fatah can also hope that Western and Israeli pressures will bring down Hamas and simply hand it power once again. Fatah is encouraging its supporters to blame Hamas for the economic problems of the PA and to demonstrate demanding their pay. Equally, Fatah is resisting any moves by Hamas to take over the security forces and put its own people into the bureaucracy. This effort may even succeed. But such an outcome cannot be taken for granted. Finally, will there be a civil war? Clearly, armed resistance to Hamas's encroachment on Fatah-controlled areas and institutions is happening periodically. Yet both sides are trying to avoid an all-out struggle. Continuing anarchy and periodic clashes seem more likely than full-scale battle. It is important not to underestimate the staying power of either Hamas, Fatah, or the PA. The stakes are too high for both sides to give much ground. Equally, there is a deep-seated strategy of being willing to sacrifice the welfare of the Palestinian population in the fight against each other and Israel. Let them suffer, the activists and gunmen argue, and that suffering will force the West and Israel to ease the pressure and give into their demands without Palestinian concessions. This seems a strange approach but it is one that the Palestinian movement has used for a half-century and does not seem to have yet transcended. On more than one occasion in the past it has even worked. Often, however, it has led to disaster. And in this case the latter outcome appears more likely. Barry Rubin is Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Interdisciplinary Center university. His co-authored book, Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography, (Oxford University Press) is now available in paperback and in Hebrew. His latest book, The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East, was published by Wiley in September. Prof. Rubin's columns can now be read online at: http://gloria.idc.ac.il/columns/column.html. |
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INSANITY -- RATHER WELL PUT
Posted by Zalmi, May 23, 2006. |
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A television advertising campaign in the United States is reminding viewers of the costs of transferring territory to the Palestinian Authority. The Center for Security Policy The ad succinctly reviews the consequences for Israeli and U.S. interests if land is surrendered to terrorist control, as well as the past history of territorial concessions in southern Lebanon and Gaza. Download the ad at
Contact Zalmi at zalmi@zalmi.net |
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RELIGIOUS APARTHEID IN EGYPT
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 23, 2006. |
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Dear Christian leaders, The next time that you, or someone you know, sees some kinship between Israel and the formerly apartheid state of South Africa (as is often asserted by Arab propaganda), give them the following email. If you want to find real apartheid today, real religious apartheid, look to Egypt....the 2nd most westernized and liberal of Arab countries. And recall, too, that the punishment for selling land to Jews in Jordan is death. Jordan is the first most westernized and modern and liberal country in the Arab world (Lebanon used to be the most liberal, but not since it has been taken over by Syria and Hizbollah). In Israel, whether you are a minority by virtue of your religion, your sexual preference, your gender, your national origin, or your race....it does not matter. You enjoy the democratic freedoms of a western state and benefit from government support and protection for that freedom despite your minority status. There are problems in Israel...not unlike the problems of many western democratic modern liberal states. But there is no apartheid. It is precisely because you will find real apartheid, real religious apartheid, in much of the Moslem world, and most of the Arab world, that Arab propaganda seeks to demonize Israel as an apartheid state. They can't pretend that Arab states are liberal democracies with social and gender and religious equality. So they try to divert your attention to the sham accusations of non-existent apartheid in Israel. Don't fall for it. Read how the Copts (among the earliest Christians in the world) suffer in Egypt. If you are concerned about Apartheid, speak out against Mubarrak's apartheid, and speak out on behalf of the oppressed and repressed Copts. From: The Copts Digest (www.copts.com)
President Hosni Mubarak opened the World Economic Forum in Sharm El Sheikh Saturday with a surprisingly tough speech. He implied the United States was running a foreign policy that promoted double standards on nuclear issues. Mr. President, I am surprised that you are concerned about double standards and further astonished with your preaching of equality. On one hand it is good to hear that you have come to grips with the concept of double standards and have realized that such a concept exists. On the other hand, it is sad that your countryEs constitution, laws and almost every aspect of life in your country are founded on the very concept that you complain about. While politicians and political analysts could differ on whether your foes are promoting double standards, the whole world, including the business men who were listening to you, can agree that double standards are entrenched in almost every aspect of life in your country b you probably do not see it but the whole world sees it. You have a constitution for Muslims specifying Quran a source of legislation, but have no constitution for Christians. You have laws restricting the building of churches but have no law that restricts building of mosques. You have publicly funded universities, such as Al Azhar, that can be accessed only by Muslims but access to Christians is denied. You have laws for freedom of travel for men and other laws restricting travel for women. You have inheritance rules for men and different ones for women. You have Ids issued to certain religions but cannot be issued for others, like Bahaiis. And the list goes on but the air in your country is full of double standards Mr. President, look around you... There was once a government called South Africa, following double standards and segregation like yours. That government is now history. Mr. President, I plea to you, in the interest of saving from further deterioration what remains from the old reputation of the great nation of Egypt, that you refrain from educating the West and other civilizations about double standards. Before you endeavor discussing this subject with the educated world you may wish to fix double standards in your home first. And before pushing for peace negotiations for the Palestinians, bring peace in your home first. (name withheld for personal security reasons) David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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JUDICIAL DESPOTISM
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 23, 2006. |
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This was written by Professor Paul Eidelberg. Contact him by email at eidelberg@foundation1.org It is the edited transcript of the Eidelberg Report, which was broadcast on Israel National Radio, May 22, 2006. Before discussing Judge Barak, let us review Israel's undemocratic method of appointing Supreme Court judges -- there's nothing like it in the democratic world. The fifteen judges of the court are appointed by a nine-member committee consisting of three sitting justices, including the court president. Two are representatives of the Israel Bar Association. Two are cabinet ministers, including, the justice minister. Two are Knesset members, one representing the government coalition, the other representing the opposition. The committee's majority, therefore, is unelected. Moreover, the two Bar Association members are subject to pressure by the court president before whom they may argue cases. This also applies to the justice minister, who can also be manipulated by the court's president. And since the court's president handpicks the judges for every case, he can very much determine the selection of his own successor as well as the court's character as a whole. So it's obvious that Israel's High Court of Justice is a self-perpetuating oligarchy. Indeed, it has been criticized by eminent Israelis across the political spectrum. But now let's discuss Judge Barak. Barak professes and practices the dictum that "everything is justiciable." This means that every act of the Legislature and every act of the Executive is subject to judicial approval. This implies that the Supreme Court, of which Barak is the president, is the supreme law-giver of Israel, and that Barak himself is the self-crowned Monarch of this country! A recent example of his audacity involves Israel's family reunification plan. Despite the war being waged by the Palestinian Authority against Israel, Barak has announced that the Court will nullify the law preventing Palestinian Arabs from gaining Israeli citizenship by marrying Israeli-Arabs -- this, despite his having been informed by the government that 20% of those who have received Israeli citizenship in the family reunification plan were involved in terrorist activity! When Barak says "everything is justiciable," he thereby rejects government by the people, of the people, and for the people. He does so in the name of Israel's "enlightened population," by which he means Israel's ultra-secular minority. This minority is alienated from the Jewish heritage. The dictum "everything is justiciable" may then be applied to every law and precept of the Torah. The Barak Court is therefore the ultimate judge of what is good and bad, right and wrong, modest and immodest. The Court therefore has the power to prescribe the morality or way of life of the Jewish people! Here are a few of the court's rulings which obviously contradict Judaism:
Barak's relativism is obvious. All lifestyles are morally equal. Notions of right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, are purely subjective. Barak has nonetheless said that no conflict exists between democracy and Judaism! Surely he is being disingenuous. He is employing the facade of democracy to cover his judicial agenda, to erase Judaism from the Land of Israel or transform Israel into "a state of its citizens." Here is further evidence:
These rulings have no basis in Israeli law. Barak's ruling that Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are "belligerent occupied territory" even contradicts the Supreme Court's own precedent. Since Jordan had no legal claim to Judea and Samaria, and since Egypt had no legal claim to Gaza, no country but Israel has a valid legal claim to Judea, Samaria, and Gaza according to objective international law. Barak's ruling that Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are "occupied territory" provided the color of legality for Prime Minister Sharon's so-called Disengagement Plan. By implementing this plan, the government dispossessed and deported 8,000 Jews from Gaza and thereby violated Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom. This same government, contrary to the warnings of Israel's highest military and intelligence officials turned this land over to Israel's implacable enemies, who have made Gaza the Mecca of international terrorism. Judge Barak admitted that the expulsion of Jews from Gaza violated Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom, but that this was permissible since it was necessary for national security. But Barak surely knew that Israel's highest military and intelligence officials testified before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that withdrawal from Gaza (and northern Samaria) would undermine Israel's security. Barak's ruling about national security was a cover up for his anti-Jewish agenda. Barak has been the spearhead of the Left's agenda to truncate not only the Land of Israel, but also the historic memory of the Jewish people which is bonded to Judea and Samaria and their centrality in the teachings of the prophets and sages of Israel. To rule that Judea is not part of Israel is to rule that eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are not part of Israel. This is further evidence of Barak's attempt to eliminate Judaism from the Land of Israel. One last word. The so-called "constitution by consensus" published by the Israel Democracy Institute, a leftwing organization, would "constitutionalize" the power of the Supreme Court at the expense of the Legislative and Executive branches and thereby perpetuate judicial despotism. It is a brazen attack on Israel's religious community and an audacious attempt to eliminate Judaism from the Land of Israel. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES SLAMS ISRAEL: WHY ARE THEY SO BLIND?
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 23, 2006. |
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I am not surprized that the WCC slams Israel and blames Israel for all the ills of the Palestinian world. That is true to form. What I find amazing is the degree to which the WCC can depart from rational thought and from observed reality in its condemanation of Israel. This was written by George Conger, and it appeared in The Jerusalem Post May. 22, 2006 (www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1148287842710& pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull). My comments are IN CAPS, inside of the text below. Israel bears the burden of responsibility for the present crisis in te Middle East, the World Council of Churches has announced, following a meeting of its Executive Committee in Geneva from May 16-19. NO RECOGNITION OF THE INDISPUTABLE HISTORICAL FACTS THAT ISRAEL AND OTHER NATIONS (UK, UN, USA) HAVE OFFERED PEACE AND STATEHOOD TO THE PALESTINIANS FIFTEEN TIMES SINCE 1937, AND EACH TIME PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP HAS CHOSEN WAR IN THE BELIEF THAT THEY COULD DESTROY ISRAEL AND HAVE THEIR STATE INSTEAD OF ISRAEL (AND NOT ALONGSIDE OF ISRAEL). GIVEN THAT REALITY, HOW DOES ISRAEL 'BEAR THE BURDEN" OF RESPONSIBLITY? THE ONES WHO STARTED AND MAINTIAN THE WAR ARE THE ONES WITH THE ONUS OF CULPABILITY. The Christian Left's leading ecumenical organization stated Israel's actions towards the Palestinians "cannot be justified morally, legally or even politically." ODD THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE UNRELENTING TERROR WAR THAT THE PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN WAGING AGAINST ISRAEL EVER SINCE ARAFAT SIGNED THE OSLO ACCORDS ON 9/13/1993. THIS MUST BE THE CASE. OTHERWISE, HOW CAN THEY ASSERT THAT A RESTRAINED AND LIMITED SELF-DEFENSE IS UNJUSTIFIED? The failure "to comply with international law" had "pushed the situation on the ground to a point of no return," they concluded. INTERNATIONAL LAW CONDEMNS AND PROHIBITS THE TERRORIST TARGETTING OF CIVILIANS. SOMEHOW THE CHURCH HAS NOT NOTICED THE 28,000 TERROR ATTACKS BY ARABS AGAINST ISRAELIS SINCE 9/13/1993, AND THE 1,700 DEAD AND 7000 WOUNDED ISRAELI VICTIMS OF THESE ATTACKS....CARRIED OUT WHILE ISRAEL OFFERS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES PEACEFULLY. The WCC condemned the killing of innocent civilians by "both sides" in the conflict and called for the Palestinians to "maintain the existing one-party cease-fire toward Israel" and asked Israel to base its security on "the equitable negotiation of final borders" with its neighbors. HERE THEY GET IT RIGHT. BUT, QUITE IN CHARACTER, THEY OMIT THE CRUCIAL RELEVANT FACT: HAMAS HAS SAID IT WILL NEVER NEGOTIATE. SO, WITH WHOM WILL ISRAEL NEGOTIATE ITS FINAL BOARDERS? However, the present disparities between Israel and Palestine were "appalling," the WCC said. APPALLING TO WHOM? AND BECAUSE OF WHOM? THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP DOES NOT SEEM TO MIND THEM (EXCEPT FOR THE DISPARATIES IN ARMED MIGHT). THE ECONOMY OF THE WEST BANK WAS QUITE LITERALLY TEN TIMES STRONGER IN 1994 THAN IT IS NOW. THAT DROP WAS THE DIRECT RESULT OF ARAFAT'S SEQUESTERING ALMOST ALL OF THE AID MONEY (C. 10 BILLION $$ OVER 11 YEARS) TO HIS TERROR WAR AND LEAVING NOTHING FOR HIS PEOPLE. HAMAS PREFERS BULLETS TO PENICILLIN, LEAVING PEOPLE TO DIE RATHER THAN LOSE A CHANCE TO KILL MORE JEWS. "One side is positioning itself to unilaterally establish final borders on territory that belongs to the other side; BELONGS TO THE OTHER SIDE? HOW DO THEY KNOW? PER INTERNATIONAL LAW, THE WEST BANK IS STILL 'DISPUTED TERRITORY'. POSTURING ITSELF? ISRAEL OFFERS TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE PEACEFULLY AND ALL IT GETS IN RETURN IS MORE TERRORISM. ISRAEL PULLS OUT OF GAZA UNILATERALLY, AND ALL IT GETS IS MORE TERRORISM. SO, WITH NO ONE LEFT TO TALK TO, ISRAEL MAKES DECISIONS ON ITS OWN. WHAT OTHER CHOICE DOES IT HAVE? the other side is increasingly confined to the scattered enclaves that remain. On one side there is control of more and more land and water; on the other there are more and more families deprived of land and livelihoods. TRUE. SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REVERSE THIS SITUATION? SHOULD THE SMALLER WEAKER SIDE CONTINUE ITS TERRORISM AND INCITEMENT AND COMMITMENT TO GENOCIDE AND ENDLESS RELENTLESS WAR? WILL THAT IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS OF ITS PEOPLE? OR WOULD IT MAKE MORE SENSE TO STOP THE TERROR AND START NEGOTIATING, SO THAT THE TWO STATES COULD LIVE TOGETHER IN COOPERATION, AND THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP COULD REBUILD THE KIND OF ECONOMY THAT THEY HAD FROM 1967 TO 1994 WHEN THEY WERE UNDER ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY? SOMEHOW, THE WCC SEEMS NOT TO NOTICE THIS ASPECT OF THE DYNAMIC. On one side as many people as possible are being housed on occupied land; on the other side the toll mounts of refugees without homes or land. One side controls Jerusalem, a city shared by two peoples and three world religions; the other-Muslim and Christian-watches its demographic, commercial and religious presence wither in Jerusalem," the WCC said. AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE? STRANGE THAT THE WCC HAS ALREADY FORGOTTEN THAT JUST 9 MONTHS AGO 9000 ISRAELIS WERE UNILATERALLY REMOVED FROM THE GAZA STRIP, AND ISRAEL HAS PROMISED THE REMOVAL OF MORE FROM THE WEST BANK AS SOON AS THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP STOPS THE TERRORISM. BUT HAMAS DECLARES MORE TERROR AND MORE VIOLENCE. NOW WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO GET MORE JEWS OUT OF THE WEST BANK? MORE TERROR AND MORE VIOLENCE AND MORE MASS MURDER? OR NEGOTIATING A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION? ...WHICH HAMAS REFUSES TO DO. THE WCC IS STRANGELY BEHIND THE CURVE. ISRAEL IS ACTUALLY DOING WHAT THE WCC THINKS THEY SHOULD DO, BUT THE WCC CONTINUES ITS ANTI-ISRAEL RANT AS THOUGH ISRAEL WERE NOT DOING THAT. WCC IS CLEARLY UNABLE TO SEE REALITY. WHAT COULD BE BLINDING THE WCC? JERUSALEM: INDEED SHARED AT LEAST THEOLOGICALLY BY THREE FAITHS. BUT WHAT THE WCC SEEMS NOT TO HAVE NOTICED IS THAT IT IS ONLY UNDER ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY THAT JERUSALEM IS OPEN TO ALL FAITHS. UNDER ISLAMIC CONTROL, JEWS WERE TOTALLY EXCLUDED AND CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED AND LIMITED. CHRISTIAN PRESENCE WITHERS? TRUE. BUT THE CONTEXT OF THE WCC'S REMARKS MAKES IT SOUND LIKE ISRAEL IS TO BLAME FOR THAT. THE OPPOSITE IS THE CASE. ISLAMIC PERSECUTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE RISE OF HAMAS TO POWER, IS DRIVING CHRISTIANS TO FLEE IN DROVES. AND WHERE DO THEY FLEE TO? ISRAEL....WHERE THEY CAN LIVE IN PEACE AND PRACTISE THEIER RELIGION IN PEACE. The WCC claimed a double standard was at work in the international community that favored Israel, saying, "The side set to keep its unlawful gains is garnering support from part of the international community. The side that, despairing at those unlawful gains, used legitimate elections to choose new leaders is being isolated and punished." INTERESTING STATEMENT. SO THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ISOLATING A REGIME THAT IS COMMITTED TO GENOCIDE? PUNISHING A REGIME THAT IS COMMITTED TO ENDLESS WAR AND TO THE DESTRUCTION OF A NEIGHBOR STATE? HMMM.. I WONDER WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE SAID ABOUT NAZI GERMANY. WCC HAS LOST ITS MIND -- OR ITS MORAL BEARINGS -- OR BOTH. "Democracy must be protected where it is taking root," the WCC said, calling for a relaxation of American, British and EU sanctions against Hamas. "Peace must come soon or it may not come to either people for a long time," they concluded. WOW. WHAT A DEEP AND INCISIVE CONCLUSION. THE ARAB WAR AGAINST THE JEWS HAS BEEN WAGED IN ISRAEL SINCE THE LATE 1880s. THE TERROR WAR HAS BEEN GOING ON FULL BLAST SINCE 1937. THE FULL SCALE WARS OF 1937, 1948, 1956, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1987, 1994, AND 2001 HAVE ALL, ALL!!, REALLY ALL!! BEEN WARS THAT WERE BEGUN BY ARAB FORCES...DESPITE ISRAEL OFFERS FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION VIA NEGOTIATIONS. BUT PERHAPS WORST OF ALL, ARAB HATRED OF JEWS HAS BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF MOSLEM RELIGIOUS TEACHING, FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE, SINCE THE ONSET OF ISLAM, 1,300 YEARS AGO. NO NATION IN THE WORLD, AND ACROSS ALL OF HISTORY, HAS NEEDED TO FACE SUCH ENDLESS HOSTILICY AND GENOCIDAL DIATRIBE AND BRUTAL OBDURACY OF THE ARAB HATRED OF JEWS AND ISRAEL. AND THE WCC THINKS THAT "PEACE MAY NOT COME FOR A LONG TIME". WELL, THEY ARE RIGHT. BUT THEY FAIL TO NOTE THE KEY ELEMENT THAT PREVENTS PEACE: THE OBDURATE REFUSAL OF ARAB LEADERSHP TO ACCEPT THE EXISTENCE OF ISRAEL AS A SOVEREIGN STATE, AND THAT LEADERSHIP'S TOXIC COMMITMENT TO ENDLESS WAR IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ITS GOAL OF THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL AND GENOCIDE OF ITS JEWS. WHEN THAT CHANGES, WE CAN HAVE PEACE OVERNIGHT. The WCC's Executive Committee called upon its 340 member churches in over 100 countries representing approximately 550 million Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant Christians to "share solidarity with people on both sides of the conflict," and to "use legitimate forms of pressure to promote a just peace and to end unlawful activities by Israelis or Palestinians." THIS IS GREAT NEWS. NOW, LET'S SEE. ISRAEL HAS ALREADY COMMITTED TO A JUST PEACE WITH THE CREATION OF A PALESTINIAN STATE VIA PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS. HAMAS HAS COMMITTED TO ENDLESS WAR AND TERRORISM UNTIL ALL THE JEWS OF ISRAEL ARE EITHER MOSLEM OR EXILED OR DEAD, AND REJECTS ALL POSSIBILITY OF NEGOTIATIONS. HMMMM...WHICH SIDE NEEDS TO BE PRESSURED? HOW WILL THE WCC PRESSURE HAMAS? It also asked its members to "find constructive ways to address threats experienced among the Jewish people, including the nature, prevalence and impact of racism in local, national and international contexts." MORE GOOD NEWS. I HOPE THEY COME UP WITH SOME SOLID SUGGESTIONS. THAT WOULD BE A REAL BREAKTHROUGH. In March 2005, the WCC urged its member churches give "serious consideration" to pulling investments out of Israel and endorsed the 2004 decision by the Presbyterian Church of the United States to seek "phased selective divestment" from Israel. "This [Presbyterian] action is commendable in both method and manner, uses criteria rooted in faith and calls members to do the things that make for peace," the WCC said. YOU ALL HAVE MY ARTICLES ON DIVESTMENT. THE WCC'S STAND IS TOTALLY UNSUPPORTABLE MORALLY AND LEGALLY AND RATIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY AND HISTORICALLY. KNOWINGLY OR NOT, THE WCC SUPPORTS THE ARAB GENOCIDAL INTENT AGAINST ISRAEL WHEN IT SUPPORTS DIVESTMENT. KNOWINGLY OR NOT, THE WCC IS BEING MANIPULATED, AND PERHAPS HAS BEEN HIJACKED, BY THE ARAB FORCES BEHIND THE 'FRANCHISING' OF DIVESTMENT IN THE USA AND IN THE UK. The Presbyterian Church will revisit its 2004 divestment decision next month at its 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama, in response to criticism that the divestment call was one-sided and ill-informed. I HOPE THEY WILL TAKE THE TIME TO READ MY ARTICLES BEFORE THEY REACH A FINAL DECISION. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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THE PROPOSED NAFTHE BOYCOTT
Posted by Judah Tzoref, May 23, 2006. |
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[Editor's note The British Academic Union NATFHE proposes to blacklist
academics from two Israeli Universities. To read about it in Jeff
Weintraub's article, "Academic Freedom Alert - Oppose The Blacklisting
Of Israeli Academics," click here.
To counter the motion, some well-meaning Israelis have proposed a petition, which, unfortunately takes a tone illustrated by the following: "We oppose the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and we oppose the daily violence that is necessary to sustain it; as we oppose campaigns to kill Israelis. We are for peace between Israel and Palestine on the basis of mutual recognition. But this boycott proposal would do more harm than good if the aim is to bolster the Israeli and Palestinian peace movements and move towards a peace agreement."As others have noted, "The Unions don't want to boycott the israeli universities because of the so called israeli occupation, the Unions just want to boycott Israel herself just for existing." Unfortunately, as usual, we must not only fight the obvious enemy but also well-meaning Jewish mush-brains. The letter from Dr. Judah Tzoref below addresses this point.] Have some people in the British academia completely lost their minds... shouldn't they once and for all dedicate their intellectual energy to the moral imperative of accounting for the notorious British atrocities during the Mandate in pre-state Israel... and what about the abandonment of the Balfour declaration, the unforgivable renunciation of the international commitment to the establishment of a Jewish National Home and the consequent rendering of the eventual Jewish state just another meager ghetto, this time in the very Jewish homeland. Shame upon the gang of such "professors", so morbidly obsessed with malignant practices of their anti-Jewish brutality, hate and propaganda, the bottom line of which is just to blur any distinction between them and their anti-Semitic look-alikes throughout our history of persecution. No manipulative "peace" aspiration and making have any right to compress the Jews once again into the erasable dimensions of a non-sustainable ghetto... and if such sensitive professors so fervently care for apartheid and racism, let them bear in mind the ethnic cleansing perpetrated last summer against Jews of the Northern Negev, and this is not the only manifestation of racism against Jews in their very homeland... free Israel from the rest of Arab occupation! Judah Tzoref received his Ph.D. from Oxford University. He lives in Rehovot, Israel. Contact him at jtzcref@netvision.net.il |
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CONVERGENCE POLICY SET WITH NO DEBATE/ANALYSIS; INT'L CONF RUSE;
NOW THAT US IS A PARIAH
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 23, 2006. |
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POLICY SET WITHOUT DEBATE OR ANALYSIS The Prime Ministers of Israel decided upon withdrawal from the Territories without debate (and against professional advice). A debate would have brought out that the Gaza withdrawal proved a failure. "It would also raise the likelihood that an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria will cause an inflow of terrorists and missiles that will place all of Israel's major cities as well as its major highways, seaports and Ben-Gurion Airport within missile range from Hizbullah forces in Lebanon and Palestinian forces in Gaza, Judea and Samaria." Such a withdrawal also would let the P.A. Islamists team up with counterparts in Jordan and take over that country. US supply of its forces in Iraq, via Jordan, would have to be re-routed through the Persian Gulf, where Iran could make trouble. Judea-Samaria would host training bases for terrorists planning to fight against the US in Iraq. The retreat would be such a victory for jihad, whose proponents claim with logic that their terrorism brought it about, that thousands of Muslims would join the jihad. (Thus surrendering to Islamists increases terrorism, whereas fighting them to a standstill does not.) By weakening itself, an ally of the US, Israel would be weakening the US directly and also in the world's perception of US strength). When PM Olmert comes to Washington, he will elicit support for his scheme. He would be asked why the US should support a scheme that facilitates international jihad (IMRA, 5/6 from Caroline Glick). The US wouldn't pay for the scheme, but probably would encourage him to pursue it, because contrary to what Caroline Glick avers, US foreign policy is not based upon US national interests but on perceived special interests, prejudices, ignorance, and stupidity. The State Dept. hates Israel more than it cares about the long-range US national security. US security needs a strong Israel and a weak P.A. The US probably would hint that it would recognize the borders he sets. After he withdraws, it would demur. (That was the way the US dealt with Sharon, before the Gaza withdrawal.) CLAIMS THE WEST IS DEFEATING TERRORISM NY Sun columnist Youssef Ibrahim claims that new laws redefining freedom of speech and "militancy" (obsequious euphemism for terrorism) enable Western countries to threaten internal Muslim communities with what amounts to martial law. New restrictions of visas keep Muslims from immigrating. Hundreds of terrorists are imprisoned under sedition and hate laws. European Muslims are laying low. Some have asked radical preachers to go home. Muslim preachers are required to undergo re-education. More than half a dozen countries allow the government to de-naturalize Muslims. Almost all Al Qaeda leaders are dead, jailed, or hiding. They can't use cell phones, faxes, or the Internet, without risk. Hence they cannot run an effective jihad. Muslim governments, having found themselves targeted by terrorists, are cracking down on the terrorists. Arab banks refuse to rout Arab League money to Hamas, because doing so would jeopardize their ties with Western banks. Islamists mostly are fighting fellow Muslims, not the West. Usually, this does not disturb oil exports (1/8, p.1) I think celebration is premature. It is good that the West is reconsidering self-defense, but political correctness remains strong. The new laws are sporadic. As for the long run, the high Muslim birth rate and the declining European one are ominous. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES RUSE Syria wants to convene an international conference to define the difference between terrorism and national resistance. But there is a definition of terrorism, and it has no relation to national resistance. Terrorism is improper means in warfare. National resistance is a reason for warfare. Under international law, the principle is that improper means of warfare are improper regardless of the stated reason for the war. That's simple. Why call a conference? To redefine the terms so as to stand the existing definitions, ethics, and international law on its head. The Arabs know that contemporary governments are either afraid of them, obsequious for their business, or against Israel. The "international community" has little decent impulse. It can be depended upon to disregard legal and ethical principles and propose what is politically correct. The Muslim Arabs have been denying the obvious and making false claims about terminology and the meaning of UNO Resolutions and treaties for years. Thus they claim that: (1) An advisory UNO Resolution on refugees is mandatory; (2) The Resolution calling for Israeli withdrawals from territory means from all the territory; (3) The Resolution suggesting that one means of solution is for "refugee" return is the only means; (4) Israel is violating certain Resolutions, although those Resolutions require the Arabs to make peace, in order for Israel to have to do certain things; (5) Any descendant of a Palestinian Arab refugee is a refugee, unlike the definition of other refugees, and with UNO help, they claim that any Arab who had arrived shortly before the war is a refugee, and they gave refugee status to Arabs living in their own homes, and they fail to turn in ration cards for deceased refugees; and (6) Israeli counter-attacking in self-defense is aggression. The Muslim Arabs want to impose their own definition, so as to legalize their bigoted aggression and war crimes and to criminalize Israeli and American defense against them. They would falsely claim that Israel is occupying Arab territory (it is not Arab and Israel is not occupying sovereign territory) and that the US is occupying an Arab country (which it no longer is, now that Iraq has an independent government, thanks to the US liberating Iraq from tyranny). They would declare that the rebels in Iraq and the Arabs in the Territories are waging a legitimate war of national resistance, although it is religious aggression that they are pursuing. They would define any means of "national resistance" permissible, and any other terrorism as terrorism. This is a cynical exercise by Syria. It may get away with it, because the overly liberal, politically correct, human rights organizations have persuaded the world that masses of governments confer legitimacy upon propositions. It is a case of situational ethics in the service of oppression aided by so-called humanitarian organizations overcoming the eternal ethics of Western civilizations (that the West needs constant reminders of, itself). Now we can see why the US, which fostered many international agreement, finds them getting out of control and an oppressive infringement upon its sovereignty. The US is reluctant to recognize the International Criminal Court, because it cannot depend upon that Court being judicious. It would be political. Since the US has become a scapegoat almost as much as Israel, the US must guard its sovereign rights. The US sometimes is the only force for decency. Unfortunately, its sometimes unclean hands confuse people about when it is being decent, and they may listen to the Arabs, whose jihad is indecent. NOW THAT THE U.S. IS A PARIAH In many respects, the US is treated as a pariah, as Israel is treated. Feeling the injustice of this, the US should bear more sympathy for Israel, a similar victim of prejudice. Having many enemies in common, the US should stand more with Israel. The US often is accused of needing to have an enemy to focus on, therefore making false accusations. The real US problem is its reluctance to perceive hostility, as with the WWII Axis and the USSR. Generally, the accusation applies more aptly to the dictatorial enemies of the US, who need to divert attention from their own failure. How did the US come to have enemies? The main ways of acquiring enemies are by one's own choice and by their choice. The main ways of treating enemies are by competition, by conquest and then relinquishing control, and by extermination. In modern times, the US usually acquires enemies by their choice. The US does not seek to exterminate them. Its totalitarian enemies seek to extinguish at least its culture of freedom. The accusation against the US is mainly false. An exception in US policy is on Israel. The US pretends to be its friend but its policy is to undermine it. This hurts the long-term US national security. Oh, people tell us, terrorism against the US and international dislike for the US government are produced by unstinting US support for Israel. Thus the US pretense of being friendly towards Israel, expressed in words as being a staunch friend and ally or as being even-handed, which are contradictory, is taken as unstinting support. So much for words, now for deeds. The US demands that Israel not defend fully against its deadly enemies whom the US aids, and the US tries to get Israel to relinquish to those enemies strategic territory that would provide secure borders and water supply. How ironic that the US harms Israel, but gets blamed for protecting it. It isn't fair that Israel gets blamed for harming America's reputation, for Israel does nothing wrong to warrant that. Israel deserves credit for the tremendous assistance it has rendered the US, more than have most of America's other allies combined. This complaint that Muslim hostility towards the US is the result of US policy towards Israel is false. The Arabs state it because: (1) They prefer an excuse to the truth that would reflect on them or attract hostility towards them; and (2) Because they state it, they believe it. With the Arabs, accusations are self-fulfilling. Whatever the slander by Arabs, other Arabs believe it and probably the slanderers come to believe it, as well. Europeans, many of whom have their own prideful and pitiful jealousies of the US, hatred of Jews, and appeasement of the Arabs, take Arab accusations at face value. Their shallow approach to this issue fails to analyze the policies and determine their validity. They don't have the facts about the issues and do not realize how poorly their biased, censored, and ignorant media prepare them to judge. They judge nevertheless. Meanwhile, their own civilization is submerging under Islam. They condemn the US, the only force that may rescue them, unless they wake up. There are some signs that they are waking up. Sharing some of Europe's ignorance, biases, and prejudices, the State Dept. is unable to do the right thing: stand with Israel proudly, explain why, and earn international respect for taking a principled stand. $ID |
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US JEWISH GROUPS REFUSE AID TO EVACUEES
Posted by Aryeh Zelasko, May 23, 2006. |
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American Jewry has very little going for it today. Intermarriage is at epidemic rates, assimilation is rampant in all segments of the Jewish community, the quantity and quality of Jewish education is very low and the most common attitude to Jewish identity is indifference. However, the one consistent merit American Jewry has had over the generations has been Tzadakah. This has been true both on a personal level and on a community level. The charity American Jews gave kept alive the Jews of Eastern Europe during the Czarist persecutions at the end of the 19th century and continued through two world wars, the reestablishment of Israel, the rescue of millions of Jews in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Africa and has built or rebuilt thousands of educational institutions in Israel. The list is long, diversified and impressive. Unfortunately this merit of Tzadakah seems to be on the wane. This was written by Aaron Klein and it appeared in www.World Net Daily.com today. JERUSALEM -- Mainstream American Jewish organizations largely have refused to aid the thousands of Jews evacuated last summer from the Gaza Strip, the majority of whom are unemployed and have yet to find permanent housing, WND has learned. Leaders from Gush Katif, the former Jewish communities of Gaza, said a series of direct petitions to significant U.S. Jewish organizations in recent months have been fruitless. They outlined a "humanitarian crisis" among the expellees. "With few exceptions, we have received almost no help from the mainstream Jewish American groups, which grant billions of dollars" said Dror Vanunu, a former Gaza resident and the international coordinator for the Gush Katif Committee, a major charity organization representing the Gaza Jewish refugees. Refugees 'in desperate need' Israel in August evacuated its nearly 10,000 Jewish citizens from Gaza. Successive Israeli governments over the years had urged thousands of Israelis to move to Gaza and build communities there. Israel promised the expelled residents compensation packages and aid, much of which -- none months later -- has yet to arrive. A status report released last week by the Gush Katif Committee found only 58 percent of expelled Gaza Jews were granted compensation for their homes guaranteed by the Israeli government. Only 26 percent of businessmen received housing compensation, and among farmers, only 5 percent. The Israeli government pledged it would provide temporary housing solutions for all expelled Gush Katif residents. But 200 of the approximately 1,750 former Gush Katif families are living in university dormitories, motels and guest houses. Most families now reside in the Israeli Negev desert in small-government-built prefabricated "trailer villas." Residents there live mostly in crowded conditions, in many cases lacking enough bedroom space to accommodate their families. "You can punch through my wall," a resident of Nitzan, the largest Gush Katif trailer community, told WND. "My friends come to visit me in coffee shops because there is not enough room in my living room for them to be comfortable." Several residents said electricity and running water in their trailer communities is sparse. Prior to their evacuation from Gaza, the vast majority of Gush Katif residents lived in large homes in landscaped communities. Many were farmers, tending to the area's famous, technologically advanced greenhouses that supplied Israel with much of its produce. The Gush Katif unemployment rate was less than 1 percent. Now, 50 percent of Gaza's Jewish refugees are unemployed, and only 21 percent of former Gush Katif businesses have re-opened. Residents of the Negev trailer camps mostly are former farmers, many of whom now say they are not sure what they will do. "The land is much different here than what Gush Katif farmers are used to," explained Anita Tucker, one of the pioneer farmers of Katif. "Most of the techniques used in the greenhouses in Gaza were specific to the land and environment. Now farmers will have to develop new ways for these new lands and the different kind of soil." According to the most recent Gush Katif status report, many of the Jewish children expelled from Gaza suffer from a full range of traumatic and post-traumatic stress symptoms, including anxiety, depression, regressive behavior, general behavioral problems, lack of concentration and difficulty coping with new or challenging situations. Yet many refugee sites lack youth counselors and activity centers. Budgets for youth programs expired in March. "The situation is extremely grave," said Vanunu. "It is at emergency status in many cases." Almost no assistance for the former Gush Katif residents has been offered by any mainstream American Jewish organization, most of which publicly supported the Gaza withdrawal. Many U.S. Jewish charities are associated with Jewish federations. They reportedly grant more than $3 billion per year. Jewish federation leader quits in protest Until he resigned in February, New Jersey resident Buddy Macy served as a member of the board of trustees and a recording secretary for the Jewish Federation of Greater Clifton-Passaic in New Jersey which belongs to the United Jewish Communities charity network, the most financially endowed Jewish charity group in the U.S. The UJC reportedly raised over $850 million last year. It is known to set the tone for thousands of Jewish charity organizations nationwide. Macy told WND he quit his position after more than 25 years of service to protest the UJC's refusal to initiate a campaign fund to help the Gaza Jewish refugees. "There are thousands of Jews in dire need and the UJC and other mainstream groups with huge endowments are deliberately ignoring the crisis. The situation is absolutely unacceptable," Macy said. In an e-mail to UJC President Howard Rieger that has been widely circulated among Jewish circles on the Internet, Macy called the UJC leadership "heartless with regard to the Jews who live and lived in Judea, Samaria and Gaza." In an e-mail reply also widely circulated after it was posted by Macy, Rieger retorted, "I am not heartless. Read many of the comments which I have made publically [sic] on this subject. On the impact that dislocation has on individuals. And I have visited many of those who are now living in the Sinai and feel genuine concern for their plight." Former Gaza Jewish residents do not live in the Sinai, which is located in Egypt. Rieger in the e-mail went on to blame the Gaza Jewish refugees for their current situation: "I do believe that in the end that the priority must be the rule of law," he said. "That many of those who found themselves without assistance after having to be uprooted also refused to engage with the system which was offering compensation." The vast majority -- 1,450 of Katif's 1,800 families -- did not apply for government compensation ahead of Israel's August evacuation deadline, some stating they feared if the withdrawal were allowed to be implemented in Gaza, it would lead to other evacuations in Judea, Samaria and parts of Jerusalem. After the Gaza withdrawal, the Israeli government reoffered aid packages and said all residents would be fully compensated. Almost all Gush Katif families applied. Rieger was unavailable for comment. His spokesman, Glenn Rosencrantz, did not return several messages left by WND at his office and on his cell phone the past few days. Jewish leaders refuse aid efforts Macy listed other major Jewish American leaders he charged have been refusing to aid Gush Katif expellees, including Israel Policy Forum President Seymour Reich, World Jewish Congress President Edgar Bronfman, Anti-Defamation League Director Abe Foxman and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. While the situation regarding expelled Gush Katif residents has been publicly looming, Macy points out Jewish leaders Hoenlein and Foxman recently initiated a large charity effort to aid Israeli Arabs. Macy also cited private Jewish philanthropists who provide large sums to mainstream organizations, including American Jewish magnates Ron Lauder, S. Daniel Abraham, Sam Halpern, Joseph Wilf, Charles Bronfman, and Matthew Bronfman, for helping set the tone for the Jewish groups. The philanthropists have been aiding efforts to build the Israeli Negev desert. Macy stated the individuals are closely linked to Israel's economy and to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is looking to push through a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, which is expected to bring an influx of new residents to the Negev. Some small groups offer assistance The Gush Katif Committee's Vanunu said he briefed the UJC, the Conference of Presidents and other mainstream American Jewish organizations about the status of the expelled Jewish residents and that little aid was forthcoming. Hoenlein of the Conference told WND his organization has been pressing the Israeli government for more assistance and more effective outreach toward former Gaza Jews. Vanunu said one UJC-linked federation in Texas made donations for scholarships for expelled Jewish children, and another local group provided funds to an employment office in a regional site housing former Gaza Jewish residents. The Jewish National Fund, which leads efforts to populate the Negev, has offered select assistance programs to Negev-based refugees. "Unfortunately, there has been no real response from any of the main groups," Vanunu said. Some smaller American Jewish organizations have been helping. The National Council of Young Israel, an American synagogue organization, provided funds for specific campaigns under the leadership of the Council's executive vice president, Pesach Lerner. Vanunu said mainstream Canadian groups and philanthropists, largely located in Toronto, have been providing aid. "The Toronto community has been enormously receptive," he said. "I would really like to apply that model to the American organizations." 'Time to put politics aside and help our own people' Young Israel's Lerner last September led a fact-finding commission to Israel to assess the situation among the former Gaza Jewish residents. He authored a letter urging American Jewish groups to help the expellees. "The mainstream groups are not responding," Lerner told WND. "They supported the Gaza evacuation. So they are not going to turn around now and offer assistance to the expelled Jewish residents." Lerner said the mainstream American Jewish groups may be reluctant to provide aid in light of their stated support for Olmert's Judea and Samaria withdrawal. "If it is highlighted the Gush Katif refugees are not taken care of nine months later, it will look terrible for the chance that any Judea and Samaria residents will be compensated," said Lerner. "We're talking about 10 times the people." "I hope they come to see things differently," he continued. "There is a Jewish humanitarian crisis. It's time to put politics aside and help our own people." Vanunu said while he suspected politics might be at play, the Israeli government is also to blame. He said government officials told American Jewish leaders prior to the Gaza evacuation their assistance was not necessary. "Israeli leaders announced that they had everything under control," Vanunu said. "That all the Gush Katif residents would be taken care of. Unfortunately today almost everyone realizes that is not a reality." Said Lerner, "I hope the mainstream groups come to see things differently. There is a Jewish humanitarian crisis. It's time to put politics aside and help our own people." Aryeh Zelasko lives in Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem. He is Director of Sales and Marketing of Israel Visit (www.israelvisit.co.il) which provides information and an internet buying facility for American visitors to Israel. |
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JONATHAN POLLARD POLLARD'S YOM YERUSHALYIM SPEECH
Posted by Justice For Jonathan Pollard, May 22, 2006. |
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Zion, Hallo Tishalee Eht Shlom Assiraych?* Jonathan Pollard's speech was written for presentation at the Yom Yerushalayim Ceremony at the Kotel 25 May 2006 (Jerusalem Day). It will be presented simultaneously at other Yom Yerushalayim festivities throughout the country. My Brothers and Sisters, the whole House of Israel: Over the last 21 years it has never been easy for me to get a message out from within the prison walls. Every such attempt diminishes the limited opportunity that I have for maintaining contact with the outside world. That is why - right from the start of my incarceration - I have always deliberately avoided using the limited opportunities to communicate with the Israeli public to talk about my own private hell. I have always preferred to forego expressing my feelings of isolation, betrayal and abandonment; or speaking about my deteriorating health and the life -and-death nature of my daily existence. Instead, I chose to focus on the national aspects of my plight: the mitzvah of Pidyan Shvuyim and the moral obligation never to abandon a wounded soldier in the field. However, time is running out, and I can no longer afford to continue in the same vein. Very few prisoners survive 21 years under the conditions in which I have been held and continue to be held. Those Israeli officials, who have for years claimed to be using "quiet diplomacy" for my release, while waiting for time to take its own effect, never imagined that the "Pollard problem" would still be around after all this time. They never dreamed that I would refuse to give up and just die. The support and encouragement which I have received over the years, first and foremost from my wife, Esther, and from my rabbi, HaRav Mordecai Eliyahu, shlita, and from all of the activists and supporters who work with them in the struggle for my release, is what has kept me alive and enabled me to go on. The fact that I am still alive today is a complete miracle. My rabbi, Kavod HaRav Mordecai Eliyahu says that the reason I have survived miraculously from day to day is because the Shechinah is with me and has been accompanying me in prison throughout my long ordeal. The Rav says that by its actions the Government of Israel has not only abandoned and betrayed me, but it has also shown no mercy to the Shechinah** in captivity. My brothers and sisters! I have been slowly bleeding to death before your very eyes for 21 years! My desperate situation, the result of the Government's treachery and abandonment, is a chillul HaShem that screams to the Heavens. And where is the Nation? I cry out to you from the depths of my soul: Zion, hallo tishalee eht shlom assiraych? Zion, won't you seek the welfare of your captives! If Zion will not seek the welfare of her captives, it is not the personal problem of the captives. The problem rests entirely upon Zion and upon all who dwell in Zion. I do not fear for my own fate. Whatever Heaven decrees for me I will accept with love. But I am filled with dread for the fate of the Nation which I so love. If the Nation continues to allow the Government to ignore the divine commandment: "Do not stand idly by your brother's blood," without crying out or lifting a finger to stop this terrible sin, I am afraid to even to think about what the consequences will be. I do not know how much time is left. I only hope and pray with all my might, for the sake of the Nation of Israel, that we will all wake up and do what needs to be done, now, before it is too late! With love of Israel,
*Translation of title: "Zion won't you seek the welfare of your captives?" Title is from a famous poem of the same name, written by Yehudah Halevi, a Jewish physician, poet and philosopher, who lived in Toledo, Spain, circa 1085 -1141. The heart-rending phrase, "Zion, hallo tishalee eht shlom assiraych?" (Zion, won't you seek the welfare of your captives?) is the Israeli idiom for those held in captivity in foreign lands. This poem is the source of the modern-day concept "Prisoner of Zion." ** The Shechina: In simplest terms, the Shechina (n.f.) is the presence of G-d which dwells with Israel, offering comfort in sorrow and accompanying her in exile. Contact Justice for Jonathan Pollard at Justice4JP@aol.com |
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KIDNAPPING CHRISTIAN CHILDREN TO FUND TERROR
Posted by Naomi Ragen, May 22, 2006. |
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An article from the Sunday Times of London. Remember this the next time some Islamic spokesperson speaks about the "depravity" of the West.... Unbelieveable. It is from yesterday's the Sunday Times, of London (www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2190424,00.html) It is called "Reunited: boys saved from slavers,"and was written by Marie Colvin, Lahore. A SENIOR member of an Islamic organisation linked to Al-Qaeda is funding his activities through the kidnapping of Christian children who are sold into slavery in Pakistan. The Sunday Times has established that Gul Khan, a wealthy militant who uses the base of Jamaat-ud Daawa (JUD) near Lahore, is behind a cruel trade in boys aged six to 12. They are abducted from remote Christian villages in the Punjab and fetch nearly £1,000 each from buyers who consign them to a life of misery in domestic servitude or in the sex trade. Khan was exposed in a sting organised by American and Pakistani missionaries who decided to save 20 such boys and return them to their homes. Using a secret camera, they filmed him accepting $28,500 (£15,000) from a Pakistani missionary posing as a businessman who said he wanted to set up an operation in which the boys would beg for cash on the streets. Khan was observed driving from the meeting with a knapsack full of cash to the JUD headquarters at Muridke, near Lahore. The base was funded by Osama Bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader, in the late 1990s and the JUD's assets were frozen last month by the US Treasury after it was designated a terrorist organisation. The US State Department declared the JUD a front for another organisation, Lashkar-i-Toiba, a terrorist group banned in Pakistan which joined with Al-Qaeda in an attempt to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf in 2003. Khan, who regularly stays at the JUD's base, broke his promise to hand over the 20 boys on receipt of the cash and took the Pakistani missionary's assistant hostage while he checked that the dollars were genuine. The boys were eventually freed in a dishevelled and malnourished state after being locked in a room for five months during which they suffered frequent beatings. Last week I accompanied six of the boys on journeys of up to 15 hours to their homes, where they were greeted with astonishment and jubilation by families who had given them up for dead. The mother of Akash Aziz, who was kidnapped as he played with his friends after school, was so astonished that she could barely move or speak at first. The undercover missionaries have demanded the prosecution of Khan and an investigation into his work for the JUD, which claims to have created a "pure Islamic environment" at Muridke. Hafez Muhamed Sayeed, its leader, was accused of inciting riots in Pakistan this year with speeches denouncing western "depravity" after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. For more articles,please visit my Web page at: http://www.NaomiRagen.co Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist and journalist who lives in Jerusalem. She can be contacted at www.naomiragen.com, where you can subscribe to her newsletter. |
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NOTRE DAME'S DARLING OF TERROR
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 22, 2006. |
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1. Tariq Ramadan's "Center" involved in terrorism You may recall how the Marxist seditious Kroc Institute at Notre Dame "University" tried to host Tariq Ramadan as its "visiting scholar" at the "University" a while back. Ramadan is a vile anti-Semite and pro-terror Islamofascist, with personal ties to al-Qaeda. In the end, the US refused to grant him a visa and so Kroc and Notre Dame had to go hunting for other terrorists to host. The ACLU is helping him appeal that decision. What a shock. Well, now the Militant Islam Monitor blog reveals that Muslims at the Saudi-funded Geneva Islamic Center, run by Ramadan and his family, plotted to shoot down an El Al civilian plane last week. It has now been publicized that an unnamed Islamic terror gang planned to fire an RPG missile at a plane as it took off from the Geneva airport. The Swiss agents first learned of the terrorists' plans five months ago. An undercover agent inside Ramadan's Islamic Center in Geneva became friendly with several immigrants from Arab countries, and they told him of their intentions. The terrorists had planned to flee to Iraq after the attack. Phone taps on the terrorists revealed that the terrorists planned to smuggle an RPG rocket from Russia and fire it at the plane. Perhaps Notre Dame can host Osama himself next year? 2. Le Phooh
"French are rudest, most boring people on earth: British poll"
LONDON (AFP) - The French have been voted the world's most unfriendly nation by a landslide in a new British poll published. They were also voted the most boring and most ungenerous. A decisive 46 percent of the 6,000 people surveyed by travellers' website Where Are You Now (WAYN) said the French were the most unfriendly nation people on the planet, British newspapers reported. The Germans have no to reason to celebrate the damning verdict. They came second on all three counts. WAYN's French founder, Jerome Touze, told the papers he had been stunned by the thumping condemnation of his compatriots and sought to blame it on Gallic love-struck sulking. "I had no idea that the French would emerge as such an unfriendly country," he said. "I think our romantic 'moodiness' is misunderstood and I will be sure to pass on the message to my family and friends back in France to be a bit more cheerful to tourists in the future." Italy was voted the world's most cultured nation with the best cuisine, while the United States was named the most unstylish with the worst food. The British did not feature in the top 10 of any of the categories. "The British fit in nowhere -- good or bad. It appears that we are so completely average that the voters did not include us in any category," the tabloid Daily Express commented. "And to our shame, four percent of respondents -- all British of course -- said they would only talk to other Britons when they are abroad." This unwillingness to talk to the locals appears to go hand in hand with respondents' perceptions of foreigners. While most said Spain was the foreign country where they would most like to live, they said the Spaniards were nearly as unfriendly and ungenerous as the French. To add insult to injury, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph put the boot in on Saturday by saying in an editorial that the French stank. "The French may like to think that Chanel No 5 is their scent but we all know that garlic and stale Gitanes are much more representative." Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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WHAT THEY FAIL TO SAY; ILLEGAL DISPOSSESSION; NEW IDF RECRUITING STANDARD
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 22, 2006. |
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WHAT BUSH DIDN'T SAY Pres. Bush garnered much applause during his speech at the American Jewish Committee's centennial celebration. He said all they wanted to hear. The US stands by Israel against Iran, and would not cooperate with the Hamas government of the P.A.. But those are vague generalities. What he didn't say was that the US still donates to organizations in the P.A. that work against Israel and even the US. Helping them eases the financial obligation of the Hamas government. He also did not mention that, when he stands with Israel against Iran, he demands that Israel not fire back against Hamas' Hizbullah puppets in Lebanon and not send troops into the P.A. to put down the rocket-launching against Israel. He insists that Israel withdraw from P.A. cities and not erect checkpoints that can stop terrorism. The thrust of US policy long has been to turn the Territories over to the Arabs, meaning they would be turned into launching sites for war on Israel, and Israel would lack secure borders there. Equally embarrassing as Bush's murderous policies and dissembling about it was the audience of my fellow Jews applauding his pretense of friendship for the Jewish state he is doing so much to get attacked, whittled down, and annihilated. WHAT ISRAEL FAILS TO SAY PM Olmert argues that since isolated Jewish communities are outnumbered by Arabs in their sector of Judea-Samaria, those Jewish communities must be abandoned for their own security and to keep a Jewish majority in Israel. If Olmert were a proper Zionist and fair, he could conclude that since this is the Jewish homeland, then some of the Arab communities should be evacuated and that Israeli policy would be to make Arab settlement in Judea-Samaria non-viable. His argument is a pretext for abandoning more than isolated communities. He would evacuate major Jewish towns, too. He may even evacuate all of them, but his program is divide and conquer, so he does not mention the full extent of his program. Such demagoguery works, as did Richard Nixon's claim to have a secret plan for ending the Vietnam War. Voters should not endorse politicians whose plans are secret, as, really, is Olmert's. Like Sharon, Olmert keeps changing what he proposes as the supposedly secure (but actually insecure) borders. WHAT NO ISRAELI POLITICIAN WILL SAY IMRA interviews many politicians. Recently IMRA interviewed a Member of Knesset who is on the Yesha Council. IMRA asked repeatedly whether, if the government makes an agreement transferring control of Hebron to the P.A., and knowing that the Muslims intend to forbid Jewish worship at the Cave of the Patriarchs there, Judaism's second holiest site, would that MK vote against it. Like the other politicians, that MK evaded the question repeatedly. He would not commit himself to the principle. Has Israel no politicians of principle? They let the PM scheme until he destroys the principle. SECURITY & CLAN FEUDS TAKE DAILY P.A. TOLL It must be difficult to get a good night's sleep in the P.A.. Someone set off an explosive charge against the door of a second person, a member of the security forces, again at 3 a.m. (IMRA, 5/4). Now that Israel is not involved in the daily shooting and bombing at the P.A., the worldwide humanitarian organizations have no complaint. Shows how shallow is their concern about those poor Palestinian Arabs. The NY Times continues its sympathetic coverage of the "poor Arabs," but if the truth were told, they would not be seen as people to sympathize with. "Poor Arabs"? Despicable would be more like it. They constantly engage in violent clan, political, and economic rivalry. They extort rather than export. If that truth were told by the major media, perhaps governments would be more willing to let Israel fight the P.A. than to led the P.A. fight Israel. ILLEGAL DISPOSSESSION Arabs who sell real estate to Jews in the Territories, and who don't emigrate to safety, are tortured and murdered by fellow Arabs. Therefore, negotiations are difficult, expensive, painstaking, and secret. Naturally, the sale is denied by the Arab ex-landlord, if identified and he didn't emigrate, as many do. That is what happened at a property in Hebron. As soon as Jews moved in and started cleaning up, Israeli police and troops arrived and harassed them. The Jewish owners, however, produced all the required documentation (which in bureaucratic Israel is substantial). The police backed off. Then Jews acquired another house in Hebron. Immediately, without any reason to suspect foul play the Prime Minister and Defense Minister declared their opposition to it. Hence it is not a legal matter but a political one (and the foul play is theirs). A commander harangued the owners, repeatedly asserting that they "got away with it before," but this time he would "get them." As before, however, the owners produced all the legal papers certifying their rights to the property. Unlike last time, the police declared the documents forged, without having investigated. The police were relying upon the Arab landlord's self-serving claim, not on reviewing the documents. They have no basis for their claim. The government is seeking illegally to deprive people of their lawfully obtained property. The owners are petitioning the Supreme Court for redress (IMRA, 5/4). Unfortunately, the Court usually is part of Israel's leftist, anti-Zionist cabal. It, too, rules on the basis of ideology, not on the basis of law. Sure enough, the Court ruled against the Jews. (Its reason was not stated in the news brief.) No Jewish property is secure in Israel. Even before the forced evacuation, the police took off their name tags and harassed the Jews, as by barring the entry of food. (Isn't that a fascist tactic?) But a Labor MK said this would return law and order to Judea-Samaria (Arutz-7) where the Arabs have thousands of illegal buildings that Israel condones). WHY DOESN'T ISRAEL RE-CAPTURE GAZA? Like a dance, the P.A. and Israel have choreographed this step and counter-step: (1) P.A. Arabs fire rockets at Israel every day, from populated areas and areas that the government of Israel abandoned and expelled the Jews from; and (2) The IDF responds with artillery shells fired at vacant areas, lest it hit civilians. The Israeli response is not returning fire. The solution is for the Army to recapture Gaza and prevent its country from being fired upon. It doesn't. Why not? Probably it doesn't because that would admit that it never should have abandoned the area to that predicted assault, in the first place. Governments dread admitting mistakes, especially deadly ones (Arutz-7, 4/25 from former Defense Min. Moshe Ahrens). Mr. Ahrens is not wrong, but I think the problem lays deeper. The problem is part of the Jewish neurosis of appeasement -- appeasement of the US, appeasement of the Arabs, failing to study the issues but predetermining one's response ideologically and so ignoring the religious cause of the Arab war on Israel, coming to agree with antisemitic accusations against Zionism, and in general supposing that if Israel were "nicer" to the Arabs, the Arabs would respond like normal human beings (instead of like exploitative fanatics). There also are factors of extortion of corrupt Israelis and perhaps other holds that the US, which demands withdrawal, has over Israel. There also is the hatred that secular Israelis have for religious Jews, of whom many have settled in Judea-Samaria. The Left always was paranoid about the Right and fascistic (really, more Bolshevik) in its ways of dealing with opposition, to the extent it could get away with it. TOMBS OF HEROIC ANCESTORS Every year, the IDF escorts Jews into Shechem, which under foreign rule is called Nablus, to visit the tombs of Joshua and Caleb. The pair were the reputed dissenting spies who reported favorable on the viability of life in the Land of Canaan, and were the military commanders who led the Hebrews into the Promised Land (Arutz-7, 4/25). NEW IDF RECRUITING STANDARD The IDF has changed its recruiting standards. It will admit violent youth, who "need a second chance," and it will bar right-wing youth who might protest against Israeli withdrawals. In other words, the Israeli army is preparing for war on Jews. Parents of normal youngsters might not like their children to be forced to serve with violent youths armed by the government and who formerly would have been weeded out as unfit. (Sorry, forgot source.) This is a political test for military service -- undemocratic. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT SYRIA WAS OUT OF LEBANON Syria has encroached on Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, and set up fortified checkpoints. Lebanese officials will question Syria about it (IMRA, 5/6). Encroachment is as Arab as shish-kabob. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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HOW JEWISH IS ISRAEL?
Posted by Michael Anbar, Ph.D., May 21, 2006. |
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Enclosed is my rebuttal of an article that appeared in Friday's Ha'aretz. This article is so outrageous that it prompted me to write a detailed response. I know that Ha'aretz will never publish my rebuttal which is not "politically correct." I also do not believe that I will convince Tony Karon, its outspoken revolutionary author, to change his distorted views on Zionism, Judaism and Israel. However, the arguments presented in this poisonous widely distributed essay must be refuted as soon as possible for the benefit of the Jewish and Christian communities, especially for the benefit of naïve readers who might take Karon's articulate words at face value. The provocative arguments in Tony Karon's essay "How Jewish is Israel?" (Haaretz, May 19, 2006), call for a prompt response. On superficial reading, this essay sounds like a run of the mill ultra-liberal political statement, but on second reading one finds it to be a vitriolic attack on Judaism. It is possible that the Editor of Haaretz did not realize the rancorous implications of this essay before endorsing its publication. Karon touches on profound issues such as the meaning of being a Jew, or a Zionist, of nationality as compared to nationalism, of misojudaism (anti-Semitism), and the roots of the Arab-Jewish conflict, all with amazing superficiality and perhaps even with malice. He seems to believe that universalism and humanism, which happen to be offsprings of Judaism, have obviated all the overwhelming issues cited above. The only point on which I agree with Karon is that Israel (i.e., the modern State of Israel with an overwhelming Jewish majority) is not, and cannot be today the source of Jewish Identity. A point that has been the declared position of A.B. Yehoshua's, with whom also I strongly disagree. However, this is just a minor point in Tony Karon's assault on Zionism. Zionism, i.e., the urge to regain political independence in the ancient historical homeland of the Jewish people, is undoubtedly a ajor source of Jewish identity. Zionism is rooted in the Bible and has been interwoven with Jewish thought ever since. It is an integral part of Jewish poetic liturgy and of the messianic idea that was borrowed later by Christianity. It stands to simple logic that the Jewish Diaspora, glorified by Karon, is a meaningless concept without Zionism, just as the Armenian or Tibetan diasporas are meaningless without Armenia or Tibet, respectively. Diaspora means scattering -- scattering from where? This simple notion seems to have escaped Tony Karon. I wish he had read "Do they understand what Zionism is all about?" in my book "Israel and its Future." Karon's sweeping statements that "Before the Holocaust, Zionism had been a minority tendency among Western Jews, and scarcely existed among those living in the Muslim world" is patently untrue. The concept of Jewish nationhood has not been invented in the 19th Century, as claimed in Karon's essay. Would he have remembered history, he would have realized that any nationality evolves together with the perception of its history. The Bible is a manifestation of Jewish, and later of Christian historical perspectives. The Bible is not a lesser manifestation of Jewish national historical perspective than the writings of Tukidides or Tacitus were manifestations of Greek or Roman nationhood, respectively. "Bnei Yisrael" or "Am Yisrael," i.e., The "People of Israel," is an ancient tenet of nationhood of the Jewish people. Moreover, the Islamic "Umma," which now threatens our civilization, is a religion-driven, exaggerated perception of nationhood that turned into violent nationalism. It is a concept that had been borrowed from the Bible to become utterly distorted and abused. Karon's idealized antinational universalism "scorning national boundaries", advocated primarily by some Jewish secular intellectuals, contradicts human social behavior as well as history. Supranational universalism, caricatured by the nationalistically-driven UN, is likely to be as short-lived as Zamenhof's Esperanto, the "universal" language that ignored the existence of non-Western cultures, or Marx's universal communism that has ignored basic economics (two other inventions of naive Jewish intellectuals). The lack of historical perspective or flagrant denial of history is reflected in Karon's claim that the State of Israel was established as a consequence of the Holocaust "at the expense of another people." Let me first remind Mr. Karon that hundreds of thousands of Jews lived in the Land of Israel a long time before the Holocaust. The political independence of the Jewish state from the British Mandate paralleled the political independence of other British and French neighboring colonial territories in the Middle East, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Iraq and Egypt. Any historian will tell you that with or without the UN, Great Britain would not have retained its colonial rule of the Land of Israel. The Arab propaganda claim, supported by Karon, that the Jewish State was "created" by the UN (by a mistake that must be reversed!) is a historic fallacy. Moreover, the UN 1947 resolution to "establish" the State of Israel on just a small part of the original territory assigned under a British Mandate to the Jewish people by the League of Nations in 1920, was an attempt to neutralize opposition of the Arabs who continued to defy international law by their invasion of May 1948. The UN recognition of all other states, cited above, was virtually automatic, i.e., nobody gives the UN credit for their establishment. The Islamic assault on Israel is not a unique phenomenon. Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the PLO-Syrian invasion of Lebanon in 1975 were other examples of Islamic aggression against countries in the Middle East under non-Islamic rule. I wonder how these highly relevant recent historical events could have been missed by Tony Karon. How does he reconcile and accept Islamic unmitigated universal aggression in his borderless universalism? Why does he single out Jewish defensive response to Islamic aggression as unethical? One should feel free to criticize the policies of the State of Israel, but one must not question the legitimacy of its very existence, as implied by Karon. The existence of a Jewish independent state in the ancient Jewish homeland cannot be denied by any Islamic foe or leftist ideologue, just as is the case with France, Greece or Ireland (even before the latter gained political independence). As for Karon's statement: "the expense of another people," it is not clear which nation he refers to. Is it the Arab nation? Or is it the artificial "Palestinian nation" created after 1948 by the Arab league - the umbrella political organization of the Arab nation - as a tool to dislodge the Jews from the Middle East? For the sake of historical accuracy, it must be repeated here that the "Palestinian nation," which is probably the entity Mr. Karon is referring to, has no history, no distinct language, literature, religion or other distinctive cultural features (minimal requirements defining any nation) prior to its artificial creation by Arab political leadership in reaction to the massive return of Jews to their homeland. Following Mr. Karon's reasoning the call for political independence by the Kurds, Maronites, Copts, Berbers, Druz, Armenians, Assyrians, or any other minority in the Arab empire should be perceived to be at "the expense of another people." According to Mr. Karon the Arab nation seems to be immune to political national aspirations of its oppressed minorities. The State of Israel, which he accuses of being a colonial oppressor, is the only non-Arab, non-Muslim entity that established political independence within the Arab multi-state empire. This is Israel's major political problem. One wonder if Mr. Karon, who has been ignoring so many historical facts, is an avowed Arab sympathizer or perhaps a Jew hater? I am afraid that the latter is correct, as attested by his anti-Zionist stance. It is virtually impossible to separate Zionism, in its broader sense (having nothing to do with politics of the Jewish state), from Judaism. Zionism implies the urge for Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel, emanated from Zion, i.e., Jerusalem, the ancient Davidic capital. Even members of Neturei Karta ("Guardians of the City"), the messianic ultra-orthodox Jewish sect in Jerusalem who disavow a mundane Jewish state, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, are essentially ardent Zionists -- the Messiah being the descendent of King David who will rule in Jerusalem at the End of Days. This is also true of Christians who believe in the second coming of the Messiah, a descendent of the House of David, to the holy City of Jerusalem -- they too are implicitly Zionists. Furthermore, sovereignty implies nationalism, which so much despised by Karon. By considering Zionism to be a transient phenomenon in Jewish history he manifests blind hatred or utter ignorance. Consequently, as an anti-Zionist universalist, Tony Karon must be classified as a hater of Judaism. Mr. Karon declares himself to be a "rootless cosmopolitan" Jew. His demonstrable disregard for history and historical perspective, makes him an eccentric self-hating Jew. Misojudaism is not limited to non-Jews, as demonstrated by Noam Chomsky. Misojudaism predated Christianity but was adopted by it, precipitating the Holocaust. However, today the standard bearers of misojudaism, in a addition to secular, liberal universalists such as Tony Karon, are the Muslims. The Arab Israeli conflict is not a manifestation of anti-imperialism, as stated by Karon, but of Islamic misojudaism. Islamic misojudaism is rooted in the Qur'an where Jews are described as subhuman beings - descendents of apes and pigs. It is rooted in and modeled after the atrocious assaults of Mohammad on Jewish tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Mohammad succeeded to eradiate all the Jews of Arabia and this tradition is driving the current Arab assault on Israeli Jews. Mohammad used deceit and treachery to defeat and conquer his Jewish victims, and this Islamic tradition is being followed today religiously (in both meanings of the word). There exists the notion that one must distinguish between motivations of secular and religious Muslims. However, just as medieval Christian misojudaism was deeply impregnated in secular German culture, leading to the Nazi Holocaust, vicious hatred of "infidels" is ingrained also in secular Muslims. This hatred has been manifested by the "secular" Muslim Turks in the atrocious massacre of the Armenians, in the brutal expulsion of the Greek Orthodox Christians from Asia Minor, and in the systematic destruction of Christian cultural vestiges in the Turkish controlled region of Cyprus. Some Israeli politicians have been ignoring this fact when dealing with the secular PLO, whom they believed to be free of malignant religious prejudice. While they must have been bitterly disappointed when secular Yasser Arafat appeared on Arab TV screaming Jihad, Jihad, Jihid they continue to delude themselves believing that an amiable political agreement between an Israeli peace-loving government and the militant Arabs is possible. Karon seems to imply that Israel must surrender its Jewish nationalistic Zionist identity before Muslim aggression might subside. Karon seems to be more realistic in this case. But this might also mean the death of Israel as we know it. I must now dispute Karon's challenge of the ethical conduct of Israeli Jews. He must refer to the protective restrictions imposed on Arabs in the "disputed territories," captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, following the continuous Arab bloody terror that targeted the Jewish civilian population. The declared aims of this terror, explicitly stated in the Charters of the PLO and Hamas, is to dislodge the Jews from their homeland. That aggressive policy is based on the Islamic conquest of the land of Israel in the 7th Century and the Islamic religious premise that once a territory is conquered by Muslims it becomes Islamic land for perpetuity. However, this Islamic premise does not obligate Jews who are the original owner of the land. Jews are not bound by Islamic religious premises. It is hard to understand why active resistance to murderous assault should be considered unethical. What would Tony Karon have done had he lived in a country where Muslim Arabs were incited by their clergy to mercilessly massacre innocent helpless Jews, as they did in 1920, 1921, 1929, 1935 to 1939 and then from 1949 up to date. In pacifist India people hunt down and kill blood-thirsty killer tigers; why should Arab terrorists who target defenseless women and children be treated differently? Could any ethical consideration justify giving up vigilance, risking exposure of one's loved ones to merciless fanatic, religion-driven murderers? Would it not be unethical to allow murders of Jewish babies (officially declared by Muslim terrorist organizations to be legitimate targets of Islamic terrorism) to take place unhindered or unpunished? Tony Karon is a non-believer, so he cannot tell us that he expects God to protect him from harm while trying not to inconvenience potential killers. I wonder how he would exercise pacifist ethics if misojudaic hoodlums broke into his home in New York City. Karon cites Hillel's Golden Rule: "That which is hateful unto yourself, do not do unto others" (which he does not apply Muslims) but forgets another famous Jewish saying: "Do not judge your friend until you are in his place". Jewish ethics value human life whereas Islamic ethics glorify death, especially if it leads to killing of infidels. Jews will therefore compromise and even surrender to avoid death. It boil down to the sanctity of life versus the sanctity of death. Muslims consider this Jewish ethical premise a weakness to be exploited in their attempt to dislodge the Jews from their homeland. This is what motivates Islamic terrorism. Yet Karon criticizes Israelis for unethical conduct in their existential struggle, while closing his eyes to the barbaric ethics of their murderous adversaries. Again, hatred of Jews surpasses fairness. Finally, I must challenge Karon's notion that Jewish intellect can flourish only in a Diaspora. The scientific and technological achievements of Israeli Jews in less than 60 years, which have exceeded by far those of any other country of its size, using any objective criteria, demonstrate the superiority of intrinsic creativity embedded in Jewish culture (not in Jewish biological ethnicity!!!). Jewish creativity has been interwoven with Zionism which, to the chagrin of Tony Karon, is going to survive as long as Judaism does. I will not attempt to psychoanalyze Karon's anti-Zionist motivation, which probably has been formulated by his South African experience. In spite of his articulate writing style and political savvy he has failed to realize the intrinsic difference between the materialism-driven immigration of his parents or grandparents from Eastern Europe to colonial South Africa, and the ideology-motivated immigration of his Jewish uncles and aunts to the ancient Jewish homeland (See "We are not Colonialists" in my book). This is the personal tragedy of this Jew-hating Jew. However, it is easier for me to understand the motivation of Tony Karon than that of the Israeli Avraham Burg (see my "An open letter to MK Avraham Burg" in my book), who was lengthily cited by Karon. Burg is typical of misojudaic Israelis whose animosity to Zionism surpasses their apprehension of the mortal dangers of Islamism. Contact Michael Anbar by email at amara@adelphia.net |
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LOOKING FOR RABBI BERNARD GEFEN
Posted by David Schneider, May 21, 2006. |
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The email below was posted on a UK near-equivalent of the raananalist. If you are able to help please contact Ofra Gilinsky directly, either by email to ofra.gilinsky@sjberwin.com or by telephone. Thanks David Schneider (London) "Does anyone know a Rabbi Bernard Geffen in Israel? He is thought possibly to have been originally from Hastings,UK. His brother Michael is not well and in a hospital in Cambridge. Any help in locating Rabbi Geffen would be much appreciated. The Cambridge & Suffolk Jewish Community has been asked to pay a pastoral visit to Michael but need more details. Shavua Tov, Ofra Gilinsky [Ofra.Gilinsky@sjberwin.com] +44-1223-354-825" |
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REJECTING OLMERT'S DEMOCRACY
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 21, 2006. |
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This was written by David Bedein, Bureau Chief Israel Resource News Agency in Jerusalem, Israel (www.ibtn.org.il). To advocate absolute power of the majority would be to promote the crime of Athenian democracy, where the minority would often be put to death, in what Prof. Yaakov Talmon describes in the modern era as "totalitarian democracy". In the words of Hebrew University Law Prof Eliav Schochtmnan, whose speciality is human rights and civil liberties, "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights", to which Israel is a signatory, was written to constrain leaders like Ariel Sharon". (Press briefing at Beit Agron, April 30th, 2004, two days before the Likud referendeum rejected Sharon's polciy to bulldoze and exile entire communities - a referendum which Sharon chose to ignore) Indeed, in the spirit of such an oppressive policy, Israel's supreme court decided that the government's oppressive policies overrode Israel's basic law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which protects human rights and civil liberties. US Jews must ask themselves is whether they would also support a democratic decision to bulldoze and exile Arab communities - since polls show that more than 2/3 of the Israeli electorate would support such a move. The current concept of democracy in Israel cannot go unchallenged. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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16 IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT JEWS, ARABS AND ISRAEL
Posted by Avodah 15, May 21, 2006. |
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1. Israel became a state circa 1030 B.C., more than two millennia before Islam. 2. Arabs from Israel first began to be called "Palestinians" in 1967 by Yasser Arafat and other Arab leaders, two decades after modern Israeli statehood. 3. After conquering the land in about 1250 B.C., Jews ruled it for more than 1,300 years and have maintained a continuous presence there for 3,300 years. 4. For over 3,000 years, Jerusalem was the Jewish capital. It was never the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even under Jordanian rule, (East) Jerusalem was not made the capital, and no Arab leader came to visit it. 5. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible, but not once is it mentioned in the Qur'an. 6. King David founded Jerusalem; Mohammed never set foot in it. 7. Jews pray facing Jerusalem; Muslims face Mecca. If they are between the two cities, Muslims pray facing Mecca, with their backs to Jerusalem. 8. In 1948, Arab leaders urged their people to leave, promising to cleanse the land of Jewish presence -- some 70% of them fled without ever being ordered by Israel to leave, most of those without ever having seen an Israeli soldier. 9. Virtually the entire Jewish population of Muslim countries had to flee as the result of violence and pogroms. 10. Some 650,000 Arabs left Israel in 1948, while about 850,000 Jews were forced to leave Muslim countries. 11. In spite of the vast territories at their disposal, Arab refugees from Palestine were deliberately prevented from assimilating into their host countries. Of 100 million refugees following World War II, they are the only group to have never integrated with their coreligionists. Most of the Jewish refugees from Europe and Arab lands were settled in Israel, a country no larger than New Jersey. 12. There are 22 Arab countries (with 800 times the land mass of Israel), not counting the Palestinian territories. There is only one Jewish state. Arabs started all five wars against Israel, and lost every one of them. 13. The Fatah and Hamas constitutions still call for the destruction of Israel. Israel has agreed under several proposals to cede most of the West Bank and all of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, and even supported the arming of its police force after the Oslo Accords in 1993. 14. During the Jordanian occupation, Jewish holy sites were vandalized and were off limits to Jews. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian holy sites are accessible to all faiths and maintained in good order at Israel's expense. 15. Out of 175 United Nations Security Council resolutions up to 1990, 97 were against Israel; out of 690 General Assembly resolutions, 429 were against Israel; 16. The U.N. was silent when the Jordanians destroyed 58 synagogues in the old city of Jerusalem. It remained silent while Jordan systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, and it remained silent when Jordan enforced apartheid laws preventing Jews from accessing the Temple Mount and Western Wall (Kotel). Contact Avodah 15 at avodah15@aol.com |
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PROFESSOR JOSEPH MASSAD
Posted by Lynn Thomas, May 21, 2006. |
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Dear Friends, I just created this petition for the president of Columbia University entitled: "Dismiss Professor Joseph Massad" hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at: http://www.Petitiononline.com/Lt052106/ If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider signing it yourself. Best wishes, Lynn Thomas PS: And please pass this along to all those you know who support Israel and its right to exist as a nation. Ask them to read the petition and sign it by clicking here. Contact Lynn Thomas as lynntms@comcast.net |
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THE OLD MAN AND THE BOY
Posted by Shifra Shomron, May 21, 2006. |
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A parody of "The Walrus and the Carpenter" from Alice in Wonderland. The sun was shining on the Wall,
The Wall was old as old could be,
The Old Man and the Boy
'If seven planes and seven ships
'The time has come,' the Old Man said,
'O Jews, come and walk with us!'
Then many Jews looked at him,
But some young Jews hurried up,
Some more Jews followed them,
Shifra Shomron is 19 years old. She is a refugee from Gush Katif, and now lives in a caravella in Nitzan. |
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SAVING THE YIDDISH LANGUAGE
Posted by Israel Zwick, May 21, 2006. |
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This article is called "Aainst the odds, devotees fight to save Yiddish?" and is from the Associated Press May 21, 2006. It is archived at web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Culture/8513.htm For Barney Sidler and his fellow inmates at the Buchenwald concentration camp, misery and death were everyday features of life. So was Yiddish, the language of prewar European Jews that scholars say was another, if lesser known, victim of the Holocaust. Nearly all Buchenwald's prisoners spoke the Germanic language, which dates back to the 11th century displacement of Jews in Europe, said Sidler, who recalls the words of encouragement inmates would whisper in Yiddish amid the horror. "People would say to each other, 'Zorg zihk nihst. Got vet undz helf' - which means, 'Don't worry. Got will help us,"' said Sidler, 73. Most of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis hailed from the Yiddish-speaking heart of Eastern Europe, where Nazis also pillaged and burned the close-knit Jewish shtetls, or villages - similar to ones portrayed in the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." "Yiddish speakers fared especially poorly because their language was, to the Nazi ear, a debased, corrupted version of the language of the (German) Fatherland," wrote Miriam Weinstein in her recent book "Yiddish: A Nation of Words." "Because almost no one but Jews spoke the language, Yiddish became an easy marker for enemies looking to root them out," she wrote. The Nazis gutted prewar Yiddish culture and hence decimated the main wellspring of Jewish culture for centuries, according to leading Yiddish scholar Dovid Katz. "The idea that Hitler failed to annihilate much of the European Jewish civilization is soothing self-deception," said Katz, head of the Vilnius Yiddish Institute in Lithuania, a prewar hub of Yiddish arts and learning. That Yiddish civilization evolved over a millennium as Jews sought to escape persecution by first settling German areas in central Europe, then by moving eastward to Poland, Lithuania and other regions nearby in the 14th century. Yiddish began as a fusion of medieval German with Hebrew and Aramaic - languages Jews spoke before dispersing from areas in and around what is now Israel. As they moved into Eastern Europe, Yiddish also picked up Polish and Russian words. Early detractors, who sometimes included Jews themselves, would deride Yiddish as a hodgepodge dialect with little merit as a language in its own right. But by 1900, Yiddish was widely favored by Jewish writers. Ultimate acknowledgment of its merits came in 1978, when Yiddish-language writer Isaac Bashevis Singer won the Nobel prize for literature. In his acceptance speech, Singer sounded a hopeful note. "Yiddish has not yet said its last word," he said. "It contains treasures that have not been revealed to the eyes of the world." But as elderly Holocaust survivors die, an irreplaceable link to Yiddish language and culture is being broken, Yiddish enthusiasts say. The number of non-orthodox Yiddish speakers, most of whom are Holocaust survivors, has fallen below 500,000 worldwide and will "soon collapse altogether," Katz said. "It is a devastating time. ... For us, it is the secondary Holocaust effect." Sidler, who was just 12 when U.S. troops liberated the camp in 1945, strikes a pessimistic chord about the chances of Yiddish surviving as he knew it. "I still speak Yiddish to my sisters and cousins," said Sidler, who moved to the Chicago area after the war. "But in another few years, it'll be nonexistent, I fear." Some facts about Yiddish - Among words English borrowed from Yiddish are "shtick," "klutz," "schmooze" and "schmaltzy." - To speak "Yiddish" literally means to speak "Jewish"; "yid" means "Jew" in Yiddish. - Prominent Yiddish-speakers from the 20th century include big band leader Benny Goodman, and novelists Isaac Bashevis Singer and Saul Bellow. - After the founding of Israel in 1948, its leaders chose Hebrew over Yiddish as the new Jewish state's national language; many leaders argued that Yiddish was tainted by its association with the Holocaust and repression of Jews in Europe. - High birth rates among Hasidic Jews suggest the ranks of the Yiddish-speaking orthodox, already at over 250,000 in the United States, could boom to several million by the end of the century. But Hasidics tend to shun the secular world, including nonreligious Yiddish literature, theater and music. ------ Itche Goldberg and Jason Rubin are separated in age by 82 years, but they're linked by a common passion for an ancient Jewish language that threatens to slip into obscurity. The life of 102-year-old Goldberg spans the recent decline of Yiddish to its heyday early last century when about 13 million Jews - or some 70 percent of Jews worldwide - spoke the lilting language that gave English words like "chutzpah" and "schmo." Rubin, a 20-year-old student of Yiddish, embodies the hope that somehow, some way, the language can survive now that there are fewer than 2 million speakers. "You can't possibly see a future Jewish life with the disappearance of a 1,000-year-old language and with it a 1,000-year-old culture," says Goldberg, a top Yiddish scholar since the 1930s, by phone from his New York home. "Somehow it has to be there." Ensuring the language and culture Jews brought from Eastern Europe is there for posterity is the goal of devotees across the nation, some of whom hold summer camps while others stage theatrical shows in a bid to turn people on to Yiddish. Revival bands perform traditional Yiddish klezmer music - a kind of Jewish jazz - with the same aim. And one New York group trying to pique interest among children recently published "Di Kats Der Payats" - better known as Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat." Others, like Rubin, contribute to the cause by putting in hard hours to learn the hybrid of German and Hebrew. After two years studying it at the University of Chicago, Rubin, whose grandparents spoke Yiddish, is now close to fluent. "I almost felt I was cheated by not knowing Yiddish growing up," says Rubin, who squeezes in Yiddish studies between premed classes. "My appreciation of Jewish culture has increased tenfold by learning it." Preserving Yiddish in its full glory will be a mammoth task. So much is already lost. From his downtown office atop the Board of Trade building, Jake Morowitz can see what's been lost in Chicago, which once boasted 200,000 Yiddish speakers. In clear view to the southwest is Maxwell Street - once the hub of Chicago's bustling Jewish district. Until 40 years ago, shoppers still haggled in Yiddish over unfixed prices in the street's open-air market. Today, there's virtually nothing left of the old Maxwell Street. Most original Jewish families have long since moved to the suburbs, and large swaths of the district were bulldozed in the 1960s to make room for a new University of Illinois campus. No more than 5,000 Jews still speak Yiddish in and around Chicago today, says Morowitz, head of the YIVO Society, which promotes Yiddish in the area. Yiddish has lost ground in New York, too. After World War II, several hundred thousand people spoke Yiddish in the city, the de facto capital of Yiddish in North America. Now, around 100,000 do. New York's Yiddish-language Forward newspaper reflects the decline. Its circulation was around 275,000 before the war; today, it's around 3,000. And where there were scores of Yiddish theaters in New York, just one is left - the Folksbiene. These days, it displays subtitles in English at most performances. One last bastion of Yiddish is the ultra-orthodox Hasidic community, which employs the language to insulate members from outside influences and hedge against assimilation. So numerous are the ultra-orthodox in parts of Brooklyn that some ATMs offer the option of conducting transactions in Yiddish. "In our world, Yiddish is flourishing," says the dean of a Yiddish-language Hasidic school in Chicago, Rabbi Moshe Unger - dressed in black garb, a wide-brimmed felt hat at his side. But there's a catch to Hasidics' love of Yiddish: Since they shun the secular world, their affection doesn't extend to nonreligious Yiddish literature, theater and music. "We don't have time for that," Unger says, adding flatly that "the loss of Yiddish outside the orthodox community is not a concern of ours." For many, though, maintaining the rich secular traditions of Yiddish is vital. Goldberg has devoted his adult life to secular Yiddish culture, editing a Yiddish literary magazine well past his 100th birthday. Most of Goldberg's contemporaries have long since died. "We see before our eyes (the number of Yiddish masters) go from ten to five, from five to one and on to approach zero," leading Yiddish scholar Dovid Katz said in an e-mail. "This explains why we take the death of even 90-year-olds so badly." Still, some young people are starting to take up the Yiddish banner, according to Morowitz. Yiddish was once associated with bitter memories of the Holocaust, whose victims were mostly Yiddish speakers, he said. Israel's decision to adopt Hebrew as its state language also caused many Jews to shirk from Yiddish. "When Jewish immigrants came here, they wanted to put that old ghetto life behind them," Morowitz says. "But young Jews today are no longer embarrassed by the language. There is a new influx of Jews wanting to learn Yiddish." Morowitz, despite his optimism, strikes a realistic note about the future of Yiddish. "We don't have any illusions about Jewish people starting to speak Yiddish to each other again," he says. "But young Jews can learn something of the language and learn to appreciate it more, and so appreciate why we are who we are." Asked what he'd say to young Jews who haven't embraced Yiddish as wholeheartedly as Rubin - who says he intends to teach his own children Yiddish one day - Goldberg's answer is part plea, part admonishment. There's also a hint of sadness in his voice. "I would probably look at them and say, 'Go back, look at your heritage,"' he says. "'It's your own, it's inside you. You can't leave it behind.'" On the Net:
Contact Israel Zwick at israel.zwick@earthlink.net |
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A JEW TODAY?
Posted by Hebron Organization, May 21, 2006. | ||
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The following is a speech delivered by Hebron resident, Mrs. Miriam Grabovsky, last night (Saturday, May 20) in Fairlawn, N.J. The Grabovsky family was expelled from their home in Mitzpe Shalhevet in Hebron in January and for a second time, from Beit Shapira, two weeks ago.
What does it mean to be a Jew today in Eretz Yisrael? It means to walk with your head high, even when you don't have any strength left. It means to go shopping, even when you are afraid, it means to vote even when there isn't anyone to vote for. To be a Jew today in Eretz Yisrael is to wake up every morning, each day, with a new goal, to see with your own eyes today's miracles. To be a Jew today in Eretz Yisrael means to live the impossible, every single day, and to know that our existence really is a miracle. To be a Jew in Hebron is to live as close as is possible to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, and to absorb from them, every day, new strength. To be a Jew in Hebron is to experience exactly what is happening all over Eretz Yisrael, in micro proportions. To understand what it means to be few against many, and to comprehend and witness Divine intervention. To be a Jew in Hebron is, by definition, mesirut nefesh, full, one hundred percent dedication, imbued with joy. It is to feel authentic pride at the fact that we are a free people in our land; a free people in our land without question marks. To continue to try and progress, even when success is not readily visible, and to understand that trying too, has value and significance. To be a mother in Hebron is pure, infinite faith that this is the way to raise children. To know and remember that the fundamental requirement is never to fear, ever. To be a mother in Hebron is to know that our prayers arise via Ma'arat HaMachpela, and continue north to Bethlehem, and that the prayers of four mothers escort our prayers to the Holy Throne. To be a mother in Hebron is to be a soldier without a uniform, but to always be present at the front. I, Miriam Grabovsky, married to Yair, mother of Shachar, Amiad and Shilo, am a resident of Hebron now for almost 5 years. We arrived in Hebron as a young couple a link in a chain of activists, building Hebron. We moved into the old Arab market: three walls, no electricity or water. It wasn't so simple, but we knew we weren't alone. Am Yisrael is with us. Slowly the building progressed, a floor, electricity, water, and even an additional room. We knew, all the time, that an axe was being held above our necks -- that the danger of expulsion was real. Why bother, perhaps the time had come to give up, to go elsewhere? Why expend so much energy? But no! We may not succeed, success is not always in our hands, but we must not give up. We must continue, with courage, forward. Unfortunately, four months ago, it happened and we were evicted from our home, the home we so loved, the home where our three children were born. What can you say to children when they are expelled from their home? How do you smile at a four year old when they ask, "Emma, why are you crying?" And most importantly, how can you think about progress, building your life in Eretz Yisrael, when events make it so difficult? One week passed, then another, we worshiped at the Ma'ara, and were refreshed with new strength. Yes, we can lift our heads high and smile. The road to progress has not come to a dead end. We don't have the luxury to despair. And then, a new offer: a new building, another piece of Jewish Eretz Yisrael in our possession. Thank G-d for the opportunity to reach this wonderful occasion! Darkness falls, the entire community is on standby, ready and raring to go. Hidden smiles and a lot of questions. Really, a new building? After Gush Katif? After Amona? After the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood, the old Arab market, here in Hebron? After all this, a new light shining? In we went. Mud, filth, mounds of garbage and with that, tons of happiness, immeasurable. Again, no water or electricity, but, who cares? Pesach, Seder night, the Festival of liberation! But no, another trial, how much are we really ready to sacrifice for Eretz Yisrael? One week and another and another, and then? the expulsion begins, for the second time in just over three months. The troops arrive, a night of waiting, and then, it's over. Only questions and pain remain. But we will not let despair confuse our aims. Am Yisrael is in the midst of a process of geula, of redemption. We don't know how HaShem will bring the final redemption. But the way He chooses, we will be there to participate, from here, from this world, from Eretz Yisrael, from Hebron. All our existence in HaAretz is miraculous. G-d initiates and we are here to do our part. The redemption will continue, one way or another. The real question is: Where will we be? Will we be faithful participants of G-d's Will, each doing whatever they can, or will we be busy trying to convince HaShem to do it our way? As Mordechai said to Esther, "If you keep silent at this time, then relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish;." Here, in Hebron, we have chosen to actively participate in the process of redemption. Even if they expel us another ten times, will we return, again and again, 100 times over. The source of our strength and our privilege to participate, to build, stems from Am Yisrael, from everyone, wherever they are. Such actions are comprised on different levels: the planning stage, the financial stage, and many other phases. Each and every Jew must accept some responsibility, each according to his ability. When we entered Beit Shapira, and many visitors arrived, we felt the strength of Am Yisrael, the unity, the division of labor. I invite you and beseech you: Come to Eretz Yisrael, come to Hebron. Tour the city, worship at Ma'arat HaMachpela. In Shir HaShirim, the Song of songs, we read how G-d is compared to a man, and Am Yisrael to a loving woman. He calls her, "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.' The woman is too lazy to arise from her bed: I have already undressed, how will I again dress? I washed my feet, how will I again muddy them?" For fifty eight years He is calling us: He created a state, an army which defeated all Arab armies much larger than ours, He created many communities, yeshivot, educational institutions. We only have to get up and open the door? May it be His Will that the city of the Patriarchs will continue,
together will all Eretz Yisrael, to be the desired 'open door', and
that we will be privileged to a a total and complete redemption,
speedily, in our days, Amen!
You can contribute directly to The Jewish Community of Hebron,
POB10, Kiryat Arba-Hebron 90100, hebron@hebron.org.il, 972-2-9965333
or write to The Hebron Fund, 1760 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230,
hebronfund@al.com
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Moving into Beit Shapira
The expulsion from Beit Shapira
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WHAT IMPACT HAS THE HOLOCAUST ON THE HUMAN SOUL?
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 21, 2006. |
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What impact has the Holocaust on the human soul? The genocide of non-Arab Black Africans in the Darfur region of oil-rich Sudan, perpetrated by murderous Muslim Arab outlaws bearing the moniker jangaweeds empowered at the behest of a sadistic Sudanese Muslim Arab government, sanctimoniously given ever-increasing amounts of lip service by an oil-dependent world, continues unabated. This ongoing genocidal atrocity alas does not sufficiently stir more recent blighted memories of other African atrocities, including a not so distance Rwandan genocide, or other late twentieth century instances of subhuman behavior throughout the planet to prompt an immediate substantive military response. Yet, much of the civilized world passionately focuses on an Israeli/Palestinian conflict, mostly sympathizing with perceived abused Arabs. Indeed, Muslim Arabs are responsible for a very large portion of today's human misery, yet Jews/Israelis who mostly endeavor to do the right thing albeit they do not supply industrial nations with oil, get the planetary evil eye. What impact has the Holocaust on the human soul, indeed, when a collective selective disdain for Jewish descendants of century twenty's defining scourge even overrides the essence of "Never Again", allowing Black Africans out of sight out of mind to be continually tortured, raped, and murdered by filthy Arabs, while the planet's military might dithers and "politically correct" pro-Palestinian popinjays, especially in Europe, incessantly blast the Jewish homeland Israel more so than even those murderous Muslim Arab jangaweed and sponsoring Muslim Arab Sudanese sadists in Khartoum? Would it be a stretch for the overall subconscious imagination of a racist-inclined cult of humans, some being planetary movers and shakers, when confronted with the Darfur slaughter, to truly view hapless Black Africans as non-entities or perhaps Jewish surrogates, even deserving of their fate in the maniacal mind's eye of the most tainted? Such a rationalization would allow them to trump genocide with fossil fuel contracts controlled by the sadistic racist Arab ruling class of Sudan. The Nazification of Israeli's intrepid fighting force, in the mindless goose-stepping eye of pro-Palestinian warped pundits and their anti-Semitic muddled minions, speaks volumes in explaining their collective insensitivity towards today's most salient continuing tragedy in Darfur. Such emotionally diseased Jew-haters refuse to comprehend the true nature of the racist genocidal Arian Nazi or the similarly racist genocidal Muslim Arab, thus blithely, blindly, and in fact bizarrely accuse the actual descendents of the victims of an Arian genocidal Nazi mindset as tantamount to those brutal barbarian murderers themselves. Even the stark nature of Darfur's genocide, seemingly obvious by facts on the ground, will not leap ahead of such intense Jew-loathing on racist mankind's skewed short list of humane imperatives. Anti-Semitism uber alles! Those blinded by their obsession of prosecuting thus truly persecuting, in their possessed brains, the perceived "outrageous" Israeli Jew as well as the collective Jew have little outrage left for the Muslim Arab murderers in Darfur. Besides, industrial nations need Sudan's oil, thus movers and shakers with strictly materialistic malignant bottom lines, bereft of soul, do not wish to ruffle the robes of Muslim Arab Khartoum caricatures of the devil incarnate, spindly talons affixed to their ever-precious fossil fuel faucets. Worldwide anti-Semitism accurately reflects the state of mankind's morally challenged persona, unfettered by instinctive shame. Indeed, the human species exponentially advances in technological achievement, especially in weapon's technology, yet remains at the beast level in moral maturity. Furthermore, intelligent man's unwillingness to internalize the lesson of the Holocaust concurrently parallels an unwillingness to respect his one home in the universe. These morally related issues are indeed the bane of his existence. He wantonly burns fossil fuel, thus glaciers melt while his collective heart and soul continues to remain ever frozen. Disrespecting the Jew; ignoring the murder, torture, and rape of hapless victims within his species; disrespecting his one home in the universe; are conditions that must soon be reversed if he is to thrive as Earth's dominant life form. If the essential lesson of the Holocaust is not soon absorbed within man's afflicted mind, he will soon grimly reap those earned catastrophic consequences born of his imperfect evolution. Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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THE LOBSTER THAT JUMPED FROM THE POT
Posted by Nadia Matar, May 21, 2006. |
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A few days ago former Chief of the General Staff Moshe (Bugy) Yaalon addressed the conference of the Zionist Organization of America in New York. Speaking before an audience of about 500 people, he finally broke his silence and said what we have already known for quite some time: "The Israeli leadership sells the public illusions concerning its political plans and concerning the defense of their security." Yaalon attacked the disengagement from Gaza and northern Samaria: "What we did in the disengagement was to leave for the next generation an inheritance of dealing with Palestinians who believe that terror pays, and that the Israelis run and break under pressure." Yaalon also attacked the establishment of the "security" fence and said: "The best defense is a good offense, not a fence. [...] The best way to deal with terrorists is to kill them in their beds." Unfortunately, Yaalon is not in a position of power, while those running the country today continue the plan of folding and surrender - plans that include the further deportation of Jews, the destruction of settlements, and the handing over of portions of the homeland to the enemy. The government tries to sell all these plans under the illusion - or, to be more precise, under the fraud - of "security," when it is precisely the opposite that is the case. Olmert's plan for the "elimination of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria" constitutes a tangible threat to the continued existence of the State of Israel. The security situation is clear: if the retreat from Gaza brought the Katushas of the Hamas to the Negev and Ashkelon, anyone with any sense realizes that a retreat from Judea and Samaria will bring the war to Jerusalem and Gush Dan. From the moral-ideological aspect, as well, Olmert's plan threatens the State of Israel: the non-Jews will tell us, and rightly so, that they learned from the Judgment of Solomon: If you willingly relinquish the heart of your homeland, Judea and Samaria and half of Jerusalem, then what moral right do you have for your continued existence as a Jewish state in Tel Aviv (Sheikh Munis), Beersheva, and Haifa? The struggle for the rescue of the settlement enterprise in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza is therefore a struggle for the rescue of the continued existence of the State of Israel, both from the security aspect, and, mainly, from the moral-ideological aspect. Let us state this simply: without Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, Israel has no moral right, or possibility, to exist. The rescue of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza therefore entails a very great responsibility, that requires the full mobilization of the entire public that is loyal to its land and its heritage. Unfortunately, however, after the destruction of Gush Katif and northern Samaria, a considerable portion of the national public is in despair, with the feeling that "there is nothing to be done." A great majority of our public has ceased to be involved in any public activity, and they are occupied solely with their private lives. Although this public is aware of the dangers, it does not feel that it is capable of changing anything, and so it continues with routine matters and prays that the Holy One, blessed be He, will somehow cancel the decrees. Some black humor that I heard goes as follows: "Let's hope that Iran drops an atomic bomb on us, and then there won't be any deportation." A considerable part of the veteran activist public is engaged in things that are important in their own right, such as aid to our brethren the deportees, or the dissemination of "sparks of Yiddishkeit" among our assimilated brethren, but some of these activists, as well, have given up on the struggle for Eretz Israel. I wish to turn to the entire wonderful national public and cry out: The struggle has just begun! If we learn from the mistakes of the past summer and act differently, we have the ability to change, and even cancel, the terrible decrees that threaten us all. Olmert's government is a very unstable government, that consists of people who hate each other, and the only glue that holds them together is their hatred of anything that smells "Jewish" and their pathological lust to eliminate the entire Jewish settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria. If we awake from our coma and begin to act - these activities will, with God's help, bear fruit.History shows that it is much easier to deport a depressed and despairing public than one that teems with life. The first thing we must do is a mental switch. We have to understand that last summer was not a struggle. Last summer the official leaders of our settlements, Moetzet Yesha (the Council of Jewish Settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza) and certain rabbis - who are dependent on the government for their livelihood and budgets - conducted an emotional protest, nothing more. They never intended to wage a real struggle; it is not logical that someone who receives a salary and budgets from the government will stand up and fight it, in order to defeat it! But if we regard Olmert's plan as a "national crime," then we will understand that we must conduct a struggle, and not a protest. Don't get me wrong: when I say "struggle" as an alternative to protest, I am not talking about violence against people, but mass refusal to obey orders and nonviolent civil disobedience, just as the citizens of the Ukraine did less than two years ago in order to depose their corrupt government. These methods of struggle were opposed by our mamlakhti'im (state-oriented) "leaders" (Moetzet Yesha and certain rabbis), and therefore did not come to pass. This time, we must find leadership - not necessarily organized, but local leaders everywhere, who are not dependent on government budgets, and they must already act, now. What do I mean? Just as the government is not waiting for D-Day (Destruction Day) to perpetrate all at once the entire crime of deportation that it calls "convergence," but is constructing the plan bit by bit, by "converging" us behind fences, checkpoints, and walls, by distributing racist car stickers to Jews, by closing roads to Jews ... and thereby puts us to sleep and accustoms us to be submissive and weak - we, too, cannot wait for D-Day before we act. We must awaken now and begin to act against every little thing that is part of the "convergence" plan. This is the reason, for example, why the loyalists of Erets Israel, the youth of Erets Israel and the action committees of the Judea communities,organized the march against the terrible traffic jams at the entrance to Jerusalem from Judea and Samaria. [For those who do not know: for the past 2 months, Jews living in Judea & Samaria who drive to 'little Israel" have to wait for hours at the checkpoint. The security forces claim the long waits are "security-related". We do not believe that. N.M.] We're not buying the tranquilizers that the heads of the local councils are trying to sell us, as if the delays at the checkpoints are for "security reasons." We have a government that is spreading the fraud that the entire settlement enterprise in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza must be eliminated for "security reasons." (As proof, see the speech by Olmert on the day he was sworn in as Prime Minister.) So, of course, the government will say that the delays are for "security." It doesn't have an answer as to why there were no traffic jams before now, not even during the time of the horrible terror attacks of the second intifada. It is truly chilling to think that the Jew-haters in Europe once justified the elimination of Jews as a step "for Europe's security" - and now Israel has a Prime Minister who says that the elimination of the Jewish settlement undertaking in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza is "for Israel's security"! We have to think for ourselves and understand that this is a comprehensive program for the closure of the "Gush Etzion ghetto," the "Samaria ghetto," the "Benjamin ghetto," the "Hebron Hills ghetto," and so on. Whoever does not act in protest, already in the early stages of the "convergence into ghettos" plan, is as if aiding the government in advancing its crime. Our precious youth has understood this for quite some time. This why the Land of Israel Youth movement is constantly organizing activities under the heading "Instead of Destruction - Expansion." Going forth on marches beyond the fences, the establishment of meahazim (outpost settlements) on the hilltops, the building of Eretz Israel with our own two hands, all are counteractions to the governmental attempts to subdue us and "converge" us into ghettos before their elimination. The youth understood that the more we engage in activities for the rescue of Eretz Israel, we will change our frame of mind from despair and depression to a spirit of struggle and self-sacrifice. Now it's the turn of the adults to organize and join these activities. When Buggy Yaalon finally opened his mouth at that conference, he said: "We must advance the legitimacy of the Zionist narrative." To put this simply, as I understand his words, he is telling us: The time has come to shout from the treetops: "All of Eretz Israel belongs to us, and we will fight for our right to live, to dwell, to go everywhere in Eretz Israel!" At the present time, action committees for adults are being organized, once again, in all the settlements. Join them, and together - youth and adults, all who are faithful to all of Eretz Israel - we will succeed, with God's help, and by the merit of these activities, we will ensure that D-Day will never come. I will conclude with a short story: in 1995, Jay Shapiro, sent me a copy of a book that he wrote containing articles warning of the dangers of the Oslo accords. In the book, entitled The Israeli Government and the Boiled Lobster, he writes about how important it is for us to be smarter than the poor lobster. People abroad who don't eat kosher know that in order to cook a lobster, it has to be cooked in boiling water. But if it's thrown into the boiling water while still alive, it is liable to jump out of the pot and even to pinch the chef. The chefs realized that they had to outwit it. So they take the lobster and put it in a pot of cold water (where it feels at home), light a small flame, the water slowly comes to a pleasant temperature, the lobster lets his guard down, falls asleep,- and then the flame is turned up, the lobster can no longer escape, and is cooked. Unfortunately, the poison chefs of the disengagement and the conversion have already begun to put a part of us into the pot. The "fence" is being built before our eyes. The plans to eliminate our settlements are cooking. An ill wind is blowing in Olmert's kitchen. But this does not mean that we must be overcome by despair and fall asleep. To the contrary! It is now, specifically, before the flame is lit, now is the time to awaken, to organize, to cry out, to kick, to leave our routine, so that we will cause this terrible cooking pot to be unstable on the fire and fall, and then the chef will not be able to continue with his scheme. Yes, now is the time for the lobster to awaken, to jump from the pot, and even to pinch the Chef! Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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SOME PERSONAL ANALYSIS -- PERES AND THE SHEEPLE
Posted by Reify, May 21, 2006. |
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It occurs to me, that everything the public voted against, and found wanting, ever since the Oslo peace process began has born fruit. Meaning the plans and wishes of the likes of Beilin, Peres and the left elite, has been, and continues to be, the way this place is run. Those at the helm are considered rightist or centrists, but in each administration the man sitting next to the PM, is Peres, and he has a lot of foreign financial support, and power, behind him. So, as happens a lot in politics, the masses, or "sheeple", are being duped. All of the existing problems, and direction this people are being forced to accept, have been bad policy, bad strategy, and bad management. Many lives have been sacrificed, and we find ouselves drawn into the worst of all worlds by being involved in a war of attrition, which is almost impossible to win. The enemy strikes and immediately goes infront of the media crying foul when we strike back. So not only do they seem to become more bold in their actions, but are getting world wide support for their terrorism while we are made fools of, and made to look like the aggressor. The "left" will never learn from their mistakes, and the "sheeple" will have no way of fighting this disaster. Much could have been done from the beginning, but wasn't. The longer we wait the more difficult it will be to win this war. When will we learn from past mistakes, and history? Sad, Bad, Mad mad world...!!! Contact reify by mail at freify@netvision.net.il or visit his site -- http://freify.blog.co.uk/ -- to look at fascinating photography. |
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THE SUING OF AHMED MANSOUR BY THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF BOSTON
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 21, 2006. |
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This article was written by Jeff Jacoby and it appeared on Town
Hall May 18, 2006 When Ahmed Mansour learned that a lawsuit had been filed against him by the Islamic Society of Boston, he had one urgent question: "Will they put me in jail?" The answer was no -- in America, people don't go to prison for publicly expressing their views, or for encouraging the government to review questionable public transactions. But Mansour had good reason to worry. He had learned the hard way that Muslim reformers who speak out against Islamist fanaticism and religious dictatorship can indeed end up in prison -- or worse. It had happened to him in his native Egypt, which he fled in 2001 after receiving death threats. He was grateful that the United States had granted him asylum, enabling him to go on promoting his vision of a progressive Islam in which human rights and democratic values would be protected. But would he now have to fight in America the same kind of persecution he experienced in Egypt? Mansour is just one of many people and organizations being sued for defamation by the Islamic Society of Boston, which accuses them all of conspiring to deny freedom of worship to Boston-area Muslims. In fact, the defendants -- who include journalists, a terrorism expert, and the founder of the American Anti-Slavery Group, plus the Episcopalian lay minister and the Jewish attorney who together with Mansour formed the interfaith Citizens for Peace and Tolerance in 2004 -- appear to be guilty of nothing more than voicing concerns about the ISB's construction of a large mosque in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury. More than a few unsettling questions have been raised about the ISB and its mosque project. For example: * Why did city officials provide the land for the mosque for just $175,000, when the parcel was publicly valued at $400,000? And where did that $400,000 figure come from, when the land's market value had earlier been assessed at $2 million? But if anything should raise eyebrows, it is the decision of the Islamic Society to pursue Mansour for his comments about the ISB at a press conference in 2004. He had gone to pray at the ISB's current mosque in Cambridge, and described at the press conference what he had observed: "I am here to testify that this radical culture is here, inside this society," he said. He had seen "Arabic-language newsletters filled with hatred against the United States." Books and videos in the mosque's library promoted "fanatical beliefs that insult other people's religions." A religious man who prays five times daily, he stressed that he was "not against the mosque. ... I'm against extremists." If Mansour doesn't have the credentials to form such opinions, it would be hard to say who does. He holds three degrees from Cairo's Al-Azhar, the foremost religious university in the Islamic world, where he was appointed a professor of Muslim history in 1980. He would probably be there still if his scholarship hadn't gotten in the way. The deeper Mansour delved into the history of Islam, the clearer it became to him that the faith had been perverted into a "false doctrine of hate" -- a doctrine that has been spread across much of the Muslim world and that has fueled great cruelty and bloodshed. His mounting opposition to Wahhabist radicalism drew the wrath of the powerful Al-Azhar sheiks, who removed him from his classroom and put him on trial in a religious court. For two years, he says, he was pressured to recant. In 1987 he was fired. Then the Egyptian government imprisoned him for two months. Undeterred, Mansour continued to write and speak out against radical Islam. He has authored 24 books and more than 500 articles, many of them denouncing as heretical any Muslim creeds that "persecute and kill peaceful humans and violate their human rights." The real infidels, he has argued, are those who share "the traits of Osama bin Laden and his followers." Before fleeing for his life, he worked with Egypt's leading human-rights activists, promoting democratic values, funneling assistance to persecuted Christians, and advocating for the reform of religious education. And this is the Islamic Society of Boston's idea of an anti-Muslim conspirator? Then what, one wonders, is its idea of Islam? Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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ORTHODOXY TONGUE-IN-CHEEK
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 21, 2006. |
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The term "orthodox" is of Greek origin and is derived from two Greek words: orthos, meaning "true," "correct," "straight" (think of "orthopedics"), and doxa, meaning "opinion."
Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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LIFERS HERE AND THERE
Posted by Justice For Jonathan Pollard, May 19, 2006. |
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This article was written by Sarah Honig and it appeared yesterday in the Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961370854&pagename= JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull) You bet your bottom dollar convicted 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was right when he crowed (after having just escaped the death sentence): "America you lost, I won." He may seem nuts to forward-thinking Americans but his horse-sense - barbaric though it be - is the sort by which al-Qaida, Hamas, et al. devise their rules of war - the very war they impose on broadminded sorts like us. Our choice is either to confront them on their battlefield or perish while deluding ourselves that genteel persuasion can moderate the world's Moussaouis. Their savage rationale - like it or not - is what the liberal West must contend with. Moussaoui was jubilant because the jury that spared his life demonstrated the failure to recognize the new conventions of combat. From his vantage point the jurors were suckers when they regarded him as a common criminal rather than a warrior enemy and when they factored personal extenuating circumstances into their sentencing logic. Nothing here was personal, not the degree of culpability, nor the indiscriminate targeting of victims. Treating war as felony is a potentially fatal denial of reality. THIS IS just one more presentation in the decent democracies' theater of the absurd. Consider this - Moussaoui was sentenced to as long a term as Jonathan Pollard, who has already served 21 years of his life sentence in a maximum-security US penal facility. It's inculcated into us that the punishment must fit the crime. So how is it that Moussaoui, who could have prevented the massacre of 3,000 innocents, is to do the same time as Pollard, who according to available information leaked classified material to America's ally (Israel) about an enemy's (Iraq's) genocidal preparations against it? American counter-espionage incontrovertibly apprehended bigger and more ferocious fish than Pollard - ones who had done their country real damage, unlike Pollard. Yet by comparison the truly dangerous agents weren't treated anywhere as harshly as the one who was on the same side as America and sought to expose the very Iraqi WMDs that the current Washington administration was purportedly after. Pollard and Moussaoui essentially participated in the same conflict - Pollard on the Free World's side and Moussaoui on the side of Islamic Jihadism. The American legal system failed to identify Moussaoui as the combatant he is, just as it refused to admit that Pollard wasn't inimical to American security. With such underlying cognitive malfunction, no wonder there's no differentiation in penalty. The preposterousness of it all, moreover, has bred a situation in which no leniency was shown Pollard but lots was extended to Moussaoui. Remember the ancient Jewish adage? "He who is merciful to the cruel is bound to be cruel to the merciful." Mind you, this is no cause for Israelis to deride American judicial foolishness. At least, as the injustice to Pollard evinces, the American penalty phase can be inflexibly stern. Moussaoui may end up rotting in Colorado's federal "Supermax," where he'll be kept in solitary, deprived of any contact other than with guards and officials. There will be no visitors - no family, friends or spiritual mentors. Nobody. The plan is to cut Moussaoui off from the world and make him a nonentity. NO WAY would he have been treated as severely in an Israeli Supermax. Just see how Fatah-Tanzim terror kingpin Marwan Barghouti actively conducts business via his very comfortable Israeli prison quarters, where he formulates - in concert with Hamas inmates - terms of surrender dictated jointly to Israel. Just the other day the convicted murderer, serving five life terms plus 40 years, granted yet another interview from behind bars, this time telling the Lebanese al-Shiraa weekly that the PA's Hamas overlords must continue fighting Israel until it submits to their "sacred Right of Return" - code terminology for overrunning Israel with millions of hostile Arabs, thereby terminating its existence as a Jewish state. Like Moussaoui, Barghouti was tried as a criminal and given all the breaks of ordinary due process. Like Moussaoui, he exploited the courtroom for propaganda antics. As in America, the press here hung on his every utterance and amplified it. But it's highly unlikely that Moussaoui will be able to run Barghouti-like for elected office from his American cell, issue operative commands and become a political headliner. Israeli prisons are indeed unique. Not only do the most dangerous terrorists therein get hold of phones, but recently Hamas overtly conducted a mass rally in a southern Israeli maximum-security penitentiary, where scores of convicts congregated in the courtyard, which they festooned with Hamas Islamic-green banners and Palestinian flags. A stage and speakers' rostrum were erected. The backdrop decor was a giant collage, displaying the Hamas emblem, portraits of Hamas leaders, slogans calling for Jihad against Israel and pictures of RPGs underscored by the motto "we'll continue." White plastic chairs were neatly arranged for the "audience," who cheered the invective hurled at the Zionist state and freely photographed the occasion - all under the disinterested eyes of passive Israeli wardens. The snapshots are available for viewing on the Web. Terrorist lifers in Israel don't expect to end their existence in captivity. They bank on Israel's gullibility and its revolving-door wrongheadedness, which has already released some of the world's worst villains regardless of what Israeli judges meted out. Indeed word is that, among its recent harebrained inanities, Israel is doing its darndest to rid itself of the voluble Barghouti and has already twice (unsuccessfully thus far) badgered the Americans that he be exchanged for... Pollard! Pollard is deeply offended by Israel's insulting equation. Barghouti swaggers on insolently. Contact Justice For Jonathan Pollard at Justice4JP@aol.com |
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THE DANGERS OF THE OLMERT RETREAT PLAN
Posted by David Bedein, May 19, 2006. |
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I am writing from Washington, after two days of intense meetings with key people. Please write to protest Olmert's plan to give away Samaria and Judea (the "West Bank"). Send E-mails to: President@whitehouse.gov; comments@whitehouse.gov; Vice.President@whitehouse.gov; First.Lady@whitehouse.gov; Secretary@state.gov The place to fax is the National Security Council at the White House. 202 456 9040. The message should be that Olmert's proposed uniteral retreat (do not use the word "convergence", which would give credibility to Olmert's plan) represents a security danger to Israel and to the West and that it would be perceived by the world as yet another victory for Radical Islam over the West. Sentiments for our communities in Judea and Samaria do not influence anyone. Do not repeat the mistake of "love Katif and the Shomron". Leave emotionalism at home. Remember: Retreat threatens Tel Aviv AND the West. This next is a report from a US Security Think Tank. It rejects Olmert's Unilateral Retreat Policy. A U.S. security think-tank has urged President George Bush to reject an Israeli government plan for a unilateral withdrawal from 90 percent of the West Bank. The report by the Washington-based Center for Security Policy, regarded as close to the Defense Department, warned that the plan prepared by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would destabilize the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests in Iraq and Jordan. The report said the West Bank would quickly come under the control of Iran and other U.S. adversaries. "Although an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the dismantlement of Israeli communities there seems consonant with traditional American policies in the Middle East, in light of the radicalization of Palestinian society, as evidenced by Hamas' electoral victory in January 2006, it is unclear how an Israeli withdrawal today will align with U.S. national security interests and goals," the report, entitled "Ehud Olmert's "Convergence" Plan for the West Bank and U.S. Middle East Policy," said. "Unfortunately, it seems evident that an Israeli retreat from the West Bank will empower the terror supporting, anti-American de facto Palestinian state and will create a new base for global terrorism." The report's author, Caroline Glick, an Israeli-based journalist, recommended that Bush reject Olmert's plan during their meeting scheduled for May 23 in Washington. Ms. Glick, a research fellow at the Center for Security Policy, said Olmert's plan was based on the unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank in September 2005, which transformed the areas into Iranian- dominated launching pads for attacks against Israel and the United States. "In light of all this," the report said, "the Bush administration and the congressional leadership would be well-advised to refuse Olmert's requests for U.S. support for his convergence plan while backing alternative policy options that will serve to strengthen U.S. allies in the Global War on Terror, while weakening those opposed to U.S. efforts." The report marked an effort by Republican Party conservatives, who include leading members of the House and Senate, to oppose Olmert's plan. Conservative supporters of Israel, including the Christian Right, did not lobby against U.S. support for Israel's decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005. The center said another Israeli unilateral withdrawal would destabilize Israel and Jordan as well as hamper U.S. efforts to maintain military equipment in those countries. Ms. Glick said U.S. forces and equipment would be prevented from traveling from Israel through the West Bank toward Jordan and Iraq. "An Israeli retreat from the West Bank would enable the terror forces combating the U.S. in Iraq to establish training bases and political indoctrination centers in the West Bank," the report said. "Such bases would operationally link the Palestinian campaign against Israel with the terror war against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and their Iraqi allies." David Bedein is Bureau Chief, Israel Resource News Agency. (http://Israelbehindthenews.com). He is president of Center for Near East Policy Research. Contact him by email at media@actcom.co.il |
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NY TIMES CONTRIBUTES TO ARAB GENOCIDE IN DARFUR
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 19, 2006. |
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In case any of you, or anyone you know, is bewildered or angered by my accusations that the New York Times is not an objective source of news about Israel and the Arab world, I recommend the article below. We learned ex-post facto that the NY Times callously and criminally betrayed its readers, and European Jewry, and the USA in general, in the late 1930s and early 40s, when it intentionally buried/hid/distorted news of the rise and threat of the Nazi party in Germany. For more on that, read the new book "Buried in the Times" (I forgot the author), and Robert Kohn's, "Journalistic Fraud: The New York Times". For general coverage of this and related issues about our media, see Elliot Kramer's "Complicity". The Times is doing the same thing today. It is betraying its American and world-wide readership (NB! re international: the International Herald Tribune is now owned by the NY Times), American Jewry, and Israel with its skewed and selective coverage of the Arab-Israel conflict. It is also betraying the victims of the Darfur and South Sudan genocides by not identifying the real criminals: the Arab government of Sudan and its supporters among other Arab governments and leaders (like Osama bin Laden) in the Arab world. And by means of the same methods, it is also betraying, in my opinion (I know some disagree vehemently), the American people with its skewed and politically driven (anti-Bush anti-Republican) coverage of Iraq and other aspects of World War 4. Will we be around 15 years from now to hear the same kind of recant and mea culpa that we heard from the Ochs and Salzman families in the mid-1950s (about their betrayal of European Jewry in the 40s); or will the Times' (witting or unwitting) complicity and collusion with Arab forces that are driving both the Jihad against Israel and the Jihad against the USA result in a victory for the Jihadists which will render such considerations meaningless in a new post-Jihad world where Moslem supremacy has made "Islam uber alles"? This article is called "Darfur, Arab Genocide and The New York Times." It was written by Kenneth Levin and it appeared today in www.FrontPageMagazine.com. Kenneth Levin is a psychiatrist and historian and author of The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege. In contrast to the several very dubious high-profile choices of the Pulitzer committee for this year's awards, Nicholas Kristof's prize in recognition of his coverage for the New York Times of the Sudanese government's genocidal campaign against the people of Darfur seems uncontroversial and well deserved. But Kristof, and the Times' editors, have consistently failed to cover a key element of the story. A recurrent theme in Kristof's articles is the world's failure to do enough to end the slaughter in Darfur, and he particularly targets President Bush for criticism. He has on occasion also mentioned the "international community" and has referred by name to several nations and world leaders other than the President that could do more. But a key factor in the impunity with which the Arab government of Sudan has been able to pursue its campaign of rape and mass murder in Darfur has been the virtually universal support it receives from the rest of the Arab world, and on this Kristof has been essentially silent. (He did break this silence in five sentences in the penultimate of some 40 op-eds addressing Darfur that he published from March, 2004 through April, 2006; but that article is focused on China's shameful role in Darfur.) Other Arab nations not only defend Sudan's government but actively lobby for it in world bodies and have successfully enlisted fellow Muslim states and additional allies to do the same. The travesty of Sudan being elected to the United Nations' human rights commission is just one demonstration of that support. Blocking of greater UN efforts to aid the people of Darfur is another. The impact of this support goes beyond international bodies. Many nations are reluctant to confront the Arab world in its backing of Sudan, and this has been a major factor in European foot-dragging on the Darfur issue. Even American policy is sensitive to Arab opinion and potential problems with being seen as attacking another Arab regime as the nation continues to pursue the difficult struggle in Iraq. But this crucial factor in the world's response to the Darfur crisis has, with the one recent exception noted, been absent from Kristof's reporting. The extent and impact of Arab support for Sudan's crimes in Darfur are also absent from the rest of the Times. When the Arab League held its annual summit in Khartoum in late March, the Times published two stories on the proceedings. Neither made any mention of Darfur and no editorial addressed the significance, or questioned the propriety, of Arab foreign ministers choosing Sudan's capital as their venue. A Times editorial on Darfur published on April 13 ("Fiddling While Darfur Burns") takes the United Nations to task for "dawdling" and complains of UN Security Council members "China, Qatar, Ghana and Tanzania, that continue to give diplomatic cover to Sudan," but says nothing of the cover given by the Arab League and its membership. This silence on the Arab world's support for Sudan's genocidal regime is part of a broader picture. While the Times did provide some coverage of Saddam Hussein's murder of up to 200,000 Kurds in the late 1980's, it again ignored the theme of broad Arab support for Saddam's program of Arabizing northern Iraq. The Times largely failed to cover Sudan's on and off again genocidal campaign against Christian and animist blacks in the south of the country that claimed about two million lives, and of course ignored as well Arab support for Sudan's policies in the south. The Times prides itself in being a "liberal" newspaper, but it has also consistently ignored liberal voices in the Arab world that have sought to address that world's genocidal attitudes toward religious and ethnic minorities in its midst. Tunisian human rights activist Muhammed Bechri, writing in December, 2004, noted that, "A deafening silence [has been] observed throughout the Arab world on the horrendous crime being committed by [its] fellow Arabs in Sudan." Bechri goes on: "the Arab silence [can] only be explained once we understand the true nature of the twin fascisms of Islamism and pan-Arabism that continue to wreak havoc on Arab land," the former inculcating murderous attitudes and promoting genocidal policies toward non-Muslims, the latter doing the same with regard to Muslim but non-Arab populations in the Arab world - such as the Kurds and the blacks of Darfur. Bechri also observes that popular support in the Arab world for its twin fascisms is bolstered by "the fact that the voices of the Arab human rights community remain of little influence due to lack of access to the official media." He could have added that those voices and their perspectives also lack access to key Western media, including the New York Times. In addition to ignoring the significance of broad Arab opinion on acts of genocide within the Arab world, the Times has also largely failed to cover related stories, such as the pressures on Christian communities in virtually all Arab states and the flight of Christians from those nations, and the forced Arabization campaign that has been waged for decades against the large Berber community - Muslim, but not Arab - of Algeria. Another related story untold by the Times is the murderous, indeed genocidal, hatred of Jews promoted for decades by Arab regimes, both religious and secular, in media, mosques and schools. Bernard Lewis, the West's premier scholar of Middle East studies, wrote in 1986, regarding Jew-hatred in the Arab world, "The volume of anti-Semitic books and articles published, the size and number of editions and impressions, the eminence and authority of those who write, publish, and sponsor them, their place in school and college curricula, their role in the mass media, would all seem to suggest that classical anti-Semitism is an essential part of Arab intellectual life at the present time -- almost as much as happened in Nazi Germany." But again, despite the Times extensive coverage, in news reports and editorials, of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict, the newspaper is virtually silent on this aspect of the story. No doubt this reflects Times biases on the subject. The Times prefers to depict the conflict as mainly a dispute over territory, with Israeli territorial concessions the key to resolution. Acknowledging the genocidal attitudes toward Jews rampant in the Arab world and promoted by Arab governments would cast doubt on this depiction. Indeed, covering the murderous Arab attitudes, and sympathy for genocidal campaigns, toward other ethnic and religious minorities living amidst the Arab world - minorities that do not enjoy sovereignty or even autonomy and are not engaged in border disputes with surrounding Arab populations - would render even less plausible the Times' slanting of the Israeli-Arab conflict, and this very likely figures in the Times failure to cover those other stories. With regard to Israel, the Times not only ignores Arab hate-mongering but ridicules Israel for making an issue of it. In October, 2000, for example, a month after Arafat launched a terror war against Israel, the official Palestinian Authority television station broadcast a sermon by Sheik Ahmed Halabaya in which the sheik declared: "Whether Likud or Labor, Jews are Jews... They are terrorists. They are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the almighty says: Fight them; Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them... Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are, in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them, kill them. Wherever you are, kill those Jews, and those Americans who are like them..." In an article published eleven days later, Times reporter William Orme notes Israeli claims of the PA's using its official media for incitement, and the slant of his story is clearly to make Israel's complaints look unfounded and ridiculous. He writes at one point: "Israelis cite as one egregious example a televised sermon... 'Whether Likud or Labor, Jews are Jews,' proclaimed Sheik Ahmad Abu Halabaya... " That is all Orme says of the sermon; nothing about Halabaya's exhortations to butcher Jews wherever one finds them, nothing about his assertions that all of Israel belongs to the Arabs, nothing about his invoking of Allah as calling for the torture and murder of Jews. Again, it is very likely that the Times' sins of omission regarding Arab incitement of murder and genocide toward Jews, its distortion of this crucial element of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the service of its own slant on the crux of the conflict and the path to resolution, has figured in its silence on murderous Arab attitudes toward other religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and north Africa. To report honestly on those attitudes and their practical consequences would inevitably call into doubt the paper's editorial views regarding Israel and the Palestinians. But, in any case, that silence on Arab attitudes does cast its shadow over coverage of other conflicts in the Arab world, distorting representation of the nature and dynamics of those conflicts. More particularly, it taints the Times' reporting and editorializing on the genocide in Darfur, including Nicholas Kristof's Pulitzer prize-winning coverage. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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DIVESTMENT ROILS JEWISH-PRESBYTERIAN TIES
Posted by Larry Rued, May 19, 2006. |
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As an elder in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), I wholeheartedly agree with James Rudin's comment: "It was the culmination of decades - not years, but decades - of hostility toward Israel and Zionism, not by the rank-and-file members of these churches, but by some of the leadership," said Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious adviser for the American Jewish Committee, where he staffed the interfaith department for 38 years." The extensive research done by myself and other laity in the PCUSA confirms our leadership has spent millions of dollars in nuturing networks hostile to Israel. Unfortunately, most Members in the Pews of the mainline protestant churches, even today, remain unaware of what their leadership has been doing. Can I ask for your help in getting the word out to these uninformed? My fellow PCUSA elder, Will Spotts, has prepared an analysis of the
34 overtures that will be debated at the upcoming General Assembly.
This article is called "Divestment roils Jewish-Presbyterian ties,"
and was written by Rachel Pomerance - JTA News Service. It appeared
today in the Florida Jewish News ATLANTA, May 11 (JTA) - As Presbyterians across America gear up for their biennial assembly next month, the legacy of the last such meeting is still roiling the Jewish community and the church's own members. Two years ago, the Presbyterian Church USA passed a resolution calling for "phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel." Those who long have followed Jewish-Protestant relations weren't surprised. "It was the culmination of decades - not years, but decades - of hostility toward Israel and Zionism, not by the rank-and-file members of these churches, but by some of the leadership," said Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior interreligious adviser for the American Jewish Committee, where he staffed the interfaith department for 38 years. The passion ignited by the divestment resolution at the last General Assembly is likely to erupt again at the June 15-22 meeting in Birmingham, Ala. What happens there will have a lasting impact on the already strained relationship between Jews and the entire Protestant community. The estimated 3 million Presbyterians in the United States influence the other white mainline Protestant churches in this country, whose members number more than 20 million. Presbyterians are considered the "conscience" and reason of the Protestant community, serving as something of a "swing vote," Rudin said. Indeed, after the Presbyterians' 2004 resolution on divestment, several other Protestant communities took up the issue. The Methodists decided to study their options; the United Church of Christ, also known as the Congregationalists, endorsed divestment but did not create a process to enact it; the Episcopalians considered but rejected divestment; and the Lutherans rejected a divestment resolution, and instead passed a resolution to invest in cooperative ventures between Israelis and Palestinians. What will happen in Birmingham is anyone's guess, though both Presbyterian and Jewish officials predict that no immediate action on divestment will be taken. According to Ethan Felson, associate executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, "the prevailing wisdom" is that a recommendation proposed by the General Assembly committee to appoint a committee for continued debate on divestment, without halting the divestment process, will pass. Soon after the resolution was passed, the group's committee charged with assessing the church's stock portfolio for potential divestment expanded the criteria of companies to include companies that support Israel's presence in the West Bank; its separation barrier; settlement building and violence to either party in the conflict. The committee is still in its investigative stages. It has already begun initial talks with three of the five companies in question. The Presbyterian Church says it has targeted the following companies for these reasons: * Caterpillar, because the Israeli military uses its equipment to demolish Palestinian homes and construct roads for Israeli settlers in "the occupied territories"; More than $65 million is at stake - the combined shares of Presbyterian Church stock in the aforementioned companies. The MRTI committee has made no requests for action by the companies, said a church press officer. The meetings were about "fact finding" and "information sharing," she said. The more immediate question is whether the church will continue to go down the divestment path or reverse course. To some extent, the issue can be viewed as a struggle between the denomination's ministers and laity. According to an internal Presbyterian USA poll taken in November 2004, more laity - some 42 percent of members and 46 percent of elders - oppose divestment, compared with 28 percent of members and 30 percent of elders which favor it. Meanwhile, pastors favor divestment by 48 percent to 43 percent and specialized clergy favor it by 64 percent to 24 percent. Furthermore, the church said that the poll showed that "despite widespread media attention," most Presbyterian laity were not even aware of the decision of the 216th General Assembly to "begin a process of phased, selective divestment" of companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. But it would be hard to imagine that anyone heading to Birmingham could miss the subject, given the sheer number of overtures, or proposals, on divestment submitted to the church by regional presbyteries for the upcoming assembly. Nearly one-fifth of the 137 proposals to be considered at the assembly address divestment. Some want to press forward with the divestment process, many others aim to rescind the original resolution and express serious concern about the damage the issue has done to Jewish-Presbyterian relations and the church's reputation. The overtures come before a committee, which will condense them into a single resolution or propose an alternative to present to the assembly. Some 3,000 clergy and lay people are expected at the assembly. Of these, 534 individuals - half clergy, half laity, are eligible to vote on the overtures. Given the wave of overtures to reject divestment, "one would hope they would see that as the will of the people," said the Rev. John Wimberly, pastor of Western Presbyterian Church in Washington. Wimberly is on the steering committee of Presbyterians Concerned for Jewish and Christian Relations, a group that has pushed hard to further overtures against divestment. However, "this issue has become the 'in' issue," Wimberly said. "It's the issue of the left today in the Presbyterian Church and it gains a kind of life of its own." Asked about the issue by JTA, Clifton Kirkpatrick, chief ecclesiastical officer of the Presbyterian Church, said it has been "very painful that in our effort to secure peace and justice for all," the church has hurt members of the Jewish community, for which the church has "deep respect." The Presbyterian Church is committed to both good interfaith relations with Jews and Muslims while pursuing :peace and justice in the Middle East." Some devoted to Jewish-Christian relations have made overturning divestment a priority. They include the National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel, a network that long has worked with Jewish and Christian supporters to promote Israel's cause. The group is hosting a May 18 conference on divestment at the Central Presbyterian Church in New York City and coordinating a Presbyterian mission to Israel later this month. There's "a real groundswell of opposition that's occurred within the church, and it's very widespread," said Jim Roberts, a Presbyterian from San Diego, who heads a committee of volunteers and a Web site called "End Divestment Now." Roberts' group argues that divestment is rooted in bias and flawed theology, and considers the divestment push a breach of the church's principles of fairness and bottom-up governance. Insiders say several sources gave rise to the 2004 divestment resolution and the pro-Palestinian feelings among many Presbyterians. For one, Palestinian Christians have deeply influenced the church by framing the Israeli-Palestinian issue in terms of "liberation theology," portraying the Palestinians as powerless victims who must be freed from their ostensible oppressors, the Israelis. The most influential group espousing this platform is the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, which sponsors conferences around the world and speakers at Christian gatherings, and advocates divestment from Israel. Jewish groups, and many Christians, call Sabeel a corrupting influence. Christians for Fair Witness in the Middle East holds news conferences about Sabeel nearly every time the group holds a meeting in America, said the Rev. Roy W. Howard, an executive committee member who is pastor of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Md. According to Howard, Sabeel is ambiguous about Israel's very right to exist: Its devotees speak about a "Greater Palestine" in which there is no Jewish state, he said. The Rev. Richard Toll, chairman of Friends of Sabeel North America, calls these charges a distortion. "There has never been a call for the destruction of Israel or anything like that at all," he said. Leaders of mainstream Jewish groups are often invited, but don't respond, he said. San Francisco, a presbytery that has presented an overture affirming divestment, was influenced less by Sabeel than by Presbyterians who visited Palestinian areas, said the Rev. Will McGarvey, pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church, who will present San Francisco's proposal at the assembly. Divestment is a last resort in a process that encourages corporations first to act more justly, McGarvey said. Though it may seem one-sided, "there's only one side that has power right now, and that is the" Israel Defense Forces, he said. Jewish officials in San Francisco felt insulted that the local presbytery never informed them of its overture. "That's awful hurtful," said Jonathan Bernstein, director of the Anti-Defamation League's Central Pacific Region. "I feel like they didn't really learn a lesson" from the uproar over the 2004 resolution about the need to inform Jewish colleagues about their actions. It also hasn't been easy for Jay Tcath, vice president of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and director of its Jewish Community Relations Council. He has limited his interaction with the local presbytery since the fall of 2004 because the group delayed addressing the divestment resolution. Instead, he turned his attention to individual churches in the area, which he said are more open to dialogue on the issue. "Friends don't allow slanders to stand against other friends," he said. Matters worsened when the Chicago presbytery's Middle East task force met with leaders of the radical fundamentalist group Hezbollah in Lebanon last fall. It was smoother in Atlanta, where Jewish officials got early word of an overture for divestment because of their strong interfaith relationships. They successfully called for its withdrawal in favor of broadened dialogue. Jewish-Presbyterian dialogue on the grass-roots level has intensified since the divestment resolution passed in 2004. Shari Dollinger, a former interreligious affairs officer for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, launched the Coalition for Responsible Peace in the Middle East after witnessing the heavily pro-Palestinian current at the United Church of Christ's July 2005 General Synod in Atlanta. The coalition, whose founding members include The David Project, American Jewish Congress and Stand with Us, is using a grass-roots approach, disseminating information to Jewish and non-Jewish groups at pro-divestment gatherings and on its Web site, http://www.c4rpme.org. But some say Presbyterian leaders have sidelined Jewish voices on divestment. It's "downright embarrassing that the Presbyterians have not made certain that they have multiple points of views and interpretations of what's going on," said Christopher Leighton, director of the Baltimore-based Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Leighton cited a conference on divestment last year in Louisville, Ky., site of the church's national headquarters. The Baltimore delegation walked out because of the lopsided pro-Palestinian representation. "It was an appalling example of having a foregone conclusion that you want to trumpet and so you know where you want people to end up before they even start out," he said. "It seems to me that that's symptomatic of how our leadership has handled this." Some Jewish officials suggest the church is again stacking the deck. The day before this year's General Assembly, for example, the church has scheduled a Middle East forum with three representatives -- a Palestinian Christian, an American Muslim and an American Jew, Mark Pelavin, associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Why, anti-divestment forces wonder, is there no Israeli represented? Many Presbyterians "have been listening to the message that they have heard from their Jewish brothers and sisters, but there are still very powerful, intransigent leaders who believe that they are serving their community by lifting up Palestinians and beating up on Israel, and that's sad," said Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor, the ADL's director of interfaith affairs. "In the last two years, what has also shocked many people involved in this ongoing dialogue is that all too often when the phrase 'occupation' is used, many believe that they are not referring to 1967 but 1948" - in other words, a rejection of Israel's existence. Kirkpatrick, the Presbyterian chief ecclesiastical officer, rejects that charge. "It has been the core commitment of every Presbyterian leader I know" to ensure "peace and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis," he said. For now, there is plenty of debate on all sides of the issue. And many are just plain confused. Presbyterians may need to "wait for the dust to settle before we can make any real determination of the appropriate way to enhance relations between Israelis and Palestinians," Leighton said. Contact Larry Rued at LRued@tampabay.rr.com |
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GIANT ANTI-RETREAT RALLY SCHEDULED IN WASHINGTON
Posted by Bernice Lipkin, May 19, 2006. | |||
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MOSLEM RAPISTS BORDER ON PANDEMIC IN EU AND AUSTRALIA
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 19, 2006. |
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The article below neglects to mention Australia, which is also suffering an epidemic of rapes by Moslem men against non-Moslem women (and sometimes under-age girls). Note the attitute of some Moslem leaders: Copenhagen Mufti Declares Women who Refuse to Wear Headscarves are "Asking for Rape"; and this from the spiritual leader of Denmark's Moslems who was so obsessed with the slight done to Islam by the Danish cartoons that he promoted a world-wide Jihad that killed dozens, did hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, and still threatens genocide to Danes. As is the case with dhimmitude and Jihad, rape in the context of Islamofascist Moslem thought is another right that the Moslem male acrues to himself by virtue of being male and Moslem. Not all Moslems feel this way, of course; but those who do use Islam to justify their crime; and those that don't are mostly silent. Islamic leadership in Europe (and Australia) supports the rape epidemic by pressuring authorities to be more sensitive to the cultural differences that motivate the Moslem males. Hence gang rapists freed in Germany and Norway. This is from "Pan-European Arab Muslim Gang Rape Epidemic," on the
Iris Organization website, Germany Today's news from Germany buries the fact that the gang rapists of a 13 year-old were likely Arab Muslim immigrants: Shock in Berlin as Suspected Rapists Freed
Nowhere is the news reported that this is part of a gang rape epidemic sweeping areas with high Arab Muslim immigration. As is the case with young Arab Muslims throughout the West, teenage (Moslem) girls are generally forbidden to go out, leaving separatist gangs of predatory Arab Muslim males with highly misogynist attitudes. Harassment of females has therefore exploded throughout the West, most shockingly demonstrated in the recent phenomenon of gang rape for sport. Listed below is the evidence. While these cases are primarily not related to the core group of
committed Islamists within Arab Muslim immigrant populations, there is
some "trickle-down" of attitudes so it is also worth noting the rape
aspects of Jihad ideology as well: "The Rape Jihad,"
France Racial Gang rape: Another Diversity Disaster
...in more cosmopolitan centers like Paris and Australia, the game is blossoming. It consists in the ritual gang rape of white women by non-white immigrants... The ritual is known as a "tournante," meaning "Take your turn." See also: "France Takes on Plague of Sexual 'Rite'" Australia The Australian Sun-Herald reports that police data show that some 70 racially motivated rapes of young white girls, one as young as 13, by Middle Eastern immigrants have taken place in the last two years. See also: Racial Gang-Rape: The Sequel Sweden Muslim Rape Epidemic in Sweden and Norway ...doubling of the number of reported rapes by ambush in 2004, following what was already a decade of steadily increasing numbers of sexual crimes. ...The figures have nearly doubled in the last ten years: 467 rapes against children under the age of 15 were reported in 2004 compared with 258 in 1995. Norway Rape charges in the capital are spiraling upwards, 40 percent higher from 1999 to 2000 and up 13 percent so far this year. Police Inspector Gunnar Larsen of Oslo's Vice, Robbery and Violent crime division says the statistics are surprising - the rising number of rape cases and the link to ethnic background are both clear trends... Denmark Alarmed at last week's police statistics, which revealed that in 68% of all rapes committed this year the perpetrator was from an ethnic minority, leading Muslim organisations have now formed an alliance to fight the ever-growing problem of young second and third-generation immigrants involved in rape cases against young Danish girls. See also: "Copenhagen Mufti Declares Women who Refuse to Wear Headscarves are "Asking for Rape." David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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GOOGLE NEWS
Posted by Arlene Peck, May 19, 2006. |
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I just received this from one of the publishers that prints my columns. I couldn't understand why, over the past two weeks the number of sites that popped up when my name was clicked on has dwindled from 50,000 to around 18,000. I even called Google and questioned why I was losing my sites so rapidly. They weren't able to help me. However, now that I received this email from the publisher, it makes sense. They have labled me a Hate Speech writer. Obviously because of the column that was in his publication.. "How Has Islam Enriched Your Life." Is the beginning of something that is very dangerous. I intend to write a column about this, but wanted to rush this bit of info right out to you. It is NEWS...Please respond ASAP and let me know your feelings about this and suggestions as to how to handle it. Arlene Peck -----Original Message-----
The New Media Journal has been dropped by Google News and the Google search engine because of complaints made to them about "hate speech pieces" that they considered your opinion-pieces to be. This puts a HUGE dent into The New Media Journal's ability to disseminate information. I would hope that you would be pro-active in trying to rectfy this situation as it has everything to do with my livelihood. I have enclosed the termination notice below Frank Salvato
-----Original Message-----
Hi Frank, Thanks for writing. We received numerous reports about hate content on your site, and after reviewing these reports, decided to remove your site from Google News. We do not allow articles and sources expressly promoting hate speech viewpoints in Google News (although referencing hate speech for commentary and analysis is acceptable). For example, a number of the complaints we looked at on your site were found to be hate content: http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/peck/05102006.htm
We hope this helps you understand our position. Regards,
Arlene Peck is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess. She can be reached at: bestredhead@earthlink.net and www.arlenepeck.com |
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MORE BRITISH ISM TERRORISTS
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 19, 2006. |
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The ISM or "International Solidarity Movement" (ISM REALLY stands for "I Support Murderers") is a pro-terror extremist group devoted to endorsing and promoting Palestinian violence against Jews. ISM terrorhoids routinely enter Israel under false pretenses and then collaborate with terrorists. They also participate in violent attacks on Israel's "Security Wall" and the police and soldiers defending it. They oppose the wall because they favor mass murders and genocidal atrocities against jews by Palestinians, and the wall makes such crimes more difficult. In the past, Arab bombers from Britain entered Israel under the guise of being "activists", members of or hosted by the ISM. Two of these "guests" of the ISM murdered several people when they blew up a popular Tel Aviv bar three years ago. Last week yet another British Arab "activist" was arrested after entering Israel for purposes of engaging in terrorism. Ayash Ali was arrested eight days ago, but news of the arrest was only released on Thursday. The arrest took place in the territories in cooperation with a special police force, and the man was taken in for interrogation by the Shin Bet. Karen Kaufman, spokeswoman for the British Embassy in Israel, told The Associated Press that Ayash Ali was arrested on May 9, and British diplomats have had access to him in custody and have attended remand hearings. In April 2003, British national Asif Muhammad Hanif blew himself up in the Mike's Place pub on the Tel Aviv promenade. Three people were murdered in the bombing. A second British man, Omar Khan Sharrif, accompanied Hanif. The men were sent by Hamas, and both were dispatched as suicide bombers. Both had been hosted and featured at ISM events just before the murders. They had succeeded in entering the country through their British passports, evidently with ISM help, but Sharif failed to detonate his explosives belt. He escaped and apparently tried to flee by way of the sea. His body was washed up on the Tel Aviv beach a number of weeks later. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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EUROPE SUBVERTS ISRAEL; IDF POLITICAL PURGE; ISRAELI EDUCATION
BECOMING PROPAGANDA
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 19, 2006. |
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ISRAELI DISSIDENT DISMISSED FROM ARMY A sergeant being awarded for bravery refused to shake the hand of the Chief of Staff. His commander later interrogated him about it, asked him in vain to apologize, then dismissed him from the battalion. The Army considered the youth's behavior political and therefore against the rules. The youth's family points out that he wasn't ordered to shake hands. It considers his ostracizing the Chief of Staff brash, but the Chief's ostracizing him as over-regimentation. It defeats the purpose of encouraging fighters of valor (IMRA, 5/5). Ordinarily, dismissal might seem merely an over-reaction, though not significant. Under the Sharon-Olmert regime, however, it reflects the transformation of the Army into a tool of oppression of Jews. What decent Israeli would want to shake hands with the head of an army that dispossesses Jews from their property and lets it be stolen or vandalized, and that in the process of dispossession, doesn't just arrest resistors but beats them up badly, including non-violent resistors, some of whom indicated they would leave the scene if given a chance? The Israeli Army has become fascist. The police have a unit that specializes in brutality against Jews. The Army is hypocritical to object to the soldier's expressing his political views, if they were political rather than an ethical compunction against brutality. The Army has been thoroughly politicized. It advances leftist officers more than, say, religious ones, regardless of merit. Chiefs of Staff often contradict their military principles when they prepare to enter politics. To please the Labor Party, they turn towards appeasement. The Army also imposes political programs upon its compulsory audience. Therefore, the Army doesn't object to a soldier's expressing a political view so much as to his view not being theirs. EUROPE'S POLICY TOWARDS ISRAEL IN FERMENT The EU has investigated P.A. corruption in the use of foreign aid. It has stopped donating funds directly to the P.A.. Experiencing Islamic terrorism itself, it has become more understanding of Israel's legitimate need to fight against terrorism. On the other hand, the EU (like the US) still donates funds to private organizations in the P.A. and radical Israeli groups that work to defame Israel and impede its self-defense. Among those groups are Machsom Watch (which harasses Israeli soldiers at checkpoints and encourages Arab defiance of them) and ICAHD, the Israel Committee Against House Demolitions (meaning against demolishing houses built illegally by Arabs, a means of jihad). These NGOs don't promote a civil society but uncivil war. ICAHD works with opponents of Jewish statehood to divest from Israel. The EU claims this one-sidedness in jihad is a peace project, but it seeks to influence public opinion in what it calls a democracy. That is not a proper use of its own tax revenues. Some of the EU officials behind the donations realize that their beneficiaries seek to undermine Israel's existence (IMRA, 5/5 from Gerald Steinberg). Like water, antisemitism or appeasement of Muslim Arabs, blocked from one path, carves another channel. WHAT KIND OF A PEOPLE ARE THE LEBANESE? Lebanon is a country but not a nation. There is no Lebanese nationality. The population consists of mutually suspicious major blocs of Sunnis, Shiites, Druse, Maronites, and other Christians. Some of the blocs have militias. Iran has forces there, too. When Lebanon was stabile, it became an international banking center and resort. Upon fleeing to Lebanon, the PLO tipped the balance of contending ethnic groups, and civil war began. Syria seized the opportunity to restore order and grab power. It sent in a million Syrian colonists. The Lebanese forced the Syrian troops out, but cannot get the Syrian secret police out or oust the Lebanese politicians owned by Syria. Neither can they agree on how to run the country. They let Hizbullah keep its arms and risk war with Israel. What kind of people are the Lebanese? Apparently if kept in check, they can prosper, but if not, they would tear each other to pieces. They could not endure a winner-take-all democracy. I've met some Armenians (Christians) from Lebanon and Iran, and they were among the finest persons I know, but the mass of Christians sorely needs a unifying nationalism. I hope that Lebanese nationalism will not develop by concentrating on making Israel an external foe to unify against. ISRAELI EDUCATION TO BECOME PROPAGANDA The Rabin Center focused on healing the rift between secular and religious and Right and Left, until Yuli Tamir took it over. She ended the mediation and rubbed salt into the wound, so people should constantly think of Rabin's assassination and be angry with the Right and religious, whom she claims brought it on. (That is false, for it either was the leftist government or an individual). She wants to reap ideological hay out of it. Now Tamir is Minister of Education. She admits wanting to bring politics into education. This would not be the first time, for Rabin let the schools become indoctrination centers in behalf of the "peace process" (phony appeasement of the belligerent Arabs). She would have the children "prepared" for abandonment of Judea-Samaria. That really means the schools would indoctrinate in behalf of it (IMRA, 5/5) and in Israeli style democracy, that means repressing dissenters. This violates officially stated policy. WHY DOES PM OLMERT FAVOR WITHDRAWALS? Olmert has stopped claiming that withdrawal would spare troops diverted to defend Judea-Samaria or would save money. Few troops are diverted and the budget for Judea-Samaria is a fraction of the cost of withdrawal (and of the costs of fighting the greater terrorism to result from withdrawal, and to fight it from outside the P.A.). He claims it is to keep the Arabs from voting for Knesset, but that is no reason to rush into a dubious adventure now. They can vote for the P.A., as they do, now. One cannot accept the rationalizations offered for the policy. Nobody knows Olmert's real reason. Is it to keep his Party of appeasement-mindedness united? (Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA, 5/5). Why appeasement-minded? Neurosis or corruption. WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN ISRAEL My Israeli TV correspondent turned on her television set and saw a pogrom. It took her a moment to realize that this was occurring in our era and in Israel, supposedly a Jewish state. "I watched in ANGER, as thousands of policemen (Yassamnikim unit) with batons, helmets and face shields, riding very tall imported German horses, ran into the crowd of youngsters and beat them viciously and repeatedly on their heads with batons. I watched the blood pouring down the faces of these teenagers. I watched with my BLOOD BOILING, as they broke into homes where teenagers were sitting on the floor, with linked arms and singing, and started beating them on their heads with clubs, until blood flowed and still continued smashing skulls. I watched as police threw our youth out of the windows head first. I saw blood running down the face of MK Effie Eitam who was beaten on the head and thrown to the ground by a horse. I saw MK Aryeh Eldad standing with a broken arm and was treated by our medical team on the spot. I saw rocks flying and horses with blindfolded eyes racing into the crowd and people lying under horses' hoofs. I saw beautiful homes being demolished." "Most of the teenagers were hospitalized by bad head injuries. The following days, much video footage and reports from teenagers were seen and heard. Boys were grabbed by testicles, and received repeated blows to testicles, thus many were crushed. This can cause sterilization. A teenage girl was seen on video crying and pleading with the police to stop beating her as she was leaving on her own. The video showed the beating continued with her jacket and blouse raised and her bare back getting blows. A girl reported that she was smashed on the head repeatedly and then the baton came down on her left eye as she was crawling to the door. The beating continued until she passed out and woke up still lying by the door with blurred vision. Many teenagers had serious eye injuries. Many stomach injuries. One boy said that five police beat him at one time to all parts of his body. The Director of the Crises Center for Religious Women has confirmed that the office has received reports from girls of sexual harassment and sexual abuse. Many girls told me that they were called whores and told that they enjoyed being touched. These officers had thick Russian accents. Some more serious molestation took place as reported by B'Sheva weekly. The thick Russian accent of many police was also verified by Eliahu Leven in an interview by Russian language's TV in Israel." "On the eve of the Amona pogrom, Olmert and the heads of the police and army said, 'You have clubs, and you have helmets. You'll know what to do.' Michal Raz, a nurse living in Amona, said she saw and clearly heard a commander briefing about 60 helmeted policemen and saying. 'Your mission is to open as many girls heads as you can.' Orders were received to 'smash and break hands and legs.'" (Hence the government imported Russian antisemites.) "Olmert and his hand-picked henchmen hate religious Jews, hate the land which they want to turn over to hostile enemies and in short -- hate G-d. Their fight is with G-d, which is being done through believing Jews. Never did the Yassamnikim treat Arab rioters, Arab terrorists, Arabs living in their illegally built buildings, as they did the Jews of Amona." Amazingly, the youth refuse to give in. For that, they are called fanatics, but what is the anti-Jewish government? The government claims it wants Jews secure. Not that way! Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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A "FUNNY" SCENARIO, UNO SCENARIO "DIVERTENTE"
Posted by Andras Bereny, May 19, 2006. |
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I was thinking (overnight) of a "funny" scenario. Imagine that as a result of the Sharon/Peres/Olmert anti-Semitic policies the Jews of Judea and Samaria in fear of deportation would declare in mass that they don't consider themselves Israelis and restituted their citizenships. (There is a simple form to fill out in this effect at a government office) At this point Yesha Jews would become either stateless refugees eligible for assistance (from UNRWA?) or citizens of their former host states, eligible for their (diplomatic) assistance. How would a situation like this evolve? Where would it lead to? Would Olmert and the Israeli anti-Jewish establishment survive the storm? Would the Jewish Autonomy get EU and US aid to pay the wages of the (Jewish) security force? Stavo giusto pensando stanotte di uno scenario "divertente". Immaginate una situazione per cui gli ebrei di Judea e Samaria, (i c.d. coloni) per non essere deportati dalle loro case, si restituessero la loro cittadinanza israeliana. Questa è una semplice formalità burocratica che si può fare negli uffici governativi. A questo punto gli ebrei di Yesh (di Judea e di Samaria, ad esclusione di Gaza, perché già pulita di ebrei) diventerebbero o rifugiati senza nazionalità e dunque con diritto di assistenza (da UNWRA?) o cittadini dei loro rispettivi paesi ospitanti d'origine, sempre con diritto d'assistenza (diplomatica). Come potrebbe svilupparsi una situazione del genere? Dove ci condurrebbe? Potrebbe Olmert e l'establishment anti-ebraico israeliano sopravvivere la confusione? L'Autonomia Ebraica, come quella Araba, riceverebbe milioni e milioni di dollari e di euro per finanziare i salari dei servizi di sicurezza (ebraici)? Andras Bereny
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US FUMES AS IRAQ BACKS ISRAEL BOYCOTT
Posted by Bryna Berch, May 19, 2006. |
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We've come a long way in Iraq from when there were assertions the democratically-elected government would recognize Israel. Today, they are acting like a normal Arab country. I'm so glad we are sacrificing young lives and draining our treasury to make Iraq democratic. Just think, in a couple more years, they'll be best friends with Iran and a stronghold of Arab-style democracy, complete with beheadings, suicide bombers and women shrink-wrapped in schmattas. This was written by Michael Freund and appeared today in The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961373594& pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull). The US-backed Iraqi government sent an official representative to this week's meeting of the Arab League Boycott Office in Damascus, The Jerusalem Post has learned, prompting criticism from members of Congress and the Bush administration. Liaison officers from 14 countries met for four days this week to discuss ways of intensifying the Arab embargo against Israel. Among those taking part were delegates from several ostensible US allies, such as Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Tom Casey, a spokesman for the US State Department, told the Post that Washington was unhappy with Baghdad's action. "We are disappointed by the decision of the Iraqi government to attend this meeting, and will be noting our concerns with Iraqi officials," he said. "We have raised this issue with Iraqi officials in the past and expect to raise it with them again." "The US position on the Arab League boycott is well known," Casey noted, adding that "perpetuation of the Arab League boycott does greatest harm to those who participate in it by hampering their efforts to develop their economies." Members of Congress were also critical of the Iraqi move. Rep. Paul Ryan, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, told the Post that "the US government has been very successful in negotiating the cancellation of Israeli boycotts from many countries throughout the Arab world. This would appear to be a big step in the wrong direction on the part of the new Iraqi government." Ryan, a Republican, said he expected Washington to bring the matter up with Baghdad. "We should make our position clear, just like we do with every other Arab government," he said. Contacted by phone, a spokesman for the Iraqi embassy in London declined to comment. |
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HAG HA'BIKURIM VERSUS HAG MATAN TORAH
Posted by Rachel Kapen, May 18, 2006. |
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Whereas in the State of Israel the aspect of Shavuot as Hag Ha'Bikurim-Festival of the First Fruits is being observed, the festival when the Jewish People in the Land of Israel was commanded to bring to the Beit Ha'Mikdash the first produce from his field, his garden or his livestock, in the Diaspora, where the commandment of bringing the first produce obviously didn't apply whether in the time of the Beit Ma'Mikdash or any other time, the emphasis is on celebrating the other aspect of the Shavuot, this of Hag Matan Torah- the Festival of the Giving of the Torah. In our own synagogue as in most others, no difference the denomination, the congregants meet at the night prior to Shavuot in order to listen to marathon lectures on the various aspects of the Torah and other Jewish topic till dawn in what is being called: Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Perhaps the only place on earth where the two aspects of Shavuot are being celebrated is the religious kibbutz in Israel whereby the the bimah as well as as the entire synagogue and Hadar Okhel (dining Hall) are being decorated with greenery and also, the kibbutz members and holiday guests convene in the synagogue to listen to Torah lecture throughout the night. A decade ago I was fortunate to celebrate these two aspects of Shavuot when I visited Religious Kibbutz "Shluhot" In the Beit Shean Valley and this was indeed a memorable event. But even there, the aspect of Shavuot as Hag Ha'Bikurim is all but symbolic in the absence of the Beit Ha'Mikdash to bring the first produce to the Kohanim. Actually, this gap regarding the celebration of Shavuot which exist between Israel and its diaspora is emblematic of the widening gap between the Jews of the State of Israel and the Jewish Community of the Diaspora, a gap which recently was made obvious with the strong words uttered by famous Israeli author A.B. Yehoshua in a Jewish conference attended by both Israelis and Jews from the Jewish Dispora, words which strongly angered the latter and not without reason. But even if the famous author was right from his own vantage point as an Israeli, he failed or refused to understand the importance of the two communities and the measure of their mutual dependency. The wise thing is to understand that the existence of a Jewish community in the Diaspora is a fait accompli and that it is as important to the Jews of the State of Israel as the other way around and that these two communities complete one another and little more of what is called: Yiddiskeit would harm the Israelis because being Israelis without the affinity to their Jewish roots in the Galut, characteristic of Israelis like A.B. Yehushua makes a mockery of Israel's designation of the Jewish State. Contact Rachel Kapen at skapen285466MI@comcast.net |
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STOP OLMERT FROM CEDING JUDEA AND SAMARIA TO ARAB TERRORISTS
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 18, 2006. |
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If Ehud Olmart truly believes that sojourning to Washington in a few days, persuading U.S. President Bush and Congress to grant Israel money for purposes of evicting and reassigning 80,000 of its citizens from Judea and Samaria to enclaves not of their choosing, will in anyway promote the interests of the Jewish State, this Prime Manipulator needs a check up from the neck up. Israel has no business soliciting money from any nation, including its formidable ally America! Period! Begging for bucks makes that beggar country a protectorate, in effect a servant of its financier. Israel needs no boss telling it what to do. The nation Olmert was elected to serve judiciously, not harm perniciously, has a thriving first world technologically dynamic economy and needs no charity. Indeed, Diaspora Jews of means worldwide can contribute funds to their potential homeland if ever they were needed. Israel should trade with and strategize with the United States on an even playing field, as partners and allies. The relationship should be mutually respectful. Each nation must support its own interests. That cannot be done when one nation gives charity to the other. Furthermore, Olmert has no business ceding Israeli land to terrorists! Judea and Samaria were properly secured by Israel in 1967 as a consequence of vanquishing hostile Arabs intent on annihilating the Jewish State. Judea, Samaria, east Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and erstwhile Gaza are and were intrinsic parts of sovereign Israel, much like the American Southwest (formally sovereign Mexico) is part of today's U.S.A. Arabs residing on such Israeli land (alas, except for the ceded Gaza), believing they are citizens of their Koran, must pledge their allegiance to the State of Israel, renounce those thugs that threaten harm to Israel, or leave! For Olmert and his cadre of minions to unilaterally offer most of this land to so-called Palestinian Arabs is treasonous! The Gaza 9,000 still reel from their unconscionable forced eviction, both economically and spiritually. Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria observe this, and will not go peacefully! The soul of Israel will be irreversibly tarnished if Olmert perpetrates his wretched policy. Arab terrorists will rejoice, Hamas will take all the credit for the despicable act, and violence against a perceived weakened Israel will increase, not decrease. So what must sane supporters of Israel do? Olmert, abetted by his Kadima party, does not have the power of a Sharon thus cannot consummate his folly without acquiescence by a majority of the Israeli Knesset. A boulder rolling down a mountain surely can create a landslide with enough momentum. The Israeli public must be educated and motivated swiftly, must contact their representatives, and reverse the madness. American Jews must be educated and motivated swiftly, must contact their Congressional representatives and President Bush, and convince their government not to underwrite the madness. If Israel is to be saved from grimly reaping the fruits of insanity, supporters of Israel must act now! Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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CARTER MAKES PEANUTS OF MIDDLE EAST HISTORY
Posted by Marion D.S. Dreyfus, May 18, 2006. |
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To: editors at USA Today In a powerful, to-be-released film on the killing of Senator Robert Kennedy, called "Bobby," Democratic hopeful for the President of the US, the film brings up what many have forgotten--including the former President, Jimmy Carter, as manifested in his fact-unencumbered op-ed. Sirhan Sirhan, who unequivocally shot Robert Kennedy as well as six other innocents unlucky enough to be within proximity of his pistol on 6 June 1968, was an Islamist devotee--one of the earliest, so that one often fails to make the threaded continuum between him and El Said Nossair, who in the early 1990's shot dead Rabbi Meir Kahane as he sermonized to an audience in New York's Summit Hotel, and the hijacking of planes and ships at sea by other death-besotted Islamists. These were joined by the fanatics who killed hundreds in the embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, the bombing of the SS Cole, killing 17 and wounding 37; and the tourist massacre in Bali (again, which I barely missed), which had no ostensible 'reason;' save the butchery of dozens of beer-toting Aussie nightclub goers and a few local Indonesian unlucky. These were mostly misperceived, too, as oddments, another one-off, by the largely deliberately clueless police. They almost dismissed the first bombing of the World Trade Center, and the myriad smaller acts of murder such as the Lockerbie plane explosion of 1995 (an airplane I was myself to have taken but at the last minute changed my plans). My litany is an illustration of how challenged this witheringly uninformed past chief executive is about the 'causes' of the rabidity seen on the Arab/Muslim 'side.' None of these were umbilically connected, as Carter alleges repeatedly, to Israel and Jews--although his and his family's enmity to Israel is so well-known that his brother's being on the payroll of an arch-terror country hardly raised an eyebrow, and Carter's own frequent fuelling of animus by misquoting facts on the ground to disadvantage Israel does not have the same power to shock it once did. Still, the editorial vetting process at your end should have exposed via elementary fact-checking the numerous factual, statistical, geographic and alas even spiritual errors deliberately inflicted on your national readership. I am greatly surprised you failed to give his tissue of trumpery even the lightest dusting for distortion, exaggeration, and outright arrogation of false facts with full knowledge. One eagerly awaits such time as his errors in plain air are grievous enough to let the public at large dismiss whatever he says as the burblings of a senescent peanut farmer who overstepped. I am dismayed at your coverage. Contact Marion Dreyfus at dreyfusmarion@hotmail.com |
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ISRAEL'S CHIEF JUSTICE'S "NEW DEMOCRACY" NEWTHINK
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 18, 2006. |
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1. Israel's anti-democratic "judicial activists" continue their campaign to impose judicial tyranny on Israel. No sooner does Israel's Supreme Court affirm by a narrow majority the right of Israel top prevent unlimited award of citizenship to West Bank and Gaza residents claiming to be married to Israeli Arabs, when Israel's Chief Justice, the guru of judicial activism, breaks into new territory. Having long maintained that it is the right of unelected judges to veto laws passed by elected representatives of the people, having long insisted than unelected judges may invent "laws" and rights" opposed by the legislature, Chief Justice Aharon Barak, who was in the minority on the recent Supreme Court ruling, now is insisting that the majority opinion of Supreme Court justices also is not worth diddly. At least not when the majority rule in opposition to Barak's personality prejudices! Yesterday Barak distributred his own private opinion (which Barak generally confuses with Israeli law) that the ruling upholding teh right of Israel to refuse citizenship to West Bank and Gaza Arabs claiming to be marries to Israeli Arabs will soon have to be overturned as violating Israel's "Basic Laws". But it does not violate Israel's "Basic Laws", and in any case Israel's "Basic Laws" are simply laws, passed by the legislature, the same legislature that passed the law controlling citizenship! Barak announced that if the Knesset dares to act as the sovereign legislature and extends the citizenship law of which Aharon Barak disapproves, then he will personally see to it that the Supreme Court vetoes the law. Except that Israel's Supreme Court has no constitutional authority whatsoever to veto any law passed by the Knesset! (see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/717223.html) Meanwhile, in another court ruling, this time by Jerusalem
Magistrates Court, it was decided NOT to prosecute two violent
anti-Israel leftist extremists for attacking police and soldiers
during "protests" against Israel's security fence. The protesters
oppose the Wall because they want terrorists to murder lots of Jews
and the wall makes that more difficult. Two extremists were to face
indictment: anti-Israel pro-terror extremists Jonathan Falk and Moshe
Snitz (see
The court in effect ruled that attacking police is just legitimate free speech and expression. Meanwhile, in an uncharacteristic move, Haaretz runs a politically incorrect non-leftist guest Op-Ed column by a law student named Yaniv Roznai. He supports the court decision that upheld Israel's law restricting citizenship to West Bank Arabs claiming to be married to Israeli Arabs. Indeed, he argues it is not only democratic but is perfectly consistent with international law, which endorses the right of countries to restrict access to their territory to residents of belligerent states and areas. 2. "Wrong on Libya"
The State Department has announced that the U.S. would establish full diplomatic relations with Libya and remove it from the terror list. The impetus for the decision is to create a model to change the behavior of Iran, North Korea and Syria. The decision is a mistake, because the Libyan government has suspended but not renounced terrorism to achieve political gains. Libya is not Iran. Moammar Gadhafi rules supreme and oppresses his people. Libya has neither a civil society nor political institutions. Col. Gadhafi dominates every facet of political and economic life and continues to justify his past use of terrorism. His son Saif, heir-apparent, has merely said that terrorism is no longer useful, because Libya and America are at peace: "We used terrorism as tactics, for bargaining." What then happens if it is no longer convenient for Libya's leadership to ally with Washington? In April, former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor arrived in The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Col. Gadhafi was his chief supporter. Mr. Taylor is being tried for his role in the Sierra Leone civil war. The Special Court's indictment was instructive: "Taylor received military training in Libya from representatives of ... Muammar al-Qadhafi. While in Libya the accused met and made common cause with [Sierra Leonean rebel leader] Foday Saybana Sankoh." Col. Gadhafi's facilitation of the meeting contributed to the loss of 75,000 lives. Col. Gadhafi's chief victims, though, are Libyans. In February, he orchestrated a rally to protest the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. An ensuing riot destroyed the Italian consulate in Benghazi. His security forces shot and killed 11 people. A subsequent sweep landed a few hundred people in prison. Children as young as 13 disappeared. My brother, Fathi, is another victim of the regime. He may face the death penalty because he met with a U.S. official and called for free speech and democracy. Fathi is held in a secret facility. He suffers from hypertension, diabetes and a heart condition. He is not receiving proper medical care and is mostly cut off from his family. He isn't the only one: Last year, police kidnapped journalist Daif Al-Ghazal after he wrote articles critical of the regime. His mutilated body was found in Benghazi the next month. The State Department's decision undermines U.S. credibility. Realists say the administration is sending a positive message to the Arab world that it will reward good behavior in the war on terror. What despots hear, though, is that lip-service will obviate the need to reform or respect human rights. Re-establishing relations with Col. Gadhafi is not a victory and it may very well be a defeat unless Washington begins full-court pressure to force political change in Libya. Mr. Eljahmi is a Libyan-American activist whose brother, Fathi Eljahmi, is imprisoned in Libya for speaking out in favor of political reform. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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HOW EUROPE UNWITTINGLY FUELS BLOODSHED IN ISRAEL
Posted by British Israel Group, May 18, 2006. |
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This article was written by Daniel Hannan and appeared yesterday in Telegraph.co.uk. It is, even by Brussels standards, an odd decision. The EU is to resume its subventions to the Palestinian Authority (PA) - despite having recently passed a series of laws against financing terrorism, and despite the fact that Hamas, which runs the PA, is on its own list of designated terrorist organisations. Eurocrats are aware of the awkwardness, and are trying to find a way to stay within the letter of the rules, perhaps by funnelling the donations through NGOs. But it is hard to see how this would work: most of the EU's money goes on salaries for Palestinian officials, and Hamas has swollen the state payroll with its militants, paying their wages while they serve their sentences in Israeli jails. Even if a way could be found to circumvent Hamas, the very fact of pumping more money into the Occupied Territories will make terrorism more likely. Palestinians are already, by some measure, the largest per capita recipients of overseas aid in the world. Yet the level of violence in Gaza and the West Bank has risen in proportion to the amount of assistance received. When Hamas was elected earlier this year, the EU brushed aside American objections and handed over 120 million euros. Palestinians responded by ransacking EU diplomatic missions and kidnapping European citizens. But the EU is less interested in the practical consequences of its subsidies than in the message they send. By firehosing cash at the PA, Europeans signal their opposition to Washington, suck up to their Muslim voters and, above all, vent their dislike of Israel. The Jewish state represents the supreme vindication of the national principle: that is, the desire of every people to have their own country. For 2,000 years, Jews were stateless and scattered, but they never lost their aspiration for a national home. The EU, by contrast, is founded in the belief that national loyalties are artificial, transient and ultimately discreditable. Simply by existing, Israel challenges the main assumption on which European integration is based. To be fair, Eurocrats also think they can smother Palestinian terrorism under a landslide of euros. This aim is tacitly backed by many in Tel Aviv. An Israeli official told me, on condition of anonymity: "None of our politicians can argue for giving money to Palestine while Hamas is in charge. But we don't want people to go hungry and fall into the hands of the jihadists. So if you guys can figure out how to get the money to ordinary Palestinians, you'll be doing us a favour." This sounds reasonable, but it is based on a false premise, namely that political violence is caused by economic deprivation. This notion derives ultimately from Marx and, like many of his ideas, it looks plausible on the page, but turns out not to be true. Most of the world's revolutions have taken place, not at times of rising poverty, but at times of rising wealth and aspirations. Put bluntly, people who are worried about food and shelter have little time to go on demos. It is when they have time to sit and brood that their thoughts turn to bloodshed. An unconditional welfare state is thus the perfect terrorist habitat. Think of the two London Tube bombers who had been living on income support and housing benefit. Had this option been closed, perhaps they might have found jobs, and so been too busy to work themselves into a suicidal rage. Sean O'Callaghan, the former IRA volunteer, recalls talking to the republican leader Brian Keenan. "The Brits are very clever," Keenan told him. "The only thing they don't get is the Fenian thing. We speak their language, are the same skin colour, live in their council houses, take their dole and still hate them." But might it not be precisely because of the council houses and the dole that they hate us? It is one thing to have a quarrel with another people; quite another to have to crawl to your enemies for charity. The EU, as the largest overseas donor to the PA, has created a subsidy-based society, as sulky, lethargic and corrupt as any on earth. But it doesn't have to be this way. Palestinians are a naturally enterprising people who, in other Arab states, often form the professional and administrative class. They have the winning combination of cheap labour and an educated workforce, but lack access to world markets. Israel, like any besieged nation, prioritises the safety of its own citizens and so seeks to limit the traffic in and out of the Occupied Territories. Palestinians thus find their external borders closed, and their roads often blocked by checkpoints. Easing these restrictions would not solve everything. Trade and investment would not, in themselves, end a conflict with ethnic, religious and territorial dimensions. But a capitalist Palestine, in which citizens looked to themselves rather than to the state, would be more stable. Its propertied classes would have a stake in civil order. Its businessmen would have an incentive to remain on cordial terms with their customers, including those in Israel. None of this will happen, however, as long as Palestinians remain trapped in the squalor of dependency. The EU, in its well-intentioned but doltish way, is fuelling the conflict. Contact The British Israel Group by email at britsr@netvision.net.il |
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STAR JOURNALIST; INTEGRATING TERRORISTS INTO NATIONAL ARMY; US AIDS
TERRORISM SUPPORTERS
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 18, 2006. |
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EXCELLENT NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST Alicia Colon of the New York Sun worked hard to reach where she is today, but has not forgotten her origin and the values derived from it. Having old-fashioned (eternal) values, her columns represent honest opinion rather than politically correct ones. She brings common sense to an issue, and breaks issues down to their elements. After reading an article of hers, many other journalists' sophistication seems forced, hers, natural. Whether I agree with her on particular issues, I respect her sincerity and find her stimulating. She brings up many issues that are neglected and challenges many popularly accepted solutions. She gives us a second chance. I think her columns warrant review by policy-makers. In a recent article, Mrs. Colon noted the Democrats' mockery of Pres. Bush's policy of war in Iraq. She asked, how would his critics deal with global jihad? In other words, those noisy barrels are themselves empty. Hers is a good question. It's one I will stop some of the complainants short with. They might respond that they would work with the UNO. But that would be begging the question, for it was the UNO that authorized the war and the failure of the UNO that left the vacuum to be filled by the US. There are some fine journalists, but Alicia Colon is special. INTEGRATING TERRORISTS INTO NATIONAL ARMY First the P.A. proposed to integrate Fatah terrorists into the P.A. forces. Now the Druse leader in Lebanon contends that Hizbullah has no justification for fighting against Israel, inasmuch as Israel has evacuated from all Lebanese territory. He proposes that Hizbullah be disbanded and its men integrated into the Lebanese Army, so as to control terrorism there. Would that control terrorism or give the terrorists an opportunity for taking over the official Army? In any case, it keeps terrorists under arms. They could commit terrorism off-duty. Many P.A. police did. The Bush Administration did not object to the P.A. proposal, though it would have legitimized some of the most vicious war criminals. Indeed, the Administration had suggested unifying the P.A. police forces, which would unify the P.A. war on Israel. PURPOSE OF THE UNO People read the UNO Charter, and think it states the organization's purpose. In real life, it has many purposes, for its members have many purposes. The Secretariat seems to have as its purpose organizational empire building and making money for its officials. The US sometimes pursues narrow self-interest, but often does wish to solve international problems. Many other states, however, wish to use the UN to block problem-solving or to help spread certain problems. The Arabs use it to foster jihad and smear Israel. China uses it to block action against its oil suppliers. Russia uses it to block action against its customers. Russia and sometimes France use it to frustrate the US. These are childish approaches, but such are the ways of the world. THE MOST CENSORED COUNTRIES The Committee to Protect Journalists listed the 10 most censored countries as: N. Korea, Burma, Turkmenistan, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Eritrea, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Syria, and Belarus. The criteria are: "state control of all media, the existence of formal censorship regulations, the use by the state of violence, imprisonment and harassment against journalists, jamming of foreign news broadcasts, and restrictions on private Internet access." The media has a cynical disregard for the people's welfare, and covers up for disasters. There is not much tolerance in those countries for dissidence. In Cuba, the government turns mobs on any dissenting journalists, confining them to their houses. (IMRA, 5/2). Helpful would be another type of rating that would indicate how many of the almost 200 countries in this world are heavily censored. Are the next 10 most censored countries almost as censored as the first 10? How much concern should there be for our own countries? I think that the US and Israel are censored. Israel fits some of the criteria, above. The State of Israel controls the broadcast media, keeping non-leftists out. The newspapers are primarily leftist, too, keeping most right-wing or nationalist dissent out. Both countries' governments try to manipulate the news and punish journalists who speak out. The US government stops inviting critics to sources of news. In Israel, reporters witnessing police brutality are themselves brutalized and their cameras confiscated. In the US, many newspapers practice advocacy journalism. Both those countries are home to political correctness. Certain points of view are taboo, to an extent. Thus there is a US national pretense that Islam is a peaceful religion. This pretense is headed by a President whose critics call him stupid but are careful not to specifically include that pretense as an example of his stupidity. Professors have been fired for being critical of Islamism. There are other kinds of political correctness, too. In Israel, as in Europe, there are laws against "racism" and "incitement," that are misused to curb critics of racist Muslims who incite to riot. U.S. AIDS SUPPORTERS OF TERRORISM Using data from the National Counterterrorism Center, the State Dept. issued a report of countries that support terrorism. Among them was S. Arabia, which sends funds to Hamas. The State Dept., however, did not put that country on its listed of proscribed countries that subsidize or support terrorism. Rather, the US provides S. Arabia with security support (IMRA, 5/1). It's easy to criticize S. Arabia and the US government for coddling it. It is difficult, however, to propose a better US policy. If we undermine the rotten Muslim regimes, worse Islamists may take them over. It is easy to demand that democrats be given leave to contest for office. It is difficult to identify who are democrats and to know that they would win elections rather than the Islamists, better organized and more ruthless. That stated, the US could bar ostensibly charitable donations from S. Arabia (and UAE) that really go to terrorist fronts, to install Islamist imams in mosques, or to subvert American universities. The US could conserve fuel, so that S. Arabia would have less money to finance terrorism. We could stop selling our superior airplanes to that country. We could help Israel strengthen Israel, the better to stand off jihad, as by letting it displace the Arabs in the territories and Israel and by not arming Egypt. WHERE STANDS ISLAM? Islam got its original start when its opposition was the Roman and Persian empires, exhausted from warring on each other. (Now Islam has another spurt of success, when its opposition is the politically correct US and the anti-Christian, anti-Western, European pacifists.) Appeasing Islam, Western historians tend to downplay the intolerance of Islam and its proclivity for imperialism. The deception is the easier practiced for Islam having been largely kept down during the colonial era. It wasn't a religion of peace, but it had no outlet for war. Now it does. And so it fights wherever sufficient numbers of Muslims come into contact with infidels: Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia (and Europe). Tolerance? Harmless cartoons lead to large-scale Muslim riots and death. But Muslim artillery deliberately blasting ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan does not produce Buddhist riots. An example of Islamic tolerance usually cited is that of Maimonides finding sanctuary in N. Africa. What the apologists for Islam fail to point out is that he fled from Muslim rule in Spain. The Mughal empire had a tolerant period, but it always was imperialist. Imperialism was not just a Western policy. This is brought up in Efraim Karsh's new book, Islamic Imperialism: A History (Edward N. Luttwak, NY Sun, 5/3, p.13). WHERE STANDS BRITAIN? Britain made all sorts of apologies for Islam, and allowed Islamists to operate there. The police thought they had an unwritten deal. They tolerate Islamists and let them partake of British welfare benefits, and the Islamists would leave their hosts alone. Islamists operating and trained in Britain did fan out and commit crimes in other countries, such as the US. The rest of the world should hold Britain accountable for criminal negligence. Then the Islamists bombed London trains. The supposed gentlemen's agreement was a deal with the devil. Nevertheless, the police and government failed to change their policy, although other Western governments urged them to. Britain continued to grant sanctuary to political exiles, without distinguishing between innocent and menacing exiles. It continued to deem any criticism of Islam as prejudiced. This defensive reaction was learned from Prof. Edward Said. The bigoted Said used to make grievous but false accusations, and then denounce his critics as Western bigots. But his charges were false (as was his autobiography). He never acknowledged his historical errors (Fred Siegel, NY Sun, 5/3, p.13). France also thought it had such a deal with the Muslims. So did other European countries. They didn't, either. When the Muslims feel emboldened, they will attack. The West should stand together, instead of letting it get picked off one country after another, as it did in the face of the Nazis. LET IRAQ SINK OR SWIM? By publicly embracing Iraqi leaders, the US taints their independence, and they lose status to insurgency. Daniel Pipes proposes letting Iraq sink or swim. The US military could protect Iraq from major attack, but otherwise the US should let it govern itself. (NY Sun, 5/2, p.6). He is right. His is an old observation about the State Dept.. It embarrasses itself constantly, except in Israel, whose people like America so much that they don't realize that the State Dept. does not return the favor. State Dept. interference is not in the interest of the US or of Israel but of "foggy bottom" prejudices. The embracing of favored local leaders in Iraq has become a game of revolving chairs, as one leader trips or is tripped, and another emerges as the favorite. The State Dept. constantly interferes, though it guesses wrongly and the country lurches from bad to worse. Just as Israelis don't have the sense to resent US interference, the State Dept. doesn't have the sense to stop interfering, at least in Iraq. Its interference has brought the pro-Iranians and the Islamists out on top, and State should have known better. Failures in Iraq are laid at Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld's door, but it is the fault of the State Dept., the President, and the American Establishment's hubris in thinking it knows best for everybody else. EGYPT VS. U.S. Egyptian government TV has been running a series in the P.A.. The series blames most of the world's problems on the US, as the alleged leader of world imperialism. Israel is presented negatively, too, among other things, as the party responsible for destroying the World Trade Center. The US is accused of having made war on Iraq in order to steal its oil (none of which it has taken). Thus Egypt diverts attention from the failures of Arab governments by blaming the US for their ills. Egypt teaches Arabs to hate the US, and concludes that only terrorism can defeat the US, which it likens to the Crusaders of old. First, the US started against the American Indians, now it is branching out abroad. Ironically, Egypt receives the second highest amount of US subsidy. The US also subsidizes organizations in the P.A. that promote anti-Americanism (IMRA, 5/3 from Palestinian Media Watch). Egypt has made war for imperial ambition. See what I mean, that the State Dept., indeed, the whole US government, does not know what it is doing? The Arabs are not as stupid for biting the hand that feeds them, as is the hand that feeds those biting it. WHAT HOMELAND SECURITY? Americans are willing to put up with some inconvenience, necessary to detect terrorists. Republicans praise Pres. Bush for the absence of another 9/11. However, the federal effort against terrorism is dubious. Shipments are not inspected. Bureaucracy reigns. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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BONFIRES
Posted by Rachel Saperstein, May 17, 2006. |
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We went to the bonfires. It was Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the 49 days of the Omer, the period between Passover when we became a nation and Shavuoth when we received the Torah, our five books of laws, of ethics, tales of our fathers, mothers and great leaders who brought our religion to the world. We celebrate Lag B'Omer to mark the end of the deadly plague that decimated the students of Rabbi Akiva, our greatest of Torah sages. Some historians maintain that it was not plague but rather the Roman soldiers who slaughtered the students who fought valiantly to save the land of Israel from Roman conquest. Today our people are still reeling from shock that a Jewish government set its own forces to remove Jews from the land of Israel. We, the homeless of Gush Katif living in temporary quarters in Nitzan, sat in groups around bonfires. Our children roasted hot dogs, potatoes and marshmallows in the fires. Avi Piamenta, a gifted singer and flautist, entertained us and exhorted us to dance. Like others we moved from bonfire to bonfire, reminiscing of our hotel experiences, reminding each other that friends were still in limbo in hotels and guest houses as their caravillas were not yet ready for occupancy. We did not dance. Children consumed ice-pops, cotton candy and popcorn as they had in Neve Dekalim. The scene was eerie. We are the same people doing the same things we had done last year at the community bonfire in Neve Dekalim. But this year... this year we were changed. The community has dwindled. Some friends and neighbors live elsewhere. The smiles are forced but the hugs are genuine. Our common experience has drawn us closer. We are family. I meandered between the groups. Moshe sat and watched the fires. I met friends who had come from the caravillas in Ein Tzurim to visit us. We shared sighs. I met Dana and bemoaned that I would not be buying my grandchildren's cute first grade school supplies at her now-destroyed shop. The bonfires slowly turned the logs to cinders. We drank tea with our friends and slowly returned to our caravilla. Another light fixture has fallen and is dangling on bits of wire. My flute teacher, Alexei, now comes to my home to give me lessons. Tonight we resume art lessons with our teacher, Benny. Our lives have changed yet small parts have returned. But it is not Gush Katif. Like the students of Rabbi Akiva we fought valiantly to save our small part of Eretz Yisrael. We, too, lost the fight. And we, too, went into exile. ########################################################## OPERATION DIGNITY continues to aid families in need and those moving into caravillas in various locations. Send contributions earmarked for OPERATION DIGNITY to Central Fund for Israel
OR Central Fund for Israel
Rachel Saperstein and her husband Moshe lived in Neve Dekalim, Gush Katif, Gaza, Israel. She was a teacher at the Neve Dekalim ulpana and a spokeswoman for the Katif Regional Council. Her recent book, "Eviction: A Gush Katif Viewpoint", with photos by Moti Sender can be ordered from www.pavilionpress.com. |
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THE TOLEDO BLADE HIDES BEHIND "PALESTINIAN" CHILDREN
Posted by David Ben Ariel, May 17, 2006. |
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The Toledo Blade were truly "One of America's Great Newspapers" it would never run a Reuters' picture with the deceptive caption -- "Protecting Palestinian Children" -- which they did today, while ignorantly editorializing about Hamas elsewhere, expecting the leopard to change its spots. The byline underscores the chutzpah of The Toledo Blade to mislead readers that Jewish "settlers" (prejudicial term meant to demonize the Jews and evoke negative images rather than reflect the hard-working members of the Jewish pioneering communities built on biblical lands) had clashed with the "children" and now the army must protect the "children," as if they were innocent lambs rather than ticking time bombs sent by beasts. Could these be the same children that are raised in a poisonous environment of murderous hatred, where their twisted parents encourage them to become suicide bombers and lament when they commit mass murder against Israeli men, women, children and babies in strollers, that they didn't have more children to offer to Allah against the Jewish Israelis as martyrs? Such children blowing themselves to bits definitely bears witness to the insanity the Nazi-Muslims are afflicted with (by the jinn of jihad) and how irresponsible and negligent their perverse parents prove themselves to be. Are these the same children we regularly see on television taunting Israeli soldiers, playing with fire, throwing rocks and insults with no parents around to protect them and keep them safe from harm and far away and at home like normal people? Why doesn't The Toledo Blade report on Hamas hate-comics for kids? The (Muslim) Blade has perpetuated the BIG LIE, the Luciferian myth of the persecuted "Palestinians." The (Muslim) Blade aids and abets terrorism, hiding behind "Palestinian" children, rather than honestly report that it is Jewish children who need protecting from such Fatah fodder who blow up Israeli buses, Israeli cafes and Israeli malls. However, Israel would do well to take such "Palestinian" children into "protective custody" and remove them to the safe-keeping of their ancestral Arab countries of origin. Meir Kahane was right: "They must go!" David Ben-Ariel is author of "Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall." Contact him at http://www.pushhamburger.com/david.htm |
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JEWS WHO AID THOSE WHO HATE JEWS (AND AMERICA)
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 17, 2006. |
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This was written by Dennis Prager and appeared yesterday in Jewish World Review (www.JewishWorldReview.com). Some recent news items about Jews aiding enemies of the Jews: Last week, professor Noam Chomsky went to Lebanon to speak at the headquarters of Hezbollah. As described by the BBC, not a media friend of Israel, "Hezbollah's political rhetoric has centered on calls for the destruction of the state of Israel," and Hezbollah has been "synonymous with terror, suicide bombings and kidnappings." The terror group's views on the need to annihilate the Jewish state are identical to those of Hamas and Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Chomsky announced his support for Hezbollah and its need to be militarily strong. Also last week, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi from Vienna, a member of a [tiny and powerless] Jewish sect [that has been condemned by the entire fervently-religious world] called Neturei Karta, went to Stockholm to meet with a Palestinian Hamas official to help raise funds for Hamas. Hamas is, of course, dedicated to annihilating Israel, as is Neturei Karta, an Orthodox Jewish fringe group that believes no Jewish state should exist unless founded by G-d. It therefore supports Palestinian and other Muslim groups that murder Jews in Israel. In March, a group of five Neturei Karta rabbis from Britain and the United States went to Tehran to lend their support to the Iranian regime in its calls for the annihilation of Israel. The group said nothing about the Iranian regime's repeated denials that there was a Holocaust. This week, the University of California at Irvine Muslim Student Union is sponsoring a series of lectures under the heading, "Holocaust in the Holy Land" and "Israel: The Fourth Reich." Featuring activists committed to Israel's destruction, its lead speaker is a Jew named Norman Finkelstein, a professor who devotes his life to attacking Jewish communities and Israel. Also appearing is Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss from the above-mentioned Neturei Karta. Tony Judt, a widely published New York University professor, recently wrote that "Israel, in short, is an anachronism," and should therefore cease to exist. The Jews of Israel should live under Arab/Muslim rule. Note that of all the countries of the world, Judt -- who the Jewish newspaper The Forward identified as "raised in the heavily Jewish East End section of London by a mother whose parents had immigrated from Russia and a Belgian father who descended from a line of Lithuanian rabbis" -- has advocated the disappearance of one country, the Jewish one. Why, for example, does Judt not write that Pakistan, a Muslim state carved out of India, is an "anachronism"? Jews siding with the Jews' enemies or even actually fomenting Jew-hatred has a history that long predates Chomsky, Finkelstein, leftist Jewish professors and the Neturei Karta. Karl Marx, though baptized a Christian, was the grandson of two Orthodox rabbis but wrote one of the most anti-Semitic tracts of the 19th century, "On the Jewish Question." In it he wrote, among other anti-Semitic charges, that "Money is the jealous god of Israel, beside which no other god may exist." How is one to explain these Jews who work to hurt Jews? I think the primary explanations are psychological. As I wrote in a previous column, it is almost impossible to overstate the pathological effects of thousands of years of murder of Jews -- culminating in the Nazi Holocaust, when nearly all Jews on the European continent were murdered -- have had on most Jews. It is not coincidental that Norman Finkelstein's parents went through the Holocaust or that Yisroel Dovid Weiss's grandparents were murdered in the Holocaust. But even Jews who lost no relatives in the Holocaust fear another outbreak of anti-Jewish violence, and given the Nazi-like anti-Semitism in the Muslim world today, that is not exactly paranoia. One way to deal with this is to side with the enemy. Consciously or not, the Jew who sides with those dedicated to murdering Jews feels that he will be spared. He becomes the "good Jew" in the anti-Semites' eyes. How else to explain the visit of a Jew named Noam Chomsky to Lebanon to support Hezbollah or the fact that Chomsky wrote the foreword to a French book denying the Holocaust? How else to explain Norman Finkelstein telling cheering German audiences that the Jewish state is morally the same as the Nazis? How else to explain rabbis visiting Tehran to extol the Holocaust-denying regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran that seeks to exterminate Israel? The other psychological explanation is related. The Jew -- specifically the radical Jew -- who sympathizes with Jew-haters wishes to announce to the world that he is not really like other Jews. While the other Jews are moored in provincial Jewish ethnic or religious identity, he is a world citizen who no more identifies with the Jews' fate than with the fate of Iroquois Indians. The prevalence of Jew-hating Jews would be no more than an interesting study of psychopathology were it not for one additional fact: All these [born-]Jews (except for the fringe Neturei Karta rabbis) also hate America. And they do the same damage to this country -- aiding the enemies of America just as they do the enemies of the Jews. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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THE MANDATE - A STORY OF A LEGALISED ROBBERY!
Posted by Steven Shamrak, May 17, 2006. |
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From the moment of recognising the right of Jewish people to live on the land of their ancestors, the international community, represented by the League of Nations and the United Nations, have made all possible efforts to deny the Jewish people this right. Led and controlled by the Great Britain and France, those institutions rubberstamped and authorised the greatest legalised robbery in modern history. Any conceivable shady and disgusting deal was made to prevent the creation of the state of Israel on Eretz Israel (Land of Israel)! The Palestine Mandate. July 24, 1922.
In July 1922, the League of Nations entrusted the Great Britain with The Palestine Mandate. Recognizing "the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine," Great Britain was called upon to facilitate the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine - Eretz Israel (Land of Israel). Preamble. Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have also agreed that the Mandatory should be responsible for putting into effect the declaration originally made on November 2nd, 1917, by the Government of His Britannic Majesty, and adopted by the said Powers, in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people... Article 2. The Mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, as laid down in the preamble... Article 5. The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to or in any way placed under the control of the Government of any foreign Power... Three months later, in order to obtain full control over Suez canal, the Great Britain made a deal with the Hashemite Kingdom, Egypt and France. The trans-Jordan (77% of the Mandate) was given to the king's brother in exchange for the Sinai, which was given to Egypt. The Golan Heights (5% of the Palestinian Mandate) was ceded to the French-controlled Syrian Mandate. This robbery was legalised immediately by the puppet of the Great Britain and France, the League of Nations! It was a clear violation of the Article 5 of the Palestinian Mandate. Our 'friends' are still quite generous with giving away the Jewish land! Between 1922 and 1948, Jews were not allows to move and live in the Trans-Jordan, but Great Britain and the Arab sheikhs facilitated the transfer of ten of thousands of Muslims to the Western side of the Palestinian Mandate. They were brought by truck loads from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt to the remaining part of the Mandate. At the same time, the immigration of the Jews was restricted and continuously hindered by Great Britain, the governing authority. At the end, in it's 'generosity', the United Nation divided the remaining 18% of the Palestinian Mandate into a maze of six ugly triangles. Three of them were given to Jews, Jerusalem was not included! It was 'internationalized'. The Jewish people have been systematically robbed by the International community of their land rights. Our rights and inspirations have been ignored and crushed by the cruelty of International anti-Semitism! Why do Jewish leaders subscribe to the anti-Israel lies of our enemies? Why are Israeli political leaders not demanding the return of the Jewish land? We have all legal, historical, moral and spiritual rights to reclaim the Palestine Mandated lands as - Eretz Israel! Olmert plans to speak before Congress and is going to ask for loan guarantees to implement another deportation of Jews from their lands in Judea and Samaria. Money must be used to encourage Arab enemies to leave the Jewish land! - US have informed Israel not to beg for funding Deportation of Jews. Even US does not want to be a part of this ludicrous Treachery. Food for Thought I agree with PLO and Hamas that Jordan is Palestine - the Jewish Palestine. There are 60 Muslim states, including 21 Arab ones, excluding Jordan. Israel Transfers Funds to PA. In the shadow of the decision of the Quartet forum to establish an international mechanism to infuse humanitarian funds into the PA, Israel has decided to follow with a transfer of NIS 50 million ($11 million). In addition, Peretz has also indicated he may relax restrictions at border crossings between Israel and Gaza (No wonder every one thinks that Israel is always 'joking'!) U.N. Concerned. Geir Pederson, the U.N. secretary general's representative in Lebanon expressed the United Nations' "concern at the recent increase in violations by Israeli aircraft of Lebanese airspace" and called on Israel to stop all such flights. (UN is not at all concerned about Hezbollah's hostile actions against Israel!) Our Enemies Must Pay their Bills. Israeli company Dor-Alon had cut its supplies to the PA due to millions of dollars of unpaid bills - $28.9 million. (How about unpaid water and electricity bills? They hate and kill us, but we give them a 'free ride'!) Hamas Asked for Fighters and Money. "We ask all the people in surrounding Arab countries, the Muslim world and everyone who wants to support us to send weapons, money and men," the Hamas' political leader, Khaled Meshaal, said Wednesday in a speech in Qatar. (IDF also should help Hamas and send some bullets and rockets toward Hamas leadership and its terror loving thugs!) Quote of the Week: "No Jew has the right to yield the rights of the Jewish people in Israel. No Jew has the authority to do so. No Jewish body has the authority to do so. Not even the entire Jewish people alive today have the right to yield any part of Israel." By David Ben-Gurion "Stop listening to teaching that contradicts what you know is right" - Proverb 19:27 "To be or Not to be" - the Israel Style. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said last Wednesday no deadline has been set for implementation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's unilateral withdrawal plan. Justice Minister Haim Ramon said there is. (It is easy to control and deceive the public in the present climate of uncertainty!) Hundreds Millions Spend on Guns. Last week military sources reveal Hamas executed the biggest arms transaction in its history - $250,000 cash deal with Sinai arms smugglers. (Western countries are looking for 'Creative', means -- hidden ways -- to aid PA) The United Nations, U.S., European Union and Russia agreed to provide direct aid to Palestinians, bypassing their Hamas-controlled government (It did not take long! They have put money into just another pocket of the same suit!) Hebron Eviction just a Test. Ehud Olmert's government has come through its first trial of strength with Jewish settlers after the police forcibly evicted three families and 27 young supporters squatting in the West Bank town of Hebron. The police deployed 700 men and women, backed by a cordon of 1,000 soldiers to keep out settler reinforcements. (Who are the enemies, Ehud?) Israeli Company for $4 Billion. American billionaire Warren Buffett of Omaha, Nebraska purchased 80% of the Iscar Metalworking Companies (IMC), owned by the Wertheimer family, for four billion dollars. The deal makes the Wertheimer family the wealthiest in Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert welcomed the purchase. (Strangely, such a huge deal was not scrutinised and immediately was 'welcomed'. The deal was announced the next day after Olmert's government officially took the power.) Comments on Comments: "The right of existence of the state of Israel must never be
questioned," -- German chancellor Angela Merkel Saving the Enemies. A Hamas plot to assassinate PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been thwarted after he was tipped off by Israeli intelligence. Hamas' military wing, the Iz a-Din al-Qassem, had planned to kill Abbas at his office in Gaza. At least 3 Palestinian gunmen were killed in the worst outbreak of Hamas-Fatah infighting last week. (We should let them reduce the number of the Jewish enemies by killing each other.) Steven Shamrak was born in the former Soviet Union (USSR) and participated in the Moscow Zionist "refusenik" movement. For the last 3 years, he has been publishing internet editorial letters on the Arab-Israeli conflict - independently, not as a member of any organization or political movement. He can be reached by email at StevenShamrak@mail2world.com |
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THIS YEAR'S SOPHOMORE
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 17, 2006. |
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The email below is anecdotal. It is from a contact out-of-state. I cannot verify it. But it fits into a pattern that I, and many others working in the area of Israel advocacy, have experienced. Notice that the student went to a 'revision' class in American history. The focus was on American "imperialism". Notice too that her answer is sponteneous and sincere. Arab propaganda, the "Arab narrative" about Israel and Jews, and the anti-Semitism of the American far Left....they are winning the battle for the next generation's hearts and minds when it comes to Jews and Israel. The pattern is clear and simple. De-legitimize Israel. Then show the control that Israel has over American government and media and economy and finance via American Jews loyal to Israel (aka neo-cons), per Walt and Mearsheimer. That way you de-legitimize American Jews. Since they control the strings of government and finance, and they bend the policy of the American government away from bona fide American interests and toward Israeli/Jewish interests; therefore they are disloyal, even traitorous, to the USA. What's next? Well, if we follow the pattern of Arab anti-Jewish diatribes in the Moslem world, the next step is to de-humanize the Jews. Jews are descendents of pigs and apes. They are demonic. They suck blood, Moslem blood. They must be exterminated as a benefit to the world. Killing Jews pleases Allah. When Hitler de-humanized the Jews, it was the preparatory step before the gas chambers. Dear XXXX, My son is currently at university. Yesterday he received the message (below) from a fellow student. They are understandably shocked at the sentiments expressed. I have his permission to forward the message so that people are aware of what is happening in our universities. This is his letter: Wanted to share with you a momentous event of my day... NB! (DML) Notice that she offers her answer in class to the professor (and the rest of the class) without hesitation or doubt. For her, the Jewish "cabal" runs the world. It is not an issue for debate, or something about which there may be some doubt. For her, it is reality. And, she assumes, it is so obvious that it will be reality too for all to whom she expounds it. Happily in this case, the professor de-legitimized her answer and moved on. She is a sophomore. This year's sophomore is next year's Senator.
David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli,
currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern
studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director
of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org).
Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com
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WAR HYPOCRISY IN U.S. & BY HAMAS; MCCAIN NO ALTERNATIVE; NATIONALISM VITAL
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 17, 2006. |
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ISRAEL CONTINUES ITS "DIVIDE AND CONQUER" No, not "divide and conquer" the Arabs, but "divide and conquer" the settlers. Now the government has decided to divide the Ariel bloc, in its fence-and-retain mapping. Residents find this further evidence that the government touting of its retaining settlement blocs is false. Rather, the government is making them untenable by splitting them up and exposing them to Arab depredation. The government is bringing the borders back to the pre-war, Green Line, hoping to hide behind a fence (IMRA, 4/30). There would be a million Arabs on the Israeli side of the fence. What about them, into whose residential areas police fear to enter, and whose government is hostile towards Zionism and Judaism? HAMAS SPONSORS TERRORISM WHILE PROCLAIMING TRUCE The major crossing point for food between Gaza and Israel, the Karni Crossing, closes when Israel learns of Arab plans to attack there. Recently, Israel apprehended three trucks of terrorists, arms, and explosives, moving towards such an attack. The men were under command of PFLP. They were armed, trained, and supervised, however, by Hamas. Hamas also sponsored another group's assassination of a security chief related to Arafat Thus, while Hamas proclaims it is in a truce with Israel, it sponsors terrorism against Israel and against rival groups (IMRA, 5/1). Hamas threatens to end its truce unless Israel makes some concessions to it. But the truce is phony. Earlier, we reported that Hamas gave its missiles to other groups, to launch against Israel, then says, as if innocent, that its men did not fire them. HYPOCRISY ABOUT MASS-MURDERERS In Washington D.C., many prominent agitators for war on Sudan protest against the US war on Iraq. They want the US to overthrown the genocidal Sudan regime, but object to its having overthrown the genocidal Saddam regime (NY Sun, 4/30). What is the difference between the two types of genocide? Could it be, as conservatives suspect, because the war on Iraq is meant to enhance US security? "THE END OF MULTICULTURALISM" Amnon Rubinstein, president of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel, thinks that Europe is rescinding its multicultural kowtowing to Islam. He cites these examples: (1) Britain upheld a school ban on Muslim dress as consistent with freedom of religion; (2) Holland and Denmark tightened immigration laws, and some EU countries demand that immigrants prove their acceptance of Western values; (3) The Archbishop of York called multiculturalism un-English; (4) A BBC news-reader said the London subway bombing shows up multiculturalism; (5) The head of the British commission for Racial Equality said multiculturalism is obsolete, teach Shakespeare(; (6) Congress punishes female genital mutilation). Not all cultures are equal; some are too abusive to be accepted (NY Sun, 5/1, Op.-Ed.). The opposite trend is continuing at the same time. Will Western culture be upheld and restored in time and without itself becoming abusive? NO HOPE FROM MCCAIN Sen. McCain wants to micromanage US policy on the Arab-Israel conflict, bring in James Baker or Brent Scowcroft to run it, and expects Arab states to help in making peace. He thinks that Abbas is "a good man" but weak. Both sides should make step-by-step concessions, but in general Israel should retreat to the Green Line left as the armistice from the 1967 war (IMRA, 5/1). What is sacred about an armistice line? The State Dept. mismanages US policy on the Arab-Israel conflict, terrorism, etc.. Therefore, a President should clean out the State Dept., bring in a wise trustee, and micromanage foreign affairs. But such a President would have to understand the issues and pick a decent and intelligent advisor. Sen. McCain's statements reveal himself as leaving much to be desired in that regard. Baker and Scowcroft are hostile to Israel and therefore to US interests. Their policies failed. McCain does not understand that the Arabs want not just more land but to rule if not kill more infidels. He'd fail, too, as the non-thinking Establishment usually does. MANIPULATIVE POLLING Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's April "Report to New York" expresses her views on four key issues in the introduction, and then polls constituents on those and other issues. For example, "While we wait for a clear strategy form the administration with regard to the situation in Iraq, several in Congress, including Rep. John Murtha, have articulated sensible policies for withdrawing our troops from Iraq, which I support." Her questionnaire put it like this: "Since the president declared 'Mission Accomplished' in May 2003, we have lost more than 2,000 of our troops in the Iraq War. It's evident that the public and Congress were not given the full picture in the lead-up to the war. Do you support Rep. John Murtha's plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq as soon as we are capable of doing so? Yes, No, Undecided." The introduction evaluates the economy this way: "Due to this administration's lack of fiscal discipline, it has run up record debts and deficits over the past few years. This is a serious problem that could jeopardize our economy for years to come." Questionnaire: "The federal government's debt limit was recently increased to $8.96 trillion -- it has been raised $3.01 trillion since 2001. The federal government ran a deficit of $319 billion for fiscal year 2005, five years after running a record surplus. Do you think the Bush administration's economic policies have caused these problems"? Question #1: "The administration is trying to cut costs by closing veterans health centers around the country, including one or both of the Veterans Hospitals in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Manhattan location has six Centers of Excellence and the only prosthetic lab in the Northeast. Do you think it makes sense to close these veterans hospitals" My comments: (1) Many questions are slanted or are preceded by a tendentious introduction; (2) Questions are asked without giving the other side -- for instance, we don't hear the rationale for closing the hospitals; and (3) Both parties in Congress passed the budget and pressed for more spending; she blames the President for what her colleagues shared in. This is a push poll. It is not valid. SHARON AIDE TO CHAIR TELEPHONE CO. Ariel Sharon's advisor, Dov Weissglas is the new chair of the Bezeq communications monopoly, heavily regulated by the government he participated in. IMRA comments that this is another instance of the alliance between the 18 business families that own most of Israeli "private" industry and the government that regulates them (5/3). Democracy in Israel may be said to consist of the people choosing from among the representatives of big business. Mr. Weissglas was the P.A.'s lawyer while officially representing Israel in negotiations with the P.A.. It is an unpatriotic conflict of interest. A predecessor of his did the same. Peres and the Sharons have investments in the P.A. and in the so-called peace process. Corruption that involves just a percentage is crooked but only of economic harm. Corruption that involves selling out one's country, as Peres and the Sharons do, is far worse. Their fellow Israelis keep getting killed, because those corrupt politicians make money from the enemy. Those politicians lack religious or nationalist ties. POLLARD CASE Pollard petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel to bar Rafi Eitan from the Cabinet as unfit. He was the key person who kept Pollard in the US, when already suspected of spying, who barred Pollard from entering the Israeli embassy for asylum, who let false accusations be made against Pollard, who let his man be thought a rogue rather than an agent, and who in failing to protect Israel's agent proved himself unfit to protect the country as a whole. Pollard accuses Eitan of failing to return to the US a secret document that might satisfy the US that all the purloined documents had been returned, and might enable them to close the case and release Pollard. Instead, he let Pollard be the scapegoat and stay in prison (IMRA, 5/2). If he had returned the document, some of the anger by the US intelligence services would have been dissipated. Therefore, not returning it was harmful to Israel. If he had disproved some of the false accusations against Pollard, the infamy of the case would have been reduced. Perhaps he was protecting higher-ups. But if he had given Pollard refuge, there would have been a crisis in US-Israel relations. THE UNMAKING OF A GENERAL & THE MAKING OF A POLITICIAN When Chief of Staff Halutz ran the Air Force, he considered a near miss as if a hit (for the damage and risk from it). Now he implies that the near misses by missiles landing around the fuel depots, which, when they did strike, would kill many Israelis, are not consequential. He implies it by arguing that Israelis are safer now, because since the abandonment of Gaza, none have been killed by attacks from Gaza. Besides, he argues, they were fired on by mortars, before. Yes, but that earlier danger occurred because the military was not allowed to pursue the terrorists. As he puts it, the rocket landings on Gaza don't matter until they succeed, though a hit is only a matter of time. He has acquired the short-sighted military perspective of politicians. That is typical of Israeli military brass when considering switching over to politics (IMRA, 5/2). Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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NOT REPORTED IN ISRAEL: PERES PROMISES UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL NO MATTER WHAT
Posted by Jack Golbert, May 17, 2006. |
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This is from David Bedein of Israel Resource ((http://Israelbehindthenews.com). I remember that he did indeed report, in 1993, that Peres had made a commitment to abandon Judea and Samaria and that it was confirmed by his assistant at the time, Yossi Beilin. As he says, no one believed it. Too off the wall. Too hysterical. Obviously the ranting of a right wing loony. Well, it is true and it was true then. It seemed loony because the "mainstream" media (true meaning: tame media) did not report it or even speculate on it. Today they are silent, as if it were of no moment. Not newsworthy. "All the news that fits, we print." This doesn't fit the party line. Reporting this would be inconvenient. It might cause dissention in the ranks. How many times have we been told that a vigorous and diverse press is absolutely essential to the survival of democracy? Explain to me how Israel is a democracy. Ottawa While here in Canada, I asked a colleague to cover Peres's presentation in Toronto, where he promises withdrawal, no matter what, from Judea and Samaria, within the year. He made this statement in the presence of Monica's friend, to whom he had given this same commitment in 1993. My colleague got it into the nfc.co.il website. while no other
Israeli media is reporting it.
It was Peres who made the commitment to the US Administration during summer 1993 for a complete relinquishment of Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan from Israeli sovereignty - as confirmed by Beilin, his deputy, on December 8th, 1993 in a tape recorded press conference and as confirmed by Steve Rodan in the Jerusalem Post on December 10th 1993. After that, our agency distributed the Beilin statement under "poodle productions" for all to hear. No one believed this at the time. Now the time has come to believe and to act accordingly. The theme has to be: withdrawal a threat to Gush Dan and to the rest of Israel - not only to the people who live in Judea and Samaria and...the Golan. DSB Professor Ya'akov Golbert is a Director, The New Jewish Agency for the Reconstruction of Eretz Yisrael. |
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IT'S UP TO US, LADIES!
Posted by Batya Medad, May 17, 2006. |
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It's up to us, ladies! More and more, when I'm trying to get some real opposition to Olmert's Resettlement Plan to exile us, G-d forbid!, and hand over our precious Land to the Arab terrorists, I've been discovering that the only people with the faith, strength and confidence to fight are my fellow females. No such thing as "by chance," I ran into a friend yesterday in the bus station, and after talking a bit, kvetching, ranting etc about the horrendously dangerous state the State of Israel and People of Israel are in, we also came to that singular conclusion that we ladies must take charge of saving our Nation. All of the early stages of "settlement" were made possible because of strong idealistic women. No yishuv could have survived if the women hadn't succeeded in running homes without proper running water, phones, electricity etc. Technology has developed so rapidly, it's hard to remember what life was like pre-cell phones. Just over twenty years ago, phone lines were still hard to get out here, and many communities were on generator supplied electricity. When we came to Shiloh, the water was literally trucked in, and remember that diapers was laundered in those days, not purchased! As if there were local stores then... Hundreds of women, whether on hilltops or in downtown Hebron, braved tough conditions to establish Jewish communities in our Homeland. And today, it is again up to us to preserve these homes! Join our struggle for the survival of our state, Land and People!! Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 16, 2006. |
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There is a certain grim attitude that hangs over the nation of Israel due to many factors. The leading indicator is that there is no leadership which elevates pride in the nation. Ehud Olmert may be Prime Minister but, unlike Ariel Sharon, he is well-recognized as a man of few ethics and definitely not a role model for the younger, middle aged or elderly Israeli people. Olmert is merely looked upon as one who must be dealt with as if Israel's life-and-death issues were being decided upon in an Arab 'shuk' (market). One bargains with Olmert to get a financial reward or possibly a position in government. The Jewish nation doesn't look to him as if he is a man capable of facing the closing circle of Arabs with courage, skill and a modicum of cleverness. We have already seen him treat the problem of security by appointing a Labor Party hack, Amir Peretz, as Defense Minister. Peretz has zero experience in fighting wars except as a union organizer who would take the nation out on strike when the country was suffering in critical points of time. Amir Peretz is NOT a Defense Minister who the military will look to for guidance. The Knesset (Parliament) similarly has such problems, pretending that their mere presence is offering guidance to the Nation. While there are always a few people of quality who are actually competent, most Knesset members spend their time gossiping in the Knesset dining room or on personal projects. The Knesset members stay closed and comfortable in their own private affairs. They very rarely go out into the field to visit trouble spots lest someone ask them to actually do something constructive. They hardly ever pay a condolence visit to bring the country's support to a bereaved family. In brief, they are a useless lot but, a perfect companion to a useless government. Worse yet, they agreed to the Sharon/Olmert Expulsion-Exile from Gush Katif/Gaza with no preparation or followup to assist the 10,000 Jewish men, women and children torn away from their homes, jobs, farms, schools, synagogues and even cemeteries. Where are the members of Knesset now that these 10,000 good, hard-working Jews are without income, jobs or homes? Where else but in the Knesset dining room, feeding and discussing avoidance of responsibility? Even worse to come is Olmert's threatened "Convergence" - Exile, to take at least another 60,000 to 250,000 Jewish men, women and children from their homes. The Knesset is primed with just those members who are likely to vote for this crime against our humanity. Mostly the Knesset members strive for media interviews, hoping their words of 'wisdom' will make it into one of the Hebrew Leftist papers. Such dedicated public servants and problem solvers such as Uzi Landau, are no longer there simply because the Likud Party under Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom lost in the elections. Clearly, the people are disheartened and drifted over to the vague promises of a new party, Kadima, floating on the memory of Arik Sharon when he was a great warrior before he gave up vital parts of the country which he had helped to build. Olmert claimed that the recent Knesset election vote was a mandate when it wasn't because he (his Kadima Party) received so few seats. Olmert also claimed this thin vote was a referendum on his policies when he virtually offered no definitive policies prior to his election. The Sharon-Olmert flight from Gaza has turned into a growing nightmare as improved Kassam Rockets and Katyusha Missiles like the Russian Grad Missiles are being launched with impunity into Israeli cities, towns and villages. The deadly missiles are aimed at the country's vital electric power station and fuel tank farm in Ashkelon. I suspect that only when one of those tanks are hit and a poison cloud drifts North over Tel Aviv will the nation reach a sufficient level of shock to eject what may be the most incompetent government Israel has ever had. Regrettably, the Jews of Israel have grown so accustomed to being hit by Terrorists - roadside bombing, suicide/homicide bombing, sniper shooting ambushes, thousands of Kassam Rockets, Katyusha Missiles - that when fewer than 10 Jews are killed, it makes little impression. I suspect that only when there are, G-d forbid, 50 or 100 deaths will there be an adrenalin rush and the government's long sleep will be ended. Who might be qualified to come to the rescue now that Arik Sharon is no longer able to act the great general. There has been talk of Gen. (Ret.) Moshe (Boogi) Allon, former Chief of Staff rising to this challenge. Although he known as a political Leftist, he never let that interfere with his capability of running the military. There is also credible talk of President Moshe Katzav as a possible candidate to lead and revive the Likud Party. He would replace both Bibi Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom if they would step aside with some grace (not likely). President Katzav has shown himself to be an ethical President and is generally liked by the people and respected by influentials abroad. Israel desperately needs a radical clean-up and clean-out of her entire political system. This may not happen until there is a saturation missile attack, demonstrating that the Government from the PM through the Knesset and the politically-driven top officer corps in the Army and Police are all simply incapable of governing the nation - let alone protecting her. If the future of Israel is dependent upon PM Olmert, the Kadimites, the radical Left-leaning Supreme Court of Aharon Barak, a Police Department turned rogue and extremely political and a sluggish Knesset there will be no future. The valiant IDF (Israel Defense Forces) are chasing after Arab Muslim Terrorists while ordered to remove good patriotic Jews from their homes and thus have been prevented from training vigorously and arming prodigiously to face the accumulating Arab Muslim coalitions and defiantly putting the Terrorists down - then there might be a future for the Jewish State of Israel. Of course, there is always the remote possibility that the people will recognize their peril in time and rise up to throw the rascals out. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN JERUSALEM?
Posted by Shmuel Sackett, May 16, 2006. |
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Iyar 5766 (May, 2006)
For 2,000 years, while stuck in the exile, Jews prayed towards Jerusalem. These prayers were not merely in the direction of Jerusalem... they were about Jerusalem. Every Jew dreamt of the day when he would return to the holy city. More than just mentioning Jerusalem in his prayers three times a day, the Jew of old was totally immersed in the thought that one day -- very soon -- the dark and bitter punishment would end and he would dance in the streets of Jerusalem. What joy that brought him! The mere mention of the word "Jerusalem" would bring a smile to his lips! Unfortunately, however, for the overwhelming majority of Jews, this dream did not become a reality and the exile was not only where they lived, but also where they died. Throughout Jewish history, most Jews never even saw a picture of Jerusalem, let alone the real thing. But they never stopped dreaming... How things have changed! Woe unto us that we do not share the dreams of our holy grandparents. While it is true that we still face Jerusalem in our synagogues and private prayers, the dream of living there has ended. Yes, we visit Jerusalem and touch the holy Wall but we also visit Orlando and touch Mickey. Yes, our children study there for a year, as long as they know how important it is to come home for Pesach and especially when the year is up. "Harvard and NYU will not wait", we tell our children as we comfort them by adding, "Don't worry, you can go back for winter vacation." Compare these modern day thoughts and actions to G-d's archenemy, the Arabs. They fight for Jerusalem. Every word out of their mouths is about Jerusalem. Even though they know that Jerusalem is not even mentioned one time in the entire Koran (as compared to over 700 times in the Bible!) they talk about living there, building there, growing there and worshipping their false prophet there. Even more than that; they are prepared to die for Jerusalem! For these murderers, Jerusalem is not something to negotiate. They will never relinquish their false claim that Jerusalem is one of Islam's holiest cities. They are so committed and dedicated to winning this struggle that every Israeli government, IDF general and police chief is scared to death about confronting or even provoking them. Building in East Jerusalem has tripled in the last 5 years and 90% of this has been done illegally. As Jews apply for permits to hang mailboxes outside their doors (yes, I am serious) Arabs build 10 family homes in the Old City and populate them with terrorists. What has happened to us? A better question might be; When did this happen to us? When did we stop dreaming like Jews? When did we sell our birthright for a bowl of lentil soup? For 2,000 years our grandparents longed for the holy city and never made it. Today, even though three simple clicks on the internet can get you a ticket... we don't do it. Instead, it is our bitter enemy, Yishmael, who seeks to claim the inheritance he was never given. The source of our new and un-Jewish thinking can be traced to a weird and unique punishment that has befallen the Jewish People since World War II. Most Jews see it as a blessing but I am certain it is a curse? one of the worst we have ever experienced as a people. That punishment is called, "wealth". While many of our brothers and sisters are struggling financially, most Jews today in the Western world have more money than ever before. Needless to say, money can be a wonderful thing. Tremendous amounts of good can -- and is -- being done with these resources. The problem, however, is that affluence can also be a curse. Excessive money breeds excessive dreams. Playing golf in Boca Raton, skiing in Switzerland, cruises to Alaska (with great chazzonim!) and glatt kosher Club Med vacations become within our reach, so why not get them? The Wall in Jerusalem is important, but we can now also visit the Great Wall of China! The mountains of the Shomron are beautiful but for a few bucks, or a swipe of one of our ten credit cards, we can see the mountains of Sweden as well. Pesach in Israel is gorgeous but so is Pesach in Puerto Rico where exclusive chefs prepare non-gebrokhts pizza and lasagna. Amazing!!! Our grandparents barely had money for clothing. Buying new shoes was a rare treat that brought tears to the eyes of Jewish children. Today?? New shoes make you cry? Even cell phone bills don't make anyone cry anymore! The curse of wealth in today's Jewish world has gotten so out of hand that we have been transformed into a new and different creature. The Arabs in Israel do not have this wealth. For many years I wondered why the trillionaire Sheiks in Saudi Arabia didn't share their wealth with their "poor and oppressed" brothers. Now I know. This money would have ruined them! Had these Sheiks sent their spare billions to the Arabs in Israel, they too would have become "Westernized" and stopped dreaming about holy cities. Instead, the Sheiks keep the money for themselves, travel around the world, buy luxurious diamonds, eat in the fanciest restaurants, just like... You get the point. So what can be done? Are we doomed forever with our punishment of Las Vegas vacations, fur coats and boat shopping? No! Our holy Rabbis have told us that G-d never gives us a test we cannot pass and this is no exception! The first thing we must do is to acknowledge and admit that this is indeed a punishment. That will be very hard for most people but it is a prerequisite for solving the problem. I am not saying that we should immediately run to our bank, withdraw all the cash and burn it. Rather, we should admit the painful truth that the more money we get, the more distant we grow from our ancestors. Instead of using that money to bring us closer to the ultimate dream of living in Jerusalem, we are using it to propel us even further away! That money is helping us dig in way too deep in the exile. Our houses are getting larger, our driveways are filling up with bigger SUV's and the Jerusalem we see in our rear view mirror is getting smaller and smaller. The first thing I urge you to do is buy an apartment in Jerusalem. Old city, new city, Nachlaot, Rechavia, Ramot, Har Nof... it doesn't matter at all. Get yourself a piece of property in Jerusalem. This instantly makes Jerusalem a part of your life! I guarantee that once you own this real estate, you will travel to Israel a lot more frequently. You will smile every time you mention the word "Jerusalem" in your prayers since it will no longer be just a word but an actual part of your life! Think of the tears of joy your great-grandparents will shed in the heavens as they see a child of theirs bring their unfulfilled dream to fruition. Think of our father Isaac who will see descendants of his -- and not Yishmael's -- buying land and building the holy city. Finally, think of the King of Kings as He watches His children use the money He has bestowed upon them for good, productive things as opposed to many of the silly items being purchased today. Dearest friends; we have all sung the words, "If I forget thee oh Jerusalem... The time has come to stop singing and start acting. Make Jerusalem a part of your life and in the merit of that action may G-d turn our prayer, "Next Year in Jerusalem" into a reality for Jews across the globe! If you take this article seriously and are interested in learning more about purchasing property in Jerusalem or elsewhere in Israel, contact our real estate experts at: jerusalem@jewishisrael.org for information and advice (free).
Shmuel Sackett is International Director, Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership), which is a group of people inside the Likud party who want to see Israel adopt a more Jewish character. The Manhigut Yehudit website address is http://www.manhigut.org. |
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THE REAL TRAGEDY
Posted by Buddy Macy, May 16, 2006. |
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This essay was written by Steve Feldman, who wrote,"Wrote this Wednesday, spur of the moment, inspired by Jerry Verlin of the terrific "Brith Sholom Media Watch." As surely as the swallows will return to San Juan Capistrano and the sun will rise in the east, newspapers and television throughout the world will have stories in the next few days about the "tragedy" or "catastrophe" that happened 58 years ago on May 14. Do yourself a favor and do not pull a brain muscle attempting to recall what disaster may have taken place on that spring day. There was no hurricane, no earthquake, no train wreck or building collapse. There wasn't even a flood (in the usual sense). No, May 14, 1948 marked the day that a people gained independence in their homeland --a place where they have lived continuously for 3,500 years -- after surviving the Roman conquest, expulsion from England, the Spanish Inquisition, the Nazi Holocaust and a thousand other attempts to eliminate the Jewish people. The Jewish people finally were granted control of their own destiny and have their own nation again after being stateless for nearly 2,000 years. Israel was re-established on a little speck of land awarded to the Jewish people by the British (The Balfour Declaration of 1917), who controlled the territory; sanctioned by the United Nations (originally by the League of Nations in 1922); and recognized immediately by the United States, the Soviet Union and other nations. It was a dream come true in the eyes of most reasonable people. But not everyone was happy about this turn of events. While those who would be the leaders of the re-created State of Israel were planning how to co-exist with the Arabs who lived among them, the Muslims -- not content with the 21 Middle East nations they controlled and had an overwhelming majority in, could not tolerate a nation of Jews who controlled their own destiny in their midst. This is the "catastrophe" or "tragedy" which the Palestinian-Arabs and other Muslims refer to as al-Nakba that you will be reading and hearing about in newspapers, TV and the Web these days: that Jews dare to have a place of their own in the Middle East and live in freedom. The Arabs claimed they were expelled from "their" lands, but the facts remain that it never was "their" land and they were never expelled. That there is a Jewish and democratic nation of Israel quite literally is against their religion (at least as it is largely interpreted and practiced) and the Koran. As Edward Luttwak, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted in a recent New York Sun article "Three Myths About Islam," "... under all known schools of Muslim law, Christians and Jews are only allowed to survive as dhimmis, of protected subjects, under a long list of deliberately humiliating restrictions, obligations, and prohibitions. Some are obsolete - they had to pay a head tax, they were not allowed to ride horses as opposed to humble donkeys, and many more - but others remain in force." Imagine, then, the humiliation among Muslims that Jews dare own land, control their own destiny and have a treasury and an army. So, on May 15, 1948, rather than roll out the welcome wagon, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria sent their armies to invade Israel. Despite the huge odds against her, Israel prevailed. Israel had to fight again in 1956 when she had a casus belli (just cause) to defend against Egypt, Syria and Jordan after they signed a tripartate military alliance and Egypt kept ships from or bound for Israel from traversing the Suez Canal And 11 years later when the Egyptians and Jordanians allowed terrorists to cross their borders and strike Israel, while Syria repeatedly bombarded Israel with artillery fire and Egypt amassed troops in the Sinai, Israel had to stand up to the threats again. Israel, the victim of these attacks and the victor in subsequent wars, offered peace and territory to the defeated and aggressor Arab nations. But the Arabs responded with their famous pronouncement: "no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel and no recognition of Israel." In 1973, the Arab nations attacked again, this time on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Again, miraculously, Israel triumphed. Since then, the Arabs, mostly via the Palestinian-Arab terror war funded and sanctioned by a host of Muslim nations, have continued to try to annihilate Israel by murdering and butchering Israeli civilians scores at a time in a steady stream of homicide bombings and more recently, missile attacks. This despite the fact that Israel has given the Palestinian-Arabs autonomy, offered them some 95 percent of the territory they claim they wanted (including all of the Gaza Strip in 2005) and other concessions. The killing spree by Muslims continues. So does the incitement and the threats of even more murder and barbarism against Jews. Hundreds of millions of Muslims live in the Middle East on more than 99 percent of the land. But they want it all. So pay no attention to their myths and fabrications about the alleged injustice they "suffered" upon Israel's re-establishment. The continuing persecution of the Jews is the real tragedy that should be recalled every May 14: That a tiny minority of people cannot live in peace on a little speck of their historic and legitimate homeland after 58 years. Contact Buddy Macy at vegibud@aol.com |
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NEW ROLE FOR NATO; AL-QAEDA HEADQUARTERS; BRITAIN SUBSIDIZES SUBVERSION
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 16, 2006. |
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INTERPRETING THE DAILY STRIFE No longer having troops patrol in Gaza, but under daily and increasing attack by rockets from Gaza, Israeli aircraft fires a few missiles a week at terrorists' cars, as it had done in past years. Every such attack, the P.A. and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights describes as an 'Israeli escalation' (IMRA, 4/27). It isn't an escalation. But the increasing number of rocket attacks, attacks that were not made perhaps a year ago, are escalation. The Center for Human Rights does not seem to object to them nor admit they are an escalation. NEW ROLE FOR NATO Spain's former Prime Minister Aznar believes that NATO successfully faced down the threat from Communism. The alliance now should turn to the current major threat to the world, Islamist jihad and proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction. The enemy has declared war. NATO should respond, as its major current mission. To meet the new threat, NATO must reorganize. It should not limit membership geographically, since the menace to it is not geographic but global. Therefore, Israel, Australia, and Japan should be invited to join it. Israeli membership is vital. NATO needs to face enemies both domestically and from abroad (IMRA, 4/27). I agree with the new focus of NATO, but Communists still run China and Russia. Let us not forget about them. NATO is in danger of collapse, as its native birth rate declines and its Muslim population inclines. PM Aznar should have warned Europe to expel Muslims and either raise families or import Christians. THE U.S. & THE MUSLIM BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL The US report on international trade barriers discusses the Arab boycott of Israel, but ignores the Pakistani boycott of Israel. Neither does the US trade representative to Pakistan discuss that country's boycott. Some Members of Congress think the issue should be in publications and discussions (IMRA, 4/27). It certainly should be reported. Whether the US should demand its end is a separate subject. The underlying question is whether Pakistan still can be saved from Islamism. How would US pressure against the boycott affect that question? HAS ISRAEL ECONOMIC PARASITES? Secular Jewry claims that the ultra-Orthodox absorb tax revenues disproportionately. Actually: (1) Many rich ones settled in Israel; (2) They pay for much of their schooling; (3) Secular education enjoys special subsidies not counted in the claims; and (4) The large number of drug addicts mostly are secular, and cost society greatly. The ultra-Orthodox may be subsidizing the secularists (Winston Mid East Analysis, 4/27). ARABS ARMS RACE ACCELERATES Higher oil prices enable the Arabs to buy more food? Clothing? Shelter? Birth control? No, more arms. Syria is replenishing its air force and augmenting its missile force. Israeli veteran officers who advocate relinquishing the Golan Heights, on the grounds that Syria is weak, mistakenly assume that the military balance of power never shifts (IMRA, 4/28). Military balance is temporary, but territorial concession is permanent. Besides failing the security test, ceding the Golan fails to: defeat jihad, provide strategic depth, safeguard Israel's water supply, and defend Jewish rights. The Golan is part of the traditional Land of Israel, and was acquired legally. Territorial concessions strengthen the morale and persistence of jihadists. A CASE FOR DEFERRING ATTACK ON IRAN It should be obvious by now that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Once it had them, it would use them for war and intimidation. On the other hand, Iran is a former and natural ally of the US and is in a strategic position. The US could help protect Iran from Russia, and a moderate Iran could help stabilize the Gulf. The Red Guards operate many illegal businesses. Adding about 30% to the average cost of goods and services, the Islamists seem to be twice as corrupt as the monarchy. The present regime of Islamism slights the traditional cultures of the country, only half of which is Persian. Most of the people reject the regime also for its extremism and persecutions. They admire America. If the regime were overthrown, it is not likely to be replaced with a similar imperialist menace. Therefore, if the regime can be changed, that would be preferable to military action against it. We should be leery of bombing a country whose people are particularly friendly towards the US. The regime wants us to bomb it, in order to attract nationalist fervor to its side. We may have time to assist in overthrowing the regime, because the regime is inefficient in nuclear development, as many pro-Americans inform our government in detail. It is those details that would enable the US to bomb the nuclear facilities to good effect, when we must. Meanwhile, we should work on overthrowing that regime that already is fighting us in Iraq, via proxies (Edward N Luttwak, Commentary, 5/2006, p.23). AL-QAIDA CLARIFIES IT FOR THE U.S. & ISRAEL The US and Israel have pretended that the Arab-Israel conflict is separate from global jihad. Recent announcements from al-Qaida about working with Hamas and its finally targeting Egypt, Jordan, and Israel make clear that it all is one war. Thanks to Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, al-Qaida now has a place to make its headquarters! The government that just withdrew from Gaza is reluctant to return its forces to Gaza, leaving al-Qaida a safe haven. Thus the forces of international jihad now fight against Israel via Palestinian Arabs. The masters of the jihadists are foreigners, not concerned with local issues. Against these forces, Israeli talk of further withdrawals and hiding behind a fence is ludicrous. Israel needs to devise new tactics (IMRA, 4/28 from Caroline Glick). ISLAMIST ENCLAVES IN EUROPE "There are dozens of 'ungovernable' areas in France: Muslim-dominated suburbs, mainly, where the writ of French law does not run and into which the French police do not go. Similar extraterritorial enclaves, in which shari'a law is enforced by local Muslim clerics, can be found in other European countries." These are their stories: Muslims send many of their children to their homelands for education (and indoctrination); they practice "honor killings;" European welfare systems subsidize the fifth column; Islamic criminals are treated delicately but their critics have to live under guard; native cultural activities and symbols are being eliminated to please Muslims. "In Malmo Sweden, the country's third-largest city, rapes, robberies, school-burnings, 'honor' killings, and anti-Semitic agitation got so out of hand that large numbers of native Swedes reportedly moved out; the government blamed Malmo's problems instead on Swedish racism, and chastised those who had wrongly conceived of integration" as integrating the immigrants into native society (George Weigel, Commentary, 5/2006, p.32). Sweden blames the Muslims' victims, as it does in the Arab-Israel conflict. Europeans had better learn to stand up to political correctness and defend their own culture. Secularists think they are gaining a great victory over the declining and relatively benign European forces of Christianity, but they meekly cede the arena to Islam, which is rising and malign. The secularists are abandoning their modern culture and importing a primitive one. SWEDEN PRO-TERRORIST & ANTI-ISRAEL Sweden barred Israel from an air force exercise for allegedly not being peace-seeking. Sweden indicated it would grant visas to Islamists (IMRA, 4/28). Islamists are, by definition, not peace-seeking. Israel, the repeated victim of Arab aggression, has signed a number of peace agreements. The Swedes are nuts. MEANWHILE BACK AT THE BRITISH MADRASSA British taxpayers subsidize madrassas in Britain, which partly are under control of Iran and whose students are supposed to spend three years in Iran. Many Islamic schools in the West have links to terrorism. (Even if they had no links, they preach the philosophy of jihad.) Such schools teach the duty to fight against Christians and Jews. The schools are taking a literal reading of the Koran that most Muslims do not. Even Muslims are alarmed by the extremism their children are taught. When the government was notified about a school's teaching that non-Muslims are unclean like pigs and dogs, it declined to take action, because, it claimed, no significant harm ensues. But the harm is that the enemy uses our own money to build its infrastructure in our midst (Pipes #669, 4/28). Criticize Islam in Europe, and risk prosecution. No penalty for criticizing Christianity. The way a virus operates is by capturing a cell membrane and utilizing the cell to reproduce itself. How like the British madrassas! ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS INDIGNANT Illegal Irish immigrants are furious at Rep. Peter King. For many years, Rep. King championed Irish causes. Now he is sponsoring a bill that would declare illegal immigration not just a misdemeanor but a felony and would imprison those who assist people to enter or stay illegally. They consider that a betrayal. Rep. King replies that they seem to think he should make an exception for them. He said, "If it's wrong for a Muslim to be living illegally on Atlantic Ave., you can't make a distinction between that and an Irish person." (Daniella Gerson, NY Sun, 4/28, p.3.) The ethics of those Irish reflect their economic need. They are ungrateful to their champion. It was one thing to help Irish causes when they were legal, but another when they break American law or harm the country King represents. He was helping them when they were deserving, not simply because they are Irish. Rep. King's ethics are understandable but have been overtaken by events. This is wartime. The enemy is: (1) Definitely Islamists; and (2) Probably Muslims in general. Therefore, there is justification and need to differentiate between them and other immigrants. Whatever is decided about other immigrants, Islamists must be expelled and barred. We would be wise to do the same for Muslims in general, for they are the source of Islamists and in general they sympathize with, and are part of, the global Islamic jihad. Would-be destroyers of our country should not be welcomed by it. Of course, that still leaves no free entry for Irish illegals -- the Irish would be part of the non-Muslim immigration dealt with as less of a threat to national security. THE KILLING OF PM SHARON Barry Chamish pointed out that PM Sharon didn't just die, he was killed. He called it murder; others would call it malpractice. Mr. Chamish feels at least partly vindicated by the doctors' confession that they administered dangerous medicine to him, which their profession knows, under the conditions of his leaving the hospital, was life-threatening. The other suspicious circumstance, that most people won't think of, because to them it is unthinkable, is that Peres dispatched the same bodyguard to Sharon in time for him to die, as he did for Rabin (Chamish, 4/29). In both cases, the guard delayed getting the stricken Prime Minister to the hospital. TONY KUSHNER'S BACKGROUND We've known that Mr. Kushner regretted the formation of a Jewish state. Turns out, he is an activist belonging to anti-Zionist and even Communist, antisemitic organizations. He and his organizations speak like Arab propagandists, accusing Israel of "systematically" erasing (the fabricated) Palestinian nationality and of being brutal towards the Arabs (who are brutal towards the Jews). They urge divestment from Israel (4/29). Israel upholeds the fraudulent claim of Palestinian nationality. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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LAG B'OMER: A RETURN TO THE ELEMENTS
Posted by Shifra Shomron, May 16, 2006. |
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The night was cold and I stared into the brilliant fire. Warmth spreads over me; fire, family, friends, food? this was the first holiday this year that hadn't been dampened by the dour drench of Disengagement. Lag B'Omer is a special holiday; it brings us back to the elementary foundations of our life. Family and friends, we gather together on a cold night around a warm fire, and, between the chicken and the potatoes, we discuss freedom. We discuss Bar Kochva's glorious revolt; the splendid fact that famous Torah scholar Rabbi Akiva and his many students joined the fight, and the tragic failure of the revolution -- including the deaths of 24,000 students-warriors. And though the revolution ended with a Roman victory; Jews killed, Jews exiled, Temple still not rebuilt? Lag B'Omer is a joyous holiday. We stop grieving for the fallen, and instead find courage and joy in the life that they led and in the ideals they fought for -- leading a Torah life in a sovereign Jewish state. Lag B'Omer is a joyous holiday because in the end they won, we won -- for Rome has vanished, yet the Jewish nation is very much alive. The Jewish nation is back in the Holy Land; blundering and sinning like only the Jewish nation can, Temple still not rebuilt, yet very much alive and with the sweet ability to bring the redemption! My brothers and I play our recorders. The sweet wistful notes join the stars in heaven. We ignore the cars rushing on the street behind us, and the many lights flickering on the busy road before us. Instead we concentrate on the pleasant, welcome atmosphere we've created. We also concentrate on the golden glow which is steadily, persistently, warming our bones and our souls. They both need to be warmed. Lag B'Omer. The holiday which marks the day on which 24,000 scholar-soldiers ceased to die. The holiday commemorating Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who preferred life in a cave while existing solely on carobs and water, than falsely praise Roman abominations in the Holy Land. When we have such bright figures to show us the way, how can we fail to light a fire in the darkness?! Shifra Shomron is a refugee from Gush Katif. She and her family live in the Nitzan Caravilla Site, awaiting permanent housing. Contact her at shifra@eimail.com |
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PALESTINIANS SHOULD SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF ELECTING TERRORISTS
Posted by Ayn Rand Institute, May 16, 2006. |
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IRVINE, CA -- "The United States, Israel and the European Union should not resume financial aid to the Palestinians," said Dr. Yaron Brook, executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute. Through the years, Western governments have given billions of dollars to the Palestinians and their leaders. This drain on Western wealth has been used to promote anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism in Palestinian schools, mosques and media--and to finance suicide bombings in Israeli streets, restaurants and malls. It is disgraceful that Western aid has helped create a terrorist culture and maintain a terrorist regime. The election victory of Hamas--an Islamic terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel--further demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians deserve no aid or sympathy. They should be left to suffer the consequences of electing terrorists to rule them. Dr. Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a recognized Middle-East expert who has written and lectured on a variety of Middle-East issues. Dr. Brook has served in the Israeli Army Intelligence and has discussed the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war on Islamic totalitarianism on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including FOX News (The O'Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, At Large with Geraldo Rivera), CNN's Talkback Live, CNBC's Closing Bell and On the Money, and a C-SPAN panel of experts on terrorism. |
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ANOTHER "B'MIKREH," G-D'S PLAN, OF COURSE
Posted by Batya Medad, May 16, 2006. |
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A few years ago, dear friends of ours from our Betar days, Phyllis and Yitzchak Heimowitz, discovered the hard way that the army doesn't give any emotional support to fiances and serious girlfriends of soldiers killed during army service. To correct this failing Phyllis established an organization to help those bereaved women. It is now officially recognized by the Israeli Army, and they work together. The other night, there was a TV program about it, and I asked my husband to record it for me, which he did. Yesterday I watched it, and realized that my husband had also recorded the show immediately after it. I continued watching. The announcer introduced the subject which was about a farming village in the Galilee which was destroyed during the Israeli War of Independence. The Haganah refused to send reinforcements to protect it, because there were Betarim there. Interesting that the announcer used the term "Betarim," rather than Etzel, which was the term used in the actual film. He could not have had known that Phyllis and Yitz were also Betarim. There was no connection between the two subjects, just a coincidence that they were broadcast the same evening, one after the other. It was Mishmar HaYarden which was an "independent" agricultural community that "dared" to absorb a unit of Etzel members during the '48 War (the Hagana even once stopped a group with reinforcements from reaching it). As the film shows, the community was literally stolen from the original residents who returned only a year or so later, after being held POWs in Damascus. The land went to Kibbutz Gadot and another moshav. (thanks, Wink) I am still "reeling" from the horrible story, another example of the hatred of the Israeli Left towards other Israelis. It's totally consistent with the disgraceful period of the "Sezon," when the Haganah handed over names of Etzel and members to the British for them to arrest. And of course the incompresensible attack by the Haganah's Palmach on the Altalena, which had the arms and the manpower to free Jerusalem from the Arabs. And it continues today, when Jewish communities are destroyed and our precious Land is given to our enemies, called "Disengagement" and "Convergence." And it doesn't help for Jews to be able to prove ownership as we saw in Amona and Hebron. Last night I saw friends who live in Hebron and told them the story. One of them had read about it and told me that one of the families whose home was taken from him in Mishmar Hayarden has the same last name as one of the families recently thrown out the that Jewish-owned house in Hebron. No novelist could write it any better... Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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EITAN REFUSES TO SIGN POLLARD PETITION
Posted by Justice For Jonathan Pollard, May 16, 2006. |
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This article was written by Dan Izenberg and JPost staff and it
appeared today in The Jerusalem Post
(www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961352568&pagename= JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull). Pensioners Minister Rafi Eitan said on Tuesday that a discreet course of action was necessary to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned in the United States for selling US military secrets to Israel, and refused to sign a petition circulated among MKs demanding that Pollard be let out. NU-NRP MK Uri Ariel initiated the petition, which has thus far been signed by some 60 MKs from various factions. The document will be submitted to US President George W. Bush via Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who plans to visit Washington next week, Israel Radio reported. Two weeks ago, Jonathan and Esther Pollard charged in a petition to the High Court of Justice on Monday that Eitan is in possession of a secret document which could gain Pollard's release from prison were he to hand it over to the Americans. According to the petition, filed by attorneys Nitzana Darshan-Leitner and Larry Dub, the document includes a list of all the classified documents that Pollard handed over to Israel in 1984 and 1985. Darshan-Leitner and Dub called on the High Court of Justice to nullify the provision in the coalition agreement between Kadima and Gil according to which Eitan will serve as a cabinet minister. Eitan was in charge of a spy operation called Lekem, which enlisted Pollard, then working for the US Navy. Pollard provided information on the deployment of Arab military forces and many other classified information taken from US military intelligence. He was arrested by the FBI on November 21, 1985 and sentenced to life imprisonment. 'Even today, Eitan refuses to help Pollard,' the lawyers wrote. 'For 21 years he has refused to hand over to the Americans or the proper authorities in the Israeli government a document that is in his sole possession and regarding which he holds the only copy, and which the prime minister could use to save Pollard.' SEE ALSO: Kol Yisrael Interview: Esther Pollard Responds to Eitan Refusal to Sign Pollard Petition This was written by Azzam Azzam to Ehud Olmert Honorable Prime Minister, According to media reports, it is anticipated that you will be meeting with the president of the United States, George Bush, next week. As one who well knows what it means to languish unjustly in prison for many long years, I am appealing to you to bring to President Bush an appeal from the Nation of Israel to grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard as a gesture to the former Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon. In securing my release Arik showed the Israeli public, and indeed the world, that the State of Israel does neglect and abandon its citizens in their hour of need. I believe that if Arik were able to express his feelings and his thoughts this is the request he would ask you to bring to Bush on his behalf. I am certain that Bush's great regard for Arik and for you who are following in his path, will be expressed in a positive response to this request. As you know, Pollard has spent 21 years in prison for espionage on behalf of an ally of the USA. He continues to serve even when who have spied for allies of the US at that time and indeed even most of those who spied enemies of the US have long since gone free. I, along with the rest of the citizens of Israel, pray for your overall success, and in particular with regard to this issue. With blessings,
Contact Justice For Jonathan Pollard at Justice4JP@aol.com
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DO SOMETHING FOR A HEROIC FAMILY'S HEROIC KID
Posted by Aryeh Zelasko, May 16, 2006. |
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As you may or may not know, our dear friend Judy Feld Carr is the extraordinary Toronto woman who single-handedly, and at great risk to her life, brought 3,500 Jews out of Syria in a secret operation that spanned more than 20 years. Judy and her husband, Donald, their son Gary and daughter-in-law, Melissa, are now asking for a small favour from friends and friends of friends. We think it's so little to ask, and we're sure you will, too. Judy and Donald's 4 year-old granddaughter, Reagan, has cancer. Like her grandmother, Reagan, too, is extraordinary and brave, and is at the half-way point in fighting the cancer with a chemo regime that, when completed, will have lasted 2 1/2 years. Reagan is a finalist in a contest run by FLAVORx, a company that flavors the medicines that children like Reagan have to take. The contest is to choose a child to appear in the company's ads. Reagan would dearly love to win, but she'll need as many votes as she can get. So please read the e-mail below from her parents, Gary and Melissa Feld, on how to vote for her, or click on www.flavorx.com/human/superkid_vote.asp. It's simple, and won't take you more than a minute to complete. Please feel free to pass this on to your friends and family. Judy has done so much for so many in our community, and now we can do this small but important thing for her sweet grandchild. From Reagan's Website This is our website dedicated to help everyone stay informed about Reagan's treatment. On January 20th, 2005 (a month before her 3rd birthday) Reagan was diagnosed with ALL -- high risk with cancer in her spine. We are now halfway through treatment!! Please sign Reagan's Guestbook and let her know that you visited. She loves reading the messages with us!! Read Reagan's story at
Have a nice day
Aryeh Zelasko lives in Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem. He is
Director of Sales and Marketing of Israel Visit
(www.israelvisit.co.il) which provides information and an internet
buying facility for American visitors to Israel.
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ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE -- AND HAPPY NAKBA DAY!
Posted by Ariel Natan Pasko, May 16, 2006. |
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Many Israeli Jews celebrated Israeli Independence Day (according to the Hebrew calendar) not long ago. Many more Israeli Jews had fun a couple of weeks later, on Lag B'Omer, while thousands of Israel's Arab citizens decried the "Nakba" (The Catastrophe), namely the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 (according to the general calendar) with a day of mourning among Israel's Arab community. That says everything... So while the Jews were happy and dancing, first on Independence Day, then on the anniversary of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi's death (over 300,000 near his grave in Meron alone), the Arabs were crying over the tragedies that befell them. Isn't that just the way it should be? Well, Happy Nakba Day! For example in Lod, a Jewish city with Arabs living there, over 1,500 Arabs attended a "Nakba Day" rally. So did some Arab Knesset members, such as Azmi Bishara. "This is a day of mourning for the Palestinian people," MK Jamal Zahalka said. "Lod is a special place for us, because it is here that the massacre [?] of 1948 took place at the Great Mosque, and that is why the city has become a symbol for us. Our message is that we will never forget and never forgive for what happened. We have come here to say that the Arab population will remain in Lod forever." Several major attacks by Arab forces occurred in the Lod area during Israel's War of Independence. Lod and Ramle were counter-attacked by the IDF because they were on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road and convoys attempting to resupply and reinforce Jerusalem had to travel through the streets of the two towns, routinely under fire. The IDF could not afford to allow Jerusalem to be cut off from the rest of the country. Yitzhak Rabin, then a commander involved in the operation, later said he agreed with Ben-Gurion's order to expel the Arabs of Ramle and Lod. The Arabs in Lod were "armed and hostile," Rabin said, presenting a danger, and they had to be driven away. Fighting with Arab gunmen took place, but no massacre occurred, the enemy during wartime was dealt a heavy blow. Lod is a town where till this day; the Arab population has been consistently harassing the Jewish population. See my article, "The Jewish Struggle Against Arabs in Israel". "This is our memorial day," National Democratic Assembly member Gabi Tanus said in Lod. "It is more important to us than the Holocaust is to the Jewish nation." Notice the Arabs suffered more than the Jews did from the Holocaust... Happy Nakba day! Lag B'Omer by the way, also marks the end of a period of deaths, of thousands of Rabbi Akiva's students. Tradition tells us that 24,000 died during a plague. Rabbi Akiva was an arms smuggler during Bar Kochba's revolt against the Roman occupation of Judea (according to Maimonides). Others surmise, they died in the battles to liberate Judea from the Roman occupation. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochi (one of Rabbi Akiva's top students), was forced to flee for his life and hide in a cave. There, he and his son studied Torah night and day for 13 years, till the "secrets of creation" were revealed to him. His teachings were later written down as "The Zohar," the Book of Splendor, the "Bible" of Jewish Mysticism. So just as the Jews of Judea fought and gained independence from the "super-power of their time" the Roman Empire, for 3 and a half years, Modern Israel finally gained independence, over 1,800 years later. And the Arabs? They sit and weep, just as Jews did for those intervening 1,800 years. The only difference is that the Arabs are a recent settler population, who came to the Land of Israel only in the last hundred years or so, and have no real connection to this place, in spite of their weeping (and terrorism). See my article, "Who is a Palestinian Refugee". Notice they are not mourning the loss of the 1967 territories, but all of "Palestine". Coming up in a little over a week is Jerusalem Day. Jews the world over will celebrate the liberation of Eastern Jerusalem, with it's Temple Mount and Western Wall. Hebron, Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights were all delivered out of the hands of the Arab occupiers and into the hands of their rightful Jewish owners. Israeli Arabs were never a happy bunch even though they have full civil equality. But in recent years, there has been growing active involvement from their community with "Palestinian" terrorists from the Palestinian Authority. Combined with their recent (since Oslo) vocal repudiation of Israeli Independence Day as their "Catastrophe;" it has been proven to many Israeli Jews, what they always suspected, Israeli Arabs are not trustworthy. According to the Israel Democracy Institute's recent study, the "2006 Democracy Index," only 14% feel that relations between Jews and Arabs are good in Israel and 62% of Israelis would like to see the government actively encourage Arabs to leave Israel through financial incentives (the poll includes Israeli Arabs, so the figure for Israeli Jews must be even higher). Professor Asher Arian (who conducted the survey), said he was not surprised by the support expressed for encouraging the Arabs to leave. "This has been a stable sentiment in the Israeli Jewish public for many years," he said. "The public is both cynical and very Zionist." He pointed out that if the survey were carried out right after a terrorist attack, the numbers would have been even higher in support of encouraging Arabs to leave. The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research of Tel Aviv University, found in their latest, "Peace Index: March 2006" (conducted on April 3-4, 2006, after the Israeli elections), a clear majority of Jews are against expelling more Jewish "settlers" from their homes. When questioned whether Israel should act unilaterally to set its final borders (Olmert's Convergence/Expulsion Plan) or continue the existing situation (leave the Jewish settlements alone) and wait until conditions are ripe for renewing contacts with the PA, 44% said they were for maintaining the status quo, whereas only 41% favored acting unilaterally to expel Jews from their homes. Don't forget this poll too included about 20% Arab respondents. Maybe Israel will one day soon, decide to solve its "Arab security and demographic problem," the way most Jews in Israel would it like to, not by expelling Jews from parts of their ancestral homeland, but by removing "the thorns in our side," (Numbers 33:55). I just want to wish all of Israel's "good Arab citizens," Happy Nakba Day! Ariel Natan Pasko is an independent analyst and consultant. He has a Master's Degree specializing in International Relations, Political Economy, and Policy Analysis. He also has a degree in Jewish History and Thought. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites, in newspapers, and can be read at: www.geocities.com/ariel_natan_pasko |
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AN ALTERNATIVE TO OLMERT'S POLICY OF GIVING JEWISH LAND TO THE ARABS
Posted by Steve Katz, May 15, 2006. |
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The alternative to Olmert's policy of retreating from Jewish land is a hard line stance that will help Israel fight its enemies instead of Olmert's plan that will demoralize and bankrupt Israel (See Sever Plocker's article below). This alternative:
In contrast, Olmert's retreat plan
Have I given you enough food for thought? If not, I can provide additional details. "Israeli public will have to pay," by Sever Plocker, Ynet,
As with Gaza pullout, taxpayers will shoulder burden for future West Bank move The eviction of some 1,500 families from the Gaza Strip last summer has so far cost the country NIS 8.5 billion (about USD 1.8 billion). NIS 2.5 billion (about USD 532 million) of that is intended to cover military costs, the rest for civilian costs. Ehud Olmert's "convergence" plan could affect 20,000 families, or about 90,000 residents of Judea and Samaria. Some will be moved to within the 1967 border; others to "consensus" settlement blocs. What does this massive program mean in economic terms? If we take the evacuation-compensation model, the State of Israel will be required to pay 20,000 evicted families direct compensation, at a cost of about NIS 66 billion (about USD 14 billion). And if we use Gaza as an example, temporary housing, moving costs and new infrastructure will cost an additional NIS 13 million (about USD 2.7 million). The Ministry of Defense estimates that a unilateral disengagement from Judea and Samaria will cost the army about NIS 16 billion (about USD 3.4 billion). And so initial estimates of a second disengagement program stand at about NIS 95 billion, or USD 20 billion. Put differently: 17 percent of the entire output of the State of Israel. But that's not the whole story. Far from it. Additional costs Most Gaza residents were able to be moved to existing settlements within the green line. Only a few were placed in the new housing project at Nitzanim. Thus, the country saved on the environmental and infrastructure costs bound up with establishing new cities and neighborhoods. But to accommodate 90,000 settlers, evicted and bitter, the investment of public money in building new towns, cities and villages will be very high. And who will worry about employing thousands of evacuees from Judea and Samaria? Where will they find jobs? Many of them will simply become a burden on the public purse. In conclusion: The economic cost of Ehud Olmert's proposed "convergence" plan is NIS 120 billion. That's USD 25 billion, folks. Twenty-five billion dollars, without taking into account problems such as underestimations, bottlenecks in carrying out the program, the fact that there is no national consensus for such a move, and other problems. To compare: The entire 2006 budget, without repaying debts, is NIS 230 billion (about USD 49 billion). The defense budget is NIS 46 billion (about USD 9.8 billion). The four-year budget for the war on poverty is NIS 9 billion (about USD 1.9 billion). A unilateral pullout will cost NIS 120 billion. Who's gonna pay it? Who's gonna pay? U.S. won't help Not the Americans, that's for sure. For the Gaza pullout Israel asked the Bush administration for USD 2 billion in aid to build new IDF bases and to invest in developing the Negev and Galilee regions (in order to not have to ask for money to compensate settlers). We got nothing. Not one cent. The fact that Israeli tax payers were forced to shoulder the entire NIS 8.5 billion (about USD 1.8 billion) price tag for the Gaza pullout bodes extremely poorly for the notion that any American administration will foot the bill for another unilateral move. This plan, as it has been presented by the acting prime minister, includes the annexation of a fair amount of Palestinian land. It is impossible to see any U.S. government aiding a move that would include an un-agreed upon annexation of settlement blocs. They haven't even agreed to finance one single kilometer of the West Bank separation fence. Credit for disengagement Perhaps Israel could finance West Bank disengagement with foreign credit? No way. Foreign investors will only fund those national projects that will yield a positive economic benefit. This is how Israel, for example, was able to gather USD 9 billion to absorb new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The Russian aliyah made the Israeli market flourish, spurred growth and exports and was a central factor in the growth of the hi-tech industry. It was a worthwhile investment. The withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and moving the settlers from place to place will not raise the potential for growth in Israel, and would not be considered an investment in research and development or creative assets. There is no reason to expect favorable credit terms from international finance institutions such as the World Bank. Israel, as far as the World Bank is concerned, is a developed country with no rights to discount financing. And the World Bank is even more limited than the U.S. government with regard to political games. World Jewry Okay, then, what about Diaspora Jews? Maybe the Jewish Agency will undertake an emergency fund raising drive for the "convergence" plan? But even if we assume that world Jewry would dig deep into their pockets to finance the second disengagement, even in the absence of a clear national consensus in Israel. How much could they reasonably be expected to give? A billion dollars? Two billion? There is only one chance for American and/or international aid for removing settlements and setting borders in Judea and Samaria. As we found out during the Camp David summit in July, 2000 between President Bill Clinton, Ehud Olmert and Yasser Arafat, Washington is prepared to dole out funds generously (at that time, discussions revolved around the number USD 20 billion) for an "end of the conflict" agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, on condition that other countries also chip in to help out both Israel and the Palestinians. Such aid, however, is dependent on having a partner. And to create a partner, there must be dialogue. For dialogue, there must be some formal arrangement. Unilateralism won't cut it, even if the world views it positively. The Americans' refusal to give financial aid for the Gaza move, a pullout President Bush and Congress praised, teaches us that we'd better not count on foreign funding for future unilateral pullouts. We'll pay We will have to pay. In order to finance the second disengagement out of our own pockets, each family in Israel will be forced to pony up NIS 70,000, or USD 15,000, over the course of three-to-four years. Olmert says his government will unilaterally set Israel's final borders. How do you give NIS 70,000 to the Finance Ministry? Either by raising taxes or by issuing bonds. Neither option is particularly heartwarming. Using bonds to raise money from the public is not a recommended from the point of view of economics. It's expensive for the government, nebulous for citizens and strikes a blow at the standing and grading of the economy and stock market. Israeli governments have not used interest bonds since the failed "Peace for the Galilee Bonds." But higher taxes are also no great solution: An additional NIS 40 billion (about USD 8.5 billion) in taxes per year for three years means a very sharp rise in personal interest tax rates (the PR slogan could be "reevaluating taxes to set our borders") and other, indirect taxes such as petrol taxes. A comparison In terms of total cost to the economy, financing the disengagement/convergence plan is of the same scale as West Germany's annexation of East Germany. There are two differences, however, neither one in our favor: Germany is a lot richer than Israel, and there was no debate amongst the German nation about the need to annex the eastern part of the country. Nobody knows how much the Israeli public has invested to this point in building settlements. This is an economic secret that cannot be deciphered. On the other hand, the cost of withdrawal is clear and open. In
economic terms, this is called a "dead burden." Israeli citizens who
will be required to pay higher taxes, lower their standards of living,
tighten their belts and forget about social programs such as the war
on poverty or education reform -- the burden will be very much alive.
Alive and painful.
Contact Steve Katz at skatz80817@rcn.com
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RECORDINGS OF RABBI MEIR KAHANE
Posted by B. Lemkin, May 15, 2006. |
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I just heard an ironic old recording of Ted Koppel's "Nightline" show
featuring Rabbi Meir Kahane, ztz"l and Ehud Olmert. It can be found at
the following link which also features an interesting debate between
Rabbi Kahane and Alan Dershowitz.
Contact B. Lemkin at lemkin@gmail.com |
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IMMIGRATION LAW IMPEDES TERRORISM
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 15, 2006. |
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Scott Wilson's "Israelis Kill Islamic Jihad Leader in Arrest Attempt" (Washington Post, 5.15.06) devotes almost all of its text to the issue of the Israeli law that limits the ability of Israeli citizens to bring into the country spouses from an enemy population. His treatment of this issue is heavily biased toward highlighting the suffering it causes to the Israeli Arab citizens and their would-be spouses from among the Palestinians. He neglects to note that this law was promulgated only after Israel discovered that some Israeli Arab women were intentionally arranging marriages with Palestinian terrorists. The instant citizenship that such a marriage bequeathed (under previous law) granted the terrorist an Israeli ID card, a legal Israeli address, and Israeli license plates. Thus equipped, the terrorist could travel untrammeled throughout Israel and past road blocks, to plant bombs, perpetrate drive-by shootings and sniper attacks, and assist in the planning and execution of suicide bombings. And 26 did exactly that, killing dozens. Wilson fails to note that Israel is at war. Arafat and Hamas declared war on Israel and have maintained an on-going almost daily onslaught of terror attacks since 9/29/2000. In the context of war, one must decide where one wants the casualties. With this new law, the casualties are those unfortunate Israeli Arabs who will be unable to bring into Israel their beloved from among the Palestinians. Without this law, the casualties are likely to be the dozens or hundreds of Israelis killed by the terrorists who get Israeli ID via their fake marriage with an Israeli Arab accomplice. There is no country in the world that does not limit immigration and set priorities in accordance with its needs. Immigration laws in many countries make it difficult for foreign partners of citizens to receive citizenship, and they combat fictitious marriages. Israel has the same right to protect its citizenry as countries far less imperiled, like Denmark or Holland. Realizing that if present immigration trends continue unchecked, Copenhagen will become a city with a Muslim majority in two decades, this liberal Scandinavian state instituted severe limitations on the entry of foreign spouses who marry Danish citizens. Similar get-tough legislation has been enacted in Holland. So while the new law does infringe upon the rights of Israeli Arab citizens, the risk of facilitating terror activities creates a far, far greater imperative. Why didn't Wilson mention that? David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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I GIVE UP ON ISRAEL
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 15, 2006. |
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This was written by Joseph Farah and appeared today in World Net Daily (WND). He is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. His latest book is "Taking America Back." He also edits the weekly online intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, in which he utilizes his sources developed over 30 years in the news business. WASHINGTON -- I have a reputation as one of Israel's staunchest supporters. That reputation is due to several factors:
Yet, despite all this, I am through defending Israel -- at least the regime currently in power in Jerusalem, this useless coalition seemingly hell-bent on committing national suicide. Next week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a man I once considered, like his predecessor, Ariel Sharon, a reasonable, rational, level-headed defender of his country, is set to visit Washington with his hand out. He is asking for an initial commitment of up to $10 billion in direct U.S. aid to implement his plan for national retreat, appeasement of the global jihad and a new sellout of more than 200,000 Israeli civilians who have made their homes in historically Jewish lands in Judea and Samaria at the behest and recommendation of earlier Israeli governments. Olmert is coming here to seek administration and congressional support for a new round of "disengagement" -- this time from 90-95 percent of what we often call "the West Bank" and even including large sections of the city of Jerusalem, once regarded as the eternal capital of the Jewish people. He does this fully knowing that last summer's evacuation of the Gaza Strip has been an unmitigated disaster for the Jewish people, Western Civilization and freedom in general, as the terrorists from Hamas -- kissing cousins of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida and Iran's Hezbollah organization -- now control the territory and more than ever threaten the lives of Israeli citizens. He does this fully knowing that Hamas is preparing to establish a Taliban-like state through the Palestinian Authority -- including the new territories ethnically cleansed of Jews. He does this fully knowing that these newly abandoned lands will be, like Gaza, used as terrorist staging grounds and forward operating bases that will threaten not only Israel but neighboring Jordan and Lebanon as well and, eventually, liberated Iraq. So I'm through making excuses for Israel. I'm through trying to understand the incomprehensible moves of a self-flagellating nation. I'm through trying to point out the moral rightness of a state and a people who themselves fail to discern right from wrong. Like Jesus 2,000 years ago, I look at Jerusalem today and I weep. I know I speak for many Jews and Christians throughout the world who see Israel's surrender as a cowardly betrayal, a sign that the Jewish state puts more faith in Washington and "international diplomacy" than in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel has made the mistake many times throughout history of turning away from their God. Israel has made the mistake many times throughout history of putting faith in kings and men over the promises of Heaven. Israel has made the mistake many times throughout history of compromise with its ruthless enemies who seek not only the destruction of the Jews but the oppression of their own people. Enough of "land for peace." It has never worked -- not in Israel's history, nor in any other nation's history. Enough of retreat. Enough of unilateral withdrawals. Enough of staged surrender. Enough of the appeasement with evil. Enough of the madness. Compromise with evil is evil. And that's what Israel is doing. As for me and my house, I will not be a part of it. I will continue to serve the Lord and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. One thing is for certain. That peace will not come under the leadership of men like Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon. If the Israeli people want to disengage, it should be from so-called "leaders" like this -- "leaders" in the image, likeness and tradition of Neville Chamberlain. SPECIAL OFFER: If you want to understand the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Joseph Farah recommends Joan Peters' "From Time Immemorial." Take advantage of this offer by clicking here. Contact Lee Caplan at leescaplan@yahoo.com |
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PA TV: DREAMING OF ISRAEL'S DESTRUCTION
Posted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, May 15, 2006. |
This year's recurring clip shows the map of Israel -- entitled "Palestine" - scrolling slowly down the screen. The date 1948 - the year of Israel's establishment - repeatedly appears on the screen, behind bars. At the end of the clip an old woman is shown, while the words on the screen read: "Palestine is the land of my forefathers. LEAVE IT." To view this clip, go to It is important to note that this clip, calling for Israel's destruction, has been broadcast almost daily in recent weeks on PA TV - which is still run and totally controlled by the office of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, not by Hamas. Non-recognition of Israel's right to exist has been a cornerstone of PA ideology, shared by both the PLO-Fatah faction and by Hamas, and expressed in Arabic by both groups. The only substantive difference between the two groups on this issue has been the fact that Fatah has professed to recognize Israel in its English messages, while Hamas has refused to accept Israel in either its English or its Arabic statements. Please feel free to forward this bulletin, crediting Palestinian
Media Watch
Itamar Marcus is director of PMW - Palestinian Media Watch -
(http://www.pmw.org.il). PMW is based in Jerusalem. Barbara Crook, a
writer and university lecturer based in Ottawa, Canada, is PMW's
North American representative.
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SECURITY PACTS WITH OUR ENEMIES; CIVILIZED STANDARDS; WAVERING U.S.
SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 15, 2006. |
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CIVILIZED STANDARDS One of the arguments against various anti-terrorist measures is that we should not become oppressive and vicious like our enemies. This argument has become a cliché. It is used routinely, as if applicable universally. It is not. We should take care not to avoid measures merely because our enemies use them. Some measures may be more excessive than efficient, or may pose more of a threat to Americans than to terrorists. Those measures should be avoided. Other measures may do the reverse, and therefore are needed. Each must be weighed on its own merits. Pres. Bush has explained that in wartime, the President normally exercises greater powers. True. The luxury of peacetime standards must not be maintained at the risk of national security. If conquered, then indeed we would become like our enemies, if we even survive. Unfortunately, many of the powers that Pres. Bush requests are not related to the terrorism they are supposed to intercept or would not accomplish what they are touted for. Democrats suppose this is a deliberate mis-labeling and a grab for power. Perhaps, but all modern Presidents seek to expand their power and most proposed laws do not address precisely what they are supposed to remedy. Another difficulty with these powers is that they would tend more to be permanent than in earlier conflicts. That is because, unless we double or triple our armed forces, and war on all the centers of Islamism in swift succession, terrorism would be menacing for decades. AT WIT'S END, FARCICAL PROPOSALS The US and Israel have made their security dependent upon Muslims. Didn't work. The US-sponsored mutual defense treaty with Iraq and other Muslim states collapsed. The US invested in the Shah, who was toppled. The US depended upon Pakistan to funnel aid to Afghan rebels. The money went exclusively to jihadists, who then turned global and attacked elsewhere. Israel let security rest in the hands of the PLO, which fostered terrorism. Israel let Egypt supervise the border with Gaza, and terrorists and arms flowed freely into Gaza for use against Israel. One would suppose that the US and Israel would have learned from those mistakes. They didn't. The US has built the Egyptian military into a major force, hoping it would protect S. Arabia, although Egypt had ambitions to seize S. Arabia. The US knows that Egypt wants to attack Israel. Increasingly unsteady, Egypt is liable to be overthrown by the Islamists. Its army would be used against Western interests. Some Israelis think they might hand off Judea-Samaria to Jordan, but Jordan is hostile now and unstable, too. The proposal to turn to Jordan is like that of children who, tired out from thinking, propose solutions that are farcical. WAVERING U.S. SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL The biased Harvard diatribe against Israel claimed that the US has given Israel "unwavering support." ZOA listed refutations of that claim: 1. During Israel's first two wars, the US embargoed arms sales to it. 2. After years of attacks from the Sinai, Israel conquered the Sinai in 1956, and eradicated the terrorist bases. The US made Israel withdraw without any peace agreement. 3. When Egypt blockaded Israel, the US broke its promise to ensure free passage. 4. The US supported Security Council ceasefire resolutions that prevented Israel from winning the Six-Day War more completely. 5. The US pressured Israel into ending the 1973 war prematurely, preventing decisive victory. The US did increase aid to Israel, but this merely made up for loss of revenues by the withdrawal from the Sinai at US demand. 6. The US voted for Resolutions condemning Israel's annexation of eastern Jerusalem and calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, from which major terrorist operations were launched against Israel. 7. US condemned Israel's necessary destruction of Saddam's first nuclear reactor. 8. US pressured Israel to cede land by withholding jets, but sold S. Arabia AWACs. 9. US withheld loan guarantees, to pressure Israel for letting Jews build in Yesha. 10. US pressed Israel to release imprisoned P.A. terrorists but ignored P.A. violations. 11. US criticizes as excessive and provocative Israeli defense against terrorism, such as roadblocks, targeting terrorists, withholding revenues, and frontal assaults, means that the US, itself, uses. 12. The US demands that Israel negotiate and make concessions, without the P.A. ending terrorism. 13. US insisted that Israel accept the Road Map, despite grave Israeli objection. 14. US illegally used waivers to defer relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem (Dr. Daniel Mandel & Morton Klein of ZOA in Jewish Press, 4/5/06). This US opposition to legitimate Israeli claims and security needs and upholding of Arab aggression cuts through almost all US Administrations, because the State Dept. remains anti-Zionist. ZOA could have stated more of the State machinations, such as its attempt to abort Israel's birth and then to rescind statehood and giving Egypt a $60 billion army trained to attack Israel. One wonders what support US Administrations do give Israel. The subsidy is Congress' idea. The UNO resolutions that the US vetoes or abstains on would be too biased to get away with voting for. FAR LEFT AT TEL AVIV U. Joining with Arabs, some post-Zionist professors at Tel Aviv U. expressed solidarity with Iran against "American imperialism." The professors were concerned that the University's new Center for Iranian studies would falsely accuse Iran of terrorism and antisemitism. (Falsely? And what about Iranian/Islamic imperialism?) The protestors also had sig ns with the names of Arabs recently killed by Israeli retaliation, but not of Israelis killed by Arabs. They tried to prevent a former Defense Minister from speaking against Iran. They called him a war criminal for fighting terrorism, and threatened to have him prosecuted (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/25). To the Far Left, Israeli self-defense is improper. Ask the President of Iran what, if Israel surrendered, he would do with the Far Left. A truthful answer might open their eyes. COULD IRAN BLOCK THE OIL TANKER LANE? Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, if the US attacks Iran. The Center for Strategic and Intl. Studies, however, denies that Iran has the means to do it. The Center asserts that the US has the means to stop it, anyway (IMRA, 4/25). JORDAN ACCUSES P.A. Jordanian security forces accused five P.A. legislators of arranging or assisting Hamas in bringing weapons into Jordan (IMRA, 4/25). Jordan found out that the terrorists were close to launching attacks in Jordan! (IMRA, 4/26.) That's what Islamist terrorists do. Countries that cooperate with them, as Jordan was doing in a limited way, eventually pay a price. A FORM OF ELECTION FRAUD A group of people wanted to join the Kadima Party. They were told they would not be put high enough on the list of Knesset candidates to guarantee election, under the system of proportional representation. They formed their own party, the Pensioners' Party, and did not tell the public that they really were a wing of Kadima. They received a large protest vote against Kadima. After the election, they coalesced with the Kadima Party (IMRA, 4/26). OLMERT STILL MISINFORMING ISRAELIS PM Olmert still is premising his withdrawals on demographic grounds, although the demographic fear was debunked and his withdrawals are not relevant to it (IMRA, 4/26). IN CASE ISRAELIS DON'T GET IT Again the US has stated that it would not regard the "permanent borders" to which PM Olmert would withdraw as permanent but as the start of negotiations (IMRA, 4/26). It means negotiating without bargaining chips. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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OLMERT'S RETREAT PLAN IS THE ROAD MAP PLAN
Posted by Marcel Cousineau, May 15, 2006. |
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A nice letter to President Bush, from Deborah B., Concerned American (citizen@netvision.net.il) Dear President Bush, Prime Minister Olmert's retreat plan is an existential danger to Israel, the Middle East and the world. It will strengthen the world axis of Mideast terror and make Israel a defense burden instead of a defense asset. PRESIDENT BUSH, PLEASE OPPOSE OLMERT'S DANGEROUS RETREAT PLAN! Sincerely,
The agenda that Olmert follows is the Bush plan for a Palestinian state on land cleansed of all Jews. President Bush's vision,dream of a Palestinian state is what the pawn Olmert is working under. The weak pawn of Israel goes to one of the most powerful men on earth to confirm the false peace agreement we know as the Bush Road Map. What incredible stupidity to write to the wolf who divides Israel for help. How can you be so blind? Olmert is just the latest puppet of this wolf who rewards Palestinian terrorism while saying he fights terrorism. Why are so many of you so easily deceived and assuming that your
letter writing will accomplish anything now when it has never
accomplished anything. Only Hashem will save Israel from her enemies!
Marcel
Contact Marcel Cousineau by email at up2zionsg8@yahoo.com or
visit his website:
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EX-MILITARY INTELLIGENCE CHIEF ZE'EVI WARNS OF IMPENDING WORLD JIHAD 'TSUNAMI'
Posted by Avodah 15, May 15, 2006. |
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This was written by Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent and is archived at www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/716146.html Former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Ze'evi warned Monday morning of an impending world jihad "tsunami" that he said may soon descend on the entire Middle East. Ze'evi, speaking at a Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies conference in Tel Aviv University, said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad has been overheard promising the "end of history in two or three years." Ze'evi recommended that the Iranian threats be taken seriously, saying that Tehran will soon have nuclear warhead compatible surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 5,000 kilometers, putting Europe within striking distance. Ze'evi also warned that Israel should not rule out the possibility of a conventional war against Islamic militants. Ze'evi said he foresees this war breaking out on Israel's northern frontier, against Syria and Hezbollah. Emphasizing the radicalization of Islamic militancy, Ze'evi cited recent changes in the objectives of major militant organizations, which have recently begun targeting sites in Arab countries. "We are seeing attacks carried out in Amman, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh," said Ze'evi. He cited the increased accessibility of Internet in the Arab world as facilitating the process, saying, "Today, anyone who is interested can learn how to blow up a bomb." Major General (Res.) Ze'evi stepped down as chief of Military Intelligence about four months ago, and was replaced by Major General Amos Yadlin. Contact Avodah 15 at avodah15@aol.com |
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THE FRANKFURTER PLAN
Posted by David Frankfurter, May 15, 2006. |
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Dear Friends, The Funding for Peace Coalition just posted a summary of the Palestinian Authority accounts for the three calendar years 2003 - 2005. Except for the most, well, accounting types among us, that sounds pretty boring. In fact, the introductory notes make some interesting reading. And then it degenerates pretty quickly into eye-glazing tables of numbers. But, being a boring CPA by trade, I forced myself into a little look. And being a masochist, whether it's accounts or a pay slip, the first thing I review is income taxes. After all, practically everything there is to know about tax in the Palestinian Authority - who pays and how much - is unknown. So I tried to figure it out from the published accounts; and here's what I turned up. From what I could see, Al Capone probably looks down on his protégées in the Palestinian kleptocracy with pride - and a little jealousy. Chicago simply didn't provide the same opportunities as down-town Ramallah. Overall, the PA tax regime is relatively favourable, although income taxes cut in at the first shekel. The minimum personal tax rate is 5%. The corporate tax rate is the same as the highest personal tax rate - 20%. For salary earners, tax is deducted at source. Total reported income tax collections for the full three years was a mere $173 million. That includes amounts collected by Israel on behalf of the PA. This means that (at a 5% - 20% marginal rate) total taxable income for three years for the whole PA was between $865 million and $3,465 million. Don't fall asleep quite yet - lets see how that adds up first! Let's assume that the PA knows how to deduct taxes from its own employees, and that UNWRA, being a law abiding organisation, deducts taxes too. PA salaries were reported at $2,552 million for the three years and UNWRA salaries in the West bank and Gaza run at about $600 million for three years - that means that not a single other person or company in the whole Palestinian Authority earned a single shekel of taxable income. Not bad considering some of the fancy cars, houses, cell phones, shopping malls and other attractions one hears are used by the upper classes of Ramallah and Gaza. In common with kleptocrats throughout history, the Palestinian elite have clearly preferred that their awesome wealth - the fortune generated by skimming international donor generosity - remain tax-free. But in the world of organised crime, it's known that, when freshly laundered assets are re-invested, some token tax is paid. But from these accounts, it's clear the Palestinian elite lack the elementary courtesy to pay modest taxes on 'legitimate' income earned from their ill-gotten gains. So when Bassam al-Shaqaa, a former mayor of Nablus went to the streets collecting donations for Hamas from the local population and said "These donations are our way of telling the world that we can live without them, and our children are paying what the Europeans should be paying," I guess he was right. Europeans know they really should shut their mouths, close their eyes, and hand over their taxes so they can be duly passed along to the Palestinians. One of my correspondents pointed out that it's time I came up with some positive suggestions for change, instead of always moaning. So here's one which might also increase the gainful employment of my fellow accountants. Let the PA announce a 90 day tax amnesty. Palestinians of all walks of life will then be granted the opportunity to file/update their tax returns for the past 5 years. They will be free to pay any errors or oversights without penalty. And while they're busy doing this, the PA leadership will use those 90 days to do something constructive with the 10,000 security staff identified by the International Monetary Fund as "non-performing". The PA can re-train them for new duties in the PA's new, greatly-expanded tax collection department. This could be a very short training course - these people already have the tools of trade and are highly motivated and experienced in extracting due payment from their own Palestinian populance. Apart from solving some regional problems, the Frankfurter Plan will have the added benefit that the Hamas regime can stop its unseemly begging in the streets, taking women's jewelry and expropriating their poor little children's inheritances to fund the new Hamas regime. Not to mention your taxes. David Frankfurter is a business consultant, corporate executive and writer who frequently comments on the Middle East. To subscribe to his 'Letter from Israel', email him at david.frankfurter@iname.com. Or go to http://www.livejournal.com/users/dfrankfurter/ |
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WE NEED CHURCHILLS, NOT CHAMBERLAINS
Posted by Morton A. Klein, May 15, 2006. |
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New York - A few days ago, the former Israel Defense Force (IDF) Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Moshe Ya'alon, laid out an impressive case in an address to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) about the perils of a Palestinian state, further concessions to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the need for Israel to have a clear victory against Palestinian terrorism. Speaking to an overflow crowd of over 500 people at Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan, Ya'alon explained from his 37 years' military experience, especially his term as Chief of Staff (2002-2005) in which the IDF greatly reduced Palestinian terrorism, why he, a former kibbutznik from the Labor movement who had initially supported the Oslo process, completely changed his mind. As a senior military figure during the Oslo process, Ya'alon said that it became obvious to him by 1995 that Yasser Arafat and the PA, instead of preparing Palestinian society for peace and reconciliation, were indoctrinating it with murderous hatred and glorifying jihad and suicide terrorism. As he puts it, "I needed no sophisticated intelligence to reach this conclusion - I only had to look at their textbooks, posters and so on. We should not be surprised, but we ignored it. In 1999, I was commander of Central Command and I said then that we would face a war with Arafat in 2000. I knew it when Barak said that he would have a settlement with Arafat within 15 months, which meant by September 2000. Israel and the West were surprised." Ya'alon believes that Israel started to win the war on the PA by methodically cutting down the terrorists and taking the war to them but then lost many of the gains it had made. He speaks of Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 and especially the clearing out of Jenin as "a very necessary operation." The result was that the terrorist organizations, including Hamas, were on the run. But the announcement in December 2003 that Israel would unilaterally withdraw from Gaza and northern Samaria changed all that. Hamas and others concluded that their terrorist campaign was working, that no concessions had to be made and that more terrorism would bring about more unilateral withdrawals from Israel. Ya'alon stressed that the Israelis withdrawal from Gaza was a major factor in the Hamas election victory because it was perceived as surrender to Islamic terrorism. "What we are doing is leaving a legacy for the next generation who will deal with Palestinians who believe that terrorism pays, that Israel cuts and runs under pressure," Ya'alon explained. He added that Israel is in a "war" not merely dealing with an uprising. Worse, Israel left Gaza saying it would fiercely retaliate against continued terrorism launched from there, but did not. Ya'alon said that "After the Gaza withdrawal, I would have recommended after the first Qassem rocket fired into Israel that there should have been a strong and immediate retaliation." But Israel did not follow this path. Instead, Israel is following the path of facilitating the creation of a Palestinian state. "The establishment of a Palestinian state," says Ya'alon, "will lead, at some stage, to war. Such a war can be dangerous to the State of Israel. The idea that a Palestinian state will achieve stability is disconnected from reality and dangerous." He said that the Israelis must maintain a military presence in Judea and Samaria as long as the Palestinians refuse to make a serious peace deal, and that "Israel must brand into the Palestinians consciousness" that terror will bring them no benefits. In line with that, Ya'alon calls for a proactive anti-terrorist campaign. "The best defense is a good offense, not a fence. The best way to deal with terrorists is to arrest them or kill them in their beds. Without dealing with the roots, we can cut down the weeds - to deal with the roots would be to force them to reform their education and culture. I am not sure we will succeed but we should be under no pressure to make any concessions until this changes." Ya'alon therefore emphasizes that, "The two-state solution has failed and to my mind is now irrelevant. In Israel we must consolidate our Jewish Zionist narrative. Without believing in our case, there is no way to convince someone else. Even before the Hamas victory, a two-state solution was a mistaken fantasy - now it's even more irrelevant. The Palestinians knew exactly who Hamas was when they voted for them." Ya'alon also pointedly states, "If we couldn't tame and change Arafat, we can't tame and change Hamas. [But] if we're in Judea and Samaria we can thwart the terrorism from there." It is for this reason that Ya'alon calls Israeli leaders who call for more unilateral concessions as "confused" and offering the Israeli public "illusions." Ya'alon concluded by saying that "we don't need Chamberlains, we need Churchills" who offer realism and optimism, warning of "blood, toil, tears and sweat" but also the prospect of ultimate victory. "We are flooded with lies, manipulated by Al Qaeda, but most prominently by the Palestinians"' says Ya'alon who urges Israel and the West to cease preferring "to be confused, to ignore reality" by adopting the "moral clarity" to see that the "from the dawn of Zionism until this day, the source of all terrorist attacks has been the refusal of the Arab world to recognize Israel's existence. Until this changes we will remain the target of violent terrorist activity. The '67 borders are neither a solution to rocket attacks, suicide bombs nor to more conventional forms of warfare. Iran sees us withdrawing from Gaza, Hamas is elected, they see US trouble in Iraq and because they do not pay price for financing, supporting and encouraging terrorism, they continue. As long as they see our appeasement policy, they will continue." Israel is proposing to give away 95% of Judea and Samaria and declare borders. The US has already said it will not accept these borders unless the PA does, and the PA says it won't. Therefore, if Israel goes through with this huge withdrawal, it would face the horrifying dilemma of having given away all the leverage it must maintain to resolve issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, demilitarization, etc. and finding itself in the predicament of having nothing left to offer. Morton A. Klein is National President of the Zionist Organization of America. Their website address is http:// www.zoa.org |
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OUTRAGEOUS RACISM AND LIES AT THE INDEPENDENT
Posted by The Reality Show, May 15, 2006. |
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From the Independent
Israel's High Court has narrowly upheld a law denying Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza married to Israeli citizens the right to live in the country with their spouses." How dare the Independent lie again? Is there any restricting law between marrying a Jew and an Arab in Israel? Of course not! Is "palestinian" Arab, as opposed to Israeli Arab with no restriction, really a "racist" issue or a security liability??? First time that I hear that anti Terror measures are "racist"? While Arabs inside Israel or Arabs under "palestinian" Hamas Terror authoirity are the same Arab race, Arabs inside Israel not only enjoy equal rights with Israel but are even preferred in Israeli courts over Israeli Jews. Does the "independent" bother to mention that? Then again, no Jew is ever allowed, even as to live in real racist "palestinian" Arabia. Any chance the "independent" would talk about it? This LYING title is not only a lie on Israel's total democracy & 100% EQUALITY even with regards to its Arab citizens but on top of everything it is a blatant part of its racism campaign against Israel, not to mention it's ignoring the 100% racism on the Arab side without any security concerns as a reason. Is the "independent" inventing a new "race" called Arabs with a "palestinian" passport seperately from Arabs with an Israeli passport? That's actually real racism from the "independent"! email the Independent at: newseditor@independent.co.uk, foreigneditor@independent.co.uk Contact The Reality Show at therealityshow@mail.com or go to their website: http://lightonthings.blogspot.com |
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WASN'T AHMADINEHAD RIGHT?
Posted by Dr. Steven Carol, May 14, 2006. |
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In his recent letter to President George W. Bush, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated, "Throughout history, many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times." He was referring to Israel and it should come as no surprise that through his statement, he was continuing his on-going messianic quest to wipe Israel off the map by denying Jewish history, including the Holocaust, and the Jewish presence in the Middle East since Biblical times. Yet, Ahmadinejad's reference in the letter was 100% correct! Ahmadinejad just got the name of the "country" wrong, he was describing the planned second Arab state of "Palestine." There never was an independent state of "Palestine." In its modern usage, that term was a fabrication of the Arab League after the 1948 re-establishment of the State of Israel. After the first Arab war against Israel, the identity retained by the great majority of Arab refugees was not as "Palestinians" but rather as inhabitants of Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, and other towns and villages from which they came. There was no sense of a separate "Palestinian Arab" nationality or identity. Under the British Mandate of Palestine, the "Palestinians" included Arabs, Jews, Samaritans, the Druze, and Circassians. None of these peoples could correctly claim to be "the" Palestinians. In fact during World War II, the Palestinian Jews who fought with Allied forces were regarded more as Palestinians than any other group. This concept of a separate Arab Palestinian people and a separate Arab Palestinian state was created by the Arab states and has been propagandized, financed, and otherwise supported by Arab countries all through the 1950s, with its leading advocate being Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was at his bidding that the first Arab Summit conference was held in Egypt in January 1964, where a "Palestine Liberation Organization" was created. That was a full three and a half years before the Six Day War of 1967 and the Israeli acquisition of the disputed territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The Palestinian Arabs never had or claimed to have a "Palestinian" homeland until after the 1967 war. The Arab Palestinians are not a distinct people. One important benchmark of nationhood must be the degree of difference from its neighbors, and the need for a state to protect that uniqueness. Palestinian Arabs speak the same dialect of Arabic, share the same Islamic faith, have the same family structure, customs, dress, food, music and social values as is found in Jordan and Syria. This brings us back to the fact that they already have a state. In March 1921, the British partitioned the Mandate of Palestine, the first partition of Palestine. They cut away 76.9% of its territory and created an Arab state, at first called Trans-Jordan and later renamed Jordan. Its first King, Abdullah I, wanted to call it the Arab Kingdom of Palestine, but his British advisers recommended otherwise since it carried an imperialist connotation. Jordan's population today is over 70% Palestinian. The Arab people already have self-determination as expressed in 21 sovereign states. Now they insist on a 22nd state -- a second "Palestinian" state. Throughout the history of the conflict the majority of Arabs and Muslims have not tolerated, will not accept, let alone live in peace, with one Jewish state in the Middle East. Thus Iranian President Ahmadinejad was correct in his statement to President Bush, he just got the name of the country in question wrong. Contact Dr. Steve Carol at drhistory@cox.net |
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READING OLMERT'S TEA LEAVES
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 14, 2006. |
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The visit to the U.S. by PM Ehud Olmert finds that he is carrying a lot of excess baggage. Apparently, the U.S. State Department has been busy cutting deals with Olmert to give President George Bush a seeming win for his "Road Map" plan. The 'Win' will come on the bones of Israeli vulnerability and will be unlikely to raise the Bush poll numbers - now below 30. Olmert is to visit Bush like a carpet-bagger, with each trading whatever or whoever they are prepared to sell out. Bush and the Arabist State Department wants a contiguous State of Palestine from Gaza, through the 'west bank' with a connection to the Golan Heights. This despite the now incontrovertible knowledge that the Palestinians and other Terrorists will fill the void offered by PM Olmert and enlarging the scope of the Jihad (Islamic war). Bush is desperate for anything that even vaguely looks like good news - even if it puts Israel over the threshold of probable assault. However, the Bush Conservative base core is eroding rapidly, based on illegal immigration, gas prices rising and supporting the division of Jerusalem - his base of the Christian Right will leave the Republican Party en masse. In typical back room dealing, Olmert brings Jerusalem and the 'west bank' as his personal contribution to the deal. I wonder what the going market price is for selling out a nation nowadays - given the fact that what he is selling doesn't even belong to him? So what will Bush offer in return to Olmert for selling out the Jews of Judea, Samaria, the Golan and Jerusalem? Since this is like a black market theft of an ancient antiquity to a private collector, the price is negotiable. Olmert may expect anywhere from $10 to $20 Billion dollars for his sell-out. On the Bush side the payout would have to be split up in different obscure packages so the price doesn't look too high and Congress would not balk. Perhaps it will be part cash, part equipment and part loan guarantees none of which will sit well with the American public. Be assured that this negotiation has been in process long before Sharon and Olmert sold Gaza out and now Olmert's gang moves on to the 'west bank' and Jerusalem. Sharon and Olmert expected American cash for their perfidy in Gush Katif/Gaza. But now there a growing operational Super Base in Gaza for Global Terror which is growing but no money is forthcoming for the 10,000 Jewish men, women and children whose homes, farms, schools, synagogues, businesses, factories and even cemeteries were stolen from them when they were evicted by Sharon and Olmert. They still have to pay mortgages on their homes and businesses while the Kadimites continue, the original scam of NOT paying the evacuees. Bush has first hand knowledge that you cannot make a deal with Muslims and expect them to keep it. He is seeing America being hammered in Iraq where Iraqi soldiers and police take their American pay-checks to supposedly represent the Iraqi government during the day and become marauders at night. In brief, Bush and the Arabist State Department know that, like Gaza, the 'West Bank' will become Hamas-land, replete with the Terror of Bagdad. But, not to worry, because Bush will have retired to his ranch in Texas, out of the line of public opinion. As for Olmert, this one small man will have betrayed the nation for whatever it brings him and he too will exit the public scene with the usual no expectation to be held accountable. In the meantime, Bush has put up considerable U.S. Dollars to employ Arafat's notorious Force 17 to surround and protect Abu Mazen against assassination. Do you remember Force 17? They have a history as "Killers, Incorporated" and Bush is paying them with U.S. tax dollars. Abu Mazen has long ago become nothing more than a useless figurehead. But, the pretense must go on! The only loyalty he inspires is through Arafat's 60,000 man left-over army who expects an American weekly employment check. If that stops, the mirage of loyalty disappears. Bush and the State Department needs him alive long enough for Olmert to turn over the 'west bank' and Jerusalem, so it looks official (something like a Middle East Sudetenland). Both Bush and Olmert will deny fault when (not if) the tonnage of missiles and other explosives starts to be launched from the then West Bank controlled by the Muslim Palestinians Terrorists. All of this must be completed and in the box before the end of this Presidential term. The lid on this sewer is being lifted and the stench is drifting over Washington and Israel. Jordan and Egypt are already objecting to this plan. Not because they want to protect Israel but because each knows that a contiguous armed Palestinian State from Gaza through the 'West Bank' will cause the fall of their governments. The Saudis too will fall while the Arabist State Department goes into deep mourning for their part in the coming fiasco. King Abdullah of Jordan is already fighting off Al Qaeda and Hamas as they bring weapons into Jordan for a coup d'etat. In Egypt, President Mubarak is fighting a holding war against the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. Have you noticed the spate of attacks in Jordan and Egypt against the soft targets of resort hotels? Be assured that they know their untrustworthy Muslim Arab Palestinian neighbors and understand they will (or already have) joined local Terrorists to overthrow their respective governments. In the meantime, President Hosni Mubarak is still playing both sides by allowing arms, explosives and terrorists into Gaza from the Sinai. So far in Israel, good intelligence and military patrolling the outer perimeters of the State have kept down the attacks on soft targets like the Shalom Towers in Tel Aviv. If Olmert and Peres get their way, those patrols and checkpoints will be withdrawn, but, thanks to Sharon and Olmert, missiles are being launched from Gaza to Ashkelon where a major power plant and fuel depots are located. If ever there was a prima facie case of treason, this is it. Would you be surprised to know that since the Sharon/Olmert blunder in Gush Katif/Gaza, over 500 missiles, Kassams and Katyushas, have been launched into Israel from Gaza. The Government's ordered response was to shoot artillery at empty fields and buildings. Will being godfather to a Terrorist State of Muslim Palestinians leave Bush the legacy he wants? I don't think so. Perhaps the usurious oil cash tax on Americans will be sufficient compensation for this oil family. Presidents are insulated forever from past mistakes and live high on the hog, no matter what they have done. As for Israel, can you think of one political crook of rank who has gone to jail for crimes against the nation and the Jewish people? (Don't count Omri Sharon - given the short prison sentence he has yet to serve - if he ever serves). Watch the coming show in Washington as the Bush Administration feeds one-liners to the Media of how he and Olmert are bringing democracy and peace to the enlightened Palestinians and Hamas. The present slogan is "We must provide humanitarian aid to Abu Mazen so his Terrorists won't riot. Envelopes filled with cash are already being slipped to Abu Mazen and Ehud Olmert which is filling the pockets of those Kadima Cabinet members - always there when the price is right. One doesn't have to be a gypsy fortune teller to read these tea leaves - besides - these leaves are hemlock. It is always possible that the President may see the error of his ways, send the Prime Minister Olmert packing and call off the dangerously flawed 'Road Map' scam to include cancelling the plans to empty the 'west bank' and continue the payments to Fatah and Hamas. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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RACISM
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 14, 2006. |
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1. A Cure for "Racism" Moonbats, Inc. this weekend, including Israel's own Leftists for Auto-Annihilation, are attacking Israel for "racism" after its Supreme Court upheld a law that refuses automatic citizenship to West Bank or Gaza Palestinian Arabs who marry or "marry" Israeli Arabs. They are screaming that denial of the right of the Israeli spouse to obtain automatic citizenship for the Palestinian spouse constitutes "racism". Oh yeah? Well, need we remind you that even foreign spouses of Americans do not get automatic US citizenship, nor even automatic residence rights. And ditto for many European countries. And since when is it the entitlement of married couples composed of Israeli and Palestinian Arabs to live together as a couple in Israel? Huh? They can only be "united" in Israel? Here is a BETTER solution to this supposed "Racism": let them go live as a couple in the West Bank or in Gaza of in Syria or in Lebanon! How come it is only in the direction of Israel that such couples can move to be "united"? Israel will not stop them from moving to Nablus or Jericho or Ramallah!! In fact, Israel's stopping them from living together in Jordan or Lebanon - now THAT would be racism! 2. The Wall Street Journal mocks "Rabbi" Mikey Lerner from Tikkun at http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110008368 'When it comes to religious tone-deafness, of course, Mr. McCain has plenty of competition. A spate of books, including "Thy Kingdom Come: An Evangelical's Lament," "The Left Hand of God" and my favorite, "Jesus Rode a Donkey," explicitly state that Democrats made a mistake by offending religious folks in 2004. Now they want to show how a good Christian should be a good leftist. '"Please help me build an alternative to the Religious Right--before it's too late!" That was the subject line of an email from Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine and onetime adviser to Hillary Clinton, advertising his new "Network of Spiritual Progressives." Like his colleague Jim Wallis, the evangelical editor of Sojourners magazine, Rabbi Lerner has an agenda that sounds suspiciously identical to that of the Democratic Party. OK, it's actually sillier. Aside from wanting to pull out of Iraq immediately, raise taxes and increase government-funded social services, Rabbi Lerner wants to "seek a New Bottom Line in the Western world so that institutions get judged ... [by] the extent to which they maximize love and caring." 'No doubt there are people who agree with the pacifist-socialist sentiments of Messrs. Lerner and Wallis--even, suggests Mr. Green, a few evangelicals. But they are already voting for Democrats. And so, presumably, are the other spiritual progressives: mainline Protestants, Reform Jews, Buddhists and "humanists." Of the ones who are not, one might wonder: Where do you find them? 'Today, it is a mark of the spiritual liberal not to be bound by such conventions as regular attendance at a house of worship. But where do you think Karl Rove went looking for his "moral values" voters in the last election? Here's a hint: He didn't go door to door. 'In the past month, we have witnessed the passing of the Rev. William Sloane Coffin and Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, both men who were not only active in politics but steeped in their faith. In fact, they had pulpits. Today's religious left likes to invoke these names to show that liberalism has an honorable religious history. But it's a long way from the civil-rights movement to the "New Bottom Line." Especially if you're riding a donkey.' Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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RALLY IN DC MAY 23
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 14, 2006. |
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This comes from Jonathan Silverman who is organizing a rally in Washington when Olmert comes. Contact him at jonsilverman2002@yahoo.com There is a HUGE RALLY to take place in DC to protest unilateral expulsions during Olmerts visit. As Marvin Belsky so eloquently put it: "...silence in the face of Olmert appeasement and accomodating the Israel oligarchy is not possible for anyone concerned with Israel and the US." The rally will accomplish three things 1)get our cause into mainstream American media 2)give strength to the brave Jewish fighters resisting the expulsions in Israel 3)Show that the voice of American Jewry will not be hijacked by leftist organizations who speak in our name. It is worth noting this is rally is occurring at an opportune time for broadcasting our cause vis-a-vis White House politics. As neatly summarized by Ted Belman in his recent article, '...the Kadima strategy of convergence or consolidation is all but relegated to the dust bin. The EU is on record of opposing it and the US has not encouraged it. Neither wants Israel to make unilateral moves." And according to recent and poignant DebkaFile exclusive because a report from two high ranking US officials painting the Israeli government "ill-informed and unfocused" on Iran nukes and "not on top of the methods" of Iranian financing of its nuclear and terrorism sponsoring activities"... including the radical Hizballah and Palestinian Hamas", makes it difficult for Olmert to get approval. As presented by Debka: ....of the subjects Olmert proposes to raise with US leaders....He also hopes to gain approval for his "convergence plan" for West Bank settlements... The low performance grade the two officials awarded does not bode well for the new Israeli prime minister's chances of achieving a good rapport and cooperation with the Bush administration on any of these key issues. Furthermore, brought to my attention by Daniel Pipes weblog, Geostrategy-Direct stated the Bush administration (in contrast to the State Department) harbors mixed feelings for Olmert. There is quiet concern "...over the image of Israel as a country ready to withdraw in the face of terrorism." "Israel screwed us up with its unilateral withdrawal plan because this is what is expected of us in Iraq," a senior Bush aide said in a recent private conversation with a Republican House member. "But we can't be seen as intervening." One of the things our rally will do is give Bush and his top aides and strategists a push in the right direction. Before the forced deportation of the Gush Katif Jews took place, alongside the destruction of their homes, livelihood,and giving away their land, perhaps.... possibly..., just maybe..., it was apparent only to analysts and foreign policy-buffs how terrible and disasterous is such a course. But for anyone, absolutely anyone, right now to push for more unilateral Jewish expulsions... is beyond the pale. A desire for more unilateral expulsion should be documented and publicised as pathological and a mental illness. No country has ever did to its citizens what Israel did and will do to more of to theirs. Never in history have we encountered Jews not interested in self-preservation. Never does one have a country give away it's land to the enemy of an ally; Never in history has their been so many obvious reasons to jump to action. If there is a point to be made, the rally will be the place to make it. Like when call went out to scramble reinforcements for nine houses in Amona, the call goes out here: email, phone, walk to a community center, get your organization on the boat, old-school it with door to door, whatever your method, and bring as many people as you can. Let's get done what needs to be done. The rally is set for the 23rd in front of Capitol Hill.
Godspeed, Jonathan Silverman
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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Posted by Ruth and Nadia Matar, May 14, 2006. |
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The new Israeli government, led by PM Ehud Olmert, is a government made up of mostly extreme leftist, non-leaders; ministers and MK's who have no Jewish pride and no loyalty to our heritage and our promised Biblical homeland. The only glue that keeps this government together is their hatred towards any proud Jew and their pathological yearning to destroy the entire settlement enterprise in Judea & Samaria. After the Gush Katif & Northern Shomron's destruction by the Sharon government, many dear Jews in the national camp have become depressed, pessimistic and even hopeless, thinking there is nothing to do to thwart the evil decrees. Women in Green totally disagree with this fatalistic attitude. We believe we must learn from the mistakes made by our own camp this past summer. We must learn not to follow blindly people and Rabbis who pretend to be our "leaders" but in reality have made deals behind our
backs with the expulsion authorities. See for instance the latest revelations on the Yesha Council. We also must think and discuss why, this past summer, not enough soldiers refused the order of the uprooting. We must work harder to teach our children & grandchildren in the army not to take to the political brainwashing, and not to become robots that carry out any order. Our children must be taught daily that the Torah is above all and any law whose purpose is to harm the Land of Israel and give it away to the enemy, must be disobeyed.
But most importantly, we must learn not to quietly accept decrees meant to crush us. History shows that it is far easier to expel a diminished, weakened, ghettoized and demoralized population than a growing, vibrant and confident one.
The first action we must take to fight the government's plans is a mental one. We must tell ourselves and our family and friends, in Israel and abroad, that this time,if the government wants to uproot settlements in Judea & Samaria, we will not behave passively and nicely. We must broadcast the clear message that we will defend our right to travel, to walk and to live in our own homeland, the entire land of Israel. This must be done not on D-day but already now.
We must broadcast the clear message that Olmert's plan is a crime against the entire Jewish people in its homeland. The Olmert expulsion plan of "consolidating" Israel back to the 1967 suicidal borders is a crime that endangers not only the settlement movement but the entire existence of the state of Israel. From a security point of view it is clear: If leaving Gaza created a Hamas terror state attacking, daily, the Jews of the Negev and Ashkelon- Abandoning Judea & Samaria will bring that war to Jerusalem and Central Israel. Our struggle, therefore, for the survival of the entire settlement movement, is a struggle for the very physical survival of the Jewish state of israel.
From a moral-ideological point of view: if we keep quiet and let this government give away our Biblical Homeland, Hebron, Shilo, Bet-El, Tekoa, Nablus, East Jerusalem.....what is our moral right to live in Tel Aviv, Natanya and Beersheva?
Like with the famous story with King Solomon and the baby- The world will rightly say: if you willingly gave away part of your homeland- it must really not be yours!
In Summary:
the situation is difficult but it is in our power to act and please G-d change evil decrees. The more we act, the more we strengthen our own camp, the more we convince the citizens of Israel and the world that we intend to fight for our homeland!
Women in Green is closely in touch with all those who really want to act and make a difference. Together we have planned different activities for the future.
The first important activity is strengthening the "outposts".
The first crime this government wants to commit is to uproot over a hundred communities in Judea & Samaria, falsely identified as "illegal outposts". Women in Green want to show everybody that those "outposts" are flourishing Jewish communities, no different than the bigger cities in the area- populated by proud pioneers. Those communities need our unconditional support.
Women in Green is therefore starting a series of almost weekly
inspiration trips to those communities. We urge you to join us and see
for yourselves. Please reserve your seats on the bus as soon as
possible for we only have one bus per trip.
RESERVE THE DATE:
JUNE 14,2006 at 10:30 am, Shalom Court in Jerusalem
the beginning of the trial of the State of Israel against Nadia
Matar (Arising out of a letter Nadia sent to Jonathan Bassi wherein
she is accused of "insulting a public official")
You are all invited to come and show support in this extremely
important case involving the freedom to criticize public officials for
their actions.
To read the letter Nadia wrote and to sign the petition please
on click here. Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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AID TO HAMAS-PALESTINIAN ARABS
Posted by George K. Bernstein, May 14, 2006. |
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I sent the following letter to President Bush today. I urge all of you to send similar letters before our government folds to the Quartet. Dear Mr. President: It is gratifying that our Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, says that the United States has not agreed to the "Quartet's" scheme to indirectly aid Hamas by funneling money to the Palestinian Arabs. Money is fungible and any amount that Hamas does not have to spend for so-called social programs will be used to fund terror. I have never understood the sympathy shown for the "plight" of the Palestinian Arabs as a result of the civilized world's reaction to their Hamas government. They voted for Hamas, knowing that its platform was the destruction of Israel and that it considered the US its enemy. If a Hamas government means that those who elected it will suffer because of that election, so be it. We didn't beat our breasts when we killed German and Japanese civilians during bombing raids during World War II. We had a war to win and Germany and Japan were our enemy. The Palestinian Arabs elected Hamas, which is no less an enemy of the United States, as well as of Israel. Let the Palestinian Arabs pay the price for their choice of government. Contact George Bernstein at gkblaw@aol.com |
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ISRAEL MUST STAND TALL IN AN UNJUST WORLD
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 12, 2006. |
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In a world afflicted by the insidious pandemic of blatant as well as subtle anti-Semitism, all ethnic humans of good conscience immune to this scourge must come together and craft a rational strategy. Consistent with that noble aim, supporting the Jewish homeland Israel is imperative! Rampant bias toward Israel runs amuck. The manipulation of language within the media and in everyday conversation is an effective method enabling the tentacles of that bias to penetrate through every nation on this planet including Israel itself. For example, terms such as "occupier" and "settler", in common usage, purvey a deceptive image concerning the state of affairs in lands of disputed sovereignty; Judea, Samaria, and east Jerusalem. Occupy, per the American Heritage Dictionary, is defined "to seize possession of and maintain control over by or as if by conquest." Settlers are similarly defined as colonists of a new region. Facts on the ground in the disputed territories, land justifiably secured by Israel in 1967 as a consequence of vanquishing Arab aggressors intent on annihilating the Jewish State, suggest otherwise. Israeli troops are indeed deployed to protect a minority population of Jewish citizens, living suburban lives with modern conveniences, from hostile Arab neighbors. If such Jews were allowed to live in peace, there would be no need for such troops. The Jewish military reacts to Arab aggression; they do not maintain or wish to maintain control of an Arab populace. If militant Arabs would not attack Jews, there would be no checkpoints nor a need to monitor the flow of traffic in and out of the disputed territories. These facts would be obvious if fair reporting ruled the day, and if the pandemic of anti-Semitism was somehow eradicated. The roots of anti-Semitism historically extend to the birth of Judaism, culminating in a twentieth century Holocaust beyond human comprehension. Yet, today's Arab fundamentalist nazis as well as other low life are not moved. Sadly, even much of the civilized world refuses to acknowledge its complicity in perpetuating anti-Semitic rhetoric, perhaps out of ignorance, perhaps out of a culturally programmed subtle hatred of the Jew. If the systematic slaughter of six million Jews could not soften humanity, could not compel world leaders to perhaps sympathize with and indeed support the Jewish homeland's dilemma, cut Israel some slack, is there any hope for the soul of such a cold-hearted species? The very fact that this tolerant democratic tiny nation of Israel, less than two tenths of one per cent as large as all surrounding mostly intolerant autocratic Middle Eastern Muslim regimes, thrives in the most bizarrely chaotic region of the world, producing state of the art technology dwarfing all recent achievements of its oil-rich but unproductive neighbors, is beyond amazing and should be admired planet wide. Alas, that is not the case. Yet it makes no sense to lament over reality. Jews and by extension Israel drew a less than propitious hand in the grand scheme of evolving humanity: no aces or picture cards but enough threes, sevens, and eights to survive in a world without a heart. Above all, the State of Israel must not cede another inch of its justifiably extended territory to those that will only salivate for more and more until the Jewish State is but a memory. Supporters of this maligned nation and the people it represents must ever exhibit strength, never compromising to elements with insidious agendas. Declare robustly that Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights (perhaps someday a reacquired Gaza as well) are part of sovereign Israel, will forever be stewarded by Israel, and all of Jerusalem will forever be the capital of Israel. Declare that all Arabs living within such enclaves must pledge a solemn allegiance to the State of Israel, renounce publicly all those who would do harm to Israel, or leave! In a chronically anti-Semitic unjust world, Israel must stand tall and never bend to its sworn enemies. There is no other rational option. Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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OLMERT'S GOVERNMENT IS DYSFUNCTIONAL
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 12, 2006. |
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Something of a dire nature has been developing for some time in Israel. It's not that governments are expected to run smoothly but, in Israel's case, successive governments have taken on the profile of a dysfunctional family. For example, one of the primary directives of all Israeli governments has been the ability to defend the Jewish nation against her hostile neighbors. Why then would now PM Ehud Olmert appoint a man to the post of Defense Minister whose qualifications are less than zero. Amir Peretz was merely a tank maintenance mechanic, a job usually reserved for those considered unfit for combat or leadership roles. (No insult intended to tank mechanics who do play a vital part in keep Israel's excellent armor up and rolling.) But, such a man is hardly qualified to be Defense Minister in later life. Nor has his role as Labor Party leader, who used his position to bring the nation's workforce to a standstill with numerous work strikes, qualify him for being Defense Minister - but the reverse. The real culprit was PM Olmert himself who is not qualified, given his past history of merely being a behind-the-scenes lawyer and an unflattering manipulator who used his successive government positions to advance his personal "good" fortune. A just-released annual State Comptroller's report, accusing PM Olmert of gross corruption. The Comptroller's report also cites Police and Civil Service employment practices. State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss details how Olmert, while under Ariel Sharon, chaired the Israel Land Council as Minister of Industry and Trade, used his authority in the questionable sale of properties at the Jaffa Port. Mandatory bidding was ignored and property estimates at $13.5 Million dollars was sold for $2.3 Million Dollars. The idea of conflict-of-interest never entered the mind of Olmert or, if it did, it was ignored. Olmert was merely a lowly 'go-fer' when in the Army, hardly qualifying him as a future leader of an embattled nation. He has gathered around him a collection of similarly dis-functional Cabinet with many presently under police investigation for misuse of their position and money when in government posts. Regrettably, the Police Department have become so politicized under various governments that the Police are no longer looked upon as fair and balanced authorities. They often keep investigations going for 6 or more years and when they wish to apply pressure to a certain politician or General, they suddenly activate the file. (If this reminds you of J. Edgar Hoover's secret files on U.S. Congressmen used as an instrument of blackmail to force compliance, you would be right.) Should Arik Sharon wake up from his coma, he could be faced with serious charges of using his various positions prior to and later as Prime Minister in personal gain. The Olmert conglomeration of inept appointees defies descriptive words of "crisis in government". From Olmert on down to whatever party hack could threaten to withhold their support, they were offered position and funds to go along with Olmert's "Convergence" Doctrine. It appears that every department that makes up the rule and function of running the nation is merely a political reward given over to a party hack. This particular government under Olmert called Kadima may be the most incompetent, dysfunctional government Israel has ever had. Recall that Olmert was one of the key advisors to Sharon who advised abandoning Gush Katif in Gaza, despite warnings from the General Staff and top Security officials that Gaza would shortly become a global operational base for International Terrorism. Olmert's unwise counsel was the result of a man who had not a clue as to what he was advising or what the results would be. As predicted, Gaza has indeed become a staging area/training ground for Terrorists and a launching pad for Kassam Rockets and Katyusha Missiles. Olmert was NOT held to account and slipped past being held culpable for this disaster that is growing exponentially. Now Olmert, along with his entourage of dysfunctional accomplices, wishes to duplicate his Gaza blunder in the much larger areas of Judea and Samaria. This, of courese, ties into the Bush "Road Map" and what Bush demands. Under a series of governments, the party hacks ran the affairs of government to suit their own purposes and line their own pockets. Vital and important and important projects for the nation were shunted aside as the politicians fed like pigs at the public trough. The former radio station now website, Arutz 7 points out that there should have been seven desalination plants up and running by now but, only one has been built. Despite the ever-present threat of long-term drought on a Biblical level, these past governments (including Sharon and now Olmert) simply ignored the problem in deference to their more personal gains and status. I will add to this criminal stupidity, the plan of Olmert to turn over the Judean and Samarian mountain hills, under which lies the irreplaceable aquifer that furnishes the coastal plain with 30% of its water. So - when does mere greed, avarice, and even stupidity cross the threshold into criminal negligence - even treason? RIGHT NOW! Under the earlier Olso Accords signed September 13, 1993 and then the Gush Katif blunder, weapons flowed in abundance into Gaza and the 7 cities of Nablus, Tulkarem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Ram'Allah, Bethlehem, Gaza and Jericho, turned over to the control of Yassir Arafat, head of the new Palestinian Authority. The new Defense Minister Amir Peretz declares he will instead instruct the army to attack the Jews in Judea and Samaria. As Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says repeatedly in his Muslim "Mein Kampf" that he will destroy Israel and wipe it off the map. Peretz and Olmert focus on driving the best and most patriotic off the Land. Ahmadinejad now moves toward nuclear-tipped missiles to do the job while these incompetents fiddle. Olmert is now coming to America May 23rd to get money and Bush approval to further weaken the Jewish State of Israel, divide Jerusalem and roust the Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria. Recall how the German Nazis used to shout at the Jews; "Raus! Raus!" as they forced them out of their homes. Olmert is not preparing to face the rise of fanatic "Jihadists" (fighters for Islam) either inside of Israel or outside of her borders. The Army Generals are fearful of losing their jobs if they defy Olmert so the IDF soldiers are not being trained either to fight a war or even to believe in what they are fighting for. Instead, this doctrine is being molded to fit the Bush "Road Map" to establish the Palestinian State so a victory of sorts can be claimed as the Bush Legacy. If the present Israeli government doesn't care, why should the Army? If ever there was a time for a new law, allowing (or mandating) a full military Tribunal and subsequent courts martial for a government, that time is now. Israel cannot afford a government that has turned into an asylum for the most dysfunctional of its people. This is a fight to the death and not an opportunity for corrupt politicians to play "Let's Make A Deal!" Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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NAJASS
Posted by Barry Shaw, May 12, 2006. |
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Have you heard about Najass? I suggest you learn to understand it. Najass is, in Islam, something unclean. It is used, generally, against anyone who is a Non Muslim. Such a person is considered an untouchable. In short, someone to be detested. An extension of this is to hate anyone who is Najass, especially is that person can be identified as belonging to another religion. From that staring point, it is easy to justify suspicion, hatred, even violent action and murder against someone considered as Najass. Hatred of Christians can be justified as them being described as Crusaders, or worse. Hatred of Jews can be justified by quoting portions of the Koran and by imams calling Jews "pigs and monkeys'. Such Najass attitudes in Islam has modern day resonance. Their violence against non Muslims can be reasoned as religious instruction. Yet, any response is readily interpreted as an insult or attack against Islam. Hence, the cycle of violence, and the justification for its intensification. It all stems from Najass. Devout Muslims, steeped in Islamic teaching and principles, adopt a superior attitude that allows them to justify anything. Umm Nidal is a member of the Hamas-led Palestinian parliament. This devout Muslim lady has glorified the death of her four sons to the extent that she is a living folk hero for Palestinians and radical Muslims everywhere. The fact that her four sons were fanatical suicide bombers who murdered scores of innocent Israelis is justified and applauded by her religion. Najass leads people like the religiously fanatical leader of Iran who, while denying the Holocaust, predicts the annihilation of the Jewish people in Israel as a god-given event. Najass leads fanatics to fly planes into buildings, to butcher little children with ecstatic pleasure, to blow up Teenagers in pizza parlours, while screaming 'Allah Akbar!" "God is Great!" This Najass, hatred of the non believer, causes so-called moderate Muslims to remain silent while these outrages are perpetrated by their co-religionists in London., Madrid, Bali, Amman, Cairo, and in the Sinai. Najass, however, enables them to take to the streets to join the mass demonstrations against cartoons, America, Israel, or anything non Islamic. This is at the core of the cycle of violence that is shaking our world. Supporters of Islam may claim that they are merely responding to oppression and to insults against their religion by a corrupt and threatening West, and Israel. They may further claim, together with their non Muslim supporters, that American and British foreign policy, and Israeli actions, that is the cause of the conflict. This is incorrect. It is false. The root cause is the awakening of an Islam that follows the creed of Najass. There is a gathering Islamic storm that desires to restore the world to their ideology by removing anything that is considered Najass from their presence. This train of thought will not tolerate anything that challenges them and, By extension, anything done to remove the Najass from their world is tolerable and justified. The only outcome, for them, is a worldwide Islamic caliphate, even if one method to achieve this (according to the mad leader of Iran) is a nuclear Armageddon. Contact Barry Shaw at netre@matav.net.il |
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RED CROSS FILES UNCOVER NAZIS' TRAIL OF DEATH
Posted by Avodah 15, May 12, 2006. |
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This was written by Colin Nickerson and appeared in the Boston Globe.
Later this month, after years of pressure from Holocaust scholars, Jewish groups, and the U.S. government, the immense terror trove at the Red Cross's International Tracing Service are expected to be opened to historians and other researchers for the first time. "In the concentration camps, unlike the extermination camps, everything was carefully recorded," said archive manager Udo Jost. A cardboard-covered composition book, of the type that schoolchildren use for handwriting practice, describes the special killing of 300 prisoners at Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria on April 20, 1942, to mark the Fuehrer's birthday. The execution list runs for pages, each individual receiving a single line - name, birthdate, place of birth, inmate number, and cause of death, which for each was a single bullet to the base of the skull. The birthday celebration murders started at 11:20 a.m. 11:22 - Neck shot. 11:24 - Neck shot. 11:26 - Neck shot. (Boston Globe) Contact Avodah 15 at Avodah15@aol.com |
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MOVE OUR U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JERUSALEM!
Posted by Richard A. Hellman, May 12, 2006. | ||
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Shabbat Shalom, Friends! Thank you for considering actions to urge all your contacts, Today through June 15, to Ramp up the numbers of calls to White House to move our U.S. Ambassador to Jerusalem! Even 30 calls a day will put this in the top ten issues at the White House, and 100 or more will really light up the boards! Please call on everyone you know to call the White House at 202-456-1111 (best); fax 202-456-2461, or email president @whitehouse.gov And have them all call their senators and representatives, even at their local district offices, to tell them to get moving on a bill, resolution or letter to the President indicating that they were serious about moving our ambassador to Jerusalem when they passed the '95 law, and that they expect him to do it now. Urge Pres. Bush * To keep his 2000 campaign promise to move embassy "as a first order of business";
Contact Richard Hellman at hellman@cipaconline.org. |
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THE NATFHE IS LIVING IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Posted by Angela Bertz, May 12, 2006. |
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The small town of Soham sits in low lying countryside in the English county of Cambridgeshire. The town is greatly overshadowed by the nearby market town of Newmarket, world famous for horse racing and the distinguished university town of Cambridge. On August 4th 2002 Sky News, would give Soham and the horrible story that unfolded that day its almost undivided attention. Camera crews focused almost 24/7 on two missing ten year old schoolgirls, Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. At 6.45 am (British time) as Jessica and Holly still slept peacefully in their beds Jihad Hamadeh, a resident of the Palestinian town of Jenin detonated a bomb on an Israeli bus, traveling between Haifa and Safed. Nine people were killed instantly and 50 more were wounded. Hamadeh had been dispatched by Hamas and aided and abetted by two Israeli Arab citizens, who were able to use their knowledge and freedom of movement in Israel to find a suitable target. At 9.45 am as Jessica and Holly would probably have been enjoying a family breakfast a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a telecommunications truck parked on the border of Jerusalem's old city. Two people were killed and 17 more were wounded. The Fatah al-Aqsa Brigade, closely associated with Yasser Arafat claimed responsibility for the attack. In Israel as 11 dead bodies were being identified and 70 more were being treated for their injuries Jessica and Holly's day was developing in a leisurely manner. Just before noon Jessica headed for Holly's nearby house to give her a necklace she had bought on a Menorca holiday. The girls spent some time playing on the computer, stopping to eat sandwiches and to pop out for about 20 minutes to buy some sweets at the nearby sports center. Just after 5 pm the two girls, who were avid Manchester United fans posed for a picture wearing the vivid bright red strip of their favourite team. They ate a barbecue dinner shortly afterwards and at about 18.15 the parents heard the girls chatter in Holly's bedroom before they went out. Their parents would never see them alive again. At just after 18.30 two witnesses reported seeing the girls walking linked arm in arm and heading down a footpath. It would have brought them right past the house where the school caretaker Ian Huntley lived. The girls were never seen again and never returned home. At 21.45 the police were summoned. An hour later a three year old girl in Israel watched as Palestinian gunmen opened fire on their car, killing her father and pregnant mother. For the second time that day a group affiliated with Arafat's Fatah group claimed responsibility. The little girl was injured. Two weeks later on August 17th the bodies of Jessica and Holly were found in a nearby ditch. After an investigation Ian Huntley was charged with their murder. He was sentenced to a life behind bars in a high security prison and his house was demolished. On May 27th, almost a year after the AUT's unsuccessful attempt to boycott Israel's Universities, the NATFHE, who are the largest trade union and professional association for lecturers, trainers, researchers and managers working in higher education throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland are poised to recommend passing the same motion. Almost 67,000 Palestinian terrorism apologists are set to fall back on the usual twilight zone mentality, affecting most of world when it comes to the poor Palestinians. The NATFHE it seems are just another pathetic organization getting on the ever fashionable, always believable and never contested Palestinian propaganda bandwagon. Maybe the NATFHE should equate the same policies they use to ridicule a sovereign state, forced by reality and not by design to target those that seek their destruction to the horrible events in Soham. If this was the case Ian Huntley would have killed the little girls as part of an armed resistance. He would have considered their presence on the footpath leading to his door as occupied territory. He would have set the border of his make believe domain to include his garden, and the soon to be incorporated British Isles. There would be no historical facts to back his claim, but a few crocodile tears in front of the worlds press would soon get you all the sympathy you need. Throw in some tales of starvation and half a dozen Sue Blackwell's who are able to base everything on fictional historical inaccuracy and you would soon be able to pull the wool over most of the worlds eyes. The Palestinians can be thanked for perfecting that art to perfection. The press would have reacted with pity and empathy for the two little girls, but only for about 5 minutes before turning their attention back to Huntley and his desperate struggle. There would be almost daily pictures of Huntley posing in front of his front gate weeping and talking of his humiliation every time he is forced to go through it. He would talk of the former caretakers and how they have now formed a resistance movement to combat the unfair treatment they now face at the hands of the British. He would be careful to never mention the excellent care he received in one of their hospitals a couple of years ago. He would not mention the electricity and water they supply to him 24/7. Soham schools will be boycotted by other schools. The children will become pariahs, unable to compete in any area school event. Encouraged by Huntley they will burn British flags and dream of the day when they can defend their newly invented homeland. Finally armed British forces poised on nearby roof tops will uncover information that leads them to capturing and charging Huntley with Jessica and Holly's murder. His sentencing to life imprisonment will send senses reeling, with many calling, not only for his release but to make him Prime Minister of the newly appointed state of Soham. Before this happens some useful idiot and Rachel Corrie clone will throw herself in front of a bulldozer trying to prevent British forces from destroying the home where the two little girls were murdered. Huntley will be referred to as a desperate and lowly caretaker, who chose the only way he had to fight back the savage crimes the British had inflicted on his homeland. The scenario is farcical beyond belief; however this is more or less what the NATFHE have based their boycott of Israel on. If the press and most world leaders are to be believed, Israel's targeted killings of the monsters that actively promote and dispatch people to Israel to murder and maim are seen as an affront to human dignity. Checkpoints that now cause delays are considered a humiliation. Searching a Palestinian ambulance is criminal. The wall that Israel has now built to deter the terrorists from entering has received criticism from around the world. The extra 20 minutes it now takes a Palestinian farmer to reach his field is more important than the scores of Israeli lives it now saves. Demolishing homes that have been used by terrorists or for smuggling weapons has reached the corridors of the United Nations and Amnesty International, who have constantly condemned not the Palestinians, but Israel. The imprisonment of Ian Huntley saw justice being served for the crime he committed. If Israel's policies, which are so troubling for the NATFHE could have prevented even one of the 13 deaths on that same day, then what right does this organization have to sit as judge, jury and prosecutor on policies that have proven to save lives. Policies, especially ones instigated by a government and designed to appeal to the masses can take years before they become a way of life for the people. Israel, since its establishment has lived in the shadow of a dozen countries that seek to destroy it. Never in its short history has it ever adopted policies of hatred, but has constantly sought ways to bridge the sometimes insurmountable gaps with it neighbours especially the Palestinians. These have included the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from jails, to allowing hundreds of Palestinians to take advantage of free healthcare facilities in its hospitals. These are not widely reported as they would be counter productive to all the pathetic apologists that seek to paint Israel in a demonic light, while turning a blind eye to hate incitement policies adopted by the Palestinians, which have yet to see the light of day at the end of any UN Resolution. Palestinian policy, which has for years stirred the population into a frenzy of hatred against Israel and cruelly demonized a whole generation of its children could have presented itself in no more damning light than on PA TV on April 10 of this year. A young girl read out part of a poem as part of Palestinian Children's day. "Even if all the Jews arrived (in Israel) seeking refuge with the monkeys [as Jews are commonly called]... we will never accept compensation for our land. There is no substitute for Jerusalem!... Our death is like life, My homeland is the invaders' grave... I will walk 1000 miles even if I die in it as a Martyr..." The NATFHE needs to ask itself if Jessica and Holly could ever have related to such twisted and ugly sentiments. They were sweet little girls enjoying an innocent childhood and like more than 120 Israeli children killed by Palestinians lived in a world far removed from such vile hatred. What is even more appalling is that the audience that applauded this young girl was no other than PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and several PA officials. These are the same people that have since the death of Arafat demanded endless unconditional concessions, many detrimental to Israel own security. The whole world, including the AUT and NATFHE have the audacity to single out Israel with its blatantly one sided hypocrisy, judging its policies to protect its own children, not against one to many Ian Huntley's but against millions of Palestinians as deserving of an academic boycott. You really do have to live in the twilight zone to be able to do that. Contact Angela Bertz at angela03@netvision.net.il |
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TIME LEFT FOR IRAN SANCTIONS?; RUSSIA HELP ISRAEL VS. IRAN?
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 12, 2006. |
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MORE U.S. SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM The U.S. has an inconsistent record on terrorism. It often fails to recognize who are terrorists and whom among Muslims it should work with. One example is the Fulbright scholarship. Some are awarded to terrorists. Daniel Pipes exposed one tied to Hamas. Another was exposed in a book. These scholars got invited into the US, one to teach, the other to work in a Congressional office! (Pipes #667, 4/23.) MORE KOWTOWING TO ISLAM Indignant over the media's fear of publicizing the Danish cartoons about Muhammad, a professor at a Christian college, Belmont U. at Nashville, put one of his own onto his website. He didn't publicize it; he forgot it; others noticed. As a result, the University and he parted ways. Daniel Pipes sees each capitulation to Islam as bringing more imposition of Sharia (Pipes #678, 4/24). The cartoon depicted Muhammad victimizing innocent civilians, as history records he did. IRAN TO PROLIFERATE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY Iran's supreme leader told the head of Sudan that Iran would share nuclear technology with it. Iran's chief negotiator said that if Iran's facilities are attacked, Iran would rebuild them in hidden places (NY Times, 4/26, A6). The world's tepid response to Iran's approaching nuclear capability and its threats to launch a nuclear war of genocide encourages the Islamists and indicates a weakness in the rest of the world that they will exploit (IMRA, 4/24 from Israeli Pres. Katsav). We must not allow nuclear weapons to be possessed by rogue states whose irresponsibility extends to jihad and genocide. Hitler moved against the Jews with confidence that the rest of the world didn't care. He also exploited the hesitancy by the other developed nations to challenge his imperialism. THERE MAY BE TIME FOR SANCTIONS ON IRAN Gerald Steinberg itemizes difficulties it would take considerable time for Iran to overcome, before it can make nuclear weapons. He thinks Iran is bluffing, to discourage sanctions. Same goes for its supposed tests of potent new conventional weapons, meant to discourage military intervention. The boasting is done to cover up weakness. In that case, suggests Mr. Steinberg, impose sanctions and prevent Iran from going nuclear. Sanctions should be tried, without giving up the right to attack. Sanctions could make the regime more unpopular (IMRA, 4/24). If he is wrong, we may be killed. ISRAELIS REJECT DANIEL PIPES SUGGESTIONS Daniel Pipes offered Israelis some advice for defeating the Arab jihad against it, so they give up their goal of destroying Israel. The English-language Israeli papers rejected the advice. They needn't have gotten exercised over it, he suggests, since the government obviously is not interested in winning the war. He cited as evidence the government retaliation against Hamas for a recent terrorist attack that Hamas praised and encourages. The government rescinded the Jerusalem residency permits of four Hamas members of the P.A. legislature. As a result, the four no longer would receive Israeli national insurance benefits and the right to travel throughout Israel. They are considering appealing to the Israeli courts, which usually are sympathetic to Arab claims for citizenship rights. The courts might ask the government how it justifies rescinding their residency permits for being terrorists and not arresting them for being terrorists. Remarked Pipes: (1) Good question by the courts; (2) Note that terrorists exploit the Israeli judiciary against national security; and (3) What dire punishment if Hamas members lost Jerusalem bus passes and day care center privileges! (Pipes #667, 4/23.) The news and the remarks bring out what unpatriotic, foolish, defeatists Israeli leaders are. They tie one hand behind their backs. They also have a dishonest way of conducting their efforts, more to deceive their own people than to demoralize the enemy. When they decide to strike at terrorist infrastructure, they have a target handy. This indicates to me that they have a list ready in advance. If they were sincerely at war against the Arabs instead of against their own people, they would attack every target on that list at once, and not have lists of un-attacked targets. Isn't it obvious that Israel should arrest all known members of terrorist organizations residing in Jerusalem (and the rest of Israel), as well as rescind their residency (and that of their families)? I think that all active terrorists should be executed, but that would take some doing not to cause more problems for Israel with the hypocritically "humane." RUSSIA HELPS ISRAEL KEEP AN EYE ON IRAN Russia launched a satellite for Israel to be used to monitor Iran's nuclear activities (NY Times, 4/26, A6). Since Russia is behind Iran's nuclear activities, and since it still takes the Arab side in the Arab-Israel conflict, Israel would be foolish to depend on Russian help against Iran. However, the satellite was Israeli and Russia just launched it, so Russia probably did not have an opportunity to tamper with the satellite. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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WHOSE LAND IS IT?
Posted by Paula Stern, May 12, 2006. |
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Beyond the land of the Uninformed and the Perplexed, even beyond the cities and towns of the Misguided, lies the land of the Fools and the Idiots. The Uninformed wonder about the price of bread, where the next bomb will go off, but of those who have no home, of those who have been crushed by our government, they know not, and sometimes care not. The Perplexed stare at the happenings of our country and wonder how it all went wrong. It seems so obvious, they say to themselves, so clear. A roadmap that leads nowhere cannot be followed; negotiations and talks with only one side in attendance is doomed to fail. A nation that does not put the needs of its own people above those of its enemies will not long be among the nations of the world. The Misguided do not ponder the ineffectiveness of Olmert, the contradictions, the absurdities. The world is not simple for the Misguided. They lend their voice to one plan, only to find they are not happy with the results. Wasn't disengagement supposed to end these rocket attacks? Shouldn't the government have known that withdrawing from northern Gaza would simply bring the rockets raining down on Ashkelon? Don't we have enough internal strife and poverty? The Misguided must have tremendous faith in the Divine to accept these contradictions. If they believe in Olmert and Kadima, and yet don't have this deep faith, they would be Idiots. The confusion of the Misguided encourages the Fools. Fools believe in ideas without explanation or reason. The Arabs say they want land and so let's give them land, say the Fools. Won't they then give us peace? The Arabs say that if we don't ease the closure, they will send suicide bombers. The world hears the cries of the Palestinian and so the Foolish leaders ease the closure, but the suicide bombers come anyway. Show restraint, says the world, and the Fools listen. The Palestinians elect a terrorist organization to represent them before the nations of the world. The world says they will not send Hamas aid, not finance their war against Israel. But the world buckles, as we all expected. Would Israel stand alone against a terrorist government that vows our destruction? Apparently not. The latest news is that the Fools in our government have agreed to transfer $50 million dollars. Tomorrow's security realities mean nothing to them. They focus only on today. What will the world think today? This is the way of Fools. Inevitably, the smartest of the Fools are the Idiots. Only idiots could have thought up a plan called "unilateral disengagement"; and only the Fools and the Misguided could have thought it would work. When suggested by the right; it was called "transfer". Call it "Disengagement" instead of "transfer"; move Jews instead of Arabs, and the Idiots succeeded in destroying beautiful and vibrant communities, getting Jewish synagogues desecrated, Israelis made homeless and jobless and those rockets keep falling day after day after day. And now, we see the greatest of all farces is upon us. The situation continues get worse; the rockets fall closer and closer to their intended target (the Ashkelon power plant). All say it is only a matter of time before one of those rockets hits it or something even worse. Even the Idiots understand that tragedy is, at all time, only a few meters in any direction, a question of timing and location. Will it be the power plant -- or will it be a school? The IDF and the security forces rush to destroy nine Jewish houses on a hilltop or evacuate three Israeli families from a building in Hebron, all while bombs blow up in Tel Aviv. To me, this is all a clear sign that the Idiots have been replaced by Blooming Idiots, so much more foolish and evil than the mere Idiots. Only a Blooming Idiot would have failed to understand the basic physics of an evacuation. What is moved from one place, must have another place to which it will be moved. Since we were not under any joint agreement (the definition of unilateral "disengagement"), couldn't Lachish/Egoz and other neighborhoods have been developed and THEN Gaza emptied? Were we so anxious to have the rockets reaching Ashkelon that we couldn't at least see to our own? Only Blooming Idiots would glory in the claim that SELA had managed to compensate 80% of the refugees, some eight months after the expulsion. The money should have been handed to them before they're homes were even destroyed. There is no justification for the State holding onto the money for eight long months while these people were homeless. Absolutely no pride can be taken in the fact that 20% remain without compensation. Only a Blooming Idiot would spread barbed wire around thousands of Jews (in Kfar Maimon); or send soldiers dressed in black uniforms to forcibly evict Jews from their homes. Only a Blooming Idiot would send police in black uniforms against Israeli civilians (again) to Amona and Hebron. With the evidence of brutality and excessive violence before them in the numbers of wounded and the widely publicized pictures, only a Blooming Idiot would say, "The police should be congratulated for carrying out the mission." (Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra). Only a Blooming Idiot would have underestimated the pain and anger of the Orange youth. Instead of seeking to ease the pain by discussion and compassion, the army and government continue to resort to isolation, condemnation and ridicule. Blooming Idiots abound. Only a Blooming Idiot would take a tin hut and call it a "Caravilla" and only the Misguided could nod their heads and believe the government had taken care of the refugees from Gush Katif, Northern Gaza and Northern Shomron. And finally, only a Blooming Idiot would throw an excellent soldier out of the army because he refused to shake the hand of the man responsible for making his family homeless. Other men might offer words of comfort or explanation. Others might respect that the soldier had given the required respect with the customary salute he offered to his "superior" officer and left it at that. Only the worst of the Blooming Idiots would decide that his personal ego was more important than the needs and feelings of a young man who has suffered, lost his home and a family member and simply can't, simply can't shake that Idiot's hand. But time and reality are the enemies of the Idiots and the Fools. Human nature will reveal the Blooming Idiots and the Fools for what they are. A survey recently published in the Israeli media showed that almost two out of every three Israelis believe that Israel should encourage Arabs to leave the country. Israelis are no longer willing to be fooled into accepting endless violence, incitement and attacks. If you want to live in our country, you must accept the democratic nation we have created. If the Arabs cannot cease the incitement, the attacks, the endless hatred, they should leave and go to any one of twenty-two Arab nations willing to offer them the repressive, male-dominated, non-democratic, and violent government they seem to prefer. Israel is our land, granted to us almost before time began. Modern history and the United Nations only verified what Jews have known for all time. This land is ours to love and settle, to cherish above all others. Only here are we home; we have no other country, no other land. If the Arabs want to share our home, they can only do so by respecting our right to be here as well. The Idiots and Fools can do all they want; they will never change this fact. Contact Paula Stern at paula@writepoint.com or visit her website: www.paulasays.com |
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NEW WAR BLOG
Posted by David Frankfurter, May 12, 2006. |
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Our friend, Arnold Roth, has created a new blog, specifically to de-bunk the media image that Hamas or the PA is sticking to some sort of unilaterally decared cease-fire. http://www.kerenmalki.org/Ongoing_War.htm Scroll through it. Worth a read and regular visits. David David Frankfurter is a business consultant, corporate executive and writer who frequently comments on the Middle East. To subscribe to his 'Letter from Israel', email him at david.frankfurter@iname.com. Or go to http://www.livejournal.com/users/dfrankfurter/ |
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ACADEMIC FREEDOM ALERT - OPPOSE THE BLACKLISTING OF ISRAELI ACADEMICS
Posted by Jeff Weintraub, May 11, 2006. |
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You may recall that about a year ago the Association of University Teachers (AUT) in Britain voted to institute a blacklist of academics from two Israeli universities, Haifa and Bar-Ilan, with an exemption for those who expressed approved political views. (This was misleadingly described as a "boycott," but the accurate term for this practice is an academic blacklist.) These measures were intended as a first step toward a comprehensive blacklist of Israeli academics. The AUT blacklist was publicly condemned by several major academic and scholarly associations as a violation of the basic principles of academic freedom and open intellectual exchange. These included American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), the American Political Science Association (APSA), the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A petition I circulated to Oppose the Blacklist of Israeli Academics was signed by over 5,000 people from around the world, including a large number of prominent scholars. After several weeks of further debate, the blacklist was repealed by the AUT membership. Now this stupid and pernicious idea is being resurrected by members of the other major British academic union, the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE). A blacklist proposal has been introduced to be considered at NATFHE's national conference on May 27-29. In this case, the blacklist would apply to all Israeli academics, but would be applied in a more underhanded and unaccountable manner. The proposal itself is framed in coded and disingenuous language, but the intent is to endorse a blacklist without exposing NATFHE to possible legal action: Conference notes continuing Israeli apartheid policies, including construction of the exclusion wall, and discriminatory educational practices. It recalls its motion of solidarity last year for the AUT resolution to exercise moral and professional responsibility. For further information, see "Academic blacklist season again?" (jeffweintraub.blogspot.com/2006/05/academic-blacklist-season-again.htmland) and "NATFHE: Chuck out 198C!" by Jon Pike (www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=410#). To quote Jon Pike
A PETITION to oppose this new blacklist proposal is being circulated by Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). It is described below. If you are an academic, a graduate student, or a scholar of any other kind, please sign it. Yours for academic freedom,
From the weblog of Norman Geras (www.Normblog.com)
Oppose the blacklisting of Israeli academics There's an appeal here from Scholars WorldWide to members of NATFHE: We, the undersigned faculty members from around the world, urge the Members and Board of the British National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education to oppose any resolution coming to the floor for a vote and/or defeat all resolutions that should be voted upon that would boycott scholars and faculty from Israeli academic institutions at the annual meeting of NATHFE, May 27-29, 2006[.] Please click
here to sign this petition if you're eligible to do so. A US
colleague also writes to suggest that those who have affiliations with
Israeli universities should, as a protest against all boycott efforts,
make sure to include these affiliations in their email addresses.
(Thanks: HG.)
Contact Jeff Weintraub at aweintra@sas.upenn.edu.
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PRIME MINISTERS MEDIA REPORT MISUSES WORDS AND FIGURES TO CONFUSE AND MISLEAD
Posted by Anita Tucker, May 11, 2006. | |
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This is the official Prime Minister's media report:
Note how the PM media office play with the words and numbers to mislead the reader and thus cause blatant lies to appear as the truth without actually lying outright. 1. It says the meeting was convened to "summarize the process" - not to summarize the process up until now. This infers the process is basically over and now we have to begin planning for the new process for new "converged process" DPs. 2. "convened all the professional elements who participated in implementing the Disengagement Plan for a staff discussion to summarize the process." -- i.e.They hint that they are summarizing in order to plan for future so this report infers that the lack of planning for GK people was because of the residents "lack of cooperation" and the "uncertainty" of needs as a result. This is a blatant lie -but it hints that in the future if gov't doesn't plan properly it will also be because of "uncertainty" of needs -- so don't blame the gov't next time either. 3. It says "It was reported that over 80% of the families have maintained their communal frameworks" but it doesn't say that this is in spite of the fact that the gov't made no preparation to prepare for communities and that the gov't did all it could to prevent the communities from staying whole and finding communal solutions. Report doesn't mention that each original community of 21 communities of GK (except for one) is now thanks to the government's help divided into two, three or more splinters and are struggling to keep these sub-communities together in spite of all gov't efforts otherwise. However, it is true that "over 80% of the families have maintained their communal frameworks, but not exactly as shortened in heading of report that "Over 80% of Gaza evacuees maintain communities" which in this case is a very unclear generalization. 4. "In the past seven months, approximately 1,200 new housing units have been built for evacuees at 24 sites throughout the country. " ...1200 new permanent housing units or temporary caravillas? This is very not clear? Only we know it is caravillas -- and though they were "built", it took ages before they could be livable. 5. "More than 3,500 claims for compensation have been dealt with;" not clear -- 3500 out of 3500 -- or perhaps the truth -- 3500 out of at least 11,000 potential claims (approx.9000+ residents claims for years lived there + approx. 1500 for homes + approx. 650 for businesses. That means less than a third have been "dealt with" not necessarily resolved and paid. "Dealt with might mean that the paper was moved from one desk to next..." 6. "most families have received full compensation..." Most of which families? Do they mean most of the families representing the 3500 claims mentioned -- which could mean "most" is 1751 out of 11,000 + potential claims for compensations. Perhaps they mean most of 11,000 --- I doubt that!!. 7. "The Ministerial Committee on Assisting the Residents of the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria made over 130 decisions that were carried out in full" Not too clear what this tell about the true situation. 8. "in order to submit the necessary lessons to the decision-makers" -- sure sounds like someone is planning to do these cruelties to new people. Anita Tucker is a farmer and grew formidable vegetables before she together with the other Jews of Gush Katif were kicked out of their homes and saw their greenhouses destroyed and/or vandelized by the Arabs. |
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A REMARKABLE RECORDING FROM THE BERGEN-BELSEN SINGING HATIKVAH
Posted by Laureen Moe, May 11, 2006. |
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Merla Watson said of this recording: "This is heart-rending - I sobbed all the way through this historical rending of Israel's national anthem." This is a remarkable recording from the Bergen-Belsen Death Camp of liberated inmates singing "Hatikvah." This recording is a piece of history and makes the connection between the loss of the 6 million and the burning desire for the creation of a Jewish State, as we celebrate Israel's 58th birthday. JLTV's commitment is to Never Forget, Never Again, the title of one of our regular TV programs. Go to: http://www.israelreporter.com/files/radio/BergenBelsenHatikva.mp Contact Laureen Moe at meadow-lark@telus.net |
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NATFHE CALLS FOR A BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL
Posted by Dr. Denis MacEoin, May 11, 2006. |
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Dear All, As some of you will already know, a second British academic union, Natfhe (National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education) is about to consider a motion for the boycott of some or all Israeli universities. Since Natfhe is a more stridently left-wing union than the Association of University Teachers (who last year overturned their notorious vote for a boycott), there is every possibility the motion may be carried, allowing other unions internationally an excuse for deepening Israel's isolation. A number of letter-writing campaigns have now started, and we hope you will distribute this as a request to your subscribers to write as we are doing. The primary individuals to address are: John Wilkin, PRESIDENT
Dennis Hayes, VICE PRESIDENT
Paul Mackney, GENERAL SECRETARY
Natfhe's conference begins on May 27: our hope is that their executive will see by then that it would be inappropriate and divisive to allow a motion to be tabled that undermines their claim to act as a properly-run academic union. Letters should be short, polite, and well argued. The recipients are academics who will not respond well to being bullied or hectored, but who should take on board arguments based on the standards of the academy and the essential racism of the proposed motion. Let's do all we can to nip this in the bud. Yours sincerely, Dr. Denis MacEoin
Contact Dr. MacEoin at maceoin@btinternet.com |
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WASHINGTON'S PRO-HAMAS FOREIGN POLICY
Posted by Elan Journo, May 11, 2006. |
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America's Appeasing Foreign Policy Encouraged Hamas
America's policy of backing "land for peace" deals in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was supposed to stop Palestinian terrorism and culminate in a Palestinian state coexisting with Israel "side by side in peace and security." But after years of Israeli concessions, and after American pleas to embrace "leaders uncompromised by terror," the Palestinians chose Hamas--a terrorist group committed to destroying Israel and creating a totalitarian Islamic regime. Washington proclaimed itself shocked at this development. But the ascendance of Hamas should have been expected; it is the logical product of America's foreign policy. The U.S.-endorsed "Road Map to Peace"--like the "Peace Process" and sundry initiatives before it--rested on the rationalization that Palestinian terrorism is primarily the result of a legitimate grievance: the Palestinians' frustrated wish to establish their own civilized, peaceful state. The way to end Palestinian terrorism, then, is not for Israel to defeat its attackers, but to give them land and loot with which to fulfill their supposed aspirations. But as has been proven repeatedly by their actions and by numerous polls--and now by the recent election--the overwhelming majority of Palestinians aspire not for a civilized state but to eradicate Israel and replace it with a brutal dictatorship. Because they embrace this vicious goal, hordes of Palestinians idolized arch terrorist Yasser Arafat for waging a terrorist war to wipe out Israel and establish a nationalist dictatorship. During Arafat's brutal reign, they abetted his terrorism and celebrated his atrocities. They served as cheerleaders or recruits for terrorist groups. Yet Washington, deluding itself that Palestinians seek legitimate goals, rationalized Palestinian barbarities as the lashing out of oppressed victims. And so, as they mounted more attacks, Washington urged ever more concessions to the Palestinians. It has urged Israel to respect, not punish, them. The United States forbade Israel from laying a finger on Arafat, and extended this tender solicitude to Hamas leaders, like Salah Shededah. When Israeli forces found this organizer of suicide bombings and assassinated him, President Bush condemned Israel for its "heavy-handed" measures. Washington actually whitewashed the blood-stained Arafat and his crony Abbas as peace-loving statesmen and invited them to the White House. Even as Palestinian terrorism raged, in defiance of Palestinian obligations under successive "peace deals," America continued to dole out rewards. It sent hundreds of millions in aid to the terrorist-sponsoring Palestinian Authority. When Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza strip, rendering itself more vulnerable to predations, America wholeheartedly approved--and insisted on further land concessions. Palestinians, who swiftly began rocket attacks from Gaza, were jubilant; they correctly saw themselves as the victors whose terrorist war had won our approval and forced Israel to retreat. American policy teaches Palestinians that their goal of destroying Israel--and the terrorism they employ to achieve it--is legitimate and practical. The ascendance of Hamas therefore was predictable. It is by far the more consistent proponent of that murderous goal. Hamas openly seeks the destruction of Israel; it righteously wages a war of rocket attacks and suicide bombings against Israel. The once-dominant Fatah has also long sought Israel's destruction, but it never delivered final triumph over Israel. That failure--Hamas and many other Palestinians conclude--stems from lacking dedication to the goal. Fatah's leadership, more interested in retaining power than in advancing the people's cause, deviated from the path of war: it countenanced negotiating with and recognizing Israel. Who is better able to fulfill the Palestinians' wish to obliterate Israel? Fatah leaders who halfheartedly mouth a vague and withered ideal--to create a nationalist Palestinian homeland--or the ardent proponents of a deeply resonant moral ideal--to destroy the enemies of Allah? It is Hamas that can invoke a rousing moral justification for its violence. It is Hamas that, fully understanding its objective, can consistently embrace the means of accomplishing it. Compared with Fatah, the zealous murderers of Hamas stand out as being more consistent and therefore more efficacious in pursuit of the people's wish: Israel's destruction. America's policy of appeasement has encouraged Hamas, it has weakened a crucial ally, and it will cost us dearly. Like the Taliban, al Qaeda and Iran, Hamas marches under the banner of Islamic totalitarianism. Hamas's political ascendance is a victory for the enemies of America--and will further encourage the worst religious militants throughout the world. America must stop evading the nature of the Palestinian cause and embrace the principle of self-defense. A first step would be to urge Israel to annihilate Hamas, smash its terrorist infrastructure, execute its leaders--and for America to proclaim that all Islamic totalitarians will meet with the same fate. Elan Journo is a junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute (http://www.aynrand.org/) in Irvine, Calif. The Institute promotes Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand--author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. |
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CONSTITUTION VS CITIZENSHIP; ISRAEL SHOULS CHALLENGE HAMAS' LIES; MEDIA
INTIMIDATED BY ISLAMIC THREATS
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 11, 2006. |
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HAMAS ACCUSATION & ISRAELI REALITY Hamas falsely refers to "Israeli escalation" -- every Arab statement bears a false accusation. In reaction to the latest terrorist bombing in Tel Aviv, the government of Israel said it would take no action, it would launch an information campaign. Israel needs both action and propaganda. It needs effective action, but most of its action is make-believe. It needs effective propaganda, but most of its propaganda is defensive and appeasement-minded. The problem is not that Israel is escalating the warfare but that it is failing to escalate it. Few defeats come from fighting with too large a national force, but many come from fighting lackadaisically. MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S NEGATIVITY ON ENERGY Amid rising gas prices and motorists' indignation, New York's Mayor carefully and coldly divorced himself from their problem. He told them that solutions are not within municipal and state means. Not entirely true. His city spends an increasing fortune to ship energy-laden garbage to outside disposal sites. The garbage could be tapped to provide much of the energy that needs to be available within the city, in case the bottleneck of distribution lines blacks out. Locals blame Pres. Bush, but block new energy plants. Much of the energy Americans use is wasted through inefficiency as well as profligacy. This city and all cities and states should be requiring energy-efficient building. The states all should require higher mileage on cars. So should the federal government. Pres. Bush now appeals for higher mileage, but won't require it by law. The Mayor lacks the imagination, if not also the compassion, to contribute to American energy-independence. A businessman elected mayor might introduce businesslike methods to contracts and school construction. This one wastes money by eliminating public bidding for contracts and treats children and teachers inappropriately as if factory workers. CONSTITUTION VS. CITIZENSHIP For all the talk about immigration reform, none of it includes a Constitutional amendment to make citizenship of children born in the US follow that of their parents. The children still automatically become citizens, enabled to stay, even if their parents are deported for being terrorists or are asked to leave because they are part of the invading army of illegal aliens. People propose Constitutional amendments for much lesser matters. There is nothing wrong with children born here taking the citizenship of their parents. If their parents become naturalized citizens, so might they. JEWISH AWARDS TO ANTI-JEWISH JEWS Brandeis U., non-sectarian but with "Jewish roots," decided before the release of Munich, to award an honorary doctorate to its scriptwriter, Tony Kushner, and to Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. (The prince talks about tolerance but supports the P.A.'s bigoted, jihadist war against Israel.) The NY Sun describes Mr. Kushner as "a critic of Israeli government policies." How polite of it! His comments about Israel include an accusation that it arose from "ethnic cleansing" of Arabs, opposition to Israeli settlement in Judea-Samaria, and opposition to the route of Israel's security barrier? (probably because it inconveniences some Arabs). A member of the university's board of trustees said he had not known of Kushner's stance on Israel, but none of the members of the committee deciding whom to honor were interviewed. Board members put the issue as recognizing the merit of someone's artistry regardless of his views (Gabrielle Birkner, 4/25, p.3). I am a critic of some of Israeli government policies. Kushner is an opponent of Israel. There is a difference. When Kushner relates Israeli independence to ethnic cleansing of Arabs, he is defaming Israel and exonerating Arab war criminals. Israel's War for Independence was its defense against an Arab attempt at ethnically cleansing it of Jews. That attempt is what a decent person ought to be indignant at. That the defeated Arabs chose to run away, including tens of thousands from Arab hooligans before the main battles started and others after Zionist leaders pleaded with them to stay, is a chance blessing to be thankful of and not to criticize Israel for. What Israel should be criticized for is having allowed tens of thousands of Arabs to stay and others to return or come in, thereby putting close votes about Jewish destiny into the hands of a fifth column bent on dispossessing the Jews. It is difficult to discern where ignorance ends and antisemitism begins. Kushner's remark about ethnic cleansing could be ignorant, but more likely is hostile. It is in that light that I interpret his criticism of settlements and security fences. The people who object to security fences have expressed no concern about the need for them imposed by Arab terrorism. I interpret much of their concern as antisemitism in the guise of one-way and wrong-way humanitarian concern for the Arabs. I don't think one should honor someone who would leave masses of peope to be exterminated by the jihadists, however great his art. Many bystanders would think that to the officials, his art excuses his politics. Although his movie appeared after notice of the award, the movie obscured the evil of terrorism and the rightfulness of Israel's pursuit of terrorists. That demonstrates the low purpose to which high art can be put. The university's decision seems part of a troubling trend for Jews to honor their enemies. BOMBING IN EGYPT Both the NY Times of 4/25 and the NY Sun reported the terrorist bombing of an Egyptian resort that Israelis frequent. Both quoted Egyptian police as asserting they would apprehend the criminal ring soon. The Sun observed, however, that the police did not apprehend those involved in the other two bombings of Egyptian resorts in the past two years. Police called the latest bombing unsophisticated. Maybe it was, but it slew 30! What does it take for Israelis to stop attending Egyptian resorts? Shouldn't have ceded the area to Egypt. Egypt enables terrorists and arms to pass into Gaza. It is the partner of those terrorists. It has no moral right to complain about terrorists attacking its territory. MORE THAN GAZA & NORTHERN SAMARIA WAS ABANDONED The abandonment of Gaza allowed the Arabs to launch rockets at Israeli communities only a few hundred yards away. The bombs keep coming but the armor promised for the Israelis' houses does not. Neither does a firm Israeli assault on the terrorists. The people in the border Israeli towns feel abandoned, themselves (IMRA, 4/21). WHAT OLMERT COUNTS ON FOR SUPPORT Olmert's entourage has given out word that terrorism motivated Sharon to abandon Gaza (though terrorism from Gaza has increased as a result of abandonment). They also state that Olmert feels that continued terrorism would make it politically easier for him to abandon more territory. (Does that means he welcomes it? He wasn't asked.) The reporter missed the significance of the admission that the military echelon unanimously recommended that Israel retaliate hard (IMRA, 4/21). Also missed this confirmation of Hamas' claim that terrorism drove the Israelis out. Why does Olmert not fight back hard? They don't get a straight answer from him. WESTERN MEDIA ADMITTING INTIMIDATED First the Boston Globe admitted that it did not reproduce the Danish cartoons because it feared Islamic hoodlums. Then Comedy Central admitted barring certain comments about the cartoons for fear of safety. Now Borders Books admitted not selling Free Inquiry, because it values security more than the First Amendment. The other media that don't reproduce the Danish cartoons or other publications that challenge Islam are in denial (Pipes #667, 4/23). Intimidated in our own country! It's immigration, stupid! Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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BEWARE. EHUD OLMERT IS COMING TO WASHINGTON, D.C.!
Posted by Ruth Matar, May 11, 2006. |
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Dear Friends, At the presentation of his government before the newly elected Knesset on May 4th, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made the following shocking statements: "The continued dispersed settlement throughout Judea and Samaria creates an inseparable mixture of populations which will endanger the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish State... Partition of the Land for the purpose of guaranteeing a Jewish majority is the lifeline of Zionism... Therefore we must focus on the area in which a Jewish majority is secured and ensured. The disengagement from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria was an essential first step in this direction, but the main part is still ahead... WE MUST PRESERVE A STABLE AND SOLID MAJORITY IN OUR STATE!" WOW! Israel's new Prime Minister sure is a smooth talker. "We must focus on the area in which the Jewish majority is secured and insured," he says. Which area is he talking about? Tel Aviv? Tel Aviv is a relatively new Jewish settlement. In the year 1910, with the financial assistance of the Jewish National Fund, the Jews purchased some twelve acres of sand dunes. The new Jewish settlement was named Tel Aviv after Nahum Sokolow's translation of Altneuland, Herzl's fictional depiction of the Jewish State. On the other hand, Judea and Samaria, from which Ehud Olmert wants to forcibly expel 60,000 Jews, is the ancient Biblical heartland of Israel. Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, said it authoritatively: "The Bible is our Mandate." One of the earliest Biblical Jewish settlements is Hebron in Judea. After Abraham's wife Sarah died at Kiryat Arba (City of Arba), the early name of Hebron, he went there to mourn over her. Abraham purchased a cave, together with the adjoining ground, as a family burial place. The seller, Ephron, a Hittite chieftain, offered it to Abraham for free, but the Patriarch refused the gift and paid the fair market price of 400 shekels of silver. Abraham did this so that there should never be a question of Jewish ownership. According to the Biblical account in Genesis, this occurred approximately between 1700-1500 BCE. Thus, the Jews have an even better title to Hebron than to Tel Aviv. Nonetheless, Ehud Olmert, on Sunday, May 7, 2006, sent 1,000 soldiers to evacuate three Jewish families from a building near the Avraham Avinu Synagogue. The Olmert government claims that the Jewish purchase of this building was illegal, which according to the Jewish community is entirely false. At best, this matter is a civil dispute and should have been handled by a civilian court. But with Olmert as Prime Minister, the Jews of Hebron are not part of his Jewish majority and have no rights to be there altogether. Time now to address the question of "Olmert's preservation of a solid majority in our Jewish State." Do we have to abandon large areas of our homeland because of a demographic problem, i.e. that there are too few Jews in these areas and too many Arabs? This is an old bug-a-boo! In fact, that attitude goes back to the creation of the State. Yoram Ettinger, former Israeli Consul General to the Southwest, describes the situation in 1947 and 1948. Roberto Bacci, who became Israel's chief statistician following statehood, tried to influence David Ben Gurion not to declare a State: "Delay, delay, delay independence. We don't have enough Jews here!" Fortunately, Israel's first Prime Minister did not listen to him. Israel's present Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, on the other hand, tries to ride the demographic hobbyhorse in order to justify expelling 60,000 Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria. A recent prestigious study by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, a security affairs think-tank affiliated with Bar-Ilan University in Israel, shows that in 2004 the Arab population in Gaza and the West Bank was 2.5 Million instead of the 3.8 Million reported by the Palestinian Authority officials, A MILLION PERSON GAP. Yoram Ettinger, one of the nine researchers of this study, points out that "policy decisions have been based on demographic assumptions and those demographic assumptions are absolutely wrong. Not maybe, not slightly - but absolutely." "Contrary to conventional wisdom," Yoram Ettinger stated, "the relationship between geography and demography is that if you want to protect demography, you have also to secure the geography. A giveaway of geography would result in a massive Palestinian immigration into the West Bank and acceleration of migration into the Green Line, thus wrecking Jewish demography." And now Ehud Olmert is slated to leave for the United States on Sunday, May 21st to promote his evil, immoral plan to expel his fellow Jews from their patrimony of Judea and Samaria, and to turn Jewish Land over to the Arab enemy. Olmert's 4-day U.S. trip will include a get-acquainted meeting with President George W. Bush at the White House on May 23rd, an address before a special joint session of Congress the next day, and meetings with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The purpose of Olmert's trip is to convince President Bush and the Congress to provide financial support for his "Convergence Plan" - which is basically a retreat plan. Dear Friends, you may agree with me that this is a dangerous situation, but you may feel that there's nothing you personally can do about it. WRONG! In fact, all of us who are American citizens have the responsibility to avert Olmert's plans. 1. Olmert's retreat plan is an existential danger to Israel. OLMERT'S RETREAT PLAN WILL EVENTUALLY BE DEFEATED HERE IN ISRAEL UNLESS PRESIDENT BUSH ENDORSES IT! Please let President Bush know how you feel before Ehud Olmert comes to the White House to pawn Israel in exchange for American taxpayers' dollars. Call: 202-456-1111
In addition, contact your Congressmen and Senators and tell them about your concern regarding President Bush's reaction to Ehud Olmert's retreat plan. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is coming to see President Bush about the funding of his continued planned withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, which will affect almost 90 additional Jewish communities. Olmert's retreat plan is not only dangerous for the survival of Israel. It is dangerous for the United States as well. It sends a very dangerous message to terrorists, namely that terror pays. It is in America's interest to distance itself from Ehud Olmert's retreat plan and his intent to expel 60,000 additional Jews, this time from their homes in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. The Islamic terrorists which Israel faces are the same enemy, who attacked the United States on 9/11, and who are daily killing American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. The goal of Islamic Jihad is not only to wipe Israel off the map, but to dominate the whole world! With Blessings and Love of Israel, Ruth Matar P.S. A protest demonstration is planned in front of the White House on May 23rd when Ehud Olmert is received by President Bush in the White House. Plan to be there! Stay tuned for further information. Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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STOP CODDLING DESPOTS
Posted by Eliezar Edwards, May 11, 2006. |
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This article was written by Max Boot and it appeared as an Op-Ed
piece in the L.A. Times yesterday. If Bush is serious about ending tyranny, he'll crack down on Mubarak and his ilk. DURING HIS first four years in office, President Bush made impressive strides toward achieving the improbable goal laid out in his second inaugural address -- "ending tyranny in our world." American troops liberated 50 million people and midwived representative governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States also provided important support to peaceful uprisings in Ukraine, Georgia, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan. The ripples of those revolutions reverberated throughout the greater Middle East, long the major breeding ground of anti-Western terrorism. At a minimum, tyrants felt compelled to pay lip service to American demands that they curtail support for terrorism and show greater respect for human rights. Syria's Bashar Assad pulled his occupation army out of Lebanon; Hosni Mubarak promised to hold genuine electoral contests in Egypt; the Saudi royal family deigned to hold elections for municipal councils. In the last year, however, the global momentum for democratization has palpably slowed and in some places reversed course altogether. Vladimir V. Putin has crushed all competing centers of power in Russia. Belarus, the only other dictatorship left in Europe, held fraudulent elections that confirmed Alexander G. Lukashenko's death grip on power. The same thing happened in Kazakhstan, where president-for-life Nursultan A. Nazarbayev claimed to have won more than 90% of the vote. Next door in Uzbekistan, security forces gunned down hundreds of unarmed protesters in the city of Andijan and then tried to cover up the massacre. The same worrisome trend is observable in the Middle East. The Iranian ayatollahs have stepped up their campaign of torturing, jailing and executing dissidents. The Assad regime has arrested more opposition figures at home and continues to intimidate anti-Syrian activists in Lebanon. And, most glaring of all, modern-day pharaoh Mubarak has imprisoned his leading liberal opponent and renewed the draconian "emergency law" that allows indefinite detention of anyone who challenges his rule. What's going on? Well, no one -- not even Bush -- ever said that the course of liberty would be smooth and easy. Entrenched elites have an obvious incentive to resist giving up power, and they now feel free to do so because they think that Bush, a lame-duck president with approval ratings in the low 30s, is too feeble to resist. The despots reckon, not without reason, that they can simply wait out the current occupant of the White House. They know that the odds of vigorous action from the United States are slim given how many U.S. troops are tied down in Afghanistan and Iraq. The continuing turmoil in Iraq and Hamas' takeover of the Palestinian Authority -- signs of the supposed dangers of too much freedom -- provide further pretexts for repression. In his remaining 986 days in office, Bush has a choice: Either he can sit back and allow the resurgence of the dictators, or he can fight back with the considerable power still at his command. His recent decision to grant a coveted White House reception to Ilham Aliyev isn't a good sign because the president of oil-rich Azerbaijan blatantly rigged his nation's parliamentary elections just six months ago. If Bush wants to show that he is still serious about promoting "the expansion of freedom," he could begin by making an example of Egypt. Mubarak is reputedly one of Washington's closest friends in the Arab world, yet he has been among the most brazen in defying Bush's demands for greater openness while force-feeding his 78 million subjects a steady diet of anti-American and anti-Semitic drivel. His vow to hold multiparty presidential elections produced a suspect ballot last fall in which he secured 88% of a feeble turnout. Afterward, he consigned his chief challenger, Ayman Nour, to five years' hard labor on trumped-up charges of forging signatures to qualify for the ballot. The subsequent parliamentary election was even more dubious; ruling party goons used violence and fraud to keep the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition group, from winning too many seats. Now Mubarak's minions are roughing up peaceful demonstrators who support brave judges in their demand for greater independence and less electoral fraud. Why, oh why, is this repugnant regime still getting $2 billion a year in American subsidies? Take the money away from Mubarak and give it to democracy-promotion programs across the Middle East. That would be a shot heard 'round the world. Failing such a signal, the dictators will become bolder and more brazen in defying what Bush once called "the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity." |
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DATE OF MY TRIAL
Posted by Salah Choudhury, May 11, 2006. |
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[Editor's Note: Salah Choudhury is editor of the Bangladeshi weekly, The Blitz, and a proponent of interfaith dialogue. He was arrested at the Bangladash airport in November 2003 and jailed, thus preventing him for travelling to Israel to participate in a Writers Conference. He was in jail for 17 months before being released on bail. He is charged with sedition.] Greetings from Dhaka! I shall appear before the Court of Metropolitan Session Judge, Momin Ullah, on May 23rd 2006. The Public Prosecutor will be present to read the charge sheet (Police Report) in the Court requesting the Court to Frame the Charge and begin trial. At the same time, my lawyer, Mr. S.N. Goswami will bring several references from the Law Books and Case records, showing substantial grounds to the Court, which would go against the statement of the Public Prosecutor in favor of Framing the Charge. Mr. Goswami will ask the Court to drop the charge, as per the provisions of law, as the case in illegally lodged and is not maintainable. Mr. Goswami repeatedly assured me that, he will fight with all his zeal, and believes that the Court will drop the charge, if not otherwise instructed by the Government. In general condition, it might take several weeks for the Court to complete the trial process, if the Charge will be framed. In this case, the Court will basically act upon the instructions of the Government, and will not pay much attention to the provisions of law. The government might another trick in this case. As you all know, 25th April 2005 was another date for Charge Framing, when the government sought time for their submission in favor of the case. This time too, they might seek time, and in fact they can delay the process by another couple of months, just by taking time. It might be even the inner intention of the government to delay the trial process and let the judgement come during Care Taker government, which will assume office on 11th October this year. But, in any case, there is not any positive indication from the government in dropping the false charge nor they have given any positive direction to the Public Prosecutor. Their fullest intention is to frame the charge and begin the trial. This is for your kind information please.
The writer is a journalist, columnist, author, amd editor of "Weekly Blitz". Email him at salahuddinshoaibchoudhury@yahoo.com |
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PM EHUD OLMERT SEEKS PRESIDENT BUSH'S APPROVAL TO DIVIDE JERUSALEM
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 10, 2006. |
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PM Olmert is coming to America on May 23rd to seek approval and Billions of American taxpayers' dollars to divide Jerusalem. He also wishes to force transfer the Jews of Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, and the Golan Heights. Then after he cleanses the Land of Jews, he will turn it over to the Arab Muslim Palestinians to include Hamas, Al Qaeda, Al Aksa who will fill the vacuum as Hezb'Allah did in Lebanon and as Hamas is doing in Gaza. Olmert follows the earlier planning of ethnic cleansing by former PMs Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Beilin, followed by Ehud Barak, Bibi Netanyahu and finally Sharon - to drive out the pioneering settlers and, leaving homes, farms, roads, factories, schools, synagogues, electrical and water systems so the millions of Arab Muslims Palestinians can move in and take over. Such "Jews" have long passed the threshold of assimilation and are now wholly alienated from their Jewish roots. Only when it is politically necessary do they sprinkle some "Jewish Dust" upon themselves - perhaps by donning a Kippah - and pretend to be Jews. But, not a day nor a year has gone by without an irrevocable pledge by the Muslims to eliminate the Jewish State. Down through the centuries there was the mistaken belief that, through treaties, agreements, retreat from territory and money bribes that the Muslims of Islam could be appeased. That they would agree to cease their Koranic-driven aggression and abandon their ideology of conquest for Allah if the gesture of pacification was large enough. But, it never happened, because the bedrock of Islam as a Koranic mandate of Islam is either awaiting strength to conquer or has achieved that strength and then move on to War, e.g. Dar al Harb or Dar al Islam (World of Islam). The Muslim may sign any agreement with the infidel (non-Muslim) but may break it at a time of their choosing and attack. The West has never come to grips with the immutable laws that drives Islam. The greatest offenders presently in not recognizing the irreversible goals of the Islamists are the Israelis and the Leftist Jews in America. America, however, is first learning this lesson in Afghanistan and Iraq, coming in as rescuers only to be betrayed by the very people we saved. They cannot believe that a deal cannot be struck if the payment (Money) is sufficient. They (the Jews) cannot understand that the only payment acceptable to Islamists is for Jews to abandon their religion and no longer be a claimant to the Land based upon its gift by the G-d of Abraham. So now a lowly, unprincipled man will come to America to solicit Bush's approval, along with $10 or more Billion of American taxpayers' dollars and collaboration to divide the Land of Israel as a useless, temporary bribe to Arabs who will take the gift in anticipation of taking it all. Ehud Olmert is basically a weak man whose domain has always been in the shadows of back room dealing. There is nothing noble or even likeable about the man. He meets the criteria of the lowest form of politician and is certainly no leader who inspires confidence. Greedy, grasping and little or no connection to what would be called Jewish national memory. Olmert's frequent proclamations following Shimon Peres that Israel must make every effort to maintain the Jewish Character of the State is ludicrous. They have often shown their loathing for the Torah Laws and those who adhere to the Commandments and the 613 attendant Laws of Ethics (Mitzvot) which the Kadimites find too restrictive There are many Jews born of Jewish mothers who consider being identified as a Jew is a gross insult. Granted - like Arabs with their mis-use of hudnas (temporary and false peace gestures) these "un-Jews" also pretend in misleading declarations that they are, indeed, bound to their Jewishness and the Land when neither is true. They not only despise their own roots but, they also despise those observant Jews - like the pioneering settlers, even more. Olmert's claim that he will keep the Jewish character of the nation by forcing dedicated Jews off their Land is clearly the mark of a Leftist un-Jew who despises the Jewish character of the nation. Olmert and a gang of Kadimites cum Ca'ananites are coming to descend on Washington like a plague of insatiable locusts. They want Billions of American tax-payers' dollars so they may divest the Israeli Jewish nation of a large part of Jerusalem and an even larger part of what is already a minuscule State of Jews. They wish to abandon every holy site including Jerusalem, Hebron (the burial cave of Abraham and his family) and all other holy sites that draw Jews to the Land that G-d gave to the Jewish people in perpetuity. They expect President Bush to appease the Arab oil sheiks and the terrorists of Islam by agreeing to fund the division of Jerusalem and other vital parts of Israel. I wonder if the Jews and Christians of America will stand for this raid on the treasury so Olmert and Bush can slap the face of G-d. Everyone, every Jew, every Christian must protest in anger Olmert's proposal to divide the eternal Capital of the Jewish people despite what the Arabist State Department wants. President Bush must be notified by letter, Email, FAX and above all, visits by Jewish and Christian groups denouncing this perfidious plan. We, in America, do not need further and greater catastrophies visited upon us for driving the Jews out of the Land G-d gave to them. From the moment Olmert arrives on American soil he must be greeted with the disdain he deserves. Every Congressman should be notified that should they vote a budget to divide Jerusalem, they can start looking for another job. As for George Bush being a co-partner in funding the division of Jerusalem and further encouraging the abandonment of the Land, please let him know he will be marked as a modern day Cain for the rest of his life. P.S. More Bad News: It has been reported that Bush has caved into European pressure to fund so-called Humanitarian aid and knowing if will mostly go to Hamas claims of transparency notwithstanding. Moreover, when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shows up in Washington he will be encouraged (read: ordered) to release all the withheld tax monies to the false front of Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) and straight into the coffers of Hamas. The original rat hole built by Yassir Arafat to funnel money from donor nations is still in operation and President Bush has become one of the paymasters using America's tax dollars. Let Congress and the President know how you feel about them being the signatory to the division of Jerusalem, the Holy, Eternal Capital of Israel and the Jewish people. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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JIMMY CARTER: DISGRACE TO THE HUMAN RACE
Posted by IsrAlert, May 10, 2006. |
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This was written by James Lewis and it appeared in
The American Thinker May 10, 2006
In his acceptance speech for the 1976 Democratic nomination, Jimmy Carter said a memorable phrase: The income tax system, he said, "is a disgrace to the human race." It is certainly the best rhyme of Carter's presidency, and it is still apt, because it describes Carter himself to a T. After flunking as president, Jimmy Carter has now become an unalloyed embarassment. As president Carter almost managed to drive the US economy off the road, with the highest combined inflation and unemployment rate in a half century. Even worse, it was Carter who brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power, by refusing to support the pro-American Shah of Iran. Needless to say, Khomeini quickly created the first major Islamofascist government in modern times, which has terrorized Iranians and indoctrinated hundreds of thousands of people in the ideology of suicide martyrdom. The Khomeinist regime is now on the verge of getting nuclear weapons. Needless to say, Jimmy Carter became a hero to the international Left, scoring a Nobel Peace Prize in the process. Yesterday the International Herald Tribune, owned by the New York Times Company, published Carter's latest pearls of wisdom. His title? "Punishing the innocent is a crime." And no, he wasn't talking about the 3,000 American civilians murdered on 9/11. He was talking about the "innocent" terrorist group Hamas. Carter has now openly demanded US and European aid for a Hamas Islamofascist government for the Palestinians. Apparently he hasn't noticed what happened the last time he brought Islamic fanatics to power. Innocent Palestinian people are being treated like animals, with the presumption that they are guilty of some crime. Because they voted for candidates who are members of Hamas, the United States government has become the driving force behind an apparently effective scheme of depriving the general public of income, access to the outside world and the necessities of life. Where to start? When someone's head is so deeply sunk where the sun don't shine, there isn't any place to start. First of all, the idea that Palestinians are "deprived... of the necessities of life" is a plain lie. Tens of millions of dollars of humanitarian aid is flowing to the PA territories. Even Jimmy Carter could have had somebody fact-check that sentence. It is only government-to-government aid to the Hamas appatus that is being suspended by the US and Europe -- until they give some assurance that they want peace. Interestingly, Hamas doesn't seem to think it is starving. The Jerusalem Post reports that: Hamas leaders warned over the weekend of a new intifada and said they would "chop off" the head of anyone who works to bring down their cabinet. The warnings were made during huge demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in support of the Hamas cabinet and in protest against the US-led sanctions on the Hamas cabinet. Carter seems to think that Palestinian voters had a choice -- that they could have voted for a peace party. But there is no peace party. Palestinian kids are brought up from infancy with worst kind of propaganda. Fatah has committed terrorist acts for its entire existence, just as Hamas has. But Fatah is secular, while Hamas is a creation of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni version of Khomeini's fascist regime in Iran. Hamas has proclaimed again and again that its Islamic duty is to destroy Israel. It has sworn to never, never negotatiate a lasting peace. To prove that it is serious, it has been murdering innocent children, women, and men in Israel. Hamas is now killing other Palestinians in a struggle against Fatah. Carter is therefore demanding that the United States support a government that has denounced the Oslo Accords, and which repeatedly proclaims that it has no intention of making peace. Apparently Palestinian governments do not need to adhere to their treaty agreements. All the wildly celebrated international peace accords now mean nothing. It's heads I win, tails you lose. Apparently terrorist killing of civilians is acceptable. If Flight 93 had crashed into the White House, we can only assume that Jimmy Carter would be all in favor. It is Hamas that is the victim. It is a little-known fact that King Edward VIII of Britain secretly negotiated with Hitler at the start of World War Two, to take over the reins of power if the Nazis conquered England. In the end Churchill had Edward exiled to the Caribbean for the duration of the war. British governments have since refused to say a word about Edward's treason, in good part from sheer shame and embarassment. Jimmy Carter is our Edward VIII. What a disgrace to the human race. Harv Weiner, a businessman in Dallas, Texas, is the founder and moderator of Isralert. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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OIL WARS ARE AFOOT!
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 10, 2006. |
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U.S.V.P. Dick Cheney in Lithuania justifiably blasts Russia's President Vladimir Putin for reversing the democratizing policies of his nation and having the chutzpah to use vast oil reserves as tools of intimidation and blackmail. On his next stop in oil rich Kazakhstan, Cheney schmoozes with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, fraudulently re-elected of late virtual dictator with a disgusting human rights record. Cheney's boss, U.S. President G.W. Bush, recently breaks chorak and chortles with the oppressive autocratic President of oil-rich Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, a human rights nightmare, at the White House. Do such juxtaposed events reek of sanctimony, or does the realpolitik associated with fossil fuel head the short list of this superpower's policy priorities? Indeed, America is not at all alone. Democracy, freedom, and human rights take a backseat in many if not most industrial nations to that vicious viscous substance that makes their economies go? Would the sadistic Islamic rulers of Sudan be allowed to exterminate hapless Black Africans in Darfur if black gold did not blend beneath the desert with the blood of their tortured bodies? Would oil companies be chomping at the bit to sink their drill bits into a North Pole bereft of glaciers, despite the coastal havoc and extreme weather patterns precipitated by global warming exacerbated by the burning of that extricated prehistoric product, if industrial energy addicted nations were not willing to sell their souls and pay extortionist prices for oxymoronic refined crude? Israeli leaders must presciently observe the carbon based scourge of a dysfunctional emerging second millennium, analyze Israel's precarious position on the planet, then determine whether it will follow the road less traveled or join hands with the pack singing Kumbaya on a highway to hell. Currently, Israel's Negev flourishes with olive groves, nurtured by advanced fertilizing and irrigation techniques, yielding morally magnificent oil worthy of human consumption. However, the prehistoric-oil bereft Jewish State more pressingly needs evermore energy to fuel its economic dynamo, hence must now depend on foreign importation to satisfy those current petrol needs; quite a dilemma for an unjustly maligned as well as oil-dependent nation. Alas, the world has olive-producing Israel over a more and more costly barrel. Yet this enterprising survivor, in a nation eat nation world, does have huge shale reserves in its flora flourishing Negev, estimated at about 15 billion tons, that when mixed with bitumen yields the liquefied energy perhaps aptly to be named Negev tea (not unlike Texas tea), thanks to the brilliant patented technology of two Russian-born engineers. So move over Olive Oil, let some precocious Israeli Popeye of petrol flex his prominent business savvy biceps, pique the interest of a few partners, perhaps borrow a few shekels from the Bank of Israel, and build that $700 million shale to oil plant in the desert, right! Will this not lead to energy independence? Alas, will this not also propel Israel into that pack of soulless inhumane industrial polluters, indeed just another signer of the Faustian fossil fuel covenant so contrary to the essence of Talmudic teaching and the very spirit of Judaism? Israel can and must do better! Let the Knesset provide generous funding to its universities for vanguard research into fossil fuel alternatives. Put OPEC out of business! A Jew named Albert Einstein demonstrated a century ago that the energy in one grain of Negev sand, if properly harnessed, could light all of Israel's capital Jerusalem. Israeli scientists can parlay this finding into a revolutionary way to energize the planet. One stand-alone State obsessed with a mission can enlighten mankind on perhaps its eve of destruction. We must not continue disrespecting our one home in the universe; we must not continue disrespecting the soul of our species! Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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WHEN OLMERT GOES TO WASHINGTON
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 10, 2006. |
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Olmert, Israel's Chamberlain, will soon travel to the US, to get a Bush endorsement of his retreat plan. The estimated date of the Olmert trip is toward the end of this month (May). Olmert's retreat plan will strengthen the world axis of Mideast terror and make Israel a defense burden instead of a defense asset Olmert's retreat plan is an existential danger to Israel: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=28774 Olmert's retreat plan is a staggering expense for the taxpayer: Sever Plotzker, financial commentator to Israel's largest newspaper, has estimated the cost at 25 billion dollars (YNET, 25 March, in Hebrew). Olmert's retreat plan is NOT in consensus here in Israel: Only about 15% of Israeli's voted for the plan (a record low of 62% of Israelis voted, of whom less than 1/4 voted for Olmert). Olmert's retreat plan will make internationally important religious sites (Hebron, Shilo, Beth-El) both unsafe and Judenrein: 60,000 Jews will be forcibly deported. Olmert's retreat plan will eventually be defeated here in Israel -- UNLESS President Bush endorses it. President Bush will decide whether or not to endorse this terrible plan by counting phonecalls, faxes and emails. Make sure he counts yours'!! US Citizens, please: Contact President Bush and say: PRESIDENT BUSH, PLEASE OPPOSE OLMERT'S DANGEROUS RETREAT PLAN!! Call: 202-456-1111 (you will be asked what state you are from) Fax: 202-456-2461. Email: Comments@whitehouse.gov; vice_president@whitehouse.gov This article was written by Caroline Glick and appeared in the
Jerusalem Post May 4, 2006, One of the great advantages of the digitalization of communications is that today, everyone who has a computer has access to information about events occurring all over the globe. A person sitting in their home in say, Jerusalem, can read everything from the Washington Post to the Bellingham Herald from Bellingham, Washington. Sitting anywhere in the world that has an Internet hook-up, a person today can be clued into events taking place from Paris to Timbuktu. There can be no doubt that this accessibility has democratized communications. Private citizens have gained independence from the editorial preferences of the editors of their local newspapers. But the vastly expanded availability of information has caused a new problem. An individual who follows a public debate in a foreign country may think that he understands what is happening there by reading that country's local papers or popular Web sites every day. And yet, because he is thousands of miles away, he may well misunderstand the significance of what he is reading. Almost like a child's game of "Telephone," the information he accesses from his computer may be misleading because it is written for the locals, who in addition to reading their newspapers, also breathe the same air as their local reporters. An example would be an Israeli who, sitting in his apartment in Tiberias, kept abreast of events in the US by reading The New York Times on-line. From such a reading, that Israeli could conclude that the US was losing the war against the jihadists in Iraq and was on the verge of retreating. He might also be under the impression that President George W. Bush was about to be impeached by Congress for having "lied" about the threat that Saddam Hussein constituted to the US in March 2003. Finally, such a reader might have the impression that the US economy was sliding into a recession because of the sharp rise in gasoline prices. If that person were not a private individual, but say, the government of Britain, the assessment that the US was about to bail out of Iraq and impeach Bush would necessarily lead to certain conclusions about how Britain ought to be thinking about its foreign policy. The problem, of course, is that a reading of The New York Times does not provide an individual or government with a clear understanding of what is happening in the US or of the significance of various debates now raging in the media. For a person to understand what he is reading in the Times, he needs to be able to understand the cultural context in which the articles are being published. Without a cultural awareness of the US, he will be incapable of assessing the value of the information he now accesses on the Internet. The same, of course, is true of Israel. Israel's political debate is consistently hyperbolic. Israelis who listen to statements by their leaders know that they have to discount much of what they hear as exaggerated showmanship. For instance, from 1982 up until Ariel Sharon became prime minister in 2001, the Israeli Left routinely called him a warmonger, a right-wing extremist and a murderer. But no one really thought that any of this was true. Israelis understood this to be par for the course for the Israeli political debate. Yet, for foreigners watching events in Israel and listening to this internal dialogue, it couldn't have come as more of a shock when, as prime minister, Sharon suddenly began calling for Israeli withdrawals from Judea, Samaria and Gaza and carried out the withdrawal and expulsion plan from Gaza and northern Samaria last summer. After all, for years they had been reading of Israelis calling Sharon a clone of Genghis Khan. So here, as with the foreigner watching America, the familiarity afforded by access to local debates can lead to greater misunderstandings. Because of this, it is important for all countries, when assessing what others are doing, to think first and foremost about how various moves can impact their interests. The domestic policy debates carried out in foreign countries should not form the basis of their decision-making. IT IS important to note our propensity to misunderstand other peoples' national debates today because in three weeks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will arrive in Washington, DC to present his plan to withdraw Israeli civilians and military forces from much of Judea and Samaria with the hopes of securing American support and funding for his plan. Olmert's planned withdrawal presents a dilemma for Washington. On the one hand, the US traditionally has supported Israeli withdrawals from territories that Israel took over in the Six Day War, and Olmert's plan aligns with this customary preference. On the other hand, the US is now fighting a war against the global jihad and one of its primary goals is to prevent the establishment of new bases for jihadist forces. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza this past summer fomented Hamas's rise to power in the Palestinian Authority and enabled the transformation of Gaza into a base for al-Qaida, Hizbullah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. An Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria will exacerbate the current situation exponentially. Were the Americans to base their policies on what they hear in the Israeli media, they might conclude that Israel will be destroyed if it doesn't vacate Judea and Samaria tomorrow. What they would miss is that the debate in Israel about retaining control over Judea and Samaria or relinquishing control of the areas to Hamas has nothing to do with Hamas, Hizbullah, al-Qaida, or any other consideration that might be called strategic. What is hard to understand from reading Israel's media is that the country is in the midst of a culture war. Leftist secular messianists, who have replaced their peace god which Yasser Arafat destroyed six years ago with a withdrawal god, are pushing for the Judea and Samaria withdrawal as part of their offensive against religious Zionism which is headquartered in the Israeli settlements of Judea and Samaria that Olmert's plan will destroy. Similarly hidden from the view of an outside observer of Israel's political scene is the fact that religious Zionists are responding to these attacks by pouting and threatening to take their anger out on the IDF. They threaten not to serve in the army or volunteer for officer training just to show the messianic leftists that they are nobody's fools. They can endanger the country just as well as the Left can. ISRAEL HAS had next to no debate either on the strategic consequences of the Gaza withdrawal or on the likely security consequences of a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. Such a debate would note that the Gaza withdrawal was a failure on every level. It would also raise the likelihood that an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria will cause an inflow of terrorists and missiles that will place all of Israel's major cities as well as its major highways, seaports and Ben-Gurion Airport within missile range from Hizbullah forces in Lebanon and Palestinian forces in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Aside from that, such a debate would no doubt draw attention to the fact that a jihadist takeover of Judea and Samaria would cause an immediate danger to the Hashemite regime in Jordan. To date, Israeli military control of Judea and Samaria has made it difficult for Palestinian jihadists to threaten Jordan. But if Israel retreats, there will be no one stopping them from joining forces with their counterparts on the east bank of the Jordan River. And so, an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria would cause the destabilization of America's two most stable and reliable allies in the Middle East. Fuel and other vital materiel for US forces in Iraq would no longer be able to be safely transported overland from Israeli ports through Jordan into Iraq due to the instability of both Israel and Jordan. This would increase American dependence on ports in the Persian Gulf. This increased American dependence would embolden Iran to cause the US Navy repeated headaches in the Straits of Hormuz. Judea and Samaria would be used as a terror training base for jihadists who would go on to fight not only Israel, but US forces in Iraq. Aside from that, just as Israel's retreat from Gaza convinced the Palestinians that terror pays and so brought Hamas to power, an Israeli retreat from Judea and Samaria leading to the destabilization of both Israel and Jordan will be perceived by the Arab and Islamic worlds as a strategic victory for the forces of jihad. From Paris to Haifa to Islamabad to Baghdad, to Dearborn, thousands will answer the call to jihad. By the same token, with the momentum on the side of the jihadists, the US and its allies will experience unprecedented difficulty in attempting to convince Arab and Muslim governments, opinion makers, intellectuals and activists to support them. Political and cultural leaders who today support the US's strategic goal of bringing democracy and liberalism to the Arabs and Muslims worldwide will be cowed into silence. After all, whether the US likes it or not, the Arab and Muslim worlds perceive Israel as an American client state and as a result, an Israeli retreat is seen as an American retreat. If Israel is weakened, America is weakened. OLMERT HAS put a price tag of $10 billion on his withdrawal plan. Many Israeli economists have claimed that this is a gross underestimate of the actual cost of the massive withdrawals he has planned and the dislocation of between 50,000-100,000 Israeli civilians. Nonetheless, Israel's new prime minister is hoping that the Congress will agree to have US taxpayers cover the bill. Olmert is also hoping that the Bush administration will recognize the lines of his proposed retreat as Israel's political borders. America has not hesitated to force Israel to change course in everything from building settlements, to not responding to unprovoked missile attacks during the 1991 Gulf War, to cancelling weapons sales to places like China when the US believed that its national security interests were harmed by Israel's action. Generally, Israel's leaders have abided by American requests. Sometimes, when they felt that Israel's national well-being or their political fortunes were at stake, they did not. While listening to the Israeli media's coverage of Israel's political debate could lead a foreigner to believe that retreating from Judea and Samaria is necessary for Israel's future, in fact what they are hearing is one side of a domestic culture war. And Israel's culture wars should be of little interest to foreign governments trying to assess their own interests, just as what The Nation or Mother Jones thinks about al-Qaida should have no bearing on how foreign governments perceive the threat that the global jihad constitutes for their nations. Olmert's withdrawal plan will be devastating for Israel's national security. But that's Israel's problem to deal with. We elected this government and we will pay the price. The US has no reason to support this plan that harms its most important interests in the region, and in the war against the global jihad. When Olmert comes to Washington, the first question his hosts should ask him is how can he expect them to support a plan that advances the cause of global jihad? Contact Lee Caplan at leescaplan@yahoo.com |
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PA ENCOURAGES TERRORISM, USA DISCOURAGES ANTI-TERRORISM; ARABS EXEMPT FROM ISRAELI LAW?
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 10, 2006. |
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P.A. ENCOURAGES TERRORISM The P.A. told unpaid P.A. police that the more they were to attack Israel, the more money Iran would provide for their salaries (IMRA, 4/19). This is a war process? U.S. DISCOURAGES ANTI-TERRORISM The State Dept. said that it urges Israel to plan its self-defense so as to take into account their effect on the "peace process." (IMRA, 4/19.) That is put vaguely, so as to seem innocuous. But it falsely assumes there is a peace process and that Islamists can make peace. It is open-ended, leaving the State Dept. room to demand that any type of Israeli defense damages the "peace process." What temerity, to suppose that defense against aggression deters peace. Actually, a strong enough defense would deter aggression! Wipe out the aggressors, and end aggression, too. ARABS EXEMPT FROM LAW IN ISRAEL? Muhammad Abu al-Hawa was an Arab property owner in Jerusalem. He was the most recent one whom terrorists, this time Fatah and in Jericho, tortured to death for allegedly selling real estate to Jews. Most murdered ostensibly for that reason didn't sell, but many of them had commercial relations with Jews. This the Arab leadership does not want. The Mufti of Jerusalem refused to let him be buried in a Muslim cemetery. He prefers the murderers to the murdered, as good Muslims. P.A. law declares land sale to Jews a capital offense, though the P.A. leaves it to the terrorist militias to enforce it. As the Israeli head of the Islamic Movement declared, it seeks to drive the Jews out of Jerusalem and make that city the center of a global caliphate. Israeli police and media were complicit in the murder. Police leaked the story to the private, leftist TV Channel 10 the story of a possible clandestine sale and of recently arrived Arab squatters being expelled. That meant publicity and a challenge to terrorist pride. For two days, Channel 10 portrayed the squatters not as the thieves they were but as innocent victims of bullying, greedy, wealthy, fanatical Jews. Greedy? They simply and legally bought property in their country's capital. Murder was inevitable. (Note the Israeli antisemitism!) Had the police done their job, they would not have leaked the story, and would have extricated the squatters quickly and quietly. Instead, they and the media made clear to the Arabs their own sympathy with Arab claims to Jewish territory and that they were willing for terrorists to enforce those claims. They should have protected seller and purchaser and made it clear to the Arabs that in Israel, the Arabs must obey Israeli law. As for the P.A., it is an apartheid state that discriminates violently according to one's religion. (It is the violence and the forbidding of Arabs to get along with Jews to which I object.) The terrorists engage in "extra-judicial" assassination (to which the humanitarian organizations do not voice objection). The P.A. is barbaric and Israel favors that barbarism (IMRA, 4/19 from Caroline Glick). Israel is apartheid against Jews. The benighted Jewish state is not ready to be "a light unto the nations." ARAB DESECRATION About twice a week, Arab vandals attack the tomb of Rabbi Gamliel, the last Jewish ruler in Talmudic times, murdered by Rome. Again the little building was burned and garbage strewn about, this time by unknown persons, though the grave was not destroyed (IMRA, 4/20). Here is the difference between Jews and Muslim Arabs. The Arabs desecrate Jewish holy sites often, but rarely get public censure for it, whereas the Jews never desecrate Arab holy sites, but often get accused of it. The media seems to take its job to be to make the Arabs seem the victims of the Jews and to conceal the fact that the Jews are the victims of the Arabs. SELF-INTEREST VS. COMPASSION When Israeli politicians proposed ceding the Golan Heights, the people did not care about the ensuing hardship for Jewish residents of the Golan, whom they liked. What did convince the people that the Golan must be retained were considerations of security and water supply. A written Syrian promise not to renew aggression from there, if ceded to Syria, was not sought as a substitute for Israeli possession of the land. The people of Israel are not sympathetic towards the Jewish residents of Judea-Samaria. Opponents of withdrawal from Judea-Samaria can be persuasive not by pointing out what hardships expulsion would impose upon the residents but that the Territories must be retained for security and for water supply (Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA, 4/20). It is a sad commentary about the lack of national cohesion in Israel. A written US promise that the P.A. would not renew aggression from there, if ceded to the P.A., is no substitute for Israeli possession of the land. "DIVERSITY" EXCUSE FOR PRO-TERRORISM An art exhibit by a student at Penn State was canceled by the School of Visual Arts, on the grounds that it "did not promote cultural diversity" or "opportunities for democratic dialogue." The exhibition questions "the destruction of Jewish religious shrines, anti-Semitic propaganda and cartoons in Palestinian (Arab) newspapers, the disregard for rules of engagement and treatment of prisoners, and the indoctrination of youth into terrorist acts." Prof. Plaut boils down the censorship to not giving equal space to the terrorist case (4/20). Equal space might not be good enough for the University. Actually, the anti-terrorist view hardly gets an opportunity to be heard. Certainly most people are ignorant of the facts. By contrast, there are many Arabs and pro-Arab professors in the Middle Eastern Institutes who make a case for terrorism and who do not tolerate dissent about it. No Democratic dialogue there "Diversity," the new idol, has been an excuse for racial discrimination. Now it is an excuse for squelching freedom of expression against terrorism. Shame on Penn State! MUSLIM "INTERFAITH" STEALTH The American Jewish Committee warns that Muslim leaders advance jihad via interfaith meetings with naïve Christians and Jews. The Muslim clerics gain credibility by touting mutual tolerance. The result is to lull the suspicions of Christians and Jews. Back home, those same Muslim clerics preach intolerance of infidels. Thus it was that the grand mufti Ceric of Bosnia called for more interfaith dialogue both at a Baptist church and at Temple Emanu-El. Rabbi Jonathan Miller urged the audience to "make room in our hearts and souls for others who believe differently from us." Ceric had called upon the world to stand by Syria, which dispatches terrorists against the US and Israel. During the Albanian Muslim rampages against Christians in Kosovo, he complained about anti-Islamic "hysteria." The rabbi should have checked Ceric's record, before inviting him (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/23.) Arab-Jewish peace meetings are counter-productive, too. Perhaps the Kosovo atrocity was national, rather than religious. ARAB SUES P.A. A P.A. Arab helped Israel thwart a terrorist attack. Later he moved to Israel. Upon visiting his daughter in the P.A., he was tortured. He claims it was for preventing terrorism. He is suing the P.A. in a US court. He pointed out that a P.A. court would not allow justice (IMRA, 4/23). Why didn't he sue in an Israeli court? TURKEY AN UNRELIABLE ALLY OF THE U.S. Turkey long was a staunch ally of the US. The US, however, was ambiguous about the Kurdish terrorists afflicting Turkey. Now Turkey has an Islamist government that gradually is rendering the secularist country Islamist. The government seeks to empower graduates of the religious schools. It sneaks in large sums from the Persian Gulf, presumably for Islamist purposes. It has arrested some secularists, apparently to stifle dissent. It refused to let US forces enter Iraq through Turkey. Members of the governing party sympathize with Iraqi insurgents. It calls Israeli counter-terrorism "state terrorism." An ironic result is that European critics of Turkey call Turkish counter-terrorism "state terrorism." Turkey's region, a repository of oil, remains a strategic one. Roiled with conflict, the region fails to unit in anti-Islamist security. The US has trained local military units to patrol. Meanwhile, Islamists have been driving ethnic Russians out of parts of Russia where Muslims predominate. A Muslim empire may be arising. Islamists are trying to influence Azerbaijan. Russia is trying to influence Armenia. Georgia and Romania are friendly to the US and militarily strategic (MEForum, 4/20). Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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U.S. FAILURE IN AFGHANISTAN
Posted by Dr. Yaron Brook, May 10, 2006. |
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IRVINE, CA -- "The reborn Afghanistan is hailed as a success in the Bush administration's 'war on terror,' but in reality America's campaign there has been a drastic failure. Legions of undefeated Taliban and al Qaeda fighters are resurging. They have launched suicide bombings and rocket attacks on American and Western troops, and are besieging several Afghan provinces. "The U.S.-endorsed, and supposedly friendly, Afghan government is committed not to protecting individual rights, but to enshrining sharia--jailing 'blasphemers' and threatening execution to apostates. Such a regime cannot be counted on to oppose the forces behind the attacks of 9/11. "Washington failed to eradicate the terrorist-sponsoring Taliban and to make Afghanistan a non-threatening regime, because its battle plans are shaped by the moral code of self-sacrifice. "Instead of waging a ruthless war of self-defense, Washington pulled its punches in the air bombing and ground war--for fear of upsetting Afghans and Muslims elsewhere. By embracing a 'compassionate' war, Washington renounced victory." Dr. Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a recognized Middle-East expert who has written and lectured on a variety of Middle-East issues. Dr. Brook has served in the Israeli Army Intelligence and has discussed the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war on Islamic totalitarianism on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including FOX News (The O'Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, At Large with Geraldo Rivera), CNN's Talkback Live, CNBC's Closing Bell and On the Money, and a C-SPAN panel of experts on terrorism. Contact him at larryb@aynrand.org |
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THE WAR WE ARE FIGHTING NEEDS A MORE ACCURATE NAME
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 10, 2006. |
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This article was written by Dennis Prager, radio talk show host, author, and contributing columnist for Townhall.com. (www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/dennisprager/2006/05/09/196677.html) To understand what Americans are fighting, it is necessary to first understand that we are not fighting a "War on Terror." We are no more fighting a "War on Terror" than we fought a "War on Kamikazes" in World War II. Of course we had to stop Kamikaze attacks, the suicide crashing by Japanese pilots of airplanes into American war ships. But we were fighting Japanese fascism and imperialism. The same holds true today. We are fighting Islamic fascism and imperialism (though surely not all Muslims). The parallels are almost as extensive as any historic parallels of two different phenomena can be. The fascist Japanese regime aimed to subjugate much of the world, Asia in particular, and it used whatever violence it could think of without any moral constraints. The fascist element within Islam wishes to subjugate the entire world using whatever violence it can think of without any moral constraints. Of course, there are differences: Imperial Japan was preoccupied with dominating Asia, while imperialist Islam aims to dominate the whole world. And imperial Japan did so as an outgrowth of nationalism, while imperialist Islam does so from an outgrowth of a trans-national religious ideology. Islamic terror is a tactic of an ideology. That ideology can be called "radical Islam," "militant Islam" or "Islamist," but it is rooted in Islamic imperialism. With a background in religious studies and having studied Arabic and Islam, many listeners have called my radio show asking me if I consider Islam to be inherently violent or even evil. From 9-11 to now, I have responded that I do not assess religions; I assess the practitioners of religions. Why? Because it is almost impossible to assess any religion since its own adherents so often differ as to what it is. For example, is Christianity the Christianity of most evangelicals or that of the National Council of Churches? On virtually every important moral issue, they differ. The same holds true for right- and left-wing groups within Judaism. Nevertheless, one can say that from its inception, Islam has been imperialist. My working definition of imperialism is that of University of London professor Efraim Karsh, whose recent book, "Islamic Imperialism" (Yale University Press), is one of the few indispensable books on Islam. Karsh defines imperialism as "conquering foreign lands and subjugating their populations." Whenever possible, Muslims from the time of Muhammad have done that. Now, the Church also subjugated peoples to Christianity, and Europe suffered from prolonged religious wars. But as Karsh notes, from its inception, Christianity acknowledged a separation of the religious and the political, rendering to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. No such division was allowed for in Islam. That is why the nation-state developed in the Christian world but not in the Muslim world. The Muslim states of the Middle East, for example, are creations of Western (secular) imperialism or pre-date Islam (Egypt, for example); and they are foreign concepts to most Middle Eastern Muslims, who recognize themselves much more as part of the ummah, the Muslim community, than as Iraqis, Jordanians, Syrians, etc. Nor is Islamic imperialism only a function of Muslim behavior rather than Muslim theology. Karsh opens his book citing the statements of four Muslim figures. The Prophet Muhammad in his farewell address: "I was ordered to fight all men until they say, 'There is no god but Allah.'" Saladin (great 12th-century founder of the Ayyubid dynasty that included Ayyubid Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Iraq and much of present-day Saudi Arabia): "I shall cross this sea to their islands to pursue them until there remains no one on the face of the earth who does not acknowledge Allah." Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (father of the Islamic revolution in Iran): "We will export our revolution throughout the world ... until the calls 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah' are echoed all over the world." Osama bin Laden in November 2001: "I was ordered to fight the people until they say 'there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad.'" No one should have a problem with Muslims wanting the whole world Muslim. After all, Christians would like the whole world to come to Christ. What should matter to all people is the answer to one question: What are you prepared to do to bring the world to your religion? For virtually every living Christian, the answer is through modeling and verbal persuasion (and Jews never believed the world needs to be Jewish). But by the most conservative estimates, 10 percent of Muslims are in sympathy with the bin Laden way. That means at least 100 million people are prepared to murder (and apparently torture) in Allah's name. And given the history of Islamic imperialism and its roots in Muslim theology, hundreds of millions more are probably fellow travelers. Hence the almost unanimous Muslim governments' support for the genocidal Islamic regime in Sudan. We pray that there arises a strong Muslim group that is guided by the Quranic verse, "There shall be no coercion in matters of faith." But until such time, we had better understand that we are not merely fighting a war on terror, but a war against an ideology that wishes us to convert, be subject to Islamic law, or die. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS WANT GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE ARABS TO LEAVE
Posted by Ezra HaLevi, May 10, 2006. |
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Almost two-thirds of Israelis want the government to encourage Arabs to leave the country, according to a study by the Israel Democracy Institute. According to the preliminary summary of the 2006 Democracy Index, which will be fully released Wednesday, 62 percent of Israelis would like to see the government actively encourage Arabs to leave Israel. Last year, only 50 percent supported such a policy. During the Netanyahu administration of 1999, when terror casualties dropped drastically, the lowest percentage of Israelis was recorded supporting Arab population transfer: 48%. At the outbreak of the Arab Intifada in December 1987, support for population transfer of Arabs was at its height: 69%. It should be noted that the Israel Democracy Institute's report is not happy with the results, and in fact cites the large support for Arab emigration as proof of Israelis' anti-democratic nature. National Union Chairman Rabbi Benny Elon, whose Moledet Party advocates offering incentives for Arabs to emigrate, said the results were not surprising. "It is illustrative of a desire on both the right and the left - and sometimes more of the left than the right," he told Arutz-7. "The Disengagement was even based on this desire to separate from the Arabs." "What is more," added Elon, "offering the Arabs assistance in leaving willingly is much more humanitarian than the incessant killing of the Arabs of the Land of Israel." Other results of the study included: * 58% objected to the refusal of orders in the IDF, a steep decline from the 70% that felt that way before the Disengagement. On the overall global democracy index, which uses various factors to rank countries based on corruption and actual voice given to the public, Israel continued to drop, ranking 20th out of 36 countries, ranked in between Estonia and Taiwan. Israel was number 14 in 2003 and 17 in 2004. Finland and New Zealand were in first place and Argentina and India ranked last. Speaking with Arutz-7, Professor Asher Arian said that the study showed that Israelis are much more Zionist than previously thought and that although they are willing to have Arabs as neighbors, they are very reluctant to allow them to be a part of the decision-making regarding major issues relating to the future of the Jewish State. Professor Arian added that the low confidence the public expressed in the Knesset and their ability to effect change explains the low voter turnout in the past elections. The institute surveyed 1,200 people for the survey, representing a cross-section of Israeli society. The results will be presented to President Moshe Katzav on Wednesday at a special ceremony to be attended by Chief Justice Aharon Barak and politicians. Ezra Halevi is a writer at Arutz-Sheva (www.IsraelNN.com). |
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IN DEFENSE OF INTOLERANCE
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 10, 2006. |
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According to a study of the Israel Democracy Institute, 62% of Israeli Jews would like to see the government actively encourage Arabs to leave Israel. Professor Arian Asher of the IDI said that this statistic indicates a general lack of tolerance of Israeli Jews toward Israeli Arabs. He concludes that "Israeli democracy has not developed a strong sense of egalitarianism and community" (Jerusalem Post, May 10). The IDI findings were deplored even by Avigdor Lieberman's reputedly right-wing Israel Beiteinu party -- a party that advocated revoking the citizenship of Israelis who do not pledge allegiance to the state. MK Yisrael Hassan said his party does not endorse encouraging the immigration of Israeli Arabs. Ignoring the hostility of these Arabs, as well as Jewish attachment to the land of Israel, Hassan offers Lieberman's panacea of "separating the two population groups by defining a border between them." The present writer wonders how those who want the government to encourage Arabs to leave Israel would characterize Messrs. Asher and Hassan? I assume that some of these Jews may be as well educated as Professor Asher, a political scientist. Perhaps some would accuse him of being disingenuous? Perhaps others would attribute his tolerant attitude toward Israel's anything but loyal Arab citizens to moral indifference? After all, it has been reported that most Israeli Arabs identify themselves as 'Palestinians,' that is, with Israel's enemies. In fact, no less than 62% supported Saddam Hussein despite his threat to incinerate half of Israel. Would it be sane or sensible for Jews to fondly regard these Arabs as part of their "community"? It has also been reported that most of the suicide bombing attacks in Israel have been assisted by Israel's Arab citizens; that many of these Arabs have themselves committed terrorist acts, hence, have murdered Jewish men, women, and children. Have Arab Knesset members ever condemned such politically motivated crimes -- crimes against the state which pays their salaries? To the contrary: they have encouraged these crimes! Nothing has changed since April 16, 2002, when Jerusalem Post journalist Evelyn Gordon cited incendiary and seditious statements by various Arab Knesset members. Mentioned were Taleb a-Sana, who praised a suicide bomber and called for more of the same; Abdul Malik Dahamshe, who called Israeli Arabs convicted of murdering Jews "prisoners of conscience"; Azmi Bishara, who praised Hizbullah as the model for Israeli Arab resistance against Israel; Mohammad Barakei, who urged Israeli Arabs to participate in Palestinian violence against Israel. Ms. Gordon concluded: "If the statements by Arab MKs indeed reflect the opinions of their voters, the inescapable conclusion is that the overwhelming majority of Israeli Arabs actively or tacitly support violence against Israeli Jews." Is it mere intolerance that prompts Jews to want the government to encourage Arabs to leave Israel? Clearly, the findings of the IDI survey indicate that these Jews are well-informed and have sound moral values, which seem to be lacking among political scientists tainted by moral relativism or egalitarianism. Most remarkable is that despite their left-wing educators and the left's control of the media on the one hand, and despite the timidity of reputedly right-wing politicians on the other -- all fear the canard of racism -- there remains a solid majority of Jews who are not afraid to express what can only be described as a healthy Jewish attitude toward Israel's Arab citizens -- intolerance! This salubrious and morally defensible intolerance was even more evident in a study of 800 Jewish youth, ages 16 to 18, reported by Yediot Ahranot on July 23, 1997 -- this was three years before the outbreak of the Terror War against Israel. The respondents were asked if they agree with the following of statements: * It is appropriate that only Jews live in Israel. 74.1% agree. * It is impossible to put full confidence in any Israeli Arab. 67.6% agree. * Arabs do not deserve equal rights. 61.7% agree. (Note: The percentage would probably have been higher if the question was limited to political rights, as the following statements indicate.) * Arab representation in the Knesset endangers Israeli security. 73.5% agree. (Note: Imagine what the percentage would have been had these young adults heard the seditious statements of the Arab MKs mentioned above!) * Israel¡ Arab citizens desire the destruction of Israel. 70.8% agree. If Professor Asher and the Israel Democracy Institute were to say that these statistics indicate a "general lack of tolerance of Israeli Jews toward Israeli Arabs," to this I can only reply: Here's to more of such intolerance! Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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ISRAELI WOMAN ATTACKED IN BERLIN
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 10, 2006. |
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This was written by Eldad Beck and appeared in Ynet. (www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3248271,00.html). Young student assaulted by group of women, apparently Muslim, after they overheard her speaking in Hebrew on the phone BERLIN - A serious anti-Semitic assault took place in Berlin last week, when an Israeli medical student was attacked at night by a group of young women after they heard her talking in Hebrew on her mobile phone. The Israeli woman was beaten and wounded. The incident happened last week after the 26 year-old student attended a party at the house of friends in the Steglitz neighborhood in south-west Berlin, where a large Muslim community resides. At about 2 a.m., the woman, who holds a double Israeli-German citizenship, decided to walk back to her apartment after she missed the last bus home, Israel's leading daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported. While she was walking home and holding a conversation in Hebrew with a friend from Israel on her cellular phone, the student passed by a group of young women. When they recognized the language the student was speaking as Hebrew, one of the girls suddenly walked up to the Israeli woman and slapped her in the face. The other women then joined in, pulled her hair, beat her up and kicked her. The abuse eventually stopped when the attackers thought they heard a police car approaching, and they fled the scene. The student, who sustained injuries in the attack, received medical treatment and filed a complaint with the police. The women's identity has not been established thus far, but they were apparently Muslim. This recent incident is the first anti-Semitic crime to be registered in the German capital in over a year. Ever since the beginning of the second intifada, there have been many cases in which Jews and Israelis suffered attacks, usually at the hands of young Arabs or Turks. The German police have failed to apprehend any of the assailants until now. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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THE PRESENCE OF SAUDI NATIONALS IN THE IRAQI INSURGENCY
Posted by Unity Coalition for Israel, May 9, 2006. |
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This was written by Christopher Boucek and appeared in Terrorism Monitor, Vol. 4, Issue 8, April 20, 2006. This article is based upon extensive research with knowledgeable sources that dealt with the author only on the strict condition of anonymity and non-attribution. It is widely recognized that Saudi nationals are currently participating in the Iraqi insurgency and have been involved in operations that have targeted the U.S.-led coalition force, aspects of the nascent Iraqi security forces, and segments of Iraq's majority Shiite population. The presence of Saudis in Iraq is deeply troubling not just for the future viability of Iraq, but also for the future security of Saudi Arabia and the smaller Persian Gulf monarchies. Iraq today is the primary jihadi venue. For the first time in recent history, the jihadi movement is centered in the Arab heartland, engaged in what many in the movement interpret as a struggle for a pivotal Arab country. Moreover, Iraq is a target-rich country for those inclined to stage attacks against the U.S.-led coalition military presence. Attackers in Iraq stand a better chance of escaping to fight again due to the severely poor security situation; they also need not fear the ubiquitous security services that exist elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim world. Iraq is also emblematic of a larger jihadi project, the successes of which many in the movement seek to export back to their home countries. Iraq, therefore, is unlike Afghanistan, which as a non-Arab country never quite carried the urgency and fervor of those presently active in Iraq. The Saudi government is extremely concerned by the presence of jihadi Saudi nationals in Iraq. It is feared that the return of Saudi jihadis to Saudi Arabia will revitalize what has become a waning domestic insurgency. These fighters not only have learned new techniques, but may also alter the insurgent landscape in Saudi Arabia by introducing techniques, methods, and operations that heretofore have not existed in the Kingdom. To their credit, Saudi authorities have taken significant measures to combat this trend. The Saudi government has launched a multi-pronged strategy comprised of improvement of border security along the Saudi-Iraqi frontier, an uncompromising and thorough investigative monitoring program of people who have spent time in Iraq, a concerted assault on Saudi Arabia's homegrown indigenous terrorists and significant cooperation with foreign intelligence organizations (including a major joint program with their U.S. counterparts). A major issue for Iraqi security forces and their Saudi counterparts is that nomadic Bedouin tribes (that have previously been suspected of supporting the insurgency) exist on both sides of the Iraq-Saudi border. These tribes frequently move throughout the vast and unpopulated southern Iraqi desert and maintain clan ties in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, these elements intimately know the area and are well versed in avoiding contact with security forces. As such, it is possible that they are assisting in the movement of fighters into Iraq. Saudi al-Qaeda leader Saleh al-Oufi wrote in support of Saudi jihadis in Iraq in the July 8, 2004 issue of the Voice of Jihad online magazine, strengthening suspicions that al-Oufi himself had fought in the strife-torn country. Saudi Islamic militants have also claimed operations such as the assassination of U.S. contractor Paul Johnson and the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah in the name of the "Fallujah Brigades," demonstrating -- at the very least -- a symbolic linkage between Saudi and Iraqi insurgents. In April 2005, Saudi national Hadi bin Mubarak Qahtani killed himself in a suicide operation near Qaim, Iraq. According to the Washington Post, "Five other Qahtanis have been reported killed in Iraq, including Muhammed bin Aedh Ghadif Qahtani, a captain in the Saudi National Guard who allegedly used his guard identification badge to help gain entry into Iraq when he was stopped for questioning." On March 2, an al-Qaeda operative identified as Abdullah Salih al-Harbi was captured by Iraqi border guards attempting to cross the Saudi border near Samawah. Reports at the time indicated that he confessed during his interrogation to participating in the al-Qaeda terrorist assault on the massive Abqaiq Saudi oil facility (Sadoun Jabery, spokesman for the southwestern command of the Iraqi border police, March 3). Saudi security agencies have taken major steps to monitor possible travel to Iraq and other jihadi locales. It has emerged that some Saudis have sought to hide their travel to Iraq by reporting their passports stolen, thus erasing any consular evidence of either travel to Iraq or Syria, widely seen as the most important way station for those en route to Iraq. In an effort to end this practice, the Saudi government no longer issues replacement travel documents with "no questions asked." Saudis that have presented themselves at embassies abroad claiming either theft or loss of their passports are now subjected to a rigorous investigation upon their return to the Kingdom (Nawaf Obaid and Anthony Cordesman, Saudi Militants in Iraq: Assessment and Kingdom's Response, September 19, 2005). A Saudi intelligence agency interrogation revealed that a number of Yemenis served as facilitators for Saudis going to Iraq. The same report summary noted that Syria was the main point of entry into Iraq, largely due to successful Saudi efforts to increase security on the Iraqi frontier (Nawaf Obaid and Anthony Cordesman, Saudi Militants in Iraq: Assessment and Kingdom's Response, September 19, 2005). There exists a well-worn route into Iraq, from recruitment and indoctrination in Saudi Arabia to hand-off to facilitators in Syria prior to crossing the Iraqi border. Saudi support for the Iraqi insurgency has also included the issuance of a fatwa in 2004 by over two dozen senior Saudi Ulama, including the influential former dissident Salman al-Awda, endorsing Saudi and Muslim support of the insurgency (http://www.islamtoday.net, November 5, 2004; al-Jazeera, November 6, 2004). The Saudi National Security Assessment Project (an independent consultancy that works closely with the Saudi government on security and oil issues) has produced some original analysis on the subject of Saudi nationals fighting in Iraq (Nawaf Obaid and Anthony Cordesman, Saudi Militants in Iraq: Assessment and Kingdom's Response, September 19, 2005). Among the findings, the Project has noted that Saudis -- and other Persian Gulf nationals -- often travel with large sums of cash. This fact makes them especially sought after and recruiting affluent Saudis has been perceived by Iraqi insurgent leaders as a quick method to finance terrorist operations. Furthermore, private intelligence reports have intimated that the Saudis are so valued by insurgents that they have been sold and traded by insurgent "brokers" in Iraq. While the true number of Saudis fighting in Iraq may never be
known, there have been unsubstantiated reports that the number of
Saudis that have perished in the insurgency have been exaggerated in a
bid to boost recruitment. A March 2005 Israeli report, "Arab
Volunteers Killed in Iraq: An Analysis," that has been subjected to
wide criticism, claims that 94 (or 61 percent of) insurgents killed in
a six month period were identified as Saudis, while 70 percent of
suicide bombers in Iraq were Saudi
A separate confidential U.S. report has identified a Saudi participation rate in excess of 50 percent, while a jihadi internet forum (http://www.qal3ah.net) has stated that Saudis comprise 44 percent of insurgents. According to Nawaf Obaid, however, the Saudi government-controlled press has only acknowledged 47 Saudis that have been identified as participating in the insurgency. These figures, however, have not been independently verified or confirmed (Nawaf Obaid and Anthony Cordesman, Saudi Militants in Iraq: Assessment and Kingdom's Response, November 6, 2004). It is extremely worrying that, according to a Saudi national security source, of those Saudis that have been detained and questioned upon their return from Iraq, approximately 80 percent were unknown to the security services (Nawaf Obaid and Anthony Cordesman, Saudi Militants in Iraq: Assessment and Kingdom's Response, November 6, 2004). This fact -- if true -- is concerning as it indicates that the Saudi intelligence and security services may not have as good a handle on the issue as they may otherwise attempt to portray. In the end, this may well be a significant contributor to greater violence and domestic insurgency in Saudi Arabia. Of course, returning jihadis will not simply abandon their worldview and objectives. Moreover, the Iraq war and the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan have polarized a large segment of the Saudi population. Some senior Saudi sources have even sought to blame the domestic terrorist struggle against al-Qaeda on the situation in Iraq. It is unknown what, if any effect, disaffection with the ruling family and anger over the rampant corruption has had on the motivations of Saudi nationals to travel to Iraq, to engage in terrorism, and learn skills and gain experiences that they can eventually bring back to the Kingdom. In large part, the problem is greater for the Saudi government than the U.S. military and its Iraqi partners. The overarching question is what the Saudi government will do to neutralize Saudi fighters in Iraq once they have returned as technically-adept jihadis and battle-hardened fighters. At that point, with potentially the fate of the Kingdom in the balance, many analysts fear that the problem of returning Saudi jihadis may have moved well past any comfortable or easily-achievable solutions. The Unity Coalition for Israel (http://www.israelunitycoalition.org) is "the largest worldwide coalition of Jewish and Christian organizations, with more than 200 groups representing millions of people dedicated to Israel. Though we have many different backgrounds, we have one common goal: A Safe and Secure Israel." "Israel is not just a Jewish issue. Millions of Christians resolutely endorse the principle of peace with security for the state of Israel. Because we work closely together and speak with a united voice, our message is being heard!" Contact UCI at voices@israelunitycoalition.org |
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CUTIE PIE KATIE COURIC - THE NEW DAN RATHER?
Posted by Jerome S. Kaufman, May 9, 2006. |
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This appeared in the Washington Times April 23, 2006.
"The torch of Dan Rather has been passed at CBS, and another liberal flame-thrower is on the job," Tim Graham writes at National Review Online (www.nationalreviewcom). "Katie Couric may seem to some as too stuffed with Perky Morning Cuteness to be attacked as an icon of the Liberal Elitist Media but as different as her sparkly "That Girl" personality is from Dan Rather's wizened weirdness, they have one thing in common: "Truth is a malleable commodity; something to be stretched and smudged like Silly Putty on the Sunday funnies if the political cause is right," said Mr. Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center. "One moment sticks out in remembering Couric's approach to journalism. Reporters rarely admit their political leanings, but on the network morning shows, the female anchors are bold enough to identify themselves as part of the feminist movement. The words "feminist" and "we" can be inter-changed, as they were in a June 2, 1994, Today show interview when Katie Couric asked author of Who Stole Feminism, Christina Hoff Sommers. "What should we be using other than this angry rhetoric in the feminist movement?" "But a much more pernicious form of bias was revealed when the talk turned to statistics. Sommers scowled at the thoroughly discredited statistic that domestic violence increases after football games. Discredited statistics discredit the cause. But not for Couric, who suggested the feminist cause is more important than the truth. "Let's say, if one accepts your thesis, that these statistics are inflated or are used incorrectly. Aren't you worried about throwing the baby out with the bath water?" asked Couric of Sommers. "So Super Bowl Sunday isn't the biggest day for men battering women. Aren't you afraid that you're going to be dismissing the problem all together if you refute that, or if you constantly criticize that?" Thus, Couric's Law: Don't refute errors if they set back liberal progress. (Huh?) As a result of convoluted thinking and news presentation of that sort, Katie Couric needs to be taken seriously, with CBS replacing one Rather with another. Jerome S. Kaufman is National Secretary of the Zionist Organization of America. and host the Israel Commentary website (http://www.israel-commentary.org). |
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ACTION ALERT: GET THE ANTI-TERRORIST BILL HR. 4681 PASSED
Posted by Buddy Macy, May 9, 2006. |
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Urgent Action Alert:
Alert: An important bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 4681) that would keep American taxpayers' dollars out of the hands of Palestinian-Arab terrorists and restrict the movement of PLO members in the United States was sidetracked today. This is one of the most important pieces of legislation in years: A bill with real teeth in it to penalize terrorists and those who support them. Details about the bill and the issue are below. Action: Call members of the House Judiciary Committee (numbers below), where the bill was unexpectedly sent today, and tell them NOT TO WATER DOWN THE BILL. Also, call your own personal House member (numbers below for those in the Philadelphia area, plus a link to find out who your House member is) and ask them to support the bill. CALL TODAY AND TELL THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO VOTE FOR HR 4681 THE WAY IT IS, AND NOT TO ADD ANY AMENDMENTS TO IT. Contact the House Judiciary Committee today through the Capitol switchboard at 1-800-355-3588 or directly at 202-225-3951. IF YOUR HOUSE MEMBER IS NOT LISTED AT THE END OF THIS EMAIL, PLEASE GO TO http://www.house.gov/ TO GET THEIR NAME AND CONTACT INFO. Also PLEASE FORWARD THIS ACTION ALERT TO EVERYONE ON ALL OF YOUR EMAIL LISTS. Thank you. BACKGROUND: March 31, 2006
Don't "Weep for Palestinian Suffering" Western governments are coming to grips with the reality of the Hamas victory. On the plus side:
But the full Canadian position is instructive. Ottawa said the Palestinian people should not be penalized over the actions of Hamas and will continue to provide $22 million in annual humanitarian aid through various UN and non-governmental agencies. Washington and the Quartet, too, will continue to finance humanitarian projects and are considering how to move projects from the PA to NGOs in order that they continue to receive money. There is, in this, an unwillingness to grasp that Hamas was the CHOICE of Palestinian voters in open competition (not a "democratic election," but a competitive choice). They knew what they were doing and knew what they were risking and Hamas is what they picked. How can Western donors defend rejecting Hamas for being the choice of "the people", but not penalize the people who made the choice? "I weep for the Palestinians' suffering," President Bush said yesterday. "They've been ruled for years by a disappointing government, but we can't fund a nation that seeks to destroy its neighbor." Yes, Mr. Bush, the Palestinians have been poorly led and for years it was possible to say they had no hand in the lousy leadership that beggared the people and took them to an unnecessary and particularly brutal terrorist war; lousy leadership that devoured its young, teaching them that death was preferable to life; rotten leadership that stole the treasure and the soul of the people. We funded them all that time while they tried to destroy Israel. But that was then and this is now. "The people" picked this government and should not be allowed to expect that the civilized world will feed, house and shelter them while Hamas picks up its check from Iran and uses it to enhance its terrorist capabilities. The incredibly important Palestinian anti-terrorism bill was supposed to have been voted on today, but in a surprise move was moved by the House leadership off the list for voting. Instead, the House Judiciary Committee has claimed authority over the bill and will hold a "mark-up" session tomorrow, Wed., May 10, to discuss possible amendments to it. CALL TODAY AND TELL THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO VOTE FOR HR 4681 THE WAY IT IS, AND NOT TO ADD ANY AMENDMENTS TO IT. Contact the House Judiciary Committee today through the Capitol switchboard at 1-800-355-3588 or directly at 202-225-3951. PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO EVERY PRO-ISRAEL PERSON YOU KNOW. For those whose representative is on the House Judiciary Committee, call them today with the same message. House Judiciary Committee Members
Pennsylvania/N.J. House Members from Philadelphia and its suburbs: Robert A. Brady Pennsylvania-1st, Democrat Phone: (202) 225-4731 Fax: (202) 225-0088 Charles W. Dent Pennsylvania-15th, Republican(Lehigh Valley)
Chaka Fattah Pennsylvania-2nd, Democrat
Mike Fitzpatrick Pennsylvania-8th, Republican
Jim Gerlach Pennsylvania-6th, Republican
Joseph R. Pitts Pennsylvania-16th, Republican
Allyson Y. Schwartz
Pennsylvania-13th, Democrat
Curt Weldon Pennsylvania-7th, Republican
Rob Andrews New Jersey-1st, Democrat
Jim Saxton New Jersey-3rd, Republican
IF YOUR HOUSE MEMBER IS NOT LISTED, GO TO http://www.house.gov/ TO GET THEIR NAME AND CONTACT INFO. Thank you for helping the people of Israel. May 23, 2006, by an overwhelming vote of 361-37, the House of
Representatives passed the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, H.R. 4681.
The bill ends direct aid and contact with the Hamas-run Palestinian
Authority until Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel's right to
exist, and agrees to abide by all previous agreements.
Contact Buddy Macy at vegibud@aol.com
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HELP RACHEL EHRENFELD
Posted by Marion Dreyfus, May 9, 2006. |
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Rachel Ehrenfeld is great and this is a pestilential lawsuit. Nuisance value. Judge Richard Casey of The Southern District Court in Manhattan has handed down a decision against Rachel Ehrenfeld, director of the American Center for Democracy, that will have a chilling effect on the fight against Saudis and others financing Islamist terrorism Help Rachel, pass this along to everyone on your list: Her essay
below appeared in
Dear Friends: I am writing to update you on my legal case against Saudi financier Sheikh Khalid Salim a Bin Mahfouz and to ask for your continued support. As you know, Mahfouz obtained a default libel judgment against me in the United Kingdom based on statements about him in my book, Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed, and How To Stop It. I did not defend myself in the United Kingdom, to which I have no ties and where the libel laws are plaintiff-friendly, but instead sought a declaratory judgment from federal court here in Manhattan, based on free speech principles, so that Mahfouz could not enforce his British judgment or prevail on a libel claim against me in the United States and to overturn the sheikh's seriously chilling effect on legitimate and good-faith investigation into his behavior and others like him. With the benefit of his vast financial resources, he has managed to silence his critics one at a time. Last week, on April 25, the U.S. court dismissed my case against Mahfouz on the grounds that it did not have personal jurisdiction over him because he did not have a sufficient connection to New York. We intend to appeal this decision -- which failed to recognize that Mahfouz's lawsuit against me in the United Kingdom was designed solely to affect my conduct in New York and to prevent me and others from exposing those who fund terrorism -- to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. If the court's dismissal of my lawsuit against Mahfouz is allowed to stand, it will send a message that foreign courts can be used to chill investigation in the United States about terrorism and its supporters. As we work to promote democracy and human rights abroad, we must also safeguard our institutions at home. I would be grateful for your contributions to my legal fees in connection with the appeal, which is not just about me, but about the ability of all journalists and scholars in the United States to conduct research and publish on the most pressing issue of our time: international terrorism. The appeal would cost about $150,000. I much appreciate all your past and future assistance and will keep you apprised in the developments of the ongoing case. |
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H.A.M.A.S., HOPELESSLY ADDICTED MUSLIM ANTI SEMITE
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 9, 2006. |
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H.A.M.A.S., Hopelessly Addicted Muslim Anti Semites, is an apt acronym for that newly elected cadre of losers perversely playing the part of a cerebrally bankrupt pied piper leading naïve Arab children into a sea of bankruptcy. Is it not reasonable that civil nations refuse to subsidize terror organizations like H.A.M.A.S., thus not allow funds to flow into so-called Palestinian enclaves democratically usurped by these Koran toting kalashnikov wielding sadistic louts? What sort of leaders but H.A.M.A.S. and kindred spirits shroud their young in explosives, deploying such surreal human-techno hybrids into Israel and elsewhere on command to yell "God is Great", perpetrating murderous acts beyond human comprehension? Ah, but that could all change for the worse if the likes of "wipe Israel off the map" Persian fossil fuel enriched lunatic Ahmedinajad and/or his kindred spirit-in-terror bizarrely "on the lam" Jew-despising mass murderer bin Laden slither their minions into Gaza with suitcases stuffed with rials and/or riyals. Alas, Ariel Sharon's H.A.M.A.S.-handed hubristic decision ceding Gaza to those troglodytes, now regularly firing thank you cards into Israel affixed to Qaasam missiles, promises to be a blatant strategic blunder for Israel, Europe, and probably the rest of the world. Location, location, location remains a century twenty-one adage, noting "Sharon's Folly" squats on the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Beachfront Muslim managed four-star hotels ala Miami Beach are not likely to materialize, but rather rows of al-Qaeda and/or Iranian subsidized (likely easy to assemble and disguise) missile launchers copiously bankrolled by extorted Western currencies. Indeed, emerging nuclear nemesis Iran craftily boasts of crafting (likely easy to assemble and disguise) waterborne missiles able to out pace any and all (presumably Western) watercraft, including war vessels and no doubt oil tankers. Now, when the proposed oil pipeline connecting the aptly named Black Sea, potentially awash in black gold, to Mediterranean oil tankers destined for European ports of call and perhaps several hundred million customers is completed, how might any seafaring captain feel intuiting his 20000 ton potential inferno presents an attractive blip in the crosshairs of Gaza-bound Islamic fanatics obsessed with launching an Iranian sea borne missile-from-hell into the hull of that cruising-duck transport? Disruption, disruption, disruption of the Western infidel's way of life, disseminating ever-present angst to that collective crusader as well as destroying his tourist trade and marine life, is a maniacal motto of vintage al-Qaeda along with a remotely located "don't blame us, we didn't do it" Iranian pea-brain potentate and his turbaned minions. In a worse case scenario, what if such an event triggers the "mother of all wars", between the West and fundamentalist Islam, the latter represented by perilously perhaps WMD armed jihad junky Wahhabi wannabes unwilling to deal rationally with a secular modern world? Gaza, erstwhile "jewel of the Mediterranean", Napoleon's gateway between Asia and the West, could in fact become millennium two's "Volcano of Armageddon". Nothing of course is etched in stone. Prudent planetary pundits, in tandem with politico movers and shakers, must not dither before Gaza submerges into a sinkhole of no return, ripe for salivating terrorists with insidious agendas. A coalition of civil forces composed of Western and secularly bent Middle Eastern troops must preemptively and justifiably pounce on the current "mission of mercy" opportunity by forthwith entering Gaza, being first to rescue citizens in distress from a human disaster in the making. H.A.M.A.S. belies its elected purpose to competently govern as it is unwilling to forsake its Jew-despising principles based on twisted Koranic verse, will not recognize Israel's right to exist or renounce violence, thereby will not receive funds from a banking system presciently unwilling to buck the West, thus will not reverse the ominously progressing humanitarian crisis it now stewards. "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." Only demented minds would spew such venom, yet this criminally insane babble is found within H.A.M.A.S.' charter. Does this verbal "smoking gun" not sufficiently attest to the malignant mind-sets of these fundamentalist degenerates, who if left alone would welcome Terror Inc. with an insidious agenda into their demonic den by the Mediterranean Sea? Furthermore, might Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Kadima cronies drop Sharon's baton, then revisit and cancel their proposed plan perhaps born of desperation, stupidly ceding in effect most of Judea and Samaria to H.A.M.A.S. terrorists, exacerbating an already perilous state of affairs? At times, an act of omission does wreak havoc, much like not attacking a malignant tumor in its early stages. Allowing so-called Palestinian populated territories, especially Gaza, to implode without picking up pulverized impoverished pieces ignores the tenet "Nature deplores a vacuum", in this case a power vacuum. A coalition of nation building troops; including secular Arab Muslims mobilized to thwart zealots besmirching their Koran and threatening their way of life; bearing gifts of food, medicine, clothing, and most essentially credible promises of employment would go a long way. This is one enclave already broken, virtually abandoned by an obsessed pseudo-governing body, that soon must be repaired by rational forces lest an atavistic epoxy is applied by predatory forces prone to jihad. The civil world must not look back in hindsight with regret. Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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THE JEWS SAVE DARFUR
Posted by Jerome S. Kaufman, May 9, 2006. |
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It is certainly extremely kind of so many Jews and their organizations to get involved in Darfur refugee campaigns such as the one held April 30 at the National Mall in Washington, DC. What with media ignorance, misguided political correctness and deliberate obscuration of the nature of the conflict, I wonder how many Jews and their organizations have any real understanding of the facts of the case? In brief, the history is as follows: Following independence of the Sudan from the British in 1956, the Sudanese government acquired a strong Arab character and civil war began between the Arab dominated government and the non-Muslims defending their rights and now perjoratively referred to as "rebels." In 1983, the Second Sudanese Civil War ensued when the president declared Sharia law in the south. In Februay 2003, two "rebel" groups accused the government of oppressing non-Arabs in favor of Arabs and attacked government forces and installations. The government response was to mount a campaign of aerial bombardment supporting ground attacks by an Arab militia, the Janjaweed, recruited from local tribes and armed by the government. So, here is just another example of Muslims in power deliberately driving out or subjugating any minority within their midst whenever it is economically advantageous or militarily possible. This transpires even if those attacked are fellow Muslims but may have decided, centuries ago, that a different chap was the legitimate successor to the prophet Muhammad. The Janjaweed, Sudanese Arab zealots, have taken a historical lesson from Muhammad's followers of centuries past and his current followers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, the Philippines, the Caucuses of the former Soviet Union, Indonesia, etc. etc. These killers have methodically and unmercifully attacked non-Muslims, driving them from their land, burning their villages, raping and then killing their women and children and taking possession of the land - all under the subterfuge of Shari law and with no end in sight. It took me awhile to realize that the so-called "rebels" are those persecuted non-Muslims that are fighting so woefully against the Arab dominated government. It kind of reminds me of the hated Jewish "settlers" that are fighting, albeit, thankfully without the killing, against an Israeli government that is destroying their homes under the obtuse, misguided hoax of "saving" the nation of Israel. But, what are the Jews doing in Darfur? How come the Arabs with 1.3 billion Islamic faithful throughout the world are not stopping this carnage? The answer is, of course, transparent and on course as a part of the WW IV that Norman Podhoretz has brilliantly described in the Commentary magazine of September 2004. But, what about the African Blacks that should be protecting all there brethren and maintaining peace on their continent? And where is the holier than thou, duplicitous Kofi Annan and his United Nations - totally ineffective and corrupt, as usual. The greatest irony of all is, guess who, along with the Jews, attended the Darfur rally - James Zogby, pre-eminent Arab propagandist in the United States! How clever! Obviously Zogby is trying, as usual, to obscure the landscape and confuse the naïve as to the true nature of the conflict and deflect the direct blame from his fellow Arab constituents on the other side of the world to whomever - maybe the Jews, if they don't watch out. Another active participant at the rally was Al Sharpton, renown anti-Semite, former presidential candidate and very active stalwart of the Democratic Party! So, establishment Jewry, once again, as if on cue, picks strange bedfellows and unusual causes. Are these Jews simply humanitarians once again attempting to prove their worth to the rest of the world or are they truly saving the unfortunate non-Muslim Darfans? Too bad, in either case, it just won't work. Jerome S. Kaufman is National Secretary of the Zionist Organization of America. and host the Israel Commentary website (http://www.israel-commentary.org). |
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ISLAMO-FRANCE IN 2030
Posted by Irwin N. Graulich, May 9, 2006. |
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The first to go will undoubtedly be France. The family of Muslim nations will add another notch to its radical suicide belt by the year 2030, when it translates La Marsellaise into Arabic. If one reads the actual words, the French national anthem already sounds incredibly like the words of Osama with phrases like "a bloody flag is raised" and "may impure blood water our fields." Unfortunately, the French have placed their values cards on socialism, art, philosophy and never allowing an employer to fire anyone. France has become a sophisticated, secular wasteland where the churches are empty, but the sex clubs are filled. They worship the gods of tolerance and compassion, afraid of criticizing the evil immigrant forces metastasizing among the population. The Louvre of 2030 will undoubtedly turn into a large, well appointed mosque, where the Mona Lisa will feature a black veil painted upon her mysteriously missing smile. Sound impossible to believe. Just put this article into a drawer. Jacques Chirac, the Neville Chamberlain of the 21st century, recently called upon the World Bank to fund PA-Hamas salaries. Remember Hamas--the organization that is the moral equivalent of the Nazis, only worse. After all, the Nazis tried to hide their evil, while Hamas boasts about it openly. Chirac is the quintessential liberal leftist who lives in a fantasy world which is ok for children, but quite dangerous for adults. He proposes not to give funds to Hamas, but only to the Palestinian Fatah officials and the Palestinian people. And exactly how does Mr. Chirac propose to keep this money out of the terrorist Hamas Party's hands? A recent computer program, designed to see how well present baseball players like Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds might fare against stars of the 20th century including Ruth, Gehrig, Matheson, Mantle, Koufax, etc. was applied to the present World Political Game of 2006. The results produced the following scenario: Chirac Calls For World To Fund Nazi Salaries September, 1944 (Paris)--French President Jacques Chirac and Marshal Petain called Friday for the creation of a World fund to pay the salaries of German officials, the French president's office announced on Friday, after he met with Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels whose background in journalism helped clarify the dignity of the Nazi position. France had hoped the League of Nations Assembly or Council could resurrect itself and raise the issue with the original Allies, Chirac spokesman Jerome Bonnafont announced. France and other European nations cut off direct communications and trade with the National Socialist Government upon the persecution of some Jews on Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938. However the Chirac/ Petain government in Vichy has become a neutral humanitarian force with Hitler's Germany, going as far as planting trees along the Champs Elysee so the Nazis could March into Paris in the shade. Because of Nazi war expenditures and international sanctions, the Nazi-led government has been unable to pay salaries to 165,000 German government employees. Claiming to be absolutely neutral, France believes aid "must be maintained for humanitarian reasons," Chirac said before going into a strategy meeting with Philippe Petain. And it will push for the continuance of humanitarian assistance with other neutral partners, Sweden and Switzerland, two other nations who treat Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler with the same neutral respect. Goebbels confirmed at a later press conference that if the neutral countries do not reach a "final solution," it could get catastrophic for the innocent German people in Berlin and Dresden. The situation is getting very grave, complex and sensitive. Chirac said humanitarian aid must be given to the German people through independent, neutral world agencies, and independent of the Nazi government in power. The French leader also said that more aid could be placed under the authority of Adolf Eichmann, an innocent German accountant responsible for financial affairs within the government. Chirac again asked the National Socialist Party to respect the demands of the Allied powers, renounce violence and return the Jewish populations from their work camps to the population centers. The Nazis have killed hundreds, perhaps thousands of Jews and have refused to temper its Nuremberg Laws. "We affirm that Dr. Goebbals and Herr Hitler only wish 'peace in our time,' as they have indicated in several statements to me," Mr. Chirac noted. Irwin N. Graulich is a motivational speaker on morality, ethics, Judaism and politics. He is also President and CEO of a marketing, branding and communications company in New York City. He can be reached at irwin.graulich@verizon.net |
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SO I GUESS KILLING JEWS MUST BE LEGAL THEN!
Posted by Lee Caplan, May 9, 2006. |
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"IDF Spokesman: We Bombard Fields In Response to Kassam Attacks." (IsraelNN.com) The IDF Spokesman clarified that the IDF artillery shells fired Monday night and Tuesday morning against Arab targets in Gaza were directed at open fields from where the Arabs fired Kassams on Monday. The spokesman explained that the Arabs launch their attacks from the same locations and by keeping these fields under fire, it prevents further attacks. He noted that since yesterday, there have been no Kassams. The IDF spokesman further stated that if the IDF sees Arab rocket launchers fleeing into a populated area, they will not shoot to kill the terrorists "in order not to harm innocent Palestinians." In response to a question that Israeli civilians have for years been paying a heavy price for the stated policy of refraining from killing terrorists amidst civilians, the spokesman declared that killing terrorists amidst civilians is illegal. Please check out http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=4464 for more examples of this insanity! Contact Lee Caplan by email at leescaplan@yahoo.com |
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BEING SILENT ABOUT EVIL
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 9, 2006. |
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Once upon a time, if Israel happened to be ruled by a wicked king, it was not deemed strange to call such a king "evil." Today, however, the term "evil" has gone out of fashion. None of Israel's rulers, how ever vicious his deeds, need fear being denounced as evil. The reason is this: the mentality of the democratic world is permeated by moral relativism, a doctrine propagated in the social sciences and humanities. One generation of students after another has been taught that there are no objective standards by which to determine whether the behavior of any individual or group is good or evil. Thus, shortly after becoming prime minister in February 2001, Ariel Sharon publicly declared in Ha'aretz -- while suicide bombers were reducing Jews to body parts -- that his son Omri had taught him not to think in terms of "black and white." That public remark or teaching could the more readily spare Sharon from being called "evil" regardless of his subsequent policies. The term "evil" having been erased from the language of public discourse, some substitute is needed to express disapproval of public officials and their policies. Various euphemisms have been current for well over a century. To convey disapproval of the policies of this is or that politician it is customary to call him a "right-winger" or a "left-winger". The words "right" and "left" have simply taken the place of the traditional distinction between "good" and "evil." This moral obscurantism is manifested by commentators across the political spectrum. For example, critics of the Oslo Agreement are inclined to say that any Israeli politician who still clings to that agreement is living "in denial." Other commentators call such politicians "self-hating" Jews. In both cases psychological language has taken the place of ethical language. Heaven forbid that people should call the architects of Oslo evil, even though that policy has resulted in the murder of some 1,600 Jews and the wounding and maiming of 5,000 more. Heaven forbid that people should call a prime minister evil for consorting with Arab despots, or for arming or releasing Arab terrorists, or for expelling Jews from their homes and farms, or for destroying their schools and synagogues. Sleep well prime ministers of Israel! But meanwhile, dear reader, ponder Isaiah (6:20): Fatten the heart of this people, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler says that these verses give "prophetic expression to the fear of the sinner that he might inadvertently see something which would lead him to teshuva [repentance]." Perhaps this fear lurks in Israel's ruling elites, those who still genuflect to Oslo or who persist in the policy of yielding parts of Eretz Yisrael to the successors of the Nazis? I am not alluding to the fear of disgrace that might follow their acknowledging the horrific consequences of that policy. More fearful and significant is this: For Israel's ruling elites to understand with their hearts the sufferings they themselves have inflicted upon the Jewish people would compel them to do teshuva -- that is, to change their entire way of life, which hitherto was steeped in rejection of God and His Torah. Perhaps this is what underlies their living "in denial"? But if these pathetic politicians are merely said to live "in denial," or if they are merely called "self-hating" Jews or "leftists," those employing such epithets obscure what is at stake here. In an age that had not succumbed to moral relativism, certain Israeli prime ministers (and their lackeys) would have been called "evil" for dispossessing and deporting Jews from their homes and turning their land over to their Arab enemies; and only cretins would have been deceived by the use of such euphemisms as "disengagement" or "convergence" to conceal this infamy. But this means that the absence of the term "evil" in public discourse not only trivializes the infamous deeds of Israel's ruling elites; it facilitates their further infamy and thus brings Israel closer to the abyss. Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il |
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THE IDF'S SUICIDE ATTEMPT
Posted by Women in Green, May 9, 2006. |
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This article was written by Caroline Glick and appeared in the Jerusalem Post. It would seem that the IDF's General Staff has lost its collective mind. On Independence Day last Wednesday, at the annual ceremony at the President's House honoring outstanding IDF soldiers, Sergeant Hananel Dayan, upon receiving his decoration, saluted IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, but refused to shake his hand. When asked by President Moshe Katzav the meaning of his action, Dayan explained "My family was expelled from Gush Katif." Members of the audience at the ceremony had no idea what was happening on the stage. The incident was over before it began. It would have been easy for Halutz to shrug the incident off. But he chose not to. After Dayan descended the stage, he was accosted by Maj. Gen. Elazar Stern, head of the IDF's Manpower Division who berated him for his action. Stern demanded an apology. Dayan refused to provide one. Stern later claimed that the IDF would have shrugged off the incident were it not for the presence of the media at the ceremony. Yet this claim is ridiculous. Had the IDF ignored the episode, the media would also have ignored it. In the "worst case" scenario, a reporter would have asked Halutz to comment on Dayan's action. Halutz would have said that it is understandable that those whose families were forced out of their homes in Gaza during the withdrawal last summer have hard feelings about what happened. Case closed. But rather than ignore the minor incident, the IDF went bananas. Stern held a disciplinary hearing for Dayan on Thursday, even though Dayan had violated no IDF regulation. Dayan's brigade commander then expelled him from his unit and barred him from serving in any combat unit. Stern is now considering revoking Dayan's award for outstanding service. The IDF's decision to react to Dayan's expression of his personal sentiment by crushing him with the full weight of the General Staff is indicative of a serious problem that has repercussions for both Israel's continued national viability and the IDF's continued capabilities as a fighting force. Halutz, Stern and their subordinates accuse Dayan of having brought politics into the army by expressing his personal anger over what the IDF did to his family last August. It is true that Dayan's grief over the expulsion of his family is shared today almost exclusively by the Right, but that fact does not make his expression of his opinion either a crime or an act of politicization of the IDF. On the other hand, the generals' hysterical reaction to his refusal to shake Halutz's hand indicates that the politicization has already occurred. Today, the national religious sector makes up some 15 percent of the overall population, yet its sons make up more than 30 percent of combat soldiers in the IDF. Soldiers from the national religious camp make up a plurality of cadets in combat officer training courses and a majority of soldiers in most commando units. SOME 60 percent of NCOs in combat units graduated from national religious high schools and last year, 80 percent of company commanders in Golani infantry brigade were from the national religious camp. National religious officers are similarly overrepresented - by a ratio of between 2:1 to 4:1 in all combat units to the level of battalion command in the IDF. During the course of the Palestinian terror war since September 2000, 30 percent of soldiers killed in action were from the national religious camp. The IDF's implementation of the expulsion orders last summer caused a sea change in the way that Israelis from the national religious camp perceive the IDF. The brutal police commanded evacuations of protesters at Amona last February - which left more than 300 demonstrators wounded - only widened the rift. In an interview with Haaretz last week, Halutz claimed that there has been no decrease in levels of volunteerism of members of this sector since last summer. Yet members of the General Staff claim that his statement was misleading. The decreased motivation and ruined moral is evident today mainly in reenlistment rates. Company and battalion commanders are increasingly refusing to reenlist when their contracts end in anticipation of orders to carry out further withdrawals and expulsions. RATHER THAN contend with this situation with the necessary self-interested sensitivity in light of the damage a breach of relations with the religious Zionist camp will cause to the IDF as a fighting force, Halutz has been going out of his way in recent months to publicly chastise, insult and alienate this public. Several months ago, referring to the violence at Amona and the protests last summer against the expulsions from Gaza, Halutz described the protesters as "poisoners of wells." On Holocaust Memorial Day he accused them of belittling the Holocaust for using the slogan "We won't forget and we won't forgive" regarding the expulsions last summer, although the same slogan has been used by the Left numerous times in the past. Halutz has held publicized meetings with members of the extremist Left wing group Machsom Watch but rudely refused to meet with Col. (res.) Moti Yogev, the former deputy commander of the Gaza Division who was wounded by police at Amona. Halutz recently appointed Brig. Gen. Tal Russo as his personal emissary to the national religious sector to try to build bridges between religious leaders and youth and the IDF. IDF sources claim that Russo's appointment was the result of successive opinion polls that showed that the national religious camp despises Halutz. Russo has been going from community to community talking with rabbis and youths aged 16-18 to convince them to maintain their motivation to serve. Yet actions like those taken against Dayan directly undercut Russo's work. UNFORTUNATELY, a recent report indicates that perhaps Russo's mission is a mere feint. According to Middle East Newsline, a news service that specializes in coverage of the IDF, Stern recently revised the IDF's guidelines for recruitment. In light of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's intention to expel tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in Judea and Samaria, the IDF no longer believes that soldiers from the national religious camp are trustworthy. So, according to an officer in the Manpower Division quoted in the report, the IDF will now limit the recruitment of religious soldiers. The shortfall will be made up by juvenile delinquents who are currently barred from serving in combat units. Over the past several months, a significant number of religious youths have received notices in the mail informing them that their IDF service had been cancelled just days before they were scheduled to show up at the induction centers. In most cases, the youths were scheduled to begin infantry basic training and were caught completely by surprise. When in some cases the youths pulled strings to reinstate their conscription, they were forced to undergo lengthy interrogations by Shin Bet officers who grilled them about their spiritual connections to the Land of Israel and their willingness to participate in expulsions. Taken together, the IDF's treatment of Dayan; its new recruitment guidelines and Halutz's anti-religious rhetoric reveal a dangerous politicization of the IDF. It seems that today, with Hamas now in charge of the Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz now in charge of Israel, the IDF views Israelis rather than Arabs as its principal threat. Halutz and Stern, in criminalizing actions like Dayan's while minimizing the significance of the Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority are sending a clear signal of where they believe the IDF should be devoting its energies. The IDF General Staff's decision to attack religious Zionists is perhaps the most disturbing development in Israel's recent past. Israel is in the middle of a war -- a war it has given its enemies every reason to believe they are winning. The result of Halutz and Stern's goading of the national religious camp is already being felt as its members make increasingly unrestrained statements regarding their unwillingness to fight for the country. If the current trend is not quickly reversed, not only will the IDF itself degrade its fighting capabilities by rejecting its best soldiers and recruits. It will be transformed into a force charged not with defending Israel against its enemies, but with defending the government against its political opponents. Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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ARAB TERRORISM RACKET; U.S. MUSLIM TROOPS; EXTENT OF ISLAMIC TOLERANCE
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 9, 2006. |
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HOW SADDAM HELPED THE U.S. WAR EFFORT Saddam smoothed the way for US military forces. First, his efforts to hide traces of his earlier weapons of mass-destruction (or were they more recent?) convinced the world he had them and the US that he had to be deprived of them. The efforts deceived his commanders, who were shocked to learn they could not resort to them. His greatest concerns were a Shiite uprising, a military coup, and Iranian interference. He thought the US would satisfy itself with a few blows and depart. Therefore, he diverted forces to the border with Iran and to Shiite areas, left intact the bridges he would need to send more forces out from Baghdad but which US forces used to sweep into Baghdad, kept units from communicating with each other, required all decisions to go through him, and micromanaged the war. He promoted loyal incompetents, and feared to arm other tribes. (Miriam Gardner, American Yated Neeman, 3/24 Roundup. Two NY Times correspondents developed this information from interviews and documents.) Saddam was the United States' secret weapon. I hadn't realized that much of our military victory was due less to our own good planning as to Iraq's poor planning. IRAN PREPARES FOR WAR Iran has built a secret command center under its capital. Military research is conducted largely underground. Iran already is having proxy militia attack US and British forces (Op. Cit.). Other preparations were cited in earlier reports. FRENCH PUBLIC OPINION CHANGING A recent poll found that about 3:1, Frenchmen find Muslims disloyal and not trying to integrate, unlike immigrants from China and Vietnam, and that Muslims cause major national problems. They oppose the plan by (supposedly tough) Interior Min. Sarkozy to use public funds to build mosques. 87% favor the existence of Israel. These feelings are far more pronounced among the average French citizen than in the ruling circle (Ibid.). Sometimes the people are wiser than their rulers, sometimes not. The trick is to tell which is the case. PALESTINIAN ARAB TERRORISM RACKET Masquerading as a nationalist movement, the PLO was a protection racket. It extorted money from Arab states to keep terrorism away from them. It rented itself out to other terrorist causes. It got tithes forcibly collected by host governments from Palestinian Arab refugees. Western support for refugee camps freed PLO money for warfare. It invested in business, racketeering, and "peace process" -- Consul-Gen. Abbington allocated $400 million to the P.A., then became a P.A. lobbyist for $2.5 million U.S. MUSLIM TROOPS There are 3,700 Muslims among the 1.4 million members of the US armed forces. A NY Sun editor interviewed two as typical. The sergeant was an immigrant grateful for the better life America offered him, and eager to defend it. The Marine colonel was a convert who explained how he balances his religion with his military duties. They expressed pride in fighting in behalf of freedom against the terrorists who kill in what they say is the false name of their religion (John P. Avlon, 4/21, Op.-Ed.). The theme is that genuine Muslims can be loyal to their Western country, and that the Islamists falsely use religion as a cloak for their ideology of dictatorship and murder. It would be an inspiring piece if reliable. Is it reliable? It is false. Islamism emphasizes a genuine aspect of Islam and Muslim principles. The piece also is one-sided. The Sun has reported instances of Muslim soldiers attacking their fellow GIs. The military admits that gangs send new members into the military, for training for their own purposes. Islamists may do the same. If the Op.-Ed. had related both sides, one might accept the notion that some Muslims are loyal to their country and that the Islamists are an aberration. The failure to mention the other side makes one wonder how representative it is and how reliable is its testimony. The situation depicted probably is less true in Europe. Besides the Muslim disregard for nationality, other than an Arab belief that they are the elite among Muslims for having founded the religion, European countries have abandoned much of their nationalism for multiculturalism, hedonism, and commerce, not freedom and true tolerance, which is mutual tolerance. There is less to assimilate to. In Europe, Muslims openly declare themselves in a drive to take over. The US traditionally exerts a nationalist pride in matters to be proud of. However, education here now is influenced by multicultural political correctness. Liberals are turning anti-American. Assimilation is impeded. Mosques are staffed mostly by imams sent by S. Arabia for their extremism. Young Muslims in the US easily are radicalized. I am afraid that Muslim soldiers present a security risk here, as they do in France. Barring them from service might sour them on the US. But until there is a moderate Muslim movement in this country that can stand up to the radicals, and can explain how the radicals are not good Muslims, even though what the radicals propose is in accord with the original teachings of Islam, we must be careful about this. I think that this is a major concern getting minor attention. There should be surveys and studies leading to policies. Making the problem worse is the federal government's welcome to Islamist groups such as CAIR. Legitimizing such radicals makes it more difficult for moderates, if there are such, to ostracize the radicals. I'd like to hear what other people think about this. U.S. FOREIGN POLICY: DAMNED EITHER WAY First the US gave hope to Muslims that it would back up their drive for democracy and to end oppression. Then (when Islamists seized the opportunity to strive for power) it returned to accommodating the conventional dictators. People feel abandoned, as Egypt and S. Arabia crack down on democrats and ease up on Islamists. The US thinks it sufficient to correct rumors and erroneous proclamations. Journalist Youssef Ibrahim would add a consistent and comprehensive strategy. He notes that the Sec. of State does not publicly demand that rulers cease funding terrorist networks or demand penalties for preachers who call Christians and Jews monkeys and pigs. (Punish them for quoting the Koran?) Instead of debunking Islamism, Pres. Bush hosts those rulers. The US does not face down Muslim oppression, the way it did the Iron Curtain. "Why isn't America beaming into Middle Eastern, Central Asian, N. African, and Persian Gulf homes more programs on 'proper Koranic interpretations' and good, as opposed to evil, religions messages." "We have American Muslims, we have radios, we have the press, and we have television networks. Why not make the push?" We are not properly and seriously showing the criminality and corruptness of the Islamist and of the Muslim rulers and offering the people a sane way out (NY Sun, 4/21, p.6). Well argued. Would foreign Muslims pay any attention to US news or would they be too prejudiced and chauvinist? How reliable would US Muslims be, in the proposed effort? LIFE IN GAZA Gunmen have been abducting not only foreign workers, but also P.A. police, officials, and other Arabs, up to a few times a day. Gunmen beat them up or steal their cars, then release them (IMRA, 4/19). These are Muslim Arabs oppressing their own people. Ending the "Israeli occupation" was supposed to permit the Arabs to run their affairs their own way, ending their violence and poverty. Must we continue to give that beggar quasi-state humanitarian aid, so people remain for the gunmen to beat up? SECOND THOUGHTS ON WITHDRAWAL Yoel Marcus, a Haaretz advocate of withdrawal, now can draw inferences from the Gaza withdrawal for evacuating from Judea-Samaria. He wrote, "In light of the fact that the evacuation of Gush Katif put Hamas in office, increased the Qassams, and Israel is still in Gaza via cannons, and maybe soon with tanks, I suddenly doubt if the Ehud Olmert government will be able to evacuate 60 thousand settlers." (IMRA, 4/18. This admission was omitted from the English edition, but IMRA tips its readers off about such inconsistencies.) The question is not whether the government would "be able" to evacuate six times as many Jews as from Gaza, but whether it would be sane to. Israel should represent the Jews, not the Arabs. MORE PERES INANITIES MK Shteinitz called the latest expressions of their views by Shimon Peres and Pres. Katsav "dangerous." Both officials had asserted that the terrorist way of Hamas is not the same way that the Palestinian Arab people take. Peres claimed that the Arab people are not the enemy. Kastav put it, "We want to believe that the political approach of the Hamas government is not the way of the Palestinians. I believe that most of the Palestinians support peace with Israel and accept the three conditions of the Quartet..." ("Want to believe?" Facts?) To the contrary, as still another poll found, a slight majority favor terrorism and a slight minority thinks terrorism has obtained for them what diplomacy has not. Indeed, Katsav added that the Palestinian Arab people chose terrorism. Shteinitz responded, "The fact that our leaders do not recognize our enemies as such is dangerous. Their statements are a continuation of the game of false illusions. The Palestinian people - and I'm not referring to individuals, of whom many sincerely want peace - are our enemy, as we have seen in their terrorism of the past years and all the more so in their election of Hamas, which does not recognize our existence and wants to destroy us. They have chosen the path of war." (Arutz-7, 4/18.) Peres was a fool when he first rammed Oslo down Rabin's throat. Now, more than 12 years later, his policy a failure, he stumblles on with it. Katsav now shares his blindness. Peres lacks loyalty to his country and people, and Katsav naïve like the mythical Yiddish fools, the "wise men of Chelm." HAMAS VS. JORDAN We've seen a reported Jordanian complaint that Hamas stored weapons in Jordan. The import was that Jordan objected to being the launching point for terrorism. This news brief adds a point that gives a different slant, that I hadn't seen before. IMRA adds that Jordan complained that it detected Hamas agents reconnoitering targets in Jordan. That is different. That means that Jordan is a prospective target of Hamas terrorism. Ironically, Jordan tried to be friendly with the new Hamas government, and the new government had promised not to interfere in Jordan (4/19). It reminds one of the similar promises that Arafat made to Jordan and broke. THE EXTENT OF ISLAMIC TOLERANCE An Arab Muslim reformist writer advises immigrants to Western countries to adapt to that country's laws and culture. Just as Muslims expect visitors to their countries to respect their customs, such as not to eat pork in public, non-Muslim countries have a right to expect equal consideration from Muslim immigrants. Arriving Muslims should not expect to practice polygamy or enact Islamic law, so long as they are not the majority (IMRA, 4/19). What happens if in France and other European countries, the Muslims become a majority? Does the dark curtain of a medieval religion descend upon France and deprive the natives of their culture? Majority rule does not rule out minority rights, in Western democracies, but Muslims don't understand that. I'd advise the French to get the Muslims out before the Muslims get them out. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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HAS THE IDF BECOME THE ARMY OF CHELM?
Posted by Lee Kaplan, May 9, 2006. |
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I've written before about the lunacy going on in Israel, or as my Israeli friends and people there I interview all say, "Israel is confused." Now, another example of Israel as the Village of Chelm emerges with the suspension of Sergeant Hananel Dayan by his brigade commander for refusing to shake the hand of Lt. General Dan Halutz at a ceremony where Dayan, and fellow fighters, were being honored as outstanding soldiers. Dayan, who had relatives forcibly evicted from Gush Katif, adhered to military protocol and saluted the good general, but he refused to shake his hand out of personal annoyance over the Gaza Disengagement. Dayan was making a personal statement, but not outside army regulations. In some fairness to General Halutz, as a military leader he must carry out orders given him by civilian politicians, the political leadership in Chelm. But at the same time, Dayan, as an Israeli soldier, also should have some rights of personal expression without being suspended. Israel certainly extends those rights to the leftists and college radicals in the army that make up the so-called "refuseniks". Had Dayan been one of the one-tenth of one percent of a speck of dust that composes the Israeli army "refuseniks", instead of an outstanding soldier, he'd probably have been treated better for expressing himself. Dayan has laid his life on the line for Israel. But then again, nowadays an Israeli soldier is just a cipher, a tool for political policy, even if it includes deporting Jews from their homes for the sake of Arabs. The common soldiers and border policemen have become nothing but political playthings for a leadership that affords them no consideration and allows them to be treated like fools. The International Solidarity Movement this June will hold "training sessions" all over the United States for college students and old dried-out American leftist radicals to go to Judea and Samaria and interfere with the IDF. One of their instructions are that if an IDF soldier in a closed military zone orders them to leave, they should demand to see his orders in writing. Another is to photocopy their passport, so that if a soldier requests it, they can run away after handing over the copy while the Arabs distract him. Still another is if an Arab throws a rock at an Israeli soldier, they are to block the soldier's view so the Arab can get away. If the Arab is caught, then they are to demand to be arrested with the Arab and refuse to leave jail (as foreigners, they know they'll be let out soon) unless the Arab stone thrower is released as well. Then, they can start all over again. The ISM activists know the Israeli soldiers act responsibly and with respect, which is why they don't fear them. But they tell everyone over here in America that soldiers use Arab children for target practice like a sport, rape Arab women, demolish homes for no reason at all and that every armed terrorist or suicide bomber they kill was an unarmed civilian. One ISM report once even claimed that an IDF soldier defecated into an Arab's refrigerator. The IDF captain who was supervising weapons tunnel demolitions when ISM anarchist Rachel Corrie (that's right, she was an American anarchist, not a "peace activist") was killed recounted in an interview how that day the ISM activists were standing in front of tanks and motioning with their hands to their chests and yelling, "Shoot me! Shoot me!" The army should have grabbed them all and, as we say in the US, hauled them off to the hoosegow for a long, long time. But no, the IDF even allowed one of them who was in the country under a false identity after being banned for ten years to be a "witness" against the Bedouin marksman Idier Wahid Taysir who shot ISM anarchist Tom Hurndall. That "witness" is running all over the USA now claiming he and Hurndall were in Rafah that day because an IDF tank, a part of an armored brigade like the one Dayan was just suspended from, was "machine-gunning children" for no reason at all. The "witness" Joseph Smith, renamed Joseph Carr to enter Israel, tells a tale over here how Hurndall antagonized the IDF soldiers in their bunker before he was shot because he "wanted to be in the middle of the action," but then was shot "rescuing some children from the line of fire." I'll bet. Summer is approaching and the ISM is gearing up again to harass the IDF and border police. Maybe the IDF this time can concern itself more with getting the shlemiels in the government to ban the ISM and declare it an illegal organization - as it fronts for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades, by its own leadership's admission[1] - than whether a sergeant expressed his personal animus about the Disengagement of his family. Unlike Sgt. Dayan, ISM leaders would no doubt shake Halutz's hand, but then hold onto it while some terrorist plunged a knife into the general's back. Meanwhile, Dayan, the outstanding soldier, would be away on suspension, unable to stop it. Israel, we have an expression here in the US: "Get a grip." Before it's too late. 1. "Birds of a Feather Enable Murderers together," Rogues Gallery:
The husband and wife team, Adam Shapiro and Huwaida Arraf, started
International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Lee Kaplan writes frequently about ISM and their nefarious activities. |
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BE A PART OF THE "SUMMER OF OPPORTUNITIES" FOR THE CHILDREN OF GUSH KATIF
Posted by Aaron Tirschwell, May 9, 2006. |
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The children of the evacuated communities of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron suffer from a full range of traumatic and post traumatic stress symptoms including anxiety, depression, regressive behaviors, separation problems, sleep difficulties, behavioral problems, a lack of concentration, lack of motivation, and difficulties coping with new or challenging situations. Many of them are separated from childhood friends whom they miss terribly. In an unprecedented strategic partnership between One Israel Fund, The Council of Gush Katif Residents, and The Koby Mandell Foundation, a post trauma camping experience for children who were evacuated from Gush Katif has been developed. Based on the framework for traumatic bereavement therapy developed at Camp Koby in their work with terror victims, the camp, entitled the Summer of Opportunities program, will offer a 10 day overnight camp experience for children ages 10 to 15, comprising of 650 children in that age group. The Summer of Opportunities program is about creating a fun and exciting place that will offer children a respite from the pressures of family, school and society. Secondly, it will create a supportive environment where children and adolescents will be with others who share their experiences. Thirdly, the Summer of Opportunities program will reunite children with their friends from their home communities, strengthening their connections and offering a respite form the sense of loneliness and sadness that is natural when coping with loss. For $750 you can sponsor a camper's 10 day experience of a lifetime that will help build relationships, develop coping mechanisms to deal with the one year anniversary of the disengagement, and instill feelings of belonging and worthiness. The Summer of Opportunities program is estimated to cost in excess of $500,000. To donate, please visit the One Israel Fund website by clicking the following link: https://www.oneisraelfund.org/projects_summer2006.php. One Israel Fund is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Service, ID# 11-3195338. All US donations are considered tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For donations from other countries, please contact us. Additionally, and/or for more information, please feel free to contact: In Israel: Eve Harow; Assistant Director, Israel Operations, One Israel Fund; eve@oneisraelfund.org; 0576-228-275 In the USA: Aaron S. Tirschwell, Executive Vice President, One Israel Fund; aaron@oneisraelfund.org; 516-239-9202, ext. 12 Even if you cannot fully sponsor a camper, all donations will be appreciated and will be used to assist these children in attending the Summer of Opportunities program. Thanking you in advance for making a difference in the lives of these children, we remain Sincerely yours, Aaron S. Tirschwell, One Israel Fund
Contact Aaron Tirschwell at aaron@oneisraelfund.org |
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BRITISH ARCHIVES: NAZI SS AGENTS IN MANDATORY PALESTINE WORKED CLOSELY WITH PALESTINIAN ARAB LEADERS
Posted by Avodah 15, May 8, 2006. |
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This was written by Yaakov Lappin (Ynet News) and is called, "Nazis 'shipped arms to Palestinians' (www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3248081,00.html). These are some points the article makes.
Contact Avodah 15 by email at avodah15@aol.com |
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HAMAS: PERMIT GUNS ONLY FOR ENFORCING LAW AND ATTACKING ISRAEL
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 8, 2006. |
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This is entitled "Hamas armed force readies for action," and was
written by Khaled Abu Toameh and it appeared in The Jerusalem Post
May. 6, 2006 Hamas's new security force is expected to start operating in the Gaza Strip next week, sources in the Palestinian Authority Interior Ministry said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hamas leaders warned over the weekend of a new intifada and said they would "chop off" the head of anyone who works to bring down their cabinet. The warnings were made during huge demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in support of the Hamas cabinet and in protest against the US-led sanctions on the Hamas cabinet. The 3,000-strong force, which consists largely of Hamas militiamen, was established last month by Interior Minister Said Siam to help PA security forces enforce law and order in the Gaza Strip. The decision to establish the new force has enraged PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who responded by issuing a "presidential decree" forbidding the Interior Minister from pursuing his plan under the pretext that the move was "illegal." However, the Hamas cabinet, which has ignored Abbas's decree, managed to recruit hundreds of militiamen to the new force. Abbas and his aides have expressed fear that Hamas was trying to undermine the PA security forces, whose members are all affiliated with Fatah. Khaled Abu Hilal, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the new force would officially start operating on May 14 by participating in a major security operation against illegal construction along Gaza City's beach. He said a joint operations room comprising members of all the PA security forces had been set up to supervise the campaign, which is also aimed at "liberating" public land illegally seized by Palestinians over the past few years. Many families, armed groups and senior PA officials are reported to have exploited the state of anarchy and lawlessness in the Gaza Strip to grab public lands and to build houses and businesses on them. Abu Hilal said the new security force, whose members will wear special uniforms, will assist the various branches of the PA security forces during the operation, the first of its kind since Hamas formed the cabinet last March. He revealed that the Interior Ministry was also preparing to launch a similar campaign to confiscate "illegal" weapons in the Gaza Strip and was seeking the backing of large clans for the drive. Leaders of several clans have already agreed to cooperate with the ministry by signing a document prohibiting the use of weapons in local disputes. The spokesman, however, stressed that the campaign was not directed against militias that are fighting against Israel. "We want to end the chaos of weapons," he said. "The only ones who will be allowed to carry weapons are the policemen who are in charge of law and order and members of the resistance groups who are confronting Israeli aggression." On Friday, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets to protest against the international sanctions against the Hamas cabinet. The protests were held under the motto, 'Yes to starvation, no to capitulation." In Ramallah, local residents donated over $60,000 in cash and two kilograms of gold to the Hamas cabinet. Interior Minister Siam threatened to "turn the table over the heads of all those who are trying to foil the Hamas cabinet." Addressing supporters in Khan Yunis, he reiterated his Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. "We can't accept the existence of the criminals, executioners and murderers on our blessed lands," he said. "We won't change our position." Hassan al-Safi, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, warned that the international sanctions would lead to a "third intifada." He added: "This time it will be a regional intifada which will change the balance of power in the region." Addressing US President George W. Bush, Safi said: "We will chop off the head of anyone who tries to bring down our cabinet. The US wants us to succumb and become its slaves, but we won't give in because we are free and sovereign." Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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PALESTINE AUTHORITY: CHRISTIAN ZIONISTS ADOPTED SATAN AS GOD
Posted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, May 8, 2006. |
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Official PA government Religious Judicial Council web site: 1. Christian Zionists "adopted Satan as God" Introduction: The following article, written by a senior Palestinian Authority religious figure and placed on the website of the PA Supreme [Islamic] Judicial Council, attacks Christian Zionists for adopting "Satan as God" and deviating "from the true Christian faith." Christian Zionists are presented as a danger to Muslims and the world, and the PA Religious leader calls for their expulsion by the "World Church." Zionist-Christian motivation is said to be "Crusader motivation" and was behind not only the "cursed Balfour Declaration" but is today "behind the British and American policy in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Arab and Muslim countries." It should be noted that the writer Hamed Al-Tamimi, a member of the Supreme Judicial Council, was appointed to his position of religious leadership before the Hamas came to power in the PA. The following is the text as it appears today on the website of the Supreme [Islamic] Judicial Council: "Christian Zionism"
Very few people know the truth about this [Christian Zionist] movement, which unconditionally supports the Zionist enemy, and unconditionally opposes Islam and the Muslims? Their association and their organizations, headed by "The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem," carry out their criminal activities against the Palestinian issue and the Palestinian people, as Walter Riggans, the Secretary-General of the International Christian Embassy, proudly and defiantly announced: "We are more Zionist than the Israelis" And even if the sides of this hated-malicious alliance [of Israelis and Christian Zionists] have different goals, they both agree on hatred of Islam and the Muslims and on [the goal] to destroy them? The Zionist-Christian motivation, in addition to imperialist motivation, was behind the cursed Balfour Declaration -- Balfour and Prime Minister Lloyd George were Christian Zionists -- and the truth is we should not deny [that] these Crusader motivations stand [today] behind the British and American policy in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Arab and Muslim countries. We choose [to quote from] the following lecture, by the Doctor Priest Riad Jarjour, the Secretary-General of the Middle-Eastern Churches Committee -- to shed light on this destructive [Christian Zionist] movement that together with her Zionist Jewish ally comprise the greatest danger to world truth, justice, and peace. [From lecture of Riad Jarjour]:
[Back to Tamimi]
Itamar Marcus is director of PMW - Palestinian Media Watch - (http://www.pmw.org.il). PMW is based in Jerusalem. Barbara Crook, a writer and university lecturer based in Ottawa, Canada, is PMW's North American representative. |
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THE HOLOCAUST & ANTISEMITES; EGYPT PRAISES SUICIDE BOMBING OF ISRAEL; C.A.I.R. CAVES IN
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 8, 2006. |
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THE HOLOCAUST & ANTISEMITES
Thinking is a lost art. The news story that Germany will release its extensive Holocaust files was stated just as bare news, at least at first. The implication immediately should have flowed into one's mind. From the Nazis' own files, millions of documents would attest to the nature and details of the Holocaust, just while those of us who remember it are passing from this earth. Holocaust denial would become more untenable.
Antisemites have three approaches to the Holocaust: (1) Denial or minimization; (2) Attempt to revive it; and (3) Defame the Jews as profiting from it. Being a pathology, antisemitism does not deal in facts but in assertion and ridiculous supposition.
Antisemitism is like pornography -- no redeeming social value. It adds
to the world's problems by clouding understanding of the issues and
launching new persecution.
Holocaust deniers want to eliminate sympathy for the Jewish people. Hence they deny Jewish persecution or minimize Jewish suffering. On the other hand, Muslims admit some persecution, when they attribute the world's original approval of Zionism to sympathy over the Holocaust. Of course, the Balfour Declaration and Palestine Mandate for a Jewish national home preceded the Holocaust by a couple of decades. It was supported as rectification of an historical injustice to the Jewish people.
The Arabs who deny there was a Holocaust are admirers of the Nazis, just as the Arabs generally were during the Holocaust. They were admirers, not just allies against Britain. Their descendants are striving to commit one, now. Their covenants call for destroying the Jewish state. Their mosques call for destroying the Jewish people.
Although the Arabs admire the Nazis so much that Adolph Hitler's
autobiography, Mein Kampf, and his favorite book, The Protocols of the
Elders of Zion, are best-sellers in Arab countries, some pro-Arab
bloggers call Israelis, those overly tender fools who won't go in and
root out the terrorists, "Zionazis!" The Arabs contradict themselves
over whether the Nazis were good or evil. Problem with Westerners,
having become too secularized, is that they no longer believe that
some ideologies and peoples and individuals are evil in nature.
What about the latest charge, that Jews are exploiting the Holocaust
financially? Class-action lawyers may come trolling -- don't blame that
on Jewry, nor let that be the tail that wags the persecution dog. I
would rebuke some Jewish organizations that hold on to some awards
rather than distribute them to survivors and heirs. Restitution and
compensation are only just. Historically, the Jewish people have been
exploited financially by Arab and European states that expelled them
and confiscated their goods. Not only was Jewish property seized, but
persecutors killed and injured millions of Jews, and European banks
and insurance companies withheld accounts and policies from the
survivors. But banks, insurance companies, and governments have
refused to admit complicity, obstructed investigators, and hid assets.
Those are the ones who deserve censure, now.
WHEN P.A. STATEHOOD?
Many Western opinion-makers take the formation of a P.A. state for
granted. They do not examine its premises. They don't know that it
would be unjust to the Jewish people by rewarding Arab terrorists with
Jewish patrimony for attacking Jews. They don't want to know that it
would establish sovereign rights useful in committing aggression that
the new state would do. As they grease the skids for the Arab
land-grab, they piously suggest that they are waiting (indefinitely)
for the Arabs to renounce terrorism. Then all would be forgiven. All
would be forgiven the Arab terrorists, that is. Jews don't find much
"forgiveness" in the Muslim religion of alleged peace and mercy (and
not enough from the Christian adherents of peace and mercy). Should
the Jews forgive Islam?
Will Islam reform and the Arabs mellow? Hardly likely. The trend is
the other way. The whole P.A. society is geared to jihad,
antisemitism, and bigotry against Christianity). A world that weren't
confused and prejudiced would move on to another solution, such as
letting Israel triumph over jihad and gain the Jewish territory
essential to its defense and to its purpose -- ingathering the Jewish
people in its own homeland for development of its culture, for their
safety, and to fulfill their religious imperative. (Oh, they object to
Judaism's claim to the Holy Land? Why don't they object to Islam's,
too?)
The US doesn't object to Arab terrorism when not immediately visited
upon US troops or assets. Why doesn't the US recognize P.A. statehood
now? It may be embarrassed by the P.A.,but I think its major hesitancy
is due to: (1) P.A. inability to run its own affairs competently; and
(2) Concern that statehood would reveal the power of sovereignty to
protect aggressors before the State Dept. has had time to wrest all of
the Territories and more away from Israel and into Arab hands.
Hamas may be able to run the P.A. competently, but the P.A. likely
would remain a charity case. The P.A. is not a viable area. What I
mean by "viable" is economically self-sufficient. The State Dept. and
others use the term to mean a larger territory, though more territory
of that type that lacks natural resources would not contribute to the
Arab state's viability but to the Jewish state's non-viability. Do you
suppose that the State Dept., obsessed with anti-Zionism to the point
of ignoring the anti-Americanism and violence of the proposed Arab
state, does not know of the study by the Chiefs of Staff that found
most of Yesha vital to Israeli security?
LIBERALISM OR CONSERVATISM?
People decide whether government or business should run an enterprise generally according to whether they are liberal or conservative. That is not a practical basis. Some activities are better performed by government, others are better performed by business. The trick is to choose which is likelier to run the activity better.
EGYPT PRAISES SUICIDE BOMBING OF ISRAEL
An Egyptian newspaper, whose editor is controlled by the President of Egypt, praised the recent suicide bombing in Tel Aviv as a martyr's sacrifice. He warned there would be more such attacks, which he attempted to justify (IMRA, 4/18). Hard line, now!
EXECUTING ISLAM'S INJUNCTION TO EXECUTE
Afghanistan was prepared to execute an apostate who converted from Islam to Christianity. Westerner's protested against such intolerance. Fearing that the objections may arouse the West, many Muslims deny the fact that Islam prescribes capital punishment for apostates. Instead, the Muslims pretend to be shocked (Pipes #660, 4/7)
In like manner, many pretended to be shocked at 9/11.
CAIR CAVES
There is a trend of rich or powerful organizations and individuals intimidating critics of little means by falsely suing them for defamation. Unable to pay for a proper legal defense, such critics tend to apologize in effect for telling the embarrassing truth. Following that trend, CAIR, the US Islamist organization, initiated three libel suits. It lost all three. It may be discouraged from pursuing the judicial offensive.
The most recent case involved CAIR's challenge to an anti-CAIR website. The website accused CAIR of: (1) Being a terrorist front partly funded by terrorists and supported by terrorist countries; (2) Founded by members of Hamas, CAIR seeks to overthrow our constitutional government in favor of a theocracy; and (3) CAIR presents itself as moderate and seeking to protect the civil rights of Muslims, but it attempts to impose radical Islam upon the country.
The defendant got a pro bono attorney, who sought a court order to examine CAIR's records of funding, etc., to test the claims. The request for CAIR documents could trace its funding to terrorists. At that, CAIR reduced its charges from half a dozen to two, did not answer some of the questions it was supposed to, and then settled the case out of court. It refused to admit who paid whom, in the settlement, but the clue is that the anti-CAIR website continues to make the same accusations.
Daniel Pipes has initiated an Islamist Watch organization, just as he
initiated Campus Watch (Pipes #665, 4/21). Campus Watch has a
website that monitors and publicizes college professors' false or
biased in support of jihad or against Israel. Some professors, now
that they are subject to the competition of the intellectual
marketplace, are more careful not to utter the same extreme things as
formerly.
Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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ISRAEL'S FINAL CHAPTER
Posted by Women in Green, May 8, 2006. |
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This was written by Joel Hilliker. The Israelis elected a prime minister who vows to bring the Arab-Jew impasse to an end by 2010. Will his radical plan work? Israel always turns tough in a crisis. Born in controversy, raised on war, steeled by terrorism, reviled by the world, the Jewish state has suffered more than its share of trials. It aches for peace, it honors its diplomats, but it turns to its warriors when war is required. Until now. "The Koran is our constitution, Muhammad is our prophet, jihad is our path and dying as martyrs for the sake of Allah is our biggest wish!" This chilling pronouncement tripped off the lips of a Palestinian Authority legislator after the PA's parliament rubber-stamped the government's new cabinet on March 28. It shouldn't come as a shock: In January, Palestinians awarded a strong majority of parliamentary seats to the terrorist group Hamas. Hamas was founded in 1987 for the express purpose of destroying Israel, and since joining politics has staunchly, publicly clung to that goal. It denies Israel's right to be. It considers all previously signed agreements with Israel void. The new PA prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, plans (as a first step) to drive Israel back to 1967 borders and establish an Arab state with Jerusalem as its capital. His cabinet brims with hardline terrorists who have been jailed or targeted for assassination by Israel. For Israel, this is a time of crisis. War is on the cards. But rather than appealing to its warriors, in its latest election Israel embraced its defeatists. A Shocking Choice On March 28 -- the same day the PA confirmed its terrorist credentials by approving its hardline cabinet -- Israeli voters crowned Ehud Olmert their new prime minister. Olmert is a professional politician, not a fighter. Last June, to the Israel Policy Forum in New York, he said, "We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies". It's impossible to comprehend how Olmert could be tired of winning and defeating enemies, when 33 years have passed since Israel won anything. Perhaps Olmert confuses the litany of losses, retreats, terrorist violence and global derision his nation has suffered during that time with winning. But by taking that stance precisely as Hamas takes over the PA, he guarantees that his people will soon learn how much quicker they grow tired of being conquered. Olmert campaigned on a pledge to extract tens of thousands of Jews from West Bank settlements. In what amounted to his victory speech, he spoke directly to the Palestinian leaders: "We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved land of Israel... and evacuate, under great pain, Jews living there, in order to create the conditions that will enable you to fulfill your dream and live alongside us" (bbc News, March 29). Israelis have just elected a prime minister who wants to enable Hamas to fulfill its dreams. This man fantasizes about Hamas terrorists dreaming of living alongside Jews -- and calls that fantasy a foreign policy. By comparison, Neville Chamberlain looks like a lion. Ehud Olmert symbolizes the abject collapse of Israel's national will. And he is now the most powerful man in Israel. This is the man Israelis elected to lead them in their most perilous hour. Chapters Since the Jewish State of Israel began as a nation, its story has had two very different chapters. Chapter One: War. The defining characteristic of the period became clear the day Israel was born -- May 14, 1948 -- when a collection of neighboring Arab states attacked en masse, and the Jews fought back for the survival of their day-old nation. Though they succeeded in repulsing the assault, for a generation the Jews never enjoyed peace for long: Major wars occurred every seven years or so. Through this period, the Jewish state had to grow up quickly into a tough, battle-hardened power. Chapter Two: Concessions. The first pages of this chapter began in 1977, when Israel hosted Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Jerusalem to begin discussing the possibility of a land-for-peace deal between their two states. These talks led to the formal treaty of 1979 in which Israel handed Egypt a lovely little gift called the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for a promise of peace. This deal set the stage for concessions to the Palestinian Liberation Organization that began in Oslo in 1993. Now, Israel looks back on this second chapter with sadness and regret. The negotiations that were intended to end violence -- to help carve out the cancer of terrorism -- only spread its malignance. The willingness to compromise that Israel considered courage (Olmert's term), the terrorists reckoned as cowardice -- interpreting each concession as a victory that vindicated the effectiveness of bloodshed. Fruits show the peace process was a farce: After protracted diplomatic efforts, Israel has nothing close to the peaceful, neighboring Palestinian state it hoped for. Instead, it has 80 percent of Palestinian Arabs denying the Jewish state's right to exist, governed by a terrorist regime whose official policy is to pitch the Jews into the sea. Its people weep dry tears over the shattered promise of a negotiated peace. Today, the world is looking at the start of a third -- very different -- chapter in Israel's history. Under Olmert's helmsmanship, Israel's foreign policy is about to radically change. Unilateralism What drove the Jews to elect Ehud Olmert? Why did conservatives fare so poorly? Essentially, the vote reveals a battle-fatigued, deeply ambivalent, directionless people. Tired of fighting, tired of being courageous -- yet acceding the unreliability of negotiation -- they grasped at a thin promise of something different: a third way. Consider what led to this decision. Israel's Chapter Two reached its nadir with the prime-ministership of Labor leader Ehud Barak, when Barak offered a breathtakingly deep basket of concessions to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2000. Arafat refused the offer, and Barak's government fell apart. That's when Ariel Sharon stepped in. Sharon embodied Chapter One -- a warrior-general who had fought in every one of Israel's wars and, despite being dogged by controversy, remained a popular figure with the Israeli public. In 2001 elections, he trounced the floundering Barak to become prime minister on a platform of toughness against terrorism. Once in office, he got straight to work: Retaliating against Palestinian terrorist attacks, Sharon's government killed over 3,500 Palestinians, including several high-profile terrorist leaders. But international pressure on Sharon to reignite the peace process grew. Sharon joined various discussions about the issue, and even granted certain negotiated concessions such as releasing Arab prisoners from Israeli jails. In retrospect, however, it appears the old warrior was only trying to keep outsiders off his back: He never believed peace with the Arabs could be bought. He realized negotiations would be fruitless. At some point, Ariel Sharon decided that, rather than fighting or bargaining, the problem demanded a wholly different approach: just up and solving it. That is when Israel's security barrier started going up, and the Gaza Strip evacuation was blueprinted. As Sharon pushed these unilateralist strategies, friends and allies began to peel away from him -- yet he survived several no-confidence motions and repeatedly cobbled together the parliamentary support he needed in order to carry on. Sharon became increasingly convinced of the necessity of a unilateralist strategy -- one that would define Israeli borders without Palestinian cooperation. He sought first to pull Israelis out of areas already heavily populated by Arabs -- therefore hard to defend; then to fortify the portions of Israel that remained; then to finish the security wall and call whatever lay on the other side a Palestinian "state." Members of his own party weren't so convinced. So finally, Sharon scorched the political landscape to the ground by leaving Likud and founding a new party, Kadima. In Hebrew it means "forward." In reality in means reckless. Sharon's indomitability and sheer gravitational pull drew into the new party prominent politicians from across the spectrum -- as well as a substantial swath of voters desperate for a solution and willing to embrace the unknown. This was a truly remarkable example of people's need for leadership, of whatever stripe, as long as it's strong. Because the droves flocking to Kadima had to ignore the complete failure of its central, revolutionary policy when it was demonstrated to them -- in flesh-and-blood reality, in one of the most spectacular disasters in Israeli history -- only three months before. Retreat Sharon pitched the idea of pulling 9,000 Jews out of their settlements in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank as a strong strategic decision intended to bolster Israel's security and secure Jewish demographic superiority. Palestinians saw it differently: as a towering victory for terrorism. A joint Israeli-Palestinian public opinion poll showed 71 percent of Palestinians calling Israel's Gaza withdrawal a triumph of their armed struggle. To the Arabs, 400 attacks in Gaza over the past five years had paid off. Were they wrong? Does anyone believe Israel would have given up conquered territory to its enemy if 1,200 of its people hadn't been killed in the previous four years? In Hamas's words, on a banner in downtown Gaza City at one of the many rallies and victory parades surrounding the withdrawal, "Four years of sacrifice beat 10 years of negotiations." Truly, Hamas won big in Gaza. It garnered most of the credit, in Palestinian minds, for securing Israel's retreat. Gaza was Hamas's greatest campaign coup -- perhaps the biggest single factor propelling it to superstardom in Palestinian elections just four months later. "Now, after the victory in the Gaza Strip, we will transfer the struggle to the West Bank and later to Jerusalem," Hamas's leader in the Gaza Strip, Mahmoud Zahar, said at the time. "Neither the liberation of the Gaza Strip, nor the liberation of the West Bank or even Jerusalem will suffice us. Hamas will pursue the armed struggle until the liberation of all our lands. We don't recognize the State of Israel or its right to hold on to one inch of Palestine. Palestine is an Islamic land belonging to all the Muslims" (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 17, 2005). As much as the Gaza pullout enflamed extremist sentiment among Palestinians, it also came with strategic benefits. With all Israeli military installations dismantled and troops gone from the Gaza Strip, terrorists took the opportunity to flood the area from neighboring Egypt -- and to bring their weapons along, including hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank rockets and bomb components. They immediately began using the Strip as a launching ground for rocket attacks, which have continued at a steady pace ever since. (Israel's military says this isn't a problem since 90-plus percent of them don't hit Jewish targets. Evidently it considers the remaining percentage "acceptable risk" for the benefit of enabling Hamas to fulfill its dream to live alongside Jews.) Though it apparently took the Gaza retreat to prove this, it isn't exactly rocket science: When Israel retreats, extremists advance. The whole fiasco put the lie to another statement Olmert made at that New York speech last June (the one where he declared his weariness with "winning"): that withdrawing from Gaza "will bring more security, greater safety, much more prosperity, and a lot of joy for all the people that live in the Middle East." The facts proved precisely the opposite. Withdrawing brought the Jews not a shred more security, nor safety. Instead, it tore the heart out of the Jews it displaced, who had dedicated their lives to defending their homeland. It did appear to bring the tens of thousands of Arabs who danced in the streets shouting "Today Gaza, tomorrow Jerusalem" some joy -- but that might not have been exactly what Olmert had in mind. It was with this gut-wrenching history behind them that the Israelis flocked to Kadima -- the party committed to going "forward" by unilaterally dismantling whatever ruins remain of Israel's will to survive. Backward The first point of Kadima's national agenda, released last November, is: "The Israeli nation has a national and historic right to the whole of Israel. However, in order to maintain a Jewish majority, part of the land of Israel must be given up to maintain a Jewish and democratic state." From its inception, this party reflected a spirit of compromise and defeatism -- and Israelis embraced it. Then Sharon suffered a devastating stroke, plunging him into a coma he has yet to emerge from, and Olmert became acting prime minister. Still, Kadima's shift in leader from former warrior to defeatist politician didn't substantially shrink the party ranks. Soon after came Hamas's shocking landslide win in Palestinian elections, which suddenly produced a terrorist-controlled Palestinian Authority. Even still, there was no Jewish response -- no swing right -- no outcry for strong leadership with firm policies to ensure Israel's security. Olmert doggedly stuck to his West Bank eviction plan -- preferably, he said, with Hamas's support, but, if necessary, without it. "We will try to achieve this [setting Israel's final borders] in an agreement with the Palestinians," he said. (It's hard to see how borders of a country can be agreed upon with a negotiating partner that does not believe that country should even exist.) He even put forward a deadline for completing his plan: 2010. And still, his countrymen clung to him. In fact, on March 28, voters handed Israel's conservatives their worst defeat ever. Likud -- Israel's main conservative party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu -- came in fourth with just 12 seats (in 2003 elections, it won 38). Kadima won 29 seats; center-left Labor pulled in 19. These two parties are expected to ally with a couple of other like-minded parties to push Olmert's plan "forward." Stratfor analyst Peter Zeihan said, "Israeli voters appear to have elected the most authoritative government the country has seen since the 1973 Yom Kippur war" (March 28). By "authoritative," Zeihan doesn't mean a strong, against-all-odds, Chapter One-style government. He simply means that its easy parliamentary majority will enable it to authoritatively, decisively proceed with a defeatist program. Some commentators interpreted the election result as Israelis simply turning their back on a peace process they recognize as a failure, demanding the government focus on "more pressing" domestic issues like fighting poverty and improving education. If that is so, then Israelis' read on the peace process is correct -- however, by turning to a government whose plan will embolden terrorists and endanger Jews even more, they shouldn't expect great improvements on the domestic front. Haaretz gave this assessment: "The people have spoken: The land will be divided... It's the end of the controversial legitimacy of the separation maneuver. From now on, the question is not if, but when, to where, and how. The Greater Land of Israel is over and done with" (March 30). Fantasies In the fantasy world of Olmert and those who voted for him, a smaller Israel is a more defensible Israel. Shrinking borders equal stronger borders. In Olmert's world, reducing Israeli military oversight in Palestinian areas makes for happier Arabs who are less likely to attack. In Olmert's world, "Hamas is not a strategic threat." These were his words to the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee in February. In Olmert's world, the key to pressuring the Palestinians -- he told the committee -- is through diplomacy rather than military action (abc, February 22). However, in the real world -- within which Israel has managed to survive for the past six decades -- all those utopian notions have repeatedly been proven dead wrong. No previous Israeli leader, no matter how entangled in negotiation he became, ever embraced such erroneous thinking so wholeheartedly. Every one of them proceeded "forward" with a measure of caution, making concessions contingent upon at least a pretense of peace efforts by the Arabs. Not so Olmert. Israel's new prime minister essentially promises to give Hamas what it wants -- or at least a good part of it: the West Bank -- regardless of how Hamas behaves. At times he speaks of this move as being defiant against terrorism. Of course, it is precisely the reverse. In the final analysis, any territory Israel withdraws from simply becomes, in effect, a Hamas state. Certainly, as Kadima finds its legs as a political party, Olmert needs allies. He may have his biggest ally in Hamas. That group is more eager for Israeli withdrawals than any Jews could be. After all, its main goal right now, like Olmert's, is to get Israel out of the West Bank. It is even possible Hamas could regulate itself -- soften its public rhetoric, put its suicide bombers on a leash -- in order to encourage Israel to expend its money and military manpower on destroying and deserting Jewish settlements. After all, the Gaza withdrawal cost Israel an estimated $2 billion, requiring 42,000 policemen and soldiers to relocate 8,000 Jews; the West Bank move would be seven times bigger. Columnist Hillel Halkin estimates that, in addition to requiring Israel to mobilize all its military reserves and commit one sixth of its national budget, it would be far more confrontational than the Gaza pullout was, since it is the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, and its settlers are even more ideologically hardcore than the Gaza Jews. Witnessing the inevitable brouhaha of a West Bank withdrawal would give Hamas cause for victory parades for years to come. The colossal difference, however, as Stratfor put it, is that Olmert would view the West Bank pullout as the end of Israel's concessions, whereas Hamas would view it as the beginning -- allowing it to "carry the battle to Israel proper" (March 10). Israel is tired of fighting. Hamas hasn't even started. The unfortunate truth is that, if your enemy is determined to fight you to the death, he denies your peaceful options. Barring intervention from God, your choices are drastically limited: fight to win, or be destroyed. Israel is making no faithful appeal for protection from God. And it has declared its unwillingness to fight. How could this path lead to anything but the death of Israel? Broken Ugly truth: Terrorism works against Jews. Olmert's victory proves it. Like the weary man they have placed at the helm of their state, a majority of Israelis are tired of fighting, tired of being courageous. They are tired of intifada and jihad, tired of Arabs shouting their hatred to the heavens, tired of Arabs blowing themselves up on buses, in cafes and discos. As Stratfor wrote, "Militant attacks might inflame the Israeli right, but they leave most of the rest of the Israeli political spectrum weary of contact with the Palestinians" (ibid.). Yes, Israelis have a "national and historic right to the whole of Israel," they say. But what good is that? It only brings trouble. They just want the struggle to end. They want to withdraw to safety. Build a big wall and duck behind it. Shut up any Jews who provoke Arabs. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, that is, except a fight. Because, you see, they tried that for years and, well, it just didn't work. No... the only way "forward," a slight majority of Israeli voters say, is retreat. Even clear-headed Western minds should recognize surrender when we see it. But to minds inflamed with the intoxicating Jew-hatred of Islamist extremism -- minds convinced that Allah will ensure Islam's ultimate victory over the poisonous scourge of Zionism -- Israel's commitment to retreat is more than mere surrender. It is providential justice. It is a step -- yes, only a step, but a beautiful step -- toward the realization of the Muslim kingdom of God. A kingdom in which the Jews are gone forever. That is what Hamas really dreams about. If the Israelis ever had faith in God -- which many of them view as thin stuff on which to base a foreign policy -- then that has been replaced by faith in Hamas. By any measure, that is even thinner stuff. Every ounce of that kind of faith, and each shred of concession Israel makes to Hamas, will shortly prove to have only expedited the fall of the Jewish state. You don't have to believe God has blessed and protected the Jewish state in the past -- an idea most of its citizens once espoused -- to recognize how much stronger a nation committed to defending itself based on that belief is than one unwilling to defend itself at all. But whether you believe it or not, there is a spiritual reality underpinning the transformation of Israel from the lion of Judah into the bunker state it is becoming. That reality is that the Jews are suffering a curse from God for their lack of faith and their disobedience to His laws. "And I will break the pride of your power" God warned (Leviticus 26:19). Though Israel is by far the region's strongest state in power, it has also become the weakest state in will. Israeli pride in its power has been supernaturally broken. Olmert proposes to bring the Arab-Jew impasse to a conclusion by 2010. But God is not in his solutions, and they will end in ruin. Israel's leaders do not know the way to peace (Isaiah 59:8). God only wants them to acknowledge their failure, repent of their stubbornness and humbly turn to Him for protection! The Wound Sharon's unilateralism; Kadima's rise; Olmert's campaign strategy; Israel's election result; pledges of a West Bank withdrawal -- these all reflect Israel's broken will, manifested in naivety and fantasy. However, underpinning all these elements is one basic realization grounded in reality: that the Jews' chances of negotiating a two-state solution with the Arabs are next to nil. That realization -- though Olmert's current rhetoric indicates that he hasn't completely come to terms with it yet -- marks Israel's transition from Chapter Two into the next, and final, chapter of its modern history. As we wrote last month, Israel's realization of the peace process being a fraud and a trap was specifically prophesied in your Bible. The prophecy is recorded in Hosea 5:13: "When ... Judah [the biblical name for today's Jewish State of Israel] saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian ..." Longtime Trumpet readers know that editor in chief Gerald Flurry has pointed to Judah's "wound" being the peace process ever since the Oslo talks in 1993. Chapter Two: Concessions did worse than fail to bring Israel peace -- it sapped Israel's strength, depleted Israel's land, and exhausted Israel's will to fight and survive. Hosea's prophecy reveals a moment when Israel sees its deadly wound -- it recognizes the utter fruitlessness of that terribly misnamed "peace" process. That realization, according to the prophecy, sparks a radical change in Israeli policy. It tilts the Jewish state into Chapter Three: Desperation. Final Chapter Olmert's plans already reflect a certain amount of Israeli desperation. But these are just the opening pages of this final chapter -- what is prophesied to become an increasingly wilder period of Jewish decision making. Hosea 5:13 shows that Israel, recognizing its dismal state, will cry out for help from "the Assyrian." That is referring to the presently unifying power of Europe, with Germany at its head. Yes -- seeing its wound, Israel, rather than turning to God, will seek salvation from the very nation that notoriously sought to snuff out Jews in World War ii. Considering this prophetic eventuality, we can expect to see Germany increasingly making overtures to Israel, presenting itself as a trustworthy ally of the Jews. Signs of this development are already appearing. After a Hamas delegation visited Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in March, for example, German Chancellor Angela Merkel scolded Putin over the phone, reminding him of Germany's demand that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel. About the same time, Germany's defense minister, after joining Israel's defense minister at a Holocaust memorial service in Berlin, said his nation would support Israel in dealing with Hamas -- that, in fact, Germany was "completely on the side of Israel" on the issue (Expatica, March 8). Such gestures are bound to increase, drawing Israel into a trusting relationship with its former foe. Then, when the unilateralism fails and the security situation becomes truly desperate, Israel will turn to Germany. Several prophecies show that, of all its dangers and threats, this move will prove to be Israel's undoing. What will appear at first to be a sincere European effort to establish security in the Holy City will end up being a grisly repetition of the Crusades! Our free booklet Jerusalem in Prophecy explains this in depth. Bible prophecy shows that, ultimately, Israel's worst enemy is not a Hamas-led Palestinian people -- but Germany! The failure of the peace process, and the catastrophe of unilateralism, will lead Israel right into the jaws of that enemy. It is a trap God has set for a sinful nation! This is Israel's most perilous hour. Its enemies wax strong while it grows weak. Now, the Israeli electorate has thrown its support behind a policy of recklessness and desperation unprecedented in its nation's short history. Judging by the speed of events, Olmert's goal of bringing the situation to an end by 2010 may well come to pass. But that end will look very different from the one in his dreams. Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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BETRAYAL AT BRANDEIS
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 8, 2006. |
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It's Time To Divest From Brandeis. Brandeis has been getting away with it for too long. Pretending to be a university with Jewish roots, it is today an American pseudo-academic center of anti-Semitism and leftist moonbatery. This article appeared today in www.FrontPageMagazine.com (www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22362). It was written by Robert Spencer, a scholar of Islamic history, theology, and law and the director of Jihad Watch. He is the author of five books, seven monographs, and hundreds of articles about jihad and Islamic terrorism, including Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades). He is also an Adjunct Fellow with the Free Congress Foundation. Brandeis University began in 1948, according to its mission statement, "under the sponsorship of the American Jewish community" in order to "embody its highest ethical and cultural values." In this age of the ascendancy of the academic Left, it is in danger of becoming the polar opposite of those noble aspirations: a useful idiot of the global jihad. First there was the appointment of Khalil Shikaki a senior fellow at its Crown Center for Middle East Studies, and the flat refusal to consider the evidence linking Shikaki to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Now comes an honorary doctorate to be awarded to playwright Tony Kushner on May 21. Kushner thinks that "it would have been better if Israel never happened," and that its founding was a "mistake." He has echoed the most outrageous fantasies of Palestinian propagandists, denouncing Israel for "ethnic cleansing" and declaring: "The biggest supporters of Israel are the most repulsive members of the Jewish community and Israel itself has got this disgraceful record...Israel is a creation of the U.S., bought and paid for...There are lots of beautiful little orange groves and olive groves which the Palestinians had before the Jews were there, and some very attractive European-looking cities, too..." Kushner has decried "the deliberate destruction of Palestinian culture and a systematic attempt to destroy the identity of the Palestinian people" -- without, of course, mentioning that that national identity was invented in the 1960s in what turned about to be an extraordinarily successful ploy to adjust the paradigm of the Arab-Israeli conflict with the newly-minted Palestinians as the underdogs. Meanwhile, Brandeis Goldfarb Library featured a propagandistic exhibition of children's paintings called "Voices from Palestine," including depictions of bloodied Palestinian children and a PLO flag in the shape of Israel, suggesting that all of Israel belongs by right to the Palestinians. Adverse publicity compelled the Library to close the exhibit Wednesday, after four days of a scheduled two-week run. Yet the day after the Library closed the exhibit, protestors came out at Brandeis; one carried a sign reading, "Shut Down the Israeli Apartheid Terror State/From the River to the Sea Palestine Will Be Free." Another read: "END Repression of Palestanian [sic] Children" -- a particularly brutal irony in light of the culture of murderous hatred into which Palestinian children at the youngest ages are plunged by their parents. These are the "highest ethical and cultural values" of the American Jewish community? Brandeis has clearly lost its way: it has come full circle from the robust and fervent Zionism of Justice Louis Brandeis. It has imbibed so deeply the Left's iron dogma of relativist multiculturalism that it has become just another academic conduit for the propaganda and disinformation that dominate the discussion about Israel in today's universities. The bitter irony is that Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz and the others responsible for hiring Shikaki and honoring Kushner, as well as the protestors at the University last Thursday, no doubt believe that all this demonstrates their commitment to justice. Those at Brandeis who are responsible for all this probably deplore the Israeli "apartheid" state, but they never address (except to explain away) the relentless terror attacks on Israeli civilians by Palestinian mujahedin or the overall climate of terror that made the infamous "apartheid wall" necessary. They do not examine the root causes of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and so believe that it can by various concessions on the part of Israel. They, like so many others in Europe and America, labor under the delusion that they can win peace with the jihadists through concessions and negotiated settlements. They don't have any idea of what the new rulers of "Palestine," the Islamic Resistance Movement or Hamas, make quite plain in the Charter of their movement: that the conflict between Muslim Arabs and Israel is not ultimately about "stolen land" or nationalistic yearnings. If it had been, the Palestinian Arabs would have accepted the state offered them by the UN partition plan of 1948. Instead, it is just one front of the global jihad effort to establish the hegemony of Islamic law not just over what is now the State of Israel, but over the entire world. Hamas, the Charter says, "will spare no effort to bring about justice and defeat injustice, in word and deed, in this place and everywhere it can reach and have influence therein." In this context justice equals Islamic rule: Hamas states that "Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes." The jihad ideology stipulates that Muslims must strive to establish the hegemony of the Islamic social order over the world, offering non-Muslims conversion to Islam, subjugation as inferiors -- dhimmis, or protected (or guilty) people -- under Islamic law, or war (cf. Qur'an 9:29; Sahih Muslim 4294, etc.). What the befuddled Leftists of Brandeis don't seem to realize is that this imperative does not stem from outrages committed by the infidels, although such outrages, whether imagined or real, are used as pretexts to stir up support for the jihad at hand. If Israel dismantled the wall tomorrow and withdrew to the 1967 borders, the Palestinians would not be placated. If Israel gives up part of Jerusalem, peace will not come. The Palestinian mujahedin and their allies will have fresh demands. And Jerusalem itself will become more dangerous and uncomfortable for free people who believe in the equality of rights of all people. If, as Kushner and the Brandeis protestors evidently hope, Israel eventually disappears before the jihad onslaught, the warriors of jihad will not be placated, and peace will not come to the earth. New pretexts will be found to stir up the faithful to fight on until Islamic law reigns supreme over the entire world. That's why Brandeis' hiring of Shikaki, honoring of Kushner, and displaying of Palestinian war propaganda are all in service of victory not only for the Palestinians, but for the global jihad. Brandeis has betrayed the principles on which it was founded; it is also abetting those whose ultimate goals involve the imposition of a draconian system that would deny equality of rights to women and religious minorities, and would dismiss the cultural monuments and intellectual achievements of the Judeo-Christian West as jahiliyya -- so much ignorance and trash. In that respect, Brandeis officials have not only betrayed its Jewish and American identity, but even its status as a University. No one who loves genuine freedom, and who respects Judeo-Christian values, should hesitate to call them on these betrayals. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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AMERICA'S TRUTH FORUM: AL QAEDA HAS NUKES
Posted by Aryeh Zelasko, May 8, 2006. |
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This rather unpleasant bit of news does not present anything that has not been speculated upon for some time. Whether you believe that the Powers That Be are in conspiracy to establish a forth Reich or just incompetent fools, if the Arabs set off one of these firecrackers in your neighborhood, the results will be the same. I do not have any quick-fix, clever answer as what to do, only the suggestion that you take all this seriously and motivate your local PTB to do something. For what it will help, my personal preference to solve the problem of global terrorism is to nuke Mecca, Medina and Riyadh. A bit brutal but quite appropriate. This article was written by Jeffrey Epstein of the America's Truth Forum. He refers to the Symposium on Terrorism held in Washington D.C. April 27-28, 2006. Speakers included Robert Spencer (Jihad Watch Director), Jeff Kaufman (Americans Against Hate), David Horowitz (Front Page Magazine), Jeff Epstein (Americas Truth Forum), Dr. Paul Williams (FBI Consultant on Terrorism), and Paul Woolsey (Former CIA Director) as well as several experts on terrorism and counter terrorism. As one of the speakers, Dr. Babu Suseelan wrote, "Speakers and participants were unanimous in their opinion that until we force Muslims to reform Islam, there will be no peace in the world." Folks: According to feedback received from those in attendance, this past weekend's symposium exceeded expectations by a wide margin. Our experts removed their "kid" gloves to expose the truth about Islam and its threat to world peace and national security. America 's Truth Forum promised to drop a major bombshell at the event and that it did. During a pre-event conference, at the National Press Club, Dr. Paul Williams publicized critical information that was secured from Hamid Mir - the only journalist who interviewed bin Laden since 9/11. According to Mir: a). Al Qaeda has a nuclear arsenal. Weeks earlier, Mir reported to Dr. Williams that Osama bin Laden was not only alive and well but about to release a videotaped message to Al Jazeera. For well over a week, the mainstream media blocked all of my attempts to publicize that message. The information was released in a Worldnetdaily article thatappeared two full days prior to Al Jazeera's posting of OBL's menacing address. (This fact alone should have greatly boosted Mir's credibility and caused a media blitz). At the conference, Dr. Williams and I introduced the following account in support of Mir's contention regarding al Qaeda's nuclear capabilities: The Israelis apprehended a Pakistani terrorist with a nuclear device in 2001. The arrest took place on Israel's southern border with Jordan - at the AllenbyBridge crossing. Subsequent reports upgraded the weapon from a dirty bomb to a tactical nuclear weapon - a plutonium fusion device that was capable of producing a 3-10 kiloton blast. According to Richard Sales, a former intelligence correspondent for UPI, this seizure was confirmed by American intelligence agencies, CIA operatives imbedded in the KGB and the Israeli Mossad. Several days ago, Hamid Mir advised Dr. Williams that a squad of 12 assassins (9 Afghans and 3 Pakistanis) was recently dispatched through Iran to execute the Danish cartoonists - another story ignored by the media. As expected, many of those in attendance came from various federal and state law enforcement agencies. To date, nothing discussed has been contested. If anything, several agents have contacted us in search of additional information. Yet, the mainstream media has done much to block the dissemination of what was brought to light by our nation's leading experts. Perhaps, "fair and balanced" no longer applies. America 's Truth Forum is being encouraged to host a similar event on the West Coast. We are currently looking into that potential and plan to release details on our website. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. Respectfully, Jeffrey Epstein
Aryeh Zelasko lives in Beitar Illit, south of Jerusalem. He is Director of Sales and Marketing of Israel Visit (www.israelvisit.co.il) which provides information and an internet buying facility for American visitors to Israel. |
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MAIN IDEA
Posted by Batya Medad, May 8, 2006. |
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Main Idea
As an English teacher, one of the things I have to make sure my students can do is to understand what is the main idea of the text. This is more than a literature, or reading comprehension skill. It's one of the life skills for survival. Too many times we get bogged down in unnecessary details and detours and forget where we're going. Last summer, a cousin and I went to see a cousin of ours in a place we weren't familiar with, so he got driving instructions from the internet. They were very detailed, from exit, exactly how many miles to turn-off to this highway and that. But in actuality, most of the instructions could have had been found on easy to follow road signs if we just looked for the main landmark before our destination. Instead of carefully keeping track of how many miles from exit to exit, as detailed on the printed papers I was constantly shuffling in my nervousness, we just had to follow those simple road signs for most of the trip. If only we had just read through everything carefully beforehand looking for the general direction to a large international airport. It was only after that landmark, when we had to use the specific instructions. If the directions had really been good, they would have said: "Follow roadsigns to --airport, then..." Too often we get bogged down in unnecessary and wasteful things, sometimes actually contrary to our main aim. In a sense, that's what's going on here in Israel. The "leaders" are trying to pretend to be some other country, as if we were secure Switzerland or Canada. They are totally ignoring that we're a country being threatened with annihilation. Those countries would never do what we're doing. Why is the Defense Minister giving work permits to 13,000 more Arabs, who are best Trojan Horses? At the same time everyday the Arabs launch kasaam rockets at us, landing near Ashkelon, Sderot, kibbutzim and other places in Israel. But whom is the government restricting and attacking? Jews, of course, patriotic Israelis. Arabs are allowed to build where and what they want, but not Jews! We also are punished for expressing our feelings. Something's very wrong in the State of Israel. We're being dragged by a government which doesn't understand to where we're supposed to be going. Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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FORCED EVACUATION OF HEVRON BUILDING HAS ENDED
Posted by Hillel Fendel, May 7, 2006. |
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For pictures and updates, click on "www.hebron.com"
At 6:40 AM the police forces - 1,000 strong - began breaking down the door to Beit Shapira, and at 10:15, the operation was declared over. The three families insist they rented the building legally. The three families, including many young children, left relatively early in the mission. The commander of the mission, Judea and Samaria Commander Yisrael Yitzchak, said after one family had left on its own, "we are taking our time with the two other families - allowing them to take another object, or something that they need... We will then begin with the youths who came to the building." Several dozen youths remained in the building after the families, and the police then took about an hour to remove them. "Fears that it would turn into another Amona did not actualize," one observer said. The police claimed that 17 policemen were injured by rocks and other thrown objects. They further claim that two Molotov cocktails were hurled from the building at the police, but that they did not catch fire. It was later reported that the exact contents of the bottles would be checked to see if they were in fact firebombs. Some ten protestors were arrested during the course of the events, mostly girls. Rabbi Yisrael Shlissel, a resident of the building with his family of ten, painted a different picture. Speaking from within the building this morning, he said, "We heard the police on the roof threatening to break our heads. And their claims that 13 policemen have been injured are simply lies. I can see from my window what is going on outside..." Hevron spokesman David Wilder said that the police arrested a young girl, "but somehow they strangled her in the process, and an ambulance was brought to the site to evacuate her." Rabbi Shlissel had to stand against not only the police and courts, but the media as well. Speaking with Voice of Israel Radio this morning, he was in the midst of detailing the police violence when anchorman Aryeh Golan terminated the conversation by interrupting sarcastically, "OK, yes, thank you very much, let's now go to the news bulletin." Ariel Melamed, one of those who were forcibly thrown out today, said, "I believe the entire Israeli public should be worried, because every Jewish purchase of property is now in danger of being nullified based on some imaginary claim or other." The families moved into the building a month ago, after the Jewish Community of Hevron purchased it from its Arab owners. They also rented the building, for good measure, in the event that the purchase would be challenged - as in fact occurred. No fewer than eight Arab families claim ownership over the two-story building, claiming that the purchase papers were invalid. The Jews said in response that this claim was to be foreseen, as Arabs who sell to Jews are in danger of their lives and therefore often deny the sales. The police, however, hurried last week to begin evicting the Jews from the property. The Jewish residents turned to the Supreme Court, asking that the matter be determined in court and not by the police. The Court, however, ruled that the eviction could proceed. The Jewish owners say they will bring the matter to lower courts, but Hevron spokesman David Wilder estimated that it could take a year or more to be resolved. On Friday, after it became clear that the eviction would not take place before the Sabbath, the black-uniformed police forces began making it difficult for the occupants. They originally refused to allow food for the Sabbath to be brought in, and did not wear name tags. However, after many phone calls to governmental, police and political echelons, including Shas MKs, both these problems were alleviated. During the course of the Sabbath, however, the police were seen once again without name tags. MK Matan Vilnai (Labor) expressed the hope that today's eviction would be merely the first step in "the attempt to return law and order in Judea and Samaria." Women in Green leader Nadia Matar said, "The fact that so many forces are needed to remove three families shows that Olmert won't be able to carry out his evil plan to destroy all of Judea and Samaria. We will bring people to every single house and shack the government tries to destroy." The Shlissel family moved into the building after having been forced out of another house in Hevron a few months ago. Immediately after being thrown out today, Mrs. Tzippy Shlissel was quoted on Ynet as saying, "The State is controlled by a corrupt gang. It doesn't care about security or about nationalism... This army is a foreign army, just like we felt under the Turks and the British. But Am Yisrael Chai - the People of Israel lives!" Her husband Rabbi Shlissel said earlier that his lack of confidence in the Supreme Court stems from the fact that "though we bought the property totally legally, the Court can be expected to rule against anything that has the aroma of Judaism or Zionism." Hillel Fendel is Senior News Editor for Israel National News. |
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T-SHIRT: "NO ARABS, NO TERROR"
Posted by Miguel Stroe, May 7, 2006. |
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David Ha'Ivri's "Public Service" -- Following last weeks update, several people inquired as to why David Ha'Ivri was sentenced with "public service" - a punishment which is meant to absolutely dominate his time and energies, and cripple his ability to further the goals of "HaMeir L'David" for the next four months. Several years ago, David was arrested at a demonstration for distributing T-shirts with the logo "No Arabs, No Terror" on the front, and a picture of Rabbi Meir Kahane on the back. He was accused of racism and incitement. In the long, drawn out trial, David did not deny the fact that he sold the shirts, but rather took an ideological stance in the court room: that Rabbi Kahane was not a racist, and the expression "No Arabs, No Terror" is neither inciteful or racist, but a fact. The book "They Must Go" (in Hebrew, the book is called "Thorns in your Eyes", from the verse in the Torah) was quoted in the courtroom and distributed to the judge and prosecutor. David's lawyer, David Heimowitz, dared the prosecutor to find a racist sentence in the entire book. Eventually, David was acquitted in the lower courts, but convicted in the Higher Court. Ironically, the entire "disengagement program", which is just a way to separate ourselves from the Arabs, is clear evidence that the Israeli government agrees with our shirts: "No Arabs, No Terror" -- the question is, how do you disengage? By throwing them out, or throwing us out? We need your help now more the ever. Please support the continuation of the work of David Ha'Ivri by sending a donation to: HaMeir L'David
You can be part of this! Jewish Book Fairs Throughout the World -- Kahanebooks.com will be participating in the many Jewish book fairs that are taking place during this time of year. Distributors are needed in very city. If you know of a Jewish fair in your area and would like to run a table, please contact us at lenny@hameir.org It's a great way to get the word out! Independence Day Parsha Sheet -- Issue # 575 You can read on line this month's "Darka Shel Torah" parsha sheet for Independence Day. Featured in the issue is the Jewish Idea behind Independence Day and food for thought regarding the Six Day War. Print out this edition:
New - Audio classes on the internet -- Shiurim in Sefer Shmuel
from Peirush HaMacabee -- Rabbi Kahane worked all his life on a
commentary on the Tanach, called Peirush HaMacabee. Printed
post-humously in Hebrew, it has never been translated into English.
But now, you can hear shiurim in English by Lenny Goldberg on Sefer
Shmuel, with Rabbi Kahane's special commentary. We will be adding
more and more shiurim as we go along. Click here to hear them now
Israeli News and Politics:
Come on in and voice your opinion.
Active Israel national discussion.
Contact Miguel Stroe at jmstr@ndtvision.net.il |
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CHESTERMAN'S "GENOCIDE" SHOWS GALACATIC IGNORANCE
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 7, 2006. |
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I was amazed to read Jane Chesterman's "secret genocide" letter in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle (5.6.06). Every sentence is incorrect! This is her letter: Editor -- The genocide in Darfur is well known. But there is another genocide that has been going on for the last 39 years and few people know about its horrors: the genocide of the Palestinian people. There is no "secret genocide". Under Israeli sovereignty the Arab population of the West Bank and Gaza Strip more than trippled between 1967 (at c. 950,000) and 1994 (c. 3,100,000). Under Arafat that population began to drop (1994 till now) as his terror war and thugocracy strangled the economy and brutalized the Arabs under his domain. By 2004, after ten years of Arafat's reign, the GDP of the West Bank dropped to literally one-tenth of what it was in 1994 under Israel. She asserts that Israel had no right to give away Gaza, since it was never Israel's in the first place. Ms. Chesterman is apparently ignorant of international law. Israel conquered the Gaza Strip in the process of defending itself against the combined armies of five Arab nations (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia) who attempted to mount against it a simultaneous tri-partite invasion with avowed and vociferous genocidal intent. Per international law, the disposition of territory conquered by the defending nation must await a peace treaty between the beligerents. Israel offered that peace treaty many times over since 1967. At first, all Arab nations refused. Finally, when Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979, it got back the Sinai; and Anwar es-Sadat agreed that Egypt would leave the Gaza Strip under Israeli control. Therefore, the disposition of the Gaza Strip in an internationally recognized peace treaty between belligerents was that it remain under Israel's legal sovereignty. By international law, the Gaza Stip was indeed Israel's. Ms. Chesterman laments the Israeli bombardment of the "no go" zones of Gaza. She neglects to mention the daily bombardment by Hamas terrorists in to Israeli cities and towns, with Qassam and mortar and Katyusha attacks sometimes numbering more than 80 in one day; and this bombardment continues despite the fact that Israel has evacuated the Strip. If she is concerned about the Arabs of the Gaza Strip, she should note that all that needs to be done to stop the Israeli bombardment is for Hamas to stop its daily Qassam attacks. Contrary to Ms. Chesterman's hyperbole, there is no 'massive wall' around the Gaza Strip. There is indeed a fence. It is mostly a chain link fence. It was built in 1996. From 1996 until today there have been only two successful terror attacks from Gaza to Israeli targets other than those in the Gaza Strip (not counting the rocket and mortar attacks). The fence works. Israel does indeed guard the gates. That is how Israel stops the endless, relentless brutal terrorism that has characterized the Arab attitude toward Israel for the past 70 years. Her calumny regarding the Gaza fence means that either she is completely ignorant of the function and success of the fence, or she wants to make it easier for Arab terrorists to kill innocent Israeli civilians. She further skews her diatribe when she complains about "40% malnutrition" in Gaza, pretending that this tragic situation is due to the fence. I guess she does not know that from 1967 to 1994 the health situation of the Arabs under Israeli sovereignty improved ten-fold, per the UN's most recent "Arab human development reports" of 2003, 2004 and 2005. Only since 1994, when Arafat took over, and now under Hamas, has the economic and physical well-being of the region's Arabs deteriorated to levels comparable to those of Sub-Saharan third-world nations. Anyone who wants to know why the Arabs of the Gaza Strip are suffering in soul-searing privation, and degrading poverty, need look no further than the terrorist totalitarian governments that they themseslves have voted into power, and under whose kleptocratic iron fists they have allowed their own lives and livelihoods to be stolen from them. All that needs to happen in order for conditions in Gaza to improve is for Hamas to stop its terror war. If the terrorists were to lay down their weapons, there would be no more violence. If Israel were to lay down her weapons, there would be no more Israel. That someone from San Rafael could be ignorant of the realities of the Israel - arab conflict is understandable. But that you, the editor of a world-class newspaper, should allow the publication of such a skewed and misleading diatribe is journalistically unconscionable. |
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HOW LOW MUST ISRAEL SINK UNDER OLMERT?
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 7, 2006. |
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We often hear from the pundits, Israeli politicians and the Leftist Media that the people of Israel are battle-weary and will jump at any quick fix to relieve the fatigue of battle. I wonder if their armchair analysts have even bothered to read the volumes and well-documented history of the Jewish people with respect to their unending battle to survive as a people? We Jews have been at war for thousands of years and, indeed, are weary of fighting those who declare themselves to be our enemies for no other reason than they believe our Jewishness is offensive to them. Granted since we returned to our own homeland (albeit a mere sliver of land where our soul roots are deep), our self-anointed adversaries went into a greater rage when we seemed beyond their reach. Worse yet, fueling that rage was the simple fact that when they did again reach out to savage us, expecting the usual subservient victim Jews, they were instead badly beaten. The 'cowardly' Jews - heretofore always the perennial victim - had resumed their "excellent warrior" status of ancient times. Arab Muslims hated the humiliation the victorious Jews slammed into them because the Muslims were taught that theirs was a superior civilization meant to rule and humiliate all others. How dare these 'lowly' Jews destroy the myth of the master Muslim race of desert warriors! This psychological twist helps explain why the Palestinians voted Hamas into power and why Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran rants about destroying the Jewish State. In Europe, the arch-killers of Jews and the claimants of being natural heirs to G-d's Covenant also went into shock. After all, hadn't they, with the Church's blessings, assisted in the Genocide of Jews? How could this rag-tag army of skeletal wretches, most straight out of the enslaved work and killing camps of the Nazi Germans (assisted by the Europeans) possibly defeat the combined Arab armies? Since 1948, in war after war the new Israeli Jews defeated the Muslim Arab armies who were armed by the Europeans and Americans. It just wasn't possible. Here too the myths of Jewish cowardice and inability to fight fell like shattered glass. So on one side, the Arab armies were persuaded by the Europeans and Americans with the idea that the Muslim Arab armies would solve the problem of a Jewish State that gallantly refused to die. The Arabs licked their wounds, screamed for revenge and for the world to force Israel to return the Land Israel liberated after being attacked by the Arab Muslim armies and terrorists in six wars of pledged Genocide. The Europeans could not give up their own blood lust against Jews who usurped their dreams of a world without Jews or a Jewish State. As the State of Israel grew (now to 7 million) and produced innovations which surely belonged to the richer nations, the 'others' hatred grew in direct proportion to the advancements made by what was supposed to be the 'lowly, meek' Jew. Always underlying this pathological rage was their need to prove that G-d had erred in anointing the Jewish people to carry His Covenant and that it was either Christianity or Islam that was the rightful heir. Therefore, wars against the Jews continued - only the tactics changed and adapted. What the Arab Muslims could not win on the open battle-field became an ongoing Terrorist War of Attrition. The Europeans became the key supporters of Terror by funding and supplying arms while they made self-serving statements of how they "only wanted Peace" for the Jews and Arabs. It has been said that the Europeans and the Arabists in Washington have collapsed their moral position into one that accommodates the Muslim Terrorists who proclaim they intend to create a Global Islamic Caliphate State where strict Islam (Shari'a Law) dominates the world. As for some Leftist Jews, many retained the subservient demeanor of ghetto Jews, yearning to be returned to the fleshpots and slavery of Egypt...so to speak. Here the contaminators acted as hosts for the virus of hand-wringing submission. Many Jews hated being warriors and especially hated winning. They did everything possible to contaminate this young Jewish Israel. Today's Leftist Jews wormed their way into every position of authority in the Free World and bore into the very pillars of support that upheld the Jewish State. They even conspired with Israel's most dedicated enemies, among the Arab Muslims, the Europeans, and the ever-present, Jew-hating pro-Arab State Department. No betrayal was too offensive; treason was common but always under a flood of speeches to the people of how "Peace could be achieved" by turning Israel into a ghetto State. This is the Plan that PM Olmert is bringing to President Bush for his stamp of approval. If Israel could squeeze down into a small, fenced-in ghetto, the Arab Muslims of the Middle East and the Christians of Europe would soon forget the Jews were ever there. So what if there was an occasional 'pogrom' by a suicide/homicide bomber or car bomb. These Leftist Jews could afford such a 'small loss' for them IF the Arab Muslims 'hinted' at 'peace'. The wipe-out of European Jewry was merely a one-time anomaly. Peace would happen in the Middle East IF only they could remove their offense of beating the Muslim Arab armies. Now there is a plan afoot to give up the South of the Jewish Nation, starting with the Gaza Strip. Under then Prime Minister Ehud Barak, the Northern frontiers are on their way to becoming a no-man's land with the Missiles of Hezb'Allah able to strike all Northern Israel. Now Israel's current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will pay what he believes is the final bribe by surrendering Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights, and finally, all of Jerusalem that holds the holy Jewish sites. Here again this requires the Bush collaboration and abundant American taxpayers' dollars. Surely, all this will be a sufficient bribe to make the Arabs give up their Islamic drive to eliminate all of Israel. Yes indeed, the well-known caricature of the cartoon Jew, wringing his hands in despair returned with a vengeance to Dhimmi-hood. IS THERE A SOLUTION? Regrettably, not until the Jews have been beaten, bloodied and driven beyond their fatigue of war. Ehud Olmert said plainly in a well-publicized speech: "We are (He is) tired of winning". The solution is a peoples' revolt and gathering up the likes of Olmert, Chief Justice Aharon Barak, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin - among others - putting them on a luxury liner, there to sail the seven seas - never to disembark. Ships that carried the ancient plagues were never allowed into port where they could possibly spread the disease they carried. Make no mistake: self-hatred is a disease which can and has destroyed nations. But first, Israel must pay a price for falling back into a ghetto mentality and pleading with the world at large for recognition and allowing it to survive. Israel continually petitions her tormenters just to be left in "Peace - Now"! A great deal of blood must be spilled for following the Osloids, the defeatism of Gaza and now the Kadimites. The price of running from an enemy who will show no pity is a bill that has come due. Think of this: The existence of Israel has fallen into the hands of a man who is merely the equivalent of a legal clerk. He has ideas but then every shop keeper, shyster lawyer, every 12 year old or - in other words - everyone has ideas. Because a lowly lawyer by happenstance becomes Prime Minister and starts purging the people off their Land, house and safety, should we follow? Must the people obey like lemmings plunging over the cliff - forever? Now we have this common, ordinary man, not known for insight or brilliance in thinking who tells Israelis that he has ideas about divesting the tiny Jewish nation of strategic territory. Some Jews need for a compressed existence within a ghetto is a ghastly return to slavery. We see the newly sworn-in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dangling the psychological carrot to a Jewish population who are easily reminded of the weak safety net which lies in the illusion of a walled-in existence. Of course, Olmert does not complete the circle of information wherein their Ghettos in Europe were like private hunting grounds for the Church and Aristocracy who would unleash the peasantry when necessary, allowing them to vent their anger at their own misery. Then, the populace was prodded into breaking through the walled towns and unleash their full fury. Rape, murder, looting, kidnaping of children to be raised as proper Christians. I suppose the identical scenario existed under the prophet Mohammed wit h the men slaughtered, the women raped and the children sold into slavery, mandating theat they convert to Islam. No disillusion at all. Now Olmert and his Kadimites, joined by a weak Leftist Media and corrupt Government Officials have offered a plan demonstrating Olmert's understanding of the Jewish psyche of the weakest among the Jewish people. Subliminally, the weak wish to return to the slave camps of Egypt where food was provided and one knew his place. "CONVERGENCE or COMPRESSION" Only now Olmert doesn't see that his fine fence will be new ghetto walls, totally encompassing the Jewish people by "converging" them into a tiny, postage stamp sized state...denuded of dignity, lacking in liberty, repulsed for their religion by the Muslims who will soon reach a "Critical Mass" in Europe and America. There they will complete their Islamic Caliphate which they intend will dominate the entire world by Islam and the strict Shari'a laws. As the Europeans drove the Jewish people into Ghetto enclaves, to separate them from the general population, Olmert speaks of maintaining the Jewish character of the nation Israel by doing the same. The problem with this small-minded thought is that Olmert and those who are drawn to the Kadimites' barrier, have no desire to be Jewish. Although Olmert went to the Western Wall wearing a kippa after his election that gave him a minuscule number of seats (but more than any others), he still went to the Wall as an un-Jew. He no more believes in G-d as a Superior Being (other than himself). His speeches and doctrines speak of driving the Jews out of most of the Land given to the Jewish people by G-d with a Covenant for Eternity. His slogan is "Convergence" but, this becomes a Super State sized Ghetto. Olmert does not speak about driving the foreign Arab Muslims out of the Jewish Land but, he encourages them to remain, to breed and subvert even inside his coming agreed-upon Ghetto. As in all past Ghettoes, the enemies of the Jews will dig under, climb over and around, shoot over and break down any wall to get at the Jews. I have little doubt that, IF they could get their hands on Olmert, he would be slaughtered and dragged through the streets as has often been done with other captured Israelis. I also have little doubt that, the graves of prominent Israelis who were such good friends of Arafat - like Yitzhak Rabin - will be dug up and the bones scattered into the sewers of Gaza. For Muslims, rage against the living and the dead Jews has absolutely no limitations. Caging the Jews has long been a method for easier (accelerated) elimination. Gathered together with increased population density makes them an inevitable vulnerable target for their adversaries. The Jews, sadly, assist in their own vulnerability by choosing to bunch up. Normally, it is not unusual for ethnic groups to seek to live among their own kind. Coalescing into ethnic neighborhoods brings a certain comfort level. But, for the Jews, the rules are altered and, not necessarily by their own choice. Jews often gather for self-protection as the common enemy makes it difficult to live among the general population. While this is not always true, we see it in Europe today and the Middle East where Jews are not allowed to live in Arab or Muslim countries. Olmert, following the methods of the earlier Arab Muslim attackers of the Jews, has chosen to attack isolated settlement outposts first. This was accomplished with single-minded brutality first in Gaza under PM Ariel Sharon (who was advised by Olmert) by using overwhelming force against patriotic settlers who would not think of counter-attacking a soldier, many of who they served with. Early Arab Muslim raiders found it safe to attack isolated settlements instead of the better guarded and fortified settlements, towns and cities. Sharon (during his days as a great general) used to attack these raiders until he too (for reasons we may never know) adopted similar techniques using the IDF to raid Jewish settlements. What a dreadful precedent he set! To be fair, Sharon and Olmert were not the first Jewish leaders using the specially trained goon squads called "Yatom" or "Yassam". Rabin and Peres authorized meeting with Yassir Arafat when it was illegal to meet with Terrorists, in order to plan forced removal of Jews from their homes, accompanied by bribes and ending with Arafat's Terrorists as the final persuaders to force the Jewish people to flee from Judea, Samaria and Gaza. That initial plan proved to be a false start but, it was a start which was next re-born as "The Olso Accords". For the Osloids, the venture was sufficiently successful because it transferred significant cities to Arafat and his Palestinians - there to become Terrorist cities. For the Jews it was a disaster in terms of more that 1,500 murdered and tens of thousands wounded Jewish men, women and children. Many were maimed for life, carrying nails, shards of metal - some coated with rat poison - buried in their liver, spleen, eyes and not removable. Rabin, Peres, Beilin - among the other Osloids, left a legacy of dead and crippled Jews. Now, Gaza (as predicted) has become a staging arena for a mix of the worst of the Arab Muslim Palestinian Terrorists. Ehud Olmert wishes to duplicate Sharon's feat by evacuating, evicting and stealing Judea and Samaria away from the Jewish people - unilaterally - for nothing in return... not even a piece of paper declaring peace. Sharon's slogan was "Disengagement" while Olmert's slogan is "Convergence". In both cases, the slogans were deliberately misleading, given that there was no separation but rather "compression". The Arab Muslim Terrorists were drawn closer in greater numbers and, therefore, the word that aptly describes Olmert's plan is "Compression". Similarly, the Jews were to be driven out of their homes in Judea and Samaria to be further compressed in a shrinking Israel. Olmert's slogan of "Convergence" has multiple meanings. The meaning Olmert wants you to hear is that somehow by driving the Jews out of the territories that hold so many sacred Jewish holy sites, and by converging them into a shrinking Israel, the Arab Muslims will forgive the Jews for their mere existence. Moreover, since this little corporal or sergeant has zero military experience, he thinks that a "compressed Jewry" will be better able to hold off attacks. Strange, isn't it, how inexperienced but slick politicians want us to believe they are truly great and unrecognized military strategists merely because they were successful as backroom wheeler-dealers, barely this side of a courtroom and jail. So now, Israel has a lawyer 'cum' visionary, replete with the slogan of "Convergence" who just appointed a union organizer who has no military experience, Amir Peretz of Labor as Israel Minister of Defense. We often speak of the blind leading the blind but, to be deaf and dumb in addition completes the circle of Chelm. I wonder if they are even aware of their incompetence or if they are, have they arranged for a back-door escape into their spider hole when the Jews tragically start dying due to their leaders' stupidity? Ehud Olmert is to visit America later this month and deliver the pledge of dividing Jerusalem along with the rest of the country. Olmert expects President Bush to not only approve but to guarantee $10 to 20 Billion American taxpayers' dollars to pay for the forced evacuation of Jews from Judea and Samaria, the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights. Even $10/20 Billion will not be sufficient to fund the Army's activities and to relocate the people, estimated from 80,000 to 250,000 as was done in evicting 10,000 Jewish men, women and children from Gush Katif/Gaza. Their promised compensation is still to be paid for. Most of them are still unemployed, in temporary locations and suffering from trauma. Sharon and Olmert expected American taxpayers' dollars to pay for ejecting the Jews out of Gaza and re-locating the Army's strong-holds but, got nothing in return except for a Center for Global Terrorism. Perhaps Olmert and Bush would like to hear from you before and during his arrival in America. Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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IS MIKEY LERNER JOINING THE 9-11 CONSPIRACIST MOVEMENT?
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 7, 2006. |
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As you no doubt know, the internet is crawling with web sites that claim to "prove" or "provide evidence" that the planes hijacked by Bin Laden's people did NOT strike the World Trade Center Towers, or did not knock them down at any rate, and ditto for the Pentagon. Depending on which group of lunatics you read, the actual destruction of the WTC towers was either "done" by US Air Force pilots ordered to do so by President Bush, or -- more commonly claimed in these wards -- by explosives detonated from inside the building by the Mossad, the CIA, the CFR, or some other nefarious group of conspirators. Many of those promoting these "theories" are neo-nazis and Holocaust Deniers. Others are far-leftist "anarchists". Others are just plain schizos. Those of you who follow the ravings of Barry Chamish will recognize him as one of these 9-11 conspiracists (Chamish claims that Larry Silverstein, the owner of the WTC, personally placed explosives around the buildings on 9-11 to collect the insurance). While you may be tempted to dismiss this crowd of "theorists" as little more than jokes, these neo-nazis and mentally-deranged people are in fact quite dangerous. And now, it appears that Michael Lerner, the editor and publisher of Tikkun magazine has openly joined them. Lerner had previously endorsed some of the claims of the conspiracy moonbats. Wikipedia claims that Lerner has signed the "911 Truth Statement" (http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041026093059633 ), along with a number of other far-leftists, calling for new investigations of "unexplained aspects" of the 9/11 events, and claiming or suggesting that the US government itself was behind the attacks. Lerner has also signed petitions demanding "investigations" into supposed 9/11 anomalies here and here and elsewhere. (Right after 9-11, Lerner had issued statements urging people to feel the pain of the terrorists and to stop further terrorism by dismembering Israel -- see for example http://groups.colgate.edu/aarislam/lerner.htm "The same inability to feel the pain of others is the pathology that shapes the minds of these terrorists. We don't even see the symbolism when terrorists attack America's military center and our trade center--we talk of them as buildings, though others see them as centers of the forces that are causing the world so much pain."). A number of the 9-11 conspiracy web sites are crowing this week
that Lerner is about to publish a long essay endorsing their
conspiracist "theories" about what really happened on 9-11. For
example, on http://www.mujca.com/lerner.htm, a group calling itself
the "Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth", it is announced
with fanfare that Lerner is about to issue a public endorsement of the
group. This is a group founded by a lunatic Jew, a Christian and a
Moslem (hence its name); for details go to
They claim that Lerner will also be attending their little "conference" on their "theories" to be held in June in Chicago (see http://911truth.org/ChicagoConference.htm ). They also claim thatm before he croaked, Lerner's Liberation Theology guru William Sloane Coffin also endorsed the conspiracists. Here are (abridged) segments of the full text of the announcement, including direct citations they attribute to Lerner: "Rabbi Michael Lerner, the prominent progressive Jewish activist and founder of Tikkun, has offered a powerful statement of encouragement and advice to the exploding 9/11 truth movement. Rabbi Lerner's call for turning 9/11 truth into a force for social change, and not just a forum for theorizing, offers a welcome note of inspiration to the upcoming international 9/11 truth conference in Chicago, 9/11: Revealing the Truth, Reclaiming Our Future, June 2nd to June 4th, 2006: http://911truth.org/ChicagoConference.htm In an essay entitled "What If We Succeed in Exposing 9/11 as a Fraud...What Next?" Rabbi Lerner writes: "...I salute the people in this collection of articles who are doing an amazing job of exposing what may prove to be one of the most perverse conspiracies in the history of democratic governments." The essay will be published in 9/11 and the American Empire: Jews, Christians and Muslims Speak Out (Interlink, fall 2006). Rabbi Lerner shares William Sloane Coffin's focus on the power of 9/11 truth to bring positive, lasting change. In his essay, the Tikkun founder and veteran activist urges the 9/11 truth movement to develop a framework including 'specific suggestions for how to repair the damage done by these crimes' That is why the time is now, even as the courageous writers in this volume are still trying to obtain a forum for this important public discussion, for others of us to be developing a positive vision of what to do next once the details of what happened are exposed and those involved are being brought to trial." Rabbi Lerner's vision of 9/11-truth-triggered social and spiritual change is ambitious and provocative: "In my new book The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right, I present a Spiritual Covenant with Americans which shows a very different way to challenge the power of war- and violence-oriented ideologies. Winning support for this kind of thinking requires a very different kind of argument and focus than could the towers have fallen as a result of strikes by airplanes." Rabbi Lerner strongly suggests that the prosecution of American architects of the 9/11 attacks could provide an opportunity for positive social change: "In fact, the kind of psychic trauma that would happen were the charges of intentional involvement in 9/11 by the president, vice president, and other high office holders or leaders of our security apparatus ever proved in a court of law would almost certainly open up political space for a serious discussion of the kinds of radical changes I'm suggesting in the direction of our approach to foreign policy and homeland security." Rabbi Michael Lerner's essay "What If We Succeed in Exposing 9/11 as a Fraud...What Next?" represents the most forthright and visionary 9/11 truth statement yet by any prominent American Jewish leader. It is (an official part of the canon of) the 9/11 truth movement. Along with the already-mentioned statement by William Sloane Coffin, and the soon-to-be-published collection of 9/11 truth essays by respected religious thinkers from across the denominational spectrum, Rabbi Lerner's statement shows that a growing interfaith 9/11 truth alliance is well on the way to healing the wounds of hatred and bigotry that the 9/11 covert operation inflicted. 2. The Jihad comes to Brandeis: littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=20394_Terror_Enablers_at_Brandeis&only Here are some Brandeis officials:
3. Israel's "judicial activism" Supreme Court justices just decided to take a giant step forward in promoting crime and criminals in Israel. "Judicial Activism" is an anti-democratic doctrine that amounts to judicial tyranny, where non-elected judges simply invent laws and "rights" that the elected reps of the people are unwilling to pass. In the lastest move, the judicial activists invented a "right" to a Miranda-style warning, in the absence of which a criminal can be freed and evidence otherwise implicating that criminal not be introduced into court. Now the parliament in Israel has NEVER created any such "right" and has never passed any bill protecting criminals from being convicted using evidence seized without a "Miranda-style" warning. So where did the judges find such a "right"? They invented it, of course! Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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A FORCED CELEBRATION
Posted by Rachel Saperstein, May 7, 2006. |
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Evening, Yom Atzmaut, Independence Day We did not want to celebrate. The Expulsion Authority had hung Israeli flags on the lampposts throughout our refugee camp. A bandstand was erected by Thai workers in the public area close to our caravilla. We hung out our orange Gush Katif flag. Moshe and I walked through the camp. Schizophrenia had set in. Flags flew in the area of those who left Gush Katif before the expulsion. Some people tied orange ribbons on the flagpoles or splashed orange coloring on the magen david of the flag. Others flew Gush Katif flags. In the area called Neve Dekalim nary a flag was to be seen. Home after home shouted a silent protest. The State of Israel had betrayed them and this year they would not celebrate. Some streets had tables and chairs set out so neighbors could share a subdued dinner. Signs posted during the night saying "We are not celebrating this year" were torn down in the morning by Expulsion Authority workers to remind us that we are refugees and they are in control. The band played. A member of each Gush Katif community stepped up to the microphone, stated his or her name, and spoke briefly about their now destroyed villages. Yes, the band played and teenaged yeshiva boys bused in to bring a bit of joy danced. We didn't. Children's rides had been set up on a basketball court. Vendors sold cotton candy, hot corn and hamburgers. An ice cream truck slowly prowled the area. A festive evening forced upon us. We would have chosen a different way. Morning -- Yom Atzmaut, Independence Day, Nitzan A morning visit from family. Moshe's brother, as adept at these things as Moshe isn't, fixed a dangling light fixture and replaced a broken drawer knob. We ate a fish lunch while the savory odor of grilled meat wafted in from neighboring barbecues, mangals. After all it is Yom Atzmaut. We refuse to participate. Neighbors settle for the ubiquitous Independence Day mangal. Afternoon -- Yom Atzmaut, Independence Day, Lachish -- A New Gush Katif We drove to meet like-minded people, in Lachish. Lachish is a magnificent region in the center of the country, almost devoid of Jewish settlement, within the green line with gentle rolling hills and grape vineyards nestled in its valleys. [On your map of Israel, between Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat.] Here we will build our new home, a new Neve Dekalim. Several of the Gush Katif settlements have already moved into existing kibbutzim and moshavim to bolster their dwindling population. We -- over a thousand cars from all over the country made the journey -- were warmly welcomed by Danny Moravia, head of the Lachish Regional Council. An explanation of the ancient history of Lachish was told. I had already googled the region. A travel route between Egypt, Israel and Syria, Lachish abounds with archeological artifacts in unexplored caves. The climate is temperate -- low humidity, comfortable temperatures. The Lachish plan is to build within the eco-system. Homes, made of the indigenous materials of the region, will become part of the surrounding landscape. A planned spa includes Jewish spiritual nourishment while the body cures itself in the mineral waters to be found in the region. The plans are there. The plans call for Neve Dekalim to build on the hills and slopes of an area to be called Egoz. We are waiting for government approval. I'm excited. To be part of this adventure to create a township from its inception is the stuff of life. An empty hill is to be transformed into a town -- a wonderful town, a Jewish town -- at one with the environment. Someday we will celebrate Yom Atzmaut with joy. It will be a celebration that we, the expelled Jews from Gush Katif, will initiate, not one that was forced upon us. For more information about Lachish call Motti Shomron, 0545-684260. OPERATION DIGNITY is proud to announce the founding of "Our Gallery -- The Artisans of Gush Katif", an arts and handicrafts shop in Nitzan. OPERATION DIGNITY will be providing the seed money for this enterprise. We will encourage the many artisans of Gush Katif to create and sell their wonderful handicrafts. This will bring employment to a special section of Gush Katif. You will be receiving information as to how you can help buy and sell Gush Katif arts and handicrafts. OPERATION DIGNITY continues to aid families in need and to those moving into caravillas in various locations. Send contributions earmarked for OPERATION DIGNITY to:
Central Fund for Israel
or Central Fund for Israel
Moshe Saperstein and his wife Rachel lived in Neve Dekalim, Gush
Katif, in the Gaza Strip. He is a Jerusalem Diarist, one of the group
of Israelis who are recording their experiences living in Israel.
He lost an arm while fighting in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He was
again wounded in a February 2002 incident when he drove his car into
a terrorist who had just shot and killed a young mother traveling in
the car in front of him. He writes frequently of his physical and
emotional struggles. His wife, Rachel (aka. La Passionara, La P.)
worked at the Girls High School in Neve Dekalim. They are now in a
caraven in Nitzan.
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TAPUACH INFILTRATED BY ARABS
Posted by Ya'aqov Ben-Yehudah, May 7, 2006. |
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This was written by Moshe Ben Israel. Tapuach is a town in Samaria, south of Shchem Early Friday morning, 4 Arabs succeeded in penetrating the Tapuach fence and stealing a flock of goats owned by Avraham Herzlich. The Arabs managed to walk 5-10 kilometers with the 150 stolen goats, crossing the Tran-Samarian Highway, and then Route 60, passing through Hawara and then to Beita, where it is believed that they placed the goats on trucks and transported them to another region. Posters in Arabic were posted in nearby Arab villages warning the Arabs to return the goats within 48 hours. Tapuach residents set up roadblocks outside nearby Arab villages, searching Arab trucks that passed. The goats were located approximately 100 yards away from the Gedud HaIvri kennels that were closed by the IDF several months ago, at the request of the Tapuach local council. Clearly, the kennel full of attack dogs served as a deterrent to the Arabs. Not to mention, such commotion in the middle of the night would have triggered barking by 15 dogs that could have been heard miles away. The Gedud HaIvri guards also used to patrol that very area between the barn and the kennels. Voice of Judea TV interviewed Avraham Herzlich after the incident and the interviews will be posted after Shabbat on http://www.voiceofjudea.com/eng/tv.asp or in Hebrew: http://www.voiceofjudea.com/heb/tv.asp People who wish to contribute funds to help Avraham rebuild his flock can email to MishalLyisrael@yahoo.com With the subject line reading info to help Avraham. People who wish to contribute to the canine unit trying to help secure Tapuach and other vulnerable towns can email to JewishLegion@aol.com Or send a contribution to JL Canine Unit, House 361, Kfar Tapuach D.N. Efrayim, Israel 44829 THIS TIME THEY STOLE GOATS -- G-D FORBID NEXT TIME THEY MIGHT TRY TO MURDER PEOPLE! |
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THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Posted by Batya Medad, May 7, 2006. |
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The Sound of Silence
Paul Simon wrote "The Sound of Silence" after Kennedy was assassinated. With JFK out of the White House he felt an "emptiness," a "silence." The "silence" that is haunting me is a different one. I am waiting for Israeli citizens, World Jewry and true peace-loving people from all over the world to wake up and voice their opposition to Olmert's dangerous plan of "Convergence," Resettlement, Transfer, Exile of Jews from their homes, which would, G-d forbid, cause the destruction of the State of Israel and thereby endanger world peace. Before Disengagement I predicted, I warned, that if Sharon succeeds in Disengagement, my home will be next, and if so the entire country is in danger and then the entire world. Last summer, just days before Sharon destroyed Gush Katif and Northern Shomron, exiling thousands of patriotic, law-abiding Jews from their homes, communities and businesses, I was in New York, shocked and horrified by the silence of the Jewish Community. Twice, I've back there since, and the silence continues. In Israel, there's a perverse pleasure broadcast by the media and the weak, mindless majority, which follows fads, at the spectacle of violence against Jews whose only wish is to redeem the Land. As we all know, the majority follow the bully, terrified to be his victim, and this is what's happening here. I was searching my heart and mind for the right phrase, and then it came to me, "The sound of silence." (The original lyrics follow.) Fellow Jews, my old friends,
In restless dreams I walk alone
And in the naked light I saw
Fools, said I, you do not know
And the people bowed and prayed
Here's the original:
In restless dreams I walked alone
And in the naked light I saw
Fools said i,you do not know
And the people bowed and prayed
Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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WARNINGS - FULFILLMENTS: LESSONS...
Posted by Dr. Eugene Narrett, May 7, 2006. |
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The Afterword of my book, Israel Awakened (August 2001) straight out elucidates the irony of the title: "most of the Israeli people have awakened to the false peace of Oslo but the nation is led by those who have constructed their identity and careers around obssessive re-formulations of the 'land for peace' deals" (p. 189). For an example of this melancholy and volatile split, a few paragraphs later, the text focuses on the duplicities of Ariel Sharon the "hawk": "during his inaugural address, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon noted that 'the guidelines for the new government state that there will be no new [Jewish] settlements." Sharon and his Labor Foreign Minister, the mummified Shimon Peres already had squared this policy with President Bush the 'conservative friend of Israel.' The leadership in both the Knesset and the politicized IDF reflected a "hesitancy and guilt about Israel's borders" that has become more and more familiar since I wrote. It is a trend, in fact, writ large since late June 1967... Almost every page of this text remains relevant, only too relevant and instructive today. "The UN Development program sponsored production of a Palestinian Map that whited out Israel, 'blank space crisscrossed by a few highways'" ['New Map Obliterates Israel,' Michele Chabin, Jewish Week, 3/03/2001, pages 196, 205]. Alas, on November 29, 2005, one could see Kofi Anan up on the UN dais with the display of a map of "Palestine" and the flag of this fake nation covering all the land west of the Jordan. Here is a literal illustration of the erosion of Israel's status in the era of Bush - Sharon - Olmert: erased from Arab maps and textbooks and now erased on the dais at the UN with the head diplomat presiding. Quoting often Eric Blair ('George Orwell's') warning on the methods of the coming global security state, "the past was erased; the erasure was forgotten; the lie became truty" I have sought to impede its arrival. Israel and Judaism mean Zakhor! Remember. This injunction is all the more pressing with OM Olmert having announced that lame duck President Bush will (supposedly) affirm Israel's "convergence" expulsion borders although other nations will not. The absurdity of the claim should not overshadow its acute danger. One last example of what can be found in "Israel Awakened" that makes it a valuable reminder and trove of details and examples for the current struggle to save Israel and the Jewish people, to save memory, honor, and genuine freedom in a world bent on manufacturing and wallowing in terror of many kinds... It's about Gush Katif and about distinguishing enemies from allies. "...a former Fatah man explained. Look what happened to General Lahad. If you really want peace, watch where the money is going and protect your allies. "It is a simple message reiterated often by the farmers of Gush Katif. 'My community, Pe'at Sadeh and Rafiah Yam were established by the Labor Party, the party of Peres and Ehud Barak. What, are we extremists!? We are accomplished farmers. The government of this country has abandoned us. We have been abandoned and the army's hands are tied" (52-3, 55, A-7 interview with Shai Chemo, 1/15/01). And the army's hands were kept 'tied' until the government decided, after several more years of prodding by Washington, Peres and the Courts Sharon found a way to untie them and unleash them on the farmers it had been barred from defending. I will close with the last sentences of this chapter ("Lessons from a PLO Insider") that very urgently needs application today and the question it raises: what is Israel? "Israel must distinguish between self and not self, friend and enemy or it will not survive. The people, the army and the GSS need to act on this truth" (53). The entire land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people and only the Jewish people. The only genuine allies of Israel agree with this fact. The people, the army and the security services need to get together and implement it for the nation to survive. If the Jews of the heartland are confounded with Hamas and Fatah only disaster will ensue. Dr. Eugene Narrett is author of "Gathered against Jerusalem" (www.iuniverse.com) and "Israel Awakened" (www.authorhouse.com) Contact him at culturtalk@aol.com |
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G-D'S UNIVERSAL COMMANDMENTS FOR GENTILES
Posted by Darla Deckard, May 7, 2006. |
G-d's Universal Commandments for Gentiles:
1. Idolatry is forbidden Contact Darla Deckard at kosherbubbie@yahoo.com |
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I THINK BEN LADEN IS HIDING OUT IN ALMUT IN IRAN
Posted by Dwxerox, May 6, 2006. |
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Assassin is a word that we relate to cold-blooded killings and murders today, but where did this idea originate and what does it really mean? In this report I am going to discuss a wide scope of topics that relate to the word "Assassin". I will include a discussion of the origin and history of the word "Assassin". I am also going to give a brief overview of Shi'ism, and then show how assassins relate to the Shi'ite religion (more specifically the Fatmid sect of Shi'ism). I am also going to cover a brief account of the assassin's reign of terror in Syria, and what happened to the assassins, and their significance then and how is reflected in today's culture. At the end of this report I hope to have given a broad scope of the history of the infamous assassins of the Fatmids. The word "Assassin" was introduced into the English language from crusaders, who adapted it from the Arabic word "Hashshashin," which is interpreted into "hashish smokers." The explorer Marco Polo told stories of the great gardens of paradise where the Shi'ite Fatmid assassins would smoke hashish and bask in the gardens, having a taste of eternal bliss. None of these stories where ever confirmed by any known Isamilite source, ... From the Shi'ites came a sect called the Fatmids who believed that Ali and Fatima where the rightful caliphs both by descent and by divine right (Fatmid 2002). The beginning of the Shia movement dates back to the death of Muhammad. An example of this is in 1192 when a small group of assassins infiltrated an enemy base in Syria dressed as Christian monks and killed Conrad of Montferrat, king of Jerusalem (Dinmore 8). The history of the assassins begins in 1090 with the capturing of the citadel of Almut in Iran (Assassins 2002). The assassins old belief of self sacrifice is reflected today by suicide bombers who believe upon doing this they will have a direct and safe passage to the afterlife. From Almut the assassins expanded there reign of terror to Syria where they often preyed on Crusaders. Contact Dwxerox at dwxerox@netscape.net |
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THE LOGIC OF BETRAYAL, II: THE STILL SMALL VOICE...
Posted by Professor Eugene Narrett, May 6, 2006. |
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The matter of Staff Sergeant Chananel Dayan, his meritorious service and 'heads-up' to the expulsion regime form a sequel to my February piece, "the logic of betrayal," a sequel and a challenge... An ongoing dilemma for those who embrace Jewish identity, history and land is that the betrayers of Yesha expect the forgiveness and friendship of the Jewish brothers and sisters whose lives they destroy. ("To destroy a livelihood is to destroy a life." The multi-faceted distress of the Jews expelled from Gush Katif and beaten in the Shomron is well known). The government formed by the splinter party, "Kadima" (less than 17% of registered voters chose it; 24% of those who bothered to vote) is a government that despises Torah and those Jews who embrace and respect Israel's wondrous, long and noble history. What else but an expeller can such a government be when it was formed to carry out the Saudi -- USA - Quartet "road map" to Israel's oblivion? A few days ago, on Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, soldiers who had received recent commendations and awards were invited to the House of the President of the State, currently, Moshe Katzav, to receive their honors from the hands of the IDF Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz. Sgt. Dayan, a tank commander, was honored in part because "he is happy to perform any task or mission given to him and his company" read his commendation. His family's home in Ganei Tal ("gardens of dew") in Gush Katif was destroyed last August by forces directly commanded General Dan Halutz who became top dog for his willingness to do the deed. Now IDF Chief of Staff, Halutz was giving out the awards and expecting a handshake / 'kiss of peace' as well as a salute. For omitting the handshake, part of a battery of emoluments that ostensibly absolve Halutz from guilt for his major role in destroying Jewish property and lives, Sergeant Dayan was publicly reprimanded by the President of the State (a political appointee) and by the head of the IDF Personnel Corps, a Brigadier -- General who reportedly is a "religious Jew." The President and Generals wanted Dayan to apologize to the destroyer of his family's home and lives, and for defiling the Name and covenant of the Almighty and of the Jewish people in the eyes of the nations. Thus do mighty politicians unite to blame, vilify and punish a man of honor for showing more respect for his family's distress than for the super-sensitive feelings of those who caused the distress to appease foreign powers and gain prestige and material rewards from the Hellenist media. This perverse situation has an "end of days" clarity to it. As Malachi wrote, "today we praise wanton sinners." As Isaiah wrote, "those who rule My people have sold them out for nothing and yet continually, every day, they praise themselves!" The discussion in Tractate Sanhedrin (94 -98) comments that in these days respect and deference will be lost. The good man will be derided as a fool and driven away, while the vicious will win plaudits. We are living it... Even so: black uniformed servants of the new world order announced by George Bush in 1990 have arrived again in Hebron to expel Jews from a multi-family home they bought at a very high price in this most ancient Jewish city, that is, in the fraction of this city left for Jews to inhabit. It's a microcosm of what has happened to the entire Land of Israel since 1920. But now it's not the British or their trained Arab armies that do the job: 'Uncle Magresh' is now a government of Israeli hellenists. One could write extensively about the extreme and brutal injustice these matters embody; one could add to extant chronicles of personal tragedy and anguish; could comment on the dire strategic and "existential" consequences for Israel and the Jewish people. All of these are noteworthy topics. But the most dangerous irritant that continues to drive these kinds of events toward their bitter end is the guilt inside those who vilify, abandon, expel and ruin their fellow Jews. It is most dangerous because the more they do it, the more they protect their weak selves by blaming their victims whom they never will forgive for reminding them of who they also are (Jews) and of the kind of life and loyalty they should be living and displaying. Instead they prefer idols of the 'great nations,' the powers in which "you became contaminated, a shame to the nations and a mockery to all the lands... Behold! The princes of Israel: every man was in you for his own power... you took bribery and enriched your friends with loot" (haftara to Torah portion Kedoshim, Ezekiel 22: 4-12). The verses only too well describe the Court, Knesset and their media apologists. Staff Sergeant Hananel Dayan is a good and honorable man. The sick cruelty, -- for cruelty and deceit are sicknesses that must be purged -- directed at him reflect the lack of honor and love in those now busy prosecuting him, having destroyed so many Jewish homes then and now. If only someone in authority could speak to their hearts saying, sha'arei teshuva olamim pituchim (the gates of repentance are always open). If these "princes" are not utterly lost they would soften and feel an influx of strength, compassion, emotional and intellectual clarity now strangled in their hardened hearts. Something must be done to turn the persecutors' guilty cruelty into repentance. It is hard to tell whether the shock that achieves this will be applied from within or without Israel; hard to discern which would be less terrible. If only someone near to them would articulate so they could hear "that still small voice": sha'arei teshuva olamim pituchim... Dr. Eugene Narrett is author of "Gathered against Jerusalem" (www.iuniverse.com) and "Israel Awakened" (www.authorhouse.com) Contact him at culturtalk@aol.com |
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ZASLAVSKY POWER TOWERS ARUBOT HA SHARAV
Posted by Frank Adam, May 6, 2006. |
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One of the great morale boosting aspects of fifties Israel was the ein Brera mood of damn the problems (& come back) in ten years when we have built the houses and roads and the National Water Carrier and then see what we have done and can do. Indeed I did Shnat Sherut in Beer Sheva in 67-68 and when I have been back since it is marvellous how the towns have cleaned up and the people become more polite and everything flourishes for real and not just as seedlings - shatilim - and the trains are now as modern as anywhere! Now that Israel has decided to turn in on itself as far as possible to lock the Arabs out and "cultivate its garden" what we need is the big projects that like the town and water carrier building are solid practical schemes that prove by their very existence that something creative is being is done: so may I call attention to two of these grand projects both of which have been going on quietly for some time and could do with publicity to inspire the Yishuv and the Golah that Israel is a salvation both of the people and the religion/culture. First Prof Dan Zaslavsky of the Technion has been working for at least twenty years - the plans were on the January '95 BBC "Tomorrow's World" popular science programme and I have followed it as best possible and have two Technion reports on it from which I am quoting. The plan is to build a steel frame tower 1200m high and 400m diameter at Timna where land is already set aside - and sprinkle in seawater at the top to cool shrink and sink the air column at a 24/7 if not 24/365 full gale of 40 knots 73 kph which would turn Kaplan air turbines at the foot of the tower to generate over 600 MW of electricity. After pumping and auxiliary machinery use, there would be 450 MW capacity of electricity for the national grid and the system can also desalinate in a modular manner 200 cubic metres of water a year. The surplus brine would return to the sea by canal along the Arava and fishponds for sea fish like daurade etc could add to the overall profits and development of the Arava and much else because these energy or power towers could be built in conjunction with the peak hydro power tunnel from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea. Half a dozen of these power towers at Timna at $1200million each could provide the non agricultural water for Israel's towns. With other clutches along the Med - Dead Tunnnel on the Dead Sea side of the watershed where the weather is drier could provide for any future Israeli population expansion. Some of this water could also be used to promote desert shrubs and other vegetation along the nahal beds of the Negev to encourage the wildlife and bring in the tourists who are bird and wildlife twitchers. The water from even one of the Timna towers could be sold to Jordan for its cities and so help keep it friendly or at least not openly hostile to Israel. The same could eventually apply to the Arabs of the Judean and Samarian salients. A further profit centre in the scheme helping speedy amortisation is that it promptly cuts the costs of power station fuel and its transport and pollution clean up. All this has been worked out and as far as I can understand we are only waiting for the investment. This could come in part from Mekorot and Israel Electric but also by an appeal to the business as well as patriotic sentiments of Diaspora Jewry as a great collective involvement. I gather that the spare investments funds since 1977 have gone into a certain overstretch trying to take on the whole of Judea and Samaria instead of working by coherent achievable blocs, but we can talk that one after the building. What matters is that now all the House of Israel be invited to do something practically constructive that will point the way to the rest of the World - because there are plenty of desert coasts around Australia along US and Mexican California and Chile Peru and Namibia Angola and NW India where the Zaslavsky power towers would be a God send of power and water - and royalties to Israel rather than to the Arabs because spare power can be used to distil and electrolyse Hydrogen from the sea instead of burning Arab oil. Out of Zion goeth forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and the sooner we can all scorn Arab oil the better for the peace and the planet. Second the Talmudic Encyclopaedia of the Mossad HaRav Herzog. This has been quietly coming along for decades and is only slow for funding. It should not be difficult to run a publicity campaign to finance a dozen extra editors and researchers to finalise it. Once you have an Encyclopaedia in every school garrison and local library it encourages the laity because by the alphabetic layout is random access to any item in the corpus. This enables anybody to use it for ready reference and to retrieve the references in the original work to consult for themselves quickly. Encyclopaedia articles also usually recommend other authors and works. Such an attitude might seem frivolous to those who feel that the only authentic form of study is to spend full time at the feet of a master but that is precisely what is not enough in the World we live in. The late Emanuel Jacobovits who was not only Chief Rabbi of Britain but created the field of medical ethics in halacha and beyond once made a very sharp and pertinent observation that faith is caught and not taught - or as I once explained to a parent of a parents' evening, apart from the tools of the three "R's" we actually teach very little beyond window shopping what there is to take up as interesting. One of the problems of the century has not only been the survival of the Jewish people and the Jewish knowledge but also the problem of interesting the people in the knowledge. I have always held that just because the Israelis speak and read Hebrew it will only be a matter of time before they can return easily to the study and re-interpretation for the modern times of our culture, but why not encoourage them with easier access in their own time? This Talmudic Encyclopaedia project could have relatively great effect for relatively little spending. I gather the Steinsalz Talmud with nikudot [Editor's note: Hebrew is most often written just with consonents, not vowels. In text with nikudot, the vowels are written as dot patterns under/next to the consonants.] has already, with the temper of the times had a great impact even though I have heard from at least one scholar that when he put in the punctuation he did not always respect the traditional punctuating phrases that as set formulas contribute to the meaning. Yours and happy stirring,
Contact Frank Adam at FrrankAdam@aol.com |
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ISRAEL
Posted by Nicholas McPhee, May 6, 2006. |
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THOUGH I LIVED IN ENGLAND MOST OF MY LIFE I ALWAYS KNEW ISRAEL WOULD RISE & STAY FOREVER UPON THE EARTH I THANK THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND FOR THEIR BRAVERY & FAITH FOR THEIR STRENGTH & KINDNESS & TRULY AS A GREAT LIGHT UNTO ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH! (HOWEVER I WOULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM THE LORD'S VERY OWN -- MAY HE ALWAYS BLESS & KEEP YOU ISRAEL. YOU ARE MUCH LOVED) Contact Nicholas McPhee at bioman67@yahoo.co.uk |
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OFFERS WE CAN'T REFUSE?
Posted by Milton Fried, May 5, 2006. |
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This article was written by Clifford D. May, who is the president of
the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a policy institute
focusing on terrorism and a Townhall.com partner organization.
It is archived at
An Iraqi acquaintance served as a member of a city council. She is Shia and religious. She had formed an alliance with other Iraqi women -- Shia, Sunni and Christian; Arab and Kurd; religious and secular. All had united in pursuit of a common goal: guaranteeing basic human rights for all Iraqis. Members of the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, got wind of her activism. They approached her brother and said they heard she was "working with the Americans." Her advocacy in favor of Western notions of freedom and democracy, they told him, was offensive. They suggested she resign from the city council. They made it clear that if she did not do as they asked, they would kill her. She resigned the next day. By coincidence, on that same day, one of her alliance partners learned that her boss, Meysoun al-Hashemi, had been murdered -- gunned down along with her bodyguard as they were driving to work. There were no claims of responsibility, but the commander of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has threatened any Sunnis who take part in the newly elected Iraqi government. And Meysoun al-Hashemi was a prominent Sunni, the sister of the new Iraqi Vice President, Tarek al-Hashemi. She also was the head of the Women's Affairs Department for the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni political faction. She was the second member of the al-Hashemi family to be murdered within a month. Perhaps you think that, as unfortunate as all this is, it's only happening in Iraq; surely, such intimidation could never succeed in societies that have learned the habits of tolerance and freedom. Think again. Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born and raised a Muslim in Somalia. She moved to the Netherlands where she rose from a cleaning woman to a member of parliament. She has been an outspoken critic of Militant Islamism. In response, Militant Islamists have let her know that what happened to Theo van Gogh could happen to her. Van Gogh, you may recall, was a Dutch film director. He made a movie based on a script by Hirsi Ali. The movie dealt with violence against women in Muslim societies, a topic some Muslims found offensive. On Nov. 2, 2004 van Gogh was murdered. His assailant, Mohammed Bouyeri, was a 26-year-old Dutch citizen born in Amsterdam. Bouyeri shot van Gogh eight times. Then he slit van Gogh's throat with a butcher's knife. Then he stabbed him in the chest. Two knives were left in the body; one pinned to the corpse a five-page manifesto railing against the West, Jews and Hirsi Ali. Since then, the Dutch government has provided Hirsi Ali with police protection. Her neighbors in the apartment complex where she lives are nonetheless concerned -- for themselves. They have sued the government to get her evicted. A court has now ordered her to move out, ruling that the neighbors have been made to feel unsafe which violates their human rights. In America, too, Militant Islamists have been learning how simple it is to take away freedoms. Recently, prestigious newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post refrained from publishing Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad despite their obvious newsworthiness: They had set off an international controversy. The papers claimed their restraint was motivated by respect for Islam -- a respect they would never exhibit toward Christianity or Judaism. Walden books and Borders were more candid about why they refused to stock magazines containing the drawings: "For us," company spokeswoman Beth Bingham said, "the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority." Let's not delude ourselves about what is going on: In the Middle East, Europe, America and elsewhere, a campaign of violence and intimidation is being waged. We have not yet begun to fight back. Instead, we've dressed up our fears as sensitivity, attempted to appease those who threaten and kill, while allowing ourselves to be cowed into self-censorship. Surely, we know where this road leads. In the last century, Nazis and Communists attempted to extinguish freedom. We fought back. Now, there are new bullies on the block. There is no guarantee that if we fight again we will win again. But if we don't fight, defeat is inevitable. Contact Milton Fried at docmiltfried@mindspring.com |
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AN INTERFAITH RELIGIOUS TRAINING SESSION IN A USA PRISON
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 5, 2006. |
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This was distributed by J. David Carson, M.D., FACEP. It was written by Rick Mathes, a well-known leader in prison ministry. Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their belief systems. I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world. And, that by killing an infidel, which is a command to all Muslims, they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?" There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!" I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can go to Heaven. Is that correct?" The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He sheepishly replied, "Yes" I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Billy Graham ordering Protestants to do the same in order to go to Heaven!" The Imam was speechless. I continued, "I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me. Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order to go to Heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and he wants you to be with me?" You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the Diversification training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslim's beliefs. I think everyone in the US should be required to read this, but with the justice system and media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized. Please pass this on to all your e-mail contacts. This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known leader in prison ministry. J. David Carson, M.D., FACEP
David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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"NO ARABS, NO TERROR" T-SHIRTS; DARKA SHEL TORAH
Posted by HaMeir Organization, May 5, 2006. |
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David Ha'Ivri's "Public Service" -- Following last weeks update, several people inquired as to why David Ha'Ivri was sentenced with "public service" -- a punishment which is meant to absolutely dominate his time and energies, and cripple his ability to further the goals of "HaMeir L'David" for the next four months. Several years ago, David was arrested at a demonstration for distributing T-shirts with the logo "No Arabs, No Terror" on the front, and a picture of Rabbi Meir Kahane on the back. He was accused of racism and incitement. In the long, drawn out trial, David did not deny the fact that he sold the shirts, but rather took an ideological stance in the court room: that Rabbi Kahane was not a racist, and the expression "No Arabs, No Terror" is neither inciteful or racist, but a fact. The book "They Must Go" (in Hebrew, the book is called "Thorns in your Eyes", from the verse in the Torah) was quoted in the courtroom and distributed to the judge and prosecutor. David's lawyer, David Heimowitz, dared the prosecutor to find a racist sentence in the entire book. Eventually, David was acquitted in the lower courts, but convicted in the Higher Court. Ironically, the entire "disengagement program", which is just a way to separate ourselves from the Arabs, is clear evidence that the Israeli government agrees with our shirts: "No Arabs, No Terror" -- the question is, how do you disengage? By throwing them out, or throwing us out? We need your help now more the ever. Please support the continuation of the work of David Ha'Ivri by sending a donation to: HaMeir L'David
or HaMeir L'David
You can be part of this! Jewish Book Fairs Throughout the World -- Kahanebooks.com will be participating in the many Jewish book fairs that are taking place during this time of year. Distributors are needed in very city. If you know of a Jewish fair in your area and would like to run a table, please contact us at lenny@hameir.org It's a great way to get the word out! Independence Day Parsha Sheet -- Issue # 575 You can read on line this
month's "Darka Shel Torah" parsha sheet for Independence Day. Featured
in the issue is the Jewish Idea behind Independence Day and food for
thought regarding the Six Day War. Print out this edition: English -
New - Audio classes on the internet -- Shiurim in Sefer Shmuel from
Peirush HaMacabee -- Rabbi Kahane worked all his life on a commentary
on the Tanach, called Peirush HaMacabee. Printed post-humously in
Hebrew, it has never been translated into English. But now, you can
hear shiurim in English by Lenny Goldberg on Sefer Shmuel, with Rabbi
Kahane's special commentary. We will be adding more and more shiurim
as we go along. Click here to hear them now
Israeli News and Politics
Contact the HaMeir Organization at hameir@hameir.org |
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CELEBRATION, REFLECTION, COMMEMORATION
Posted by Judy Lash Balint, May 5, 2006. |
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Towards the close of Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen--soldiers as well as terror victims -- the heavy mood slowly begins to lift as Israelis emerge from the somber day to celebrate Israel's 58th birthday. As night falls, bringing relief from the pain of remembrance, hundreds of Jerusalemites dressed in blue and white stream into synagogues all over the city for special prayers of thanksgiving. At my shul where at least half of the congregation are immigrants, many under 35, the Yom Haatzmaut prayers give voice to our wonder at being privileged to be part of the modern state of Israel. Our young chazan is almost drowned out by the full-throated, uplifted voices of the congregation joining together to sing out the meaningful words of the short service. The usual velvet covering for the bimah is replaced for this one night with a clean Israeli flag. At the close of the prayers we sing out, "Next year in a rebuilt Jerusalem," followed by a prayer of gratitude for living in the period of the beginning of the redemption and a joyful rendition of the Shir Hama'alot psalm sung to the tune of Hatikva. As the congregation pours out into the street, it's as if a cork has been released from a bottle--all the pent up feelings from the difficult day of remembrance give way to celebration of our continued existence in this land of ours. Just an hour after dark, stages are activated in neighborhoods all over the city featuring a variety of music and entertainment. Streets downtown are closed off for the night, and are taken over by the pre-teens whose idea of fun is spraying every passer-by and shopfront with white sticky spray. Two main stages set up on King George Street and in Zion Square feature some of Israel's most popular groups. The plaza in Safra Square, home of the municipality, is set aside for Israeli dancing. Meantime, the official Independence Day opening ceremonies are getting underway at Mt Herzl. It's the closest we get to a military parade. Dozens of representatives of Israel's armed forces take part in a meticulously choreographed march-by set to patriotic music. The formality of the ceremony is very un-Israeli. Buildings all over the city are adorned with massive Israeli flags. The roof of the Dan Panorama Hotel on Keren Hayesod Street is aflutter with dozens of smaller flags and strings of white lights. Cars sport flags flapping from every conceivable opening. People start to congregate near the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in anticipation of the main fireworks display. In two 15 minute sessions, the sky lights up with an awesome array of pyrotechnics. The noise is deafening, the colors against the black sky are stunning. Many of the non-teen revelers head down to the Jerusalem Theater after the fireworks. The lobby is packed and impossibly hot as hundreds have packed themselves in to join in a free sing-along of classic Israeli numbers. Starting at 11:30 p.m, there's a dance party there that features samba, salsa and 70s style music. As I fall into bed around 1 a.m, I can hear the city thumping with music. The following morning it's the strains of the military band at the nearby President's House that wake me up. A military band belting out patriotic Israeli numbers, not American marching songs... President Moshe Katzav, one of Israel's most popular presidents, is on the receiving line all morning for dignitaries who come to present their good wishes. Mid-morning, several air force jets do a stunt fly-by, leaving a trail of blue and white smoke in their wake. Regular folks have already headed out to the parks and beaches for the traditional mangal or barbecue. There are regular radio updates on the gridlock covering certain parts of the country. By mid-day, several national parks are closed because there's just nowhere to squeeze in another vehicle. It's the one day in the year that feels like a Sunday. Pure recreation with no major religious obligations. No newspapers, banks or mail to take the mind off the all-important task of finding the best place to set up the portable barbecue. On the radio there's a special edition of a program where Israelis around the world call in. Michael from Tokyo calls to wish us chag sameach in Japanese. Yossi from Denver reports that he's going to a Yom Haatzmaut program at the JCC, and Etti checks in from Amsterdam to let us know she's thinking of us. Thousands turn out for the Living Museum pageant that turns the city's Russian Compund into a backdrop for street theater and music recreating the fascinating history of the area that includes Russian, Ottoman and British Mandatory architecture. The Police Department opens up its Russian Compound prison to all, with displays of a dizzying array of police equipment and personnel. The beautiful Sergei Courtyard is packed with visitors who enjoy the inner city greenery as well as vignettes in period costume of Prince Sergei and his courtesans. One of the most popular spots is the Museum of the Underground Prisoners where Jewish political prisoners were incarcerated and executed by the British occupiers in the years leading up to the declaration of the state. Toward the end of the day a group of us gather at the Jewish Quarter home of friends in the Old City. There, in an unintentional reversal of our Yom Haatzmaut celebrations in Seattle, where we would consume large quantities of Israeli food like humous and felafel, pita and Israeli salad--we feasted on good old grilled salmon, potato salad and chocolate cake. While the food may have been distinctly un-Israeli, our diverse crowd that included olim from the US and the UK, kids raised in Jerusalem and a visitor from Bellingham, WA, basked in our glorious and very Israeli surroundings. As we raised a glass of Israeli wine to toast the 58th birthday of our feisty little country we all agreed that there was nowhere we'd rather be on this particular evening than sitting at a table on a rooftop of a Jewish home in Jerusalem's Old City, looking out over the most precious Jewish view in the world. Visit http://flickr.com/photos/jerusalemdiaries/ for some unusual photos from Israel. Judy Lash Balint is an investigative journalist and author of "Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times" (Gefen). It is available for purchase from www.israelbooks.com |
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NEW SCANDALS FROM ILAN PAPPE OF HAIFA UNIVERSITY
Posted by Israel Academia Monitor, May 5, 2006. |
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Ilan Pappe is at it again. Falsifying is what he does best. 1) In his article "Ingathering", London Review of Books, he said: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n08/papp01_.html "...But despite their perseverance, a sizable community of Palestinians remained. They are students at my university, where they attend lectures by professors who talk about the grave demographic problem. Palestinian law students -- the lucky ones who constitute an informal quota -- in the Hebrew University may well come across Ruth Gabison, a former head of the Association for Civil Rights and a candidate for the Supreme Court, who has come out recently with strong views on the subject, views that probably seem to her to reflect a consensus. 'Israel has the right to control Palestinian natural growth,' she has declared..." Ruth Gavison replied: "Ilan Pappe quotes me as saying that "Israel has the right to control Palestinian natural growth" (LRB, 20 April). I have never said anything of the sort, nor have I ever argued that the state has a right to "control" the natural growth of any group, including, of course, Arabs living in Israel.2) Ilan Pappe Quoted in Haaretz on May the 4th: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/712140.html "... Dr. Ilan Pappe, a senior lecturer at the University of Haifa who has participated in all nine Nakba marches, told Haaretz that more Jews participate in the march each year, reflecting "a clear trend in Israeli civil society, which, unlike the establishment and successive Israeli governments throughout the decades, does not deny the Nakba." To read articles visit our homepage at: www.israel-academia-monitor.com For more information on Anti-Israel Israeli academics, go to www.israel-academia-monitor.com and click on the university's name. Israel Academia Monitor, P.O.Box 920 Kfar Shmaryahu 46910,Israel. e-mail@israel-academia-monitor.com |
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ANTI-ZIONISTS WITH OBVIOUS ANTI-SEMITISM; IRAN SEES VICTORY; ISRAELI BLUFFS DECEIVE ONLY ISRAELIS
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 5, 2006. |
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THE OBVIOUS ANTI-SEMITISM OF SOME ANTI-ZIONISTS The Jewish nationality has the same right to its national territory as has any other nationality to its national territory. (Note: there is no "Palestinian" nationality.) Therefore, there is no legitimate anti-Zionism. Some Jews contend that not all of the Jewish people need settle in the homeland. They are non-Zionists. Their policy is legitimate but debatable. In country after country, Jews are forced out. Able to develop interesting and useful civilizations, the Jewish people if united could accomplish much, together. In Israel, leftists have built a split, inefficient, corrupt, and cowardly state that fails to fight the Arabs powerfully but is accused of fighting them excessively. There are two kinds of opponents of Israeli policies. One, like myself, would prefer that Israel defeat the Arabs, democratize for itself, and privatize with reasonable governmental supervision over industry. That is a position that opposes some Israeli policies but does not oppose Israeli existence. The other kind of opponent ignores all of Israel's real problems, including the internal and external threat of Muslim conquest. He focuses solely on Israeli treatment of the Arabs. He opposes all measures of Israeli self-defense as not being nice to the Arabs, while overlooking or excusing Arab aggression against Israel and the West as a whole. Without proper defense, which may mean taking the offense, Israel cannot survive. Such a position is not an objective opposition to "certain" Israeli policies, as adherents claim, but anti-Zionism. Opponents of Israeli control of the Territories are of more than one motive. Hardened anti-Zionists simply want to thwart Jewish sovereignty over its own homeland. Appeasement-minded people, misinformed that the Arab-Israel is territorial or that the Territories are "Arab," conclude that if Israel ceded the Territories, it could obtain peace. They don't realize thagt depriving Israel of the Territories, with their invasion-blocking natural obstacles, renders war likelier. The war is not territorial but existential -- Islam doesn't want infidel sovereignty to exist. I find in one newsgroup anti-Zionists who try to cloak their views as if intellectual, but who give away their anti-Semitism with offensive terminology. One, screen-named Serwad, may think insults are clever, but they reveal a moral degradation when he calls Israel, "Kikeland," and Zionists, "Zionazis." Such low epithets bring down his credibility before he gets started. His arguments are no higher. He incorporates complaints against Israel, however absurd. From an erroneous hint of some wrongdoing, he renders a harsh judgment. This is lying by exaggeration. One such hint is that Israel shut a gate through which Gaza imports food. Serwad then concluded that Israel's policy is to starve the Arabs into submission. I wish it were policy. But it isn't. If Serwad were informed, he would know that terrorism prompted the closing, that Israel offered to open other gates, and that the P.A. refused to use them. Perhaps P.A. policy is to starve the Arabs in order that people such as Serwad directly, and the NY Times indirectly, wrongly blame Israel. IRAN HAS MORE CARDS TO PLAY Noting that other US presidents were afraid of confrontation and that Muslims are patient, the President of Iran appears to be waiting for Bush's term to expire. Iran will use diplomacy to stall his action against it. It probably would claim to be suspending its nuclear development and agree to sign some anti-proliferation treaty. Critics would praise those signs of cooperation and defer sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, Iran would continue developing nuclear weapons. The President of Iran disappeared for a few hours, reporting back that he was with the hidden imam, a supernatural being. The President also explains that his task is to bring on a clash of civilizations. He explains that there are more young Muslims than young Westerners, and Muslims are more willing to fight (IMRA, 4/17). Is that right? If one is unwilling to fight a bully, then one is forced to fight. Ironic, isn't it! ONE-WAY VIEW OF RACISM Israeli leftists constantly accuse other Israelis of bigotry against Arabs. They fail to denounce Arabs for murdering fellow-Arabs who sell real estate to Jews. Surely that murder is based on bigotry (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/16). ARAB JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS A successful Saudi editor was fired because he violated Arab journalistic standards: (1) Don't criticize an Arab government official; (2) Don't make Islam a story; and (3) Don't describe atrocities by Muslim governments, even if true and proved. Islam is the major story these days. Hard to ignore it. Lack of self-criticism prevents the Arabs from accommodating to the modern world. The editor had criticized Egypt for cracking down on human rights activists, Arafat for Oslo's failure, and Indonesia for atrocities in E. Timor. He says that infantile conspiracy theories are preferred: (1) Princess Diana was murdered so she might not marry an Arab; (2) Monica Lewinsky was planted in the White House by the Jewish lobby; and (3) 9/11 was committed by Israel (IMRA, 4/16). NAÃVE FBI CAIR, a sort of damage-control public relations organization for Islamic terrorism, recently hosted the FBI on a TV show (Daniel Pipes, NY Sun, 4/18, p.5). The FBI still thinks it is making friends with Muslims, although it has been criticized before for consorting with that enemy. Democrats fear the FBI, but the enemy doesn't. PERES DOES IT AGAIN Shimon Peres was in charge of negotiating the arrangements for guarding the border between Sinai and Gaza after Israel was to evacuate from Gaza. His arrangement has allowed a free flow of arms and terrorists to be used against Israel. (No remorse!) Peres' current complaint is that in the time it takes to inspect agricultural produce from the P.A., some might spoil. He therefore suggests that the Gaza airport be allowed to export the produce without the aircraft being inspected. His assessment: "There is no point checking for a bomb in every crate of tomatoes." What concern's Israeli security personnel is not what is shipped out, but what the aircraft might import on the return flight (IMRA, 4/16). That, Peres did not refer to. Note Peres' typical remark. It is not a direct, factual, or logical statement. Rather, it is an exclamation that implies absurdity in something sensible -- the prudence that Peres lacks. He is a menace to national security. OLMERT DOES IT AGAIN PM Olmert has been assuring Israeli voters that his withdrawal from most of Judea-Samaria would be to an internationally recognized border and that Israel would keep troops behind, in order to prevent Arab terrorists there from moving up to the border to attack Israel. He told Americans, however, in Newsweek magazine, that he would "seek" recognition for the retained portion and he would not keep troops in the evacuated area but retain the option of moving them in, in self-defense. He stated that the abandoned area would enable a future Palestinian Arab state there to have contiguous borders (IMRA, 4/8). He thus acceded to demands by the anti-Zionist State Dept.. Olmert did it again. Israeli leaders put forward a major concession in language about reserving rights to rescind it or fight, so as to cover up its policy of weakness. The leaders can count on the leftist media not to analyze the flaws in its policy or hold it to its own assurances. When Arab belligerence proves the policy to have been a mistake, the government of Israel does not rescind its poor decision and does not repress the Arab belligerence. The tough language was a bluff. The Arabs call Israeli bluffs. It is not Israel's duty to pave the way for a future enemy state. It is its duty not to. WHAT DOES THE ARMY THINK? IDF commanders propose invading part of Gaza. The objective would be to control the ground, so that terrorists could not launch rockets at Israel. Otherwise, eventually a rocket would land on Israeli fuel tanks, causing great destruction and inducing a powerful retaliation (IMRA, 4/8.) What is Israel waiting for? Governmental inaction confirms IMRA's skeptical assessment of Israel's policy of appeasement. The government is waiting for an actual conflagration, before taking a strong measure. Is the IDF expressing its own diffidence about a powerful retaliation or the political echelon's? What a way to wage war -- reluctant to pursue and rout the enemy, reluctant to take strong preventive measures, and eager to promote enemy sovereignty over the core of one's patrimony! Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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THE BLESSING OF SETTLEMENT VERSUS THE CURSE OF CONVERGENCE
Posted by Sam Lottner, May 5, 2006. |
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Israel is now faced with a Biblical choice: A Blessing or G-d forbid, a Curse. Do our leaders and readers know that there is a blessing to be said when one sees or adds land or buildings to the Land of Israel. In Hebrew the blessing ends with the words Hametziv Gvul Almana which roughly translated is "stabilizes the boundaries of the widow". Rather odd connection unless one is aware that just as G-d has a special bond with the people of Israel, so is there a bond with the Land of Israel, a unity such that the lessening of any one, especially land, is likened to widowhood. This concept is further supported by the very first sentence in Lamentations in reference to the fall of Jerusalem, 586 BCE "How lonely is the city, once so full of people! She has become like a widow..." "She weeps bitterly in the night. Of all her friends there is none to comfort her. They have all betrayed her. They have become her enemies." Nothing new, except that the "enemy is within". I pity the pushers of widowhood and pray that sanity will return to my brethren since promoting "widowhood" is extremely dangerous. Exodus 20:21 - 23 clarifies the danger. "21: Any widow or orphan shall you not afflict. 22: If thou afflict them in any wise, for if they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry. 23: My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." The "Oslo Process" and the "Hitnatkut" of Gush Katif support the above. The choice is something to think about especially in the biblical context. Our nation and especially our Knesset members are being presented with a critical choice: Blessing or Curse. To date they have chosen the Curse. I pray that they take heed and reverse the evil decree. Nothing more to add. The Scripture is clear enough. G-d bless us all and good tidings for all. Sam Lottner lives in Petach Tikva. Contact him at sam@tech-tav.com |
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THE STATE OF ISRAEL
Posted by Matilda Ockotch, May 5, 2006. |
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I am a lover of Israel. As a Christian I believe in the Bible and what the Word of God says about Israel. My concern is about how the Israeli people do not believe in the God of the Bible even those who are supposed to believe in the Torah are now looking elsewhere for help against their enemies. Has Israel forgotten the Independence, 6-Day, Yom Kippur wars? Even if Israel does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, how can the Jews forget what God has done for them in history? A very small state - one of the smallest in the world and yet with the biggest headache! Has any nation faced what Israel has faced in the past and won? Even mighty nations would not have survived. My prayer is that Israel would not fear the threats of Iraq and must not submit to the pressures by the USA, UN, EU and Russia to give up their land, because if they do, then the Iraq threat will be real and Israel will be wiped off the map. But if Israel stands firm and trusts in the God of the Torah, the Almighty, Jehovah, no one will be able to stand against them. Let the Jews be Jews and trust in their God and not military might or trust and look to America for assistance. Do not trust the Arm of the Flesh for in time of need they will abandon you. Trust in the Lord alone. Let us think Israel and stand for Israel. Matilda Ockotch lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Contact her by email at matildaockotch@yahoo.com |
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WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH
Posted by Jacob Gur, May 5, 2006. |
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Where there is no vision the people perish (Proverb 29: 18) And I will say it again and again -- until you ingrain it in the ears of the children of Israel -- Rallies, demonstrations, whining and raising funds, are not the way to depose the present pseudo democratic government of Israel, which leads the State of Israel in harm's way. This government caves in to Arab thugs in the Land of Israel, and to "allies" who reek with petroleum. It's a government of pariahs, from left to right, who inflicted the Oslo Shoah upon us, and banished the Children of Israel from the Land of Israel. They are the lineage of those who caved in to the evil British regime in the 1940s, and delivered our freedom fighters to the British hangman. They shall be remembered in shame and everlasting contempt! The following 5 steps are the only way to avoid another Shoah which is on the horizon: 1. To complete the ridding of the Land of Israel from the homicidal thugs, and expel the Arab murderers from the Land of Israel: Thus, regardless of the inevitable ramifications, even if a confrontation with our own enemies within, or if a civil war (which I doubt should come into sight) -- so be it! Be wary, in light of the dire and dangerous state of affairs: we must expel the Arab murderers from the Land of Israel--or Arab murderers will expel us! This is akin to the way the United States of America sacrifices its sons and daughters -- not in the Land from sea to shining sea -- but thousands miles away, in order to eradicate the 9/11 murderers from the face of the earth. The vicious cycle of the homicidal thugs, Arabs' hatred of the Land of Israel, of Christians and infidels, will never break--it's hard wired into their brains. We shall never allow the existence of an Arab country within the boundaries of the Land of Israel, which is hardly a dot (.) on the World's Atlas. And despite the 22 hostile Arab countries surrounding us--the world shall never ever see such a country in the heart of the Land of Israel! (Sanhedrin 74) Jacob Gurewich, founder of NJS (Nature, Justice & Science) is a former Yeshiva scholar and commander in the IRGUN. His most recent books are "The Enemy Within" (ISBN: 0-9666398-2-0) and "Fear Factors" (ISBN: 0966639839). Contact his aat jacob@jackgur.com or go to his website: www.jackgur.com |
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OLMERT'S SPEECH: EXCERPTS AND COMMENTARY
Posted by Batya Medad, May 5, 2006. |
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What follows are excerpts from Olmert's speech and my commentaries in square brackets in italics. [*From the official English translation of Olmert's speech to the Knesset, at the ceremony which allowed him to remove "acting" as an adjective to Prime Minister. I'm quoting large chunks and then commenting on them. Remember that Olmert's speech, like those of many politicians all over the world, was written by a committee.] Yesterday, the State of Israel celebrated its 58th Independence Day. How great is the difference between the situation that the people of Israel were in on May 14, 1948 and our situation today. At the time of the Declaration of the Establishment of the State we stood, only three years after the Holocaust, with our backs to the wall. With meager resources and weaponry, we stood in a desperate military defensive against an invasion, whose declared purpose was the eradication of the newly born state. We were but a step away from extinction. The pages of history of the State of Israel since then are full of heroism, sacrifice, magnificent creation, construction, settlement, massive immigration absorption and a free and enlightened democratic government. The cycle of hostility around us, the war and terrorism, bereavement and pain, did not cease for one minute and did not stop the bursting vitality and the progress and prosperity of the State of Israel. This miracle is unprecedented in the history of nations. [*Amazing, he recognizes what we did in the past under much more difficult circumstances?] Therefore, we must focus on the area in which a Jewish majority is secured and ensured. The disengagement from the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria was an essential first step in this direction, but the main part is still ahead. The continued dispersed settlement throughout Judea and Samaria creates an inseparable mixture of populations which will endanger the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish state. [*If his aim is really to keep away from Arabs, take a look at his map; it doesn't make sense.] It is those who believe, as I do, in Jabotinsky's teachings and in full civil equality between Jews and Arabs, who must understand that partition of the land for the purpose of guaranteeing a Jewish majority is the lifeline of Zionism. I know how hard it is, especially for the settlers and those faithful to Eretz Yisrael, but I am convinced, with all my heart, that it is necessary and that we must do it with dialogue, internal reconciliation and broad consensus. [*We don't have full equality with the Arabs. They are allowed to build and flourish, while we Jews are restricted. Even when land is bought and legally leased, there are many parts of Eretz Yisrael from which we are expelled. That's the story behind Amona and it just happened again, with the backing of the Supreme Court, in Hebron. I see the massive Arab building in my area. They don't need permits; they're allowed to do whatever they wish.] We must preserve a stable and solid Jewish majority in our State. [*If he wants a solid Jewish majority, he should be supporting large Jewish families, instead of cutting child allowances. And the child allowances shouldn't be for the non-Jews. There should be cheap mortgages and subsidized public housing for large Jewish families.] From its birth, the State of Israel advocated two founding bases -- the Jewish base and the democratic base: the supreme value of a "Jewish state", at the same time with the uncompromising demand that the democratic state of Israel will provide "complete social and political equality to all its citizens, regardless of religion, race or gender". These two bases embody the core values of the renewed Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel. If you take one and disconnect if from the state, it is as if you cut off its lifeline. [*The worship of a perverse definition of "democracy" is endangering us. It's also at total contrast with the ideals and aims of Zionism. Earlier in his speech, which I quoted, he speaks with admiration of the accomplishments of our founding fathers. Here he mocks it.] Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will "be elevated above the chief joy" of the Government. We will work to transform Jerusalem into the political, cultural and business center of the State of Israel and the entire Jewish people. [*But it's already in the news that his government will be dividing Jerusalem.] The Government will act to develop the Negev and the Galilee and consider them as areas of national priority. The national plan to develop the Negev and the future plan to develop the Galilee will create a real revolution in these areas. It is a huge challenge which the Government takes upon itself, with a sense of mission. [*If you want to get rid of areas of large Arab concentration, then the Galilee is the first place that ought to go. And the Negev has more Bedouin than the government wants to admit. It's also the most expensive and least hospitable place to develop. For decades it has been a "national priority," and with all the subsidies and grants, most Israelis find it impossible to live there. It's a large desert and isn't suitable for massive population. Actually, Judea, and even more so Samaria are much more suitable, being easily accessible to the major cities and needing less infrastructure. Most of Samaria, like around Shiloh, are totally empty and available for Jewish development and growth. Also, the Jewish communities, Olmert claims to be keeping, in Judea and Samaria, are among the most difficult between either their proximity to Arabs or their distance from the "green line." It's clear that if G-d forbid his plan comes to fruition, the next stage will be exiling those residents, too. And this will go on and on, G-d forbid, until the state is destroyed.] Batya Medad lives in Shiloh. She can be reached by email at Shilohmuse@yahoo.com or visit her website http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/ or go to http://www.shilo.org.il |
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DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM
Posted by Jose Tardio Sanchez, May 4, 2006. |
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JERUSALEM, City of David Upon the occasion of her return to Axum, the Queen of Sheba told our honorable monarch King Solomon: "Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness." "Because of the love of your God for Israel": That is why we entreat our God in prayer each year for the peace of Jerusalem. The International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem was established in 2004 so that Jews and non-Jews alike all over the world could pray together -- though divided by miles and beliefs -- that God will bless the city and country He loves with what is needed most at this time: His peace. May 20th, 2006 will mark the third annual observance of the International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. The Hebrew Educational Alliance Synagogue will again sponsor the event with a special address during Sabbath services on May 20th. People in the Denver metropolitan area are invited to attend, though it is not necessary to be in any particular place to be part of the effort. In December, 2003, Denverite José TardÃÂo Sánchez was visiting Jerusalem when he had the idea of a day of prayer that would call on the cooperation of Jews and people of all other races around the world. Upon his return to Denver, BMH-BJ Synagogue expressed an interest in seeing the International Day of Prayer become a reality. A special prayer service at BMH marked the beginning of the prayer effort for Jerusalem. Since then, word has spread to all continents and many nations. The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado and Hebrew Educational Alliance and BMH-BJ congregations have enthusiastically adopted the cause and pledged to see it continue into the future. How can you participate? Simply pray to God for the peace of Jerusalem on May 20th (or on Sunday, May 21st if you gather on a day other than the Sabbath) and so join people all over the world who are also offering prayers, alone or with their congregations. You do not need to be in a particular place or ask for God's help in a particular language; what is important is that we ask in one accord. You are also asked to please pass the word to other individuals and congregations so that they can participate as well. For more information, please see www.theolivetreeofzion.com. Contact Jose Tardio Sanchez at jose@olivetreeofzion.com |
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AWARDED SOLDIER SNUBS CHIEF OF STAFF DUE TO ROLE IN EXPULSION
Posted by Ezra HaLevi, May 4, 2006. |
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A soldier receiving an award from Israel's top officials refused to shake hands with the top IDF general Wednesday, protesting Gen. Halutz's overseeing the eviction of his family from Gush Katif. Every Independence Day, a ceremony is held at the President's house at which outstanding soldiers are awarded by the President, Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. One of the honored soldiers yesterday was St.-Sgt. Hananel Dayan, a tank driver from the Northern Command who lives in the Binyamin town of Psagot. When presented with his award, he refused to shake Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz's outstretched hand. Dayan informed the IDF chief that he was unable to shake his hand, and when President Moshe Katzav, standing alongside him, asked why, he answered, "Because my family was expelled from Gush Katif." An uncomfortable scene ensued, with President Katzav scolding Dayan, saying his behavior was "unsuitable." Dayan simply saluted the Chief of Staff and descended from the stage. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the head of the IDF Personnel Corps Brig.-Gen. Elazar Stern, a religious Jew, approached Dayan and began reprimanding him, demanding that he apologize to the Chief of Staff. Dayan stood his ground, telling Stern that when he looked at the Chief of Staff, he saw the bulldozers that destroyed his grandparents' home in Gush Katif. He said he stood by his refusal to shake the army chief's hand. Dayan's grandfather passed away shortly after Gush Katif was declared a closed zone to non-residents. The award for excellence granted to Dayan read as follows: "Despite the severity of his personal loss, he continued to function and contribute to the unit. He is embraced by his fellow soldiers and is happy to perform any task or mission given to him and his friends from his company." Hananel is the part of the third generation of the Sarusi family that lived in the Gush Katif town of N'vei Dekalim. His father, Yossi Dayan, who traces his lineage to King David, has made headlines in the past for making strong statements against former PM Ariel Sharon and left-wing figures. Dayan's mother insists that her son's behavior was a display of emotion, not of disrespect. "His emotions rendered him unable to shake the hand that threw his family out of their homes," she said. An IDF statement claimed that "Dayan expressed, though his actions, a political position, which is unfitting and without a place in the IDF." The statement also said his award for outstanding service would be reconsidered in light of his actions. "Excellence includes normative and fitting behavior as well," it said. Gen. Halutz said, "We'll wait a day or two for the strong feelings to subside, and then what action to take." Dayan's uncle, Ofer Sarusi, told Arutz-7 that prior to attending the ceremony, Hananel wavered on whether or not to attend at all, but decided in the end to attend. "He worried that he was attending a ceremony of those who displayed 'excellence in Disengagement'," Sarusi said. "On a personal level he is at peace with what he did and is prepared for the persecution that the establishment will certainly apply against him," Sarusi said. "He has already informed his company commander of what happened, because the matter will certainly be passed through the chain of command in order that he receive a reprimand from his commanders." Explaining Dayan's position further, Sarusi said: "The army does not belong to the Chief of Staff, he is just a functionary of the army -- and it does no harm that on his day of celebration he be reminded that there are people who were harmed by the expulsion." Professors for a Strong Israel called Dayan's refusal to shake Halutz's hand "an ethical and normative protest that demonstrated that life cannot return to "business as usual" on the first Independence Day after the expulsion of Israeli citizens from their homes in their land." MK Tzvi Hendel, himself forcibly evicted from his home in Gush Katif, said he understood Dayan's actions. He said that he recommended that Chief of Staff Halutz "examine himself and his own arrogant and pompous behavior, as well as his periodic outbursts inciting against the residents of Judea and Samaria and those expelled from Gaza." Dozens of people expelled from Gaza and northern Samaria have been calling the Dayan family, thanking them for Hananel's stand. Ezra HaLevi is a writer for Arutz Sheva (www.IsraelNationalNews.com) |
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THE 'GUILT' OF JEWS THREATENS ISRAEL
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, May 4, 2006. |
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Although I have not belonged to political parties, I can recognize logical conclusions. Sometimes even those who are held in contempt by the majority have remarkable insight and forecast events thought improbable by this vast majority. I have not read the works of Rabbi Meir Kahane, although every now and again I have received emails, quoting his predictions. Where they meet the test of common sense and logic, I do not dismiss them because others think they must be wrong, coming from a source they do not admire. The following email I received is a truth that I have long recognized. I concur with the statement on its merits. This was written by Rabbi Meir Kahane from Jerusalem. It appeared in the New York Times April 7, 1980. No one, no people, has so sadly honed guilt to a finer art than we Jews. There are, invariably, those liberal Jews who instinctively feel guilty about everything - whether they had anything to do with what's wrong or not. It is a fascinating form of pathology, worthy of a dissertation in abnormal psychology and suggesting the need for some form of national couch. And, of course, it is this corrosive guilt that lies at the heart of the ideological disintegration of Israel today, a process that threatens the very existence of the Jewish state. "We are occupiers and conquerors; we oppress innocent people; our national soul is being corroded; we are, above all, guilty!" Lo, the poor Arab of the West Bank and other "occupied territories," that simple innocent, ground under the heels of the Jewish occupation army. Lo, the poor territories of 1967, which have become the "major obstacle to peace" because of Israeli intransigence. Lo, the racism and latent fascism that is at the very heart of a Zionism that favors Jews in a thing called a Jewish state. What in the world can possess Jews in Israel to forget the massacres of Jews by Arabs in 1920, 1921, and 1929? And why, in their intellectual minds, did they occur? Could the murder of 67 Jews on one day in Hebron 60 years ago have been caused by Arab anger over the occupied lands of 1967? And when more than 500 Jews were massacred in Arab pogroms stretching from 1936 to 1938, was it Israeli refusal to return the lands of 1967 that was at the heart of the problem? And when the Arabs turned down the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 - which would have set up a tiny, grotesque Jewish state and an Arab one that might have been called Palestine - was the Six-Day War of 1967 the root of their decision to try to wipe out the then 600,000 Jews in the land? What causes Jewish liberals to take the Arab position of every issue? What causes them to babble about "the occupied lands" of 1967? Do they not know that the Arabs see the entire area of 1947 and all the Jewish cities and towns within the pre-1967 state as "occupied" also? Do they not realize that to the Arab, Tel Aviv and Haifa, the golf course at Ceasaria and all the kibbutzim of the enlightened left are also occupied? Of course the humanists and moralists of Israel know that, and that is precisely the problem. Deep in their hearts and minds, the Jews on the left and of liberal bent secretly fear that the Arab is right, that the Jew really has no right to come to a "Palestine" that had a majority of Arabs and make it into a Jewish state. The terrible ghosts of Jewish guilt gnaw away at the tortured Jewish liberal soul with the thought that perhaps the Jews are indeed "occupiers" and colonialists. This Jewish secular liberal agonizes with himself daily because, along with his guilt, he lacks the courage to give up his kibbutz to the oppressed Arab. He wallows in a corrosive guilt that rapidly becomes self-hate. And so he must take the Arab position on every issue in the pathetic hope of winning from the Arab a crumb of forgiveness. He must fight for their right to get part of the "stolen" land so he can keep his part of the "theft". What a pathetic creature, and how dangerous he is: He seeks to commit national suicide and would take all of us with him. Here is one Jew who feels not the slightest guilt for choosing to live, for winning, for telling a world that gave us such universal benefits as Crusades and Inquisitions and pogroms and Auschwitzes: Never Again - and who cares what you think? Guilt? Hardly. There is no "Palestine." It is the Land of Israel. It belongs to a Jewish people that was given it by its Father in Heaven and in which they lived 3,000 years ago. It belongs to a Jewish people that, unlike the Arab one, does not have 22 states, but just one: the Land of Israel. Guilt? Only the sick suffer from it. For Jews, the moral imperative is to live and guarantee a home for a Jewish people that will not only remove itself from the exile, but will remove the exile, with all its aberrations, from itself. Faith in G-d, and a powerful Jewish arm - that is the Jewish way. -------------------------------------- "The question is not how can we remove the Arabs, but rather how can we not?" -- Rabbi Meir Kahane ztzvk"l Emanuel Winston is a commentator and Middle East analyst. His articles appear often on Think-Israel and Gamla. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a research associate of the Freeman Center For Strategic Studies (http://www.freeman.org/online.htm). Contact him at gwinston@interaccess.com |
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"PEACE" IS A DIRTY WORD; IRAN VS. U.S.; ANCIENT HEBREWS: NEW
EVIDENCE IN OLD CITY
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 4, 2006. |
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"PEACE" IS A DIRTY WORD No Western ideology nowadays wants war for the sake of war. But many Westerners hide their appeasement or flirtation with totalitarians and imperialists behind the term, "peace." "Peace" is becoming a dirty word. That is because phony peace processes with Nazis, Communists, or Muslim Arabs lead to war. It's very simple. To a world conqueror such as Alexander the Great, appeasement does not stave off war, but strengthens the imperialists to fight on. A friend asked what I write about. I replied, the Arab-Israel conflict. She said, "Oh you write in behalf of peace." I said the problem is not to make peace but to recognize that the enemies of mankind are making war and to fight back. HOW MUCH TO RETALIATE? The difference between the PLO and Hamas regimes is that after a terrorist bombing of Israel, Abbas would tell the West he disapproves, but would name a street for the bomber. He received Western approbation for telling them he disapproves, and no NY Times reprobation for showing his own people he respects the bombers. Hamas, on the other hand, would tell the West it approves. For that, the West denounces Hamas. The first terrorist bombing since Hamas took the P.A. helm, a bombing not by Hamas but by its allies, raised the question for Israel, how much to retaliate. Israel deferred any bombing of Hamas facilities. It limited itself to tightening checkpoint inspections and rescinding the Jerusalem residency of three Hamas officials. What modest measures! Are they likely to give pause to the hard-bitten fanatics of Hamas? Hardly. To deter Hamas, Israel would have to decimate it or put such pressure upon the P.A. Arabs that they force Hamas to repress terrorism. Terrorism, after all, is what Hamas exists for. The NY Times editorial of 4/19 gets it wrong, when it refers to Hamas as both a social welfare agency and a terrorist organization. The social welfare activities are motivated not to serve the people but to help the terrorist organization in recruiting the people. Since terrorism is Hamas' main function, the minor inconveniences that Israel imposed cannot possibly deter Hamas from its mission. What then are Israel's minor retaliatory measures for? I think they are meant to save face with its own people without challenging the US dictation that Israel not put down the Arab war on it. In a war for survival, which Hamas declares this to be, the victim should not merely retaliate. It should wage full-scale war to wipe out the enemy and deprive the Arabs of the means of continuing the war. WHEN WILL IRAN BE READY TO VAPORIZE US? Generals and diplomats have taken to asserting recently, without knowledge, that Iran is years away from having nuclear weapons. (That is a change from prior predictions). They make that point in order not to have to urge action against Iran immediately. This buys time for them and graveyards for us. One of their explanations is that Iran has yet to build the centrifuges necessary for enriching uranium. However, Iran may not need centrifuges. Enriched uranium is stored in lightly guarded housing in Russia, China, Ukraine, Pakistan, N. Korea. Those countries, or officials within them, may have no scruples about selling the material to Iran. Iran may well have the materials it needs. For our safety, we must assume it does (Winston Mid East Analysis, 4/16). BUSH LETTING IT HAPPEN Pres. Bush had declared Iran, Iraq, and N. Korea an evil axis bent on acquiring and spreading weapons of mass-destruction. He indicated that the US would stop them. He did attack Iraq, but apparently its WMDs had been spirited out of Iraq and into Syria (and perhaps from there to Russia). The other problems he delegated to diplomacy by the EU, Russia, and China. The EU simply dithered away valuable time, valuable for Iran in building its arsenal. Russia and China facilitated axis acquisition of nuclear materials and technology. Bush nevertheless praised them and Pakistan, which also helped proliferate the technology. Bush has let the US be played for a fool (IMRA, 4/15 from Caroline Glick). This would justify hating Bush, but Democrats approve of his futile diplomacy and would disapprove of warlike solutions. UNDERSTANDING IRAN Sometimes the US thinks it can deal with some faction in Iran, a "pragmatic" one. It is pragmatic only in advancing itself ahead of other factions. All government factions, however, are the enemy of the West. Dealing with factions: (1) Lends them legitimacy to hold down the great majority of disapproving Iranians; and (2) Fails repeatedly as in Iran-Contra and other examples. The policy of dealing diplomatically, as by recognition in return for surrender of nuclear capability, did not work with N. Korea, so why did the US next pursue it with Iran? (Middle E. Forum, 4/14.) Is it because firmness would be criticized? IRRELEVANCY OF UNO The world's worst, immediate, man-made problem is Iran's illegal and belligerent arming with nuclear weapons. Many people look to the UNO to resolve it. The UNO, however, has just allotted Iran a Vice-Chairmanship of its Disarmament Commission (IMRA, 4/17 from American Jewish Congress). Democrats have accused Pres. Bush of being stupid for not relying more upon the UNO. That UNO? WHO WOULD LEAD THE WAR ON IRAN? Thomas Friedman would rather take his chances on a nuclear Iran, than follow Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld into a war on its nuclear facilities. Sec. Rumsfeld would make another mess of it, Mr. Friedman fears. With a different leader, the US might be able to mount sufficient force to make a diplomatic solution possible (NY Times, 4/19, Op.-Ed.) It's a serious point. If all the US wanted to do was to destroy the nuclear facilities, then probably the US could do it properly. Recent US military planning was good. It was the post-battle planning that was poor. THE LEFT STOPS COMPLAINING Democratic on the surface, Israel is an oligarchy underneath. Olmert got elected, because the media protected him from questions about his corruption and mindless appeasement. The media protected him, because it favors appeasement and it is owned by a few rich families for which Olmert makes sweetheart deals. The Left used to complain (falsely) that Israel neglected its social needs entirely because of expenditures on settlements. Now that Israel is dismantling settlements at a cost of billions of dollars, the Left is not complaining that expenditures on settlements deprive poor Israelis of subsidy (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/16). If the purpose of amassing larger military forces is not to use them but to back up our diplomacy, and Iran were to realize that, then the military forces would not impress Iranian diplomats. I think it is too late to strive for diplomacy, which we have exhausted, anyway. Iran has demonstrated that it uses diplomacy the totalitarian (Nazi, Communist, Islamic) way, as subterfuge, not the Western way, as conflict-resolution. BRITAIN SEEKS MUSLIM DEPOSITS London is making arrangements that accord with Islamic law on charging fees instead of interest. The city hopes to attract large sums from Muslim investors worldwide (Miriam Gardner of American Yated Neeman, 3/31 roundup). No one objects to initiative in normal commerce, but would London accept blood money? Would it pander to Islamic demands on other matters and involving non-Muslims? WHAT DO ISRAELI JEWS THINK ABOUT THEIR ARABS? 63% consider Israeli Arabs a security threat. What do they think should be done about it? 33% would revoke the Arabs' right to vote. 40% would encourage the Arabs to emigrate (Op. Cit.). Events have made plain what Rabbi Meir Kahane saw. The poll is not of prejudiced attitudes but of the result of Arab behavior. SAUDI ENDORSES ISRAELI RAID ON OSIRAK Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the US called on Israel to forfeit its nuclear capability, so the Mideast could be a nuclear weapons-free zone. He was asked whether Israel's destruction of Saddam's nuclear facilities before Iraq committed aggression against Kuwait (and S. Arabia), was fortuitous. The Ambassador replied, "Probably, yes." (Op. Cit., 4/7 roundup.) He made Israel's case. He should have been asked why the missiles S. Arabia recently had delivered from China are of the type capable of carrying nuclear weapons. He should have been asked what about Egyptian efforts to develop nuclear weapons. He should have been asked why, if Israel relinquished its nuclear weapons capability, one would expect Iran to, when Iran is headed by someone who confuses himself with the supernatural 12th imam, violates the international prohibitions against proliferation, and threatens atomic war. NEW EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT HEBREW PRESENCE Excavations in the City of David section of Jerusalem found a room with a hundred seals and stamps from King David's era. They signify important official Jewish activity there. An ancient staircase leads down to the "upper pool" mentioned in the Bible as hosting the Assyrian general Ravshakeh, who threatened to destroy Jerusalem. The staircase dated back to about 1850 BCE, which precedes the origin of the Hebrew nation (Ibid.). The City of David Foundation is sifting Jewish archeological treasures from the mounds that the Muslim Waqf illegally extracted from the Temple Mount and unceremoniously dumped in the Kidron Valley. Among the gleanings were a "coin from the period of the Chashmonaim, in the second century BCE, a bronze arrowhead from the 6th century BCE (Chizkiyahu's reign), and a wall tile from the Har Habayis, from the 16th Century CE." (Ibid..) The Waqf tries to destroy the evidence and then claim there's no evidence. Archeologists and historians would protest, if they had real integrity and courage. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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BEIT SHAPIRA IN HEBRON - JUSTICE AT ITS BEST
Posted by David Wilder, May 4, 2006. |
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Last March, just over a year ago, Hebron's Jewish community completed acquisition of a large house in the Tel-Rumeida -- Admot Ishai neighborhood. The building, adjacent to a recently completed apartment complex and the neighborhood's caravan homes, was something of a coup. It is extremely difficult to obtain buildings from Arabs anywhere, but especially in Hebron. Arabs selling property to Jews are summarily executed. Of course, first they are tortured. So it was only a few weeks ago when Muhammad Abu al-Hawa, a 48 year old Arab, was found tortured and killed for having sold Jews property on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2134917,00.html]. However, where there's a will, there's a way. It is a quite complicated process and necessitates much patience. Frequently, a successful transaction can take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to conclude. Upon moving into the building, security forces arrived, demanding 'proof of purchase.' All the necessary documents were turned over to the police, army and 'civil administration' in charge of Yesha. Everything was legal, and we were quite sure that everything would work out. The director of the civil administration, a wonderful man, met with his senior staff and told them, "you have to get them out of that building!" One of those present, an expert on such affairs, responded, "We can't. I've gone through all the documents. They crossed all the 'tees' and dotted all the 'iis'. It's all legal." His boss answered, "I don't care, Find a way to get them out." Over course the Arab owner of the building claimed that the documentation was all forged and that he had never sold the property. These claims, for a good reason. Arabs who sell to Jews are murdered. It didn't take long to dismantle his story. He was lying through his teeth and within a short time his version of things fell apart. That was over a year ago, and despite a 'continuing investigation' the house and property are with us. They couldn't and didn't 'get us out.' But the appetite was there, a big appetite at that. They waited. Exactly a month ago the Hebron Jewish community carbon-copied the Tel Rumeida transaction. Following years of negotiations, a large building adjacent to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood was acquired, exactly as the Tel Rumeida property was acquired. Entrance into the building was held up until the attorneys gave their final O.K. -- everything is kosher, the papers are in order -- you have a green light. GO. So, go we did. At nine in the evening a large group of Hebron residents dittoed the act of a year ago, and moved in. The building had to be cleaned; it was a real mess inside. But Hebron's population was highly motivated. Not every day do you successfully move into a new building in the city of the Patriarchs. Of course, the police, army and civil administration showed up in full force, and received explanations and documentation, as a year before. And that was it. At least for a few days. Several men were called in by the police for interrogation. They answers to most of the questions were fairly standard. 'The entire deal is legal -- we have the papers to prove it -- any questions concerning the details can be addressed to our lawyers. They are the experts.' Following a few minutes of such conversation, a senior interrogator came into the room and started lecturing: "This time we are going to get you. Last time, we let you get away with it, but not this time. WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU!" These words were repeated for about 40 minutes, over an over again, until he thought he'd gotten his point across. And that was it. Last week we received notification that the police and others in the security forces 'decided' that the documentation was a complete forgery and that our presence in the building was illegal. They gave us notification: if you don't leave voluntarily, we will forcibly expel you. Why now? According to the law, there is a procedure whereby tenants can be removed from a building within 30 days of their entrance. After 30 days, it becomes much more difficult to legally expel tenants from the home or building. Our '30 days' ends tonight. For the past month, three families, about 25 people, have been living in Beit Shapira. Tonight, depending on the ruling of the Israeli High Court of Justice (the Supreme Court), between 1,500 to 2,000 police and soldiers are planning on throwing them out. Here then, is a summary of the facts concerning Beit Shapira, (named in memory of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak Shapira, killed next to the house by Arab terrorists during Succot, 2003). 1. The Jewish presence in the building is legal. All necessary legal documentation is available and held by the claimants. Tremendous amounts of money were invested in the building, and the decision to expel us, based upon empty, false complaints of the previous owners, comprises thievery and improper utilization of authority by powers that be. 2. We accuse the previous Arab owner of false claims. The fact that the previous owner denies the transaction is a normal and frequent occurrence. This, due to the fact that their lives are endangered. Such a denial is accompanied by a complaint issued with the police. The police investigation should then take place in accordance with this fact, which is well known to them, and they should not reach hasty conclusions. 3. We accuse the investigators of a tendentious investigation and improper use of their authority. The police and the civil administration hastened to draw conclusions, without any factual basis for their conclusions, while refraining from any objective, professional investigation of the facts. Despite the fact that they were not able to ascertain that the documentation was forged, as claimed by the previous owner and did not conduct any kind of true investigation of the facts, the police reached one-sided conclusions. We are one hundred percent convinced that, given the opportunity to present the facts and documentation in an authorized court of law, the undisputed conclusion will be reached that the property is legally held by the Jewish community of Hebron. We therefore are requesting that the Supreme court prevent the proposed expulsion and transfer the case to the proper court of law. 4. We are facing a classic case of improper use of authority by the authorities, who are utilizing their positions in a clearly biased manner, without any fairness or objectivity. 5. It is only proper that the question of legal possession and tenure, and the determination as to the authenticity of the documents, be determined by an appropriate court as soon as possible. Such decisions should not be made by 'field court-martial' with overtly political overtones. 6. Concerning the last point, it must be stressed that the question at hand is not legal, rather it is strictly political. The decision to expel us from the building was taken by outgoing Defense Minister Shaul Mufaz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert immediately following our entrance into the building, prior to any examination of the legal documents or claims. The police then began a one-sided investigation before any claims or complaints were filed by the previous owner. This being the case, we expect the high court of justice to accept our petition and order the police to refrain from any and all expulsion of Jewish families from Beit Shapira in Hebron. David Wilder is spokesman of The Jewish Community of Hebron. You can contribute directly to The Jewish Community of Hebron, POB10, Kiryat Arba-Hebron 90100, hebron@hebron.org.il, 972-2-9965333 or write to The Hebron Fund, 1760 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230, hebronfund@aol.com |
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BANGLADESH'S OPEN SOLIDARITY WITH HAMAS GOVERNMENT
Posted by Salah Choudhury, May 4, 2006. |
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This article was written by Dr. Peter Snowman. It appeared in the Asian Tribune ( www.asiantribune.com). Believe it or not! Bangladesh is gradually going into the tight grips of Islamist radicals and just recently, Bangladesh government showed its dirtiest face by stopping internationally acclaimed journalist and peace activist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury from traveling to United States to receive prestigious Moral Courage Award, of which, he is the third recipient in past 100 years. Such behavior of Dhaka puts the Bangladeshi journalist into land arrest. Various intelligence agencies are closely monitoring his movements while telephones are being bugged. Even the government was extremely reluctant in ensuring security to Choudhury when he received telephonic threats from a leader of JMB a few months back. AJC decided to give this award to Choudhury, in recognition to his tireless efforts in confronting Islamist radicals and religious hatred as well for advocating peace through inter-faith dialogue. It was already confirmed that a number of world figures like US President George W. Bush, UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, German Chancellor Angela Markel, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, King Abdullah II of Jordan, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, High Representative of EU Javier Solana, Middle East Special Envoy James Wolfensohn, President of International Red Cross Jakob Kellenberger, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Archbishop of Canterbury Rt. Reverend George Leonard Carey, Spiritual Leader of Art of Living Foundation Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shanker, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many others would attend the prize giving ceremony. On receiving letter from American Jewish Committee (AJC) about the award, Choudhury notified his government and requested them to return his passport, which is now held with a court in connection to a false sedition charge brought by Bangladesh government, for criticizing Islamist radicals, confronting culture of hatred and advocating peace in the world as well establishment of relations between Muslim countries and Israel. Bangladesh government recently congratulated the Hamas government is Palestine and assured all possible cooperation, although the United States and European Union decided to seize all sorts of cooperation to Hamas led government. This decision clearly proves that the Western world categorically took stand against Hamas, which is a mega terrorist organization. But, by expressing solidarity to Hamas, Bangladesh in other words ignores United States and European Union, just because the ruling government in Dhaka is seriously influenced by Islamist radicals. There are valid questions in the minds of the world community as to whether the Western world would take this matter into their consideration and put pressure on Bangladesh government for their open expression of solidarity with the mega terrorist groups. Leading economists say, one of the key sources of foreign currency income for Bangladesh is export of readymade garments. US and European Union are the major buyers. In this case, if Dhaka's pro-Hamas attitude will annoy them and certain economic embargoes are imposed on Bangladesh government, it will put the country into serious jeopardy. It may also be mentioned that, Bangladesh is one of the strongest supporters of Iran, which is in recent days, facing serious criticism by the West for development nuclear weapons. Bangladesh although proclaims to be a moderate Muslim nation, but realities in the country quite evidently prove that the country is gradually transforming into another Afghanistan. Bangladesh situation is also worrying its neighbors. Recently, India's shaodowy intelligence service, in its circulated dossier forecasted that "Bangladesh was about to become the next Afghanistan". This was one of the Indian tactiks to defame Bangladesh in the eyes of Americans when President George Bush's delegation, including infleuntial members of US press were in New Delhi, who were served with a number of extremely negative information on India's South Asian neighbor. In the dossier, RAW said, "Bangladeshi government seems only to move firmly against jihadist terrorist movements when international pressure reaches a peak. The government's decision to ban three Islamist organizations, the JBM, JMJB and AHAB, came in February last year, on the day that foreign aid donors were meeting in Washington to review aid to Bangladesh in the light of the country's grim human rights record and the jihadist threat". It said, "Jamiatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) has recruited a special organization of suicide bombers called the Shahid Nasirullah Arafat Brigade, whose members get monthly salaries while in training and whose family are promised substantial sums after the act of martyrdom. Abdur Rahman, the leader of JMB, studied at Madina Islamic University in Saudi Arabia, and worked at the Saudi Embassy in Bangladesh from 1985 to 1989". The RAW dossier claims the JMB gets funding from the Kuwait-based RIHS (Revival of Islamic Heritage Society), the Rabata al Alam al-Islami, and the Al-Haramain Foundation. There is no direct evidence that these groups were aware that they were funding violence or terrorism. RAW officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told American journalists that "Arabian charities have in the past proved gullible to funding requests from groups outside the Arab world who claim to be seeking funds for religious education, while keeping quiet about their readiness to resort to political violence." The dossier goes on to track the backgrounds and training of Bangladeshi Jihadist activists in Afghanistan under the Taliban, in Palestinian-run training camps in Lebanon, in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and in Chechnya. The dossier specifies direct links with al-Qaida and with the Kashmir-based Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist organizations. "When al-Qaida's remaining militants fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-backed military operations overthrew the Taliban, several of the militants ended up in Bangladesh, where they reformed and regrouped and have now built significant operational bases and an influential political movement that preaches an openly Taliban-style program to turn Bangladesh into an Islamist state," a senior RAW official told in a rare briefing of a foreign journalist. RAW dossier further said, "we have accumulated a list of 573 registered Islamic NGOs in Bangladesh that are linked to Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and we have tracked funding of over $80 million a year, although this is just the tip of the iceberg. This kind of money has a major political impact in Bangladesh. Some of this money is clearly being diverted into the purchase of arms and ammunition." There is yet more news. Indian publication company Sage, published a book titled "Bangladesh - The Next Afghanistan." This book is written by Hiranmay Karlekar, who worked for Indian newspaper Statesman as its correspondent during the war of independence in 1971. There is already tremendous publicity and propaganda by different newspapers in India to promote this book. Last week, Bangladeshi opposition leader Sheikh Hasina met Palestinian envoy in Dhaka and expressed her open solidarity to Hamas government and said, her party will continue to be with the people of Palestine untill their goal is achieved. Keeping these facts into consideration, Bangladesh was excluded for the South Asia tour of US President George W. Bush. There are even apprehensions that, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, who is expected to be in Dhaka in coming June might also call of the trip as Dhaka's pro-radical initiatives, has already put them in the doubtful eyes to many. The writer is a journalist, columnist, author, amd editor of "Weekly Blitz". Email him at salahuddinshoaibchoudhury@yahoo.com |
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HAMAS SUBCONTRACTS VIOLENCE TO FOOL THE EAGER-TO-BE-PLEASED WESTERN PRESS
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 3, 2006. |
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Just in case you, or anyone whom you know, believes the tripe that we so often read in the newspapers about how Hamas '...has largely maintained the truce' or just give him/her/them the article below. It validates the assertion that I have made many times, that Hamas played bad cop to Arafat's good cop for the first 11 years of Intifada 2. Now, Hamas is the good cop and the PFLP/PFLP-GC/DFLP/PIJ/el-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade/Fatah, and the newly formed "popular resistance committees", are all taking turns at being the 'bad cop'. Hamas still runs the show, but sub-contracts the actual terror attacks to the other terror groups.....so that it can tell an all too gullible press corps that Hamas is abiding by the "hudna". And, to make matters even more dire, now Hamas is coordinating with el-Qaeda for arms, terrorist fighters, and plans for future attacks in to Israel. Meanwhile, the Egyptian army is having no success in dislodging el-Qaeda from the Sinai, where Osama et al have set up for military camps for operations in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. This article is called "Hamas subcontracts terror group for attacks: Enables leaders of new PA government to distance selves from violence." It is from WND'S Jerusalem Bureau and it was run by Aaron Klein, WND Jerusalem Bureau Chief. TEL AVIV, Israel -- Hamas, concerned about its international image after taking over the Palestinian Authority, has "subcontracted" the Gaza-based Popular Resistance Committees to commit terror acts in its place, with new Committees militants even pledging allegiance to Hamas as part of their induction, according to a study just released. "There are strong indications the Popular Resistance Committees has become a kind of Hamas subcontractor. Handling the Committees behind the scenes enables Hamas to encourage terrorist attacks against Israel while outwardly maintaining its policy of restraint and coping with the political exigencies resulting from the composition of its government," stated a report by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at Israel's Center for Special Studies. The Popular Resistance Committees has been responsible for many of the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at nearby Jewish communities the past few years. It has also been accused of carrying out the 2003 attack on a U.S. convoy in Gaza in which three Americans were killed. Last week, Committees members attempted to carry out a large-scale car bombing at the Karni Crossing, the main cargo passageway between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The attack was foiled at the last minute after Palestinian forces became suspicious and opened fire at an approaching vehicle. The car, which was safely captured, contained "enormous" amounts of explosives meant to be detonated at the border crossing inside Israel, security sources said. Six Israelis were killed in a similar attack last year. Israel's Shin Bet Security Services announced this week the order to carry out the Karni attack was given to the Committees by Hamas senior member Ahmed Randor. It said Hamas has previously directed funds to the Committees. Hamas officially took over of the PA last month after winning January's parliamentary elections by a large margin. It appointed Jamal Abu Samhadana, overall leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, to the post of interior minister and general supervisor of the Palestinian police. The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report stated Samhadana, who has a long history of anti-Israel violence and of collaboration with Hamas, made it clear he intended to continue as head of the Committees and attack Israel even after his appointment to the Hamas administration. The report referenced Israeli interrogations carried out last November in which arrested Committees members allegedly stated Hamas provided their organization extensive operational support including arms, training, attack instructions and monthly funding. One arrested Committees member allegedly told interrogators new recruits to his terror group were routinely brought before local Hamas representatives to swear their allegiance. The Center also quoted from an interview posted on the Popular Resistance Committees website featuring one of its senior members describing methods his terror group used to coordinate anti-Israel attacks with Hamas. "We receive material aid from Hamas, as do six or seven military factions which belong to the Fatah movement," stated Committees member Abu Yussuf al-Qoqa, who was killed by a car bomb in March. "We will stand by [Hamas] and support them in everything we can for the sake of the success of the Islamic resistance program since Islam is the only way the rights robbed from the Palestinians will be returned," al-Qoqa said. Some here have questioned whether the Committees have been coordinating their attacks with al-Qaida, which could represent a prominent, working relationship between the global jihad group, the Committees and Hamas. Last week's attempted Karni Crossing attack was set to take place at the same time two suicide bombs exploded near a multinational peacekeeping force in the Sinai adjacent to Gaza. Immediately following the attacks, Palestinian security officials, including the chief of a Palestinian Authority intelligence agency, told WND the suicide bombing in the Sinai and thwarted Karni attack were coordinated and were the handiwork of groups working on behalf of al-Qaida. The Palestinian security officials said the Gaza-based Committees terrorists involved in the thwarted Karni attack likely were able to travel in recent months to the Sinai through Gaza's Rafah Crossing, the main checkpoint between Egypt at Gaza. A Committees leader recently told WND he traveled from Gaza to the Sinai "for vacation." "Al-Qaida came just a few feet from attacking Israel for the first time [at Karni]," said the intelligence chief, speaking on condition his name be withheld. Israeli security officials have refrained for now from releasing any information linking the Committees' foiled Karni Crossing attack to the suicide bombings in the Sinai or to al-Qaida. The information Israeli intelligence agencies have released publicly about the Karni attack has not even referenced the Sinai bombings, which occured at the exact time the foiled attack was to take place just a few miles away. An Israeli security official told WND yesterday, "I would not be surprised if we find out that both the attacks were coordinated and were directed by al-Qaida, but for now we are not putting that out." David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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AN ABSOLUTE MUST SEE FILM
Posted by Jewish Movie, May 3, 2006. | |
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Questions From God Aish.com's new 1 minute movie. http://www.aish.com/movies/QuestionsFromGd_2.asp www.WorldwideJewishAdventures.com Questions From God
Contact Jewish Movie at movie@discoverypresentations.com |
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PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VIEW THESE MURDERED BEAUTIFUL JEWISH CHILDREN
Posted by Marlene Young, May 3, 2006. |
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Palestinian Terrorists deliberately planned and murdered these Jewish children in heinous, brutal attacks. Please take ONE moment to view these forgotten murdered beautiful innocent Jewish Children. Palestinian Terrorists planned these murderous attacks with the intent to cause as much death, mutilation, injury and harm as possible to Jewish men, women, children and infants, in inhumane acts of First-degree murder. Thousands more Jewish men, women, children and Infants were injured, burned and mutilated. Palestinian terrorists were recently elected by the Palestinian people as their "democratically-elected" leaders. The Israeli government, controlled by Socialist Leftists elected by less than 30% of the population, are supported financially by Internationalist Leftist governments and groups that are appeasing and/or alligned with Islamist Front Groups, are pressured by these Leftists to:
Download this Power Point presentation:
Contact Marlene Young at marleneyoung1@yahoo.com |
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WRITE TO SOJOURNERS AND TELL THEM WHERE THEY WENT WRONG
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 3, 2006. |
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I encourage y'all to use my letter as an outline, and write one of your own to Sojourners' Weekly (Letters to the editor: www.sojo.net/sojomail/boomerang -- keep the letter short) to critique the one-sided screed of Mr. Rizk's article (see below). It is important, especially for journals that proport to be of a spiritual nature, that half-truths, decontextualized statements, and outright lies be challenged. The editors of these magazines have an obligation to check for accuracy. To allow such misleading reportage as Mr. Rizk's article to appear on their pages gives their imprimatur to the lies. To the Editor, Philip Rizk's "Cat and Mouse in Gaza" (Sojourners, 5.3.06) gives a skewed and highly misleading picture of predatory terrorism and Israel's defensive retaliation. Contrary to his statements, since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip all of its armed forces, forcibly relocated 9000 civilians who had lived there in 21 thriving communities for 35 years, and demolished those communities at the request of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and a dozen other terror groups have maintained a constant barrage of mortars, Qasam rockets and Katyushas. Daily rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, sometimes as many as 80 in one day, has rendered intolerable the lives of Israelis in the nearby cities and farming communities. Scores have been wounded, and one two-year old toddler was killed. Rizk posits a "cycle of revenge". There is no cycle. From 1967 to 1994 there was almost no terrorism from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The economy was booming, the Arab population increased three-fold (from c. 950,000 in 1964 to more than 3,000,000 in 1994), and Israel brought West Bank and Gaza strip sewerage and roads up to 20th century standards. With Israel's help, Arab schools, universities, medical facilities were upgraded, tourism sky-rocketed, and Arabs flocked to the area to benefit from the soaring economic growth and opportunity. The problems started only after Arafat took over in 1994 and began his now 12-year old terror war. Rizk gets things completely backwards when he suggests that "...as long as these conditions persist, Palestinian factions will almost definitely continue their violent resistance." Israel sues for peace, cedes land for peace, guarantees the creation of a Palestinian state in exchange for peace... yet Rizk thinks that Israel's defensive responses to terrorism are the cause of the terrorism. Rizk seems not to have grasped the concept of cause and effect. If the terrorists would lay down their weapons, there would be no more terrorism. If Israel were to lay down her weapons, there would be no more Israel. You do your readers a great injustice, and you do nothing to aid the cause of peace, when you publish farcically one-sided and misleading articles like this one. This is "Cat and mouse in Gaza" by Philip Rizk, an Egyptian-German Christian working with the Foundation for Reconciliation in Gaza. SojoMail 5-03-2006 An Israeli rocket killed Hadeel Rhabin, 7, on Monday, April 10, as she sat in her home watching TV with her family. A cement beam spared her baby sister's life by protecting her from the blast. Twelve neighbors and other family members were injured. The blast demolished their home. Such incidents have been occurring regularly since Israel decreased the "safety range" allowed for shelling near inhabited areas, endangering Palestinians seeking refuge in their homes. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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STATE DEPT. ANTAGONIZES ISLAMISTS; UNQUALIFIED BUT TENURED;NEW POPE IN OLD MODE
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 2, 2006. |
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JORDAN NOT STABLE An Islamist party has the most seats in the legislature of Jordan. If elections were free, it might win a majority. Islamist rulers would cancel the peace treaty with Israel and revamp the county's relationship with the US. IMRA notes that some Israeli politicians have suggested as a solution to the Arab-Israel conflict that Judea-Samaria be federated with Jordan (IMRA, 4/14). That would give Hamas influence in Jordan, and facilitate an Islamist take-over of Jordan and Israel. HOW TO TAME ISLAMISTS? During the Cold War, the US brought some Communists to the US, where they found it no enemy. Now the State Dept. is trying the same tactic with Islamists. It doesn't work with them. Daniel Pipes cites examples of cultural contact inflaming Islamists. Unfortunately, the State Dept. does not monitor the record (Pipes #662). European Communists were western-thinking people who had been fed a phony line about the US. Reality shocked them into realization that their Party had deceived them. The Communists had told them that the USSR was free and the US was not. In America, they discovered that the contrary was true. They could change their ideology. Muslims are not western minded. True, their line about the US largely is false or exaggerated. However, they have a value system that American society offends. When they come here, they find instance after instance of a way of life that shocks them into greater hostility. We must reform the State Dept. so it does its homework and check results against its premises. Same goes for Congress. TEL AVIV U. ASSISTS ARABS In conjunction with the pro-terrorist Physicians for Human Rights, Tel Aviv. U. has set up a "refugee clinic" for Arabs, not for Jews. The Physicians do not defend Jews' rights to self-defense or other human rights against terrorism. The clinic is campaigning to have Israel grant asylum to P.A. homosexuals, because the Muslims persecute them. The University already has a "Human Rights Clinic" that admits it represents only Israeli Arabs (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/16). The P.A. violates Arabs' and Jews' human rights. The government of Israel violates Jews' human rights. But the Left complains almost exclusively about usually non-existent Israeli violations of Arab rights. It does so in a manner that assists the Arab drive to conquer Israel. DOES ABBAS CONDEMN TERRORISM? The NY Times emphasizes that although Hamas praised or approved of the latest terrorist attack in Israel as defense against Israeli "aggression and occupation," Abbas condemned it. It also reported State Dept. praise for his condemnation (4/18, A1). By contrast with the Times, IMRA explains that Abbas' condemnation of terrorism is not for its criminality, but only for not being expedient diplomatically, compared with other methods for the same objective. The objective, which the Times and State Dept. do not state, is the conquest of Israel. If the Times and State Dept. made clear that the Islamist goal, including Arafat's, was the conquest of Israel, they couldn't pretend there is a peace process. Since they are pretending there is a peace process, their asking Israel to make concessions to the Arabs in the name of peace must reflect some sympathy for the Arab goal. Jewish nationalist sources, whose views are kept out of the Times even as their names and ideology are derided as "extremist," also have pointed out that Abbas' condemnation is lip service for the West. In the P.A., he honored terrorists and continued to pay them. Arafat did the same. The media gives too much play to what unscrupulous totalitarian say. In doing so, the media shares in their crimes. TYPICAL MUSLIM EXCUSE FOR BIGOTRY The Egyptian regime is denying the bigotry of still another Muslim attack against Christians there as the deed of a deranged person (Eli Lake, NY Sun, 4/17, p.1). Egypt and Jordan gave that excuse for Muslims attacking Israeli tourists. Their populations, however, approved of the attackers. Is the whole Muslim culture deranged? Would this have something to do with the mosque calls for murder? HOW CRAZY IS THE LEFTIST ACADEMIA? Irshad Manji wrote The Trouble With Islam Today: A Muslim's Call For Reform In Her Faith. Her website, "Muslim Refusnik," is gathering petitions against Islamist violence. For that she has received death threats. Prof. Norman Finklestein of DePaul U., known for Holocaust denial, wrote to ask her whether she has a petition supporting the death threats. DePaul U. retains him, it claims, in the name of academic freedom. Its defense of academic freedom did not extend to its Prof. Thomas Klocek, whom it fired for talking back to a jihadist on campus (Prof. Steven Plaut, 4/16). There are a number of such nutty professors in the US, mostly non-Muslims in university Middle East centers or Arabs. Many more are in Israel, unqualified but tenured. The new Pope, Benedict XVI, reaffirmed Israel's right to exist in peace, approved of a separate Palestinian Arab state, and preached ethnic tolerance "in order to remove the threat of terrorism." (Malcolm Moore, NY Sun, 4/17, p.7.) The Vatican diplomatic corps is renowned for insider information. It is not likely that the Pope relies upon anti-Zionist media sources, such as the NY Times, for information about the Arab-Israel conflict. He should know that there already is a Palestinian Arab state, called Jordan. Then why plump for a second one? Nor was there a need for the first one, since there is no Palestinian nationality. People, Pope and paupers alike, act as if the Arab-Israel conflict arose from some lack of statehood by the Palestinian Arabs. The conflict preceded those Arabs' deliberately propagandistic claim to be a separate nationality, which the PLO Covenant admits they are not. The Arabs started fighting not for their sovereignty but against Jewish sovereignty. They thought, how dare infidels have a state in "our" region, which our ancestors conquered and the original peoples may not have back! Why then does the Pope shill for another Palestinian Arab state? Has the papacy degenerated to political correctness or is it due to the Vatican's conflict of interest? The Holy See took decades to recognize Israel. It begrudges Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, which it covets. It has made some deal with Shimon Peres to gain influence in Jerusalem, how much is secret. It deludes itself into thinking it can make a deal with the Arabs, perhaps as exclusive custodian of Christian sites there. The Muslims would take the territory, then break the deal -- the Muslims don't keep agreements. By violating this one, they would gain a triumph over Christianity, with which they are at war. What does such a deal mean for Israel? Whether controlled by Hamas Islamists or PLO terrorists, the P.A. exists to destroy Israel. Those organizations do not care about their people. Hamas, like all Islamists, wishes to erase national borders like those which the Pope proposes, in favor of a global caliphate. The PLO also is ambitious to expand into Israel, but stoops to graft. Therefore, a Palestinian Arab state would preclude Israel's peaceful existence. Thus the Pope's call is self-contradictory. Is he unaware of that, too? Well, the Pope might rejoin, he did call for ethnic tolerance. How nice it sound, but it is unrealistic. It would seem simple-minded, if he weren't sophisticated. Since he is sophisticated, I attribute it to custom. Rather than siding with good against evil, the papacy usually issues bland calls for everybody to live in peace. Such calls have no effect upon totalitarian imperialists. They could not have any effect upon the fanatical Muslim Arabs, who consider him the head of a hated religion they want to dominate. The Pope's message was put as if moral, but has the effect of being immoral. It is immoral in being even-handed between aggressors and victims. It is not wise to coddle jihadists out to destroy his civilization. Beleaguered mankind needs moral leadership. Where can it find it? Not from the papal apostle of peace, not from the Israeli supposed "light unto the nations," not from the sordid UNO, and not from the hypocritical USA. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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NOT TRUE THAT HJC TEMPORARILY DENIES POLLARD PETITION
Posted by Justice For Jonathan Pollard, May 3, 2006. |
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For those still puzzled by the erroneous headline announcing that the Supreme Court of Israel has "temporarily denied the Pollard petition" which was filed to prevent Rafi Eitan from being appointed as an Israeli Government minister, Justice4JP would like to clarify: The report of a temporary denial of the petition which first appeared in the Jerusalem Post 2 May 2006 (copy below), is erroneous.The High Court of Justice did not deny the Pollards' petition, or any part of it. When the petition was filed, the Pollards had the right to request a temporary injunction freezing the appointment of Eitan until a final decision on the petition would be rendered by the court. But the Pollard petition did not make that request. Even though no request for a temporary injunction was made, the court itself decided not to issue one and stated as much in its initial decision rendered 2 May 2006. A copy of the decision can be viewed athttp://elyon1.court.gov.il/Files/06/480/036/h01/06036480.h01.HTM] The Jerusalem Post apparently misinterpreted the court's own decision not to order a temporary injunction as denial of the Pollard petition. That is not the case. The court decision rejected no part of the Pollard petition and it indeed ordered the Prime Minister to respond to the petition within 21 days before it renders its final decision. This is, in fact, exactly what was requested in the Pollard petition. "HCJ temporarily denies Pollard petition"
The High Court of Justice on Tuesday temporarily denied a petition filed by Jonathan and Esther Pollard charging that the appointment of Gil Pensioners Party Chairman Rafi Eitan to the cabinet was "unreasonable to an extreme degree," and that the court had the right to intervene in a political agreement between two parties. The High Court of Justice, however, did order Interim Prime Minster Ehud Olmert to take three weeks in order to present an explanation as to why he deemed Eitan fit for a ministerial post. The judge, Salim Jubran, refused to release an order preventing Eitan from being appointed by Olmert. The Pollards have also charged that Eitan is in possession of a secret document which could gain Pollard's release from prison were he to hand it over to the Americans. According to the petition, filed by attorneys Nitzana Darshan-Leitner and Larry Dub, the document includes a list of all the classified documents that Pollard handed over to Israel in 1984 and 1985. Darshan-Leitner and Dub called on the High Court of Justice to nullify the provision in the coalition agreement between Kadima and Gil according to which Eitan will serve as a cabinet minister. Eitan was in charge of a spy operation called Lekem, which enlisted Pollard, then working for the US Navy. Pollard provided information on the deployment of Arab military forces and many other classified information taken from US military intelligence. He was arrested by the FBI on November 21, 1985 and sentenced to life imprisonment. "Even today, Eitan refuses to help Pollard," the lawyers wrote. "For 21 years he has refused to hand over to the Americans or the proper authorities in the Israeli government a document that is in his sole possession and regarding which he holds the only copy, and which the prime minister could use to save Pollard." "The Americans have never been certain that they received from Israel all the documents the Pollard provided during his service to Israel," they continued. "Had Eitan handed over this document to the Americans at any time during these past 21 years, the Americans would have closed the affair, knowing Israel had returned all the material. This document would have lifted all the accusations that were fabricated against Pollard." The lawyers also charged that Eitan refused to help Pollard escape
from the US after the FBI began investigating him. Instead, he lied
to Pollard, telling him to stall for time so that the Israelis
involved in the affair could return to Israel and avoid arrest. Eitan
deliberately used Pollard as a scapegoat and left him behind to take
the rap, they charged.
Contact Justice For Jonathan Pollard at Justice4JP@aol.com
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A WALK WITH HARRY TRUMAN
Posted by Likud-Herut, May 3, 2006. |
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This was written by Yehuda Avner (avner28@netvision.net.il). A veteran diplomat, he served four Israeli prime ministers, including Levi Eshkol. Two-hundred-and-nineteen North Delaware Street, Independence, Missouri, is a spacious, rustic, white, Victorian residence, with steep gables, corniced eaves, squared bay windows, and an elongated porch extravagantly trimmed. The taxi driver who took me there was proud of its birthright, telling me in his flat-as-Kansas drawl that Bess Truman´s maternal grandfather had built this house in the 1860s, that Mr. and Mrs. Harry Truman had been living in it for the best part of 50 years, and that between ´45 and ´53, when Mr. Truman was president, it was known as the Summer White House. Now, in November 1966, I was charged with delivering a letter to the former president from prime minister Levi Eshkol. The letter was written in Eshkol´s own hand as a mark of high esteem, and it expressed appreciation to the president for having lent his name to Hebrew University´s just-established Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace. The premier extolled this choice of name as emblematic of the nation´s gratitude to him, the president, for his moral and courageous leadership in asserting the power and prestige of the United States in decisive and historic support of Israel´s founding in 1948. Fortuitously, I was about to leave for Kansas City to attend a Jewish Federation conference, so the prime minister, on whose staff I served, asked that I personally deliver the letter to nearby Independence. A trimly attired middle-aged black woman answered the door and, informed of my purpose, bade me enter. She led me into the front parlor, took charge of the letter, and told me to wait. The parlor was a venerable repository of heirlooms. On the mantelpiece of the marble fireplace were all sorts of White House memorabilia, most notably a bronze miniature of Andrew Jackson on horseback. In one corner stood a piano displaying the musical score of a piece called the Missouri Waltz, whose notes I tried to make sense of. "I don´t give a damn about that waltz, young man, but I can´t say that out loud in public because it´s the state song of Missouri." Harry Truman was standing in the doorway, his celebrated vim and vinegar belying his 82 years -- though not his looks. He was leaning on a cane, his famous face drawn and bony, his eyes disproportionately large behind steel-rimmed thick glasses. Buttoned up and scarved, he had a dapper fedora on his head. "I´m about to take my daily walk, young man," said he, "and I´d be pleased if you would care to join me." A secret service agent maintained a discreet distance when Truman stepped out into the street and began walking with stiff, short steps. As I adjusted to his pace, he chuckled, "Old lady Anno Domini has been chasing me recently, so I have to take it a bit slowly." Then, businesslike: "Very kind of the prime minister to give me such credit for your nation´s independence in ´48. But the man to really thank is Eddie Jacobson." "How so?" I asked. "Because when I wavered, it was Eddie who made sure I kept America´s weight behind Israeli statehood." He paused at the memory of the man, and muttered, "Dear old Eddie. Best friend a man could ever have. May he rest in peace." His big eyes clouded and his voice mellowed when he spoke thus of his World War I buddy and long-time business partner. It mellowed even more when he confided, "In all our 30 years of friendship there was never a sharp word between Eddie and me -- and we had been through some hard times together. And then "Good morning, Mr. Truman. Nice day, wouldn´t you say?" The president looked up at the clouds scudding across the pale sky, sniffed the air and, tipping his hat to the elderly lady passing us by, amiably replied, "It sure is, Amy. My best to Jim" "An old neighbor," he explained affectionately. And then, crisply, "So when Eddie came to see me, unannounced, at the White House -- it must have been sometime in March ´48 -- I was surprised. We were walking down a tree-lined street flanked by homes built with traditional Victorian-era elegance, much like his own house. "Let´s cut out the crap. I´ll tell you exactly why I was upset with Eddie -- because the Zionists were badgering me. Some were disrespectful and mean. Many chose to believe that US Palestine policy was the same as their Zionist program. He pressed his lips together as a sign of pique and, throwing me a piercing glance, said, "I´ll teach you an important lesson: Never kick a turd on a hot day. Those were hot days. We had reached a bench at the end of the street, under a large and spectacular tree. "This is where I usually catch my breath," he said, sitting down. I had the distinct sense he was trying to repress his cross feelings, but his fixed eye and contracted brow showed the sting of his recollection. "So that´s why I had words with Eddie," he went on unremittingly. "He knew that the fate of the Jewish victims of Hitlerism was a matter of deep personal concern to me. The Holocaust was one of the most shocking crimes of all times. Hitler´s war against the Jews was not a Jewish problem; it was an American problem. He was sitting hunched on the edge of the bench, his chin resting on the handle of his cane, the picture of small-town genuineness. This man of midwestern rural origin, who had never been to a college nor made a pretense of erudition, was giving me a taste of his celebrated reputation for relentless talking in a language that was plain, straightforward, decisive, simple, and honest. "Let´s go," he said, stiffly getting to his feet. For the next 10 minutes we walked in total silence, interrupted only by two schoolgirls who asked for his autograph. A clutch of tourists was waiting for him outside his house and they clapped as he approached. With enormous good grace he posed with them for snapshot after snapshot. I thought this a propitious time to take my leave, but Truman insisted I tarry. So I followed him into his front parlor where the maid, whom he called Vietta, told him his wife had just left for her church rummage sale. Vietta helped him take off his double-breasted jacket to bring bright red suspenders into full view, and eased him into an armchair. Then she left and came straight back with bourbon, coffee, and two thick volumes which, he explained, were his memoirs intended for me as a memento. Now, taking a sip of his bourbon and pointing to the mantelpiece above the marble fireplace, he exclaimed, "You see that statue of Andrew Jackson"? Truman was marking the miniature bronze of the seventh president of the United States, on horseback. "I had that in my Oval Office. My lifelong hero is Jackson. Leaning back now, right foot on left knee, Truman began to speak about his own State Department as if it was a hostile power: "Those State Department fellows were always trying to put it over on me about Palestine, telling me that I really didn´t understand what was going on there, that I ought to leave it to the experts. Some were anti-Semitic, I´m sorry to say. Dealing with them was as rough as a cob. They didn´t want instant recognition of statehood. A smart-ass little grin of self-satisfaction crept across his bony face and, with that, he took out his pen and dashed off an inscription on the title page of his memoirs. When I told him my son was about to celebrate his bar mitzva, he gladly inscribed the second volume to him. Handing me the books, Truman said, "Now, remind me, how did Eddie used to say ´congratulations´ in Hebrew -- mazal something?" "Tov," I proffered. "Yeah, ´tov,´ that´s right. Mazal tov." And he shook me warmly by the hand. Contact Likud-Herot at info@likud-herut.org.uk |
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THE RABBI AND THE PROFESSOR
Posted by Naomi Ragen, May 3, 2006. |
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Thanks to my study partner Chavie Greenwald for forwarding this to me. A wonderful story. This was written by Rabbi Ari D. Kahn. It comes from www.aish.com Many years ago when I was a relatively young yeshiva student I had the opportunity to study with one of the great rabbis of the previous generation. His name was Rabbi Yisroel Zeev Gustman and he may have been one of the greatest rabbis of the 20th century. He was certainly the greatest "unknown" rabbi: While he fastidiously avoided the limelight and was therefore unfamiliar to the general public, he was well known to connoisseurs of Torah learning. His meteoric rise from child prodigy to the exalted position of religious judge in the Rabbinical Court of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski at around the age of 20 was the stuff of legend -- but nonetheless fact. Many years later, I heard Rav Gustman's own modest version of the events leading to this appointment: A singular (brilliant) insight which he shared with his fellow students was later repeated to the visiting Rav Chaim Ozer, who invited the young student to repeat this same insight the following day in his office in Vilna. Unbeknownst to Rav Gustman, the insight clinched an argument in a complex case that had been debated among the judges in Rav Chaim Ozer's court -- and allowed a woman to remarry. One of the judges adjudicating the case in question, Rabbi Meir Bassin, made inquiries about this young man, and soon a marriage was arranged with his daughter Sarah. When Rabbi Bassin passed away before the wedding, Rabbi Gustman was tapped to take his place as rabbi of Shnipishok and to take his seat on the court. Although Rav Gustman claimed that he was simply "in the right place at the right time," it was clear that Rav Bassin and Rav Chaim Ozer had seen greatness in this young man. While a long productive career on the outskirts of Vilna could have been anticipated, Jewish life in and around Vilna was obliterated by the pain and fear of World War II. Rav Gustman escaped, though not unscathed. He hid among corpses. He hid in caves. He hid in a pig pen. He somehow survived. For me, Rav Gustman was the living link to the Jewish world destroyed by the Nazis. I never had to wonder what a rabbi in Vilna before the war looked like, for I had seen Rav Gustman, 35 years after the war. At the head of a small yeshiva in the Rechavia section of Jerusalem, Rav Gustman taught a small group of loyal students six days a week. But on Thursdays at noon, the study hall would fill to capacity: Rabbis, intellectuals, religious court judges, a Supreme Court justice and various professors would join along with any and all who sought a high-level Talmud class that offered a taste of what had been nearly destroyed. When Rav Gustman gave a shiur -- delivering a lecture, Vilna was once again alive and vibrant. One of the regular participants was a professor at the Hebrew University, Robert J. (Yisrael) Aumann. Once a promising yeshiva student, he had eventually decided to pursue a career in academia, but made his weekly participation in Rav Gustman's class part of his weekly schedule, all with many other more or less illustrious residents of Rechavia and Jerusalem. The year was 1982. Once again, Israel was at war. Soldiers were mobilized, reserve units activated. Among those called to duty was a reserves officer, a university student who made his living as a high school teacher: Shlomo Aumann, Professor Aumann's son. On the eve of the 19th of Sivan, in particularly fierce combat, Shlomo fell in battle. Rav Gustman mobilized his yeshiva: All of his students joined him in performing the mitzvah of burying the dead. At the cemetery, Rav Gustman was agitated. He surveyed the rows of graves of the young men, soldiers who died defending the Land. On the way back from the cemetery, Rav Gustman turned to another passenger in the car and said, "They are all holy." Another passenger questioned the rabbi: "Even the non-religious soldiers?" Rav Gustman replied: "Every single one of them." He then turned to the driver and said, "Take me to Professor Aumann's home." The family had just returned from the cemetery and would now begin the week of shiva -- mourning for their son, brother, husband and father. (Shlomo was married and had one child. His widow, Shlomit, gave birth to their second daughter shortly after he was killed.) Rav Gustman entered and asked to sit next to Professor Auman, who said, "Rabbi, I so appreciate your coming to the cemetery, but now is time for you to return to your Yeshiva." Rav Gustman spoke, first in Yiddish and then in Hebrew, so that all those assembled would understand: "I am sure that you don't know this, but I had a son named Meir. He was a beautiful child. He was taken from my arms and executed. I escaped. I later bartered my child's shoes so that we would have food, but I was never able to eat the food -- I gave it away to others. My Meir is a kadosh -- he is holy -- he and all the six million who perished are holy." Rav Gustman then added: "I will tell you what is transpiring now in the World of Truth in Gan Eden -- in Heaven. My Meir is welcoming your Shlomo into the minyan and is saying to him 'I died because I am a Jew -- but I wasn't able to save anyone else. But you -- Shlomo, you died defending the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.' My Meir is a kadosh, he is holy -- but your Shlomo is a Shaliach Zibbur -- a Cantor in that holy, heavenly minyan." Rav Gustman continued: "I never had the opportunity to sit shiva for my Meir; let me sit here with you just a little longer." Professor Aumann replied, "I thought I could never be comforted, but Rebbi, you have comforted me." Rav Gustman did not allow his painful memories to control his life. He found solace in his students, his daughter, his grandchildren, and in every Jewish child. He and his wife would attend an annual parade where children would march on Jerusalem in song and dance. A rabbi who happened upon them one year asked the Rabbi why he spent his valuable time in such a frivolous activity. Rav Gustman explained, "We who saw a generation of children die, will take pleasure in a generation of children who sing and dance in these streets." A student once implored Rav Gustman to share his memories of the ghetto and the war more publicly and more frequently. He asked him to tell people about his son, about his son's shoes, to which the Rav replied, "I can't, but I think about those shoes every day of my life. I see them every night before I go to sleep." On the 18th of Sivan 5751 (1991), Rav Gustman passed away. Thousands marched through the streets of Jerusalem accompanying Rav Gustman on his final journey. As night fell on the 19th of Sivan, exactly nine years from the moment that Shlomo Aumann fell in battle, Rav Gustman was buried on the Mount of Olives. I am sure that upon entering Heaven he was reunited with his wife, his teachers and his son, Meir. I am also sure that Shlomo Aumann and all the other holy soldiers who died defending the People and the Land of Israel were there to greet this extraordinary Rabbi. On December 10th 2005, Professor Robert J. Aumann was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics. I am sure he took with him to Stockholm memories of his late wife, Esther, and his son, Shlomo. I suspect he also took memories of his Rabbi. May it be the will of God that the People of Israel sanctify His Name by living lives of holiness which will serve as a light to the nations -- and may no more children, soldiers or yeshiva students ever need to join that holy minyan in Heaven. (This article is based on a combination of firsthand knowledge and a composite reconstruction of events as retold to me.) Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist and journalist who lives in Jerusalem. She can be contacted at www.naomiragen.com, where you can subscribe to her newsletter. |
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MORE SKEWED REPORTING BY THE NY TIMES
Posted by Lawrence Uniglicht, May 2, 2006. |
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Here we go again! An article entitled "It's The Muslim Militants Stupid" would at least convey to readers why Israel must fire missiles into an out of control Gaza Strip, a strategy that at least reduces the number of Quassam missiles fired into the Jewish State by Arab criminals, intent on terrorizing innocent Jewish citizens across the border. However, Steven Erlanger displays his own biased take on that situation in section A4 of the 05/02/2006 edition of the New York Times, in a hand wringing pseudo-factual piece of skewed journalism entitled "Where Rockets Exit, Shells Enter and Houses Are Ruined". The article attempts to evoke pro-Palestinian sympathy from perhaps uninformed similarly bent readers, displaying a tear-jerking picture of two posed pitiful Palestinian youngsters, one with a large bandage covering the underside of his chin. Indeed, look what the big bad Israeli bullies did to these poor innocent waifs, suggests Erlanger between the lines, as if Israel is at fault for defending its own citizens. Did our opinionated author suffer amnesia, forgetting that Sharon evicted 9,000 Jews from Gaza, gave so-called Palestinians a home of their own, subsequently Jew-despising Hamas terrorists were voted into office, and the naïve Land of Israel is repaid with an incessant stream of Qassams in lieu of thank you cards? The entire article, misplaced in the newspaper's International rather than Op-Ed section, bemoans suffering Arab families. "I used to eat meat twice a week, but now it's less. We get food packages from the United Nations and charitable organizations ...", on and on ad nauseam drones tragic uncle Moussa, one of the many sorrowful Arab souls in this Israel-bashing piece. We are told Abdul Rahman, one of the boys in the picture, has a piece of shrapnel in his leg, will need an operation, and might miss school exams in a few weeks. No doubt, this is a woeful tale, but how can anyone with a modicum of objectivity not place the blame for such misfortune on the warped Islamic fundamentalists that shell Israel with encouragement from a Hamas governing body that truly has no regard for the well-being of its own people? The article littered with cherry-picked facts and grief-filled quotations, meant to portray Israel as the devil incarnate, mercifully ends with "Muhammad Abu Odeh held out his hand, which was filled with shrapnel. 'I have no money to fix this house,' he said, 'I don't know what will happen. At least, thanks be to God, everyone is alive.'" Surely, only a cold-hearted lout would not feel compassion for the plight of such folks, or for that matter folks on Israel's side of the border similarly bombarded by missiles (did Erlanger intentionally forget to mention Jews in distress?), but implicitly laying the lion's share of the blame for this dysfunctional scenario on a reactive Israeli military endeavoring to protect Israeli citizens is outrageous! Steven Erlanger, colluding with publishers of a media outlet that would make Al-Jazeera proud, will not craft a fair piece of journalism concerning Israel! "Fairness is not an attitude. It's a professional skill that must be developed and exercised", presciently posits Brit Hume. Surely, the New York Times and its less than objective Palestinian apologist Erlanger ought to heed such humble words forthwith, thus pursue an intellectual mind altering regimen leading to balanced reporting. They owe it to their readership and the State of Israel. Lawrence Uniglicht is a career civil servant, working for the Social Security Administration. He advocates for the State of Israel with an American perspective. He writes, "Advocating for the disrespected underdog has been my passion, no doubt Israel falls into that category." Contact him by email at luniglicht@snip.net |
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ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DEMONSTRATIONS ORGANIZED AND SUPPORTED BY ARAB TERRORIST GROUP
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 2, 2006. |
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Per article #1 below, and the Washington Post, ANSWER is behind the massive and amazingly well organized illegal immigrant demonstrations. ANSWER is not just a "..radical left-wing group". ANSWER has been, since its inception, radically anti-Bush, anti-US government, and anti- the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But even more ominous for us, ANSWER has close ties with ISM and other radical Moslem groups which have been supportive of terrorism. Per article #2, these same Moslem groups are also involved in the organization and implementation of the illegal immigrant demonstrations. So why might pro-terrorist groups be supportive of the new and suddenly so explosive illegal immigration issue? Is it merely because Islam stands for justice (see article #2), or could it be because the 5000 or more illegal Arab and Iranian immigrants who have entered our country illegally from Mexico (disguised as Mexicans) would gain great freedom of movement inside of our country if their presence were legalized? Or could it also be because the result of the pressure from these protesting groups may make it easier for future Mexicans (and Arabs disguised as Mexicans) to enter our country? And why do thousands of Arabs and Iranians (who could easily enter our country legally if they chose to, since all Arab countries and Iran have diplomatic relations with the USA) sneak in across our border with Mexico, disguised as Mexicans? Because they are terrorists and do not want to be on our radar screen. And why are thousands of Arab and Iranian terrorists infiltrating our country illegally? Because they are Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda terrorists who want to destroy our country and our civilization. See articles #3, 4, and 5 below. The FBI has finally caught on, after years of ignoring the problem: these Hezbollah and el-Qaeda terrorist infiltrators are preparing for terror attacks inside of our own country, and they may already have nuclear weapons inside the USA at their disposal. I hope you have a plan C: because plan A (stop them at the border) and plan B (catch them after they have entered) don't seem to be working very well. 1.) Reprinted from NewsMax.comMay 1, 2006 Lou Dobbs: "Radicals Running Immigrant Movement" A leftist anti-war group has seized control of the immigrant movement that staged mass protests across the U.S. on Monday, says CNN's Lou Dobbs. Praising the Washington Post for being the only newspaper that has reported that the radical leftist group ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) was an active promoter of Monday's national boycott, Dobbs noted that the movement chose May 1, the traditional International Worker's day sanctified by the Soviet Union and Marxist movements throughout the year to stage their protest. Speaking on his CNN show Monday, Dobbs said that "Some illegal immigration and open borders activists in the Hispanic community are deeply concerned about the involvement of the left-wing radical group [ANSWER]. But others, like Juan Jose Gutierrez, whom I've interviewed a number of times over the past several months, manages to be both director of Latino Movement USA and a representative of ANSWER. "As Gutierrez told us on my show, 'The time has come ... where we need to stand up and make a statement. We need to do what the American people did when they pulled away from the British crown. And I am sure that back in those days many people were concerned that was radical action.' "Just how significant is the impact of leftists within the illegal immigration movement?" Dobbs asked, explaining that "It is no accident that they chose May 1 as their day of demonstration and boycott. It is the worldwide day of commemorative demonstrations by various socialist, communist and even anarchic organizations." Radicalism, Dobbs continued "is not confined to Gutierrez and Latino Movement USA, explaining that Ernesto Nevarez of the L.A. Port Collective is promising to shut down the Port of Los Angeles today: '[Transportation and commerce] will come to a grinding halt. ...They are going to put a wall along the border with Mexico. We're going to put a wall between us and the ocean. And those containers ain't going to move.'" Dobbs is not alone in citing ANSWER's involvement in today's protest. On their web site, the Los Angeles ANSWER group spelled out their backing, proclaiming "On May 1, stand up for immigrant rights. Join immigrants and supporters to make May 1 a national 'day without an immigrant.' We will settle for nothing less than full amnesty and legalization for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the United States. Let's show the government, corporations and politicians that a powerful, united peoples' movement has the power to win Civil Rights, workers' rights and make history. No Work! No School! No Business as usual! "The ANSWER Coalition, along with other pro-immigrant organizations, has been working hard to build May 1 and the overall immigrant right struggle. We've passed out over 150,000 flyers for May 1, gathered thousands of petition signatures demanding amnesty for all immigrants and held public street meetings all over Los Angeles to promote the movement. Join the struggle for full equality and justice today!" Said Dobbs: "No matter which flag demonstrators and protesters carry today, their leadership is showing its true colors to all who will see." #2) Muslim Groups Will March with Illegals Joining illegal immigrants in their march on May 1: radical Islamic front groups the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the Muslim Students Association (MSA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): CAIR are now in the mix- will march with illegals. (Hat tip: Fjordman.) Los Angeles, CA: In solidarity with immigration activists around the country, the Muslim Public Affairs Council as well as the Council on American-Islamic Relations - Los Angeles (CAIR-LA), the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, the LA Latino Muslim Association, the Muslim American Society-Los Angeles, and the Muslim Students Association - West (MSA West) are calling on American Muslims to participate in a day of action on May 1, 2006. On that day, the Multi-ethnic Immigrant Worker Organizing Network (MIWON) is holding a march near downtown Los Angeles in support of immigration reform and worker' rights. MPAC is coordinating Muslim American participation in this important event, which affects Americans of all ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. Similar events will be taking place across the country. WHAT: International Worker's Day Immigration March
CO-SPONSORS: Muslim Public Affairs Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations - Los Angeles (CAIR-LA), Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, L.A. Latino Muslim Association (LALMA), MSA West, Muslim American Society - Los Angeles (MAS-LA), Multi-ethnic Immigrant Worker Organizing Network (MIWON) - http://thistuesday.org/node/127 WHY SHOULD MUSLIMS GET INVOLVED? Islam's message is one of social justice, economic fairness, and fair treatment in the workplace. The Qur'an urges the proper treatment and respect of workers. Several Muslim leaders discussed the relevance of the Qur'an to the struggle for dignity in the workplace with union leaders and other religious leaders during the "Islam and Labor: Forging Partnerships Conference," held November 10, 2001 in Washington, DC. Co-convened by the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the conference sought to build relationships between Muslims, interfaith committees and labor communities. As the Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying, "None of you has faith unless you love for your brother what you love for yourself." It is against this backdrop that American Muslim organizations are calling for a comprehensive immigration reform that includes provisions for a pathway to lawful permanent residence for the undocumented currently in the United States, a temporary worker program that matches willing workers with willing employers, and a reduction in the current backlogs in family-based immigration to the United States. HOW DO WE VIEW IMMIGRATION REFORM? The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, but today the country has more than 33 million foreign-born residents, the largest number since the US Census started keeping such statistics in 1850. In 2003, foreign-born residents made up 11.7 percent of the population, the highest percentage since 1910. And over the past 16 years, the newcomers, many of them undocumented, have poured into places in the South and Midwest that have not seen sizeable numbers of new immigrants in generations. On December 16, 2005, the House of Representatives passed HR 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The bill was introduced by Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI). The Sensenbrenner bill is an inadequate enforcement-only bill that fails to address comprehensive immigration reform. In particular, it does not include any provision for a guest worker program, an earned legalization program, nor a reduction in the backlogs for family-based immigration. Instead, the bill criminalizes undocumented people for unlawful presence in the United States, and criminalizes people who work or volunteer with faith-based organizations for helping someone in need, who turns out to be undocumented.
#3)
"Infiltration from the south feared;
Terrorist smuggling denied by admitted drug runner"
January 15, 2006 -- The back door to this country is unguarded, and the locks in place to protect it against terrorists are easy to pick. Lawmakers and border security critics have repeatedly made this point, stressing the need for more funding, patrols and protection against illegal entry on the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials are pointing to records in a South Texas drug case with alleged terrorist ties that they say underscores the lack of preparedness here. The attorney for a jailed Gulf Cartel member cited in the incident, however, says his client was falsely accused of trying to smuggle Iraqi terrorists into this country. He maintains the claims were brought to increase the punishment for a drug offense against the accused. The allegations are debated but the danger is real, warns U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz who believes federal lawmakers do not realize the exposure that exists on this porous international boundary. "There is a huge disconnect between Washington and the border," Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, said and called the security issue "alarming." "Gente de Osama" The January 2005 arrest of Noel Exinia and Cesario Nuñez appeared to be just another Drug Enforcement Administration bust on the border, until court documents in the case are examined more closely. A few days before their arrest on federal cocaine trafficking charges, Exinia and Nuñez moved more than a quarter-ton of cocaine from Mexico through the Rio Grande Valley and on to New York City, the men told officials. Nuñez, 33, pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge in September. His sentencing is set for Thursday. Exinia, 35, eventually pleaded guilty to the same charge. His sentencing is expected in March. Court documents filed in Exinia's case make frequent references to his position in the notorious Gulf Cartel. The paperwork also contains details of a December 2004 incident in which he tried to secure transportation for 20 Middle Eastern "terrorists" waiting to enter the United States from Monterrey, Chiapas and Puebla in Mexico. Recorded telephone conversations authorized under the U.S. Patriot Act and a court order captured the La Feria truck driver referring to the 20 men as "gente de Osama" or "Osama's people." During a Jan. 5, 2005, telephone conversation, Exinia described the men as "Iraqis," ages 25 to 33, who were willing to pay $8,000 for transportation past Border Patrol checkpoints in South Texas and into the U.S. interior. Exinia mentioned that eight of the men were coming to Progreso, northwest of Brownsville. He said they were "dangerous" and "really bad people." They carried guns and made the smuggler that was helping them "afraid." Court records show that Exinia tried to employ a pilot -- who turned out to be a confidential government source -- to fly the men from the Valley to the northeastern United States. Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the documents in Exinia's case, citing his pending March sentencing. Nancy Herrera with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas said the documents filed in the case reflect the government's position at the time they were filed. "The pleadings are what they are and we have no further comment," Herrera said. "A lot of hot air" Exinia's attorney John Blaylock said the FBI conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and cleared his client of any terrorism charges. "This is an example of a lot of hot air with a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing," Blaylock said. He said that the references to terrorism were kept in the court documents to "vilify" his client so they could be used to increase the length of his sentence. Court records show that Exinia's former attorney William May successfully argued to keep all references to terrorism out the October trial. At a sentencing hearing for another client in an unrelated case, May told The Brownsville Herald he believed the terrorist allegations against Exinia were "true." "Otherwise," he said, "I wouldn't have filed a motion to argue against it." Blaylock maintains the allegations are false and being used as a tool to justify "massive government spending" and a "power grab." "Terrorism is the flavor of the week," Blaylock said. "If they could have, they would have charged him with terrorism to justify the Patriot Act that is coming up for renewal." The USA Patriot Act, first adopted shortly after 9/11, is meant to "deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes," according to the version approved by Congress in October 2001. It provides for, among other things, enhanced surveillance procedures, protecting the border, removing obstacles to investigating terrorism and strengthening the criminal law against terrorism. A Patriot Act extension, signed by the president on Dec. 30, keeps anti-terrorism laws that were due to expire Dec. 31 in place until Feb. 3. The extension allows the FBI to continue to investigate terrorism cases using powers granted in 2001, including roving wiretaps and the authority to intercept wire, spoken and electronic communications relating to terrorism, The Associated Press reported. FBI officials declined to publicly comment on the Exinia case. One federal law enforcement official that asked not to be named, said the men labeled "terrorists" turned out to be undocumented immigrants from a "nation of concern." The FBI would not say if the group made it across the border or if authorities have located or detained them. "A serious flaw" While attorneys debate the existence of terrorists connected to the Exinia case, Ortiz, a former Nueces County sheriff, said information found in court documents underscores the U.S-Mexico border's vulnerability to terrorist infiltration. "It is very alarming" he said, holding a copy of the court papers. "We know there are terrorist cells in the United States. These guys are coming through our back door." In fact, Border Patrol agents found Middle Eastern clothes and money in the South Texas brush, according to a federal report issued last year. Ortiz said drug cartels and other criminal organizations, including the Central American gang, Mara Salvatruchas or MS-13, are dangerous enemies against U.S. security. Similar to Exinia's story about the 20 Iraqis he dealt with, Ortiz said Mexican and Central American criminal organizations are sought out to help smuggle terrorists into the United States. "If they have the money, they'll bring them across," he said. The presence and power of such organizations has long been known to Valley law enforcement but their threat to national security is lost on federal leaders and lawmakers, Ortiz said. In one anecdote, the congressman said he attended a recent terrorism conference in Washington, D.C., in which FBI officials did not know about the Mara Salvatruchas -- one of the most notorious organized crime outfits with documented links to al-Qaida. "There is a serious flaw in communication," Ortiz said. "We need to correct it." #4) "FBI stopped Hezbollah smugglers," Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 3.31.06 The FBI broke up a ring that tried to smuggle Hezbollah operatives into the United States. In testimony Tuesday to Congress on the FBI's budget request, director Robert Mueller said most recent reports on terrorist smuggling do not pan out. However, he identified one that did: "This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States," Mueller said. "That was an organization that we dismantled and identified those persons who had been smuggled in. And they have been addressed as well." Mueller did not elaborate further, except to say that the ring had attempted to smuggle the operatives into the United States from Mexico. by Adam Zagorin Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004 With reporting by Syed Talat Hussain A key al-Qaeda operative seized in Pakistan recently offered an alarming account of the group's potential plans to target the U.S. with weapons of mass destruction, senior U.S. security officials tell TIME. Sharif al-Masri, an Egyptian who was captured in late August near Pakistan's border with Iran and Afghanistan, has told his interrogators of "al-Qaeda's interest in moving nuclear materials from Europe to either the U.S. or Mexico," according to a report circulating among U.S. government officials. Masri also said al-Qaeda has considered plans to "smuggle nuclear materials to Mexico, then operatives would carry material into the U.S.," according to the report, parts of which were read to TIME. Masri says his family, seeking refuge from al-Qaeda hunters, is now in Iran. Masri's account, though unproved, has added to already heightened U.S. concerns about Mexico. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge met publicly with top Mexican officials last week to discuss border security and smuggling rings that could be used to slip al-Qaeda terrorists into the country. Weeks prior to Ridge's lightning visit, U.S. and Mexican intelligence conferred about reports from several al-Qaeda detainees indicating the potential use of Mexico as a staging area "to acquire end-stage chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear material." U.S. officials have begun to keep a closer eye on heavy-truck traffic across the border. The Mexicans will also focus on flight schools and aviation facilities on their side of the frontier. And another episode has some senior U.S. officials worried: the theft of a crop-duster aircraft south of San Diego, apparently by three men from southern Mexico who assaulted a watchman and then flew off in a southerly direction. Though the theft's connection to terrorism remains unclear, a senior U.S. law-enforcement official notes that crop dusters can be used to disperse toxic substances. The plane, stolen at night two weeks ago, has not been recovered.
David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli,
currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern
studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director
of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org).
Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com
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FACTS ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM
Posted by Sasha F., May 2, 2006. |
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1. ISRAEL BECAME A STATE IN 1312 B.C., TWO MILLENNIA BEFORE ISLAM; 2. ARAB REFUGEES FROM ISRAEL BEGAN CALLING THEMSELVES "PALESTINIANS" IN 1967, TWO DECADES AFTER (MODERN) ISRAELI STATEHOOD; 3. AFTER CONQUERING THE LAND IN 1272 B.C., JEWS RULED IT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS AND MAINTAINED A CONTINUOUS PRESENCE THERE FOR 3,300 YEARS; 4. THE ONLY ARAB RULE FOLLOWING CONQUEST IN 633 B.C. LASTED JUST 22 YEARS; 5. FOR OVER 3,300 YEARS, JERUSALEM WAS THE JEWISH CAPITAL. IT WAS NEVER THE CAPITAL OF ANY ARAB OR MUSLIM ENTITY. EVEN UNDER JORDANIAN RULE, (EAST) JERUSALEM WAS NOT MADE THE CAPITAL, AND NO ARAB LEADER CAME TO VISIT IT; 6. JERUSALEM IS MENTIONED OVER 700 TIMES IN THE BIBLE, BUT NOT ONCE IS IT MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN; 7. KING DAVID FOUNDED JERUSALEM; MOHAMMED NEVER SET FOOT IN IT; 8. JEWS PRAY FACING JERUSALEM; MUSLIMS FACE MECCA. IF THEY ARE BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES, MUSLIMS PRAY FACING MECCA, WITH THEIR BACKS TO JERUSALEM; 9. IN 1948, ARAB LEADERS URGED THEIR PEOPLE TO LEAVE, PROMISING TO CLEANSE THE LAND OF JEWISH PRESENCE. 68% OF THEM FLED WITHOUT EVER SETTING EYES ON AN ISRAELI SOLDIER; 10. VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE JEWISH POPULATION OF MUSLIM COUNTRIES HAD TO FLEE AS THE RESULT OF VIOLENCE AND POGROMS; 11. SOME 630,000 ARABS LEFT ISRAEL IN 1948, WHILE CLOSE TO A MILLION JEWS WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES; 12. IN SPITE OF THE VAST TERRITORIES AT THEIR DISPOSAL, ARAB REFUGESS WERE DELIBERATELY PREVENTED FROM ASSIMILATING INTO THEIR HOST COUNTRIES. OF 100 MILLION REFUGEES FOLLOWING WORLD WAR 2, THEY ARE THE ONLY GROUP TO HAVE NEVER INTEGRATED WITH THEIR CORELIGIONISTS. MOST OF THE JEWISH REFUGEES FROM EUROPE AND ARAB LANDS WERE SETTLED IN ISRAEL, A COUNTRY NO LARGER THAN NEW JERSEY; 13. THERE ARE 22 MUSLIM COUNTRIES, NOT COUNTING PALESTINE. THERE IS ONLY ONE JEWISH STATE. ARABS STARTED ALL FIVE WARS AGAINST ISRAEL, AND LOST EVERY ONE OF THEM; 14. FATAH AND HAMAS CONSTITUTIONS STILL CALL FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL. ISRAEL CEDED MOST OF THE WEST BANK AND ALL OF GAZA TO THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AND EVEN PROVIDED IT WITH ARMS; 15. DURING THE JORDANIAN OCCUPATION, JEWISH HOLY SITES WERE VANDALIZED AND WERE OFF LIMITS TO JEWS. UNDER ISRAELI RULE, ALL MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN HOLY SITES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL FAITHS; 16. OUT OF 175 UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS UP TO 1990, 97 WERE AGAINST ISRAEL; OUT OF 690 GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTIONS, 429 WERE AGAINST ISRAEL; 17. THE U.N. WAS SILENT WHEN THE JORDANIANS DESTROYED 58 SYNAGOGUES IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM. IT REMAINED SILENT WHILE JORDAN SYSTEMATICALLY DESECRATED THE ANCIENT JEWISH CEMETERY ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, AND IT REMAINED SILENT WHEN JORDAN ENFORCED APARTHEID LAWS PREVENTING JEWS FROM ACCESSING THE TEMPLE MOUNT AND WESTERN WALL. THESE ARE TRYING TIMES. WE MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, AND WHAT WE WILL TELL OUR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT OUR ACTIONS DURING THIS CRISIS, WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Contact the poster at thelady@bayarea.net |
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WEST BANK STORY: A MUSICAL DRAMA
Posted by Israel Zwick, May 2, 2006. |
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This is the second in a series of short, musical plays about values and life in the Israeli territories. The first was titled "Farmer Without a Roof" and can be found at http://www.isralert.com/archives/2005/05/farmer_without.php. Though the following story is fictitious, it was inspired by actual events. The main inspiration for this story came from articles by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook on the website www.pmw.org.il. While the details in the story have been fictionalized, they are based on factual information obtained from a variety of sources. The main source was the article http://www.pmw.org.il/schoolbooks.html about the Palestinian school curriculum. The songs were adapted from "West Side Story," originally directed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. CHARACTERS: MOTHER, Arab woman about 40 years old
SCENE 1 TIME: early morning, the present
MOTHER: (An Arab woman, about 40 years old. She is dressed in modest, casual attire, with her hair covered by a traditional Muslim hijab. She is preparing a simple breakfast consisting of pita bread, chickpea spread, feta cheese, and olives. As she prepares breakfast, she sings) Adapted from "Something's Coming"
Could be!
Could it be? Yes, it could
The air is hummin?
AHMED: (Arab boy, 12 years old, walks into the room. He is dressed in a simple T-shirt, cotton slacks, and sandals.) Mommy, do I have to go to school today? School is so boring! Shakir and his friends are going to the Hamas training camp to watch the new fighters practicing their drills. Can I go with them? MOTHER: No, my son. If you want to learn how to resist the Zionist enemy, then you have to go to school first. There you will learn how the Zionists invaded Palestine, drove us out of our homes, and occupied our lands. Then you can learn Shahida and grow up to be like your brothers, Waleed and Youssef. AHMED: Mommy, why did Waleed and Youssef have to die? I miss them so much. Waleed was teaching me how to play soccer and Youssef always made me laugh with his funny stories and jokes. Now all I have left are a few little sisters. MOTHER: I know you miss them. I miss them, too. But you should be proud of your brothers. Waleed completed a successful martyrdom operation in a restaurant. Nine Zionist pigs were killed and 65 were wounded. AHMED: But, Mommy, I saw pictures of the wounded on the Internet. One boy my age lost both his legs and will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Another woman has shrapnel in her spine and lives with excruciating pain. Another boy just got out of a coma but he is brain damaged and will have to spend the rest of his life in a mental health facility. MOTHER: Ahmed, you shouldn't feel sorry for them. You should rejoice over their misery. They would all be Israeli soldiers. Waleed prevented them from killing and oppressing the Palestinian people. AHMED: But what about Youssef? He didn't kill any Zionists. Why did he have to die? MOTHER: Youssef was learning how to assemble Improvised Explosive Devices. He was killed in a work accident. That happens sometimes during a jihad. We have to understand and accept that. AHMED: Mommy, am I going to die like Waleed and Youssef? I don't want to die. I want to learn how to play soccer and travel around Europe with soccer teams. MOTHER: No, my son. You won't have to die. Hamas now has new Katyusha rockets that they can shoot over the separation fence. So soon it won't be necessary for so many of our brave boys to become shaheeds. Besides, you shouldn't be afraid of death. Your brothers are in a better place now, with Allah in heaven. They are enjoying their existence there. You're too young to appreciate it now, but when you get older you will realize how much satisfaction your brothers are having in heaven. You should be proud of your brothers and aspire to be like them. Now go off to school, it's getting late. SCENE 2 TIME: later that morning
TEACHER: (Arab man about 45 years old. He has a neatly trimmed beard and is dressed in casual clothing) Children, I have good news for you. The new textbooks that were ordered for us by the United Nations have finally arrived. They were purchased from funds donated by the Europeans. What does that teach us? Ayyat, can you tell us? AYYAT: (Arab girl dressed in simple cotton dress and sandals). It means that not all infidels are bad and have to be killed in a jihad. Some of them do good deeds and should be spared. TEACHER: That's very good. Now tell me how you feel about America. CHILDREN: (Singing) Adapted from "America"
BOYS: Skyscrapers bloom in America
GIRLS: Everywhere grime in America
TEACHER: Very good. Now children open your history books to page 48. Who would like to tell us how the Zionist Jew pigs came to Palestine? Ahmed, can you tell us? AHMED: In the 1940's, the Jews were making trouble in Europe so the Christians expelled them. They came to Palestine, and with their enormous wealth they bought modern weapons. They destroyed over 500 Arab villages and drove our people out. Since then, they have been occupying Palestinian lands and oppressing our people. TEACHER: That's very good. Now open your math books. Nabil, can you do the problem on page 67? NABIL: (Arab boy) There were 115 Zionist monkeys sitting at a Passover Seder, singing and rejoicing over the oppression of our Egyptian brethren. 29 are killed in a resistance operation. How many Zionist monkeys are left breathing? 86. TEACHER: That's very good. Because you children did such a good job, we're going to have an extended recess. We're going to switch the roles that we had yesterday. The boys who were crawling under fences with rifles will practice throwing rocks today. The boy who throws the biggest rock for the longest distance will get a prize. The girls who were filling sandbags yesterday will collect rocks today. Now go outside and take your positions. SCENE 3 TIME: Later that afternoon.
AHMED: (carrying toy rifle) Mommy, can I go outside and play? Tomorrow in school I get to crawl under the fence with my toy rifle. The boy who crawls the furthest gets a prize. Can I go out to practice? MOTHER: OK. But stay away from that separation fence; it's very dangerous there. And make sure to come back for dinner. AHMED: (Steps outside and sings) Adapted from "Tonight"
Tonight, Tonight
Today
(Two hours later, Mother is working in the kitchen preparing dinner. She hears four gunshots in the background. She is startled, but ignores it because gunshots are so common in her neighborhood. A few minutes later, there is an announcement on the radio.) RADIO: Breaking news now: A 12-year old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by an Israeli border policeman near the security fence. A toy rifle was found near the boy's body. No charges were filed against the policeman. A Hamas spokesman called the incident a "crime against the Palestinian people" and vowed to avenge the boy's death. The UN Security Council will meet tomorrow to consider sending a peacekeeping force to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli violence. (Mother runs out of the house quickly) SCENE 4 TIME: The next morning
TEACHER: Children, I have very sad news to report. Ahmed is no longer with us, he is with Allah in heaven. Yesterday, he was brutally murdered by an Israeli policeman. Four gunshots tore apart his little body. The policeman who committed this horrible crime was allowed to go free. They will probably give him a promotion for killing a little boy with a toy rifle. This is why we must continue our resistance to liberate our land from the Zionist murderers and oppressors. You are all dismissed to attend Ahmed's funeral. SCENE 5 TIME: Later that afternoon
POLICEMAN: (Man about 30 years old, dressed in uniform. A pistol and police mobile radio are attached to his belt.) I don't think I can take this anymore; I need to apply for a mental health leave of absence. PSYCHOLOGIST: (Woman, about 30 years old. Dressed in a white blouse with police emblem, navy-blue skirt. Also wearing a belt with a pistol.) You mustn't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. You were cleared of all wrongdoing. POLICEMAN: But he was only 12 years old. I have a little nephew that age. Just yesterday, I was playing soccer with him. PSCHOLOGIST: But if he was really a Hamas terrorist, then it would have been your chest that was torn apart. POLICEMAN: I should have known something was wrong. The first three shots missed and he didn't fire back or run. He just stood there. PSYCHOLOGIST: It all happened so fast, you couldn't have known. POLICEMAN: I've seen too much death and violence. When is it all going to end? (The psychologist holds his hand and together they sing) Somewhere Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim There's a place for us,
There's a time for us
Somewhere.
There's a place for us,
(Police and ambulance sirens are heard in the background. The policeman's radio buzzes. He picks it up and puts it to his ear.) RADIO: Central Bus Station, Tel Aviv. At least 10 dead, scores wounded. (Curtain) Contact Israel Zwick at israel.zwick@earthlink.net |
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DEATH BY SPECIAL INTERESTS: SELFISHNESS & SUICIDE,
Posted by Dr. Eugene Narrett, May 2, 2006. |
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The maneuvering by most of Israel's political parties is a particularly disheartening and alarming spectacle this spring. It is disheartening because of the self-destructiveness and short-sightedness of several of these parties and because of the hard-hearted indifference that their partisan concerns reflect toward all their Jewish brothers and the survival of the state of Israel. None of those who have joined or are trying to join the USA-front party, Kadima seem to realize that their indifference to the fate of their brethren in Yesha also dooms them, both their specific financial goals and also their very lives. And because these consequences are not difficult to perceive and also have been pointed out publicly, it would appear that they do not care: "they do not care, nor do they understand; they walk in darkness. All the foundations of the earth collapse." Perhaps the most obviously and short-sightedly selfish is the "Pensioners" Party, the first to join Kadima. They desire higher pensions and benefits. But to the extent that they perpetuate policies and conditions that, 1) drive Jews, especially younger Jews out of Israel, the make such raises impossible; 2) their demands will make the economy crash and they, and everyone else, will get less, not more; 3) land + people = wealth. By withdrawing from the Jewish heartland, not only are they disheartening, confusing and embittering most Jews in and outside Israel, they also are alienating a major source of income-generating wealth. That is, their own policies or acquiescence in expulsion of Jews will render it impossible for their 'benefits' to be raised. 4) The costs of deporting Jews, trying to re-locate them and re-integrate them in the economy, efforts to re-locate IDF facilities and all infrastructure will break the economy. The Pensioners approach is ruinous even for their own specific goals. Just as ignorantly destructive (see above, #s 1-4) but even more disheartening and shameful is the eagerness of Shas especially to join this expulsion government. The party spokesman defends himself from charges that he is joining pogromshiks by insisting that Shas has demanded that the language on this plan "be softened and toned down." Even if this is true, what does it mean, in fact? That the language sounds less offensive, anti-Torah and illegal? That it thus makes it easier for Shas, and perhaps UTJ to join a government that not only will stand idly by its brother's blood but, if the recent past is a model, incite for it to be shed? Shas has a long, ugly and ignoble record of doing precisely this kind of thing: it was they in 1992 and subsequently that enable Peres - Rabin to initiate the terrible Oslo process, the end game now approaching its terminus. 'They are in it up to the elbows.' But Shas and UTJ, if it repeats its error of last spring and joins 'Uncle Magrush' are more disturbing than the Pensioners in that they represent, or claim to represent the "dati," Torah observant Jews and Torah itself. Thus they publicly give the impression that the Torah sanctions, which it does NOT, the expulsion of Jews from the Promised Land and the alienating of the inheritance to other peoples. And they do this for the promise of money, as to which, see above. These are not "men of accomplishment; men who love truth [Torah] and disdain money." No; they are money-grubbing, faithless power seekers and betrayers of their brothers and sisters lives and livehoods. And of the wondrous accomplishments born of enormous Jewish self-sacrifice within all the lands west of the Jordan. They disgrace Judaism and Hashem in the face of the nations. While this self-destructive, blind, and mean huckstering proceeds, Israel is at risk anyday of getting a shower of missiles, bearing bio-chem or other warheads that will decimate the people. Sober, sane, self-respecting people, people of kindness would already be united in driving out the numerous enemies of Israel from the land. Olmert, the State Department's "serviceable villain" may think that by selling out his nation's ability to defend and maintain itself that he is buying it shelter beneath the wings of America's "nuclear umbrella." But how will any such agreement be enforced? The more of its power and sovereignty Israel surrenders, the more dependent and subject to blackmail it becomes. The Knesset, the media that give them their guidelines, who make or break them, the courts who set bounds that enforce the entire deadly corral are leading the Jewish people into a cul de sac from which there is NO EXIT save one we do not want to see again. Please wake up; unite and defeat the enemy. That's the only way to get the gratitude and respect, however grudging of the world. More importantly, it's the way of life. Dr. Eugene Narrett is author of "Gathered against Jerusalem" (www.iuniverse.com) and "Israel Awakened" (www.authorhouse.com) Contact him at culturtalk@aol.com |
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WSJ ON WITHDRAWAL; ISLAMIC THINKERS SOCIETY; WHAT MOTIVES, RUSSIA & CHINA?
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 2, 2006. |
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WALL ST. JOURNAL ON WITHDRAWAL The Journal made these salient points: (1) PM Olmert seeks international financing of a major withdrawal from Judea-Samaria; (2) Israel would retain "large chunks" of "disputed territory"; (3) The Arabs suspect he acts unilaterally in order to avoid negotiations; (4) Physical separation would "reduce daily friction," he said; (5) Olmert estimated that 70,000 out of 250,000 Jews would be dispossessed; (6) He would not let the Arabs control the Old City but perhaps some neighborhoods outside of Jerusalem, though the US usually supports Arab claims; (7) Olmert proposes to establish "permanent, internationally recognized borders that will ensure Israel retains its Jewish majority for decades to come; (8) He argues that granting P.A. statehood may permit eventual peace." (IMRA, 4/14). Quotations and comments were selective, omitting serious criticism of Olmert's projection of their living happily ever after and of Arab claims. This misleads readers. Here is why. (1) Israel has not gotten international financing before. Olmert may be over-optimistic about its prospects or dangling it as a lure to voters. Why doesn't Olmert say that the withdrawal depends on funding, and that foreign countries that demanded withdrawal should help pay for it? (2) "Large chunks" of territory? Risible! Israel is small, Judea-Samaria tinier and of which Jewish cities to be kept are perhaps 10%. Judea-Samaria is disputed, but is it fair to omit an explanation of Israel's superior claim and that the Arabs would be getting the lion's share, instead implying Israel should cede it all? The article evinces a pro-Arab slant. (3) Yes, the Arabs claim that Olmert and Sharon have been acting unilaterally in order not to negotiate. Why does the media state just that fact? So readers will assume that the Arabs have a good point? But the Arabs don't. Other omitted facts: the P.A. often refuses to negotiate, negotiates in bad faith, and violates all its agreements. It would have helped to note that the Arabs want to conquer Israel, not make peace. Negotiations would advance the Arab imperialist goal. The Arabs are at war. Their remarks should not be stated as if an objective, legitimate point of view rather than as bargaining strategy. (4) "Friction" is not the cause of the war. There would be less contact between Arabs and Israelis, but Olmert still plans to let P.A. Arabs into Israel and Israeli Arabs to remain. (5) and (6) Olmert's population estimates need a caveat. He plays divide and conquer, dissemble and dispossess. His figures and solemn pronouncements of what is Israeli turn into farcical cessions of strategic territory, especially as the State Dept. objects. Peres offered the Vatican a role in Jerusalem and defends no Jewish interests. (7) Olmert's rationale about Jewish majority bears little relation to withdrawal. By withdrawing, he enables the Arabs to shoot at more Israelis, whom he hardly defends. Eventually, Jews will start fleeing. Some of Israel's other policies whittle down the Jewish majority, too. As for internationally recognized borders, that is a "non-starter." The US made clear it would not recognize such borders, as the Journal did relate. This does not mean that Israel has to accede to high-handed State Dept. anti-Zionism. (8) There can be no peace with jihadists. Readers will conclude, as do Israeli leftists, that the conflict is over borders, whereas it is over Jewish sovereignty. ISLAMIC THINKERS SOCIETY In London, the Islamic Thinkers Society celebrated 9/11. Its US branch cheered Iran on to a-bomb Israel (NY Sun, 4/25, p.2). If the Islamic Thinkers Society merely were irritating, its demonstrations could be tolerated as an exercise in free speech. But this is not a matter of free speech. We are at war. Enemy minions are among us. They organize, raise funds, recruit, incite -- more dangerous with Muslims than with most other people -- and sometimes commit acts of terrorism here or abroad. This is a matter of warfare. In war, enemy agents and peoples are interned or expelled. Since the enemy is terrorist, it is not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions for prisoners of war. Terrorists, i.e., Islamists, may be executed same as pirates. EGYPT Egypt is swarming with Islamists. Al Azhar University turns them out. It was inevitable that they would turn on Egypt. Nevertheless, the Mubarak regime condones the university. Regime police pounce on democrats (Yousef Ibrahim, NY Sun, 4/25). Arab dictators are like over-confident snake-charmers. WHAT MOTIVES, RUSSIA & CHINA? As Pres. Putin restores the Soviet Union and China arms feverishly, both countries prepare their proxies, Iran and N. Korea, for nuclear war against the West. If the West fights those proxies with conventional forces, the West would suffer great losses. If the West doesn't fight, the proxies would inflict grave damage upon the West. Russia and China would not suffer immediately, because they would disclaim responsibility. The US would not attack them over it, though they probably set up the proxies to start the crisis. The Winston Mid East Analysis recommends that the US use super-weapons against the proxies, not necessarily nuclear (4/21). Then the West would suffer little. It didn't seem to be just for the money that Russia and China transferred nuclear technology to those two rogue states. Notice the role Russia and China play in the Security Council, obstructing action against those rogues and against genocide! In the case of Sudanese genocide, it is for the money. The US fails to catch on. It asks Russia to intercede with Iran and China to exercise its influence with N. Korea. Russia and China agree and may even make promises. In the end, it is arms business as usual. Russia now is selling Iran aerial defense systems that would resist a US attack. WESTERN "PRIVILEGING" OF ISLAM Canada joins about three other Western governments in establishing an office for Muslims to advise the country on relations with the Islamic world. This really means that Muslims now help fashion those Western countries' foreign policy. It is another step in the Western world's granting special privileges to Islam, leading to the West's submergence under Islam. "This is a terrible mistake. Belonging to a certain group should not give one special authority in dealing with that group, and especially not in a governmental context." (It is the Muslim way of looking at matters, in which a member of a group is loyal to that group and not to the country.) One of the persons in the new office has a record of bigotry (Daniel Pipes #662). The advice would not be so much as how to get along with the Muslim world but how to truckle to it. Governments should staff the office with genuine scholars (neither Muslims nor the university Islamic Center leftists who are unpatriotic, ignorant, and biased). Since the Muslim world is in jihad, Western policy should be not just to get along with the Muslim world but how to combat it. Islamists would not advise how to resist jihad. Why the foolish governmental move? Appeasement? Ignorance? Fear of Muslim riots? But it steers the West into slavery, slavery of the intellect and later of the body. DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS OR BORDERLINE DOCTORS? Doctors without borders has been working in the Territories since 1989, to relieve people from the consequences of war. Now those people face greater hardship, which Israel, claiming it is an "occupying power," is obliged to relieve. Instead, Israel fires many rounds of artillery at the P.A., causing "serious casualties." Israel frequently closes the main crossing point for basic commodities. IMRA remarks that the Doctors' release gives the impression that the artillery and closing are not related to threatened and actual terrorism, and ostensibly aim to protect Israeli civilians (IMRA, 4/14). Most artillery aims at empty buildings. Why do the Doctors have no concern for Jewish casualties? Why don't they help Jewish victims of Arab terrorism deal with their trauma? Arab casualty figures are piddling. Israel is no occupier. Besides, its first obligation is to prosecute the war and to protect its own people. Otherwise, as the Doctors propose, terrorists have a free ride. With popular support, the Arabs make war and impoverish themselves, and their innocent Israeli victims are supposed to furnish them with financial relief? Why don't the doctors practice medicine instead of politics and on the side against civilization, to boot! Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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FREEDOM VERSUS UNLIMITED MAJORITY RULE
Posted by Peter Schwartz, May 2, 2006. |
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America's foreign policy has led to a bizarre contradiction. President Bush claims to be pursuing freedom in the world, so that Americans will be safer. Yet this campaign's results--a more zealous proponent of terrorism in the Palestinian Authority, and the prospect of theocracy in Iraq--are posing even greater threats to us. The cause of this failure is Mr. Bush's hopeless view that tyranny is reversed by the holding of elections--a view stemming from the widespread confusion between freedom and democracy. Ask a typical American if there should be limits on what government may do, and he would answer: yes. He understands that each of us has rights which no law--regardless of how much public support it happens to attract--is entitled to breach. An advocate of democracy, however, would answer: no. The essence of democracy is unlimited majority rule. It is the notion that the government should not be constrained, as long as its behavior is sanctioned by majority vote. It is the notion that the function of government is to implement the "will of the people." It is the notion we are espousing when we tell the Iraqis, the Palestinians and the Afghanis that the legitimacy of their new governments rests essentially on their being democratically approved. And it is the notion that was repudiated by the founding of the United States. America's defining characteristic is freedom. Freedom exists when there are limitations on government, limitations imposed by the principle of individual rights. America was established as a republic, under which government is restricted to protecting our inalienable rights; this should not be called "democracy." Thus, you are free to criticize your neighbors, your society, your government--no matter how many people wish to pass a law censoring you. But if "popular will" is the standard, then the individual has no rights--only temporary privileges, granted or withdrawn according to the mass sentiment of the moment. The Founders understood that the tyranny of the majority could be just as evil as the tyranny of an absolute monarch. Yes, we have the ability to vote, but that is not the yardstick by which freedom is measured. After all, even dictatorships hold official elections. It is only the context of liberty--in which individual rights may not be voted out of existence--that justifies, and gives meaning to, the ballot box. In a genuinely free country, voting pertains only to the particular means of safeguarding individual rights. There is no moral "right" to vote to destroy rights. Unfortunately, like Mr. Bush, most Americans use the antithetical concepts of "freedom" and "democracy" interchangeably. Sometimes our government upholds the primacy of individual rights and regards one's life, liberty and property as inviolable. Many other times it negates rights by upholding the primacy of the majority's wishes--from confiscating an individual's property because the majority wants it for "public use," to preventing a terminally ill individual from gaining assistance in ending his life because a majority finds suicide unpalatable. Today, our foreign policy upholds this latter position. We declare that our overriding goal in the Mideast is that people vote--regardless of whether they care about freedom. But then, if a Shiite, pro-Iranian majority imposes its theology on Iraq--or if Palestinian suicide-bombers execute their popular mandate by blowing up schoolchildren--on what basis can we object, since democracy is being faithfully served? As a spokesman for Hamas, following its electoral victory, correctly noted: "I thank the United States that they have given us this weapon of democracy... It's not possible for the U.S. ... to turn its back on an elected democracy." The Palestinians abhor freedom--but have adopted democratic voting. The Iraqis may reject freedom, in which case military force alone--as dismally inadequate as our efforts in that realm have been so far--will have to ensure our safety against any threats from them. But if we are going to try to replace tyranny with freedom there, we must at least demonstrate what freedom is. We should have been spreading the ideas and institutions of a free society, before allowing elections even to be considered. For example, we should have written the new constitution, as we did in post-WWII Japan. Instead, we deferred to the "will of the people"--people who do not understand individual rights--and endorsed a despotic constitution, which rejects intellectual freedom in favor of enforced obedience to the Koran, and which rejects economic freedom and private property in favor of "collective ownership." The consequence: looming neo-tyranny in Iraq. We need to stop confusing democracy with freedom. Morally supporting freedom is always in our interests. But supporting unlimited majority rule is always destructive--to us, and to all who value the rights of the individual. Peter Schwartz is a Distinguished Fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute (http://www.aynrand.org/) in Irvine, California. The Institute promotes Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand--author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. |
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THE NEW THREAT
Posted by Jerome S. Kaufman, May 2, 2006. |
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This was redacted from a marvelous article in the New Republic, March 2006. It was written by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen. Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, an affiliate of Harvard's Center for European Studies and author of Hitler'S Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans And The Holocaust, is completing a book on genocide in our time. His work can be read at www.Goldhagen.com. Please read the magazine article. POLITICAL ISLAM -- AGGRESSIVE, totalitarian -- is now fully on the offensive. On January 3, Iran announced it would restart its nuclear program, which, despite its formal denials, is transparently meant to produce a nuclear weapon. On January 25, Palestinians gave a resounding electoral victory to the avowedly annihilative Islamic messianic political party, Hamas, which has now turned to Iran for assistance. And, in the last days of January and first days of February, four quiescent months after a Danish newspaper printed political cartoons of Mohammed, violent mass protests against Denmark and other European countries erupted in the Islamic world. However disturbing each of these three developments is individually, we would miss their greater significance if we did not see their fundamental relatedness. In fact, they are ominously more important than the sum of their parts. Within a blink of the political eye, we have witnessed political Islam's most widespread social mobilization -- from Europe, through the Middle East, and into Asia -- in response to the cartoons: political Islam's most significant assumption of political power since the Iranian Revolution a quarter-century ago in the Palestinian community; and political Islam's most threatening military development since Saddam Hussein's attempt to put a stranglehold on the Gulf (and thereby the world), with his invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and contemporaneous nuclear weapons program. Political Islam is on the march in the three loci of politics: the street, the halls of power, and the field of battle. Its targets are both domestic (to suppress freedom and dissent within Islamic countries; sharia is already becoming the rule in Gaza) and international (to spread its sway and impose its orthodoxy abroad). While its international power is still circumscribed, political Islam's ambitions are extensive, violent, and frightening -- with its members sensing its growing potential (fueled also by America's geo-strategic weakening in the Iraq quagmire). Political Islam's leaders and masses watch a Western world in evident disarray about what to do regarding each aspect of this partly coordinated, partly fortuitous offensive. We must consider that we are witnessing the beginning of political Islam's intensifying social and political mobilization into a new multi-pronged, intercontinental Intifada. A Sunni Muslim cleric, having helped organize anti-cartoon protests in his hometown and in Beirut, explained the protests' significance: "The way I see it, the war [with the West] has already started..." WHAT IS POLITICAL Islam's game plan for triumphing? In Iran -- political Islam's greatest state power - the leadership's pronouncements lay out the contours of its aims. Like Al Qaeda, the current Iranian regime, led by Ahmadinejad, thirsts for revenge against the "arrogant" West. To them, the West has, for centuries, constricted, humiliated, divided, and dominated the Muslim nations. Ahmadinejad's desire for revenge is coupled with a belligerent and global missionary zeal. A renascent and ascendant Muslim world would first acquire nuclear weapons and thus attain parity of power with the West. Then it would annihilate Israel. Aided by global Islamic forces (there are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world), which are already showing their strength in Europe, political Islam would proceed to assail the West, weaken it, and ultimately subdue it. In his speeches, Ahmadinejad sets forth his overarching ambition in unabashedly taunting and insulting terms. Western nations, he proclaims, "have stood against the resurrection movement of Islam. They think that they can undermine the world nations' faith in Islam with desecration of Islamic sanctities. But the Muslim nations will give them a good lesson!" Ahmadinejad boasts of "a wave of Muslim awakening and the gradual collapse of the hegemony of the West." Eventually, he foresees a world without the United States and without Zionism. Jerome S. Kaufman is National Secretary of the Zionist Organization of America. and host the Israel Commentary website (http://www.israel-commentary.org). |
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THE GRAND BUFFOON (I.E., FRANCE)
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 2, 2006. |
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France, formerly the nation of Balzac and Voltaire, is today best represented by Dieudonné, an anti-Semite and self-styled "comic." Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala (his full name) is the French son of a British mother and a Cameroonian father. (You can see his poster here.) Beloved by many on the French Left, Dieudonné is so popular in modern France that he is planning to run for President in 2007. Not the least significant reason for Dieudonnés appeal is his eagerness to pander to the anti-Israel prejudices of French audiences. In one of his more notorious acts, he dressed up as a uniformed Israeli settler in the Palestinian occupied territories, gave Nazi salutes, and called upon young people to "join the American-Zionist axis." He also likes to dress up as a rabbi on stage and cry "Isra-heil!" During an anti-Israel sketch in which he portrays Hitler in his bunker, Dieudonné closes with the line: "You will see, in the future, people will come to realize that I, Adolf Hitler, was really a moderate." As such punch lines suggest, Dieudonné has a fairly extensive repertoire of anti-Jewish "humor." He frequently attacks Jews for "whining" about the Holocaust even as they are "mistreating" the Palestinians. It has been reported that Dieudonné described the Holocaust as a "memorial pornography." In his standup sketches, Dieudonné does an impression of Bernard-Henri Lévy, the Jewish-French philosopher, haggling with a street potato seller. Dieudonné-as-Lévy says: "How can you ask me to pay so much when 6 million of us died in the Holocaust?" Dieudonné also insists that Jews were behind the slave trade that brought Africans in chains to the Western Hemisphere. He also says Jews played a "central role" in the 15th-century slave trade. (In fact, they did, but as slaves; in the 15th century, virutally all European slaves were from Europe.) And Dieudonné does not limit himself to verbal attacks on Jews. This April, for instance, he was walking down a Parisian avenue with his two kids when two Jewish passersby, one aged 19 and the other 25, recognized Dieudonné and walked up to him to express their dislike of some of his more openly anti-Jewish remarks. They told him that they believed that his bigotry lay behind the recent torture and murder of a Jewish teenager in Paris, Ilan Halimi. Dieudonné did not take their criticism well. After walking his two kids home, he took out a tear gas canister and went back out to the boulevard, searched out his two Jewish critics, and sprayed them with the tear gas. It was obviously a pre-meditated assault; the victims reported the attack to the gendarmerie and Dieudonné was arrested. But his publicist told the French media that Dieudonné had himself been attacked by "two right-wing Zionists from the Extremist Right," adding that their verbal "attack on him" proved how "extremist Jews and Zionists are." This was not Dieudonné's first run-in with the law. He has been sued at least 20 times. Dieudonné is also slated to stand trial again under French anti-racism laws, for comments made in 2003, when he declared that Jews were "a sect, a rip-off." He has repeatedly asserted that Jews spread the AIDS virus in Africa. (For the record, Jewish doctors were the first to diagnose AIDS and identify it as a virus.) The Algerian L'Expression recently published the following remarks from the comic: "Zionists are exempt from punishment. If someone calls a child in front of a Jewish school 'dirty Jew,' it's enough to create a global uproar. Zionism is the AIDS of Judaism." These statements shocked the French media, leading French Minister of Justice Dominique Perben to launch his own investigation of Dieudonné. The "comic" earlier insulted the representative of the Conseil Representatif des Institutions Juives de France, a Jewish umbrella organization, describing it as "a group of criminals" and "a mafia." Meanwhile, Paris police have blamed Dieudonné for inspiring several violent attacks on Jews by Paris banlieue hooligans. Dieudonné has faced criminal charges following a 2002 interview he gave to French magazine, L'Echo des Savanes, in which he said bin Laden had changed the way force could be used in the world, and that bin Laden "is alone against the biggest power in the world, so naturally he inspires respect." He has also praised bin Laden's "charisma." Paris prosecutors had demanded an apology from the comic, tying his remarks to the events of September 11, 2001, and started legal proceedings against him, saying he was trying to justify terrorism. The charges were later dropped. Dieudonné was convicted, however, and fined more than $6,000 in the southern city of Avignon for comments published in Le Monde, in which he accused Jews of "organizing a very strong lobby and taking control of the media." Although many on the French Left continue to admire his hate-filled routines, Dieudonnés more outrageous remarks have prompted a backlash. About a dozen theaters all over France, and one in Geneva have canceled Dieudonné's shows. Several television and radio networks have also ordered Dieudonné off the air. He has been barred from the Olympia theater in Paris, although hundreds of his supporters protested the ban. Dieudonné said he regarded the ban by the Olympia as "an infringement on his freedom of expression." Several of his performances have been disrupted by members of the audience, triggering anguished protests by the French "intelligentsia," demanding that his "free speech" be respected. Harlem Désir, a member of the European parliament, has called for a boycott of Dieudonné's shows, saying, "He's one of the biggest anti-Semites in France." Alain Finkielkraut, a Jewish professor of philosophy, agrees. "I wish I could ignore Dieudonné," he told a French radio show. Yet Dieudonné certainly has his fans. His antics have earned him a reputation as a "left-wing Le Pen," a reference to the leader of the far-Right "Front National" party, which many Frenchmen see as a compliment. He is celebrated by Western neo-Nazis who also despise blacks, and has performed for French audiences in Montreal. In the United States, he has been championed by the far-Left web magazine Counterpunch. Last year, for instance, the magazine published an article titled "Censorship and the Empire: Dieudonné and the Uses of Anti-Semitism," by regular columnist Diane Johnstone. Johnstone's goal was to denounce those who make charges of anti-Semitism -- as if the epithet were inappropriate for someone who, like Dieudonné, has a long record of contempt for Jews. Johnstone, as a typical Cockburn columnist, not only beatifies Dieudonné as a modern Joan of Arc, but also does not see the need for any particular commemorations of the Holocaust at all, especially when those Israelis are so evil. She repeats the standard Cockburn line about how that "broad tendency to use the charge of 'anti-Semitism' to silence criticism of United States policy in the Middle East, including the conquest of Iraq." And besides, how can people actually dare to call those who hate Jews anti-Semites? Cockburn likes to pronounce his own family name "Koash-Burn" or sometimes "Koe-burn", a pseudo-French pronunciation, giving himself some fake aristocratic Norman airs. It is strongly reminiscent of "The Bucket Woman" in that British sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances", and is almost as pretentious as that ultra-leftist professor at the University of California in Irvine calling himself Mark LeVine! But Cockburn has long acted as little more than the American equivalent to Dieudonné, the racist "comic" celebrated on his web site. The only remaining mystery is why Old Koash-Burn does not move away to one of those swanky suburbs of Paris in which the Third-World masses riot and burn, there to compete with Dieudonné for the title of the New Europe's most pathetic buffoon. Despite applause from the political fringe, Dieudonnés biggest base of support remains his native country. Perhaps nothing better illustrates France's decline than the rise of Dieudonnés celebrity. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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THE WAR ON TERROR -- THE CONTAINMENT PLAN
Posted by Steven Shamrak, May 1, 2006. |
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We hear quite often that it is fault of the West that the Muslim world hates us so much. They claim that it is the Western demands for implementation of democracy, perceived as arrogance by Muslims, are responsible for the escalation of Muslim terrorism worldwide. They say that the Muslims feel disrespected and insulted by Western superiority and the life style, which the West tries to impose on the Muslim world. The message of hate toward the West is loud and clear! I am totally sympathetic with their concerns and agree that we, Western countries, must not impose our values on our Muslim neighbours. We must completely refrain from interference in their way of life! If the governments of Muslim countries and their population do not want to live by and obey the rules of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence with other nations, cultures and religions, we must let them live the way they desire! Therefore, the total isolation on them must be imposed and we have to let them live in complete and total disengagement from us. They want to live in accordance and under Shirea Law, genuine Muslim life style and in environment of malignant terror and hate. Let them enjoy it in complete self-containment! The wishes of the countries and people who hate us so much should be respected by the Western society. We must allow them to maintain the ignorant life style and let them impose terror and hate on themselves only. This is the Containment Plan: 1. Start active development and implementation of alternative sources of energy, with complete dedication of financial and human resources. Steven Shamrak was born in the former Soviet Union (USSR) and participated in the Moscow Zionist "refusenik" movement. For the last 3 years, he has been publishing internet editorial letters on the Arab-Israeli conflict - independently, not as a member of any organization or political movement. He can be reached by email at StevenShamrak@mail2world.com |
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HANANIA'S OP-ED SKEWS HISTORY AND FACTS
Posted by David Meir-Levi, May 1, 2006. |
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To the Editors of the San Jose Mercury News Ray Hanania's op-ed essay in yesterday's San Jose Mercury News ("Palestinians and Israelis must find courage for peace", 4.30.06) is a strange and misleading compendium of misguided platitudes and factual errors. Even his title is wrong. Hanania is apparently unaware of the 15 offers for peace and for Palestinian statehood that Israel has made, or been partner to, since 1937. Israel has found the courage for peace many times over. The problem lies in the absence of such courage in the Palestinian camp. Contrary to Hanania's opening assertion, there is indeed a military option to end the conflict. But Israel has continuously decided not to employ that option since it would result in massive Arab civilian casualties, precisely because the terrorists cravenly use their own people as human shields. Hanania suggests that we have seen "...many terrorists transformed into statesmen". Too bad he does not mention them. History shows us quite the opposite in the Middle East. The only terrorist transformed into a statesman was Menahem Begin. Arafat and Qure'ia and Abbas and now Hamas all tenaciously clung to their terrorist commitments to the detriment of their own people. Hanania praises Arafat as a "great revolutionary" who was the "..first Arab leader to openly recognize Israel's right to exist". This is a false statement. Arafat was a terrorist and a war criminal; not a revolutionary. He squandered every opportunity for his people's national self-determination, in pursuit of his terrorist goal of the destruction of Israel and the genocide of its Jews. He openly used terror attacks to de-rail peace talks and undermine negotiations. He left his ward population far far worse off than he found it. And, in any case, Anwar es-Sadat was the first Arab leader to recognize Israel's right to exist, as shown by the peace treaty he made in 1979. Hanania asserts indirectly that Israel did not offer East Jerusalem in 2000. This is odd. I assume that he is referring to Ehud Baraq's offers in Camp David 2. Dennis Ross and President Clinton and Bandar bin Sultan have all supported the Israeli version of what happened at Camp David. I cannot but wonder what script Hanania is reading from. Moreover, there is not a shred of evidence anywhere that Arafat would have negotiated away what Palestinian leaders call their "right of return". He proclaimed the exact opposite many times before his death. Hanania credits Hamas with upholding a hudna (truce) for more than a year. This is incorrect. Hamas has not claimed credit for the thousands of terrorist attacks that Palestinian forces have perpetrated against Israel since February of 2005. However, Hamas leaders themselves have proudly announced that they have supported, funded, coordinated and assisted in the attacks for which the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims credit. Aiding and abetting terrorists is not upholding a truce. It is playing "good cop -- bad cop" with the foreign press. Hanania asserts that Israel uses collective punishment, then goes on to say that Ehud Olmert has avoided using collective punishment. Which is it? But more important is the fact that Israel has assiduously avoided using collective punishment against the Palestinians. The whole purpose of Israel's highly effective pin-point attacks on terrorists, the arrests of individual terrorists, and the targeting of terrorist leaders, is to avoid the much easier and less dangerous implementation of collective punishment. In Jenin, May 2002, Israel lost 25 soldiers because the IDF went house to house in search of terrorists. Had Israel bombed Jenin from the air, it would have suffered no casualties but would have also killed many hundreds of innocent Palestinians. Israel chose to risk and lose the lives of its own soldiers rather than implement a collective punishment upon the innocents of Jenin. Israel has been consistent in punishing only those who directly engage in violence. Civilian casualties have occurred in large part due to the terrorists' craven use of their own people, even their own children, as human shields; but Israel has never targeted civilians nor punished any collective of Palestinians. Hanania does have one good idea: "...At the earliest opportunity, Palestinians should throw the hypocrites (by which he means Hamas for its rejection of peace) out of office". How one person can pack into one essay so many errors of fact, mis-understandings of history, and mis-interpretations of the status and intent of his people's own leaders is beyond comprehension. Why your paper chose to publish it is also a mystery. David Meir-Levi is an American-born Israeli, currently living in Palo Alto. His expertise is in Near Eastern studies and the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is Director of Peace and Education at Israel Peace Initiative (www.ipi-usa.org). Contact him at david_meirlevi@hotmail.com |
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MEMORIAL EVE, 5766
Posted by Shifra Shomron, May 1, 2006. |
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"How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Look, and hear me, O L-rd my G-d." [Psalms 13: 3-4] I stood on the grass and listened to the names. Name after name, and each one a painful stab in the heart. The announcer's voice trembles. The family on my left sniff loudly. The man on my right wearing an earring and a white satin skullcap wipes his face. Now the announcer has reached the names of the Hatuel family: first the mother Tali, then the names of the four daughters. A family cruelly killed. And the list goes on. We are about 200 ex Gush Katifnics standing on the grass lawn in the Nitzan Caravilla site, under the cloudy night sky. Men, women and children, religious and not religious, from different communities in the Gush. The spilled blood, the sorrow and the pain unite us. He has finished reading the names, and his deep voice swells melodiously in El Maleh Rechamim. He finishes and leaves the stage. A woman comes onto the stage and starts speaking: "...Representing the fallen of Neve Dekalim, Shirel Lutati." A young girl gets on the stage. She lights a torch. Her voice is low and sweet: "I, Shirel Lutati, the sister of Israel Lutati, light a torch..." "Representing the fallen of Gan Or... representing the fallen of Gadid... the fallen of Nissanit..." It was heartbreaking. Small children, little girls, young adults -- all representing a friend or family member murdered by savage Arabs. Sweet voices, piping voices, childish voices, high, low, gentle, rough... Everyone around me is sniffing. I wipe a tear from my eyes. The number of the fallen in Israel is more than twenty thousand. Twenty thousand! And I am sad, and angry, and grieved that Israel's leaders still unforgivably cling to the suicidal policy of restraint. They're clinging with bloody hands. We sing the HaTikva. The voices are low, subdued. Our belief is
stronger than our hope, because our voices soar loudly as we next sing
Ani Ma'amin. Despite it all, we believe. We believe in
redemption.
Contact Shifra Shomron at shifra@email.com. Aged 19, she is one of
the Gush Katif Jews who were transported out of their home and now is
domiciled in a Nitzan Caravilla site.
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EL MALEH RAHAMIM - G-D, FULL OF COMPASSION
Posted by Mordechai Ben-Menachem, May 1, 2006. |
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I have just come back from the ceremonies for our fallen. The most, the only, fitting preface to our day of Independence, which begins, G-d willing, tomorrow evening, is the ceremony to commemorate those that fell to make our Independence possible. The radio reported that 22,123 have fallen; 138 this year and 1427 since the folly and catastrophe of Oslo is upon us. [Will that once great city ever live down the curse on its name from this symbol of the arrogance of the few? I think not; far worse then Quisling this and of far greater essence to the world.] What is the meaning of this number, 22123? Twenty-two thousand since the year 1860. Yes, we count our dead since that same year Americans fought one another for freedom from slavery. Why do we count this war between us and the Arabs as having begun some 146 years ago? Mostly, because we need to begin at some logical place in time. True, we could have started from the very beginning of the war with the Arabs, but that was long ago. In the beginning of the seventh century, the great heroine and leader Hephzibah led Israel to renewed freedom; that had been lost in the year 135 to Rome. Unfortunately, that freedom was short lived; for it came upon us the massacre of the Arabs. In the year 636, Arab hordes came down on Israel and slaughtered millions. Our cities were burnt to the ground. Our orchards and forests were burned. The land was forcibly made into a desert. Just to make this understood, the Galilee sent out an army of over twenty thousand Jewish soldiers. If we extrapolate that to the entire country, there was a Jewish population of about seven million living in Israel, at the beginning of the seventh century, by its end, the Jewish population had been reduced to under one hundred thousand. This is the Arab's claim to our land, that they slaughtered so many that surely they have 'rights' to it, particularly after having destroyed it, the land itself. The land awaited our homecoming. From that time until Jews returned, there was a drought. No rains fell, no crops grew, the economy was null - for one and a third millennia. Then, in 1860, Jews began to return to our home. In ever increasing numbers, we returned. As more Jews returned, the rains come back, always an amount commensurate with our needs, just as promised to us in the bible. For those who think in terms of logic, this is perhaps the ultimate in illogic. However, it happens to be physical fact. Don't believe me, check! Mordechai Ben-Menachem is at Ben-Gurion University. He can be reached by email at quality@computer.org |
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YOM HA'ATZMAUT
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 1, 2006. |
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This essay was written by Yehuda HaKohen (am_segula@yahoo.com) and came to us from Shoshanna Walker (rosewalk@concentric.net). 
In order to fully understand the significance of Yom HaAtzmaut, one must clarify what the day is meant to commemorate and what this connotes according to Torah Law. One of the major reasons for the celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut is to memorialize the establishment of renewed Hebrew sovereignty in the Land of Israel after a long and bitter exile. Yom HaAtzmaut celebrates the liberation of Eretz Yisrael from British occupation and the implementation of a Jewish political entity to govern it. In his supplement to the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot, the Ramban teaches that it is a Torah commandment for every generation that the Nation of Israel take control of and settle the Land of Israel. "This is what our Sages call Milchemet Mitzvah... And do not err and say that this precept is the commandment to vanquish the seven nations... This is not so... This Land is not to be left in their hands, or in the hands of any nation, in any generation whatsoever... Behold we are commanded with conquest in every generation... If so this is a positive commandment, which applies in every time... And the proof that this is a commandment is this: 'They were told to go up in the matter of the Spies: Go up and conquer as HaShem has said to you. Do not fear, and do not be discouraged'. And it further says: 'And when HaShem sent you from Kadesh Barnea saying, Go up and possess the Land which I have given you'. And when they did not go up, the Torah says: 'And you rebelled against the Word of G-D, and you did not listen to this command'." (Positive Commandment 4 of the Ramban's supplement to the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot) The Ramban explains the Law as if he foresaw in his generation the arguments and doubts people would bring against this mitzvah today. He states irrefutably that the conquest and settlement of Eretz Yisrael is a mitzvah for all time to every Jew in every generation and that Israel are forbidden from allowing any part of the country to fall into, or remain under, gentile control. The Shulchan Aruch states conclusively that all of the arbitrators of Torah Law (Rishonim and Achronim) agree with the Ramban concerning this issue. "All of the Poskim, both Rishonim and Achronim, decide the Law in this fashion on the basis of the Ramban." (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer section 75, Pitchei Tshuva 6) The Nation of Israel is eternally commanded by G-D to conquer and implement sovereignty over the Land of Israel. Therefore, Yom HaAtzmaut commemorates the fifth day of Iyar 5708, when the Nation fulfilled this great mitzvah for the first time in nearly 2,000 years by establishing Hebrew dominion over Eretz Yisrael. A young man celebrates becoming a Bar Mitzvah because it is his first opportunity to fulfill Torah commandments. He is no longer volunteering but is obligated by Law. While people do not declare a holiday on every day they perform a mitzvah, Yom HaAtzmaut marks Israel's first opportunity to carry out the directive of sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael in nearly 2,000 years. It is the collective Bar Mitzvah signifying the Hebrew Nation's renaissance. Aside from renewing the mitzvah of sovereignty, there is another essential reason to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut. The Megillat Ta'anit teaches that it is a mitzvah to thank G-D for the miracles He performs. This was the basis for sanctifying Chanukah and Purim. After the British were ousted by Jewish freedom fighters and the State of Israel was declared, seven Arab states immediately waged war in an attempt to annihilate the Jewish people. Armed and trained by Great Britain, the Arabs attacked with tremendous force. Israel, on the other hand, had a small and unskilled army with virtually no ammunition or supplies. While the United Nations had already voted to recognize the State of Israel (in appallingly truncated borders), it was only on condition that it survive the Arab attack. The entire world expected Israel's destruction and had no intent of organizing a humanitarian intervention in defense of the endangered Jews. The Hebrew Nation was in great peril but refused to surrender. As Israel demonstrated tenacious heroism in the face of impossible odds, HaShem marched out to war with His Nation and the Jewish people triumphed over seven Arab armies. Throughout the exile, scattered Jewish communities have had the authority to establish what is called a "Purim Katan" - a sacred day of thanksgiving meant to express gratitude to G-D for saving a community from danger. Since Yom HaAtzmaut is a day on which a miracle occurred for the entire Nation, it is a Torah precept to ordain a public festival for commemoration of HaShem's kindness towards His Nation. Israel's Chief Rabbinate ruled that it is an obligation to say Hallel on this day in order to remember the miracles that G-D performed for Israel in the War of Independence. If the Law is so obvious, why do so many great Torah scholars appear to be so unsure about (or vehemently opposed to) the State of Israel and the celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut? The Gaon of Vilna explains the answer in Kol HaTor (his teachings on the Redemption process). "The sin of the Spies... hovers over the Nation of Israel in every generation. How strong is the power of the Sitra Achra that it succeeds in hiding from the eyes of our holy fathers the dangers of the klipot; from the eyes of Avraham our father, the klipah of exile... and in the time of the Mashiach, the Sitra Achra attacks the guardians of Torah with blinders. Many of the sinners in this great sin of, 'They despised the cherished Land', and also many of the guardians of Torah, will not know or understand that they are caught in the sin of the Spies, that they have been sucked into the sin of the Spies in many false ideas and empty claims, and they cover their ideas with the already proven fallacy that the mitzvah of the settlement of Israel no longer applies in our day, an opinion which has already been disproven by the giants of the world, the Rishonim and Achronim." (Kol HaTor chapter 5) The most amazing miracle of Yom HaAtzmaut is perhaps the foundation for all of the others. After so many centuries of persecution in the exile, HaShem placed a new spirit of valor within Israel. For the first time since the defeat of Bar Kochva's revolt against Rome, a courageous generation of heroes arose to raise high the banner of freedom and expel the British tyrants. More astonishing, perhaps, is that G-D strengthened the hearts of Israel's political leaders, usually so fearfully "pragmatic", so that they were able to declare the establishment of a sovereign state in the face of so much gentile aggression. And today, while Israel is reasonably aware of its military potential, one should pray that G-D again strengthen Israel's leadership so that the Redemption may continue in a swift and painless fashion. HaShem should grant His Nation and its leaders the courage and faith to stand up to His enemies, whether they be those who openly commit themselves to Israel's annihilation or those who smile and seduce the Jewish people as they plot to tear apart the Land of Israel with peace agreements and road maps. Yom HaAtzmaut is the most important event to take place for mankind in nearly 2,000 years. It was on this day that G-D returned the Israeli Nation to sovereignty over its Land and it is this sovereignty that will lead the world to unparalleled goodness and global harmony. It is the goal of Creation that G-D's great Name be sanctified through Israel before all of existence. The Maharal teaches in Netzach Yisrael that in order for Am Yisrael to bring history's goal to fruition, it must first be united and independent in its Land. Only then, as a major world power that lives a life of national holiness, can Israel reveal the majesty of HaShem in every sphere of life. Only by establishing the Kingdom of Israel - G-D's Throne in this world - over all of its soil, can the Nation bring mankind towards universal blessing through illuminating the world with the light of Torah. While the current State of Israel has not yet reached the greatness
for which it is destined, it must be recognized that the physical
vessel is once again in this world and will grow to contain the
exalted spirit of Torah. After nearly 2,000 years as a ghost walking
through history, Israel once more exists within a national framework.
The Redemption has begun and the Jewish people have taken an enormous
step forward by establishing Hebrew rule in a portion of Eretz
Yisrael. While the mere existence of a secular Jewish state was never
the final goal of the Redemption process, it is certainly a powerful
vehicle which must be driven towards achieving the Nation's greater
aspirations. The Zionist revolution must continue as all the Jewish
people return to the entire Land of Israel with G-D's Temple on the
Mount shining Divine blessing to all existence. Chag Sameach.
With Love of Israel,
-Yehuda HaKohen
Am Segula
Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il
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THE MIRACLE CALLED THE STATE OF ISRAEL
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 1, 2006. |
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This was written by Gary Cooperberg of Project Shofar. Contact him at gary@projectshofar.org or go to his WebSite: http://www.projectshofar.org Once again we have come to the time of year which reminds us of the incredible miracle that is the State of Israel. First comes Memorial Day to honor the memory of Jewish soldiers who gave their lives so that we can have a country. Then, in a most amazing transformation, on the following night we raise the Jewish flag from half-mast to full mast and, in a brief moment we change our sadness and mourning to happiness and rejoicing. I don't believe that any other country has such a unique ceremony as this. In Israel, it must be remembered, we are more than just a national entity. This country is the beginning of fulfillment of Jewish prophesy and part and parcel of the Biblical destiny of our people. Our Independence Day is more than a national celebration. It is a religious celebration where we recite Hallel to thank G-d for the incredible miracles He wrought in order to bring about the beginning of the restoration of our ancient homeland. Clearly there is much more yet to come. We have a Divine role to fulfill and we seem far from being able to do so. How can we even think to become a light unto the nations when our leaders continue to bask in the shadow of our enemies? How is it that complete strangers, people who call themselves Christian Zionists, read our Bible and can see clearly that this nation is the work of the Hand of our G-d, while our entire Knesset cannot see this? Although things appear more than bleak in the wake of Sharon's precedent-setting expulsion of Jews from our own Land, and the prospect of his protege seeking to continue this madness, we must not fall prey to our own fear. No power on Earth is capable of stopping the process of Jewish Redemption. Not even the Israeli government has the power to destroy this nation ... as hard as it may try to do so. G-d has decreed our future and nothing can change it. Our entire modern history is replete with "irreversible" mistakes decreed by our so called leaders. Yet in spite of mistakes which, in any normal country, would have doomed us to destruction, we have consistently seen an overall process of growth and improvement! We have won wars which even our military leaders thought we would lose. Even as the threat of further expulsions hangs over our heads we continue to build and develop our communities in Judea and Samaria and more Jews are living in these areas than ever before. This country has always grown and prospered in spite of our leaders, not because of them. So when we celebrate our miraculous return to our homeland, it most certainly has absolutely no connection to the political leadership in this country. That leadership is disconnected from the Redemptive process and totally irrelevant to the true meaning of this day. While clearly there are political elements in the celebration, no Prime Minister can hijack our day of Thanksgiving to our Creator. We get the leaders we deserve, and as such we must all do some soul searching. We must dedicate our lives to serving our G-d and demonstrating our complete faith that He will continue to pour His Grace upon us as we strive to do His Will with a pure heart. All the adversities we face are of our own creation and come to test our faith in Him. With all the miracles we have been privileged to witness in this era, we should not need to rely on faith. We have very real proof! Just as the night is darkest right before dawn, the chilling threats being placed upon us by our own government are but further proof that redemption is closer than ever. May we all be privileged to witness a speedy one. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY: WHAT PRICE TOO HIGH?
Posted by Gerald A. Honigman, May 1, 2006. |
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As we approach another Israel Independence Day on the Western calendar, I couldn't help but ask the perennial question...just how independent is Israel? While all nations are intertwined with others, the Jew of the Nations seems to go beyond the ordinary here, dangerously so. I mean, for example, if a state has to ask "permission" of others to achieve a pittance of justice in terms of defensible borders or to adequately protect its citizens, is it really independent or is it merely a puppet for others' interests? Let me elaborate further. Imagine 4,800 dead, maimed, and/or injured Americans--victims of rejectionist neighbors dedicated to the destruction of both America and its citizens. Imagine what America's response to all of this would be. Think Taliban in Afghanistan -- B-52s, B-1s, cruise missiles, etc., and so forth. A proportionate equivalent of Israelis suffered just this way recently at a fast food stand -- civilians deliberately targeted -- the more innocent the better in Arab eyes. These were not like dead Arab civilians, killed because they were used as human shields by their heroes. Arab "militants" have a habit of hiding behind the skirts of their women and using their own kids this way. They typically set up shop amid civilian populations. And all of this is against the Geneva Conventions...not that anyone cares. In the wake of this latest atrocity, reports have it that Israel decided against a proper response because Europe and America had now showed disfavor to the new Hamas-led Arab government elected by the Palestinian Arabs themselves. Big mistake? And I'm not naïve. I realize the enormous pressure the Jew of the Nations is constantly under by much of the Gentile world to be better Christians than they themselves are. You know?Jews are simply expected to turn the other cheek... and the other cheek... and the other cheek... and the other cheek ad infinitum. So, tell me, Mr. Olmert, just how many Jews does it take to make the price of the world's crocodile tears and pathetic sympathy for yet more dead Jews too high? You, whose policies have literally trampled fellow live Jews (who insisted that Israel should not again be forced to return to its pre-'67 armistice line, rump state, ghetto-sized status), now fall back on once again depending on the blood of your dead brethren to win approval amongst the Gentiles. Not a smart move... Jewish blood has always been cheap in those quarters. It still is. While sympathy for dead Jews aided in the resurrection of Israel, should Israel have had to rely on this for its rebirth? Did one-third of our people really have to be destroyed for the Jew to ask for his own sliver of political justice in the age of nationalism... when Arabs were continuing their age-old practice of conquering, colonizing, murdering, and forcibly Arabizing millions upon millions of non-Arabs to create the almost two dozen states they claim as their own to date? The argument now used against a proper response against enemies sworn to Israel's destruction falls into this same category. It is meek and out of the ghetto. I know that there are those who will say that the powerful can afford to not act so. Guess what? It doesn't work with Arabs. Might is the only thing that most do respect...no matter how grudgingly. We will never win them over by reason nor "love." We are merely viewed as weak when we do any of this. Not that the Jew of the Nations shouldn't have tried. And for that, Israel--half of whose Jews were refugees from the "Arab"/Muslim world--is better than them. Jews did try to come to reasonable compromises repeatedly over the last century. What reasonable compromises did Arab nationalism seek with any of its own competitors? It's time to absorb this reality and to act accordingly. Making Abbas and his Fatah into the good guys is a joke as well -- and one that will backfire. Fatah's Covenant and Hamas' are one and the same when it comes to the right of the Jew of the Nations to exist. Alleged good cop Fatah's terrorists have as much or more Jewish blood on their hands as the Hamas/Islamic Jihad bad cop half of this team does. Differences exist, but have more to do with who's calling the shots (literally and figuratively), tactics, timing, and such rather than any real acceptance of a viable Jewish neighbor. Indeed, Abbas ran on a platform for Israel's destruction, only by more subtle means if possible. As I've written often before, blown buses bring bad press and such. The alleged support Israel is now getting from abroad will disappear if Hamas finds itself later out of power. So then what? Back to Israel making yet more one-sided concessions, Oslo-style, to Abbas and his fellow "moderate" Arafatians -- those who continuously turn the terror button on and off at will when the Jews don't cave in fast enough during negotiations and "diplomacy?" Reports explain that Israel is supposedly afraid to overplay its hand in its response to the latest Arab barbarism. Overplay its hand? Again, the equivalent of almost 5,000 Americans have been murdered, wounded, disemboweled, and blown apart, and Israel is still retaliating against empty fields? And doing so allegedly because it's trying to keep Gentile support? Am I the only one nauseated by this...the Court Jew begging for the minimal... the Uncle Jake instead of Uncle Tom pleading to be able to just survive and not thrive? Israel was reborn despite the Gentile world, not because of it. The resurrection of the Jew of the Nations would have happened with or without a United Nations vote. The timing would have been a bit different, but Ezekiel's Valley of the Dry Bones was destined to have those bones reassembled... No doubt. Depending on the likes of a Europe, which decimated Jews for millennia, or of an Arabist-controlled, no friends... just interests American State Department--which actively fought against Israel's rebirth in the first place--is a rebuttal to the alleged intelligence of Jews. What Israel's leaders should be demanding from a Gentile world is empathy, not sympathy. What would any Gentile nation do if faced with an enemy which delights in the murder of its innocents and whose goal is the very destruction of that nation itself? Israel must make the price of Jewish life costly in the extreme to those who take it. Arafat praised the Arab mother as his best weapon. What a sick society? But his point is well taken. Hundreds of millions of Arabs know that they can win a tit-for-tat war of attrition against the sole, minuscule state of the Jews. And Israel's leaders--to appease Gentile hypocrites elsewhere, who threaten to withdraw support (or worse) if it acts, as it should, to protect the lives of Jewish children--are falling right into their trap, allowing the Arabs themselves to dictate the rules of the game. When a people elect a government known to have as its priority the destruction of its neighbor, that people becomes an active accomplice to the policies of the government that it elected. Such is the case with Hamas and the Arabs who voted them into office. Not that the Arafatians were any different, but reality has become more honest and defined with Hamas in power. So, the ascendancy of Hamas is actually a good thing?honesty is better than lies. And pretending that Abbas and his Arafatians accept Israel in the long term any more than Hamas does is indeed a lie. But Israel is blowing it in the name of keeping what it sees as important Gentile support. If the non-Jewish world insists that the Jew of the Nations continues to be brutally victimized in order to earn "support," then Israel must reject this as a cost too high and act as any other nation would or should to bring an end to the butchery of its innocents. Furthermore, Israel is losing the respect of that part of the Gentile world which really counts the most -- those who do not harbor the hypocritical double standards of the majority, but who are, nonetheless, crucial supporters of Israel. Nothing short of devastating, massive retaliation against those who do and support such murderous acts will suffice at this time. Sad but true. This will also not bring peace. I know. But it will send a message Arabs now believe Israel is too weak or afraid to send. Until recent developments regarding the ascendancy of Hamas, all that Arabs had been seeing was one unilateral retreat after another, Israel constantly being coerced by Condi & Co. to act against its own best interests... the Arabs well-known destruction in phases plan unfolding before their very eyes. Regardless of the pressures it will be under, Israel must draw its final boundaries allowing for a reasonable territorial compromise envisioned by the wording of the final draft of U.N. Resolution 242, which sought to replace Israel's 1949, 9-mile wide, armistice line existence with actual "secure and recognized borders." Arabs don't accept a microscopic Israel let alone anything bigger. So waiting for their acceptance is futile. Israel must draw its lines so that it can thrive not only survive. Arabs caught on the Israeli side of this new border should be offered Israeli citizenship--like Berbers in "Arab" states, Copts in "Arab" states, Kurds in "Arab " states, black Africans in "Arab" states, Jews in "Arab" states, and so forth. Only in reality much better, if you know anything about how those non-Arab peoples are actually treated by Arabs. Think gassed Kurds, murdered Copts and burned Churches (rioting going on in Egypt practically while this article is being written), Darfur, Lebanon, and so forth. Arabs who reject the offer will have almost two dozen other states of their own to potentially choose from... including their second emerging one within the original April 25, 1920 borders of mandatory Palestine. The Arabs and their supporters--including Americans a la the Foggy Folks--will protest and threaten. Israel must do what it must do anyway. Those who go to war and acquire territories and bases thousands of miles away from home in the name of their own nations' interests and security have no right telling the Jew of the Nations that it's not entitled to something beyond the Auschwitz/armistice lines shoved down its throat ("here's the crumbs, Uncle Jake, and better be glad that they're being thrown to you... take them before we change our minds; after all, you G_d killers were cursed to be forever wanderers!"), or that it must accept a murderous state, Hamasian or Arafatian, dedicated to its destruction, to be set up in its very backyard. Let the tanks roll and the bombing begin... And the body of the snake must be addressed along with its various heads. At 70 or so per shahid ("martyr"), the Islamic Paradise must have a shortage of celestial virgins after Israel does what must be done in its proper response. And after the next predictable act of revenge, exponential, massive retaliation must be the answer... with a knock out punch ready for Syria and Hizbullah in the north as well. Israel fought to win in June 1967. It must learn to do so again now. And it must truly gain independence. Gerald A. Honigman, a Florida educator, has created and conducted counter-Arab propaganda programs for college youth, has lectured on numerous campuses and other platforms, and has publicly debated Arab spokesmen. His articles and op-eds have been published in both the print media and on websites. Contact him at honigman6@msn.com or go to his website: http://geraldahonigman.com/blog.php |
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IN ISRAEL, ONLY LEFTIST EXTREMISTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DRINK COFFEE
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 1, 2006. |
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1. How many May Day "Workers" Have Jobs? Today is May Day, the day that all the limosine liberals and campus revolutionaries in designer jeans show their solidarity with "the workers". Here is a thought: How many of the "solidarity with workers" marchers, with their red flags and Che posters, have ever held a job? Intriguing, huh? Since so many of the "workers for communism" out marching are in the UK, I thought the time would be right to repost this: Ali G on Da May Day March in London: Evenin mates and big up fanks fo coming, and hear me now! Me and da geezers got a really special show for you all dis evening. As you know, all dem antiwar protesters what was out dis weekend in Britain supporting Saddam and bin Laden, most of dem was carrying Socialist Workers banners and buttons. So as you knows, me and da homies fum Staines got a certain fascination wit work. It is how some geezers get their squids. So we decide to see if we could find a single protester calling hisself a socialist worker what actually has got a gig, a job! We dodged da constalubury all day and searched through da crowds. It was "Bushie dis and Bushie dat", and all dees bruvers was really aggro over Mistuh Blair. We search and we search. And, by Jackie Chan, we finds one at last. We sees dis mate what is carrying a big sign what says "No War for Oil." So I asks him, "so what you tink we DO gotta fight a war for anyways, for erbal remedy?" Chill out, he tell us. He is only there for da shag and flange, for da chicks. See, he tell us, he really is workin for his squid over in dis boozer. He took some time off to see if he can find him some spunky bitch. Problem is, all da birds he sees they is feminists and doan like geezers. So yes, blokes, dare is at least one socialist worker what got hisself a job! 2. "UCLA Profs.com -- Exposing UCLA's Radical Profs" A project of the Bruin Alumni Association 2. The "Dirty Thirty" at UCLA!
3. President of Brandeis Defends Pro-Terror Writer of Script for Film "Munich" Brandeis was once considered a Jewish University, named in honor of the Supreme Court Justice who was also a great Zionist. Today Brandeis is a den of far-leftist moonbats, pro-terror extremists, and leftist anti-Semites. Brandeis has just decided to grant an honor to Tony Kushner, who wrote the script for the film "Munich" showing mass murdering terrorists as sympathetic "humane" heroes with whom the audience can identify. Kushner hates Israel, sympathizes with terrorists, and is best known for his comment: "I wish the modern Israel hadn't been born." Many see Kushner as an anti-Semite. He has a long history as a gay activist. Here is Ben Shapiro on the film: Spielberg told Time that "Tony Kushner and I and the actors did not demonize anyone in the film. We don't demonize our targets. They're individuals. They have families." This is the problem: Today's left, and the Hollywood left in particular, sees everyone as human. Hitler was an individual; Hitler had a family. Presumably, Hitler's mother was fond of him as a child. Hitler had a woman who loved him. He liked animals. Does this make Hitler less of a demon? The following letter was sent by a colleague of mine to the President of Brandeis. The President's answer follows! Dear Mr. President, Kushner is the newest equivalent of a capo. " My people, not right or wrong, always wrong." A respected University should research the terms, "palestinian people", illegal occupation", "occupied lands." This is pseudo knowledge and the perpetuation of it is propaganda -- not education. Who are now Brandeis contributors, Muslims? With love of Israel, ---, Prof of Law, U.S.
From: Jehuda Reinharz
Dear Professor S: I am writing in response to your email concerning one of this year's honorary degree recipients, Mr. Tony Kushner. The University bestows honorary degrees as a means of acknowledging the outstanding accomplishments or contributions of individual men and women in any of a number of fields of human endeavor. Just as Brandeis does not inquire into the political opinions and beliefs of faculty or staff before appointing them, or students before offering admission, so too the University does not select honorary degree recipients on the basis of their political beliefs or opinions. Over the years, Brandeis has honored hundreds of men and women of distinction whose personal views, I am sure, span the full spectrum of political discourse, and the University applies no litmus test requiring honorary degree recipients to hold particular views on Israel or topics of current political debate. Mr. Kushner is not being honored because he is a Jew, and he is not being honored for his political opinions. Brandeis is honoring him for his extraordinary achievements as one of this generation's foremost playwrights, whose work is recognized in the arts and also addresses Brandeis's commitment to social justice. I am familiar with the attacks on Mr. Kushner that have been circulating on the Internet. I am always suspicious when efforts to condemn or criticize an organization or individual are supported by brief quotations absent the context in which they were made. While I do not agree with many of Mr. Kushner's views on Israel, I do not see that as a relevant issue in the context of honoring him for his artistry as a playwright. If you are interested in Mr. Kushner's views, you might consult in their entirety the interviews he has given. Sincerely,
4. Lying with statistics. It turns out Arab municipalities get MORE than their population share of budgets assigned as block grants and revenue sharing by the Israeli Treasury. Now read this: www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/711600.html 5. Remember how Neve Gordon put out a posting a few days ago demanding that people pony up money to help a Palestinian "activist" whose car was stolen? Well, will Li'l Neve now speak out about THIS? "Arabs attempt to steal separation-fence tractor" by jpost.com staff Three Israeli Arabs attempt to steal a tractor from a separation fence construction site in the West Bank on Monday, lightly wounding a security guard in the process. After clashing with three security guards the Arabs eventually succeeded in stealing the vehicle, driving away before running into a member of the Agriculture Ministry. The men then abandoned the tractor and returned to the building site, again coming to blows with the guards, this time stabbing one of them with a knife. The assailants then fled the scene in their car, evading the security guards who shot in the direction of vehicle but failed to bring it to a halt. West Bank Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident which was seemingly the result of an employment dispute. 6. Another assault on free speech and democracy by the Israeli Dual Justice System. No one has ever shut down any of those cafes in which leftist
extremists and Arab fascists hang out. BUT:
(www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961254494&pagename=
JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull)
The High Court of Justice decided on Sunday to close down for one year a Jerusalem caf frequented by members of a right-wing extremist group, and which was suspected to have been a center of the organization's activity. Police claimed that the group was identical in its outlook to the outlawed Kach movement, and in fact served as a cover for the terrorist group. Supreme Court President Aharon Barak said that the verdict was consistent with Israel's values. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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JOIN AFSI'S CHIZUK (SUPPORT) MISSION TO THE ENDANGERED LANDS & PEOPLE
OF ISRAEL MAY 21-30, 2006
Posted by AFSI, May 1, 2006. |
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Sunday, May 21 -- The group gathers at noon to depart from Newark airport on El-Al airlines at 3 P.M. Monday, May 22 -- Arrive in Israel at 8 AM, and depart immediately in our bullet-proof bus for the Shomron. We will be visiting as many of the threatened communities in Samaria as time permits, with scheduled meetings with leading figures in the communities. Kedumim and its famous mayor, Daniella Weiss, will be included, as well as Itamar, Yitzhar and Tapuach. We'll check into the Ashel HaShomron hotel in Ariel in time for dinner and a speaker from Honenu, the legal defense fund that supports the "ideological criminals" the Israeli government has persecuted for their ideas. Tuesday, May 23 -- Continued visits to threatened Shomron communities, meeting with old friends and prominent leaders in Shilo and Eli. Depart for the Galilee and meetings with Yehuda Hertzlich and members of the community in Kfar Zeitim, to learn about their unique development program. Overnight at Kibbutz Lavi in the Galilee. Wednesday, May 24 -- Drive up to the Golan, meeting in Hispin with Gush Katif refugees from Netzer Hazani who are still living in hotels in the Golan. Meet with security experts to discuss the threat against northern Israel from Hezbollah and Iran. View the proximity to Syria from the Golan Heights. Overnight at Kibbutz Lavi. Thursday, May 25 -- This is the day that Yom Yerushalayim will be celebrated -- the day when Jerusalem was re-united in May, 1967. We'll depart the Golan in the morning, driving down the Jordan Valley road on the way to Jerusalem. We'll stop at a new community along the way to meet with refugees from Shirat Hayam, a former Gush Katif community, who are hoping to rebuild their lives there in Maskiot. We'll also meet with experts to discuss the security situation regarding the proximity to Jordan. We'll arrive at the Kings hotel in Jerusalem, check-in, and gather at Safra Square for the parade through the city in celebration of Yom Yerushalayim. Last year we marched with the Gush Katif floats. This year, we will march again, wearing our orange shirts in solidarity with all Jews threatened with expulsion. Evening activities will revolve around invited guest speakers at the Kings hotel. Friday, May 26 -- Yom Hebron, the day that Hebron was liberated in 1967. We will travel south from Jerusalem, stopping in Bethlehem at Kever Rachel, and drive through Gush Etzion, with its threatened communities of Tekoa, Nokdim, Maaleh Amos and Meitzad. In Hebron, we will meet with our dear friends David Wilder, Noam Arnon, Baruch Marzel, Yifat Akobi and Noam Federman. We'll be up-dated on the situation in Hebron, as well as the southern Hebron hill communities of Adora, Pnei Hever, Maon, Susia, Otniel, Negohot, Beit Haggai, and Mitzpeh Shalem. We then return to Jerusalem to greet the Shabbat and enjoy a sumptuous Shabbat dinner at the Kings hotel. Saturday, May 27 -- Shabbat in Yerushalayim. There are many choices of synagogues, including the Great Synagogue, next door to the hotel. Shabbat lunch will be at the hotel followed by a rest hour and an optional walking tour of Jerusalem. Evening at leisure for individual plans. Sunday, May 28 -- Those who wish may join Rabbi Richman of the Temple Mount Institute in an early morning tour of the Temple Mount. By mid-morning we will depart for the Negev where we will be guided by our good friend and leader of the Va'ad of the 21 former Gush Katif communities, Dror Vanunu. Dror, now a temporary resident of Nitzan, will lead us through that community of caravans to meet once again with many of our dear friends, including Rachel and Moshe Saperstein. We'll also visit Anita Tucker and Netzer Hazani refugees at Ein Tzurim. A beach-front hotel in Ashkelon will be our home for overnight where former Gush Katif residents will be invited to join us at dinner and speak to us about their vision for the future. Monday, May 29 -- Continue our visits in Ashkelon, and visit the Elei Sinai refugees in their tent city on the outskirts of Yad Mordechai. At the gala farewell dinner, A LOTTERY DRAWING WILL BE HELD AMONGST THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CHIZUK MISSION. THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A $1000 PRIZE. Those who are returning to the U.S. will then depart for the airport. Those who are staying on in Israel will be taken to Jerusalem following the drop-off at Ben Gurion. Sad farewells to our beloved Israel and its brave residents will be said, with the promise to return, b'lee neder. Tuesday, May 30 -- Early morning arrival back at Newark or JFK, depending on the choice made at the time of booking. (Please be sure to state preference.) The cost is kept at a modest $2200 (not including airport taxes, gratuities, and any additional charges for personal changes in the flight arrangements), which covers round-trip airfare on El-Al airlines, expert tour guides, tour bus and driver, all hotels (double occupancy -- additional cost for single supplement), and most meals. Non-refundable payment in full must be made by May 8. Please call AFSI, 212-828-2424; 1-800-235-3658; or email: afsi@rcn.com. VISA or Mastercard charges will be accepted for members only. Non-members must pay an additional $100 charge, and pay by check, or become members of AFSI for $50 per year. Special land only arrangements will be made for those who have made their own flight plans and wish to meet us at the airport in Israel. Israelis are also welcome to join us for land only. Anyone who cannot be part of the mission, but would like to sponsor a student for the trip, either fully or partially, should contact Barry at the AFSI office. Also, we are happy to distribute money to those in need in the many communities we'll be visiting. Checks to AFSI for that purpose will be scrupulously administered. Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI is a pro-active pro-Israel advocacy group. AFSI may be contacted by mail at 1623 Third Ave., Suite 205, New York, N.Y. 10128 (Tel: 212-828-2424; Fax: 212-828-1717); by email at afsi@rcn.com; or by accessing its website: www.afsi.org. Barry Freedman is Executive Director. |
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TOTALITARIAN CHIC
Posted by Shaul and Aviva Ceder, May 1, 2006. |
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This was written by Jeff Jacoby. He is an Op-Ed writer for the
Boston Globe, a radio political commentator, and a contributing
columnist for Townhall.com. This article is archved at In January 2005, Britain's Prince Harry attended a birthday party dressed as a Nazi. When the London Sun published a picture of the prince in his German desert uniform and swastika armband, it triggered widespread outrage and disgust. In scathing editorials, Harry was condemned as an ignorant and insensitive clod; months later, he was still apologizing for his tasteless costume. "It was a very stupid thing to do," he said in September. "I've learnt my lesson." For a more recent example of totalitarian fashion, consider Tim Vincent, the New York correspondent for NBC's entertainment newsmagazine, "Access Hollywood." Twice in the last few weeks, Vincent has introduced stories about upcoming movies while sporting an open jacket over a bright red T-shirt -- on which, clearly outlined in gold, was a large red star and a hammer-and-sickle: the international emblems of totalitarian communism. And what was the public reaction to seeing those icons of cruelty and death turned into the latest yuppie style? Furor? Moral outrage? Blistering editorials? None of the above. Nazi regalia may be strictly taboo, but communist emblems have never been trendier. Enter "hammer and sickle" into a shopping search engine, and up pop dozens of products adorned with the Marxist brand -- T-shirts and ski caps, bracelet charms and keychains, posters of Lenin and "Soviet Kremlin Stainless Steel Flasks." The glamorization of communist imagery is widespread. On West 4th Street in Manhattan, the popular KGB Bar is known for its literary readings and Soviet propaganda posters. In Los Angeles, the La La Ling boutique sells baby clothing emblazoned with the face of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro's bloody henchman. At the House of Mao, a popular eatery in Singapore, waiters in Chinese army uniforms serve Long March Chicken, and a giant picture of Mao Zedong dominates one wall. "A French government agency, the National Lottery, was crazy enough to use Stalin and Mao in one of its advertising campaigns," observed Stephane Courtois in his introduction to The Black Book of Communism, a scholarly survey of communist crimes. "Would anyone even dare to come up with the idea of featuring Hitler or Goebbels in its commercials?" What explains such "communist chic?" How can people who would never dream of drinking in a pub called Gestapo cheerfully hang out at the KGB Bar? If the swastika is an undisputed symbol of unspeakable evil, can the hammer-and-sickle and other emblems of communism be anything less? Between 1933 and 1945, Adolf Hitler's Nazis slaughtered some 21 million people, but the communist nightmare has lasted far longer and its death toll is far, far higher. Since 1917, communist regimes have sent more than 100 million victims to their graves -- and in places like North Korea, the deaths continue to this day. The historian R.J. Rummel, an expert on genocide and government mass murder, estimates that the Soviet Union alone annihilated nearly 62 million people: "Old and young, healthy and sick, men and women, even infants and the infirm, were killed in cold blood. They were not combatants in civil war or rebellions; they were not criminals. Indeed, nearly all were guilty of ... nothing." Yet communism rarely evokes the instinctive loathing that Nazism does. Prince Harry's swastika was way over the line, but Tim Vincent's hammer-and-sickle was kitschy and cool. Why? Several reasons suggest themselves. One is that in the war to defeat Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union fought with the Allies. World War II eventually gave way to the long-drawn Cold War, but America's alliance with Moscow left in many minds the belief that when it counted most, the communists were on our side. Moreover, the Nazis didn't camouflage their hatefulness. Their poisonous rhetoric made only too clear that they loathed Jews and other "subhumans" and believed an Aryan master race was destined to rule all others. By contrast, communist movements have typically masked their malice and ruthlessness with appealing talk of peace, equality, and an end to exploitation. Partly as a result, the myth persists to this day that communism is really a noble system that has never been properly implemented. Third, the excesses of Joseph McCarthy hurt honest anticommunism. In the backlash to McCarthyism, many journalists and intellectuals came to dismiss any strong stand against communists as "Red baiting," and conscientious liberals found it increasingly difficult to take a vocal anti-Soviet stand. But perhaps the most compelling explanation is the simplest: visibility. Ever since the end of World War II, when photographers entered the death camps and recorded what they found, the world has had indelible images of the Nazi crimes. But no army ever liberated the Soviet Gulag or halted the Maoist massacres. If there are photos or films of those atrocities, few of us have ever seen them. The victims of communism have tended to be invisible -- and suffering that isn't seen is suffering most people don't think about. "Communist chic?" The blood of 100 million victims cries out from the ground. To wear the symbols of their killers is no fashion statement, but the ultimate in bad taste. Contact the Ceders at ceder@netvision.net.il |
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IN HONOR OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL?
Posted by Nadia Matar, May 1, 2006. |
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Our nine-year-old son called us collect on the morning of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, and he said: "Mommy, Mommy, quickly! Tell me what to do! The ceremony in the school will be finished in a minute, and they're about to sing the Hatikvah anthem. What should I do? Should I remain in the hall and sing? Should I remain in the hall and not sing? Should I demonstratively leave the hall? What do you say?" This question encapsules what is happening with us all, and especially among our youth since the destruction of Gush Katif and northern Samaria. The night before, I had spoken with several youth, and I heard from them that in several settlements of Judea, Samaria the youth refused to light a torch on this upcoming Israel Independence Day because the text that they had to recite contained the words, "in honor of the State of Israel." The youth are not the only ones facing such a dilemma. Adults, too, ask whether to celebrate, and if so, how. We cannot live in denial. Our public, and especially the youth, is undergoing a crisis, and justifiably so, because of this question. The Judea, Samaria, and Gaza Council of Rabbis related to this issue, and issued a flyer stating: To our brothers and sisters, dear Jews! On the question of many as Independence Day approaches, are we to pray and give thanks, as we did in previous years; or, perhaps, in the wake of the terrible expulsion that was conducted by Jews against Jews within the State of Israel, something that until now had been conducted only in the Diaspora when non-Jews expelled Jews, the wording of the prayers and the giving of thanks is to be changed? Our response is to observe these days of thanksgiving in full force, without change. This thanksgiving is directed to the Creator of the universe, for having given us a state after thousands of years of bitter and harsh exile to which no one wishes to return, God forbid. Albeit, there are difficulties in our state, as is the way of the world until the truth becomes clear in it, but we must be thankful that, God be blessed, the state exists in a great part of the territory promised by prophecy. Know that a distinction is to be drawn between the state, that is a gift from God above to our people, and the various regime agencies who enforce laws that are not from our holy Torah. They are "disreputable people" [see Bava Metzia 73b] who have taken control of the centers of power, and who are called, even by their compatriots, the "rule of law gangs," who are presently in power today. Tomorrow, with God's help, those who love Torah will be in power. Rabbi Meir Kahane, may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing, and may God avenge him, already related to this question in 1988 ("Yom Ha'atzmaut - the Sanctification of the Name of God," a talk with Rabbi Meir Kahane, may God avenge him, from the book Tzofe u-Manhig [Visionary and Leader]): "Every Yom Ha'atzmaut a person must study chapter 36 of Ezekiel [...] Yom Ha'atzmaut is a day of faith and trust in the Lord, faith that He is All-powerful. Only a person who saw the degradations that were in the Holocaust comprehends the magnitude of the miracle - from degradation to independence. The state rose as proof that the Holy One, blessed be He, is All-powerful, and so that we would believe in the Lord and trust in Him. Unfortunately, specifically the leading Torah authorities suffer from the problem of lack of trust in the Lord. Rabbi Kahane then goes on to explain: In 1948, two months before the establishment of the state, the United States revoked its consent to the partition, and said that the UN had to take the entire land under its protection. The American Secretary of State summoned Sharett [Secretary of the Jewish Agency's Political Department} and told him: "Don't dare to declare the establishment of the state, because we won't help you." The American President imposed an embargo on the shipment of airplanes, while the Arabs received all the weapons from the British who left. Sharett told this to Ben-Gurion. The cabinet convened, and a vote was taken: ten were in favor of declaring the establishment of the state, and six were opposed. Ben-Gurion, despite his wickedness, stood up and proclaimed: "There will be a state!" We should ask: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, establish the state and give power to those, of all people? Rabbi Kahane gives a clear answer: If there were rabbis from Poland instead of those, they would have answered the Americans that saving life (pikuach nefesh) overrides a state! [...] we must not fall into the trap: we must distinguish between the concept of "state" and that of "government." A government could be a government of the wicked or a government of the righteous, depending on their actions. A state, on the other hand, is Jewish rule in the Land of Israel." end of quote of Rabbi Kahane. The mind comprehends that a distinction is to be made between state and government. OK, we understood. We must thank the Holy One, blessed be He, for the miracle of the establishment of the state. Obviously, none of us wants to return to Poland or to British rule in the Land of Israel. Anyone who was born abroad, like myself, and made aliyah to Israel comprehends this even more fully, and knows how terrible it is to live under foreign rule. But does this mean that, this year, the orange-national public must celebrate Independence Day just like every year, as if nothing happened last summer? Do the rabbis expect us to wave the Israeli flag, just like that - the same flag that the deportation forces wore this summer on their black uniforms, in order to commit the crime of ethnic cleansing and drag Jewish men, women, and children from their homes and throw them, without anything, on busses, and into transit camps and refugee camps? And here the heart, the sentiment, decisively answers: No! Just as it is inconceivable that we will not mark Independence Day at all, it is similarly inconceivable that we will celebrate as usual, and recite, like robots, those same state-oriented texts at the different ceremonies. Similarly, we must not act as if it were "business as usual" towards this wicked government, as if we forgave and forgot. This is a government whose entire program is the realization of the Hamas platform: the destruction of Jewish settlements and the handing over of our land - our homeland - to the Arab enemy, which is liable, Heaven forbid, to result in the end of the state. That is to say, we must internalize this: implementation of our government's policy which endangers the existence of the entire state! Shall we be silent and act as if everything is in order? No! Our Independence Day message must be: We celebrate and rejoice in the establishment of the State, but to you, the wicked members of the government, we say: "We will neither forget nor forgive! And in order to try and save the state, we will not make it easy for you to repeat the crime of deportation, destruction, and the giving over of parts of the homeland to the enemy!" Accordingly, I would expect that, at least in the ceremonies in the settlements of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, the content and symbols of the ceremonies will be changed. The following are a few examples: I would expect that in the torch lighting ceremonies, the youth would be invited to light a torch and say: "I, so-and-so, light this torch because I blocked roads this summer in protest against the deportation plan - I blocked roads, in honor of the State of Israel," to thunderous applause from the audience. Then a soldier in uniform will ascend the stage and declare: "I, so-and-so, light this torch because I was imprisoned for two months, for my refusal to participate in the deportation of Jews from Gush Katif and northern Samaria. Thus I defended the honor of the IDF. I refused the order to deport Jews from the Land of Israel, in Israel's honor." And, once again, thunderous applause. Obviously, every ceremony must include the reading out of the names of all the settlements of Gush Katif and northern Samaria, and an oath to do everything in order to return there speedily and rebuild them. Anyone who wants to wave Israeli flags can do so, but not without adding to the flag an orange banner or some other symbol that clearly shows that it is not business as usual for us. We will participate in the celebrations - but, specifically, among our brethren the deportees, or in the outpost settlements that are designated for elimination by the Olmert government. On Independence Day we will go to these outposts and declare that if, Heaven forbid, they will try to destroy them, we will defend every house and every structure, in a much more resolute manner than what we saw at Amona. The subject of the outposts is critical now, and it is important for us to understand how they are connected to our independence: the State of Israel, as a Jewish state, cannot exist without Jewish sovereignty in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. A return to the 1967 lines will endanger the state, not only in terms of security, but mainly, on moral grounds. The non-Jews will ask us, and rightly so: "If you willingly handed over the entire eastern slopes of the mountain chain, the locus of all your history and all of your roots that link you to this land, by what right do you live in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Petah Tikvah, and Ramat Aviv? Get out of there!" In other words, Israel without Judea, Samaria, and Gaza will cease to exist as a Jewish State. The internal and external enemies, who seek to eliminate the Jewish character of the State of Israel and transform it into a state of all its citizens, are well aware of this, and they therefore plan to expunge the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and make the area Judenrein. This plan has two stages: the first stage consists of the elimination of the outposts (some of which are full-fledged settlements). The second stage calls for the destruction of the larger settlements. Consequently, the struggle for the outposts is a struggle for the continuation of the Jewish settlement in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, which is the struggle for the very existence of the State of Israel as an independent Jewish state. Accordingly, on this Independence Day specifically, it is important to come and strengthen the outposts. In summation, the orange public must not fall into the trap set for us by the internal enemy: on the one hand, we must not completely disengage from the state and not observe Independence Day - because this is precisely what the left wants us to do. Since their goal is the elimination of the Jewish state, we will play into their hands if we were to declare that, for us, there is no Jewish state. On the other hand, nor can we celebrate Independence Day as if "everything's normal" - that broadcasts weakness, surrender, and acceptance of the deportation crime. Therefore, we must find the way to celebrate a happy - but orange ÂÂ Independence Day! I tried to explain all this to our son who, in a short and hasty phone call, wanted to know what to do regarding the national anthem. I told him: We distinguish between the state and the government. The state is a gift from the Holy One, blessed be He, and for this we must give thanks. The government is wicked, and we must struggle against it. The Hatikvah anthem belongs to the state, and not to the government. I recommend that you enter the hall and stand. As regards singing, you decide - if it is emotionally difficult for you to sing the anthem, then don't sing. Another option is to add the word "all" to the verse: "to be a free people in our land," so that the anthem will be sung: "to be a free people in all our land." He kept to himself what he decided. It's his right. Despite everything, may we have a happy, and orange, Independence Day! Ruth and Nadia Matar established Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), an activist group of women based in Jerusalem. Their website address is http://www.womeningreen.org. Or write an email to wfit2@womeningreen.org |
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SEC. ANNAN INTERFERES; PRAGMATIC OR EXTREME?; BUSH PROTECTS PLO
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, May 1, 2006. |
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EU PLANNING POLITICALLY CORRECT TERMINOLOGY EU officials are asking member governments to accept a "non-emotive lexicon for discussing radicalization." It would become practice but not legally binding. The reason offered is to avoid words that frustrate and radicalize Muslims. The officials claim that jihad means something positive, not murder. The term, "Islamic terrorist," would be replaced by "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam." (David Rennie, NY Sun, 4/12, p.7.) Awkward, apologetic, and false. What do they think the terrorist organization, Islamic Jihad, means by "Jihad"? Should Churchill and Roosevelt not have referred to the "Nazi beast" during WWII, lest they frustrate and radicalize Germans? This is not tactful; it is dissembling. It is not just silly; it is cowardly. The West cannot defend itself from an enemy it is afraid to name. Ironically, Western cowardice excites Islamism. ANNAN INTERFERES "Annan added Israel must end blockades, stop house demolitions, end extra-judicial killings, curtail arbitrary arrests and halt all colonisation activities." "Annan also urged the OIC to 'guide the two sides toward negotiation and compromise.'" He revealed that the UN respects the democratic choice of the Palestinian people in electing a Hamas-led Government, reiterating the hope that the party will move toward acceptance of non-violence, recognition of Israel's right to exist, and acceptance of previous agreements. (Hope?) "The United Nations believes that acceptance of these principles will help the Palestinian people achieve their legitimate goal of an end to occupation and the creation of an independent and viable state, living in peace and security with its neighbors," Annan said.? (IMRA, 4/13.) What is wrong with blockades, house demolitions, arrests, liquidations, and building Israeli houses in Yesha? After all, the Arabs are making a terrorist war against Israel. They build illegally, sometimes as a means of facilitating terrorism or precluding Jewish building. Annan is too vague in his demands, not examining the underlying issues. It isn't colonizing for Jews to build houses in their own homeland. Let Annan examine the Jewish claims there, superior to the Arab ones. He calls the arrests arbitrary, but capturing terrorists is not arbitrary, it is a necessary means of war. Assassinating some of them spares civilians and Israeli troop casualties from attempts to capture armed terrorists when they are not accessible to be arrested. What is the point of negotiation with the Arabs, who violated their previous agreements, and with Hamas, which openly rejects the previous agreements and asserts that its goal is war and conquest of Israel? What hope is there that the fascist Hamas would accept non-violence? This is a pipe dream. Why should Israel compromise with Arabs seeking to conquer it? When do those who urge compromise ever ask the Arabs to compromise? Why does "democratic choice" preclude the need to destroy the terrorist P.A.? What occupation? How can Annan claim the P.A. wants just statehood, when Hamas contradicts him? Why is statehood a legitimate goal for people who are not a separate nation? Annan is encouraging their real goal of destroying a member state of the UNO. PRAGMATIC OR EXTREME? Retreat supporters constantly praise their policy as putting "pragmatism" over "ideology". One can readily argue that the opposite is the case. Is the implementation of a retreat that can be expected to leave the area under the control of a sovereign Hamas terror state, out of a desire to immediately end the "occupation" at all costs so that at some future point Israel will not find itself forced to allow the Palestinians in the West Bank to vote in the Knesset "pragmatism" or the expression of an extreme "ideology"? (Terrorism would immediately increase.) Is the belief that if Israel unilaterally retreats to a line that this line will enjoy international recognition as a final border "pragmatism" or the wishful self-deception of an extreme "ideology"? (Hint: the State Dept. already rejected such a new line as the final border.) Is it "pragmatic" for Israel to essentially announce to the enemy that the more costly they make it for Israel to defend a given location that greater the odds Israel will retreat from it? By the same token, is it "extremist" to oppose Mr. Olmert's retreat "idea" (the shallowness of the thinking that has gone into it so far is such that describing it as a "plan" might be deceptive) or instead "responsible"? The use of such tendentious labeling (to squelch opposition) is nothing new. Looking back at the disastrous results of Oslo, was Oslo pragmatism or folly? (Dr. Aaron Lerner, IMRA, 4/13, almost verbatim.) ANOTHER HONOR KILLING? Alleging that some youth sexually assaulted a ten-year-old girl in their clan, some P.A. Arabs murdered him. Medical examination of the girl revealed no marks (IMRA, 4/13). The reasons that Arabs cite for their murders often are not the actual ones. They also kill without evidence, just based on rumor. This may be another instance of clan rivalry. Arabs usually punish the female victim rather than the male perpetrator. ANOTHER ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSION? An Arab was wounded by an unexplained explosion in his house. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights wants the P.A. to prevent such continued casualties (IMRA, 4/13). Translation: Arabs make bombs at home for terrorism. Casualties are likely. The Center wants the manufacturing under safer conditions for terrorists. A real human rights group would condemn terrorism. I say about the casualties, good riddance. The NY Times focuses on Arabs killed by Israeli forces. Arabs killed by each other rates little coverage in the eyes of Times editors. GUNNING FOR JOBS BACKFIRES A group of men applied at an UNRWA office in Nablus in behalf of a job for one of them, by pointing guns at the staff. The result was that, out of safety concerns, UNRWA closed the whole office (Op. Cit.). Arabs create their own misery. Stop blaming Israel! Indeed, Arab aggression created the refugee problem in the first place. HAMAS' GOAL NOT STATEHOOD Statehood is not the Hamas goal. Islamists do want the area of the Territories. They do want to conquer Israel. Their ambition, however, is boundless. They want to foist a caliphate over a vast area, extending eventually to the entire planet. Westerners who talk of fulfilling the "national aspirations of the Palestinians" (who are not even a nationality) are uninformed. The Islamist blueprint starts with Israeli withdrawal. PM Olmert's policy of retreat would bring Islamists so close to major Israeli cities that their gunners could not miss. One ought not suppose that the Israeli Army would defend Israel. It does not defend Israel now against rockets fired from Gaza. The rockets keep coming, more and more of them, closer and closer to strategic areas. The Jews in the coastal plain, who sacrificed the Jews of Gaza and are willing to sacrifice the Jews of Judea-Samaria, will soon pay for their folly and perfidy (Winston Mid East Analysis, 4/14). GAZA GREENHOUSES Who was the financial angel for the sale of the Israelis' greenhouses in Gaza to the P.A.? Those are the greenhouses that produced marvelous, bug-free vegetables. Departing Jews destroyed a few greenhouses, but arriving Arabs looted and destroyed many more. Arab farmers proved unproductive. The US may hire Jews back to advise. Who provided the funds for the sale? Bill Gates' foundation. Meanwhile, a low-calorie potato developed in England is being grown year-round in the Negev. It is popular in Europe (Arutz-7, 4/14). Last I heard, the former owners were not paid for the sale. They may have been since then. Media coverage has gaps and poor follow-up. BUSH PROTECTS PLO Pres. Bush exercised a six-months waiver of enforcement of a law that would force the PLO to shut its Washington office and would sequester its funds in the US. He claimed that the office enables the US to work with P.A. Pres. Abbas (Arutz-7, 4/14). What good are Congressional bills that Presidents routinely waive? The US could work with Abbas in the P.A., and keep his terrorists out of the US. But why work with one terrorist over another? Besides, Abbas is both weak and supportive of Islamist terrorism. He serves as a pretext for not disowning the P.A.. This State Dept. policy typifies its duplicity and connivance with the Arabs against Israel. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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REFORMING ISRAELI JUDICIARY AND A MUCH NEEDED CONSTITUTION
Posted by Professor Paul Eidelberg, May 1, 2006. |
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As shown at length in my Philosophy of the American Constitution and A Discourse on Statesmanship, it is a gross oversimplification to regard the US Constitution as a bundle of compromises. The compromises were based on enduring principles of government. The founders were not mere politicians; their knowledge of classical and modern political science was extraordinary -- as Gladstone understood. This said, consider the following: 1. America's founding fathers understood that the first and perhaps paramount issue is the relationship between the voters and their representatives. Hamilton and Wilson saw that direct popular election of the House of Representatives was essential to overcome the power and divisive influence of the 13 State Governments. Israel's political parties are comparable to those state Governments. Hence, a. MKs should be elected by and accountable to the voters in constituency or regional elections -- the practice 74 out of 75 countries having democratic elections for the lower (or only) branch of the legislature. 2. Exclude MKs from the cabinet. This will give Israel, for the first time, institutional checks and balances 3. We need to replace dysfunctional multiparty cabinet govt with a presidential system of government with fixed terms of office for both the executive and the legislative branches. This will promote national unity and stability. a. Remember, the average duration of govt in Israel is less than two years! This alone magnifies instability, corruption, and, in the long run, wastes billions of shekels.) 4. As for the latter, consider the following: a. Have the President (with the advice of a council learned in both Jewish and secular law) nominate SC judges with confirmation by the (proposed) legislature. 5. Obviously, a constitution is required to enumerate the powers of the three branches. Unless I am mistake, the one before the Knesset's Law Committee is intended for lawyers. Mistake. It should (a) be short (like the US Constitution), and simple enough to be a subject of study by seniors in high school. And (b) it should be designed in such a way, and in such language, as to be a bridge between religious and non-religious citizens. More articles and information are available via
Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of
the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail
at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel:
212-372-3752, and by email at pauleid@netvision.net.il
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POLLARD TO SUPREME COURT: STATE HAS NO RIGHT TO FORFEIT MY LIFE TO APPOINT RAFI EITAN
Posted by Justice4JP, May 1, 2006. |
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Lawyers for Jonathan Pollard will file an appeal in Israel's Supreme Court today to block the appointment of Rafi Eitan, Pollard's former handler and control officer, as an Israeli Government Minister. Inter alia, Pollard's petion to the High Court of Justice states: Rafi Eitan is not suited to be a Minister because he corrupt both as an official and as a commander. The facts are: Pollard's petition to Supreme Court concludes: The State of Israel has no right to forfeit Pollard's life and cause it to end behind bars. The appointment of Rafi Eitan as a Government Minister will obviate attempts to bring about Pollard's release and will thus be tantamount to imposing a death sentence on Pollard. The State of Israel has no right to do this. Contact Justice For Jonathan Pollard at Justice4JP@aol.com |
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COMMUNISTS AND POST-ZIONISTS FOR THE OBLITERATION OF ISRAEL
Posted by Steven Plaut, May 1, 2006. |
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1. Communists for the Obliteration of Israel Some people think I am out of line when I suggest that Israel's far Leftists are traitors. Just because they have stupid opinions, I am told, that is no reason to accuse them of treason. Oh, no? Well, consider the petition in Haaretz this week supporting Mordecai Vanunu. Vanunu is now out of jail, thanks to Israel's stupidity, but he served a very long jail sentence for nuclear espionage. Vanunu had joined Israel's HADASH Stalinist party while a student at Ben Gurion University, that same school that has produced so many a traitor. He then somehow got a job at Israel's nuclear facilities in Dimona. He decided to try to reveal to the world the details of Israel's programs. He was arrested and convicted of treason and espionage. Meanwhile, he converted to Christianity and has continued his anti-Israel activities since being released from prison. Of course Vanunu has long been the hero of the neo-nazis, the leftist anti-Semites, and all those who want to see a Second Holocaust in our time. There are hundreds of pro-Vanunu web sites, most run by various communist parties. Vanunu's fans want Israel to be stripped of its nuclear deterrent. You see, as long as Israel has a nuclear deterrent, the Islamofascist world cannot realize its aim of annihilating Israel and its population. Let us be clear and unambiguous. Those who want Israel's nuclear deterrent negated and destroyed are the people who want a genocidal end to the Jewish state. Israel's nuclear arsenal is what ultimately denies the Arab world its ability to exterminate the Israeli Jews. There can be no other explanation for the behavior and determination of the groupies of Vanunu than their hope of making a nuclear-free Israel, vulnerable for armed destruction. This week, a petition appeared in Israel's leftist daily Haaretz, calling for support for Vanunu. Vanunu, while not in prison, is subject to certain restrictions in his movements and is under surveillance. Israel's defense establishment and Attorney General still consider Vanunu a clear and present security risk. In fact, he should have been left in prison for life but Israel's pusillanimous government capitulated to the pressures on Israel from the Vanunu lobby overseas. This week's petition calls for removal of all restrictions and limitations on Vanunu, denouncing the continued surveillance on Vanunu as totalitarian abuse from "Big Brother". The signers want Vanunu to continue his struggle for the annihilation of the Jewish state and its Jewish population. The signers of the petition include communist Jews and Arabs, Arab fascists, tenured traitors, anti-Zionist self-hating Jewish moonbats, and Jews for a Second Holocaust. Among the signers are many of the familiar names from Israeli universities, anti-Israel "post-Zionists" and academic extremists. These include Ilan Pappe from Haifa U, long in favor of Israel's annihilation, Teddy Katz, Pappe's mini-me, Neve Gordon from Ben Gurion University, the groupie of Holocaust Denier Norman Finkelstein, Anat Matar from Tel Aviv University, recently arrested for violently attacking soldiers protecting Israel's security wall, Baruch Kimmerling from the Hebrew University, who has justified suicide bombers, Colman Altman, retired Stalinist from the Technion, and his Technion comrade-in-Stalin Jacob Katriel, Uri Ram, anti-Zionist from BGU, Tanya Reinhart, who has never met a terrorist she does not like, Rachel Giora, who has replaced Tanya Reinhart as Tel Aviv University's jihadnik of linguistics, Yossi Algazi, another Tel Aviv University ultra, Shlomo Zand, a TAU pro-Palestinian Marxist historian, Ruhama Merton, who writes anti-Israel propaganda with Neve Gordon, Vered Krauss and Yuval Yonay, fanatic anti-Zionist sociologists from Haifa University, Adi Ophir, fanatic TAU prof who was a founder of Peace Now, Moshe Machover, the ex-Israeli communist in Britain, Noam Chomsky, who wants to destroy Israel as a way to punish his Mommy, Dror Feiler, the "sculptor" who made that "art display" in Sweden celebrating the suicide bomber who murdered 23 people in a Haifa restaurant, Haim Hanegbi, anti-Zionist ultra who serves as legal columnist in Israeli media, and Jewish leaders from Israel's communist party. Most of these are people whose income comes from taxes paid by the same Israeli taxpayers, paid to the Israeli state these signers want to see destroyed. 2. Please help sabotage Juan Cole's anti-Israel "petition". Go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/875967959?ltl=1146333773 and leave messages under such signatures as "Juan Hitler" or Osama Cole and add nasty comments or else to http://www.juancole.com/2006/04/petition-to-conference-of-presidents.html and follow the links to the petition site and leave an anti-Cole message! Please note: Prof. Avinoam Rabinovich from BGU (physics) mistakenly signed the petition, thinking it was AGAINST the Harvard study on the "Jewish Lobby". He is not one of the bad guys at BGU! 3. By the way, for a real man bites dog story, Ben Gurion University "Post-Zionist" revisionist historian Benny Morris has come out in a powerful and remarkable piece in the New Republic DENOUNCING those two quacks who issued the Harvard "study" of the all-powerful "Israel Lobby", the same Israel lobby that Cole is trying to "stop". To see it, go to http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20060508&s=morris050806 4. Today is May Day, May 1, the day that Meretz and its Hashomer Hatzair cadres have used to replace Yom Kippur and Passover. They will be marching with Che posters and red flags today all over Israel. 5. We cannot control our sobs. It seems that bug-eyed anti-Israel leftist Susan Sarandon is being persecuted. She says she receives "death threats." Sarandon told the British anti-Semitic daily The Independent that "I don't think that I ever thought someone would ever really kill me, although there were some people who said, 'I'd like someone to knock her off', on the radio and stuff like that." Sarandon revealed how she felt "isolated and frightened" by death threats and verbal attacks after she criticised US policy in Iraq, but not from pretending to drive a car with "Louise" off a cliff. The Thelma & Louise actress, a long-time extremist moonbat, said that she was branded a "Bin Laden lover" for questioning the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In an interview she said that the way she and her family had been targeted by the media and the public was "horrifying." To Hollywood leftists like Sarandon, the "public" consists of those of us who do not own real estate in Beverly Hills. Sarandon, 59, also said that anyone who questioned US policy was being labelled "un-American." Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist, a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author of "The Scout." He frequently comments - both seriously and satirically - on Israeli politics and the left wing academic community. His website address is http://www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com. |
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