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HOW THE ARABS VOTE IN THE U.N.
Posted by Janet Lehr, July 31, 2004. |
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Below are the actual voting records of various Arabic/Islamic States which are recorded in both the US State Department and United Nations records: * Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time.
US Foreign Aid to those that hate us: Egypt, for example, after voting 79% of the time against the United States, still receives $2 billion annually in US Foreign Aid. Jordan votes 71% against the United States and receives $192,814,000 annually in US Foreign Aid. Pakistan votes 75% against the United States receives $6,721,000 annually in US Foreign Aid. India votes 81% against the United States receives $143,699,000 annually Perhaps it is time to get out of the UN and give the tax savings back to the American workers who are having to skimp and sacrifice to pay the taxes. Pass it along. Everyone needs to know this. Might even mention it to your congressman, who knows it anyway... what a disgrace... NO WONDER THE WORLD HAS NO RESPECT FOR THE U.S. |
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TRAVESTY INTERNATIONAL
Posted by IsrAlert, July 31, 2004. |
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This comes from Isralert subscriber/commentator Angela Bertz, in Israel.
On the evening of 27th March Shirli Fried 21, and her brother Tom 16 were in good spirits. They were making their way to the Park Hotel in Netanya, Israel to join their parents and three grandparents. It was the evening of Passover and they were running a little late. Before they could reach the hotel and in one terrible split second the five most important people in these youngsters' lives had been blown to pieces by a Palestinian homicide bomber. 25 more innocent people were murdered and 150 had been injured, some of them critically. It was one of the worst and most barbaric terrorist attacks Israel had ever suffered. Many of the elderly people killed had survived the holocaust and out of the ashes of Europe had come to Israel to build good honest lives for themselves, their children and their children's children. It came in a month when there had been 15 other such attacks. In fact March 2002 was the worst month of terrorism that Israel had ever suffered. One would have thought that after so many heinous acts Amnesty International, who claim to be "Protecting Human Rights around the World" would have issued 16 reports condemning each and every one of these terrible acts of Palestinian terrorism. In fact AI issued only one report and even though that pertained to the Park Hotel slaughter the heading "Deliberate Killing of Civilians is never Justified" was pretty benign and totally belied the atrocity of this appalling act. Your short 3 paragraphs was almost non-committal. While apparently recognizing it as "a grave breach of the fundamental principle of international humanitarian law" you then refuse to call Hamas a Terrorist organization, but make a pathetic plea to "armed Palestinian groups" to cease killing civilians. Shortly after these attacks Israel launched "Mission Defensive Shield". The Israeli army used foot soldiers to carry out house to house searches in the town of Jenin, which had long served as a center for training and sending homicide bombers into Israel. No aircraft was used out of concern for the large civilian population in the area. During this military operation Israel suffered the loss of 23 of its soldiers, who encountered armed Palestinians and booby trapped homes in many of the narrow alleys. The consequent outcry of this mission, reporting hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilian deaths and compared in some media outlets as "comparable to Stalingrad" has long gone down in the annals of military mythology despite the Palestinians milking the supposed slaughter literally to death, including a farcical movie called "Jenin Jenin". The number of Palestinians killed in Jenin has been placed officially at 56. Most of them were found to be wearing a combatant's headband. AI made it to Jenin in Mid April. Incredibly and despite the fact that Israel never used any of its aircraft in this region "scores of refugees" were interviewed by AI and described "massive bombardments with missiles from Apache helicopters". The number of AI reports on Jenin number around a dozen. They are all in condemnation of Israel's actions. Not one of them gives any background or the reasons to the incursions. Not one of them utters a word on the 23 Israelis soldiers that also lost their lives. It is blatantly clear that your organization pays a disproportionate amount of its time preparing inflammatory reports aimed at Israel, many times simply bleating the official and biased views of that Den of Iniquity 'The United Nations". You refer to Israel as "Israel/Occupied Territories. No other country is singled out for such a derogatory title. In fact with 404 reports and with the exception of the United States with 1178 reports, Colombia with 499 reports and just ahead of Israel, Indonesia with 409 reports no other country has received such attention. The Palestinian Authority, corrupt to its core, with the worse human abuse record against its children in the world has only 167. This is a disgrace considering it has committed over 100 suicide attacks against Israel, lynchings, shootings by the score and who in Israel will ever forget the brutal killing in May 2004 of 13 young soldiers, blown to pieces while trying to destroy tunnels in Gaza used to smuggle ammunition. We had to watch as their dignity was abused beyond anything humanly acceptable as Gazan ghouls raced with joy through the streets with their blown up body parts. They even stole an UNRWA ambulance hoping to extract painful concessions from Israel for the return of the blown up body parts. Where is the AI report condemning this cannibalistic act. The savage murder of a pregnant mother and her 4 little daughters appears under Israel and not where it firmly belongs under the PA section. The Palestinians have faced a report less than 10 times for their homicide attacks on innocent Israelis, yet they have committed over 100 attacks. Maybe AI has not had the time to bring so many gross infringements of human rights up to date. I used to respect your organization. However that was before I read through many of your reports on this region. I have sadly discovered that in many cases, you are about as one-sided, historically inaccurate and imbalanced as the UN. For instance you refer to "Occupied Palestinian Territory" as if such a notion ever existed. The Palestinians have never owned or ruled any region in this area. In fact they are nothing more than a modern mythical invention. They barely existed as a legitimate entity, let alone a race prior to '67 when Israel was attacked by all its neighbours. During this war of aggression Israel conquered and annexed the West Bank and Gaza from Jordan and Egypt respectively. According to International Law this makes both these regions Israeli and certainly not as you deem fit to describe them and our country as Israel/Occupied Territories. You may wish to take that into account next time you quote either Palestinian propaganda by rote, or as I found in many of your reports ridiculous statements issued by either the biased Arab League or the defunct and devoid of any moral standards UN organization. I would like to make one more point before I conclude and this refers to the following repugnant statement I found in one of your recent reports as follows; "Both the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Palestinian armed groups show an utter disregard for the lives of children and other civilians," Amnesty International said today. Such a statement is beyond all contempt. To compare a humane country like Israel that teaches its children to respect and rejoice in the dignity of human life with a society that has incited its people and especially its children in hatred 24/7 is nothing short of blasphemous. To make any moral equivalent between people that have for 4 years deliberately targeted innocent Israeli civilians in restaurants and buses by detonating an explosive belt and a sovereign state that has been forced to defend itself against these attacks shows an appallingly flippant disregard and ignorance for the conflict. The Palestinians have created a death cult and have for years systematically demonized their children, often using them as decoys, knowing full well Israel's abhorrence at killing children. In any given situation of combat, innocent people and these will include children will be killed. The PA openly calls for their children to congregate in dangerous areas. They are deliberately and systematically encouraging the next generation of homicide bombers. Young minds are brainwashed to believe, not in any hope for the future and what they can achieve through tolerance, but that their biggest accomplishment in life will come only in their death. It saddens me to think that your organization like many others, have simply become feeble minded apologists for Palestinian terrorism. IsrAlert, a Jewish advocacy network, is hosted by Harv Weiner. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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JOHN, GEORGE, OR JUDAH?
Posted by Ellen W. Horowitz, July 31, 2004. |
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Judah, too, will battle against Jerusalem.
(Zachariah 14:14)
I don't know about you, but I've been hitting the delete key a lot these past few weeks as a flurry of election email appears to be competing with the usual spam. It seems that that the main concern among many Diaspora Jews and Israelis alike is over which U.S. presidential candidate is best (or worse) for Israel.. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about- I haven't participated in an American election since making aliyah in 1986. The whole thing seems pretty cut and dried to me. Americans should be concerned with which presidential candidate is best for America and American interests, whereas Israelis should concern themselves with which Israeli leader is best for the Jewish State. But there appears to be a real dilemma for some Israelis holding dual citizenship and for those American Jews who pledge allegiance to the stars and stripes but who have hearts that beat with Israel. Dual loyalty issues are becoming more perplexing and stressful because American foreign policy decisions are increasingly out-of-sync with Israel's best interests (I'll let you in on a secret - some of those decisions are not in America's best interests either). America may be Israel's long-standing best friend, but the relationship which once placed mutual security interests at the top of the agenda is rapidly changing. We can all thrill to a joint Israeli-American Arrow missile project, but our hearts sink when we realize that Uncle Sam is up to his neck in an illicit affair with some of Israel's most formidable enemies - which translates into some inappropriate and harmful interference in Israel's internal affairs, in addition to some blatantly hypocritical foreign policy. So who's good for the Jews, Kerry or Bush? It doesn't much matter. But what should be of concern are some of the boys behind the scenes, both Democrat and Republican, who are definitely bad for the Jews - and many of them are Jewish. All the presidents' men, from the guys writing the speeches and handling the press conferences, to those advising and formulating policies, to the businessmen helping to bankroll the campaigns, to the diplomats and ambassadors, are the ones we Israelis should be wary of. Abarbanel and other commentators felt that it's the descendants of Judah who, after the destruction of both the first and second Temples, continued to hold positions of leadership in the Diaspora Jewish communities, as well as wield great influence in the secular political and economic spheres. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Genesis 49:10). One has to wonder where Israel would stand today if the lion's share of that Diaspora talent, manpower and brainpower had been primarily dedicated to the development of the Jewish State. The dedicated American (first) Jew always answers, "Where would Israel be without America?" Shemayah said: "Love work; abhor taking high office; and do not seek intimacy with the ruling power." (Pirke Avot) But what if one's talents and skills are custom-made for leadership? The Court Jew has traditionally provided an important service for both the Jewish community and their country of temporary residency. But when the geopolitical sands and winds start shifting, even the most well-intentioned and upstanding Jewish public servant or private sector entrepreneur can lose their way in the storm. It's difficult to let go of the good life, limelight, influence and seductive smooth talk. If one doesn't know when to bow out, they could find themselves pitted against their own brethren. The same goes for any Jew walking the fine line of dual loyalties. [It;s interesting to note that some commentaries claim that the spies gave a slanderous report about the Land, because they feared losing their positions of power and leadership once the crossed over into Israel (Numbers13:3).] I suggest that world Jewry step out of the fog and stop trying to rationalize and decipher the various shades of grey in the upcoming election. For the Jew concerned about the future of his or her people, things may be very black and white. If you;re an American Jew (Jewish American?) and confused with regards to where you truly stand, take 'the Pollard Test'. It's really quite simple and will make things remarkably clear. Q: Is Jonathan Pollard a traitor? If you answered "no", then it's time to pack your bags and book your flight home. If you answered "yes", then you are undoubtedly American first and have consequently abandoned Israel. If you "don't know", then you have a lot to think about. For those of you who aren't quite ready for aliyah yet, but who claim to remain fiercely dedicated to Israel, take the test one step further and make the matter of Jonathan Pollard's continued imprisonment your campaign issue. Think any of the lions of Judah will pick up that bone, or will they choose to keep it buried? Who's good for the Jews? As you can see, the issue reaches far beyond choosing between the elephant or the donkey. I suggest that you look past the balloons and hoopla of America's partisan political arena and check out the lion's den behind that stars and stripes curtain. The on-going Diaspora (continued exile) and the Jew who promotes it and enjoys it is most definitely bad for Israel. Ellen Horowitz lives in the Golan Heights, Israel with her husband and six children. She is a painter and columnist. She can be contacted through her website http://www.artfromzion.com |
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U.S. OIL POLICY AND CORRUPT REGIMES IN PERSIAN GULF COUNTRIES
Posted by Morteza Aminmansour, July 30, 2004. |
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Currently, US domestic oil production supplies about 50% of total U.S. consumption. Foreign sources provide the rest, primarily Canada, Venezuela, Mexico and several African countries. The U.S. is strongly committed to production Persian Gulf oil, although only about 10% of oil used in the U.S. is imported from the region. During the cold war, U.S. strategy was primarily aimed at ensuring that Persian Gulf oil did not fall into hostile hands. Persian Gulf oil was and remains important because of its impact on the global economy. U.S. competitors in Japan and Europe depend more on Persian Gulf Oil than the U.S. does. 30% of European oil imports and nearly 80% of Japan's come from the Persian Gulf. The U.S. exerts significant influence on these countries through control of Persian Gulf Oil. The Persian Gulf corporation council states (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Oman jointly posses 64% of the world s proven oil reserves. The most important among Persian Gulf states is corrupt Saudi Arabia, which alone controls 27% of the world's oil supplies. Oil represents the backbone of the Saudi economy. But despite its small population and its oil revenues reaching $45 billion, in the 1990-93 period Saudi foreign domestic debt climbed to $70 billion. Most of this was the result of arms purchases, largely from the United States. The rise of opposition forces within Saudi Arabia is linked to this pattern of arms spending as well as the corrupt practices of the monarchy. The stability of this region is baffling and discrimination against Shi'a Muslims has been rampant in several countries such as UAE and Saudi Arabia. Anti government religious militancy has grown. The Persian Gulf political Systems appear an anachronism, the last holdout of this system in a modern world. The region itself is in turmoil. Persian Gulf states are using variety of government's strategies to promote social order. The Persian Gulf countries are using a combination of several strategies: strong security service; Divide-and rule measures; ideological flexibility; token participation; accommodative diplomacy. These strategies preserve these states of social peace in an area of turbulence. In an era when democracy is the world's dominant political system, Persian Gulf regimes are traditional autocracies. Political alienation and corruption are widespread. Family members or those close to them dominate all-important positions those that control spending, internal security, and military. The traditional checks on government authority - a free press, an independent judiciary and a strong civil society - are either lacking or kept intentionally weak in the Persian gulf states. The alienation of social and economic elites appears to be particularly dangerous. Oil wealth has empowered the ruling families that control the state. Corruption and unaccounted for government spending levels are quite high. Money derived from the sale of oil noted in balance of payment statement often fails to appear in oil revenues reported in the state budget. In recent years, from 18 to 30 percent of the revenue from petroleum exports was not reported in budgets in Persian Gulf countries such as UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This missing money billions of dollars a year enriches the ruling families. The Opposition groups frequently criticize the regimes for allowing ruling families mismanage the country (UAE). They are accused of squandering the wealth of the nation. Al SAUD family members are blamed for corruption and contributing to the country's economic woes. The per capita incomes of many Persian Gulf residents have plummeted. Saudi Arabia has perhaps 20,000 princes and princesses, all of whom received stipends from the Saudi state that range from thousands to millions of dollars a month. Bahrain's AL KHALIFA, while fewer in member, also maintain an extravagant lifestyle and are perceived to interfere regularly in business for their own enrichment. Al Persian Gulf governments are remarkably skilled at using economic control to ensure their power. Oil wealth allows the states to dominate the economy. In Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, perhaps 90% of citizens work for the government. For the last decade Persian Gulf monarchies have invested higher percentage of oil profits in land, hotels, real estate, factories and other enterprises in the U.S., Japan, Europe. Increasing income of the oil exporting states is linked to profits from unrelated businesses in oil importing states rather than from the sale of oil itself. This gives the Persian Gulf oil States some stake in keeping oil prices moderate. Because they share the financial interests in the oil-importing countries. The diversification also provides the Persian Gulf countries additional leverage to manipulate oil prices and production. The result is that monarchies can manipulate the world oil markets while remaining relatively protected. Despite their high dependence on Persian Gulf oil, neither Europe nor Japan plays a major role in strategic defense of the region. U.S. policy in Persian Gulf ignores some fundamental realities: For example Iranian regime was not isolated forever. European countries, China, Russia, and other countries with interests different from U.S Is all abandoning U.S policy to consider trade with Iran? The attempt to exclude Iran from influencing regional politics is unrealistic. The uncritical U.S support for corrupt Persian Gulf regimes and their human rights abuses have weakened both U.S. Policy and oil countries. The members of the Persian Gulf's ruling elite have a strong perception that the U.S. is forcing them to buy weapons that they do not need and not allowing them to diversify their weaponry by purchasing arms from Europe. Persian Gulf oil could be protected is economic rather than military means eliminating the military and political costs of dual containment. And could provide more jobs for people. The rulers of UAE and Saudi Arabia are greedy and corrupt, have not trained their people for life after the oil bonanza. Nearly all Gulf Arab men work for their corrupt governments, leaving productive labor almost entirely to foreign labors from East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and poorer Arab countries. In 1981, the PGCC residents had an average per capita income of $28,000. Today is just $12,000. Meanwhile, the PGCC countries face daunting bills to renovate the infrastructure built during the oil boom. Due to the population explosion and aging Ryiadh has to deliver drinking water to poor neighborhoods with trucks. Cutting back on monarchical privileges would free up money for infrastructure and debt payments. But the corrupt leaders continue to insist that a revived market will save them and in this they are almost certainly mistaken. Only one of the royal family in Saudi Arabia invested $13 billion in foreign companies, because of the financial systems in the PGCC countries, almost none of his wealth - or that of the $800 billion in assets held by PGCC nationals abroad - will come soon. The economics of the Persian Gulf are likely to complicate the politics of the Persian Gulf. Nervous monarchies will be eager to appease the Islamists after all, they'd rather not have a revolution to put down and that in turn, will often run counter to U.S. interests. U.S. protection of Persian Gulf oil supplies should focus on internal threats resulting from the monarchies because of their denial of human rights and political participation and democracy in corrupt countries such as UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. U.S. should consider negotiation with country Iran. U.S. should support and respect Iranian integrity and territorial right of Abu Musa, greater TONB and lesser TONB and policy in fighting aggression of corrupt regime (UAE) for unacceptable behavior after a UAE vessel allegedly entered Iranian waters around a disputed Persian Gulf islands and opened fire at an Iranian fishing boat and detained its crew. Iran had demanded an explanation. Emphasizing defense of the oil states from external threats ignores the more serious problems of domestic instability and political opposition to the corrupt ruling Persian Gulf regimes such as UAE, Saudi Arabia. Certainly Iran differs with the U.S. on many issues as the Middle East process, but Iran can be engaged on other issues such as Persian Gulf security. Western oil companies had no interest in territorial conquest and oil production placed few political demands on rulers and society, while the financial benefits from this industry allowed the state to silence the tribal challenges from the periphery. In some cases, such as Saudi Arabia, the foreign oil company, in the absence of a local entrepreneurial class, helped the state not only to defend itself against external challenge, but also begin a broad effort to modernize and eventually to control its own industry. Literatures :
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VEL D'HIV INFAMOUS ROUNDUP OF FRENCH JEWS REMEMBERED
Posted by IsrAlert, July 30, 2004. |
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Isralert@aol.com source:
http://www.crif.org/index02.php?type=manifestation&id=3420&menu=11&sm3=manifest
with thanks to isralert subscriber Moise Mondlak in Mexico
Six French cabinet ministers attended the annual ceremony in memory of the victims of the Vel d'Hiv round up. On July the 16th and the 17th, 1942, French policemen arrested 1129 Jewish men, 2916 Jewish women and 4115 Jewish children. They were herded in a indoor cycling stadium for several days without food or water, then transferred to the Drancy (near Paris) concentration camp and handed over to the Nazis who deported them to the Auschwitz death camp. None of the children survived. The ceremony was attended by Hamlaoui Mekachera, Minister of the War Veterans, Michel Barnier, Foreign minister, Gerard Larcher, minister of Labor, Leon Bertrand, minister of Tourism, Catherine Vautrin, minister of Absorption and Nicole Guedj, minister for the rights of the victims. IsrAlert, a Jewish advocacy network, is hosted by Harv Weiner. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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KNOWING WHAT WE ARE MISSING
Posted by Christian Action for Israel, July 30, 2004. |
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This was written by Jonathan Rosenblum in the Jewish World Review (www.jewishworldreview.com), July 27, 2004. For most Jews around the world, today will pass like any other day. They will not observe any of the traditional mourning customs for Tisha B'Av. Indeed they don't even know what historical events Tisha B'Av commemorates. If they were told that the mourning is for the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem, they would be puzzled about why such long ago events should occasion any great sadness. Even among those of us who fast the entire day and observed the other "afflictions" of Tisha B'Av, there are few from whose eyes tear will pour copiously during the reading of Lamentations, as was once common. We have lived so long in a world devoid of the sanctity represented by the Temple that we cannot comprehend what was lost. Nor can we conceive how that level of holiness could once again be part of our lives. The Temple Mount, where the Temples stood, is today less a symbol of our past than of how alienated we are from that past. Successive Israeli governments casually permitted the Moslem Wakf to systematically destroy all evidence of the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. The Moslem Wakf was permitted, in recent years, to build two new large mosques on the site, one by converting the ancient stables of Solomon. All this work was carried out without any archaeological supervision, as required by the Antiquities Law. In the course of the work, thousands of tons of dirt were dumped unceremoniously in the Kidron Valley. Discovered later in the rubble was a three-foot long stone fragment, which one archaeologist called "the most important artifact ever recovered from the Temple Mount." The lack of regard for the site to which Jews throughout the millennia have always turned in prayer was fully reflected in the negotiations following Camp David. Prime Minister Ehud Barak agreed to cede all sovereignty over the Temple Mount in return only for a Palestinian acknowledgment of the Jewish claim of a historical connection. Even that Arafat was unwilling to grant. Arafat wanted the Jews to abase themselves by conceding that their holiest place is more important to Arabs than it is to Jews. Such abasement, he knew, would be one more cut in the ever more tenuous bonds joining the Jews of Israel to their past. (Natan Sharansky revealed recently that less than 50% of Israeli high school students living outside Jerusalem have ever visited the capital, much less the Western Wall.) The Palestinians understand, as we do not, that a nation without a past is a nation without a future. Palestinian legislator Selah Temari writes in his memoirs of his shock at seeing his Jewish jailer eating bread on Pesach. In response to Temari's query, the guard replied, "Do you really expect me not to eat bread today because of something that happened over 3,000 years ago?" That night, Temari relates, he could not sleep. In the course of the night, he went from believing that Israel was invincible to being convinced that the Palestinians could one day regain the entirety of the Land because the Jews have lost their sense of connection. The Temple, of course, was not just a building or a geographical location. When the pilgrims poured into Jerusalem from all over the Land for the Festivals, the Temple became the great symbol of Jewish unity -- a physical manifestation, write Nachmanides, of the unity at Sinai when we received the Torah as "one man with one heart." In the wilderness, the Jews lived surrounded by constant miracles. According to one interpretation, they cried on the night of Tisha B'Av night, after hearing the report of the Spies, because they doubted their ability to live in the same closeness to G-d upon entering the Land and resuming a normal physical existence. The Temple, the dwelling place of the Divine Presence on earth, provided proof that the relationship could be maintained even within the confines of the natural world. When, however, the people lost their internal unity and were no longer worthy of having the Divine Presence in their midst, the Temple was destroyed. Our alienation from our past and from the One Whose presence dwelt in the Temple G-d can only be remedied through an awareness of what we once possessed and are now lacking. "All those who mourn for Jerusalem," say our Sages, "will one day witness her rejoicing." Until we can cry for our estrangement on an individual and collective level from the irreducible point of divinity within, the pilgrims' song of rejoicing will not be heard. The website address of the Christian Action for Israel is http://christianactionforisrael.org |
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REWRITING HISTORY: ISRAEL HAS BEEN PALESTINIAN HOMELAND FOR "A MILLION YEARS"
Posted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, July 30, 2004. |
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Denying Israel's right to exist by claiming the Jews have no historical roots in Israel is a backbone of Palestinian Authority (PA) cultural education, as is the attempt to reinforce Palestinian claims to the land by creating an ancient Palestinian history in Israel. A new poetry video called You and Us, broadcast on PA TV almost every day in recent weeks, uses both tactics. As shots of Israelis appear on the screen, an announcer's grave voice reads the poem's opening line: "You are phantoms in my land." The juxtaposition of text and visuals also portrays Israelis as "conquerors." The text of the poem states that the land has been Palestinian homeland for "a million years," since "the dawn of man's creation," and that no one occupied the land before the Palestinians' arrival. Scenes of Yasser Arafat accompany the repeated phrase, "This is the beginning," and the poem's final line refers to "revolution" as the PA flag appears on the screen. The following is the text of the poem, with a description of the accompanying visuals: "You are phantoms on my land [visuals of Israelis]
Itamar Marcus is director of PMW -Palestinian Media Watch - (http://www.pmw.org.il). Barbara Crook, a writer and university lecturer based in Ottawa, Canada, is PMW's North American representative. |
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DISPOSING OF JEWISH HOLY SITES
Posted by Emanuel A. Winston, July 30, 2004. |
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Arutz Sheva News published a story about Rabbi Shlomo Goren, IDF Chief Rabbi and Major General in 1967 who later became Chief Rabbi of Israel. (See attached) In brief, Rabbi Goren applied for a permit to pray on the Temple Mount on Tisha Be'Av in 1967 shortly after it was liberated by the IDF in the Six Day War of June 1967. His request was refused by the Ministerial Committee for the Safeguarding of Holy Places. As a relevant aside, this pompous title is an Oxymoron - given that since then this 'Committee' has allowed the digging under and destruction of the Temple Mount with barely a word or action halting this ongoing desecration by Muslim Arabs. In a way, however, this permitted desecration is part of the story. In several previous articles, I pointed out that, then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan handed over the keys and control of the Temple Mount to the Arab Muslim Waqf after Israel had liberated it from Jordan's 19 years of control and destruction. There was a deeper political reason for Dayan to abandon Solomon's Temple - the earthly House of the Jewish G-d. The Left Wing Party of Mapai held certain ideologies under the rubric of 'Zionism'. Some confused Zionism and the return of the Jews to the Land G-d promised us as the fulfillment and conclusion of Judaism. Regrettably, the two were worlds apart. Men like David Ben Gurion, Ezer Weizman, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, among others were in no way observant Jews. To them G-d was a convenient myth which was not questioned by the Jews of the World who poured money into the "Jewish State". When any of these leaders put on a kippah (Jewish skull cap) at such times they were talking to observant Jews, it was a convenient masquerade, But, it was a good show and there appeared a comraderie or melding of purpose. But, the ultimate goal of Mapai which morphed into the Labor Party was that Israel was to be a politically secular state. While giving lip service to rabbis or American fund-raising institutions of their dedication to an observant Jewish State, it was all merely lip service. The Jews never understood or perhaps didn't want to understand that the controlling politicians were primarily secular. They pandered to various religiously observant parties because they represented a sizable block of votes. From the earliest time of the new State there were plans to insure that religious Jewry never became a dominant force in the government of the new Jewish Nation. For reasons that baffle me, observant Jews never caught on. When Holy Sites were gifted away to the Arabs, the 'spin' or angle was that these were merely needed gestures to pacify the wild Muslim Palestinians and it would appease their tendency to violence. Of course, it never did but, the appeasement continued. When Moshe Dayan so cavalierly gifted the Temple Mount to the Arab Muslim Waqf in 1967, every warning signal should have lit up in the minds of observant Jews. Dayan, seemingly on his own, gifted the Soul Center of the Jewish people to a pagan, hostile religion. A great battle had taken place to return all of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and Dayan gave away the heart and soul of the Jewish people without any known or affective protest from the Jews. While he was for the moment a hero General, he should have been immediately sacked and tried for treason. Instead, like others who followed him, he was allowed to carry on his life of womanizing, stealing artifacts for his private collection and never called to account for giving away the most Holy Site for Jews in all the World. The disposal and/or abandonment of Holy Sites is not merely a haphazard pattern. This ranks as part of the basic ideology of those who deliver these as the Planning Committee that carries forward the Radical Left's earliest plans. Disposing of Holy Sites is one of the major imperatives of Leftist secular philosophy. Giving up the Temple Mount was not only an imperative but was mandatory if the political Left was to remain dominant in ruling the Nation. Consider Solomon's Temple through the eyes and philosophy of Ben Gurion, Dayan, Weizman, etc. If the observant Jews had access to and control of Solomon's Temple most assuredly they would have started construction of the Third Temple as detailed in Tanach (the Bible), observant Jews would have flocked to the site in ever greater numbers then those who now come to the Western Wall, the Kotel HaMa'aravi. Moreover, Jews who were only mildly observant or who had no belief in the One G-d would also be drawn to this mystical Holy Site. If you were a secular politician, your position in the Government would steadily diminish or your Leftist Party would disappear. Disposing of Holy Sites and land areas which hark back to Biblical times had to be abandoned. When Rabbi Goren was refused permission to pray on the Temple Mount, it was in a direct line to Dayan's disposing of that Holy Site to the Arab Muslims. When non-observant Prime Ministers refused to take any action when the Muslim Waqf started to dig out the interior of the Temple Mount (called Solomon's Stables), they were silent. Even as precious artifacts were dug out by machines and dumped in garbage piles in the Kidron Valley. Both the Arab Muslims and the Leftist Jews wanted all traces of any Jewish presence destroyed. I feel quite safe in saying that if the Ark of the Covenant itself was found, it would be impounded or destroyed to insure that there would be no center of religious gravity or symbol. When Bibi Netanyahu casually gave up 80% of Hebron and divided rights to space for prayers in the Marat HaMachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs) - the burial places of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Ya'acov and Leah. Here again, the elimination of a Jewish Holy Site was in line with the basic plan to keep Israeli rule in the secular domain. Politically Bibi could not abandon the site in one fell swoop so the community of religious Jews was allowed to stay and the site of the Machpelah was divided so Jews could pray, separated from the Muslims. The end game plan was to wait for the Muslim Arab Terrorists (in the name of Allah) to kill so many Jews that it would be only logical to send in the military and forcibly remove the Jews in what would look like a noble rescue mission. The end product was that another key Holy Site would be removed from the world of observant Jewry. To further this process, several Jews, both men and mothers of many children have been arrested, placed in Administrative Detention, threatened with jail and to have their children placed in foster homes - all this was to pressure the Jews faithful who guard the Holy Site of Hebron to leave. In the early 1980s I wrote about the Labor leaders meeting illegally with Yassir Arafat to plan the forcible removal of Jews from the territories. These Jewish leaders not only engaged in treason to the State but also acted as enablers for Arafat's Palestinians to act as shock troops to drive the last of the hold-out settlers from their homes. This, in a normal court of law, would be considered co-conspiracy to commit murder. The Pioneering Settlers were indeed murdered and yet the Labor dominated Courts of Israel never pursued the matter. There were far too many Jewish Holy Sites such as Shilo where the Ark of the Covenant rested for hundreds of years before it was finally transported by then King David to the Temple Mount which became the site of his son King Solomon's First Temple. Here again a Holy Site was to be forcibly abandoned - among many others. The Oslo Accords allocated Jericho and Gaza First to Arafat's Palestinian Authority. The ancient synagogue in Jericho was destroyed and the Jews expelled. Gaza is the site of many Jewish ancient points in history. Gaza is now slated to be abandoned again but this time the 8,000 men, women and children are to be transferred out of their homes, farms, factories, schools, synagogues, infrastructure and water resources which are to be 'transferred' over to the Muslim Arabs who want to flood in from all over the Arab Muslim world. We all recall how Joseph's Tomb in Nablus (Schehem) was abandoned under order of the military as dictated by the Rabin/Peres government. The Arabs burned the Tomb, its contents of Torah and holy books while the IDF left one of their own bleeding to death without rescue To rescue him would have necessitated re-capturing Joseph's Tomb and that simply was not in the overall plan of de-Judaizing Israel. I am sure one of our Jewish historians can provide a list of all the Holy Sites abandoned or yet to be abandoned now by the non-Jewish Jew Sharon. Gaza has a deep historical place in Jewish history as does the Golan Heights. The De-Judaizing of Israel has been a careful step-by-step procedure so as to not alert or alarm local or world Jewry. There have been many religious cults throughout history. Conversely, there have also been anti-religious cults dedicated to dominating their selected adversaries. The more modern cult of anti-Jewish thinking is embodied in what today is called the Political Left. Strangely, they are de facto partners with Yassir Arafat who bitterly complained of the Judification of Jerusalem. These are strange but compatible bedfellows. Arafat wants all the Jews either dead or deported from the Jewish State. He ties his goals to Islam which he really doesn't believe in. The non-Jewish Jews of the Left sometimes use religious Jews to advance their agenda de-Judaizing Israel. Both engage in killing Jews or facilitating their murders and injuries to advance their ideology. To sum up: The early fathers of the Leftist movement wanted a secular State with a thin veneer of accepting religious Judaism as a necessary cover. An imperative part of this plan is to dispose of Holy Sites in any manner possible in order to remove any rallying symbols for observant Jews and thereby remove any political challenge to their rule. In effect, the concept of making Israel Judenrein is still operational. In this case, being free of Jews simply means that there will be no appreciable religious Jewry but, merely empty shells called Jews. As is often stated in Tanach, your worst enemies will come from within. Even as Sharon tries to transfer Jews from the Land and from their homes, in brazen hypocrisy he tells French Jews to flee France due to rampant anti-Semitism there even as he, Sharon, plays the role of the quintessential anti-Semite. 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). |
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JEWS PARANOID OR NAIVE? MIGHT VERSUS FRIGHT
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, July 30, 2004. |
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Some Web writers suggest that we Jews are paranoid about Arab intentions towards us. Those writers ought to read the IMRA translations of the weekly theme from mosque sermons, repeated in broadcasts in S. Arabia, the P.A., and Egypt. That theme is: kill the Jews and Christians; kill Americans. The murderous Arab intent towards the Jews is explicit. Jewish concern is not paranoid. Gentile writers ought to worry about another 9/11. Arabs attempt to attack Jews, for being Jews, every day in the Land of Israel and in Europe. It is taking the Jewish people too long time to grasp the idea that certain gentile peoples want to push them out and wipe them out. The problem with the Jewish people is not paranoia but naivete. Jews would be better advised to be more suspicious. The Jews are insufficiently aware of the plots against them. They hope that Europe would use its influence to get the Arabs to stop terrorism, whereas Europe has a Mediterranean alliance against Israel. They think of the US as an ally against terrorism, whereas the US stays Israel's hand against terrorism. In fact, the traditionally anti-Zionist State Dept. has stayed Israel's hand against Arab imperialism repeatedly. Unfortunately, the far from paranoid Israelis consider their "best friend" to be that same US government that made them accept a first blow in 1973, staggering Israeli defenses. Those insufficiently suspicious Israelis failed to draw the obvious conclusion from Pollard's finding that the US was denying it promised vital intelligence about Arab military development and even was feeding it disinformation, for which finding, Pollard is disproportionately punished. The US and EU enemies of Israel pretend to be friends, and most Jews get taken in. Study their motives and judge by their actions. Become alert or succumb. This is not the first time. In the 1920s, the Zionist leader Jabotinsky warned the Jews of Europe that unless they fled, they would be exterminated. He saw the rise of an increasingly violent antisemitism there. He had foresight, but they had no sight. He was thought paranoid. They were murdered; he was vindicated. But the survivors failed to learn: Wise up or be wiped out! Now Jews who warn about the Arabs, and who oppose Oslo and "Disengagement" as empowering the enemy, are called paranoid. Those who mock warnings do them no good. MIGHT VERSUS FRIGHT When Israel acts weak, i.e., it makes harmful concessions to the undeserving Arabs, it claims to be acting from strength, based on having a modern army. This is an army, however, that hardly uses its planes and tanks and hardly pursues the enemy. It is inhibited by leftist and foreign sympathy for the Arabs, based on vested interests or on old biases phrased as human rights. The US also has a modern army not put to full use. Twice the US failed to move boldly to kill off the Republican Guards, now attacking its forces. Terrorists kidnap nationals of coalition members, until the members remove their forces or their aide groups. Terrorists flow in from other areas that breed Islamists or cooperate with them, because the US has insufficient forces or insufficient resolve in this partisan election period to attack more countries. How can the US attack more countries when the President does not recognize the extent and religious component of the world war we are in, the meager US forces are spread out in peacekeeping that the hypocritical international critics fail to do enough of, and the President is under fire for the limited warfare we wage? If he had properly defined the enemy, urged Congress to declare war on Islamism and its allies, not told us how fine Islam is, and coherently explained the war in Iraq, he might have positioned the US to move beyond Iraq and win. What good is our modern military technology, when, like Israel's, not fully deployed? I fear that although the US has disrupted terrorism, Islamism is winning. It even gets some help from the US (via subsidy to the P. A. coddling of S. Arabia, arms to unstable Egypt). Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at ricshulman@aol.com. |
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LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE HUMAN CHAIN
Posted by Moshe Feiglin, July 30, 2004. |
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Last week we published here a call to participate in the chain demonstration. In the same call we emphasized that it was clear that Sharon, who lacks democratic awareness, wouldn't treat the chain any better than he treated the Likud referendum, or his election promises. The importance of the activity was inwards, that is, to the belief-based public itself, and to the population of Israel, and not the leadership. We also remarked that at some stage or another the public will be obliged to go over to a protest involving broad-based non-violent civil disobedience, such as that done by Zo Artzeinu in the past. We had no "hidden" intention of blocking roads during the chain itself, but despite this the media reported Manhigut Yehudit's call to block the roads during this event. This doesn't bother us, and it simply proves that deep down both the Left and the Right understand that this is the step that should be taken, and any "wink" by us is immediately regarded as a plan of action. It is in fact important that public consciousness of the need for activities of this kind should increase. Non-violent civil disobedience is the sole democratic tool that can create an effective struggle throughout the country, with controllable conditions, while avoiding violence and degeneration into a civil war. Those who will wait until the last million and dream of tens of thousands holding out in Gush Katif are liable to discover that they've missed the train. In such circumstances the events that we are afraid of may well happen. Unfortunately history does repeat itself, and we have therefore seen fit to reissue (in a fourth edition) Moshe Feiglin's book, Where there are no men. For those who wish to conduct a real, effective, and non-violent struggle, it's worthwhile learning from the experience of Zo Artzeinu. (The price is $20 with free shipping! The book is in English, Hebrew and Russian. Send your $20 check to: Manhigut Yehudit PO Box 241 Cedarhurst, NY 11516 *Make sure to include a mailing address.) Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) is a group of people inside the Likud party who want to see Israel adopt a more Jewish character. Moshe Feiglin, its cofounder, has emphatically said he does not want a theocracy, but he does want a State based on Jewish values. The Manhigut Yehudit website address is http://www.manhigut.org. |
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EGYPT'S RULING PARTY NEWSPAPER: THE HOLOCAUST IS A ZIONIST LIE AIMED AT EXTORTING THE WEST
Posted by IsrAlert, July 29, 2004. |
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This is a Special Dispatch of the Egypt/Arab Antisemitism Documentation Project, The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), July 30, 2004, No. 756. To view this Special Dispatch in HTML format, please visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD75604 The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request. Dr. Rif'at Sayyed Ahmad, director of the "Jaffa Research Center" in Cairo and columnist for Al-Liwaa Al-Islami, which is the Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party's paper, published a two-part article titled 'The Lie About The Burning of the Jews.' In his article, Ahmad stated, using the work of Western Holocaust deniers, that the burning of Jews in gas chambers during World War II was a tale made up by the Zionist movement in order to extort the West and make possible the establishment of the Zionist enterprise. The following are excerpts from the article:(1) 'Did this Holocaust Indeed Take Place, and what is the Truth about the Numbers?' "The Zionist enterprise on the land of Palestine succeeded by means of lies and myths, from the myth of the 'Chosen People' and the 'Promised Land' to the lie about the burning of the Jews in the Nazi gas chambers during World War II. When these means were scientifically examined, it was proven that they were untrue, that their reasoning was weak, and that they cannot withstand the test of solid fact. "What interests us here is that this lie [about] the burning of the Jews in the Nazi crematoria has been disseminated throughout the world until our time in order to extort the West and make it easier for the Jews of Europe to hunt [sic] Palestine and establish a state on it, in disregard of the most basic principles of international law and the right of peoples to independent life without occupation. [This lie] was raised [also] so that [the Jews] would receive financial, technological, and economic aid from the West. "During the past 50 years, Germany alone gave a total of some $100 billion. Many European countries began to amend their laws so that they would be compatible with the Holocaust myth ... and they toughened the regulations, resolutions, and laws convicting anyone who mocks this lie or tries to [state that] the number of victims was smaller - as happened to Muslim philosopher Roger Garaudy in France. "This entire situation has turned the Holocaust - that is, Hitler's operation of burning the Jews in gas chambers - into a drawn sword at the necks of historians and serious researchers in the West, and even in the East. At the same time, [the Holocaust] became profitable goods for the Zionist entity... "At a conference of 50 countries held in Germany in April 2004, the German foreign minister delivered a speech called 'Antisemitism.' He demanded that the conference participants demonstrate solidarity with Israel and fight those who deny or cast doubt on the matter of the burning of the Jews in the Nazi crematoria. Several months ago in the city of Stockholm, Sweden, some 26 European and non-European countries passed a resolution to teach 'the false Nazi holocaust' that Hitler had carried out against the Jews, at all stages of study in the schools of the participating countries. At the same time, there were words of appreciation for the Israeli prime minister, whose entity is today implementing the same purported Hitler Nazism. "None of the senior officials who participated in the conference bothered to answer a number of questions: Did this holocaust indeed take place, and what is the truth about the numbers that were disseminated regarding it? [They did not answer the question of] what their opinion was regarding the slaughter in cold blood of children, men, and defenseless elderly in Palestine today, since September 28, 2002 [sic]. Is this not 'the new Nazism?' And how does their false European integrity and their false defense of human rights accept this? "To this day, none of these countries has answered these questions, and never will answer them, because they are hypocrites with regard to [the difference between] perception and analysis, and there is no chance of getting an answer from them. We can only present clear-cut evidence, and try to reread the story of this 'holocaust' with complete objectivity." 'Objective Essays by Zionist Authors Prove the Lie about the Burning of the Jews in Gas Chambers' "First, the facts about this lie and what surrounds it, as follows: "[The number] of victims as a result of World War II, due both to the crimes of the Axis countries and the [crimes of] the Allies, are, according to a few versions, about 50 million, whether as a result of the war or of Hitler's crimes. Of these, 18 million were Germans. Among the victims of this war were Jews, like other members of the human race, as war and cannon shells and planes are incapable of distinguishing between Jew and non-Jew. "Similarly, Hitler was against all nationalities that were not pure German, whether Jewish or non-Jewish. He was a fanatical German nationalist whose nationalism, which was against everything except Germany, included, of course, both Jews and non-Jews. "Objective essays by Zionist authors prove the lie about the burning of the Jews in gas chambers. Of these it is possible to mention, for example, Josef Ginzburg, a German [Jew] who lived under Nazi rule and fled with his family to America and from there went to Israel - about whose establishment he was enthusiastic. But after experiencing what he called its racist Nazi essence, he quickly left Israel and returned to Germany in the 1950s. There [in Germany] he wrote a number of important books about the 'holocaust,' denying that there had been gas chambers designed for burning the Jews. He said: 'This is nothing but a great lie, by means of which the extremist Jews wanted to extort Europe - particularly Germany - and to plunder the homelands of others.' And that is exactly what happened in occupied Palestine. "Josef Ginzburg was murdered by the Jews when he went to visit his wife's grave in Munich's Jewish cemetery, in retaliation for his attempt to expose their falsification." The Hoax of the 20th Century "The famous French historian and geographer Paul Rassinein [sic, reference to Paul Rassinier] tried to confront this falsification and lie from the outset. In 1948, he published an extremely important history book about this falsification, called 'Crossing the Line.'(2) In his book, he used exact numbers and statistics about the number of Jews in Europe - particularly in Germany - prior to and following World War II. He carefully compared these [with the number of victims], and concluded that the number of killed from among them as a result of the war or as a result of Hitler's persecution of them and others who were not German subjects did not exceed a few hundred thousand. [Rassinier wrote in his book], 'The number did not reach even one million killed, at most.' "Paul Rassinier was persecuted and stood trial. He, the publisher, and the author of the book's preface were all fined a large amount, just like what happened half a century later to the Muslim philosopher Roger Garaudy when he published his book 'The Founding Myths of Zionism,'(3) in which he refuted this same lie - the lie of the burning of the Jews in the gas chambers. And in a democratic country, France, he [Garaudy] was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, fined, persecuted, and slandered. What kind of democracy is this, that does not tolerate the intellectual efforts of others on this world's historical issues?... "The American author and researcher Arthur Butz produced an important book titled 'The Hoax of the Twentieth Century'(4)... This book includes precise scientific data on the Auschwitz camp, where it was alleged that 1.2 million Jews were 'burnt.' Arthur Butz proved that at this camp dead bodies - of Jews and non-Jews - were burnt as a result of the war, and that their bodies were burnt so contagious diseases would not be spread by leaving them in the streets for a long time. [Similarly,] it is almost certain that it was not Hitler who built the crematoria, but the Poles, after the war, and that the odors emitted by the crematoria in which the bodies were burnt were also those of horses who died as a result of the war... He concluded from all this that the 'crematoria' ... were a lie that must now be exposed. Of course, Arthur Butz was attacked by world Zionism, and nearly paid with his life." 'No Matter what Proof We Present, [the Jews and] the European Politicians will Never Believe Us' "The evidence and the objective essays published in the world about this 'lie,' which the Jews have succeeded in exploiting with great wisdom, are continuing. The most recent important attempt, which also faced a Zionist counterattack, was that of British historian David Irving, who in 1990 stated before 800 people in Munich that there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz, and that the gas chamber in the detention camp there was erected by the Poles after the war - similar to the one erected by the Americans at Dachau - and that six million Jews were not burnt there as was alleged. "In January 2002, he again stated that it was inconceivable that the number of Jews killed as a result of the war reached this number [six million]... "In the same way, articles by Gilbert Aire [sic] appeared in the British [newspaper The] Independent, in which he considered the talk about the Holocaust as nothing more than a cheap fashion. Similarly, the essays of British authors Sam Shulman, Tim Cole, and Nata Shalter [sic], of the American author Peter Novick, and of dozens of other [authors] of conscience, who were very humiliated by the trade in the false Holocaust... "No matter what details and proof emphasizing the lie of the burning of the Jews in Nazi crematoria we present, they [the Jews] and the statesmen of Europe who trade in the Holocaust will never believe us. On the contrary - it is almost certain that they will accuse us of antisemitism... "Dozens of Western laws in the European countries have been changed to protect this false myth of the burning of the Jews. Dozens of curricula have also been changed. Today, it is possible to curse the monotheistic religions, but the 'holocaust' and its lie are above criticism and above opinion, and in Europe it is unapproachable. "All this proves that we are standing before new Western idol-worship that requires a genuine cultural revolution within it in order to destroy it - a revolution that will use facts and science against tales ungrounded in true reality and credible history." Endnotes:
IsrAlert, a Jewish advocacy network, is hosted by Harv Weiner. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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ARAB GUIDE TO THE 2004 ELECTION
Posted by IsrAlert, July 29, 2004. |
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This was written by Steven Stalinsky and appeared today on the Jewish
World Review website (http://www.jewishworldreview.com). Steven
Stalinsky is Executive Director of The Middle East Media Research
Institute (www.memri.org).
The Arab and Iranian press have increasingly discussed the upcoming American presidential election. Most journalists are pulling for a Kerry victory. Other commentators have said that the choice between the two is like "choosing between cholera and the plague." The Iranian press has been particularly active in monitoring the elections. The editor of the Egyptian Al-Gil newspaper, Nagi Al Shihabi, was interviewed by the Iranian Al-Alam TV on June 13, and said: "The U.S. wants to eradicate our religious and Islamic identity. Bush declared a Crusader war following the events of 9/11... The U.S. established its country over the body parts of 120 million Indians. We must first define the enemy. The no. 1 enemy of the Arab and Islamic peoples is the U.S. and not only Israel... Bush, Allah willing, will go to hell in this coming November." During his Friday sermon in the city of Qom, broadcast by Channel 2 of Iranian TV on June 19, preacher Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli called on Americans to vote against Mr. Bush: "We advise the people of America not to continue to tolerate this oppressing, ignorant, pillaging, criminal, and discriminating administration. In the future, do not vote for Bush and his ilk." Writing in the Tehran Times on June 17, Kian Nader Mokhtari praised Senator Kerry, and hoped that he would triumph over the "neo-Nazis" of the Bush administration: "It has long been a tradition in U.S. politics for irresponsible gun-toting Republican presidents to pass on unresolved dilemmas to their Democratic replacements, and Bush will be no exception... Kerry is exactly what the U.S. needs... Kerry's sensible and methodical approach will no doubt go some distance in solving the stinking heap of a mess left over by Bush and his neo-conservatives - for a minute there I was going to type neo-Nazis!... He [Kerry] may be remembered as the president whose decisions saved the U.S..." The Lebanese minister of information, Michael Samaha, also discussed the election on Syrian TV on March 30: "The most important thing that could happen in the coming American elections if Kerry wins is that the neo-conservatives leave. They have a complete ideology regarding their treatment of the world and specifically the Middle East and the Near East to which we belong. If they leave, the real American America will return." In an article in Al-Ahram weekly on April 18, an Arab-Israeli member of Knesset, Azmi Bishara, called on Arab-Americans to "rethink their alliance with Bush" and "shift their votes from Bush to Kerry." But not everyone in the Arab and Iranian press supports Mr. Kerry. In an interview with Al-Siyassah daily, Sheik Saud Al Nasser Al Sabah, who was Kuwait's ambassador to America from 1981 until 1992, said he hopes Republicans will stay in power: "If the American administration changes in November, it will be catastrophic... because those Democrats do not understand a thing about foreign policy, and they lack the determination to make decisions the way Bush made them in Iraq and elsewhere." He added, "Our only hope is that this administration will continue for the next few years..." California State University professor Asad Abu Khalil was interviewed by the Iranian channel Al-Alam TV on June 23. The professor said: "I say that decision-making in American foreign policy is done by more than just one group. There is, of course, the neo-conservative group, but there is another group which is more important and that is the Christian fundamentalists - the Christian Taliban, which is influential in the U.S., to which the American president belongs...The nature of the American empire may change under John Kerry, but we shouldn't do what some PLO representatives in Western capitals did, when they opened champagne bottles when the Labor party replaced the Likud?" The Saudi-owned Iqra TV hosted a political debate on March 24. The moderator asked the panel their opinions on voting for Mr. Kerry or Mr. Bush, "Sir, do you believe the American voter will vote for Kerry as a reaction to the position of Bush junior, who always supports Sharon? "A Palestinian politician and writer, Abd Al-Qader Yassin, said: "We need to choose between cholera and the plague." As November approaches, it is interesting to note that four years ago the Arab and Iranian press was giddy about a Governor Bush victory over Vice President Gore, which was seen as an end to the Clinton administration's Middle East policy. The same press is again calling for a change in the White House. IsrAlert, a Jewish advocacy network, is hosted by Harv Weiner. To subscribe to IsrAlert, send an email to isralert@aol.com |
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UNMERCIFUL MUSLIM CHARITIES
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, July 29, 2004. |
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The flaw in modern, mass democracy is its exaltation of individual privilege over individual responsibility. Democracy also has to balance individual rights and governmental power. Islamists seeks to curb both, until it can use the latter to crush the former. Prompted by citizens' demands for action against terrorist attacks, the current Administration is grasping for more power to thwart them. I think it is heavy-handed about it. Other critics, perhaps partisan, think this its excess intentional. It does coincide with governmental attempts to thwart citizen participation and oversight over a great giveaway and pollution of natural resources. In dealing with jihad, the government is needlessly inhibited by political correctness and tolerance of subversion. In decades past, more Communist subversion was dealt with for sensationalism than for safety. The Communists' spiritual heirs have come into position to demean reasonable efforts at public safety. Political correctness casts a veil of censorship over the political process. Our government, engaged in a world war on jihad, is afraid to clearly define it as such (and then gets criticized for invading Iraq as if for nothing). It is more difficult to fight back when the enemy is not identified and his tools are politically correct. Islamists are mass-migrating to the West. Most enter for jobs and contribute to terrorist fundraising agencies euphemistically called charities. Few American voices would shut off the terrorist infiltrating and fundraising at the source -- ports of entry -- because that contravenes the politically correct notion of multiculturalism and collective punishment. But this IS a collective matter. Rather than a few individual criminals unfairly spoiling the chance for betterment of life of the Muslim masses, the Muslim masses spoil the chances of the few individuals among them who wish to assimilate into the American way of life. The masses hate secular, Western ways and wish to remold our society after their failed one. They donate to terrorist fundraising agencies with nary an inquiry, despite the publicity about terrorist fundraising indicating that funds go for other than stated charitable purpose. Few Americans demand more monitoring of the fundraising agencies, because the latter call themselves charities. We must learn that the Islamists misrepresent their struggle against democracy in innocent guise. They likewise learn what words evoke negative emotions, such as "Nazi," and attribute it to Israel, although the Arabs were pro-Nazi. Hitler's autobiography and "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" remain bestsellers in the Arab world. They do not dislike Nazism when they accuse Israel of it, they cast at Israel whatever the rest of the world considers mud, though they, themselves, wallow in it like an unwashed pig trying to cool itself in summer. We must not let Arab semantic tricks divert us from our duty. When the government does indict an alleged charity, other terrorist front organizations, such as C.A.I.R., always and automatically denounce the indictment and the government. This can embarrass a government that takes that subversive organization at face value. A major public issue is whether moderate Muslims will reform their religion and delegitimize the Islamists within it. But are there many moderate Muslims? If so, why their widespread donation to phony charities? Do the Muslim masses not know that terrorist fronts pose as charities? Why not? Do they not realize that the fronts' subsidy of families of suicide bombers acts as an insurance policy for suicide bombers, hence encourages them? What they call donating to charity is financing murder, crimes against humanity. I think they know and approve. When the courts convict the fronts, where is the donors' outcry against the fronts that defrauded them and deprived genuine objects of charity? This silence damns the moderates or disproves their existence. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at ricshulman@aol.com. |
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ARABS SHOCK EUROPEANS, REFUSE TO CONDEMN ANTI-SEMITISM
Posted by Janet Lehr, July 29, 2004. |
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Last evening Dr Stephen Berk, speaking at The Jewish Center of East Hampton, in addressing anti-semitism in America, credited the enormous effectiveness of a single book in fostering anti-semitism. Edward Said's Orientalism was published in 1978. In Orientalism, he laid down the rules for how the Middle East is studied and the perception of Israel and America. This is today's Bible, the Rosetta Stone of the Left. (Read the references below and attached on Edward Said. It may give you indigestion, but you need to know their script.). This article is entitled "Arabs Shock Europeans, refuse to condemn anti-Semitism" by Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/456967.html NEW YORK - Arab states at he United Nations are trying to foil a proposal to raise a vote condemning anti-Semitism in the General Assembly this September. At a closed meeting held recently in New York, UN ambassadors from Arab and EU countries met and the Arabs made clear that they do not accept the initiative for the UN General Assembly to condemn anti-Semitism. The blunt language used by the Arabs describing their opposition, and their plans to use diplomatic means to prevent the resolution from reaching a vote, shocked the Europeans, said a UN source. According to UN sources, the Arab delegates were also critical of a UN seminar on anti-Semitism held last month. A senior Western diplomat said that among the Arabs who spoke with the Europeans was PLO observer Nasser al Kidwe, and he was particularly outspoken in his objections to a UN General Assembly resolution on anti-Semitism. The source said Kidwe attacked the content of UN Secretary general Koffi Anan's speech to the seminar last month, particularly Annan's pride in the cancelation of the 1975 Zionism equals racism resolution. "The Europeans were depressed when they left the meeting," said the source. Jordanian Ambassador to the UN Prince Ziad Hussein argued that the resolution would reinforce the tendency to call any criticism of Israel, anti-Semitic. Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Banone, said that the seminar against anti-Semitism was a terrible idea and a decision would only divide the world body. Arab League Ambassador Mahamas Hani warned that a UN resolution condemning anti-Semitism would have a negative impact on the Middle East. The proposed resolution would issue a general condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism and acts of intolerance, incitement and harassment. The decision would also call on member countries to take steps to block anti-Semitism. Major countries have already committed to voting in favor. Last year, an Israeli initiative for a similar resolution failed. It is hard for me to believe that Columbia, the school of choice fifty years ago, for New York Cities best, brightest orthodox Jewish college boys has become a raging hot bed of pro-palestinian anti-semitism. Where are the alumnae? Please email this to Columbia and Barnard alums. "Columbia University Celebrates Edward Said" by Jonathan Calt Harris
on "National Review" April 15, 2003.
Jonathan Calt Harris is managing editor of Campus Watch.
On April 16th, Columbia University will celebrate a "25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee" of Orientalism, a book by Edward Said, emeritus professor and leading spokesman for a the Palestinian cause against Israel. The event enjoys some high-level patronage; the university's provost, Jonathan Cole, will deliver the opening remarks. By celebrating Said's work in this manner, Columbia is endorsing its contents. Why would it do this? Because Said, although not himself a specialist on the Middle East, has laid down the rules on how the region is studied at his university (and on many other campuses too). His radical leftism, his apologetics for militant Islam, and his advocacy of Palestinian violence have become the norm. So paramount are his ideas at Columbia that an endowed chair has been named after him, virtually canonizing his views. Said's influence - especially his obsessive hostility toward Israel - has indeed been pervasive at Columbia. Some examples from its lineup of Middle East specialists: 1. Nadia Abu El-Haj, assistant professor of anthropology at Barnard. In her book, Facts on the Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli Society, she argues that Israeli archeology is but a tool to fabricate an "origin myth" to "efface Zionism's colonial dimension." 2. Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian studies. He organized a Palestinian film festival "Dreams of a Nation" that featured posters of a blood-red Palestine replacing Israel and several films calling for the destruction of Israel. Dabashi once cancelled his class to participate in an anti-Israel rally, and recently joined Ayatollah Khomeini in condemning novelist Salman Rushdie for his "demonizing" of Islamic civilization. 3. Joseph Massad, assistant professor of modern Arab politics. His entire body of scholarship consists of manic anti-Zionism. He labels Israel "a Jewish supremacist and racist state" (yet Columbia allows him to teach a course titled "Palestinian and Israel Politics and Society"). He defends Palestinian violence, "It is only by making the costs of Jewish supremacy too high that Israeli Jews will give it up." He criticized Yasser Arafat for "concessions" to Israel, thus undermining "the right of the Palestinians to resist the occupation." 4. George Saliba, professor of Arabic and Islamic Science. He defends promoting an anti-Israel rally in class, calling it a place to get "accurate information on the Middle East," yet fuels false rumors about Ariel Sharon, "committing his massacres in Jenin." One student warns, "Take this class if you want to hear total and utter nonsense." Another notes, "He only lectured 14 of the 24 class sessions; the other 10, he either cancelled to promote 'Palestine' or showed a movie or played music." Joining this illustrious group in the fall will be: Rashid Khalidi, the new Edward Said Chair of Middle East Studies. Khalidi is yet another obsessive anti-Israel scholar. When Palestinians lynched two off-duty Israeli officers in October of 2000, proudly displaying their bloodied hands, Khalidi found fit to criticize not the perpetrators of the crime but the "prostitute" and "cynical" media that reported it. He glorifies anti-Israel violence as "civil society" poking "its way up through the concrete." He portrays the PLO as democratic and Arafat as an "elected leader." He claims Israel's army has used "awful weapons of mass destruction in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, a naked lie. Delirious reactions to Khalidi's imminent arrival confirm the entrenched bias at Columbia. "Everyone in the Middle East area is thrilled," comments history professor Richard Bulliet. "There was a consensus that Khalidi would be the best for this chair," adds Lisa Anderson, dean of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. "Rashid is probably the best scholar we could have gotten," agrees David Cohen, vice president for Arts and Sciences. Such is what now passes for Middle East scholarship at Columbia University on the 25th anniversary of Orientalism. It would hardly seem worthy of a jubilee celebration. John Corigliano, a well-known composer and a Columbia alumnus, recently called the Middle East-studies department to task for its blatantly anti-Israel outlook. "I do hope the [Columbia] administration has the courage - for it will take a lot of courage - to stand up to demagoguery of this nature." No sign of that courage as of yet. |
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YOU'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE
Posted by Judy Lash Balint, July 29, 2004. |
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This appeared on Front Page Magazine (www.FrontPageMagazine.com).
For the fledgling Christian Allies Caucus of Israel's Knesset it was quite a coup. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) is the first US lawmaker to be hosted by the group whose prime goal is to strengthen ties with pro-Israel Christian groups around the world. Last week, at a special meeting in the Knesset, the senator from Kansas addressed Israeli parliamentarians as well as representatives of most of the Christian groups operating in Israel. Brownback was effusive in his support of Israel--not so unusual for a visiting US legislator. What was so notable that it caused the diverse group of Israeli Knesset members to sit up and take notice, were the senator's emotional and heartfelt references to his faith as the basis of that support. The senator spoke about his upbringing on a Kansas farm where the Bible formed the bedrock of his early education. "Ancient Israel was, and is, a living reality in my home. Its spirituality, wisdom, poetry, its majesty inspired and encouraged me all my life. You have helped form my soul and I thank you for it," Brownback told the forum. He explained how American support for Israel today comes from Christians raised on the Bible who appreciate the miracle of the revival of the modern state of Israel. After a brief analysis of the state of the common fight against terror mounted by Israel and the U.S, Brownback returned to his emotional message. " I love you and the people of America love you. We love the values you have given us that cost you so much to protect for thousands of years.. We love your spirit of determination and calling. We love your heart's desire for peace." In words rarely heard in the halls of the super-politicized Knesset, Brownback repeatedly referred to God's plan for the land and people of Israel. "The last time I was in Israel, I looked out the window of my hotel and saw the flag of Israel with the Star of David and the thought entered my mind, "God does keep His promises!" That flag which had been absent in this land for nearly 2,000 years was now flying again. What an awesome God we serve," Brownback exclaimed. There were nods of agreement among the Christians in the audience, and a flicker of a smile crossed the face of Christian Allies Caucus co-chair, MK Yair Peretz. The American senator admonished Israel not to be led astray by "the culture wars..[that] embrace relativism, redefine right and wrong, good and evil....The history of your survival and continued existence is filled with examples of what happens to a people when they walk away from God's sacred laws," he warned. Finally, in the most stunning and humble remarks ever uttered by a foreign lawmaker to the Knesset, Brownback said: "As a Christian, I thank you for my faith that is rooted in yours. And as a Christian, I deeply, deeply apologize for the pain and bloodshed and deafness to suffering that we have hoisted upon you and your ancestors. May this never, ever happen again!" The Christian Allies Caucus that sponsored the Brownback visit is the brainchild of MK Yuri Shtern of the rightist National Union Party, who co-chairs the effort to reach out to Christians with an unlikely ally, MK Peretz, of the populist Sephardi religious party, Shas. At the Brownback briefing, Peretz was the only legislator who used the services of an English-Hebrew translator. Shtern, a former activist who spent years in the struggle for free emigration from the former Soviet Union, views the Christian Allies Caucus as a way to both further Israel's relations with the Christian world, and to thank pro-Israel Christians for their support in recent years. "We need their help to fight the delegitimation of Israel that is really becoming stronger and stronger," says Shtern. "Israel has no better friend in the world than the United States, and that is in no small part due to our Christian friends in America, and we hope to see the same happen in Europe, and elsewhere," he adds. Shtern termed the Caucus a "political upgrade" of relations between Israel and its Christian supporters throughout the world. "We will not be demanding that Christians adopt any particular political viewpoint on the conflict here," said Shtern in clarifying the goals of the caucus. "We simply are reaching out to the Christians to support Israel on the basis of our fundamental right to live here in peace and security." Knesset members of several political parties were in attendance for the Brownback speech. A number of the Israeli legislators wandered in late, and it was obvious that the senator couldn't quite figure out who these casually dressed people were. Following the sustained applause after his remarks, almost all of the Knesset members engaged in dialogue with the senator. Freshman Likud MK Gila Gamliel, the youngest Knesset member, told Brownback that Israel's main problem is its status as the lone democracy in the region and US pressure for disengagement. National Union Knesset member Gilad Cohen wondered out loud if there was real US pressure or whether it was just that Prime Minister Sharon tells Israel that such pressure exists. The event received significant media coverage in Israel, and highlighted the evolving relationship between Israel and the organized pro-Israel Christian world. The Jerusalem Summit organization helped initiate the Caucus last January and the World Jewish Congress recently signed on as an official endorser. Reaction amongst Christians in Israel and abroad has been positive. Well known Christian broadcaster Janet Parshall says, "In a very formal way, the Caucus means there will now be the recognition of the work that Christians have done in support of Israel. That is a monolithic step forward, and it gives us, I think, an open door in a more broad fashion to articulate our support for the nation of Israel." David Parsons, Public Relations Director for the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem and a member of the Caucus notes, "This is another sign that the Israelis and the Jewish people are now genuinely reaching out to Christians. Christians have offered a hand of support and friendship for many years and they're taking it." "Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times" by Judy Lash Balint (Gefen) is available for purchase from www.israelbooks.com |
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THE STRUGGLE AGAINST PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL SUBJUGATION
Posted by Ruth Matar, July 29, 2004. |
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Dear Friends, A "post-Zionist leftist oligarchy" (consisting of the Sharon Government, the courts, and the leftist media) is trying to subjugate the People of Israel, both physically and spiritually. This "post-Zionist leftist oligarchy" is trying to convince the People that the only way that Israel can survive is by continual retreat from our Land. The battle cry is: "We must transfer the Jews from Biblical Gaza and Samaria. ... The Arabs are just too numerous. ... We have a severe demographic problem. ... The Arabs are soon going to be the overwhelming majority. We must, therefore, transfer the Jews from Gaza and Northern Samaria for the good of the rest of the nation." Whether this is the real reason for Sharon's shameful Unilateral Disengagement Plan, we are in no position to know. Why does Sharon want to disengage from the very people whom he encouraged to build their homes in Biblical Gaza, Samaria and Judea? After all, he spent many years of his life building up these communities. Is it possible that Ariel Sharon who we once considered to be a Lion of Judah, has lost all his courage in his old age? Whatever Sharon's reasons for his complete change of heart, he has now arbitrarily and dictatorially decided on a different direction. To achieve his own designs, Sharon is employing the most unconscionable use of power. The Jews who have built their homes in Biblical Gaza and Northern Samaria, did so with the encouragement of successive Israeli governments. Sharon himself, when he was Minister of National Infrastructure between the years 1996-1998 under Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister, encouraged people to settle the Jewish Land. In any case, Sharon's now wanting to expel these people from their homes, is a prime example of Sharon's desire to physically subjugate the Jewish People. Just as detrimental as physical subjugation, or maybe even more detrimental, is his attempt at spiritual suppression. Sharon has become like one of the ten spies in the Bible, who brought to the Children of Israel an evil report on the Land that they had spied out, saying: "The Land through which we have passed, to spy it out, is a Land that devours its inhabitants! All the people that we saw in it were huge! There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of the giant from among the Nephilim; we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we were in their eyes!" (Numbers 13:32-33) Is Sharon's ambition now to be the Prime Minister of a nation of grasshoppers? Sharon went up to the Temple Mount in September of 2000. A new war of terror started immediately, which had been planned by Arafat for several months. This war against the Jewish People is still going on and has already claimed more Jewish lives in four years, than in the seven years between 1993 (the beginning of Oslo) and 2000. Sharon promised the Jewish People security, but engaged only in a tit for tat policy, rather than going all out to defeat the Arab enemy. Even though Sharon supposedly defied the whole Arab world by going up to the Temple Mount in September of 2000, he then forbade Jews and Christians to visit this holiest of places until August of 2003. Sharon no longer seemed to show any interest whatsoever in claiming Jewish ownership of the Temple Mount, which is the holiest place in the Jewish religion. He permitted the Arabs to build additions to their Mosques using heavy machinery, and looked away when the Arabs wantonly destroyed Jewish artifacts from the First and Second Temple periods. This was done deliberately by the Arabs to destroy any evidence of prior Jewish presence on the Temple Mount. (Some such artifacts, which had not been destroyed, have turned up on the world antiquity market at tremendous financial gain for the Arabs.) When Israeli archeologists warned Sharon of dangerous cracks in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, and cautioned against the Southern Wall's imminent collapse, the Sharon government called in Jordanian engineers to do the necessary repairs. This in spite of the fact that Israel has engineers who are just as good, and probably better. Was this Sharon's way of disavowing his interest in the Temple Mount as a Jewish Holy place? Since June 7, 1967, when the Temple Mount was liberated, only Muslims have been allowed to pray on the Temple Mount, by order of then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. Dayan insisted that Jews be allowed to visit the Temple Mount, but not to pray there. Dayan gave an explanation for his scandalous decision as follows: Since for the Muslims the Temple Mount is a Muslim Mosque for prayer, while for Jews it is merely a historical site recalling the past, the Arabs are not to be disturbed in acting there as they do now, and the right of the Muslims to control it must be recognized. How sad that Dayan was an assimilated Jew and completely ignorant of Jewish religion and unfeeling toward Jewish tradition. Dayan's terrible decision is still in place. Only Muslims are allowed to pray on the Jewish Temple Mount, and Jews and Christians are forbidden to do so. They are even forbidden to move their lips in prayer! This year Tisha B'AV started on Monday evening, July 26, 2004. Hundreds of people from across the country had planned on ascending the Holy Mount. They found out that the Temple Mount - Judaism's holiest site - was again closed to Jews, this even on Tisha B'Av while Jews are mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Why did Sharon allow Internal Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to close the Temple Mount to Jews on Tisha B'AV? The reason, again, was the Muslim threats of violence if Jews were allowed to visit. If this is not spiritual suppression and subjugation, I don't know what is! On Sunday evening we were part of a magnificent human chain, with more than two hundred thousand participants, from Gush Katif to the Temple Mount. On Monday evening, Women in Green organized the reading of Eicha (Lamentations) at Safra Square and a Walk around the Old City Walls, with tens of thousands participants. This Walk has been held for ten years in succession, and just grows from year to year. In front of the Lions Gate, where Israeli paratroopers in June of 1967 liberated the entire Old City, Women in Green's co-founder Nadia Matar made a stirring speech which touched our hearts and brought tears to our eyes: "We must deliver an unequivocal message to all the politicians today who, once again, slander the Land and are willing to surrender parts of it: This shall not come to pass. The people shall not allow you, even if you cook up a majority in the Knesset and the government. The majority of the People of Israel, throughout the ages, clearly say: 'The Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel, in accordance with the Torah of Israel, and no one has the right to cede it.' Don't delude yourselves: yesterday we stood in the human chain like nice and very disciplined children, and today we are holding a quiet and respectable march - but you should know that for us the Land of Israel is like our child, and if, Heaven forbid, the patently illegal order should come to take our child from us, the masses that we saw yesterday in the human chain, and today in this Walk, will be forced to react as a lioness defending her cubs against criminal and murderous hunters. "With G-d's help, we will not have to face such harsh situations. With G-d's help, in the coming months we will succeed in sending home, to early retirement, all the political leaders who today are betraying Zionism and Judaism, and thereby bury their plan of destruction. In their place we shall find true, proud Jewish leaders, leaders who shall fearlessly proclaim throughout the whole world: 'The Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel, in accordance with the Torah of Israel'" *** Dear Friends: May we be worthy of redemption and May the Third Temple be built, soon, and in our days. With Blessings and Love for Israel,
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 |
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WELCOME, FIRST GRADE
Posted by Moshe Feiglin, July 29, 2004. |
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In the next school year there will be more children in the first grade wearing kippot than those with uncovered heads. However, in the current government coalition there are only four MKs wearing kippot. What do these data teach us about the religious society and about the social developments likely in Israel? We can see how the religious frameworks are disintegrating. What is happening in the Mafdal can be clearly seen and it is only a question of time when the current schism in the party will create a new political reality. It is reasonable to assume that Efi Eitam will leave in the end, set up a Torah-orientated national religious party of the Morasha kind (as once done by Rabbi Druckman), or join with Tekumah, and in one way or another find the method of merging into the Likud. Benny Elon, a brilliant politician, said explicitly after the Likud referendum, that this is the future direction of development. It is only a question of time when all his friends will understand that this is the sole meaningful path open to them. It is possible that those still firmly grasping the reins of the old Mafdal will succeed in obtaining the minimum number of votes required in a few more election campaigns, until the current loss of meaning becomes a terminal condition. Amongst the Haredi and Shas public the revolution is quieter, more hidden, and slower, but no less significant. The capability of the spiritual leadership to maintain discipline in the community is cracking. Haredi youth is no longer as obedient as in the past, the frameworks are becoming blurred, and the Haredi public is opening up to Israeli life. The political expression of this reality will take much longer, but it will take place in the end. These two processes - the demographic strengthening, and the fading of the religious political frameworks, create a disparity that must be balanced. This won't occur, as in the past, in the form of a meteoric strengthening of religious parties. These tools are no longer relevant, because they express a sectoral approach that has become out of date. It is far more reasonable to assume that this will occur as crystallization within the large national party. Already today about a third of Likud members wear kippot, and the same situation exists amongst members of the Likud Central Committee. Although the current leader of the Likud is making every effort to drain his party of its meaning, from both simple organizational aspects and its ideological content, the Likud, because it is a popular ruling party unifying a public whose central ethos is the Jewish identity, will overcome this problem also. In another twelve years, when the current first grade pupils graduate from high school, no-one will remember who were Silvan Shalom, Ehud Olmert, or even Ariel Sharon. Whether or not this will be the same Likud or an improved version of it, the State of Israel will be ruled by the national camp and a ruling party composed of a mixture of people wearing kippot and those who don't, united by their commitment to their Jewish identity. It is to be expected that this process won't take place smoothly. The Israeli Left does not possess real democratic consciousness, and it will make use of all the power multipliers at its disposal in order to continue to rule, whether directly, or indirectly (as in the current situation). In fact, the entire Oslo process was an attempt by the Leftist minority to impose its views on Israeli society, an attempt that brought disaster to the country. When the Oslo process blew up in the face of Israeli society, the Left turned to a direction that does not require an external partner. This was the origin of the separation fence and the disengagement plan. In both these cases the Left employed all the sources of power at its disposal, and the leaders of the Right, who were initially opposed, quickly aligned themselves and assumed the role of sub contractors for implementation. These activities will also explode in the face of the Jewish nation, in a far worse way. The process of integration of the national and belief-based publics will not be smooth, and its rule will encounter strong opposition that will not hesitate to break all the rules of democracy. However, it must take place, and the earlier we can make it do so the better it will be for everyone. Possibly the major problem that the national camp will have to solve after this integration is also hinted at by the Ministry of Education data. In the northern region, the majority of pupils starting the first grade next year will be Arabs. Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) is a group of people inside the Likud party who want to see Israel adopt a more Jewish character. Moshe Feiglin, its cofounder, has emphatically said he does not want a theocracy, but he does want a State based on Jewish values. The Manhigut Yehudit website address is http://www.manhigut.org. |
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WHAT WILL BE THE EFFECT OF THE "FALSE ACCUSATION" IN FRANCE?
Posted by MRB, Communaute-Juive-France, July 29, 2004. |
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This was adapted and translated by E. Miriam Englander.
Dear friends,
One question - or rather questions without answers. I thought
that you might be able to help me see things more clearly. I thank you
for discussing it because something is not right.
What do you think about the sordid play acting that happened with the so-called attacked lady? [editor note: a (non-Jewish) woman complained that she and her baby were attacked by Arabs in the subway. It was a false charge - she has a history of making such accusations.] These are questions that us Jews should think about. Why is it that when there are real instances of aggression, when children were beaten up in May and June, we were not privileged to have had interventions from The President of the Republic
Strange strange!!! Someone was telling me yesterday this rabbi with his 'make-believe' attack really took you 'for a ride'! This person was in politics and from our point of view could have been referring to the rabbi who was beaten up last January. [The Rabbi was severely beaten.] Who is going to believe us when it is actually serious?
It's true that they say that we are becoming paranoid. But maybe we are right to be suspicious of the 'false accusation.' It seems to us that some people will really be able to profit from this! |
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AN ADVANCED IRAQI JET FOUND BURIED IN THE SAND
Posted by Israela Goldstein, July 29, 2004. |
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This is from MSS-3 DET 32 DET. LCPO,
MACS(SW) Larry S. Briggs,
WK - (619) 767-1491.
The Iraqi jet, an advanced Russian MiG-25 Foxbat, was found buried in the sand after an informant tipped off U.S. troops. The MiG was dug out of a massive sand dune near the Al Taqqadum airfield by U.S. Air Force recovery teams. The MiG was reportedly one of over two dozen Iraqi jets buried in the sand, like hidden treasure, waiting to be recovered at a later date. Contrary to what some in the major media have reported, not all the jets found were from the Gulf War era. The Russian-made MiG-25 Foxbat being recovered by U.S. Air Force troops in the photos is an advanced reconnaissance version never before seen in the West and is equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare devices. U.S. Air Force recovery teams had to use large earth-moving equipment to uncover the MiG, which is over 70 feet long and weighs nearly 25 tons. The Foxbat is known to be one of Iraq's top jet fighters. The advanced electronic reconnaissance version found by the U.S. Air Force is currently in service with the Russian air force. The MiG is capable of flying at speeds of over 2,000 miles an hour, or three times the speed of sound, and at altitudes of over 75,000 feet. The recovery of the advanced MiG fighter is considered to be an intelligence coup by the U.S. Air Force.. The Foxbat may also be equipped with advanced Russian- and French-made electronics that were sold to Iraq during the 1990s in violation of a U..N. ban on arms sales to Baghdad. The buried aircraft at Al Taqqadum were covered in camouflage netting, sealed and, in many cases, had their wings removed before being buried more than 10 feet beneath the Iraqi desert. X Marks the Spot The discovery of the buried Iraqi jet fighters illustrates the problem faced by U.S. inspection teams searching Iraq for weapons of mass destruction. Iraq is larger in size than California, and the massive deserts south and west of Baghdad were used by Saddam Hussein to hide weapons during the first Gulf war. U.S. intelligence sources have already uncovered several mass grave burial sites in the open deserts with an estimated 10,000 dead hidden there. In addition, Iraq previously hid SCUD missiles, chemical weapons and biological warheads by burying them under the desert sand. U.N. inspection teams found the weapons in the early 1990s after detailed information of the exact locations was obtained. Top U.S. weapons inspector Dr. David Kay is known to favor human intelligence as the primary means to find Iraq's hidden treasure trove of weapons and secrets. While there are rumors of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons being shipped to nearby Syria, the weapons may very well still remain inside Iraq buried under the vast desert wastelands. Some critics of the Bush administration have claimed that the inability of U.S.. forces to uncover weapons of mass destruction is proof that the president misled the nation into the war with Iraq. However, in recent days the critics have fallen silent as word quietly leaked from Iraq that major discoveries have already been made and are now being documented completely. Bush administration officials are keeping any such discoveries secret for the moment. |
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ZOA REGIONAL CAMPUS DIVEST-FROM-ISRAEL CAMPAIGNS
Posted by Deb Kotz, July 28, 2004. |
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This is very interesting and the first I've heard about these efforts.
Please check out the website if you get a chance. I'm not exactly sure
what action we can take to move this along, but if anyone has any
ideas let me know.
Boycott Watch can be reached at13938A Cedar Rd Suite 253, Cleveland, Ohio 44118, 216-765-2273, www.Boycottwatch.org Boycott Watch Contends: Divest-from-Israel Campaigns May Violate the Federal Antiboycott Law Summary: Campus and other divest-from-Israel campaigns may violate U.S. law aimed at protecting nations friendly to the U.S. from unsanctioned foreign boycotts. U.S. businesses need to be protected against secondary boycotts aimed at them as well. Boycott Watch and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) are leading the fight against divestment and boycott campaigns against Israel. The Arab boycott of Jewish interests started as early as 1921, and it is still in effect today under the auspices of the Arab League and its Central Boycott Office. This boycott includes boycotting not only products produced in Israel, but also companies that do business in or with Israel. The boycott even goes as far as blacklisting ships that have docked in Israeli ports, regardless of the cargo's point of origin or ultimate destination. In 1977, Congress passed a law creating the Office of Antiboycott Compliance within the Department of Commerce, in response to the Arab boycott of Israel. The law prohibits U.S. persons from taking certain actions in support of an unsanctioned foreign boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States. Because Israel is an ally of the United States, and our government does not sanction the Arab boycott of Israel, the law prohibits actions that further or support the Arab League boycott of Israel. Over the past two years, a divest-from-Israel campaign has been gaining momentum on college campuses across the United States. In July 2003, the ZOA expressed its concern about the campaign and about an upcoming national student conference supporting the Arab boycott of Israel. The ZOA urged the Office of Antiboycott Compliance to investigate these activities as a possible violation of the antiboycott law. In November 2003, Boycott Watch sent a letter to the Office of Antiboycott Compliance, furnishing evidence that the divest-from-Israel campaign is a direct function of the Palestinian Authority, which is a member of the Arab League and a signatory to the Arab boycott of Israel. Last week, Boycott Watch furnished additional information to the Office of Antiboycott Compliance, about the Palestinian Authority's effort to establish an economic blockade of Israel in Malaysia. This would effectively expand the scope of the boycott and the Palestinian Authority's economic warfare against Israel. Boycott Watch is now advising all colleges and universities that divest-from-Israel campaigns on their campuses may be in violation of the U.S. antiboycott law. "Boycott Watch is a leading consumer watchdog organization and is committed to combating illegal boycotts of Israel in the United States," said Fred Taub, president of Boycott Watch. Taub attended a divestment conference at Ohio State University in 2003, and says that there was no question that organizers were advocating an illegal boycott of Israel, including divestment and direct boycott of Israeli goods. "The organizers even went as far as advocating boycotts against U.S. companies that do business with Israel, and some boycotters are creating a 'safe list' of companies to purchase from that don't do business with Israel. Asking companies to comply with that list or to furnish information in support of the list is illegal. The Arab boycott of Israel is being promoted in the U.S. and we will continue to lead the fight against it." Susan Tuchman, Director of the ZOA's Center for Law and Justice, encouraged others to join in this fight and contact the Office of Antiboycott Compliance to voice their concerns about the nationwide student divestment campaigns against Israel and urge that they be shut down. "The campaigns are obviously intended to hurt Israel's economy, but they also threaten our own country's trade and commerce, and may damage American companies that do business in or with Israel," according to Tuchman. The Boycott Watch letters to the Office of Antiboycott Compliance describing potential violations of the law are available on line at www.BoycottWatch.org. For further information, consultation or to schedule a lecture, contact Boycott Watch at 216-765-2273. The Zionist Organization of America can be reached at www.zoa.org and at 212-481-1500. Deb Kotz is an active member of the Brandeis Chapter of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and maintains an email list to distribute articles of interest to the local community. She can be reached at DebKotz@aol.com |
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THE FORCE OF THE LAW
Posted by Simon Kouhana, July 28, 2004. |
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This was distributed by Communaute-Juive-France. It is adapted from
the French and was translated by E. Miriam Englander.
Never, since the period of the Shoah has there been a comparable wave of anti-Semitism such as we have known for the past three years. General indifference that [this wave] have encountered has in all place made the Jewish people's trauma worse and has made its extreme isolation more obvious. That is such that since the first manifestation [of anti Semitism] in France, under Jospin, the executive branch refused to recognize it as anti Semitism. Parliament was silent. The legal branch did not make a big fuss. The intellectuals in society did not make themselves heard to denounce this terrible thing. Little by little, the Jews of France realized that some civil rights were not applicable to them. They therefore knew that the social-political world [of France] had suffered major changes. The media did not begin to break the silence until after the first delivery of the "Observatoire de Monde Juif". Before such a response from the Republic, to accusations that seemed to go completely against its principles, a new strategy was needed to face the gravity of this new situation. A new strategy: It was in that manner that the Forum for Jewish Citizens was created in February 2002 a couple of weeks before the legislative and presidential elections. The Forum for Jewish Citizens is a group for reflection that has given itself the mission of elaborating proposition to address public powers in order to eradicate remaining racism and anti-Semitism in France. Two major objectives were designated from the beginning. It had to do with, on one hand, on the level of public powers to contribute to a arsenal of legislative reform as well as disclaimers that are at once repressive, effective and helpful. Another important issue is to reestablish trust between the victims and those who hold public power. Our analysis has let us to establish that we are not able to wait for all of the social structures [to agree] and that we have to act from the top of the state. The opportune moment was the one during which the political representatives were the most receptive, that is to say election time. We have, as a first step, made both the candidates for presidential and legislative elections feel responsible. We have given them a petition that has more than fifteen thousand signatures in order to be able to demand a parliamentary commission to be put in place to investigate the wave of anti-Semitism. It had to do with putting up to date the issues that have led to an abuse of political power over the past two years. At the time of writing, this commission has not been established. The reinforcement of the legislative arsenal; the Lellouche law Our second demand, as stated in the petition, concerned the reinforcement of the legislative arsenal. In the first place, we stressed that the penal code is no longer up to date. We have therefore made note of the fact that in the penal code, the racist element is not recognized when dealing with violence against people or the damage done to property. It is therefore apparent that the legislature is not adapted to the new realities that exist, including remaining racism. When we had our meeting with the representative Pierre Lellouche, we asked him to present to the National Assembly a proposition to amend this defective part of the law. The text is based on the analysis that during this period of rampant anti-Semitism, only severe and methodical sanctions will be at all dissuasive in our attempt to remove this from our society. The first suggestion that this new law makes is to make the consequences of attempting to hurt people or property when driven by a racist sentiment. The second suggestion that has been accepted in this area is less well known. It concerns making the consequences of attacks against a meeting place of a cult, of a school or against a vehicle that is driven children worse. The objective, in this context, was to assure the protection of locations, particularly those that have to do with Jewish life. This law was adopted, unanimously by the parliament, it was published in the official journal February 3, 2003. Therefore, after having had to go up against a lot of reluctance to make ourselves heard, as well as a lot of skepticism in all circles, the Jewish Citizens Forum has illustrated the fact that an idea can become politicized and from there become a public action. We had to go further, to modify the procedure: Despite this not negligible result - the adoption of the Lellouche Law by the parliament - we had the feeling that this was largely insufficient. We had to go further, and in order to do that to modify to penal procedure in order to facilitate having someone found guilty. There were in our propositions certain amendments that expressed the idea that the time that it takes to appeal should be extended from three months to one year. We had to wait for over one year to get this result. The Guarde des Sceaux Dominique PERBEN integrated this proposition in a law that affects everyone called PERBEN II. Another proposition involved the amendment that a charge could be brought against a so-called rasicst act. We recognize that it is thanks to center groups that some of our propositions were presented to the Assembly and to the Senate. |