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CHARITY ENDS UP IN JEWISH LEADERS' OWN POCKETS
Posted by Buddy Macy, June 30, 2006. | |||
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This was published June 7, 2006 Gravely Imperiled, And Those Who Were Expelled Ten Months Ago Remain In Severe Need. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced that Israel will retreat from 95% of Judea and Samaria in order to create an independent Hamas-PLO Islamic terrorist state in the Biblical heartland of the Jewish people. This treacherous retreat will leave tiny Israel with borders that are only 10 miles wide. Even Abba Eban, the extreme left-wing former Israeli foreign minister, once called these indefensible borders "Auschwitz lines." And Golda Meir, the former Prime Minister from the socialist Labor party, once said that any Jew who supports a retreat to such borders would have to be a "traitor." For 2,000 years, millions of Jews were tortured and murdered because they did not have a Homeland in which to return. Now, the holy refuge of Israel, itself, is in grave jeopardy as never before. But most leaders of American Jewish establishment organizations not only do not raise their voices against this plan of national surrender - these Jewish leaders enthusiastically support the proposed suicidal Israeli retreats, as well as the expulsion of up to another 100,000 Jews from their G-d-given Jewish homeland...while refusing, as a whole, to assist the more than 9,000 Jewish refugees from the expulsion of last August from Gush Katif and northern Samaria. Jewish leaders with exorbitant salaries challenged If Jewish leaders need more than $200,000 per year to motivate themselves to help their fellow Jews here and in Israel, they are in the wrong "business!" For the past 25 years, prior to this past February, I had made thousands of phone calls, soliciting donations from Jewish individuals to help their fellow Jews locally, in Israel and around the world. As was the case with thousands of other solicitors throughout North America, I made these calls as a volunteer. It is time the charitable Jewish public confront the leaders of American Jewish organizations, including the executive directors and other professionals of the Jewish Federations, under the auspices of UJC (United Jewish Communities), and question the appropriateness of accepting large salaries while performing the work of charity: salaries that are paid from charitable donations. Upon completing my research, I have determined that there are more than 40 American-based Jewish organizations in which the top leader has received $200,000 or more per year in total compensation (TC). Listed below are the names of the heads of various Jewish non-profit organizations who have received more than $250,000 in TC for the fiscal year ending on the date provided:
Upon reviewing these large salaries, one might argue that they are much less than could be obtained from working in the private sector, and that they are lower than those paid at other non-profit organizations. My response to these arguments is that the salaries should be viewed from a moral perspective, one that embraces the very spirit and intent of the mitzvah of tzedakah. Is it moral to gain wealth from the charitable gifts of others (that were to a large degree solicited by unpaid volunteers)? Would the donors have given their gifts if they knew of the large amounts of money that were to go to the salaries of the top professionals? In addition, it is my contention that the relatively large salaries of Jewish leaders that are generated from small, medium and large charitable donations, encourage the recipients of that compensation to maintain the status quo, whether consciously or unconsciously. It can be assumed that individuals making 3,4,5 and even 7 hundred thousand dollars annually, wish to retain their jobs. Thus, they are more likely than not to avoid controversy, and to discourage dissent and other original and creative thought. In regard to Israel, it has been the case since the creation of the Jewish State that American Jewish charitable organizations tow the Israeli Government line, no matter how obviously misguided, immoral and self-destructive it appears to be. Any individual or group that challenges that policy takes the risk of being ostracized, or worse. While the top Jewish leadership in North America has become very comfortable financially, the expelled Jews from Gush Katif and northern Samaria continue to suffer tremendously, ten months after their expulsions from their homes and land. And, the looming expulsions of up to 100,000 more Jews under Olmert's "disengagement" turned "convergence" turned "consolidation" turned "re-alignment" plan, would place these Israeli citizens in horrendous conditions, while putting the State of Israel's very existence into serious question. Perhaps the leaders would have spoken out on behalf of their suffering brethren and would be speaking out against Olmert's plan of national suicide, had they not had so much to lose. Hoping and praying for justice for the more than 9000 Jewish refugees, and for the prevention of suffering of another 60,000 to 100,000 of our fellow Jews in Israel,
Published June 9, 2006 Two days ago I sent out a letter "exposing" the salaries of specific American Jewish leaders. Since that time, I have received quite a few emails in response to my report/commentary. The vast majority are extremely positive, though that had been expected, as my long list of email addresses is skewed towards like-minded individuals. However, I did receive four emails that are critical of my writing. Of the four, two were personal in nature, and two were in defense of the salaries of the leaders. I find those four replies quite fascinating, not for what they include, but for what they are missing. None addressed the issue of helping the Jewish refugees who are suffering tremendously, ten months after being kicked out of their homes, and from their land. And, none of the critical emails included anything about the future expulsion of up to 100,000 Jews, should Mr. Olmert, G-d forbid, have his way. I hope my email has sparked discussions and communications in the United States and in Israel -- not about whether my "attacks" were warranted, or about who or what I will "attack" next -- no, I hope my email has encouraged those in positions to effect positive change in Israel (which, by the way, is everyone of you who received the email), to have discussions with others and act, together, to end the suffering of our fellow Jews in Israel, and to prevent Mr. Olmert from executing his expulsion plan; one that would produce unimaginable suffering of our People. To the individuals I mentioned by name, and to all of the professionals and lay leaders of Jewish organizations: This is your moment to shine. We, Jews, look to you to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Israel, who, up until now, have for the most part been ignored and abandoned by their brethren. We rely upon you to end their suffering, and to prevent the suffering of tens of thousands more of our flesh and blood. Shabbat shalom,
Published June 19, 2006 A response to my email to Ronald Lauder Dear Ms. Bodner, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Lauder, Thank you for your June 12, 2006 response to my email. It has been copied and pasted, in its entirety, at the bottom of this email. Ms. Bodner, you wrote: "...But first the facts. Of every dollar it raises, JNF sends 81% to its programs. Only 19% goes to cover administrative costs and fundraising expenses. Never satisfied, JNF [ed. Jewish National Fund] is working to bring those costs in even lower. Ms. Bodner: From the 2004 JNF Annual Report, within the "Your Dollars at work in Israel" section, the following projects and percentages of dollars are listed: Land and Community Development - 24%; Tourism - 10%; Research - 3%; Water Resources and Rehabilitation - 27%; Education - 6%; Security - 9%; and Ecology and Forestry - 21%. The good thing is, the individual percentages add up to 100%. The bad thing is, the 19% for administrative costs and fundraising expenses is not included in that 100%. If "only" 19% goes to administrative and fundraising, shouldn't you have been "actually proud" to have it included in the section, re-entitled, "A Full 81%* of Your Dollars at work in Israel"? *Perhaps, less than 80%, after deducting the money spent on Zionist education in the U.S., mentioned above. On the JNF website (www.jnf.org), within the section entitled, "A Message from Ronald S. Lauder - #2 in a Series," is written the following: "I have traveled all over the world, seen great cities and mesmerizing landscapes, but there is no sight more breathtaking than the Negev desert. Here the history of our people shouts from every mountain and the hope for our people's future beckons from every valley." With all due respect, Mr. Lauder, "the history of our people shouts from every mountain" and hill in Judea and Samaria (where lies Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, the cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and the source of the Dead Sea Scrolls), from where you and other extremely wealthy North American and Israeli businessmen support the expulsion of 60,000 to 100,000 of our fellow Jews. More from, "A Message from Ronald S. Lauder - #2 in a Series": "Haruv sits on its temporary site while its permanent home beckons from a hilltop, waiting for the infrastructure to be created. Residents live in temporary caravillas, and work and go to school in nearby Kiryat Gat." Mr. Lauder: Don't you find this description to be a slight bit smug and callous? The "temporary caravillas" are mentioned in passing, as if they are resort homes suitable for a more-than-comfortable existence. How about including some of the reality behind those tiny, cardboard-thin shelters, that sometimes lack electricity and running water? And, why no mention of the Negev trailer camps for mostly former farmers? Also, what about the 113 families who, ten months since their expulsions from Gush Katif, are still living in hotels, guest houses and tent sites? Regarding the work and school nearby: You neglect to inform the reader of the 50% unemployment rate among the expellees. Have all of the adult residents living in the temporary caravillas at Haruv found work? You fail, too, to mention that many of the Jewish refugee children have attended three or four schools since their odyssey began last August, and that a significant number of them suffer from traumatic and post-traumatic stress symptoms as a result of being physically removed from their homes and communities more than 10 months ago.
And, in case you do not trust one source:
Back to Jodi Bodner's email:
Additionally, JNF raised millions for the evacuees from Gush Katif and helped clear land for hothouses, funded temporary homes and together with its partners is moving them into new communities so they can rebuild their lives. and Ronald Lauder's "A Message from Ronald S. Lauder - #2 in a Series" from www.jnf.org: "Jewish National Fund has embarked on Blueprint Negev Ms. Bodner: You wrote in your email to me, "You are right to demand oversight." In response to your encouragement, I request the following from you, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Lauder:
Ms. Bodner, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Lauder: The Jewish refugees from Gaza and northern Samaria are suffering tremendously, more than ten months after the expulsion from their homes and land. The worldwide Jewish community holds you, in addition to the other major Jewish organizations, responsible for their welfare. In addition, we would hold you and the other major American Jewish organizations responsible, should Mr. Olmert expel up to another 100,000 Jews from their homes and land. I look forward, with great interest, to receiving the requested documentation, information and written vows of "non-benefiting" by the eleven gentlemen mentioned above. Most sincerely,
Below is Ms. Bodner's entire response to my email, and my email to which she responded: Dear Mr. Macy, [ed. received 6/12/06] |
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NEW YORK TIMES: STOP ME BEFORE I EDITORIALIZE AGAIN!
Posted by Barry Rubin, June 30, 2006. |
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As if an article seriously discussing whether Iran's president had actually called for Israel's destruction, and a vicious review showing anti-Israel bias by Jerusalem bureau chief Steven Erlanger[1] weren't enough, the New York Times had another silly editorial on June 17. Basically its argument goes like this: Just because Hamas and Fatah are engaged in a near-civil war while trying to show how each can kill more Israelis and make more radical statements is no reason to conclude that there is not a chance for real progress in peace negotiations. The editorial also repeats the old, and by now should be discredited, idea that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so globally important that it shapes every other issue in the Middle East, and indeed to a large extent in the whole world. The Los Angeles Times recently said the same thing, warning that somehow the U.S. position in Iraq depended on a resolution of this issue, without explaining how this made any sense.[1] In other words, just because your potential negotiating partner has no effective government, is ruled by genocidal terrorists, launches dozens of missiles at you, and demands you be wiped off the face of the earth is no reason not to believe that they are unready to make peace. The problem at this point is that rather than analyze the problem in serious intellectual and political terms, there is an obsession that: a) this issue is the core of everything that happens in the Middle East and of terrorism, and that b) it can be fairly quickly resolved peacefully. This belief is not subject to any rational consideration. Well, it should be. By the way, in good Times fashion, Israel's building a fence and defining its claimed border is equated to "armed thugs" fighting it out. Remember, Israel can never be portrayed as better than the Palestinians in Times editorials. Here is a wonderful example of the Times' idea of an evenhanded approach, "Rockets are raining down again on innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians, inflaming passions on both sides." In addition, the Times accepts the idea that much or most international terrorism arises from the Palestinian issue. This sort of leaves out the experience of the past five years that revolutionary Islamist Jihadism is the cause (remember Usama bin Ladin?). Of course, the Palestinian issue is one motivating factor in international terrorism but this is not the 1970s of PLO airplane hijacking. I would put the Palestinian issue as no more than 10 percent of the issue, and that is probably an exaggeration. What is also fascinating, and typical, in the Times editorial is the lecturing of political groups in a tone so far removed from the real world. It is nice that the Times calls on Hamas to recognize Israel and on Arab states to pressure them to do so. But does anyone believe either of these things are going to happen? What should be done if the targets of the Times' "good advice" do not pay attention? (Listen, Mr. Stalin, why don't you stop gobbling up Eastern Europe? Hey, Mr. Hitler, be nice to Czechoslovakia!) Here is the point at which serious policy advice must come into it. But the Times does not want to engage in this practice, partly because the writers of its editorials seem to have little sense of how strategy and policy work, also because they do not want to draw the logical conclusion: there is no chance of a peace agreement, and the world should support Israel in defending itself against terrorists and extremists. What is even more shocking is the Times' lack of knowledge about the issues on which it is writing. It urges Hamas to accept the Beirut declaration, which, the newspaper is apparently unaware, demands that Israel admit all Palestinians who want to live there. In other words, the Beirut declaration--which Hafiz al-Asad's Syria and Saddam Hussein's Iraq had no trouble accepting--is the old phased formula for destroying Israel, not making real peace with it. It is equally amazing that the Times accepts at face value the old myth of Arab state devotion to the Palestinians. Of course, it says, no one expects that Arab states will abandon the Palestinians to their financial plight. In fact, they have done so for the last 12 years. Only five percent of aid to the Palestinian Authority came from all Arab lending institutions and states, putting the oil-rich countries collectively right up there with Norway. The Times has not learned that the Palestinians are not the center of Arab world considerations. Finally, it is amusing that, as credentials giving it the right to ask Arab states for a favor, the Times cites its own frequent criticism of Israel. But clearly no matter how often the Times bashes Israel, Arab states are not going to be impressed. How about a dose of reality and real fairness from what thinks of itself as the world's leading newspaper? Notes: 1. Previous E-Blogs * New York Times: Stop Me Before I Editorialize Again: June 30, 2006 |
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The New York Times
There's a barely concealed wish among many old Mideast hands these days to just walk away from the steadily deteriorating Israeli-Palestinian situation. Armed thugs from Fatah are fighting it out with armed thugs from Hamas. Israel is building unilateral fences and defining unilateral borders. If the two sides do not really want to negotiate with each other, the argument goes, there's nothing much outsiders can do to help. That temptation to walk away needs to be strongly resisted. As bad as things are now, they can get a whole lot worse, and almost certainly will if the outside world averts its attention. Already, rockets are raining down again on innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians, inflaming passions on both sides. And when those passions explode, the deadly consequences won't be limited to Israelis and Palestinians alone. They never have been in the past, and are even less likely to be in a world of satellite television, ubiquitous Internet access, multinational terrorism and increasingly long-range missiles. Further, there is something very important that the outside world, particularly the Arab and Islamic world, can do to help. It can make plain to the Hamas-led government of the Palestinian Authority that if it means to become the legitimate international voice of the Palestinian people, and a true government in the community of nations, it will have to accept the minimal international ground rules already in place. These include renouncing terrorism, acknowledging Israel's existence as a sovereign nation and abiding by formal agreements previously signed by lawful Palestinian negotiators. Those are ground rules that have already been accepted by Egypt and Jordan and by the Arab League as a whole in its 2002 Beirut peace initiative. They need to be accepted by Hamas, but not as some kind of ideological concession. Hamas must see them as an admission ticket tithe real world, a necessary rite of passage in the progression from lawless opposition to a lawful government. Hamas has repeatedly heard this demand from the United States, Europe and Israel, and has repeatedly ignored it, even when it has been backed by halts in vitally needed economic assistance. Hearing it from Arab and Islamic neighbors, in the form of friendly persuasion, would be harder for Hamas to dismiss. It also could prove easier for Hamas to accommodate. This page has not hesitated to call on Washington, as Israel's most important ally, to encourage Israeli leaders to keep the door open to an eventual negotiated peace. In the same spirit, we call on the leaders of Arab and Islamic states to speak firmly and constructively to Hamas. No one expects these countries to remain silent about the sufferings of the Palestinian people or abandon them to their now desperate financial plight. But with support comes leverage, and true friends of the Palestinian people need to start using that leverage to talk straight with Hamas. Barry Rubin is Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, Interdisciplinary Center university. His co-authored book, Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography, (Oxford University Press) is now available in paperback and in Hebrew. His latest book, The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East, was published by Wiley in September. Prof. Rubin's columns can now be read online at: http://gloria.idc.ac.il/columns/column.html. |
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ON THE STRIP: WHERE TO GO FROM GAZA?
Posted by National Review Online (NRO), June 30, 2006. |
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An NRO Symposium
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As Gaza flares up with tension, violence, and rumors of worse, National Review Online gathered a group of Mideast experts asking them: Can anything be done to prevent more violence? Is there anything constructive to be done -- and by whom? Michael Freund Less than a year after pulling out of Gaza, Israeli forces are back again, hunting down Palestinian terrorists and attempting to rescue one of their kidnapped comrades. The only thing surprising about the return to Gaza is that it took this long to occur. Ever since the withdrawal, the Palestinians have been firing rockets on a near-daily basis into southern Israel, making life unbearable for tens of thousands of Israeli citizens. Israel's retreat created a vacuum, which al Qaeda and other Islamist terror groups quickly set out to fill, paving the way for Hamas to take control. The flow of weapons smuggled in from Egypt has soared, and Gaza has rapidly become the perfect launching pad for enemies of Israel and the West. At this point, the best thing Israel can do is to stay put in Gaza, flushing out the terrorists while creating and patrolling permanent security zones adjoining the frontier, such as the Philadelphia Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. Only by maintaining an enduring physical presence in the area can Israel ensure that Gaza does not become a hotbed of fundamentalist strife. And only by reasserting its control can Israel provide its citizens with the security they rightly deserve. -- Michael Freund served as deputy director of communications under former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He is currently a syndicated columnist for the Jerusalem Post. Dore Gold When I used to spend a great deal of time with Ariel Sharon between 2000 and 2003, he would always say to me: "Never put yourself in a position that you only have two choices when you are under a threat: going to war or doing nothing." But that is precisely Israel's situation today. Israel's southern town of Sdeirot and the Western Negev have been struck with over 500 Qassam rockets -- in a blatant escalation of unprovoked attacks since Israel withdrew lock-stock-and barrel from the Gaza Strip. Clearly this escalation did not come about because of some political "grievance" against Israel due to its Gaza presence, which had been removed, but rather from the sense of victory that Hamas and the forces of jihad sensed from Israel's decision to pull out last August. In the meantime, the Gaza Strip has become a new center for global jihadi groups including Hezbollah and al Qaeda. The situation cannot be alleviated then by diplomatic initiatives, and the illusory hope that internal Hamas led by Ismail Haniyya is a potential peace partner if he and his colleagues break away from Khaled Mashaal's branch of Hamas in Damascus. Gaza Hamas, in fact, expressed its regrets for the loss of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and is cut from the same ideological cloth as Hamas overseas. Additionally, deterrence of terrorist groups hiding in densely populated areas does not work; the civilian casualties that can be caused are simply untenable. There is no stable deterrence balance when there is no responsible government on the other side. But there is what strategists used to call deterrence by denial: cutting off the enemy's capabilities. In this sense, stabilization will only be achieved by isolating Gaza, and preventing its further reinforcement from the supporters of global jihad, whether by suitcases full of cash or Katyusha rockets. Syria must be made to understand that it will pay a price if it continues to harbor the Hamas leadership and to reinforce the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. These are hard but necessary measures. Diplomacy should press Egypt to be more forceful in blocking the Sinai-Gaza border. Indeed, increased Egyptian responsibility in Gaza and Jordanian responsibility in the West Bank may be the only long-term effective option instead of the Palestinians' own failed political system, particularly if the Hamas regime collapses. In the meantime, it is necessary to recognize the errors of the past that occurred with Gaza disengagement and not just repeat them again in the West Bank. -- Dore Gold was the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations in 1997-99. His book, Hatred's Kingdom exposed Saudi Arabia's financial ties to Hamas and international terrorist groups. Emanuele Ottolenghi The flare-up in Gaza was to be expected, given that the Palestinian leadership lost yet another opportunity, after the Gaza disengagement, to halt its self-destructive course. Ultimately, there are two ways to read the current situation and interpret its causes. One claims that the 2000-01 attempt to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict failed because there is no genuine Palestinian partner for Israel and there are not going to be chances for peace in this generation. Given that conflict is inherent to the Palestinian-Israeli arena, disengagement was meant to create militarily, demographically, and politically more defensible lines for Israel and allow Israel to fight more effectively in a protracted conflict. If this interpretation is correct, the latest flare-up in Gaza confirms the need for Israel to redeploy and disengage from the Palestinians, given their hopeless devotion to Israel's destruction. The second view claims that the violence erupted after the Camp David failed summit in the summer of 2000 is a hiccup in a historical process that will eventually lead to peace. In this light, Israel's unilateral disengagement thwarts the chances of meaningful negotiations because it rewards Palestinian rejectionism and its violence. The latest flare-up, in this light, is evidence that Palestinian terrorism was emboldened by Israel's withdrawal and seeks to provoke Israel to further undermine its deterrence. In this sense, the Gaza disengagement appears a failure, rather than a success. Whatever the reading, Israel fell in a trap by going into Gaza with massive force. Upping the ante with targeted killings would prove more effective because it leaves the option open to invade later. Threatening to kill Hamas ministers if the kidnapped soldier is not returned would have been a better measure. The invasion allows the Palestinians yet again to play victims in the stage of world opinion. -- Emanuele Ottolenghi teaches Israel studies at Oxford University. Daniel Pipes The Bush administration sees the United States at war with Islamic radicalism; has not the time come for it to see other theaters of this same war -- Russia's with the Chechen rebels, India's with the Kashmiri insurgents, Israel's with Hamas -- as we see our own, and work for the defeat of the Islamists? Instead, in the Israeli case at least, Washington urges understanding, restraint, compromise, management of the problem, and other half-hearted and doomed remedies. The result is an ever more exhilarated and aggressive Palestinian population that believes victory within reach. Washington's mistaken approach goes back to the Oslo accords of 1993, when Yasser Arafat seemingly closed the existential conflict in writing to Bill Clinton that "The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security." But Arafat's assurances were fraudulent and the Arab effort to eliminate Israel remains very much in place. Israel, with U.S. support, must defeat this foul ambition. That implies inflicting a sense of defeat on the Palestinians, and winning their resignation to the permanent existence of a Jewish state in the Holy Land. Only then will the violence end. -- Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and a prize-winning columnist. Danielle Pletka In the last week, Hamas has kidnapped two Israelis, a soldier and a teenage settler, and threatens to kill both unless its demands are met. The al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, affiliated with "moderate" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, announced it could now manufacture chemical and biological weapons. Can anything be done to prevent the use of those weapons and brake accelerating Palestinian violence? The answer isn't as complicated as many suggest. Hamas and Fatah are terrorist organizations and they must be treated as terrorists, and crushed with all means necessary. They are no more entitled to violence than al Qaeda. Foreign Ministers from London, Washington, and Cairo have bleated that diplomacy must be given a chance, but President Bush has inveighed repeatedly against negotiating with terrorists. And what of the Palestinian people? Let us remember, they elected Hamas. Perhaps next time they will choose more wisely. We can help them by immediately ending fruitless efforts to appeal to "moderates" like Abbas (who was useless in his long stewardship of the PA), wholeheartedly support Israeli actions to eliminate terrorists, and throw our political and financial support behind the idea of new Palestinian political leaders more interested in serving the needs of their people than they are in killing and kidnapping. -- Danielle Pletka is the vice president for foreign- and defense-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Nissan Ratzlav-Katz Once upon a time, the Palestine Liberation Organization would send out terrorists under the operational name Black September, so as to maintain "plausible deniability" for actions that might not play well in the West. http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1967to1991_munich.php Today, however, the freely elected Islamists governing the Palestinian Authority feel no need even to use pseudonyms. Hamas leaders announced that the recent assault on an IDF base in pre-1967 Israel, in which two Israelis were killed and one taken hostage, was the action of Hamas "militants," of which they had no knowledge. Yet, Hamas is publicly and officially dedicated to destroying Israel and killing Jews. Furthermore, in the ten months since Israel unilaterally withdrew its military and 8,000 civilians from the Gaza region, PA-based groups, including Hamas, have fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli cities and have carried out several other terrorist attacks. Given this, future violence can only be prevented by eliminating the causes of current violence. And those causes are the Arab terrorist groups running the PA -- Hamas and Fatah. After more than a decade of concessions and dialogue, Israel must now destroy in order to create -- destroy the terrorists' autonomy in order to create a chance for peace. -- Nissan Ratzlav-Katz is opinion editor of www.IsraelNationalNews.com. Saul Singer> Palestinian terrorism will stop when the international community decides to hold the Palestinian leadership fully accountable for its aggression and to vocally support Israel's right to self defense. The U.N. Security Council, which has frequently condemned Israeli defensive actions, has not condemned the firing of hundreds of missiles against Israeli civilians. A U.N. resolution unequivocally condemning Palestinian terrorism and affirming Israel's rights under Article 51 of the U.N. charter, followed if necessary by the threat of sanctions, would induce the Palestinians to advance their interests by other means. In addition, the U.S. and Israel should not just speak of the need for two states, Israel and Palestine, but of the true obstacle to implementing that vision: the continuing Arab refusal to accept a Jewish state in this land. If the Arab states truly accepted the two-state solution, why did they recently fight tooth and nail against welcoming Israel and Palestine into the International Committee of the Red Cross? Why do they foment boycotts and rabid anti-Semitism? Why do the leaders of states that are ostensibly at peace with Israel refuse to visit here? And why does the international community accept such behavior without comment? -- Saul Singer is editorial-page editor of the Jerusalem Post and author of Confronting Jihad: Israel's Struggle and the World After 9/11. |
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THE ROOTS OF ISLAMISM
Posted by Israela Goldstein, June 30, 2006. |
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This excerpt below says it well. The article was written by Michael Gove and it appeared The only change I would make is to not limit Islamism's desire to "cleanse" so-called "Muslim lands"(which intention includes Europe). They wish to "cleanse" the world. |
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From the Hamas killers in Gaza to Hizballah terrorists in Lebanon and Islamist fighters across southeast Asia, there is a ruthlessness in the selection of civilian targets reinforced by a willingness to embrace suicide bombing, a belief that Western influence needs to be cleansed from Muslim lands and a desire to see a narrow and highly politicized form of Islam imposed across the Muslim world. Islamism is not Islam in arms, it is a political creed which perverts Islam, just as fascism degraded nationalism and communism betrayed socialism. Islamism appeals to that part of the human soul which has always been capable of being drawn to revolution, violence, and the exaltation of the self through membership of the elect. Islamists believe in the re-ordering of society to secure total submission to a narrow, puritan, and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. They are conducting a civil war within the Islamic world designed to overthrow existing regimes, which they consider to be unforgivably apostate, and replace them with a single and unified Muslim state, the restored caliphate. Islamists believe that the sanctity and culture of Muslim lands are menaced and defiled by Western influences, from capitalism to feminism, which have to be eradicated. |
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INFILTRATORS AND DISSENTERS; ARABS TOYING WITH ISRAEL; MIDDLE EAST ASSESSED
Posted by Richard H. Shulman, June 30, 2006. |
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DEALING WITH INFILTRATORS The Government can infiltrate the patriotic movement by offering jobs. Betrayers save their bodies that way, even though they lose their souls. The greedy can get Knesset seats for becoming leaders, actually, misleaders, of the movement. They become officials of the Yesha Council. Their questions or radical proposals give some of the infiltrators away. Their usefulness to the government ends when they become ostracized. What about the reverse, infiltrating the government, to find out or get proof about its dirty tricks? Can't do it. Anyone joining a security agency gets thoroughly investigated. People with patriotic courage are known. Attempts would be severely punished. Sometimes people do ascertain facts about government deceit. Unfortunately, the media cooperates with the government in ignoring the scandal or hastens to shut off coverage of it. After all, the Prime Ministers and other leading personalities of the Kadima Party are popularly known to be crooks, but manage to avoid serious punishment. The police claim insufficient public interest in prosecution, investigation drags on or omits the more promising leads, the courts contend insufficient evidence, and the media downplays it. This is what has been happening to people who overheard PM Olmert's orders to beat Jews. The Left has things under firm control (personal source). Dissenters are harassed. Thus Nadia Matar is charged with insulting a public servant, Mr. Bassi, who brutally deported Jews from Yesha. She likened him (I think aptly) to the Judenrat of 1942 (ghetto officials who turned Jews over for deportation). The judge suggested the prosecutor withdraw the indictment, because the case is weak. Defense counsel proved that insulting officials is common in Israel but the Left isn't prosecuted; this prosecution is discriminatory. Among the protestors outside was a Nobel Prize winner, who decried the oppression of free speech in Israel. The media did not cover the trial The trial is rescheduled for September. This defendant is fortunate that the government spared her the common fate of dissidents, kept in jail while the cases are postponed. This deprives them of livelihood and freedom. Frequent prosecution costs them legal fees (letter from Ruth Matar and some observations from another source and from me). WHO CONTROLS GOVERNMENT? Theoretically, Israel and the US are democracies. Actually, a ruling elite and lobbyists control. In Israel, the government arbitrates almost everything and minutely. Israel lacks a Bill of Rights. Its whole justice system is political and ideological. Liberal notions of using the government to rectify injustices turn into pork barrel legislation and welfare mentality. Nor do government decrees resolve problems well. There is too much legislation, and too little time to consider it. Bills attract loopholes by inadvertence and by design. Some are peculiar, such as the unlimited Medicare coverage of physical therapy if done only in a hospital-related facility. The US tax code is tens of thousands of pages long! HOW IRAN DEALS WITH THE U.S. The US gleans intelligence from Iranian TV broadcasts. For examples, the Iranian intelligence minister stated that Iran uses double agents to "keep them busy and fool them" in America. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator stated that Iran negotiated with Europe in order to stall sanctions while completing components of its nuclear program. Foreign Min. Mottaki said, "We emphasize the peaceful nature of our nuclear weapons... I mean... of our nuclear power plant." Iran's chief of staff said his military plans "to put America in its place," inasmuch as "America's military power is greatly overestimated." We would be wise not to ignore their outlook (Steven Stalinsky of MEMRI, NY Sun, 6/14, p.5). Iran means to challenge the US militarily. It prepares for war, and we prepare for politics. Our enemies appear to be cleverer than we. CHECKPOINT VALUE PROVED AGAIN Two Jewish high-school girls were trying to hitch a ride near Shilo, in the Territories. Armed Arabs got out of their car and began forcing the girls in. One girl managed to run away. Then an IDF officer came along, and the Arabs tried to get away. The officer called up for an ad hoc checkpoint; it trapped the kidnappers' car. The Army has warned Israelis not to hitchhike, but people act irresponsibly. On the other hand, bus service out there is scant (Arutz-7, 6/15). ARABS TOYING WITH ISRAEL Israel boasted that it sent a serious threat to Hamas leaders, and got Hamas to stop firing rockets at Israel. There was a brief lull, just long enough to elicit such a boast. Then the rocket crews resumed launches. Hamas claimed it would try a ceasefire, if Israel stopped targeting its commanders. Other terrorist organizations, however, refused to stop firing their rockets (Arutz-7, 6/15). Some of their rockets come from Hamas. Hamas claims to have clean hands, but get other groups to do its dirty work. ABSENCE OF DEMOCRATIC FRANKNESS After the Defense Minister of Israel threatened escalation against the P.A., IMRA asked his office whether he had sole authority to follow through or required approval of the PM or the Security Cabinet. His representative told IMRA to ask the Office of the PM. The Office of the PM asked IMRA to put the question in writing, and it might reply. It replied that it may not answer (IMRA, 6/15). The government often responds to a simple question that way. An answer would reveal that the government is dissembling or bluffing, so the government just doesn't answer. ABBAS & INTERNATIONAL LAW Abbas claims that the Israeli presence in the Territories began illegally in 1967, he says, and remains illegal. He concludes that Israel should withdraw (IMRA, 6/15). In 1967, Egyptian and Jordanian invaders illegally seized the Territories. The world did recognize their rule there as legitimate, though neither did it mind it. From there, Egypt made war on Israel, and Jordan bombarded Israel. In self- defense, Israel fought back and ended up in charge of the Territories. Nothing illegal about that. There still isn't a legitimate sovereign government in place, and the locals are at war with Israel, so Israeli military presence remains needed. As for the Israeli civilians, settlement is required under the Palestine Mandate, which remains the governing legal document. PRESBYTERIANS: RELIGIOUS OR RADICAL? Since a surprise move two years ago, the Presbyterian Church has been divesting from corporations that operate in Israel, because Israel controls part of the Territories. This is not socially progressive but pro-Islamist out of naivete or antisemitism. Likewise, some Presbyterian leaders went to Lebanon, and praised Iranian-directed Hizbullah, which has murdered thousands of people. This type of radicalism has caused members to divest from the collection box and from membership. The church also funds fiercely pro-Palestinian (Arab) committees, sends representatives to Palestinian advocacy conferences, and has written obsequious congratulatory letters to the terrorist leaders of Hamas on their recent election victory. Simultaneously, the church remains remarkably docile on profoundly serious issues such as genocide in Darfur, the Iranian nuclear buildup and mistreatment of Christians in communist and Muslim countries.? "Presbyterian delegates also take leadership roles in organizations that blame the U.S. and capitalism in general for most of the world's catastrophes. The 2004 manifesto of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, for instance, went on about America's 'imperialism,' 'domination' and 'massive threats to life.'" The same activists make non-factual comparisons between S. Africa and Israel. Now that Hamas runs the P.A. and a lunatic runs Iran, the attempt to blame everything on Israel and the US becomes more embarrassing (and dangerous). Problem countries make their own problems from their preaching of hatred. Almost two dozen presbyteries formally requested ending divestment. The leadership stubbornly seeks to stymie opposition by parliamentary maneuver (Prof. Steven Plaut, 6/15). ISRAEL DID IT! AGAIN The IDF protected a convoy of three trucks bringing about 950 M-16 rifles to Abbas' Presidential Guard (Prof. Steven Plaut, 6/15). A Guard commander said that the rifles would not be used against fellow Arabs but only against Israelis, and already have been (IMRA, 6/16). Israel made this mistake, before. Olmert has no excuse for doing it again. At least Israel did not pay for the rifles. THE COURAGEOUS & THE COWARDLY For many years, Barry Chamish has defied the Israeli Establishment and exposed some of its crimes against democracy there. He has more than his share of courage. However, he began to have "accidents." He felt it would be wiser to put some distance between himself and Israel. Now in North America, he lectures about what most people otherwise don't hear. His Christian audiences have been enthusiastic. He doesn't get many Jewish audiences, any more. He thinks they are afraid or Establishment-minded (Chamish, 6/15). EUROPEANS TIRED OF PROVIDING COVER FOR TERRORISTS Israel abandoned the Gaza-Sinai crossing. International monitors came, but the P.A. had the final say in what to do and whom and what to stop at the border. The P.A. has not been inspecting baggage coming in from Egypt and has allowed Hamas ministers of government to bring in millions of dollars. The monitors feel useless, and have threatened to quit (IMRA, 6/15). They were being played for fools. They should have realized that at the outset. Too much credence is placed in the good faith of the Arabs, who thwart genuine inspection. Such is the fate of arrangements that leave power in the hands of jihadist Arabs. The Arabs know only the language of force. FOCUS OF ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER While rockets fall on his hometown of Siderot, Israel, Defense Min. Peretz reserves the Army against "illegal" outposts. He ordered the IDF to prepare a plan to evacuate the most defiant ones within two weeks. He is intent, he said, on upholding law and order (IMRA, 6/15). What law and order is in Israel, where the Arabs and the Left do pretty much what they want, and the religious and the Right are prosecuted for objecting? What kind of law has a government that abandons the national patrimony? Instead of using the Army to defend the country, he uses it to destroy the country. Peretz has his priorities mixed up. ARABS WANT TO SEE EIFEL TOWER A Paris court sentenced 25 Muslims from Algeria and Morocco for plotting to blow up the Eifel Tower and other places. They wanted to see the Tower fall. That was supposed to be a blow for the Chechen Muslims in Russia (Prof. Steven Plaut, 6/15). What does France have to do with Russia? The Muslims are out to wreck whatever they can of civilized areas, until they can take them over and into 7th century Islam. OLMERT PLAN THREATENS JERUSALEMITES PM Olmert announced intent to turn over certain Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem to the P.A.. He rationalizes that doing so would improve Israeli security by keeping a higher ratio of Jews in the City. What actually would result: (1) Fearing oppressive Muslim rule, the Arabs of those neighborhoods are crowding into the rest of the city. Therefore, the Arab proportion remains the same. (2) Letting the P.A. terrorists into those neighborhoods enables them to put the Jewish neighborhoods within rifle range, as well as make them easier targets for mortars. Therefore, Jewish security deteriorates. The plan's real purpose is to appease anti-Zionists (IMRA, 6/16 from Caroline Glick). That includes Jewish anti-Zionists, which the far leftists are and the other leftists are becoming. When the objects of appeasement hate the appeasers, as the anti-Zionists do, and want to conquer them, as the Muslim Arabs do, then appeasement does not satisfy hate-filled aggressors. It merely weakens the appeasers' chance for survival. Olmert's plan is criminally suicidal for his country. Specifying the Arab neighborhoods in advance enabled the Arabs in them to frustrate the immediate purpose of the plan. Where is the planning in that? The plan should have been to make the Jewish population secure by enacting, say, a five-year elimination of Jerusalem residency permits of Arabs, with compensation for their property. At least those non-citizens should be denied the welfare and travel benefits of citizens. Then living in Jerusalem would not be as coveted, though they do prefer Israeli rule. They prefer it as a whole. Enough of them, however, prefer al-Qaida to make the whole lot of them a security risk. Israel doesn't understand that, for the most part, the Arabs have a dual attitude, of preferring Israeli rule and hating Israel. PROFILING BECOMING LESS USEFUL An FBI agent noted that some Americans have converted to Islam and some Arab immigrants westernize their appearance so as to pass for Hispanics. They would not be detected by ethnic profiling. On the other hand, the many Muslim students at the University of California and many Muslim residents of towns there bear watching, the agent said. Neighbors tip off the FBI, with some good results, about the Muslims who rent apartments with a mattress and five computers, but no other furniture, or who suddenly change their license plates (Mideast Forum, 6/16). We can't watch millions, but we shouldn't have to live in insecurity. Why are we letting ourselves in for this, via immigration policies and college admission policies? MIDDLE EAST ASSESSED A couple of years ago, the US had the Islamists and other dictators on the run. After prematurely hailing some Arab feints towards democracy, the US found its emphasis and tactics on democracy had backfired, bringing Islamists into power. This includes Iraq, where both Shiite and Sunni Islamists are forcing women to don the veil, as Islamist rule creeps into neighborhood after neighborhood, and Christians flee. The US ended its emphasis though not the nearsighted micromanagement. Pres. Bush still gives pro-democracy speeches, but the dictators are cracking down all the harder. Syria and Iran are resuming their influence over Lebanon, as by arming the Palestinian Arab refugee descendants against the Lebanese. Islamist strategy now is to create chaos everywhere, both to discourage the West and to see where they can move in and pick up the pieces (Youssef Ibrahim, NY Sun, 6/16, p.6). One size doesn't fit all. We should have been trying to foster democracy in Iran, which couldn't get worse. Zarqawi's lair held a document showing that the insurgency was waning. It couldn't recruit new warriors much. The US was training counter-insurgency troops, seizing weapons, making massive arrests, constricting terrorist funding, and dividing the insurgents against each other. Zarqawi developed a counter-insurgency of splitting the US from its local allies and of striving to deflect US might by getting it into a war with Iran (Sameer N. Yacoub, NY Sun, 6/18, p.6). There is no indication that the US has developed a healthy humility from the failure of its micro-management in Iraq. After all, Congress rarely investigates State Department failure. There is little accountability and little change in mind-set. The enemy has more flexibility than has the US, except in military tactics. There seems to be little appreciation by Americans for what a great military we have developed, no longer the uncoordinated machine of the past. State Dept. stubbornness should give way to a procedure for reviewing the efficacy of policies. Likewise, Congress should include in bills a provision for periodic review of their efficacy. SUNNIS VS. SHIITES Sunni leaders have been indoctrinating their followers in hatred of the Shiites. Zarqawi proposed annihilating the Shiites. They may fall on each other, soon (Nibras Kazimi, NY Sun, 6/16, Op.-Ed.). Or is it the extremists against the semi-extremists? We just had learned that Sunnis and Shiites learned to work together against Israel and the West. Thus, Shiite Hizbullah works with Sunni Hamas. Iran assists the Iraqi insurgency in Iraq. Imagine if both Shiite Iran and Sunni Pakistan have a nuclear exchange! These Muslims had better curb their primitive notions, or nobody will be left. Richard Shulman is a veteran defender of Israel on several web-based forums. His comments and analyses appear often on Think-Israel. He provides cool information and right-on-target overviews. He distributes his essays by email. To subscribe, write him at richardshulman5@aol.com. |
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WE CRINGE EVERY TIME YOU SAY "MILITANT"
Posted by Join the Boycott, June 30, 2006. |
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The LA Times says of Israel's Gaza offensive "we cringe at the
sight of a disproportionate response". More likely most Americans
wonder why Israel took so long...and cringe every time the LA Times
calls terrorists "militants". See the latest at
Stop supporting PLO propaganda. Call 1-800-252-9141 to cancel. Letters of protest to letters@latimes.com and dean.baquet@latimes.com and CC to jointheboycott@mailcity.com Join the Boycott |
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JUST IMAGINING
Posted by Steven Shamrak, June 30, 2006. |
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In 1964 a "Mexican Liberation Organization" for Independence of the South-West states of the USA" -- MLO - was created with the help of the Mexican government. In 1972 the MLO murdered the members of US wrestling team at Olympic Games of Munich. Since then, the citizens of the United States have been subjected to random acts of terror by the members of various factions of the MLO. 1993: Mexican and US representatives met in Oslo and signed a breakthrough agreement of mutual recognition between the USA and the MLO Organization, which began the US-Mexican peace process. The chain of agreements that followed, were facilitated by Israel - Wye River Memorandum, Camp David, summit at Sharm El Sheikh, Tenet Plan, Road Map. During all this time the MLO organization continued terror activity against the USA and ignored all agreements it had signed. The UN and EU observed the suicide bombings, kidnappings and home made rockets fired across the border by the MLO, but financially, politically and morally supported the MLO and the Mexican government struggle against the USA. Ten months ago the US government announced its decision to withdraw from New Mexico and transferred full control of the territory to the MLO. Six month ago, US government ignored the protest of its people and deported the non-Mexican population from New Mexico, hoping to save lives and reduce the cost of the conflict. The MLO responded with an escalation of the terror. Katusha rockets landed on the land of the United States. Suicide bombings and kidnappings never stopped. A week ago MLO members used a tunnel to attack a US military border post. Two US solders were killed, 4 wounded and one kidnapped. The MLO made a demand to release Mexican terrorists from US jails. The US army in order to free the kidnapped solder and punish the MLO entered New Mexico . A Power station, bridges and the Interior ministry building was bombed. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman calls for restraint and advised that diplomacy is a viable option. The President of Mexico has asked the United Nations for help in freeing the MLO members. The UN special envoy for the Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, says he will discuss the issue with the US government. US's four-day military offensive in New Mexico has prompted recriminations during a UN Security Council debate sought by Spanish speeking countries. At least the Mexican people have a legitimate historical right to claim the South-West of USA -- Arabs, who call themselves Palestinians, have none! Steven Shamrak was born in the former Soviet Union (USSR) and participated in the Moscow Zionist "refusenik" movement. For the last 3 years, he has been publishing internet editorial letters on the Arab-Israeli conflict -- independently, not as a member of any organization or political movement. He can be reached by email at StevenShamrak@mail2world.com |
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BRIDGES OF PEACE BETWEEN THE WORLD OF ISLAM AND JEWISH PEOPLE
Posted by Valery Novoselsky, June 30, 2006. |
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Hello! My name is Zakira Zaripova. I am the resident of Israel living with my family in the town Rishon-le-Tzion. As a person from a Muslim background I aspire to dedicate my activity for building the bridges of peace and harmony between the world of Islam and Jewish people. This year I and the group of like-minded persons established the Tatar association in Israel. In our activity we rely on positive historical and nowadays examples indicative about the possibility of a peaceful coexistence between our communities. As such examples we can mention Khazar state, Volga Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, and medieval Spain. And even nowadays we should not forget such personalities as Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi (Italy), King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin (Tatarstan, Russia). We are sure that the record of such examples will expand due to our efforts in this direction. We are planning to conduct communal cultural and educational events and we shall be glad to see you among our friends, wherever you live. Respond, if you are not indifferent regarding the future of relationships between the world of Islam and Jewish people. Our contact information: Zakira Zaripova
Valery Novoselsky
Zakhar Gel'man
Respectfully yours, Zakira Zaripova.
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MINISTER YISHAI COMMITS TO HELP OUT-OF-WORK GAZA, SAMARIA EVACUEES
Posted by Bryna Berch, June 30, 2006. |
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This is a news item from Arutz-Sheva
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(IsraelNN.com) Minister of Industry Eli Yishai met today with farmers and business-owners from Gush Katif who have been without income ever since the government forcibly withdrew them from Gaza in August 2005 (the Disengagement). They presented to the minister the extent of their financial difficulties and the problems they face in reestablishing their previous businesses or farms. The farmers noted that the government does not provide them with alternate land to continue their agricultural livelihoods. Nor does the state provide alternate venues for independent businesses to re-open, the minister was told. Min, Yishai committed himself to help find solutions, or at least lessen the damage, for the evacuees. In Nitzan, which received most of the expelled Gush Katif families, there is now a 65% unemployment rate. 95% of the farmers are not working at the present time. |
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HOW TO DEAL WITH THE HOSTAGE GRAB BY THE TERRORISTS
Posted by Steven Plaut, June 30, 2006. |
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As you know, PM Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz are attacking one another, neither of whom has any idea of how to deal with the recent wave of Palestinian terror and th ekidnapping of the Israeli soldier hostage. Well, I have located an interesting commentator who seems to have an interesting take on what to do. I present here, for Olmert and Pertz to consider. The Master Plan for Dealing with the Crisis, from a knowledgable strategic commentator: "And the Canaanite heard that Israel had approached and he arose to battle with Israel and he kidnapped a hostage. And Israel swore an oath saying, 'When we get our hands on those people we will seize all their cities and confiscate everything in them.' And sure enough, right after that Israel went in and seized all their cities and confiscated their contents." But, alas, right after that the Israelis started bitching and whining, so a plague of annoying pests starting attacking them, as their comeuppance and punishment. But eventually, when they got there act together at last and finally got serious about going on the warfare against th eterrorists, they annihilated the enemy. *** The above sums up Chapter 21 of Numbers, part of this week's Torah portion. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist,
a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author
of "The Scout." He frequently comments -- both seriously and
satirically -- on Israeli politics and the left wing academic
community. His website address is
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THE WORLD LOVES JEWS - DEAD ONES
Posted by Marcel Cousineau, June 30, 2006. |
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DEMONSTRATIONS today in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt against ISRAEL That Israel is meekly defending themselves against Islamic destroyers angers most of the world. The rest of the world quietly sides with them by their silence. The truth -- Israel is only tolerated by the world when they silently allow themselves to be bled to death without a fight. When the Jews rise up and defend themselves this ALWAYS triggers outrage and hatred around the world as we see today. This is why the EU, US and UN call for Israel's restraint. They want the world to love dead and dying Jews, not strong ones able to fight and defeat their enemy. It's the concentration camp mentality ingrained in the minds of the west. WEAK JEWS UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, DYING BY THE MILLIONS, ARE ACCEPTABLE JEWS. These are loved and pitied, in fact there are holocaust memorials in Europe and the U.S. to show feigned, fake compassion to the millions of murdered Jews while the world sat and did nothing. The world has not changed When Israel gets serious the west always rushed to restrain them. So much for the worth of these friends an allies. They are in reality cohorts of hell and will get what's coming. They (U.S., U.N., E.U.) are already recieving God's wrath and rising calamity for their hypocrisy and betrayal of Israel to the jihadist forces of satan. That's why a feeble and weak P.M.Olmert is acceptable to them, easliy constrained and limited in his response to the destroyers of Israel. A strong Jewish leader would never be tolerated by the U.S.,E.U.,U.N. Eventually Israel will have to snap out of this suicidal relationship with the world and defeat allah's devils before they wipe out Israel. These Islamic devils already have the worlds blessing of course when it comes to Israel who they are so willing to sacrifice. Marcel Cousineau can be reached at up2zionsg8@yahoo.com or go to his website: http://averyheavystone.blogspot.com |
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HAARETZ EDITORIAL ABOUT GOVERNMENT LOSING DIRECTION
Posted by Yardena Even, June 30, 2006. |
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RE: "The government is losing its reason"
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This editorial reads as if written in Gaza by one of the savages. What a pity Amos Schocken wasn`t kidnapped instead of the soldier Ha'aretz article is worth reading. It is extraordinary how Haaretz through months of its editorials and "talkbacks" tell readers and viewers, both how to take the opposing stand find fault with Israel, as appalling as it is how self hatred is so evident here, it generates hatred towards the JEWISH STATE and the Jewish People!! Such is the deep seated hatred Haaretz editors have within themselves and try to project it to the web's readers!! and it's constant. every editorial is poison to the sick mind. and there are plenty of those who post at haaretz, and get published, there is no filtering. Some of you will say, It's an Israeli paper. How can it be? My response, be aware this website caters to anti semites!!! The Editorial in question Im referring to is saying that the Israeli government simply doesn't know what it's doing. I am moved to write this to this list and expose who's who in the Israeli press and who is cheering which side. It is obvious Haaretz editorials aid the enemy there is no doubt in my mind. Yardena A Even can be contacted by email at Yardena3@aol.com |
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BACK TO THE RRH DOCTRINE
Posted by Steven Plaut, June 30, 2006. |
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Three days of intensive military action in Gaza with virtually no terrorists killed? Battling Kassams by making sonic booms? More "signalling that Israel is deadly serious"? Yes, we are back to the RRH doctrine. Here is an earlier piece of mine on this doctrine: I've long suspected that it is the Israeli grand strategy to defeat the Palestinians by forcing them to laugh themselves to death. That seems to be the only possible way to understand the latest resuscitation of the RRH Doctrine, which has dominated Israeli policy toward the Palestinians and the Arab states since the early 1990`s. The RRH Doctrine was invented in the early days of Oslo and stands for "Really, Really Hard." Israeli governments would make deals to hand over most of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the PLO, while reassuring Israelis that there was no reason for worry - if the Palestinians misbehaved, Israel would hit back at them "Really, Really Hard." The boy who cried wolf was a far more credible strategist. Even if perchance anyone ever took the RRH threats seriously, by the mid-1990`s the RRH was little more than an overly-long-running joke. Rabin and Peres had threatened it during the early days of Oslo. Later, Prime Minister Netanyahu, after each and every act of terrorism, would loudly invoke RRH, but then did little, if anything, to retaliate. After Netanyahu came Barak, who once again threatened RRH regularly. But his only implementation of it consisted of chopper attacks on empty Palestinian buildings - and only after the PLO was given advance notification so that all humans and terrorists could be evacuated. RRH was also used by Barak (and other prime ministers) to threaten Hizbullah in Lebanon and their Syrian puppet masters. After each Hizbullah attack on Israeli towns and on Israeli forces inside southern Lebanon, Israel threatened the most serious RRH. But, in the end, the only manifestation of RRH implemented by Barak consisted of a panicked unilateral capitulation and withdrawal from southern Lebanon, which left Hizbullah sitting smack dab on Israel's border, with thousands of its rockets aimed at northern Israel and with Haifa in range. When Ariel Sharon first revealed his "Gaza Disengagement Plan" after winning the Israeli election, it too was accompanied by empty threats of RRH. Israel could not get the PLO to make any concessions in exchange for surrender of the Gaza Strip and the eviction of the Jewish population there; Sharon nevertheless decided to implement the Mitzna Plan, against which he had campaigned, and withdraw without any quid pro quo. He would just go ahead with unilateral capitulation, whether the PLO liked it or not. And if the PLO failed to contain Hamas and prevent terror attacks against Israel after the withdrawal, why, then, Sharon's government would order the Israeli Defense Forces to respond with serious RRH. Yeah, sure. Hours after the Gaza capitulation was completed and all Israeli troops and settlers had been removed, the rocket and mortar attacks on the Negev began. The PLO was calling Sharon's bluff. Almost as old as the RRH Doctrine is the "Who Could Have Ever Predicted That" Syndrome. Since Oslo, every new Israeli concession resulted in escalated Palestinian violence. And the Israeli chattering classes would sigh and ask rhetorically, "Who could have possibly foreseen this?" Likewise after each violation of the Oslo Accords by the PLO, the media and the left-wing politicians would pout, "Who could have predicted that?" After years of daily proof that the entire Oslo concept was unworkable, its advocates were still responding to each new failure with total serendipity. The Israeli media could not foresee any failures of the Oslo capitulations and appeasements because the media are by and large the occupied territories of Israel's radical Left. The overseas media were even less capable of foreseeing the consequences of Oslo because they were far more interested in bashing Israel than understanding anything about the Middle East conflict. The answer to the rhetorical question of "Who could have foreseen the failures of Oslo?" is "Anyone not blinded by ideology." A few weeks after the handshake on the White House lawn in 1993, I published my first article predicting the complete failure of the Rabin-Peres Oslo initiative - in fact, it was the first such article published in North America. I predicted that the PLO would simply use any territory turned over to it by Israel to build terror infrastructure and launch attacks on Israel, and I wrote of future rocket attacks and sniper fire against Israeli towns from the PLO-controlled areas years before they actually began in earnest. And I was hardly alone in 20-20 foresight. It was not particularly difficult in 1993 to see why Oslo would fail. It is even easier now, with 12 years of disastrous "peace process" experience, to understand why Sharon.s Gaza disengagement will result in an enormous escalation of violence, not in any relaxation of tensions. Let's give the Arabs some credit. Israel has been making so many threats of RRH ever since the Oslo "peace process" began that a Palestinian leader would have to be learning-disabled to take any of them seriously. If I consider them a joke, why should Abu Mazen believe them? The Oslo Accords produced the greatest escalation in Palestinian terrorism and atrocities in modern Israeli history. At their most severe, Israeli retaliations took the form of some targeted assassinations of Hamas and PLO terror leaders. More often than not, Israeli retaliations consisted of meaningless gestures like bombing the aforementioned empty buildings or making sonic booms over terrorist concentrations, and of course the ever louder empty threats of RRH. On Israel's northern border, virtually no retaliations against Hizbullah took place, even after Hizbullah kidnapped and murdered three Israeli army officers and fired rockets into Israel. All of this brings us to the latest rocket attacks by the PLO on Sderot a few days ago. The main effect of the Gaza capitulation is that the PLO can now import unlimited supplies of weaponry from Egypt, with no ability by Israel to interfere. Israeli troops are no longer on the ground inside the Gaza Strip. We already see the results and we can clearly foresee the "unexpected" consequences that will be taking place in the near future. The PLO and its affiliates now have all the freedom they need to upgrade their rockets. The new improved Kassam rockets are already able to hit Ashkelon from Gaza. Sharon's Gaza capitulation will turn the Negev town of Sderot into Israel's Guernica. When the rockets now hit Sderot after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, Olmert and his people respond mainly with a new round of RRH. The laughter from Ramallah was deafening. Let's note that, back before 1993, when Israel held Gaza tightly with on-the-ground military rule, there were no Kassam rockets in Gaza. The Palestinian savages threw stones at Jews because real weapons were hard to procure. The PLO knows what we all know; namely, that Olmert is afraid to take the only action that, in the end, can end the shooting of Kassam rockets into Jewish homes - R&D, or Re-Occupation and DeNazification. Let's hope his successor will be less pusillanimous. 2. Taken hostage
JERUSALEM -- What's the news?" we ask each other, and everyone understands that the question refers to Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas. Though the old socialist Israel is barely a memory, in times of crisis we again become collectivized. Nothing unites Israelis in outrage more than the seizure of hostages. Next week, on July 4, Israel will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Entebbe operation that freed over a hundred Israeli hostages, and little has changed since then in the national ethos of rescue. The last Zionist ideal still shared by most Israelis is the determination to fight back. An Israeli soldier held hostage is a taunt against the Zionist promise of self-defense, an unbearable reminder of Jewish helplessness. Our obsession with hostages is a tactical weakness but a strategic strength. It allows terrorists a stunning psychological advantage: With a single random kidnapping, they hold an entire society emotionally hostage. Strategically, though, hostage-taking only strengthens Israeli resolve. And resolve is precisely what the public now expects of its government. So far, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has responded well. He began by issuing two policy guidelines in dealing with the hostage crisis. The first is that Israel won't negotiate over Gilad's release and won't exchange prisoners. The second is that Hamas leaders -- "political" as well as "military" -- will be held personally accountable for the fate of Gilad. If Olmert's government hopes to retain its credibility among Israelis, it needs to maintain those two principles. In recent months, the public has become increasingly disillusioned with the government's failure to adequately respond to the almost daily rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages, especially Sderot. No Israeli town within the 1967 borders has experienced the kind of relentless attacks that Sderot has suffered. Even Hizbollah's Katyusha rocket attacks on the northern town of Kiryat Shmona in the early 1980s occurred in waves, with periods of reprieve between them. In the ten months since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, though, Sderot has barely known a day of peace. After the withdrawal, Israelis expected the government to enforce a policy of zero-tolerance for Palestinian attacks emanating from Gaza, even for attacks that didn't cause fatalities. Instead, the government responded unevenly, often ignoring rocket attacks that caused no damage. Many Israelis see Hamas's raid on an Israeli military post within the 1967 borders as a result of the weakness Israel has projected. In yesterday's letters column in the daily Maariv, for example, the hardline consensus was almost unanimous. "We told you so," wrote one reader who identified himself as "right wing." "Why doesn't Israel shut off electricity and water to Gaza?" demanded another reader. "Enough words, it's time to act," insisted a third. That perception of weakness could have far-reaching domestic consequences. The premise of Olmert's centrist party, Kadima, is that only a hawkish approach on security will convince Israelis to implement a dovish policy on territory. Given the Sderot precedent, though, Olmert is failing to uphold that centrist doctrine. For Olmert to win the public's agreement for another unilateral withdrawal, he needs to begin proving that he is capable of defending Tel Aviv from Palestinian rockets. And the place to begin convincing Israelis is Gaza. The military invasion of Gaza that began last night, and whose purpose is to surround the area where Gilad is presumably being held, must only be the first step. A brief invasion, a "show of force," is hardly adequate. Instead, Israel needs to resume its policy of systematically targeting Hamas leaders, just as it did several years ago, culminating in the assassination of Sheik Yassin. That policy drove most of Hamas deep underground and led to the cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Resuming assassinations against Hamas's political echelon is, of course, a declaration of war against the Hamas regime. But given its official sanctioning of kidnapping, Hamas has already declared war against Israel. Hamas's adoption of the tactics of Al Qaeda in Iraq comes as no surprise. After the killing of Zarqawi, Hamas issued a statement mourning his death and urging continued "resistance," thereby making the Hamas regime the world's only openly pro-Al Qaeda government. Unfortunately, the international media missed the significance of that moment. That lapse in media judgment is worth recalling in the coming days, when much of the media will be presenting the "prisoners' document" -- a set of demands drawn up by Hamas and Fatah members imprisoned in Israel -- as a historic Hamas concession, offering "tacit" recognition of Israel. In fact, the document does nothing of the sort. Nowhere does the document recognize the right of Israel to exist. Instead, it calls for Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders, followed by the "right" of Palestinian refugees to resettle in Israel and demographically overwhelm the Jewish state. The prisoners' document, in other words, is a plan for the phased destruction of Israel -- precisely why Hamas can endorse it. Driving on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, I saw this graffiti: "Olmert, gadol alecha". which roughly translates as, "Olmert, the job is bigger than you are." For Olmert to disprove that growing suspicion among Israelis, he must commit himself to the destruction of the Hamas regime. Sooner or later, Israel will have no choice but to adopt that policy. The only question is whether Olmert will still be prime minister when that happens. Steven Plaut is an American-trained economist,
a professor of business administration at Haifa University and author
of "The Scout." He frequently comments -- both seriously and
satirically -- on Israeli politics and the left wing academic
community. His website address is
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URGENT APPEAL TO HELP PREVENT KIDNAPPINGS IN ISRAEL
Posted by Voice of Judea, June 30, 2006. |
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Today Eliyahu Ashri was buried in Israel. Eliyahu was only 18 when he was kidnapped and brutally murdered last Sunday. Eliyahu was hitching back to shcool as many young Jews often do near Ofrah, when Arab terrorists forced him into their car and sped away, passing several Israeli checkpoints, and entering into PA controlled Ramalah, where his body was found yesterday. Our sincere condolences must be extended to the family of Eliyahu Ashri. At this time all of us must also make a commitment to do everything within our power to stop such heinous attacks in the future. Eliyahu was not the first Jewish kid to stand alone at a dark and vulnerable hitching post to be abducted and murdered. Several weeks ago two girls miraculously escaped their would-be kidnappers at a hitching station near Rehelim. Hundreds, if not thousands of Jewish kids regularly wait at bus stops and hitching stations along the roads of Yesha. K.L.Y. -- Klavim Lehaganat Yisrael -- Dogs for the defense of Israel is launching an emergency appeal to raise funds to finance patrols consisting of security dogs and trained handlers to help secure these bus stops and hitching posts throughout Yesha. K.L.Y. -- Klavim L'Haganat Yisrael -- is a unique life-saving association that sponsors special bomb detection and patrol dogs, as well as their volunteer handlers to help detect and deter terrorists in Israel. The sponsorship and training of a team consisting of a dog and handler cost 10,000 dollars. K.L.Y. Klavim L'Haganat Yisrael is a fully registered Israeli Amutah Charity that has already donated and dispatched dozens of dogs and handlers in Israel and has already helped prevent at least 4 terrorist attacks by assisting the army and local security patrols in early detection of terrorist movement or by assisting the IDF in tracking after fugitive terrorists. In wake of the recent rash of kidnappings and attempted kidnappings at deserted and vulnerable hitching posts throughout Yesha, K.L.Y. is calling upon you to help us finance our patrols at these hitching stations with specially trained canines. The added presence of the dogs and their handlers at these hitching posts will make it more difficult or impossible for terrorists to simply pull up along side a lone Jewish kid and to force him/her into a car without being noticed. Where possible, KLY will also supply transport to "safer" areas. K.L.Y. is presently distributing and posting flyers in these vulnerable spots publishing a hotline where people can report lone Jewish kids hitching in "unsafe areas", and when possible, K.L.Y. will dispatch volunteers and dogs to stand with the hitchers or to pick them up. K.L.Y. is currently financing a medical response and patrol vehicle that will transport medics, dogs and handlers to patrol vulnerable hitching spots near Rechelim, Shilo, Ofra, Eli, Kedumim, Karnei Shomron, Gush Etzyon, Efrat and Kiryat Arba. Thanks to the generous contribution of supporters in the U.S., a life-saving emergency vehicle was donated. God bless the righteous individuals who have helped us purchase the vehicle and the dogs. However, the maintenance of the vehicles, volunteers and canines cost us money that we don’t always have available. The purchase of gasoline, food and housing for the dogs and volunteers, equipment and canine training is not cheap either. With the rise in the cost of gasoline in Israel, the daily cost of gas for each patrol-vehicle, can cost as much as 400-500 shekels = 100-130 dollars. Due to lack of funds we have been forced to cut back much of our canine training exercises and we lack the necessary funds to fuel the cars and to sponsor this vital work to the extent that we need to. This is a rare opportunity where you can make a direct contribution that could immediately and directly help save lives in Israel. We have brave and courageous, wonderful volunteers and we have the experts to train these special anti-terror canines. Please help us sponsor more dogs and handlers. We urge you to make a generous contribution to K.L.Y.– Klavim L'Haganat Yisrael. If you can't afford to sponsor a team for 10,000 dollars then send whatever you can. We desperately need your help and we are grateful for any and all help you can offer us. You can call 011 972 5231 80290 for further reference (From Israel, dial 052 3180290.) Emails can be sent to IsraeliDefenders@aol.com PLEASE SEND YOUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION NOW DIRECTLY TO ISRAEL TO
Contact the Voice of Judea by email at mishal@mishal.org |
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GHETTO MENTALITY
Posted by Sergio Tessa (HaDaR), June 30, 2006. |
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This was an item in Israel National News --
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We built by-pass roads so that they would not kill us, since Jews are not allowed to travel freely passing by Arab villages. We cannot travel on their roads. They travel on our by-pass roads and also use them to hurt us. The government accepts all this as the ghetto Jews accepted all decision and abuse by the goyim as a ghezerà: they turn their eyes to the other side; they say "it rains" when they spit on us; they do not arrest them if they stone our cars, but arrest us if we dare defending ourselves when stoned; army and police do not even show-up when called because Arabs stone Jews, but get there within three minutes if Jews stone Arab cars; they allow Arabs to shoot THOUSANDS of bullets every day at their weddings, doing absolutely NOTHING to put a stop to the nightly shootings, but if we dare even shooting in the air when we are attacked they arrest us and confiscate our weapons. Now, after they are unable and unwilling to insure our safety and they PRE-EMPT US from defending ourselves, they want to make sure that our daily lives are impossible and we cannot travel freely. B"H, our great youth, which does not have AT ALL the ghetto mentality of our leaders, and which does not spend their days getting stoned, stabbing each other, stealing and other great occupations like those. which are UNKNOWN to the "settler's youth", have decided that IF WE CANNOT TRAVEL ON OUR ROADS BECAUSE THE ARABS ENDANGER US, THE ARABS SHOULD NOT TRAVEL ON THEM EITHER; so they are blocking the roads to Arab cars. OF COURSE, the collaborators with the Arabic speaking nazi enemy will jail THEM...
Sergio Tessa can be reached at Hadar-Israel@verizon.net.
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THE SWEETNESS THAT SAYS, 'DESTROY AMALEK,'
Posted by Professor Eugene Narrett, June 30, 2006. |
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One supposes that it is fitting and proper that the IAF is being gingerly used in small doses in Gaza to strike one building of Fatah brigades and to disperse a squad or two of jihadists in the act of attacking Israeli soldiers. Since we've been told by President Bush, Mr. Olmert, and numerous other brand-name politicians that the head of Fatah, Abu Mazen Abbas, is "a moderate" and since Fatah is the offshoot of Amin el Husseini's Nazi - affiliated Islamic terror movements, these small efforts are not much comfort; they are slim pickin's indeed for the retribution due and payable a long time. And since the show of force, accompanied by a few missiles for media / public consumption is meant to save Hosni Mubarak and Prince Abdullah under color of rescuing soldier Shalit we are not impressed by burblings of a 'conditional agreement'; we are depressed by reports of the slowing of the slow motion Israeli display. Perhaps what is needed here are reminders of vivid kinds, that Israelis look at photos of the murdered youth who was kidnapped while hitchhiking and shot in the head, his beautiful life being turned into inert matter by savages spawned by the Arabs culture of hate, of murderous hatred for Jews. To look at photos of Koby Mandel, Shalhevet Pass and all the others murdered since and before Oslo by the homicidal haters of the Jewish people. And then let us remember that "Amalek came and attacked Israel in Rephidim" and the positive command of Hashem to Moshe that he write as a remembrance in the Book and speak into the ears of Joshua that the hand is on the throne of G-d: Hashem maintains a war against Amalek... do not forget." And that when Samuel went to anoint Saul he told the new king to "hear the words of Hashem, Master of hosts: 'I have remembered what Amalek did to Israel. Now go and strike down Amalek and destroy everything that he has. Have no pity on him, kill man and woman alike, infant and suckling alike, ox and sheep alike, camel and donkey alike" (Exodus 17:9-16, 1 Samuel 15). And although Shaul did not complete the job, woe to those who fail to complete this job and woe and grief to all the Jewish people --- still "he struck Amalek down from Havilah to the approach to Shur." That would be sufficient for a start for now instead of the timid, approved-by-the-State Department 'show of force' and save Mubarak operation currently in place. Think of those slain, and the apposite teaching: "just as they have no pity on you, so you have no pity on them." The devastated ones need vengeance to see that there is a G-d Who judges in the land, that there is a G-d in Israel. Remember the slain Jews. Get away from 'Uncle Laban' and destroy Amalek, all of them alike. That is the only way to healing and to peace; a time for war, as they keep telling us, and then, after victory, a time for peace. Eugene Narrett's new book is "Israel and the Endtimes". |
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THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ELIYAHU PINCHAS ASHERI, ZTK"L
Posted by Fern Sidman, June 29, 2006. |
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On this day, June 29th, 2006, the 3rd day of Tammuz 5766, the nation of Israel buried a true Eved Elokim, a faithful servant of the Almighty G-d of Israel. Today thousands of Jews across the State of Israel attended the funeral of 18 year old Eliyahu Pinchas Asheri, ZTK"L, the yeshiva student from the settlement of Itamar who was kidnapped and murdered by Arab terrorists. Asheri, a student at the pre-military yeshiva academy in N'vei Tzuf in the western Binyamin region was last seen at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday at the French Hill junction in northern Jerusalem. He was hitching a ride to his yeshiva in N'vei Tzuf. His parents, Yitro and Miriam Asheri reported him missing on Monday, but according to reports from the IDF he had already been murdered by that time. According to Arutz Sheva, "A Ramallah Tanzim terror cell, taking orders from the Gaza headquarters of the Popular Resistance Committee, carried out the kidnapping and murdered of pre-military Torah academy student Eliyahu Asheri, according to the IDF." The report went on to say, "Itamar resident Eliyahu Asheri, z'l, died immediately when he was kidnapped on Sunday, according to OC Central Commander Yair Naveh. Naveh told reporters at a briefing on Thursday that the 18-year-old victim was not kept alive, as claimed by the terrorist group that abducted him, but was "without a doubt murdered immediately." Popular Resistance Committees terrorists claimed they had kept Asheri alive until Tuesday while considering the possibility of holding him for ransom. Said Naveh, "They had absolutely no intention to hold negotiations." According to The Jerusalem Post, (6/27/06), "On Wednesday, elite police and IDF forces arrested Popular Resistance Committees operative Osam Abu Rajil, who was suspected to have been involved in the kidnapping. Abu Rajil led the forces to a mountainside north of Ramallah, where Asheri's body was found buried, Army Radio reported. Naveh confirmed Thursday that Abu Rajil was personally involved in the kidnapping. On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Hamas-affiliated PRC told Al-Jazeera that Asheri would be "butchered in front of TV cameras" if the IDF operation in Gaza did not stop. "Our patience is running out," he said. "I am announcing for the first time that the kidnapped Zionist Israel is searching for is the same settler who is being held by us. He is aged 18-1/2... and is a soldier in a pre-military academy," said the spokesman, who identified himself as Abu Abir." In addition, Arutz Sheva reported that, "The IDF did not say whether the assault rifles which the Olmert government and the United States transferred to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, (Abu Mazen) earlier this month were used at any point in the kidnapping or murder. WorldNetDaily reported in the name of "sources close to the Al Aqsa Brigades" that the guns had been used in two separate shooting attacks against Israelis within days of the transfer." Roads in Jerusalem were closed in honor of the funeral, which is to end with the youth's burial in the Mt. of Olives cemetery. Eliyahu's teachers and family, one after the other, spoke about what a sweet person he was. Over and over it was mentioned that Eliyahu's prayers were "like fire." "You went up to Heaven in a storm, like Eliyahu (Elijah) the prophet," Eliyahu's mother Miriam eulogized, in a calm and determined voice. "Now, Eliyahu - stand before G-d and speak out in favor of the Nation of Israel - don't let up until our Father in Heaven agrees to reveal Himself to His people." Yitro Asheri spoke of his son, recalling that he would always sit in their home and make peace between his siblings. "When you get to Heaven," the Australian immigrant said, addressing his son, "make peace within our people and between the Nation of Israel and our Father in Heaven." Asheri added that the world has much less prayer in it now that Eliyahu is gone and implored all of Israel to "Pray! Pray - because you are righteous and G-d desires your prayers." Eliyahu's mother Miriam told Voice of Israel Radio this morning, "At this time, I do have not much to say, for the pain is so unbearable; I can barely find a way to hold it. But one thing I can say is that many times in the past years, because of the many disagreements-between-brothers we have in this country, many times I asked G-d to give me, first of all, love in my heart for everyone. And now, following this terrible thing that happened to us, it has become clear to me how really great the Nation of Israel is - how much help we have received, and all the volunteers, and the army - there are no words to describe it... And this was the way of Eliyahu as well..." Rabbi Chaim Druckman, the national head of the Bnei Akiva Yeshivot movement and Eliyahu's adopted grandfather, said at the funeral that sometimes funerals are like sunsets, but that Eliyahu's passing is like the sun going dark at noontime. "This is not just a private funeral, but one belonging to all of Israel," he said. "His murderers intended to kill any one of us and all of us." Rabbi Avi Ronski, the Rabbi of Itamar and the man who has been tapped to become the next Chief Rabbi of the IDF, said at the funeral, "It is now clear that they murdered Eliyahu very soon after they kidnapped him, and all their announcements and threats afterwards were merely psychological pressure against us." The murder of Eliyahu Asheri comes on the heels of a Hamas terrorist attack several days ago when a Hamas 8-man force crawled through an underground tunnel into Israel, lobbing grenades and bombs at a military outpost killing two IDF soldiers, Lt. Hanan Barak, 20, from Arad and Sgt. Pavel Slutzker, 20 from Dimona A third soldier, Corp. Gilead Shalit from Mitzpe Hila was kidnapped. The kidnapping of Corp. Shalit, prompted the IDF to launch its "Operation Summer Rains" offensive Wednesday with the entry of Israeli forces into Southern Gaza. The stated goal: The release of kidnapped solider Gilad Shalit. In addition to knocking out electricity in much of Gaza, the operation has included an aerial missile attack on an electricity station south of Gaza City, aerial attacks on three bridges in the central Gaza Strip, over dry river beds, artillery fire at open areas in the southern Gaza Strip and entry of armored forces into the Dahaniya area, mainly the abandoned airport, where the IDF has set up a headquarters. This area represents a strategic control and observation point over the southern Gaza Strip. In response to the murder and kidnapping, Israeli forces arrested one-third of the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet and 20 lawmakers early Thursday and pressed their incursion into Gaza. Today is a day of tremendous grief and mourning for the family and friends of Eliyahu Asheri. It is also a day of mourning for the entire nation of Israel. It is not easy to forget a day on which a young Jew was buried. A young Jew, heinously murdered by Arab savages. A Jew who feared G-d and walked in the way of his ancestors, in the way of Hashem's holy Torah. It will be difficult to forget the looks of profound grief and misery etched on the faces of his parents, his siblings, his friends and neighbors. The murder of Eliyahu Pinchas Asheri was the murder of a part of each and every one of us. For the murder of Eliyahu Pinchas Asheri could have been the murder of our own son or brother. Ask any parent that has lost a child and they will tell you that they never get up from sitting shiva. The sadness and despair is all consuming and does not diminish with the passing of time. We are commanded by the Almighty G-d of Israel to be our brother's keeper, for we are all one nation, a collective body and soul. When one of us grieves and suffers, we all grieve and we all suffer. Today we have lost a brother and our tears flow freely and without respite. And we ask, why was Eliyahu Asheri murdered? Why was it he that had to spend his last moments on this earth as a captive of barbaric Arab terrorists who have no respect for the sanctity of life? We may never know the answer, however we do know that the blood of Eliyahu Asheri is on the hands of those who control the government of Israel. Of those who aid and abet Arab terrorists by evacuating thousands of Jews from their homes in Gush Katif and who plan to uproot more Jewish settlements in the ultimate goal of creating "peace" with our Arab enemy. The blood of Eliyahu Asheri is on the hands of those in the government of Israel who transfer thousands of assault rifles and a million rounds of ammunition into the hands who those who seek our destruction. We can blame a government of Israel who oppresses the free speech of Jews who oppose the Olmert convergence-realignment plan. We can point our fingers in outrage and indignation at a government who is bent on national suicide. A government comprised of spiritually bankrupt leaders that lead us to believe that genuine and long lasting "peace" can come to fruition with an enemy that has sworn our destruction. An enemy who interprets territorial compromise and conciliation as acts of weakness and surrender and who respond with even more contempt and disdain. It is true that the government of Israel is one that is devoid of belief and faith, true belief and faith in the G-d of Israel and Torah. It is a government that has elevated the concepts of a westernized democracy into their own personal god. A government that displays a callous disregard when Jewish blood is spilled. We must express our anger and our outrage and rise up in indignation at the actions of a government who is responsible for the murder of our brother, Eliyahu Pinchas Asheri. For Eliyahu's murder can be harbinger for the potential murders of our own brothers. Let us raise our collective voices in prayer and supplication to the Almighty G-d of Israel. Let us plead with Hashem to give us the strength, courage, fortitude and tenacity to oppose a government that does not protect its people. Let us beseech the Almighty to provide comfort, strength and courage to the Asheri family and to all of the nation of Israel, for on this day, a part of each and every one of us has died. Contact Fern Sidman at AriellaH@aol.com |