CJUI Timely Perspectives

Caught on Tape: The Middle East's Culture of Cruelty

2009-05-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

by Daniel Pipes
FrontPageMagazine.com
May 15, 2009

Some of the bravest and most distinguished analysts from the Middle East emphasize that region's culture of cruelty. Kanan Makiya titled his 1994 book about Arabs Cruelty and Silence. Fouad Ajami writes about Beirut being "lost to a new reign of cruelty," about Iraq's "plunder and cruelty and sectarian animus," and about the region's "cruelty, waste, and confusion."

That cruelty, usually at a remove from outsiders, became cinematically vivid on April 22, 2009, when ABC News aired a tape of a prince from the United Arab Emirates sadistically torturing an Afghan merchant he accused of dishonesty. No less instructive were the passive reactions of his government and of American officials. The story reveals much and is worth pondering: (read full article)

READ THIS INCREDIBLE STORY.....AND GASP

2009-04-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Member of the
Knesset Dr. Arieh Eldad in the New English Review...

Eldad:

I was instrumental in establishing the Israeli National
Skin Bank, which is the largest in the world. The National
Skin Bank stores skin for every day needs as well as for war
time or mass casualty situations. This skin bank is hosted
at the Hadassah Ein Kerem University hospital in Jerusalem
where I was the chairman of plastic surgery.

This is how I was asked to supply skin for an Arab woman
from Gaza, who was hospitalized in Soroka Hospital in
Beersheba after her family burned her. Usually, such
atrocities happen among Arab families when the women are
suspected of having an affair. We supplied all the needed
Homografts for her treatment. She was successfully treated
by my friend and colleague Prof. Lior Rosenberg, and
discharged to return to Gaza.

She was invited for regular follow up visits to the
outpatient clinic in Beersheba. One day she was caught at a
border crossing wearing a suicide belt. She meant to explode
herself in the outpatient clinic of the hospital where they
saved her life. It seems that her family promised her that
if she did that, they would forgive her.

This is only one
example of the war between Jews and Muslims in the Land of
Israel. It is not a territorial conflict. This is a
civilizational conflict.

The genocide mechanism

2009-04-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

April 25, 2009
By ITAMAR MARCUS

Survivors of the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur spoke in Geneva this week at the parallel conference on human rights to counter the UN Durban II event. Listening to them describe how they were systematically demonized by the killers made it clear that genocide does not happen in a vacuum. The hate condition of a population willing and anxious to commit genocide needs nurturing. Genocide must be framed positively to get the necessary broad public support.

Common to the framing of all genocide is a very specific kind of demonization. In Rwanda, the Hutus taught that the Tutsis were cockroaches and snakes. Tutsi women were portrayed as cunning seductresses who used beauty and sexual power to conquer the Hutus. In Bosnia, a fictitious news report said Muslims were feeding Serb children to animals at the Sarajevo zoo. Radio Rwanda repeatedly broadcast a warning that Hutus were about to be attacked by Tutsis, to convince the Hutus that they needed to attack first to protect themselves.(read full article)

'World leaders must drop 'land for peace' slogans, stop Iran'

2009-04-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

By DAVID HOROVITZ AND AMIR MIZROCH
April 24, 2009

The international community has to "stop speaking in slogans" if it really wants to help the new Israeli government work toward a solution to the Palestinian conflict and help bring stability to the Middle East, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, in his first interview with an Israeli newspaper since taking the job.

"Over the last two weeks I've had many conversations with my colleagues around the world," he said. "Just today, I saw the political adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Chinese foreign minister and the Czech prime minister. And everybody, you know, speaks with you like you're in a campaign: Occupation, settlements, settlers..." (read full article)

Disgrace at Durban 2

2009-04-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

April 22, 2009

Shouldn't the UN be promoting human rights instead of racism as the organization's integrity takes a pounding?

The United Nations enjoys what is known as the "halo effect", whereby, because of its supposed humanitarian focus and promotion of universal values, it is insulated from scrutiny and is regarded as above reproach by the media, which often holds international bodies such as the UN to be a reference and a guiding moral light.

HonestReporting has regularly attempted to redress the balance, focusing on some of the long list of discriminatory actions by the UN against Israel and highlighting shortcomings within the international organization that the media failed to cover.
(read full article)

2009-04-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

STATEMENT BY ANNE BAYEFSKY AT THE THIRD SUBSTANTIVE PREPARATORY MEETING OF THE DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE

April 17, 2009
United Nations, Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland

The eyes of millions of victims of racism, xenophobia and intolerance are upon YOU, the representatives of states and the United Nations. And instead of hope you have given them despair. Instead of truth you have handed them diplomatic double-talk. Instead of combating antisemitism you have handed them a reason for Jews to fear UN-driven hatemongering on a global scale.

The Durban conference – allegedly dedicated to combating racism, antisemitism and other forms of intolerance – will open April 20th on the anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler without agreement on even so much as remembering the Holocaust and the war against the Jews. Your draft words on the Holocaust – the very foundation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – have been narrowed to the barest mention from previous versions. And if the minor reference survives at all – it will be a testament to your interest in Jews that died 60 years ago, while tolerating and encouraging the murder of Jews in the here and now.

Furthermore, the draft before you demonizes the Jewish state of Israel and then has the audacity to pretend to care about antisemitism in a single word buried among 17 pages. Antisemitism means discrimination against the Jewish people. Since it is evident that almost none of you have the courage to say it, the face of modern antisemitism IS the UN – your – discrimination against Israel, the embodiment of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.

Over and over again we have heard a massive misinformation campaign about the content of these proceedings and the draft before you. We have heard the tale that this draft does not single out Israel, that the hate has been removed, that the fault of the antisemitism at Durban I was that of NGOs while states and the UN were blameless.

Perhaps you think that journalists and victims will not bother to read for themselves the Durban Declaration adopted by some governments. There is only one state mentioned in it – Israel. There is only one state associated with racist practices in it – Israel. And yet the very first thing that this draft before you does is to reaffirm that abomination, abomination for Jews and Arabs living in Israel’s free and democratic society, and for all the victims of racism ignored therein. Lawyers call it incorporation by reference when they hope nobody reads the small print. The propaganda stops here. We have read it. We understand the game. And we decry the ugly effort to repeat the Durban agenda to isolate and defeat Israel politically, as every effort to do so militarily for decades has failed.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair of this Preparatory Committee also told us this week that the Durban Declaration in all its aspects is a consensus text. Perhaps they are unfamiliar with the Canadian reservations made in Durban in 2001 which state categorically that the Middle East language was outside the conference’s jurisdiction and not agreed. Perhaps they failed to notice that one of the world’s greatest democracies, the United States, voted with its feet and walked out of the Durban I hatefest? The Durban Declaration has never represented a global consensus among free and democratic nations. When the head of the Islamic conference treats Durban as a bible, in their words, it is more accurately a defamation of religions.

This week you decided which states ought to serve in a leadership role at next week’s conference. Among them are some of the world’s leading practitioners of racism, not those interested in ending it. You have also decided to hand a global megaphone to the President of a state which advocates genocide and denies the Holocaust.

So in a state of shock and dismay we address ourselves not to the human rights abusers that glorify the Durban Declaration or its next incarnation, but to democracies -- and we ask: Will Germany sit on Hitler’s birthday and listen to the speech of an advocate of genocide against the Jewish people and grant legitimacy to the forum which tolerates his presence? What about the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Magna Carta? Or France that helped to ship last generation’s Jews to crematoriums?

You could have fought racism. You chose instead to fight Jews. You could have promoted the universal standards against racism already in existence. You chose instead to diminish their importance in the name of alleged cultural preferences. You could have protected freedom of expression. You chose instead to undermine it by twisted concepts of incitement. You could have brought victims of racism together in a common cause. You chose instead to pit victims against each other in an ugly struggle for meagre recognition. For those democracies that remain under these circumstances you are ultimately responsible for what can only be called an appalling disservice to real victims of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance around the world.

CONTACT: Anne Bayefsky, +1-917-488-1558 or +41 77 470 5689, anne.bayefsky@touro.edu , +41 78 740 2422, vh@span.ch

Campus Leftists Don't Believe in Free Speech

2009-04-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

APRIL 18, 2009
Conservative speakers now have bodyguards when they visit universities.

By DAVID HOROWITZ
I arrived in Austin, Texas, one evening recently to give a speech about academic freedom at the university there. Entering the hall where I was to give my speech, I was greeted -- if that's the word -- by a raucous protest organized by a professor and self-styled Bolshevik, Dana Cloud. Forty protesters hoisted placards high in the air and robotically chanted "Down With Horowitz," "Racist Go Home," and "No More Witch-hunts."

Fortunately, a spokesperson for the administration was present to threaten the disrupters with arrest if they continued on this course. (The threat was administered very carefully, with three formal warnings before any action could be taken.) This quieted the crowd enough that I could begin my talk, which proceeded without further serious incident. (read full article)

Those Who Ignore History Are Condemned - Somali Piracy in Context

2009-04-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

D.L. Adams
Political Islam

On April 6 in an address to the parliament of Turkey, US President Obama said that the relationship between the United States and the "Muslim world" is an important one. "In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical," the president said. During the same address the President stated, "We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over so many centuries to shape the world for the better, including my own country." Mr. Obama neglected to explain in what way(s) Islam has the shaped and improved the United States. The founding fathers of the United States did not share Mr. Obama's appreciation for the "Islamic faith". In fact Jefferson, Adams, JQ Adams, and Benjamin Franklin were all were deeply concerned about the dangers that Islam represented to the new nation. Our ongoing experiences with the 21st century version of the Barbary pirates off the coast of Somalia, most recently today when an American freighter captain was freed from pirate captivity by the US Navy, illustrates a great deal about our prior relations with the "religion of peace" and how our previous leaders reacted. There is little discussion in the mainstream press about the link between Somali Islamism, piracy, and jihad, but the linkage is there nonetheless.(read full article)

Our World: Iran's Western enablers

2009-04-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Apr 13, 2009 21:19 | Updated Apr 14, 2009 9:02
By CAROLINE GLICK

Egypt's recent actions against Hizbullah operatives are a watershed event for understanding the nature of the threat that Iran constitutes for both regional and global security. For many Israelis, Egypt's actions came as a surprise. For years this country has been appealing to Egypt to take action against Hizbullah operatives in its territory. With minor exceptions, it has refused. Believing that its operatives threatened only us, the Mubarak regime preferred to turn a blind eye.
(read full article)

Our World: Appeasing child killers

2009-04-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Apr 6, 2009 21:28 | Updated Apr 7, 2009 10:34
By CAROLINE GLICK

We were not supposed to see Shlomo Nativ's name in the newspapers. At least, we weren't supposed to know who he was for several years. He was just a 13-year-old boy. He was loved by his family and friends. He had brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents. His life was not our business. And, to a certain extent, now that it is over, it still shouldn't concern us.

What should concern us is his death. Nativ was murdered last Thursday at the hands of a Palestinian ax murderer just a few meters from his home in Bat Ayin. And his death should interest us for what it teaches us, first of all about the nature of the Middle East and Israel's place in it. (read full article)

A Note from Anna Kolodner, Executive Director of The David Project

2009-04-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2009

All those concerned about the continued vilification of Israel by the international community, and particularly the United Nations, should be alarmed by the Durban 2 'antiracism' conference, scheduled for 20-24 April 2009.

In the name of 'anti-racism,' the first Durban conference in 2001 degenerated into a relentless and blatant anti-Semitic and Israel-bashing event, particularly by non-governmental organizations. Under the guidance of Libya, Iran and Cuba, the second conference appears to be even worse, with recommendations that the international community prohibit free speech and criticism of religion. Fortunately, pressure from the US and European countries seems to have forced changes in the conference document, but it is unclear whether these countries will or should attend.

As in the past, The David Project has mobilized to create a unique, online portal on the topic. www.durban2facts.org is the definitive place to go for materials discussing the background of the Durban conferences, the 'Durban Strategy' of isolating Israel on the model of apartheid-era South Africa, and the current status of the 2009 conference's draft declaration. These materials, viewable online or in PDF format, will be updated as necessary. For those with little time, we have devised an easy-to-read one-page summary. We have also included links to online resources, videos and relevant articles.

We hope you find this resource helpful and that you share it with others.

Happy Passover,

Giving the Diaspora a say

2009-03-31T17:29:00.000-07:00

Mar. 31, 2009
ALAN BAKER , THE JERUSALEM POST

One of the most intractable issues facing Israel, its government and general public is the real nature of the relationship with the Diaspora. Is this a relationship of reciprocal, mutually benefitting and interdependent interests? Is it a vital relationship without which neither could realize their respective and most basic endeavors? Or alternatively, could each exist independently and follow its own narrow interests? These questions are challenging and touch upon the very nature of the linkage between State of Israel and the Jewish people in the Diaspora.

One delicate yet vital component of this relationship that repeatedly threatens to cast a schism between the two, is the ongoing peace-negotiating process on issues of central concern to Judaism - specifically concerning the fate of Jerusalem and withdrawal from territory. (read full article)

Middle East still not ready for democracy

2009-03-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Jewish World Review March 23, 2009 / 27 Adar 5769

By Barry Rubin

Democracy is a great idea; open elections are ideally the best way to choose governments; dialogue with everyone is wonderful in theory. But in the Middle East, unfortunately, as a policy this would be a disaster.

It is not Western policy but local conditions which are going to determine whether there will be democracy in the Arabic-speaking world. In my book, The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), I analyze both the debate and the existing groups. The assessment must be pessimistic. (read full article)

A Japanese View of the Palestinians

2009-03-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

By Yashiko Sagamori

If you are so sure that “Palestine, the country, goes back through most of recorded history”, I expect you to be able to answer a few basic questions about that country of Palestine:

1. When was it founded and by whom?

2. What were its borders?

3. What was its capital?

4. What were its major cities?

5. What constituted the basis of its economy?

6. What was its form of government?

7. Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat?

8. Was Palestine ever recognized by a country whose existence, at that time or now, leaves no room for interpretation?

9. What was the language of the country of Palestine?

10. What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine?

11. What was the name of its currency? Choose any date in history and tell what was the approximate exchange rate of the Palestinian monetary unit against the US dollar, German mark, GB pound, Japanese yen, or Chinese yuan on that date.

12. And, finally, since there is no such country today, what caused its demise and when did it occur?

(read full article)

Umm el-Fahm and liberal democracy

2009-03-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mar 26, 2009 21:41 | Updated Mar 27, 2009 21:21
By CAROLINE GLICK

Tuesday's riots in Umm el-Fahm and the debate which accompanied them are emblematic of one of the greatest challenges facing not only Israel, but much of the Western world today. Far-Right Jewish Israeli political activists held a peaceful demonstration in the radical Arab-Islamist dominated city of Umm el-Fahm in the Galilee under heavy police protection. Thousands of Arab Israelis supported by far-Left Jewish Israeli political activists reacted with violent rioting. And the media blamed the violence on the peaceful Jewish Israeli demonstrators.(read full article)

Israel`s Christian Friends

2009-03-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

Michael Freund - Mar 25, 2009
The Jerusalem Post

Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Virginia, the city of
Virginia Beach is about the last place one would expect to find a
bastion of passionate pro-Israel sentiment.

With its seemingly endless miles of sand, waves and sun, the sprawling
resort town, known as the proud host of the annual East Coast Surfing
Championships, seems more well-suited to fun and games than to waging a
war of ideas on behalf of the Jewish state. Yet it is precisely in this
most unexpected of locales that one of Israel`s staunchest allies and
defenders can be found: Rev. Pat Robertson`s Christian Broadcasting
Network, or CBN. (read full article)

I am not Jewish but... - JPost.com

2009-03-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

From a speech by Rupert Murdoch:

"In this new century, the "West" is no longer a matter of geography. The West is defined by societies committed to freedom and democracy. That at least is how the terrorists see it. And if we are serious about meeting this challenge, we would expand the only military alliance committed to the defense of the West to include those on the front lines of this war. That means bringing countries such as Israel into NATO." (read full article)

Exposed: How Palestinian Fixers Manipulate their Media Bosses - Honest Reporting

2009-03-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2009

"FIXING" THE FOREIGN PRESS

While one refers to the "foreign press" in Israel, most employees are local Israelis or Palestinians who are hired for their language skills, access and local knowledge. Sometimes it isn't enough just to monitor only the news stories and critique the media. The hiring practices of the media organizations can also impact significantly on what news is reported and how decisions are made as to the information reaching Western audiences.

It isn't only the personal attitudes or potential bias of a journalist influencing the final article or television report. Other media professionals can also have a major bearing on the construction and direction of a story. (read full article)

TEAM OBAMA'S ANTI-ISRAEL TURN

2009-03-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

By JOHN BOLTON
March 13, 2009

THE Obama administration is increasingly fixed on resolving the "Arab-Israeli dispute," seeing it as the key to peace and stability in the Middle East. This is bad news for Israel - and for America.

In its purest form, this theory holds that, once Israel and its neighbors come to terms, all other regional conflicts can be duly resolved: Iran's nuclear-weapons program, fanatical anti-Western terrorism, Islam's Sunni-Shiite schism, Arab-Persian ethnic tensions. (read full article)

Myths and Facts About Two Jerusalems

2009-03-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Illegal Annexation of East Jerusalem
As reported by the guardian.co.uk on March 7, 2009

"A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government using settlement expansion ... 'actively pursuing the illegal annexation' of East Jerusalem."
March 8, 2009 | Eli E. Hertz

Palestinian Arabs, supported by the EU and the U.S. have nurtured a myth that historically there were two Jerusalems - an Arab 'East Jerusalem' and a Jewish 'West Jerusalem.' This brief will attempt to reveal the ignorance of those who claim they are the keepers of international law. (read full article)

Can We Give To Gaza Without Giving To Hamas? Forbes.com

2009-03-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Claudia Rosett, 03.05.09, 12:00 AM EST

New U.S. and U.N. money for Palestine goes into a black hole.

If stuffing billions worth of aid into the Palestinian territories could end Islamist terrorism out of Gaza, it might be worth the money. That seems to be President Obama's gamble, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jetting to a donors' conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this past Monday, to chip in $900 million on behalf of U.S. tax payers. All told, more than 70 countries, cheered on by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, pledged a whopping total of $4.5 billion in fresh aid to the Palestinians. (read full article)

Our World: Kadima's strategy for success - JPost.com

2009-03-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

Mar 2, 2009 21:02 | Updated Mar 3, 2009 10:00
By CAROLINE GLICK

Provoked by the Palestinians' escalating missile campaign, on Sunday evening the Ashkelon Parents Association voted not to send their children to school on Monday.

Ever since the outgoing Kadima government ended Operation Cast Lead in Gaza on January 20, the Palestinians have steadily stepped-up their missile war against Israel. Over the weekend the IDF acknowledged that six weeks later, daily Palestinian missile barrages against Israel have returned to pre-Operation Cast Lead levels. Moreover, the IDF warned that over the past six weeks, Hamas and its sister terror groups have rebuilt their missile arsenals both through imports of Iranian arms from Egypt and through local production lines. They have also brought in fairly advanced anti-aircraft missiles capable of shooting down IAF helicopters.
(read full article)

For the Criminal Court to work, the worst must come first - Alan M. Dershowitz

2009-02-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

There are efforts now underway to try to bring Israel before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on charges of alleged war crimes. Neither Israel nor the United States has signed on to this court, primarily out of fear that its power would be used against democracies that try their best to avoid war crimes, rather than against dictatorships and terrorist nations that routinely engage in them. This has certainly been the experience with many United Nations organizations, even including the International Court of Justice, which is largely a sham when it comes to Israel and other democracies under attack.

There has been high hope among some human rights experts that the ICC would be different for two reasons: First and foremost it is not a United Nations court. It was established by the Rome Statute, a treaty adopted in 1998 after years of negotiations, and is largely independent of the United Nations, though not completely so. Cases can be referred to it by the UN Security Council under Article 13(b) of the treaty. The second reason the ICC has encouraged optimism is that the person appointed as the court's Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocompo, has a sterling reputation for objective law enforcement and basic fairness.

The ICC has rightly opened up investigations of genocide in Darfur, Sudan. (It is now under pressure to suspend any prosecution of President Omar al-Bashir). It has not opened investigations with regard to Russia's alleged war crimes in Chechnya and Georgia, where thousands of innocent civilians were killed. Nor has it opened investigations with regard to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, the Congo and other places where civilians are routinely targeted as part of military and terrorist campaigns. Nor -- to its credit -- has it opened an investigation of Great Britain and the United States, whose armed forces have inadvertently caused the deaths of thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Were it now to open an investigation of Israel, ICC would be violating the cardinal principle that must govern all international prosecutions: namely, that the worst must be prosecuted first. It would also be violating its own rules which mandate that the International Criminal Court will not become a substitute for domestic courts. If there are processes within the State of Israel to consider allegations against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), then those processes must be allowed to move forward unless Israel is "unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution," according to the Rome Statute. There is no country in the world -- literally none -- that has a judicial system that is more open to charges against its own government. Not the United States, not Great Britain, and certainly not Russia, Zimbabwe or Pakistan! Moreover, Israel has a completely open and very critical free press, which is constantly exposing Israeli imperfections and editorializing against them.

Third, the IDF has legal teams that must approve of every military action taken by the armed forces. There are obviously close questions, about which reasonable experts can disagree, but there is no country in the world that goes to greater lengths in its efforts to conform its military actions to international law. Listen to retired British Colonel Richard Kemp - a military expert who, based on his experience, concluded that there has been "no time in the history of warfare when an Army has made more efforts to reduce civilian casualties...than [the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza].

"Despite deliberate efforts by Hamas to maximize Palestinian civilian casualties by firing rockets from behind human shields, Israel has succeeded in its efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas has a policy of exaggerating civilian casualties, both by inflating the total number of people killed and by reducing the number of its combatants included in that total. A recent study conducted by the Italian Newspaper Corriere della Sera disputed Hamas figures and put the total number of Palestinians killed, including Hamas terrorists, at less than 600. And this week, the UN withdrew claims made during the war that Israel had shelled a school run in Gaza by the UN Relief and Works Agency.

The same Rome Statute that established the ICC also describes many of Hamas's actions during the war, such as attacking Israeli civilians and using Palestinian civilians as human shields, as war crimes. Any fair investigation by the ICC would have to conclude that Israel's efforts to prevent civilian casualties, while seeking to protect its civilians from Hamas war crimes, rank it at the very top of nations in compliance with the rule of law. It would also conclude that efforts to brand Israel's actions as war crimes are crassly political, based on ideology and not law. If anything, Hamas belongs in the dock, not Israel.

The prosecutor of the ICC must resist pressures -- from the United Nations, from radical ideologues and from other biased sources -- to apply a double standard to Israel by singling the Jewish state out from among law-abiding democracies for a war crimes investigation. No international court can retain its credibility if it inverts the principle of "the worst first" and instead goes after one of the best as one its first.

Author Biography:
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter professor of law at Harvard Law School and author of The Case for Israel.

Peres: I was wrong about disengagement - JPost.com

2009-02-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Feb 18, 2009 13:00 | Updated Feb 19, 2009 1:07
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS

President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that he erred in supporting Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

"What will happen in the future, we shall not repeat the wrongs we did in leaving Gaza," Peres said in a question and answer session with a group of American Jewish leaders. "It should have been done otherwise. I was for leaving Gaza. I feel myself as one of the persons mistaken." (read full article)

The Path of Realism or the Path of Failure

2009-02-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

by Elliott Abrams
03/02/2009, Volume 014, Issue 23

Repetition of failed experiments is not a sign of mental health or a path to scientific progress, nor is it a formula for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Yet that is the road we may again take, unless the lessons of the Bush years are learned.

As an official of the Bush administration I made three dozen visits to the Middle East in the last eight years, and in February, as Israelis voted, I made my first visit as a private citizen in nearly a decade. After lengthy discussions with Israelis and Palestinians, it seems to me obvious that it is time to face certain facts, facts that President Bush actually saw clearly during his first term: We are not on the verge of Israeli-Palestinian peace; a Palestinian state cannot come into being in the near future; and the focus should be on building the institutions that will allow for real Palestinian progress in the medium or longer term. (read full article)

Freedom of Speech: Wilders, Orwell, and the “Koran Ban”

2009-02-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

February 21st, 2009 by Andrew Bostom |
9 Comments
880 visitors have read this article

Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders will be in the United States this week, arriving direct from Italy where he received the Oriana Fallaci Free Speech Award.

During his acceptance speech, Wilders implored the audience in Rome to protect our most fundamental Western freedom, freedom of speech. Wilders expressed this commitment—contra the willful media distortions of his views—in this pellucid formulation: (click here to read full article)

A Chamberlain Moment - FrontPageMagazine.com

2009-02-15T18:19:00.001-08:00

By Stephen Brown
Friday, February 13, 2009

It was a watershed moment of capitulation.

On Thursday, February 12, visiting Dutch politician Geert Wilders was humiliatingly bundled back on to a plane to his native Holland shortly after arriving in London. Wilders had been invited to show his controversial, 17-minute documentary film, Fitna, in Britain’s House of Lords but was warned in a letter from the British Home Office last Tuesday he would be denied entry to the country. As reasons for his being declared persona non grata, Wilders was told in the letter he would “threaten community harmony and therefore public security.” The directive never stated, however, that the statements Wilders made in Fitna are false or misleading in any way. (read full article)

Column One: Enter the Netanyahu gov't - JPost

2009-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Feb 12, 2009 20:27 | Updated Feb 13, 2009 17:04
By CAROLINE GLICK

Who won the election on Tuesday night and what do the results tell us about the composition of the next government?

Israeli voters decided two things on Tuesday. First, they decided that they want the political right to lead the country. Second, leftist voters decided that they want to be represented by a big party, so they abandoned Labor and Meretz and put their eggs in Kadima's basket.

These two decisions - one general and one sectoral - are what brought about the anomalous situation where the party with the most Knesset seats is incapable of forming the next governing coalition. Despite Kadima leader Tzipi Livni's stunning electoral achievement, she cannot form a coalition. Binyamin Netanyahu will be Israel's next prime minister. The Likud will form the next coalition.(click here to read full article)

2009-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:00

Mr. Obama, Speak First at TouroFebruary 8th, 2009 by Andrew Bostom

Touro Synagogue This morning at The American Thinker, I urge President Obama to acknowledge the contemporary plight of Jews beset by resurgent jihadism, and traditional Islamic Jew hatred—before he makes his widely ballyhooed conciliatory speech in a Muslim capital. And=2 0I have the ideal venue for Mr. Obama’s address to Jews—an iconic American symbol of freedom of conscience, and freedom from persecution, which President Kennedy characterized thusly, on September 15, 1963:

It [Touro] is not only the oldest Synagogue in America but also one of the oldest symbols of liberty. No better tradition exists than the history of Touro Synagogue’s great contribution to the goals of freedom and justice for all.
http://www.americanthinker.com/printpage/?url=http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/02/mr_obama_speak_first_at_touro.html February 08, 2009

Mr. Obama, Speak First at Touro
By Andrew G. Bostom
Barack Obama's recent inauguration as our 44th President demonstrates the promise and progress of the unique, livin g American experiment in governance begun when George Washington delivered his inaugural address on April 30, 1789.

Mr. Obama's inaugural rhetoric, and symbolic granting of his first post-inauguration interview to the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiyya network, emphasized the importance of the Muslim community in the United States, and a "restored" and "respectful" relationship between America and the global Muslim umma (community). The President felt compelled to tell Hisham Melham of Al Arabiyya that it was his administration's solemn duty, "...to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries." Obama reiterated the point. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

As if to underscore the primacy of this outreach effort to the Islamic world, Obama characterized America itself as a country of "Muslims, Christians, Jews" -- having in his earlier inaugural address -- disregarding actual US demography (i.e., recent Pew Data indicating the number of US Muslims are half, or less, the number of US Jews) -- only accorded Muslims second position, after American Christians, but before American Jews, Hindus, and others.
While several commentators, particularly Charles Krauthammer have noted how Mr. Obama's self-flagellating apologetics distort and sully the actual historical record of US actions vis a vis the Muslim world over the past three decades, I was struck by another alarming incongruity: the complete absence of any comparably expressed concerns by the new President for a much more beleaguered and vulnerable people, worldwide -- the Jews.

This unsavory rhetorical omission will almost certainly be compounded by one of Mr. Obama's looming actions, his now much anticipated (since the December 10, 2008 Chicago Tribune story, "Which Muslim capital will Barack Obama choose?" ) delivery of a "major speech" in an Islamic capital aimed, yet again, at "restoration" of US-Muslim relations.
On the one hand, the fact that Cairo, Egypt is being touted as a potential location for this conciliatory address highlights Mr. Obama's willful blindness to the pandemic of jihadism, intimately conjoined to annihilationist Islamic Jew-hatred, afflicting Muslim communities globally, including those within Europe, Canada, and the United States. Yet Cairo is also a very appropriate potential venue for Mr. Obama's pending speech. The capital of Egypt, the world's most populous Arab Muslim nation, Cairo's 1000 year old Al Azhar University (and its mosque) represents the pinnacle of Islamic religious education. Egypt also receives nearly $2 billion US aid per annum. Such American largesse, one could reasonably argue, should provide Mr. Obama persuasive leverage over our erstwhile Muslim ally -- for example, demanding, under threat of withdrawing this aid, that Egypt actively seek out and destroy the smuggling tunnels through which flow rockets and other munitions from the Sinai peninsula into Gaza, to be fired by Hamas (and its allied) jihadists upon civilian population centers in southern Israel.

But apart from diplomatic threats -- which can be made privately, Mr. Obama should demonstrate courageous moral leadership in his public address, demanding an end to the declarations of Jew-hatred, and even calls for jihad genocide against the Jews, issued regularly by Egyptian clerics, including authoritative Islamic religious leaders at the renowned Al Azhar University.
Preaching this sacralized hatred is endemic in Egypt. A front page New York Times story published January 10, 2009, included extracts from the Friday sermon (of 1/9/09) at Al Azhar mosque pronounced by Egyptian-government appointed cleric Sheik Eid Abdel Hamid Youssef. Referencing well-established Antisemitic motifs from the Koran (citations provided, below), Sheikh Youssef intoned,

Muslim brothers, God has inflicted the Muslim nation with a people whom God has become angry at [Koran

Israel, Gaza and International Law

2009-02-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

Alan M. Dershowitz - Jan 27, 2009
The Jerusalem Post

The cease fire on the ground has not ended the war of words against Israel. Indeed, efforts to charge Israel with war crimes and other violations of international law are escalating. The time has come, therefore, for a common sense legal and moral analysis of the events in Gaza and southern Israel.

Let us begin with an argument that is frequently made against Israel. It is pointed out by supporters of Hamas that the official governing authority of Gaza is Hamas, because Hamas won the election. To the extent this is true, however, it is an argument in justification of Israel's actions. If Hamas is the official government of Gaza and if Hamas ordered the firing of more of than 6,000 deadly rockets at Israeli civilians, then it follows that the government of Gaza has engaged in an armed attack against Israel under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. In other words, the government of Gaza has declared war against the government and people of Israel. This should not be surprising, since the Hamas Charter calls for the military destruction of Israel.

Under international law, and under the UN Charter, Israel has the right to respond to these thousands of armed attacks. Indeed every rocket fired into Israel is an armed attack and Israel is entitled to take whatever military actions is deemed reasonably necessary to stop these armed attacks from occurring. If Hamas were merely a small terrorist gang operating from Gaza but without the approval of the government, it would be more difficult to justify a military response that destroyed government buildings and targeted police. Israeli military actions resulted in civilians dying. Precisely how many is hotly disputed: a study conducted by the Italian Newspaper Corriere Del Sera disputed Hamas figures and put the total number of Palestinians killed, including Hamas terrorists, at less than 600. The sad reality is that people who voted for and actively support a terrorist government bear more responsibility for the actions of their government than they would for a gang operating against the wishes of the government. Surely the voters in Germany who elected Hitler bore more responsibility for Nazi atrocities than the people of Iraq did for the atrocities of the dictator Saddam Hussein, who was never fairly elected.

Israel clearly had to right to take whatever military action was necessary to stop the Hamas government from playing Russian roulette with the lives of its children. So far, no problem under international law. But here's the rub. International law also requires that Israel's actions must not be disproportional to its military aims and it also prohibits the willful targeting of Palestinian civilians.

To make things even more complicated, international law prohibits the use of human shields to protect combatants from lawful military actions taken by those against whom it has waged an armed attack. And there can be absolutely no doubt that it is the official policy of Hamas to use children, women, schools, mosques, hospitals and other civilian institutions and areas as shields to protect its combatants from legitimate Israeli military actions. In addition to the video evidence showing Hamas fighters deliberately placing their rockets adjacent to UN schools, mosques and to residential areas, there are the express statements of officially-elected Hamas leaders both before and during the fighting. Consider the following public statement delivered by a Hamas legislator, transmitted on Hamas television and widely circulated by video. The legislator's name is Fathi Hammad and here is what he said:

[The enemies of Allah] do not know that the Palestinian people has developed its [methods] of death and death-seeking. For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry, at which women excel, and so do all the people living on this land. The elderly excel at this, and so do the mujahideen and the children. This is why they have formed human shields of the women, the children, the elderly, and the mujahideen, in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It is as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: 'We desire death like you desire life.'"

There are videos available for all to watch in which Al-Aqsa TV news broadcasts a report showing a crowd of civilians gathered on the roof of a home that was a military target. Indeed those who arranged for these human shields to protect that military target do not shy away from actually using the term "human shield." On another occasion, Hamas leader, appearing on television demands that "the people of Palestine should gather as one to protect the Jihad warriors' house," calling for these civilians to "die as warriors."

So here is the legal dilemma faced by democracies such as Israel. They have every right under international law to take whatever military actions are necessary to stop the rockets randomly fired at their civilians. Their enemy uses human shields to prevent Israel from destroying the rockets without also killing Palestinian civilians. All the law requires under these circumstances is that Israel take reasonable precaution to minimize enemy civilian deaths in order to prevent the murder of its own civilians. Has Israel taken such precautions? Let retired British colonel Richard Kemp answer that question as he did in a recent BBC interview. He said that there has been "no time in the history of warfare when an army has made more efforts to reduce civilian casualties and the deaths of innocent people than the [Israel Defense forces did in Gaza.]" To accuse Israel of "war crimes" under these circumstances is to distort international law and expose the bias of the accuser.

Is Israel Doomed? -FrontPageMagazine.com

2009-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

By Kenneth Levin
Friday, January 23, 2009

Israel's enemies assert that its destruction is inevitable, and those who would destroy her are cheered on by many in the West. At the same time, Western mainstream media, particularly in Europe but also major media outlets in America, do puff pieces on Israel's genocidal adversaries, slant the news to conform to her enemies' propaganda, and support the delegimitization of the Jewish state.

The Gaza War, and the response to it across the world, have underscored the threats to the state's survival, Israel's often maladaptive and self-defeating reactions, and what is required of the state to counter those who challenge her existence.
(read full article)

"Hamas is to Blame"

2009-01-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2008

PLO and Fatah Officials: Hamas is Responsible for the
Deaths of Its People

Along with expressing solidarity with the Hamas casualties in Gaza, PA, PLO and Fatah officials criticize Hamas for its contribution to the escalation that led to the Israeli attack. They blamed Hamas for not listening to the call to prolong the tahdiah, for not preparing properly for the possibility that Israel would attack, and for combining its government functions with its resistance activity, which made it vulnerable to an attack on its institutions. Hamas, for its part, accused the PLO and Fatah of collaborating with Israel.

The following are excerpts from statements and articles in the Palestinian media:
(read full article)

Final war report (for now) from Jerusalem

2009-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Faithful friends of Israel,

Grace and shalom to you from Jerusalem. I have finished my second deployment to the Border Police unit near Gaza. On this last trip the Lord threw open some amazing doors to provide comfort to the children and people of Sderot and the surrounding communities. I was given the freedom to use the base commander's truck to visit over a dozen kindergartens as well as send off MBKI's first bus full of children and parents from Sderot to a holiday village in the Galilee.

SDEROT RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS TRIP TO THE GALILEE

In partnership with a Sderot based organization we sent 110 children and their parents on a much needed break from the chaos of war and never ending rocket attacks to the North of Israel. This group enjoyed a weekend of relaxation and fun. They went ice skating in Metulla, jeep tours of the Golan Heights, mass viewing of Madagascar 2 and karaoke at the hotel (See pictures below.)

TEENS FUN DAY IN JERUSALEM

On my tour of the kindergartens I ran across a teen club in one of the border communities Kibbutzes. I connected with the youth leader and we immediately put together a "fun day" in Jerusalem. This past Monday, 40 teens from two kibbutzes came to Jerusalem for bowling, pizza party and a movie at the Jerusalem mall. The smiles of the kids spoke volumes of their gratitude (Still waiting for the pictures.)

SDEROT ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS ARE NEXT

We are in the process of planning an identical weekend trip to the Galilee for Sderot's Ethiopian children and their parents. We are expecting to complete the planning this week and send this group North next week.

YEMENITE KINDERGARDEN ON OUR RADAR

During my two deployments to the border of Gaza, I spent a great deal of time in the most economically depressed farming community on the cuff of Sderot city, securing areas where Hamas rockets fell and praying. Last week I made a connection with the manager of a kindergarden and feel impressed by the Lord to investigate building a relationship with this kindergarden and their 30 plus Yemenite children. Please pray for wisdom on how to proceed.

THIS BATTLE WITH HAMAS IS OVER BUT NOT THE WAR

After returning to my family in Jerusalem last Saturday night, I was required to report to my Jerusalem border police base the next day for an afternoon of weapons training at a firing range outside of the city. I had decided that I needed a break and so did my family. I had planned to direct my attention to the upcoming "comfort" operations that were unfolding from the divine contacts that were made in the South. However, Sunday night I received a call from my Jerusalem base commander and was asked if I could report to the base at 4:00 am to participate in a huge operation planned for that morning (Monday). When I arrived at the base I saw the largest array of police, border police, special units, IDF, internal security agents, intelligence and surveillance teams, horses, dogs and engineers that I have ever seen.

In a few hours we would all move to the home of the dead terrorist who murdered 8 yeshiva students this past Spring. It is known that this terrorist is associated with Hamas in East Jerusalem (5 minutes from our apartment). The mission was to completely seal two floors of this bad guy's house with concrete. I was the commander's driver/aide de camp. Our jeeps provided force security for the operation and closed off all the entrances and exits to the arab village while the special SWAT teams and engineers did their work to prepare the home for sealing. As has been the Lord's good pleasure since the first days of the war, I was placed near the center of all the activity to pray directly into the operation as each phase developed. The operation was a success.

I was released at 2:00 pm and ran home to change my clothes and greet the busload of teens from the Sderot region for their day of fun in Jerusalem.

I haven't had much time to digest all that I have experienced since the outbreak of war. However, I wish to convey to you and all of your friends that you forward this email to some closing observations for you to pray into. The word I keep hearing is "DILIGENCE AND ALERTNESS because this isn't anywhere near being over."

PRAYER TARGET: WOUNDED IDF SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS

Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire in Gaza Saturday night, but the struggle has not yet ended for dozens of injured soldiers and civilians hospitalized in Israel.

As of Sunday morning, 51 soldiers and 13 civilians were still on file as patients at the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Among the 13 wounded civilians is seven-year-old Orel Elazarov of Beersheba, who has been in serious condition since he was injured by shrapnel from a Grad rocket.

Two residents of Ashdod are also considered severely wounded, three weeks after they were hit by rocket shrapnel in an attack that killed Ashdod resident Irit Sheetrit.

Among the injured soldiers, one is described as being in critical condition. The soldier in question is Val Jenam of the Golani infantry brigade, who was wounded after an IDF tank accidentally fired on infantry troops. Jenam, who was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, has not regained consciousness since the event.

Six additional soldiers are considered severely injured, among them Second Lieutenant Aharon Karov, who left for the operation mere hours after his wedding. Thirteen additional soldiers have been declared in moderate condition, while 30 soldiers are now considered lightly injured. Two of them have started rehabilitation at the Sheba Medical Center.

During the weeks of the operation, some 800 soldiers and civilians arrived at the hospitals for treatment.

PRAYER TARGET: THE BODY OF MESSIAH AND ISRAEL

This next target is from my dear friend Avner Boskey who has also been reporting on the war with spot on accuracy. I couldn't agree more with what he recently wrote as a warning to the Body of Messiah in the nations. The storm has been rising for the past 60 years and is upon us. This is not the time to be sidetracked with other things or you may find yourselves on the sidelines. The stakes are high and Israel and the Jewish people are on the world's chopping block.

The Scriptures tell us that Israel is God's billboard to the nations (Isaiah 11:12; 49:22; 62:10). God uses the Jewish people to reveal His ways, to reveal His heart. to shout out His message to all countries. Senator Hillary Clinton once called Israel "the canary in the mineshaft". By that, she meant that Israel is an indicator – an air-raid siren, an advance warning alarm – to the world. What happens with Israel is a preview of coming attractions; these same challenges or trials or wars will soon be coming to the whole world.

The anti-Nazi Pastor Martin Niemöller put it this way, The Nazis "came for the Jews, and I did not speak out, for I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me".

For decades Islamist and Arab terrorists have attacked the Jewish people and the State of Israel. These atrocities have for the most part been brushed under the carpet by the nations of the world. The United Nations even passed a resolution condemning Zionism (the Jewish people's national liberation movement) as racism (General Assembly Resolution 3379, passed in 1975, revoked in 1991). At this moment Iran is openly pursuing nuclear weaponry in its self-confessed drive to wipe Israel off the map.

Over 10,000 Hamas rockets and mortars have rained down on Israel for the past 8 years, and for the world this has been merely business as usual.

Through all of this God is communicating a message to the world: what comes first to Israel (Islamist attacks) surely comes to the rest of the nations (9/11 etc). Hamas' attempts to establish an Islamic state and to destroy Israel through rocket fire, indicates that unless the nations of the world get with the plan, they will see similar things happening in their neck of the woods.

Green tide rising

We are living in the days of the restoration of the Jewish people to Israel, their promised land. God's restoration movement has been opposed by Satan in many ways – through Communism, Fascism and now through Islamist hatred and murder of the Jewish people. The flags and colors of these movements are red, black and green. Today the anti-Semitic charge is currently being led and catalyzed by those carrying green banners – the banners of Islamic jihad.

As European and the Islamic world march in their tens of thousands against the Jewish state, it is time to "wake up and smell the coffee". We are living in the days of Satan's renewed and murderous onslaught against the Jewish people. These are the "days of the hunters" (Jeremiah 16:16-17).

Pray for believers worldwide to wake up and recognize that the Jewish people are being strategically targeted by the enemy. Pray that believers worldwide will target the Jewish people in prayer, for blessing, protection and salvation.

PRAYER TARGET: THE BELIEVERS IN THE LAND

A midst all the war in the natural there is immense activity in the spirit. I can personally attest to the heaviness here in Jerusalem (more than usual). With the hatred of the world focused on Israel can you imagine how many curses are being released from every corner of the globe. At this point, I would like to ask you to pray for the families, children and marriages of the believers in the land.

In conclusion, I want to thank all of you who have responded to our call to provide comfort for the children and families in the South who have been tragically affected by this war brought to their very doorstep. Your generosity and rapid response has been awesome and we are honored to be your representatives of the ONE NEW MAN here in Israel.

Dov ben Zion Gelman

Non-violence cannot tackle terrorism: Dalai Lama

2009-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Press Trust of India
Saturday, January 17, 2009 (New Delhi)

New Delhi The Dalai Lama, a lifelong champion of non-violence candidly stated that terrorism cannot be tackled by applying the principle of ahimsa because the minds of terrorists are closed.

"It is difficult to deal with terrorism through non-violence," the Tibetan spiritual leader said delivering the Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture here. (read full article)

The Hamas War Crime Strategy

2009-01-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2009 | Alan M. Dershowitz
As Israel persists in its military efforts—by ground, air and sea—to protect its citizens from deadly Hamas rockets, and as protests against Israel increase around the world, the success of the abominable Hamas double war crime strategy becomes evident. The strategy is as simple as it is cynical: provoke Israel by playing Russian roulette with its children, firing rockets at kindergartens, playgrounds and hospitals; hide behind its own civilians when firing at Israeli civilians; refuse to build bunkers for its own civilians; have the TV cameras ready to transmit every image of dead Palestinians, especially children; exaggerate the number of civilians killed by including as "children" Hamas fighters who are 16 or 17 years old and as "women," female terrorists.(read full article)

A Real Cease-Fire Needed in Gaza - Real Clear Politics

2009-01-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

By Charles Krauthammer

Late Saturday, thousands of Gazans received Arabic-language cell-phone messages from the Israeli military, urging them to leave homes where militants might have stashed weapons.
-- Associated Press, Dec. 27

WASHINGTON -- Some geopolitical conflicts are morally complicated. The Israel-Gaza war is not. It possesses a moral clarity not only rare but excruciating.

Israel is so scrupulous about civilian life that, risking the element of surprise, it contacts enemy noncombatants in advance to warn them of approaching danger. Hamas, which started this conflict with unrelenting rocket and mortar attacks on unarmed Israelis -- 6,464 launched from Gaza in the last three years -- deliberately places its weapons in and near the homes of its own people. (read full article)

A Message about Israel, Hamas, and Gaza from CJP

2008-12-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

We are writing to update you on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the circumstances that left Israel with no choice but to finally respond to the non-stop attacks that Hamas has been launching against Israeli civilian centers.Israel, which is America's closest ally in the Middle East, has suffered grea tly as its citizens have been subjected to daily bombardment from rockets from Gaza, whose purpose has been to kill or maim Israeli civilians as well as to terrify Israeli families.

Over the past year alone, Hamas has fired some 3,000 rockets and mortar bombs into Israeli towns and cities in southern Israel. Hamas, which calls for the "obliteration" of Israel, has been designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Canada and the United States.

President-elect Barak Obama said earlier this year about the more than 6,300 rockets and mortar shells from Gaza that have rained down on Israel since 2005: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing."In this Christmas season, while Israeli and Palestinian Authority security forces were successfully working together to ensure a peaceful celebration in Bethlehem, Hamas has intensified its attacks on Israeli civilians, firing some 200 rockets and mortar bombs in the last several days alone. Sderot, the long-suffering working class community where innocent Israelis have been shelled for more than three years, has come under renewed fire. The New York Times has reported that Hamas has "increased the range and intensity" of their assault. Missiles now reach even deeper within Israel, spreading to Ashdod and to Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people. More and more Israeli citizens are faced with serious lethal threat than ever before.

Israeli author Amos Oz, a prominent dove whose call for peace with the Palestinians is shared by a majority of Israelis, wrote in a recent piece entitled "Israel Must Defend Its Citizens" that "The systematic bombing of the citizens in Israel's towns and cities is a war crime and a crime against humanity.

"Hamas's disregard for Israeli life is matched by its disregard for the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza. Using innocent Palestinians as human shields, Hamas purposely fires its missiles from homes, schools and community centers, confident in the knowledge that when Israel finally acts to stop the killing of its own civilians, Palestinians will also inevitably be harmed. The use of Palestinian civilians as human shields is not merely unspeakably cruel.

It is also a fundamental violation of Palestinian human rights by the Hamas leadership.Israel cares deeply about protecting the lives of civilians, both in Israel and in the Gaza Strip. Its efforts this weekend to stop the Hamas attacks represent classic self-defense, undertaken reluctantly by an Israeli nation that longs for peace.

No country can tolerate such deliberate assaults indefinitely - and Israel has shown extraordinary restraint, publicly calling upon Hamas to stop the attacks and seeking to extend the fragile lull in hostilities that had been in effect for the last six months.Israel is now compelled to act to defend its citizens. A loyal ally of the United States, Israel has rushed to our aid at times of crisis - rushing rescue workers to Nairobi, Kenya, in the wake of the bombing of the U.S. embassy there and sending planeloads of relief supplies to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Now our friend needs our support - our strong backing for its right to defend itself from terrorist attack.

In the days and weeks ahead, we ask that you make your voices heard about the need for Hamas to stop its terror, and to respect the lives of Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Barry Shrage

President Myra H. Kraft
Chair of the Board of Directors

Hamas enacts Islamic (Sharia) laws: Hand amputation, crucifixion, lashes and execution

2008-12-27T05:55:00.001-08:00

By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislati ve Council in Gaza have approved a new bill "to implement Koranic punishments," including hand amputation, crucifixion, corporal punishment and execution. Drinking, owning or producing wine is punished by 40 lashes, while drinking in public adds three months' imprisonment. Several laws are directed against Hamas's Palestinian rivals, including a law intended to inhibit non-Hamas negotiators by sentencing to death anyone who was "appointed to negotiate with a foreign government on a Palestinian issue and negotiated against Palestinians' interest." The following is the description as it appears today on the Al Arabiya website:

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/24/62699.html

Headline: Hamas approves law of punishment by lashes, amputating hands, crucifying, and execution -- in order to implement the Islamic Sharia law.
Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council approved in its meeting in Gaza a new bill proposed by the Hamas who have a majority in the Legislative Council, whose purpose is "to implement Koranic punishments." The newspaper Al Hayat of London reported on Dec. 24, 2008, that this step is seen as unprecedented, and has brought criticism and concern from human rights organizations in the Gaza Strip, especially as this law includes punishments by lashes, cutting off of hands, crucifixion, and execution...

The language of the law proposes "primary and secondary" laws. Primary laws include: "Koranic laws, blood revenge, lashes, crucifixion, and execution ..."
The text stresses: "These punishments will not be canceled or pardoned ... except if pardoned by the victim himself...

Section 59 of the law establishes that "punishment of death will be enacted on any Palestinian who intentionally does one of the following: Raised a weapon against Palestine on behalf of the enemy during war, was appointed to negotiate with a foreign government on a Palestinian issue and negotiated against Palestinians' interest, performed a hostile action against a foreign country in a way that endangers Palestine in war or in harming political relations, served a foreign army in time of war, advised or helped soldiers to enlist in this army, weakened the spirit or the force of resistance of the people, or spied against Palestine especially during war."

The punishment of lashes appears in many sections of the law. Section 84 states that: "Whoever drinks wine, owns or produces wine will be punished with 40 lashes if he is Muslim, and anyone who drinks wine, or angers another person [with wine], or causes him distress when drinking wine in a public place, or goes to a public place while drunk, will be punished with no less than=2 040 lashes and imprisonment for the minimum of three months."
[Al-Arabiya, Dec. 24, 2008]

Hamas lies about preparingstrict Islamic law for all of Palestinian Authority

2008-12-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Hamas has quickly denied this week's disclosure by the London-based Al-Hayat (reported yesterday by Palestinian Media Watch) that the Palestinian legislature has voted for an Islamic penal code that would include hand amputations, crucifixion, lashes and executions.

However, PMW has found that contrary to today's denials, official Hamas leaders have proudly announced in the Hamas-run media in the last two months that this Islamic penal code was being prepared, had "14 chapters and 220 clauses" and was nearly ready. Indeed, senior Hamas leaders went as far as to say that when these laws are implemented, they will have force not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank. And according to the Hamas Minister of Justice, the Palestinian laws will be similar to "Islamic states such as Sudan, Yemen, the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia."

Examples of Hamas contradictions:

Today Hamas denied: "The [Legislative] Council did not discuss any article of the Penal Code." [Al Ayyam, Dec. 25, 2008]

A month ago the Hamas Minister of Justice confirmed: "This (Islamic law Penal) Code is being discussed at the sessions of the [Palestinian] Legislative Council, for a second reading." [Al-Rissala (Hamas), Nov. 12, 2008]

Today Hamas denied: "The Hamas movement... hastened to deny the reports about its approval of an Islamic Penal Code." [Al Ayyam, Dec. 25, 2008]

A month ago the Head of the Bureau of Islamic Law confirmed: "The Bureau of Islamic Law is preparing a Penal Code in order to implement Sharia - Islamic law ... Muhammad Abed, Head of the Bureau of Islamic Law and legal advisor to the Prime Minister (I smail Haniyeh of Hamas), said ... that the code includes 14 chapters and 220 clauses, and includes in its chapters the basis of the penal code." [Al-Rissala, (Hamas) Nov. 9, 2008.]

A month ago the Hamas Minister of Justice confirmed: "Similar (Penal codes to the new Palestinian law) have already been implemented in a number of Arabic and Islamic states such as Sudan, Yemen, the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia... by Allah's will it will be published soon." [Al-Rissala (Hamas), Nov. 12, 2008]

The following are the full texts of the contradictory Hamas statements, starting with the Hamas statements about the coming Islamic law in the Palestinian Authority and followed by today's Hamas denial.

Muhammad Faraj Al-Ghoul, Justice Minister in Hamas Government of Gaza, "This (Islamic law Penal) code is being discussed at the sessions of the [Palestinian] Legislative Council, for a second reading [vote] ... and by Allah's will, the Council will approve [the code] in accordance with the general interest and the interest of the Palestinian People. The code is highly important, and it's not the first of its kind... similar codes have already been approved , and implemented in a number of Arabic and Islamic states such as Sudan, Yemen, the [Arab] Emirates and Indonesia... I believe that this code is highly important, and by Allah's will it will be published soon." [Al-Rissala, Nov. 12, 2008]

Headline: The Bureau of Islamic Law is preparing a Penal Code in order to implement Sharia - Islamic law In an attempt by the Bureau of the Islamic Law [Fatwa] to unite Palestine under one Penal Code, according to Islamic law (Sharia), the Bureau of Islamic Law [Fatwa] has prepared a [penal] code, with the intention to submit it to the [Palestinian] Legislative Council for its approval, and to cancel previous legislation that is based on the la ws of the British mandate, and the neighboring countries.Muhammad Abed, Head of the Bureau of Islamic Law and legal advisor to the Prime Minister (Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas), said ... that the code includes 14 chapters and 220 clauses, and includes in its chapters the basis of the penal code...

He said that in implementing this law, the present penal code in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank... will be cancelled... he said that the bill was submitted to the Legislative Council in 2001, but it was not approved in the second and third reading, and therefore some amendments were entered, according to the Islamic law, and it will be submitted to the Legislative Council for approval.

He emphasized that when the law is approved in the Legislative Council, it will be valid in all the Palestinian territories, and will be implemented in all of Palestine." [Al-Rissala, (Hamas newspaper) Nov. 9, 2008.]

Public Relations advisor to the Presidency, Legislative Council HEADLINE: "Hamas denies its approval of the penal law... ; The Hamas movement, which controls the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza, hastened to deny the news reports about its approval of an Islamic Penal Code that includes lashes, hand amputation and crucifixion. The public relations advisor to the Presidency of the Legislative Council, Iyad Al-Qarra, said that the council did not discuss any article of the Penal Code." [Al Ayyam, Dec. 25, 2008]

In the Trenches: Ten worst news stories of 2008

2008-12-24T04:56:00.000-08:00

Monday Dec 22, 2008 -Posted by David Harris

This year, it wasn't difficult to identify candidates for the worst new stories. The challenge was limiting them to ten.

Here's my list:

An ethical meltdown

An Israeli prime minister compelled to leave office, on the heels of an Israeli president who was obliged to leave his post under a cloud in 2007, sent another disturbing message that all is not well in Israeli politics.

The Bernie Madoff story, embodying greed and fraud to the Nth degree, inflicted more harm this year on the Jewish world than all of our external enemies combined.(read full article)

Self-Restraint

2008-12-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

Prof. Paul Eidelberg - Dec 16, 2008
Arutz-7

"Havlaga" prolongs the war.

US Admiral Bull Halsey, a rational and responsible man, said, "Hit hard, hit fast, hit often." Rationality and responsibility are qualities quite foreign to those who shape Israel's policy toward its enemy, the Palestinian Authority. Their policy is "Hit softly, hit slowly, and hit seldom." (read full article)

Political Correctness Will Doom Israel

2008-12-12T10:01:00.001-08:00

Israel seems to be sliding inexorably toward an abyss and the aftershock will be felt by Jews everywhere. Olmert, clinging on to his office by his dirty finger nails, is desperately trying to give away the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria to appease Israel’s sworn enemies. These acts of self-destruction will perplex historians for all times. Many Jews, who are more of the lifestyle than of the book, seem indifferent to what is happening in and to Israel . Many could not care less that a group of young Orthodox Jews were recently evicted from a legally bought house in Hebron . Jewish police set upon Jewish men and women with a vengeance. Thus, demonstrating to the world their political correctness by turning against their own and proving that Jews, themselves, can be the “clever” architects that have brought on the wrath of civilizations. Is it possible that the true Jewish spirit and bravery of these settlers is what sends a chill up every weak spine? Many Jews seem oblivious to the hostile drumbeats emanating from the UN where tribal leaders try to outdo each other in an Olympic-style hate fest against Israel . Many Jews are also oblivious to the fact that a publicly subsidized Saudi Arabian Mosque was recently completed in Boston , in our own backyard. This Mosque will literally become a field of dreams as in “if you build it they will come”. French Jews, who now live in fear of marauding gangs of young Mus lims, would attest to this scourge. When courageous people like Charles Jacobs and Tom Mountain dare speak the truth, they are assailed by those who worship at the alter of multi-culturalism, the new attic sanctuary for progressive Jews. If, “we are living in biblical times”, as stated by Elie Wiesel, it will do no good for Jews to bury their bibles in the sand along with their heads.

"Beit Hashalom "

2008-12-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

December 7, 2008
DAVID WILDER, THE JERUSALEM POST

Following the expulsion of families from Beit Hashalom in Hebron, during a radio interview with the BBC, I was asked about our future plans. When I responded that the community would continue to purchase property in Hebron, the interviewer asked, "But won't that just cause more violence?" I answered, "If I bought a home in London and was told that a Jew purchasing on 'that side of the city' would cause a violent reaction, how would that be viewed? Probably as anti-Semitism and racism. Why then can't a Jew buy property in Hebron, just as people purchase homes all over the world?"

Another common question I've had to field from journalists is, "Don't you think this has all gotten out of control?" My response is quite simple: "Of course it is totally out of control. That's not the question. The question is who is out of control?" Clearly, in my opinion, those who have lost control are those democratic institutions which are designed to protect citizens from despotic leadership.

FOLLOWING PURCHASE of Beit Hashalom for close to $1 million, the Hebron community found itself under attack from numerous sources. Rapidly the question of our legitimate presence in the building made its way to court. The original court decision found enough evidence supporting our claims to prevent immediate eviction. However, harsh restrictions were imposed, including denial to install windows and to hook up to the Hebron municipal electric grid. Only in the middle of a major snowstorm did the defense minister allow installation of windows in the building last winter.

Due to the political sensitivity of the case, we soon found ourselves opposite a Supreme Court panel hearing the various issues involved. That panel was composed of Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch and Justices Edmond Levy and Uzi Fogelman. Levy is religious. Following a break in the court hearings, Beinisch changed the panel, removing Levy and Fogelman and replacing them with Justices Ayala Procaccia, who is known to be one of the most left-wing justices on the court, and Salim Joubran, the only Arab on the court. Beinisch, it must be noted, is not known for her right-wing ideological opinions. Two leftist justices and an Arab were left to decide the fate of the Jews living in Beit Hashalom. If that's not a stacked deck, nothing is. So wrote retired District Court judge Uzi Struzman, calling the court's final decision blatantly political.

In that decision, the court ruled that it would not examine the evidence presented, including proof of authentication of the legal sales documents, a video of the seller receiving and counting the money received for the building, and an audio recording of his description of the sale and receipt of the money.

Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz, when presented with new evidence in the case, specifically the audio cassette, refused to meet with community attorneys or examine the proof of purchase.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced only two weeks ago his intention to legalize all the illegal Beduin construction in the South. Yet he gave the go-ahead to violently expel all residents of the building in the midst of advanced high-level negotiations which would have allowed him to forgo the brutal confrontation.

These are examples of nothing less than terror - administrative terror, utilized by the highest echelons of the country's democratic institutions to further their own political beliefs against loyal citizens of the state, in this case, residents of the Hebron Jewish community.

FOLLOWING VIOLENT reactions to the extremely harsh expulsion, which included use of tear gas and stun grenades, I was asked about "red lines" - and decisions to "cross those red lines." Unfortunately we are presently facing situations where the government is crossing all the red lines that previously existed. The transformation of the judicial system, including the attorney-general and the Supreme Court, into an extended arm of the political arena ends all notions of impartiality or objectivity.

Hebron residents are often labeled extremists. However nothing could be more extreme than the above-described actions of Mazuz and Beinisch. But due to their positions and political ideologies, their extremism is considered legitimate.

It should be clear. Hebron's Jewish community opposes and rejects any and all violence aimed at innocent people, be they Arabs, Jews or anyone else. However it is unthinkable and intolerable that Israel's top leadership should change the rules in the middle of the game, expecting the other side to play by the old ones, while they play by the new. Such actions, as we have recently witnessed, quite literally push a large segment of the population into a corner with no way out, creating a dangerously volatile situation. Peace may breed peace but by the same token, extremism breeds extremism.

The real danger to Israeli society is not a few dozen kids throwing rocks while violently and illegitimately being thrown out of a home in Hebron. The true threat to our country is the warping of the fundamental institutions whose presence is supposed to protect the people rather than terrorize them. The decisions made concerning Beit Hashalom were not based upon justice, rather upon pure judicial terror.

The writer is spokesman of the Jewish community of Hebron.

- The New Republic - Why Israelis Love Chabad

2008-12-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

Jerusalem, Israel
by Yossi Klein Halevi

Dec. 4, 2008

Gavriel and Rivkie Holtzberg, the young Israeli couple who ran the Chabad House in Mumbai and were murdered there by jihadists, died bound and helpless, like those Jewish martyrs disparaged for their quietism by the Zionist ethos. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, the Holtzbergs never served in the Israeli army--yet when they were buried on Tuesday, Israeli society mourned as though they were fallen soldiers. When their coffins arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport, they were draped in the national flag. Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres, who doesn't usually attend the funerals of terror victims, came to the Holtzbergs' funeral. When I came into work that morning, I found the young woman in the room beside mine weeping. (read full article)

Townhall.com - The Rabbi and the Terrorists

2008-12-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 02, 2008
by Dennis Prager

It was obvious to observers around the world that one of the designated targets of the Pakistani Islamist terrorists was the Mumbai Chabad House, the one Jewish center in Mumbai. The 10 Islamic terrorists who came from Pakistan to India chose their targets with great care.

If one assumes that the terrorists primary goals were to destabilize India, weaken growing Indian-Pakistani cooperation in fighting terrorism, and greatly increase Indian-Pakistani tension, hopefully to the point of military war between the two countries, every one of the targets made strategic sense. Slaughtering as many people as possible in Indias major economic center, including as many foreign tourists as possible at Mumbais finest hotels, also made sense. (read full article)

Boston mayor tried to help local black muslims build a mosque, wound up with Saudi terrorist mosque

2008-11-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Boston Jewish Advocate
“Menino’s Mosque”
By Charles Jacobs
November 23, 2008

This was the title of the Boston Phoenix’s lead story last week, featuring on the cover an image of Mayor Menino serving up a new mosque on a silver platter to -- the story argues – exactly the wrong people.

The Phoenix report is the first public account of how a well intentioned Mayor tried to help local African-American Muslims in Roxbury build a mosque, but wound up subsidizing what many in Boston worry is a Saudi-funded and controlled center with connections to radical Islam -- a mile from downtown.

Phoenix reporter David Bernstein sketches a complex tale of good intentions gone awry. At the center of Bernstein’s account is Muhammad Ali-Salaam, who played a double role: as promoter and fundraiser for the mosque, while being paid as a city official to guard Boston’s interests.

Twenty years ago, Bernstein says, the Muslim Co
uncil of Boston (MCB), a consortium of Sunni congregations in Roxbury, proposed to build a mosque on land held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). Mayor Ray Flynn was supportive. He had worked as a probation officer years before and came to know people at Roxbury’sIntervale Street mosque who he thought “could do good for their community.”

But in 1996, when it became clear that the MCB could not raise enough money, the BRA’s Ali-Salaam put forward another group – the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) -- as the designated developers and helped the ISB get the $2 million dollar parcel for $175K.

Did the BRA ever vet the ISB? Bernstein describes ISB members as “largely of Saudi Arabian heritage.” Simple due diligence would have found that Yusef al Quaradawi, then a registered ISB Trustee, called for the killing of Jews and homosexuals, that the ISB’s website featured instructions on wife-beating, and that ISB Trustee Walid Fitahi called Jews the "murderers of prophets.” Today, the ISB’s founder is in prison as an al-Queda money runner. Even the BRA should know that a mosque that gets millions from the Saudis is unlikely to be an enthusiastic promoter of moderate Islam.

Now, Bernstein says, the Mayor hides from the issue in a “zone of silence,” and doesn’t show up at mosque events. The BRA, which is being sued to open its public records, seems to want the silence permanent: BRA officials recently told the judge that all relevant e-mails have disappeared.

At the height of the controversy over the leadership of the mosque, the ISB claimed that it had cleansed itself of objectionable characters. Fitahi actually resigned from the ISB board. But now, Bernstein tells us, Fitahi is back.

And Bernstein reports that the ISB recently turned the mosque over to the Muslim American Society (MAS). This is a group thought by some to be the American branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, sparked and now may guide the anti-West jihad.

Has the BRA put the mayor in an untenable position? Has the time come for a FinCom investigation of the BRA/ISB/MAS deal?

JPost.com - In the Trenches: A window into Israel's soul

2008-11-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Posted by David Harris
November 24, 2008

If all we knew about Israel came from the media, which seems to have an aversion to upbeat stories, how would the country be portrayed? Images of war, conflict, corruption, and domestic fault lines would dominate.

And if all we knew about Israel came from international organizations, which make a habit of singling it out for vilification - especially each November, when Israel's very creation becomes an annual target for its enemies at the UN - what would we see? A nonstop litany of accusations of every conceivable evil known to humankind. (read full article)

JPost.com - Our World: Time for the real Bush to stand up

2008-11-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

Nov 24, 2008 20:50 Updated Nov 25, 2008 11:33
By CAROLINE GLICK

US President George W. Bush has six weeks left in power. If he acts fast, that may be enough time to secure his place in history - at least in terms of the Middle East.

Bush's initial reactions to the Sept. 11 attacks were a rare display of political and intellectual courage. Gazing at the rubble of the World Trade Center, Bush recognized that the primary failure of US policy towards the Arab and Islamic world until that day was found in the predisposition of his predecessors to slavishly maintain a Faustian bargain with tyrannical Arab regimes in the interest of maintaining "stability." That bargain committed the US to providing military assistance and political backing to authoritarian regimes throughout the Arab and Islamic world in exchange for cheap oil for the West. (read full article)

The Saudi Peace Initiative: "Auschwitz Borders"

2008-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

November 18, 2008 Eli E. Hertz

What Arab countries failed to achieve by use of force during the past 60 years, they hope to achieve by this renewed Saudi 'Peace Initiative':

Israel to withdraw to the non-secure borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day War, borders that invited aggression - frontiers that the eloquent former Israeli diplomat, the late Abba Eban, branded "Auschwitz borders."

Illegal Arab aggression against the territorial integrity and political independence of Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973 cannot and should not be rewarded. Arab attempts to 'roll back the clock' as if nothing happened, are a baseless ploy designed to use the 'Peace Initiative' as leverage to bring about a greater Israeli withdrawal from parts of Judie and Samaria [western Palestine] and to gain a broader base from which to continue to attack Israel.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabian King Saud ibn Abdul Aziz had stated in 1954 - before the 1967 Six-Day War and before the 'Occupation': "The Arab nations should sacrifice up to 10 million of their 50 million people, if necessary, to wipe out Israel ... Israel to the Arab world is like a cancer to the human body, and the only way of remedy is to uproot it, just like a cancer."

Saudi Arabia is one of the worst offenders of civil, religious, and political rights having a 'judicial' system that sanctions stoning individuals to death for adultery, beheading criminals with a sword, and amputation for theft, including cross-amputations of a right arm and a left leg that leave offenders horribly disabled for life.

Freedom House, a non-sectarian organization that was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt to monitor civil rights around the world, stated in its 2008 survey that Saudi Arabia is "Not [a] Free" country. Political rights and civil liberties are absent or virtually nonexistent, and people experience severely restricted rights of expression and association - all as a result of the extremely oppressive nature of the regime.

Professor, Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, past President of the International Court of Justice (I.C.J.) made it clear: "No legal right shall spring from a wrong" and this principle of law applies to Saudi Arabia as well.

Why would anyone make a deal with this kind of regime?

Dagen Magazinet - Norway finances Israel-hate

2008-11-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

(Norwegian daily), Oct. 23, 2008

The director of Palestinian Media Watch, Itamar Marcus, met Wednesday with members of Parliament of the Christian Democratic Party and the Progress Party to whom he presented a new, detailed and sensational report about how Norwegian money is spent on the official hate propaganda against Israel. With example after example Marcus documents how Fatah and Hamas use children's TV to spread anti-Israeli hate propaganda, to glorify suicide bombers and to encourage children to follow in the footsteps of the terrorists in order to "liberate" the "occupied" Palestine. (read full article)

Jpost - Ther perils ahead

2008-11-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Nov 14, 2008 18:22 Updated Nov 14, 2008 18:26
By CAROLINE GLICK

US President-elect Barack Obama has properly sought to maintain a low profile in foreign affairs in this transition period ahead of his January inauguration. But while Obama has stipulated that the US can have only one president at a time, his aides and advisers are signaling that he intends to move US foreign policy in a sharply different direction from its current trajectory once he assumes office.

And they are signaling that this new direction will be applied most immediately and directly to US policy toward the Middle East. (read full article)

Palestinian Columnist: Muslims Are Harming Christian Culture - Memri.org

2008-11-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

November 12, 2008

In his column in the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, 'Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar criticized the persecution of Christians in Arab countries, with a particular emphasis on the Christian population of the Palestinian Authority. [1]

Following are excerpts from the article:
"In Iraq, a crime is currently being committed - another in a series of iniquities brought by the winds of change that came in the wake of the [U.S.] occupation, which sought to impregnate Iraq with the seed of democracy. [But] the [resulting] fetus emerged deformed and weird. The worst outcome of this situation is, possibly, the carnage against ethnic communities and minorities that has swept through Iraq. Neither Sunnis, nor Shi'ites, nor Christians, nor Kurds, nor Turkmen, nor [members of] other [groups] have managed to escape it. (read full article)

Expert Warns Obama To Avoid Islamic Finance

2008-11-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Expert Warns Obama To Avoid Islamic Finance
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 1:44 PM By: Dave Eberhart

Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy warns that the president-elect should avoid financing his great society with tainted Islamic-correct petro dollars, saying their strings might be attached inextricably to the nation’s worst extremist enemies.

With Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday sucking the oxygen from the air, few are focusing on Thursday, the day the U.S. Treasury Department will embrace the so-called “Shariah-Compliant Finance” or SCF. (read full article)

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) is an Islamist

2008-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) is an Islamistsupremacist organization. Composed of 57 member states with Muslimmajority populations, the OIC is the largest Islamic body in theworld. It is also the largest international organization of any kind,second only to the United Nations. It represents an estimated 1.5billion Muslims across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The purpose of the OIC is to promote Islamic values, to revitalizeIslam’s pioneering role in the world, to strengthen and enhance thebond of solidarity and unity among Muslim states, to support “the Palestinian struggle” and to defend Islam.

Its charter claims that OIC works to promote peace, tolerance, and fight terrorism. However,its actions are dissonant with these claims, as it strives to definethese words through the extraordinarily skewed views of radical Islam.Since 1999, the OIC has been pushing incrementally and strategicallytoward its goal of internationally outlawing all criticism of Islam,Muslims, Muslim theocracies, and Islamic extremism. Subsequent toSeptember 11, 2001, it professed concern about alleged backlashagainst Muslims.

In 2005, the OIC urged the United Nations Commission on Human Rights(“UNCHR”) to pass a resolution called “combating defamation ofreligions.” Although the title of the resolution referred toreligions generally, the text cited concerns only Islam specifically.It lamented negativity towards Islam in the media and the use ofbroadcast, print and the internet to incite violence, discriminationor intolerance towards Islam and other religions. It revealed alarmover the backlash against Muslims since 9/11, and law enforcementmeasures that “target Muslims.” It expressed deep concern overstatements which “attack” religions generally, and Islam and Muslimsin particular, and concern over the ethnic and religious profiling ofMuslim minorities. It alleged that Islam was frequently and wronglyassociated with human rights violations and terrorism. Additionally,it proclaimed that defamation of religions plays a role in the denialof fundamental rights of the target groups.

The Commission urged resolute action to prohibit “racist, and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers…and to protect against acts of discrimination, intimidation, hatred,and defamation of religion.” It called on the international communityto begin a “global dialogue” on religious diversity and to combat defamation of religions. It further required the Special Rapporteurto report on the discrimination faced by Muslims and Arabs. Notsurprisingly, the countries that voted in favor of the resolutionincluded many Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Qatar,Kuwait, and Sudan, among others. Freer nations such as the UnitedStates, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy,Ireland, and Japan, all voted in opposition to the resolution.

The OIC’s insistence on prohibiting defamatory speech against Islamic countries was without reciprocity. No effort to silence anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli speech has been made. At an OIC Special Session in2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad freely expressed his goal to eliminate the “Zionist regime.” Indeed, the OIC backs Iran’snuclear program, supports Hamas, and rationalizes 9/11. Moreover, the OIC insists that the definition of terrorism should exclude the killing of innocent civilians where there is a “legitimate resistance to foreign occupation,” i.e. Israel. It is for this reason that the UN has been unable to pass a comprehensive convention against international terrorism.

At the OIC’s 2006 summit in Mecca, it adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding insults to Islam, going so far as to include “hostileglances” in its definition of Islamophic behavior. The immediate goalof the summit was to obtain “protection” for Islam in Europeanparliaments and the UN including the Human Rights Council (whichreplaced the Human Rights Commission with the failed hope of becomingan effective advocate for human rights). It also proposed the creation of an “Islamic Council of Human Rights” and a “Charter of Human Rights in Islam.” Both would be based on Sharia law and runcontrary to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In 2007, the Secretary General of the OIC, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a “moderate” Muslim from Turkey, used the “International Day of Tolerance” to assert that freedom of speech is defiling Islam.He stated, “[M]uslims around the world are the first victims ofintolerance. They are facing a campaign of hatred and prejudice, what is otherwise known as Islamophobia. This growing trend of Islamophobia has subjected them to discrimination including religious profiling and stereotyping. The right to freedom of speech is beingused to defile the sacred symbols of Islam.”

He continued, “[I]t is high time that the international communityconsiders enacting legal measures against defamation of religions and religious beliefs. I would urge the Alliance of Civilizations and the Human Rights Council to take pro-active action in this regard.”

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (“IHEU”) warned that UNapproval of a law combating defamation of religions would have graveimplications for the freedom to criticize a religion or its practices. It explained that countries will have broad latitude inhow they penalize the disrespect of religion because OIC’s resolution did not define what constitutes “defamation.” Further, the resolution failed to distinguish between defamation of religion and incitement toracial and religious violence.

In March 2008, the OIC held a two-day summit in Senegal, where itproduced a battle plan to combat Islamophobia. It would defend itselfagainst all forms of free expression that could be interpreted as criticism of Islam, including that of cartoonists, film producers,reporters, politicians or governments. Countries that already regularly deny religious freedom and freedom of speech to their own citizens, demanded legal measures to have their oppressive rules be imposed internationally. “I don’t think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy” explained Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal’s President, and Chairman of the OIC. “There can be no freedom withoutlimits.” To support his argument, some OIC delegates pointed to European laws that criminalize holocaust denial and anti-Semiticrhetoric, as well as to UN charters that condemn discrimination basedon religion. As a result of this summit, the UNHRC passed the resolution.

Instead of fighting terrorism to make obvious that Islam andterrorism need not be affiliated, the OIC unveiled at its summit, the first report on Islamophobia. It consisted of 58 pages of real, perceived, and alleged claims of Islamophobia. Under “negativeincidents,” it cited numerous occurrences of Muslims threatening orcommitting violence against non-Muslims in response to factual reportson Muslim behavior. Negative reports about Muslims, even if true,resulted in claims of Islamaphobia.

Some of the incidents reported as Islamophobic included: Wikipedia’s refusal to cave into Muslims’ demand to remove all depictions of the Prophet from its English language website; a report accuratelystating Muslims were outraged by the opening of the first church in Qatar and insisting that Qatar is a Muslim country where others have no right to build a place of worship; the fact that Florida Attorney General (and former Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime in Congress) showed the movie “Obsession” to his staff; and the fact that the European Union requested Iran to drop the death penalty inits penal code for the crimes of apostasy, heresy, and witchcraft. Reports of threats made to Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders,producer of the documentary “Fitna,” were also deemed Islamophobic.

Finally, the bulletin suggested that Islamophobia poses a threat toglobal peace and security. It proposed the use of legal instrumentsto prohibit Islamophobic speech, urged monitoring and compiling listsof Islamophobic incidents, and encouraged the persuading of others tobelieve that Islam is a moderate, peaceful and tolerant religion.

In June of 2008, the OIC reported on the 2007 opening of itsWashington, DC office which works to engage OIC politically. KarenHughes, then-undersecretary of public diplomacy at the StateDepartment, spoke at the opening ceremony. She lauded OIC’s effort topass the resolution on combating defamation of religions. She alsoadvocated a program called “citizen dialogue” which she started inorder to address Muslims’ sense of isolation. However, Muslims abroadindicated that they were not interested in meeting with U.S.government officials or non-Muslim Americans, so she sentMuslim-Americans as envoys to foreign countries for the so-calleddialogue.

The OIC also boasted about the inroads it has made at the UN. Itpledged to place Islamophobia at the forefront of its next summit inApril 2009.

Additionally, a rule has been implemented at the UNHRC, requiringthat all speaker presentations and discussions omit any “judgment orevaluation about religion.” The word “sharia” does not have to beexpressly stated to violate this rule. All discussions must avoidmaking any mention of controversial fatwas (religious rulings) orhuman rights abuses that are implemented as part of Sharia or inIslamic countries. This includes, for example, protests against theforced marriages of young girls.

The OIC construes the word Islamophobia very broadly, using it toinclude news reports, observations, and accurate accounts of violenceor intolerance on the part of Muslims or Islamic theocracies. Ineffect, the OIC is requesting a legal exemption from free speechrights of any criticism of the effects of an extremist interpretationof Islam. Any individual, group, or government acting in the name ofIslam would be entirely off limits for open debate or discussion.

The obvious result of OIC’s push to internationally outlaw defamationof Islam, would be not only to stifle free speech and freedom ofreligion, but to devastate efforts to fight human rights abuses and tocounter terrorism. Fighting for human rights in Islamic countriesmight be deemed Islamophobic even if it pertains to the human rightsof Muslims.

Therefore, OIC’s comment that Islamophobia jeopardizes global peaceand security was not an expression of fear of Islamophobia. Rather,it was a warning that anyone who claims Islam is not a religion ofpeace might have violence perpetrated against him. Its simultaneouspropaganda campaign to convince people that Islam is a “moderate,peaceful, and tolerant religion” demonstrates that its words andactions are at odds with each other.

It’s ironic that countries which follow an interpretation of Islamthat disallows religious freedom or freedom of speech at home, areutilizing these very freedoms abroad to achieve their Islamist goals.By turning the definition of freedom on its head, free speech andreligious freedom for non-Muslims can now be condemned as anti-Islamic.

Claiming victimhood can score big political points in a free andcompassionate society. If the OIC can convince people that those whostone women, behead apostates, sexually abuse minors, fly planes intobuildings, and blow up subway systems are really the victims of evil,rather than the perpetrators, then the OIC’s proposed restrictions onfree speech will accomplish more damage throughout the west than 9/11ever could.

It is important to understand that only individuals should beafforded rights. Ideas, thoughts and religions should not beprotected from criticism. There is no such thing as defamation ofreligion. To the degree that it is concocted, the rights of ideas andreligions will stand in direct opposition to the rights and freedomsof humans. The right of free speech is, in part, designed to offendothers. The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitutionerected the First Amendment for the purpose of fostering cantankerouspolitical speech. They believed that the way to counter offensivespeech and bad ideas is to engage in more speech, espousing goodideas. In this case, however, it is the OIC that clearly has the badideas, and not the alleged defamers. Perhaps the reason the OIC seeksto prohibit free speech rather than to rebut it, is because it tooknows that free speech works.

The Palestinian Uuthority today

2008-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, Nov. 6, 2008

"Do you know what happened in 1948?" asks a pretty young girl on Palestinian Authority (PA) TV. "They [Israelis] took everything," is her answer.

This message was broadcast again recently when a music video for children reappeared on PA TV after a year's absence. That "Israel took everything in 1948" summarizes the essence of PA ideology, and the motivation for the continuing hatred and war against Israel.
To view the children's video click here. (click here to view article)

LBJ - A Friend in Deed - Aish.com

2008-11-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

by Lenny Ben-David
November 6, 2008

A few weeks ago, the Associated Press reported that newly released tapes from US president Lyndon Johnson's White House office showed LBJ's "personal and often emotional connection to Israel ." The news agency pointed out that during the Johnson presidency (1963-1969), "the United States became Israel's chief diplomatic ally and primary arms supplier."

But the news report does little to reveal the full historical extent of Johnson's actions on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Most students of the Arab-Israeli conflict can identify Johnson as the president during the 1967 war. But few know about LBJ's actions to rescue hundreds of endangered Jews during the Holocaust -- actions that could have thrown him out of Congress and into jail. Indeed, the title of "Righteous Gentile" is certainly appropriate in the case of the Texan, whose centennial year is being commemorated this year. (read full article)

Top ten reasons why sharia is bad for all societies

2008-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

By James Arlandson

Traditional Muslims who understand the Quran and the hadith believe that sharia (Islamic law) expresses the highest and best goals for all societies. It is the will of Allah.
But is Islam just in its laws that Muhammad himself practiced and invented?
This article says no for ten verifiable reasons.
Here are four points you must read, before reading this article:
First, sometimes these ten points quote the Quran or omit it; sometimes they quote the hadith (reports of Muhammad's words and actions outside of the Quran) or omit it. This is done only to keep down the length of the article. No one should be fooled into believing that these harsh and excessive laws were invented in the fevered imagination of extremists who came long after Muhammad. These harsh and excessive laws come directly from the founder of Islam in his Quran and in his example in the hadith. (read full article)

Creating a Desert and Calling it "Peace"

2008-10-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

By Kenneth Levin
FrontPageMagazine.com 10/24/2008

Among deluded policies that enjoy the status of accepted wisdom, few have had the staying power of the American foreign policy establishment's slant on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The mantras on the path to Middle East peace routinely emanating from the State Department, its foreign service alumni, and private organizations, as well as government figures that tend to follow the lead of State, bear little relation to reality.

A recent addition to the literature in this vein is Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace, authored by Daniel C. Kurtzer and Scott B. Lasensky - the former himself, of course, a foreign service alumnus and seemingly the main shaper of the volume. Kurtzer is also a chief foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama. (read full article)

View from America: Who's obsessed about 'Obsession'? - THE JERUSALEM POST

2008-10-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Oct. 21, 2008Jonathan Tobin ,

Last month, millions of Americans opened their Sunday newspapers and found amid the usual pile of coupons and advertising flyers something unusual: a free DVD of a documentary called Obsession: Radical Islam's War with the West.

The film, a well-researched foray into the world of Islamo-fascism, features an array of scholars, such as Sir Martin Gilbert, Robert Wistrich and Daniel Pipes, and investigative journalist Steven Emerson, as well as extensive footage of the anti-Semitic and anti-American fare that is par for the course on Arab and Islamic television.

The documentary's thesis is simple: Radical Islam is at war with the West, and its hatred of Jews and Western democracy isn't based on misunderstandings but on a faith-based fanaticism that will brook no opposition. Its prime tactic is to educate Muslim youth into believing that such hatred is a divine imperative, so as to create new generations of jihadist suicide bombers.
(click here to read full article)

Cooking the "Islamophobia" Books

2008-10-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

October 17.08
By Debbie Schlussel

The next time you hear about alleged "attacks on Muslims" and how the number is allegedly "going up" (it isn't, it's gone down, and pales in comparison to anti-Jewish attacks), keep in mind that CAIR, ADC, and all the other Arab and Muslim groups that keep a "tally" of these figures, cook the books with stories like that of Safia Jilani.

A Muslim student who claimed she was attacked at Elmhurst College in what school officials described as a hate crime has now been charged with making up the story.
Safia Z. Jilani, 19, of Oak Brook, told police that on Oct. 9, a masked, male attacker struck her in the head with a handgun after she entered a restroom in the Schaible Science Center on campus, according to a release from Elmhurst police.

Safia Jilani: Muslim Fabricated Story of "Anti-Muslim Hate Crime"
Police found threatening graffiti -- "Kill the Muslims" -- written on a mirror in the restroom, students and police said. Earlier Thursday, the victim had spoken at a demonstration called to denounce anti-Islamic slurs and a swastika she had discovered Oct. 2 on her locker, school officials said.

But late Friday afternoon, Elmhurst police announced that a weeklong investigation determined the assault never occurred; there was no gunman; and Jilani was arrested on a warrant for filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony punishable by up to 3 years in prison.
The announcement -- made jointly by Elmhurst Police, the college and the DuPage County state's attorneys office -- concluded there was no merit to her complaint.

"The totality of all the evidence, and interviews with staff and students at the college ... concluded that this incident never happened," Neubauer said in a phone interview.
Bond was set at $10,000 for Jilani, who posted $1,000 and was released, according to DuPage County State's Attorney's office spokesman Paul Darrah. Her next court hearing is Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Kathryn Creswell.

The initial report of the attack triggered a lockdown at the college while police searched the campus and prompted hundreds of students to rally again the following day to protest the incident.
Officials at the 3,300-student private college -- which has about 30 Muslim students -- denounced the attack and promised to increase security on campus, including offers of rides for Muslim students to and from classes.

As officials at the private college affiliated with the United Church of Christ last Friday called the incident a hate crime, hundreds of students rallied to show solidarity with their Muslim peers, who constitute about 25 of the school's 3,300 students.

I've often compared the interlocking Muslim pro-terrorist fundraising charities and activist organizations in the U.S. to the way organized crime does business. The only difference is that instead of fronts for olive oil selling cement shoes, these organizations are fronts for "Muslim civil rights."

But, just like organized crime, the Islamic organizations cook their books. In this case, they cook the books on alleged "hate crimes" against Muslims that never happened.
Posted by Debbie on October 20, 2008 10:25 AM
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/004324print.html

Can Israel approach peace from the bottom up?- JPost

2008-10-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Oct. 15, 2008

NATAN SHARANSKY , THE JERUSALEM POST

Last month, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave an explosive farewell interview to Yediot Aharonot. In it, Olmert, not known for his reticence to criticize political and ideological opponents, chose to mention only one by name: Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon, the former chief of General Staff and my colleague at the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies, whose much anticipated book, The Long-Short Road, was published last month. It was fitting that Ya'alon should be singled out for criticism because the policy approach of these two men could not be more different.

For Olmert, peace is decidedly a top-down affair. The entire Annapolis process, like the Oslo process it mimics, is based on strengthening a "moderate" Palestinian leader in the hope that he will be "strong enough" to make peace. How to strengthen the Palestinian leader? Among other things, by releasing prisoners, transferring money and making concessions in negotiations. For him, the health of the peace process is a function of the dynamics of negotiations. Are people meeting and talking? Are there summits of world leaders supporting the process? Are Arab leaders making the right statements?

For Ya'alon, however, peace is a bottom-up affair. He believes that it must focus on transforming Palestinian society and on bringing Israeli and Palestinian society closer together. To him, the health of the peace process is a function of what is happening within Palestinian society. Are Palestinian security forces fighting terror? Are Palestinian leaders working to improve the economic and social conditions of Palestinian life? Are Palestinian media outlets inciting against Israel? Are Palestinian schoolchildren being educated to accept the legitimacy of Israel?
Israelis can choose to support either of these two approaches. But one thing is certain: The top-down approach has been tried unsuccessfully by six different Israeli prime ministers and two different American presidents, working with two different Palestinian leaders. There is little evidence to suggest that it will succeed if tried by a seventh prime minister or third president.
A SMARTER idea would be to try Ya'alon's alternative approach, and to link the peace process - Israeli concessions, transfers of money and authority, etc. - to a transformation of Palestinian society. This would indeed be a long-short road, and would no doubt take a number of years to implement. But given the disasters that have befallen Israelis and Palestinians over the last 15 years, it would be infinitely better than the alternative.

Would a new US administration accept such an approach? After meeting with both of the candidates, I have no doubt that regardless of who wins this November, an Israeli government that would embrace this new approach would win the support of the White House.
Barack Obama began his public career as a community organizer and argues persuasively in his books that true change comes from the bottom-up. For his part, John McCain has repeatedly expressed his view that a reformed Palestinian society is critical to any successful peace process. Moreover, either candidate would welcome an approach that would be different than the previous unsuccessful efforts.

Indeed, the real question is not whether this new approach will be supported in Washington, but whether it will be supported in Jerusalem. In the past, initiatives that might have moved the peace process in a constructive new direction were left stillborn by passive governments.
THE MOST famous instance was after President George W. Bush's historic June 2002 speech in which he argued for a bottom-up approach that called for a Palestinian state to emerge only after comprehensive reforms would make that state democratic and peaceful. Rather than seize the opportunity, the Ariel Sharon-led government of which I was then a part dithered. Within a few months, the State Department crafted a road map which paid lip service to this new approach but which was essentially based on the same old tired formulas. In particular, its call for elections to be held "as soon as possible" in an unreformed Palestinian society would snuff out any chance for ever reforming that society.

A year later, Sharon embarked on a misguided unilateral disengagement plan, which initially caught the Americans by surprise and which further undermined any prospect for Palestinian reform. That mistake was compounded after the disengagement, when snap elections were foolishly held in Gaza, which not only killed the prospects for reform but, by bringing Hamas to power, also soured Israelis on the idea that Palestinian society was capable of being reformed.
I believe that reform is possible and that such a reform will bring us closer to peace. But it will require the end of illusions of the type offered by those who argue that peace is only one meeting, one summit, or one concession away. It will demand policies based on the type of hard-headed pragmatism that Moshe Ya'alon offers in his book. It will demand that we let the evidence guide our judgment rather than our judgment guide the evidence.
The writer is chairman of the Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center and the author of Defending Identity.

Missing Mandates III (Gaza)

2008-10-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

JINSA Report #817October 15, 2008

Missing Mandates III (Gaza)If there were elephants in the Levant, they would be in Gaza - or maybe they are in Gaza, but no one will talk about the implications of having them there. Certainly they wouldn't be the only thing with implications no one will discuss.

As earlier noted, the American general in charge of training Palestinian security forces declared that Gaza was not in his mandate, and his troops will - at best - only secure the West Bank.

Among the Israelis, several commanders and senior civilians talked about the growing Hamas military capability and said the IDF would - someday - have to "deal" with it. No one thought the "lull" was anything more than an opportunity for Hamas to improve its position. "Massive smuggling," mining and organizing human shields for defense, as well as improved missiles and commandos for offense were noted. Hamas fighters have been training in Iran and taking lessons from Hezbollah on the transformation from terrorist to guerrilla army command structure.

Hamas is putting increasingly large number of Israelis under an increasingly intolerable threat.

Asked by a member of the JINSA delegation in Israel why the IDF didn't take offensive action before Hamas executed a mega-terrorist attack, the deputy commander of the Gaza region said he had no mandate to do so - it would take a government decision. Later, a senior IDF official said Israel "didn't want to be responsible for 1.5 million Palestinians and no one would relieve Israel of that burden of occupation" if they returned to daily control of Gaza.

Consequently, we saw a new, large, empty facility that was supposed to serve as a transit point for Palestinians to work in Israel, and we were briefed on the myriad international aid organizations with which Israel works to bring services into Gaza because Hamas has co-opted and corrupted the economy. An enormous amount of Israeli money and human ingenuity are spent bringing food to Gaza (including use of a grain conveyor belt that sends food into Gaza from Israel because Hamas won't accept the food directly). These are things Israeli can do, so they do them.

Excising Hamas from Gaza or creating effective security control of the Gaza Strip that might make international aid less important (or superfluous) is something the IDF cannot do because there is no mandate to do it. The government, meanwhile, is looking for a "negotiated solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli problem, talking with Abu Mazen/Fatah on the West Bank only, studiously ignoring the implications of the elephant known as Hamas.

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The coming train-wreck in Lebanon - THE JERUSALEM POST

2008-10-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Oct. 10, 2008 Caroline Glick

Over the past several weeks, both Washington and Jerusalem have spelled out clear policies relating to the situation in Lebanon. The two policies contradict one another, and by adopting them, the US and Israel are on a collision course. (read full article)

The convenient war against the Jews

2008-10-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

Caroline Glick - Oct 07, 2008 The Jerusalem Post

In the end, the global jihad, and the West's fickle response to radical Islam's assault on its civilization, is about hating Jews. This truth, never wholly hidden from view, was exposed in all its ugliness in recent months with startling disclosures by former Italian president and Senator-for-life Francesco Cossiga. (read full article)

International Christian Zionist Center - THE LITMUS TEST IS A PALESTINIAN STATE!

2008-09-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

"A legitimate Palestinian entity FORMS THE MOST IMPORTANT WEAPON THAT ARABS HAVE AGAINST ISRAEL."(See http://www.fateh.net/e_editor/01/311201.htm)
Sept. 16, 2008

Anyone who backs the idea of a Palestinian State is, whether he or she realizes it or not, for the dissolution of the Jewish State. This is clear for all to see and a vote for such a person, be it in Israel or in the United States, is therefore a vote for the dismantling of the young State of Israel. Israel today is surrounded by evil forces intent on her destruction. To the north is the dangerous, well-equipped Hezbollah, supported by a Syria which, apart from its already deadly arsenal, is receiving from Russia's Vladimir Putin increasingly precise and lethal weapons. Behind the threat of Hezbollah and Syria - with its VX Nerve Gas-tipped Scud missiles - lies Iran, no small nation whose leaders brazenly and frequently threaten to wipe Israel off the map with the nuclear weapons it is feverishly pursuing. To the south we see Hamas which is feverishly turning the whole of the Gaza Strip into a gigantic launching ground from which to bombard Israel's towns and villages in that part of the land.
When Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon, the Hezbollah took over and tuned it in a terrorist controlled state.

When Israel withdrew from Gaza, the Hamas turned it into a terrorist launching pad.
If Israel will withdraw a third time, this time from Judea and Samaria, surely the same will happen.

PLO chief Abu Mazen, who with is currently negotiating with Israel for the Palestinian Arabs, will retire in January 2009. Who knows who will succeed this nearly-powerless old man who is kept politically alive by the Israeli Defense Forces. In this light, a policy that seeks to hand him his so-called Palestinian state (even before the year is ended) seems to be lunacy. For he will have no power whatsoever with which to prevent the Hamas and Islamic Jihad from immediately taking over this Palestinian state (as they seized Gaza) and use it to destroy what will be left of sovereign Israel. The person who is most likely to halt the present phony and fatal plan to erect a Muslim Arab state called Palestine 20 miles from Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv should be the choice of every voter, be it in Israel or in the coming elections in the United States. On top of this, Putin, the Russian dictator, is holding out in sinister cynicism at a dangerous game of chess with the Americans as he threatens to help Iran, Syria and other enemies of Israel to receive ever more dangerous weapons by way of leverage. This is designed to make the U.S. think hard about whether or not to interfere with what is taking place in Georgia, the Ukraine and other former Soviet Union states, so that Putin can without too much interference pursue his own sinister goals. What we need both during the coming elections in Israel as well as in the United States is a leader who will dare to say what nearly every person should be able to know: that a Palestinian Muslim State under the present circumstances will spell the end of the young and vibrant State of Israel. May God indeed prevent this through such leaders.

Jan Willem van der Hoeven, DirectorInternational Christian Zionist Center

Jordan's Outreach to Hamas: The Politics of Distress

2008-09-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

Pinchas Inbari
Sept. 16, 2008

Until recently, Jordan was the only Arab country that had boycotted the fundamentalist Hamas movement. However, in 2007 Jordanian intelligence held a series of meetings with Hamas leaders to end hostile relations and start afresh.

Jordan's greatest fear is that it be considered the "alternative homeland" for the Palestinians. That is why all political formulas that Jordan is ready to consider are based on the "two-state solution" - a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and a Jordanian state in the East Bank. Jordan would only consider confederation arrangements with the Palestinians after a Palestinian state is declared west of the Jordan River. (read full article)

JWR Insight - A day that will live in ... accommodating Islam

2008-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

By Diana West
Sept. 15, 2008

A high school sophomore asked me this week whether Sept. 11 would always be remembered. Would it always be, as she put it, "somber"?

Lacking a crystal ball, I have no answer. And, frankly, looking back seven years to that cataclysmic jihadist atrocity, I realize I'm probably not the most dependable prognosticator because never would I have imagined back in 2001 how successful that heinous strike would be in utterly changing us and our world. (read full article)

Hitler's 'Grossmufti von Jerusalem'

2008-09-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Jonathan Schanzer - Sep 05, 2008 Jerusalem Post

For the better part of a century, violence against Jews has arguably been the top export of the Palestinian people. True, they have olives and citrus, but ask any man on the street what the Palestinians are best known for, and you are likely to hear "suicide bombings" or "rockets." While most Palestinians would claim that the violence is simply a means to "liberate" their homeland, another plausible explanation may lie in the fact that early Palestinian nationalism was influenced heavily by Nazism. While other nations have disavowed fascism (Germany and Italy, for example) and have since developed into thriving democracies, the Palestinians have never reconciled with their past. (read full article)

Why are Palestinian refugees different from all other refugees?

2008-09-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Why indeed?

Tragically, there have been countless refugees in the annals of history.

Many have fled political persecution, religious harassment, racial or ethnic targeting, or gender or sexual discrimination.

It's happened in just about every era. (read full article)

JCPA - A New Strategy for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

2008-09-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Yaalon
9/2/08

Former Chief of Staff, Israel Defense Forces
Solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says mainstream public opinion, and the rest will follow. But the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only one of many afflicting the Middle East, and it is by no means the dominant one. (read full article)

FrontPageMagazine.com - Tampa’s Terror for Kids

2008-08-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

By Joe Kaufman

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Sami Al-Arian has been in prison, away from his digs in the Tampa, Florida suburb of Temple Terrace, for over five years, yet one of the structures that he left behind continues to propagate the same fanatical ideology that led to his punishment. Al-Arian’s mosque, the Islamic Community of Tampa (ICT), has been proudly advertising hatred and violence meant for the eyes of children. The mosque’s connection to an area youth academy should have all Americans concerned. (click here for full article)

The Jewish Advocate - Citizen energy

2008-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Written by Dr. Charles Jacobs
Friday, 15 August 2008

The energy crisis represents a catastrophic failure of American leadership - an unprecedented dereliction of duty. Republicans, Democrats, liberals and conservatives are allowing Middle Eastern totalitarians and oil companies to rape this country. (Read full article)

JINSA Report #807

2008-08-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Aug. 13, 2007

Hammers and Nails

Some readers were surprised yesterday. "What, no military option? There's something JINSA thinks the U.S. military can't do?"

Actually, there is very little we think the U.S. military can't do, but there is a whole lot we think it shouldn't do and we'd like to keep the two separate as much as possible. This was a job for diplomats, and the diplomats failed.

Our Secretary of State is a Soviet Russia expert. One would have thought she would have been aware of the aggressive tone of the Russian government. One would have thought she would have spent some time this spring discussing the possible negative ramifications of Western successes. We won approval for missile defense radars in Poland and The Czech Republic, and the independence of Kosovo from Serbia, and we were talking to former Soviet Republics about NATO membership. Did she think Russia wouldn't care, or just that it wouldn't respond?
Russia lost the Cold War but it was only one war; neither victory nor defeat has been permanent in Europe. Was there no State Department Team B to play Russia and suggest that given their new wealth, energy relationship with Europe and imperialist past, plus Putin's solid KGB background, they would find a way to reassert themselves?

The wise man said that if your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. We have a great hammer, but our toolbox is otherwise deficient. Russia has mostly a hammer as well, but that is sufficient for its "near abroad," and its increasing energy stranglehold on Europe obviates the need for much diplomacy to the West.

A truly powerful country - which the U.S. must be - uses statecraft and military power as two edges of the sword; one good for some thing and one for other things. In this case, however, statecraft was diverted.

Dr. Rice was so busy trying to create Palestine out of a terrorist-run sinkhole that she didn't notice that pro-Western, democratic, free-market-oriented Georgia was in real trouble. So seized was she with solving the "Palestinian problem" in the last few months of the Administration - a common disease - that she missed Russia.

Newspapers report that the Secretary made more than 90 phone calls during the crisis. Why? The damage to Georgia was done from the moment the Russians started shelling. The phone calls should have been made months ago to try to forestall the invasion - plans for which certainly were no secret.

Diplomacy now has to find ways of making Russia pay for violating international norms. No G-8, no WTO, no Sochi Olympics would be a start. Political and reconstruction support for Georgia, and insistence that peacekeepers come from Western or Central European countries would help. Reminding the Russians that Georgia's relationship NATO comes up again in December might begin to re-establish Western credibility, and perhaps prevent Russia from using that hammer again.

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The Perspective of a Friend , a Christian Zionist

2008-07-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

JULY 2008 USA TOUR REPORT from Stan Goodenough

On July 9, 2008 I flew from Prague to Boston to speak at a number of meetings arranged by Pastor Don Cobble of the Kaleo Christian Center in Woburn, MA. The short tour - potentially the first of a series - originated out of an urge in my spirit to speak again into the hearts of American believers concerning the latest developments in Israel and their potentially serious affect on us all. In all there were nine events over 10 days - seven congregational gatherings, one seminar and one home meeting. 1. As Bible-believers we need to recognize that the Jews are our family; that Israel is not just another nation towards we should show Christian concern. 2. Iran's leadership (and the Islamic world as a whole) manifests the spirit of Amalek which - in Hitler and his predecessors - sought to destroy the Jews and so thwart the purpose of God. 3. Israel is being left with no choice but to militarily - and probably single-handedly - deal with the mounting Iranian threat against her. 4. An Israeli strike on Iran could have extremely grave repercussions for the whole world. 5. Israel's act of self-defense will be universally slammed as aggression, resulting in worldwide outrage and condemnation being heaped on the Jewish state. Governments and the news media will direct a propaganda assault on our senses aimed at turning us against Israel. Christians whose hearts are already attune to God's restoration purposes for Israel should prepare themselves to: a) Endure a period of what could be intense personal upheaval caused by great economic turmoil and, b) Stand resolutely with Israel in the face of an overwhelming wave of anti-Israel sentiment that will come from every direction - including family, friends and fellow church-goers. c) Come swiftly and strongly to Israel's defense; withstanding and denouncing the massive media effort to sweep all of us into blaming Israel for the financial pain we may experience, and demanding that our governments refrain from condemning Israel. We should not just sit and wait for this to happen. We should spread the word to believers around us so that they too are ready for what lies ahead. And we should already now be urgently communicating to our lawmakers their need to come out in solid defense and support of Israel in the period leading up to, including and following, the increasingly imminent Israeli strike. Without exception, the response at the meetings was positive. While the idea that God is moving to align the true Church with Israel, and that we are expected to choose where we will stand on this matter, was news to some, it was a message that resonated with each congregation and, in every instance, with the leadership. Each of the hosting pastors committed themselves personally, and urged their congregations collectively, to act. At least two leaders were moved to tears, and in one church the entire congregation came forward to publicly demonstrate their desire to respond. Some confessed having harbored a spirit of antisemitism, and prayed for forgiveness. While we fielded some probing questions, nowhere did we experience a rejection of what we had come to share. Thank God. Brochures inviting believers to Israel for the 2008 ICZC Feast of Tabernacles were made available at the meetings, and a number of people - including some who said they had previously not wanted to visit Israel out of fear or uncertainty - expressed a desire to attend. Believing the Feast to be a God-appointed time for us to meet with Him, and that one year, during this feast, He will reveal Himself to Israel in amazing ways, I pray that many will be open to the prompting of the Spirit to come up to Jerusalem and join us in worship there this year. To view the 2008 Feast itinerary and register online, go to www.israelmybeloved.com <http://www.israelmybeloved.com/> or send an email to iczc@iczc.org.il <mailto:iczc@iczc.org.il>. I am thankful to the Lord for all who made it possible for me to visit America in July, and am prayerfully planning to return - this time to Georgia, Alabama, Nashville and Missouri - in September. By then I believe this message will be only more urgently needed as the clock ticks towards an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities - and with elections in the United States by then just a few weeks away. The outcome of those elections will, of course, also have a major impact on America's relationship with Israel going forward. Should you wish us to visit your congregation or home church meeting in or near this part of the United States, please email me as soon as possible at zionwarrior@gmail.com <mailto:zionwarrior@gmail.com>. May God bless you, and may His peace be upon Israel!

May I, an American citizen living in the United States, comment publicly on Israeli decision making?

2008-07-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

by Daniel PipesJerusalem Post
July 28, 2008

Yoram Schweitzer wants me not to judge decisions made by the Israeli government. I recently criticized the Israeli government for its exchange with Hizbullah in "Samir Kuntar and the Last Laugh" (The Jerusalem Post, July 21); to this, the eminent counterterrorism expert at Tel Aviv University, Yoram Schweitzer challenged the appropriateness of my offering views on this subject. In "Not That Bad a Deal" (July 24) he explained to Jerusalem Post readers how the "contents and tone" of my analysis are "patronizing and insulting, overlooking as they do the fact that the government and public have the right to decide for themselves …, and to shoulder the resulting price." He also criticizes me for offering an opinion on Israeli issues from my "secure haven thousands of miles away." (read full article)

JPost.com - Column One: The Obama-Bush presidency

2008-07-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Jul 24, 2008 23:11 Updated Jul 25, 2008 15:27
By CAROLINE GLICK

US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama's trip to the Middle East has been a boon for his campaign's photo archive. The past week has seen the presumptive Democratic nominee feted by the leaders of Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
(read full article)

Stand for Israel - Tribute To A Champion Of Israel

2008-07-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

A Tribute To A Champion Of Israel
July 25, 2008

Israel is about to lose one of its strongest and most gifted spokesmen. Dan Gillerman, who has been Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations for more than five years, is leaving the position. He made his final speech to the U.N. Security Council on July 22.
To say Gillerman's job was a challenge would be an understatement. Israel's Ambassador to the U.N. represents the Jewish state to a body that has consistently sided against Israel and with Israel's enemies. The U.N. has approved viciously anti-Israel measures such as the infamous "Zionism is Racism" resolution of 1975 (which was finally repealed in 1991, but only after much protest by Israel and… Read more »

Who Really Cares About Our Soldiers?

2008-07-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

by Naomi Ragen (19 July 2008)

My article "Infamy" has been widely circulated. The response has been overwhelmingly supportive. But what I would like to do is speak not to those who were "shocked and disgusted" by my admission that I was ashamed to be an Israeli after the release of Sami Kuntar, the baby-killer Hezbollah is so proud of who says he can't wait to kill again- but to those who disagree for reasons I can respect. In an article entitled: "Some Mistakes are Worth Making," Daniel Gordis quotes me without using my name and says that - unlike me - he feels proud of what Israel did.
(read full article)

JPost.com - Our World: The media and enduring narrative

2008-07-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Jul 8, 2008 9:33 Updated Jul 8, 2008 13:08
By CAROLINE GLICK

Last Wednesday's terror attack in Jerusalem was unique. Due to the fact that Husam Taysir Dwayat bulldozed his victims outside of Jerusalem Capitol Studios where many of the foreign television networks have their offices, his was one of only two attacks to have been caught live on camera. (read full article)

JPost.com - Anatomy of a massacre

2008-07-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Jul 3, 2008 20:45 Updated Jul 4, 2008 6:30
By CAROLINE GLICK

Government and police spokesmen would have us believe that the carnage in Jerusalem on Wednesday was unavoidable. Husam Taysir Dwayat, the convicted rapist, burglar and drug dealer turned jihadist who mowed down innocent people with his bulldozer on Jaffa Road was not suspected of links to terrorist organizations. The sociopathic, violent criminal who had "returned" to Islam over the past month raised no red flags. There was nothing to be done. No one is to blame. (read full story)

Camera Alert - Presbyterian Officials Prepare for General Assembly With Bait and Switch Tactics

2008-06-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2008

On May 2, 2008, the Office of Interfaith Affairs of the Presbyterian Church (USA) issued a statement titled “Vigilance against anti-Jewish ideas and bias.” This statement offered a thoroughgoing critique of the denomination’s public speech about the Arab-Israeli conflict and included a long-overdue acknowledgement that “examples of anti-Jewish theology can unfortunately be found in connection with PC(USA) overtures …” While the document did not state exactly who was responsible for the anti-Jewish rhetoric, it did provide a clue by stating that some of the materials affirmed in a resolution condemning Christian Zionism passed by the denomination’s General Assembly in 2004 included expressions of “anti-Jewish theology.”
(read full article)

Jewish World - Britain is a hotbed of radical anti-Israeli sentiment.

2008-06-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2008
by Ron Prosor

Throughout its modern history, Britain has prided itself on its liberal society, which cherishes human rights and values civil liberties.

That pride was well founded, both in the international arena, when Britain stood alone in Europe facing the dark forces of the Third Reich, and in the domestic field, when Britain led the way in establishing a national health service, granting women the right to vote and protecting the basic social rights of the working class. (read full article)

Myths & Facts - A Truce Agreement with Hamas following "A Failure worse than the Second Lebanon War"

2008-06-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

June 20, 2008 Guest: Dr. Joel Fishman

On Tuesday evening, June 17th, the Egyptian government announced that a truce agreement between Israel and the Hamas in Gaza would commence at 6 A.M. on Thursday, June 19. This understanding means essentially that Israel indirectly recognizes and is negotiating with a terrorist organization dedicated to its destruction. (read full article)

World Net Daily - Jewish leaders: AWOL from U.S. – and Israel

2008-06-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Posted: June 18, 20081:00 am Eastern
By Eugene Narrett© 2008

Since the Israeli government, pressed vigorously by the U.S. State Department, expelled 9,000 Jews from their homes, farms, schools and synagogues in Gush Katif and Northern Samaria in August 2005, jihadists have showered rockets and mortars on towns, cities and farmers within the 1949 borders of Israel. While this jihad has continued, the response by a corrupt and defeatist Israeli regime has been minimal. (read full article)

YNet News - Jerusalem and Al-Jazeera's patience

2008-06-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dr. Keidar of university Arab studies department tests Qatari network's patience by saying during televised interview, 'Jerusalem not mentioned in Kuran'
Roee Nahmias
Published:
06.07.08, 20:41 / Israel News

It can be assumed that Al-Jazeera's top journalist Jamal Rayyan will not soon forget this year's Jerusalem Day, which was celebrated this week. Following reports of Israel's intentions to construct housing units in areas located beyond the Green Line (1967 borders), the news agency decided to hold an interview with Dr. Mordechai Keidar, a lecturer from Bar Ilan University's Department of Arabic Studies. The interview – in Arabic – can be seen in full on youtube.
(read full article)

Three letters worth reading regarding the recent controversy related to remarks attributed to Pastor John Hagee and Rabbi Eric Yoffie.

2008-06-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

1. PASTOR HAGEE and 2. RABBI SCHEINBERG RESPOND TO RECENTCONTROVERSIES.
3.Robert Abrams,esq. responds to President of the Union of Reform Judaism

From Pastor Hagee:

The past 24 hours have been extremely disappointingones to me. My disappointment has nothing to do withthe fact that I parted company with John McCain thiswas best for both of us and for the country. It istime the candidates and the media turn their attentionback to the pressing issues of our day and stopfocusing on what I did or did not say decades ago.

But what has been disappointing has been to see mylife's work the great passion of my lifemis-characterized and attacked. I have dedicated mylife to combating anti-Semitism and supporting theState of Israel. In taking a stand for Israel I havereceived death threats from anti-Semites andneo-Nazis, and I've had the windows of my car blownout beneath the windows of the rooms in which mychildren slept. To hear people who know nothing aboutme or my life's work claim that I somehow excuse theHolocaust is simply heartbreaking.

Let me be clear -- to assert that I in any way condonethe Holocaust or that monster Adolf Hitler is theworst of lies. I have always condemned the horrors ofthe Holocaust in the strongest of terms. But even moreimportantly, my abhorrence of the Holocaust andanti-Semitism has never stopped with mere words.

I have devoted most of my adult life to ensuring thatthere will never be a second Holocaust. I have workedtirelessly to eliminate the sin of anti-Semitism fromthe Christian world and to ensure the survival of theState of Israel.

I have traveled the country teaching Christians tolove the Jewish people and stand with Israel. Ourministry has given over $30 million for humanitariancauses in Israel, founded Christians United for Israelto bring together all pro-Israel Christians into amovement that can support Israel during these verychallenging times.

The fact is that all people of faith have had towrestle with the question of why a sovereign God wouldallow evil in the world. After Auschwitz, thisquestion became more urgent than ever.

Many people simply could not explain how a loving Godwould permit such horrors. After the Holocaust, theyabandoned their faith in a sovereign God whointervenes here on earth. While I disagree with thisconclusion, I would never denigrate those who arrivedat such a conclusion.

But I and many millions of Christians and Jews came toa different conclusion. We maintained our faith in asovereign God who allows both the good and the evilthat is in the world. We therefore search thescriptures for an explanation for that evil. Webelieve that the words of the Hebrew prophets such asJeremiah may help us understand the mind of God. Butour search for an explanation for evil must never beconfused with an effort to excuse it.

What is more important than how we answer the questionof where was God during the Holocaust is what we asmen and women do here on earth to make sure that therewill never be another Holocaust. We must give meaningto the words "Never Again" through our actions. It isto this effort this effort to fight anti-Semitism andto support Israel that I now return. Thank you.

From Rabbi Scheinberg:

I have known Pastor John Hagee for close to 30 years.Pastor Hagee is a man of G-d, a visionary leader, aperson of courage and integrity, a lover of people ofall faiths, an embodiment of truth, justice andkindness.

I met him in 1981, when he stood almost alone in thedefense of Israel, after Israel destroyed Iraq'snuclear reactor in 1981. At that time, while themajority of world leaders criticized Israel, PastorHagee declared: "Israel, we are with you." He wasthen as today a courageous Christian, guided by anunparalleled moral compass who distinguished rightfrom wrong, good from evil.

The same zeal and vision that moved Pastor Hagee in1981 to stand in the defense of Israel, has moved himto strongly condemn anti-Semitism and bigotry in itsforms.

Pastor Hagee is a world leader in his support ofIsrael. For he understands that Israel is the onlynation of the world who faces extermination for beinga Jewish nation, for being a democracy, for beingAmerica's most trusted and loyal friend among thenations, He understands that no other nation in theworld has yearned so much, nor given so much, norrisked so much, nor suffered so much for the cause ofpeace, as Israel and yet has been so criticized.

It is ironic and absurd that when Pastor was lecturingon one of the Jewish perspectives of the Holocaustthat his words were twisted and used to attack him forbeing anti Semitic.

Pastor Hagee said nothing of the kind. Pastorinterpreted a Biblical verse in a way not verydifferent from several legitimate Jewish authorities. Viewing Hitler as acting completely outside of God'splan is to suggest that God was powerless to stop theHolocaust, a position quite unacceptable to anyreligious Jew or Christian.

No less an authority than the author of the EimHabanim Semaichah, Rabbi Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal ofblessed memory wrote these words while cowering in aBudapest cellar in the very midst of Hitler'sHolocaust: "Furthermore, the sole purpose of all theafflictions that smite us in our exile is to arouse usto return to our Holy Land."

I have seen Pastor's tears and Diana's tears at YadVashem. They identify and feel the pain of our people,therefore I know that of all the criticisms thatPastor has been subjected to when he stepped into apolitical mine field, and of all the distortions ofthe truth that he had to contend with, this must bethe most painful, because of his love for the Jewishpeople and his genuine total efforts to see that neveragain shall the Jewish people be alone in a world ofapathy, hatred and anti-Semitism.

A Holocaust survivor, who lived through the deathcamps of Auschwitz, recently declared at the SanAntonio Jewish community commemoration of Yom HaShoah:"If during the Nazi era the world had leaders likePastor John Hagee, 6 million Jews, among them one anda million children, wouldn't have been brutallymurdered."==============================================

To Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President, Union of Reform JudaismMay 25, 2008I am appalled and mortified by your call for dialogue with the Islamic Society of America. What an exercise in futility! Meeting with the Islamic Society is analogous to negotiating with Adolph Hitler in the 1930’s.As a former Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I have a strong sense of justice and injustice. In an era of political correctness you play directly into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah and encourage Islamic Jihad throughout Europe and North America. Today I see African Americans in Boston converting to Islam and spewing out anti-Jewish and anti- Christian rhetoric. The State of Israel needs all the friends it can find, and Reform leaders should be praising Evangelical Christians for their strong support for beleaguered Israel. What Reform Jews need is a profile in courage from you not misguided leadership. As a member of Temple Israel, Boston for 48 years, I am ashamed to have you serving as the leader of our Union for Reform Judaism.Robert T. Abrams.

UCI - Jews united for Israel's friends

2008-06-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Caroline Glick - Jun 02, 2008 The Jerusalem Post

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered a humiliating setback this week in his quest for international legitimacy. Ahmadinejad is expected to arrive in Rome this week to participate in a UN summit on the global food crisis (which has been caused by the rise in oil prices that Ahmadinejad is so pleased to have had a role in fomenting). (read full article)

Los Angeles Times - Who gets the Golan?

2008-05-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

By Yossi Klein Halevi May 28, 2008

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli mainstream, so the truism here goes, is so desperate for peace that, in the end, it will overcome misgivings over relinquishing territory and mistrust of Arab intentions and endorse any diplomatic initiative aimed at solving the Middle East conflict. After all, the majority of Israelis have supported every withdrawal so far -- from the Sinai desert in 1982 to the pullout from Gaza in 2005. And according to polls, a majority of Israelis are prepared to leave most of the West Bank and create a Palestinian state. (read full article)

Aish.com - Alan Dershowitz Speaks

2008-05-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

May 23, 2008

As is the case with most men of principle, especially lawyers, Alan Dershowitz cannot avoid controversy or criticism.

He's been called America's "most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer," "the best-known criminal lawyer in the world" and "the top lawyer of last resort," having taken up the causes of defendants as diverse as Claus von Bulow, O.J. Simpson and Jonathan Pollard. (read full article)

Clalit.org - Palestinian Bedouin saved in EMC

2008-05-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

May 20, 2008

On Monday, May 19, 2008, thirty two year old Nadia Aieed was filling a water bucket from a water pipeline in the fields between Palestinian Jericho and the nearby Israeli Moshav Argamon. This is an area of the Jordan Valley located several miles north of the Dead Sea. Without warning, a poisonous Echis Coloratus (mid-east saw scaled viper) struck Nadia on the top of her left sandaled foot inflicting a deep and painful wound. (read full story)

THE WHITE HOUSE - REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO MEMBERS OF THE KNESSET

2008-05-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
( Jerusalem )
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 15, 2008

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO
MEMBERS OF THE KNESSET

The Knesset
Jerusalem
2:55 P.M. (Local)
THE PRESIDENT: President Peres and Mr. Prime Minister, Madam Speaker, thank very much for hosting this special session. President Beinish, Leader of the Opposition Netanyahu, Ministers, members of the Knesset, distinguished guests: Shalom. Laura and I are thrilled to be back in Israel . We have been deeply moved by the celebrations of the past two days. And this afternoon, I am honored to stand before one of the world's great democratic assemblies and convey the wishes of the American people with these words: Yom Ha'atzmaut Sameach. (Applause.)
It is a rare privilege for the American President to speak to the Knesset. (Laughter.) Although the Prime Minister told me there is something even rarer -- to have just one person in this chamber speaking at a time. (Laughter.) My only regret is that one of Israel 's greatest leaders is not here to share this moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, a friend. The prayers of the American people are with Ariel Sharon. (Applause.)
We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel 's independence, founded on the "natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate." What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham and Moses and David -- a homeland for the chosen people Eretz Yisrael.
Eleven minutes later, on the orders of President Harry Truman, the United States was proud to be the first nation to recognize Israel 's independence. And on this landmark anniversary, America is proud to be Israel 's closest ally and best friend in the world.
The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty. It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: "Come let us declare in Zion the word of God." The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan . And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.
Centuries of suffering and sacrifice would pass before the dream was fulfilled. The Jewish people endured the agony of the pogroms, the tragedy of the Great War, and the horror of the Holocaust -- what Elie Wiesel called "the kingdom of the night." Soulless men took away lives and broke apart families. Yet they could not take away the spirit of the Jewish people, and they could not break the promise of God. (Applause.) When news of Israel 's freedom finally arrived, Golda Meir, a fearless woman raised in Wisconsin , could summon only tears. She later said: "For two thousand years we have waited for our deliverance. Now that it is here it is so great and wonderful that it surpasses human words."
The joy of independence was tempered by the outbreak of battle, a struggle that has continued for six decades. Yet in spite of the violence, in defiance of the threats, Israel has built a thriving democracy in the heart of the Holy Land . You have welcomed immigrants from the four corners of the Earth. You have forged a free and modern society based on the love of liberty, a passion for justice, and a respect for human dignity. You have worked tirelessly for peace. You have fought valiantly for freedom.
My country's admiration for Israel does not end there. When Americans look at Israel , we see a pioneer spirit that worked an agricultural miracle and now leads a high-tech revolution. We see world-class universities and a global leader in business and innovation and the arts. We see a resource more valuable than oil or gold: the talent and determination of a free people who refuse to let any obstacle stand in the way of their destiny.
I have been fortunate to see the character of Israel up close. I have touched the Western Wall, seen the sun reflected in the Sea of Galilee , I have prayed at Yad Vashem. And earlier today, I visited Masada , an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: " Masada shall never fall again." Citizens of Israel : Masada shall never fall again, and America will be at your side.
This anniversary is a time to reflect on the past. It's also an opportunity to look to the future. As we go forward, our alliance will be guided by clear principles -- shared convictions rooted in moral clarity and unswayed by popularity polls or the shifting opinions of international elites.
We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation. (Applause.)
We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world. (Applause.)
We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to a civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms -- whether by those who openly question Israel 's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them.
We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israeli's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction. (Applause.)
We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve. (Applause.)
The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On the one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.
This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is an ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.
And that is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel . And that is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel , Death to America !" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the President of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.
There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain away their words. It's natural, but it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.
Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history. (Applause.)
Some people suggest if the United States would just break ties with Israel , all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of the enemies of peace, and America utterly rejects it. Israel 's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because the United States of America stands with you. (Applause.)
America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran 's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapons would be an unforgivable betrayal for future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. (Applause.)
Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance and freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all the world because they are a gift from the Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. Societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners in peace.
The fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it to the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East . We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in a free society. We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.
That future will be a dramatic departure from the Middle East of today. So as we mark 60 years from Israel 's founding, let us try to envision the region 60 years from now. This vision is not going to arrive easily or overnight; it will encounter violent resistance. But if we and future Presidents and future Knessets maintain our resolve and have faith in our ideals, here is the Middle East that we can see:
Israel will be celebrating the 120th anniversary as one of the world's great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved -- a democratic state that is governed by law, and respects human rights, and rejects terror. From Cairo to Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut , people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy and tourism and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, with today's oppression a distant memory and where people are free to speak their minds and develop their God-given talents. Al Qaeda and Hezbollah and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.
Overall, the Middle East will be characterized by a new period of tolerance and integration. And this doesn't mean that Israel and its neighbors will be best of friends. But when leaders across the region answer to their people, they will focus their energies on schools and jobs, not on rocket attacks and suicide bombings. With this change, Israel will open a new hopeful chapter in which its people can live a normal life, and the dream of Herzl and the founders of 1948 can be fully and finally realized.
This is a bold vision, and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time. When Europe was destroying itself through total war and genocide, it was difficult to envision a continent that six decades later would be free and at peace. When Japanese pilots were flying suicide missions into American battleships, it seemed impossible that six decades later Japan would be a democracy, a lynchpin of security in Asia, and one of America 's closest friends. And when waves of refugees arrived here in the desert with nothing, surrounded by hostile armies, it was almost unimaginable that Israel would grow into one of the freest and most successful nations on the earth.
Yet each one of these transformations took place. And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East , so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, to make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.
Sixty years ago, on the eve of Israel 's independence, the last British soldiers departing Jerusalem stopped at a building in the Jewish quarter of the Old City . An officer knocked on the door and met a senior rabbi. The officer presented him with a short iron bar -- the key to the Zion Gate -- and said it was the first time in 18 centuries that a key to the gates of Jerusalem had belonged to a Jew. His hands trembling, the rabbi offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, "Who had granted us life and permitted us to reach this day." Then he turned to the officer, and uttered the words Jews had awaited for so long: "I accept this key in the name of my people."
Over the past six decades, the Jewish people have established a state that would make that humble rabbi proud. You have raised a modern society in the Promised Land, a light unto the nations that preserves the legacy of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And you have built a mighty democracy that will endure forever and can always count on the United States of America to be at your side. God bless. (Applause.)
END 3:18 P.M. (Local

Israpundit - The US must get real about energy independence

2008-05-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2008
By Ted Belman

I watched O’Reilly’s interview of John McCain last night and came away very disappointed. McCain says that voters will prefer him for his experience over Obama with his inexperience. At best this will just overcome the age factor. Afterall, McCain, as they say, is no spring chicken.
(read full article)

Israpundit - PM Harper of Canada stands up for Israel, unequivocally.

2008-05-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

May 08, 2008
By Michael Diamond

PM Harper appeared on CFRB today in advance of his appearance tonight at the Israel@60 event at the Ricoh Centre.
This is a remarkable interview and deserves letters and emails of appreciation to the PM.
(read full article)

My Encounter With the Enemy in Milwaukee

2008-05-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

By David HorowitzFrontPageMagazine.com Thursday, May 08, 2008

While waiting to speak at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee last night, I was given a tour of the Student Union, the venue for my talk. The Union building also houses the offices of student clubs, funded by mandatory student fees. (read full article)

American Thinker - Secrets of the Cambridge, Massachusetts Peace Commission

2008-05-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

May 02, 2008
By Hillel Stavis

Here are some travel tips from the official City of Cambridge Peace Commission for visiting our good friends in the Palestinian territories. (read full article)

The Wall Street Journal Online - King and the Jews

2008-04-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

By CLARENCE B. JONES April 30, 2008

Earlier this month, at a Los Angeles event for the national African-American fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi, the keynote speaker launched into an anti-Semitic tirade – directed at the fraternity's guest of honor. (read full article)

From the Foxhole - The Reality of Islam

2008-04-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

By Ron Forberg
April 28, 2008

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SYNOPSIS OF ISLAM AND HOW IT WORKS. Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components.

The religious component is a beard for all the other components. Islamization occurs when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their so-called 'religious rights.'

When politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to 'the reasonable' Muslim demands for their 'religious rights,' they also get the other components under the table. Here's how it works (percentages source CIA: The World Fact Book (2007)).

As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness:

United States -- Muslim
1.0%Australia -- Muslim
1.5%Canada -- Muslim 1.9%
China -- Muslim 1%-2%
Italy -- Muslim 1.5%
Norway -- Muslim 1.8%

At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs:

Denmark -- Muslim 2%
Germany -- Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%
Spain -- Muslim 4%
Thailand -- Muslim 4.6%

From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population.

They will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. (United States).

France -- Muslim 8%
Philippines -- Muslim 5%
Sweden -- Muslim 5%
Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad &Tobago -- Muslim 5.8%

At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world but to establish Sharia law over the entire world.

When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (Paris -- car-burnings). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings and threats (Amsterdam -- Mohammed cartoons).

Guyana -- Muslim 10%
India -- Muslim 13.4%
Israel -- Muslim 16%
Kenya -- Muslim 10%
Russia -- Muslim 10-15%

After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning:

Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%

At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare:

Bosnia -- Muslim 40%
Chad -- Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%

From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels:
Albania -- Muslim 70%
Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%
Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%
Sudan -- Muslim 70%

After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide:

Bangladesh -- Muslim 83%
Egypt -- Muslim 90%
Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%
Iran -- Muslim 98%
Iraq -- Muslim 97%
Jordan -- Muslim 92%
Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan -- Muslim 97%
Palestine -- Muslim 99%
Syria -- Muslim 90%
Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%
Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%

100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace -- there's supposed to be peace because everybody is a Muslim:

Afghanistan -- Muslim 100%
Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%
Somalia -- Muslim 100%
Yemen -- Muslim 99.9%

Of course, that's not the case. To satisfy their blood lust, Muslims then start killing each other for a variety of reasons. "Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel." -- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'

It is good to remember that in many, many countries, such as France, the Muslim populations are centered around ghettos based on their ethnicity. Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. Therefore, they exercise more power than their national average would indicate.

Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book: Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat.. www.frontline.org.za/books_videos/sti.htm

JPost.com - Candidly Speaking: How Israel got trashed

2008-04-23T06:07:00.001-07:00

Apr 22, 2008 20:14 Updated Apr 23, 2008 10:00
By ISI LEIBLER

How was it possible? Only 30 years ago, we were still being hailed as the greatest success story of the 20th century. We were regarded as the people who rose from the ashes of the Holocaust and resurrected ourselves into an independent democratic nation, an oasis in a region dominated by tyrannies and despotisms. (read full article)

Netanyahu Says Any Abbas-Olmert Agreement Will be Voided

2008-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

April 18, 2008
by Ezra HaLevi

(IsraelNN.com) Likud Chairman and former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says any agreement reached between PM Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is null and void. (read full article)

Aish.com - Israel at 60

2008-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

April 18, 2008
by Yossi Klein Halevi

To be an Israeli at the time of the state's 60th anniversary means to be resigned to living with insoluble emotional and political paradoxes. (read full article)