Category Archives: Israel

To Scream or To Weep?

I’m not sure which. I feel like doing both.

Let me tell you about just a couple days of last week.

On July 1st:

there was an attempted stabbing attack in Hevron at the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

An Arab terrorist tried to stab people by the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron before being shot by nearby IDF and Border Police forces.

The terrorist reportedly approached a Border Police post at an entrance to the site and pulled out a knife before she was shot. No one else was harmed.

The pieceful Falestinians rioted at the Qalandia checkpoint.

Three Border Police officers were lightly wounded by Muslim rioters at Qalandia checkpoint near Jerusalem on Friday afternoon.

The officers were struck by rocks hurled by Arab rioters, who were waiting for permission to enter Israeli territory from the Palestinian Authority, on their way to the Temple Mount’s Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Sort of like black lives matter in Columbia MO. Nothing says we are friends, and mean no harm and just want to have a reasonable conversation or go worship at our holy place (filled with rocks and rockets) like stopping a car in a parade or a riot.

The day before on 30th June:

Two people were stabbed at a market in Netanya

Two people have been seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in the coastal Israeli city of Netanya.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics who arrived at the scene in Netanya market said they found a 30-year-old woman in serious condition, and a second victim – a man in his 40s – with moderate injuries.

Both victims were given emergency first-aid treatment before being evacuated to Laniado Hospital.

The terrorist was shot dead at the scene, and was later identified as a resident of the nearby Palestinian Authority city of Tulkarem.

The day before that, on 29th June, under the “you’ve got to be kidding me” category:

Nine Israeli Activists had to be rescued from Ramallah

A group of nine Israeli leftist activists on Wednesday evening had to be rescued from the Palestinian Arab city of Ramallah, after locals attacked one of their vehicles.

The Israelis reportedly entered the city of their own volition to celebrate the nightly breaking of the Ramadan fast with local Arabs. Locals who noticed them hurled rocks and firebombs at one of their cars, which caught fire.

Something to chew on for those who sincerely believe in their “Coexist” bumper stickers. But yeah, this one is funny. No one died.

On July 1st, this is one of the two more horrifying stories I’ve for you:

Father murdered in front of is children

One person was killed and three others wounded in a shooting attack at the Adorayim Junction south of Hevron in Judea.

The fatality has been identified as 40-year-old Michael “Micki” Markrom HY’’D the nearby town of Otniel, who was traveling in his car with his family when it was targeted.

His wife Chavi was seriously wounded in the attack, and was evacuated to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper body.

Two other family members were also wounded in the attack. Paramedics say in addition to the mother of the family, they treated a 13-year-old girl in moderate-to-serious condition suffering from gunshot wounds to her upper body, and a 15-year-old boy who was lightly wounded, presumably from the crash.

In case you don’t remember Otniel is where Dafna Meir HY’’D lived, she was stabbed to death in the doorway of her home, fighting to save her children. And the attack resembled closely to one that occurred last November when Rabbi Yaakov Litman HY’’D and his son Netanel HY’’D were murdered in that attack, as they were traveling with their family.

But for the pieceful Falestinians the activities weren’t over. They attacked the funeral procession.

Even as the funeral procession for Rabbi Michael Mark, terror victim, wound toward Jerusalem, locals would not leave them in peace: Arabs threw a stone from a passing car, striking one of the buses of mourners.

Thirteen year old Hallel-Yaffa Ariel HY’’D was murdered in her bed, in her home. Hallel was an amazing dancer who had preformed just the night before in Jerusalem. Also wounded in the attack was a 31 year old security guard from the town’s security squad. The security squad responded very quickly to the alert that the perimeter had been breached. The terrorist had locked himself in Hallel’s bedroom so he could stab her without being interrupted. He then lay in wait for security squads. Hallel’s father was one of them that came through the door to find his daughter. The terrorist then attacked a 31 year old member of the security squad. The young man is going to lose his eye, but he will live. The terrorist was then killed by the security squad. The young man’s wife works as a volunteer on the MDA ambulance and she ended up being on the ambulance to ride into the hospital with him. This interview is well worth watching. I love this woman’s spirit, and she tells how she happened to be in the ambulance and gives a report on her husband.

I can hear it now, you can’t you just can’t blame a group for the actions of one kid! Very true, I’m not.

Mother of Kiryat Arba terrorist proud of ‘martyr’ son:

“My son is a hero,” she says. “My son died as a martyr defending Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque. Praise be to God, he is united with the martyrs before him, and he is not better than them. God willing, all of them will follow this path, all the youth of Palestine.”

According to friends and relatives of Dipsh*t (I’m NOT giving his name), he had posted a slew of Facebook statuses in the weeks before the attack expressing his desire to die as a martyr. In some of them, he said he wanted to avenge his cousin, who was killed as he carried out a car-ramming attack near Kiryat Arba. One soldier was lightly injured in that attack, before other troops shot and killed the attacker.

Apparently this sort of thing does NOT violate Facebook community standards. Only pro-Israel, Conservative and some Second Amendment stuff violates the sensitive Facebook community standards.

Army arrests sister of Hallel’s killer

Like her mother, the murderer’s sister also publicly praised her brother’s act, and called for others to follow in his footsteps and kill “the accursed Jews.”

IDF arrests brothers of Hallel’s killer

During the night IDF forces arrested two brothers of 17-year-old Dipsh*t, the terrorist who murdered Hallel-Yaffa Ariel in Kiryat Arba.

Not exactly an aberrancy is old Dipsh*t?

So how do kids, a lot of them, who grow up to be adults and then parents turn out this evil and deluded?

One choice is the appeasement crowd.

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. ~~Winston Churchill

I would put the liberals and those who call the parts of Israel known as Judea and Samaria “occupied territory” in this group. Failing to learn from the withdrawal of the Gaza strip they think the peace will come if Israel just gives in.

How this works in real life.

Only muslims are allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. Non muslims are not allowed to pray. Now this little drama plays out in variations every year on Ram-a-damn. The muslims store rockets, Molatov cocktails, firebombs, stones in the holy mosque. Then when anyone other than a muslim attempts to go to the Temple Mount the muslims pitch a hissy and attack them screaming, yelling and assaulting them with whatever potential weapons of murder they have stashed in the holy mosque. Then non-muslims are banned from the Temple Mount. Hissy fit success. So, this year as in the past, Netanyahu ordered the police to give in to the arab hissy fit and barred non-muslims despite the fact the Police had held their own and visitors were still being allowed up. In an immediate spirit of cooperation engendered by this cave in of principles, the pieceful Falestinians moved over and began to throw stones down at those in prayer at the Western Wall, the Kotel, onJune 28th. In real life, the appeasement thing doesn’t work well.

There’s the ever apparent media bias. And

CNN omits Judea and Samaria in report on terror

CNN publishes updated map of places in which terror attacks took place this month, fails to include attacks on Judea and Samaria.

Well, the UN chief Ban Ki Moon has been in Israel, maybe that’s helped?

Falestinian schools hide Judenrein maps during Moon’s visit. Then denies they were ever hidden. The maps showing no state of Israel, only Falestine. Of course UNRWA denies they have anything to do with any maps. Just because there is no longer an Israel on the map, does that really mean so much? UNRWA creating angry, entitlement, hate filled children for ages. Encouraging them to hate Judeo-Christian values and the people. Pretty much like the average university here.

Well, but what about Ban Ki’s visit? Help?

On June 29th–UN chief blasts ‘occupation’, calls Israel to work for peace. Not so much.

June 30th– The UN’s Middle East Quartet: As terror strikes Israel, Quartet set to criticize ‘settlements’

Settlements, that’s Judea and Samaria to humans. The UN doesn’t fit that category very often. The UN doesn’t think Jews should have houses being built in Israel.

Nor does the US State Department. From 6 July.

State Department blasts Israeli ‘systematic land seizures’

The State Department on Tuesday issued a scathing condemnation of Israel’s plans to build new housing units in Maale Adumim and in Jerusalem.

“If it’s true, this report would be the latest step in what seems to be a systematic process of land seizures, settlement expansions, and legalizations of outposts that is fundamentally undermining the prospects for a two-state solution,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby of the plans, which were announced Sunday following last week’s terrorist attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria.

July 4th— Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon: European applause killed Hallel-Yaffa Ariel

Danon drew a clear line between the horrific murder of Hallel-Yaffa Ariel last week and the speech of Mahmoud Abbas to the European Parliament a week earlier.

In that speech, Abbas revived an old blood libel and claimed that some rabbis had called on the government of Israel to poison Palestinian water supplies. Instead of immediate condemnation, the elected European representatives of democratic nations responded with loud applause.

Danon writes, “We were all shocked. How can he say that? Lie to the European Parliament like that? This is a blood libel! But that was not the worst. We well know the constant lies and incitement of Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority. Every morning we again see Abbas’ praise for terrorists through the Palestinian education system and state-run television.”

“But the main thing on this occasion was not the incitement, but the applause.”

Danon claims that such constant incitement turns teenage Palestinians into murderous monsters. In the twisted mind of a 17-year-old terrorist, the claim that rabbis want to poison the wells is justification enough to kills a young girl in her bed. But that does not necessarily mean that he will carry out such an attack.

“But when a monster like this then hears the applause of the Members of Parliament, his perverted ideology is confirmed by those who should be the most moral in the world. [He thinks that] if they cheer like this, they will also cheer for me.”

And not only that, they get paid. Yes indeed folks, the PA pays it’s terrorists to kills Jews, and whoever else is handy. If the IDF demolishes their house? No biggie the PA pays for a newer, bigger, fancier one to be built. This doesn’t seem to bother Ban Ki or the Meddle East Quartet. Is there any other country on the face of the earth that the UN feels so compelled to try and dictate policy?

So, where does the money come from that the PA uses to pay terrorists? Where does the power and encouragement backing it and Hamass originate?

Youth or Terrorist
Youth or Terrorist

You gave it to them. You and your family and friends. You gave up eating out once a week and paying to have your car washed and did it yourself at home. You gave up that cable sports channel, bigger cellphone data plan so that you could pay Dipsh*t to kill little 13 year old Hallel in her bed.

Do you think I’m making this up?

June 30thDear Diaspora Jews: Your money is killing us

But please do not simply make do with a deluge of angry or sad social media posts. You can act. In fact, you have a moral duty to act and not stand idly by as the blood of your brothers and sisters continues to flow.

Because the bloodthirsty terrorist who murdered young Hallel was, at least in some part, indoctrinated and encouraged courtesy of your own tax dollars – or pounds, or euros.

The Palestinian Authority is funded almost entirely by state donors, its most generous benefactors including none other than the United States of America, and a host of European states, chief among them the United Kingdom.

It is by now the worst-kept secret in the international aid industry (and what a lucrative industry that is) that a large portion of that money goes towards not just incitement and indoctrination – whether in schools and mosques, or official PA youth clubs and sporting events – but directly into the pockets of Palestinian terrorists and their families.

Your tax money is essentially bankrolling the murderers of our children.

And they’re not even shy about it.

Just recently, at an iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast in Ramallah, PA “Prime Minister” Rami Hamdallah vowed to increase spending to support “heroic” terrorists. This support, he boasted, included increasing the monthly wage paid to every terrorist imprisoned for carrying out an attack, as well as upping the cash prize awarded to every Palestinian family which offers up one of its children as a “martyr.”

The family of Hallel’s killer, 17-year-old Dipsh*t of Bani Naim, near Hevron, will also be paid by the PA for his despicable actions. With money from your back pocket. Just know that.

But that is truer still when it comes to the Palestinian Authority. Your governments fund them directly.

So take action, right now. Write to your local member of parliament or congress; to your ministers and prime ministers and presidents, and ask for accountability. Ask them to cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority until it can prove that not a penny will go towards funding and encouraging terrorism.

Write to your communal leaders, and to your local pro-Israel organizations, and demand they take the lead in rallying and lobbying for accountability and an end to your tax money funding Palestinian terrorism.

Spend at least as long as you took to vent on social media to write to your elected representatives and to others who can make a difference.

Please. It’s the least you could do.

Even the NY Post blasted the use of US taxpayer dollars being used to kill Israeli soldiers and children on July 1st.

“Meanwhile, hundreds of millions flow to the PA from the West, including America. Which means US tax dollars are, in effect, going to pay for terrorist acts,” adding “And here you thought we were fighting terror”.

The editorial board called upon congress to rescind funding for the Palestinian Authority, and thus “cut off US funding for Palestinian terror.”

“Congress should do all it can to curb the practice”.

“Sending US tax dollars to the PA, only to see them go to reward terror, is a moral obscenity.”

Look at the dates on these articles. All of this happened within a few days of each other.

A lot of this goes back to somethings many wise people have said. Rights come from G-d, not man. Moshe Feiglin talked about it in his interview and his recent webinar. Many Second Amendment people have pointed this out. We are our own first responders. Moshe said that he wanted Israelis to remember the real, original concept of freedom. I would like many Americans who have been indoctrinated otherwise to learn this truth. No matter how close the security squads, no matter how good, they may not get there in time. True freedom is Israel does what is best for Israel and is not dictated to by the UN, an anti-Israel US president or any Meddle East committee. No matter what Israel does she will not win their approval. They do not want to give their approval. They want her to live by their rules till she is obliterated. The same with US gun owners, peaceful law-abiding citizens just wanting to live their lives. The political parties, the NRA and other such type of Second Amendment organizations are willing to bargain and compromise our rights. You can’t appease these people. It will not work, and we will be in a deeper hole than we were before.

If Jews can not live safely in Israel as Jews, but instead are the target of US, EU & UK sponsored terrorism because they are Jews??? And this is what so many do not understand, or do not care about. This has nothing to do with territories, this has everything to do with the latest attempt at genocide. But no one wants to call it that. No one wants to admit that in this day and age such a thing could happen again. So heads are put under pillows, the media whitewashes, the politicians lie and excuse. And people bleed and die in their beds.

So much pain, sorrow and suffering. And we paid for it, we made it possible.

Do I scream or do I weep? Because my heart is breaking.

 

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Zehut, The Politics of Identity

by Sheila Stokes-Begley

When many people go to Israel, the want to see the historical sights. I do as well, especially military museums. There will most likely be a column on that. A lot of people want to eat the fabulous
food. Yes, me too. They want to shop, I’m SO there, especially when you talk about Yafo. They want to swim, did that. But what I really, really, really, really wanted to do, was interview Moshe Feiglin. At
which most tourist are probably saying “Excuse me?” But that was one of my very highest hopes for this trip. And I was successful.

I first learned about the former MK (Member of Knesset) when in response to something I had written my wonderfully kind team mate Y.B. sent me a portion of a Torah Thought from Mr. Feiglin. I loved it! I asked for more info and Y.B. told me who had written it and who he was. I did online research and signed up for the Manhigut Yehudite newsletter and was soon getting my own copies of Torah Thoughts included with each newsletter which I very much looked
forward to receiving. Each newsletter included Torah and politics. Does it get any better? Well, also a Dry Bones Cartoon. That’s pretty good too.

Last year I got to interview Mr. Feiglin by phone, and it was a great interview. This year it was in person. I feel very blessed.

So why my fascination? My respect first blossomed when he was writing articles calling for the Israeli government to make it easier for everyday Israelis to get weapons permits. Gun Control? Or Citizen Control?

With all that has been going on in Israel, I had a lot of questions for Mr. Feiglin. Especially since he along with the support of a lot of everyday people have founded a new political party. Zehut, which means “Identity”. Zehut is unusual in that they also allow people from places other than Israel to join. And with that I tell you I am a proud card carrying member. Well, I will be when my card gets here, but I am.

My first question was why form Zehut? Was it in response to the betrayal of leadership in politics? They campaign on one platform and then when elected turn and go another direction?

Feiglin: The average Israeli feels disenfranchised from their Jewish identity and the concept of a Jewish state. (I believe he said in a recent poll that 80% of Israelis identify as Jewish first, and as an Israeli second). The disenfranchisement started with the Oslo accords and now takes the form of things like a Judge appointed to the High Court who refused to sing HaTikvah, the Israeli national anthem after being sworn in. It shows in an army which is now refusing to allow soldiers to grow beards, “too much Jewish”. And very sadly when a Yad Vashem guide pointed out that the murder of Gil-Ad Shaer,16, Eyal Yifrah, 19, and Naftali Fraenkel,16 had occurred in Gush Etzion because they were Jewish. (That would seem evident to
me, but I guess political correctness can run amuck anywhere). Israel is a Jewish democratic state, but 10% controls the power and it is eroding Jewish values.

I have a few questions about everyday Israelis being allowed to carry weapons. Why are there areas where people are not allowed to have carry permits? A buddy moved from Jerusalem where he could carry, to Tel Aviv and now he can’t. He’s no less qualified in Tel Aviv. Yafo which suffered a terrorist attack is certainly within walking distance of Tel Aviv, I’ve done so! Why aren’t the military allowed to carry off duty, and why after people are out of the military can they not automatically be allowed to carry a weapon? As it turns out, the answer to all these questions are the same. Mr. Feiglin is very good at seeing the big picture and summing it up.

Feiglin: Because the concept of freedom is wrong. It should be the concept that the right of self- defense is G-d given! In Israel they believe that the right is given by the state. And if the state can give you the right to self defense, they can take that right away. In America they had the right concept, although they are losing the mindset. They believed anyone should be allowed to own guns unless they showed they were not to be trusted with them. (I pointed out that the UN does not believe self defense is a human right at all. Considering how anti-Israel the UN is, that is really not a good
combination). Zehut believes in planting in the Israeli mind the concept of true freedom. That everyone is responsible to defend their life, that of their family and the nation. Of course, there are those that oppose this. When I was in the Knesset I fought for more people to be allowed to carry. There were 150,000 people licensed to carry. But the Knesset wants to decrease that till terrorism decreases. You have the state as “Big Brother”.

What about the shooting in Hevron? (Sheila’s article on this incident) WHY is this soldier being prosecuted? Didn’t the fact that the video came from B’Tselem raise suspicions? This produced a wealth of information. This is so much more to this than a simple case of Katie Couric media malfeasance. I really think you should go read Moshe’s whole article on this topic, but here is what we covered.

Feiglin: This is a war of Israelis and Jews. It’s the soul of the Israeli, for what comes first, a concept of citizen or Jewish state. It’s been going on a long time. For the Israeli (in this comparison, sounds to me like your typical “enlightened” leftist who doesn’t have good sense about how this will play out) it’s the citizen, not Jewish state or identity. It was certainly evident when the Eichmann trial took place in Israel in 1961. A Jewish writer Hannah Arendt wrote a book, “Eichmann In Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil,”with basically the premise that Eichmann was just there, wrong place, wrong time. Can’t blame him, can’t blame anyone but Hitler. Anyone would have acted the same. Apparently some Israeli “intellectuals”
felt the need to agree.
This kind of thinking is evident in the IDF today. The former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon recently said that “If someone rises to kill you, kill him first” is not the IDF’s strategy. The Deputy Chief of Staff equated those who subscribe to that value with Nazis. He would rather lose soldiers who protect citizens than kill terrorists. There is no difference in the value of the life of a person just out doing their shopping and the terrorist that comes to kill them. Certainly had nothing to do with ideology, right? But yet today some Arabs want to kill any Jew, soldier, civilian, man, woman, child or baby, it doesn’t matter. It IS the ideology. When Arafat was sick in Ramallah I had a sign on my car that said Hurry up and kill him before he dies. For someone that had that much blood on his hands to die in his own time is immoral. For terrorists to go to trial is immoral. A healthy Jewish response is you kill the attackers. You kill the terrorists that have
declared their own war on Jews. After the soldier killed the terrorist, the stabbings stopped. He did more than all the speeches.

What about the Temple Mount, Har HaBeit? Why are the Israeli police so quick to remove Jews? One young boy was even recently removed not for saying anything but because he had tears in his eyes. And for those that wonder, yes I did express my opinion of Moshe Dayan’s decision.

Feiglin: It has to do with losing identity. We must let Jews have their identity on the Temple Mount. There are those replacing Jewish identity, and they fear what Israel will become with it’s Jewish identity. Arabs do not really have an identity so much as filled with hatred. It’s in their textbooks, their schools, mosques, social media and how they are raised. If Israel disappeared from the map, there would be no more “Palestinian”. Their reason for being would be gone. The first Zionists were colonialists from Europe, and they just wanted to be one big happy family. They didn’t understand the Arab mindset. Most Israelis are Jews first, Israeli second but they are being led by a minority that doesn’t have that mindset.

What about the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) or as I call it (BS) movement? Has it had an effect? Is it just plain anti-Semitism in increments?

Feiglin: BDS is about the delegitimizing of Israel. When did the holocaust start? (He did ask me this, and I thought for a second and answered “the night Hitler was conceived”) That was the correct answer. When Hitler spoke again and again against the Jews it had it’s effect. In 1939 or 1940 when Jews ran to their neighbors to hide, they were killed. It was about eliminating the right of Jews to exist. Israel has to attack Iran, there is a real danger of Jewish history being written in Jerusalem. Not Warsaw. It’s needed to make a moral point. There is a correlation between the speeches made in Iran 12 ½ years ago by Ahmadinejad and the delegitimization of Israel, and it’s growing.

My last question to him “We’ve had a possible Kenyan as a president, at least someone not really raised as an American, I think we should try having an Israeli for a President, would you run?”

Feiglin: I’ve been asked about the current election. My answer is it doesn’t matter which one wins. If Israel will do what is best for Israel, then all will be better.

I started this interview by telling him that I felt like I cared more about Israeli lives than some Israeli politicians did.

After talking to him, I am quite certain that is not how it is when it comes to Mr. Feiglin. He has a very sound political platform based on a Jewish identity in THE Jewish state, living by Jewish laws and principles. Laws that will protect the innocent, laws that will allow every citizen living their daily lives be it in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Judea and Samaria to know their lives are worth defending and giving them the means to do so. It will allow the IDF to return to being the fine army it was meant to be and not a social experiment.

Zehut is a party based on knowing who we are, and what we are, and where we belong. And embracing it!

Honestly, I think there is a lesson in this for Americans as well. Because I’m very, very tired of having values that the majority of U.S. believe in being derided and told “that’s not who we are”.
Yeah, it is. And as the politicians and their compatriots in the media crank up to hype another round of gun control tripe, we would do well to remember it. It makes me think so much of “You can live
by G-d’s law or die by man’s.

I want to thank three wonderful people, Aryeh Sonnenberg who is the international director of Zehut and so warmly welcomed me when I joined. He put me in touch with Shmuel Sackett (who I got to talk with on the phone, really) who set the meeting up with Moshe. Shmuel also writes excellent articles. And I very much want to thank Moshe Feiglin for giving me an hour of his very valuable limited time. And since I often like to close with a video, this one is perfect!

(source)

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I Believe in Miracles

Yesterday was the 28th of Iyar, the day on the Hebrew calendar celebrating Jerusalem Day.  One of the  results of the Six-Day war, another attempt to wipe Israel and her Jews from the face of the earth. After the Arab attack on the new state of Israel Jerusalem had been divided. Access to holy sites under Jordan was non-existent for Jews.

Upon its capture by the Arab Legion, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City was destroyed and its residents expelled. Fifty-eight synagogues–some hundreds of years old–were destroyed, their contents looted and desecrated. Some Jewish religious sites were turned into chicken coops or animal stalls. The Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, where Jews had been burying their dead for over 2500 years, was ransacked; graves were desecrated; thousands of tombstones were smashed and used as building material, paving stones or for latrines in Arab Legion army camps. The Intercontinental Hotel was built on top of the cemetery and graves were demolished to make way for a highway to the hotel. The Western Wall became a slum area.

In direct contravention of the 1949 armistice agreements, Jordan did not permit Jews access to their holy sites or to the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

Before the start of the war, Israel sent a message to King Hussein (not barry) of Jordan, that it would not attack Jerusalem or the West Bank if Jordan stayed out of the fight. Jordan believing the false reports from Egypt couldn’t wait to join to be part of the pack ripping Israel to pieces. The result was the reunification of Jerusalem.

Jews once again had control of the holy sites, the strong voice of Motta Gur rang out

“We’re sitting right now on the ridge and we’re seeing the Old City. Shortly we’re going to go in to the Old City of Jerusalem, that all generations have dreamed about. We will be the first to enter the Old City…” and shortly afterwards, “The Temple Mount is in our hands! I repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands!”

And about 15 minutes later Moshe Dayan gave it….ok, I’ll stop.

But to me, it seems G-d took this attack on Israel and turned it around for good. A miracle. That leads to other miracles. Because of the 1967 victory, people like me can take photos like this last week.

The Western Wall
The Western Wall
Shalom, peace, שלום
Shalom, peace, שלום

I can place a piece of paper in the Kotel with prayers on it. Prayers that include TZP, her team and her members and readers. Prayers that G-d will bless you all, abundantly.

I will not be shot by a Jordanian sniper from a state created by the Palestine Mandate by Great Britain in 1923, which achieved it’s independence in 1946, only two years before Israel. Despite the Falestinian Authority wanting to gain control of the Western Wall as well.

Yes, I believe in miracles.

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So who’s side?

It’s interesting to me, the more I study and the more I ask the more questions I end up having.

For instance, Judea and Samaria or “occupied territories”? Since I truly believe words matter I decided to do a little investigating.

So what all is in Judea and Samaria that might sound familiar if only vaguely? Well, first you might want to know that while the place remain the same, the names get changed.

A quick but by no means comprehensive list:

Palestine as a term for Israel. This was given by the Emperor Hadrian in around 135 A.D. after he put down the second Jewish rebellion under Bar Kochba. He most likely chose it because it was close to the ancient enemies of Israel, the Philistines who no longer existed at this time. As a by the by, the original Philistines were not Arabic, they were Europeans, from the Adriatic sea next to Greece. There is no “p” in the Arabic language. Why would you call yourself something for which there is no letter?

Shechem, now called Nablus by Arabs, is where Avraham and Sarah first entered the land of Canaan. When Jacob returned to Isaac and Rebecca from his uncle’s house, he settled his family there. Joseph is buried in Shechem. His tomb has been burned and ransacked by the pieceful palestinians. Historically, Avraham traveled through Shechem on his way to Canaan and here offered his first sacrifice to G-d. After the conquest of Canaan, Joshua assembled the Israelites here and encouraged them to follow the Mosaic laws. During the period of the Judges, Abimelech was crowned king here.

Biblical Shechem was destroyed by the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE.

Lots of Jewish history there for a town called Nabulus by the Arabs.

Nazareth? Arab town now, and thanks to Arab MK s Jews don’t feel so welcome there, but the Mayor of Nazareth doesn’t appreciate their influence.

So now let’s take a look at Judea and Samaria, or as called by the left and the “falestinians” (no “P” remember) the “West Bank” or “occupied territories”. You can find a more complete list of towns with familiar names here if you’re interested.

What’s there? Ariel University, for one thing. A lovely university! It has beautiful grounds and very clever students. To get there you will need to go through a checkpoint, and coming out? Oh yes, the same.

In and out you will be checked. With good reason.
In and out you will be checked. With good reason.

Because some of the Arab inhabitants have a nasty hobby of trying to kill Jews. I guess stamp collecting isn’t big in Arab villages there. The grounds are lovely, the Professors I met were very nice. Our hostess, a Professor is a wonderful person. I very much enjoyed visiting with her. The grounds were spectacular and she gives credit to the amazing gardener and his staff. The university is attended by Arabs and Jews. If you speak fluent Hebrew and want to teach engineering, you should take a look as well. But the leftist press would have you believe that Israel is oppressing the pieceful falestinians. No, they own land as well.

From the Ariel University Campus
From the Ariel University Campus

The difference is, you don’t see Jews normally carrying out stabbing attacks, on the falestinians. And the cases where Jewish youth were blamed for fires? The fires turned out to have been set by Arabs, knowing the world’s media would be more than happy to play the home version of the game “blame Israel.” If you want an idea of the attacks that take place weekly in Judea and Samaria you can find it (for this week) at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/article/21009 That so many of these attacks were planned and carried out by very young teenagers is terrifying. The women and children barry says we have no need to be afraid of a perfectly capable and willing to kill.

So the world and the UN tell us that the violence is the result of the pieceful falestinians frustration with the lack of “piece talks” and a “two state” solution. They don’t want a “two state” solution. They want a “one state” solution and that “one state” doesn’t involve a little thing called “Israel”. The Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement, BDS, or as I call it BS? Interesting origins.

As to being “occupied”, according to this article, when there are more Israeli troops present, not only does it decrease attacks, it protects civilian women from being stabbed in the doorway of their homes in front of their children. The reasons for this success might surprise you, it may not work for the reasons you think. Israel does take their “purity of arms” code very seriously. It’s an interview with six current IDF Colonels. The sad irony of this is that the world then condemns Israel for having more troops there and urges them to remove them. Even though it will cost more lives, falestinians as well as Jewish. So it’s not really about being safe or saving lives, is it?

Here’s the thing people don’t understand, when they use terms like “occupied territories” or “West Bank” it lends credence to the anti-Antisemitism. How so? Because the pieceful falestinians claim Jews don’t belong there. But it’s not really about “where” the Jews are, it’s the fact there are Jews. An example of this was the recent rape of a 20 year old mentally disabled Jewish girl by 3 Arabs, 2 of them from Shomron. They also spit and urinated on her while shouting anti-Antisemitism threats to her and her family if she told. How so sure it was these pieceful falestinians? One of them filmed it. But this occurred in Tel Aviv. One of the rapists said she didn’t belong in his land. While Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel, the direction challenged US government claims Tel Aviv is. So even in the poorest scenario, Jews don’t belong in the Jewish capitol on the one Jewish state?

Words matter, they can give credence to Anti-Semitic hatred. The Arabs that hate Israel, and by all means, not all of them do, are certainly aware of this. We need to be as well and not play unwittingly into their very bloody hands.

The fact that there are major CHURCH denominations that have jumped on the BDS/BS bandwagon is unbelievable to me. Perhaps they need to go back and see where some of the major events took place in the book they share with the Jews. And then they should remember after Saturday? Comes Sunday. Useful idiots.

As to why live there, just enjoy the views.

Shomron
Shomron

 

Beautiful Ariel
Beautiful Ariel
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Yom Ha’Zikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut

These two days are so very different, and they are always two days apart. It has been said, not originally by me however, that without the sorrow of the first, we would not have the joy of the second.

I like writing, I like it a lot. I love writing for Zelman’s Partisans, something I hope to do for a very long time. And I love being a partisan. I like words. I like them in English and in Hebrew and love learning new Hebrew words, something I work at every day.

That being said, there are no words I can ever give you, that I can write, that I think you will find as moving as the clip below. It is taken from a radio broadcast I listen to called Walter’s World. It is a clip from Richard Dimbleby on the liberation of Bergen-Belsen. The song at the end is HaTikvah, The Hope, The Israeli national anthem.

Listen, and you will understand why there is Yom Ha’Zikaron. Why there is the day that honors those that have fallen fighting for Israel, and honoring victims of terror that have fallen. They have been killed because they were Jewish, because they live in their land of Israel.

And again, I believe I can never give you any words to explain Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day as well as Kippalive can. Besides, they sing much better than I do, and I’ve got a ton of felafel to fry for a BIG birthday party tonight. Our celebrant turns 68 years old.

ʿam yisraʾel ḥay!

עַם יִשְרָאֵל חַי

The people of Israel live!

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Yom Ha’Shoah

Today is Yom Ha’Shoah, holocaust remembrance day.  A few thoughts and some more information for you on Yom Ha’Shoah.  This is quite a good little article.

Politics always take an interest in you
Politics always take an interest in you
Only a moment.
Only a moment.
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Let My People Go, That they may hold a feast to me

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” Exodus 5:1-4 Shemot 5:1-4

Tomorrow begins Pesach.

The original Pesach began when G-d decided his children had suffered enough of living in a land different than that he allotted to them. G-d sent Moshe to those in power over them to let them go and worship him as he had instructed them.

Pharaoh said “NO, it would threaten the Al-Aqsa mosque”. Actually that’s crap. Pretty much the same crap that muslims have been saying violently for years now. Long since before Israel was re-established as a state.

A quick history lesson. The first Temple was built by King Solomon in 957 BC. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Construction on the Second Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and began in 538 BC. It was completed 23 years later under the reign of Darius the Great. See the Purim story for more on this little gem. It was destroyed again by the Romans in 70 AD.

Mohammed the founder of the religion of pieces known as Islam lived from 570 AD – 8 June 632 AD. Around 613 AD he started preaching Islam. The first two Al-Aqsa mosques were built in 705 AD and 780 AD. They were destroyed by earthquakes. The third and still standing was built in 1035 AD. It is the 3rd holiest site is islam, and interestingly, at least to me, is there are Arab scholars which say that the mosque located on the Temple Mount is NOT the Al-Aqsa talked of in the Koran, it is not in the right location.

So, just in time for Pesach, the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic UN branch, specializing in anti-Israel actions, known as UNESCO has released a new resolution. It denies Jewish connection to the Temple Mount. You know, the Temple that was constructed to replace the Tabernacle Moshe built in the desert? But it goes a lot further than that. It

refers to Israel as the “occupying power” at every mention and uses the Arabic al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram al-Sharif without ever calling it the Temple Mount, as it is known to Jews. The text does refer to the Western Wall Plaza but places it in quotation marks, after using the Arabic Al-Buraq Plaza.

And

The resolution accuses Israel of “planting Jewish fake graves in other spaces of the Muslim cemeteries” and of “the continued conversion of many Islamic and Byzantine remains into the so-called Jewish ritual baths or into Jewish prayer places.”

Currently on the Temple Mount, holiest site in Judaism and holy to Christians, THIRD holiest site to muslims (if it is the right mosque, debate on that) Jews and Christians are NOT allowed to pray, recite verses from our Tanakh/Bible or wear any religious or Israeli symbols on our clothing. The Israeli police, yes Israeli will arrest you in a heartbeat. Yours or anyone’s. The muslim waqos, (hmm, may have left an “f” out of that somewhere) make sure the screaming harridans can yell “allah hu akbar” at visitors and safely stash rocks and incendiary devices to throw in their sacred Al-Aqsa. Pretty much like most Synagogues and Southern Baptist Churches, right?

Ok, I’ll stop. But the point is, Pesach began when the children were told to go and worship HaShem as he had commanded and the ruling powers tried to prevent it. Thousands of years later and what has changed? Moshe Dyan, you were an IDIOT!

But, there was a Pesach, and tomorrow night there will be a Pesach and I believe HaShem has still got a plan and has this covered. And so I will wish you Happy Passover, Pesach.

חג פסח שמח

 

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73 years ago today, Warsaw

Today, 73 years ago began the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Some say it ended on May 16th, but there are other sources that say that it lasted on until fall. But the Jews in the ghetto held out longer than the nation of Poland.

The thing was, everything had been fine in Poland. Until it wasn’t.

Weapons of survival
Weapons of survival
Photo from the Ghetto Fighters House in Acco, Israel

As candidates debate how best to get America disarmed, this is worth remembering.

Not only were there precious few weapons available, most of the Jews in the ghetto didn’t know how to use them.

But I will leave you with something strong, proud and brave.

Zog nit kein mol- Jewish partisan song, but that’s Yiddish.

THIS, is Hebrew!

NEVER.AGAIN.

 

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What about the protectors?

There was recently an incident in Israel that has really sparked controversy. Two peaceful palestinian Arab terrorists approached and pounced on a young 20 year old soldier at the guard post adjacent to the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and both stabbed him. They were “neutralized”, not killed, but “neutralized”. One of them was wearing a heavy coat despite the warm weather. And what, oh what, dear sheepdogs would that make one think? Well, if this isn’t the first thing that goes across your radar, pieceful palestinians are known to enjoy detonating bombs and themselves. Heavy coats cover such things. The pieceful palestinian terrorist that had just stabbed a young soldier began moving and several bystanders began saying “watch out, he has a bomb”. In fact the military WAS worried he had a bomb and had already placed a call for the sappers who had not yet arrived.

Now, how did this get to be such a big deal? There are LOTS of terrorist stabbing attacks in Israel these days. Well, this one was filmed by the anti-Israel, anti-semitic leftist NGO B’Tselem. Interestingly, without sound. Equally interesting to me, is how B’Tselem has been reported to be at the site of several of these attacks to film them. But that’s just me. But since it was filmed without sound, you don’t hear the bystanders warning he’s moving and might have a bomb. A soldier shoots the terrorist in the head. There is another video,

Politicians, and very sadly to me, the upper echelon of the IDF were quick to pounce on the young soldier. B’Tselem had released their video and version of events to the media and rather than investigating, politicians do what politicians shouldn’t do before investigating, they open their mouths and crap pours out. The young soldier was initially charged with murder, that has been downgraded to manslaughter. And he is still in custody.

Would you like to know who is siding with the soldier? Magen David Adom , emergency medical services in Israel, has said their rules were followed by their personnel on the scene. Their rules state that their medical crew does NOT approach a wounded terrorist until it has been cleared by security forces. Originally someone in the IDF had said the terrorist had been checked and there was no bomb. If that is the case, no one seemed to know it. Not MDA, not the bystanders and not the soldiers or the young soldiers commander who has also said there were concerns. Who else? Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi

“The strategic security establishment of the state of Israel is dealing with a large number of stabbings and car ramming attacks, and instead of giving the response they are passing off the judgement and responses to a lone soldier,” said Lavi. In his comments he noted how the government has not put down the Arab terror wave, and instead left soldiers to deal with the threat on an individual basis.Lavi told Arutz Sheva, “when you pass along the judgement from the Chief of Staff to a soldier, mishaps are liable to occur. They aren’t succeeding in dealing with the terror, and instead pounce on an outstanding soldier and place him in handcuffs.””Instead of embracing the soldiers they put them in handcuffs, that isn’t how an establishment that loves its soldiers acts. The soldiers are acting in a complicated reality and the commanders aren’t giving any response.”

Who else? A whole lot o’ ticked off Israelis that are very tired of going to the market and seeing 60 year old women stabbed, or young fathers trying to stop a stabber being killed. Some of these attackers are young girls and boys.

So why am I, here in America writing about it? I’ve been thinking about Sally’s story in A Walk On The Dark Side. How Sally felt so vulnerable walking to her car and the group that started smashing car windows just as she got there. There is a thin blue line here in America that is suppose to separate and protect the innocent in society. That line of protectors is something that is world wide. Well, mostly. In civilized countries anyway. But it seems that the protectors are under attack. In Israel where the IDF and innocent civilians are the target daily of pieceful palestinians the soldiers are tasked with protecting themselves, each other and civilians. In America the Police, Sheriffs office and Highway Patrol the same.

But it seems the world has lost sight of values and what is important. Just in the last few years we’ve seen more than once politicians open their yap with things like “The Police acted stupidly”. Really? Report of a burglary? The rush to condemn the officer in Ferguson who shot a thug who was charging him? Gov. Jay Nixon opening his yap with “Justice for __________”. The young thugs family went to the UN to demand justice. The UN is quick to condemn Israel when she defends herself and her citizens. Even senile old communist Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders lied in his lament about Israel killing 10,000 pieceful palestinians. Apparently “The Bern” is unaware they use schools and hospitals to launch rockets. I guess anyone who has heard his speeches promising free goodies to everyone is aware he can’t do math. In case you don’t know it, the IDF has a “Purity of Arms” code they have to abide by. This article does a really good job of explaining what that has got them at this point.

The UN and the politicians are so concerned about the rights of terrorists and thugs. I want to know who is concerned about the innocent people affected by these criminals? Who is concerned about the Fogel family asleep in their beds and slaughtered? Who is concerned about the baby who had it’s head smashed in with a rifle butt? The family out shopping or standing at a bus stop? Who is concerned about the people that go to work, take care of their lawn and their families and just want to live out their lives? Apparently not the politicians, the upper echelons of law enforcement or military or the UN. Why aren’t they?

There was already a lack of law enforcement available in Sally’s part of town, how will this work out when the continued focus is on protecting the criminal and good people don’t want any part of making law enforcement or the military a career? Why do the job when every day in addition to the dangers you face, you face the danger of becoming a scapegoat in some politically correct blame game when some ignorant politician opens it’s yap. Will there be a fatal hesitation introduced into the response by law enforcement or the military because of political correctness at the expense of their lives or the lives of the civilians they are charged with protecting?

In Israel there has been a public outcry in defense of the soldier. In America I haven’t seen so much of that in defense of our law enforcement. Perhaps we are now going to be in a position where we need to defend our protectors.

But what I really sorrow over? Is when and why did the focus leave the innocent to favor the guilty.

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Never Again? Well, That Didn’t Take Long.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on January 27th, according to the U(seless)N, Germany and many parts of the world. It’s observed on 27th of Nisan which is usually in April or May in Israel. I went to a Holocaust Remembrance service at Ben Gurion University a couple years ago. Phrases you hear often are “Never Again”. The date was chosen because it was the day that the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau occurred. January 27, 1945.

For Germany, “Never Again” didn’t take long. The Munich massacre was September 1972. I can still remember waking up that morning and hearing the news on the radio. I didn’t understand why someone didn’t shoot the terrorists. Young and naive wasn’t I? It just made no sense! The Israelis had a shooting team and a coach. So it was a span of about 27 years before Jews were bound and herded helplessly into the cattle cars of the helicopters.

There are many kinds of hot mess around this additional shameful saga of Germany’s history. Israeli delegation head Shmuel Lalkin had warning bells going off like crazy when he saw the accommodations for the Israeli athletes. Ground floor, no armed guards, anyone could access the hallway, it led to a garage. He howled to the West Germans and the Israelis about it. He begged to be allowed to carry his sidearm, he was recently out of the IDF as a Major. Denied. The West Germans didn’t have any armed guards anywhere in the olympic village. It might make people “feel bad”. They wanted everything to “feel friendly”. So, no armed guards, no moving the Israelis to a higher floor. Nothing that he wanted that would have been sensible preventative safety precautions was done. It might “look bad”. In addition to all this, Der Speigel ran a article in 2012 that said the German authorities had been tipped off something was going to happen.

After the Israelis were taken hostage the “negotiations” such as they were, began to take place. Finally the Germans assembled their crack hostage rescue team. They didn’t have one actually, so candidates were selected by asking them “have you ever fired a gun before?” Not have you ever fired THIS type of gun before, but just sort of asked the willing police officers, “have you ever fired a gun before”. This was after they turned down Golda Meir’s request/beg to be allowed to send an actual Israeli hostage rescue team that did know very well what the heck they were about and what to do. So these Germans are crawling around on the top of the building trying to figure out how to break in and listening for the code word which never came. Probably a good thing. The terrorists peaceful Palestinians who just wanted to liberate their friends and relatives unfairly imprisoned for killing people and blowing up things watched the whole thing on TV, live. TV cameras were set up across from the building and broadcast everything.

Eventually the hostages were bound, herded onto a bus and taken to Fürstenfeldbruck air force base. Where the German rescue attempt continued to exhibit the same finely tuned precision as at the Olympic Village. The police had miscounted the terrorists, they had no night vision equipment, or training and had never worked together before. One terrorist mowed the hostages in his helicopter down with his gun as they sat helpless tied together. The other terrorist threw a grenade into his.

The German government then proceeded to lie and cover up information for many many years. The only reason much of it came to light was Ankie Spitzer who had been married to Israeli fencing coach Andre about a year and a half is a bulldog. The woman never stopped. She kept pressing and going at them and finally an anonymous source called her lawyer and the delivery of information began to flow in. Ankie is amazing. Andre married well.

In the documentary One Day In September, Jamal Al-Jishey, the only surviving terrorist of the attack gave an interview. He was proud of the work he did, the peaceful palestinians did a great thing.

Now we have the shocking news coming from Angela Merkel’s government that Antisemitism is on the rise.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday admitted that anti-Semitism is “more widespread” in Germany than some believe.Speaking in her weekly podcast and quoted by Haaretz, Merkel called for action to “deal with [anti-Semitism] – especially among young people… from countries where hatred of Israel and the hatred of Jews is widespread.”Anti-Semitism, she stressed, is more “widespread than we imagine, and that’s why we have to make intensive efforts against it.” The Chancellor noted the negative effects of anti-Semitic propaganda online and attempts to combat it.

Shocker that. Who could have possibly foreseen that bringing in millions upon millions of people that hate Jews would result in a rise in Antisemitism in a country that has a long proud history of it’s tolerance towards Jews. So ALL possible efforts to combat Antisemitism will be used. Well, except of course re-examining that open door “refugee” policy thingy.

In Israel the stabbing attacks are indiscriminate. Against men women and children. Out in public and in front of their homes, where they die fighting like a tigress to stop the terrorist from going after her children. If you don’t know the name Dafna Meir H”YD, she deserves 2 minutes of your time. Amazing woman.

This has nothing to do with frustration, repression or any other garbage. This is how the peaceful palestinians are brought up. The father of the murderer of Dafna said he is proud of his 15 year old son who stabbed the mother of 6 to death.

Jews in France aren’t especially safe, or Sweden (or Swedish women either for that matter) but at least in America it’s different.  Abe Foxman of the ADL will be quick enough to tear you a new one for something said, but be prepared to defend yourself or family against a life threatening attack? With a GUN??? Perish the thought! Same for the congressional professional victim creation class.

Still, it’s different in America.

Well, except in Michigan. Where former state department employee Lina Allan defended the stabbing of Jews as killing animals and was miffed at muslim who aren’t doing so. She’s talking about killing Jews, Israel didn’t really come into it.

According to MEMRI, Allan claims to have represented the State Department’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in the Jameed Festival in Jordan. 

Considering Abu Mazen head of the Palestinian Authority financed a chunk of the Munich Massacre, you would think we would examine links a bit more closely, but apparently, no.

At least in America our own government will never attack unarmed defenseless citizens. Countries that have embarrassing records when it comes to protecting a certain ethnic group charged with spreading Torah will certainly learn from their mistakes and correct lapses in the future exercising all vigilance.

And now I’m going to go pet my unicorn and go to sleep!

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