ENGAGE- For a Secure Israel (EFSI)

Announcing:

A new blog to strengthen and secure the State of Israel, to be a resource for the pro-Israel, anti-disengagement

ENGAGE - For a Secure Israel (EFSI) .

Take a gander and let others know. Link it if you can. Join it, too, details on the blog. Any suggestions, comment, don't be shy. We have a country to save!

next Hevel Hevelim

Critical Mastiff will be hosting the next Hevel Hevelim . I'm sure that it will be worth the visit.

#107 Trust and Insecurity

Musings #107
March 28, 2005
17th of Adar Bet

Trust and Insecurity

Part of the terrorist war we’re fighting is the one for our souls. Our hearts are being raped by agent provocateurs abusing our innocence. We are being forced to lose our trust in our friends, neighbors and even family. It is impossible to know if someone is sincerely concerned and enthusiastic, or just acting a role to tempt and trap us.

Avishai Raviv was neither the first nor the last Jew to earn his living destroying Jewish lives. Reliable sources keep telling us that there are “Avishai Raviv’s” in every yishuv and every high school, yeshiva, women’s seminary, hilltop, university etc. The Shabbak is probably the second biggest employer after the Ministry of Education. Is it true? There’s no way for ordinary people like me to know.

What are the implications of this? It’s very simple. We can’t trust anybody. Even married couples have discovered that one was an agent. http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=67853 Avishai was married and divorced during his decade working for the Shabbak. Yes, he was active in a wide variety of nationalist political groups, which attracted youth, from the mid 1980’s until he was finally exposed after the Rabin assassination. He always had the money the kids needed to cover expenses, and who looks a gift-horse in the mouth? The students on limited budgets were easily trapped by his looks and generosity.

And how can an average person like myself know whom not to trust? Can the agent be the neighbor always available to help, lend a hand or an ear? Could it be someone who’s always complaining? Maybe it’s the unemployed neighbor? Or could it possibly be the one who has a job in the community or in a position of authority? Is it the one who always knows what’s going on? Or maybe it’s someone with radical ideas, or the one who seems so quiet? Or is it someone in high office making decisions that seem, not the wisest?

Just the fact that we’ve reached the stage that we take for granted that there are spies in our midst, like lice in the kids’ hair and viruses in the computer… There’s an inherent danger in all of this. It causes serious cracks in our social structure, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t one of the primary aims. All the government has to do is plant rumors, laced with a few true tidbits, and human nature will do the rest.

What’s the truth? Honestly, I don’t know. Whom can I really trust? Just G-d, but we mustn’t live alone, without support and companionship. As it says in Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 1, Mishnah 6: “Yehoshua Ben Perachya said: Provide yourself with a rabbi (teacher); acquire a companion; and judge every person with merit.”

We must find ourselves someone from whom we can learn Torah, which encompasses every facet of life. “Acquiring” a companion requires an investment; true friendship isn’t superficial and fleeting. And lastly, judge others, as you would wish to be judged. None of us are perfect; we all make mistakes.

And if we’ve made mistakes, there’s tshuva, repentance. That’s one of the beauties of Judaism; it’s aware of human frailties. We must constantly improve ourselves; focus on what we must do in both the personal and public parts of our lives.

These are very difficult and frightening times, and we mustn’t lose our trust in our friends and family. I have absolutely no idea if any of my friends and neighbors are employed as agent provocateurs. I must focus on what I believe is right and not let myself be drawn off the track, because the final responsibility for my actions lies here with me.

May G-d give us the strength to know what’s right.

Batya Medad, Shiloh
Copyright©2005BatyaMedad, Contact me for publication permission; private distribution encouraged.
Shilohmuse@yahoo.com
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/
http://me-ander.blogspot.com/
http://www.shilo.org.il
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA

Terri Schiavo and modern morality

The court decision to starve Terri Schiavo to death, because she has damaged brain function, is related to the same philosophy that allows abortion by demand.

Yes, think about it.

Unborn babies are examined and if deemed "faulty" they can be deleted from the system, their cords, their life support's pulled, they're ripped out of their nourishing and protecting home.

The court has decided that Terri's life is not worth living. Who's life is it anyhow? She has no control, only reacts, feels, pain and pleasure and the company of loved ones. But the court decided to let her die. It's not enough that she's locked in her unresponsive, uncontrolable body.

The method of death is the cruelest possible. Slow, tortuous death by starvation. Tubes were pulled. Since she can't protest, she's not worth the efforts to keep her alive.

That's the American justice system and philosophy.

And that brings me back to today's politics. Years ago I remember hearing that , contrary to Israeli expectations and presumptions, America does not help dying regimes. Meaning, if Israel is in mortal danger after amputating its heart and spinal column, the United States will treat it just the way it's treating Terri Schiavo.

Think about it.....

And there is precedent, think of what America did to Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Let's work together!

Israpundit is hoping to start a new blogger ring, for those blogging against "disengagement." If any of you are interested, read this .

News!!

Purim Sameach!
Great News!
Baile Rochel is back!!!!

Read her latest words of wisdom and have a wonderful Purim, wherever you are.

new link

You should be able to guess from the color. Yes, I put a link to the Gush Katif site on my sidebar. The link goes to a blog that's featured on the site.

T'HILIM--REFUAH SHLEIMAH

SIMA BAT RITA GOLDA RAIZEL
please ask everyone pray that the sweet little girl will have a refuah shleimah

Tizku b'mitzvot

DISENGAGED

Musings #106
March 22, 2005
11th of Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet

Disengaged

I must admit; I try to stay disengaged from the news. Unfortunately it’s hard to do. Like the bird with his head in the sand to avoid air pollution but gets sick from the contaminated dirt, try as I might to avoid it, I am forced to listen when traveling/tremping in vehicles not my own.

Just today, for instance, I heard a newscast that put thoughts in my head that could get me arrested. The reporters were reporting, with such admiration, how the government was meticulously planning how to disengage Jews from their homes in Gush Katif and Northern Shomron. They stressed the professionally detailed procedures that not only included the humane removal of animals, but the timing of the funerals for all the bodies that will be ripped out of their graves and transferred to new ones in other cemeteries. The staff qualified to do this very sensitive job is limited in the amount they can handle per day. Remember that this must be dignified; respect the dead.

These newscasters are so professional, so disengaged from the strong emotions troubling others. They mentioned the debates among the government officials as to what to do to the homes, stores, schools, factories and other buildings that would remain in the Judenrein territories. Apparently the experts believe that it would be best to destroy them totally, like what was done to Yamit and the agricultural communities that populated the Sinai until Menachem Begin decided to give it all away.

Do you know why these buildings must be razed totally? Did you think like I did that it was to keep the terrorists from enjoying them? No, I was wrong. It was to keep the refugees from having something to return to.

And then they discussed the expensive infrastructure “the Israelis” built in the area. Yes, the broadcast was in Hebrew, Kol Yisrael, and they used the words: “HaYisraelim,” “the Israelis.” Totally disengaged from being personally connected with Israel.

I felt like I was participating in an episode of “Twilight Zone.”
I knew that the media and many of the politicians were disengaged from our Land, but I still thought that they considered themselves Israelis. Apparently I’m naïve. This is just a few days after their pro-disengagement demonstration where the slogan “A settler is not my brother,” was prominently heard. “The demonstration was planned in conjunction with the Prime Minister's strategic advisors. They examined promotional messages, the wording of signs and the language used in advertising…” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArtVty.jhtml?sw=pro+disengagement+demonstration&itemNo=553715 Apparently, it wasn’t an easy demonstration to pull off, since even their most prominent fans preferred a soccer match.

Believe me this isn’t a Purim Spiel.

Just like no fiction can beat the surprises, twists and ironies of true life, today’s news reports are traumatic in their unexpectedness. “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.” Mark Twain, http://www.bartleby.com/66/33/62133.html Even when we think that G-d has deserted us, He’s here, behind the scenes. But like the story of Purim, there may be things He’s waiting for us to do.

NaHafoch’hu! Let the Evil be reversed!

Chag Purim Sameach!

Batya Medad, Shiloh
Copyright©BatyaMedad, Contact me for publication permission; private distribution encouraged.
Shilohmuse@yahoo.com
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/
http://me-ander.blogspot.com/
http://www.shilo.org.il
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA

contest

Please pass on to any relevant people you know in the US or Canada(school kids, teachers, etc...)
and tell them you saw it here..


Nefesh B’Nefesh (www.nbn.org.il) is running a plane logo design competition for their summer Aliyah flights for 6th-8th graders. The contest - which is both fun and creative - is enabling students across North America to learn about Aliyah and the return to the Jewish homeland - a perfect "project" as we approach "Yom Haatzmaut". It is a great educational tool for both students and teachers to reconnect with the vibrant side of Israel as opposed to just learning about it in historical textbooks.

NBN is offering three free round trip tickets for the winner, parent and school rep which will allow the student artist to actually experience "homecoming" and internalize it as they sit on the plane bearing their design. As for the other competitors - the contest can serve as a wonderful educational tool surrounding the theme of Yom Haatzmaut - by initiating exhibitions of the various submissions within your school and enabling your teachers to get their students excited through the contest surrounding the concept of Aliyah and Israel.

The object of NBN's logo contest, entitled "Homeward Bound" is to create and design a logo for their “Summer 2005” chartered airplanes of Olim to Israel. The winning logo design, capturing & depicting the essence of ‘Aliyah & Homecoming’, will be painted on the body of one or more of the flights bringing hundreds of Olim from North America to Israel. The winning artist will be invited to accompany this special flight, joined by his/ her parent and/or school representative.

FULL DETAILS & SUBMISSION FORMS: www.nbn.org.il/logocontest

important to read

I'm forwarding this to you--

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
Does this apply to current Israeli policy?: A US law which forbids US Foreign Aid Recipients from using US- supplied law enforcement equipment to subjugate human rights and civil liberties

Date:
Tue, 22 Mar 2005 00:55:20 +0200

From:
Israel Resource News Agency media@actcom.co.il

Does this apply to current Israeli policy?: A US law which forbids US Foreign Aid Recipients from using US- supplied law enforcement equipment to subjugate human rights and civil liberties

BY: DAVID BEDEIN, Bureau Chief, Israel Resource News Agency

This week, at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, in southern Israel, the Israel Defence Forces will conduct an exercise to conduct a “dry run” to practice bringing dead and wounded Jewish Israeli residents to the hospital, following the summer plans of the Israeli government to forcibly remove all 8,000 Jewish men, women and children from their 21 farming communities in the Jewish communities of the Katif district in Gaza and another 2000 Jews from 4 communities in Northern Samaria.A senior official in Israeli intelligence estimates that at least 100 Jewish residents will be killed in the expulsion process, since these residents have no intention of leaving their homes and farms voluntarily, and since the IDF has every intention of using live ammunition to facilitate the expulsion of Jews from Katif and the Northern Samaria, while razing their houses, farms and synagogues.In late February, at the closing press conference of the annual Israel convention of the Conference of Major Jewish Organizations from North America, a journalist asked Conference Chairman James Tisch how Jewish Americans will react if the Israel Defence Forces use American-supplied law enforcement equipment to kill Jewish Israelis. The journalist also asked Tisch if it was legal to use US made law enforcement equipment in that process.Here is the law in question:

The US Foreign Assistance Act , which is available on the net at: www.fas.org/asmp/campaigns/legislationindex.htmlClause (a)(1) of the Human Rights amendment to the US Foreign Assistance Act clearly states that “ a principal goal of the foreign policy of the United States shall be to promote the increased observance of internationally recognized human rights by all countries …no security assistance may be provided to any country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights…Assistance may not be provided… to a country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights”

The law goes on to state that “The President is directed to formulate and conduct international security assistance programs of the United States in a manner which will promote and advance human rights and avoid identification of the United States, through such programs, with governments which deny to their people internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, in violation of international law or in contravention of the policy of the United States”.This law also mandates that “United States has taken to promote respect for and observance of human rights in that country and discourage any practices which are inimical to internationally recognized human rights, and publicly or privately call attention to, and disassociate United States and any security assistance provided for such country from, such practices”. This US law defines ''gross violations of internationally recognized human rights'' includes …flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons”Prof. Eliav Schochetman, Hebrew Professor of Law Emeritus and Dean of the Shaari Mishpat Law College, testified last month at the Israeli Knesset Parlimentary Law Committee that the decision of the state of Israel to demolish the homes and villages of 10,000 citizens, represents the kind of human rights infraction that is described in the human rights amendment to US Foreign Assistance Act would violate the constraints of Israel’s own “Basic Human Rights Law" which oversees Israeli democratic institutions in matters of human rights and civil liberties, in the same way that the US Bill of Rights ensures that the US government can never trample on the human rights and civil liberties of American citizens. In his testimony, Schochetman noted that this Israeli government decision represents a violation of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which all democratic governments are adherents. Schochetmen added that Israel’s decision to expel Jews from their homes, would represent a wanton violation of basic human rights and civil liberties that are protected under Israeli and international human rights law.Prof. Schochetman cited clause 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whichmandates that it is illegal for sovereign governments to expel their citizens and ethnic minorities from their homes, from their private properties or from their farms.Since the only group that Israel has slated for expulsion would be Jews, it may be recalled that the government of Serbia was recently held liable for international prosecution at the International High Court of Justice in the Hague, under the charge of "ethnic cleansing", after leaders of Serbia expelled an ethnic minority, solely because of their religion.Schochetman also mentioned the clauses in the San Remo Treaty that was ratified by the League of Nations and then by the United Nations which provide international protection for Jews to purchase and dwell in the "Jewish Homeland", defined as any land which lies anywhere east of the Jordan River.

Since the Israeli government intends to use US supplied law enforcement equipment in its proposed expulsion, the question remains: Will the US Congress and will the American people allow for the use of US supplied law enforcement equipment in such a process that violates human rights and civil liberties?This has now become an American issue.