...Why should a Jewish family have been thrown out of their home at all?
And why shouldn't the purchase of property by Jews be considered "invalid?"
If such discrimination had happened to Arabs, all of the international civil rights activists--led by Jews, of course, would have attacked the government! But since Jews are being deprived their civil rights, nobody cares.
I consider it a true "Nes Chanukah," Chanukah miracle that the court decided in favor of the Jewish family.
Halevai, if only, we didn't need such miracles...
Court Ruling Okays Family to Return to Beit Shapira in Hebron
08:38 Dec 22, '06 / 1 Tevet 5767
by Hana Levi Julian
The family of Gershon Bar Kochba has won a year-long battle to remain in its Hebron home after police forced them out of the residence more than eight months ago.
Lawyers for the family appealed to the courts after repeated evictions by police who had been ordered by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to remove the residents from their home.
The court said in its decision this week that Israeli law prohibits a family from being evicted if it has lived in a structure more than 30 days. The judge also scolded the police for again trying to arrest Bar Kochba.
Three families, including Bar Kochba, moved into the Beit Shapira building in Hebron after it was purchased from its Arab owner.
The courts and military authorities met with the families and reached an agreement that called for them to leave their homes voluntarily until the government prepared a property contract.
The families moved out, but instead of receiving their new contract, they were soon served with an eviction notice, breaching the governmentÂ’s agreement.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ruled that the purchase agreement was invalid and instead issued an order to force the families out.
The Bar Kochba family later secretly moved back into their home but was again forced to leave when a policeman discovered them.
After a similar experience several days later, the family again returned to the home. This time they managed to remain there for three months before being discovered again.
This week the courtÂ’s decision gave the Jewish families the right to return home to Hebron, according to the B'Sheva weekly newspaper.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Stoicism is not Heroism!
Not only isn't "turning the other cheek" Jewish, but the Christians who preach it don't follow it. There's a reason for that, and it's because it's a very dangerous thing to do. Bullies take advantage of weakness; it empowers them.
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy, which demands that one "disengage" from one's emotions and feelings. How ironic that I'm writing this on the 7th night of Chanukah!
Israel is constantly being attacked by the "neighboring" (I'm referring to location, rather than relationship) Arabs and the terrorists within the country. The "stoic" Helenists demand that Israel refrain from attacking and destroying its enemies. That's not to Israel's advantage, not at all. Just like the same stoicism, acceptance and "learning to live underwater," like in the classic joke didn't stop the Nazis from making life harder, until Six Million Jews were murdered. Yes, they were murdered; they didn't perish, which is the verb used in Yad Veshem.
Yes, I'm bringing up the holocaust, because rebellion was rare, and the Jewish establishment did cooperate with the Nazis. And yes, I do see a similar behavior today.
I don't see anything for us to be proud in that the Israeli Government is sitting on its hands as Arabs shoot heavy weapons and missiles at our country. It is being reported that Minister of Defense Peretz calls on Olmert to review restraint policy. If that's the case, then he should go back on his "oath" not to deal with Avigdor Lieberman and make an alliance with him to topple Olmert and fight the Arabs.
Israel's very worst Prime, Ehud Barak, is poised for Labor run. it just shows how disengaged he is from reality. As IDF Chief of Staff, he pushed technology into the army instead of human intelligence. He is one of those who stopped the traditional Israeli "follow me," "acharai!" That new way of running the army is considered one of the causes for the foul-ups last summer.
The Chanukah Holiday is almost over this year, but the Hellenists are still fighting the Macabees!
Chag Urim Sameach
May the True Light of Judaism Prevail!
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy, which demands that one "disengage" from one's emotions and feelings. How ironic that I'm writing this on the 7th night of Chanukah!
Israel is constantly being attacked by the "neighboring" (I'm referring to location, rather than relationship) Arabs and the terrorists within the country. The "stoic" Helenists demand that Israel refrain from attacking and destroying its enemies. That's not to Israel's advantage, not at all. Just like the same stoicism, acceptance and "learning to live underwater," like in the classic joke didn't stop the Nazis from making life harder, until Six Million Jews were murdered. Yes, they were murdered; they didn't perish, which is the verb used in Yad Veshem.
Yes, I'm bringing up the holocaust, because rebellion was rare, and the Jewish establishment did cooperate with the Nazis. And yes, I do see a similar behavior today.
I don't see anything for us to be proud in that the Israeli Government is sitting on its hands as Arabs shoot heavy weapons and missiles at our country. It is being reported that Minister of Defense Peretz calls on Olmert to review restraint policy. If that's the case, then he should go back on his "oath" not to deal with Avigdor Lieberman and make an alliance with him to topple Olmert and fight the Arabs.
Following a series of Kassam rocket attacks on Wednesday, Peretz said late Wednesday night that there was a limit to the restraint Israel would show in the face of repeated Palestinian violations of the recent cease-fire.Most Israelis aren't happy with the way Olmert is leading the country. And as little as I like American President Bush, I'm glad that Kerry isn't president.
Senior defense officials said Wednesday that Israel's lack of response to Palestinian attacks could be perceived by the Palestinians as a weakness, and urged the government to reconsider its current policy of restraint, Army Radio reported.
Kerry: Arab leaders have gone through fundamental changeIf he really believes that, then I guess he believes in Santa!
Israel's very worst Prime, Ehud Barak, is poised for Labor run. it just shows how disengaged he is from reality. As IDF Chief of Staff, he pushed technology into the army instead of human intelligence. He is one of those who stopped the traditional Israeli "follow me," "acharai!" That new way of running the army is considered one of the causes for the foul-ups last summer.
The Chanukah Holiday is almost over this year, but the Hellenists are still fighting the Macabees!
Chag Urim Sameach
May the True Light of Judaism Prevail!
Carter's Arab financiers By Rachel Ehrenfeld
hat tip BOK
Carter's Arab financiers
TODAY'S COLUMNIST
By Rachel Ehrenfeld
December 21, 2006
To understand what feeds former president Jimmy Carter's anti-Israeli frenzy, look at his early links to Arab business.
Between 1976-1977, the Carter family peanut business received a bailout in the form of a $4.6 million, "poorly managed" and highly irregular loan from the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). According to a July 29, 1980 Jack Anderson expose in The Washington Post, the bank's biggest borrower was Mr. Carter, and its chairman at that time was Mr. Carter's confidant, and later his director of the Office of Management and Budget, Bert Lance.
At that time, Mr. Lance's mismanagement of the NBG got him and the bank into trouble. Agha Hasan Abedi, the Pakistani founder of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), known as the bank "which would bribe God," came to Mr. Lance's rescue making him a $100,000-a-year consultant. Abedi then declared: "we would never talk about exploiting his relationship with the president." Next, he introduced Mr. Lance to Saudi billionaire Gaith Pharaon, who fronted for BCCI and the Saudi royal family. In January 1978, Abedi paid off Mr. Lance's $3.5 million debt to the NBG, and Pharaon secretly gained control over the bank.
Mr. Anderson wrote: "Of course, the Saudis remained discretely silent... kept quiet about Carter's irregularities... [and] renegotiated the loan to Carter's advantage."
There is no evidence that the former president received direct payment from the Saudis. But "according to... the bank files, [it] renegotiated the repayment terms... savings... $60,000 for the Carter family... The President owned 62% of the business and therefore was the largest beneficiary." Pharaon later contributed generously to the former president's library and center.
When Mr. Lance introduced Mr. Carter to Abedi, the latter gave $500,000 to help the former president establish his center at Emory University. Later, Abedi contributed more than $10 million to Mr. Carter's different projects. Even after BCCI was indicted — and convicted -— for drug money laundering, Mr. Carter accepted $1.5 million from Abedi, his "good friend."
A quick survey of the major contributors to the Carter Center reveals hundreds of millions of dollars from Saudi and Gulf contributors. But it was BCCI that helped Mr. Carter established his center.
BCCI's origins were primarily ideological. Abedi wanted the bank to reflect the supra-national Muslim credo and "the best bridge to help the world of Islam, and the best way to fight the evil influence of the Zionists."
Shortly after assuming office, in March 1977, Mr. Carter made his first public statement regarding a Palestinian "homeland." Since then, he has devoted much of his time to denouncing Israel's self-defense against Palestinian terrorism, which he claims is not only "abominable oppression and persecution" of the Palestinians, but also damages U.S. interests in the region.
By the time BCCI was shut down in July1991, it operated in 73 countries with a deficit of $12 billion, which it had managed to hide with wealthy Arab shareholders and Western luminaries. Among them Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan of Abu Dhabi, who gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Yasser Arafat and Palestinian terrorist groups, and who branded the United States: "our enemy number one"; Former head of Saudi foreign intelligence service, and King Faisal's brother-in-law, Kamal Adham — who with another Saudi, the banker of the royal family, Khaled bin Mahfouz, staged BCCI's attempt to illegally purchase the Washington-based First American bank, in the early 1980s.
True to its agenda, BCCI assisted in spreading and strengthening the Islamic message; they enabled Pakistan's nuclear ambitions, and helped the Palestinian leadership to amass a $10 billion-plus fortune, used to further terrorist activities and to buy more influence in the West.
BCCI founders also supported the Islamic fundamentalist opposition to the Shah of Iran, and saw it as an opportunity to undermine Western influence in the Gulf. They assisted the revolution financially, reinforcing their position within the leadership of the Iranian revolution. Ironically, the success of that revolution cost Mr. Carter his presidency.
BCCI's money also facilitated the Saudi agenda to force Israel to recognize Palestinians "rights," convincing Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to sign the Camp David Accords in September 1978. Since then, Mr. Carter repeatedly provided legitimacy to Arafat's corrupt regime, and now, like the Saudis, he even sides with homicidal Hamas as the "legitimate" representative of the Palestinian people.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Carter again laid responsibility for U.S. bias against the destitute, depressed and (consequently) violent Palestinians on American policy makers' helplessness, over the last 30 years, against the menacing tactics of the powerful American-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC).
However, it seems that AIPAC's real fault was its failure to outdo the Saudi's purchases of the former president's loyalty. "There has not been any nation in the world that has been more cooperative than Saudi Arabia," the New York Times quoted Mr. Carter June 1977, thus making the Saudis a major factor in U. S. foreign policy.
Evidently, the millions in Arab petrodollars feeding Mr. Carter's global endeavors, often in conflict with U.S. government policies, also ensure his loyalty.
Rachel Ehrenfeld is the director of the American Center for Democracy.
Carter's Arab financiers
TODAY'S COLUMNIST
By Rachel Ehrenfeld
December 21, 2006
To understand what feeds former president Jimmy Carter's anti-Israeli frenzy, look at his early links to Arab business.
Between 1976-1977, the Carter family peanut business received a bailout in the form of a $4.6 million, "poorly managed" and highly irregular loan from the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). According to a July 29, 1980 Jack Anderson expose in The Washington Post, the bank's biggest borrower was Mr. Carter, and its chairman at that time was Mr. Carter's confidant, and later his director of the Office of Management and Budget, Bert Lance.
At that time, Mr. Lance's mismanagement of the NBG got him and the bank into trouble. Agha Hasan Abedi, the Pakistani founder of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), known as the bank "which would bribe God," came to Mr. Lance's rescue making him a $100,000-a-year consultant. Abedi then declared: "we would never talk about exploiting his relationship with the president." Next, he introduced Mr. Lance to Saudi billionaire Gaith Pharaon, who fronted for BCCI and the Saudi royal family. In January 1978, Abedi paid off Mr. Lance's $3.5 million debt to the NBG, and Pharaon secretly gained control over the bank.
Mr. Anderson wrote: "Of course, the Saudis remained discretely silent... kept quiet about Carter's irregularities... [and] renegotiated the loan to Carter's advantage."
There is no evidence that the former president received direct payment from the Saudis. But "according to... the bank files, [it] renegotiated the repayment terms... savings... $60,000 for the Carter family... The President owned 62% of the business and therefore was the largest beneficiary." Pharaon later contributed generously to the former president's library and center.
When Mr. Lance introduced Mr. Carter to Abedi, the latter gave $500,000 to help the former president establish his center at Emory University. Later, Abedi contributed more than $10 million to Mr. Carter's different projects. Even after BCCI was indicted — and convicted -— for drug money laundering, Mr. Carter accepted $1.5 million from Abedi, his "good friend."
A quick survey of the major contributors to the Carter Center reveals hundreds of millions of dollars from Saudi and Gulf contributors. But it was BCCI that helped Mr. Carter established his center.
BCCI's origins were primarily ideological. Abedi wanted the bank to reflect the supra-national Muslim credo and "the best bridge to help the world of Islam, and the best way to fight the evil influence of the Zionists."
Shortly after assuming office, in March 1977, Mr. Carter made his first public statement regarding a Palestinian "homeland." Since then, he has devoted much of his time to denouncing Israel's self-defense against Palestinian terrorism, which he claims is not only "abominable oppression and persecution" of the Palestinians, but also damages U.S. interests in the region.
By the time BCCI was shut down in July1991, it operated in 73 countries with a deficit of $12 billion, which it had managed to hide with wealthy Arab shareholders and Western luminaries. Among them Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan of Abu Dhabi, who gave hundreds of millions of dollars to Yasser Arafat and Palestinian terrorist groups, and who branded the United States: "our enemy number one"; Former head of Saudi foreign intelligence service, and King Faisal's brother-in-law, Kamal Adham — who with another Saudi, the banker of the royal family, Khaled bin Mahfouz, staged BCCI's attempt to illegally purchase the Washington-based First American bank, in the early 1980s.
True to its agenda, BCCI assisted in spreading and strengthening the Islamic message; they enabled Pakistan's nuclear ambitions, and helped the Palestinian leadership to amass a $10 billion-plus fortune, used to further terrorist activities and to buy more influence in the West.
BCCI founders also supported the Islamic fundamentalist opposition to the Shah of Iran, and saw it as an opportunity to undermine Western influence in the Gulf. They assisted the revolution financially, reinforcing their position within the leadership of the Iranian revolution. Ironically, the success of that revolution cost Mr. Carter his presidency.
BCCI's money also facilitated the Saudi agenda to force Israel to recognize Palestinians "rights," convincing Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to sign the Camp David Accords in September 1978. Since then, Mr. Carter repeatedly provided legitimacy to Arafat's corrupt regime, and now, like the Saudis, he even sides with homicidal Hamas as the "legitimate" representative of the Palestinian people.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Carter again laid responsibility for U.S. bias against the destitute, depressed and (consequently) violent Palestinians on American policy makers' helplessness, over the last 30 years, against the menacing tactics of the powerful American-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC).
However, it seems that AIPAC's real fault was its failure to outdo the Saudi's purchases of the former president's loyalty. "There has not been any nation in the world that has been more cooperative than Saudi Arabia," the New York Times quoted Mr. Carter June 1977, thus making the Saudis a major factor in U. S. foreign policy.
Evidently, the millions in Arab petrodollars feeding Mr. Carter's global endeavors, often in conflict with U.S. government policies, also ensure his loyalty.
Rachel Ehrenfeld is the director of the American Center for Democracy.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
King David's Tomb, live from Jerusalem
Take the time to see this. It's totally magnificent, very well done.
Today, when the Israeli Government is itching to give away all of our Ancient Land, including parts of Jerusalem, we must not be silent! There are so many threats to our sovereignty and survival. As soon as we think that we've cancelled one evil decree, then there's another two.
We can't relax our vigilance.
Mount Zion is under attack. The Vatican wants to take over, and Olmert is negotiating with them.
SAVE MOUNT ZION!
SAVE DAVID'S TOMB!
This picture is by Sharon Katz and unrelated to the link.
Hanukah outing to Homesh by Yoni, Petah Tikva
Hanukah outing to Homesh by Yoni, Petah Tikva
The view from Petah Tikva
A number of buses were organised from various places in the country. A full bus left Petah Tikva and along the way we were on the lookout for army/police barrages. We did make it undisturbed to Kdumim where we met up with another bus. As we tried to leave Kdumim’s northern gate, an army jeep and a few soldiers blocked our way and an officer solemnly informed us that this was a closed military zone. With not much ado we all took our backpacks, alighted from the bus and walked right past the army jeep into the fields. Only later we heard that those buses which got to Shavei Shomron were more aggressively blocked – as can be seen from Arutz 7 reports http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=117742 .
However we (about 100 people) continued northwards unchallenged and were even treated to Shavei Shomron sufganiot on the way. We walked for about 3 hours in beautiful open landscape gazing at the far away hill where Homesh is located. As we approached, the climbing became harder, but we could hear the singing at the top of the hill. At sundown we stopped for Minha just outside Homesh – beautiful landscape and a sweeping view for miles on end.
Then we finally came into Homesh – in the failing light of the evening you would hardly notice that you were entering a community – nothing standing except the water tower – and the rubble of the buildings, picked clean of any metal or other objects, seemed to blend into the stony landscape. The only giveaways that people once lived here were the faded-red/white (no-parking) painted kerbstones, a few support walls made of Jerusalem stone, and a concrete platform or two which had once supported buildings. The young girls who were with us burst into ecstasy at finally having set foot back in the place where so many had been dragged feet-first into police vans or buses just a year and a half ago; some wanted to kiss the ground.
Then we joined the dancing, the prayers and the candle lighting.
Many had come with backpacks expecting to stay there for a few days. A “Garin” was signed-up, but the organisers probably felt that they did not have the wherewithal at this stage to maintain a prolonged presence here. However, the government learnt that, despite the mini-Amona in Shavei Shomron and unlike last year’s non-event in Kfar Maimon, the people did burst out of the gate and something like 1000 reached Homesh.
We must do this again and again until the government gets used to the fact that Jews are seen in Homesh, and then, with he help of G-d we will unfurl the tents and start rebuilding the place - and then with the help of G-d to Gush Katif!
Hanukah Sameah ,
Yoni, Petah Tikva
There were some gorgeous pictures from Yoni, but for some reason blogger wouldn't post them.
The view from Petah Tikva
A number of buses were organised from various places in the country. A full bus left Petah Tikva and along the way we were on the lookout for army/police barrages. We did make it undisturbed to Kdumim where we met up with another bus. As we tried to leave Kdumim’s northern gate, an army jeep and a few soldiers blocked our way and an officer solemnly informed us that this was a closed military zone. With not much ado we all took our backpacks, alighted from the bus and walked right past the army jeep into the fields. Only later we heard that those buses which got to Shavei Shomron were more aggressively blocked – as can be seen from Arutz 7 reports http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=117742 .
However we (about 100 people) continued northwards unchallenged and were even treated to Shavei Shomron sufganiot on the way. We walked for about 3 hours in beautiful open landscape gazing at the far away hill where Homesh is located. As we approached, the climbing became harder, but we could hear the singing at the top of the hill. At sundown we stopped for Minha just outside Homesh – beautiful landscape and a sweeping view for miles on end.
Then we finally came into Homesh – in the failing light of the evening you would hardly notice that you were entering a community – nothing standing except the water tower – and the rubble of the buildings, picked clean of any metal or other objects, seemed to blend into the stony landscape. The only giveaways that people once lived here were the faded-red/white (no-parking) painted kerbstones, a few support walls made of Jerusalem stone, and a concrete platform or two which had once supported buildings. The young girls who were with us burst into ecstasy at finally having set foot back in the place where so many had been dragged feet-first into police vans or buses just a year and a half ago; some wanted to kiss the ground.
Then we joined the dancing, the prayers and the candle lighting.
Many had come with backpacks expecting to stay there for a few days. A “Garin” was signed-up, but the organisers probably felt that they did not have the wherewithal at this stage to maintain a prolonged presence here. However, the government learnt that, despite the mini-Amona in Shavei Shomron and unlike last year’s non-event in Kfar Maimon, the people did burst out of the gate and something like 1000 reached Homesh.
We must do this again and again until the government gets used to the fact that Jews are seen in Homesh, and then, with he help of G-d we will unfurl the tents and start rebuilding the place - and then with the help of G-d to Gush Katif!
Hanukah Sameah ,
Yoni, Petah Tikva
There were some gorgeous pictures from Yoni, but for some reason blogger wouldn't post them.
Heroism in Our Time
During the 25 years I've lived in Shiloh, I've learned to just take opportunities and not to plan in too much detail. Yesterday was a perfect example.
The bare outline of my plans was to get to the Aliza and Menachem Prize Giving Ceremony at the Begin Heritage Center. I had also hoped to be able to get to "Ozen Shlishi," "The Third Ear," video/dvd place and take out a movie.
Ever since they changed all of our buses,I haven't the vaguest idea of the schedule. When I count on a bus to leave Shiloh, I'm usually left waiting, but when I just go down to wait, things are better. Yesterday was a classic!
I had one of my ESP-ish feelings that I had better run out of the house, so I did. These "feelings" have done me well on various occasions, usually for leaving Jerusalem and going home. The internet bus schedule said there should have had been a bus a few minutes ago, but I just didn't organize my time well.
As I ran down, neighbors stopped and offered me a ride to Neve Neeman, since they know that I have a cousin there, but... That's not where I was headed. Too bad. Then just as I was getting to the bus stop, I noticed a car stop, and they invited me in. To Jerusalem, but not the direct route. My neighbor was giving a "tour" to friends visiting from the states. Instead of Route 60, the quickest way, we'd be going via Shvut Rachel, to the Alon Road to the East, by the Jordan Valley. Then they were planning to see Migron, which is battling the Israel Government for its survival.
I did have time, and I believe in taking advantage of opportunities, so I got in.
Even though I've been on the Alon Road before, I was as amazed as the tourists at the total emptiness of the land we saw. Nobody lives there. Closer to Jerusalem we passed the roads to Kochav HaShachar and Rimonim, two Jewish communities housing a few hundred families. Those barren hills we had passed could easily be filled with a million people. There were no signs of ownership or habitation, but this is land that "Peace" Now demands we give to Arabs. The road was also very empty, so even though it was longer than #60, the trip was quick.
So before we knew it, it seemed like we were at the end of the road, but the road signs weren't clear as to which way to Jerusalem. We asked the soldiers we saw, who looked a bit confused but gave us directions. We followed them and got to the southern end of Route 60, near the turn-off to Migron. We followed the narrow, winding road to Migron and eventually saw a quiet community with lots of "caravans," trailers, surrounded by gardens and children's toys. There were also "buildings" which were obviously used as pre-schools. The school-aged kids are bussed to a nearby elementary school.
Nothing in the peaceful scene, which was before us, gave a hint to the fact that Defense Minister Peretz wants to distract the nation from the "PA" kassam attacks on his home city Sderot by destroying Migron.
After that, we were off to nearby Jerusalem, where I noticed the bus I had "planned on taking." So, obviously our timing was perfect!
Then I got out and took a bus to my destination, plenty of time, but then I found myself in a major traffic jam, which added about a half hour to the trip. I kept calm, convincing myself that I still had plenty of time, and yes, I did.
I picked up a couple of movies, "The Sting" and the new "Oliver Twist" by Polanski, and then I ran over to the Begin Center. They were still "eating." The menu had something for everybody--vegetable sticks, cookies and "sufganiyot," those doughy jelly doughnuts Israelis love to eat in the winter.
I'd say that the residents of Migron are heroes, too!
The bare outline of my plans was to get to the Aliza and Menachem Prize Giving Ceremony at the Begin Heritage Center. I had also hoped to be able to get to "Ozen Shlishi," "The Third Ear," video/dvd place and take out a movie.
Ever since they changed all of our buses,I haven't the vaguest idea of the schedule. When I count on a bus to leave Shiloh, I'm usually left waiting, but when I just go down to wait, things are better. Yesterday was a classic!
I had one of my ESP-ish feelings that I had better run out of the house, so I did. These "feelings" have done me well on various occasions, usually for leaving Jerusalem and going home. The internet bus schedule said there should have had been a bus a few minutes ago, but I just didn't organize my time well.
As I ran down, neighbors stopped and offered me a ride to Neve Neeman, since they know that I have a cousin there, but... That's not where I was headed. Too bad. Then just as I was getting to the bus stop, I noticed a car stop, and they invited me in. To Jerusalem, but not the direct route. My neighbor was giving a "tour" to friends visiting from the states. Instead of Route 60, the quickest way, we'd be going via Shvut Rachel, to the Alon Road to the East, by the Jordan Valley. Then they were planning to see Migron, which is battling the Israel Government for its survival.
I did have time, and I believe in taking advantage of opportunities, so I got in.
Even though I've been on the Alon Road before, I was as amazed as the tourists at the total emptiness of the land we saw. Nobody lives there. Closer to Jerusalem we passed the roads to Kochav HaShachar and Rimonim, two Jewish communities housing a few hundred families. Those barren hills we had passed could easily be filled with a million people. There were no signs of ownership or habitation, but this is land that "Peace" Now demands we give to Arabs. The road was also very empty, so even though it was longer than #60, the trip was quick.
So before we knew it, it seemed like we were at the end of the road, but the road signs weren't clear as to which way to Jerusalem. We asked the soldiers we saw, who looked a bit confused but gave us directions. We followed them and got to the southern end of Route 60, near the turn-off to Migron. We followed the narrow, winding road to Migron and eventually saw a quiet community with lots of "caravans," trailers, surrounded by gardens and children's toys. There were also "buildings" which were obviously used as pre-schools. The school-aged kids are bussed to a nearby elementary school.
Nothing in the peaceful scene, which was before us, gave a hint to the fact that Defense Minister Peretz wants to distract the nation from the "PA" kassam attacks on his home city Sderot by destroying Migron.
After that, we were off to nearby Jerusalem, where I noticed the bus I had "planned on taking." So, obviously our timing was perfect!
Then I got out and took a bus to my destination, plenty of time, but then I found myself in a major traffic jam, which added about a half hour to the trip. I kept calm, convincing myself that I still had plenty of time, and yes, I did.
I picked up a couple of movies, "The Sting" and the new "Oliver Twist" by Polanski, and then I ran over to the Begin Center. They were still "eating." The menu had something for everybody--vegetable sticks, cookies and "sufganiyot," those doughy jelly doughnuts Israelis love to eat in the winter.
The theme of the awards this year was Heroism. They honored the People of Sderot and also Roi Klein and Emanuel Moreno two of the soldiers killed in last summer's nameless war.
This year's entertainment was by the Pirchei Petach Tivka Children's Choir.
I'd say that the residents of Migron are heroes, too!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Al HaNissim!
Close to a thousand former residents and Land of Israel activists succeeded in reaching the
destroyed community of Homesh Monday, where they lit Chanukah menorahs and vowed
to rebuild their homes.
They were forced to hike ancient trails and battle the Israeli riot police, but like the Maccabees, they prevailed!
"...You gave the mighty (Syrian-Greeks) into the hands of the weak (Jews), and the many into the hands of the few, and the defiled into the hands of the pure, and the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the malicious into the hands of those who engage in Your Torah. And You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your universe; and to Your nation, Israel, did You grant a great salvation and liberation, as on this day. And subsequently Your children came to Your holy abode, and they cleared out Your Palace, and they purified Your Temple, and they kindled lights in the courtyards of Your holy place. And they established these eight days of Chanukah in order to give thanks and praise to Your great name."
photos from A7
Monday, December 18, 2006
Building Eretz Yisrael
This is the view from my kitchen window (ok I walked out to the merpeset-terrace to actually take the picture, but that's what I see when washing the dishes), building Eretz Yisrael. Yes, that's how I see it as this lovely house is replacing the Biblical Valley of Shiloh, as seen from my house.
As beautiful as the valley is, and as wondrous, as I can actually see the winter "fog" as the warm moisture from the fertile ground hovers over the ground, looking like a lake. Yes, I'm willing to sacrifice it, if it means that I will have more neighbors.
How ironic and even tragic, that at this same time, the Israeli Government is warning and threatening that it will, G-d forbid!, destroy a vibrant young community, Migron.
Again, instead of destroying terrorism, the Israeli government is focusing it's energies on destroying the country. Yes, the Olmert Policies are destroying the country. Olmert has joined the Left in delegitamizing our very existence.
- If Migron can't exist, then Migdal HaEmek can't either.
- If Kiryat Arba, then Kiryat Shmoneh
- If Elon Moreh, then Ramat Gan
Israel isn't viable without the our Ancient Land which we liberated in 1967. If the country had been viable before, then the Arabs wouldn't have had threatened to destroy us and wouldn't have had planned the war and gotten ready to attack. They were fully confident that they could do it easily, since the "the Aushwitz borders," as coined by Abba Eban, didn't give us a reasonable chance to survive.
Remember, the PLO was established while Jordan and Syria were holding the Land. Their aim is to see us dead to destroy our homes and communities and wipe the State of Israel off of the map. G-d forbid
There's lots of space here on our empty mountains. Let's fill it with Jewish communities.
Olmert's campaigning and "security"
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today (Sunday), 17.12.06, visited the
headquarters of the IDF Judea and Samaria Division. Defense Minister Amir
Peretz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, GOC Central Command
Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh, Prime Minister Olmert's Military Secretary Maj.-Gen.
Gadi Shamni, IDF Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yair Golan
and other senior officers participated in the visit.
It looks like Olmert is campaigning already. Notice was sent to Mateh Binyamin, the Benjamin Local Council, my local district, that the main road between Jerusalem and the Beit El "T" Junction would be closed twice during the day for a couple of hours each.
Yes, you guessed it didn't you? They wanted to "sanitize" the route before, during and just after Olmert's armed and bullet-proof vehicle passed by. Of course, by doing this, dozens or hundreds of innocent Jews could be set up like sitting ducks, easy targets for terrorists, especially since on our narrow roads the stopped cars are both Arab and Jewish. Security for innocent Jews? Mah Pitom! Why all of a sudden? What's the big deal? Of course, if he really wanted to be safe, he'd be in a very inconspicuous, unmarked car, which could easily pass as an ordinary Arab one. Yes, it could be bullet-proof, but not in an obvious way.
I remember a few years ago, when my ds#1 was a Bnai Akiva youth leader, and they did their annual "hiding out in the mall," while the kids had to "find the madrich." The "classic" was to disguise themselves, the more the better. But one year, the last of the madrichim, leaders, to be discovered didn't use a disguise at all. He got the staff of the pizza place to let him "work" there. While everyone was searching high and low, he was out there, in full public view, serving pizza! No one even thought to look.Of course, all transportation, including our buses were delayed, and rumors started that it was due to shooting at the T Junction. And don't forget, it's the Chanukah vacation! After hectic negotiations between Pinchas Wallerstein and the army, it was decided to allow traffic to move during Olmert's return to Jerusalem.
And talking about security, in the disintegrating "PA," FLASH: Reuters details 75,000 armed Palestinians drawing salaries in PA! Yes, all the better to kill someone for sure!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Focused on Mount Zion!
Unlike the Arab women depicted here, this grandmother is trying to save Mount Zion! (terrorist picture from PMW, and Mt Zion picture from SK--no, I'm not in the picture)
There are no coincidences, and therefore the timing, on the Eve of Chanukah, the holiday which celebrates the victory of the "small" against the "mighty," the victory of the true Jews against the Hellenists, the assimilated of the time.
the Vatican is the most powerful and wealthiest religious group in the world, and Olmert is the most powerful and corrupt politicians in Israel. Yes, Poll: Olmert seen as Israel's most corrupt politician. And our small group of activists has been rekindled to fight their plan to disengage Jewish Life from Mount Zion and substitute the Catholic Church.
We're all volunteers with busy full-time lives "on the side," but we're not willing to desert Mount Zion! For more information and updates, check Committee to Save Mount Zion.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach!!!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Israel Threatens to Hand Over Mt. Zion Complex and Tomb of King David to the Vatican
Call for Public Awareness as
Israel Threatens to Hand Over Mt. Zion Complex and
Tomb of King David
to the Vatican as
Political Gift to the Pope
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Point of contact: Ellen Horowitz: ellenwrite(at)bezeqint.net
Committee to Save Mt. Zion (Int. Sephardic Leadership Council)
JERUSALEM, Israel (December 14, 2006) -- The 'Committee to Save Mt.
Zion' wishes to alert the public that the Mt. Zion complex in
Jerusalem may be handed over to the Vatican as a political gift to
the Pope, ending Jewish sovereignty to the Tomb of King David, a
traditional site of pilgrimage for persons of all religions and
backgrounds; the Catholic Church has been seeking ownership of the
location since 1920.
In October 2005, 'The Times of London' reported that Israel was
about to hand over control of the reputed 'last supper room' in a
building on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. But due to public pressure,
protests, political discussions, and the revealment of suspicious
documents, the hand over was halted.
The recent December 2006 threatened handover came to the attention
of the Committee to Save Mt. Zion via recent Italian news sources
that indicated the Mt. Zion complex is on the agenda for
negotiations between the Vatican and Israel. And that it will be a
topic of conversation between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the
Pope on Olmert's recent visit to Rome.
In a statement released to the media, the Committee stated that they
find the subject of a handover of the Mt. Zion complex
unacceptable.
Israel Threatens to Hand Over Mt. Zion Complex and
Tomb of King David
to the Vatican as
Political Gift to the Pope
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Point of contact: Ellen Horowitz: ellenwrite(at)bezeqint.net
Committee to Save Mt. Zion (Int. Sephardic Leadership Council)
JERUSALEM, Israel (December 14, 2006) -- The 'Committee to Save Mt.
Zion' wishes to alert the public that the Mt. Zion complex in
Jerusalem may be handed over to the Vatican as a political gift to
the Pope, ending Jewish sovereignty to the Tomb of King David, a
traditional site of pilgrimage for persons of all religions and
backgrounds; the Catholic Church has been seeking ownership of the
location since 1920.
In October 2005, 'The Times of London' reported that Israel was
about to hand over control of the reputed 'last supper room' in a
building on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. But due to public pressure,
protests, political discussions, and the revealment of suspicious
documents, the hand over was halted.
The recent December 2006 threatened handover came to the attention
of the Committee to Save Mt. Zion via recent Italian news sources
that indicated the Mt. Zion complex is on the agenda for
negotiations between the Vatican and Israel. And that it will be a
topic of conversation between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the
Pope on Olmert's recent visit to Rome.
In a statement released to the media, the Committee stated that they
find the subject of a handover of the Mt. Zion complex
unacceptable.
"We speak for Jews, Protestants and even Muslims that"Mt. Zion is a Jewish treasure," said Ellen Horowitz, an Israeli
all revere the site as a place of pilgrimage, we don't want the
Catholic Church to seize what has been a site of pilgrimage and turn
it into the Eastern Vatican," said, Rick Halpern, a developer who is
voluntarily working to restore major adjoining areas of Mt. Zion. He
added, "We are having emergency meetings with members of the
Jerusalem City Council, and we will use all democratic and legal
means to oppose any agreement with the Vatican over the area in,
around, or above the traditional Tomb of King David."
author and member of the Committee.
"Although Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Oded Ben Hur, denies any such negotiations over the Upper Room/Cenacle Shrine--Catholic and Vatican news sources continue to relentlessly promote such a concept," Horowitz added.Among the requests of the Committee, they require assurances that
the Mt. Zion complex, including King David's Tomb and the Diaspora
Yeshiva Rabbinical School campus will not be infringed upon, nor
will the Jewish nature and environment of the area be disturbed by
Catholic religious rituals and services.
The Committee to Save Mt. Zion was established by the 'International
Sephardic Leadership Council' during the previous threatened hand
over to the Vatican in 2005. The Committee is made up of
professionals, educators, media personalities, authors, historians,
writers and Jewish leaders in both Israel and the North America. All
persons of all backgrounds and religions that interested in saving
Mt. Zion should join the 'Save Zion' email list at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savezion/
and visit http://www.sephardiccouncil.org/zion.html for further information.
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