Allies - Standing With Israel In The Coming Storm

Professor Daniel Pipes' recent analysis, "Israeli Jets vs. Iranian Nukes," in response to the Whitney Raas and Austin Long's (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) paper, "Osirak Redux? Assessing Israeli Capabilities to Destroy Iranian Nuclear Facilities," is yet again another harbinger of the impending clash between Iran and the West. Professor Pipes postulates that the widest possible dissemination of this paper could deter Iran from proceeding with its nuclear weapons program.

Although that proposition is laudable, it is not probable. While the West hopes current and building financial and trade sanctions leveled against the theocratic Islamic state and current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will bring about a more compliant attitude, many people familiar with the conflict and the geo-politics of the region are not so optimistic. The draw of the prestige and influence of a nuclear weapons capability on the part of the Iranian leadership is just too strong.

Furthermore, with the hobbling of the Bush Administration both at home, with their crippling adherence to PC norms dismissing fundamentalist Islam as the foundational source of the "war on terrorism", and abroad because of the effectiveness of the burgeoning global "Marxist/Islamist Alliance," Ahmadinejad and the Mullahs continue to placate a world terrified to deal with the reality of what they are certainly facing in the future with the existence of the "Islamic bomb" … and the regime continues on its merry way building their program of looming nuclear tyranny.

Only the U.S. has the sure capability to smash this imminent nightmare to rubble, hopefully buying the Iranian dissident community, both in Iran and the expatriate bloc, time to induce a change in the Iranian government. The clock is ticking as the environmental disaster resulting in a military strike on a more mature nuclear program becomes too harmful. Likewise, the threat of a Middle East arms race, as other countries in the area seek to counter the Mullah's influence in the region opens the doors to further nuclear proliferation-and the greater chance of a nuclear weapon falling into the hands of Islamic killers worse than Ahmadinejad.

Then there is Israel. Ahmadinejad has stated specifically "Israel must be wiped of the face of the map," and, "I have no doubt that the new wave that has started in Palestine, and we witness it in the Islamic world too, will eliminate this disgraceful stain from the Islamic world," voicing the long held hopes and objectives of Islamists globally. There was little response from the rest of the world. What is Israel supposed to do? Wait and hope the Islamists achieve their stated goals? The Jew-haters of the world would like that.

"In a fragmented world rife with greedy thieves and specious politicians, the DG (Director General of the IAEA) is like the little Dutch boy trying to stop the dike from flooding by plugging the hole with his finger." - Yossi Melman, in "The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran"

Trust in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei? He recently said, "…you do not want to give additional argument to some of the "new crazies" who want to say let us go and bomb Iran," referring to the U.S. and the Bush Administration. Ahmadinejad and the mad Mullahs must have been pleased. One can see why the IAEA is an ineffective organization with mushy thinking like this. Yossi Melman said in his recent book, "The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran," "In a fragmented world rife with greedy thieves and specious politicians, the DG (Director General of the IAEA) is like the little Dutch boy trying to stop the dike from flooding by plugging the hole with his finger." Indeed.

Up to this point it has been believed by many the Israelis did not have the capabilities to carry out a military option of the scope needed to answer a tangible threat like this, therefore they have to put up with pretty much every offensive demand put on them by the U.S. in behalf of the U.S.'s own self-serving interests in the Middle East. But apparently they do.

So it falls to the Israelis, or America, to face Iran, and in response to ElBaradei's insipid remarks, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated, "The president of the United States has made very clear what our policy is. That policy is supported by all of the members of his cabinet-and by the vice president of the United States … The president has made clear that we are on a course that is a diplomatic course, but it is a diplomatic course backed up by disincentives for Iran to continue its activities." And Iran continues to build.

Israel may have, yes, will have to move against this very tangible threat, as the American Gulliver is tied down by the Marxist/Islamist Lilliputions of a mediocre, morally bankrupt world incapable of seeing and dealing with the Islamist menace—unless the Bush Administration can retake the initiative and turn this course around. Global events are narrowing our options down to two choices: Deal with the realization of the threat, which is nuclear arms proliferation throughout the Islamist world and a catastrophic nuclear incident, or the repercussions of dealing decisively with that threat and facing the fallout on another plane.

These are the decisions we, and our leadership, have to face. For Israel, in the current Israel and Jew-hating environment, coupled with a blind and irrational global anti-Americanism, Israel will certainly face a furious backlash as every hate-filled Islamist and screaming radical leftist individual and organization comes unglued, even more than they already are. The now and again fickleness of America's relationship with Israel, even though America's and Israel's interests are truly mutual, leaves her response under duress less sure.

Thus, be warned, my American Evangelical/Christian friends and supporters of the Nation of Israel, of all stripes. The spiritual and cultural freight train which is the association we are all a part of may be massive, impacting America at all levels, from the local church to Washington DC. But the value of all this global and American Evangelical "support" of Israel is soon to be tested as more than mere whimsical, happy talk—or a true caliber cultural/political force in the nation and world acting as a bulwark against the Jew-hate always looking for a new trigger to manifest itself more openly.

Pray for America and Israel and our equally fallible and flawed leaders. Just as important, be prepared, today and in the near future, to let the American administration know clearly we will not silently stand by as they are pressured to further distance themselves from our only true ally in the Middle East, Israel, as they defend themselves from a mutual enemy. Standing solidly together, we can face any challenge.

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Justifying An Israeli Preemption Against Iran Under International Law: Osiraq And 'Anticipatory Self-Defense'

"International law is not a suicide pact. Under long-standing customary international law, every state is entitled to strike first when the danger posed is “instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.” With respect to the openly genocidal regime currently ruling in Tehran, this right for Israel is now clear and incontestable. Well within the range of Iranian missiles, Israel could be obliterated by only one or two nuclear warheads. As to the western democracies, they are always quick to condemn Iran’s nuclearization, but are once again loath to actually do anything meaningful."


Three articles I read in quick succession in recent months capture the sense of urgency and threat by the Jewish people living in Israel from Iran. Caroline Glick in Jews Wake Up!, Sara Yoheved Rigler in Israel's Vital First Strike, and surprisingly, the very low-key Daniel Gordis in, This Place Called Hope. All represent a cross section of Israeli life.


All this being further evidence of the need for Israel to defend itself should the U.S. go wobbly in the war against Islamic terrorism and drop the ball in seeking to disarm Iran.

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Christian Zionists are the Answer To Anti-Semitism

By: Rev. James M. Hutchens, Ph.D. Chaplain (Brigadier General) US Army (Ret) President, The Jerusalem Connection International USA.

On January 14, 2007, a farewell
celebration was given for a timehonored
friend of Christian
Zionists — Israel’s Ambassador to the
United States, Daniel Ayalon and his wife
Anne. Among those who made remarks
was the only survivor of the Holocaust
serving in the U.S. Congress, Tom Lantos
(D-12-CA). Always an eloquent and substantive
speaker, Congressman Lantos
said three times during his remarks,
“Christians are the antidote to anti-Semitism
in America.” Then he asked all Christians
to stand while the rest applauded. It was a
most surprising and humbling moment,
especially for Christians.

As I have thought about Congressman
Lantos’ declaration about the role of
Christians vis-à-vis anti-Semitism, several
observations come to mind.

First of all, I think it is necessary to set
some parameters on use of the term
“Christian.” Not all Christians are going to
fight anti-Semitism. Unfortunately some,
even whole denominations, boldly line up
against the Jews. In thinly veiled charges of
“anti-Zionism” or “anti-Israel imperialism,”
some call for “divestment.” Most
recently in a published book, former
President Carter weighed in by actually
charging Israel with “apartheid.” Some
churches and pastors openly endorse
supersessionism or replacement theology
— the notion that the “church” is the new
Israel and thus the only legitimate heir to
the covenant promises of God. It is naive
to expect these “Christians” to act as an
antidote to anti-Semitism.

Closer to home for me are the views
of evangelicals, because I consider myself
an evangelical. I am finding that more
and more evangelicals, while perhaps
pro-Israel in their hearts, are reluctant to
speak up, especially from the pulpit.
Some are afraid of being labeled “too
political.” One megachurch pastor
turned down exhibiting Bus #19, saying,
“We have so many Arabs in our church
and they would be offended.” Some
believe that to be pro-Israel is to be automatically
anti-Palestinian or anti-Arab
Sadly, these Christians will not be much
help in fighting anti-Semitism. For some,
Jewish matters are just not a priority.
Their silence is and will be deafening.

I understood and deeply appreciated
Congressman Lantos sentiments. We all
did. However, it is more on target to say,
Christian Zionists are the antidote to anti-
Semitism in America. They are the people
who will stand up and be counted because
they believe in God’s eternal covenant with
the Jews. They believe our own destiny
rests with our Jewish elder brothers.

Second, Congressman Lantos’ claim
that “Christians are the antidote to anti-
Semitism in America” presents all
Christians, especially Christian Zionists,
with a daunting challenge. What can we do
that the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC), Anti-Defamation
League (ADL), and other Jewish support
agencies could not do better? They have
been around a long time and are better
organized and financed than we are. They
have a well established network within the
Jewish community. Some of the most
informed and articulate spokesmen for
their concerns live in America. How can
we add to that?

What we add is the fact that we are
Christians and not Jews. Everyone expects
Jews to stand up for themselves against
anti-Semitic onslaughts. However, with
the large number of Christian Zionists in
America, our voices will greatly enlarge the
microphone as we speak out for others as
we would for our own. Further, in view of
our stained and often anti-Semitic past,
Christians standing with Jews is not only a
challenge but it means we have an opportunity
to “get it right this time.”

Finally, Congressman Lantos’ proclamation
presents an enormous responsibility
for Christians. How it will be “fleshed
out” remains to be seen. If the past is any
indication, and I pray it is not, Christians’
courage may be sorely tested when called
upon to secretly house the Anne Franks of
our day. What if Corrie Ten Boom is the
model to be replicated hundreds of times
for Christians to fulfill their mandate as an
“antidote?” Will we stand the test? Will we
choose temporary personal peace over
what is obviously right?

In any case, we had best be standing
with our Jewish friends now against the
growing world-wide anti-Semitism, which
includes America, lest we eventually have
to make the same gloomy confession made
in 1945 by Rev. Martin Niemoller, a
German pastor, during the Nazi era:

“First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.”

Wake up America! Wake up Christians!
And speak up! NOW!

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Bibi the Prophet

By: Rev. James M. Hutchens, Ph.D. Chaplain (Brigadier General) US Army (Ret) President, The Jerusalem Connection International USA.

Like many today, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu has made the obvious connection between Nazi Germany of the 30’s and Jihadist Iran of today. Speaking to the delegates of the annual United Jewish Communities General Assembly, Natanyahu declared repeatedly, “It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany.” Incredibly, the reported response of the crowd was tepid. At best he was largely damned with faint praise. Is it possible that many in the modern secular/liberal Jewish community in America are in the same state of denial as many of the Jews were in Germany in the 30’s?

“It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany. And Iran is racing to arm itself with atomic bombs,” Natanyahu declared to his audience that we must “believe him and stop him — this we must do. Everything else pales before this.” With Israel’s preemptive strike against Iraq’s nuclear reactor in June of 1981 as a precedent, Natanyahu predicted that stopping Iran required “preemptive leadership. Preemption requires will and vision.” “No one,” he proclaimed, “will defend the Jews if the Jews don’t defend themselves — Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be stopped.” Only the delusional leadership in the U.S. and Israel will deny the reality of Natanyahu’s assessment

Now comes former Secretary of State James Baker, a proven Arabist with an anti- Zionist record. His Iraq Study Group, along with the tainted counsel of former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, (see the Lekarev Report on page 5) would have us believe that the key to the solution in Iraq is to solve the Israel-Palestinian problem. Say what? Contriving this connection serves only the purposes of the anti-Israel forces in Iraq, Iran, the Palestinians and much to our shame, too much of American leadership and policy makers.

Furthermore, they tell us we should embrace Iran because they have the capacity to control the sectarian violence on Iraq. The trade off, as Dick Morris notes well in his article, Baker’s Sellout Plan on page 19, will be to allow Iran to fulfill its nuclear ambitions. In a word we are going to supercharge Iran’s race for the atomic bomb. Unbelievably, we are facing the same “peace in our time” crowd that was wooed and won by Prime Minister Chamberlain in 1939. (see Suzanne Fields’ article on page 12). And unless we awaken from this insanity — from this flight from common sense, we can expect the same, beginning with an attempt to annihilate the Jews, unprecedented war and devastation, only this with Islamic Jihadism. First the Saturday people, the Jews. Then the Sunday people, the Christians.

It is imperative, especially for Christian Zionists, to consider all this in light of the Scriptures. We do believe that God is sovereign and remains in ultimate control in spite of the dark clouds looming. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19). Not only is God in control, but he has placed in authority those whom He has chosen for His purposes. “The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.” (Daniel 4:17).

Further, there is the sobering reality of God’s words. “I will bless those who bless you and him who curses you, I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3). Only God knows, but there are those alive today in our beloved America as well as elsewhere who put themselves under this curse because of their treatment of the Jews. There are also those who break God’s commandments and covenants, of whom it is written, they shall be called “least in the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:19).

On a more positive note, we are pleased to announce that Walid Shoebat will be serving as a Contributing Editor for our magazine with an article in each forthcoming issue. (see his article on page 8). Walid’s story (Why I Left Jihad) is one of God’s triumphants of grace. Born in Bethlehem and raised as a committed Muslim, he joined Yasser Arafat’s PLO terrorists. When later confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ, he believed and was transformed. He is convinced that it is the transforming power of Jesus alone as revealed in the Gospel that can change radical, jihadist Muslims. Welcome Walid, we are honored to partner with you.

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Ran Kohba, an architect and a helicopter-pilot

Ran Kohba, an architect and a helicopter-pilot
By Shimon Briman

He was the most modest out of two hundred of Israeli officers who came to Odessa in July 2004 by a special flight. That was a joint project of the Israeli Defense Forces and the "Jewish Agency for Israel". Never before have so many officers of all branches landed in the former USSR, never before the Israeli officers contacted directly with the Jewish youth of Ukraine.

One had to see it: the officers starting from the lieutenant and finishing with the general in uniform marched in column along one of the Odessa streets, stepping across the tram rails and singing loudly "Eveinu sholom aleihem". The traffic was blocked on both sides of the column. The "new Ukrainians" in their Jeeps stood without a complaint or beeping, astonished at the amazing view of the foreign troops. In front of the column between two standard bearers with the flags of Israel there marched an officer, two meters height, clasping the Torah roll to his bosom.

At the sound of Israeli military marches two hundred of senior pupils and students from the south of Ukraine greeted their militant guests, waving white-and-blue flags enthusiastically. At the ceremonial (and kosher) dinner both officers and students were specially placed in front of each other to help them establish contact.

Then officers and students divided into eight groups to have a more confiding talk. I had an honor to be a translator for one of those groups. Among young Ukrainians and officers sympathy immediately arose, although some questions of the students made the Israeli officers defend themselves.

The dispute that arose was over moral principles of the Israeli Defense Army. The smiling major informed that the ethic code of war prosecution is something that distinguishes the Jewish army. The students grumbled and rumbled something incoherent. The major - the deputy company commander of special purpose troops - said: "Ask what these guys think of our actions against terrorists". He shrunk at this questions waiting for accuse in excessive cruelty. But he was absolutely wrong!

The students from Odessa shouted out in chorus: "You bomb them not enough! You destroy less than enough! You need the most radical means against the nests of terrorism!" Israeli officers went open-mouthed with astonishment - they couldn't even imagine that the Jewish youth of Ukraine is more militantly thinking than them.

Then the helicopter-pilot Ron Kohba with a badge '1000 hours flight on 'Apache'' told them a story: not long ago he was ordered to destroy the car with the terrorist - the car was moving in the direction to Tel-Aviv. In the last moment before firing the missile he got the signal that a six-year old child of the "shahid" is sitting next to him, on his right. "What would you have done?" - Ran asked the students.

Students advised to "press the trigger, anyhow his son will grow a murderer", or to burst the left side of the car with a machine-gun fire. Ran calmed this youthful maximalism down: "We don't shoot at children. I was ordered to return back to the base, while our ground forces dealt with the terrorist".

After this dispute Ran Kohba stayed away from further arguments with the fervent Odessa students who "attacked" other officers. Ran was standing aside in his light military uniform and enjoying the Ukrainian landscapes. Laconic as he was, he was telling us about his civil occupation.

Ran appeared to be a professional architect, the head of the project-design bureau "Sabres" in the north of Israel. From time to time he is summoned to pilot the helicopter - for the reservists' musters for one or two days.

"We hit several buildings where terrorists sit with missiles. Then I return home at dawn after the military task. In several hours after destroying the enemies' houses I'm busy with projecting our new dwelling houses. Sometimes after such military tasks it's psychologically hard to switch. I'm negotiating with a customer, smiling at him and listening attentively, while my hands holding a pencil or a marker still remember a steering-wheel and a trigger" - Ran Kohba shares his impressions with me.

At the night of the 21st of July 2006 37 years old Ran Kohba was piloting his helicopter "Apace" to help their comrades in the battle with the "Hezbollah" militant groups near the Lebanon village Marun a-Ras. Suddenly the engine of the helicopter broke down. The machine was losing height and stroke against the second helicopter flying by its side. The second machine hardly managed to land. The Ran's helicopter crashed. Three IDF's soldiers were wounded. The major Ran Kohba died.

I'm writing these lines in between two missiles firing in Haifa. The live TV broadcast informs of the Lebanese "Katyusha" hit the building of the post office in the very center of the city. An hour before that Ran Kohba was buried in the military cemetery. That night he was flying to fulfill his military task in order to save my city of Haifa from 30 wounded civil citizens.

His surname is translated from Hebrew as the "Star". So he was a star, the best that the Holy Land gave birth to. As an architect he decorated Israel with new buildings. As a helicopter pilot he defended what he had built. Deep in his heart he understood that if he wants his compatriots to sleep peacefully in their beautiful homes he must not only project villas but also bomb and kill those who take from the Israeli citizens their right to live. Such was Ran Kohba - a talented designer and an experienced pilot, believing that we can't shoot at children of terrorists.

Thank You for Your Protection

Posted HERE at Free Republic.

By Rabbi Avraham Berkowitz.

This morning as the sun rose over Jerusalem, my wife Leah gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at the Hadassah Medical center. A few hours later I drove to the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Malachi where my wife's parents live. After packing several personal items that my wife will need for her hospital stay, I set out to drive back to Jerusalem. As I passed the central bus station in Kiryat Malachi, I saw an Israeli soldier waiting to get a ride. I rolled down the window and asked him where he needed to go. He said his base is near Jericho, but if I can take him to Jerusalem that would be great help. I was in a particularly upbeat mood today--after all, we were blessed with our fourth child and third daughter--but the reality around me in the holy land is down and worrisome. Israel is being attacked by its neighbors and we are fighting a war to defend ourselves. As fighter jets from the nearby air force base roared overhead, we cruised down the highway, and I get acquainted with Shachaf Raviv of Beer Sheva. His story gives a face to and direct association with the soldiers fighting for our land and people today. Shachaf, 21 years old, is a medic in the IDF. He tells me that yesterday his senior officer sent him home for one night to spend with his family because today he and his unit will be leaving their base near Jericho and heading up north to the battlefield on the border of Lebanon to be part of a team of doctors and medics who will be giving critical first aid to the wounded soldiers and civilians. His officer said he will not have any weekend breaks for a while and therefore sent him to bid farewell to his family. Shachaf told me of the feeling in his house last night, "no one slept, they surrounded me with love and care for hours. My father immigrated to Israel from Portugal in the late sixties and fought in the Yom Kippur War and my mother came from Tunisia to the promised land around the same time. They spoke of their dreams for themselves and our future. "I am the third of four children and currently the only son in the army. My parents named me Shachaf which means "seagull" in Hebrew but this morning when my mother said goodbye she held me for a long time and was crying, she kept calling me Rachamim--the Jewish name they gave me at my Brit ceremony, which in Hebrew means ‘mercy’ and ‘compassion.’ She cried and said ‘Rachamim today you will need G-d’s compassion and protection--We all need G-d’s rachamim.’” As we continued to drive I encouraged Shachaf and spoke to him about the great role he has in protecting the land of Israel and the Jewish people in Israel and ultimately Jews all over the world. At 12:00 PM I turned on the radio to the headline news. "Eight troops from Golani's 51st Battalion," the announcer said, "lost their lives on Wednesday during heavy fighting with Hezbollah terrorists in the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbail. Another officer was killed in a clash at Maron a-Ras. Over twenty soldiers are wounded..." Shachaf asked me to turn the radio off and give him spiritual inspiration instead before he heads to the front lines. I shared with him thoughts that I heard and learned from my Rebbe and teacher, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. During past conflicts in the Land of Israel, and during times of danger for the Jewish people, the Rebbe made practical suggestions of good deeds, mitzvot, that would elicit G-d's blessings and protection. I quoted him from the Torah that speaks of G-d protecting the land and we discussed the need for us to understand the deeper truths as to why we have our permanent homeland specifically in Israel, as promised to us in the Torah. Shachaf was very grateful to hear how Jews and non Jews all over the world are praying for them and thinking of them every day now and wishing for their success and G-d’s protection. When we came to Jerusalem I opened my briefcase. I had a new Mezuzuah in a plastic case and I gave it to Shachaf. I told him, “I am giving this to you for protection, but you must return it to me when you come back and I will go to Beer Sheva and put it up in your bedroom.” Shachaf liked the idea. I said, “It says in the Torah ‘Emissaries of a good deeds are not harmed.’ You have a Mezuza--it will protect you.” Shachaf put the mezuza in his front left pocket and promised me he would leave it there until he comes back, he will also tell the story of our meeting to his fellow medic soldiers and tell them they have added protection. I then pulled out an envelope with $500 that a member of my community gave me yesterday to give to distressed Jews in the north, and asked Shachaf to be my personal emissary to distribute these funds to wounded soldiers and civilians. At first he refused to take it, but after we exchanged e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers he agreed and promised to report to me exactly how he gave the funds to people who really need it. We only met an hour before, but we suddenly were deeply connected to each other. We embraced, the Mezuzah protruding from his pocket and his rifle strapped across his chest. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, “Rachamim, thank you for your protection”; and he looked me back in the eye while placing his hand over the mezuzah I gave him, and said “Avraham, thank you for your protection.” I am writing this article on my laptop while sitting in the room at Hadassah Hospital while my wife rests. I look at the beautiful face of our little newborn daughter and thank G-d for His blessings and pray for His protection for my child and all the rest of His children. As the Jewish world will pray this Shabbat for the protection of the soldiers of Israel, I will have in mind Rachamim Raviv. Please think of him and thousands of more like him who need G-d’s rachamim, mercy, and full protection.

Justice For Yossi

I know of this young man, his family, and specifically his Mom. He comes from a rock solid American Conservative, law-abiding background.

Most at Free Republic are familiar with FR's founding, based in agitation against the radicalism of the Clinton regime. It was the same willingness to shoulder the (then in power) leftist accusation of "law-breakers" and "trouble-makers" that paved the way for the final fall of the left in the national political arena.

This same dynamic is happening in the Nation of Israel today; young men such as Yossi the forerunners of the same revival in Israel politics and culture.

I am impressed to no end with this young man and his family, and support him. While the majority in Israel languish in confusion, he stands for Jewish things which are unique and rare. I hope you do too!

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April 23, 2006

JUSTICE FOR YOSSI!

Elchonon wrote this at 6:33 pm:

On February 2nd marked as one of the darkest days of the state of Israel. between 7,000 and 10,000 troops (depending on who you ask) descended onto the outpost community of Amonah. Their task: bulldoze 9 beautiful brand new houses.. and bash as many skulls as possible. In what is now history over 350 innocent protestors were brutally beaten and smashed. Dozens were arrested, among them my dear friend and roommate Yossi.

Yossi on the roof in amona

Yossi (23) accompanied me to Amonah to help try to stop the destruction. After being badly beaten and dragged off the rooftop, Yossi was walking towards the Magen David Adom tent to get medical help when he was grabbed by a magavnik (mishmar hagvul - border guards) The magavnik informed Yossi that he was under arrest. Yossi was handed over to the police who asked the magavnik what Yossi did… one magavnik raised his hand and said “he hit me” which is a total and complete lie.

Yossi was then hauled off to the Russian compound police station in Jerusalem. He was held that night and the next day when he was brought before a judge. The charges: Striking a army officer etc….

Yossi’s lawyer Naftuly Wertzberg who was provided by choneinu, successfully argued to allow Yossi out on bail. 1500 shekel (400$) was posted and I and a friend signed for 5,000 shekel. Terms of bail: cannot leave the country, cannot enter Judea and Samaria.

Ever since I can remember Yossi has been a fighter for Israel, first at demonstrations here in the US and later in 2003 when he joined the army in Israel. Gedud 97 Netzach Yehuda (Nachal Chareidi) Yossi made a HUGE sacrifice in his joining the army. While soldiers get off from base every 2 weeks for 3 days. Yossi could not go home to his family who live in Detroit. The past 3 years Pesach have been spent away from home.

In February of last year, Yossi was offered a chance to join a officers course. At that point of time with the expulsion of Gush Katif looming ahead, Yossi chose to decline the request and finish the army instead so he would not be a part of this great sin.

And so Yossi joined in full time in the battle for Gush Katif and the land of Israel. Joining me at roadblockings’s and driving out to Gush Katif at least twice a week to help us out at the hotel.

When August 15th rolled around, Yossi grabbed a backpack and some food and hitched to Ofakim where he hiked thru the woods. For 2 days Yossi continued towards Gush Katif, sleeping on the ground and eating canned tuna blocking the roads along the way many times yet successfully escaping arrest. Reaching Kissufim crossing he was promptly arrested and hauled off to jail.

In December of this 2005 we decided to make aliyah and as it would enable to pay off our debt, Yossi wanted to use his money to pay his debt, quit work and go to yeshiva. While my aliyah was accepted his was rejected for his arrest by Kissufim. Yossi was in the process of clearing up his open criminal case when he was arrested at Amonah.

As of now Yossi has 3 thousand dollars in hard debt, he is stuck in the country yet cannot make aliyah. He will need 5 thousand dollars to pay for legal fee’s for the trial. He works in construction 10 hours a day just to be able to pay bills. But who will pay for his legal fee’s ?

I am turning to you friends and strangers to help Yossi.

Donations can be paypal’d to elchonon1@juno.com or mailed to:

Justice For Yossi
c/o Elchonon
1081 NE 175th Street,
North Miami Beach, FL 33162.

Yossi can be reached at: m4a1car2@hotmail.com

For references etc… Regarding Yossi and his legal case contact:

Shlomo Wollins editor http://israelreporter.com and friend of Yossi shlomo@israelreporter.com

054-7388-054 (from within Israel)

011-972-54-7388-054 (from outside Israel)

Rabbi Dany Cohen. Chabad Shliach in Chevron and friend of Yossi 052-431-7299 danny770@yahoo.com

Hebrew only: Shmuel (zangy) meidad. Head of choneinu non profit legal orginization represnting political prisoners: 052-566-5975

Please repost this on your blog etc.. and forward by email!

Settlers, You Have Failed

Dear Valued Friends and Peers,

This article was posted at Free Republic by one of the list members. It is a pristine example of the cruelty, vindictiveness, hatred, and moral bankruptcy of the secular left, whether in Israel, or here in America. It is incredible that one Jew would be this vicious to another one.

Kapo is a slang term for concentration camp prisoners who tried to save their own lives by betraying their fellow prisoners - they served as guards, informers or supervisors, and received extra privileges such as food or better sleeping quarters. Those who were still alive at liberation were often murdered by other prisoners. The derivation is uncertain but might be related to "captain," or "Kapitan" in German; or perhaps Italian "capo," meaning "boss."

This cruel, self-serving nature is not exclusive to the Jewish people; indeed, it is the fallen nature of man. But the fact that one Jew would model this behavior shows Jewish culture is desperately in need today of a tangible and real Divine intervention.

And no, the settlers have not failed. In fact, His campaign has only just begun.

Jewish tragedy and fallout after Amona

The cultural retreat of the Israelis continues in the wake of the Amona pogrom. Tonight partner SJackson posts this news account detailing the merger of two Israeli/Arab parties and the Arab MK's "...calling for Islamic rule in Israel and praising the Hamas terror group."

Aaah, "democracy" in action, and the true saying, "Culture is religion externalized and made specific" modeled here as Islam—as is its true nature—finally exerts itself from the position granted it in Israeli "liberal democracy."

Well, now the subject has been breached in the center of the Israeli government, look for it to continue to grow as it feeds off the mediocrity and moral weakness of "modernity and secularism" and the only ideas which can fend off this flood of evil in their very midst beaten up and trampled on the streets of Amona.

Unless the Jews wake up and listen to the brave settler youth, the contemporary prophets that have been sent among them.

PM Sharon Suffers Serious Stroke, Olmert in Power

From one of my postings tonight at Free Republic:

"...I scanned this picture of Ariel Sharon from one of my books. Most pictures of Sharon you will find on the 'net are of an elderly, gray haired old man; portrayed now as weak and dying. Never forget he was instrumental in the further strengthening of the Nation of Israel in earlier and even more troubling times, an effective warrior, and a powerful man.

Save one for your records."

The heart-rending complete speech of Carolyn Glick

Had this one come in on the American Friends for a Safe Israel list, posted first at Israel-Commentary, and now Free Republic:

This speech by Caroline Glick, Deputy Managing Editor, Jerusalem Post, was delivered at the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City December 11, 2005 upon her receiving the Ben Hecht Award for Excellence in Journalism for the Middle East.

Good evening. Thank you so much. It is really wonderful to be here in New York with all of you tonight. Thank you.

I want to thank Mort Klein and the ZOA Board of Directors for honoring me with this prestigious award. Ben Hecht was a great Jew, a great Zionist and a powerful writer who used his pen to defend our people and our rights.

That the Zionist Organization of America should view me as worthy to receive an award bearing Ben Hecht’s name is a tremendous vote of confidence in me from people I respect. I am humbled by your faith in me. I hope that I will always remain worthy of this faith.

I also want to thank my boss and colleague in Washington, Mr. Frank Gaffney, the President of the Center for Security Policy for being here tonight.

Frank is a great American patriot and a great friend of the Jewish people in the tradition of George Washington and Orde Wingate and Lord Balfour.

Knowing there are people like Frank in Washington gives me reason to believe that the future holds hope for the Jewish people and for the American people and gives me faith that ultimately, we will emerge victorious in the war now raging against us.

I also want to thank some people who are not here. I want to thank Amnon Lord, the editor of Makor Rishon – the greatest Hebrew newspaper in Israel – for bringing me into newspaper business six years ago and for continuing to encourage me ever since.

David Horovitz, the editor of the Jerusalem Post has provided me with a wonderful platform for my writing and for this I am grateful as well.

Now, back to the people who are here. I want to thank my family. My parents – Gerald and Sharon Glick and my siblings – David, Bonnie and Douglas Glick and their families. My brother in law Paul Foldi and my nephews Matthew and Jonathan are also here tonight.

The responsibility for the survival and success of the Jewish people has always rested first and foremost on the Jewish family. I can say without reservation that I would never have been able to accomplish what I have accomplished in my life if I hadn’t had you as my family. I want you to know that I do not take your love and support for granted. I owe who I am to my ability to trust that love. Thank you.

One of the most fundamental lessons we learned growing up in our parents’ house was the difference between reality and fantasy.

As children, the distinction seemed obvious to us. But apparently, the difference between the two is a lot less easy to discern than it would seem.

This must be the case because the fact of the matter is that today, for the second time in 12 years, a government of Israel -- being led by an elderly politician with a distant past as a war hero -- is basing its policies on fantasy rather than reality.

I made aliyah in May 1991 and joined the army. A couple of years after my service began, I found myself working as the coordinator of the negotiations with the PLO in the Ministry of Defense. In that position, I saw on a daily basis what life looks like in the world of fantasy.

On July 18, 1995 Ori Shachor and Ohad Bachrach – aged 18 and 19 were hiking in Wadi Kelt when they were murdered by Palestinian terrorists. They were each shot in the head and then, after they were dead, their throats were slit.

I remember their murders well. They were killed on a Friday morning. I was sitting at a hotel in Zikhron Yaacov with the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams as they laid out the schedule for the next week of talks when we got word of the killings.

On Sunday morning while I was driving up the coastal highway to Zikhron Yaacov, opponents of the Oslo process staged a creative demonstration.
A convoy of cars, buses and trucks drove up the highway at 20 miles an hour with signs reading, “Rabin, Peres, go slow.”

I was deeply moved by the demonstration. I cried the whole way to Zikhron. I was grateful to the protesters - who made me arrive an hour late at the talks. I was grateful to them for taking the time to show their loyalty to the memory of the young men – for maintaining the honor of our dead.

But when I got to the hotel, my tears were replaced by shock. here, the heads of our delegation were livid at what they considered the chutzpa of the demonstrators for making us start our negotiations late. Uri Savir, then director general of the Foreign Ministry and head of our delegation, like the politicized IDF generals, apologized to the Palestinians for the inconvenience caused them by the demonstrators.

They apologized even as the murderers of Shachor and Bachrach had in the space of 36 hours been arrested and released by the Palestinian security forces. And they apologized even as their Palestinian counterparts were the commanders of the security services that released the young men’s killers.

For these Israeli leaders, the fantasy of the peace process was impervious to the screams of our murdered youths. For these so-called peacemakers, their murder – at the hands of the so-called “enemies of peace” – was a simple inconvenience.

Yehudit Shachor, Ori’s mom told reporters a couple of years later that when she tried to talk to Shimon Peres about the fact that her son’s murderers were walking free, Peres told her that there was nothing that he could do about it because he was in the business of signing peace treaties.

All he could offer was the suggestion that Mrs. Shachor speak with Yassir Arafat.

The fantasy of Oslo was that the Arabs want peace with Israel. This fantasy was laid to rest five years ago when the Palestinians began their terror war against Israel in earnest -- with the support of the entire Arab world and Iran.

Israelis lost their faith in the fantasy of peace as our people were incinerated at cafes, on buses, at bar mitzvah parties and at Passover Seders while in the background, from Cairo to Tehran to Beirut and Damascus to Amman, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion were turned into TV mini-series and the infamous forgeries went into their thousandth printings throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds.

The odd and tragic thing is that just as the fantasy of Oslo was disintegrating against the overwhelming power of the reality of war, it was replaced not with a strategy for victory based on reality, but by a new strategy based on a new fantasy.

Those who for years spoke of the danger of Oslo and watched in horror as their darkest forecasts came true, did not receive the belated thanks of their people.

They continued to be pilloried, as Israel’s elites and their foreign benefactors replaced one old politician and former military leader with another old politician and former military leader and replaced one fantasy for another.

This new fantasy, propounded by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is the fantasy of disengagement.

According to this fantasy, while it is true that the Arab world in general and the Palestinians in particular have no interest in living at peace with Israel, Israel can deal with their hatred by unilaterally disengaging from the Middle East. We can hold up behind walls and barricades, turn on the internet and become immediately transported to a world where we will be safe.

The disengagement from geographical and strategic reality that Sharon is advancing is in many ways more dangerous than the fantasy of Oslo.
Oslo endangered Israelis by empowering the PLO, Hamas and Islamic Jihad and giving them safe bases of operations against Israel in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Oslo endangered Israelis by sending a clear message to the entire Arab and Muslim world that Israel can be defeated through a strategy of attrition based on terrorism. The disengagement fantasy does all of this as well. But it also does something more. The disengagement fantasy involves Israelis directly in the brutalization of other Israelis.

In August of this year, at the command of Sharon and his yes-man Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police deployed a force of 50,000 soldiers and policemen to forcibly expel all Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria. In so doing, Sharon and Mofaz made Israel the first country to ethnically cleanse land from Jews simply because they are Jews since the Holocaust.

The justice system in Israel was subverted to ensure the accomplishment of the goal of making Gaza and northern Samaria Judenrein. People were denied permits to protest. People’s freedom of movement was restricted as policemen intercepted buses transporting lawful protesters to legal demonstrations.

Thousands of people were arrested en masse and kept behind bars for weeks and months without trial or indictment for the “crime” of opposing their government’s policies. Among these Jewish political prisoners were hundreds of minor children. And when the Public Defender’s office put out a report explaining that laws were prejudicially enforced based on the suspects’ political views, Chief Public Defender Inbal Rubinstein was forced to apologize for the report under threat of firing from Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.

In the meantime, in spite of the constant demonization by the Hebrew press and the Prime Minister’s office, the protesters themselves, managed to protest against this immoral and strategically disastrous policy while maintaining their dignity and reputation as Israeli patriots and democratic opponents of the government.

For the most part, the IDF too maintained its dignity. It was clear from Sharon’s statements that he wanted for the IDF to clash with the protesters. Through word and deed he made it clear to everyone that he wanted for the two sides to view one another as enemies and to act that way. Sharon’s aim was to force a violent clash between the IDF and the opponents of the expulsions in order to delegitimize the supporters of the Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza in order to prepare the groundwork for mass expulsions from Judea and Samaria. He failed.

In the now destroyed synagogues in the now destroyed town of Neve Dekalim, in Gedid, in Atzmona, in Netzarim, in Kfar Darom, soldiers and protesters - expelled Jews and their supporters - prayed and sang and wept together. The IDF stood by its duty to fulfill the orders of the government even when the government is wrong.

And the hundreds of thousands of protesters against the expulsions understood that one man and one man alone was responsible for this moral outrage – Ariel Sharon – and he was not in Gush Katif. The strength of the Jewish people was palpable during the dark days of July and August. Both the opponents of the expulsions and the army that was called in to execute those expulsions understood that they held a grave responsibility to avert a civil war that Sharon and his political consultants were pushing for.

But while the achievements of both the army and the opponents of the expulsions were great, ironically, they paved the way for the next round of expulsions by making it seem easy to throw Jews out of their homes.

Today Sharon and his associates are planning to move immediately after the general elections to expel an additional fifty thousand Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria. Indeed, the coming elections will answer one question and only one question:

Will Sharon continue the policy of ethnically cleansing the Land of Israel of Jews and transfer 95 percent of Judea and Samaria to our enemies – even before he begins negotiating Jerusalem, the immigration of foreign Arabs to the Land of Israel and Israel’s security arrangements with anyone?

That is, will Israel expand its vulnerability to national destruction at the hands of our enemies and continue to turn Jew against Jew in the hopes of inciting a civil war?

Will Israel, at the same time as the Iranians with the silent support of the Arab world call for the eradication of the Jewish state, continue to cling to the fantasy that we can live in our land and pretend that we are not part of our neighborhood?

It is possible that Sharon will win the coming elections, although all must be done to point out to the Israeli people and to our friends around the world in the coming months, the tragic toll such an event will take on the lives of thousands Israelis and our allies around the world.

All must be made to know that the result of choosing fantasy over reality is the murder of thousands of real people. And if Sharon does win, we must understand that the fight for truth will continue. In such an event the role of the ZOA and its members will become both more difficult and more important. Just as it has done since Israel first chose fantasy over reality 12 years ago, the ZOA will be forced to remain a voice of truth even as the power rests in the hands of those who base their policies on denying truth.

In Gaza this summer I saw the greatness of the Jewish people even in the hour of our self-inflicted suffering. I have seen since the withdrawal from Gaza -- with the transformation of Gaza into a base for international terror, and the transformation of the western Negev into a war zone -- that our enemies continue to be consistent in their dedication to the destruction of our country.

I believe in the greatness of the Jewish people. I know that alas, we have a tendency, because of the burden of our identity, to choose false messiahs in every generation – men who tell us there is an easy way out of our struggle.

I also know that there is a core among us, that never loses faith in our destiny as the Children of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. This is the core of Jews that never forgets the distinction between fact and fantasy. And the people in this room are part of this core. I entreat you to recognize that each of us carries the responsibility for our people but also the ability as committed proud Jews, and friends of the Jews to secure our future.

There is much difficult work to be done. And I have trust that we are equal to the task. I pray that G-d should bless all of you and that he should bless the Jewish people and our friends throughout the world.

In Defense of Christian Conservatives - Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, director of TowardTradition.org, keeps hitting them out of the ballpark in his defense of the motives and efforts of the Evangelical Christian community and their support of the Nation of Israel. FReeper pal Alouette posts this email commentary at Free Republic authored by the good Rabbi:

"...It is a remarkable thing, this friendship. Very different theologies, very different histories and backgrounds, and even different visions of the future, yet a shared recollection of our Biblical past assures the present in an atmosphere of trust and amity.

Into this delicate relationship strides an extremist demagogue whose intemperate denunciations this past weekend threaten to destroy friendships between Jews and Christians. "

Oh, forgot to mention. He was responding to Abe Foxman of ADL fame, and his recorded hatred of anything Christian in the American public square. Ol' Abe was obviously hounding the Christians again, and Rabbi Lapin responded!

Read the rest HERE

The Future Of GAZA

Now that the dust has settled from the August expulsion of the Jews of Gush Katif, the inevitable fruit of this move has begun to blossom. Like today, the shooting outside Gush Etzion, a major settlement bloc. Another Israeli was wounded in a separate shooting. The "peace" promised by the many factions which pushed for this expulsion continues to be the elusive pipe dream.

FReeper American in Israel wrote a commentary concerning Gaza from a Biblical perspective which was interesting; bits of Biblical prophecy that when first penned left the reader bewildered over the years, yet today—under his instruction—are coming to life.

The future of Gaza and the inhabitants left in the wake of this retreat of the Jews, is in the Hands of the One who said His people who were promised the land would never be uprooted again. Read it for yourself....

"Then let's wait and see what the Arabs do after they take Gaza. There's nothing like Arab reality to break up a Jewish fantasy."—FReeper Noachian

G-d and Katrina

The last few weeks since hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and Louisiana has been a traumatic time for many—certainly the residents of the Big Easy.

The idea that G-d "did this" in immediate response to the forceful removal the Jews of Gush Katif was quickly fielded in intellectual and faith forums, than just as quickly condemned by many—including many who should know better. Unbelievers and those who sport a “religious” façade spouted their predictable self-righteous banality rooted in their narrow understanding and grasp of reality.

People who purport to be Christians and believers; those who should know well the Word of G-d; His protocols and the way He does things; should be more Biblically informed.

G-d didn’t create the record breaking hurricane Katrina—Satan did.

We see in the Book of Job a rare look into the realm of Heaven, specifically Job chapter one. “…Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”

Of course the reader is familiar with the following discourse. Satan accuses Job to G-d, since He has put “a hedge” about him, and if that protection was gone, Job would curse Him to His face. With Divine permission and the hedge removed, Satan proceeds to generate at one point “…a great wind from the wilderness” which destroyed the eldest son’s house which contained all of Job’s children and killed them.

Likewise, in the New Testament, the Book of Mark, chapter four, the story of the storm in the Sea of Galilee as the Lord and the disciples sailed across. Jesus was asleep in the stern and the disciples, frightened and incredulous, demanded of Him, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”

He rose, “…rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still,” and it stopped, revealing a supernatural source behind the storm, as in the story of Job.

Thus, we can certainly deduce Katrina—a killer hurricane—was satanically generated, as the Lord providentially pulled His protection from America for a time to let Satan wreak his havoc. G-d can still permit a lot worse, as He deals with the Bush Administration and America.

Was this because of the Bush Administration pressuring Sharon to execute the expulsion and rip the Jews of Gush Katif from their homes? Or was it because New Orleans was an unbelievably corrupt sewer, modeled so well in the criminal incompetence of the Louisiana and New Orleans governmental bodies and their inept response to the incoming storm? As one of my clients stated, morally putrid New Orleans needed to be flushed a long time ago. The One Who rules in the affairs of men certainly finally did that.

Spiritually; theologically, I think it was a combination of a lot of things. It is between every individual, affected by these hurricanes or not, and Him, to work out. There are a hundred different national ministries deployed in the Louisiana area ministering to the victims to that end, challenging them to turn to Him in these terrible times.

Still, I stated many times the wails of the innocent Jews, who, following the earlier encouragement of Sharon—and Biblical mandate—to resettle the land that is rightfully theirs, being forcibly evicted certainly resonated through the Throne room of Heaven. The idea that there is a living G-d in Israel Who promised He would bring His chosen people back into their land and that they would not be uprooted again—and is dead serious about that—is dismissed as silly and superstitious by many.

So Sharon and Bush pushed through their delusional and short-sighted plan, and burned a bunch of Jews, who in the midst of that great travesty, cried out to the Holy One of Israel. And a few weeks later Katrina blows through the Gulf and demolishes 1900 square miles of U.S. land, breaking records in its ferocity, and we see video of recalcitrant New Orleans residents being forcibly removed from their homes as well by U.S. authorities, mirroring on a grander scale what happened with the Jews in Gush Katif.

Geeez, do you think He heard the settlers prayers?

All just a coincidence. But then, wisdom is known of her children.

No comment on the Disengagement/Retreat

Except what I posted tonight.

The House of Israel is in G-d's capable Hands....

The Nature of Bruce

"...It is certainly not my intent to trivialize the circumstances in the territories by reducing them to the level of a children’s movie, yet sometimes axiomatic truths are revealed to us on the whole in the most simplest of ways. Two small fish engaging in a warm, fuzzy group therapy with natural predators suggests the same lunacy evident in the discourse surrounding the current disengagement and the Jewish residents of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron."

Read the rest at Free Republic

The Jews of Gush Katif

As the summer approaches and the deadline for the evacuation of the Jews from Gush Katif comes closer, the opposition to this ill-conceived plan continues to grow, especially from among the Evangelical Christian community in America. The Islamist influence in the territories continues to incite the Arab masses against the Jews of Israel, calling this "a victory" against the "occupiers" and strengthening the enemies of the Jewish people over-all. A new terrorist sponsering state in the Middle East, and especially within the borders of Israel, only bodes evil in the months ahead.

It is heartening to also see the Jews in America also standing up in opposition to this scenario. The one positive in all this is that the Jews of Gush Katif, in facing this travesty as they are forced from their homes and the Gaza strip is rendered Judenfrein, is further awakening the Jewish people to their heritage and history, which will only strengthen the rebuilding of the House of Israel—and further root out the moral weakness in the Nation of Israel which has spawned this tragedy under pressure from a sullen and Jew-hating world.

I've said it before, I like Bush and I support him. He and Rumsfeld kicking Islamist butt up and down the international block was long overdue and Bush alone had the strength of character to initiate such an audacious plan for the Middle East.

Unfortunately, he is exhibiting some impatience, in light of current cultural and political conditions, and about to shoot himself in the foot with the "disengagement" plan and kowtowing to the Islamist forces in Palestinian Arab culture, and this is truly tragic, especially for the Jews who will be shouldering the misery of this impending wound on the heart of Israel. It will only hurt our own war efforts as well as we stand against global radical Islam.

May G-d watch over and protect these brave people in the months ahead, and stand up on their behalf as they stand for Him.

These are some videos made in Israel. I downloaded the first one, which was a long one. If you have high-speed access, they should play fine:

A Stab In The Heart

IsraelNationalNews - A Video on Gush Katif

PA Sermon: Extermination of Jews and Subjugation of Christians - Goal of History

This from Palestinian Media Watch and posted at Free Republic.

Excerpt:"We [Muslims] have ruled the world [in the past] and a day will come, by Allah, and we shall rule the world [again]. The day will come and we shall rule America, Britain, we shall rule the entire world, except the Jews. The Jews will not live under our rule agreeably permanently, since they have been treacherous in nature throughout history. A day will come when all shall rest from the Jews, even the tree and the stone, which have suffered from them. Listen to your Beloved [Muhammad], who tells you about the most dire end awaiting the Jews. The tree and the stone want the Muslim to bring every Jew to his end. You all know the Hadith." [PA TV, May 13, 2005] "

And people wonder why we aren't all gung-ho over the Bush/Sharon Disengagement plan. Hate like this cannot be reasoned with or compromised with. If the Disengagement Plan goes through, the "Palestinian" Arabs will smell blood in the water. Take hate-filled rhetoric like this to its inevitable conclusion.

Senator from Kansas Offers Israel a Helping Hand

Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas wants to help the people of Israel and the international Jewish community, and indirectly, all Americans, as the author of Senate Joint Resolution 14, a remarkable piece of legislation known as the “Jerusalem Resolution.” Posted here at Free Republic.

The bill’s beauty is in its simplicity and common sense. It calls for “the recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel before the United States recognizes a Palestinian state.”

Will it pass? Not unless some serious pressure is put on the Senate, even with a Republican majority.

Fate of Greater Israel signed and sealed

This excerpted article posted at Free Republic from Jewish World Review signifies a notable turning point in the "disengagement" plan of Bush and Sharon. The sure promises of the Lord concerning the future and integrity of the reborn Nation of Israel are being pushed more and more into His lap to prove that, indeed, His Will will stand in the end.

Are you guys ready for this? It's going to get messy. Oh, I'm not talking about the efforts of the Yesha supporters to resist this physically. I'm talking about when the Lord end-runs their noble yet ineffective efforts -- whatever form they take -- and handles it Himself.

There's going to be a lot of incredulous Jews standing in Israel -- and a horrified world grappling with the stark reality that there most certainly is a G-d in Israel and His Word stands in the end. It's not about us. It's not about them. It's all about Him.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli parliament approved the 2005 state budget on Tuesday, removing the last legislative obstacle to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip this summer.

The 58-36 vote dashed hopes of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip and their supporters of bringing down Sharon's government before the planned withdrawal and preventing the pullout by political means.

Failure to pass the budget by Thursday would have forced new elections within three months, delaying or even shelving the plan to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.

On Monday, parliament overwhelmingly rejected a national referendum on the pullout, a move advocated by the settlers that could have put the plan on hold.

[Permalink at JWR]

Calling All Christians

This from Michael Freund of the Jerusalem Post

Is George W. Bush missing a couple of pages from his Bible? In a speech last week at the National Defense University, the president repeated what has become one of his primary foreign policy mantras.

Asserting that the only way to bring about tranquility in the Middle East is through the establishment of a Palestinian state, Bush said, "We seek two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security."

In addition, Bush insisted that Israel must "freeze settlement activity" and "ensure that a new Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory on the West Bank," meaning that he expects the Jewish state to withdraw not only from Gaza and northern Samaria, but from large chunks of the rest of the territories as well.

The president's statement, of course, is nothing new. It is a theme he has harped on for the past few years, laying down his conviction that the Land of Israel should be partitioned between Arabs and Jews.

But what is truly remarkable, and as yet inexplicable, is that a man so committed to his Christian faith and to belief in the Bible could possibly be unaware of the inherent contradiction in his policy toward the region.

Indeed, how is it that the most devoted Christian to sit in the White House in decades is the same person pressing to divide God's Holy Land, the very same land promised exclusively to the Jewish people by Divine right?

Now, I am neither a theologian nor a Christian, but I do know that the words "Palestine" and "Palestinians" do not appear anywhere in the New Testament. So Bush could not have gotten the idea to establish "Palestine" while attending Sunday school. Did he not learn that Jesus was a Jew who, like the Jews who today are called "settlers," lived in land given by God to the Jews, the same land in which he would now create a hostile Palestinian state?

To be fair, Bush has been a great friend of Israel, deflecting international criticism over the Jewish state's efforts to defend itself while pushing to reform and democratize some of our nasty neighbors.

Nonetheless, his insistence on pressing for the establishment of a Palestinian state remains baffling, if not incomprehensible, as it would appear to conflict with both his religious and his ideological worldviews.

Even in terms of the war on terror, Bush's stance on the Middle East is laden with inconsistency. In that same National Defense University speech last week, Bush said, "The theory here is straightforward: Terrorists are less likely to endanger our security if they are worried about their own security. When terrorists spend their days struggling to avoid death or capture, they are less capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We will keep the terrorists on the run, until they have nowhere left to hide."

And yet, when it comes to the Palestinians, that is precisely the opposite of Bush's policy, as the creation of a Palestinian state would inevitably give terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad a perfect place "to hide."

In light of the president's position, as well as his religious beliefs, there is one group in particular that should seize the moment now and come out against the current drive toward Israeli withdrawal and retreat: American Christians.

As the core group of Bush's Republican constituency, and as a growing factor to be reckoned with on the American political stage, evangelical Christians have the clout, the numbers and the conviction to help forestall the creation of "Palestine."
Efforts by Bush and by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to carve up the Holy Land and turn over parts of it to the Arabs should offend anyone who takes the Bible seriously, including evangelicals. To stand by and watch this process unfold without speaking out is simply unthinkable.

There are three things – the three P's – that US Christians can and should do to make their voices heard: protest, pressure and pray. They shouldn't wait for a divided American Jewry to take the lead, because time is of the essence, as the planned withdrawal from Gaza is just four months away.

Hence, there is no reason why American Christians can't start taking to the streets to organize rallies and protests under the banner of "Don't Divide the Holy Land." What a powerful message it would send to decision-makers in Washington and Jerusalem to see hundreds of thousands or even millions of non-Jewish Americans speaking out on this important issue.

US Christians can also apply pressure on their elected representatives. Next Thursday, March 24, when Jews mark the Fast of Esther, a grassroots effort is being planned to get as many American Jews and Christians as possible to phone, fax and e-mail the White House, with the central theme being "President Bush: Honor God's covenant with His people. Stop Disengagement."

Lastly, it is time for Jews and Christians to pull out the most potent weapon in their arsenal, the power of prayer. The Land of Israel is in danger, and there can be no better way to influence events than by turning in prayer to the One who guides all human events.

There is still time to act, to make a difference. American Christians have been put in a unique position, one in which they can have a direct impact on the future of Israel and its land. At this critical hour, when the integrity of the Holy Land is at stake, they cannot and must not be silent.

The writer served as an aide to former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Settlers Block Highway in Pullout Protest

This is a Yahoo! news video of the settlers and their supporters blocking the main road into Tel Aviv, posted Tuesday, 22 March.

Settlers Block Highway in Pullout Protest.

Just the latest in the conflict over the disengagement plan.

"Alouette" From Free Republic

"The appropriate way to memorialize the Holocaust is not by building museums, but by building schools, synagogues and yeshivos so that the next generation of Jewish people will be firm in their faith and observance. Not another freakin damn shrine to the dead. ... Anti-Semites love Holocaust memorials. They look at the exhibits featuring piles of dead Jews and feel great satisfaction. "  [Permalink]

"Alouette" is a friend from Free Republic. Statements like this is why I like her.

Mideast duty for U.S. troops may include Israel

I had this one sent to me through regular mail by a longterm online friend. The idea that any "peacekeepers," American or otherwise would be deployed in Israel is absolutely offensive to everything Israel stands for, as if they were some third world banana republic unable to handle their internal affairs. Most Americans would agree that the Israelis are more than capable of handling their own "peace-keeping" duties. Imagine the U.N. deploying troops on the Mexican/American border to maintain the "peace." We would not tolerate the humiliation.

To stand by the Israelis in defeat of radical Islam and terrorism? Whole other story.

Mideast duty for U.S. troops may include Israel

Troops serving in and near the Middle East might want to start getting used to the scenery.

Lawmakers and top military commanders say 2005 could well be a pivotal year in the history of the unsettled region.

And they say the continued presence of tens of the thousands of American troops is helping to create an atmosphere of stability and U.S. commitment — so much so that there is even growing talk of troops taking part in any Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, renewed his longstanding call for NATO and U.S. troops to take part in an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.

The death in November of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has set the stage for renewed movement in the creation of a Palestinian state. And Warner said a NATO force with strong U.S. participation would be viewed as evenhanded in the volatile region because many of NATO’s European allies have strong ties to Palestinian Arabs while the United States is viewed as a strong backer of Israel.

Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, NATO’s top commander in Europe, said he’s heard growing informal discussions at senior diplomatic levels in recent weeks about a possible NATO force for an Israeli-Palestinian accord.

“When things get talked about at that level, my ears pick up,” Jones said at a March 1 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

At the hearing, Jones also told Warner he has been given “no additional task” to plan for a possible Israel peacekeeping mission. Still, the informal talk is reminiscent of discussion he heard in early 2003 that led to NATO participation in the Afghanistan mission, he said.

Iraq’s Jan. 30 elections appear to have set the tone for growing movements of political reform throughout the region, Army Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command, said at the hearing, adding that 2005 “can be a decisive year for us,” an assessment echoed by several senior senators.

However, Abizaid cautioned that “nothing in the Middle East moves in a straight line” and that numerous setbacks could lie ahead.

“As optimistic as I am, and as revolutionary as the times may be, we should not underestimate our enemies in the region,” he said. “There is fighting ahead. We should not kid ourselves.”

The performance of Iraqi security forces during the elections “provided a glimpse of how good they can be,” Abizaid said, but the Iraqis must make significant progress in creating lines of communication and control between their new government and the military.

U.S. troop levels in Iraq peaked at more than 159,000 in late January, about 20,000 above pre-election levels. Abizaid said a massive U.S. unit rotation is underway that will reduce U.S. combat power by mid-March from 20 brigades to 17 brigades. But he was hesitant to commit to a timeline for further reductions.

The Sanhedrin's Declaration Concerning the Disengagement

I had one of the list members forward me this one, from the The Temple Institute website of the International Department of the Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel. I'm posting it here for the benefit of those who know what it is like to have something "dissappear" off the Internet, and it probably wouldn't last at Free Republic. Interesting the internal cultural changes within the Jewish Nation, as Jewish life is restored.

The Sanhedrin's Declaration Concerning the Disengagement
26 Adar 1 5760

Since its meeting on 28th Shvat 5765, the Sanhedrin has deliberated the initiative of the Prime Minister of Israel, the decisions of the government, and legislation enacted by the Knesset regarding the plan known as "The Disengagement," henceforth referred to in this document as "the uprooting."

This plan involves the uprooting of Jewish communities in the Gaza strip and northern Samaria, the forced expulsion of Jews from their homes, and the willful transfer of these lands to a foreign power.

Following an intensive study which took place regarding the halachic (authentic Jewish law) questions that arise from the government's decision, the Sanhedrin hereby brings its conclusions and decisions to the public's attention.

1). The Prime Minister's program of uprooting stands in direct contradiction to the Torah of Israel.

2). The decision to implement the uprooting will cause large numbers of Jews to transgress many of the Torah's commandments. This applies to many varied commandments, including both those that are practiced between man and G-d, as well as those between man and his fellow man; those that apply to the nation as a whole, and those that apply to every individual.

3). The Government of Israel and the Knesset, in their present form and power structure, do not constitute institutions that have any authority according to halacha to render decisions that contradict the Torah of Israel.

4). Government ministers who have deemed this plan of uprooting to be wrongful have been removed from their positions, and likewise senior officials of the security establishment who have expressed independent opinions about the matter have been ousted.

5). THEREFORE, the decision of this government - which has also violated its promises to its own electorate - is null and void.

6). THUS: No Jew is permitted to cooperate with the program of uprooting, in any way whatsoever.

7). Any Jew - including a soldier or policeman - who supports the uprooting, whether directly or indirectly, whether by voting in its favor, or by giving council, or by supplying vehicles or materials, and obviously, anyone who actively participates in the uprooting... by so doing, transgresses a large number of Torah commandments.

8). The uprooting of the residents of the Gaza Strip and Samaria is a crime, and an injustice to the residents, and places many other communities - in fact, all citizens of the State of IsraelÊ- in mortal danger.

9). Any Jew who participates in, or cooperates with this plan, whether actively, or even by merely remaining silent, transgresses the commandment "You shall not stand idly by your neighbor's blood (Lev. 19:17)," and in the future will be judged by G-d for this sin.

10). The leaders and their agents - including soldiers and policemen who support the uprooting and participate in it - may be brought to bear personal responsibility for all damages caused to those who are hurt, and to their property.

11). By this declaration, the Sanhedrin, as the link of continuity of the Torah received by Moses at Sinai, hereby expresses the stance of Israel's Torah. For if, Heaven forbid, the present government carries out this, or some other, program of uprooting - this action has no validity. The Land of Israel is holy land, and all of its regions belong exclusively to the nation of Israel, forever.

12). The Sanhedrin, as the representative of the Jewish people throughout history, hereby affirms that the Jewish people - regardless of this or that government - does not relinquish, and is not entitled to relinquish, so much as the span of a solitary man's foot of the Land of Israel according to its Biblical boundaries... for it is G-d's land.

13). The commandment to "inherit and dwell" (Deut. 12:29) in the Land of Israel is obligatory upon every Israeli government. In this regard Israel is commanded by G-d to conquer the entire expanse of the Land of Israel within its Biblical boundaries, including the Gaza strip.

14). THEREFORE: Even if (Heaven forbid) the residents are forcibly removed from their homes - when the government changes, and a government in Israel arises that conducts itself according to the Torah, the armies of Israel will return and re-conquer this strip of land, to reinstate the people of Israel to their rightful place. This applies not only to this area, but to all the expanses of the Land of Israel that were stolen and are presently in foreign hands.

15). We are permeated with faith in the G-d of the Legions of Israel, that the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham at the "Covenant Between the Halves" will be fulfilled precisely as it is stated, and with G-d's help, speedily - as it is written (Gen. 15:18):

"On that day the L-rd made a covenant with Avram, saying, to your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates river... "

No, they are not recognized by any majority whatsoever in Jewsih culture, yet it seems the Israeli government has an official opposing organization competing with them for the hearts and minds of the Jews. Guess which one wins in the end.

Mapping The Global Future.

Mapping The Global Future.

Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project (CIA)

This is a great resource for any American who wants to keep abreast of what is happening in the global community and how America, as a nation, will have to respond to it.

It's something a writer, your Pastor, a friend in the business/corporate, law enforcement, or political community, would find helpful, as we, as a people, continue to strive to contend with maintaining our uniqueness and liberty in a global community largely hostile towards our nation's founding principles and ideas.

For friends and supporters of Israel? Unfortunately, the U.S. Federal Government is a massive bureaucratic institution with their fingers in a lot of things globally, and their longterm interests are theirs alone, and not always in the best interests of Israel. The Evangelical Christian community "agitating from within" will remain the moral bulwark against the U.S. simply selling Israel out for political, economic, and military expediency in the future.

And this document is pretty revealing on what the U.S. Government has in their minds for the future.

Interview with Prof Paul Charles Merkley concerning the WCC divestment decision

I caught this one off of Joseph Alexander Norland's Israpundit Blog. What a great interview with a Christian who isn't afraid to call a spade a spade and condemn the corruption and rank hypocrisy of the World Counsel of Churches as they attack Israel under the auspices of "christianity." I don't know who Prof Paul Charles Merkley is, but he should be registered at Free Republic!

Pipes criticizes Middle East leaders

I posted "Pipes criticizes Middle East leaders", an article Professor Daniel Pipes sent out on his list with his evaluation of the new "peace" prevailing in Israel between her and her sworn enemies, an interview of him by Tony Jones of "Lateline - Australian Broadcasting Corporation." I concur with Pipes' assessments and conclusions on current "Palestinian" scenarios in their cultural situation. Nothing has changed. Leave it to Pipes to not give the Islamists an inch.

Today is 13 February, 2005. As secular thinkers and peace at any price proponents -- even within the Conservative community in the international arena, ignore Pipes and his students like me yet again, this posting will be referred back to as an "I told you so" when the security situation deteriorates further in the territories and the Islamic terrorists in all their many forms go on the war path against Israel. Mahmoud Abbas will gladly take the West's money to either confiscate like Arafat did or sink into the black hole which is the PA. But he certainly dies not have control over HAMAS and Islamic Jihad, and the IDF will not stand idly by while these killers exploit the West's naivete and gullibility to continue with their war against the Jewish people

I'll be the first to apologize when Pipes and I are wrong.

Peace, peace, peace....

The secular humanist world is hyperventilating over the new overtures to "peace" between the Arabs and the Nation of Israel. New Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was wowing the global community in Paris in her furtive bid to woo back the European community irate over President Bush's hardline policy of kicking Jihadi butt up and down the international block; irate because they have all but already surrendered to dhimmitude. "Peace" is now attainable in the eyes of a world, hateful of Israel and the Jews in the first place.

There are writers more eloquent than I in critiquing this latest pipe dream being foisted on a goofy world lost in the morass of Post modernism, chanting the mantra of globalist unity and prosperity, pluralism, and the idea that we are all just one big happy international family.

Thus the West continue their incredibly naive and blind march to disaster as the radical Islamist world executes cunningly their tactical doctrine of Taqiyya and kitman, or "holy hypocrisy." The Muslim method of conquest, or AL-TAQIYA means simulate whatever status you need in order to win the war against the enemy. And that enemy is, as has been stated, the Western world as well as Israel.

Thus now the "Palistinian" Arabs have suddenly now "reformed" their security forces and cultural institutions.

Is it frustrating, my American Christian and Jewish friends? Indeed it is. Yet, we know this too is all part of G-d's grand plan, as He has stated, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (I Thess. 5:3)

Yet He has also stated, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing good to them and I will most assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” (Jeremiah 32:40-41) as well as “I will plant Israel in their own land never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord thy God. (Amos 9:15)

Hashem is setting up the world and drawing in the enemies of the Jewish people, and those who walk with Him know, in the midst of this secular modernist, mediocre, G-d hating world, He is going to supernaturally intervene in the affairs of men, and deal with the House of Israel face to face once again—as well as her enemies.

A lot of people are not going to like it. Especially those who are even now selling out Israel for "peace."