New Tears for Tisha B'Av

Yisrael Medad writes an Op-Ed for the L.A. Times about how Obama's policies are the cause for even more tears to be shed this Tisha B'Av.

An apocryphal story is told of Napoleon Bonaparte entering a darkened synagogue and observing weeping Jews, sitting on low stools. Asking what misfortune had occurred to cause such behavior, he was informed that it was the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av.

On that day, as Napoleon learned, Jews commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and the fall of the Fortress of Betar. The day, marked with a 25-hour fast and a public reading of the book of Lamentations, signifies not only the loss of Judaism's singular holy site but the end of independent political sovereignty and the eventual expulsion, a second time, into exile.

On hearing that story, Napoleon exclaimed: "A people that cries these past 2,000 years for their land and temple will surely be rewarded."

Today, the 9th of Av, there are many new threats to Jerusalem, including the recent diplomatic dissing of Israel by the U.S. Fortunately, the words of President Obama and other U.S. officials have served to reinforce a consensus among Israelis that Jerusalem must remain exclusively under Israeli control and that even communities of Jews living outside the former Green Line, the armistice line drawn after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, must remain a part of Israel. (read the rest here)

And don't forget to vote on the same link/page -- babies born to US citizens in Jerusalem should have their US issued birth certificates state "Jerusalem, ISRAEL" and not simply "Jerusalem."

Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Tisha B'Av - HomeGame

As we approach the 9th of Av, and the mourning of many catastrophes that have befallen the Jewish people over the millennia, we will be posting through Friday on this theme.

To start, the following film entitled "HomeGame" is available for (free) online viewing through the end of Tisha B'Av. (Its a 67 minute movie, so plan your time accordingly)

I highly recommend the film -- its about teenagers from Gush Katif during the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza.

It took 19 years for the refugees of Gush Etzion to return and rebuild their homes destroyed in 1948. We hope that already next year, Gush Katif will be in the process of being rebuilt.

The film starts off with a "trailer" and then continues a few seconds later automatically to the film.








Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Mofaz Waits On Line at US Border Control

On his way into the United States this past Friday, previous IDF Commander-in-Chief and Defense Minister, and current opposition Member of Knesset, Shaul Mofaz waits on line for 50 minutes at NYC Kennedy Airport's border control.

And he had to wait line with everyone else...along with submitting to digital fingerprinting.

He reportedly received negative comments from people passing by about his role in the Expulsion of Jews during the Disengagement 4 years ago and was taunted about what a success the Disengagement has become with the Hamas terror state created as a result.

I'm curious why he had to stand on line with everyone else, and wasn't granted any diplomatic privledges of at least bypassing the line.

You can be sure he flew Business Class.

The photo comes from Yisrael Bardugo.

Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Minor Victory

I know some(one) would like me to give my analysis of yesterday’s Moetzet Yesha Rally, but I was deep in the West Bank last night doing something else, so I’ll have to leave that to Jameel to write.

It was just over a month ago that Obama appointed Special Envoy to Mandatory Palestine George Mitchell announced at a State Department Press conference that Obama would be announcing His comprehensive Peace Plan in July.

And based on statements coming out of the White House and State Department, His vision certainly isn’t going to be a good one for Israel.

But during this past month the Obama administration faced setbacks as His vision hit the roadblocks of reality (sort of like His Health Care plan hitting fiscal reality).

Unfortunately, the major setbacks didn’t really come from Israel. They didn’t really come from Netanyahu.

True, Bibi showed he was a more experienced politician than Obama. Bibi showed he won’t bend too quickly.

But Bibi also showed that the 900 pound US gorilla does have the strength to move him around.

So far Bibi’s holding his ground and trying to keep the status quo and agreements reached with previous US administrations. But Israel didn’t vote Right to keep the status quo, we want positive actions on the ground.

Of course it doesn’t help when His administration is willing to Lie about previous agreements and understandings, in order to change the rules of the game.

It’s not as if there are any friends in the White House anymore.

Bibi's got a tough job (and hopefully a strong Likud making sure he holds his (our) ground).

And I will admit, the Arab States certainly have it easy.

They’ve got a US President completely sympathetic to their worldview and their version of the global (and regional) historical narrative. He’s not really making demands on them, or threatening them (not event the backhanded threats being heard so often against Israel).

So it’s easy for them to say no and take an even more uncompromising stance.

And that’s actually why the reports are leaking out that His Peace Plan has been delayed.

Obama was (unsurprisingly) unable to find any Arab states willing to compromise on their positions (which ultimately involve the end of Israel).

So they forced him to delay His announcement (talk about shooting yourself in the foot).

Now talk has it that Obama is pushing to get Syria heavily involved, and we all know what Syria’s price is (and what we will actually get in return – bupkiss).

Certainly from Obama’s viewpoint, there is no difference between Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem liberated in 1967, than there is the Golan Heights– and He’s already made it clear where he stands on the first three.

The delayed announcement is a minor victory, but it originated from Arab intransigence, not Israeli strength.




Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

JEWS AND NON-JEWS....

Guestpost by ATBOTH
[http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/]


Rabbosai, good news for a change! Normally, political activism in the SF Bay Area, in so far as it involves Jews and concerns Israel, revolves around the hysterical members of the Proud To Be Ashamed To Be Jewish Contingent and their urge to make nice for the rather too ignorant instinctive supporters of underdogs.

We all know that the Arabs are underdogs, don't we? Poor little puppies!

Or at least, we've been told that so many times by so many honest and sincere individuals, who want nothing more than a peaceloving world in which bunny rabbits and butterflies can lead artistic and fulfilling lives, that we know the tropes.



THE BERKELEY DAILY PLANET

One of the newspapers that hammers home the "Arab: GOOD - Jew: Bad" message is the Berkeley Daily Planet. Which is the same newspaper that gleefully publishes Joseph Anderson's racist screeds against Jews, policemen, and other 'white imperialists'.

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2004-02-24/article/18346?headline=Last-Words-On-Lecture-Controversy&status=301

http://berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2009-04-02/article/32613?headline=The-Karmic-Justice-of-Lovelle-Mixon-s-Act

While the Berkeley Daily Planet may assert that it is a valid source of both news and opinion (debatable, for several reasons), there is little doubt that both it and its various pet-opinionists slant towards a point of view that is 'charmingly' old-fashioned, and nestled deep within the political traditions of the nineteenth and twentieth century in Europe (and Detroit).


Specifically, the urge to BLAME THE JEWS for everything.


In it's current incarnation, it is best expressed by the phrase: "being anti-Israel is not anti-Semitic".
Surely you've heard that phrase before? And what did you think it really meant? Given the general nature of the person who screamed it during an angry hate-filled confrontation?

[For further background on the old-fashioned tropes that the Berkeley Daily Planet insists on white-washing and reformulating, go here: http://www.bluetruth.net/2009/03/berkeley-daily-planet-superman.html and especially here: http://www.dpwatchdog.com/ ]



PETITION

There is now a site where you may counter the crusade waged by the Berkeley Daily Planet and it's obsessed owner/editor against anything and everything Jewish (except for the 'house-Jews', who obediently parrot the party line).

If you've ever found yourself nauseated after hearing "I'm not anti-Semitic, many of my friends are Jewish", "hating Israel is not anti-Semitism", or even "I'm a Jew and these people are sincere and not racist at all", then this site is for you:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fight-anti-semitic-rhetoric-at-the-berkeley-daily-planet.html


QUOTE:


WE ARE JEWS AND NON-JEWS…

We abhor the deliberate and willful publication of anti-Semitic and other hateful rhetoric and screeds by the Berkeley Daily Planet.

We stand with the free speech rights of those who would criticize the Berkeley Daily Planet for its obsessive and one-sided campaign against the State of Israel.

We join these people in insisting that the publisher and editor of the Daily Planet display integrity and responsibility to ensure that their pages are devoid of irresponsible misstatements of facts whose sole malicious intent is to besmirch Jews at large, the State of Israel, and individual citizens who decry the Daily Planet’s practices.

Contributions gratefully accepted. Please send to checks made out to IACEB and post to Israel Action Committee of the East Bay, POB 9354, Berkeley, CA 94709

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fight-anti-semitic-rhetoric-at-the-berkeley-daily-planet.html


Go ahead - sign the petition.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fight-anti-semitic-rhetoric-at-the-berkeley-daily-planet/signatures.html


Of course, if you yourself have ever used the sentences "I'm not anti-Semitic, many of my friends are Jewish", "hating Israel is not anti-Semitism", or even "I'm a Jew and these people are sincere and not racist at all", you probably won't agree.
In that case, you may be reading the wrong blog. Not that there's anything wrong with that.


[Cross-posted from my own blog. Yes, I'll admit to being an opportunist for a good cause. Please also note that odd behaviour in the SF Bay Area is not unusual - see here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/04/another-example-of-bay-area-jews-being.html or check any post that has the clickable link "Berkeley Cossacks"]


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Tel Aviv Nightclub Targets IDF Soldiers

The popular "Rogatka" (slingshot) nightclub in Tel Aviv is refusing entry to IDF soldiers in uniform.

IDF Uniforms are associated with oppression and genocide, and the IDF's violence is the reason for all violence in Israel, explained the club's workers.

The ground rules of the club are clear: Naturalism, Pluralism, and no IDF uniforms -- anyone can visit the club on Yitzchak Sadeh street in Tel-Aviv, with any clothing style, except for IDF uniforms.

Two IDF combat soldiers who visited the club last week were forbidden entry. They were told they could switch to civilian clothes and come in, but it was forbidden to wear uniforms inside.

"It's nothing personal, but ideological. Your uniforms symbolize genocide and violence." they were told by club employees and guests.

One of the soldiers took off his IDF issued shirt, but his Unit's t-shirt didn't pass muster either...and they were told to leave.

IDF radio sent a solider from an elite unit to validate the claims. As soon as he sat down at the bar, employees came over to him and demanded that he leave.

"Your shirt symbolizes sh&^ and disgust," he was told, "and as soon as I see your shirt, it hurts me. So before I hurt you, I'm asking you to leave."

The elite combat solider replied, "I kill myself to protect you and you're throwing me out?"

Their response: "They pay you half of what you deserve. You aren't killing yourself. They are taking advantage of you, and you're a slave to the army...now leave." (source, translated from IDF radio via rotter)

I feel bad for the people in Tel Aviv that have to put with up with this leftist garbage on a daily basis...and even worse for the IDF soldiers who wanted to visit the nightclub.

The faster the nightclub owners leave Israel, the better for everyone. Go somewhere peaceful, like Gaza.

Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

An Illegal Outpost Story

An Illegal Outpost Story
By JoeSettler, Jameel, and the Zionist Enterprise.

The Settlers faced a fateful decision.

The law prevented them from buying and acquiring land in Eretz Yisrael. Jewish growth in strategic and historic areas was coming to a standstill, if not an end. Arab violence made the roads, towns and fields dangerous. What the Jews didn’t physically claim, the Arabs would subsequently move in and claim for themselves.

And worst of all, fellow Jews were snitching on the Settlers to the authorities.

The entire settlement enterprise was in danger of destruction.

Ideas were raised on how to fight these immoral laws and dangers to the Settlement enterprise.

But there was dissent. “Dina d’Malchuta Dina (The Law of the land) -- It's forbidden to go against the law of the government," some said, not understanding that this Jewish law never applies when the government’s law goes against Jewish Law – or according to many if not most opinions, that this doesn't apply in Eretz Yisrael at all.

“But there are Arabs who will claim the empty, untouched and uncultivated land as their own,” said others, ignoring that the Arabs could bring no proof or claim– not even a tax receipt going back 50 years. Their hollow words, were their only "proof of ownership", though they never owned the land at all.

“But the government won’t even recognize our right to purchase the land, or our deeds to the land,” said others, “much less our right to build on it. We shouldn’t do this. We'll lose what little legitimacy we have left.”

And among the Settlers there was concern that those who raised their voice in dissent, while claiming to not be in league with the enemy would actually run to report the Settlers' actions at first opportunity – as some had done in the past.

So a plan was devised.

“Illegal outposts” would be built throughout the land. It would be done quietly and at night. At morning’s light the Arabs would find strategic hilltops taken. The government would be confronted with facts on the ground.

The Settlement enterprise of Eretz Yisrael would be saved.

So it was decided to build these “illegal Settlements” in utter secrecy with the element of surprise...

The year of the above story took place in 1936, the government was Britain, and the results were that over 50 "illegal settlements", Tower and Stockade (“Homa u’Migdal”) settlements as they were called then, were established practically overnight (over a period of 3 years) in the Galilee, Beit Shean, and the Jordan Valley.

Many of these illegal settlements still exist today, 73 years later: Kibbutz Nir David, Kibbutz Negba, Hanita, Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi, Sha’ar Hagolan, Kibbutz Hafetz Haim, Kibbuz Ma’aleh Hahamisha, Kibbutz Ein Gev, Sde Eliyahu, and many others.

No one calls for their destruction anymore.

No one questions their legality anymore.

No one questions how important they were to the Yishuv.

But even then, as today, the move to inhabit and rule in the land of Israel was attacked and subverted by foreign governments, Arab violence, and Jews who would betray their own.

As US President Obama's proxy, George Mitchell arrives in Israel to turn the thumbscrews on the Israeli government to halt all Jewish Settlement building -- 11 new outposts will be built in the Land of Israel today and tomorrow.

Join the Settlement Enterprise -- for the sake of Israel's Future.

Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Haveil Havalim #227 is Live

It is Jack again and I am pleased to let you know that Haveil Havalim, the Jblogosphere's weekly blog carnival is live.

Go check it out.


Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Selective Application of the Law

MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (National Union), Marzel, Itamar Ben-Gvir and company marched today in the Negev (inside the "Green Line") to highlight the selective application of the law in the State of Israel.

MK Ben-Ari said,

"We are here to direct the spotlights of Israel at one of our worst failures in recent years. Instead of taking care of this major land theft and rampant law-breaking, the authorities prefer to hide their head in the sand and ignore what's going on.

Beinish is busy trying to destroy Roi Klein’s house as well as homes in Haresha that were lawfully built and that Defense Minister Ehud Barak refuses to approve!

Here in the Negev there are thousands of illegal outposts and a complete takeover of land, and no one says a word. We want the lights of the law to shine here as well."

Ben-Gvir made the following announcement on the bus traveling to Rahat:

“We are going to Rahat as a tracking team to check the illegal construction in Rahat. Unfortunately, the rule of law in Rahat is in danger. We feel the severity of the ongoing illegal Bedouin construction in the south, and we are coming to tell them that they are not in charge....

Our message is that there must be one law for all.

The government, [Chief Justice] Dorit Beinisch, and the leftists all want to enforce the law in Hevron and Migron – and they are welcome to do so, but we demand that it also be enforced in Rahat, and in Umm el-Fahm, and in all the illegal Bedouin outposts in the Negev – no matter what the Islamic Movement says or does.

We want to see if Dorit Beinisch will come out in her pajamas to issue orders against the Bedouin, or does she do so only against the Jews in Hevron and elsewhere.”

I would say that when a law is selectively enforced, especially with clear political motivations against a particular sector (such as settlers)...



Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

PA Denies Bankruptcy Reports

News reports all the way from China...

RAMALLAH, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian financial expert and former minister of planning ruled out Thursday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) would face an imminent fiscal collapse and a real bankruptcy.

Samir Abdallah told Xinhua on telephone from Ramallah that "this matter (PNA's financial collapse) will never happen."

He revealed that the PNA depends on its own financial resources "that cover 50 percent of its financial needs." He added that there are pledges of so many donors to develop and improve the PNA budget.

However, he admitted that "This doesn't mean the fiscal situation of the PNA is good, but it is difficult."

The PNA, which has been passing through a real financial crisis over the past few months, denied on Thursday earlier Israeli reports saying that the PNA is facing a serious fiscal collapse and a real bankruptcy.

Maybe they need President Obama's nationalized health plan as well?


Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

To protest or not to protest

Tomorrow (Monday evening) there will be a big protest in Jerusalem, timed with the arrival of the latest bunch of Obama Boys here to rip the Land of Israel away from us.

This protest is organized by Moetzet Yesha, and to be blunt, the feeling of many settlers is there are better things we can do with our time than go and yell "Rah, Rah, Rah" at a Moetzet Yesha event.

For instance, there will be an independent "protest" happening at the same time, where a few dozen new outposts will be built at the same time all throughout Yehuda and Shomron - and perhaps a strengthening of existing one.



That for instance is certainly more interesting, and probably annoys the various powers-that-be even more (and might be more likely to make the news).

There's also talk that Bibi asked Moetzet Yesha to organize this protest as a show of strength and dissent. That's good, except that Bibi's government is busy tearing down new settlements, so who exactly wants to help him - in a way that doesn't help us.

If someone were to say that this protest was going to get a little "disorganized" and rowdy (and not because of Israeli policemen are beating up Jewish protesters), that might bring a lot more of people who want to display their anger and disgust at the Obama led government and His anti-Israel policies.


Meanwhile, I don't know if I'll go to it.

But I do plan to go to the Women in Green's Walk around the Walls (of the Old City). I go almost every year, and that is always a meaningful way of spending Tisha B'Av evening.

(My friends and I used to sit by one of the side entrance to the Temple Mount for Eichah, but the police have since made it impossible, so we stopped doing that a few years ago.)

Will you be going to the Moetzet Yesha protest?




Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance.

Moshe Feiglin makes an interesting case for the privatization of the land (done intelligently).

He addresses the mixed feelings I had that the current land structure is too strongly based on socialism.

Trust Moshe to always see things from a different angle.


Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Chardalism: We want separate buses too

As if the Ultra Orthodox "Medhadrin" separate seating buses aren't enough, R' Shlomo Aviner from the "Chardal, Chareidi Leumi" Ultra-Orthodox Nationalist camp has come out with his own position on the bus segregation.

On R' Aviner's video blog, he states:

"It's a personal issue, and of course a mehadrin [segregated] bus in which there are only men or only women is more modest. Especially when there are immodestly dressed women on the bus. Therefore, it is better to have separated buses for men and women. Sometimes the bus is full of standing passengers pressed one against the other, and sometimes, they even sit on one another, but that's not so bad."

He then cites the Talmud from Bava Batra (57b) that if a person is walking along the riverbank and comes across women who are doing laundry washing in the river (and have sleeves rolled up/or dresses/pants rolled up to keep them from getting wet, thereby they are less modestly dressed), what should the person do? The Talmud answers, if there is another way around, he should take it, and avoid the women washing laundry in the river. If there is no other way around, he can walk past the women, but not look at them. (For more on the Talmudic discussion, see here)

R' Aviner ends off by saying the bus is the same thing. You should try to have separate buses for men and women, and if its not an option, to take the mixed bus, but not to look at people...the same as walking in the street.

Mixed Weddings, NO
Mixed Seating on Buses, YET?
(hat-tip for graphic: Shearim)

Personally, I find the comparison between buses and the riverbank distressing, and that its an unhealthy direction for national religious Zionism to take. R' Aviner is moving far away from "Modern Orthodoxy" in Israel (though there really isn't such a thing) -- and I'm sure the Chardal movement will use this as yet another excuse to label the Religious National camp as neo-reform...for not trying to establish segregated bus lines.

R' Mordechai Eliyahu came out against mixed seating at weddings as well -- saying that mixed seating will lead to mixed dancing:

R' Eliyahu stressed that listening to a woman deliver a speech, if she did so while using hand gestures, was also forbidden: "It's very serious. One should watch out for these things."

Men and women sitting together at weddings was also banned, according to the rabbi, let alone dancing together. "Today at weddings everything is allowed – to dance, to look… a man dances with a woman he doesn't know… men swap women. This is a very serious thing!"

"Rabbis, repent!" urged Eliyahu. "Admit: Say, 'we were wrong. We won't allow mixed dancing, mixed weddings, mixed sitting'." He said that more liberal poskim (rabbis that issue halachic rulings) were favored by women, "Because a woman wants to be looked at. But men don't like them, because men know this is wrong." (ynetnews)

R' Harry Maryles quotes very differing opinions when it comes to mixed seating at weddings:

Several years ago a transcription of a Shiur by Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet was circulated on the Internet. Rabbi Rakeffet is a renowned author and Rosh Kollel (or at least a respected Rebbe) at the Yeshiva University Kollel in Jerusalem. This Shiur spoke to my very deeply held belief that the current move to the right is harmful to Klal Yisroel. No where is this more evident than in the area of mixed seating at weddings. It is becoming increasingly rare to find a mixed seating event and separate seating has even found its way into some weddings in the MO community. In my own children’s weddings, two of my children had a separate seating and two of them had mixed seating. I basically left it up to them as to what kind of affair to have. As an aside I would point out that at the two mixed affairs, I asked my Rebbe, Rav Aaron, if he wanted to sit mixed with his wife or separate (I had a few tables reserved for Charedi Rabbanim who I knew wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting with their wives) . Rav Aaron chose to sit with his wife and his son R. Eliyahu and his wife, and other friends and their wives.

Mixed seating is not only permissible, but in my view it is a good way to spend an evening with your wife and friends and it is a good way for young people to meet for Shiddach purposes. Rabbi Rakeffet spoke to this issue and he did not mince words. I think it is a valuable lesson for all of us to see what he said and how he said it. It is interesting to note anger and condemnation, by Rabbi Rakeffet of the Yuhara that is so much a part of the Torah world today. This is the longest post I have written thus far. It is more than double the usual length. It contains the main body of Rabbi Rakeffet’s Shiur. Only tangential material was deleted. It is long but well worth the read. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. (Read the rest here)

Seems like the Chardal camp is moving farther and farther away from normative Religious Zionism. Not the best of tidings for the 9 days of Av.

Additional Source: Kikar


Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Slated for Destruction

I know most people think that the "outposts" slated for destruction by the Defense Minister who refuses to give his final (and political) signature on the permissions that all other relevant authorities have signed off on are simply a bunch of old caravans or temporary wooden structures.

They don't realize that many "outposts" are approved (and preplanned) extensions of existing towns.

This is the house of Tamar (a Nurse), Mudi (an IDF combat officer) and Shaked Bibi.



It is on State owned land 50 meters from the town of Elazar in Gush Etzion- not on any land owned by Arabs (and most "outposts" are not on any land owned by Arabs).

It received all the appropriate signatures and approvals by all the relevant government authorities.

The only one it lacks is the political signature of the Defense Minister - because this is clearly a dangerous house.

It is slated for destruction.

For information on how you can help call Hana 052-811-9073




Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Arab Wedding Reaches the Settlements

If you're anywhere in Judea and Samaria these past few night, you probably haven't been able to sleep with all the explosions going on outside.

Yup. It's wedding time in Arabia, and that means fireworks and gunfire.

One family in the Northern Jerusalem community of Kochav Yaakov found themselves to be unwitting participants in a nearby Arab wedding.

The caliber was apparently 9mm, and the shooter never heard of gravity.

Usually it's just the participants of the Arab weddings that get shot and killed by the local merrymakers.

This time the bullet landed in the kitchen of a home in Kochav Yaakov (in Binyamin) ... on the kitchen table.

Imagine the surprise there.

Luckily no one was hurt.

Party on.

Tisha B'Av evening Wednesday, July 29 - join the Women in Green as they March around the Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. But first the reading of Eichah will take place in front of the US Consulate on Agron Street at 8:00pm.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Rabbi Refuses to Bless Traffic Offender

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of Israel's most noted Ultra Orthodox Rabbis was approached by a yeshiva student involved in a traffic violation for a blessing, and the Rabbi refused.

Following is the transcript of the discussion between the 2, (originally in Hebrew, here)

Student: Honored Rabbi, I have a trial next week and they want to imprison me. Would the Rabbi please bless me to save me from this?

R' Kanievsky: What is the trial about?

Student: I was caught driving without a license after I crashed into a wall

R' Kanievsky: So you're actually a murderer! Actually, they should put you in jail. That would be very good.

Student (yelling): Why? G-d forbid, I didn't kill anyone, and I didn't even hurt anyone. I just had a small car accident between myself and a wall.

R' Kanievsky: But you were driving without a driver's license, were you not?

Student: Yes

R' Kanievsky: So are you called a real killer. You could have had an accident involving people.

Student: But I know how to drive well. Besides this could hurt [my chances] for a shidduch and yeshiva [study]

R' Kanievsky: There is no such thing as "know" [how to drive]. Without a license you don't know how to drive. Regarding shidduchim, its smart not to want you, you're dangerous.

Student: I really regret [my actions]. I just want the Rabbi to give me a blessing to save me in the trial.

R' Kanievsky: What do you regret? If you get a car tomorrow, you won't drive it? You will! Its best for you to sit in jail and study, "do not murder."

Student: Would the Rabbi bless me if I promise to be more careful starting today?

R' Kanievsky: I cannot bless you. May G-d help that you be sentenced [by the court] with whatever is best for you.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Ode to the Moon Landing

Photos, courtesy of NASA.

...And this morning's solar eclipse.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Dan Meridor Questions US (Obama) Credibility

I completely missed all this earlier until it started causing the US State Department spokesman a lot of trouble.

Dan Meridor (of all people!) said that the US must honor its agreements with Israel regarding settlements, and just because a new US administration came in, doesn’t mean that suddenly all former agreements are null and void.

"It was agreed that the Israelis can go on building within certain parameters. That's what happened, and no word was said against it in six years."

Basically Meridor was saying that Obama’s new policy destroys US credibility.

This is Dan Meridor speaking!

Meanwhile Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that “Israel acts and will act in line with its national interests, our rights in Jerusalem, including its development cannot be challenged”.

Them there are fighting words.

And they certainly caused the US State Department Spokesman some consternation.

And when continued to be pressed about all these statements, and then asked, “Would U.S. be ready to exert some financial pressures on Israel to convince the government to stop settlements?”

The US State Department spokesman did not say that the US would not put financial or other pressure on Israel (which would have been a normal response under most other US administrations), but instead replied that it is “premature to talk about that” – which implies that it is something the US is considering.

UPDATE (7/23/2009):

IDF and Defence Ministry held an emergency meeting today regarding the State Department remarks. They are examining the possibility of US sanctions on Israel and discussing alternatives.

Among the alternatives discussed is actually competing on the international market in areas that the US has restricted Israeli activities to prevent competition with US companies.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Bill Gates Promoted to Director of WZO 's Herzel Museum

Click the link to see for yourselves.

hat-tip, CG.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Jordan in the news...again

Wihout a doubt, the Muqata's favorite Middle East reporter, Khaled Abu Toameh has the scoop for the Jerusalem Post:

Jordanian authorities have started revoking the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians living in Jordan to avoid a situation in which they would be "resettled" permanently in the kingdom, Jordanian and Palestinian officials revealed on Monday.

The new measure has increased tensions between Jordanians and Palestinians, who make up around 70 percent of the kingdom's population.

The tensions reached their peak over the weekend when tens of thousands of fans of Jordan's Al-Faisali soccer team chanted slogans condemning Palestinians as traitors and collaborators with Israel. Al-Faisali was playing the rival Wihdat soccer team, made up of Jordanian-Palestinians, in the Jordanian town of Zarqa.

Arab countries have always used the Palestinians as pawns in their rhetoric against Israel. While many live in squalor in "camps" in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan -- Israel even tried to create seriously better conditions for them in the camps in Gaza back in the early 1970s. Of course, the world condemned Israel at the time for trying to force a solution of "the Palestinian Refugee problem" in a way that didn't give Palestinians a State...

Jordan wants to pressure Israel, and the best way of "guaranteeing" a Palestinian State is to revoke the citizenship of the Palestinians living in Jordan -- and throwing the whole mess at Israel. Nice.

Khaled Abu Toameh really deserves his own post, because of the fascinatingly unique reporter and person that he is. Then again, I really don't want him killed by anything I may post here...

I actually started an article about him a few weeks back entitled, "The Palestinian Noah"...maybe I'll work on it later.

Meanwhile, I wrote 2 weeks ago about how Jordan refused entry to religious Jews from Israel, despite the peace treaty Israel signed with Jordan. Yesterday, Jordan evicted 6 Breslover Hassidim from Israel who wanted to pray the the tomb of Aharon the Biblical High Priest...in Petra, Jordan. (source in Hebrew)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Buy a new truck...get an AK47

A USA Truck dealership is boosting sales by offering a free AK-47 assault rifle with the purchase of a new truck.

In the PA controlled areas, you can get an AK47 for free without needing to buy a new truck....just join PA President Abu Mazen's Freedom Fighting Fatah force. Israel's government passes the weapons on to the PA, which distribute them to their forces.

The Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility on Thursday for the shooting attack carried out in the morning near the settlement of Ofra [JR: on July 9th, 2009]. Gunmen fired at an Israeli car traveling in the area, no injuries were reported.

"The shooting was in response to Israeli attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," the group said in a statement. (Ali Waked) (YNET)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Refreshing Secular Viewpoints

Nachum Barnea on "Hareidim, an easy target"

Barnea hits the nail on the head -- similar to my post from yesterday.

It’s easy, too easy, to slam the haredim. They are the classic candidates for xenophobia. Even liberal Israelis, who are outraged by patronizing remarks made by a judge to a young Ethiopian woman, by the expulsion of emigrants, or by the abuse of Palestinians, hate haredim with a clear conscience. It’s commensurate with the bon-ton.

However, he goes after Hadassah hospital -- (while I believe more of the onus is on Jerusalem's Social Welfare department and the Police)

The “starving mother” affair is a clear example. The first incisive questions about her should have been directed to the hospital: Why did so much time pass before suspicions emerged that the problem has to do with the mother and not with the child? What sort of needless and damaging treatments did he undergo? What did the hospital’s social work department do about the case? Was there an effort to handle this grave matter in cooperation with the community?

A hospitalized child is under the responsibility of the hospital, rather than his mother. Before we turn her into a monster, perhaps we should look at what the hospital did with the responsibility given to it.

Hadassah’s hospitals make a living from the haredim. They have extensive experience in treating them. Many problems, including mental problems, were solved there over the years in a discrete manner, through dialogue with the rabbis. Even a radical haredim-hater won’t believe that a haredi rabbi would want to see the death of a haredi child.

He ends off with a surprisingly conciliatory message.

The only thing I’m suggesting is that the champions of secular righteousness wipe the drool off their face. We used to have a party, Shinui, which was feeding off the hatred of the haredim. This party disappeared as if it was never there. The haredim, on the other hand, were there before and will stick around.

Kudos.

Yael Mishali, another secular writer writes about the joy of large families -- even going against the policy of Kolech, the staunchly feminist religious women's organization.

The evil winds of secular, anti-motherhood terror are blowing in our sector. "Taliban mom" and the "starving mother" are just twigs in a fire that has been burning for a while. During the recent Kolech conference, several sessions were dedicated to family planning. The unequivocal demand of the organization's members is to spread the word of limiting birth. "It's possible," they say, "It falls in line with Halacha! Even male rabbis understand it now!"

And they don't only talk about numbers, bust also about the age factor. Why should young women give birth before they graduate from university? And before they integrate into the job market? And before they complete a second degree, without which they're not worth much? And how can they expect a meaningful, fulfilling career in between pregnancies and births?

This goes against everything I believe on this issue. I'm not shamed to say that in my view, the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our children is a big family. Very big. Plenty of brothers and sisters who will grow up to be the anchor and home of each and every one of them. And us.

Natural Expansion. Attempts to stop bad mouthing/generalizing the Chareidim.

How worthy for entering the month of Av.

May we continue to see expressions of tolerance among ourselves.

Kudos to Nachum Barnea and Yael Mishali -- may we see more articles like this, among our whole spectrum.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

"Abused" Child Update

Stop it already!

This past shabbat, many people asked me about my posting concerning the Ultra Orthodox riots in Jerusalem this past week -- resulting from the alleged "deliberate starvation" of a 3 year old child by his mother.

Many asked me - "Why defend them" -- many commented, "Their riots are a Chilul Hashem" and "the mother should be locked up."

So, I would like to clarify a few points.

1. My oldest teenage son couldn't stop ranking on the Chareidi behaviour and riots. My wife replied to him very clearly: "Don't generalize." I wasn't defending the riots -- my only point was perhaps their was more to meets the eye in the mother's actions.

2. As you can see from the pashkevil/posters alongside this post, Hadassah hospital is clearly indicted by the Chareid community as having plotted this entire episode (including all sorts of really awful condemnations).

3. A friend of mine from Hadassah hospital stated unequivocally that there hospital's medical allegations of the child's treatment are true.

4. Last night, there are reports that the hospital's director and senior medical staff met leaders of the Jerusalm Chareidi community to stop the accusations against them and the hospital -- for the sake of the hospital, and also for the sake of the Chareidi community -- they will lose just as much if they start to boycott the hospital.

5. In addition to the vandalism and rioting, one of the most disturbing aspects of this story is the behavior of the Jerusalem Police and Jerusalem's Welfare/Social services department. This entire story could have had a different ending had an investigation into the mother's health been conducted prior to the media circus that the "mother intentionally starved her son". While this could have been done tactfully, someone decided that a show of force would be the best way of handling the story.

When you force any community that already feels threatened -- and push their back against the wall, the reaction is usually violent. Yet that's how Israel's police loves to handle things --Amona, outpost evictions, Gush Katif, and now this story as well.

The police takes pride in violent, physical, and hyped up circumstances -- as a means of warped public relations, showing that "they are the boss."

This isn't a new concept. Previous Labor (and then Kadima) Member of Knesset Chaim Ramon was asked on Ted Koppel's nightline show about the passive civil disobedience protesters in 1995 -- who opposed the Oslo process. Ramon unashamedly faced Koppel and said, "we will crush them."

"Crush them" -- what a lovely way of dealing with those you disagree with.

And turning this story into a media circus, publicly accusing an obviously sick woman of intentional criminal behavior, without even obtaining the court ordered psychiatric evaluation of the mother prior to her arrest -- snowballed into the mess we now have.

Jerusalem...and Israel have enough problems as is -- a tiny bit of "sechel" is needed, especially now.

The riots need to stop. The mother needs psychiatic evaluation. The police and social workers need to get a clue about PR.

Update: There have been 2 cases today of Chareidim who refused ambulance medical transport to Hadassah hospital, and insisted on going to Shaarey Tzedek instead.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

"And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity"

Ever see one of those Blue and White JNF Tzedaka boxes when you were growing up, perhaps in your grandmother's house?

Ever put a few pennies in there to help Israel acquire the land for the Jewish people?

If so, you may have been ripped off.

Over the decades, the JNF has purchased miles and miles of the land in Israel for the Jewish people.

In the past few years a few controversies popped up when JNF land was going to be swapped or sold, or when it was discovered that Arabs are squatting on it and claiming it for themselves, and don't get me started on the Dheisheh refugee camp in Beith Lechem - yup, Jewish purchased property by the JNF.

But the latest controversy is probably the biggest of them all.

The concept of land ownership in Israel is a little different than the rest of the world. Most land is owned by the State (i.e. the People) and is leased out in 49 year leases. A modern version of the Jubilee laws. The lease is automatically renewed at the end of the period.

Most land is not privately owned.

I, JoeSettler, have mixed feelings about this concept (too much socialism, and not enough Judaism perhaps), but Jameel says he supports it strongly.

Netanyahu is trying to pass a bill right now, that would allow the state to sell off JNF land, in perpetuity, to private land owners. Land that was bought by our grandparents with every penny they put into the pushke.

5% of JNF land is going to be privatized today with the passage of this bill, and perhaps this is a first step to privatizing all JNF land.

Today, Hamas was given $21 million dollars from an Egyptian sheik to begin acquiring land in Jerusalem. The PA continues to do so with money they get from around the world.

Certainly one of the last safeguards against losing ownership of the real estate of the Land of Israel was the lease concept.

Will the land your grandparents bought yesterday, that the government is forcing the JNF to privatize today, be in the hands of Hamas and the PA tomorrow?

The Netanyahu government is rushing to push this through.

But is it really one of their better and more thought out ideas?


Young men, spend a year learning Torah in Israel, with up to $10,000 in scholarships, grants and loans - at Yeshivat Hamivtar.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Boycott Escalates

The UK has struck again.

First it was academics, then military arms, now it's water.

Unison Scotland, the second largest union in Great Britain, has called on people to boycott Eden Springs UK, the British subsidiary of the Mei Eden Israeli bottled-water company.

On July 8th, the union published a notice in which it noted that Mei Eden's wells were located on the Golan Heights, which, it claims, are "occupied territories", according to the United Nations. Therefore, according to the union, a Hague treaty makes it illegal for Israel to distribute the water.

Of course, the water distributed in Scotland and other European countries is from local springs, and not from Israel.

So which UK company should we call for a boycott of next in exchange?

How about British Airways?

Jameel adds: See the 102 idiots supporting this boycott on facebook's "I Don't Drink Eden Springs" activist group.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Haveil Havalim #226

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish/Israeli Blog Carnival is now live.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Michael Oren hold his ground

As reported on A7.

The United States demanded that Israel cease construction in the Sheikh Jarakh neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem. The construction site is several yards from the National Police Headquarters.

Israel’s Ambassador in Washington, Michael Oren, was invited during the weekend to the U.S. State Department and was asked to clarify the purpose of the project. A senior political official said that Israel’s right to build in eastern Jerusalem isn’t in doubt and isn’t open for discussion. According to the official, the developer received all necessary permits from the planning committee and the government doesn’t plan to intervene.


Also, the Israeli government will now start using the term "Normal Life" instead of "Natural Growth" when describing Jewish towns created over the 1949 armistice line.

Which is of course exactly what we have here.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Arab problem with Shai Dromi

Bedouin leadership are planning protests and legal escalations against the acquittal of Negev farmer Shai Dromi.

Over the years, Dromi’s farm suffered a series of robberies and attacks, apparently originating from nearby Bedouin encampments and the Palestinian Authority.

His sheep have been stolen. His house burned down. His tractors stolen. His horses stolen. His dogs killed.

You name it. It’s been taken.

And unfortunately not much effective assistance from the local police – who are afraid or unable to confront the Bedouin or “Palestinian” thieves.

Only once did he recover his flock of sheep, only to have them stolen again 3 weeks later.

Two years ago, upon hearing strange sounds coming from his guard dogs, he awoke, and began searching his perimeter.

He found his fence cut, his lock broken, his dogs poisoned, and 4 men with fence cutters and metal bars standing over him on his property.

He shot and killed one of them, and wounded another.

It took two years, but he was finally acquitted and a law was created that permitted the use of deadly force in cases like his.

But the thief he killed was a Bedouin. And now the Bedouin’s are protesting the “racist” decision that “cheapens the value of human life” particularly members of the Bedouin community. They plan to fight the court’s decision.

Hmmm.


Other reactions from the Arab sector include:

"This is a mark of Cain on Israel's legal system's forehead," MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta'al) said.

"The life of an Arab, even when shot in the back, is not equal before the law. Dromi's hands are dripping with the Negev fatality's blood. Even judges have prejudices," Tibi said in a statement.

MK Taleb A-Sanaa (UAL-Ta'al) said that "the court succumbed to the racist atmosphere and acquitted a murderer, thus giving a green light to a trigger-happy reality."

"Today's ruling will be forever lamented," A-Sanaa continued, "and I have no doubt that if the shooter were an Arab, the outcome would have been different."


As an aside, robberies of Jewish farms in the Negev dropped after the shooting.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Hareidi Riots in Jerusalem

For the past 48 hours (and scheduled for 8 PM this evening as well) there has been mass rioting in Jerusalem over the arrest of a Chareidi/Ultra Orthodox woman from the Mea Shearim neighborhood, that police and welfare officials claim has been neglecting to feed her child.

See pictures from last night's rioting here.

Hadassah Hospital staff has officially stated as well:

Also Thursday, the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital rejected the haredi community's claims that the three-year-old child whose mother is suspected of starving him has cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy.

"The child has not been diagnosed as a cancer patient and has not been receiving medications from the chemotherapy family," said Dr. Yair Birenboim, the hospital's deputy director-general.

According to Birnboim, the hospital's medical staff believes the child is suffering from malnutrition. "He is receiving an enriched diet, and I assume that once he recovers physically all the symptoms he has will pass. Within a few weeks, maybe even two or three months, he will be able to return to his family. We believe we saved his life." (YNET)

The Chareidi Community in Jerusalem feels they are wrongfully under attack, and that the woman did nothing wrong, let alone intentionally or otherwise, starve her child.

Israel has been rather brutal towards the woman and community in general:

Mother suspected of starving toddler son

Herzog: Child was saved from death

Is this brutal media treatment? Maybe not.

I guess the normal reaction should be revulsion; try to save the child, keep him as far away from the mother as possible, imprison the mother...(or send her for psychiatric observation...clinical testing -- maybe she has postpartum depression?)

Yet the Chareidi community overall supports the mother and family, which is why there has been mass rioting around Jerusalem (rather violent and messy as well). Are they living in a dream world, denying reality? Perhaps the police and welfare workers are wrong...and the child was sick (as the family claims)...

The following just appeared on the "Chareidim" website -- documentation that the child was diagnosed with a serious, terminal illness, which would result in...loss of weight (exactly the way the child appears now).

In summary, it appears the child suffered the past year from [disease removed from publication due to privacy] and appears to be towards the end [of a terminal illness]. The results of the long illness are drastic weight reduction and sever malnutrition"

Maybe the family's claims were right all along, and this really was a terrible case of anti-Chareidi propaganda?

Time will tell - I assume by Sunday, this case will be much clearer -- and the streets of Jerusalem will probably be one big nasty mess.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Obama meeting update:

Obama acknowledged that some in the [Jewish] community were worried about his position [on Israel].

Obama acknowledged there is a 'misperception' that the US was disproportionately pressuring Israel.

( Wow! Sounds just like one of his straw men speeches, which He always knocks out at the beginning of his talk: "Some say", "There are those that say", and "Those who oppose us would have you believe" - I guess if straw man arguments convince you, then all must be well).

Only the OU went on record as having a problem with the President's position. It wasn't a great response, but it was better than the lack of public response by anyone else.

However, while the President’s acknowledgment of this perception gap is encouraging, the Orthodox Union remains deeply troubled by the President’s underlying approach – which is to have the U.S. play an “evenhanded” role. The Orthodox Union asks our President to recognize that there are no moral equivalencies between Israel, which has acted time and again to defend itself while actively seeking peace, and those who reject Israel’s legitimacy and make war against her. We look to the United States to be Israel’s friend in a world of enemies and we support the view, expressed to the President in our meeting, that while allies may of course disagree on specifics, there ought not be significant ‘daylight’ between the United States and Israel that would give the nations’ mutual enemies comfort and encouragement.

Other delegates were apparently afraid of getting a fish in the mail, and would only speak anonymously saying they left the meeting "very concerned" about what they heard.

One anonymous leader said,

"This meeting does not allay my concerns because it confirms that this isn't just a willy-nilly decision by some Arabists in the State Department but part of a framework Obama thinks will solve all the problems in the region,"

Of course, the Leftwing organizations that met with Obama were very satisfied with Obama's response.

UPDATE: As reported in the LA Times

He tells American Jewish leaders who are concerned about the public disagreements between Israel and the U.S. that such disputes are useful in the pursuit of peace.

"He said, 'The United States and Israel were very, very close for eight years, and it produced very little,' " said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Israel's High Court Targets Widow and Orphans of Fallen IDF War Hero

IDF Major Roi Klein, killed in the Second Lebanon War. From Wikipedia:

Roi Klein (Hebrew: רועי קליין‎; July 10 1975–July 26 2006 was a Major in the Golani Brigade of the Israeli Defense Forces. Klein was killed in the Battle of Bint Jbeil during the 2006 Lebanon War after jumping on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers.

Klein was born in Raanana, Israel. He began his IDF service in the Paratroopers Brigade but later transferred to the Golani Brigade's Egoz Reconnaissance Unit.

In 2002, Klein received a Chief of Staff Citation for his conduct during an ambush near Nablus in which 5 Palestinian terrorists were killed.

During the Battle of Bint Jbeil, a hand grenade was thrown into the house where Klein and his unit were present. Klein told his men "Report that I've been killed" and subsequently jumped on the live grenade and stopped the explosion with his body. Klein was killed on the spot but his soldiers were saved by his act of self-sacrifice. The soldiers reported that Klein recited the Jewish prayer, Shema Yisrael, as he jumped on the grenade.

Roi Klein became a symbol for heroism in Israel. New schools in Netanya and Raanana have been named after him. ^[1]

For his actions during the war Klein received the Medal of Courage posthumously. ^[2]

From today's NRG (paraphrased and translated from Hebrew)

At the request of "Peace Now's" never ending war on Jewish housing in Israel, Israel's Supreme Court announced that the home of the widow and orphans of Major Roi Klein is to be destroyed. The home, along with 11 others slated for destruction are built in "Givat HaYovel" neighborhood of the Eli community in the Shomron/West Bank.

The Supreme Court ruled that these 11 homes were built illegally, on private land, and are to be destroyed.

The Yovel neighborhood is built on a South East hilltop in Eli. According to Eli residents, the neighborhood appears on the official and approved building plan of the community. The first homes were built in 1998 during Israel's 50th anniversary -- HaYovel is a translation for 50th anniversary. Israel's ministry of housing prepared the neighborhood's infrastructure, and the Jewish Agency built some of the 11 homes, now scheduled for destruction by the High Court's decsion.

"We are not an outpost, we are a neighborhood of Eli," said Tamar Asraf, whose home is also scheduled for destruction. The homes are legal, built on State lands and not built on lands taken from private people. We have all the legal building permits and we pay taxes to Israel. All the residents here are law abiding citizens. The time has come for the State to embrace us instead of treating us with revulsion."

The family will commemorate Klein's death is in 2 weeks -- it will be 3 years since he died defending Israel in the Second Lebanon War.

Israel's Supreme Court won't let Israel destory the home of a terrorist, yet destroying the homes of widows and orphans of Israel's fallen soldiers is not a problem.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Senior KKK leader arrested in Tel-Aviv

Israel's most wanted criminals flee to South America. Why one of the USA's Most Wanted Criminals wants to hide out in Israel is beyond me.

Could it be our world famous felafel?

I believe the most interesting part of the story is the revelation of Israel's National Immigration Authority's newly formed Oz enforcement unit.

This could be the answer behind my post from 2 years ago - Who are the Mysterious Graffiti Wizards of Oz?

A high-ranking white supremacist on the run from US federal authorities was arrested on Monday night in a south Tel Aviv hideout.

33-year-old Micky Louis Mayon, one of America's 100 Most Wanted criminals, and a member of the Ku Klux Klan, was arrested in a Florentine apartment by the National Immigration Authority's newly formed Oz enforcement unit.

Mayon is wanted in the US on charges of racist assaults, setting fire to vehicles belonging to federal agents, and a host of violence incidents.

The Oz unit was acting on intelligence relayed by Interpol, which informed authorities here that Mayon had entered Israel illegally.

He is said to have moved apartments often in order to evade police, but his efforts proved fruitless on Monday when a delicate operation by the Oz unit saw officers break into his hideout and arrest him.

Oz unit members have the powers of a police officer but can only use them in cases of illegal entry into the country.

Mayon was the subject of an American arrest operation in November 2007, but officers soon realized he had flown to Israel on a one-way ticket. Earlier that year, he reportedly fired his gun in the air repeatedly after being involved in an argument with an African-American. US authorities have described him as a dangerous fugitive.

Oz Unit head Tziki Sela said Mayon was surprised to be arrested, but cooperated with the officers. He has been transferred to a Holon jail facility, where he underwent an immigration hearing. He was then taken to an Israel Prison Authority jail facility. (JPost)

hat-tip: SJ

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

YNET Slanders Settlers for Fun and Profit

Last night, 3 Israelis tried to get to the tomb of the Biblical Jewish Leader Yehoshua Bin Nun in the Arab town of Kifel Haris.

Normally, one needs IDF approval to visit the location, and the IDF opens the site a few times a year.

These 3 individuals from the town of Elad, near Rosh Haayin in Central Israel decided to visit without IDF authorization, and apparently got into an accident on the way out and the IDF believes then men blamed a non-existent Palestinian rock throwing attack for their own reckless driving. [Jameel adds: Palestinian Rock and molotov cocktail/firebomb attacks are on the rise, and I was hit by a few rocks 2 nights ago, damaging my car.]

YNET jumps on the bandwagon, and immediately labels the 3 Israelies as settlers, despite that they live in the town of Elad, in pre-1967 Israel.

But why should the YNET factcheckers care, when its a good excuse to slanders settlers for stupid behaviour, regardless of whether settlers were even involved in the first place.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

No Bullets, No Booze

If you follow the Muqata twitter, you would have noticed a few days ago that I mentioned that England has decided to begin a partial arms embargo on the Jewish State.

In retaliation for defending ourselves against Gaza terrorism, the UK has decided to place an embargo on replacement parts for some of the guns that our navy uses on the Saar 4.5 gunboats.

Now I've discussed boycotts against Israel extensively in the past.

The funny thing about embargoes and boycotts is that they can go both ways.

Turkey, for instance, decided to insult our President and deride Israel for defending ourselves. Israelis in return decided to boycott Turkey, and as a result, tourism from Israel (which was very significant) has dropped to almost nothing, and the Turkish government is beside itself as a result.

But there are other practical steps one can take on an individual level.

For instance, not long ago, the British government was lobbying the Israeli government to reduce liquor taxes, to boost sales in Israel of Scotch whisky.

With annual exports in excess of £2bn, Scotch Whisky is one of the UK's leading exports and supports thousands of jobs across the economy.

Well there you go. You can shoot off this quick EMAIL to the "Scotch Whisky Association".

Dear Sirs,

I love your country's Scotch Whisky, but due to the decision of your government to place a partial arms embargo against the State of Israel for rightfully defending themselves against acts of terrorism emanating from the Gaza strip, I must regretfully return the favor and boycott all Scotch whisky produced in the United Kingdom (and encourage all my friends and associates who support Israel to boycott your products as well), until such time that your government chooses to rescind their decision.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME [replace your name here]

Now obviously, no one wants to boycott Scotch Whisky, but isn't this email the least our Kiddush clubs can do for our Jewish State?


Up to $10,000 in scholarships, loans and grants for Jewish men (ages 20-30) to acquire a year of learning in Israel at Yeshivat Hamivtar.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

So American Jews do have a problem with Obama!

Turns out, that many mainstream American Jewish organization leaders have a problem with US President Obama.

On Monday, an "off the record" meeting will be held between Obama and the heads of various Jewish organizations.


Among the primary issues to be discussed are the concerns of American Jewry, regarding what they (also) perceive as Obama's damage to the American-Israel relationship, particularly his harsh, incorrect and unfair treatment of the Jewish State (compared to his treatment of Israel's enemies, for instance).

While not all Jewish-Americans might see there is a problem with Obama (76%?), at least a few Jewish organization leaders apparently are beginning too.

But will these Jewish organization leaders have the guts to say what needs to be said, and in the way it needs to be said?

(And will Rahm Emmanuel send them all a dead fish if they dare open their mouths?)


UPDATE

Well so much for this post.

It is now being reported that certain major Jewish organizations, who happen to have very vocal pro-Settler opinions have not been invited to attend.

Obviously, J-Street will be represented at the meeting.

While the National Council of Young Israel (YI) and Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) have not been invited!


For Jewish Women of all ages. Consider a year at Nishmat in Israel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Facebook Leftists Target Ad that makes IDF Soldiers Look Human

Leftists target the IDF with their new Facebook (Hebrew) group, "I too got nauseous watching the new Cellcom ad." (גם לי יש בחילה מהפרסומת החדשה של סלקום)

The photo at the left is the Facebook group's photo depicting their opinion of the video.

Over 167 people have joined this group so far (obviously, most of them Israeli), and their reactions on their Facebook wall range from calling for an immediate boycott of Cellcom, to a letter writing campaign to the government over Cellcom's "despicable" ad.

See the ad for yourselves, and tell me if you think it's "racist." (click here for the youtube video if the one below isn't loading)



The voice-over at the end: "After all, what does everyone want, just some fun in life..."

I'm not a fan of the wall, (nor are most of my friends), but to turn this into a "racist" video is simply pathetic.

Haaretz:

The Facebook group, called "I too got nauseous watching the new Cellcom ad," severely criticized McCann Eriksson's use of the separation fence in its advert.

"We could go into the media messages spouting racism any which way, but if you have come here than you too think they're uncalled for," reads the introduction to the Facebook group. "The McCann Erickson copywriter displayed an unbelievable propensity for bad taste."

The group also centered on what they feel is offensive in the new commercial, pointing out the fact that the supposedly "good" soldiers fear the possibility that the "monster living on the other side of the wall could steal the ball - but when the ball returns to Israeli hands, we discover that that monster isn't fierce at all, and actually feels like playing with the soldiers - oh joy!"

"Good enough reason to set up a beach party under the wall, complete with sexy female soldiers and musical instruments."

The group ends by demanding the immediate removal of the commercial.

"What our group can agree on is the shame we feel seeing a major Israeli commercial company approving such a beastly advert to be aired in its name, and which brings us to demand - take this racist commercial off the air immediately!"

PS: Lurker, do you remember when we played soccer with some Arab kids from Beit Jalla 25 years ago?

hat-tip: JR



For Jewish Women of all ages. Consider a year at Nishmat in Israel.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Life Keeper Patch Connected to Money Laundering?

Its obvious to me that someone at SafeSky didn't fill out their FBAR report.

Haaretz:

"I can't rule out a development in the cardiac patch affair that will connect it to money-laundering, but it's too early to tell whether there was a money-laundering trick here. In the meantime, the media reports are much ado about nothing."

That was a senior Justice Ministry official's response this weekend to reports that the ministry's Israel Money Laundering Prohibition Authority (IMPA) was investigating the SafeSky affair. The police are not involved at this stage.

(Technical Schematic hat-tip: Lurker)

Investigators believe the deal announced last week, that Amos Bouchnik and Aharon (Arik) Klein's company SafeSky would receive $370 million from Micro-Star International of Taiwan, was intended to cover an illegal cash transfer from shadowy foreign sources to Israeli banks, including Poalei Agudat Israel Bank, of the First International Group.

Micro-Star has vigorously denied any such deal, or even knowledge of the company.

"Many money-laundering schemes throughout the world involve connections between well-connected individuals and top lawyers. When you go to the bank and you want to do something that's not quite kosher, you take trustworthy people with you," the Justice Ministry official said.

Even if the money-laundering theory proves to be correct, it's still not clear why the heads of SafeSky rushed to report their spectacular exit to the media, exposing themselves to scrutiny and subsequent disclosure. The alternative was to present the contract with MSI to their bank and to deposit the money, while benefiting from banking confidentiality.

Dumbest Quote of the Week:

In a Channel 2 news report this weekend SafeSky officers said, "Hagai told us that if every soldier had a Life Keeper patch, we'd know where Gilad Shalit is."


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Srugim 2.0

Srugim 2.0 is being filmed these days, and Director/Writer Laizy Shapiro put up some stills from the filming sessions on Facebook.

Enjoy -- the interview with Laizy is coming soon.











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Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Jordan: Religious Israelis Not Welcome

(Cartoon courtesy of Shay Charka)

Despite the peace treaty signed between Israel and Jordan, last week Jordan refused entry to 2 Israelis -- claiming that their religious items of a Tallit [Jewish prayer shawl] and Tefillin [phylacteries] would jeopardize their safety in Jordan. After leaving their Tefillin with a friend at the border crossing, Jordanian border authorities once again denied their entry, claiming that the man's beard, and his son's peyot [side locks] and large kippa would endanger their security in Jordan -- and they were forbidden entry to visit the East Bank of the historical Land of Israel.

Hagai Segal commented about this phenomenom in Friday's Makor Rishon newspaper -- apparently the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan is only between secular Israelis and the Hashemite Kingdom. If you happen to sport a beard, kippa, or want to bring in private religious articles for prayer, then "peace" doesn't apply to you.

Similarly, the Palestinians refuse to accept Israel as a "Jewish" state -- secular would be fine, but anything that smacks of Judaism or Jewishness is apparently not applicable when it comes to "peace."

When asked if he could visit Jordan in a month’s time, the Jordanian Consulate told him, “No problem. Just leave your tefillin, prayer shawl, and kippah (skullcap) home.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry says that they are aware of the phenomena and reject the security-risk claim.

The Foreign Ministry said that it is aware of prior incidents of this nature, adding that it rejects Jordanian claims that the traditional Jewish prayer items pose a threat to the country. (ViN)

Looks like I'm going to have to wait a while before I can visit Petra...since the peace doesn't apply to Jews.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

A Settler-Arab Peace Initiative

Settlers probably have more direct contact and interaction with local Arabs of Yesh(a) than any other sector of Israeli society.

Radical Leftists come here on Fridays to seek out a certain type of Arab resident who shares with them a common radical ideology, and they have their meeting of minds, but for the most part, in the real world of daily human interaction, it's us Settlers who quietly work and talk with the Arab man on the street.

And on occasion we have quite interesting political conversations with them. We learn more about who they are, how they view their society, what they want, and how they see us. We get an insiders view, a view from the working man, not the "political" leaders or other "activists".

(I'd say it's quite possible to divide Arab society in two.

Those who hate Israel/Jews and want the Jews gone (or dead), and those who want to live normal lives and see the benefits to good relations with Jews.)

Occasionally these quiet meetings leak out, such as the meeting with one of the Hebron clan leaders who permits a Beit Knesset Caravan on the edge of his field as it is right next to a Jewish outpost, and he has no problem at all with the local Jewish youth there.


Last week, when shopping in an Arab-owned store in a nearby village, some Settler friends had quite an interesting meeting with some of the locals, and some very interesting ideas were put forward.

I'll discuss them in detail another time, but you can be assured that what these Arab villagers expressed would rattle the worldview of the radical Leftists that come here inciting for trouble.

After hours of talking, the Arabs and Jews are hoping that within a few weeks they will have a Facebook group set up to present an alternative vision of Peace - the one the man on the street wants - not the "activists" or "Peace leaders" .

The Arab villagers are sure they could get a significant portion of their village signed up onto the group - most agree with them, but their primary concern is that members of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority (and the radical leftist Jews who might inform on them) might find out and kneecap or kill them for "collaboration".

So they are considering setting up new anonymous accounts so they can safely present their views without fear of death from the various Palestinian authorities.

If this Facebook initiative moves forward I'll let you all know.


Considering a Yeshiva in Israel? Check out Yeshivat Hamivtar.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

17th of Tammuz Roundup

Interesting thing I learned yesterday:

According to many poskim, Ashkenazim can get a haircut or even get married on the evening of 17th of Tammuz...so despite getting home late yesterday from work, I managed to get a haircut at 10:30 PM at our local barber.

It's the 17th day of Tammuz -- and how did I blog it previously?

Snapshot of day 2 of the Second Lebanon War. July 13, 2006

Jerusalem Besieged, July 20th, 2008

Amazing Scale Model Project of the Second Jewish Temple

Alec Gerrard, a 78 year old from the United Kingdom, spent 3 years researching his 1:100 scale model of the Second Jewish Temple, that took him 33,000 hours to date and measures 20' x 12'. He hand painted every clay brick and tile and sculpted all of the 4,000 half inch, correctly dressed figures to populate his creation. Mr. Garrard began this project in his 40's and does not expect it to be fully completed in his lifetime (more pics here)

The Life Keeper revolutionary heart attack alert patch is probably one of the biggest scams of the century....

The many unanswered questions led Picker, a dentist and childhood friend of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, to hire the legal services of Ronel Fischer's firm, a member of which demanded that SafeSky's lawyer show the memorandum of understanding with MSI.

When SafeSky's lawyer Gabi Hyke, however, refused to show Picker such a document, the CEO announced his immediate resignation. (JPost)

EU retracts statement, declaring settlements responsible for all Palestinian woes.

The European Commission on Thursday backtracked on its unusually harsh criticism of Israeli settlements, declaring that a statement released earlier this week did not reflect the commission's position.

The contentious statement accused Israel's settlement policy of strangling the Palestinian economy and making the Palestinian government more dependent on foreign aid. (HaAretz)

Hypothesis: Why do our religious kids become secular?

Twenty percent of religious youths become secular because they find education system too strict and restricting (YNET)

Mixed Seating at Weddings...could lead to Mixed Dancing?

During a Torah lesson he delivered on Monday, the prominent national religious leader,R' Mordechai Eliyahu spoke at length about the importance of observing chastity codes. He advised soldiers to cover their ears during military ceremonies that include women singing. "It's better to go to jail than to obey the commander and hear a woman sing or play." He stated.

Eliyahu stressed that listening to a woman deliver a speech, if she did so while using hand gestures, was also forbidden: "It's very serious. One should watch out for these things."

Men and women sitting together at weddings was also banned, according to the rabbi, let alone dancing together. "Today at weddings everything is allowed – to dance, to look… a man dances with a woman he doesn't know… men swap women. This is a very serious thing!"

"Rabbis, repent!" urged Eliyahu. "Admit: Say, 'we were wrong. We won't allow mixed dancing, mixed weddings, mixed sitting'." He said that more liberal poskim (rabbis that issue halachic rulings) were favored by women, "Because a woman wants to be looked at. But men don't like them, because men know this is wrong." (YNET)

Palestinian terrorists target Jewish vehicle on Road 60 near Ofra. No injuries.

Kalman Marco, the 60 year old man who was driving near Ofra this morning when his car was shot at, says he was was miraculously saved when he managed to get to work safely. In an interview, the Nili resident said that he was unaware that the car was hit until he got out of the car in Psagot, where he works, and he saw that a bullet had hit the car. (A7)

If you're an Anglo Oleh -- you may not always recognize what your Israeli born children will be typing as their Facebook Status Messages.

Parents around the world have discovered that joining Facebook is an excellent way to keep tabs on their kids.

However, if – like me - you’re the Anglo parent of Israeli teenagers, you’re out of luck.

I should begin by noting that the quality of your Hebrew is irrelevant.

You might be perfectly fluent. You might have been first in your ulpan class. You might spend your days lecturing and communicating in Hebrew. Your accent might be impeccable, and people might sometimes mistake you for a native-born Israeli.

In fact, you might even BE a native-born Israeli.

But none of this matters.

You’re STILL not going to be able to understand your Israeli teenager’s Facebook statuses.

Read it here at Our Shiputzim.

צום קל ומועיל,

ג'מעיל

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Muqata Exclusive: Technical Plans for the "LifeKeeper" Patch

In yet another Muqata Blog exclusive, we have obtained the top secret diagrams of the technical plans for the "Billion Dollar LifeKeeper Heart Attack notification patch" -- which provides 30 minutes warning before a heart attack strikes.

These diagrams are copyright exclusive to the SkyLife company, which was only founded 2 weeks ago, and has already reportedly sold 20% of its stock to the MSI company for $360 million dollars!

While MSI is denying any knowledge of its involvement in any sale of SkyLife, SkyLife claims that they negotiated the entire deal via internet emails and faxes, and never met in person any Representative of MSI.

11:55 PM Breaking News; In what is sure to be a devastating blog to the SkyLife Company, according to Channel 10 Israel TV, CEO Gabi Picker has resigned from the helm of SkyLife.

Israel's respected "CalCalist" financial newspaper interviewed Sky Life partner Dr. Amos Buchnik about his investment in Sky Life.

No real money was invested now in SkyLife -- all the heavy investments of 5-6 million dollars was done by [convicted fraudster] Arik Klein a few years ago, said Buchnik.

Buchnik claimed the extent of his investment was to a super genius computer programmer who wrote the entire real-time embedded software program in the time span of only one week!

In exchange for his outstanding software contract abilities, the genius developer was paid the sum of 1000 dollars from Dr. Buchnik's dental clinic. [I kid you not, this is all in Buchnik's interview].

Alper Eiden, the software whiz claimed he was supposed to get 3000 dollars for his services, but only received 1000.

Forbes and Reuters reported today (before knowing of Gabi Picker's resignation):

TEL AVIV, July 8 (Reuters) - The founder of Israel's SafeSky said on Wednesday the company would make a media presentation next week after local media questioned reports a Taiwanese company would take a stake in a unit of SafeSky.

'You will all be invited next week,' SafeSky co-founder Amos Bouchnik told Reuters before declining further comment. SafeSky Chief Executive Gavriel Picker also declined comment.

His remarks came after Israeli newspapers ran stories casting doubt on their own reports earlier this week that Microstar International would pay $370 million for 37 percent of SafeSky's Life Keeper, which says it has invented a device to warn of heart attacks.

An official at Microstar in Taipei said the company had no knowledge of a deal with SafeSky, though it does have a team looking at developing a notebook PC with an add-on device that would be able to measure a person's heartbeat.

Microstar manufactures and distributes computer motherboards and interface cards.

Stay Tuned to the Muqata for your latest up to date information about the Billion Dollar Patch of the Century!

We are the #1 blog following this story, and you can check back here for the latest updates on this historic financial success story for the unbelievable SkyLife Company.

Update From Haaretz:

The entire negotiations and contacts between the Israeli side and the MSI was done by fax and e-mail, which was sent to the Internet domain MsiUK.net. The address may seem to belong to the British branch of the Taiwanese firm, but it turns out it actually belongs to no other than Aharon (Arik) Klein, one of the co-founders and 50% owners of SafeSky, the Israeli company supposedly seling the patch technology. Klein, a convicted conman who spent years in prison for multiple acts of fraud, is also the person who supposedly developed the technology. It seems that Klein bought and registered the domain name and used fictitious identities to correspond with SafeSky, and its lawyers and accountants.

How Klein planned to make money on the fraud is still not clear. As of now it seems Klein duped SafeSky's co-owner, Dr. Amos Bouchnik and its CEO, Dr. Gavriel Picker, as well as the rest of the company's officials.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

LifePatch; Racking up the Lies

The Marker reports:

Yet another lie was revealed, attributed to the Safe Sky "LifePatch" company. Yesterday, the company's founders announced to the media that they will soon be starting clinical trials with their revolutionary "Heart Attack Detection" patch at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, and that Hadassah Hospital's General Manager, Professor Shlomo Mor Yosef has given the green light for the hospital to start a pilot with 100 of the patches.

However, Hadassah Hospital today outright rejected the story, "No one approached Professor Mor Yosef, and he did not approve any pilot", stated Ron Kromer, the manager of media communications and press interaction at Hadassah. Kromer told "The Marker", "Professor Mor Yosef doesn't even have the authority by himself to approve a clinical trial. Clinical trials are only approved after a long process of receiving approvals, providing scientific documentation, and of course, certification from the Helsinki Committee (which authorizes clinical trials on humans.)

Additionally the MSI company, which is allegedly buying 20% of SafeSky claims they have never heard of SafeSky, and they have zero intention of buying it.

Globes:

There is no evidence of SafeSky's claim that Life Keeper has FDA approval.

SafeSky was only registered as a company two weeks ago.

MSI finance department customer relations manager Jhih-Jhuang Chang told "Globes" today, "I have never heard of this company. We are considering what steps to take. The matter is being handled by our legal department.

Haaretz:

The Taiwanese company, Micro-Star International, which is supposedly paying $370 million for 37% of the Life Keeper heart monitor patch, said it knows nothing of any such deal. Its representatives never came to Israel to discuss such an agreement. The senior management of SafeSky, the Israeli firm, also never met with the Taiwanese firm, and all the contacts were conducted only via fax and e-mail.

Riiiiight. A $370 million dollar deal is conducted only through email and fax?

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The Scammers

Ben-Gurion's historical litmus test for a "normal" Israel would be the appearance of a Jewish thief in Tel-Aviv. Based on Ben-Gurion's hypothesis, Israel is now a stunning success.

On Sunday, the Israel Police have arrested 10 residents of central Israel on suspicion of being involved in a wide-range, worldwide scam known as the “Nigerian sting”.

The suspects operated out of offices in Tel Aviv offices and allegedly defrauded elderly American citizens, who had been led to believe they had won the lottery, of millions of dollars.

You've seen these Nigerian scammer emails before -- they originate from deposed kings of third world countries, Suha Arafat, and even Ehud Olmert.

"According to the suspicions, the gang members spent the past two years contacting elderly people in the United States. They would present themselves as representatives of the US lottery’s raffles department, informing them they had won a prize consisting of $500,000.

The suspects claimed they were calling from inside the US, when in fact they were operating out of an office in Tel Aviv.

Upon every first call with a new victim, the suspects would explain that a law firm specializing in raffles taxation would be handling the “prize”.

After a while the victims would receive a second call from the gang, in which one of the suspects would pretend to be a lawyer. At this point he would explain to them that they must pay a preliminary tax on the sum of $67,000 in order to receive the prize money." (Jewkey).

Yet the biggest apparent scam of week goes to "LifeKeeper". Respected journalist David Shamah reported this week in Arutz Sheva about the "Billion Dollar Patch" that could warn of a heart attack 30 minutes before the actual heart attack would commence.

"An Israeli company has sold a one-third interest in a medical device it developed to a British-Taiwanese company for $370 million – making the total value of SafeSky's LifeKeeper Patch over $1 billion.

The deal, between SafeSky and Micro-Star International (MSI), is one of the biggest ever in relative terms for an Israeli hi-tech industry. SafeSky will retain 67% of the ownership of the patch, and MSI has an option to purchase a bigger share later on – at five times the price it paid this week.

The LifeKeeper Patch, not much bigger than a shekel coin, contains a microprocessor which can read information about the wearer's medical state – recording data such as body temperature, heart rate and rhythms, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. When the patch is worn, the information is transmitted via Bluetooth to a cell phone, where an application records the information.

The LifePatch, which was developed by SafeSky co-owner Arik Klein, is considered a revolutionary "teletherapy" device. (Read the rest of this here)"

What started out as a snowball of success on Sunday (including President Shimon Peres gushing about the success of the patch) is now hurtling out of control, as all sorts of dark clouds of suspicion are poised to rain on the LifePatch parade.

For starters, SafeSky co-owner Arik Klein is less than an honorable man. The JPost and Israel IDF radio report that "...the supposed deal appeared to have unraveled when it emerged that one of the partners in the company, Arik Klein, who has served prison time for fraud, forged e-mail correspondence in which he pretended to represent MSI in the purchase."

Haaretz reports that Klein, a convicted conman who spent years in prison for multiple acts of fraud, is also the person who supposedly developed the technology. It seems that Klein bought and registered the domain name and used fictitious identities to correspond with SafeSky, and its lawyers and accountants.

IDF Radio queried as to why there are no cardiologists on the "SafeSky" staff, and that no medical data has been published and no preliminary scientific data has been provided to back up SafeSky's claims for this "revolutionary" patch.

Adding even more intrigue to the plot, the JPost also reports as follows:

The plot thickened when it was discovered that Haggai Hadas, the former Mossad official recently appointed to head negotiations for captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, is a director of SafeSky, and that its CEO is Gabi Picker, a childhood friend of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Hadas's "private affairs, including his business activity, are his personal responsibility and are carried out with his knowledge alone, and are entirely unrelated to his public role."

Is LifePatch the next best medical invention since the defibrillator, or will it go down in history as a competitor of agel?

Personally, I think this will be more similar to the fiasco in the 1980's in which Israel's energy minister announced that a world-breakthrough had been made by an Israeli scientist and would generate enough electrical power for the price of peanuts. (Still looking for a good hyperlink source on this. I believe the Minister was Dan Meridor's father). This should not be confused with Yitzchak Teshuva's adjournment today:

The natural gas reserve discovered off the shores of Haifa is approximately 25 to 30 percent richer than previously assessed, US oil operator Noble Energy Inc., said after drilling to verify the find.

The site, previously assessed to hold more than 142 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas, may in fact hold as much as 180 BCM.

The potential revenue from selling gas from the offshore reserve may reach $30-35 billion. (Jpost)

HAHA! I've found it -- previous scam of the century:

The bulb to light all Ramat Gan (Hebrew: נורה שתאיר את כל רמת גן, Nura she-tair et kol Ramat Gan‎) was a political misstep in Israel of the 1980s. It took this humorous form within the collective memory of the Israeli public.

On June 28, 1981, the eve of elections to the tenth Knesset, Yaakov Meridor gave an interview to radio networks. He was one of the top candidates on the party list of Likud. He announced that a scientist working with him had invented an improvement in energy production on a chemical basis, with extraordinary efficiency and yield. As an illustration of the nature of the invention, "a global revolution that is yet to be grasped", he told to an interviewer, "It's as if you took an ordinary household light bulb and, with this lamp, you illuminated the whole city of Ramat Gan."

In March 1982, while serving as Minister of Economics and Inter-Ministry Coordination, Meridor gave publicity to the invention in a special television broadcast. For a few days he captured the top newspaper headlines. When it was revealed that the inventor might be brought up on charges, the minister was held up to ridicule, and the incident was mockingly recalled for years afterward.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

The PLO Charter

As everyone knows, Israel liberated Judea, Samaria and Gaza in 1967.

The PLO, on the other hand was formed in 1964 before there was an "Occupation" and before a single "settlement" (as they are called today).

I was reading an article in the Jerusalem Post, where the author claims that in Article 24 of the PLO Charter, the PLO explicitly renounced any claim to the West Bank, Gaza (or eastern shore of the Kinneret). I remembered no such article in their charter.

And I looked it up and still couldn't find it any such Article in the PLO charter. In fact it says:

Article 24: The Palestinian people believe in the principles of justice, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, human dignity, and in the right of all peoples to exercise them.

So how could it be the author made such a mistake and the Jerusalem Post didn't pick up on it (no cynical remarks here please).

So I did a little more research and found out that the PLO has 2 charters. They also have their original charter which was the basis of the formation of their organization in 1964 - before Israel liberated our lands from Jordan and Egypt.

In Article 24 of the original PLO charter it states:

Article 24. This Organization does not exercise any regional sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on the Gaza Strip or the Himmah Area.

This charter was only changed in 1968, when Jordan and Egypt lost control over Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

So in fact, before 1967, the Arabs never wanted an "independent Palestinian State" in the "territories".

In fact, "Palestinians" quite happily accepted being under Jordanian and Egyptian sovereignty - and that included East Jerusalem!


Now obviously you can say that positions change over time, but consider how radical this change is.

In 1964, the PLO made no demands for sovereignty, much less a capital in Jerusalem or even "East" Jerusalem.

In 1964, the PLO renounced any claim to any of the "Occupied Territories".

The author says that until Jimmy Carter gave them the idea, they never even considered a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

It was only in 1988 that the PLO first called for a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem.


Now fast forward to 2009.

Now they are also claiming the "Occupied Territories" and Jerusalem (and flooding the rest of Israel with refugees to change the demographic balance in their favor) for their state - sovereignty over which didn't even interest them 45 years ago.

That is a radical switch - or is it?

If you look in terms of the geographic areas, the Palestinians seem to have lost their minds. They are making claims to lands whose claims over which they completely threw away 45 years ago. Land that they didn't claim was theirs 45 years ago.

But if you look at it in terms of goals, then the picture is different.

They want whatever land the Jews are on. The Jews are now on these particular lands - including East Jerusalem - that 45 years ago didn't interest them, so now they want it.

And following that logic, if Israel withdraws from all of Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, (which is pretty much what Ehud Olmert offered them) they won't be satisfied, because those territories don't interest them.

They want what the Jews have.

And that's why Abu Mazen turned down Olmert's offer, and that's why they will never sign a document that the conflict with Israel is over - even if they get everything they are demand.

In terms of goals, their position hasn't changed at all - because it has nothing to do with specific geographies.

And that is why no peace plan will work - because they are all addressing the wrong issue.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Archaeology update

by Lurker

The Israel Antiquities Authority has just announced the discovery of yet another 2300-year-old stone quarry, used to produce the enormous stones used in Herod's reconstruction of the Second Temple. The quarry is located in Jerusalem's Beit Yisrael neighborhood.

This is the third such quarry found in Jerusalem in as many years -- the other two are in Sanhedria and Ramat Shlomo.

Jul 06, 2009 - Second Temple quarry discovered in Beit Yisrael, Jerusalem. (More here.)
[Click to enlarge image]

May 20, 2008 - Second Temple quarry discovered in Sanhedria, Jerusalem.

Sep 23, 2007 - Second Temple quarry discovered in Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem. (More here.)

(It's sort of interesting that all three quarries are located in haredi neighborhoods. Not that I have any idea what significance that has...)


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Israel: Ice-cream recession predicted this summer

Unlike the USA, Israel's shopping malls are chock full this summer despite the global recession. The Eastern Kfar-Saba newly opened "G" mall is packed with shoppers on a daily basis and impatient patrons wait for empty tables at G's trendy cafes.

And yet, Dun & Bradstreet economists have the gloom and doom -- they're predicting a drop in Israel's ice cream sales for the summer of 2009.

According to estimates, ice cream sales will range between NIS 950 million (about $245 million) and NIS 1 billion ($257 million) – a slight drop in sales compared to last year.

According to sources in the ice cream industry, the recession in the economy will have an effect on the ice cream market, prompting the Israeli consumer to buy less prestigious ice cream brands and raise the demand for simpler products. (YNET)

You may not know it, but Israelis are a huge consumer of ice cream, and in the past decade, Israeli ice-cream consumption has gone up a blistering 420% -- and during summertime, Israelis consume an average of 20 million liters of ice cream.

I'd better quickly dig up some better news -- as it doesn't get more depressing than this.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Mazal Tov: MK Anastasia Michaeli Gives Birth to 8th Child

Mazal tov - congratulations to Member of Knesset Anastasia Michaeli (Yisrael Beiteinu) on the birth of her 8th child, a son, this early this morning. MK Michaeli is the first Israeli parliament member to give birth during Knesset tenure.

As opposed to less than clever Members of Knesset we've seen in the past few years, MK Michaeli holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, and a BA in Business Administration.

"I feel fine. The delivery was very swift," Michaeli told Ynet. "I'll leave the hospital and then decide what maternity leave to take."

Asked about the new parliament child's name, the MK replied, "I'm having doubts about the name and consulting the rabbi."...

In the current legal situation, a Knesset member is not defined as a worker and is therefore not entitled to maternity leave.

"It's clear that the right given to any workers, which is aimed at allowing her to rest following the delivery and nurture the bond between the parent and child, should also be granted to Knesset members," the committee members stated. (YNET)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Low hanging fruit, or fruit already in the backet?

There is a difference between going after low-hanging fruit, and going after fruit in someone else's basket (or trying to squish the fruit already in the basket).

After reports of being completely rejected by the Arab States in an attempt to get them to publicly show some gesture to Israel in exchange for a settlement freeze, Obama is widening his circle.

Obama sent a letter to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, saying He hoped Rabat would "be a leader in bridging gaps between Israel and the Arab world."

On one hand, you can say that Obama is now going after the low-hanging fruit in an attempt to find some Arab country willing to make a public gesture to Israel, or help get the other Arab state make those public gestures.

On the other hand, Israel already has a relationship with Morocco. It never ended. Israelis can visit Morocco (with a visa). We've had Foreign Ministers visit Morocco - openly. I believe Morocco even has a liaison office in Tel Aviv. We certainly openly trade with one another.

In fact, Moroccan Jews in Israel may even hold dual citizenship.

And Morocco for the most part keeps its nose out of the local conflict - and as a result it's never gotten seriously bloodied by it.

It is a carefully balanced formula that works for everyone.

Hey Obama, it's one thing to go after low-hanging fruit. It's another thing to try to grab the fruit already in our basket and try to squish it.

Maybe He'll go after Tunis next.

(See JoeSettler for other quiet Israel-Arab relations issues.)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Israeli Independence

More than once on these pages I've said that Israel must attain financial independence from America. That loan guarantees and US military aid may look nice, but are stifling our national growth and industries and other important decision processes.

The biggest profiteers from US military aid to to Israel are US military industries which is where the money must be spent.

I've repeatedly said that Israel must develop a fighter plane, and must sell it to India, a fellow democracy, and natural ally with a similar (recent) history and similar enemies.

Turns out Israel was planning to do that.

Saab (they make great cars) asked Israel to join with it to make a fighter plane and sell it to India.

Israel would design the electronics, radar and electronic-warfare systems for the plane (ours are much better than the Americans, which is why Israel only has Israeli electronics in the fighter planes we buy from the US).



The deal was worth $12 billion dollars for 120 aircraft.

Imagine that money coming in to Israel, instead of from US military aid that goes right back to US industries.

The US imagined that too.

The Pentagon (and not for the first time) forced Israel to back out of the deal

The given excuse? They are afraid US technology might make its way to India.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin and Boeing (US companies) are competing to send US technology over to India.


If this keeps going on, foreign countries are going to be afraid to work with Israel, if they know the US will kill the deal - as they have already done numerous times in the past.

It's time Israel makes a decision to cut the apron strings.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Harry Potter appointed heir to Jordan

In a surprise move, Jordan's Dictator Abdullah appointed Harry Potter his son Hussein as the dictator to succeed him.



As it turns out, Hussein Jr. is half Palestinian, which means, the Palestinian State of Jordan (after all, more than 80% of its population identifies itself as Palestinian), will for the first time ever have a dictator who is at least a (half) member of their recently created ethnic group.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

MaDA Fashla

MaDA (n) Magen David Adom, organization, Israel emergency medical and rescue. 15,000 nationawide volunteers, 1000 paid employees.

fashla (n) screw up (Hebrew slang)

So my father-in-law sends me an email entitled this morning: "Chovshim, bah" (A Chovesh is an EMT).

Knowing I'm a volunteer EMT, and my 2 oldest kids are spending their summer vacation as Jr-EMTs riding on ambulances, he thought of bringing this story to my attention.

The story is all over Israel; the internet, radio, TV, newspaper.

An 84-year-old man gave emergency personnel a shock Wednesday when he came back to life after being pronounced dead by paramedics [Jameel: Actually, the MDA doctor pronounced him dead] at his Ramat Gan home.

A Magen David Adom ambulance crew was dispatched to the man's house in response to a distress call. After finding no pulse and ascertaining that he was not breathing, the man was pronounced dead.

A short time later, however, a police officer noted that "the corpse is moving his hand."

Police and emergency personnel had received a report Wednesday evening regarding an sick elderly man who lived alone in an apartment in Ramat Gan.

A nearby patrol and the medical crew who entered the home had noticed the elderly man lying motionless in the middle of the living room. They entered the apartment through the window in an attempt to resuscitate the man, who had no pulse.

Medical officials called for the coroner and a doctor, who pronounced the man dead and subsequently signed a death certificate.

After the medical crew left the premises, police began probing the circumstances of the man's death. As forensic investigators scoured the apartment for evidence, a policeman approached the motionless body, which to his amazement began moving its hands. [Haaretz]

Everyone in MDA knows that only a doctor can pronounce someone dead, unless of course, the person is decapitated -- its basic protocol. What happened here I can't tell you, but my kids were very embaressed when they heard the story.

Then again, MDA had another "fashla" in the news yesterday, when they eagerly released a news story that an unborn fetus and umbilical cord were found in a plastic bag in a Herziliya supermarket's parking lot.

After the bag and its contents were sent to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute for analysis, the results were announced.

The bag contained...the remains of...


...a banana.

Oooops. A Fashla.

(Hebrew source for Fetal Banana)

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Up to $10000 in scholarships and grants

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With so many girls seminaries that have advertised here, it's about time a guy's yeshiva graced these pages.

And that Yeshiva is... Yeshivat Hamivtar in the town of Efrat, in Gush Etzion.

Hamivtar is currently advertising their one year program, for young men ages 20 to 30.

And for added incentive Hamivtar is offering up to $10,000 in grants, scholarships and loans to help you make your year in Israel possible and affordable.

Besides learning, the program includes 3 meals a day, trips, dorms, and of course the beautiful atmosphere of a very nice and established settlement.

So, if you've thought about spending the year (or half a year) growing in Torah and learning (and even in learning how to learn), then this may be your perfect opportunity.

So check out Yeshivat Hamivtar and ask them to contact you. They'll be happy to help you fill out the application form and get one of their scholarships, grants, or loans for a year of Torah study.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Simultaneous Irreciprocity

With Mitchell back to talk to Bibi in two weeks time, there’s talk that Netanyahu may give in to US pressure and “temporarily” freeze settlement expansion (as he defines it to mean construction – I assume and hope our wives won’t be required to undergo abortions as George Mitchell understands ‘Natural Growth’).

Israel administration officials have been mentioning more and more lately that the US can’t expect Israel to take this serious action unless it sees some reciprocal movement on the Arab side.

As Obama has tied His peace process to a more regional comprehensive Arab normalization, Israeli government officials have been saying that they expect to also see some simultaneous and reciprocal movement on the part of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states (besides action on the ground from the Palestinians – though no one expects them to comply, so no one even tries to pretend any more with them).

That certainly sounds reasonable to them.

But more important to Bibi is that I suspect that Bibi wants to force Obama to back up Israel in an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Netanyahu sees Iran's nuclear capabilities as the biggest existential threat to Israel on the playing field today.

Obama also publicly linked His support for Israel against Iran to the Peace Process. He did so in part to force Israel to recommence the peace process. But more importantly, He primarily did it as a threat to stop us from taking unilateral military action, but this had an unintentional consequence Obama apparently didn't foresee.

Bibi will likely also announce that the Peace Process is going forward and Israel is freezing settlements, and because Obama linked it publicly, he will then demand the US now provide military backup for Israeli actions against Iran.

And if Obama doesn't backup Israel, bye-bye Obama’s (already damaged) credibility in Israel and His peace process.


Of course there is only one fatal flaw in this line of thinking.

As one democrat said, when asked why the Arab world couldn't first show signs of a willingness to normalize before Israel declares a moratorium, he characterized such a demand as "childish."

Unfortunately we’ve been in this movie before.

Israel makes a major concession; nothing is reciprocated on the other side (except usually violence). Israel’s concessions requires major cost to reverse or recoup, if possible (i.e. taking back lost ground, capturing terrorists, etc.). And now Israel finds itself in a weaker and smaller position, while the world again sees they can pressure us, and get what they want from us at no cost to them at all.

We all remember when Sharon promised us (with promises from the US) that after the Expulsion the world would treat Israel differently and stop making one-sided demands of us. We see how well that worked out.

And we all remember what Rabin promised us before Oslo.

Experience shows that they were all empty promises.

Unfortunately, Bibi is probably counting on his actions being able to morally require reciprocal actions on the part of Obama and the Arabs.

Last time he tried that it was at Wye with Bill Clinton and Clinton’s broken promise of freeing Pollard. That didn’t work out too well either.

Bibi, please don’t make the same mistakes again.



Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Caption Needed

Pick one:

Al-Quds: Zionist Army Soldiers prepare to eat Palestinian child's pet bird.
Haaretz: IDF Soldiers prepare to behead Palestinian child's pet bird.
YNET: IDF Soldiers Capture Endangered Bird in Palestinian Village
Arutz Sheva: IDF Soldiers Liberate Endangered Bird in Palestinian Village
NYTimes: Rare Bird killed by IDF troops. (Note: they change their story the next day -- see photo in link on the right)

Or add your own...I'll post the real story later.


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Iranians walk out on "Rabbi" Shimon Peres?

Claiming that Shimon Peres is not a religious leader, the Iranian delegates to the World Interfaith Conference in Kazakhstan walked out when Peres got up to speak.

Peres lectured the forum, "Together with all the Arab leaders, we can realize your vision, our vision and the vision of all the leaders and all believers in our shared god of peace and justice."

Iranian delegates stormed out of the conference hall as Peres began to deliver his speech, and returned only after he finished speaking.

"Peres is not a religious leader; he is a man of violence," one of the Iranian delegates said. (YNET)

I don't know if Peres is a man of violence, but he is absolutely not a religious leader.

Maybe the Iranians weren't that unjustified in their reaction (see what happens when you mix religion and politics?)


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד