Good News From Israel: Building Boom

While "Peace Now" and AP fret over the following, its obviously good news for Israel.

Israeli settlers have begun building new homes at an extraordinary pace since the government lifted its moratorium on West Bank housing starts – almost 550 in three weeks, more than four times faster than the last two years.

In an extensive report Thursday morning, the Associated Press wrote that many of the homes are going up in areas that under practically any peace scenario would become part of a Palestinian state, a trend that could doom US-brokered peace talks.
According to the AP's count, ground has been broken on 544 new West Bank homes since Sept. 26, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lifted a 10-month freeze on new settlement building.

The survey, while not comprehensive, marks the most extensive effort yet to quantify the construction. It was based on visits to 16 of the West Bank's more than 120 settlements as well as phone calls to more than four dozen settlements and interviews with construction workers and mayors.

"This figure is alarming and is another indicator that Israel is not serious about the peace process, which is supposed to be about ending the occupation," said Ghassan Khatib, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' self-rule government in the West Bank.

Netanyahu has played down the new construction, saying it "has no real effect on the map of a possible (peace) agreement." (ynetnews)

May we continue to build in ALL parts of Israel.

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

President Obama's Unintentional Incitement?

Over the past few months, I've received negative feedback from readers who don't understand why I mention US President Obama on this blog, if this is simply a pro-Israel, pro-Aliya, pro-settlement blog. The truth is, I would be more than happy to ignore him and let him deal with internal issues of the United States.

Unfortunately, my home is a target of the Obama administration -- if they would leave me alone, I'd would as well.

Its undeniable that the US is ratcheting up the pressure on Israel, and President Obama focused world attention on my home again yesterday at the United Nations General Assembly.

His quote:

"We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel. And we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements"

How curious to call on Palestinians to "end incitement" and then immediately followup that the US does not accept "illegitimate Israeli settlements." Lumping these 2 unconnected issues together is morally unjustified. Incitement, terror and violence cannot be compared to settlement activity, especially while the Palestinians continue to build, creating their own "facts on the ground."

Its not only this humble blogger's opinion that Obama's after my home, but also that of former US Ambassador to UN, John Bolton. He stated about yesterday's speech by President Obama, "He put Israel on the chopping block"

Yisrael Medad found the connection. President Obama calls settlements illegitimate, and immediately the Palestinians translate this into "illegal"

Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Obama’s address to the UN was "encouraging."

"We very much appreciate President Obama’s statements on settlements being illegal and his calling for an end of the occupation," Erakat said in a telephone interview. "

Medad correctly connects the dots and points out that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called Israel a "counterfeit and illegitimate regime that cannot survive", in a live broadcast on state television.

"The Zionist regime is counterfeit and illegitimate and cannot survive," he said in a speech to a crowd in the town of Islamshahr in southwestern Tehran.

In an atmosphere of the Obama administration targeting Israel's Jewish population in the Yehuda vShomron/West Bank settlement communities, its no surprise that violent Palestinians Arab attacks are increasing over the past weeks. Its irrelevant for President Obama to call on Palestinians "to stop incitement", while mentioning settlement activity over and over again whenever Israel is the topic of discussion.

The Kalkilya/Shechem road 55 has seen a marked increase in rock and firebomb throwing attacks against Jewish motorists, including rock attacks on Rosh HaShana.

In the same area at the Havat Gilad (Gilad Farm) outpost, Arabs torched the fields surrounding the caravan community, resulting in the destruction of 2 caravans.

My 4rth grade daughter called me up the other day. almost tearfully asking how much money we could give. I asked her to calm down and slowly repeat what she was talking about.

"During Rosh HaShana, Arabs burned down the fields around my teacher's home in Havat Gilad...it burned down their home...and now they have nothing...we're collecting money to help them".

From A7:

The fire destroyed two buildings. One, the home of a couple and their young child, was completely destroyed. The family did not have time to remove any property before the blaze demolished their home, and their clothing, furniture, and other belongings were lost.

The second building, which was home to a couple and three children, sustained serious damage.

In addition, the electric lines and the main sewage line connecting Havat Gilad to the Samaria infrastructure were destroyed. The total cost of the damage is estimated at half a million shekels. (more here)

Photos Courtesy of the Shomron Regional Council Liaison Office.






When the President of the United States incessantly spotlights Jewish communities, it tacitly understood by Palestinians that these communities are now legitimate targets.

It was not intentional, yet the message clearly heard by Palestinians is that no one will weep over the fate of "illegal" settlements or any terror attacks against them.

Note: Anyone wishing to send some tzedaka/charity before Yom Kippur to help these families rebuilt their homes, the following information was sent to me.

Dear Friend,

You may have heard that a fire destroyed two caravans in Chavat Gilad on the first day of Rosh Hashana. One of the caravans was occupied by the family of my son-in-law’s sister. The fire was deliberately set , by Arabs, while she was inside with her husband and infant son. The fire spread underneath the floor. They smelled smoke and managed to get out just before their home was engulfed by the flames. The young couple lost virtually everything they owned.

We are soliciting donations to help these unfortunate victims of terror to replace what was lost. The contributions are being administered by the Moetza Datit of Karnei Shomron. Checks should be made out to Keren Achiezer (קרן אחיעזר). I will be happy to pass them on to the Moetza Datit or they can be sent directly:

MOATZA DATIT KARNEI SHOMRON
PO Box 250
212 Mishol HaCalanit
Karnei Shomron
Doar Na Lev HaShomron, Israel

Receipts will be given.

Gmar Chatima Tova.

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

Israel to legalize "unauthorized" settlements?

This could be an excellent solution.

Retroactive legalization for settlements to keep the media from clamoring that they are "illegal" -- a term coined by previous State Prosecutor Talia Sasson (who most recently ran for a spot in Israel's Knesset on the leftwing Meretz party list).

The state prosecutor's representative twice hinted that construction in West Bank settlements might be retroactively legalized Wednesday, seemingly representing a major policy turnaround.

The two responses are a departure from the state's usual response that the structures are illegal and are expected to be demolished.

The responses, coming three weeks after Deputy Premier and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that the state prosecutor is not faithfully representing the current government's view on settlements, seems to signal a change in policy. In several past cases, including construction in the settlements of Harsha, Hayovel, Neveh Tzuf, Netiv Haavot and Amona, the state told the court the structures were illegal and were due to be destroyed in keeping with the priorities of the defense establishment.

The first of the two cases Wednesday was a petition by Peace Now with a request to issue a demolition order for 12 new structures in the settlement of Kiryat Netafim. The state responded that "while the work is illegal, a detailed master plan had been published in the past with the aim of arranging the planning status of the settlement. This situation requires a deep scrutiny of the issue by the government." (Haaretz)

Unfortunately, this is probably on a stop-gap solution, as radio reports this morning on Galezi Tzahal (IDF Radio) stated a potential trilateral meeting in Israel in 3 weeks, between Israel, the Palestinians and the President Obama, which would halt all Jewish construction in the West Bank/Yesha -- Jerusalem included.

Already this morning the government's Central Bureau of Statistics is announcing that construction starts in the West bank/Yesha are down 33% for the first half of 2009, compared to 2008.

This is directly a result of Netanyahu's government intervention, preventing the construction of new homes for Israel's Jewish residents.

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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

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

Hillary Clinton -- Get out of my bedroom!

Since my last post drew the ire from commenters on the veracity of an IDF radio report I'll have to put some of this in quotes with a look-up-able hyperlink. [It's all from Haaretz today]

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has adopted the hardest line to date against Jewish settlement growth of any US government.

Speaking on "Al Jazeera" (how convenient and sycophantic) she firmly stated US President Obama's policy:

"We want to see a stop to settlement construction - additions, natural growth, any kind of settlement activity - that is what the president has called for"

Natural Growth?

Since when does one country interfere with another's natural growth? Who does Obama and Hillary think they are?

I'm reminded of the decrees of Pharaoh in Egypt millennia ago, who demanded the cessation of Jewish births, and decreed that all Jewish male babies had to be thrown into the Nile River.

Even Israel's President Shimon Peres (who I am not a great fan of) told Obama when they met 2 weeks ago, that "these [natural growth settler] children are not going to live on the roofs"

We need to expand our communities!

Israel's embassy stated in response to Clinton's decree: Israel would stand by its pledge not to establish new settlements but as Israel sees it, this clearly does not include construction of housing to accommodate natural increases.

In the words of the commenter on the previous thread:

"Im appaled and disgusted the Jameel put this baseless garbage on his blog and embaressed that the predictable Barak Bashers jumped on board without any self reflection. Im also disgusted to see so many of you acting like weak ghetto Jews. Obama is the president of America, not Israel. He has neither the power not the authority to "make" Israel do anything."

Well then Mr. Anonymous Commenter, if Obama and Hillary don't have the "authority" to do anything, why are they demanding that Jews to stop natural settlement growth?

I guess Obama didn't pay that much attention when he celebrated the "Passover seder" this year, because he missed the line from Shmot/Exodus 1:12: "But the more they [the Jews] were oppressed, the more they multiplied."

When I moved to the Shomron 16 years ago, there were 120,000 Jews in the West Bank and Gaza. We're not in Gaza anymore (for the time being), but we're now at 250,000 and growing strong.

With or without Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.

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

Israel's Settlers Going Green for the Environment

Its not easy being a "settler" in Israel. Since the Oslo Accords and the inception of the catchphrase that settlers are an "obstacle to peace", we've had a tough time. Starting September 2000, Palestinian Policemen (in addition to your run-of-the-mill Palestinian terrorists) decided to use their CIA-training and Israel-provided rifles to shoot at us on the roads, in addition to their usual rock throwing, firebombing and terrorist infiltrations into our communities.

Even when we try to "do the right thing" when it comes to the environment, we still get a bum rap since the vast majority of Earth's ecowarriors are of the Left-leaning persuasion and are therefore unfortunately, anti-settler.

We're undeterred.

The proud Jewish settlement communities in the Judea and Samaria/West Bank are among the forefront of organic farms for eggs, goats milk and cheese, and organically grown wheat. Our organic wineries are award winning.

Solar and Wind Power for generating electricity is high on our agenda, as we explore different ways to harness the environment to produce clean energy. My settlement had a group (myself included) which is actively exploring the option of installing solar panels on our rooftops.

Almost every home in our settlement has had for years a passive solar powered hot water heater -- the "dud shemesh", as do many homes around Israel.

(photo credit to Yuval)

We recycle paper, cardboard, and glass bottles. Plastic is a bit more challenging, but I was thrilled that upon announcing to my kids that from now on, all plastic bottles and containers would be placed in bags in the kitchen and I would bring them for recycling at work -- within a day, the "switch" was done. The kids complied without hardly any fuss at all, and about twice a week all our plastic is recycled in Jerusalem.

Water recycling is a huge issue, and we're now looking at options for gray water usage to keep our lawn green during Israel's water shortage.

Last but not least, security.

Its no secret that our neck of the woods has its security challenges and many carry handguns "just in case." Just 2 weeks ago, a terrorist was killed during an attack in a settlement by a passerby with a handgun, thereby saving lives.

Just because we carry weapons doesn't mean the environment isn't important to us.

And that's why I swapped out all my Glock 19c's semi automatic's ammunition for "clean" bullets.

Winchester's "WinClean" ammunition is perfect for those who require additional security but also care about the environment.

WinClean bullets are "Brass Enclosed" -- thereby eliminating lead vaporization from the bullet's base and keeping my gun's barrel safe from "leading." Less lead in the environment is a serious issue, and we all do our part.

If only Israel's green activists looked beyond the political borders and understood that the environment is an issue that concerns all of us, on both sides of the green line, our country, and planet would be a much better place.

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

Settlers: The Image of a Pulitzer Prize.

Every day in Budapest has been a world full of blogworthiness, complete with imagery and experience that has burned itself into my being.

Yet, with all the pictures and thoughts I wish to blog, it's impossible not to post the Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo for 2007.

Awarded to Oded Balilty of The Associated Press for his powerful photograph of a lone Jewish woman defying Israeli security forces as they remove illegal settlers in the West Bank.

I blogged about Amona as it was happening here and here...and while I have so much to write about Amona and this picture, the post from Rafi G. sums up how Amona happened to being with.

PM Ehud Olmert said, "I am indestructible. I have been here for 35 years and I have survived everything."

More to come this evening.

--Jameel

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

Responding to a Comment: Why endanger your family?

Newtime commenter "nuch a chosid" left me the following comment:

I don't feel comfortable asking you this. But I don't really get the fact that you feel living in such areas, is your mitzva of protecting Eretz yisroel, we wouldn't live in Harlem and we would rather understand you making sure your family is in a safe place where you are not in constant danger, then chosing to live in the frontline I know you think different, but we Americans (or at least I as a yankee) can never understand it.

Dear Nuch a Chosid,

Although you felt uncomfortable asking, I'm glad you posted your comment.

Living in Eretz Yisrael is first and foremost a privilege to fulfill the mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael. Just as keeping Shabbat and observing the laws of Kashrut are not always simple, living in Israel can quite challenging as well.

Like you, I also grew up in the United States (and while I didn't live in Harlem, my junior high school yeshiva was surrounded by barbed wire at the time) and didn't live in a "war zone." I recall travelling on the NYC subways (and feeling less than secure), and I also experienced antisemitism. As a teenager riding on the subway, I was spat at by someone so frightening, it didn't even cross my mind to fight back or say anything. Riding my bike through suburbia, I had an occasional glass bottle thrown at me with an accompanying nasty epithet. Our shuls and mikva had swastikas spray painted on them as well.

However, the decision for me to move to Israel took place while I was learning in Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael. Learning the mitzvot Teluyot Baaretz, combined with a new understanding of Jewish history made it obvious to me that one could live life as a Jew outside of Israel as an observer, a spectator of emerging Jewish history, or one could live in Israel and be a player, an active participant in modeling our future (hopefully, as a positive influence as well on Israeli society).

Living in the Shomron wasn't always "front line". Kiryat Shmona had it very bad in the 70's, Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv had a terrible spate of bus bombings and other terror attacks from the mid-90's, Southern Israel is still receiving almost-daily Qassam rocket attacks, and Northern Israel didn't have the easiest of summers.

Yet, when Palestinian terror came to the Shomron, I volunteered to actively participate in our community's defense through the IDF. There are 2 ways to deal with issues; you can sit back, complain, and worry. Or, you can be proactive and take an active role in your own defense.

I think the latter is a much healthier way to deal with problems, and it also has a positive educational effect on our children. They don't walk around scared that any second something can happen (and for the most part, things are quiet), because they know that in the event of an emergency, we have many dedicated people who train to neutralize terror threats quickly and effectively.

It can be "scary" at times, but there are plenty of scary situations all over the globe, all the time -- be it airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center buildings, biological, chemical or nuclear threats against the USA, terrible terrorist attacks in London and the rest of Europe, or just plain old targeting of Jews through antisemitism.

In the bigger scheme of things, I sincerely believe that the more Jews live in Israel, the better the situation will be for our people. Realizing that Israel is the land where Hashem constantly watches (more than any other place on the planet - ארץ אשר עיני ה' אלוקך בה), we have the opportunity to personally and positively influence our history, as individuals and as a community.

While we may have seemingly scary situations from time to time, we don't view ourselves as living in constant danger. My kids can safely stay out late and come home by themselves, my younger kids can walk to gan by themselves if they wish, and that's something you don't often find in Chutz Laaretz.

Bringing an M16 to shul on Shabbat may seem like a big deal, but in the grand scheme of things, my quality of life is probably a lot higher than yours.

And we merit to live in Eretz Yisrael.

Thanks again for dropping by to visit.

Jameel.

PS: For an amazing movie review of the new movie about the life of The Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, please see Chana's blog, The Curious Jew, here.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael