Stop Blaming Sharon!

Many fellow bloggers have sent me email about the "alleged" scandal brewing against Ariel Sharon. They say that in that in the remaining hour before he returned back home to Israel from the UN this week, he attended a gala campaign fund-raising dinner at 10,000 per couple. Yes, the Israeli campaign solicitation laws prevent personal donations of more than $3000/person, but as a member of the Likud Central committee, I'm loathe to believe that Ariel Sharon would stoop so low, as to illegally raise funds for his upcoming campaign.

See this HaAretz article (now that its almost Sukkot, you can get rid of last year's etrog)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/626708.html

I'm sure that a man of Ariel Sharon's integrity, if he did in fact attend such a dinner, and if in fact, it cost $10,000 a couple, had nothing to do with any illegal activities.

If any money was raised, I'm sure it must have been for the Gush Katif refugees he expelled from their homes.

The spare change will go to the Katrina refugees.

Chief Justice Aharon Barak: Hypocrite of the Century

Relating the statement (Muqata Quiz #2) below on the abuse of Human Rights, to throw someone out of their home -- it was written in a judicial ruling by none other than Israel's foremost judicial activist, Chief Justice Aharon Barak. It wasn't a lament on the sorry state of the Gush Katif refugees, rather, his legal opinion (and judicial ruling), negating Israel's (the IDF's) right in 2002 to deport a terrorist from his home in Judea/Samaria to the Gaza Strip. Supreme Court Case 7015/12 "Kifach Muhamad and Ahmed Ajury vs Commander of IDF forces"

This is a clear example of how people who act kindly to the evil, end up being evil to the meek.
Then again, its only a hop, skip and a jump from forbidding the expulsion of terrorists, to throwing Jews out of their homes, to allowing the destruction of synagogues.

The Muqata quiz will return soon.

Muqata Quiz #2.

Who wrote the following inflammatory statement:

The basic starting point, in which removal of a person from his domicile, and forced transfer to a different location severely impacts his dignity, his freedom, and his property. A person's home is not just a roof over his head, but a means of physical and social attachment to a locale, [including] a person's private life, and social cohesiveness. A number of basic human rights are impacted by transferring a person against his will to a different location, even if the transfer does not cross an international border. The origins of these human rights are partially based on internal law of different countries, and partially anchored in the norms of international law.

נקודת המוצא העקרונית הינה, כי הוצאתו של אדם ממקום מגוריו והעברתו הכפויה למקום אחר פוגעת קשות בכבודו, בחירותו ובקניינו. ביתו של אדם אינו רק קורת גג לראשו אלא גם אמצעי למיקומו הפיזי והחברתי של אדם, של חייו הפרטיים ויחסיו החברתיים. מספר זכויות אדם בסיסיות נפגעות בשל עקירתו הלא רצונית של אדם מביתו והעברתו למקום אחר, גם אם העברה זו אינה כרוכה בחצייתו של גבול מדיני. זכויות אדם אלה מקורן בחלקן במשפט הפנימי של המדינות השונות, ובחלקן מעוגנות הן בנורמות של המשפט הבינלאומי

Which flagrant anti-disengagement activist wrote the above? Email or post your answer in the comments section.

Regards from the Muqata.

Muqata Quiz: Who said the following?

"After we saw and experienced the difficult scenes of the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif, the Northern Shomron, the destruction of houses, and above all, the burning of the synagogues, one can say that even the State of Israel, and not only the United States, has its own 9/11. For the US, it is a national day of tragedy, and by us [in Israel] it will be remembered as a national day of embarrassment -- it should be remembered on this day, every year in the State of Israel."
(Said on the 13 of September, 2005)

Be the first correct blogger to post a comment who said this, and you can decide the next topic to be written about in the Muqata.

Israel Radio: Hundreds of Thousands of Guns Transferred into Gaza via Egypt

This shocking headline was reported on Israel Radio channel 2 (Reshet Bet) today, and appeared on their web site. I had read this earlier on the debka website http://debka.com/headline.php?hid=776, but normally read their reports with a grain of salt. However, when the same story appears on Reshet Bet, is more than a bit worrying, though I can't say that this information is surprising.

Since the Reshet Bet story was so shocking (and bound to surprise quite a few Likud Central committee members), its probably not going to be on-line much longer. Here's a link to an unedited screenshot of the news report.

The report also mentioned the following weapons transferred to Gazastan: long range Katyusha rockets, anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft weapons, and hundreds of thousands of AK-47's -- which are destined to change the balance of power in the region.

All of this occurred last week when the IDF ran out of Gaza. First the synagogues were ransacked and destroyed by Palestinian Arab mobs. Second, the remaining Gush Katif greenhouses that were supposed to provide additional livelihood for the Arabs -- were completely razed by the same mobs. Needing an outlet, the crossed the border into Egypt and started a massive weapons transfer program, bringing in everything they could from Egypt into PA controlled Gazastan.

Of course, the PA and Egyptians were supposed to prevent that from happening, as Sharon and company promised the Israeli people. Ooops, we interrupt this blog to bring you a newsflash: 13:29 Israel Standard Time, Palestinians open fire from PA controlled Gazastan (Erez area) on an IDF armored personnel carrier in Israel. No reports of injuries.

Where's the IDF powerful response that Sharon promised? Probably figuring out which caliber spitball to use.

Glad to be home.

Just got back to the Muqata after a week in the US on business. You can only imagine what sort of business we in the Muqata have to take care of, but that's another story.

1. In Al-Funduq this evening, 3 Jews were injured by (Arab) rocks thrown at their car, smashing the windshield of their car. One was transported to the hospital and is in fair condition.

2. Sharon spoke in the UN today. I'm surprised he spoke in Hebrew (which I grudgingly have to give him credit), yet his speech was an election speech to the Likud. Some say that's the reason he spoke in Hebrew in the first place. He spoke about that the Land of Israel is exclusively that of the Jewish people, and no other. Too bad he never said that back here at home. Instead he used words like "occupation" instead of "historical right of the Jewish people." I'm not impressed - it was very cynical.

3. Spoke to Joesettler this evening. He said I sound very angry on this blog. Could be. Its unfortunate I have to write from the Muqata, but Israel's police aren't very liberal when it comes to freedom of expression. (unless of course, you're a leftist).

4. Lots of Hashgacha pratit. I needed to raise money for a family of Gush Katif refugees. By the way, none of them have received anything financially so far (like the 50,000 NIS "advance" payment on their compensation - none of that has arrived). Yesterday in shul on my way home, I mentioned this to someone, and before I left, he gave me a rather large sum of tzedaka which will be very useful for the refugees. In fact, it made my entire business trip to Chutz Laaretz seem worthwhile.

Lastly: I have been thinking about this alot lately, and read about it elswhere on the web the other day. Picture the following; a huge tsunami crashes into the Gaza Strip. When the water receedes, there's nothing left there. No people, no buildings, no rubble. Just empty plains of sand...waiting for the Jews to rebuild it. It would explain many things (including why we had to remove the cemetaries from Gaza). It would explain why all the prayers were answered with a "no." I have a feeling that the events of the past months will become obvious and clear to us (as did the story of megliat esther) in the coming months.

Shabbat Shalom from the Muqata.

MDA and the Red Magen David - An Obsolete Symbol?

The International Red Cross, and Red Crescent Organizations are considering for the first time in history, accepting into its ranks, Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency medical organization.

Part of the story is reported here in English (the additional info is in the Hebrew link)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3141766,00.html
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART/983/349.html

The catch?

1. MDA needs to part with its symbol - the Red Magen David. (Star of David) and accept the "internationally accepted" Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols.

2. MDA emergency workers will not be allowed to carry weapons of any kind.

Unfortunately, the MDA is seriously considering the offer. They don't see the importance of the actual symbol; the bottom line is saving lives. Carrying weapons? Reduction of personal safety of MDA medics is a small price to pay, considering the honor of being part of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

As a volunteer MDA EMT medic and ambulance driver, I'm appalled by this announcement. I carry a weapon for self defense; MDA ambulances are stoned countless times by Arabs (even when going to help them), and its suicidal to drive in parts of Israel and Judea/Samaria without a handgun for self-defense.

Lets start a poll - please let me know if you think its the right thing to do to forgo the symbol of the Magen David Adom, the Red Star of David, and the right to carry a handgun for self defense, in exchange for acceptance of the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

If MDA would accept this, I would not want to volunteer anymore for an organization, so embarrassed of its Judaism.

Netzarim's Synagogue - Sept 12, 2005

ברוך דין האמת

copyright to the picture's owner - all rights reserved

For our guests from the State Dept.

Do you enjoy these before & after pictures?

Before the US State Dept's Palestinian friends got their hands on the yeshiva in Neve Dekalim, Gush Katif:



After:



Wishing a very nice day to our guests from Washington DC.