A theme that is close to my heart:
(h/t Andreas)
(h/t Andreas)
Elder of Ziyon
Elder of ZiyonThis is a probing look at contemporary European antisemitism. Among the experts interviewed are Professor Robert Wistrich, who points out that Jewish communities feel more anxious now than at any time since the Holocaust, Dr Manfred Gerstenfeld, who speaks of "the new antisemitism against the collective Jew, Israel" that has been stirred by leftists and Muslims, and Melanie Phillips, who cites the contribution the media has made, with its constant demonisation of Israel. The video includes disturbing images and facts.
Elder of ZiyonHaaretz, the Israeli newspaper, reported last week that the imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti “released an unusual statement from his cell. He called on his people to start a popular uprising against Israel, to stop negotiations and security coordination and to boycott [Israel]. Barghouti recommended that his people choose nonviolent opposition.” Barghouti, as Haaretz noted, “is the most authentic leader Fatah has produced, and he can lead his people to an agreement. ... If Israel had wanted an agreement with the Palestinians it would have released him from prison by now.”The Ha'aretz quote is not a news article, but an editorial. But even its news coverage didn't properly report everything mentioned in Barghouti's letter.
I had gotten to know Barghouti before his five life sentences for involvement in killing Israelis. His call for nonviolent resistance is noteworthy and the latest in a series of appeals to and by Palestinians — coming from all over — to summon their own “Arab Awakening,” but do it nonviolently, with civil disobedience or boycotts of Israel, Israeli settlements or Israeli products.
I can certainly see the efficacy of nonviolent resistance by Palestinians to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank — on one condition: They accompany any boycotts, sit-ins or hunger strikes with a detailed map of the final two-state settlement they are seeking. Just calling for “an end to occupation” won’t cut it.
Palestinians need to accompany every boycott, hunger strike or rock they throw at Israel with a map delineating how, for peace, they would accept getting back 95 percent of the West Bank and all Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem and would swap the other 5 percent for land inside pre-1967 Israel. Such an arrangement would allow some 75 percent of the Jewish settlers to remain in the West Bank, while still giving Palestinians 100 percent of the land back.
The belief in the absolute right to the land of our parents and grandparents, and our right to resist occupation by all means and methods, and our belief in the ability of our people to survive and emerge victorious with unwavering faith, and our absolute confidence in our people in all generations to continue the path of resistance and struggle.
Elder of ZiyonRabah Muhanna, member of a political arm of the movement of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine accused Fatah and Hamas of "lying" at the expense of the Palestinian people on Tuesday.
Rabah Muhanna said in a press statement that "Fatah and Hamas are lying to each other and to the masses of our people; and any future meetings [between them] would be a lie to the masses and they should stop wasting everyone's time."
"The experience of dialogue and the bilateral agreements between the two groups confirms that this approach will not end the division. The Doha Declaration is a clear example of this," he said.
He called for "the masses of our people in the West Bank and Gaza," to "move to reject this division and polarization of mutual arrests and media [attacks], especially in the West Bank, where the arrests and security coordination are hateful and shameful to any nation."
Elder of ZiyonA delivery of fuel arrived in Gaza on Wednesday at the Kerem Shalom crossing on the Israeli border, a Palestinian official said.All of this could have happened two months ago, and the only reason Gazans have been suffering since then is Hamas' refusal to accept fuel from Israel.
Liaison officer Raed Fattouh said he expected around 400,000 liters of fuel to be delivered on Wednesday, adding that the terminal was equipped to receive double that amount.
The delivery follows a deal announced Tuesday between the Hamas-led government in Gaza and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to end the power crisis in the coastal enclave.
Gaza government spokesman Taher al-Nunu said the power authority had transferred 2 million shekels ($537,000) to the PA to pay for the fuel, purchased from Israel.
PA spokesman Ghassan al-Khatib confirmed receipt of the payment and said the PA would arrange delivery of 415,000 liters of fuel across the Israeli border.
Al-Khatib said daily deliveries of fuel would continue as long as the Gaza power authority continued to send payment.
It is hoped the interim deal, which allows Hamas to buy fuel from Israel through PA intermediaries, will ease the power crisis which has plagued the Gaza Strip since February.
COGAT approved and coordinated the movement of 410,000 liters of gas to the power plant in Gaza. The coordination of the gas movement will take place after an agreement was signed between the PA, Egypt and the "Dor-Alon" gas company for the movement of 500,000 liters of gas from Israel to the Gaza strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The PA will pay for the gas to "Dor-Alon". The money necessary in order for the payment to take place shall be collected by Egypt from the Hamas authorities in the Gaza strip and will be transferred to the PA.
Elder of ZiyonDear Mr. Magnusson:
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a leading Jewish Human Rights NGO dedicated to learning the lessons of the Nazi Holocaust and promoting tolerance and mutual respect and understanding. On behalf of our 400,000 constituent families, I am writing to you about a matter of deep distress to our community.
As you know, since 1944, the entire Hymns of the Passion by Hallgrimur Petursson have been broadcast by the State Broadcasting Service to the people in Iceland. We understand that one hymn is read each day for the 9-week period of Lent, and that it is considered a major honor to be asked to read one of these hymns over the air. Many of Iceland's most distinguished citizens, including the late President, Mrs. Vigdis Finnbogadottir, have accepted the invitation with pride.
While we deeply respect the Christian faith and faithful, we feel we must express our shock over the many blatantly anti-Semitic references that pervade Petursson's Hymns. There are over 50 references to Jews, all of them negative, most of which reinforce hateful notions about Jews that laid the theological groundwork for 20 centuries of anti-Semitic hatred and persecution.
It is inconceivable that such intolerance be expressed anywhere, but even more so over the airwaves of a modem democratic nation. The fact that such anti-Semitic references are read by some of the nation's most distinguished citizens over the air serves to only reinforce hateful notions about Jews and poison new generations of impressionable young people with onerous stereotypes of Jewish cunning, treachery, and of course, the toxic charge of deicide.
We are attaching a list of the anti-Semitic references included in Petursson's Hymns. Out of a sense of deep respect, but profound urging, we ask you and other officials of the State Broadcasting Service to once and for all, eliminate them from the airwaves of the RUV. The people of Iceland and the Jewish people deserve better.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Abraham Cooper
Associate Dean
Page 26 Judas' Kiss and Christ's Arrest
It was the Jews who bound thee, They clung like cords around thee
Page 34 Christ's address to the Jews
But not a ray of Heaven's love could pierce their self-willed blindness
Page 64 The Soldiers mock Christ
Never an unknown man deride
Though he appear undignified.
Canst tell the butt of thine abuse
Better than did these foolish Jews?
Page 69 The Priest's Conference
Early the Jews decided Thee,
Saviour, to convict
And in their zeal misguided
Death's penalty inflict.
Page 100 The Demand for Crucifixion
The Jewish leaders all decide
That Jesus must be crucified
The Prince of Life their prey must be
The murd'rer set at liberty
Page 111-112 Christ led from the Judgment Hall
The Jewish crowd replied
"Away with Him!" they shouted,
Their enmity undoubted
"He must be crucified!"
The righteous law of Moses
The Jews here misapplied,
Which their deceit exposes,
Their hatred and their pride.
Page 125 Pilate's Unjust Judgment
Upon themselves and on their seed
The burden of their dreadful deed
The Jews assumed in thoughtless rage.
It dogs their steps from age to age
Page 132 Christ bears His cross
And on the Gentiles God will pour
The boundless riches of His grace.
What the Jew foolishly forswore
He makes of us -- a chosen race.
Page 149-151 The Superscription on the Cross
That all might know its meaning.
The Jews its truth would not admit,
lts message contravening.
"It must not stand!"
Was their demand,
Such honor would the Jews deny
To Jesus, Whom they hated.
Page 203 The Burial of Christ
Fearing the Jews harsh enmity
Page 248 The Guard on Watch
That Christ was risen the Jews denied.
The evidence they sought to hide.
But God's great wisdom could defeat
Their plan to cheat
And soon laid bare their vile deceit.
Dear Mr. Cooper
I have received and contemplated your letter of February 23'd , 2012. While I think that an enlightened discussion of the content and spirit of the Hymns of the Passion is both useful and interesting, I strongly believe that your somewhat harsh interpretation of what you call "anti-Semetic references" in the hymns is not justified.
In any case, I ask you to bear in mind that the hymns are written 350 years ago and they describe the poet's feelings about events that supposedly took place around 2000 years ago. The Hymns of the Passion are a valued and cherished part of Iceland's cultural history and heritage and the RUV will continue to broadcast them in a suitable and relevant context.
With best regards and respect,
Páll Magnússon
Elder of ZiyonIranian Chairman of the Shura Council, Ali Larijani, stressed on Tuesday that Istanbul Conference held recently with the theme of "Friends of Syria" is in fact a conference for those bought by Israel and not for Syria's friends.
Larijani added that the United Kingdom offered 500,000 pounds to fuel unrest in Syria and the US is talking about helping the saboteurs and terrorists inside Syria to undermine the Resistance against the Israeli entity.
Speaking at an open session of the Majlis on Tuesday, Larijani said, “The name of the recent conference in Istanbul, which was called ‘Friends of Syria’, was not ‘Friends of Syria’, but rather its name was ‘bribers of Israel’ (who met) to breathe a new life into it.”
Elder of Ziyon....Like other education providers, we have two major assets which are priceless: highly-motivated teachers and highly-motivated young students. Precisely because they belong to communities in exile, they all know that UNRWA schools are central to Palestinian identity as well as to individual success. The school is the beating heart of the refugee community. You would be amazed to see how much of its daily life revolves around getting the children and young people to school and seeing that they do well, hopefully well enough to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.Grandi here is unwittingly admitting two things.
This is thus my fourth key message – and it is a message which resonates in all refugee situations, and especially so among Palestinians: education is the crucible of identity, national as well as personal. I believe this is a very important issue for DIHAD’s consideration: humanitarian crises generate displacement. Displacement threatens identity. Those at most risk, in this respect, are the young. The Palestinian refugee crisis is the biggest, longest, gravest example of this – even more so now, with peace seemingly very distant, the occupation of Palestinian lands becoming bolder every day, and a just and lasting solution of the Palestinian refugee question fading into oblivion. If Palestinians in their dispersal have held on for so long to their identity and their aspiration to a state of their own, it is also due to the forging of their identities in UNRWA schools.
We know too that the Palestinian refugees face additional challenges; they leave [sic!] in countries which even after so many years they cannot consider home. This is why UNRWA’s work is so special: it has gone beyond the provision of universal needs and helped them establish a sense of identity that otherwise is lost to the world, an identity which people here are absolutely proud of. And that comes about through many things that UNRWA does.She also effusively praised him, meaning that she seems to have gotten this theme from him directly.
Elder of Ziyon![]() |
| This makes me high tech |
Elder of Ziyon
5)
|
Do you think that there is corruption in PA institutions under the control of President Abu Mazin?
| |||
1) Yes
|
72.9%
|
73.1%
|
72.6%
| |
2) No
|
17.7%
|
15.8%
|
20.7%
| |
3) DK-NA
|
9.4%
|
11.1%
|
6.7%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||
6)
|
Do you think that there is corruption in PA institutions under the control of the dismissed government in the Gaza Strip
| |||
1) Yes
|
61.6%
|
57.3%
|
68.7%
| |
2) No
|
21.2%
|
19.3%
|
24.3%
| |
3) DK-NA
|
17.2%
|
23.5%
|
7.0%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||
7)
|
In your view, is there a press freedom in the West Bank?
| |||
1) Yes
|
23.0%
|
23.3%
|
22.5%
| |
2) To some extent
|
43.1%
|
40.0%
|
48.3%
| |
3) No
|
30.6%
|
33.0%
|
26.7%
| |
4) DK-NA
|
3.3%
|
3.7%
|
2.5%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||
8)
|
In your view, is there a press freedom in the Gaza Strip?
| |||
1) Yes
|
16.2%
|
16.5%
|
15.8%
| |
2) To some extent
|
33.8%
|
30.9%
|
38.6%
| |
3) No
|
40.4%
|
38.9%
|
43.0%
| |
4) DK-NA
|
9.5%
|
13.7%
|
2.6%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||
9)
|
In your view, can people in the West Bank today criticize the authority without fear?
| |||
1) Yes
|
30.2%
|
33.7%
|
24.5%
| |
2) No
|
66.0%
|
63.5%
|
70.0%
| |
3) DK-NA
|
3.8%
|
2.8%
|
5.4%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||
10)
|
In your view, can people in the Gaza Strip today criticize the authority without fear?
| |||
1) Yes
|
21.9%
|
25.2%
|
16.6%
| |
2) No
|
67.5%
|
60.5%
|
78.9%
| |
3) DK-NA
|
10.6%
|
14.3%
|
4.5%
| |
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
| ||