The men who passed the Balfour Declaration believed that they were not taking away one ethnic community’s land to give to another; instead they were taking away land that had for four centuries since 1517 belonged to the Ottoman Turks, and giving it to a national homeland for the Jews, without prejudicing the rights of the Palestinian Arabs. Both communities were native to the land for centuries, after all.The way that it would work, as Churchill pointed out in his 4 July 1922 speech as Colonial Secretary, was by the development of the League of Nations’territory through irrigation of the Red Sea and electrification of the region, making it for the first time economically and agriculturally possible for everyone to live there. One might today think in the light of later events that that was naive, but it was the way the Cabinet felt about the future of the Mandate. It was idealistic rather than, as anti-Israel activists try to argue, cynical.
By February 1918 Balfour was telling a friend: ‘My personal hope is that the Jews will make good in Palestine and eventually found a Jewish state.’ To his relation Lady Rayleigh he said that July: ‘The Jews were too great a race not to count and they ought to have a place where those who had strong racial idealism could develop on their own lines as a nation and govern themselves.’ And that ‘nothing but the Holy Land would satisfy their aspirations.’ When she pointed out that the ‘the Arabs will make difficulties: they say the land is theirs, they are three to one of the Jews’ he answered ‘But there are difficulties in whatever you do.’ He was even more explicit in August 1919 when he wrote: ‘Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-old traditions, in present need, in future hopes, of far profounder importance than the desires and prejudices of the seven hundred thousand Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land.’ At the end of his life he said that on looking back it was the thing he was proudest to have done.
Today, from Morocco to Afghanistan, from the Caspian Sea to Aden, the 5.25 million square miles of territory belonging to members of the Arab League is home to over 330 million people, whereas Israel covers only eight thousand square miles, and is home to seven million citizens, one-fifth of whom are Arabs. The Jews of the Holy Land are thus surrounded by hostile states 650 times their size in territory and sixty times their population, yet their last, best hope of ending two millennia of international persecution – the State of Israel - has somehow survived. A century on, the Declaration stands as a righteous blow for genius, development, progress and freedom. Foremost among the types of people who admire these phenomena are the Chinese, who should therefore also celebrate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.
The Jerusalem Hills are one of the most beautiful sights in the world. The peaceful, rolling green hills, thick with trees and vineyards, are world renowned and deeply evocative.
On a clear day you can see for miles at Jerusalem’s Yad Kennedy Memorial in the Aminadav Forest. So I’ve been led to believe. Last Wednesday was not one of those days. In true British style, heavy mist had fallen upon Jerusalem and rain fell relentlessly sideways.
The inclement weather had arrived just in time for me to plant one of the trees awarded to me by Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) to celebrate my recent knighthood. This moving gift was a particular honor for me and I’d been looking forward to this moment.
I first came to Israel in 1980 and fell in love with the place and its people.
Israel is a bastion of democracy in a region plagued by chaos and autocracy.
Odeh has found allies in the Arab-American community in Chicago, where she lives. That’s disheartening, because one would like to think that the Arab-American community is as horrified by Odeh’s terrorism as everyone else is.
As it turns out, though, Odeh’s Arab-American allies have proven rather ineffective. The Arab-American Action Network (AAAN) — a group that Odeh works for — has advanced two arguments in her defense. One is that Odeh “misunderstood” the question on the form; that’s obviously absurd.
The AAAN’s second line of defense is that Odeh confessed to the bombings only after several weeks of “torture” and “sexual abuse” by Israeli interrogators. That, of course, conflicts with the fact that Odeh confessed after just one day in jail. And the AAAN can’t explain the bombs found in Odeh’s apartment, the statements of her co-conspirators or her undisputed involvement with a terrorist group.
So Odeh has been looking for other allies. And she’s found one — on the edges of the Jewish community.
The far-left JVP has announced that Odeh will be one of the featured speakers at its national conference in Chicago at the end of March.
JVP was founded by three undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s ironic that an organization founded by college students should be embracing someone who murdered two college students. I suppose as long as she didn’t murder any members of JVP, they don’t consider her to be the enemy.
The two-day Tehran conference on Palestine, attended by around 700 foreign guests from dozens of countries and representatives of pro-Palestinian organizations, wrapped up on Wednesday with a statement that voiced support for the rights of the Palestinian nation and underlined the need for an end to Israel’s nearly seven decades of occupation.
In the statement, the participants underlined the need for further unity among the Palestinians, and highlighted resistance as the sole solution to the Palestinian issue.
The use of the word "occupation" is deliberate, specifically to appeal to gullible Westerners. Saying you are against Israel's "occupation" is laudatory, but saying you are against Israel's existence is not quite acceptable to the UN yet.
The word "resistance" is the same. It sounds so much nicer than "terrorism" which is what it means, during the "6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada."
People believe what they want to believe.
The good news is that Tehran is clearly concerned over Arab ties with Israel.
Addressing the 6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada (Uprising) in Tehran on Wednesday, the Iranian president raised the alarm over the Tel Aviv regime’s attempts to normalize relations with certain Arab countries of the region.
“The occupying regime [of Israel], in an attempt to normalize its situation, has for the first time referred to certain Arab countries as its allies against the resistance front, instead of describing them as its enemies," he said.
The Tel Aviv regime "claims that most of the Arab countries are not the enemies of Zionism or opposed to occupation anymore, but that they share the same phobia about resistance,” Rouhani added.
The Iranian president called on the countries of the region to remain vigilant in the face of Israeli plots, and said the Muslim world needs to clarify its position on the issue of Israel’s efforts to normalize its ties with Arab countries.
“Isn’t it time that neighbors once and for all say ‘No’ to war and fratricide?" Rouhani asked, calling for collective efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, which he described as the Muslim world's major problem.
The idea of Arabs allying with Israel scares them more than anything President Obama ever said.
Iran likes to pretend that it is the leader of the Muslim world, and when Saudi Arabia sides with Israel over fellow Muslims, it shows that Iran's ambitions in that area are in shambles.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
Azaria was convicted of manslaughter after he put a bullet into the head of an Arab terrorist who had been wounded after he stabbed and injured an IDF soldier in March of last year. The incident was filmed by a Palestinian working for the left-wing NGO B’tselem. The video was shown on Israeli television and a massive media/political circus ensued. Even before the IDF investigation was finished, the army Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister made public statements accusing Azaria of misconduct in the harshest terms.
The rules of engagement forbid harming a terrorist who has been “neutralized,” and unless it could be shown that Azaria could have reasonably believed that the terrorist sprawled on the ground was still a threat, shooting him would be a serious violation of protocol. Depending on his intention, it could also be manslaughter or even murder.
During the trial, Azaria’s defense team tried to establish that the shooting was justified. He testified that he feared that the terrorist might be wearing an explosive belt, or that he might reach for a knife nearby. His lawyers even called a witness to argue that it was not Azaria’s bullet that killed the terrorist.
The defense’s arguments were unconvincing, and Azaria’s testimony was at times contradictory. There was testimony from another soldier in his unit that after the shooting Azaria said “He tried to stab a friend of mine and he deserves to die.” The trial continued for several months and numerous witnesses and experts were heard. It was accompanied by heavy media attention and public demonstrations for and against the accused.
The court – three military judges – rejected all of the defense contentions in a very unsympathetic decision that took more than an hour to read, and rendered a verdict of manslaughter. The judges then took up the question of punishment. Azaria could have received as many as 20 years imprisonment, but the prosecution asked for a sentence of three to five years. Tuesday, he was sentenced to 18 months in military prison, 12 months probation, and reduction in rank to private. The contrast between the court’s harsh decision and the very lenient sentence was striking.
Reactions to the sentence illuminated the chasms that exist in Israeli society. Azaria’s family and supporters joined arms and sang “Hatikva” in the courtroom after the sentence was pronounced, and called for him to be pardoned. His father hugged him and said “Elor, you are a hero!” His lawyers promised to appeal the verdict. There were demonstrations in the street outside in his favor, as there were during the trial itself.
But some thought that the verdict was far too lenient. Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg wrote on her Facebook page that “They sentenced [Azaria] to just a year and a half in prison. Azaria needed to be punished, and seriously.” Most public officials have been very uncomfortable with everything having to do with the incident and want to put it behind them.
Not so fast.
What happened was symptomatic of the difficulty a liberal democracy has in dealing with opponents that wage asymmetric warfare against it. It also illustrates the role of the cognitive/psychological war that is raging alongside the terrorism and violence that gets most of the attention.
The incident happened during a time that stabbings and car-rammings against Jews – including women and girls, small children, elderly people, soldiers, policemen and civilians – were at a peak. Almost every day there was another report of a vicious attack, and many of the reports were tragic. Encouraged by the official Palestinian Authority TV and radio, and by social media, PA residents and even some Arab citizens of Israel went on a murder spree. Even Israelis that remember the bombings of the Second Intifada were shocked by the cold, implacable hatred. What kind of creature could go up to a pregnant woman on the street and plunge a knife into her neck?
Israelis saw their soldiers (“everybody’s children”) forced to make life-and-death decisions in difficult circumstances. They saw that Jews are expected to follow the rules, but that for Arabs there are no rules; that Jews are expected to behave according to European standards of civilization, while Arabs are free to compete with each other to be the most barbarous killers.
Many people believe that no terrorist should be allowed to survive his act, but the rules say that once a terrorist is no longer a danger, he should be arrested, not killed. The rules say that a terrorist wounded while trying (or succeeding) to kill Jews should receive medical care. At one point, a directive was even issued that care should be prioritized only by the severity of wounds, and not depend on who is the attacker and who the victim!
Israelis noted how the families of terrorists in Israeli jails are paid salaries by the Palestinian Authority (with money it gets from the US and Europe). The longer the sentence, the higher the wages, so the worst get the most. Those who are killed in the act are glorified as martyrs in the official media, and the ones that survive are often released in “prisoner exchanges” like the 2011 deal in which 1027 terrorists, including numerous multiple murderers, were exchanged for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
And – very importantly – they knew that Israel does not apply the death penalty for terrorist murder, so killers would ultimately be able to go on with their lives after serving their sentences (or after being traded for kidnap victims or body parts).
Elor Azaria was asked to do his job in these circumstances. He was 19 at the time. After a terrorist tried to kill his friend, he did what any normal person would be tempted to do. He broke the rules, violated protocol, and gave the terrorist what, in a moral if not legal sense, he deserved.
What should have happened then was an administrative hearing in which he would have been punished for breaking the rules, not a media and political circus and not a conviction for manslaughter.
But it was not an accident that it played out the way it did. Everything that the IDF does is scrutinized by organizations that claim to work to protect human rights, but whose real purpose is to delegitimize Israel.
Much like the way the communities around Gaza are undermined by Hamas tunnels, Israeli society and media are subverted by anti-state non-governmental organizations, of which B’tselem is a prime example. B’tselem receivedalmost US$ 6 million between 2012 and 2016 from foreign governmental bodies (and more from other anti-Israel sources) for legal, diplomatic, political and propaganda warfare – there is no other way to describe it – against the state of Israel, the IDF and its soldiers. This money paid the operative that recorded the video that was used to blow this incident up into a national affair, and bought him his camera.
The Azaria prosecution was a propaganda blow against the IDF, which Israel’s enemies want to portray as arbitrarily murdering innocent Arabs. It was damaging to the morale of the soldiers who risk their lives to protect us, and who believe that Azaria’s officers and almost the entire military hierarchy abandoned him (they did). And if it results in more terrorists surviving their encounters with the IDF, then in my opinion that will be unfortunate.
One lesson from the affair is that Israel should apply the death penalty to terrorist murderers. Perhaps some of the frustration felt by our soldiers and police would be alleviated if they knew that an arrested murderer was likely to be executed rather than sent to a relatively (by world standards) comfortable prison where he will draw a salary and await the next prisoner exchange or political deal.
Another lesson is that the massive “human rights” industry in Israel, which is paid for by some of our worst enemies, needs to have its foreign funding cut off. No other country in the world would permit its enemies to pay for a massive subversive enterprise inside its own borders.
I would like to see Azaria pardoned. He’s been punished adequately since the incident. I would like to see our soldiers and police continue to act aggressively to stop terrorists, and know that their superiors will go to bat for them. And let’s think seriously about the death penalty for terrorist murder.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
In his Christian Science Monitor op-ed, John Yemma is not content to present his own opinion, he also changes historical facts in an especially shocking manner.
Palestinians are Philistines?
Citing no source at all, Yemma claims that Palestinians are actually Philistines: Palestinians have ancient ties to the Holy Land as well. The biblical Philistines, among other peoples, were contemporaneous with the biblical Israelites. While it is not certain that today’s Palestinians are their direct descendants… This is a complete fabrication. In fact, there is nothing “uncertain” about the historical record: Palestinians are most certainly not descended from Philistines.
Claims of this sort are nothing new: they have long been a staple of anti-Israel propaganda, including the roundly debunked notions that Palestinians are actually Canaanites and that Jesus was a Palestinian.
The idea that Palestinians are Philistines is equally, and most certainly, false. Yemma’s claim that there is any uncertainty about this is a clear distortion of facts. Unlike modern day Jews and Palestinians, the Philistines were an ancient, non-Semitic, sea-faring people, whose form of worship was unconnected to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
In other words, the Philistine ethnicity, culture and religion are all entirely different from that of modern day Palestinians.
Golda Meir discusses the Palestinian identity
1970--Thames Television--Golda Meir discusses the Palestinian identity, and asks why the Arabs in the West Bank became more Palestinian than the Arabs in the East Bank, after June 5 1967
Indeed, as much as Israel might be leery of what a Palestinian state might look like, the Jordanians are terrified. If the West Bank were to become like Gaza, controlled by Hamas, or like Sinai, effectively a stateless territory, or like parts of Syria and Iraq, under the control of ISIL, or like Lebanon, home to Iranian proxies — the Hashemite Kingdom might not survive.
There are many who make the persuasive argument that the alternative to two states — to separation from the Palestinian majority in the West Bank — is an Israel that is no longer Jewish and democratic. That argument’s power is now weakened by the prospect that a putative Palestine state might not be a benign Jordan or a peaceful Egypt, but a cauldron of expansionist violence.
That explains both the diminishing confidence that a Palestinian state could work, and the increasing calls for a regional solution. Perhaps in the reconfigured Middle East, the West Bank could achieve some confederation with Jordan, and Gaza with Egypt, hitching the new state to older, stable ones. Or if the disintegration of Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen continues, maybe the entire future of the region lies less in existing nation states, and in broad confederations of city-states and local clans. In that environment, the Palestinians might find themselves without a state but with autonomy in an increasingly stateless region. The creation of a Palestinian state is implausible while existing neighbours are being destroyed, and even the concept of statehood in the region is eroding. That does make a foreseeable peace agreement less likely. And it requires creative thinking as a new Middle East is being born.
The Ayatollah Khamenei gave a speech to the Sixth International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada on Tuesday, Note that the name of the conference isn't "...in Support of the Palestinian People" but "...in support of the Palestinian Intifada," meaning that Iran is officially sponsoring terror.
The speech is translated into English on Khamenei's official site, so there can be no doubt as to what he was saying. And he said the usual about Israel being a cancer, blah blah blah.
I was struck by this section:
The history of Palestine is full of ups and downs, marked by the cruel occupation of that region, the rendering of millions of individuals homeless, and the courageous resistance of those heroic people. An intelligent quest in history shows that no people in any era of history have ever been subject to such pain, suffering and cruelty.
I could name a dozen groups today who are suffering worse than Palestinian Arabs ever did, let alone throughout history. In fact, Iran is complicit in the deaths of more Syrians in the past few years than the number of Palestinian Arabs who died from war in nearly seven decades.
And just for contrast with the conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere, here is what that horribly divided city of Hebron looks like:
Khamanei is stating a falsehood.
Which is funny, because in the very next part of the speech he says:
But this is another dirty page in history which will be closed with the permission and assistance of Allah the Exalted, just like other dirty pages in history: “Falsehood is bound to perish” [The Holy Quran, 17: 81] .
Khamenei just told Allah to kill him!
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
20 years ago today, a Palestinian man went on a shooting spree at the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York.
Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a 69-year-old Palestinian teacher, killed one person and wounded six others before killing himself.
Media at the time tried to downplay his motive for the shooting. The New York Times wrote a couple of days afterwards:
Law enforcement authorities and his family believe that his murderous anger was rooted in financial ruin, for they say he apparently saw his life savings of perhaps $500,000 somehow lost here in a matter of weeks. Few mass crimes unfold particularly neatly, however, and it was also evident in the wake of Mr. Abu Kamal's brutal expression of discontent -- a burst of gunfire that left six injured and two dead, including himself -- that not all the chapters in the narrative of his life were clear.
In his rampage, he carried a pair of identical letters, one in English and one in Arabic, tucked into a pouch dangling around his neck, letters that authorities said were a rambling diatribe of venom against the ''Big Three'' of the United States, France and England for centuries-long oppression of Palestinians, against Zionism that he said oppressed Palestinians and against two business partners for swindling him out of money. Investigators would not divulge the partners' names.
And they did it because the Palestinian Authority told them to obstruct a murder investigation in America.
Ali Abu Kamal's relatives say they are tired of lying about why the Palestinian opened fire on the observation deck of Empire State Building, killing a tourist and injuring six other people before committing suicide.
Kamal's widow insisted after the shooting spree that the attack was not politically motivated. She said that her husband had become suicidal after losing $300,000 in a business venture.
But in a stunning admission, Kamal's 48-year-old daughter Linda told the Daily News that her dad wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel - and revealed her mom's 1997 account was a cover story crafted by the Palestinian Authority.
"A Palestinian Authority official advised us to say the attack was not for political reasons because that would harm the peace agreement with Israel," she told The News on Friday. "We didn't know that he was martyred for patriotic motivations, so we repeated what we were told to do."
...She said the family became certain that he carried out the attack for political reasons after reading his diary.
"He wrote that after he raised his children and made sure that his family was all right he decided to avenge in the highest building in America to make sure they get his message," said Linda, who works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
She said her mom burned the diary, fearing that it would cause the family trouble.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
The University of Central Lancashire has canceled an Israel Apartheid Week event that contravened the recently UK-adopted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.
The session was scheduled to take place next week under the title “Debunking Misconceptions on Palestine.” Anti-Israel activist Ben White and pro-Palestinian academics were due to speak at the event in Preston.
A statement issued by a university representative said: “We believe the proposed talk contravenes the new definition and furthermore breaches university protocols for such events, where we require assurances of a balanced view or a panel of speakers representing all interests.
“In this instance our procedures determined that the proposed event would not be lawful and therefore it will not proceed as planned,” the statement continued.
UJS Campaigns Officer Liron Velleman told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that while he does not expect to see many other British universities following suit by canceling events scheduled for the annual anti-Israel event, he does expect the subject to handled with more sensitivity.
“Following the move by Jo Johnson MP [the minister for universities and science] to encourage Universities UK to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism, universities will have a heightened awareness of ensuring events during Israel Apartheid Week will not violate values, expectations and laws but also that free speech and robust debate must remain a part of university life,” Velleman said in a written exchange with the Post.
Last week, Johnson sent a letter to the head of Universities UK, an organization representing universities across the country, drawing their attention to the definition of antisemitism
This is the letter that Jo Johnson wrote to the universities:
Free speech and academic freedom are fundamental to our higher education system. Many institutions have a legal duty to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech for their members, students, employees and visiting speakers. We expect higher education institutions to have clearly set out procedures and policies for events and the hosting of external speakers which allow for open transparent events, challenge and debate and ensure that lawful speech can occur on campuses. Open and robust debate is how students should challenge those with whom they disagree. There is no place for students that use intimidation or violence to attempt to shut down the free and open exchange of ideas.
I am sure you share my concerns about the rising reports of anti-Semitic incidents in this country and will want to make sure that your own institution is a welcoming environment for all students and that the legal position and guidelines are universally understood and acted upon at all times. This will include events such as those that might take place under the banner of "Israel Apartheid' events for instance. Such events need to be property handled by higher education institutions to ensure that our values, expectations and laws are not violated.
In September 2015 the Government ask. Universities UK (UUK) to set up a Harassment Taskforce to consider what more can be done to address harassment on campus, including on the basis of religion and belief. The taskforce published its report: 'Changing the Culture' on 21 October 2016. UUK plan to establish more baseline evidence, and to assess institutions' progress in implementing the recommendations, so that the work of the taskforce makes a real difference. UUK will report their progress to me later this year.
This Government will diligently pursue our commitment to tackle intolerance and bigotry in every form: and continue to work in partnership with public bodies and communities to support institutions in the pursuit of eliminating anti-Semitism and all forms of harassment, discrimination Or racism.
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.
Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:
Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations. Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour). Applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis. Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
It looks like the heyday of BDS in the UK has ended. There is no way that something called "Israel Apartheid Week" doesn't violate "Applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation."
(h/t Jonathan Hoffman)
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
A Tourism Ministry public relations gimmick to bring Hollywood stars to Israel has bombed, with not a single one of the 26 Oscar nominees awarded free trips to Israel last year actually making the trip. Now, the BDS movement is taking credit for the failure.
The tour packages, worth tens of thousands of dollars apiece, were given to 26 nominees in the highest-profile Oscar categories, including actors Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Sylvester Stallone and Kate Winslet.
Last February, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement put out an official statement urging recipients not to use the tour packages, charging that by coming to Israel, they would be helping the Israeli government whitewash what BDS terms the crimes of the occupation.
On Wednesday, Yousef Munayyer, an activist with the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights who promotes the cultural boycott of Israel, said his movement’s efforts had proved effective.
“This is a success,” Munayyer told AFP. “I am very glad there’s no evidence that people went. I think it is clear the objective of using the actors to whitewash Israel has failed.”
Let's think about this for a second. If you won a free trip worth over $50,000 to, say, Japan, you would probably either take time off of work to go there or maybe give the gift to someone else.
If you were super-rich, however, such a gift would mean nothing. You wouldn't rearrange your schedule to go to Japan unless perhaps you were planning to do it anyway. The hassle of taking advantage of the gift is almost more than telling your people where you want to go on vacation. The gift would go unused, and the advertisers who offered the gift would reap the free publicity from all the news stories about extravagant swag bags without having to pay a dime.
Last year's bag included personalized M&Ms, a breast lift procedure, skincare products made from tea that are supposedly worth $31,000, the trip to Israel - and a walking tour trip to Japan worth worth over $50,000.
Did any Hollywood star who received the bag take advantage of the Japan trip? Did any of them use the "vampire breast lift"? I bet none of them did.
3-day stay at the Golden Door Resort & Spa in San Marcos, CA ($4,800) 3-night stay at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy ($5,000) 3-night stay at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy ($5,000)
Does this mean that those gifts were a bust? Certainly not for the breast lift people, and not for the Japanese either or the hotels. It was free publicity.
And so was the trip to Israel.
Tourism went up over the past year, and it is possible that the many stories about the free Israel trip contributed to the perception of Israel as a wonderful place to travel that is associated with the Oscars. Which is the entire intention!
The BDSers, as usual, as spinning this as a "victory," but if the unused Japan trips aren't causing the Japanese tourism minister to perform harakiri, the unused Israel trips given to mega-rich stars are not shameful for Israel either.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
I have just concluded an in-depth investigation into antisemitism inside The Palestine Solidarity Campaign that has spanned months but drew on several years of underlying research. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) claims to be “the biggest organisation in the UK dedicated to securing Palestinian human rights.” The PSC patrons include: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Pat Gaffney, Rev Garth, Ken Loach, Dr Ilan Pappe, Hilary & Steven Rose, Alexi Sayle, Baroness Tonge of Kew, and Betty Hunter. It partners with many of the largest unions in the UK.
The result of this research is an eighty-page report, that focuses on seventeen separate PSC branches across England and Wales, and culminated with an in-depth case study of a mass demonstration in London. The full report can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
In truth, I stopped the detailed analysis at seventeen branches simply because I was inundated with material. Although not mentioned in the report, I also found ‘qualifying material’ at the PSC branches in Brighton, Faversham, Camden, Haringey, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth & Portsmouth. As the researched progressed, finding more of the antisemitism at every branch became an exercise in pointing out the obvious. The question became to how to find a way to measure and quantify it.
When I refer to antisemitism within this study, I avoided *all references to the conflict*. We all know the trick is to deflect accusations of antisemitism with a false cry about criticism of Israeli policy. I set out to avoid this. I was only interested in those pushing conspiracy theory, holocaust denial or classic antisemitic tropes. The argument that antisemitism is about legitimate criticism of Israel simply has no weight against this research. The bar for antisemitism that was used is unnaturally high. As an example, if the worst I found was an activist suggesting Israel should be destroyed, is committing genocide and Zionists are all Nazis, that activist *would not* have made the grade for this research. Let that fact sink in.
The Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is the most prominent effort today to single out and delegitimize the State of Israel. In recent months, BDS has lost some steam both because it ties itself to extreme and often anti-Semitic partners and also because some academic and church groups recognize that such political boycotts are anathema to scholarly discourse and peace-making.
The BDS today is nevertheless driven by the hatreds and obsessions which the post-Edward Said Middle Eastern studies community world promotes. At Columbia University, Brandeis, and many other elite universities, Zionism is considered original sin and students who support Israel as a Jewish state increasingly face ostracism. Whereas once African Americans and Jews found common cause and maintained a de facto alliance in Congress, progressive activists now cite the idea of intersectionality to demand blind loyalty to a collection of movements no matter how illiberal some causes like rejectionist Palestinian nationalism can be.
Because colleges and university classes too often de-emphasize fact in favor of political frameworks when tackling history, too many progressive activists imagine that when they support BDS and agitate against Israel, they are waging an anti-colonialist battle against the forces of imperialism. In effect, they see strength and power as sin, and cannot fathom that they have reversed David and Goliath; that Palestinian nationalists have prostituted themselves to become proxies of Iran, Turkey, and various Arab regimes. Israel, the United States, the CIA are by definition bad, whereas the Palestine Liberation Organization and like-minded or even more radical groups are good.
How ironic it is that so few BDS proponents recognize that they may very well be repeating if not cultivating the seeds planted by CIA Arabists half a century ago. From the Jewish Telegraph Agency on February 20, 1967:
In a recent letter to the New York Times, the current Earl of Balfour, Roderick Balfour, argued that it is Israel's fault that there is "growing anti-Semitism around the world." Balfour, who is a descendent of Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary who wrote the Balfour Declaration a hundred years ago, wrote the following: "the increasing inability of Israel to address [the condition of Palestinians], coupled with the expansion into Arab territory of the Jewish settlements, are major factors in growing anti-Semitism around the world." He argued further that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "owes it to the millions of Jews around the world" who suffer anti-Semitism, to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This well-intentioned but benighted view is particularly ironic in light of the fact that the Balfour Declaration had, as one of its purposes, to end anti-Semitism around the world by creating a homeland for the Jewish people. But now the scion of Lord Balfour is arguing that it is Israel that is causing anti-Semitism.
Roderick Balfour's views are simply wrong both as a matter of fact and as a matter of morality. Anyone who hates Jews "around the world" because they disagree with the policy of Israel would be ready to hate Jews on the basis of any pretext. Modern day anti-Semites, unlike their forbearers, need to find excuses for their hatred, and anti-Zionism has become the excuse de jure.
To prove the point, let us consider other countries: has there been growing anti-Chinese feelings around the world as the result of China's occupation of Tibet? Is there growing hatred of Americans of Turkish background because of Turkey's unwillingness to end the conflict in Cypress? Do Europeans of Russian background suffer bigotry because of Russia's invasion of Crimea? The answer to all these questions is a resounding no. If Jews are the only group that suffers because of controversial policies by Israel, then the onus lies on the anti-Semites rather than on the nation state of the Jewish people.
Yosef Rabin is 32 years old,
an immigrant to Israel originally from the United States. He served in the IDF, is married and living in Tel Aviv, and
works in an online marketing company. He’s also heavily invested in
raising awareness of the Temple Mount.
I first came upon Yosef when he tried and
failed to get people to show up for a protest. I wrote to tell him why I hadn’t
taken the invite as a serious one, and he private messaged me to discuss
things. I was impressed with how much thinking he had invested in this protest
and in Temple Mount awareness in general.
Since then, I’ve been trying to lend my hand
to his efforts by spreading word of events, protests, and articles relating to
the Temple Mount among my followers on Facebook. This is kind of an odd
experience for me, since I have never ascended to the Temple Mount. My rabbis
don’t permit this. But in the privacy of my inner feelings, I wish with all my
heart that I could go up there. I support this effort from the periphery, as
someone who wrestles internally with the desire to go up there and feels the
necessity of making it possible for Jews to reclaim their holiest site and
wrest it from the hands of the enemy.
And so, not being able to go up there myself,
but hoping that Yosef’s efforts will bear fruit such that someday, I might yet
be able to do so, I continue to lend my support to his project. As such, I made
the offer to interview him for my weekly column here at Elder of Ziyon, and
Yosef readily assented. Which is part of why I am eager to support him. He is
the kind of guy who is ready to take advice and do any and every thing to make
this happen: to make the Temple Mount a part of every Jew’s life and to reclaim
the Mount for our people.
I just like his attitude.
A bit of background: Yosef has been involved with Jewish rights on the Temple
Mount since 2004, and has served as director of foreign affairs for the
Movement for Temple Restoration (a member of United Temple Mount Movements) since 2006. He is a founding member of United Temple Mount
Movements, an organization established in 2009.
Yosef has held
correspondence on matters relating to the Temple Mount with UNESCO representatives
and diplomats from a number of Tel Aviv-based embassies. He has also served
as a guide to many guests touring the Temple Mount, including former Canadian
Minister Stockwell
Day.
By US Mission Canada (Stockwell Day) [CC BY 2.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Judean
Rose: Everyone who stumps for an issue has a reason. So why the Temple Mount,
as opposed to, say, cancer, or child abuse?
Yosef
Rabin: Ever since I was very little the recordings from the Six-Day War, the liberation
of the Western Wall and the Temple in particular, made a very deep impression
on me. It was like hearing the reverberations of prophecy. I for the longest
time could not understand why we were not building the Temple and as a child
growing up in Chicago, IL I could not understand why Jews were living outside
of Israel at all.
Judean
Rose: Your surname is Rabin, which I know is a Cohanic surname. Are you a Cohen?
Is that part of the fascination you have for the Mount?
Yosef
Rabin: I did not know that. My last name was once Rabanovitch. Not a Cohen.
Judean
Rose: When did you first go up to the Mount? How old were you? What did it feel
like?
Yosef
Rabin: The first time I ascended the Temple Mount, it was in 2004 and I was at
the time 20 years-old learning in a Jerusalem yeshiva (seminary). I was
horrified by the sight of Israeli police escorting Jews to ensure that they
would not pray. The police were watching our every move and filming us the
entire time. We received constant instructions: “Walk faster, don’t stand in
once place, don’t sit down, and don’t move to the right or left.”
The
police were not there to protect us, but rather to fulfill the instructions of
the Muslim Waqf (religious authority) guards. I felt a mix of awe of God
and fear of the police and the Muslim Waqf guards. During that ascent, I
promised that I would not rest until Jewish rights were restored to our holiest
place.
Judean
Rose: I’ve noted that in your Facebook postings you are eager to show that Haredim
are, in fact, permitted to ascend to the Temple Mount. Can you explain your
reasoning, here?
Yosef
Rabin: Ascent to the Temple Mount in the religious Zionist sector is quickly
moving from the fringes and going mainstream, but still very fringe in the Haredi
community. A picture of one Haredi on the Mount is worth more than 1,000
such photos of Religious Zionists, because with the former there is no
political stigma attached. Every time a Religious Zionist goes to the Mount,
people just see it sadly as a political statement or “Zionist activism.” When a
Haredi goes to the Mount, on the other hand, it is seen in a more puritanical
light.
Judean
Rose: I have a confession to make: I’d love to ascend to the Temple Mount, but
until Haredi rabbanim make it mainstream, I’m not comfortable with going
ahead and actually doing this. Do some Haredi women go up there? How
many would you say in an average month?
Yosef
Rabin: This is exactly why I promote Haredi ascent to the Mount, people
see them as “the real deal” more than other religious Jews. In 2009 I made a
short video of Rabbi Yosef Elboim, head
of Hatenua Lekinun HaMikdash (Movement for Temple Restoration) leading a
small visit to the Mount. It made tremendous waves in the Haredi media,
so much so, that Rabbi Elboim admitted to me that that one video equaled his
decades of work in the field.
It really rocked the Haredi public and within a month, the first large
visit of Haredim to the Mount (50 people) was organized. The police were
stunned and the Haredim were denied entry, but now we see hundreds of Haredim
ascending on a yearly basis. There may be individual Haredi women who
ascend, but there are no known groups that I know of. There is a
religious-Zionist group of women called “Women of the Mount,” who are
very active.
Women
of the Mount ascend the Temple Mount
Judean
Rose: During Temple times, what sectors of the Jewish population would have been
found on the Temple Mount on an average day and in what capacity?
Yosef
Rabin: All of the Jewish people came to the Temple Mount. Those who were
sprinkled with water-ash mix from the red heifer went into the Temple courtyard
and those who were impure could ascend to the outer areas of the Temple Mount,
the areas where we ascend today. Of course, on the three major biblical
holidays, masses came from all over the country to a bring special sacrifice
called the Chagiga.
Probably
the biggest ascent of the year was on the eve of Passover, when everyone would
come to sacrifice the Paschal Lamb in the Temple courtyard, one representative
from every group that would be eating together on Passover evening.
Judean
Rose: Why don’t people want to ascend to the Temple Mount? Is it about being afraid
to walk in the forbidden areas? Aren’t there some areas we’re sure about, as
being safe? Can you outline the issue for us, please?
Yosef
Rabin: There is a grave misconception that the entire Temple Mount is off
limits, because we are impure from contact with the dead and do not have the
ashes of the red heifer to purify ourselves. According to the Torah, one who
has been in contact with a dead body is prohibited to enter into the Temple,
but is permitted into the remainder of the Temple Mount. Jewish law is very
clear, see Maimonides - Laws of the Chosen House chapters 6-7 and Laws of the
Entering the Temple,Chapter 3.
As long as one knows the permitted and forbidden
boundaries, entering the Temple Mount is the fulfillment of a holy commandment
of “fearing the place of the Temple” and giving honor before God. Many Rabbis
who forbid their adherents from ascending have no actual knowledge of the forbidden
or permitted areas. Even the great Rabbi Ovadya Yosef [z”l, former Sephardi
Chief Rabbi], who was very vocal in his opposition to ascending the Temple
Mount, wrote in his book Yabia Omer the real reason for his opposition:
there is no physical boundary currently present to prevent someone from accidentally
crossing from the permitted to the forbidden zones, like there was in the time
of the Temple.
It is for this reason that the first few times a Jew
ascends to the Mount, he must be accompanied by one who knows the permitted and
forbidden boundaries well, because the punishment for entering into the Temple
itself is Karet or the cutting off of one’s soul from the Jewish Nation.
There is much rabbinic discussion of what this means, but all understand it to
be the worst spiritual punishment in the Torah.
Rabbi
Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi of Safed blessing those ascending the Mount before they
enter: "You
represent the Jewish People."
Judean
Rose: What is involved with ascending to the Temple Mount practically speaking?
One needs to dip in the mikveh, right? And wear white, right? What else
do we need to know from a halachic standpoint?
Yosef
Rabin: Yes, a man who has had seminal emission must clean his entire body of
all impurities and only then immerse in a mikveh (ritual waters). After the
immersion he can enter the Temple Mount. One should check to find a male mikveh
that is actually kosher for this immersion, because unlike the pre-Yom Kippur
dunk this one is a biblical commandment. This is the only time when a man will
make a bracha (blessing) before immersing in the mikveh.
A woman
cannot ascend to the Temple Mount during her period or when she is a nidda
(period of menstruation). After her nidda period, plus the clean day
count, she must then clean her entire body and then immerse in a kosher mikveh.
Additionally, a married woman who has been together with her husband (during her
clean days), should wait a three-day period before ascending the Mount. She
must immerse in the mikveh again and only then ascend to the Temple
Mount. There is fierce debate if non-married women should immerse for the sake
of ascending to the Temple Mount and a serious halachic authority should be
consulted.
Non-leather
shoes must be worn on the Mount by all, but there is no requirement to wear
white.
Judean
Rose: Many of us have seen the awful videos of Arabs rioting, throwing things,
and yelling “Allahu Akbar” at Jews on the Mount. Is it dangerous to go
up there?
Yosef
Rabin: The police usually do a good job of securing the general area during the
three hours a day Jews are even allowed on the Temple Mount. I have been there many
dozens of times and was only hit by a rock one time, and thank God was not
injured. Yes, almost every Jewish group has Arabs yelling at them Allahu
Akbar and at times police have had to intervene. If the Arabs get rowdy
enough the police will simply throw the Jews off the Mount in response to
Muslim threats.
Judean
Rose: There seems to be some kind of legal distinction between a Jew’s freedom
of religion to pray on the Temple Mount and the ability of the police to
maintain order. Can you explain the contradiction and how this works in
practice? What happens if you get thirsty and need to take a drink? Can you
make a bracha on your water or is that going to cause a riot?
Yosef
Rabin: This is not a legal problem, but rather an issue of governmental policy.
In 1967, after the Six-Day War, the Knesset (Legislative Branch) passed
the “Safeguarding of the Holy Places Law,” which protected the rights of
everyone to their holy places and even demanded 7 years jail time for
preventing someone access to his holy site. The Israeli Government (Executive
Branch), however, passed “Regulation 761” in contravention to the law passed by
the Knesset: “A Jew wishing to pray at the Temple Mount should be
re-directed to the Western Wall.” This sadly has become the law and the
police cite it over and over again to defend themselves against lawsuits. The
Israeli Supreme court has ruled that Jews have the right “in principle”to
pray on the Mount, but defer the matter to Israeli police for “security
measures”.
In
terms of the water fountains, sometimes the police allow [Jews to drink] and
sometimes they don’t, just do not make a bracha or you will be arrested.
People have been arrested for simply citing a biblical verse in the context of
a tour on the Mount.
Some
4 years of ago on Jerusalem Day. Yosef Rabin, together with a large group,
actually prayed for about 20 minutes on the Temple Mount. All of them were banned
from the site for a year, but World War III did not break out!
Judean
Rose: Is it an awful thing that Arabs pray on the Temple Mount? They aren’t
idolaters according to the Torah, right? So is it a profanation to allow them
to have a mosque there?
Yosef
Rabin: Technically, they are not idolaters, although the Muslims who control
the Mount support the murder of Jews, so they cannot be Noachides either. Al
Aqsa mosque is actually not even on the halachic Temple Mount and is in the
Herodian additions, which do not have any special halachic status. The Dome of
the Rock is sitting on the Holies of Holies, but what can we do about it?
Nothing. However, because the building is not used for idolatry there would not
be a problem to put up curtains on the entrances and for the Kohein Gadol
(high priest) to enter on Yom Kippur and perform the service on the spot of the
holies of holies.
Judean
Rose: But we are ritually impure from contact with the dead, how can the High
Priest or any Jew go into the area of the Temple? You mentioned before, we do
not have the red heifer.
Yosef
Rabin: This is true, but the Halacha is also clear that when the entire
Jewish People are impure, we preform the Temple Service in its entirety in a
state of impurity. However, personal sacrifices like a sin offering could not
be brought today, only the service that relates to the entire Nation. An
example of this is the Passover Sacrifice, which still must be offered in our
time, even without the Temple standing. Of course, anyone who is not necessary
for the service may not come into the Temple area in our times.
Theoretically,
we could fulfill many parts of the Temple Service, while leaving the Muslim
structures undisturbed. We would need permission from the Israeli Government to
build an altar within the confines of the ancient Temple Courtyard, somewhere
on the plaza east in front of the Dome of the Rock.
Judean
Rose: What about the general comportment of Arabs on the Mount? We’ve seen boys
playing soccer there. Is this a problem?
Arabs
regularly desecrate the Temple Mount with soccer games, picnics and mass
rallies calling for Jewish blood. It is truly horrible that our government has
no respect for us or our religion and allow these hoodlums to control our
holiest site. However, the People of Israel are truly at fault for not standing
up.
Judean
Rose: If the Temple Mount is the holiest place for Jews, why don’t Women of the
Wall want to fight for the right to pray there, in your opinion?
Yosef
Rabin: Of course the Temple Mount is the holiest place for the Jewish People. I
can only guess that WOW is using the Western Wall as a monthly prop to try to import
Reform Judaism into Israel, (WOW Chairwoman) Anat Hoffman was quoted on the BBC
stating as such.
Judean
Rose: Has anyone mapped out all the known places of relics from the Temple
Mount? We know about the ancient beams that were found when they were renovating the
mosque. What else is up there that we know about? Are we able to protect these
items from further destruction/deterioration?
Ancient beams made from the wood of cypress and cedars of
Lebanon trees, discarded as refuse in the Shaar Rachamim compound on the Temple
Mount.
Ancient wooden beams set afire on the Temple Mount.
Yosef
Rabin: Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Former Chief Rabbi of the IDF and the State of
Israel, wrote a very comprehensive book called “The Temple Mount” replete with
maps. We have a very good idea of where the Temple stood, there are still
slight disagreements as to the angle, but the general area is known. Much of
the remains of the Temple have been destroyed or illegally dumped into Kidron
valley, but a half million artifacts have been recovered and cataloged with the
help of nearly 200,000 volunteers since 2004. BTW those ancient beams have been
left to rot under a tarmac.
Yosef Rabin in the place he loves most.
Judean
Rose: Why is it so difficult to get Jews to care about the Temple Mount? What
can we do to help?
Yosef
Rabin: This is a question I ask myself over and over. The Temple was removed
from our national reality, nearly 1948 years ago this coming Tisha B’av.
Our Rabbis teach us that redemption comes “slowly, slowly, like the coming of
dawn” and that baby steps are necessary.
The
Prophet Isaiah: “And I will bring them to My Holy Mountain, and will make
them happy in My house of prayer, their burnt offering and sacrifices will be
welcome on My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all
nations “(56:7) I heard from Rabbi Yosef Elboim a beautiful explanation of
this verse. Found within this verse are four stages of the redemption of the
Temple Mount.
“And
I will bring them to My Holy Mountain” – The first stage is for the Jewish
People to simply gather on the Temple Mount. Maimonides, Laws of the Chosen
House chapter 7:7“Even though the Temple is today destroyed…we should only
enter into the areas (of the Temple Mount) that are permitted”
“And
will make them happy in My house of prayer” – The second stage is for the Jewish
People to renew Jewish Prayer on the Temple Mount. Maimonides, Book of
Commandments Command 5: “The 5th
Commandment is to serve God…this is the commandment to pray …Serve Him through
His Torah and Serve Him in His Temple, One should pray within the Temple or
towards it”
“Their
burnt offering and sacrifices will be welcome on My altar” – The Third Stage is the reconstruction of the altar
without the standing Temple and the re-institution of national sacrifices. Maimonides,
Laws of the Chosen House chapter 6:15:“Therefore we sacrifice all
sacrifices, even though the Temple is not standing.”
“My
house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” – The process
culminates with the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, thus allowing all humanity
to unite in worshiping the one true God. Maimonides, Laws of the Chosen
House Chapter 1:1: “It is a positive commandment to build a House for
God, for the sake of offering sacrifices and rejoicing in it three times a year
– as it says “Build for Me a Temple" (exodus: 25:8).
This
was the same way that Ezra and Nehemiah rebuilt the second Temple. They first
ascended, then they built an altar and then years later actually rebuilt the
Temple. Just like the State of Israel was built with the help of the Almighty
via active and political Zionism and did not fall down from the sky; The [Third]
Temple will also not fall from the sky, and we must be as active as possible,
until we or our children, grandchildren or great grandchildren can complete the
great task. “It is not incumbent upon you to finish the task, but
neither are you free to absolve yourself from it” (Ethics of Our Father
2:16). Everyone is encouraged to donate whatever
sum they can, to help our movement continue on the slow and sure path of
restoring our days as old.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.
Swedes celebrate Jewish culture in Cairo
-
The Swedish Embassy in Cairo recently held an event advertising an
exhibition on Egyptian Jews at the Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm. (With
thanks: Sos) T...
A Three-Way
-
Taking out the Islamofacist Iranian dictatorship is the key to peace in the
region.
* * * *Please support Dry Bones*
(through PayPal or your Credit Car...
The Pope's Genocide Cowardice
-
Pope Francis recently implied that Israel was committing “genocide” in its
campaign against Hamas. While the pope was eager to apply the term to
Muslims...
An open letter to the police and CPS
-
To the police and CPS. With reference to complaints made by Gabriel
Kanter-Webber about Rupert Nathan. I understand that the matter has now
been referred...
7 Biggest Dungeons In Elder Scrolls Games
-
Please verify your email address. Labyrinthian in Skyrim is a maze of
Nordic ruins with fiends to battle and treasures to find. Sundercliff Watch
in Oblivi...
Gaza: A Brief Modern History Outline
-
Pre-1917 - Gaza part of the Ottoman Empire
1917 - Gaza conquered by British Army and subsequently becomes part of
Mandate Palestine
1948 - Gaza conquere...
One Choice: Fight to Win
-
Yesterday Israel preempted a potentially disastrous attack by Hezbollah on
the center of the country. Thirty minutes before launch time, our aircraft
destr...
Yom Hashoah 5784 – 2024
-
Israel’s Yom Hashoah began at sundown this evening with the annual ceremony
at Yad Vashem with torches lit in memory of the 6 million Jewish victims of
the...
Closing Jews Down Under Website
-
With a heavyish heart I am closing down the website after ten years.
It is and it isn’t an easy decision after 10 years of constant work. The
past...
‘Test & Trace’ is a mirage
-
Lockdown II thoughts: Day 1 Opposition politicians have been banging on
about the need for a ‘working’ Test & Trace system even more loudly than
the govern...
Thursday, February 23, 2017
