I ran across a letter of mine that was published in the Oregonian on Monday, August 27, 1990. I answered an editorial that was comparing Israel to the behaviors of Iraq.
Situation dissimilar
to the editor: Franz Schurmann (Worst case scenario: Iraq and Israel issues tied," Aug 15) states that there are some Westerners who still believe that Israel has been committing crimes similar to Iraq's.
Israel has not been seeking to eliminate the Palestinians as a people. Israel was created by the United Nations in 1948 and was immediately attacked by the surrounding Arab countries. The Arabs' own leaders told them to leave Israel. Many did, hoping to return after the Arabs won the war, which did not happen.
When the Jordanian king ruled illegally over Judea and Samaria-the West Bank-between 1949 and 1967, some 400,000 left for other parts of the Arab world. The Palestinians had been offered a chance to create their own state in 1948, but refused because they wanted the whole territory.
June 5, 1956, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel from three sides. When the war was over, 200,000 Arabs in Judea and Samaria left for Jordan. They were not driven out by the Jews. Note that 75 % of Jordan's population is now Palestinian. the king had to deport many because they almost took over his kingdom.
When Israel won the Six Day War, the Arab population of Judea and Samaria came under its control. Israel gained this land as a result of Arab attack. Israel has not been committing brutalities in the so-called occupied territories. It has tried to preserve law and order in this area of hostile people and has gone to great lengths to get along with the people and to improve their lot. Its policy has been not to interfere with the life of the Arab population. Israel has taught farmers how to use modern equipment, extended loans for new industrial plants and opened vocational training centers. the Arabs responded by hurling stones and rioting.
Israel constitutes less than 1% of the territories ruled and dominated by Arabs. The 1967 war cost Israel twice as many dead in proportion to her total population as the United States lost in eight years of fighting in Vietnam. Please don't put Israel in the same category as Iraq.
The letter makes me wince. I'm still fighting the accusations against Israel in 2008. It is a miracle that Israel is going to make it to its 60th birthday. Someone is looking out for her.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
ACCUSATIONS ENDORSED BY PASTOR WRIGHT ABOUT ISRAEL
The TV news is full of announcements about Pastor Wright's negative feelings about Israel this morning. I wondered when they would start talking about it. This is Obama's pastor, who has been the longtime leader at Trinity United Church of Christ, an Afrocentric church on Chicago's South side.
I uncovered something he had printed in his church bulletin 20 years ago. It was a letter from Ali Baghdadi, Middle East Adviser to NOI founder Elijah Muhammad and Louis Farrakkahn. It was found on Pastor Wright's page, so was endorsed by him. Louis Farrakkahn, I know, dislikes Jews and Israel very much.
Wright likes Louis Farrakhan and traveled with him to meet with Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Farrakhan is one of the world's biggest anti-semites that there is. I have an article about him on this blog.
"I must tell you that Israel was the closest ally to the White supremacists of South Africa. In fact, South Africa allowed Israel to test its nuclear weapons in the ocean off South Africa. The Israelis were given a blank check; they could test whenever they desired and did not even have to ask permission. both worked on an ethnic bomb that killed Blacks and Arabs." To create an ethnic bomb is ridiculous. To kills Blacks is ridiculous. To kill Arabs is a big possibility since they have attacked Israel in many wars. Iran, who is not an Arab country, has threatened Israel's existence, but they are also Muslims.
Pastor Wright had an article about himself in another church bulletin. It told that he received his Master's Degree from the U. of Chicago's Divinity School in the area of Islam in West Africa during the 19th Century, when trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was at its zenith. He complained about the White people only knowing about terrorism when thinking about Islam and the Palestinian/Israel situation. He goes on to say that there is much more than our corporate-owned media leads us to believe about Islam, and gives his congregants an article on one branch of Islam in 2007, which was not printed in my article.
He accuses Israel of having illegally occupied Palestinian territories for almost 40 years. He talks about how a divestment campaign woke up the business community concerning South Africa and Blacks, and now is for divestment to wake Americans up concerning "the injustice and the racism under which the Palestinians have lived because of Zionism." Divestment is the act of not trading or doing business with a country. That's what he is promoting that America should do with Israel.
Jews have been devoted Democrats for a very long time. Even with this information that is coming out, many are finding excuses to back Obama, even though he has been exposed to Wrights philosophy about Jews and Israel for a very long time. Obama knows of their unfailing faith in the Democratic party and is counting on their continued support, even though these facts are now coming out. My son even tells me that many of his speech writers are Jewish.
I would prefer to have as my next president someone who has not been tarnished with continued bombardment of hatred for Jews and for Israel. Presidents have continually backed Israel since its inception in 1948 when America also voted for its birth. I would like to have someone actually knowledgable about our history and the history of Israel who has been untainted by hatred and discrimination. To me, your friends reflect who you are and what you believe in.
I think about how difficult it has been to change White Southerners in their fear and distrust of Blacks. Look at the example of Jenna and the high school youths accused of murder when nobody was killed. Look at the attitude of that community. This is exactly what Obama has been experiencing in his relationship with Wright and his friends with their fear and distrust and even hatred of Jews and Israel. Is he going to react like the Jenna community? The possibility is there. He wants change. To me, that is scary. I know what changes Wright would make. First on the list would be the regular scapegoat, the Jews and Israel. There it is; I have a lot of fear and distrust of this group of people, and it is because they are so prejudiced against Jews. I would sure like to get them into a classroom and give them a course on Israel's history.
ADL's comments on Obama's relationship with Wright is this: "We're disappointed and troubled and distressed by an effort to excuse and rationalize. Pain does not justify bigotry and anti-Semitism."
Reference: Patterico's Pontifications: Wright's Stance on Israel Could Cost Obama Jewish Votes
Wizbang: Obama's Rev. Wright: Israel created a dirty bomb to kill Arabs and Blacks
JTA, Jewish & Israel News: Obama: Wright has distorted Israel views.
I uncovered something he had printed in his church bulletin 20 years ago. It was a letter from Ali Baghdadi, Middle East Adviser to NOI founder Elijah Muhammad and Louis Farrakkahn. It was found on Pastor Wright's page, so was endorsed by him. Louis Farrakkahn, I know, dislikes Jews and Israel very much.
Wright likes Louis Farrakhan and traveled with him to meet with Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Farrakhan is one of the world's biggest anti-semites that there is. I have an article about him on this blog.
"I must tell you that Israel was the closest ally to the White supremacists of South Africa. In fact, South Africa allowed Israel to test its nuclear weapons in the ocean off South Africa. The Israelis were given a blank check; they could test whenever they desired and did not even have to ask permission. both worked on an ethnic bomb that killed Blacks and Arabs." To create an ethnic bomb is ridiculous. To kills Blacks is ridiculous. To kill Arabs is a big possibility since they have attacked Israel in many wars. Iran, who is not an Arab country, has threatened Israel's existence, but they are also Muslims.
Pastor Wright had an article about himself in another church bulletin. It told that he received his Master's Degree from the U. of Chicago's Divinity School in the area of Islam in West Africa during the 19th Century, when trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was at its zenith. He complained about the White people only knowing about terrorism when thinking about Islam and the Palestinian/Israel situation. He goes on to say that there is much more than our corporate-owned media leads us to believe about Islam, and gives his congregants an article on one branch of Islam in 2007, which was not printed in my article.
He accuses Israel of having illegally occupied Palestinian territories for almost 40 years. He talks about how a divestment campaign woke up the business community concerning South Africa and Blacks, and now is for divestment to wake Americans up concerning "the injustice and the racism under which the Palestinians have lived because of Zionism." Divestment is the act of not trading or doing business with a country. That's what he is promoting that America should do with Israel.
Jews have been devoted Democrats for a very long time. Even with this information that is coming out, many are finding excuses to back Obama, even though he has been exposed to Wrights philosophy about Jews and Israel for a very long time. Obama knows of their unfailing faith in the Democratic party and is counting on their continued support, even though these facts are now coming out. My son even tells me that many of his speech writers are Jewish.
I would prefer to have as my next president someone who has not been tarnished with continued bombardment of hatred for Jews and for Israel. Presidents have continually backed Israel since its inception in 1948 when America also voted for its birth. I would like to have someone actually knowledgable about our history and the history of Israel who has been untainted by hatred and discrimination. To me, your friends reflect who you are and what you believe in.
I think about how difficult it has been to change White Southerners in their fear and distrust of Blacks. Look at the example of Jenna and the high school youths accused of murder when nobody was killed. Look at the attitude of that community. This is exactly what Obama has been experiencing in his relationship with Wright and his friends with their fear and distrust and even hatred of Jews and Israel. Is he going to react like the Jenna community? The possibility is there. He wants change. To me, that is scary. I know what changes Wright would make. First on the list would be the regular scapegoat, the Jews and Israel. There it is; I have a lot of fear and distrust of this group of people, and it is because they are so prejudiced against Jews. I would sure like to get them into a classroom and give them a course on Israel's history.
ADL's comments on Obama's relationship with Wright is this: "We're disappointed and troubled and distressed by an effort to excuse and rationalize. Pain does not justify bigotry and anti-Semitism."
Reference: Patterico's Pontifications: Wright's Stance on Israel Could Cost Obama Jewish Votes
Wizbang: Obama's Rev. Wright: Israel created a dirty bomb to kill Arabs and Blacks
JTA, Jewish & Israel News: Obama: Wright has distorted Israel views.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
BLAMING ISRAEL AGAIN FOR BUSH'S DECISIONS
When I looked for comments about Frontline's two part program called "Bush's War', I stumbled on an article connected to it from Media Monitors Network that shocked me. It was by a free-lance writer in the U.K. by the name of Mesbah Uddin.
In it he spoke of the Sharonists. These, according to him, are American governmental people who are followers of Ariel Sharon of Israel. Evidently they have taken over the government of the USA. He names Paul Wolfowitz as the main leader. Paul wanted to extend Israel's boundary beyond Iraq, the country that contains Babylon . He said the aim was to take over Iraq first and then all the other Arab countries.
Now I've heard everything. Jews have been blamed for just about everything in the past. I've heard of the blood libals, where we needed Christian children's blood for Passover. The ignorance of people was overwhelming as Jews go to great length to not eat any blood of any animal. That's what the kosher laws cover. We've poisoned the wells causing people to die. Usually this was over some cause like rats infesting cities but the Jews would be blamed. And now we've taken over the government of the United States causing us to go to war against Iraq.
He goes on to say that to start anything one needs some cataclysmic event, and then 9/11 happened, insinuating that Israel also caused this, or at least the Sharonists did. He explains that the Nazi technique was to tell people that they going to be attacked, and then they had the right to attack, and their people would be gullible. He's saying that this is what we did which gave us the right to attack Iraq. It was the United States who turned good old Saddam Hussain into a villain.
This is where I felt sick. Just before 9/11, I had read a new book from the Ontario, Oregon Library called "Saddam", or "Saddam Hussain." In it I found out from the author just how horrible a man he was. His sons were following in his footsteps and were determined to be even worse, and they were soon proving it. I don't think much of many leaders, but he was horrid. He kept his people down with such an iron fist that it's no wonder that they can't think logically now that they have been freed. I think they have suffered psychologically under his leadership and it will take a long time for them to learn to think again and stop fighting each other.
Now I find out from this writer that we had sold the nerve gas that was used on the Kurds in Halabja that killed 5,000. If the United States did sell it to the Iraqis when we were acting as friends, I am totally disappointed. What a thing to sell to such a people. Whatever did we think they would do with it? Surely someone must have realized that these unstable people might decide to use it as a weapon. Even to use it against the Iranians would be against international law, I would think. It should have been outlawed after WWI. This accusation has to be researched more, and if we did sell it, I feel there needs to be some great punishment for doing so. Hopefully, this is incorrect.
This is some of the garbage being inflicted upon Israel. Whatever happens, blame the Jews. There's always people who are gullible and full of hate and resentment ready to swallow it.
As I remember, I wondered why Bush attacked Iraq when it was Saudi Arabians who flew into the Twin Towers. My feelings were that the Saudis used their money to attack their enemies and that they usually stayed behind the scenes. I didn't trust Syria at all and thought they might have also been behind the 9/11 attack. While living in Israel from 1980 to 1985, I watched Iraq and Iran wage a war with each other. I thought that perhaps that was why I had a fairly peaceful existence in Israel. They were busy at each other's throats. To think that Israel's Sharon is pulling the strings getting America to attack Iraq is ridiculous.
Really, no one in government listens to Israel very well. It's a big worry for Israel. If there is any controlling, it's the USA who controls Israel in many ways. Israel has no oil wells. What we have the most of are our brains. In the midst of being constantly attacked and on alert, our scientists have managed to invent and create things useful for the world. Now we're even exporting techniques in fighting terrorism and protecting airports.
World, get over thinking that the Jews want to take over the world. We're just fighting for our teeny-tiny piece of Israel and are tired of giving chunks of that away in the name of peace which evades us. Trying to deal with the Palestinians in Gaza was enough of a headache. Ask the Egyptians. Ask Jordan what they went through. Just stop demanding our land. You have enough. Wanting to expand and take over all the Arab countries? Oy vey, we're not out of our minds. Are you?
In it he spoke of the Sharonists. These, according to him, are American governmental people who are followers of Ariel Sharon of Israel. Evidently they have taken over the government of the USA. He names Paul Wolfowitz as the main leader. Paul wanted to extend Israel's boundary beyond Iraq, the country that contains Babylon . He said the aim was to take over Iraq first and then all the other Arab countries.
Now I've heard everything. Jews have been blamed for just about everything in the past. I've heard of the blood libals, where we needed Christian children's blood for Passover. The ignorance of people was overwhelming as Jews go to great length to not eat any blood of any animal. That's what the kosher laws cover. We've poisoned the wells causing people to die. Usually this was over some cause like rats infesting cities but the Jews would be blamed. And now we've taken over the government of the United States causing us to go to war against Iraq.
He goes on to say that to start anything one needs some cataclysmic event, and then 9/11 happened, insinuating that Israel also caused this, or at least the Sharonists did. He explains that the Nazi technique was to tell people that they going to be attacked, and then they had the right to attack, and their people would be gullible. He's saying that this is what we did which gave us the right to attack Iraq. It was the United States who turned good old Saddam Hussain into a villain.
This is where I felt sick. Just before 9/11, I had read a new book from the Ontario, Oregon Library called "Saddam", or "Saddam Hussain." In it I found out from the author just how horrible a man he was. His sons were following in his footsteps and were determined to be even worse, and they were soon proving it. I don't think much of many leaders, but he was horrid. He kept his people down with such an iron fist that it's no wonder that they can't think logically now that they have been freed. I think they have suffered psychologically under his leadership and it will take a long time for them to learn to think again and stop fighting each other.
Now I find out from this writer that we had sold the nerve gas that was used on the Kurds in Halabja that killed 5,000. If the United States did sell it to the Iraqis when we were acting as friends, I am totally disappointed. What a thing to sell to such a people. Whatever did we think they would do with it? Surely someone must have realized that these unstable people might decide to use it as a weapon. Even to use it against the Iranians would be against international law, I would think. It should have been outlawed after WWI. This accusation has to be researched more, and if we did sell it, I feel there needs to be some great punishment for doing so. Hopefully, this is incorrect.
This is some of the garbage being inflicted upon Israel. Whatever happens, blame the Jews. There's always people who are gullible and full of hate and resentment ready to swallow it.
As I remember, I wondered why Bush attacked Iraq when it was Saudi Arabians who flew into the Twin Towers. My feelings were that the Saudis used their money to attack their enemies and that they usually stayed behind the scenes. I didn't trust Syria at all and thought they might have also been behind the 9/11 attack. While living in Israel from 1980 to 1985, I watched Iraq and Iran wage a war with each other. I thought that perhaps that was why I had a fairly peaceful existence in Israel. They were busy at each other's throats. To think that Israel's Sharon is pulling the strings getting America to attack Iraq is ridiculous.
Really, no one in government listens to Israel very well. It's a big worry for Israel. If there is any controlling, it's the USA who controls Israel in many ways. Israel has no oil wells. What we have the most of are our brains. In the midst of being constantly attacked and on alert, our scientists have managed to invent and create things useful for the world. Now we're even exporting techniques in fighting terrorism and protecting airports.
World, get over thinking that the Jews want to take over the world. We're just fighting for our teeny-tiny piece of Israel and are tired of giving chunks of that away in the name of peace which evades us. Trying to deal with the Palestinians in Gaza was enough of a headache. Ask the Egyptians. Ask Jordan what they went through. Just stop demanding our land. You have enough. Wanting to expand and take over all the Arab countries? Oy vey, we're not out of our minds. Are you?
The Kurds and Us Jews
Nadene Goldfoot
In 2001, Israeli, German, and Indian scientists discovered that the majority of Jews were closely related to the Kurdish people. Kurdistan is primarily in northern Iraq, only a few hundred miles from the meeting place of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.
DNA studies show that almost all Jewish populations have origins in the Middle East, and that the DNA of Jews from almost every corner of the diaspora is more similar to that of other Jews than to any other population. When compared with non-Jewish groups, the closest match is with the Muslims of Kurdistan, not with the European peoples alongside whom Ashkenazi Jews lived for centuries or of the the Arab neighbors of many Sephardi populations. Although all Middle Eastern populations have broad similarities, "Jews were found to be more closely related to groups in the north of the fertile Crescent (Kurds, Turks and Armenians) than to their Arab neighbors." The could mean that we all carry the genetic markers of ancient indigenous populations of the Fertile Crescent, while Palestinian Arabs and Beduins may descend from the Arab conquerors. Genetics may soon provide answers to questions like what proportion of Palestinian ancestry arrived in early or late migrations.
Who are the Kurds? Most of the 10 Tribes of Israel who were the Northern Kingdom were taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 721-715 BCE. That’s about 2800 years ago by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser. They were deported to Media, Asssyria and Mesopotamia. This area is what we call Kurdistan today. Under Persian and Parthian rule, the Jewish Kurdistanians enjoyed their own autonomy and had an exile ruler. He was of Davidic descent and was the king’s representative. They had a council of elders.
The Kurdish royal house of Adiabene was converted to Judaism in the 1st century BCE. The king was Monabazes and his queen was Helena. Their son was Izates. A large number of Kurdish citizens also converted. The Jews were given permission by the rabbinic authorities to allow conversion from the local population. This was the only country outside of Israel that sent provisions and troops to the rescue of the besieged Galilee. By the 2nd century CE, Judaism was practiced in central Kurdistan.
By the 4th and 5th centuries, Christianity was established in Adiabene, but Judaism continued with many. Kurdish Jews speak a form of ancient Aramaic called Suriyani, and in business and with their friends they speak Kurdish. Many of their folk stories that tell about their origins connect them with the Jews.
What can we find in Kurdistan that connects us to our Jewish history? Queen Esther and Mordechai have tombs in Hamadan. Biblical prophet Nahum has a tomb in Alkush. Jonah’s tomb is in Nabi Yunis (ancient Nineveh). Daniel’s tomb is in Kirkuk. Habakkuk’s tomb is in Tuisirkan. Several caves visited by Elijah are considered important Jewish shrines and are venerated by all Jews today.
The grandson of Judah the Maccabee, hero of our Chanukah holiday was named King Yannai. His widow was Queen Shlomis Alexandra "Shlomtzion".She had a brother, Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach. He advised the Pharisees, who were the rabbinical Jews, to split with the Sadducees and other militant Jewish groups. The Pharisees also opposed Roman rule but preferred academic study to military revolt. In other words, they were on the left, or peaceniks.. Just before the downfall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the warriors had conflicts with Rome and themselves.. The Hellenists wanted to assimilate by adopting its culture. The Pharisees wanted to continue Judasim by academics and study. The Herodians, Sadducees and their Jordanian converts plotted revolt. By 135 CE with the Bar Kochba revolt, they were crushed by Rome.
Then Sadducees or militant Jews went south to Jordan and southern Arabia and finally founded the Jewish state of Himyar (biblical Sheba) in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. There they practiced Judaism that finally became Islam by Mohammed.
The Pharisees or Rabbinic Jews moved east, then north and finally to Babylon. This is near what is now called Kurdistan. Then the Arab conquest began in 637 CE. This community assisted the Arab advance in the hope that it would afford them help from the Sassanid persecution. So the Arabs occupied their land. They expelled some Jews in Himyar, Saudi Arabia and they settled in Kufa. Over the next two centuries they were forced to convert to Islam. They were excluded from public office, were kept from building any new schools or synagogues, were subject to special taxes and experienced pograms. They were treated as Dminnis. Most of the community then converted by the end of the 9th century. Because they were heavily taxed on their farms, they left agriculture for the first time and went to live in larger towns like Baghdad, Basra and Mosul where they became traders and craftsmen. The peasants intermarried and became "The Kurds".
By 1138 Saladin was born to a family of Kurdish adventurers in the Iraqi town of Takrit. He was a Kurd in Middle East politics, and he was from Syria, a Sunni state, and he was trying to rule Egypt, a Shiite country. He finally became lord of Egypt, Syria and much of Mesopotamia. A generation before his birth, European crusaders had conquered Jerusalem and had massacred the Muslim and Jewish habitants. Many oriental Jews fought with the Moslems against the crusaders. So Saladin finally conquered Jerusalem from the Christians. He was humane and applied justice in his rule. He even allowed Christians into Jerusalem again. Maimonides, the great Jewish sage, was his physician. Of course he allowed Jews in Jerusalem and even discovered the Western Wall of the Jewish Temple. It had been buried by garbage under the Roman-Byzantine rule.
The Kurds were never accepted as equals to other Islamic groups who feared a revival of the Jewish faith. We had several men in the past who claimed they were the expected messiah such as Abu Issa Al-Isfahani who lived in about the year 700 CE, and Shabbetai Tzvi of the 16th century CE. They had looked to the Kurdish community for help to raise a Jewish army to liberate Israel. It didn’t happen.
Iraq’s Saddam Hussain killed Kurds with poison gas. They are known for the massacre of Halabja. .What happened was that Kurds make up about 17% of Iraq’s population. They were the majority in three provinces in Northern Iraq which is known as Iraqi Kurdistan. They also have a presence in Kirkuk, Mosul (50,000) , Khanaqin, and Baghdad. (300,000) About 100,000 Kurds live in southern Iraq. From 1960 to 1975 they engaged in a civil war against Iraqi regimes and were led by Mustafa Barzani. In March 1970 Iraq had a peace plan giving them Kurdish autonomy to be implemented by 1974. The peace plan did not last long and by 1974 the government began another offensive against the Kurds. By March 1975 Iraq and Iran signed the Algiers Accord where Iran cut supplies to Iraqi Kurds. Iraq started another Arabization plan by moving Arabs to Kurdistan’s oil fields, especially around Kirkuk. They deported 200,000 Kurds between 1975 to 1978 to other parts of Iraq.
During the 1980's Iran-Iraq War, Iraq implemented anti-Kurdish policies and a civil war broke out. Their campaign against the Kurds was called Anfal "Spoils of War". This led to the destruction of 2,000 villages and death of from 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds. On March 16, 1988 in the Kurdish town of Halabja, Iraqi troops used a mixture of mustard gas and other nerve agents and killed at least 5,000 civilians. This continued with both Iraqis and Iranians using it against the Kurds.
The Kurds also had problems with Turkey who practiced military actions inside Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. They killed civilians and destroyed villages, homes and property. Turkey continued its military cross-the border operations which were needed for intelligence information. They were even striking Kurdistan from the air. This went on because of the Kurds in Turkey who were fighting against Turkey for their freedom.
So it appears that the Kurds do not fit into the average Arab mentality and are not fitting into their society. They want their freedom and autonomy.
Reference: Jerusalem Post, Genetics and the Jewish Identity by Diana Muir and Paul Appelbaum. Washington-report.org.: Saddam’s Kurdish Problem,
wikipedia.org, Kurdish people,
Resource: The Standard Jewish Encyclopedia: Tribes, Lost Ten & Babylon
EretzYisroel.org: The forced conversion of the Jewish community of Persia and the beginnings of the Kurds
Kevin Alan Brook: The Genetic Bonds Between Kurds and Jews
In 2001, Israeli, German, and Indian scientists discovered that the majority of Jews were closely related to the Kurdish people. Kurdistan is primarily in northern Iraq, only a few hundred miles from the meeting place of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.
DNA studies show that almost all Jewish populations have origins in the Middle East, and that the DNA of Jews from almost every corner of the diaspora is more similar to that of other Jews than to any other population. When compared with non-Jewish groups, the closest match is with the Muslims of Kurdistan, not with the European peoples alongside whom Ashkenazi Jews lived for centuries or of the the Arab neighbors of many Sephardi populations. Although all Middle Eastern populations have broad similarities, "Jews were found to be more closely related to groups in the north of the fertile Crescent (Kurds, Turks and Armenians) than to their Arab neighbors." The could mean that we all carry the genetic markers of ancient indigenous populations of the Fertile Crescent, while Palestinian Arabs and Beduins may descend from the Arab conquerors. Genetics may soon provide answers to questions like what proportion of Palestinian ancestry arrived in early or late migrations.
Who are the Kurds? Most of the 10 Tribes of Israel who were the Northern Kingdom were taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 721-715 BCE. That’s about 2800 years ago by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser. They were deported to Media, Asssyria and Mesopotamia. This area is what we call Kurdistan today. Under Persian and Parthian rule, the Jewish Kurdistanians enjoyed their own autonomy and had an exile ruler. He was of Davidic descent and was the king’s representative. They had a council of elders.
The Kurdish royal house of Adiabene was converted to Judaism in the 1st century BCE. The king was Monabazes and his queen was Helena. Their son was Izates. A large number of Kurdish citizens also converted. The Jews were given permission by the rabbinic authorities to allow conversion from the local population. This was the only country outside of Israel that sent provisions and troops to the rescue of the besieged Galilee. By the 2nd century CE, Judaism was practiced in central Kurdistan.
By the 4th and 5th centuries, Christianity was established in Adiabene, but Judaism continued with many. Kurdish Jews speak a form of ancient Aramaic called Suriyani, and in business and with their friends they speak Kurdish. Many of their folk stories that tell about their origins connect them with the Jews.
What can we find in Kurdistan that connects us to our Jewish history? Queen Esther and Mordechai have tombs in Hamadan. Biblical prophet Nahum has a tomb in Alkush. Jonah’s tomb is in Nabi Yunis (ancient Nineveh). Daniel’s tomb is in Kirkuk. Habakkuk’s tomb is in Tuisirkan. Several caves visited by Elijah are considered important Jewish shrines and are venerated by all Jews today.
The grandson of Judah the Maccabee, hero of our Chanukah holiday was named King Yannai. His widow was Queen Shlomis Alexandra "Shlomtzion".She had a brother, Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach. He advised the Pharisees, who were the rabbinical Jews, to split with the Sadducees and other militant Jewish groups. The Pharisees also opposed Roman rule but preferred academic study to military revolt. In other words, they were on the left, or peaceniks.. Just before the downfall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the warriors had conflicts with Rome and themselves.. The Hellenists wanted to assimilate by adopting its culture. The Pharisees wanted to continue Judasim by academics and study. The Herodians, Sadducees and their Jordanian converts plotted revolt. By 135 CE with the Bar Kochba revolt, they were crushed by Rome.
Then Sadducees or militant Jews went south to Jordan and southern Arabia and finally founded the Jewish state of Himyar (biblical Sheba) in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. There they practiced Judaism that finally became Islam by Mohammed.
The Pharisees or Rabbinic Jews moved east, then north and finally to Babylon. This is near what is now called Kurdistan. Then the Arab conquest began in 637 CE. This community assisted the Arab advance in the hope that it would afford them help from the Sassanid persecution. So the Arabs occupied their land. They expelled some Jews in Himyar, Saudi Arabia and they settled in Kufa. Over the next two centuries they were forced to convert to Islam. They were excluded from public office, were kept from building any new schools or synagogues, were subject to special taxes and experienced pograms. They were treated as Dminnis. Most of the community then converted by the end of the 9th century. Because they were heavily taxed on their farms, they left agriculture for the first time and went to live in larger towns like Baghdad, Basra and Mosul where they became traders and craftsmen. The peasants intermarried and became "The Kurds".
By 1138 Saladin was born to a family of Kurdish adventurers in the Iraqi town of Takrit. He was a Kurd in Middle East politics, and he was from Syria, a Sunni state, and he was trying to rule Egypt, a Shiite country. He finally became lord of Egypt, Syria and much of Mesopotamia. A generation before his birth, European crusaders had conquered Jerusalem and had massacred the Muslim and Jewish habitants. Many oriental Jews fought with the Moslems against the crusaders. So Saladin finally conquered Jerusalem from the Christians. He was humane and applied justice in his rule. He even allowed Christians into Jerusalem again. Maimonides, the great Jewish sage, was his physician. Of course he allowed Jews in Jerusalem and even discovered the Western Wall of the Jewish Temple. It had been buried by garbage under the Roman-Byzantine rule.
The Kurds were never accepted as equals to other Islamic groups who feared a revival of the Jewish faith. We had several men in the past who claimed they were the expected messiah such as Abu Issa Al-Isfahani who lived in about the year 700 CE, and Shabbetai Tzvi of the 16th century CE. They had looked to the Kurdish community for help to raise a Jewish army to liberate Israel. It didn’t happen.
Iraq’s Saddam Hussain killed Kurds with poison gas. They are known for the massacre of Halabja. .What happened was that Kurds make up about 17% of Iraq’s population. They were the majority in three provinces in Northern Iraq which is known as Iraqi Kurdistan. They also have a presence in Kirkuk, Mosul (50,000) , Khanaqin, and Baghdad. (300,000) About 100,000 Kurds live in southern Iraq. From 1960 to 1975 they engaged in a civil war against Iraqi regimes and were led by Mustafa Barzani. In March 1970 Iraq had a peace plan giving them Kurdish autonomy to be implemented by 1974. The peace plan did not last long and by 1974 the government began another offensive against the Kurds. By March 1975 Iraq and Iran signed the Algiers Accord where Iran cut supplies to Iraqi Kurds. Iraq started another Arabization plan by moving Arabs to Kurdistan’s oil fields, especially around Kirkuk. They deported 200,000 Kurds between 1975 to 1978 to other parts of Iraq.
During the 1980's Iran-Iraq War, Iraq implemented anti-Kurdish policies and a civil war broke out. Their campaign against the Kurds was called Anfal "Spoils of War". This led to the destruction of 2,000 villages and death of from 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds. On March 16, 1988 in the Kurdish town of Halabja, Iraqi troops used a mixture of mustard gas and other nerve agents and killed at least 5,000 civilians. This continued with both Iraqis and Iranians using it against the Kurds.
The Kurds also had problems with Turkey who practiced military actions inside Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. They killed civilians and destroyed villages, homes and property. Turkey continued its military cross-the border operations which were needed for intelligence information. They were even striking Kurdistan from the air. This went on because of the Kurds in Turkey who were fighting against Turkey for their freedom.
So it appears that the Kurds do not fit into the average Arab mentality and are not fitting into their society. They want their freedom and autonomy.
Reference: Jerusalem Post, Genetics and the Jewish Identity by Diana Muir and Paul Appelbaum. Washington-report.org.: Saddam’s Kurdish Problem,
wikipedia.org, Kurdish people,
Resource: The Standard Jewish Encyclopedia: Tribes, Lost Ten & Babylon
EretzYisroel.org: The forced conversion of the Jewish community of Persia and the beginnings of the Kurds
Kevin Alan Brook: The Genetic Bonds Between Kurds and Jews
Is Palestinian Terrorism a Righteous Act?
Why are so many Palestinians practicing terrorism against Israel? Is poverty an excuse? Amnesty International published a study that condemned all attacks and said that no Israeli action justified them. They are committing crimes against humanity under international law.
This terrorism that has been happening is not the result of occupation. If they suffer from discontent, they could negotiate, but under Hamas this is not happening. Israel in the past has gone along with trading land for peace, but is not about to trade land for continued terror.
Many terrorists are not practicing terrorism from the point of view of poverty or feeling they have a hopeless future. Osama bin Laden is a Saudi millionaire. I see his actions as one of seeking power over the world. He's at his happiest plotting and scheming to blow up his enemies. Living in luxury, which he could be doing, does not sate his pleasure centers.
Another terrorist who killed the 8 school boys and wounded 15 others in Jerusalem was the school's driver. He was happily engaged to be married, came from a comfortable family, and lived in an East Jerusalem village. He had all the same social and welfare benefits as other Israeli citizens. He was not driven to this terroristic act out of living under occupation. I think his personality was that of a follower, and he was suckered into his actions from peer pressure and propaganda. He was in the position of being able to do it, and felt no compulsion or conscience not to kill.
We're facing a group of people who are ready to sacrifice their own children to gain a political end. Children are either encouraged by their parents to be in harm's way during warfare, for the value propaganda can milk from it or are put there by their fellow terrorists hiding in their midst. Actually, the children are being used either way. Their lives don't count with their own people.
In the year 2000 there was no economic depression facing the Palestinians. This is when this new violence really started. Then in 2001 we have 9/11 in New York. It was a time of terrorism in the world.
There will be no giving into a group who uses terrorism as pressure to gain their goals. How will the next American president face this when the American goal is to bring about a Palestinian state next door to Israel? How will they ever change their attitudes and practices? Perhaps they've never heard of Martin Luther King. Somehow this president will have to teach them that terrorism is not a righteous act.
Reference: Mitchell Bard #295-Are Palestinians Driven to Terror By Poverty and Desperation?
202“Without Distinction - Attacks On Civilians by Palestinian Armed Groups,” Amnesty International, (July 11, 2002).
This terrorism that has been happening is not the result of occupation. If they suffer from discontent, they could negotiate, but under Hamas this is not happening. Israel in the past has gone along with trading land for peace, but is not about to trade land for continued terror.
Many terrorists are not practicing terrorism from the point of view of poverty or feeling they have a hopeless future. Osama bin Laden is a Saudi millionaire. I see his actions as one of seeking power over the world. He's at his happiest plotting and scheming to blow up his enemies. Living in luxury, which he could be doing, does not sate his pleasure centers.
Another terrorist who killed the 8 school boys and wounded 15 others in Jerusalem was the school's driver. He was happily engaged to be married, came from a comfortable family, and lived in an East Jerusalem village. He had all the same social and welfare benefits as other Israeli citizens. He was not driven to this terroristic act out of living under occupation. I think his personality was that of a follower, and he was suckered into his actions from peer pressure and propaganda. He was in the position of being able to do it, and felt no compulsion or conscience not to kill.
We're facing a group of people who are ready to sacrifice their own children to gain a political end. Children are either encouraged by their parents to be in harm's way during warfare, for the value propaganda can milk from it or are put there by their fellow terrorists hiding in their midst. Actually, the children are being used either way. Their lives don't count with their own people.
In the year 2000 there was no economic depression facing the Palestinians. This is when this new violence really started. Then in 2001 we have 9/11 in New York. It was a time of terrorism in the world.
There will be no giving into a group who uses terrorism as pressure to gain their goals. How will the next American president face this when the American goal is to bring about a Palestinian state next door to Israel? How will they ever change their attitudes and practices? Perhaps they've never heard of Martin Luther King. Somehow this president will have to teach them that terrorism is not a righteous act.
Reference: Mitchell Bard #295-Are Palestinians Driven to Terror By Poverty and Desperation?
202“Without Distinction - Attacks On Civilians by Palestinian Armed Groups,” Amnesty International, (July 11, 2002).
Saturday, March 22, 2008
RACIAL & RELIGIOUS HATRED IN THE UNITED STATES
by Nadene Goldfoot
Along with Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s racist problems in the United States are the problems I see of antisemitism.
The first thing I notice is from a recent report from The Anti-Demfamation League (ADL)’s October 2007 national telephone survey that found that 32% of African-Americans hold strong anti-semitic beliefs, which is three times more than the 10% for whites. This has been shown from castigations by Al Sharpten, Farrakhan, and even Pastor Jeremiah Wright himself. Jews make up only 1.7% of the American population. We certainly do get a lot of hatred from our fellow Americans who complain about racism in America.
I salute Sammi Davis Jr who not only was a Black entertainer, but chose to convert to Judaism. Instead of a double mitzva,"good deed' he took upon him a double surrus 'trouble'.
It was found that 18% of men hold strong anti-semitic views. 13% of women do.
29% of foreign-born Hispanics living in America hold hardcore anti-semitic beliefs.
15% of Hispanics born in the U.S. are anti-semitic.
21% of Americans with high school degrees or less hold strong anti-semitic views.
10% of college graduates are anti-semitic.
8% of the post-graduate degreed are anti-semitic.
By 2007 the ADL found that 15% of Americans are anti-semitic. That’s an improvement from 1992 which found 20% of Americans were anti-semitic. What is the complaint of Americans?
27% believe that Jews were responsible for the death of Christ. They hold it against Jews of today.
31% of Americans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than to America.
15% of Americans believe that Jews have "Too much power in the U.S."
20% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much power in the business world."
18% of Americans believe Jews have "Too much control/influence on Wall Street."
In other words, they find Jews very influential in the business world.
Our sermons in synagogues are not about damning the USA for hurts, but doing good deeds. We were the first liberals interested in the good of all. We believe in education. Our parents sacrificed by pinching their hard earned pennies so that their children could gain not only an education, but an outstanding education. Jews have had to run for their lives so often that they have learned the hard way that the thing most prized to take with you are your brains. That’s what’s needed for survival. So many of our few Jews are well educated and become lawyers, doctors, educators and businessmen in their communities. I imagine we are noticed and envied by others.
In the 60's some Jewish young adults worked very hard on racist problems in the South with their Black friends. A few even died in the cause. Then I believe the Black leadership felt the Jews were running their organization and asked them to leave it. I fear that stymied the relationship between the two groups. It must continue at some level.
Whether or not Obama becomes the president of the USA, it seems to me that we have more repairing to do between the Jewish and the Black Community. My thought is an interchange of culture education. We’ve got to understand where each other is coming from more. We have to study the history of the 60's and find out why our Black-Jewish Alliance fell apart.
Religion has its share of responsibility to repairing the relationship between Jews and others. Damning Jews in church for killing Jesus is not helpful today. We’re on the defensive because we know we didn’t do that even though we do not accept Jesus as G-d. We feel our ancestors didn’t do it then and we wouldn’t do it today. We feel that every religion has its merits and fits that particular group of people. I would like to see respect of all religions as long as a religion is not out to hurt, maim or kill others who do not belong to it. We feel that all good people will go to "heaven." It’s not restrictive to sex, race, color or religion. It’s sad to see that religion has been the cause to divide and kill people for so long. You’d think that people would be wiser by now.
I propose a council to commence between Rabbis and Church leaders that will talk about reasons why people are anti-semitic and what they can do to rectify the situation. The same thing could happen between the Black Community and the White Community and the Jewish Community.
Where should all this start? I feel it should start with parents and their children. Children learn to hate from their parents. The environment they live in should reflect the goals of a loving community. Obama aptly showed us this with his white grandmother’s reaction to Black men on the street. A few cutting words have lasted forever in his mind and have colored his feelings for whites.
Imagine a time in the future where children learn to judge others on their merits and not on the past judgements of their family’s hatreds. Just how long will it take to reach this utopia? One generation could do it. Let’s try.
Reference: Anti-semitism in America in 2007-Anti-Defamation League surveys
Thursday, March 20, 2008
MCCAIN TOURS SDEROT
The Oregonian had a nice-sized article on page A7 under WORLD today about John McCain touring Sderot. He spoke with one family who sustained a hole in their roof from a Qasam rocket and learned that people only have a few seconds to get to shelter when the alarm goes off. The wife had been hit with shrapnel. Ehud Barak had given McCain a helicopter trip and had ended in Sderot. McCain said that he was sorry it had happened and that we'll try to see that it doesn't happen again.
McCain met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ehud Olmert. He had a telephone conversation with Abbas.
McCain is on a seven-day trip to the Middle East and Europe with Republican Lindsey Graham and Independent Joe Lieberman. He finished two days of high-level meetings in Israel and said that he supports a continued US effort to help Israel make peace with its neighbors. He takes a hard line against negotiations with Hamas. "
"It's very clear that the Palestinian Authority in Gaza is committed to the extermination of the state of Israel. That's their stated goal," McCain said. "It's very difficult to negotiate with an organization that is dedicated to your extinction."
When Bush went to Israel, he did not go to Sderot and see the damage that the thousands of rockets had done. I'm glad that McCain understands what Israel is up against.
McCain met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ehud Olmert. He had a telephone conversation with Abbas.
McCain is on a seven-day trip to the Middle East and Europe with Republican Lindsey Graham and Independent Joe Lieberman. He finished two days of high-level meetings in Israel and said that he supports a continued US effort to help Israel make peace with its neighbors. He takes a hard line against negotiations with Hamas. "
"It's very clear that the Palestinian Authority in Gaza is committed to the extermination of the state of Israel. That's their stated goal," McCain said. "It's very difficult to negotiate with an organization that is dedicated to your extinction."
When Bush went to Israel, he did not go to Sderot and see the damage that the thousands of rockets had done. I'm glad that McCain understands what Israel is up against.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
TODAY'S OBAMA SPEECH ABOUT RACE
This morning Obama gave a speech in Philadelphia to address the problem about his pastor, Jeremiah Wright. I'm really surprised that Obama sat in church on and off for twenty years knowing what his pastor stood for. He's well-known and everyone knows of his connection to Farrakhan. If he disagrees with what Wright says, why didn't he talk to him and try to change his opinions? Why did he just accept it? His speech says that he disagrees but did not say what he did about it. In my opinion, what he should have done was to leave the church and find one that reflects his views. By staying, he's accepting his pastor's values. His children have been in this environment, and so has his wife. I feel that her last speech reflects this attitude that she has picked up in her church. I refer to the fact that this was the first time in her life that she was proud of America.
If he couldn't talk to his pastor and his grandmother and change them, how does he think he can change America. He has helped to enable Jeramiah Wright to spew venom about America and white people and Jews by remaining as a member of this church. Even if he is friendly with him and feels that he is family this is all the more reason why he should have had a heart to heart talk with him a long time ago. One thing Obama is is an influencing speaker. He could have made changes.
He mentioned that everyone has heard things in church or synagogue that they didn't agree with. I haven't had that experience, thank goodness. I've been in many synagogues and no rabbi has ever said anything bad about any group of people in a sermon. In fact, every synagogue I've been in has a prayer at the end for the United States.
Not a word was said on TV about Wright's connection to Farrakhan and his feeling towards Jews and Israel. This is what I worry about. If Obama doesn't agree with Wright about whites and doesn't feel it right to damn America, what does he really feel about Israel after all that condemning.
Update: Thursday, March 20, 2008
According to the National Enquirer of March 17, admittedly a gossip scandal newspaper, states that Obama was a board member of a nonprofit Woods Fund founded by Rashid Khalida, a harsh critic of Israel, who is a university professor. As if Farrakhan's association isn't enough, he has found another that might sway his feelings against Israel. It is his foreign policy advisor, Robert Maley, who blames Israel for anything bad and suggests that we ought to be doing business with Hamas. This information came from Bill Hobbs, the communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party. Hobbs feels Obama will be putting Israel in the crosshairs of America's enemies. More was reported about Farrakhan. He has referred to Jews as "dogs" and "pigs." Farrakhan called Obama "the hope of the entire world." Obama calls Farrakhan "Minister Farrakhan." So basically, Obama has consorted with Farrakhan, who is antisemitic, and his Pastor Wright is his faithful friend who is also a dear friend and follower of Farrakhan, and continues to collect aides who are against Israel. This does not look good at all for us.
If he couldn't talk to his pastor and his grandmother and change them, how does he think he can change America. He has helped to enable Jeramiah Wright to spew venom about America and white people and Jews by remaining as a member of this church. Even if he is friendly with him and feels that he is family this is all the more reason why he should have had a heart to heart talk with him a long time ago. One thing Obama is is an influencing speaker. He could have made changes.
He mentioned that everyone has heard things in church or synagogue that they didn't agree with. I haven't had that experience, thank goodness. I've been in many synagogues and no rabbi has ever said anything bad about any group of people in a sermon. In fact, every synagogue I've been in has a prayer at the end for the United States.
Not a word was said on TV about Wright's connection to Farrakhan and his feeling towards Jews and Israel. This is what I worry about. If Obama doesn't agree with Wright about whites and doesn't feel it right to damn America, what does he really feel about Israel after all that condemning.
Update: Thursday, March 20, 2008
According to the National Enquirer of March 17, admittedly a gossip scandal newspaper, states that Obama was a board member of a nonprofit Woods Fund founded by Rashid Khalida, a harsh critic of Israel, who is a university professor. As if Farrakhan's association isn't enough, he has found another that might sway his feelings against Israel. It is his foreign policy advisor, Robert Maley, who blames Israel for anything bad and suggests that we ought to be doing business with Hamas. This information came from Bill Hobbs, the communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party. Hobbs feels Obama will be putting Israel in the crosshairs of America's enemies. More was reported about Farrakhan. He has referred to Jews as "dogs" and "pigs." Farrakhan called Obama "the hope of the entire world." Obama calls Farrakhan "Minister Farrakhan." So basically, Obama has consorted with Farrakhan, who is antisemitic, and his Pastor Wright is his faithful friend who is also a dear friend and follower of Farrakhan, and continues to collect aides who are against Israel. This does not look good at all for us.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
PALESTINIANS TREATMENT BY ISRAEL
Pastor Wright has claimed that 9/11 is due to the treatment of Israel to the Palestinians. He undoubetly teaches this idea to his congregants.
Let me explain something to Pastor Wright and all other people in agreement of him. As early as 1947, the Arabs rejected the UN partition plan which would have created a Palestinian state, and they refused the offer. That was not on their agenda or goal.
Jews almost became extinct, and would have if the Germans had their way at that time. They recognized that they needed their own country. Jews had never entirely left Palestine, and many were returning in the 1800's. After WWII, the necessity to have a country became vital.
The Arab answer to the formation of Israel was to attack. The Arabs had been on the side of Germany's Nazis during the WWII. Our relationship started off badly.
Some Arabs ran away from their homes in Palestine when 7 Arab nations attacked the new Israel in 1948. They were promised by their leaders that if they left, they would be returning to the Jews' homes. Iraqi's Prime Minister Nuri Said declared, "We will smash the country with our guns and obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives and children to safe areas until the fighting has died down."The results fooled everyone with Israel winning the war. The people who left became refugees in camps as their leaders wanted.
Israel took in 820,000 Jews who were driven from Arab countries in the 1950's. They had always been dminnies in Arab lands; people in a 3rd rate position who paid more taxes than others, were not considered citizens, and treated badly. Many were hung or killed in other ways before most of them escaped to Israel. The 7 Arab countries did not do a thing for the new Palestinian refugess but keep them in camps. Many, like Abbas's family, decided to go to Jordan, instead.
There are many border problems in the world, from Libya to Pakistan, from Turkey to Yemen, but Americans only know about Israel. Our answer to why keeps coming back to antisemitism in the world. The PLO and Yasser Arafat came into existence and continued to attack Israel during the lull of bigger wars. Their way of fighting against Israel was to attack women and children, in schools, buses, etc. Israel has had to protect its citizens from such attacks, and the methods may seem to be rough to Americans who lived in fairly good security. One way Israel punished terrorists was to knock their homes down. Many have been put in prison. These were people who were killers. In a way, Israel has had a quiet war inbetween announced wars.
For those Arabs that did not run away in 1967, they are citizens of Israel. Some are even in the knesset.
Up until 1967, Gaza was governed by Egypt. When Egypt attacked Israel in 67 and lost, it came into the hands of Israel. Israel had been attacked and won the war, surprising even themselves. Now Egypt was not responsible for Gaza anymore, though the Gazans were much like Egyptians, even speaking the same dialect. No Jewish settlements existed there or in the West Bank. The West Bank was occupied by Jordan at that time. No demands for a Palestinian state were ever heard of until Israel took control of these areas in the Six-Day War of 1967.
President Bush at one time rejected the idea of a Palestinian state next to Israel. He realized then that it would become a radical nation dominated by the PLO or Islamic extremists such as Hamas. Iraq gives their support to the Palestinians because it suits their agenda, both as Muslims and as enemies of USA. The danger would be that it could serve as a base for other Arab nations.
Judea-Samaria (West Bank) has been a defensive asset for Israel. It's the one area that keeps Israel safe from invasion from other Arabs. Even the Institue for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies knows this.
The two terrorist groups, Hamas and Fatah, have not accepted Israel or recognize it. This has to be before there is any peace. The Palestinians have been a terrorist group all along. Their leaders are to blame for their misfortunes, not Israel.
Pastor Wright, the Palestinians are not held as slaves. Many had moved to Jordan. It was I who had bars on my living room window to keep terrorists out. The penalty for being a terrorist and getting caught is prison. That's their choice. Harsh punishment for a deadly crime is not unfair.
All the Palestinians were not there originally. Most came in from surrounding areas seeking work when they heard of the new Jewish immigrants who were building. They were not enslaved. Palestinians who live in Israel fare a lot better than Palestinians in other Arab communities. Israel has tried to treat them as fairly as they have been able. No other country has had to be so careful of terroristic activities from their people. They have brought their problems on themselves.
I ask why you choose to back people who attack such a small state of Jewish people who only ask to be allowed to live in peace? Where are your values?
Resource: Myths and Facts by Mitchell G. Bard
Let me explain something to Pastor Wright and all other people in agreement of him. As early as 1947, the Arabs rejected the UN partition plan which would have created a Palestinian state, and they refused the offer. That was not on their agenda or goal.
Jews almost became extinct, and would have if the Germans had their way at that time. They recognized that they needed their own country. Jews had never entirely left Palestine, and many were returning in the 1800's. After WWII, the necessity to have a country became vital.
The Arab answer to the formation of Israel was to attack. The Arabs had been on the side of Germany's Nazis during the WWII. Our relationship started off badly.
Some Arabs ran away from their homes in Palestine when 7 Arab nations attacked the new Israel in 1948. They were promised by their leaders that if they left, they would be returning to the Jews' homes. Iraqi's Prime Minister Nuri Said declared, "We will smash the country with our guns and obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives and children to safe areas until the fighting has died down."The results fooled everyone with Israel winning the war. The people who left became refugees in camps as their leaders wanted.
Israel took in 820,000 Jews who were driven from Arab countries in the 1950's. They had always been dminnies in Arab lands; people in a 3rd rate position who paid more taxes than others, were not considered citizens, and treated badly. Many were hung or killed in other ways before most of them escaped to Israel. The 7 Arab countries did not do a thing for the new Palestinian refugess but keep them in camps. Many, like Abbas's family, decided to go to Jordan, instead.
There are many border problems in the world, from Libya to Pakistan, from Turkey to Yemen, but Americans only know about Israel. Our answer to why keeps coming back to antisemitism in the world. The PLO and Yasser Arafat came into existence and continued to attack Israel during the lull of bigger wars. Their way of fighting against Israel was to attack women and children, in schools, buses, etc. Israel has had to protect its citizens from such attacks, and the methods may seem to be rough to Americans who lived in fairly good security. One way Israel punished terrorists was to knock their homes down. Many have been put in prison. These were people who were killers. In a way, Israel has had a quiet war inbetween announced wars.
For those Arabs that did not run away in 1967, they are citizens of Israel. Some are even in the knesset.
Up until 1967, Gaza was governed by Egypt. When Egypt attacked Israel in 67 and lost, it came into the hands of Israel. Israel had been attacked and won the war, surprising even themselves. Now Egypt was not responsible for Gaza anymore, though the Gazans were much like Egyptians, even speaking the same dialect. No Jewish settlements existed there or in the West Bank. The West Bank was occupied by Jordan at that time. No demands for a Palestinian state were ever heard of until Israel took control of these areas in the Six-Day War of 1967.
President Bush at one time rejected the idea of a Palestinian state next to Israel. He realized then that it would become a radical nation dominated by the PLO or Islamic extremists such as Hamas. Iraq gives their support to the Palestinians because it suits their agenda, both as Muslims and as enemies of USA. The danger would be that it could serve as a base for other Arab nations.
Judea-Samaria (West Bank) has been a defensive asset for Israel. It's the one area that keeps Israel safe from invasion from other Arabs. Even the Institue for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies knows this.
The two terrorist groups, Hamas and Fatah, have not accepted Israel or recognize it. This has to be before there is any peace. The Palestinians have been a terrorist group all along. Their leaders are to blame for their misfortunes, not Israel.
Pastor Wright, the Palestinians are not held as slaves. Many had moved to Jordan. It was I who had bars on my living room window to keep terrorists out. The penalty for being a terrorist and getting caught is prison. That's their choice. Harsh punishment for a deadly crime is not unfair.
All the Palestinians were not there originally. Most came in from surrounding areas seeking work when they heard of the new Jewish immigrants who were building. They were not enslaved. Palestinians who live in Israel fare a lot better than Palestinians in other Arab communities. Israel has tried to treat them as fairly as they have been able. No other country has had to be so careful of terroristic activities from their people. They have brought their problems on themselves.
I ask why you choose to back people who attack such a small state of Jewish people who only ask to be allowed to live in peace? Where are your values?
Resource: Myths and Facts by Mitchell G. Bard
OH BRAVE NEW WORLD OF OBAMA
Nadene Goldfoot
I have a strong feeling that Obama will win the nomination for presidency of the Democrats. He has a strong chance to actually win the presidency. This Jewish lady has reservations about what it will mean for Jews and Israel.
The country is Obama happy. Women are reported to be fainting at the mention of his name or seeing him in person. He is the youngest of the nominations without the same amount of experience, and this is working for him. All the younger citizens who never want to vote are mad about him. No one cares for how he differs from Hillary Clinton. News stories can't even talk about it for the desire to talk about other issues. The fact that he is new and fresh and wants to unite people is enough. It sounds like he is the Messiah.
Then we hear about his minister of 20 years in the church he and his family have attended. His pastor of this Chicago church, Pastor Wright, is quite an unusual pastor. He has been flailing against the United States at least since 9/11, and said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
If this is what he teaches and feels, then I wonder truly where Obama's feelings about Israel are. He has to be influenced to some degree by this dynamic speaker. Obama gave a convincing speech to AIPAC, but I wonder. I wonder how much is said to gain votes and how much he really believes himself.
What is amazing is that the TV program I am now listening to is interviewing people and asking them if the information about his pastor bothers them, and they are pooh poohing it. They are so involved in promoting Obama that nothing said of a negative nature would bother them, as it is bothering the interviewer, Chris Wallace.
Even our former Mayor, Vera Katz, is voting for Obama. She doesn't even like Hillary. She said she's divisive and is drawn to Obama's unifying message. Well, his pastor certainly isn't preaching unification. He has condemned the USA and Israel.
Reference: Oregonian Newspaper, 3/15/and 3/16/08
My own personal feelings
I have a strong feeling that Obama will win the nomination for presidency of the Democrats. He has a strong chance to actually win the presidency. This Jewish lady has reservations about what it will mean for Jews and Israel.
The country is Obama happy. Women are reported to be fainting at the mention of his name or seeing him in person. He is the youngest of the nominations without the same amount of experience, and this is working for him. All the younger citizens who never want to vote are mad about him. No one cares for how he differs from Hillary Clinton. News stories can't even talk about it for the desire to talk about other issues. The fact that he is new and fresh and wants to unite people is enough. It sounds like he is the Messiah.
Then we hear about his minister of 20 years in the church he and his family have attended. His pastor of this Chicago church, Pastor Wright, is quite an unusual pastor. He has been flailing against the United States at least since 9/11, and said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
If this is what he teaches and feels, then I wonder truly where Obama's feelings about Israel are. He has to be influenced to some degree by this dynamic speaker. Obama gave a convincing speech to AIPAC, but I wonder. I wonder how much is said to gain votes and how much he really believes himself.
What is amazing is that the TV program I am now listening to is interviewing people and asking them if the information about his pastor bothers them, and they are pooh poohing it. They are so involved in promoting Obama that nothing said of a negative nature would bother them, as it is bothering the interviewer, Chris Wallace.
Even our former Mayor, Vera Katz, is voting for Obama. She doesn't even like Hillary. She said she's divisive and is drawn to Obama's unifying message. Well, his pastor certainly isn't preaching unification. He has condemned the USA and Israel.
Reference: Oregonian Newspaper, 3/15/and 3/16/08
My own personal feelings
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sderot Holding Onto Hope
Last night I attended a reception given for Yafa Arberboy about the plight of Sderot, Israel. She is a spokesperson for Paamonim, an organization that helps Israelis who are in financial trouble, and need loans and help in budgeting. Paamonim loans people money without interest and they learn to help themselves. When she moved into her office in Sderot, she saw that the situation was completely different there, as they have sustained rocket attacks since 2001, and were suffering from more than financial problems. She told us what life was like there.
Yaffa was born in Morocco and moved to a Moshav near Sderot when she was two years old. After marrying, she attended Sapir College which is at Sderot and was hired by Paamonim. She said that 30,000 people live in Sderot, and since 2001 they have lost less lives than the Palestinians, but are suffering in other ways. They have 15 seconds after a warning to get to shelter. Running is what they all have to do at any moment, and this causes injuries. A lot of glass is broken. People have to be taken to Barzelai Hospital, and an ambulance costs about $200. An operation can cost about $1,200. Even though they have socialized medicine, people need these things immediately and cannot wait, and evidently their medical insurance does not cover these things.
When a siren goes off, you run to a shelter, even if you are in the middle of a road in your car. You leave the door open, your purse and purchases on the seat, and run. Afterwards, you come back and nothing is missing.
The area has had cold winters this year. Rockets have hit so many places. One family's hot water tank was hit and they had no hot water. People are terrorized. Some cannot leave their homes out of fear. The exploding rockets are extremely loud and have affected many with hearing problems. They need hearing aids and cannot hear the sirens to know when to go to safety.
The alarms sometimes have had to warn people every 5 minutes. They have experienced 60 rockets a day, and that they rain on the city day and night now, whereas in the earlier years they only came during the day.
She told us the story of Evan, a Moroccan friend of hers. He and his family were at his mother's house, about 5 minutes away from his having dinner one night. He was ready to go home and go to sleep, and his mother said they were to stay with her that night. She said he must, even if she had to lock the door and keep him there. They didn't argue and stayed with her. In the middle of the night they had a phone call from the police. A Kassam rocket had fallen on his bedroom and they wanted to know if he had been home, and were greatly relieved to hear that he was with his mother that night. The family felt they had been through a miracle. Evan usually took their two-year old son to bed with them after visiting, and they all would have been killed, but for his mother's premonition.
One man didn't have a job, and was offered a chance to make some money by climbing up on the roof of a business and was promised the material up there that he could salvage. As he got on the roof, a rocket was shot and he fell off the roof. Yaffa said that the earth also trembles when the rockets land. Some families have had multiple injuries, and have needed help such as this man, whose daughter was also injured.
One fellow told Yaffa that he couldn't give up his cell phone when making out his budget. He needed to contact every family member when a rocket landed just to make sure they were all right. He'd rather give up meat on the table than his cell phone.
Parents take their children to school in a car and tell the child to run to school. That is, when they feel they can go to school. Yaffa said that everytime she sat down at her desk, the alarm would go off. Even if children got to school, they'd probably spend most of their time in a shelter in a fetal position. They're all pretty much in a state of trauma. No one sleeps. Some take turns. Children don't even know what it is to play outside. They are now conditioned to 2 minutes of movement.
One family was able to leave for two weeks and go north in Israel for a mental health break. Their children asked if they could play outside for 3 minutes. When told they could for an hour, they couldn't believe it.
One time Yaffa took her car to a car wash in Sderot. She could not stay in her car. You have to be ready to run to a shelter, and you can't hear the siren in the car in that place. The people are constantly hearing sirens; fire trucks, ambulances and rockets.
She told of a family whose 15 year old was wetting the bed due to trauma. The mother couldn't even wash clothes due to being in the shelter so much. Families get sick and cannot afford medicine. In one household, a father took medicine for one week and then his wife would take hers for the next week and so on. Of course this wasn't helping them at all, but they couldn't afford medicine for the whole family. I was shocked at this since medicine was so cheap when I was there. These people certainly are bad off.
She saw a home without a door, without roofs. One-third of the people have left Sderot, but the rest are remaining. They cannot afford to leave. They cannot sell their homes or apartments, or even find jobs elsewhere.
Yaffa is the person they turn to for help. She signed on as an advisor for financial problems, but has become their mental health counselor as well. So her visit to Portland was as an emergency appeal. I donated through the Jewish Federation and by writing: for Paamonim on my check. All the money will go directly to Sderot. You can also call 1-866-435-2200 to donate.
Yaffa was born in Morocco and moved to a Moshav near Sderot when she was two years old. After marrying, she attended Sapir College which is at Sderot and was hired by Paamonim. She said that 30,000 people live in Sderot, and since 2001 they have lost less lives than the Palestinians, but are suffering in other ways. They have 15 seconds after a warning to get to shelter. Running is what they all have to do at any moment, and this causes injuries. A lot of glass is broken. People have to be taken to Barzelai Hospital, and an ambulance costs about $200. An operation can cost about $1,200. Even though they have socialized medicine, people need these things immediately and cannot wait, and evidently their medical insurance does not cover these things.
When a siren goes off, you run to a shelter, even if you are in the middle of a road in your car. You leave the door open, your purse and purchases on the seat, and run. Afterwards, you come back and nothing is missing.
The area has had cold winters this year. Rockets have hit so many places. One family's hot water tank was hit and they had no hot water. People are terrorized. Some cannot leave their homes out of fear. The exploding rockets are extremely loud and have affected many with hearing problems. They need hearing aids and cannot hear the sirens to know when to go to safety.
The alarms sometimes have had to warn people every 5 minutes. They have experienced 60 rockets a day, and that they rain on the city day and night now, whereas in the earlier years they only came during the day.
She told us the story of Evan, a Moroccan friend of hers. He and his family were at his mother's house, about 5 minutes away from his having dinner one night. He was ready to go home and go to sleep, and his mother said they were to stay with her that night. She said he must, even if she had to lock the door and keep him there. They didn't argue and stayed with her. In the middle of the night they had a phone call from the police. A Kassam rocket had fallen on his bedroom and they wanted to know if he had been home, and were greatly relieved to hear that he was with his mother that night. The family felt they had been through a miracle. Evan usually took their two-year old son to bed with them after visiting, and they all would have been killed, but for his mother's premonition.
One man didn't have a job, and was offered a chance to make some money by climbing up on the roof of a business and was promised the material up there that he could salvage. As he got on the roof, a rocket was shot and he fell off the roof. Yaffa said that the earth also trembles when the rockets land. Some families have had multiple injuries, and have needed help such as this man, whose daughter was also injured.
One fellow told Yaffa that he couldn't give up his cell phone when making out his budget. He needed to contact every family member when a rocket landed just to make sure they were all right. He'd rather give up meat on the table than his cell phone.
Parents take their children to school in a car and tell the child to run to school. That is, when they feel they can go to school. Yaffa said that everytime she sat down at her desk, the alarm would go off. Even if children got to school, they'd probably spend most of their time in a shelter in a fetal position. They're all pretty much in a state of trauma. No one sleeps. Some take turns. Children don't even know what it is to play outside. They are now conditioned to 2 minutes of movement.
One family was able to leave for two weeks and go north in Israel for a mental health break. Their children asked if they could play outside for 3 minutes. When told they could for an hour, they couldn't believe it.
One time Yaffa took her car to a car wash in Sderot. She could not stay in her car. You have to be ready to run to a shelter, and you can't hear the siren in the car in that place. The people are constantly hearing sirens; fire trucks, ambulances and rockets.
She told of a family whose 15 year old was wetting the bed due to trauma. The mother couldn't even wash clothes due to being in the shelter so much. Families get sick and cannot afford medicine. In one household, a father took medicine for one week and then his wife would take hers for the next week and so on. Of course this wasn't helping them at all, but they couldn't afford medicine for the whole family. I was shocked at this since medicine was so cheap when I was there. These people certainly are bad off.
She saw a home without a door, without roofs. One-third of the people have left Sderot, but the rest are remaining. They cannot afford to leave. They cannot sell their homes or apartments, or even find jobs elsewhere.
Yaffa is the person they turn to for help. She signed on as an advisor for financial problems, but has become their mental health counselor as well. So her visit to Portland was as an emergency appeal. I donated through the Jewish Federation and by writing: for Paamonim on my check. All the money will go directly to Sderot. You can also call 1-866-435-2200 to donate.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Nazis in Tigard, Oregon
Nazis in Tigard, Oregon
Nazis are turning up in Tigard, Oregon. Someone has flown a type of balloon with the swastika painted on it that has been shown on TV. That wasn't the end. Now it has been reported that there are flyers, banners, flags and anti semitic literature that is being found. A group of ANSWP has claimed to be the source of this ugly collection. So far, nothing has been in the paper; only on television about it.
The Last of the Jews
The Last of the Jews
Nadene Goldfoot
We have one state for Jews. There are more than a dozen states for the Muslims, and hundreds of countries for Christians. That one Jewish state is in dire peril. It is being attacked now on one front by the Hamas terrorists from Gaza. The West Bank contains its partners, Fatah, who are probably chomping at the bit to get into the action again, and are showing signs of it. There are the Hezbollah north of Israel in Lebanon who are ready to pounce, and most of them are being supplied by the threatening Iran with up to date long distance rockets. Israel is like Ladd's Addition in Portland, a little bit of land in the larger area of Oregon. It's not only our one Jewish state, but it's also extremely tiny.
We have one state for Jews. There are more than a dozen states for the Muslims, and hundreds of countries for Christians. That one Jewish state is in dire peril. It is being attacked now on one front by the Hamas terrorists from Gaza. The West Bank contains its partners, Fatah, who are probably chomping at the bit to get into the action again, and are showing signs of it. There are the Hezbollah north of Israel in Lebanon who are ready to pounce, and most of them are being supplied by the threatening Iran with up to date long distance rockets. Israel is like Ladd's Addition in Portland, a little bit of land in the larger area of Oregon. It's not only our one Jewish state, but it's also extremely tiny.
The Palestinian Hamas are engaged in shooting at us. They seem to have no regard for their own people’s lives, and certainly don’t want peace with Israel, while Fatah has told us a little different story. However, when you get right down to it, neither will recognize Israel as a Jewish State. I doubt if anyone in their midst has the ability to form a peaceful state. What they have is a 20 year plan to drive Israel into the sea. They’ve hit on a working theory. They attack Israel, then cry and weep when we strike back in self defense. Their woeful words are copied and written down and the world cries with them and blames the victim; Israel. The world goes right along with their tactics, swallowing them whole. Very few analysts bother to write about why Israel enters the areas and fights back; they just write about how many Palestinians are killed. They pass up the turmoil and horror that the Israelis suffer from it all. They forget how small Israel is, only remembering that Israel has the better weaponry. Even rocks thrown can find a target and kill. That doesn’t even count anymore.
We may be going through our "Alamo" right now. Israel is nearing its 60th birthday in May, and is fighting to stay alive. Condoleza Rice has told us that it isn’t right for them to shoot rockets at us, but if we retaliate we shouldn’t hit civilians, as if this would be our goal. Unfortunately, Condoleza, the terrorists plant their rocket shooting enterprises right in the midst of their civilians for cover. They want them to be struck or they wouldn’t be there in the first place. They want the bad press for the Israelis. Please tell us how to accomplish this. We have developed weapons with better pinpointing accuracy, but some civilians are going to be hurt when they’re right in the path. We’re pinpointing, and they indiscriminately shoot rockets and only G-d knows where they will land. They’re never at soldiers, though, only at towns.
Palestinians never were a country or a state. They were wanderers who came following the scent of jobs with Israel. They came from many places around Israel. A few were squatters. They didn’t own the land. Israel paid dearly and bought land from Arabs who preferred to live in France and elsewhere. There was nothing in Israel but swamps and desert. They passed up the opportunity to have their own state when it was offered to them in 1948 and even again many other times. That’s not their goal. If they want to live and let live, they could move over to Jordan and be with other Palestinians who are having a normal life. They have many opportunities to live and be happy in other places. They have been brainwashed into giving up their lives in order to keep Israel from existing.
It’s too bad that the Muslims have developed such a disgust in having one Jewish state in the Middle East. After all, we have returned. We were there before their religion existed. We’ve been spoken of as cousins. We’re not leaving.
"And I shall make you like a fortified copper wall against this people; they will battle you but they will not be able to overcome you, for I am with you to save you and to rescue you-the word of Hashem."
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hitting Ashkelon Has No Bad Effect on Peace Process, Says Abbas
Wednesday's violence started when Israel finally had an airstrike in Southern Gaza after being bombarded by rockets into Sderot and now hitting Ashkelon. They killed 5 of the Qassam Brigade terrorists. The terrorists were seen carrying out a special operation against Israel. Militants responded by "firing barrages of rockets at Sderot" and killed an Israeli civilian. By Thursday they shot Katyusha-style rockets into Ashkelon which lies 10 miles north of the Gaza Strip. with 120,000 people.
The Ashkelon Marina was hit by a rocket on Saturday afternoon, wounding two residents. Outdoor cafes and bars were empty at lunchtime on Sunday, even though the weather was fine.
A long-range rocket hit outside the apartment house of Meram Levy, mother of two small children. This caused all the windows to shatter. Her husband and she sleep in shifts to listen to their new public address system alert.
Sunday afternoon, terrorists fired two more rockets into Ashkelon. One damaged a house. 16 people were in shock after this happened. One rocket landed near a kindergarten. 12 katusha rockets hit Western Negev.
Two shorter-range Qassam rockets, made in Gaza, fell inside Israel. Also hit was Netivot, a desert town in Israel.
Monday Condoleezza Rice visits Egypt. Abbas, head of Fatah which is located in the "West Bank" , complained that our IDF forces were destroying the peace process. We pulled out of Northern Gaza early Monday after a two-day operation against the squads firing rockets into Israel. Of course, the terrorists firing rockets were perfectly all right, he thinks. That is not destroying the peace.
Now that Israel knows that they can hit Ashkelon, they must strike back to protect their citizens. The IDF was trying to hit places where rockets were stored, and unfortunately, the terrorists store them in or near civilian homes. They also aimed at manufacturing facilities, a command center, and armed men. Israel must defend itself in a situation like this.
When Israel pulled out, Gazans had a victory rally of 20,000 people and fired more rockets into Israel. Among the Hamas terrorists are a wing called the Qassam Brigades, and Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees. They cheered, but all suffered casualties. Abbas of Fatah said that contacts with Israel had been temporarily suspended. He feels we are the aggressors. Evidently to him, firing rockets into Israel is not being aggressive. Abu Obeida, Qassam Brigade spokesman said they would continue firing rockets. In fact, if the terrorists and Israel have a truce, Zahar, spokesman for Hamas, said they would continue to train and make weapons. This is what Olmert fears. A truce would only give the terrorists time to prepare their fight against Israel.
Hamas may ask for a multinational force to protect the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from Israel. I wonder if it would work the other way, also, and be able to stop the terrorists from shooting rockets into Israel.
Reference: The New York Times
Jerusalem Post Newspaper
Yahoo News reported by Ibrahim Barzak, Ass. Press writer
The Ashkelon Marina was hit by a rocket on Saturday afternoon, wounding two residents. Outdoor cafes and bars were empty at lunchtime on Sunday, even though the weather was fine.
A long-range rocket hit outside the apartment house of Meram Levy, mother of two small children. This caused all the windows to shatter. Her husband and she sleep in shifts to listen to their new public address system alert.
Sunday afternoon, terrorists fired two more rockets into Ashkelon. One damaged a house. 16 people were in shock after this happened. One rocket landed near a kindergarten. 12 katusha rockets hit Western Negev.
Two shorter-range Qassam rockets, made in Gaza, fell inside Israel. Also hit was Netivot, a desert town in Israel.
Monday Condoleezza Rice visits Egypt. Abbas, head of Fatah which is located in the "West Bank" , complained that our IDF forces were destroying the peace process. We pulled out of Northern Gaza early Monday after a two-day operation against the squads firing rockets into Israel. Of course, the terrorists firing rockets were perfectly all right, he thinks. That is not destroying the peace.
Now that Israel knows that they can hit Ashkelon, they must strike back to protect their citizens. The IDF was trying to hit places where rockets were stored, and unfortunately, the terrorists store them in or near civilian homes. They also aimed at manufacturing facilities, a command center, and armed men. Israel must defend itself in a situation like this.
When Israel pulled out, Gazans had a victory rally of 20,000 people and fired more rockets into Israel. Among the Hamas terrorists are a wing called the Qassam Brigades, and Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees. They cheered, but all suffered casualties. Abbas of Fatah said that contacts with Israel had been temporarily suspended. He feels we are the aggressors. Evidently to him, firing rockets into Israel is not being aggressive. Abu Obeida, Qassam Brigade spokesman said they would continue firing rockets. In fact, if the terrorists and Israel have a truce, Zahar, spokesman for Hamas, said they would continue to train and make weapons. This is what Olmert fears. A truce would only give the terrorists time to prepare their fight against Israel.
Hamas may ask for a multinational force to protect the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from Israel. I wonder if it would work the other way, also, and be able to stop the terrorists from shooting rockets into Israel.
Reference: The New York Times
Jerusalem Post Newspaper
Yahoo News reported by Ibrahim Barzak, Ass. Press writer
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Obama and Israel
Nadene Goldfoot
Obama said at a recent APAC forum: We should all be concerned about the agreement negotiated among Palestinians in Mecca last month. The reports of this agreement suggest that Hamas, Fatah, and independent ministers would sit in a government together, under a Hamas Prime Minister, without any recognition of Israel, without a renunciation of violence, and with only an ambiguous promise to "respect" previous agreements.
This should concern us all because it suggests that Mahmoud Abbas, who is a Palestinian leader I believe is committed to peace, felt forced to compromise with Hamas. However, if we are serious about the Quartet's conditions, we must tell the Palestinians this is not good enough.
But as I said at the outset, Israel will have some heavy stones to carry as well. Its history has been full of tough choices in search of peace and security.
My concern is that we've had some heavy stones to carry all along. We give in at every meeting and give land, but our opponents never do. We can't even get them to recognize us other than a target for killing. In order to accomplish his goal, I'm afraid he'll put added pressure on Israel to "give" another small piece of our already extremely small state. Jerusalem is land I'm thinking about. I'm not willing to part with one speck of it. If there is to be a Palestine next door to us, it will only come when they recognize and accept us and not do harm to us. They already live in East Jerusalem. We haven't kicked them out. I think it's safer all around if it remains under Israel's authority, considering what happened when Jordan was in control. For what they have done to us for 60 years of being terrorists and warring, I think we can say that they've never even had the option of taking Jerusalem from us. Israel has carried far too many heavy stones. It's the future Palestinians whose turn it is now.
Another problem I foresee is Abbas, who is said to be a moderate. Fatah is not as moderate as they should be. I'm afraid it's a ruse. One cannot be too naive. They talk with Hamas and plan. If Obama wins I would pray that he be wary of their intentions and promises. During February the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Salaam Fayyad issued a poster to honor the 43rd anniversary of Fatah's party depicting Israel, Judea, Samaria and Gaza draped in an Arab headdress with a rifle and Yasser Arafat and honored the late terrorist George Habash by having 3 days of mourning, which included flying PA flags at half mast and publicly praising him as a great Palestinian hero. Mr. Fayyad is one of the "moderates" who is said to promote peace.
George Habash's terrorists murdered hundreds of Jews and Americans and instigated suicide bombings and airplane hijackings, were involved in the Munich massacre and murdered an Israeli cabinet minister, Zeevi. Even Fatah's office in Washington praised George Habash and dared to ask members of Congress to sign a book of condolence. American Jews who questioned Mr. Fayyad are just now realizing that the PA leadership is not moderate or peaceful. As they put it, "It's just Yasser Arafats in suits and ties. " Obama, our Israeli leaders had spoken with our enemies, but they were fully aware of whom they were speaking to. Our next president must have his or her eyes wide open and not be gullible. This must be the most important foreign relations skill. This is what I worry about. Enough with the heavy stones for Israel to carry. We've done our share already.
References: Obama speech to AIPAC
2/27/08 Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: Palestinian PM Fayyad refuses to answer question about PA's honoring terrorist Habash & PA/Fatah Poster erasing Israel.
Obama said at a recent APAC forum: We should all be concerned about the agreement negotiated among Palestinians in Mecca last month. The reports of this agreement suggest that Hamas, Fatah, and independent ministers would sit in a government together, under a Hamas Prime Minister, without any recognition of Israel, without a renunciation of violence, and with only an ambiguous promise to "respect" previous agreements.
This should concern us all because it suggests that Mahmoud Abbas, who is a Palestinian leader I believe is committed to peace, felt forced to compromise with Hamas. However, if we are serious about the Quartet's conditions, we must tell the Palestinians this is not good enough.
But as I said at the outset, Israel will have some heavy stones to carry as well. Its history has been full of tough choices in search of peace and security.
My concern is that we've had some heavy stones to carry all along. We give in at every meeting and give land, but our opponents never do. We can't even get them to recognize us other than a target for killing. In order to accomplish his goal, I'm afraid he'll put added pressure on Israel to "give" another small piece of our already extremely small state. Jerusalem is land I'm thinking about. I'm not willing to part with one speck of it. If there is to be a Palestine next door to us, it will only come when they recognize and accept us and not do harm to us. They already live in East Jerusalem. We haven't kicked them out. I think it's safer all around if it remains under Israel's authority, considering what happened when Jordan was in control. For what they have done to us for 60 years of being terrorists and warring, I think we can say that they've never even had the option of taking Jerusalem from us. Israel has carried far too many heavy stones. It's the future Palestinians whose turn it is now.
Another problem I foresee is Abbas, who is said to be a moderate. Fatah is not as moderate as they should be. I'm afraid it's a ruse. One cannot be too naive. They talk with Hamas and plan. If Obama wins I would pray that he be wary of their intentions and promises. During February the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Salaam Fayyad issued a poster to honor the 43rd anniversary of Fatah's party depicting Israel, Judea, Samaria and Gaza draped in an Arab headdress with a rifle and Yasser Arafat and honored the late terrorist George Habash by having 3 days of mourning, which included flying PA flags at half mast and publicly praising him as a great Palestinian hero. Mr. Fayyad is one of the "moderates" who is said to promote peace.
George Habash's terrorists murdered hundreds of Jews and Americans and instigated suicide bombings and airplane hijackings, were involved in the Munich massacre and murdered an Israeli cabinet minister, Zeevi. Even Fatah's office in Washington praised George Habash and dared to ask members of Congress to sign a book of condolence. American Jews who questioned Mr. Fayyad are just now realizing that the PA leadership is not moderate or peaceful. As they put it, "It's just Yasser Arafats in suits and ties. " Obama, our Israeli leaders had spoken with our enemies, but they were fully aware of whom they were speaking to. Our next president must have his or her eyes wide open and not be gullible. This must be the most important foreign relations skill. This is what I worry about. Enough with the heavy stones for Israel to carry. We've done our share already.
References: Obama speech to AIPAC
2/27/08 Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: Palestinian PM Fayyad refuses to answer question about PA's honoring terrorist Habash & PA/Fatah Poster erasing Israel.
Portland's Sister City Ashkelon Hit For Third Time Overnight
Ashkelon and Sderot were hit with 21 missiles overnight. The rockets came in two waves for the third day in a row. five people were injured when two crashed into a house. Dozens of shock victims were treated. Eleven Qassam missiles exploded at Sderot early Saturday.
Ashdod, 27 km from Gaza and north of Ashkelon, is preparing its defenses now. They have 12 alert systems ready. Ashkelon had none. Ashdod is a port.
Olmert returned from Japan with his meeting with Condoleeza Rice and was presented with the facts that the IDF was prepared to target the Hamas rulers, and had gone after them with troops backed by tanks. Five Israeli soldiers were injured; two very seriously. Olmert is more of a peacenik than Obama, but realizes that Israeli cities cannot sit back and be attacked. They want to get Hamas and other terrorist groups involved out of northern Gaza where the missiles are coming from. Then Israel can avoid occupying Gaza again.
The terrorists know what their actions are causing, so they in turn have taken steps. They've taken over civilian homes as headquarters and have stocked them with ammo, water and food for three weeks of war. They are not using cell phones. Instead they are using children as runners with messages. Thousands of missiles and rockets are stored in homes and schools and refugee camps. This is the reason there have been casualties on their side. Evidently their leaders think they are dispensible.
Reference: Debka file: geraldrobins.
Ashdod, 27 km from Gaza and north of Ashkelon, is preparing its defenses now. They have 12 alert systems ready. Ashkelon had none. Ashdod is a port.
Olmert returned from Japan with his meeting with Condoleeza Rice and was presented with the facts that the IDF was prepared to target the Hamas rulers, and had gone after them with troops backed by tanks. Five Israeli soldiers were injured; two very seriously. Olmert is more of a peacenik than Obama, but realizes that Israeli cities cannot sit back and be attacked. They want to get Hamas and other terrorist groups involved out of northern Gaza where the missiles are coming from. Then Israel can avoid occupying Gaza again.
The terrorists know what their actions are causing, so they in turn have taken steps. They've taken over civilian homes as headquarters and have stocked them with ammo, water and food for three weeks of war. They are not using cell phones. Instead they are using children as runners with messages. Thousands of missiles and rockets are stored in homes and schools and refugee camps. This is the reason there have been casualties on their side. Evidently their leaders think they are dispensible.
Reference: Debka file: geraldrobins.