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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

France Bends to the Will of...Trade Benefits With Gaza & Co.

Nadene Goldfoot
Don't count on the European Union of 27 countries to back Obama when he vetoes the creation of the state of Palestine on September 22nd.  France's Sarkozy has  a mind to do otherwise and keep the European Union with him.  Abbas, being the negotiator and speaker for Hamas and Fatah Arabs, is trying to obtain recognition without going through a peace agreement with Israel.  They have been busy shelling Israel and will not sit at the table to create a peace treaty with their very close neighbor.  Obama has promised to veto Hamas and Fatah at this time.  The situation has been something like this:

Abbas:  We want all of Judea and Samaria and want all the Jews to leave from there.
            We want all of the descendants of Arabs who lived here for even only 2 years to return.  This includes the 4 wives for each man and their children which could be anywhere from 20 to 20 per woman.  And their concubines as well. 
           We want all of Jerusalem.
Netanyahu:  Wait a minute!  We have to talk about this. 
Abbas:  No-this is it.  It's all or I'm leaving.
               (He gets up and leaves, thinking to himself; and we want all of Israel, too.) 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is after a trade deal with the Palestinian Authority and will take their fish and farm products of cut flowers, fruits and vegetables.  In return the Hamas-Fatah Arabs will buy EU machinery, chemicals and transport equipment. 

Sarcozy criticized only Obama for not doing more towards peace.  There is no mention of him criticizing Hamas or Abbas for shelling Israel and not coming to a peace agreement with them.  Sarcozy uses the Arab Spring as the reason for his wanting a trade deal now.

This will give the exporters unlimited duty-free trade with European markets.  Trade between the EU and Judea/Samaria and Gaza was only worth 60 million euros in 2009.  Hamas exports made up just 10% of exports to the EU.  Their economy, they complain, is weakened by chronoic conflict with Israel!  How ironic is it that they are the ones that initiate this conflict by raining Qassam rockets, mortars and missiles on Israel! 

The EU is built on the idea of the 50 states making up the USA on a single continent.  Like us," they launched a single European currency to use between their 27 states, and are progressively building a single Europe-wide market in which people, goods, services, and capital move among Member States as freely as within one country."  They all had the majority of the Christian religion with a majority of Caucasians for citizens in each country.  Freely trading between them today should keep them all from starting wars such as the World's 2nd destructive war.  They have a great plan for their continent and it seems to be working.  They cannot consider that what they are proposing with Abbas is on the same wave length and will bring about peace.  They're only going to be stoking the furnace for a greater fire. 

They have the ability to tell Abbas and his group of terrorists that if they stop attacking Israel and come to a respectable peace agreement they will have such markets.  It could be the reward for becoming peaceful.  Instead, they will have more power and be more belicose, if that indeed is possible.  By not thinking about what they could do to bring about peace, all they have thought of doing is to criticize Obama and most likely Israel as well. 

This will be construed as backing Abbas's bid for a recognized state of Palestine.  Right now even Jordan is telling Abbas to reconsider statehood.  It seems like only the EU's interests will benefit if  Palestine is recognized without becoming a peaceful state. 

France is no longer the nation known for its democratic values who risked their necks in helping the fledgling America to fight against the British.  I can hardly believe that our Statue of Liberty was a gift from them. 

Considering what has been happening in France with all the immigrants there from Arab countries, I am not surprised. 

The countries France hopes will follow Sarkozy's lead are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and of course, the United Kingdom which is made  up of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Hopefully, some of these countries will have the backbone and integrity to think for themselves and not help instigate another wrong against Israel.  . 

United Nations: Highjacked from October 24, 1945 Aims

Nadene Goldfoot
 The UN was born  on October 24, 1945 after the 2nd World War.  It had very lofty goals of keeping the whole world in peace.  I thought I was immensely lucky at the age of 11 after knowing about the devestation of a war.  I thought, "no more wars, ever. Everywhere there will be peace."

Then along came 2001.  The UN sponsored a World Conference Against Racism from August 31st until September 8th in Durban, South Africa.  South Africa was the home of racism being a majority country of Blacks with a white minority who were in power.  Apartheid had been practiced there.  The presiding Secretary General at the conference was the former Irish President, Mary Robinson. 

"Entitled "World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance," the conference was discussing unfair treatment of one group against another. Significant time was focused specifically on Israeli treatment of Palestinians, treating violations of human rights and genocide in other parts of the world secondarily."

The meeting attacked only Israel.  There were anti-Israel demonstrationas at another conference at the same time.  Canada, the United States and Israel walked out in the middle of the conference when it singled out Israel and said that Zionism was racism.  It was Arab states that criticized Israel for their "racist" practices.  Nobody raised the question of why Jews were not allowed in any Arab state at the time. 

The Arab states demanded that the European Union criticize Israel for their "racist practices," but they refused.  The UN had been highjacked by the Arab states at this point.  Three days after the conference was over, New York was hit with 9/11.  Al Qaeda  terrorists, led by Osama bin Laden who had later admitted responsibility, had highjacked 4 passenger jets. 

Two of the jets crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center killing about 3,000 people within two hours.  The third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia killing 184 people.  The fourth plane flew toward Washington D.C with intent to crash into either the Capitol building or the White House but failed when the passengers managed bravely to foil their attempts and they crashed in Pennsylvania, killing all aboard. 

The climate of 2001 became that of Arabs and Arab terrorists acting out against the Western culture.  To them, Israel was an invasion in their territory of Western culture, something they had fought against long ago during the Crusader years and long afterwards in their attempt to take over Europe.  I feel they were frightened of any connection with the West as it would give the wrong ideas to their people.  They had a nice system going of complete control of their people and wanted it to remain so.  There was no democratic rule in Arab societies, only Kings and such.  Saudi Arabia, where the al Qaeda terrorists came from, is an absolute monarchy and Islamic state of Sunni Muslims.  2001 was the year that the Gazan terrorists of Hamas started shelling Israel with Qassam rockets, mortars and any missiles they could get.  Israel was held back from retaliating. 

Durban II was a repeat of Durban I. Durban III will be another repeated bashing of Israel, and Canada led again in refusing to attend. The US has refused as well to attend on September 21st. The conference is centering on it being the 10th anniversary of that fateful I and will be celebrating. 

It should be known that the U.N.'s biggest contributors is the United States.  The U.N. building is in New York City.  The United States pays 22% of their budget and also 25% of the peace keeping in the world.  I note that there was no peacekeeping going on between the Gaza terrorists and Israel from 2001 to 2009.  For eight years Israel took shelling from Gaza with warnings from the world not to retaliate. 

If and when the Arabs go to the UN on September 22 to attempt to claim a state of Palestine, a Lebanese chairman will be presiding.  Lebanon is under the control of Syria and Syria is under the  control of Iran.  The Arabs have more than a foot in the door to start with.  They are already listed as "Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations." 

For me, the UN has been altered from the UN I relied on as a child.  They no longer are against one group attacking another but in many ways are the cause of it happening. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

UN's Biggest Lie About Israel Found In Durban III Conference

Nadene Goldfoot
On September 21st in New York City, the U.N.'s Durban III conference will meet.  The past two conferences amounted to  promoting racism, intolerance, anti-semitism and Holocaust denial.  They were eroding freedom of speech and Israel's right to exist.  Many fair-minded countries walked out seeing what they were all about.  What they turned out to be was a hate-fest against Israel. 

What they are trying to project again is that Israel is an Apartheid state, something that Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa has also tried to promote.  Nothing can be further from the truth.  It's like somebody is trying to brainwash the public that black is really white.  Israel is more of a stewpot of mixed heritages  than the USA is.  Among Jewish people there you find them from all four corners of the earth, for what has been going on is the ingathering of Jews from all the nations of the earth as prophesied in the Bible. 

 Besides that, you see over a million Arabs that are either Christians or Muslims living there as well besides Christians from other countries.  Sephardic Jews are married to Ashkenazi Jews, and Mizrachi Jews are there , too.  In fact, I taught with a gal from Egypt, one of the last young Jews to leave from there. 

The Muslim states are mad because the one and only Jewish state in the world was created in 1948 and they haven't been able to get rid of it, so they are trying every conceivable tactic to do so.  To them, the Middle East is Muslim territory only and they can't abide another people there.  They've tried in 47-49, 56, 67, 73 and even in 82 to do away with Israel by war and were not successful. 

They shelled Israel from 2001-2009 with missiles, mortars and over 2,700 Qassam rockets bringing about Israel's Operation Cast Lead on January 3, 2009 where Israel went into Gaza to stop it after eight  years of hope wondering if the UN would do anything to stop it and didn't.  The Operation lasted 22 days. 

They are assembling again this year.  Canada, the United States, Israel, the Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands have announced that they will boycott Durban III this year.

The very next day the Arabs living in Gaza, Judea and Samaria will go to the UN to seek admittance as a state of Palestine.  That Wednesday and Thursday are going to be very serious days. 

Operation Cast Lead did not deter the Arabs in seeking Israel's destruction because they're still at it.  Southern Israel is being raked with missiles and rockets that are now made to reach out in longer distances.  The major hospital in the area in Ashkelon is in constant peril.  Yet somehow, the Palestinians will manage to call Israel the aggressors and the Apartheid people, and those who want to believe the worst about Jews will believe unquestionably.  Dennis Prager doesn't.  He joins me in writing about how Israel is not an Apartheid state.  He knows.  He's also been there. 

There are 47 Muslim states that I can count in the world, maybe more, but that's what is listed on wikipedia of Muslim majority countries.  There is only one teenie weenie Jewish state called Israel that wouldn't even be a decent-sized  ranch in Texas.  Just who is practicing Apartheid in their neck of the Middle East? 

Update 8/31/11 Austria has just pulled out of attending the conference which is a 10th anniversary of the first held in Durban, South Africa.  That one resulted in anti-Israel and anti-semitic harrassment on Durban streets afterwards. 
Update: 9/2/11 Germany just pulled out. 

Monday, August 29, 2011

Desmond Tutu, the Patron of Sabeel International With One-Way Vision

Nadene Goldfoot 
A man may be brilliant in many areas and a dud in others, usually about how to be a husband.  However, I find that the brilliant Desmond Tutu is capable of seeing wrongs done to his own people but cannot see the wrongs done to Israel by the Palestinians.  Instead, he sees Israel as the perpetrator of wrongs done to them when it's the Palestinians who have been attacking Israelis for 63 years.   He, a man who has been a champion against apartheid practices in South Africa, has compared apartheid to Nazism and Communism yet  has been accusing Israel of Apartheid practices.  One thing he admits is that Jews were slaughtered in the number of 6 million due to Nazism and yet he thinks that they are doing the same thing to others.  He has a blind side in understanding what he sees that is hard to understand. I suppose that if one is truly interested in the motivations of others one might do something about looking into it and learning. 

This man, 3 years older than myself, has acknowledged the role Jews played in fighting against  South Africa's Apartheid.  He has voiced support for Israel's security concerns, mainly being against suicide bombers.  Yet at the same time he has been active and a prominent proponent of campaigns for divestment from Israel, likening Israel's treatment of Palestinians to the  treatment of Black South Africans who were under apartheid.  He cannot fathom the difference between the two situations.  He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, an ominous year. 

To Tutu, Zionism had parallels to racism.  He said this in 1988, mentioning that it excludes people on ethnic or other grounds and they have no control over it. 

In 1989 he visited Jerusalem four years after I had left.  He was there for Christmas and said that what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank was exactly like what happened in South Africa.  Then he spoke again in 2002 about the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks.  He felt they were suffering like the Black South Africans did when young white police officers prevented them from moving about. 

Somehow, this reminds me of what happened to my uncle in Germany just before the war.  He was a young 19 year old walking along a dirt path with his cow, taking it to market.  His father was a sausage maker and this cow was for him.  He used a stick to guide it along.  He wasn't hitting or hurting the cow.  The Nazis arrested him for beating the cow and threw him in jail where he suffered unspeakable atrocities including being forced to eat raw pork.  For a Jew, that most likely was worse than the rubber hose beatings he endured.  Was he being cruel to the cow?  No.  He was using the stick to guide it.  You have to know the reason behind things before you can make a judgement.  These Nazis did know.  They just used it as an excuse to jail a Jew.  Incidently, my uncle was one of the last to get out of Germany before it became impossible.  He couldn't get his parents or 16 year old red-headed sister out and they died in the gas chambers. 

In 2003 Desmond  Tutu  accepted the role of being the Patron of Sabeel International.  We're getting to why I'm concerned about this.  This is an group made up of volunteers supporting the Palestinian Christians. (I don't know if they know it, but the Christians are found only in  Judea and Samaria and are not in Gaza at all)  They call themselves the Voice of Palestinian Christians.  They are in Oregon.  These Friends of Sabeel have paid for  a TriMet bus ad calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to Israel.  The surprise to us all is that TriMet is now allowing political ads after its policy of prohibiting such ad because suddenly it was ruled unconstitutional earlier this year.  These Friends of Sabeel are a notorious anti-Israel group. Such an ad costs about $3,600 for 90 days.  It's not cheap. 

For their information, Christian Palestinians make up a big majority of Israel's Arab citizens.  Some are even in the knesset.  A beautiful young lady was chosen as Miss Israel.  The ones living in Judea and Samaria chose not to stay if they were living in "Palestine" at the time Israel was declared a state in 1948.  I loved the restaurants I found in Haifa that were owned by Christian Palestinians.  To understand what the situation is in Israel pertaining to Judea and Samaria would force this group and Tutu to do some reading that they evidently have not been moved to do. 

I see Israel as a reservation for almost but not quite 6 million Jews at present.  We've been hunted and slaughtered and have lost that many.  We're almost an extinct species of homo sapiens, having been around longer than any other single group of people. Our origins as a family group go back to Abraham in the beginning of the 2nd millenium BCE.     Elephants and leopards have more rights of not being shot at than we do.  When things don't go right in the world, we're the first to be blamed and first to be sniped at.  That's why we need Israel.  No other group has ever undergone such a history.  We want to live and let live.  We believe in life; not just for ourselves but for all people. 

I have a feeling that Tutu, educated for his Master's Degree in Theology in England, an Anglican Bishop and Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa,  has not only been depending on his vision but his ears as well.  What he has been told by his Arab friends should have been checked for accuracy.  He should hear the other side as well before he has jumped to these illogical conclusions.  Many of us in the USA have learned not to swallow everything we see and hear on TV ads.  We understand their motivation is to make money.  I don't think Tutu has learned to check out facts at all.  It's either that or he's just plain two-faced. 

After Jews helped Tutu in his efforts to fight apartheid, he has turned about face by calling Israel an apartheid state.  In calling for divestment from Israel and now siding with an anti-Israel group he is causing more harm to Israel.  At the very least he has created anti-semitism in many Christians who have already turned a deaf ear to anything we might have to say in defense.  Is this how he wants to treat past Jewish friends? 

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Tony Blair's Sister-in-Law: a Palestinian Activist

Nadene Goldfoot
Actor Anthony "Tony" Booth of Liverpool, England and  Pamela Smith Cohen, aka Susie Ripley, Jewish model,  never married but had two daughters.    Evidently she did not bring either of them up as Jewish because Sarah "Lauren" Booth, 44 years old,  was not. The irony is that because her mother was Jewish accounts for her being considered Jewish according to Jewish law.   Tony is the father of 6 daughters and Lauren was the 6th.   She is the 14 years years younger half- sister of Cherie Blair nee Booth who is married to Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Great Britain.  Tony Booth is the cousin of the American Booth family which includes John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.  It was reported that Cherie and Lauren weren't speaking to each other. 

Sarah Booth, who now goes by the name, Lauren, a broadcaster and journalist, works for Iran's English language news channel Press TV.  Why Iran?  It must not be uncomfortable for her as she's a pro-Palestinian activist.  She's so impresssed with Iran that she converted to Islam while there.  She must be swallowing all the lies fed to her from Iran.  Now she has called upon Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to liberate al Qads, which is the Arab term for Jerusalem. 

How is Tony Blair being influenced by his sister-in-law's persuasion to back Palestine?  For one thing, he has converted to his wife's religion of  Roman Catholicism.  On the 14th of January 2009 Blair visited Washington DC and in the guest book wrote his home as Jerusalem.  He told the people at the "Prayer Breakfast" that he attended there that he spends a lot of time in Jerusalem. "He reported his Palestinian guide as bemoaning the fate of his nation looking to heaven and saying “Moses, Jesus, Mohammed: why did they all have to come here?" For Blair the Holy City is "a good place to reflect on religion: a source of so much inspiration; an excuse for so much evil."  Tony Blair just happens to be a Representive for the QUARTET, the group that is so important to Israel's life.  "I condemn unreservedly today's brutal attacks in Southern Israel, as I do all such acts of terror. The targeting of innocent civilians can never be justified. I send my condolences to the victims, and their friends and families, and I hope the perpetrators of these appalling incidents will be quickly brought to justice." he stated

The Quartet is made up of four entities: The UN, USA, European Union and Russia and was formed in 2002 in Madrid to settle the Palestinian-Israel situation.  Tony Blair is their current Special Envoy. 

Hamas Joining Up with More Radical Islamists: Fire Grad Into Be'er Sheva

Nadene Goldfoot

Supposedly there is a ceasefire that was agreed on, but it has never been accepted by the terrorists who keep shelling Israel.  They've said they would,  amended with a "temporary, " then kept on shelling.  Evidently to them this only means that Israel cannot repond to their shelling. 

Radical Islam is gaining in Gaza.  Many have joined up with  the radical Salafi Islamists who are an arm of Al Qaeda. One reason is that they are also in Judea and Samaria, Abbas's part of the project.  This way they can all work together no matter where they are.   They took credit for firing a Grad rocket towards Be'er Sheva from Gaza, but the Iron Dome stopped it. 

These even more religious terrorists really believe in terrorism in a shocking way from the Koran: .  "Whoever slaughters a non- Muslim for the sake of Allah, Allah will make hellfire prohibited upon him." a tenet that their leaders teach.  Another is that they are into beheading non Muslims.  "When your lord revealed to the angels:  I am with you.  Therefore make firm those who believe.  I will cast terror into the heads of those who disbelieve-therefore strike off their heads and strike off the fingertips of them." 

The religious leader teaching such sayings is Omar Yusef Juma'a, who was 2nd in command to the originator of the group, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  Zarqawi has since died. 

All the while we see protesters at Harvard Square, Nancy Murray and a mixture of Jews and non-Jews yelling "free Palestine".  (See video below).  They have no concept of history or current events, and if they do, it's even more of a shunda. 

Resource: Arutz Sheva "Gaza-Based Salafa Group Launched Rockets At Israel" by Chana Ya'ar

Thursday, August 25, 2011

PA Refuses to Get It---Wake Up U.N.

Nadene Goldfoot
The Palestinian Authority refuses to acknowledge that in their midst lies the state of Israel.  They are calling it "occupied territory" and are scheming to get it back by first going to the U.N. on September 22nd to establish their section of the land and calling it Palestine. 

Every event, in school, in their cartoons, in the newspaper, on TV and radio, their people have been brainwashed into believing this hogwash.  While they are busy lying, their warriors are busy firing missiles, rockets and mortars into Israel.  So far they are aiming into southern Israel, but one can figure that pretty soon they will be hitting Tel Aviv and other points northward into the extremely tiny state of Israel. 

Examples of this denial of the truth is:

The Palestinian Authority says that peace with Israel is not their goal.  They contend that all of Isael is in reality-Palestine and that they have no intention of compromising.  This was shown in a cartoon in the PA Daily paper by Muhammad Saboaneh.  It is another way of expressing that they do not recognize Israel's right to exist.  Their goal is to dismantle Israel and replace it with their Palestinian state.

Such a doctrine is found in many places.  Fatah had an event broadcast on PA TV.  Abbas and other senior officials were present.  The program was proclaiming that they were all returning to their land and what they were referring to was what is known as Israel. Such a statement was on TV on Feb 27, May 12, May 27 and July 15, 2011.  Repetitive sayings is a form of brainwashing.

They of course deny Israel's right to even exist calling Israel an "Occupation" or "Stolen" and more.  They say that "Palestine" was occupied in 1948, which was the date of Israel having been declared a state in the UN.  This was in the paper on July 16, 2011.  

Israel-" the territoris occupied in 1948"  June 23 in "Al Hayal Al-Jadida.    The territories occupied in 48.....which are currently under the rule of occupation.   

It's going to take more than several visits to a psychologist to get the PA to get them out of denial and accept the fact that Jews never left the land entirely and that their mishpuka had joined them in the 1800's and that it has become a haven for Jews and a state including Arabs as well, but it's still the only Jewish state in the world and will remain so.  The land was forsaken and unwanted by most everyone, a piece of real estate of no value and in terrible shape.  It was trodden over but never settled or developed by them or anyone and now it is.  This return of Jews was prophesized and expected  and has come true. If they'd been around for the past 2,000 years they had a chance of creating a state of Palestine but didn't and now Israel is here to stay.  They can do what Israel did in the 20's and accept what might be offered to them the way the Jewish leaders did when they were finally offered only a crumb of the original slice of land they thought they would receive and be gracious about it or get out of town and go to Saudi Arabia.  For in the prophecies, countries and groups that do not favor Israel will not be shown favor and will be in deep trouble.  Hope they finally get it. 

Jews are very resiliant.  They are continuing to live a normal as possible life.  Adverse conditions are something their ancestors had to live under. Maybe it's in their genes to be able to be flexible and manage to exist and never stop working on solving problems that interfere with their living accomodations.  They're not leaving the land again.  Your culture will not be harmed and may even benefit from the Israeli presence. 

"We will have to fight the Arabs until the last one realizes there is no way to defeat us and we are here in the Land of Israel as a Jewish state forever." Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, member of Likud in Knesset since 2009.

Hadassah Magazine Aug/Sept 2011  page 23 Interview by Charley Levine of Moshe Ya'alon

Monday, August 22, 2011

CEASE FIRE! Terrorists Break Promise-Five Nights Continued Shelling

The Arab terrorists (PRC) have not paid attention to their promise to adhere to a temporary cease fire.  They have just kept  on firing 14 times since then in the past 24 hours. Ashkelon, Portland's sister city is in the line of danger and its people had to run for cover at 7:40pm.  They must run as the alarm is within seconds of a strike.  

2 Grad katusha rockets landed.  Earlier another had struck an empty building.  By Sunday after the truce was decided, 12 rockets continued to fall into Israel.  

The Negev, where so many weaponry is landing has been the scene of a lot of missiles landing.  Jews here have been expelled for peace, bomb shelters have had to be built, and Israel wound up having to invent anti-Kassam missiles for defense.  Now they even have built a secret road for cars to travel on that will be safer as it's hidden from view.  Israel is doing everything it can in order not to have to repeat an Operation Cast Lead.   

The Hamas terrorists cannot seem to control the smaller terrorist factions that have sprung up, just as they did out of Fatah.  They had promised to control these groups and the PRC group reluctantly promised to stop, but only temporarily.  It seems they had not intention of actually stopping at all. 

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Why Israel's Struggle to Exist is Worth It to Jews Living There

Nadene Goldfoot
Abraham, living in the 2nd millennium BCE,  is the "Father of Judaism."  That's at least 4,000 years ago.   It was his decision to pick up and take his family out of Ur, which is in the area of present day Iraq, and go eastward into Canaan, which is now the present day area of Israel.  Everyone in Ur believed in idol-worship.  In fact, his father was an idol maker!  When Abraham came to the realization of there being only one unseen G-d, it was an astounding revelation, somewhat like the invention of fire or the wheel.  He realized he couldn't raise his children to believe this in such an idol-worshipping environment and so moved.  He took his extended family, animals, servants and all and established a beachhead for what came to be called, Judaism.

After becoming slaves in Egypt for 400 years, the Jewish people were able to be freed by Moses and that led to entering Canaan once again and and this time creating their own state with eventual rulers of King Saul, King David and his son King Solomon as well as many that followed. 

Jews have gone through the past 2,000 years of being treated like the pariahs of humanity which got the people to realize that they needed to establish once again their own state, which is called Israel.  The past 63 years of Israel's existence has been filled with wars and now bombings of missles, mortars and rockets from its neighbors. 

The question was raised as to why they don't all pack up and leave.  Whoever wants to put up with living under a state of constant war and possible death with only moments of warning all their life?  No one in American seems to want to do so.  Yet around 100 Americans just recently made aliyah to Israel to do just that, and to join in the Israeli army as well.  Why would they?  It is because of the Jewish vision that is morally and spiritually compelling.  "We believe in the eternal validity of the Sinai covenant"  made with Moses so long ago.  Our religion is something our ancestors signed up with and we are the inheritors of this eternal promise.   It is to remain faithful to our belief of one G-d and the laws involved that keep us to this faith which becomes harder and harder to do in the modern world.  It is the fairness that our religion has that even in this age makes such sense to abide by.  The torah offers awesome realities or moral consequence.  We believe that our religion is the light to the world and we are not about to let it go out, even though most feel they can do without it.  We received this from G-d and we aim to keep it going. 

The end of a 3 day blitz on southern Israel may have just been halted.  We hope so.  People had to live in bomb shelters during this time.  They were hit by 100 missiles, mortars and rockets with exceedingly long distance abilities.  We had at least 8 deaths and many injured.  These Jews are living here to be able to practice and remember their religion and to give their children the chance to be able to do so.  They don't want to be assimilated  by other religions.  They're not there to make war on anyone.  Nobody has more reason to live peacefully than Jewish people.  They are asking why the Palestinian Arabs are so intent on killing them.  Why does one people want to kill another?  Jews have not gone there to kill Arabs, only to live once again in the Middle East where they came from. 

The added reason to keep our religion alive has been that so many have tried to squash it like it is something they simply don't want to hear or know.  From the Crusades to the Inquisition to the Holocaust, the many have tried to stamp out the few that follow this first monotheistic religion that gave rise to Christianity and Islam.  We have a "clearly defined sense of peoplehood bound together by a shared language of Hebrew, and our religion and history. " This is all what makes us a people.  Combine that with the fact that Jewish women  stemmed from 4 different women in the ages having gone through a dna bottleneck , and we find we are all related even closer than we find we are all related to each other in the world.   We are such a small group, making up only less than 1% of the world population, that when one is hurt it is like somebody from our immediate family is hurt.  We have a very strong connection to each other.

Saul Singer brought out that the thing that binds the Palestinians together is mainly their hatred and struggle against Israel.  "Without Israel, there would be no so -called Palestinian people.  (I might add that Palestine is not the name of a country, but what the Romans called the land after attacking Jeruslaem in 70 CE.  Both Jews and Arabs living in "Palestine" were called Palestinians.)  If the Jews had not returned to Palestine, this land would have been still a minor backwater in the Arab world.  It may have even turned into a province of southern Syria. "  They came to this area from all corners of the neighboring lands   looking for work.  They joined the few Arabs that had been living there.  They do have their Islamic religion and language that they share with each other. 

It's hard for anyone in the USA to understand the importance of keeping our religion alive and well.  We're not a people who proselyze as we didn't appreciate those that tried to change our beliefs.  So many people here are able to change their denomination in the Protestant realm, as it all has to do with the major principals of faith with slight differences.  People marry in and out of different groups fairly easy without upsetting their families.  Even when a Catholic and Protestant marry today, their belief system adjusts to the ways of belief as the major religious belief is the same.   They have the same concept of G-d and what he wants.   We also have the same levels of understanding in Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Judaism but find Christianity a different concept with a lot of similarities.  It all boils down to the fact that our forefathers made a promise to G-d and we are bound to keep it because we want to.   We're a people who have been living with this concept for about 4,000 years already.  Islam came into being with Mohammed having met with Jews in his home town and hearing our good book read orally.  That was only in the 600's CE, or about 1,400 years ago.  Christianity has been in existence for about 2,000 years now. 

So Israelis are not looking for economic prosperity or an easy life.  They are there because they have strong feelings about Judaism.  Anyone who lives in Israel has had to go through many hardships.  Many are immigrants into the land such as I was.  You can read my book, Letters From Israel to find out what it was like to be an immigrant in Israel in 1980.  Through all their sufferings, they are finding great joy in being a part of a prophesy of the Return to Israel.  Our religion does give us great joy, though we have had to live through lots of pain to keep it. 

Resource: Question presented to me
Confronting Jihad by Saul Singer p. 62

Power in the Palms of Preachers and Pals About Israel's Survival

Nadene Goldfoot
William Jefferson "Bill"  Clinton's  campaigning for presidency brought him to speak before  Jewish groups.  He told them that "his beloved pastor made him swear on his deathbed never to turn his back on the Jewish state."  This made these Jewish Democrats feel that he was the best friend Israel has ever had.  Later Clinton put together the Oslo Agreement with Israel's most liberal prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin,  who was quite ready to give away the baby with the bathwater in order to bring about a peace document. Arafat, the PLO terrorist head was the other party.  On a Sunday Clinton was asked by CNN "whether the burden for getting back to negotiations lay on one side or the other, Clinton offered,  "I can't really say more than that it's a troubling, difficult and painful situation, and we've got to find a way to end the violence....there has to be a dramatic reduction in the violence before parties can talk again and make commitments again that could constitue a peace agreement."  He inferring that both sides are equally responsible for 'the cycle of violence."  In fact, the terrorists in Gaza do the act and Israel finally reacts, catching all heck for doing so.  This is a repeat of what's happening right now; the violence is being committed by Hamas, the replacement for Arafat's violent Fatah group yet Israel is attacked by the world for retaliating against missile and mortar attacks on their civilians.  This shows that the US has been refusing to call aggression and terrorism by their name.  Israeli and Palestinian blood flowed then as it is flowing now. 

"We all know that Barak Hussain Obama  is a Christian, but the church he has been attending is the Trinity United Church of Christ, and their Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan. In 1984 Farrakhan and Wright traveled to visit Col. Muammar al-Gadaffi, who is a supporter of terror groups and arch-enemy of Israel and America. Wright has been a severe critic of Israel. Obama's former pastor and mentor, being a fan of Louis Farrakhan, who called Judaism either "a dirty religion" or "a gutter religion," depending on the reading of the audiotape, causes concern. Obama had publicly distanced himself from Wright when he was in the presidential race.  Before the race he had also attended Farrakhan's church as well.  Jesse Jackson is also a pastor and friend.  Calling New York Jews "Hymietown" did not endear him to the Jewish population with this deragatory term.  Farrakhan was so angry about the Jewish response when they heard about this that he threatened Jews by saying" if you harm this brother it'll be the last you ever harm."  He later said that Jews today were false Jews (only recognized the extreme orthodox Karta sect who do not recognize Israel) and that they promoted lesbianism and homosexuality, and manipulated Bush and his government about Iraq.  Truly, since President Obama had a Muslim father and stepfather and was raised in Muslim schools in his early elementary school years, and chose anti-semitic pastors to listen to for years causes me to wonder about his sincerity about being fair in dealing with Israel and the Muslim Arabs.  Since Obama was elected as President he has not attended his church.  Wright told the Daily Press at Hampton University's Ministers Conference, "Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me."   Wright admitted that he has been preaching like that for the past 50 years.   Obama's AIPAC speech  on March 2, 2007 included promises of supporting a strong US-Israel partnership, and Israel's right of self-defense.  He promised taking seriously Iran's nuclear future power and that it could be used against Israel.  He promised an undivided Jerusalem.  Now he is advising Israel to go back to the 67 indefensible lines and that East Jerusalem's fate  is to be determined in talking with Assad as a barter chip in negotiations.  Unfortunately, he did not attend a church that said positive things about Israel.  Right now Israel's fate with the UN lies in Obama's veto of Assad's attempt on September 22nd to have Palestine be declared a state.  Here's where the promises at AIPAC need to show some type of fullfillment.  He chose David Edward Bonier as an advisor who is an Israel basher.  That doesn't help our cause at all. 

The head religious leader in Iran is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who calls Israel "a cancerous state.  The fake Zionist goverment is a cancerous tumor and the cause of different disease and political, economic calamity to the region."  The USA is accused of preserving this tumor.  He continued with saying that years of wrongdoing had only given rise to hatred in the region.  I suppose he's referring to the establishment of Israel.  Israel's worst enemy is Iran who as calledi Israel every name under the sun and is threatening its extinction. 

James  "Jimmy" Earl Carter Jr., President and Georgian peanut farmer was a Sunday School Teacher and very involved with his Christian religion.  He said his favorite sermon was "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?  He seemed to be for a state of Israel but was against everything they did.  He did a terrible amount of damage to Israel by writing his opinions in his book "Palestine:  Peace Not apartheid" and in this book insinuated that Israel was practicing apartheid like South Africa did, which is the opposite of the truth.  Today this is one of Israel's biggest problems in that religious groups such as the Presbyterians,  Methodists and Socialists have denoucced Israel as being apartheid and are boycotting and divesting from Israel.  Israel, the smallest melting pot in the world is the opposite of an apartheid country so this shows the power of the attitude a group will take without investigating its honesty as long as it comes from an influential party.  Checking on the reliability of an opinion takes work that the general public is not up to doing. 

Harry S. Truman was a devout Christian but was affected more by his business partner in his attitude toward Israel. He also taught Sunday school with Bess at First Presbyterian Church on Lexington and Pleasant Street, Independence, MO though they were both Southern Baptists.     Had he not had a good relationship with his Jewish partner, Jacobson,  in their Haberdashery store, he might not have affected Harry in  recognizing Israel, which those around him preferred him not to do.  Harry was strong in his feeling and went against the advice he was given and did recognize Israel.  He had given his word that he would do so.  Undoubtedly his religious background formed his feelings about keeping his word when given.  He was the president who coined the phrase, "The buck stops here,  and If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."   This gentle man had to make decisions most men would  blanch from doing. He took such responsibility  as being the deciding factor in recognizing Israel and in the use of the A bomb in Japan.  Usually he was a man who relied on his cabinet for decisions.   Before this his major decisions must have been like how many hats to order for his store.  He had stepped up to the plate graciously. 

In writing this essay I stumbled onto a book titled, "American Presidents, Religion and Israel-The Heirs of Cyrus" by Paul Merkley $55.  Another person also thought it was interesting in looking into our presidents and they take on Israel.  I'm taking the theory of their relgious leaders and associates in having an affect in forming their attitude about Israel, for Israel brings up religious values that helped to shape Christianity and Islam.   

Friday, August 19, 2011

Bill Clinton Guilty of Not Faulting PA: Allows Distancing Prospects For Peace

Nadene Goldfoot
The problems facing Israelis today with the PA continually attacking Israel were also happening in 1990 with Bill Clinton as negotiator with Arafat, head honcho of the PLO terrorists, now Fatah.  Saul Singer, columnist for the Jerusalem Post,  wrote many essays about Israel's struggle after 9/11.  Israel was practicing  excessive military restraint, probably due to so much pressure from its "friends", that the net result was that the numbers of deaths just climbed and terrorists have become more brazen. 

Israelis pulled out of Lebanon, as written about on November 15, 2000 and was only there to stop terrorist attacks when our South Lebanese Army allies, the Christian militia under Major Hadad collapsed.  This unfortunately made Fatah and Hamas think that Israel could be "slowly bled into withdrawing from territory." Well, it worked.  We pulled out of Gaza completely in the name of peace.  Arafat used force and negotiations together with a negative response on all negotiations.  Israel has had to learn that we need to defeat terrorism  and that this is important in the negotiating that goes on.  When we give an inch, the terrorists go about trying to take a foot.  Now negotiations have ended. 

For 30 years Israel has done everything possible to give the Wakf (Islamic authorities ) control over the Temple Mount.  They even allowed them to dig a huge hole in its surface with heavy machines without any archaologists supervising which is actually against Israel's Antiquities Preservation Law.  The reason they were bending backwards trying to be more than fair is that for 2,000 years Jerusalem had become our symbol to return to Zion.  We had hoped that the Arabs there would see the moral and historic right of Israel to exist in the land and that they would not suffer from us being there.  Such hopes in September 2000 were bashed and so far is being received with the opposite attitude.  the Arabs are busy trying to erase all evidence of Jewish living in the land.  They deny it and teach just that.  We were never there.  Moshe Dayan would turn over in his grave if he knew. 

Israelis have wondered for years if a Palestinian state is necessary to keep Israel Jewish and democratic.  Now it's obvious that such a state is a "Trojan horse" threatening Israel's existence.  Ariel Sharon had turned around and had come to the idea that it was necessary and would work.  The fact that Fatah has reconnected with Hamas terrorism tells me that it isn't so anymore.  They have chosen war instead of peace.  Well, we can't sit back today and be wimps.  Netanyahu has taken the stand that they cannot kill our people and if they do, we will strike back. Israel is doing just that with this wave of violence that is happening in Southern Israel right now.  . 

Saul Singer wondered in 2000 if the world can defeat terrorism.  It's been 11 years now and we are just learning how to do several things about it with Israel's help being they have been attacked far longer than any other country has been and have learned from it .  Saul said  that fighting against terror is a struggle for human rights, freedom and democracy.  I see that Europe is giving up on the struggle and giving into demands like allowing Sharia law into their other laws as the preferred way out.  I can understand that after the devastating World War II that they would rather do anything than go through that again.  It's like they all suffer from PTSD when you mention sticking up for your rights.  It took Jews 2,000 years to get over losing their land in 70 CE , suffering from pograms and murders, burnings and plain old anti-semitism besides  a horrible Holocaust taking 6 million lives to cause them to know that they must establish their ancient homeland once again and it was time to do so now.

It amazes me that the terrorists are showing their colors now with such violence just before Abbas goes to the UN on September 22nd.  In my mind, it's showing me that they aren't willing to be a member of society and live peacefully with their neighbor, Israel.  Not fullfilling the requirements for such a meeting also tells me this.  What I am sceptical of is the logic the UN will use in deciding on this matter. 

Saul brings out that before September 11th we were all unaware that our civilization was in competition with another way of life.  We are from a pluralistic society and have fantastic values and love different people and ideas as well as food.  We need to remind the secular society we are up against that our values are most worthy and that they should pay more attention to them instead of fighting us all.  It does look to me that they are trying to pick up where Adolf Hitler left off. 

Glenn Beck is going to broadcast from Israel on August 24th and his program is called "Restoring Courage".  That's what the Western world needs to regain; courage.  It's time. 

Resource:  Confronting Jihad, Israel's Struggle and The World After 9/ll by Saul Singer 2003

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Palestinian Authority's Plans for Western Wall and Jews

Nadene Goldfoot
Just when I think things can't get any worse for Jerusalem, the situation only gets worse.  We Jews just can't come up with such evil ideas like our cousins, the Arabs that surround us can.

The Palestine Authority just broadcast a documentary on TV of their plans to build an Arab residential area in place of the Western Wall Plaza in East Jerusalem "when the Israelis disappear like a forgotten chapter in the pages of "our" city's history."  They are most likely hoping that this will happen shortly after September 22nd. 

The Western Wall is a remnant of the Temple Mount  which was the outer wall surrounding it which is the holiest and most important prayer site for Jews.  It's called the Kotel ha-Ma'aravi.  That's where the Jewish tourists head for when they come to Jerusalem.  That wall has my piece of paper with my prayer on it stuck in between the stones, which is what we all do. 

Muslims used it as a garbage dump just to humiliate any Jew that was to visit it.  From 1948 to 1967 Jordanians illegally occupied Jerusalem but had signed an agreement that Israelis could visit it.  They then refused to allow Jews there at all.  So much for their agreements. 

When the Six Day War of 1967 was over, Moshe Dayan was one of the first IDF soldiers to enter and go to the wall.  He inserted a prayer that asked that "lasting peace descend upon the House of Israel." 

That isn't all.  Hamas and Fatah reject any Jewish connection to Jerusalem calling it "their false history."  They call Jews praying there a "sin and filth." 

Well now, this just can't happen.  We'll all have to say a prayer to keep Jerusalem united as one city and in Israel's hands.  . 

http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=5490 by Itamar Marcus & Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Quit Calling Jewish Cities Settlements in Judea and Samaria

Nadene Goldfoot
Ariel is a city of  18,000 inhabitants in Samaria and is 33 years old.  That's not a settlement.  Settlement is a political word meant to make the reader think it's a group of 4 or 5 trailers that's been somewhere for a few weeks.  New construction was announced to happen in Ariel, as if that isn't something that would happen in Portland, Oregon after 33 years.  What the construction is are 277 housing units to be built.  This city lies 11 miles east of the Green Line.  It has a university with 11,000 students of which almost 1,000 are Arabs. 

Ariel is considered the Jewish capital of Samaria though it is the 4th largest city in Judea/Samaria.  The first three larger ones are Mode'in Illit, Beitar Illit and Ma'ale Adumem.  It's population is almost the same as Sherwood, Washington County, Oregon which has 18,194 people.  Ariel lies in the biblical heartland of the Jewish people.  It is managing to have a successful economy. 

Israel needs housing.  The Arabs have wasted 63 years of Israel's lives and time by not negotiating with them no matter who the Prime Minister has happened to be or recognizing Israel as a state.  Since they haven't negotiated with Israel, the country is going ahead with plans needed for their lives now.  Israelis believe in living, and do not look with favor on death and dying.  If the Arabs want to be that way, Israelis might as well go ahead and use their own ancient land where their ancestors once walked.  Israelis are tired of waiting.  They just recently demonstrated for days their need for more housing.  Their needs must be attended to by their government. 

Catherine Ashton of the EU Foreign Affairs is miffed.  She feels that Israel is undermining confidence and is derailing efforts to resume negotiations with the Arabs.  I am miffed also, but with the Arabs as I feel they have derailed negotiations by getting up and leaving the table where Netanyahu was in the act of talking about peace negotiations!  The Arabs undermine confidence in peace possibilities when they refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state after 63 years!  There is nothing on the side of the Arabs except their Declaration to destroy the Jewish state in their Hamas Charter.  That sure stalls peace with me.  Doesn't that bother Catherine just a little?   No, I have a suspicion that the Arabs, after 63 years are afraid of making peace with Israel.  They have no intention of doing so.  It will take a love fest of all the other Arab states to swear their love of Israel before Hamas and Fatah will come to peaceful terms.  Of everthing that has been offered to them, just what does Catherine think it will take to bring peace about?  There is a limit to Israel's patience as well. 

One Jerusalem Undivided: Good For All

Nadene Goldfoot
Jerusalem, Israel's capital,  is an undivided city that is most important to Judaism.  It is also a very coveted city that the Muslims have their eyes on right now and expect to be able to seize the Eastern part for their capital.  They have chutzpah to the nth degree to plan on asking the UN to grant them statehood and East Jerusalem when they reject Israel's right to exist.  All this time they not only will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state but have been bombing it for over 7 years with missiles and rockets and sneaky attacks. 

The question arises as to why our USA government spends four times as much money on Israel's enemies as on Israel.  Ron Paul, Republican presidential candidate mentioned that the USA gave $3 billion dollars to Israel while giving $12 billion to her enemies. "Giving" is not quite accurate for Israel as Israel receives loans that they pay back, or with stipulations that they spend money in the USA only which gives jobs to Americans.  As Israel is the only Democratic state in the Middle East with the same values as the USA, one would think that they would have better treatment.

Obama, when speaking to AIPAC when he was running for President promised that Jerusalem would not be divided and here he is going along with the Arabs in their plan to take part of Jerusalem now.  Of course with their statements of destroying Israel as their goal, they no doubt plan to take all of Jerusalem for themselves after taking East Jerusalem.  Under Israel's umbrella, Jerusalem is open for all religions.  Everyone is treated fairly.  It wasn't so when it was under Jordanian rule.  Christians and Jews were not permitted in.   

The mayor of Jerusalem is doing an excellent job for a city with so many diverse problems and people.  He feels it will not run as smoothly as it is now if it becomes divided, which it was before 1967.  It was horrible that Israel had been attacked and outnumbered then and a miracle that they won against inhuman odds, but that event enabled Israel to free and open up all of Jerusalem.  It took a terrible war to unite Jerusalem as one city.  Will there have to be another disasterous war in trying to take away East Jerusalem?  There is no reason why Jerusalem is important to Muslims.  They are doing well in Ramallah which is acting as their capital.  It is only 6 miles north of Jerusalem in Samaria.  Ramallah was historically a Christian town and now has a population of 25,500 Muslims and  some Christians.  Of course if they are granted statehood the Christians will have to leave, too, for they plan to be 100% Muslim. 

Never forget that the Palestinian plan is to have their state free of Jews and that includes East Jerusalem.  Is the UN going to allow such a state to exist in this day and age?  Part of the Palestinian warfare is brainwashing the world into believing that Israel is practicing apartheid!  It is they who plan to do just that.  Facts are that over one million Arabs are citizens of Israel and have more rights now than they ever had with Jordan or Egypt.  Jerusalem had a population of 84,000 in 1948 at the time of Israel's UN acceptance.  In 2009 the population grew to 773,800.  Jerusalem is a little smaller in population than San Francisco which has 805,235 people. 

The United Nations was brave and rightous to accept the first Jewish state into the world of statehoods in 1948.  That rightousness has not continued in recognizing their right to exist, however but has cowered  when faced with the anti-semitism of the many.  An example is not allowing passports to show that a person was born in Israel.  A case is that of a person born in Jerusalem and the USA refuses to write Jerusalem, Israel.  The USA does not even recognize that Jerusalem is Israel's capital after these past 44 years.  Both Jews and Christians believe in the Messiah coming and he will of course be in Jerusalem, but the way things are going, even he may not be able to enter as it will be a stronghold for Islam only.

Below is a 5 minute video on Jerusalem that is well worth watching.  Pictures say so  much.  Jerusalem must stay undivided. 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

My Trip Into Samaria or "My Gosh! It's Right Next Door!"

Nadene Goldfoot
On October 7, 1982 during my Succot vacation, my husband and I had the chance to visit Samaria.  We had been in Israel since September 1980 and had spent 10 months at Gordon Seminary in Haifa studying and taking final tests to continue our teaching profession and was then ready to teach English in Israel.  Danny and I had come from Oregon where I was born and raised in Portland.  Danny was a recent  implant from Brooklyn. We had found an apartment in Safed in the Galilee and were teaching there.   

"We had signed up for an ACI (Americans and Canadians in Israel) trip that was to go to Samaria and it became quite an eye opener for us. " This is a excerpt from my book, Letters From Israel page 221-222.

"What happened was that we drove on the highway from Haifa to Tel Aviv along the coast.  It is a lovely drive and turned left at Kvar Saba, went into that little teeny town and out of it, and we found ourselves in Samaria.  I was so shocked.  It's practically on the other side of the highway.  We stood at a plaque where Sharon and his men had fought not too recently and saw our highway and car.  It was unreal!

We drove deeper into Samaria and saw Arabs, sheep, a little Arab town outside Kvar Saba, and in the distance Ramalla, which was a larger Arab city.  I saw lots of land that looked somewhat like Eastern Oregon, and finally came some twenty-five minutes later to a Jewish settlement where we had lunch in their Succa.  We brought our own sack lunches with us.  This settlement is made up of mainly Israelis and a few Americans who are very dedicated and Zionistic.  One of their people is a non-Jew who is a Japanese man recently from Japan who has a paper factory there where he makes paper for computers.  He goes to services, and once got all dressed up in his Japanese robes and proceeded to take movies of the Friday night services until he was asked to please stop.  (This isn't done by anyone during services)  They are building beautiful homes but no apartments there, and are almost ready to move in.  The establishment is six years old.  You know that house in Ontario on the corner with the red tile roof and wood sides?  One house I  saw looked like that one.  The other houses had the same roof but were made of cement.  (Ontario, Oregon is in the Eastern side of the state which is semi-desert and similar to Israel.)

Anyway, the point is this.  The shape of Israel decided by the United Nations is really weird.  They gave us the seacoast from Haifa to Tel Aviv, and that's it.  The land adjacent to us is ancient Samaria and Judea.  How dumb!  We should have that land as well."

Resource: Letters From Israel by Nadene Goldfoot-listed on http://amazon.com/ 2003.

Foreign Aid Supporting Gaza, Judea/Samaria In Trouble

Nadene Goldfoot
The Arabs outside of Israel of PA have been relying on foreign aid to support their population which has a $2 billion dollar annual budget.  Half of this annual budget's money comes from Arab donations.  Lately, with the Arab Spring uprisings, the wealthy Arab nations cannot donate the same amounts as usual.  The PA government is in financial trouble.

One thing they have been doing to improve their economy is to make terrific offers to their government workers to purchase apartments such as in Ramallah. Ramallah is 6 miles north of Jerusalem in Samaria.   Then their salaries were cut in half in June and people are facing a cash crunch.  The PA banks loaned them $200 million to cover their shortfall.  Now they again have a $35 million shortfall. 

Many Arabs are now more concerned about having jobs and the economy than they are concerned about peace talks with Israel.  This certainly is an about face.  They are starting to sound like the rest of the world for a change.  I remember when the Israelis pulled out of Gaza completely and left perfectly good greenhouses for them to continue their businesses and they just destroyed them, not concerned about having jobs of creating businesses at all. 

Like alcoholism, the alcoholic is not helped by the friend who supplies them with alcohol which is aiding and abetting alcoholism.  The Arabs living in Gaza and the other areas will never join the rest of the world while relying on UN Aid and Arab handouts.  It's time they thought of jobs and their own economy. 

What money they have received must be going towards arms to use against Israel for Be'er Sheva was just hit yesterday with two missiles.  They can't be serious to think of becoming a state when all they do is attack Israel.  It's time to bury Hamas terrorism and join the Human Race. 

For 30 years, the Arabs came into Israel daily to work.  One fifth of their population was able to do this.  It stopped in the mid 90's because they bit the hand that was feeding them.  The Arabs turned on Israel and attacked with rockets and missiles along with suicide bombers.  This has caused Israel to give employment to migrants from Thailand, Romania and other places instead.  That's how Hamas terrorism improved their living situation for them. 

Christians (Nasrani) in Israel and Surrounding Areas

Nadene Goldfoot
The 2009 CIA Population Report tells us that there are 123,000 Christian Arabs that are citizens of Israel.  This is 9.1% of the population.  2.5% of the Christian Arabs are Syriac Christians.  Maronite Christians numbering several thousand are living in the Galilee who are former pro-Israeli Lebanese militia members with their families who fled from Lebanon after 2000.  That's when the IDF pulled out.  Christians from the USA and other places that are not Arabs also are living in Israel to the total of 29,000 or 0.4% of the population. 

The 2010 Israel Central Bureau of Statistics  found 1,573,000 Arab citizens of Israel  or 20.4% of the population.  Of this, Muslims, including the Bedouins make up 82% of this population with 9% being Druze.  9% are Christians, so this agrees with the 2009 findings. However, it's a little less than in 2009 with 117,000 Christian Arabs living in Israel.   Nazareth has the largest Christian population.  Christian Arabs are active in politics and are serving in the Knesset. 

Right across the street on the East Side in Judea and Samaria are Arab Christians in the amount of 167,000 or 8% of the population there.  Gaza, an extremely strong Hamas terrorist stronghold, and right across another street on the West Side only has 10,000 Christians or 0.3% of that population. 

Lebanon on the North Side used to be a minority Christian state but had enough power to be led by a Christian once.  Their population is still thought to have 39% Christians.  Major Hadad was from this group and was a great friend of Israel, as he helped to patrol the border.  Syria's population is from 10-15% Christian and Jordan has 6% Christians. 

Getting into these places to take the census is a struggle.  In 1967 the Muslim population in the territories of Judea, Samaria, Gaza and East Jerusalem was 1.5 million.  Today they number almost 4 million.  This rapid growth could be connected to having 10 or more children in a family and even in the Muslim religion of allowing men to have 4 wives.  This is 3 times the world average.  The Christians have had a low birth rate for the past 100 years.  In 2006 the population of Jerusalem was 724,000 or 10% of the population of Israel.  65% were Jewish.  40% of East Jerusalem were Jewish.  32% were Muslims and 2% were Christians.  The word has just been released that Israel plans to build more housing in East Jerusalem due to a housing shortage. 

Many Christians are living abroad but this emmigration has been stemmed.  The Palestinian Authority President Salem Fayyad said that the Christian population grew last year. 

One can also figure that the Christians, who were 7.8% of the population in 1948 are now about 2% of the population today.  This might figure that if there are 4,000,000 Arabs living in the territories, 80,000 are Christians. 

Right next door is Egypt which in 640 CE was predominately Christian.  Today 5-10% of the population are Christians, with 95%  being Copts or belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. There are other Christian groups represented in Egypt as well in the remaining 5%..   This means that there are 10 to 15 million Christians in Egypt as well as 3-4 million living abroad.  A few have been suffering from attacks by their Muslim neighbors lately.  I shall call this Anti-Nasranism acts, for they were killed just for being Christians.