Alan Dershowitz Visited Sderot

Alan Dershowitz is passionate about Israel. Besides speaking, he has written books defending Israel, like "The Case For Israel."

In March he visited Sderot to "stand in solidarity" with the people there. He said that "they were part of a long line of heroes who have resisited evil and have been on the forefront of the battle against genocidal murderers.."

He said that the terrorists were committing war crimes, and they are trying to commit genocidal crimes against humanity, and Israel is being condemned by the United Nations. Those who condemn Israel are complicitous in evil.

The war on Sderot and all of Israel is a conflict "between good and evil; between those who love life and those who peddle death."

Let's hope our president and future president hears his words.

Resource: from Baltimore Jewish Times
http://www.aish.com/societyWork/society/Alan_Dershowitz_Speaks.asp

John Voight Supports Israel

I watched John Voight today saying that he was just in Sderot and that he supports Israel. He saw the devastation there from the daily rocket shelling and was shocked that no one is saying anything about it. He is not speaking with a group, but from his own heart.

"All sane people should have a passion for Israel.... I'm thinking about the future of our world," he commented. He started serious thinking after the Vietnam War, noting that propaganda was a big influence. He feels that when we pull out of Iraq there is going to be a big slaughter of people and we will lose everything we have gained there.

He said to note history. Those that bless Israel will be blessed. Those that curse Israel will be cursed. Everytime that Israel has won a war since its inception in 1948 has been a miracle. Bless John Voight for speaking out.

Reference: http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/ : to watch click onto the bottom right corner. I had a hard time, but finally got to view it.

Finklestein Kept Out Of Israel and Dershowitz's Remarks

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel denied Professor Norman Finkelstein admittance into Israel on Friday, May 23rd. They felt that he had had contacts with people hostile to Israel because earlier this year Finkelstein had met a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. He also criticizes Israel and angers many Jews in the states and in Israel with his negative talks about Israel, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. He was questioned in the airport near Tel Aviv and put on a flight back to Amsterdam, where his flight originated.

Finkelstein resigned from the university in Chicago last year after being denied tenure, probably for his outspoken offending diatribes.

He told the newspaper, Haarets that he is not an enemy of Israel and supports a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

He and Noam Chomsky have been on the same side of attacking Israel in every way.
Added 5/28/08
Alan Dershowitz called Finkelstein a "Holocaust-justice denier", and that Ernst Zundel admires him. He is the neo-Nazi who was convicted of Holocaust denial in Canada and Germany who said that Finkelstein was "exceedingly useful to the Revisionist cause. Finkelstein has also been called the "Jewish David Irving"-Holocaust denier and admirer of Hitler. "


He said that "Chomsky is not a denier. He gets in bed with deniers-like defending Roger Faurisson, a French history professor who argued that the gas chambers used by Nazis to exterminate Jews at Auschwitz did not exist; and for that was convicted of defamation, fined and given a prison sentence." Dershowitz points out that Finkelstein makes survivors seem like liers. Chomsky is a zealous anti-Zionistic person and flirts with neo-Nazi revisionism and Holocaust denial. He has tried to get universities to divest from corporations that have ties to Israel.
Resource: Yahoo news: Israel blocks US professor from entering country by J. Federman
aish.com Alan Dershowitz speaks by Baltimore Jewish Times
http://www.aish.com/societyWork/society/Alan_Dershowitz_Speaks.asp

Obama and Brzezzinski Divorce

Obama has finally distanced himself from Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor, a former Polish immigrant. This is a man who has shown himself to be very anti Israel. Obama also said he has also distanced himself from Gen. Tony McPeak, another person not sympathetic to Israel's position. Having these people on his ticket now is certainly not incurring our Jewish vote in great numbers.

I would have been much happier had he not hired them on in the first place. I'd love to have heard the questions asked in their interview to get the positions. Surely Obama knew where they stood. Isn't it just to curry our votes that he dropped these people at this present time? Will they be hired back later?

Obama spoke in Florida in a synagogue today to Jews in order to calm their fears about him. It was very impressive. I can just hope it's from his heart and not from his young Jewish writers.

I can't imagine that Florida Jewish voters haven't realized that Obama is a Christian what with all the flack about Reverend Wright on the air. There has been no end to those comments. For me it's all the people that he surrounded himself with that were so belligerant about Israel and all the subtle little comments he inserted in his speeches. What worries us all is his lack of history to look back on. He hasn't been a senator long enough to have a voting record. It's like buying a pig in the poke. We are all being asked to judge a man on his oratory capabilities and not his past record.

Pastor John Hagee and John McCain's Tiff

Nadene Goldfoot
Pastor John Hagee had given his support to McCain, and has just been dropped by McCain over the past tapes of his sermons from Jeremiah 16 that say that the Holocaust came about to get the Jews to establish Israel and that G-d used Hitler to do it.

The fact is that Hertzl tried to get Jews there in the late 1800's and some followed him. It was hard work to live there, and the new immigrants were attacked many times while they farmed and tried to build settlements. The Jews that stayed in Europe were destined to die in the Holocaust. The lesson was that all should have gone to establish settlements in Israel. We just didn't have hindsight.

I got out my Tanakh (old testament) and started reading Jeremiah 16. I don't think my reading was the same as Pastor Hagee's. I couldn't find his references. To me, Jeremiah was telling the Jews of that day that they had followed other g-ds and ignored G-d and torah and that's why they have problems. It sounds like a good reason why we should stick to our own religion and not convert of other religions. Finally we will be brought back to Israel. Then some will tell us that it was stupid to believe the way our fathers did; that it was all futile to want to live in Israel.

 Finally, G-d's lesson is not to trust in people and make flesh and blood our strength and turn away from the one G-d. We need to trust in G-d. It goes on to say that the people will reply that they will do as they want and will follow their own ideas. Jeremiah didn't hate his people. He was trying to get them to straighten up and get back on track. Jeremiah, a later prophet in our history, was trying to get Jews away from worshipping idols in private and depending on the temple and feeling they didn't need to follow the torah and its rules of conduct. Then, Nebuchadnezzar had conquered and sacked Jerusalem, and the people felt G-d was angry with them. Jerusalem was destroyed and he was out of the dungeon that he had been locked up in, but he was free to see all his people being led away in captivity to Babylon. His prophecies came true, and were prophecies for that day. Seventy years later, the captives returned and started the 2nd Temple.

It seems that Pastor Hagee and I have a difference of opinion in understanding Jeremiah. I'm no Rabbi, and I know that Hagee does confer with one, who is mentioned in his 2007 book, In Defense of Israel. Hagee is writing to Christians, hoping to change their outlook about Jews and why they have a right to have Israel.

John McCain heard about the expose of Hagee calling into the above account as saying that Hitler was in the story as the hunter, hunting down Jews. Therefore he disengaged from Hagee.

To me, there really was no reference to the holocaust at all, though history does repeat itself many times. That's why we have to study history. We don't want to keep repeating the same old mistakes. Hagee is just trying to understand and explain the Holocaust to his listeners.

I feel that Hagee is a fantastic supporter of Israel. He has his own reasons, and I have mine. At least we're on the same highway and will help each other if one has a flat tire. Friends are hard to come by. I'll end with, Do NOT do unto others that which you not wish them to do to you.", which Victor reminds me was also spoken by Hillel.

Past and Present and Future for Israel

Today’s Thoughts About Bush and Rice

How has it happened that the Jews, scapegoats for the world for over 2,000 years, are still reviled by so many people. Jews have been burned, confined in ghettos, objects of ridicule, and almost exterminated, and yet many people cannot bring themselves to allow them their homeland in peace.

These same Jews have given so much to the world in spite of the conflict they have found themselves in. The very fact that one of them was proclaimed son of G-d by others started much of the world’s intolerance, but that was only half of the problem. Muslims couldn’t convert all of this stiff-necked group of people, so also turned against them. Even the Romans found them unbending, helping to create the climate that was to follow for all these years.

And yet this small group has survived and has regained their ancient homeland that they were taken forcefully from in 70A.D. The hatred of the world acted as the agent in keeping them together for all this time. They were confined to "The Pale" in Russia, ghettos in Italy, attacked and killed in the Spanish Inquisition, and when they wouldn’t convert in other places, forced out. When nations needed something, like economic growth, they implored Jews to enter their countries. How many times have they found that countries they were invited to then chose to ban them after their work was done.

Still, the population of Jews was almost decimated in the Holocaust, and the remnant founded Israel, finally with permission of the United Nations. The moment of declaration brought on a barage of attacks from all the Arab countries, and before we know it, people are siding with the 22 Arab countries by 1967. One teeny state against 22 Arab nations. 22 Arab nations whose lands contain oil against the speck of land called Israel which doesn’t have any oil. Much of the world has now sided with the Arabs who can deliver oil to them.

In an act of self-preservation, Israel has tried to protect its citizens and has had to retaliate against the attackers, only to find that because of their intelligence and capabilities in producing arms, they are now the bad guys. I see that people like to be on the side of the weaker ones, though they number in the millions and millions. Israel hasn’t even been a nation for 2,000 years and it’s people have been the scapegoat every time for any problem, and who has ever stood up for them? Not many.

The "Promised Land" was a far bigger piece at the time of the Balfour Declaration, and had been gnawed away before its birth. Much of it was given away to become Jordan. Surprise attacks from the Arabs gave Israel back some of the land it was promised to start with, and the surrounding countries want it back again so haven’t quit fighting. Now we’re contemplating giving back the Golan Heights, as if words spoken will give Israel a peaceful outcome. This is turn should make Syria a peaceful neighbor, and that would be great.

This is a time when Lebanon is being taken over by Hezbolla terrorists, and Iran is threatening us with atomic warfare, and are backers of Syria and Hezbolla. We’re being shelled every day in the South by Hamas. In other words, we’re almost surrounded by problematic behaviors that could erupt into an all out war.
And what does the USA expect from Israel now? Of course; give away the West Bank, "Judea and Samaria" to be Palestine, full of terrorists, the 23rd state. . What happens if this happens? Will Hamas join the Fatah group, some of which are still semi-terrorists in the area and fight from there? Will they abide by some peace accord? Will Rice encourage the establishment of the state without peace guaranteed for Israel? She has a very narrow timetable; by the end of the year. This fullfills Bush and her agenda, but it doesn’t help Israel at all to be further surrounded by an attacking force.

Sixty years of attacks, sixty years of being thought of as aggressors when attacked makes me feel that the whole world has become the town of Chelm, full of nutty people. As Spock said, "This doesn’t compute!."

WE ARE NOT ALONE: CUFI IS WITH US

I just got home from attending "A Night To Honor ISRAEL" held at the New Hope Community Church near the Clackamas Promenade on Stevens Road in Portland. It brought tears to my eyes several times. I saw a huge church full of people that were praying for Israel, and doing more than praying. They also raised a lot of money for the people in Sderot who are being rocketed every day by the terrorists.

Pastor Brian Cuff, CUFI's State Director welcomed us from a dias that was in the middle of a three way screen that blew his image up so that no matter where you sat, you could see the speaker. Then an group on stage played Hevenu Shalom, and the words were blown up on this 3 way screen. For Christians, they played our music awfully well. I was so impressed. The invocation was done by Rabbi Shlomo Truzman, who also is a marvelous Cantor, or could be.

Then the musical group played Havah Nagila, and everyone was standing. Baruch Adonai was played after that. I was amazed to see these people knew our songs and prayers!

A greeting was given by Israeli Deputy Consul General Ismail Khaldi. He is a Muslim, citizen of Israel, major in the IDF, and fantastic supporter of Israel. He gave an outstanding speech in support of Israel. His family had been in Israel for at least three generations as he spoke about his grandmother being there in about 1945.

Music was played and we all sang "Star Spangled Banner led by Jennifer Thatcher. I was so impressed with her voice. She should be on American Idol. Then we sang Hatikvah, Israel's National Anthem. It always brings tears to my eyes. Rhoda Schultz led that for us. She is a beautiful mother of five, Lebanese Christian living in the states who is also a wonderful supporter of Israel. She spoke as to why she supports us, and I could have just kissed her. She not only has a gorgeous voice and would be another winner on American Idol, but wrote a song she sang as well. I wondered if she were a part of Major Hadad's family in Lebanon, the major who helped protect Israel while I lived in Safed.

A greeting was given by Pastor Sharon Miller who spoke about Daughters of Zion, a group of women praying for Israel.

An Introduction was given by Randy Neal, CUFI Western Region Director, and then a video was shown of Pastor John Hagee, CUFI Founder from San Antonio who happens to be a fantastic speaker, and after him spoke Pator Brian Cuff again.

The main speaker of the evening was the retired Ambassador Ettinger, Middle East Consultant. He said that Israel was an important connection for America. We gave Judeo-Christian values to the pilgrims and Governor Bradford, so our value goes way back to the beginnings of USA. Today, Israel has developed technical things used in war that are used by the soldiers in Iraq. In 2007 our air force demolished a nuclear plant in Syria. We share information and how to do things with the US. The Russian systems are used by Iran. In 1981 Iraq had a nuclear reactor. The US even put an embargo on Israel for bombing the plant. We may have saved a lot of lives doing what we did. America is Israel's backbone. Israel is giving USA the highest return in the money it has spent on us. Hatred created Israel. It forced us to create the state of Israel. During WWII people did not help the Jews. These people have sworn, Never Again will they be quiet and not come to our aid. We are not alone.

The evening continued with passing a plate for a donation to Israel, singing Henei Ma Tov, and finally another fantastic person spoke. This was Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who is now a great supporter of Israel and he has converted to Christianity. He is one fantastic speaker. I wish he could speak in Washington DC and have all the presidential candidates hear him as well as Condoleeza Rice and President Bush. He has a most marvelous way of speaking and putting across the truth and telling why he changed over to be for Israel and not against anymore. He cannot return to live in Israel ever again because of his past, but he still continues to speak for us. He was a man who read, searched and questioned what he was fed as a religion and a philosophy. I wish there were more like him. I just wish him all the best. If I could, I'd take him back to Israel and give him a pardon. He's one in a million and I'm so happy to have heard him speak.

The evening was not over. There were refreshments in a dining area of delicious petit fours and an assortment of finger fruits. I sat down and met some lovely people who were interested in our Portland-Ashkelon Sister City Association. I'm glad I wore our tee-shirt. It starts a conversation.

Three fantastic speakers, Muslim, Jewish and Christian, all speaking in Israel's behalf. What a wonderful remembrance on Israel's 60th birthday. I've learned that there are people who truly care about Israel's existence and are knowledgable about it's history, of fighting to be born, and fighting to survive even after 60 years.