Red Cross Harbors Hamas Fugitives

I received the following from a friend of mine, Shmuel Sokol:

ICRC Harbors Hamas Fugitives
Samuel Sokol, Five Towns Jewish Times, July 22, 2010

The International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC] stated Tuesday that it is knowingly sheltering three wanted fugitives from the Israeli police in its East Jerusalem headquarters. Ahmad Atoun, Khaled Abu Arafa, and Muhhamad Totach, all representatives of Hamas’ Change and Reform list in the Pales tinian Legislative Council [PLC], have camped out in the Sheikh Jarrah building since the June 30 rearrest of Hamas MP and former Al Qassam Brigades leader Muhhamad Abu Tir.

Dorothea Krimitsas, a spokeswoman for the ICRC, stated that the three men requested Red Cross “protection” from Israeli security forces and were informed that “they could remain on ICRC premises, but also that the ICRC could not prevent the Israeli authorities from taking action against them.”

All three are wanted by Israel for illegally residing in Jerusalem after the recent revocation of their blue residency cards. The cards were confiscated following their refusal to renounce their affiliation with Hamas. Without a repudiation of their membership, Israeli authorities warned, the four men face deportation. (Read more....)

I think it to be more telling, though, to read the ICRC's responses to Shmuel's questions,

Dear Mr. Sokol,

Here are my answers to your questions, which I copied below for the sake of clarity:

I would like the position of the Red Cross on this matter and to know if this is being done as a matter of policy.

On 1 July, the three persons (two PLC members and a former Minister for Jerusalem Affairs) asked the ICRC's delegation in Jerusalem to provide them with protection. They were told that they could remain on ICRC premises, but also that the ICRC could not prevent the Israeli authorities from taking action against them. (What's stopping Israel from "taking action?" Worries over bad PR?)

The ICRC has also been in contact with the Israeli authorities from the very beginning, asking them to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law:

- East Jerusalem is occupied territory, and the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem are considered protected persons under international humanitarian law (Article 4 of the Fourth Geneva Convention).

- Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation to protect the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem and cannot lawfully undertake to forcibly transfer them from their homes. Under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, forcible transfers of protected persons are explicitly prohibited regardless of their motive.

Does the ICRC make a differentiation between the civilian and militant sides of Hamas and does it recognize Israel's categorization of all parts of the organization as terrorist entities?

It is not up to the ICRC, as a humanitarian organization, to confer a particular status on people or organizations or to recognize their legitimacy, neither does international humanitarian law. Under international humanitarian law – which is applicable in Israel and the occupied territories and is the law on which the ICRC's mandate and activities are based – everyone who is not a combattant (as defined in the Third Geneva Convention and in the First Additional Protocol), is a civilian.

In a recent study (A study? Study of what? Study with whom?), ICRC also interpreted (?!) that members of organized armed groups belonging to a party to the conflict lose protection against direct attack for the duration of their membership (i.e., for as long as they assume a continuous combat function). (http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/direct-participation-ihl-feature-020609) This principle of distinction is particularly relevant for the conduct of hostilities.

Has the ICRC been in touch with Israel in order to resolve this matter?
Yes. See my answer above.

I hope this information is helpful.

With best regards,


Dorothea Krimitsas

International Committee of the Red Cross
Media and Public Relations, Middle East
office +41 22 730 25 90, mobile +41 79 251 93 18
dkrimitsas@icrc.org

The ICRC - working to protect and assist people affected by involved in armed conflict and other situations of violence (...against Jews. Remember Terezinschadt?). Find out more: www.icrc.org

I think that Dorothea would like to get some additional feedback on this matter, don't you?


Additional related articles by Shmuel Sokol:
Hamas Four Renounce Their Party

Hamas Parliamentarians To Defy Israeli Ban

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

Return To French Hill, part 2

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Wa'Ethhanan-"Nahamu" 5769

Here is the continuation of my story of the bomb attack I survived seven years ago.

Return To French Hill, part 1

Ensuing Aftermath
I got onto the bus in Jerusalem wearing the electric company clothes I was given that morning. More like pajamas than clothes, I did not understand the nurse's concern about my leaving the hospital in hospital clothes. I was grateful for them nonetheless.

I arrived in Ofra, getting off the bus with groceries in one hand, and a sack full of blood and guts infused clothes in the other. I walked the short distance home to my meguron (half a trailer). I had to change clothes; I needed to go to some funerals. I ended up going to only two, the ones held in Ofra for Kindergarten teacher No'a Alon hy"d and her five-year-old granddaughter Gal Eisenman hy"d (Ma'aleh Adumim). They were buried side by side.

I felt compeled to go to more funerals. I wanted to go to all seven of those who murdered. I especially wanted to go to Shmu'el Efraim Yerushalmi's hy"d funeral in Shilo. I taught school with his father Rav Avraham, and knew him well. I had to settle for a shiva' call the next week. I do not know what I was thinking. I did not have the energy to do anything, let alone travel around the country attending funerals.

That afternoon, I called my rav about my clothes. Should they be buried? Yes, he said. Call Ofra's rabbi for specific instructions. As instructed, I wrote a note on the plastic bag filled with my clothes, and left it on one of the benches at the town's cemetery, for the Hevrah Qadishah to deal with.

My friends the Levs in Ofra took care of me that weekend, to the degree that I was willing to let them. I went to the funerals with them, and then they gave me a ride back to Jerusalem that evening so that I could complete some errands which could not wait.

The next day was Friday. I went to work, but have no clue as to what I was thinking. In retrospect, I now see all of the subtle effects the trauma had on me, the effects on the quality and progression of thinking included.

I justified teaching my two Friday morning classes, even though I still could not hear a thing with the normal chatter of 12 year old boys running in the background. Showing them the shrapnel extracted from my buttock, which was so obviously a screw in its original construction, quieted the boys down quite effectively.

My justification for going into work was to show my students how "not to let the Yishma'eli (Arab) enemy win" by interrupting the normal routine of our lives. I had forgotten to show them that it was perfectly acceptable to take care of ones own health as well. Yet, it was not a mistake for me, going in to teach.

One of my 6th graders said that we should have faith that the attack I was in was the last terrorist attack. We already knew that was not true. The day after the French Hill attack, a sniper infiltrated the town of Itamar near Shchem and shot and killed four members of the Shabo Family, the mother and three sons and Yosef Twito, a neighbor who had come to their aid. Another one of the Shabo sons lost his leg, as a result of his bullet wounds.

This same student's brother had escaped another sniper attack in Itamar, only a month beforehand. Shmu'el Efraim Yerushalmi hy"d was there as well. He escaped then, only to be killed a month later.

There seemed to be so much killing going around us. No one had been left unscathed by terror from the Yishma'eli enemy. Every time I began to talk about the attack, because I knew I needed to talk about the attack, I was met with, "When I was in an attack,..." or "When I was shot at,..."

Back home, the Levs had me over for all three Shabbath meals. Mrs. Lev made me promise to make it to "schul" to "bench gomel," and friend Pinny took my mind off of the attack. I lived along the northern fence of the town; they lived a good 25 minute walk away. Surprisingly, my wound did not hurt, walking back and forth all Shabbath.

I taught 3rd - 6th, and 9th grades that year. I only had to get through I week more of school, and submit grades. I finally figured out that I needed to take it easy, and I did.

I made that shiva call to the Yerushalmi Family. Rav Avraham pressed me for details of the attack. Did you see Shmu'el? What was he doing? Did he look happy?

I don't know.

Rav Avraham told me something I never realized until then. I was the last to see Shmu'el alive. He wanted me to tell him about the last moments in his son's life. I did my best to describe what happened. However, I don't think it was exactly what he was expecting.

Rav Avraham and his wife spoke with such great emunah (faith). His next son Yosef wore a photo of his brother in a makeshift locket around his neck.

One story which was recounted was Shmu'el's desire to change yeshiva's. He wanted to transfer to the prestigious Yeshivath HaTze'irim liY'rushalayim (Yashla"tz), the high school on the campus of the Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshivah, the site of yet another terrorist attack a year and a half ago. (When will it end?!) The assignment was to make a notebook, writing on the entire Sefer Sh'moth (Book of Exodus) with RaSh"I's commentary. He showed us the notebook, thick, complete, and thorough. He will be in another yeshiva from now on.

His next door neighbor Yonatan Eldad hy"d would killed at Merkaz HaRav several years later. The neighbors on the other side of the Yerushuslamis are the Kesslers, the grandparents of another one of the seven Jews killed in French Hill with Shmu'el, Gila Sarah Kessler (Eli). This street knows great sadness, yet it is not the only street in Shilo knowing such sadness. Shilo is not the only town knowing such sadness,...and anger.

This post may seem a bit "all over the place," or at least it does to me. That is because, at the time, I was all over the place, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So, this post is a pretty good reflection of where I "was at" at the time.

It did not take too long for me to start bouncing back forth for between "denial" and "anger." I was beginning to experience a taste of guilt, specifically what is often referred to as "survivor's guilt." yet several teenagers, and a five year old were killed. I had additional reasons why the others should have survived instead of me as well. I desperately wanted to know the answer to this question.

I sought out my rav, Rabbi David Bar-Hayim. I must qualify this before I continue, that I cannot repeat the eloquence of his etzah (counsel) here in this post. I will do my best to reflect what was key in what he relayed to me, its simplicity.

I told him that I thought about going up to Shmu'el Yerushalmi to say hello. Maybe if I had done that, he would have been in a different place, and so would not have been killed.

"Did you know him?" he asked. No. Then why would you have to go up to him? I could see his point.

"Furthermore, how do you know that the same outcome would not have occurred, even if you had gone up to him to say hello?" I didn't.

"We simply do not know the heshbonoth sheba'shamayim (accounting in Heaven). You don't know what would have happened, and we do not know why."

Many would have balked at these comments. But, they were just what I needed to hear. I felt an immediate calm. However, this would not be the last time I talked about the attack. I was certainly not finished working though it, nor could I have expected to be. It had only been a couple of weeks since having a suicide bomber blow himself up, only a few feet away from me.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

Return To French Hill, part 1

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Balaq 5769

When I tell people I was a victim of a terrorist attack in Jerusalem in Giv'ath Tzarfatith (French Hill), people always have to ask me, "Which one?"

There have been so many.

It was seven years ago. On 9 of the Fourth Month (Tammuz)/June 19, at around 7:00 pm, a Yishma'eli (Arab) blew himself up at the trempiada. Seven Jews were murdered as a result. Many Jews were also injured. I was one of them.

For seven years, I have wanted to write about this experience. For seven years I haven't. Shifra Hoffman of Victims OF Arab Terror [VAT] and SHUVA, and Gila of the My Shrapnel Blog have encouraged me to do so.

So, here I am,...finally....

The Attack
I was waiting for a "tremp" (ride) back home to Ofra, where I was living at that time. People waiting look for stickers on windshields, indicating the hometown of the driver, and probable destination. Everyone is focused on getting a ride, and holding on to their places in line, pretty much oblivious to anything else, including suspicious-looking individuals and activities.

All of a sudden there was a blast and clouds of smoke. A glance behind me revealed a chunk of something flying toward me. I felt the force of impact on my hip.

All of a sudden I could not hear anything, but a buzzing in my ears.

As a former lifeguard, my instinct was to see what I could do to help the injured. That was only after coming out of minutes of being frozen on the spot, not understanding how I ended up in this "movie," albeit with very realistic special effects. That was what it was like,...like being in a movie. Then countless news reports of previous terrorist attacks came back to me,...interviews of paramedics being interviewed, reminding people what to do:

Get out of the way! Allow the professionals easy access to the attack site, and let them do their jobs. Only afterwards, see what you can do to help.

After looking around at the dead bodies, and unrecognizable pieces of dead bodies, I knew that there was not anything that I could do to help anyone. I did not even have a spare piece of clothing to offer the screaming young lady, whose skirt seemed to have been blown off by the blast.

I left the trempiada, and started walking south in the direction of town, although I had absolutely no idea as to where I was going. I am not sure why, but I called a friend, let him know what had happened, and told him that I would call him later. I was surprised that I got through. The bump in cellular phone usage after terrorist attacks usually causes network overloads, and then it's impossible to get through to anyone. My friend told me to go to the hospital and get checked out. I told him not to worry, that I was OK, and did not need to go to the hospital. He reiterated his advices once more, then let it go, knowing how stubborn I can be.

My walk southward turned into a circular wander. A paramedic approached me, asking me how I was. I said I was OK, yet to him it was obvious that I was not. He began insisting that I take my pants down, which threw me. He was religious, and thus must know that would not be the most tzanu'a (modest) thing for me to do in the middle of the street. He said that he had to check to see if I had been injured, and that if I did not take my pants down, then I would have to go in an ambulance to the hospital. I thought he was crazy, until he showed the gaping hole in back of my pants with blood seeping though.

"I'll go in the ambulance," I said, figuring I needed a ride back to town, yet not knowing why needed to go back to town. In retrospect, I still cannot believe just how clouded me thinking was at the time.

In the ambulance, I was met by three young female volunteers, all very nice. I insisted on speaking Hebrew. Part of me may have been injured, but the Hebrew chip on my shoulder was still there. Then the one in the skirt mentioned that she was actually from Chicago. I had not been in the U. S. for years, and had no interest in an American identity, yet suddenly, I felt less alone. I do not remember what we talked about, probably nothing. But I remember beginning to feel better. I remember the kindness of all three of them. I remember thinking that Chicago was just around the block from my hometown of San Diego, even though it's not. I remember thinking that young lady from Chicago was my neighbor's daughter or even my neice I hadn't seen in a long time, even though she's neither, and I don't even have a niece.

As I later learned, she was not the only special person HaQadosh Barukh Hu (The Holy One, Blessed Be He) would be placed in my path that day, that week, and that first year afterward.

The Hospital
I was taken to Biqur Holim Hospital in the center of town. I given a bed in the emergency room, and a place where I could put my things. I remembered that I had done my Shabbath shopping that day. The nurses let me put my groceries and chicken into their tiny refrigerator, so they would not spoil.

Then, almost immediately, doctors and nurses started poking and prodding. I was take for x-rays, brought back, and given hospital clothes. I saw that the backsides of my clothes were soaked and caked with blood and guts (I am afraid I did not know how to be any more delicate about this.).


The nurses, Sefardi Chen and Russian Svetlana were the next "angels" sent to me.

I mention the their backgrounds to emphasize how diverse the involved with my treatment were. Later the American sonogram technician and French, haredi psychiatrist were to enter the scene. Many were visiblly religious; quite a few were not. See what I mean? In addition, at least half of the staff I was to encounter was made up of olim (immigrants), just like myself.

My initial emotional reactions to the attack were that I was worthless and undeserving of anything. Literally, I felt damaged and no good. For some reason, the nurses were able to relieve me of these feelings temporarily (I am tearing up as I write this. It's been seven years already, yet I still tear up when I think of those nurses and what they did for me.)

Chen held my face, encouraging me to look at her, and not satisfy my curiosity by looking at the procedure to remove the shrapnel. With every "ow" that came out of my mouth, she insisted that the surgeon shoot me up with more anesthetic. It's OK, I said. It felt more weird than painful, even though it was definitely painful. The amazing thing was that after the local anesthetic wore off, I did not need anything more than Acamol (similar to Tylenol) to get relief from the pain. Meanwhile, Svetlana was careful not to startle me as she aided the surgeon by maneuvering my hip and leg to his specifications. She had a pleasant face.

I will spare you the details as to how long it took to dig around the tissue of my gluteus maximus to find and remove the elusive of shrapnel implanted there. When it finally was removed, it was clearly recognizable as a mangled screw. The Yishma'elim pack their bombs with screws, ball bearings, and other assorted for maximum destructive effect. The surgeon washed it off, placed it in a corked test tube, and presented it to me, almost as if it was a souvenir from a very bad vacation. Actually, it was a souvenir of sorts, a souvenir which which I could showed to others, and to look upon myself, as proof that what happened to me, actually did happen. I have since lost that "souvenir." But, I don't really need it anymore.

At this point, I received a few phone calls of support, and two visitors from Ofra. They were strangers to me. I also had a couple of friends visit, my former roommate and former neighbors from Jerusalem.

Several hours after my arrival, things began to calm down. As is standard procedure, I met with the psychiatrist on duty. I just wanted to go home. But the decision was his, and his decision was no. I had no choice but to stay overnight.

I opened a siddur to say Qeri'ath Shema'. When I looked down at the page to find my place, I saw that I had opened the siddur to a song many Jews sing on Moss'ei Shabbath.

אל תירא, עבדי יעקב
(Do not fear, My servant Ya'aqov)

I could not sleep that night, but only because of lights that were on. After seeing the above song in my hands, though, I felt at ease.

When I woke up the next morning, as you could imagine, I was still sort of just moving through time, less like the movie that was the attack itself, but similar. The night before, I saw the blood all over my sandals, and washed them off. I only had one pair. Although I prefer to go barefoot anyway, I doubted I would be allowed on the bus without shoes.

Before I could think about going home, I had an early appointment with an ear, nose, & throat [ENT] doctor across the street. Everything was arranged for me, and I wasn't really given a choice. That was probably a good thing, as I was not in a position to make these kinds of decisions for myself. Several of us entered the ENT clinic. An announcement was made to those waiting that the victims of last night's attack would have priority in receiving appointments that morning. Everyone else would have to wait. Entering the waiting room, I could see from the Arabs' faces that they were none to pleased. The Jews maintained pleasant faces, yet faces of curiosity. Focusing on the Arabs, a leer and a grimace were all that I could muster up against the cousins of the Yishma'eli who killed seven Jews, not to mention shooting a piece of metal in my backside, and taking away my hearing.

The ENT was patient and gentle. She told me that my right eardrum had been blown out. Actually, there nothing left to speak of. Her instructions were simple. Don't get it wet, and it should grow back within nine months. If it didn't, then grafts were in order. She was optimistic that those would not be necessary.

Rather than get angry at HaQadosh Barukh Hu, I thanked Him for not taking away my eyesight instead. I have always been more visual than auditory, depending much more on my eyes than ears. I do not care to think what it would have been like the other way around.

I am not a terribly grateful nor spiritual person, or at least I wasn't at the time, but that thought just came to me. From where? I don't know. It just came to me.

Waiting IMPATIENTLY for the resident surgeon's final OK to be released, I received another visit from my former roommate. Upon hearing what had happened to my beged tzitzith, which was rolled up with my other bloodied clothes, he told me he would "be right back." Ten minutes later, he returned with a brand new talith qetanah. He knew me well enough to know that I did not like receiving gifts. So, he did not bother to mention what he was doing. He presented me with the new garment, saying that I had no choice but to accept it, as I had to perform this misswah. I begrudgingly accepted it with a half-smile on my face, and said thank you. He could tell I was grateful nonetheless.

After my friend left, a nurse asked me a how I was getting home, anticipating my imminent release. I said by bus. She pressed me to think of someone I could call to give me a ride. There was no one. I was getting back by bus or tremp. Not yet ready to go back to the trempiada, I chose the bus. Although uncomfortable, she knew she could not stop me. I would soon be released unconditionally. She had one last card to play. "You are NOT going on the bus in hospital clothes," she said, and picked up the phone to make call. I couldn't hear her. She explained that a man from the Electric Company would be coming shortly. Huh? What did the Electric Company have to do with anything? Was I that out of it?

The nurse explained that the Electric Company had a special charity which provided clothes to victims of terror attacks. Did I actually think I was the first to get my clothes plastered with blood and guts of murdered Jews?

The tall, curly-headed, headband-clad man in his 20's came bouncing into the hospital, smiling with a package to present me. It was an Electric Company uniform. Almost in tears, I asked him where I should return it. He said, no, it's yours. (Thinking and writing about the guy from the Electric Company is the other memory which never fails to make me tear up.) You don't return it; it's yours. He shook my hand and said refu'ah shlemah (complete recovery). It was obvious he had done this before. I took the clothes.

I was released shortly after noon. I picked my groceries, a plastic bag filled with my bloodied clothes, and made my way through the corridors to the exit.

I knew deep inside that this was only the first stage in a journey I would not recommend to anyone. But I was not thinking about this at the time.

To be continued...

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

Jewish Naqba النكبة

23 Nissan 5769

For those of you planning to observe Holocaust Memorial Day next Tuesday night (5:46), and for those of you who are not, for those of you who are of Ashkinazy decent, and for those of you who are not, I would like to recommend the below video montage, which provides some history and statistics regarding the pogroms and other atrocities incurred by Jews residing in Muslim countries.*

Although the plight of non-Ashkinazy Jews during World War II, such those in North Africa and Greece,** has gained increased publicity and understanding over the years, I still find it necessary to remind my fellow North Americans that the hardships on Jews

Those Jews from New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal are not unfamiliar with Persian, Syrian, Moroccan, and even Yemenite Jewish culture and history. Yet, most others still appear to be rather ignorant of their existence, let alone their histories, which which has paralleled their own.

Jewish Naqba النكبة (Catastrophe)


The singer in the background at the beginning is the popular Eyal Golan (5:46), a Yemenite. He is shown in the montage at the end, along with fellow Yemenite Ofra Haza (5:56), who you may remember from the '80's. She is the one singing in the last half of the video.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

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*For more information on on Jews from Muslim countries, see Shelomo Alfassa's site.
**A significant percentage of Dutch Jews identify as being Sefardi (Spanish decent).

Candle Light March: Don't Free Terrorists! - Free Gilad Shalit!

4 Shevat 5769

Memorial candle light march this Sunday night, 7 Shevat (Feb. 1), at 5:00 PM to emphasize that the policy of releasing terrorists resulted in 180 Jews being murdered since the year 2000.

The march will start in Jerusalem at Kikar Tzion (Zion Square), go towards the Prime Minister's House and then on to the President's house. Freeing terrorists simply endanger Am Yisra'el.

Please join us - for more info call 02-538-8999, 052-4239870

Sponsored by Almagor, the "Terror Victims Association"

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As a victim of terror myself (French Hill suicide bombing, 9 Tammuz 5762/June 19, 2002), I encourage you to take only 2 1/2 minutes of your time to find out more about this very important, non-profit organization.

"Releasing Terrorists Again?"

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

THE VIOLENCE OF ISLAM - HATRED IN THE KORAN

January 16, 2009

Is Islam a Violent Faith?

...Violence, Hatred and Discrimination in the Koran



















Dr. Sami Alrabaa

If you say that Islam is a violent faith, you are accused of being anti-Islam and you are propagating “Islamophobia.”

There are more than one billion Muslims around the world, and I’m one of them. We are told that the Koran is the “word of God.” When you read the Koran, however – which over 90% of all Muslims have never read, according to a survey by Bielefeld University in Germany, and if they ever do, either they do not understand its archaic language or they do not ponder on what it says – you find out that it is full of passages that incite to hatred, killing, and discriminate against women.

Below are some quotations from the Koran. We begin with what the “holy book” of Muslims says about people of other religions.

According to the Koran and many Muslims, Christians and Jews have left the true path of their religion. Therefore, they are infidels (unbelievers) like Buddhists and Hindus, for example. In other words, according to the Koran, only Muslims, i.e. 19% of the world population, are true believers. The rest are “unbelievers” and “infidels.”

Literally, the Koran says the following about the Jews, Christians, and other “unbelievers:”

“O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” (Sura 5, verse 51).

“And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah DESTROY them; how they are turned away!” (Sura 9, verse 30).

“And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah's guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper.” (Sura 2, verse 120).

“And KILL them (the unbelievers) wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.” (Sura 2, verse 191).

“Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.” (Sura 3, verse 28).

“And guard yourselves against the fire which has been prepared for the unbelievers.” (Sura 3, verse 131)

“And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress, surely the unbelievers are your open ENEMY.” (Sura 4, verse 101).

“O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).” (Sura 9, verse 123).

“Surely We have prepared for the unbelievers chains and shackles and a burning fire.” (Sura 76, verse 4).

“O you who believe! if you obey a party from among those who have been given the Book (The Jews and Christians), they will turn you back as unbelievers after you have believed.” (Sura 3, verse 100).

“And their taking usury (interests on money) though indeed they were forbidden it and their devouring the property of people falsely, and We have prepared for the unbelievers from among them a painful chastisement.” (Sura 4. verse 161).

“Surely Allah has cursed the unbelievers (Jews, Christians and followers of other faiths) and has prepared for them a burning fire.” (Sura 33, verse 64).

“And whoever does not believe in Allah and His Apostle, then surely We have prepared burning fire for the unbelievers.” (Sura 48, verse 13).

Does Allah discriminate? The Koran says:

“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.” (Sura 3, verse 110).

Therefore, what does the Koran say about those who turn their back to Islam and commit apostasy?

“They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them (the unbelievers) friends until they flee (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and KILL them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.” (Sura 4, verse 89).

Now, what does the Koran say about women? Here are some quotations:

“Men are superior to women because Allah has made so. Therefore good women are obedient, and (as to) those (women) on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and BEAT them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.” (Sura 4, verse 34).

“And as for those who are guilty of an indecency from among your women, call to witnesses against them, four (witnesses) from among you; then if they bear witness confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens some way for them.” (Sura 4, verse 15).

According to the Koran, a woman’s testimony is worth half of that of a man.

“O you who believe! when you deal with each other in contracting a debt for a fixed time then call in to witness from among your men two witnesses; but if there are not two men, then one man and two women from among those whom you choose to be witnesses, so that if one of the two errs, the second of the two may remind the other.” (Sura 2, verse 282).

As far as sex is concerned, women are sex objects, according to the Koran. They must be ready for intercourse any time the husband wishes so.

“Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like, and do good beforehand for yourselves, and be careful (of your duty) to Allah, and know that you will meet Him, and give good news to the believers.” (Sura 2, verse 223).

During menstruation, however, men should keep away from women; they are filthy. The Koran says:

“It (menstruation) is a discomfort; therefore keep aloof from the women during the menstrual discharge and do not go near them until they have become clean; then when they have cleansed themselves, go in to them as Allah has commanded you; surely Allah loves those who turn much (to Him), and He loves those who purify themselves.” (Sura 2, verse 222).

Women, according to the Koran, are, in general, unclean creature. After a Muslim has washed and prepared himself for prayer, he should not touch a woman. Therefore, “pious” Muslims never shake hands with women.

“O you who believe! do not go near prayer until you have washed yourselves; and if you have touched women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth, then wipe your faces and your hands; surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.” (Sura 4, verse 43).

In case of inheritance, a woman inherits half of the portion a man inherits:

“They ask you for a decision of the law. Say: Allah gives you a decision concerning the person who has neither parents nor offspring; if a man dies (and) he has no son and he has a sister, she shall have half of what he leaves, and he shall be her heir she has no son; but if there be two (sisters), they shall have two-thirds of what he leaves; and if there are brethren, men and women, then the male shall have the like of the portion of two females; Allah makes clear to you, lest you err; and Allah knows all things.” (Sura 4, verse 176).

And what kind of punishment does a thief get, according to the Koran, regardless how much they steal?

“And (as for) the man who steals and the woman who steals, cut off their hands as a punishment for what they have earned, an exemplary punishment from Allah; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (Sura 5, verse 38).

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that uses the Koran as its day-to-day law for all kinds of disputes and crimes. It is the Shari’a (Islamic law). For Islamists and conservative Muslims, Shari’a is the constitution and law that must prevail everywhere. They argue, what is better than the law of Allah which He, via the Engle Gabriel revealed to the Prophet Mohammed 1400 years ago?

King Abdullah, the absolute monarch of Saudi Arabia, said on a televised speech August 27, 2008, “We do not need democracy, we do not need political parties, we do not need Western human rights, we do not need their freedom of speech. What we need is the Koran. It regulates our life perfectly. It is the best legislation in the history of mankind, it is the word of Allah. There is nothing better than Allah’s law.”

The “Hadeeth,” a collection of statements and comments which Prophet Mohammed allegedly made during his lifetime, is also full of atrocities. Here is a sample:

“A woman came to the Prophet and admitted that she had committed adultery and thereafter became pregnant. The Prophet summoned her husband and all people of Median (in Saudi Arabia). He said, ‘This woman committed adultery. Therefore, after she delivers her innocent baby, all of you are going to stone her to death. This is Allah’s verdict.’ After she delivered her baby she was stoned to death in the center of the town.” (Narrated by Muslim, (a close contemporary follower of Mohammed), cited by Khoury, The Koran, p. 550).

Stoning women and flogging men for adultery are widely practiced in Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Hester on the scaffold in puritan Massachusetts, America of the 17th century, in the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, must have felt happy that she was not born among the “believers” in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Koran is filled with contradictions. While in sura 2, verse 256, it says “There is no compulsion in religion,” it urges Muslims to kill those Muslims who convert to other religions.

Both the Koran and the Hadeeth were collected after the death of Prophet Mohammed in 632. The second Caliph, Othman ordered collecting the Koran and the Hadeeth which had been written no where. They were memorized by Mohammed’s followers. Then Mohammed and his followers were illiterate. He disseminated Islam by the word of mouth. A committee was formed in Mecca and followers of the new faith queued up to deliver what they could remember from the Koran and Hadeeth. This campaign lasted for over 70 years.

That the vast majority of Muslims have not read or digested the Koran has two major implications. First, if rational, modern-thinking Muslims read the Koran thoroughly, they would desert Islam. They would argue that God cannot incite to hatred and violence. The Koran cannot be the “word of God.” Second, if simple-minded Muslims read the Koran and digested it, they would stick to the above “commandments” and we would have more radical and extremist Muslims around the world.

Certainly the Torah, the Bible, and other holy books have their own atrocious passages, especially those discriminatory ones against women, though with one difference: Muslim fundamentalists adhere to the above cited passages – in belief they are commanded directly by Allah – and implement them to the letter. Think of those suicide bombers in the Middle East and elsewhere and of the violent demonstrations against the “Mohammed cartoon” in some Muslim cities. But it is also true that the majority of Muslims simply ignore these dreadful passages like many Jews and Christians ignore their own.

After he received and read this piece, Henrik Clausen from Europe News asked me if I was not afraid of being declared apostate. I said, “No.” I’m fighting for a human and modern Islam. Besides, the truth must be told at all costs. I also told him, it is not my personal opinion that the Koran incites to hatred, violence, and discrimination, etc., as we have seen above – it is our “holy” book that is preaching all this. The cited passages prove that beyond any shred of doubt. I’m just citing what the Koran commands.

Further, the above quotations are intended to help critics of Islam present tangible evidence for their arguments. It is not enough to say, “I think, I believe, etc.” It is also not enough to say “I’m exerting my right of freedom of speech.”

There is no room for theological interpretations unless you handle the Koran in its own historical perspective. The religious establishment rejects any interpretation anyway. The slightest attempt to do so is rejected and its authors are persecuted as heretics. Think of the Egyptian theologian Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, who is now living in hiding in the Netherlands. Besides, for conservative Muslims and fundamentalists, the Koran, as it is, is valid for all times and for everywhere. It is the “word of God.” He is not fallible and moody like we humans are.

Reformers of Islam, and I consider myself one of them, argue that the Koran and the Hadeeth should be looked at in a historical perspective. Muslims 1,400 years ago were fighting Christians and Jews. Therefore, they hated them. The Muslims wanted to prevail at all costs, therefore these passages in the Koran. Women were discriminated against because this was natural in the Arab culture at the time, and is to some extent today. Apropos, the situation in Medieval Europe was not better.

In addition, it is one of two things: Either the Koran was concocted by the Muslim leader, Mohammed, or at least partly, or it was made up by his zealous followers after his death. Remember that hundreds or thousands of Muslims at the time contributed to compiling this work. They were promised Paradise for their contributions like suicide bombers are nowadays promised it plus 60 virgin girls.

*Note: The verse numbers may vary from one Koran translation to another.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr. Sami Alrabaa, an ex-Muslim, is a professor of Sociology and an Arab-Muslim culture specialist. Before moving to Germany he taught at Kuwait University, King Saud University, and Michigan State University.

Rocket Range Increases

11 Tevet 5769

Well, now that Yavne and Eshkol have been hit, rockets from the south of Israel continue to inch closer to Ben-Gurion International Airport and to Tel-Aviv.

The map below shows the shrinking space between the reach of rockets from the south and from the north, in the event that Hizbollah were to re-enter the fray from Lebanon.

The red dots indicate locations hit from the south or from the north, two years ago.

Meanwhile, talk has been quashed of rocket-launching potential from the Shomron (Samaria). If rockets were launched from Tul-Karem, 10 miles east of Netanyah, if would add an additional front to the war.

(Click the map to enlarge it)

I was in Rehovoth last night and this morning. Some fighter jets could be heard, no doubt due to the proximity of the Israeli Air Force [IAF] base. Located just southeast of Rishon LeTzion on the map, it is in the "We're Next" range of cities (light blue, along with Yavne).

I have been informed that bomb shelter preparation and tests have begun even in Jerusalem.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

Israel Dodges a Bullet

October 28, 2008

Israel Dodges a Bullet

Paul Hollrah

As the U.S. presidential election grinds slowly toward conclusion, the most significant foreign policy issue of our time… nuclear weapons in the hands of rogue states… rates barely a mention. The Democrat nominee, Barack Hussein Obama, has said that he would meet with friend and foe alike, anywhere, any time, and without preconditions… It represents a recklessness and a naïveté that is unparalleled in the post-World War II era and sends shivers up the spine of those who believe that idealists, children, and madmen should not be allowed to play with nuclear weapons.

As the U.S. presidential election grinds slowly toward Some have suggested that, if Obama is able to talk his way into an unthinkable electoral victory on November 4th, the long term dangers of his presidency would almost certainly trigger an Israeli attack on Iran sometime prior to Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009.

If the implications of a nuclear-armed sponsor of worldwide terrorism are not enough to make voters reject Obama, then they are either beyond fear or beyond rational thought. Three recent news reports, taken together, form the basis for a terrifying scenario.

First, in a July 2008 speech before conferees at the Claremont Institute, Dr. William Graham reported on a series of recent Iranian missile tests that he believes could be a plan for a nuclear attack on the United States. Graham is Chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.

According to Graham, one group of tests involved the launching of a Scud missile from a platform in the Caspian Sea. “Why would they be launching from the surface of the Caspian Sea?” he asks. “The only plausible explanation… is that the Iranians are figuring out how to launch a missile from a ship and get it up to altitude and then detonate it. And that’s exactly what you would do if you had a nuclear weapon on a Scud or a Shahab-3… and you wanted to explode it over the United States.”

He continued, “If even a crude nuclear weapon were detonated anywhere between 40 km and 400 km above the Earth, in a split second it would generate an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) that would cripple military and civilian communications, power, transportation, water, food, and other infrastructure.

“While not causing immediate civilian casualties, the near term impact on U.S. society would dwarf the damage of a direct nuclear strike on a U.S. city… The food distribution system… would grind to a halt as cold storage warehouses stockpiling perishables went offline.” The United States “would quickly revert to an early 19th century type of country… with ten times as many people, (and) ten times fewer resources.”

When asked how many Americans would die if Iran were to launch an EMP attack, he replied, “You have to go back into the 1800s to look at the size of population… America would be reduced to a core of around 30 million people.”

We know from what Obama has told us about the sources of his campaign cash that he’s either a very good liar or a very poor mathematician. But more importantly, is he capable of understanding what Dr. Graham is suggesting… which is that, following an EMP attack on the U.S., some 270 million Americans would die from disease, exposure, starvation, and urban violence?

Second, in an August 5th article titled, “While Diplomats Dither, Iran builds Nukes,” the former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Ambassador John Bolton, warns that, “The rationality of continued Western negotiations with Iran depends critically on two assumptions: that Iran is far enough away from having deliverable nuclear weapons that we don’t incur excessive risks by talking; and that, by talking, we don’t materially impede the option to use military force. Implicit in the latter case is the further assumption that the military option… remains equally viable a year from now as it is today. Neither assumption is correct.”

Taken together, these two reports describe what may be the most frightening international security threat in history. But it gets worse. There are those who, like Obama, think that we have a year or two to talk Iran out of any evil intent. But do we? Has Iran given even the slightest hint that they can be either contained or mollified? And just how close are they to actually pursuing their dream of an Israel-free world?

Obviously, much closer than Obama might think. Numerous reports out of East Africa tell of the capture and subsequent looting of an Iranian cargo ship, the MV Iran Deyanat, off the Horn of Africa. The vessel was steaming in a westerly direction toward the Suez Canal when it was attacked by 40 Somali pirates in high speed boats, all armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades.

The Iran Deyanat was taken to an anchorage at Eyl, a fishing village off the northeastern coast of Somalia, where it has been under constant surveillance by American, French, and Russian naval vessels.

As expected, the pirates issued a ransom demand for the ship and its crew. However, in the days that followed, as the pirates attempted to assess the value of their prize, things took a terrible turn. Upon opening one of the ship’s seven heavily-secured containers, they found it filled with a “gritty, sand-like” substance. In the days that followed, a number of the pirates suffered severe skin burns and loss of hair, and within two weeks 16 of them were dead.

Under the circumstances, HAZMAT teams were unable to board the ship to identify the contents of the containers, but can there be any doubt that the Russians are correct when they describe the ship as “an enormous floating dirty bomb, intended to detonate after exiting the Suez Canal… in proximity to the coastal cities of Israel?” Thanks to an unlikely “savior,” a group of Somali pirates, the Israelis have apparently dodged a bullet that would have devastated their population. (emphasis addad)

In an October 19th campaign speech in Seattle, Sen. Joseph Biden said, “Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy… We’re about to elect a 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America… Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

Yes, and it’s quite clear that the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden will all but guarantee the truth of that prediction, while the election of John McCain and Sarah Palin will cause our enemies to proceed with caution. Is that a price the American people are willing to pay just to see what kind of “change” is inside the Obama “surprise package?”

It does not bode well for the people of America, or for the people of Israel. Just as we cannot allow children and madmen to play with nuclear weapons, neither can we elect overly-permissive idealists to protect us from those who have them. So, if you are of the Jewish persuasion and you believe that Barack Obama and Joe Biden, with a little bit of “sweet-talk,” could convince the Iranians not to send another dirty bomb your way, you’d better ask your friends and relatives in Israel how they feel about it.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Paul Hollrah is a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Heritage Institute.

Ahmed's Bunker

Erev Shabbat Beha'alothekha 5768

YNET, the internet site for the Israeli and leftist Yediot Aharanot newspaper, reports that Child's poem entitled 'Ahmed's Bunker' deemed racist.

The YNET translation of the poem reads as follows:

Ahmed's bunker has surprises galore: Grenades, rifles are hung on the wall. Ahmed is planning another bomb!

What a bunker Ahmed has, who causes daily harm.

Ahmed knows how to make a bomb. Ahmed is Ahmed, that's who he is, so don't forget to be careful of him.

We get blasted while they have a blast!

Ahmed and his friends could be wealthy and sunny, if only they wouldn't buy rockets with all their money.

So, are there any of you out there who still believe in the myth that there is free speech in Israel?

If anyone knows the identity of this boy and his parents, please let me know. I believe we need to write letters of encouragement to them, and let them know that not everyone agrees with the leftist controlled, so-called "mainstream" Israeli news media.

I would like to encourage you to send [not spam] this poem to friends, to make sure that they know that it represents the real sentiments of a real Israeli child, writing for a school project, something which many of our children in the U. S. and other countries are doing as I write this.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth

They Were High School Students!

Alef d'Rosh Hodesh Adar Sheni 5768

I already wrote about the terrorist attack on Merkaz HaRav. Now that I have seen the list of victims, I'm too upset to write much more about this, so I'm doing a hand off to Batya at "Shiloh Musings." Please click "Another Grave to be Filled." Then click her main page, and scroll down through her coverage.

Yonatan Eldar HY"D of Shilo, and only 16, a junior in high school, was one those martyrs killed.

He lived next door to the Yerushalmi family, whose son Shmu'el Efraim HY"D survived the attack on another yeshiva high school, "Hitzim," six years ago, only to be killed himself a month later at the Givat Tzarfatit (French Hill) bombing, where I was the last one to see him.

I can't get Yonatan's face out of my mine: blond hair, glasses. He was only a student of mine for a short while, four years ago. He was only in the sixth grade, yet the principal and all of the teachers had to call upon him to install and operate software, or even fix their computers. He was that bright.

I just sat next to him in a tremp the other day. He was telling me that was studying at Yeshivah leTze'irim Yerushalayim [Yashla"tz], the Merkav HaRav associated High School, and most prestigious Religious Zionist yeshivah high school in the world.

I will miss you, Yonatan. May your blood be avenged!

When I go to visit your family, no doubt I will see more of my former students. It is a common custom for the martyr's classmates to sit with the family much of the time, and stay close by in the same town. They are after all like brothers.

Lately, I have bumped into many former students who are now serving in the Israeli Defense Forces [IDF]. I say to them "HaShem Yishmor Otcha" (May God watch over you).

From now on, I will have to remember to say this to every one I meet, even he's only on the way to school.

I don't know what else to say.

From Israel National News, The Jewish martyrs are:

Doron Mehereta, 26, of Ashdod
Yonadav Haim Hirschfeld, 19, of Kochav HaShachar (a community in the Binyamin region of Samaria)
Ro'i Rote, 18, of Elkanah (a community in Samaria)
Yochai Lipshitz, 18, of the Old City of Jerusalem
Yonatan Yitzchak Eldar, 16, of Shilo (a community in Samaria)
Neriah Cohen, 15, of Jerusalem
Segev Pniel Avichayil, 15, of N'vei Daniel in Gush Etzion
Avraham David Moses, 16, of Efrat, Gush Etzion

Doron, Yonadav and Ro'i were students in Merkaz HaRav; the others were students in the LeTze'irim Yeshiva High School of Merkaz HaRav in the adjacent building.

Seven of the ten wounded students remain hospitalized. The public is asked to pray for the recovery of: Naftali ben [son of] Gila from Sderot, Yonatan ben Avital, Shimon ben Tirza, Nadav ben Hadas, Reuven ben Naomi and Elchanan ben Zehava.

Cross-posted at Esser Agaroth.

ON THE MURDER OF THE TWO IDF SOLDIERS BY PALESTINIAN ANIMALS

Jeff Epstein wrote:

Friends:

The vileness of the liberal media has no bounds in Israel. Years ago I cancelled my free subscription to the International Harold Tribune which carried several pages of the Hebrew language Israel self-hating newspaper Ha'aretz translated into English. I could no longer take reading about how the terrorists who daily attacked Jerusalem and killed and maimed my neighbors, friends and co-workers were actually "militants."

Friday the editor of Ha'aretz was "outted" for advising Secretary Rice at a dinner-party for the "beautiful people" last time she was here, that the USA should "RAPE Israel." That quote has been reported as accurate by several who were present at the dinner and heard the words spoken. Not bad enough?

Over the weekend to young soldiers, friends who lived near each other in Kirat Arba near Hebron, together with a female friend went for a hike. Each soldier was from Top Elite IDF Commando Unit (the real deal!) They had their personal firearms with them because the hike was in area controlled by the murderous, hostile terrorist Palestinian Authority. The soldiers were ambushed and killed in the ensuing fire-fight (likely from running out of ammo). The entire country mourns these two elite members of the IDF who managed to save their female companion.

Today Ha'aretz published a story about the murders. The newspaper used the soldiers' deaths as a basis for a story about Jewish terrorists. Now perhaps folks will understand why I refused offers of free left-over copies of Ha'aretz as a donation to my beloved Jerusalem SPCA. I would not even use that rage to line the cages of the animals in our clinics!

Have a good week.

SDEROT UNDER SEIGE

AMERICA'S TRUTH FORUM TO CONTINUE EXPOSING ISLAMO-NAZI FIFTH COLUMN IN THE UNITED STATES

July 23, 2007
Click here to watch America's Truth Forum's promotional video


Dear Friends:

America’s Truth Forum intends to host its third in a national series of educational symposiums October 26th through the 28th in the Midwest. The event, by design, will not only prove to be intellectually controversial but should serve as a catalyst to awaken our citizenry and generate much-needed media coverage. Due to security protocol, the exact location of the venue will not be disclosed for several more weeks.

As you know, America’s Truth Forum, in conjunction with Basics Project, is engaged in the production of a first-of-its-kind national educational symposium series that addresses the threat of global terrorism. This series provides attendees with the opportunity to gather first-hand, fact-based knowledge from internationally renowned counter-terrorism experts, researchers, authors and operatives. This national symposium series provides in-depth examination of the ideological and theoretical aspects of this most critical issue, as well as real-time, intellectual, non-political information on current events and strategies used in the battle against an advancing Islamofascist agenda.

In 2006, by means of your generous financial support, America’s Truth Forum and Basics Project produced two critically acclaimed symposiums on the underlying roots of the current terrorist threat to the United States, specifically, the threat posed by radical Islamists utilizing terrorism as their weapon of choice

Those attending these two ground-breaking events heard from among seventeen speakers including: former CIA Director James Woolsey, David Horowitz, Dr. Harvey Kushner, Dr. Paul Williams, Wafa Sultan, Dr. Whalid Phares, former PLO operative Whalid Shoebat, Kenneth Timmerman (Nobel Prize nominee), Dr. Bruce Tefft, Joe Kaufman, Laura Mansfield, Jim Gilchrist and Hamid Mir, the only journalist to have interviewed Osama bin Laden after September 11, 2001, to name but a few.

These events were attended by representatives from government agencies, the military, law enforcement, the counter-terrorism community, the first responder community and the general public. The critique from everyone who attended was overwhelmingly positive.

We have assembled many of the same panel of globally recognized, counter-terrorism experts and have added a few more. Many have appeared as counter-terrorism experts on a variety of news channel talk shows and each is published on the subject, some numerous times. Their areas of expertise range from having provided counter-terrorism training to those in our government to having seen the horrors of radical Islamist terror first hand.

Apathy and political correctness have proven to be our worst enemies. Few of our fellow citizens realize what is at stake. Clearly, the freedoms that we all hold as sacrosanct are threatened and our country – as well as the legacy we will leave our children and our children’s children – is under siege. We simply cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this looming danger. If we fail to take the appropriate actions now, the next generations – our children – will be left to carry on the battle against and even stronger and more dedicated foe, an evil whose flame we failed to extinguish. Our legacy should be one of bravely confronting our adversaries, of diligently defending what is rightfully ours. Our actions need to serve as motivating examples for future generations, instilling in them the proclivity to stand resolute in the face of evil.

In order to effectively diminish and eradicate the threat of radical Islam to the United States – and the world – our culture must dispenses with alarmism and instead embrace the gathering of knowledge and the advancement of realistic and sometimes very serious solutions. Our initiative combines education and the stimulation of critical thinking geared toward solutions, two basics requirements for the successful resolution to this conflict

The national symposium series produced by America’s Truth Forum and Basics Project facilitates not only the education of the public and the private sectors, but it also affords a forum in which the participating counter-terrorism experts can exchange ideas, develop theories and formulate solutions they can then advance to our government and the defenders of freedom throughout the world.

In order to facilitate these advancements we need your financial support in underwriting the October event. Your continued support of our initiative will enable us to facilitate fact-based and realistic solutions over rhetoric.

Let us not forget, the onus of responsibility for the dissemination of accurate and truthful information regarding this looming danger has fallen on our shoulders. It has become the civic responsibility of We the People. It has become a duty of vigilance, demanded by the spirit of our Founders, in defense of our nation. We owe it to the millions of brave souls that made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf – our Nation’s finest who paid with their lives so we could live free.

Because both America’s Truth Forum and Basics Project are recognized 501(c)(3) organizations, your generous donations are now fully tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Please contribute what you can. No amount it too small and no amount can ever be too large. By contributing toward this selfless cause, you will be securing the right of freedom for our children and hope for continuation of the Great American Experiment.

Please help us to help America by contributing at either our website via the PayPal link or forward your donation to:

America’s Truth Forum
P.O. Box 802
Glastonbury, CT. 0603
www.AmericasTruthForum.com

It is crucial that you take the initiative to share this appeal with other like-minded individuals and please take a moment to let us know if you will be in attendance for our October 2007 event.

Your continued support and generosity is greatly appreciated.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey M. Epstein
President, America’s Truth Forum

Frank Salvato
Executive Director, Basics Project

America’s Truth Forum Copyright © 2007


America's Truth Forum | PO Box 802 | Glastonbury | CT | 06033

A Postscript to Releasing Terrorists

Prof. Paul Eidelberg

The government’s releasing terrorists as good will gestures to Muslims and Arabs has never brought Israel or the world one step closer to peace. To the contrary, such gestures reward terrorists and therefore encourage terrorism everywhere.

The only way to deal with terrorists is to punish them—and so severely as as to discourage further acts of terror.

You cannot negotiate with terrorists, with those who want to destroy you. What is there to negotiate about—the process or date of your destruction? When people plan to destroy you, you must destroy them—period.

To release terrorists—murderers and would-be murders—is to destroy justice and the sense of justice. It is to erase the distinction between good and evil. It is to erode the morality of one’s own people—especially youth.

Moreover, by releasing terrorists the government becomes complicit in murder. Indeed, such a government violates international law.

Finally, if a government makes it a policy of releasing terrorists as good will gestures to their terrorist leaders, that government ceases to fulfill its first and foremost function: to protect the lives and liberties of its people. Such a government ceases to be legitimate. Such a government forfeits the loyalty of its citizens. Such a government must be removed and, if conventional means are not available, unconventional means must be employed.

Public Relations Message

RALLY in Washington DC this Sunday June 10

Stand With Israel Rally In Washington, DC

Show your support for Israel
in Washington, DC on June 10, 2007.

Don't let the anti-Israel lies go unanswered!

Support Peace.

Support Democracy.

Support Israel.

You are needed June 10 in Washington DC to Stand for Israel!

On Sunday, June 10, the extreme leftwing and Islamist groups are coming to Washington, DC by the busloads to demonstrate against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Groups like the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink - all with one aim. To destroy Israel. They think no one will counter them. They're wrong. You can show the media, the world and Israel that American citizens Stand with Israel - come to the rally on June 10.

Organizations Supporting Stand With Israel Rally

• AMCHA - The Coalition for Jewish Concerns
• American Congress for Truth
• American Jewish Congress Western Region
• Americans for a Safe Israel
• Center for Vigilant Freedom
• Christians’ Israel Public Action Campaign
• Endowment for Middle East Truth
• Free Republic
• Society of Americans for National Existence
• Stand With Us
• The David Project
• The Jerusalem Connection
• United American Committee
• Unity Coalition for Israel
• Young Democrats of America - Jewish Caucus
• Zionist Organization of America

You CAN make a difference.


Come to Washington DC on June 10, and join us in a rally to support Israel's right to peace, security and defensible borders!

View this powerful new video for the June 10 Stand With Israel Rally!

UPDATE 6/07/07 4:00 p.m. : Great news! We have a permit for the rally so we will have a stage and sound system for all our speakers. We'll post the tentative list of speakers shortly - check back daily for updates, because so many groups are gathering from around the country to show their support.
UPDATE 6/08/07 9:00 p.m.: We have a good sturdy stage for speakers, loaned by the wonderful folks at Capital Church in Sterling and a truck to bring it to the rally. The sound systems are being donated by various groups coming from other states - thank you all - Bring your signs and flags - let's send the message loud and clear of our support for Israel and against extremist groups!

Israel's opponents are on the move: On June 10, 2007, to mark the 40th anniversary of Israel's 1967 war of survival, the extremist groups "United for Peace and Justice" and "Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation" will hold what even the liberal magazine Tikkun called a rally for the "dissolution of the State of Israel." The "United for Peace and Justice" coalition includes such radical organizations as the Socialist Party USA, the Young Communists League, Communist Party USA, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Israel's supporters depend on you: We will gather on the West side of 3rd Street on the Mall, between Madison and Jefferson Drives. This Counter-Rally truly is the product of a few citizens who are deeply outraged that Israel's opponents might have demonstrated in our nation's capitol without any patriotic opposing voices who will tell truth to counter these lies. We must stand up to lies and distortions.

We will have a sound system and a speakers' platform, so we can show our support with our great speakers from so many organizations, our signs, flags, patriotic songs and our own strong voices as individual citizens exercising our right to assemble. We are bringing some signs and flags for you to hold, sponsored by Stand With Us. We encourage you also to make your own signs, but please use the messages listed below or similar ones.

Date: Sunday, June 10

Place: Begin assembling on the west side of 3rd Street on the Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive at 1:00 PM. Look for our American and Israeli flags on June 10.

Time:

• The Counter-Rally: The Stand with Israel Counter-Rally begins at 2:00 PM and lasts until 4:00 PM
• UPDATE: The March: The Anti-Israel March, from the Capitol to the Ellipse, begins at 4:00 PM. The Anti-Israel March route is southwest on Maryland Avenue, then west on Independence Avenue, then north on 15th street, about 1.5 miles.

• We have a permit for a rally BUT NOT for a march, so here is our plan. We can stand as individuals, along the path of the Anti-Israel March, with our signs and banners to make a powerful visual statement supporting Israel. We plan to stand along the North side of Independence Avenue, and the East side of 15th Street (off the sidewalk so pedestrians can pass). People who want to make this powerful statement supporting Israel will given specific times to start walking, to get in place in advance of the Anti-Israel March. They will stand along these blocks as individuals with our signs and flags:

• • 4^th & Independence
  • 7^th & Independence
  • 9^th & Independence
  • 12^th & Independence
  • 14^th & independence
  • 15^th & Independence
  • 15^th & Jefferson
  • 15^th & Madison

What to bring: Bring a cell phone, food, water, a hat, and sunscreen. Good weather is forecast, but bring an umbrella if it looks like rain....

Transportation: Don't drive--there is limited public parking on Capitol Hill. Take the metro to either Union Station on the red line or [corrected metro station] Federal Center SW on the orange/blue lines

Stand With Israel Rally
Speakers Agenda

Opening – Desiree Bernstein

Christine Brim, Center for Vigilant Freedom

Kristinn Taylor, Free Republic

James Hutchens, Jerusalem Connection

Pamela Hall, United American Committee

Roz Rothstein, Stand With Us

Michelle Rojas, Stand With Us

Andrew Summey, The David Project

Mort Klein, Zionist Organization of America (statement)

Brigitte Gabriel, American Congress for Truth (statement read by Stephanie Reis)

Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy (statement)

Herbert Zweibon, Americans for a Safe Israel (statement)

David Yerushalmi, Society of Americans for a National Existence (statement)

Lisa Ramali Vincent (statement)

Desiree Bernstein, 9-11 Families

Harry Baumgarten, Student

Kevin Martin, Project 21

Closing – Roz Rothstein, Stand With Us

Bus From New York City: We have confirmed that we will be able to charter a bus from New York to D.C. this Sunday, June 10th. The cost of the bus is $10 for students and $20 for non-students. The pick-up will be in front of the Empire state building at the corner of 34th and 5th at 9:00 a.m. WE WILL LEAVE BY 9:15 THE LATEST SO PLEASE BE ON TIME. The bus has limited seating so please rsvp to Michelle at mrojas@standwithus.com, to let us know that you will be using the bus as your mode of transportation down to D.C. Furthermore, if you plan on driving please inform Michelle as well if you have any extra room for passengers and/or materials. Don't forget to bring lunch with you...we will most likely be stopping at a mini-mart but in any case, everyone should have something to hold them over. As well as water, a hat, Israeli and American flags if you have them, and most importantly, your love for Israel!

Messages for signs:

• Israel We Stand With You
• Suicide Bombing is mass murder
• Hamas and Hezbollah: Allow the Red Cross to visit the abducted Israeli soldiers
• Palestinian Terrorists Terrorize Israelis and Palestinians
• UK, US and Israel Allies Against Terror
• Free the Palestinians from Hamas
• HAMAS Stop the Aggression
• Israel Must Defend Itself
• Stop the Qassam Rockets
• Hamas stop terrorizing the children
• Pick a side: Hamas and Hezbollah or Peace and Freedom
• Israel seeks a partner for peace
• Stand for Freedom, Stand for Israel
  
• Teaching Children to Hate Will NEVER Lead to Peace!
  

For more information, please email our volunteer coordinators.

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KNOW THESE POINTS ABOUT ISRAEL.

Use them in your conversations about the Arab-I sraeli conflict.

POINT : Israel’s size is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab World.

POINT : Israel has 1,300,000 Israeli -Arab citizens, who are 20% of its population. Israel also officially recognizes and gives privileges to 15 different religions.

POINT : Palestinian Arabs living in the territories are not citizens of Israel.

POINT : There was no Security Fence along the West Bank prior to the relentless violence in 2002, and since it was built, terrorism has dropped by 85%

POINT : Israel wants peace and is willing to make painful compromises by giving away land as it did for peace with Egypt and Jordan. Today it is unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza.

POINT : Where is the money? Arafat was given billions of dollars to improve living conditions for the Palestinians. He did not build schools, roads or hospitals. He did not improve housing or sewage systems. Those billions are missing. Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to misappropriate funds sent by well-meaning organizations like the U.N. and the E.U. Instead of building a Palestinian state these funds are being used to attack Israel. Why?

POINT : Peace Must Be Taught The PA must immediately change the message being taught by its clerics who call for the murder of Jews and by its teachers who deny Israel’s right to exist. PA schoolbooks must promote peace, not hatred.

POINT : The PA Charter Must be Changed. It still calls for the destruction of Israel, just as the Hamas Charter does.

POINT : Israel is a reestablishment of the Jewish State Jews have lived in and identified with this land for thousands of years. The Old Testament, New Testament and Koran all refer to this area as the land of the Jews. Even if one is not religious, these old documents are another way to show that Jews are indigenous to Israel and the surrounding area.

POINT : The Definition of Zionism: If you believe that Jews have a right to self-determination and to their own country in the area that is ancient Israel where they have maintained a presence for thousands of years, then you are a Zionist. Most Jews are Zionists, as are many non-Jews.

Produced by StandWithUs