"So Who Stole His Clothes?"

For all of you who are sick of my overly serious emails - one of our subscribers, Rami Yanovski, sent me the following

..At the emergency meeting of the UN regarding another conflict in the Middle East, the floor has been given to the Israeli Consul.

The Israeli Consul began, "Ladies and gentlemen before I commence with my speech, I wanted to relay an old story to all of you......When Moses was leading the Jews out of Egypt he had to go through deserts, and prairies, and even more deserts... The people became thirsty and needed water.

So Moses struck the side of a mountain with his cane and at the sight of that mountain a pond appeared with crystal clean, cool water. And the people rejoiced and drank to their hearts' content. Moses wished to cleanse his whole body, so he went over to the other side of the pond, took all of his clothes off and dove into the cool waters.

Only when Moses came out of the water he discovered that all his clothes have been stolen... And I have reasons to believe that the Palestinians stole his clothes."

Yassir Arafat, hearing this accusation, jumps out of his seat and screams, "This is a travesty. It is widely known that there were no Palestinians there at the time!!!"

"And with that in mind," said the Israeli Consul, "let me begin my speech..."

Prayer and self-education

1. In light of the current situation, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has called for Monday (tomorrow) 3pm. to be a special moment of prayer in Israel and around the world. It is the day before Rosh Chodesh, which is to be observed as "Yom Kippur Katan", and special penitential prayers will be said. A great many leading Rabbis around the country have joined the call for the day to be one of 1/2 day fast, increased learning, good deeds and charity.We are encouraged to congregate at the Western Wall, in our local Synagogues or if unable to join a congregation to pray alone. Psalm 121, emphasising that we rely on the Almighty, has been designated as particularly appropriate for for this trying period. If you can't get to a book of Psalms the following link will take you to the RSV translation of psalm 121
http://www.nitpik.com/Bible/19-psa.html#121 .


2. Birzeit University www.birzeit.edu (The Palestinian University) Development Studies Program http://www.birzeit.edu/dsp/ has conducted surveys amongst the Palestinians as to their views on the current situation. This is the second survey they have conducted. The above site will allow you to browse and gain your own impression. The detailed results are at http://www.birzeit.edu/dsp/surv2/results.html the detailed results from the first survey are at http://www.birzeit.edu/dsp/survey/results.html

3 short items

1. www.honestreporting.net today sent a request to respond to a VERY one sided piece in the Economist. If you have not yet subscribed, I encourage you to. If you are concerned about being "innundated" with emails, so far this site has sent only one or at most two a week. You can always unsubscribe. Let me know if you want me to forward you the request.

2. I recommend that visit the The Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) site, at www.memri.org. They translate Arabic media. There are many excellent sources. Have a look at the eye-opening article number 155 entitled "Three Palestinian Viewpoints on the Intifada and the Future of the Palestinian State". The three viewpoints are set out as the PA's official position, the Islamic movement's position & that of the Palestinian left. A bit frightening. In summary, they vary on tactics, but the objective is identical - and it does not include a Jewish presence in the Middle East.

3. One of our list members, Moshe Fried, reports that on Galatz (Israeli Army Radio station 96.50 FM) at approximately 7.10am on 19 November 2000 Micha Friedman (a reporter) used the phrase (translated from the Hebrew) "The terrorist attacks and the shooting at the settlements ... ".

Moshe asks 'since when is shooting at settlements "acceptable" and not part of the "piguim" terrorist attacks"? ! Since this is the army radio's way of reporting how can you expect any better from the foriegn media?'

This may seem minor, but I agree with Moshe that the Israeli army radio needs to be careful & consistent - otherwise we can't expect better from the world press. Has the Israeli army de-legitimised the settlements & defined shooting at them not to be terrorist attacks? A short note sent to tarbut_g@galatz.co.il may help draw attention to the issue.

A constructive response to terror

Those of you who subscribe to www.honestreporting.com will have seen the request to respond to the latest bias in CNN reporting. (Ask if you want me to send to you.)

Attached is another article from the Jerusalem Post by a member of our Synagogue. Whilst Michael's views are usually a little right of mine, he does make an interesting point. The thing that brought Arafat to the peace table was not just international pressure and financial bankruptcy of the PLO, but the huge Russian Aliya together with the settlement program which came at the same time. Arafat saw that if he did not act, there would not be much territory left to argue over. Food for thought.

The Jerusalem Post, November 21, 2000
A constructive response to terror
By Michael Freund

(November 21) - After the horrific bombing of a school bus near Kfar Darom in Gaza, voices have already been heard demanding the removal of Jewish settlements from the area. Just three hours after the attack, MK Tamar Gozansky told Israel Radio that Prime Minister Ehud Barak would be wise to uproot such communities to enable the peace process to get back on track.

On the other side of the political spectrum, calls are mounting for a more forceful response, one that would employ the full power of the IDF to punish the terrorists and those who permit them to operate freely.

In the heat of the debate, both sides have overlooked a straightforward and blood-free option that might make the terrorists think twice before perpetrating such outrages. To put it simply: the more you kill us, the more we will build. For every Palestinian act of destruction, Israel will undertake an act of construction. It is a solution that has its roots in the Zionist response to the Arab riots of 1936.

Alarmed by the growing Jewish presence in the land of Israel, Arab rioters attacked Jaffa on April 19, 1936, and killed 16 Jews. Shortly thereafter, the Arab High Command launched a general strike, and insisted that the British mandatory authorities adopt measures aimed at restricting the expansion of the Yishuv, as the Jewish community of Israel was then known.
The leaders of the Yishuv, such as David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weizmann, faced a dilemma. To appease Arab violence would require agreeing to the cessation of Jewish immigration and land reclamation. But such an option would not only have run counter to basic Zionist principles, it would have further weakened the shaky demographic equation between Jews and Arabs in the struggle over who would control Palestine.

In his memoirs, Ben-Gurion describes how the Yishuv ultimately decided to respond to the Arab demands: "The Yishuv defended itself with courage, wisdom, and restraint... Not one Jewish settlement was abandoned; instead, new ones were established." (Israel: A Personal History, p. 48.)

Rather than yielding to Arab threats and violence, Ben-Gurion and the Zionist leadership pressed forward. In the face of those who sought to reduce the Jewish population, they responded by intensifying efforts to enlarge it as much as possible.

Modern-day Israel would do well to follow this example. Punishing Arab terror with retaliatory measures is of course necessary to ensure that such actions are not allowed to continue with impunity. But if Israel aims to truly put a halt to terror, it must hit back at the Palestinians where it really hurts them most: on the issue of settlements.

The Palestinians' primary complaint in international forums and in its negotiations with Israel is the expansion of Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. The Palestinians use nearly every media opportunity that comes their way to drive home the point that they find building in the settlements to be utterly intolerable. It is this "sensitivity" on their part that Israel needs to begin exploiting.

Israel should announce a change in policy, whereby every destructive Palestinian act of terrorism will be met with a constructive Israeli response. This is not to imply a moral equivalence between the two. Just the opposite.

The central aim of terrorism is to kill Jews, to reduce the number of Jews living in Israel. Thus, it must be made clear to the Palestinian Authority that for every Jewish home that is shattered by the murder of a family member, a dozen more homes will be built in a settlement in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Any attempt to reduce the number of Jews living in Israel will be met by efforts to increase that number.

An added benefit of such a policy is that the Palestinians will have only themselves to "blame" for continued building in the settlements. Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will know that every time he permits Hamas to blow up a bus, he is in effect issuing a building permit for another Jewish neighborhood in Gaza.

Thus far, Israeli military retaliation has failed to stop Arafat from fomenting violence for his own purposes. But the expansion of the Jewish presence in his vicinity may be more than even he would be willing to bear.

(The writer is a former deputy director of communications and policy planning in the Prime Minister's Office.)

Arafat keeps his word

Yassir Arafat has proved his control over the situation. He instructed shooting to stop from "Area A" (under PA control) - and it has. As anticipated, violence has stepped up in other areas (under joint control or Israeli control). The following 2 stories are on the morning schoolbus attack. Let's pray it does not get worse. More details can be found on www.israelwire.com including reports from yesterday.

IDF commanders begin dissecting Monday
morning terror attack (NOV.20 – 10:33-IST)

(IsraelWire-11/20) The Deputy Division Command in Gaza, Colonel Pini Levy, explained that the attack in Gaza on Monday morning near Kfar Darom was one in which terrorists deliberately chose to hit a schoolbus.

Levy told Israel Radio that the terrorists most likely used a large explosive device placed meters from the road. He elaborated that the attack involved several persons, pointing out the bomb had to be placed on location, requiring a look-out, intelligence information and escape route to name some of the logistics involved.

Levy stated that it should be understood that the terrorist intentionally targeted the yellow schoolbus, waiting for the IDF jeep escort vehicle to pass and then detonating the fatal blast against the armor-plated schoolbus.

The bus was carrying thirty children and adults on their way to school from Kfar Darom when attacked.

An organization calling itself “al-Aqsa” has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Israel Radio is reporting that a military tractor is at this time destroying an agricultural field in the area of this morning’s attack.


Update on victims of Monday terror attack
(NOV.20 – 09:30-IST)

(IsraelWire-11/20) According to the Office of the Spokesperson of Soroka Medical Center, nine victims of the terrorist attack were transported to the trauma center.

Three victims, two males and a female, are listed in serious condition, and are currently undergoing emergency surgery. Three are listed in moderate condition and three in light condition.

Soroka has established an emergency information number for inquiries regarding the wounded. 055-125-122.

A tenth blast victim was transported in light condition to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

Two persons were killed in the blast. The charred remains appear to be that of adults.

There does not appear to be military personnel included among the wounded. Soldiers traveling in armor-plated vehicles were escorting the armor-plated bus. Military commander stated with certainty that the armor-plating of the bus and jeeps averted an even greater tragedy.

Preliminary reports from senior military commanders indicate the explosive device was extremely powerful and resembled blasts used against IDF forces in the former security zone of southern Lebanon by Hizbullah.

Are things improving?

It's hard to judge what is "progress", but the International Herald Tribune had 2 interesting articles.

1. Arafat seems to be making attempts to curb the violence - or at least limit it to certain areas: see http://www.iht.com/articles/1822.html

2. An interview http://www.iht.com/articles/1813.html with the commander of the IDF forces on the West Bank is worth reading

Also see:

3. A selective summary of events so far at http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/israelwire/articles/827001.htm

Please note that if you want to read these articles or pass them on in the future, you should download them to your PC or send them to yourself by email. In general, newspaper links do not stay on the net very long at the same addresses.

How will Israel know when Red Crescent ambulances are on a rescue mission or a military vehicle?

Please read the attached news report.

The email address for protest to the International Red Cross is press.gva@icrc.org the website is www.icrc.org

Red Crescent ambulance used to transport terrorists in Bet Jala (NOV.16 – 12:19-IST)

(IsraelWire-11/16) IDF commanders report that helicopter gunships fired air-to-surface missiles at an abandoned building in Bet Jala that was being used by PA forces to launch shooting attacks against Gilo on Wednesday afternoon, evening and night.

The unnamed military sources, quoted by Israel Radio, report that once again the PA used a Red Crescent ambulance to transport the Tanzim forces to Bet Jala to launch the attacks. Israel has already filed complaints against the PA for violating accepted international and humanitarian laws, detailing several instances in which ambulances and Red Crescent facilities were used in the perpetration of attacks.

PA sources report seven persons wounded in Bet Jala from IDF fire and two buildings were destroyed.

In total, the PA is reporting eight killed in the day’s violence and dozens wounded.

Forgo the settlements in the West Bank?

Here's a question I got re yesterday's post

"Dear David,
I'm following through with nearly every suggestion you send,
that can help Israel resolve the issues for peace.
I have one question,
wouldn't it make sense to forgo the settlements in the West Bank? So many lives
are lost having isolated settlements to protect. I don't see such an action as a
sign of weakness. It is better to use sechel than force.
Thank you for
keeping me informed. Shalom, Al"

and my answer ....

I am sharing your question and my answer with my whole list. I am really no more knowlegable or educated than anyone else, but a few people have asked for me to write something personal as well as what I am already circulating. I hope you don't mind.

There are certain settlements that are clearly indefensible in the long run in the current environment. Barak has said he will give up some settlements as part of a final peace settlement. The question is when and how? Will the "current environment" be the environment that exists when peace does finally arrive? Do we give in to the current violence & pass out the few cards we have left in our hand? The question is not what we think is weakness, but whether the Arab mind would see it as a weakness and thus make peace an even harder goal to achieve? Do the Palestinians see a real difference between Netzarim, Haifa, Tel Aviv or my home in Ra'anana? Are we willing to move the stones, molotov cocktails and rifle fire from the current "borders" to new locations? Where is this current situation leading us at all? For successful negotiations, both parties need to perceive that they have something to gain by completing the negotiations & something to lose if they get up & walk away. For us peace is a gain, war is a loss. Do the other side have the same values? I don't know the answers - but I hope that Barak (who is willing to show more patience and make more compromises than I am) does. Certainly he is not afraid to withdraw if it is in Israel's interests - as he proved with Lebanon.

Rabbi Weiss, an American friend from Chicago via Dallas, who now runs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana (support & lectures etc. for English speaking Olim), once told me the story of the visit to Israel by the Pope prior to the 1967 war. The Pope wanted to visit Jerusalem, but would not come via Israel. The Jordanians built a special road for him from Jordan to the Old City of Jerusalem to allow his convoy to visit Jerusalem. The Jews of the world were outraged and shocked from every perspective. Religious Jews asked themselves how G-d could allow this slap in the face to the dignity of the Holy Land and his chosen people. Later, the war broke out and this road, built by the Jordanians, seemed to be specially paved for us - and was the route used to recapture and reunite Jerusalem.

We need to do our best, make every possible effort according to our best understanding, pray & then accept that our history shows that there is always a guiding hand is taking us where we are heading.

If we can create some real internal unity, then maybe we won't need the reminders of our mission in the form of a common enemy which unites us.

Today's "to do"

Those of you who subscribed to www.honestreporting.net will have gotten a "call to arms" to write to CNN to aske them to take the Hisbollah & Hamas off their weblinks.

Something else useful I can suggest is write to the Red Cross and ask what action they are taking to help Israel get definitive information on its "Missing in Action" soldiers - including the 3 soldiers recently kidnapped in Lebanon.

The email address is press.gva@icrc.org the website is www.icrc.org

Tzav 8

Given the world news background, we can be thankful that world attention is currently distracted. Many newspapers did not cover what was a day of continued warfare & casualties here.

The attached link gives a review from The Age of some of yesterday's activity.

http://www.theage.com.au/frontpage/20001114/A49534-2000Nov14.html
(Palestinian gunmen kill three in convoy attack By SUZANNE GOLDENBERG Tuesday 14 November 2000)

The headline says 3 were killed. The (correct) details add to 4 (I must be an accountant) - which is the first time that as many Israelis as Palestinians were killed in this current violence.
Note that in this article, Gilo is referred to as a settlement. I am just going to cut and paste his response. Please feel free to do the same, or respond in your own words. Short, long - it doesn't matter.

I quote Lenny Ben-David writing about a similar article elesewhere below. Please write to the Age and express your concern.

email for responses:
on-line news editor: kmorris@theage.fairfax.com.au
letters to the editor: letters@theage.fairfax.com.au

About Gilo being a settlement ...
Quote
This is no accidental slip of the tongue. That is a very deliberate formulation.
Stop the redivision of Jerusalem. Object to your paper's use of "settlements" when referring to Jerusalem neighborhoods.
--------------------------------------------------------- Response:
What makes a high-rise Jerusalem neighborhood of 50,000 a "settlement?"
Some in the media now use the term pushed by Palestinian advocates to delegitimize any Israeli town, village or neighborhood built over the 1949 armistice line.

According to Arab claims the huge Jerusalem neighborhoods of Ramot, East Talpiot, French Hill, Pisgat Zeev, Neveh Yaakov, Reches Shlomo, as well as Gilo, with an estimated 250,000 Jewish residents are "settlements."

Is the ancient Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, rebuilt after 1967, also a "settlement?" By calling the community a "settlement" does that make attacks on the inhabitants more legitimate?

These neighborhoods were built to protect Jerusalem after the defensive 1967 war. Many of them were built on public land, in areas classified as "no-man's land," or on the ruins of Jewish neighborhoods destroyed by Arabs between 1949 and 1967. Successive Labor Party governments built the neighborhoods under the supervision of the legendary mayor Teddy Kollek.

There is total Israeli consensus that these neighborhoods are part and parcel of Israel.
After the battle on Har Eival, some reporters wrote of wounded "Israeli settlers," not "Israelis" or "Israeli civilians," as if the residents of these neighborhoods or the Jewish towns in the West Bank are a different class of victims, perhaps even legitimate victims of Palestinian violence.
The non-Jewish wounded were referred to as civilians even though many of them shown in CNN's coverage wore uniforms or in one case had a sniper scope on his rifle.

The violence and propaganda unleashed by Yassir Arafat and the Palestine Authority have revealed that all Israeli communities -- Jaffa, Haifa, Beersheva, and the Galilee -- are all "settlements" and valid targets, in their eyes.

A Christian viewpoint

More than one of my recipients have forwarded me this article & suggested that I forward it to "the list". It comes from http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/ which I have previously referred to. I can't find the specific link, so I quote it here in full.

REFLECTIONS FROM CLARENCE WAGNER, "Bridges for Peace" Christian non-profit organization in Israel and the territories working to bring peace through dialogue between Jews and Arabs

The tension in the air in Israel is palpable. Such widespread fighting in the streets, all over the land of Israel, between Israelis and Arabs has not been seen since the days of the Six Days War in 1967. Shots can be heard cracking the air in Jerusalem, along with almost non-stop sirens of ambulances and police vehicles. IDF tanks are on the perimeters of the city of Jerusalem, in Jewish neighborhoods, which border the West Bank, in an effort to protect citizens who may be attacked by mobs of nearby Palestinians. In my own neighborhood of Gilo, which borders Bethlehem where shots have been repeatedly fired in apartment buildings, I find the presence of the tanks and soldiers on the frontline comforting. We have seen by the horrendous attack upon two Israeli reservists captured, tortured and killed in Ramallah, just what these mobs can do.

Living in Jerusalem and watching the scenes of violence shown on the international news channels, I am amazed at how well the Palestinian propaganda machine works. Each of the speakers over by international journalists. It is as though they are in cooperation to discredit Israel.

Consider these questions? Did you ever notice that the conflicts with Israeli troops are always at checkpoints, borders, and positions approved by the Oslo agreements? The Israelis are not marching into the midst of Palestinian communities. Rather, they are valiantly defending their posts, as mobs of violent Palestinians march upon them with the intent of overrunning the positions and killing them. Should these positions be captured, one does not have to speculate on what would happen to the soldiers - as was seen clearly on October 12th when Israeli reservists were brutally tortured, beaten and murdered in Ramallah What if these angry mobs moved through these checkpoints into Jewish neighborhoods? Can you imagine what destruction, conflict and death would take place? Of course the IDF seeks to keep these angry mobs contained at the border.

Why do the Palestinians send their children and youths to the "front lines" to be martyred? The Palestinian Authority pays the families $2,000 for a death and $300 for an injury to advance the cause of the Palestinians and seek international sympathy for the Palestinians. The individual Palestinian is sacrificed for the ultimate goals of the community, which is Muslim doctrine.

Why is it that the only leaders who call for peace are the Israeli Jewish leaders, while the Palestinian leaders call for more and more violence. The Moslem clerics have called for two consecutive Friday "Days of Rage" (on the Moslem holy day). Can you imagine Christian ministers or Jewish rabbis calling for "days of rage" on their Sabbath days in order to kill Moslems? What kind of religion is Islam that calls for violence and not peace? What kind of leaders seek to bring violence upon their people and not peace? Why are the religious leaders not orchestrating candlelight vigils and prayers for peace, instead of giving mobs wheelbarrows of rocks to attack Jews? Even Bill Clinton is frustrated that the only word that Arafat can mouth are words of war. Not once has Arafat or his leaders called for peace, negotiation or a cessation of violence.

How did the Palestinians succeed in convincing the world that the Haram el-Sharif (the Temple Mount) is an exclusive Moslem holy site and the third most holy site in Israel? First, the only reason the site is important to Moslems is that it is the site of Solomon's and Herod's Temple, which was the place of the Presence of the Lord God of Israel, not the Moslems. Islam has appropriated all Jewish and Christian biblical characters and events and redefined them as Moslem, which is why there are mosques in holy sites significant to Jews and Christians, e.g. the Temple Mount and Manger Square in Bethlehem. The Temple Mount has only been considered the third holiest site to Islam since 1967. Before this, only ONE Moslem leader ever visited the site, and that was King Abdullah I of Jordan, who was shot and killed outside the Al-Aksa mosque by a Palestinian in 1953.

Is it legitimate that the Palestinians desecrate and usurp any holy site that falls under their authority? The Temple Mount is more sacred to Jews than Moslems, yet Jews are prevented from worshipping there. Even a visit by a Jew is resented, as was seen in the case of the visit of Ariel Sharon two weeks ago, even though it was OKed by the head of the Palestinian Security Services, Rajoub Jabril.

The Palestinians took over Joseph Tomb from the Israelis when they withdrew from the site in Nablus (biblical Shechem) this past week, even though it was given for Jewish worship in the Oslo Agreements. The Palestinians, having killed guards and worshippers, proceeded to destroy the Jewish presence and then renovate it into a Moslem mosque. The Palestinian leaders are now calling to do the same to Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Jews are to be evicted as the Palestinian Moslems take over. They have also burned the Jewish synagogue in Jericho while Palestinian Police looked on. Is this right? To whom are these sites more sacred? Israel allows mutual worship at the sites and guarantees freedom of worship and access. The Moslems do not, and no one in the international community complains about this practice.

As the Palestinian leadership whine that they are disenfranchised, why don't the news reporters remind them that since July, the Israeli government offered them 92% of the West Bank, east Jerusalem as part of a joint capital and sovereignty over the Temple Mount AND THEY REJECTED THE OFFER. This was more than any Israeli leader had offered or was expected to offer. Yet, Arafat rejected it and then claims that there is no movement in the Peace Process. What is left for Israel to offer? And now, how could most Israelis even agree to such generous terms now that they know that their peace partners do not want peace at all? At this point, individuals on both sides, Jews and Palestinians alike, are suffering and need our prayers and help.

The deterioration of the past days has caused everyone in Israel to wonder where this will all end. Many have warned that the Oslo Peace Process was a sham on the part of the Palestinians to get armed PLO terrorists into the heart of Israel to initiate a rebellion and war to destroy Israel not only according to a plan on paper, but a plan that is now being implemented before our eyes today. In fact, it can be likened to a modern-day Trojan Horse. The only recourse that thinking and praying people can take is to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6) and to speak out on behalf of Israel, who is being greatly maligned in the international press. Just because the Palestinians are portrayed as children and youths who are only armed with rocks, the reality is that they have a 20,000 plus trained army with automatic weapons in the heart of Israel who are firing against the Jews. Their children are put on the front lines in front of the cameras to gain international sympathy, while their snipers fire from the surrounding buildings. Any national government would meet the intensity of violence of mobs with police and military strength to stop the lunacy and bring calm for the larger community. Yes, the government would be better armed to defend themselves, but this does not necessarily make the defending force "bad" and the offending group "good." Before you just accept the assessment of the secular press with regard to Israel, consider the place of the Jews and Israel in their historical, biblical and prophetic context and ask just who is working for or against the ultimate plans of the God of Israel,

Let's hope it's disinformation

The following is outside the parameters of what I usually send - but it will probably be of interest, if you haven't seen it elsewhere.

(IsraelWire-11/9) IDF soldiers Sergeant Adi Avitan from Tiberias, Staff-Sergeant Avraham Binyamin from Bnei Brak, & Staff-Sergeant Omer Suaed from the village of Salma (Near Carmiel), who were kidnapped from northern Israel by Hizbullah on Oct 7 were killed by their abductors, Haaretz On-Line reported.

According to the report in the Al-Watan Al-Arabi magazine, the soldiers were kidnapped by Hizbullah troops disguised as United Nations personnel, using a UN vehicle. The bodies of the three are in separate location and the whereabouts are not even known to Lebanese government officials.

Arafat: ignore my ceasefire declarations

From Israelwire (http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/articles/186001.htm)

Arafat told Marwan Barghouti he wants blood so can get Arab money (NOV.9 – 12:00-IST)

(IsraelWire-11/9) Israel Radio Territories Correspondent Avi Yisachar reported this morning that he has learned from senior Fatah sources that Marwan Barghouti, the General Secretary of Fatah (and the Tanzim) in Judea and Samaria (The West Bank), bragged to several of his Fatah friends about the special ties he has with Yassir Arafat and told them about a conversation the two had a few days ago.

During the course of the conversation, Arafat told Barghouti that "every time that you hear me declare a cease-fire and a halt to the violence ignore these declarations. You know that I am under heavy pressure from the United States and Europe. You should ignore this and continue. You should know that we are in difficult financial situation because of the Intifada. We will not receive any more money from the United States and Israel will stop the monthly transfer of funds. Our only hope for getting money is from the Arab states. But the Arab states will not give money if there is not blood. Therefore, press, press, press ["idhas, idhas, idhas"]."

The senior sources in Fatah said that the message from Arafat as relayed by Barghouti was very clear.

Minister Shimon Peres said later in the program criticized the report and said that he thought it was wrong to put out material that is against Arafat.

(IMRA - Independent Media Review & Analysis, imra@netvision.net.il - http://www.imra.org.il)
[END]

Christian suporters of Israel

-----Original Message-----
From: Tuvia Natkin
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 3:04 AM

THIS IS AN AMAZING EMAIL FOR TWO REASONS IT DEMONSTRATES TO JEWS WHERE A LARGE SOURCE OF ISRAEL SUPPORT COMES FROM IT SHOWS WHAT A HORRIFIC JOB ISRAEL IS DOING IN PR. THERE IS NOTHING TO MY KNOWLEDGE COMING OUT OF ISRAEL. CERTAINLY AIMED AT THE GENTILE WORLD Bridges for Peace is a Christian religious organization headquartered in Israel.

They have worked continuously for peace between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East, and for Arab recognition of the right of Israel to exist within recognized borders. Under its head, Clarence Wagner, Bridges for Peace has been a reliable source of news of the region. You can subscribe to his bulletins without cost or obligation.

TO: Friends (and friends of friends) of Bridges for Peace
FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem
DATE: October 13, 2000

Special Commentary by Clarence H. Wagner October 13, 2000

The Bridges for Peace newly designed website is located at www.bridgesforpeace.com. Tell your friends to check it out. We are your Israel Connection.
Note: The regular update with 9 additional items was sent as a separate file. If you inadvertently deleted it, please let us know and we will send another copy.

1) REFLECTIONS FROM CLARENCE WAGNER The tension in the air in Israel is palpable. Such widespread fighting in the streets, all over the land of Israel, between Israelis and Arabs has not been seen since the days of the Six Days War in 1967.

Shots can be heard cracking the air in Jerusalem, along with almost non-stop sirens of ambulances and police vehicles. IDF tanks are on the perimeters of the city of Jerusalem, in Jewish neighborhoods, which border the West Bank, in an effort to protect citizens who may be attacked by mobs of nearby Palestinians. In my own neighborhood of Gilo, which abuts Bethlehem where shots have been repeatedly fired in apartment buildings, I find the presence of the tanks and soldiers on the front line comforting. We have seen by the horrendous attack upon two Israeli reservists captured, tortured and killed in Ramallah, just what these mobs can do.

Living in Jerusalem and watching the scenes of violence shown on the international news channels, I am amazed at how well the Palestinian propaganda machine works. Each of the speakers delivers a well rehearsed mantra of mis-information that is then endorsed and repeated over and over by international journalists. It is as though they are in cooperation to discredit Israel.

Consider these questions?

Did you ever notice that the conflicts with Israeli troops are always at checkpoints, borders, and positions approved by the Oslo agreements?

The Israelis are not marching into the midst of Palestinian communities. Rather, they are valiantly defending their posts, as mobs of violent Palestinians march upon them with the intent of overrunning the positions and killing them. Should these positions be captured, one does not have to speculate on what would happen to the soldiers - as was seen clearly on October 12th when Israeli reservists were brutally tortured, beaten and murdered in Ramallah.
What if these angry mobs moved through these checkpoints into Jewish neighborhoods? Can you imagine what destruction, conflict and death would take place? Of course the IDF seeks to keep these angry mobs contained at the border.

Why do the Palestinians send their children and youths to the "front lines" to be martyred? The Palestinian Authority pays the families $2,000 for a death and $300 for an injury to advance the cause of the Palestinians and seek international sympathy for the Palestinians.

The individual Palestinian is sacrificed for the ultimate goals of the community, which is Muslim doctrine.

Why is it that the only leaders who call for peace are the Israeli Jewish leaders, while the Palestinian leaders call for more and more violence. The Moslem clerics have called for two consecutive Friday "Days of Rage" (on the Moslem holy day). Can you imagine Christian ministers or Jewish rabbis calling for "days of rage" on their Sabbath days in order to kill Moslems? What kind of religion is Islam that calls for violence and not peace? What kind of leaders seek to bring violence upon their people and not peace? Why are the religious leaders not orchestrating candlelit vigils and prayers for peace, instead of giving mobs wheelbarrows of rocks to attack Jews? Even Bill Clinton is frustrated that the only words that Arafat can mouth are words of war.

Not once has Arafat or his leaders called for peace, negotiation or a cessation of violence.
How did the Palestinians succeed in convincing the world that the Haram el-Sharif (the Temple Mount) is an exclusive Moslem holy site and the third most holy site in Israel? First, the only reason the site is important to Moslems is that it is the site of Solomon's and Herod's Temple, which was the place of the Presence of the Lord God of Israel, not the Moslems. Islam has appropriated all Jewish and Christian biblical characters and events and redefined them as Moslem, which is why there are mosques in holy sites significant to Jews and Christians, e.g. the Temple Mount and Manger Square in Bethlehem. The Temple Mount has only been considered the third holiest site to Islam since 1967.

Before this, only ONE Moslem leader ever visited the site, and that was King Abdullah I of Jordan, who was shot and killed outside the Al-Aksa mosque by a Palestinian in 1953.
Is it legitimate that the Palestinians desecrate and usurp any holy site that falls under their authority? The Temple Mount is more sacred to Jews than Moslems, yet Jews are prevented from worshipping there.

Even a visit by a Jew is resented, as was seen in the case of the visit of Ariel Sharon two weeks ago, even though it was OKed by the head of the Palestinian Security Services, Rajoub Jabril. The Palestinians took over Joseph Tomb from the Israelis when they withdrew from the site in Nablus (biblical Shechem) this past week, even though it was given for Jewish worship in the Oslo Agreements. The Palestinians, having killed guards and worshippers, proceeded to destroy the Jewish presence and then renovate it into a Moslem mosque. The Palestinian leaders are now calling to do the same to Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Jews are to be evicted as the Palestinian Moslems take over.

They have also burned the Jewish synagogue in Jericho while Palestinian Police looked on. Is this right? To whom are these sites more sacred?

Israel allows mutual worship at the sites and guarantees freedom of worship and access. The Moslems do not, and no one in the international community complains about this practice.
As the Palestinian leadership whine that they are>disenfranchised, why don't the news reporters remind them that since July, the Israeli government offered them 92% of the West Bank, east Jerusalem as part of a joint capital and sovereignty over the Temple Mount AND THEY REJECTED THE OFFER. This was more than any Israeli leader had offered or was expected to offer. Yet, Arafat rejected it and then claims that there is no movement in the Peace Process. What is left for Israel to offer?

And now, how could most Israelis even agree to such generous terms now that they know that their peace partners do not want peace at all?

At this point, individuals on both sides, Jews and Palestinians alike, are suffering and need our prayers and help. The deterioration of the past days has caused everyone in Israel to wonder where this will all end. Many have warned that the Oslo Peace Process was a sham on the part of the Palestinians to get armed PLO terrorists into the heart of Israel to initiate a rebellion and war to destroy Israel according to their published "Phase Program." It seems that the Palestinian program is not only a plan on paper, but a plan that is now being implemented before our eyes today.

In fact, it can be likened to a modern-day Trojan Horse.

The only recourse that thinking and praying people can take is to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6) and to speak out on behalf of Israel, who is being greatly maligned in the international press.

Just because the Palestinians are portrayed as children and youths who are only armed with rocks, the reality is that they have a 20,000 plus trained army with automatic weapons in the heart of Israel who are firing against the Jews. Their children are put on the front lines in front of the cameras to gain international sympathy, while their snipers fire from the surrounding buildings. Any national government would meet the intensity of violence of mobs with police and military strength to stop the lunacy and bring calm for the larger community. Yes, the government would be better armed to defend themselves, but this does not necessarily make the defending force "bad" and the offending group "good."

Before you just accept the assessment of the secular press with regard to Israel, consider the place of the Jews and Israel in their historical, biblical and prophetic context and ask just who is working for or against the ultimate plans of the God of Israel, the God of the Bible.
This is all very complex and there are no easy answers.

You can also make a contribution to the Outreach Projects of Bridges for Peace which supplies much needed food, blankets, and household supplies to those who are in distress, both Jews and Arabs in the land of Israel. Send your gift to Bridges for Peace, PO Box 1093, Jerusalem, Israel, where your concern can be translated into tangible help.

Let us be your hand to bless Israel at this time of great crisis.

Above all, prayer is the best effort for so many of you who care and are so far away. There is no distance in prayer.

(- by Clarence Wagner, Jr., International Director of Bridges for Peace, Jerusalem, Israel.)

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Islam's Position Concerning Treaties

The attached article is from www.islaam.com This site has many articles which should open our eyes.

Duty of the Muslim Towards These Treaties
Shaykh `Abdul Rahman `Abdul Khaliq

The last chapter from "Verdict on the Treaties of Compromise and Peace With the Jews"

---

Note: This piece represents the perspective of a Muslim scholar on the peace treaty and is presented here since their perspective is often ignored in the media and is important for the Muslims.

And now comes the most important question, that is: What is the duty today on the Muslim as regards these treaties?

The answer:

(1) The first duty is to firmly believe in their invalidity and that because they contain invalid conditions they were born dead the very day they were given birth to; because it is not lawful for the Muslim to conclude an agreement with
the unbeliever for abandoning jihad and abrogating this religious duty, nor for giving up hostility towards the Jews and affirming love and amity for them; for this is leaving the millah. These treaties also contain provisions making it
incumbent to screen out such Ayahs of the Quran and ahadith (statements) of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, that declare this enmity towards the Jews.

This undertaking constitutes a collusion with the unbelievers for concealing the Deen and knowledge and for suspending the Ayahs of the noble Quran and ahadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, that explain the essence of obligatory relationship with the Jews; and this in fact is driving the Muslims out of Islam and stripping the Ummah of its belief and history.

And since these treaties contain such conditions and stipulate them clearly, they are therefore invalid and it is not lawful for the Muslim to believe in them.

(2) The second duty of the Muslim is to believe that these treaties do not bind him and that it is not lawful for him to give effect to any of their contents except under compulsion and necessity to the extent compulsion is a
valid ground for compliance.

This is so because they contain the above noted invalid conditions and because they have been concluded without the consent and consultation of the men of religion, learning and judgement and because they will spoil the Deen of his sons and progeny, besides spoiling his worldly interests.

(3) The third duty is to work towards overthrowing these treaties. Their position is like the position of every abomination that may be found in the land of Islam and that which it is a duty to abhor and reject according to the
conditions and requirements of rejecting as far as practicable, and to see that there does to accrue to it a worse abomination and that an abomination is not met by another abomination.

(4) The fourth duty is to believe that the Jews, as long as they adhere to their false religion, waging war against Islam and its followers, they are members of a community on whom Allah 's wrath has fallen. It is a duty to fight and confront them as long as they remain on their course of action in fighting Islam, disbelieve in it and commit aggression upon the Muslims.

To detest them is the Deen to be followed for Allah's sake by a Muslim.

(5) The duty to unite the Ummah towards attaining this objective of putting an end to the sway of the Jews in the world and to their tyranny upon the Muslims and their capture of the base of the Night Journey of the Messenger of
Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, and of al-Masjid al-Aqsa.

(6) To believe that the Jews could not have been able to establish their sway in the world to such an extent except after the elimination of Islam from the Arab states and their constitutions and legislation - except as Allah had His
mercy - and the slogans of nationalism and secularism had taken the place of Islam and there had taken up this issue the secularists who fought the Jews under slogans other than Islam, and isolated Islam from this issue. Then when they were unsuccessful, and this is Allah's way of dealing with His creation, and they announced their humiliating surrender and threw themselves under the feet of the Jews, they gave it out as the highest degree of wisdom and reason.

Hence they failed in their war and Allah debased and disgraced them in this life before the hereafter, on account of their moving away from Islam and their discarding of the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger,peace and
blessings of Allah be on him. And on that account to believe that there cannot be any victory in this issue and any dislodgement of the Jews from the midst of the Ummah and an ending of their sway in the world except by means of Islam in belief, in method and in jihad.

(7) To pray to Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala day and night that He unite the words of the followers of Islam, that He unite their ranks and that He return them to their Deen; and that He prepare for them the means of their victory over
the enemy of Allah and theirs.

And all the praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all beings.

HELP NEEDED

On October 7th 2000, while on a regular military patrol along the Israeli-Lebanese border, our son, Benny Avraham and two other soldiers, Adi Avitan and Omar Souad, were kidnapped. They have been held ever since then in captivity by the Hizbollah movement. Many days have passed and we have not yet received any sign of life. Nor do we have any information regarding their mental or physical state of health. We have no information as to where they are.

International Red Cross delegates have not been allowed to meet with them and to examine them. The days pass. We worry. The constant fear for the fate of our son and his friends is constantly preying on our minds. Thoughts of what they may be going through, the treatment they are receiving and whether maximum effort is being made in order to release them, do not allow us a moment's rest.

Responsibility

The responsibility for the fate, health and safe return of our sons rests on the shoulders of the Israeli government, the Israeli Army and the UN. As the days pass and we hear no news, we become more concerned and fear for their physical and mental well being.

Request for Help

a. We call upon all the International Humanitarian Organizations to act towards the safe return of our sons and to put pressure on the International Red Cross, the UN and any other involved parties to do likewise.

b. Anyone who feels that he/she may have any kind of influence or who can assist in any other way, please do not hesitate: act immediately.

c. Any help will be accepted with love and gratitude. Our contact address is : avraham_3@hotmail.com

Please forward this letter to as many people as possible, through e-mail or any other way

Thank you,
The Avraham Family ,
Chaim, Edna, Efrat and Dafna.

an article from Michael Freund

An article from one of the members of our Synagogue, as published in the Jerusalem Post ----------Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2000 1:59 PM
To: Philip
Subject: HaMinyan HeChadash - an article from Michael Freund

Philip,
Following is an op-ed of mine that appeared in the Jerusalem Post yesterday about the possibility of a surprise Arab attack on Israel. The article is not political in any way and makes no mention of Barak or Sharon - I wrote it because I was concerned that no one seems to be taking into account such the possibility of such an attack. I would appreciate if you would send it out to the shul list. I realize this might qualify as an unusual request, but given the current situation, I think we all need to be prepared for any eventuality.
Thanks,
Michael Freund

The Jerusalem Post, November 1, 2000
Is this 1973 or 2000?
By Michael Freund
(November 1) - The ongoing violence in the territories has shifted attention away from what may be the gravest threat facing Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War: the possibility of a surprise, all-out Arab assault. For the first time in years, a dangerous confluence of factors has emerged presenting the Arab states with a unique opportunity to launch a coordinated attack against the Jewish state.
Israel's traditional friends abroad are largely preoccupied. America is at the end of a tight election campaign. Washington is distracted, and until the next president is inaugurated in January, there will be a vacuum of power at the top. Though the US would almost certainly come to Israel's aid in the event of an attack, a lame-duck Clinton administration would be hard pressed to mount the requisite diplomatic effort to quell the violence swiftly.
That leaves the Europeans - but they are heavily dependent on Arab oil. The oil markets have been volatile, with the price per barrel now around $35, three times greater than a year ago. A shortage of supply in the West, together with the imminent onset of winter, when home heating oil use rises, puts Arab oil-producing countries in a strong position to menace the Western economies. The Arab states know this and would likely use it to their advantage to ward off punitive Western measures should they attack.
In addition, Israel's image throughout the world has been battered by recent events. Israeli officials acknowledge that the Palestinians are winning the propaganda war. Increased sympathy for the Palestinians would soften the reaction of world public opinion were the Arab states to declare that they are coming to the defence of their Palestinian "brothers."
Internally, Israel is politically divided and psychologically ailing from decades of conflict and discord. The political system is in disarray, with many expecting new elections some time early next year. One million Israeli Arabs are seething with anger, as the riots in the north recently demonstrated. Secular-religious tensions and the dispute between left and right have divided the nation unlike ever before. Our Arab neighbours may perceive this division as a sign of national weakness waiting to be exploited.
Recent Israeli actions have served to reinforce the growing perception of Israeli vulnerability. The retreat under fire from Lebanon, the abandonment of Joseph's Tomb, and the repeated Israeli issuance of empty ultimatums have all sent signals of moral and psychological exhaustion.
On the ground, the Israeli army is strung out, with untold numbers of soldiers protecting dozens of settlements and roads throughout the territories. Other troops have been deployed along the Lebanese border to protect the northern communities from possible Hizbullah attacks. It may very well be that the army is spread too thin.
For an Arab strategic planner sitting in Cairo or Damascus, it would be difficult to ignore the temptation posed by Israel's current dilemma. With its allies distracted, its society split, its image besmirched and its security forces engaged, Israel would appear to be ripe for an attack.
As the 1973 Yom Kippur War demonstrated, such attacks are carefully planned and orchestrated in advance. A key component of any such plot would include deceptive measures designed to lull Israel into a false sense of security.
As the late president Chaim Herzog pointed out in his history of the Arab-Israeli wars, Egypt launched a disinformation campaign in mid-1973 to create the impression that it was unprepared for war.
What if the recent Arab summit in Cairo were part of a similar campaign of deception?
The relatively moderate outcome of the summit would seem to belie such a possibility. But Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's address, in which he intimated that Egypt is unprepared to go to war, sounded like a throwback to 1973. For years, Egypt has been spending billions of dollars to upgrade its armed forces and provide them with the latest American military technology.
Mubarak's statement seems more like a smokescreen than a description of reality.
The dangers inherent in such a scenario should not be dismissed out of hand.
If the Arab states were to launch a surprise attack, Israel would be faced with fighting a conventional war on its borders at the same time as it would be facing guerrilla warfare in the territories, a wave of terrorism in its cities, and an uprising by a restive Israeli Arab population.
As strong as we are, this may be too much to bear. Even victory would come at a calamitous price. The only way to minimize the danger is to prepare for it in advance. It is the duty and obligation of our security establishment to be ready for even this possibility, lest the trauma of 1973 repeat itself.
(The writer is a former deputy director of communications and policy planning in the Prime Minister's Office.)
_________________________________________

A month of warfare-11/1/00

an interesting summary - if a little one-sided.
df
-----Original Message-----
From: BreakingNews-Israel [mailto:YeshBB@netvision.net.il]
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 12:41 PM
To: List Member
Subject: A month of warfare-11/1/00

BreakingNews-Israel
A month of warfare
(IsraelWire-11/1) Following are official statistics released on Tuesday, Oct 31, by the IDF’s Central Command, pertaining to the ongoing warfare in Israel which began on September 29.
The month that passed was accompanied by Arab unrests throughout Israel, with an emphasis on violence placed on areas throughout Yesha, where daily shooting attacks still occur.
There were:
1) Over 3,200 recorded attacks,
2) 600 shooting attacks,
3) 1,397 firebomb attacks,
4) 26 attacks involving explosive devices,
5) 184 Israelis injured,
6) 12 Israelis killed.
There are 10,000 IDF forces deployed throughout Judea, Samaria & Gaza.
In addition, the IDF has confirmed that on Tuesday, Oct 31, the PA for the first time fired anti-tank missiles at IDF forces. The anti-tank missiles were unleashed in Gaza. The PA has already used anti-aircraft missiles against IDF helicopter gunships.
++++
++++
Courtesy of IsraelWire News Service – http://www.israelwire.com/
To subscribe to the BreakingNews-Israel list, send a request to 44828-subscribe@listbot.com
++++

______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to 44828-unsubscribe@listbot.com

Intifada Funnies

Well - Jews can find the funny sided of anything !!!

A Texan, a Frenchman and an Israeli are on a plane flying over the
Pacific Ocean when the engines stop functioning. The plane crash
lands on a Pacific Island and the 3 are immediately captured by a
tribe of cannibals and taken to their village.

The Chief tells the 3 captives that these cannibals are civilized and
they have a custom on their island that before they eat anyone, they
grant that person his or her last wishes--no matter what they are.

He asks the Texan, "What is your last wish?"

The Texan replies: "I want a 2 inch thick steak with all the
trimmings, cajun fries and case of beer."

The Chief motions to some of his tribesmen who immediately run into
the jungle and come back with the steak, the fries and the beer. The
Texan eats his meal and he is thrown in the pot.

The Frenchman is asked: "What is your last wish?"

He replies: "I'd like a case of the most expensive Champagne and I'd
also like a big plate of escargot cooked in the French manner."

The Chief motions to his tribesmen who immediately rush off into the
jungle and bring back everything the Frenchman asked for. He eats and
drinks his

fill and he is then thrown in the pot.

The Chief turns to the Israeli and asks, "And what is your wish?"

The Israeli looks the Chief squarely in the eyes and replies: "I want
you to kick me in the behind as hard as you can."

The Chief is bewildered and asks the Israeli again, only to receive
the same reply.

The Chief shrugs his shoulders, asks the Israeli to turn around, and
kicks him as hard as he can.

With that the Israeli pulls out a gun and kills the Chief and all of
the other cannibals.

The Texan and the Frenchman look at the Israeli and say: "If you had
that gun why didn't you do anything sooner?"

The Israeli replies: "What? And risk being condemned by the UN for
reacting to insufficient provocation!"

These came from Yisrael Medad....

-- Carl

Somehow I have the feeling that this joke was told to Clinton by
Arafat but not in a funny way:-

"I'm ashamed of you," the mother said. "Fighting with your best
friend is a terrible thing to do."

"He threw a rock at me!" the boy said. "So I threw one at him."

"When he threw a rock at you, you should have come to me."

"What good would that have done? My aim is much better than
yours."

Stop for a moment of prayer

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Benson (by way of rhonalfred@barak-online.net) [mailto:bensonp@internet-zahav.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 7:31 PM
To: david.frankfurter@iname.com
Subject:


On Wednesday, November 1st, exactly at 6 PM Israel time, Jews all over the world are going to stop what they are doing to say a prayer:

" Dear God, Master of the Universe Who has given us all
good things, please bring us back from the brink of war
and bless us with peace, wisdom and healing. Guide us
together in love and harmony to our destiny. May we find
only favor in each other and witness the hopeful
vision of swords beaten into plowshares, each under his
vine and fig tree, unafraid, soon in our days. Thank you
for this and for everything that you have given us."

There is a group of women in Israel who are asking every Jewish woman to say four Psalms (numbers 1, 24, 121 and 130) between sunset Thursday, November 2nd and sunset Friday, November 3rd. Why women? The sages tell us that in the merit of righteous women the redemption will come. Through the Psalms, we ask our Creator to have mercy on Israel, on our families, on the whole Jewish people and on the Land of Israel.

With best wishes

Betty and Phil
>From the pen of

Philip Benson,Managing Partner,
Benson and Rubenstein, Estate Agents,
8a Nitza Boulevard,
P.O. Box 5033,
Netanya 42150

Telephone 09-8625505/6, 09-8621517, 054-702643
Fax: 09-8845031
E-mail: bensonp@internet-zahav.net