26 Elul 5768
September 26, 2008
1. Status of soldiers injured in Jerusalem, " I Just Did What I Had To Do" sent by Israel Kaplan
2. Women in Green in the forefront in the fight for YESHA arrested and harassed
3. Women in Green tour YESHA
4. Rabbi Algaze Dvar Torah on Netzavim - Erasing Sin.
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1. Status of soldiers injured in Jerusalem, " I Just Did What I Had To Do" sent by Israel Kaplan
Oleg suffered leg injuries and is recovering in the Orthopedic Ward.
Police Round Up Dozens of Would-be Protestors, Use Violence
September 3, 2008
by Hillel Fendel
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127470
Dozens of concerned citizens who wished to protest against the banning of three young men from their homes in Yesha for 3-4 months were detained - and some were beaten - before they could start protesting.
In addition to accusing them of "planning to take part in an illegal demonstration," the police used violence on several occasions against youths and adults before and after the protest rally.
Complaints have been filed with the police against some of the officers involved in the arrests and violence (see below).
The story began last week when the IDF issued orders to three young fathers living in Jewish towns in Samaria (Shomron), banning them from their homes, or from anywhere in Judea and Samaria, for the next 3-4 months. This, despite the harm caused to their family situations, jobs, and agricultural plans for the coming months.
The orders state that they are perceived as a "security threat." One of the three, Akiva HaCohen, said he thought he was being targeted because of his involvement in an initiative to organize public protests when police or soldiers attempt to evict Jews from hilltops.
"Police Do Our Work for Us"
Incensed activists of Women in Green, the Givatayim Settlers, Homesh First, Saving the Land and People, and other nationalist groups organized a protest vigil for Tuesday evening outside the home of IDF Central Commander Gen. Gad Shamni. As one organizer - Mati Barnea, of the Givatayim Settlers - later told Arutz-7, "We never dreamt that we would get such great publicity, but the police did the work for us. They turned it into a major event."
What they did was to detain at least two busloads of would-be demonstrators and beat several detainees who were already in the police station. In addition, Barnea said, "they blocked the entrances to Reut [where Gen. Shamni lives], deployed detectives all around the town, and even had a large presence on Route 443 [a main Jerusalem-Modiin highway]."
< http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/179286>Click here for a Hebrew-language video of the events.
Informed that the police later claimed that the protestors wished to block Route 443, Barnea - and other participants - said they knew of no one who had such plans.
Elderly Broadcaster Detained
One protestor, Moshe D. of Jerusalem, said, "We were about 15 people in a van from Jerusalem, and we arrived at the parking lot at Shilat Junction to wait for the others. Suddenly, some policemen came up to us, accused us of wanting to take part in an illegal demonstration, and rounded up some. One of those arrested was Walter Bingham, 85-year-old showhost on IsraelNationalRadio. They put him into a police van for about 15 minutes, ignoring his protests."
Lamenting the police violence, Barnea said, "The police wanted to show what they could do - even though just about a kilometer from the same site, at Naalin [where anarchists, Arabs and leftists demonstrate against police and soldiers every week], the same police allow the demonstrators to throw things at them, spit at them, and the like - and do nothing in response."
"In addition, protests take place outside the home of Education Minister Yuli Tamir, and the police don't take action, and just recently there was one - without a permit - outside the home of Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The police allow the left-wingers to demonstrate, but not those who stand up for the true values that keep this country alive: The People of Israel and the Land of Israel." %ad%
Matar's Story
Nadia Matar, co-chair of Women in Green, was detained in the Modiin police station until close to 2 AM. She said, "When three policemen first surrounded my car, they asked me where I was going. I said I was going to see some friends. They asked me for their names and phone numbers, and I said, 'That is too much already. I'm not under arrest.' So they said, 'We are detaining you on suspicion of wanting to participate in an illegal protest.' I asked them if they were mind-readers..."
"They had me follow them to the police station, where they actually had an investigator test my car like they do on the annual inspection. Within a few minutes, a whole bunch of people werer brought in, on the same charges; they had been in the bus in front of me, from the Kiryat Arba-Gush Etzion area. Later, we heard that the other bus, from Jerusalem, was also stopped, and the passengers taken to the police station in Ramle."
The police detained at least one of the buses with the excuse that the tires were suspected of being low on air.
Police Protect "Illegal" Protest
Ironically, the purportedly illegal demonstration was actually held, with dozens of people who were not arrested holding signs outside Shamni's house. The signs read, 'Shamni expels Jewish pioneers,' 'Shamni is a political general,' and the like. Policemen stood guard nearby, but witnesses said they used violence to remove the last of the demonstrators.
After the vigil was over, many of the protestors came to the police station to show solidarity with the detainees. Matar recounted:
"The protestors stood outside the station, making noise, blowing whistles and the like, protesting against our detention merely for wanting to stand up for justice in this country - and suddenly a whole bunch of policemen swooped down on them very violently. One girl in particular was treated very brutally - she was dragged with her army behind her back, her shirt was pulled down, and she cried out... We all started to surround the policeman who was doing this, yelling at him to stop - and suddenly the policemen started hitting us! Myself, Daniella Weiss, the photographer Miriam Tzachi - not young girls...
15 Remain Under Arrest
"After a few minutes, calm was restored. Each of us was then put through a mini-interrogation, but we essentially said that we refused to answer because this was a political interrogation. Finally, towards 2AM, they left most of us go - but another 15 or so remained under arrest. We didn't want to leave until they were released, but finally around 4:30 they took them away to a prison cell."
The 15 youths were in fact held until Wednesday afternoon, released after paying a bond of 250 shekels each and being ordered to stay out of the Modiin-Reut area for the next 30 days.
Shmuel Medad, head of the Honenu legal rights organization which helps nationalist-camp members who are arrested during the course of their activities, told IsraelNationalNews.com at around 5 PM, "The last of the 15, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is having his hour in court right now. He is demanding to know why he was arrested in the first place." Ben-Gvir is a veteran of legal struggles in these matters, and is said to know his way around the court system better than many lawyers.
Complaints Filed Against Violent Policemen
Honenu's sister organization, Yesha Civil Rights, headed by Orit Strook of Hevron, has submitted complaints to the Department for Complaints Against Policemen of Israel Police. A complaint was filed against the officer who made the decision to detain and arrest citizens with no crime having been committed, "violating their freedom of movement based only on suspicions, as if the police were a 'thought police.'"
Other complaints were filed against the officer commanding the Modiin Police Station on Tuesday night, under whose watch the citizens were beaten inside the station, and against the police officer who ordered the whistling demonstrators to disperse - but gave them no time to do so before ordering his men to swoop down on them and beat them with clubs.
Not Only Shamni
"The police hysteria shows that they want to keep this whole thing of the eviction orders quiet," Barnea said. "But it boomeranged on them. We will now redouble our efforts. I can just say that Shamni is not the only one whose home has to be 'visited' in this manner. Let his neighbors, and those of the others involved in this travesty, know exactly what they did."
Let Them Live!
Summing up the night, Barnea said, "It can't be that when we fight for the country's most important values, the authorities utilise clauses from the Turkish law, or from laws that were specifically enacted so that Israel could fight its enemies, to detain or arrest or banish them without trial or explanation. Olmert has not been banished from his home in Jerusalem even though he is suspected of many crimes, and the same has to be true for Land of Israel supporters as well. If they are suspected of a crime, let them be indicted - otherwise, let them live."
3. Women in Green tour YESHA
Meeting today's Jewish heroes living in Samaria gave us all strength and even more determination to continue the struggle for the Land of Israel.
First we visited Halfon's factory for prefab houses. Halfon is a dear Jew active for the Land of Israel for the past 40 years. After visiting his factory located close to Karnei Shomron, we went to Shavei Shomron to see a house Halfon built.
Halfon developed a technique to build homes fast and relatively cheap to enable young couples to move to Judea and Samaria at a time when the Israeli government does not allow any Jewish building and expansion. (Arabs, on the other hand, build as much as they want, with the help of the European Union and other countries like Japan).
We urge you to click below on the link to Gemma Blech's pictures of our trip yesterday to enjoy the photos of our trip in general and of Halfon's sample house in particular.
Afterwards we went to Chavot Yair. Chavot Yair is a so-called "outpost" next to Yakir. Twenty families live in the community of Chavot Yair which is located in the most breath taking areas of Israel, in between the mountains of Samaria.
Famous Attorney Doron Nir Zvi lives in Chavot Yair with his wife Tamar. In response to the expulsion from Gush Katif, Doron and Tamar have built a beautiful coffee house in Havot Yair called "Hatzrif shel Tamari" . The coffee shop is open on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings. If you want to be imbued with renewed strength, you must come to Chavot Yair!
Attn Doron Nir Zvi was in the news not so long ago when the Civil Administration came to destroy the swimming pool he had built in Chavot Yair. Not deterred by the authorities, Doron rebuilt his pool within days with a very clear message: this land belongs to the Jewish people. We will live here, build here and even enjoy life like our brothers in Tel Aviv and Savyon, building swimming pools and coffee shops!
Women in Green brought a box full of toys for the children of Chavot Yair and continued on to Yitzhar.
In Yitzhar we went straight to the neighborhood of Shalhevet-Ya, where the Arab terrorist entered two Shabbatot ago, burnt down a house and stabbed a child. We were welcomed by Revital Ofan who, calmly, told us the entire story of the Arab attack on their homes. From the area of Yitzhar, located high up in the Samaria hills, we could clearly see Tel Aviv and Herzliya, within katyusha range. Anyone visiting Yitzhar understands what, G-d forbid, would happen to Tel Aviv and Herzliya if instead of Jews, the PLO-Hamas regime would be controlling those hills.
In Yitzhar we also met the sister of Tuvia, the nine year old boy who bravely fought the Arab terrorist. We gave her a book to give Tuvia. The book is Arieh Yitzhaki's book on the history of Kfar Darom (see below for more details) which is a book on Jewish heroism. We wrote in it:
"To dear Tuvia, a book on Jewish pride and heroism to a modern day Jewish hero as yourself".
After Yitzhar we drove back to Jerusalem but before heading home we had one more stop: we drove to the Hawara checkpoint to strengthen our soldiers. The Hawara checkpoint is the IDf checkpoint at the entrance to Shchem (Nablus). Thousands of Arabs enter and exit that checkpoint and the IDF must check all of them thoroughly for otherwise terrorists would be able to go to Natanya and Gush Dan and blow themselves up there. Thus, the Hawara checkpoint is the place where the IDF makes sure Gush Dan is safe.
Unfortunately, the extreme left traitorous Israeli members of Machsom Watch come to Hawara daily to harass our soldiers and collaborate with the Arabs. A few days ago an Arab terrorist woman took advantage of the "humanitarian" lane at Hawara and threw acid in the face of one of our soldiers. The soldier lost his eye.
Women in Green felt it to be very important to come and strengthen the soldiers there. We arrived at the checkpoint, got off the bus and surrounded our IDF soldiers with love, cakes, singing and praises. Using our bullhorn we strengthened the soldiers telling them that the People of Israel thank them for their hard work and wish them a happy New Year. We told them how much we appreciate them for doing exactly what they have to do: that is to fight the Arab enemy. We also added that we hope, pray and expect that they would always only deal with securing the Jewish People in the Land of Israel and never have to deal with expelling Jews.
The soldiers were very moved and thanked us .
Thus ended a long uplifting day. As usual we came to strengthen but thank G-d, we came back strengthened.
Here is the link to Gemma Blech's pictures-please give credit if used.
http://picasaweb.google.com/gemmablech/WIGToTheSHOMRON24908
Lastly, below is a summary by Gemma Blech of Arieh Yitzhaki's book "222-The days of Kfar Darom 1948".
Women in Green strongly recommend to buy the book. It is a great present for Bar/Bat Mitzva- birthdays-holidays and in addition it helps our dear friends Arik and Datya Yitzhaki, expelled three years ago from kfar Yam in Gush Katif, temporarily living in Efrat until we, please G-d, will return to Gush Katif and rebuild the flourishing communities there.
With Love for Israel,
Nadia Matar - Anita Finkelstein
Women in Green
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The book, 222-The Days of Kfar Darom 1948, first published in Hebrew about a year ago, is now [in excellently translated] English. It tells the almost unknown story of a handful of Jews who stood against Arab terror, and outright Egyptian war, before and after the birth of Israel as a nation. Many of us know of the far briefer battles for Yad Mordechai, Kfar Etzion, etc, but only now has the full story of Kfar Darom been told. The author, Aryeh Itzhaki, is an historian and geographer with a wide range of books, publications and research papers to his credit. Formerly of Gush Katif and now living in Efrat, Itzhaki is an Israeli military historian and a senior lecturer in the field of military history in IDF courses for officers.
His book begins with 'defining supreme valor'. 'The height of bravery', we are told, 'is ongoing bravery. Not a momentary act where a person risks his life for a short while, … but an act of bravery that stretches out excruciatingly and is measured in weeks or even months.'
The story of those 222 days of bravery in 1947 and 1948 is a book one does not easily put down. Even the details of the military campaigns and the names of people and places, are made simple enough for those who do not know Hebrew or the Israeli landscape.
Aryeh Itzhaki is married to Datia, whose father was one of the fighters for Kfar Darom, and who then became one of the core re-builders of Kfar Darom after the Six-Day war in 1967. The two of them later built and lived in Kfar Yam, another Gush Katif community, and became defenders again in 2005 when this time it was an Israeli government which became the destroyer of Jewish towns, homes and farms in Eretz Israel.
The book costs $20 or 75 NIS in English and 65 NIS in Hebrew including the price of postage within Israel
TO ORDER, PLEASE SEND IN A CHECK TO POB 1265, Efrat 90435
Or contact Datya at datya@netvision.net.il
The book is very suitable as a birthday, Bar/Bat Mitzva present or indeed for Rosh HaShana and Sukkot etc.
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Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org
4. Rabbi Algaze Dvar Torah on Netzavim - Erasing Sin
ERASING SIN
By Rabbi David Algaze
"And you will return to Hashem your G-d…For this commandment that I command you today—it is not hidden from you and it is not distant…Rather the matter is very near to you—in your mouth and your heart—to perform it." (Devarim 30: 2 and 11-13)
What is this commandment to which this verse makes reference? Ramban, Seforno and the Baal Haturim all suggest that the mitzvah is to perform Repentance (teshuvah). It is rather strange that the concept of repair should be a commandment. What if a person does not sin? How would he be able to perform this mitzvah? The answer is that it is impossible that a human being would never falter, never err, never go astray even at a minimal rate. The nature of human beings is to be prone to mistakes. Their decision-making, often without being able to see all the variables, is in itself a source of multiple errors. Added to this is the essence of the human nature—both physical and corruptible. Thus, the Torah anticipates that people would eventually sin and it offers the way to repair.
In fact, the Rabbis extolled the baal teshuvah, the person who returns from his evil path, as superior to the righteous who may have never sinned. Maimonides explains that without teshuvah the very existence of Judaism would be in peril. "It is impossible that a man will not sin and err, whether he is misled by his reason or by a bad attribute such as anger or lust. Should a person believe that the error may not be repaired, he would the n persist in his mistaken path and could even exacerbate his rebelliousness since he feels there is no solution. " (Guide, III, chapter 36) Thus, the essence of teshuvah is a method for the survival of mankind itself. Creation needs the idea of teshuvah to survive. Forgiveness is not an act of generosity; it is a principle of survival for the world, especially a moral one.
Teshuvah is not a phenomenon that can be understood in the world of nature. Man is a complex creation, having two sides to his being. On the one hand, Man is connected to the natural order and partakes of all the aspects of the physical world. The accidents, defects, growth and decay that accompany all the natural order are present in Man as well. On the other hand, Man is a spiritual being, endowed with powers that transcend nature and are absent in the physical realm.
Due to his being part of nature, Man suffers the consequences of his actions as all physical creatures do. If someone puts his hand in a hot oven, his hand will suffer burns. His burn would last even if the person regretted his action and decided he would not do it again. The burn would still be there and whatever damage to the skin could be permanent. Similarly, when a person sins we would expect that the perpetrator would suffer the consequences of his deed and that the damage to his person would be indelible. The Maharal actually writes that from a rational perspective, there should not be possible for teshuva (repentance) to exist.
The Rabbis describe this in a very graphic manner. "They asked Wisdom, 'What should be the punishment of a sinner?' to which Wisdom answered, 'Evil will pursue them.' They asked the prophets and prophecy answered,' The soul that sins shall die.' They asked G-d and He replied,' Let him do teshuva and he shall be forgiven.'" (Jerusalem Talmud, Makkot 2:6). From a natural perspective, errors committed would leave a permanent imprint and would precipitate inevitable consequences. Teshuva, on the other hand, transcends the laws of the physical world and operates according to a very different set of laws.
In the physical world, we also find corrections and repairs. A wound may be healed, a broken tool can be put together again and so on. However, any repair does not return the object to the condition it was before it broke. A refurbished piece of equipment never functions as well as the one that never broke. On the other hand, when a person does teshuva, he returns to the condition he was before he sinned. It is as if the person never sinned, his errors are erased entirely. As the prophet Isaiah describes it, "I shall erase your sins as the clouds dissipate in the air." (44:22). Rav Filber explains that a cloud obscures the light of the sky and the sun is not visible, but when the clouds go away the light returns as before, as it the light had never been absent. The sinner who sincerely repents is seen by G-d as someone who is totally innocent, as if he never sinned.
The power of teshuvah is so great that the Rabbis say that the "gates of repentance never close." (Echa Rabbati 3) G-d is always waiting for His children to return, to repent, to begin the process of repairing their lives and correcting their mistakes. G-d never despairs or gives up: He always waits for us. Even if you suspect that your actions are so egregious that forgiveness is unattainable, you must not give in to despair. The road to repair is always available and the Master of the Universe, Who created the Repair as part of Creation, is always there, with an outstretched hand, to assist those who begin the path of return. The Day of Judgment does not come to frighten us; it comes to remind us that Forgiveness is very near to each one of us, in our mouth—by confessing—and in our heart, when we deeply wish to repair our ways and return to our Father.
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