Town Hall Meeting with Congressman Anthony Wiener Flatbush USA Policy Towards Israel

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Tonight, Congressman Anthony Weiner held a Town Hall Meeting in Flatbush Ave N Jewish Center about USA Policy Towards Israel. Other meetings in the area are scheduled.  It was not a full audience by any estimation.  The auditorium was filled with less then half.  I doubt it was widely publicized or announced in the shuls.  We got a personal letter from the Weiner office since my husband had written letters in the past on this topic. I didn't hear Agudah, YI, OU publicize this important meeting regarding America's foreign policy that is infringing on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews in Jerusalem Judea and Samaria.  I do believe that Young Israel did have a representative there.  I can not understand this passivity given the knowledge that the citizens of Yesha have had their checkpoints removed putting the lives of 350,000 residents in danger and that no new housing permits have been approved over the last few months in Yesha.  Netanyahu's gov'ts policies are seriously infringing on the quality of life for 350,000 Jews and the Jews in Flatbush or Boro Park are not being directed by their leadership to SPEAK OUT!   The other day Rebbetzin Bracha  Lieberman the mother of Hillel Lieberman HY"D who murdered at Kever Yosef called me up and happen to mention that checkpoints were removed and that in the past her daughter in law had 2 flats on the road.  G-d forbid should this happen now without any army protection.  Aside from the natural birth growth freeze, would most mothers take the chance on traveling under such hostile and dangerous roads?  Giving freedom of movement to Palestinians by taking away checkpoints means providing freedom of movement for terrorists and loss of freedom of movements to Jewish mothers and widows and orphans of terror victims. For this Netanyahu was praised by President OBama!

Why aren't the Rabbonim speaking up?  Unfortunately, the Silence of American Jewry occurred in 1943 as millions of Jews were exterminated and Peter Bergson tried to raise awareness to bomb the train tracks to Auschwitz.  He was successful to bring 400 Rabbis to Washington for 1 march.  Why did they give up so easily when they were ignored by Roosevelt?  We should have raised the roof with massive demonstrations for the lives of fellow Jews!  What good is all our speeches on Ahavas Yisroel and Machsom Peh? When we say we want something we must act in a way that shows that we mean it.  Anyone can say that they want security for Israel and its people but if actions don't prove it and we don't back up our words in action, then such words are merely lip service and meaningless.

Congressman Weiner spoke first.  His  main point was that the Obama Administration should address Palestinian Terrorism rather than pressure Israel. He suggested that rather than give $900,000,000 to the PA unconditionally, we give it incrementally, $100,000,000 at a time and see if they reciprocate  In addition, he and Nadler introduced legislation to stop the Bush Administration proposed 20 Billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.  "They are paying the bills for the suicide bombers" Mr. Weiner said in a 2007 article in the NY Sun.  He said at the Town Meeting that the Saudi's can not be trusted with the money.

 He also said that we must respect the decisions made by government democracies yet at the same time he noted that Hamas and Hizbollah, terrorist organizations have been elected via the democratic process.  I suppose Weiner would maintain that when it comes to a terror state one can ignore the democratic election and act in self defense and defiance against the decisions of a terror state.  Apparently, he would disagree at the suggestion that one can ignore decisions of a non terror democratic elected government even when it is making decisions against the platform  by which it was elected due to pressure by the American government. 

The government representing Israel,   made a decision against the will of the electorate to annul G--d's Covenant,  This government chose to reject the Divine will, the Holy Torah,  and chose to cave in to American pressure.


Congressman Weiner also said that he is a staunch activist for Jonathan Pollard  and is calling for his clemency by the President.  He said that Jonathan had incompetent lawyers in the past.  But he prefaced by saying that it is a known fact that Jonathan Pollard did a bad thing since he spied for Israel.  Congressman Weiner saw me shake my head when he said that it is a known fact that Pollard did a bad thing when he spied for Israel.

At the meeting there were 5 or 6 questions about USA Policy towards Israel. 

Then there was a question about healhcare reform and the audience forgot about USA Israel Policy. It was a heated discussion about Healthcare.

I was no. 2 to be called upon.     Here were my 3 points.

1) According to the Torah, the Land of Israel is not promised to the seed of Abraham completely and  Ishmael is excluded since it says that Ishael will not inherit with Isaac and the inheritance goes to Isaac only.  This contradicts what Obama said at Cairo.  The Land is not promised to the seed of Isaac completely since Eisav sold his birthright  to Jacob for a pot of Lentils.  It is exclusively promised to the seed of Jacob who is called Israel.  Therefore the people of Israel are the legitimate inheritors of Judea and Samaria and not the Palestinians according to the truth of the Torah.

2) The Palestinians have an ideology worse than Nazi Germany.  Hitler yemach shemo promoted extermination of the Jews, and succeeded with 6,000,000. His partner was the Mufti of Jerusalem, Fatahs ideological Founding Father. Fatah goes one step further than Hilter Yemach shemo and promotes martyrdom, SUICIDE, to be SHAHID, a holy martyr in order to kill Jews.  Many of the schools in the PA have names after such Martyrs, suicide bombers as reported by PMW (Palestinian Media Watch)  So why is America promoting a Palestinian State whose ideology aligns itself with Nazi Germany??

3) Didn't Jonathan Pollard share intelligence of weapons of mass destruction and how would we respond if an ally to America had intelligence regarding the World Trade Center attack and did not share that info with America?

Answer to quesion no 1) was speak to the Rabbonim and that we must honor the decisions of an elected democracy. 

Answer to question 2) He, Congressman Weiner is actively trying to stop aid to Palestinians unless they show some willingness to stop terror

3) Had no clear answer about whether AMerica kept to their end of their treaty with Israel to share intelligence.  How then can we say that he did a bad thing when we don't know the answer to this question.  If America did not keep to their treaty this put Pollard in a moral dilemma forcing him correctly to answer to a higher authority.

After several more questions the topic changed to healthcare, Weiner's baby.  Congressman Weiner was very convincing that the healthcare reform that he is promoting together is the best for America. 

Walking to his car I told Weiner that his arguments sold me on his healthcare arguments for now. However, my final comment to him before he went into his car was, if the Federal gov't takes over healthcare reform this means that much funds will be going to the Federal gov't instead of to private medical insurance companies.  To this he agreed.  Let's say that it will be half of the money going to private insurance companies.  If I know that the government now is spending Tax Payer dollars to promote a destructive Palestinian State whose agenda is the destruction of Israel, how can I trust that the federal gov't will spend this health care money morally.  Perhaps the key decision makers will provide major funds for abortion or mercy killing and other problematic causes in the name of healthcare. I am afraid to trust Obama and his Adminstration  right now even if Medicare is well run at the moment and has been over the last 40 years. To this he replied that regarding healthcare, nothing much will change for 5 years and that will be at the end of Obama's 2nd term if reelected. Then he joked that perhaps the next President after that will be himself (Weiner). 

I for one of course would welcome the change!

Robin Ticker

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: aaron kinsberg <aitlaasot@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 12:42 AM
Subject: impression on Weiner's public relations spiel
To: faigerayzel@gmail.com
Cc: aitlaasot@yahoo.com

ב"ה WORTH REPEATING Hi Robin, My take on the Wiener Town Meeting. It's worth repeating.   He is quite bright & knows how to say the right things. He let's people hear what they want to hear. He let us know that he doesn't agree with the Pres' comment re settlement freeze b/c he doesn't know what is the game plan. He said this different ways to everyone's delight. Of course, one hears what one is set up to hear. I have no doubt that he has worked hard for Israel and deserves recognition for that. But when push comes to shove, he's a Democrat first. As he was leaving, I approached the Congressman. For a brief moment, I believe he let his guard down. I told the Congressman that he was downplaying the negative effect of Obama's comments re the building freeze. I pointed out to him that Israel made numerous concessions over the past 17 years and received nothing in return except a vague promise of American support. Menachem Begin, A"H, said in 1971, "There is no guarantee that can guarantee an international guarantee." And sure enough, each Israeli concession was met by further Arab demands & more US pressure and more terrorism. The Congressman then blurted back, "All I meant was that the President's statement regarding the settlement freeze was nothing more than that. It was a statement and nothing has happened. Nothing has changed." ... I immediately pointed out to him that Obama's statement will have the opposite effect because every unilateral concession by Israel in the past has been met with Arab intransigence. He again repeated that nothing has been lost by Obama's statement. When I again repeated that the Arabs will make more demands because they see their tactics work, he conceded, "Yes, it could have that effect."  I wanted too ask him if he was aware of the building freeze in parts of Y-m, and in all of Yehuda & Shomron and this is having a detrimental effect on the lives of Jews. But he turned to speak to somebody else. I wanted to ask him publicly what I had asked him after the meeting. Unfortunately I was not called on and the meeting became more passionate, not about the mid-east but Health care. It was also dominated by a handful of people who kept calling out with comments re Health care.  Kol Tuv, Aaron Kinsberg FYI: In 2003, Congressmen Wiener was trying to pressure Pres Bush to recognize Y-m as Israel's capital. Ira Forman, of the National Jewish Democratic Council, commenting on the silence of the Jewish community, "Anthony Weiner's efforts highlight the great hypocrisy of these people (the Bush Administration) and it highlights the failure of our community to criticize a president when it's appropriate." Well Congressman Wiener, it's time to criticize this President even if he is a Democrat.