bs"d
Dear Fellow Activists, avm'sh
Bibi Netanyahu has been a disappointment! He has betrayed those that voted for him. Anyone that voted with Likud should now openly break with Netanyahu and with Likud. Netanyahu as leader of the Likud party has betrayed the Jewish Nation. He has many times publicly offered to give away our birthright for a pot of lentils (promises of peace). He is now establishing facts on the ground. A Freeze on Jewish Settlement in Judea and Samaria is a serious concrete step in actualizing his willingness to establish a Palestinian State and is a crime against the Jewish people. He has gone too far. He has overstepped his boundaries.
It's time to bring down this Likud government with Netanyahu at the head and bring in its place a government based on Torah!
Women in Green's reaction to the decision to Freeze the Settlements:
Bibi, today you have strengthened Ahemdinajad.
You have made the Iranian threat greater.
You caved in first; you showed great weakness.
We call upon the Likud to rise to the challenge to not follow Bibi.
Stand up and stay loyal to the Zionist principles!
Don't betray your voters! Don't betray the Land of Israel!
Am Israel is strong. Get your strength from the people.
The People of Israel will continue to build, settle and expand across the Land of Israel
Yehudit Katzover 0507161818
Nadia Matar 0505500834
Sanhedrin - Great Court of 71
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *ע"ר
רחל אמנו 47 ירושלים 93228 ישראל Rachel Eimenu 47 Jerusalem Israel
972-2-5661962 Tel טלפקס- 972-2-5664137 Telefax דואל dbtc@actcom.com e-mail
664137 Telefax דואל dbtc@actcom.com e-mail
5 in Kislev, 5770 (November 22, 2009)
Declaration of Sovereignty of the Jewish Nation on Judea and Samaria, Application of Torah Law
We hereby declare in this, in front of all the nations, the sovereignty of the Jewish Nation, and mainly of the Jewish residents actively living in the regions of Judea and Samaria, more than 120 communities amounting to more than 350,000 Jews, as sovereign regions of the Jewish State, and this is apart from the Jewish residents in Jerusalem neighborhoods and in the Golan, counting for about 250,000 additional Jews, may they increase. Sixty myriads of Jews, like the number of Jews in the Land of Israel at the time of the Declaration of the State of Israel in 5708 (1948), may it prosper and flourish.
The sovereignty declared here is reserved for the State of Israel, until it is established as the state of the Nation of G-d according to the Torah of G-d, within the regions of the Land of Israel's biblical borders.
The Torah is the foundation of the constitution of the nation of Israel as it was given at Sinai, which existed since before creation; it is the testimony of G-d's will, His actions, and His laws.
Therefore, the applicable and obligatory law in Judea and Samaria since earliest times and eternally, like in all of the Land of Israel is the law of Torah, even if foreign entities, or Jewish entities which do not recognize this law, and act according to foreign laws recognize this.
Application of the law does not require the agreement of any political or governmental authority.
The existing laws of the State of Israel in Judea and Samaria and in the Golan may remain in force as long as they do not contradict the laws of Torah.
In order to implement the laws of Torah in action, we call to all of the communities of Judea and Samaria and the Golan to set up Courts acting in accordance with Torah law. Each Court will comprise not less than three people, who keep Torah and fear G-d, despite profiteering, of public reknown, and also are representatives of the public, having been elected in electrions held for this purpose. Recommendations on the matter of management of the election process for the courts will appear in an appendix.
The government of Israel threatens that if the Arabs and the United Nations were to declare or recognize a Palestinian State, that the State of Israel may take actions steps towards annexing settlement blocks.
Such a declaration is an admission, in a roundabout manner, that Israel has the eternal residual right to impose and to implement its sovereignty in all of the Land of Israel, and it is only due to slavery to the process called the "peace process", and the misunderstanding of the State of Israel as being part of the family of nations, that Israel does not implement what is known to all, even in the core writings of Islam and Christianity, that the Land of Israel is the inheritance of the Nation of G-d, the Nation of Israel.
The cowardly policies of Israeli governments, at least since 5727 (1967), brought upon the Jewish Nation, and upon its sovereignty in the Land of Israel, the disaster, which continues to become more explicit after the Goldstone Report, whose essence is the founding of a foreign Arab state in regions of the Land of Israel which will be recognized by the nations of the world, organized in the United Nation. The Israeli governments, in their denial of the sovereign rights of the Jewish Nation on the Land of Israel, in opposition to the set covenants in the Torah between G-d and the forefathers of the nation, and the words of the prophets, and including international law decisions in the years 1920 and 1922, cause, as stated, disaster for the nation, in whose and for whose sake they pretend to speak.
Israeli governments have denied, due to political pressures, the sovereignty of the Nation of Israel on strips of land in the heart of its homeland, including Jerusalem, in that they did not actualize the Basic Law of Jerusalem. They preferred to refer to them as "occupied territories". This denial was made worse by the High Court, in their infamous decision that these strips of land are occupied territories are in a perpetual state of war until their evacuation. This perversion was used as justification for ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip by means of the expulsion and banishment of its Jewish residents, and destroying their means of livelihood. This despicable act is meant to be used as a president to permit the expulsion and banishment of Jews, and their ethnic cleansing from regions of their land, the Holy Land. These regions of land were liberated, with the help of the Creator, in war, which the Arabs initiated in the year 5727 (1967), and also in the defensive War of Independence in 5708 (1948).
This behavior presents the Jewish Nation as burglars, and its land, state, and government as war criminals.
The High Court, the Attorney General, and the haters of Israel within, aroused the recognition and courage of, what is known as the Palestinian entity, to declare statehood. Therefore the High Court, the Attorney General, and all those associated with them carry the consequences for the results and damages in life and property and removing Israel from its land, and will give accounting if and when the hand of Israel will become strengthened, with the grace of G-d.
We declare that any foreign political entity, in the regions of the Land of Israel, which is not Jewish is an illegal and temporary entity, and is destined to be uprooted.
Activities of the Israel Defense Forces against Jewish communities, their uprooting, and the exile of Jews from them, in part or whole; these actions are expressly illegal. It is easy to show that in the circumstances which have been created, according to which swaths of the Land, including the "settlement" of Gilo, are under dispute and threat of Arab and international capture.
Therefore, whomever acts towards the destruction of Jewish communities acts for the sake of foreign interests, and undermines the existence of the nation of Israel in its land, and acts against the laws of Torah, and will in the future be punished for this by the hands of Heaven.
Destruction of Jewish communities is the actualization of the call of the American government not to build in the neighborhood of Gilo. The destiny for the settlement Negohot is like that of the neighborhood of Gilo, and the destiny of the neighborhood of Rechavia and every other place in Jerusalem. Every person who is employed in the evacuation and exile and destruction is excommunicated by Heaven and excommunicated by man, and will not be designated in the community.
About this, David, King of Israel said:
Psalms 119:158 – I saw traitors, and I quarreled, for they did not observe Your word.
We are convinced that the heads of yeshivas will not be frightened from threats, and will find ways to sustain their institutions and to strengthen the trust of the yeshiva students in their chosen path, the way of Torah.
We pray that the eyes of the government, like the eyes of all people, will open up to see the difficult situation in which the nation of Israel and its state is in, and therefore it will cease any process of evacuation and plans of expulsion, and instead of this will work to spread out the flocks on the mountains of Israel, and worry for all that it is lacking.
The Jewish Nation, under its present regime, sits on the fence. It cannot, in its current state, receive any legitimacy from the nations of the world, but only earn their disdain, for it doesn't act according to divine laws, promises and covenants, which cause, G-d forbid, the punishments and curses written in the Torah.
The Iran affair is the result of the removal of the divine image from the shepherds of Israel for many years, who withheld the Nation of Israel from recognition, study, and education that the name of G-d is called upon it, and therefore the nations of the world fear it.
As long Nation of Israel does not act according to its ways, from amidst a divine spiritual identity, in holiness and purity, expressing the national spirit, the State of Israel will not be able to overcome its enemies, and G-d forbid, the curses will be fulfilled.
Deuteronomy 28 (43) The stranger in your midst will rise up high and higher, and you will go down lower and lower… (47) Because you have not served Hashem your G-d in happiness and goodness of heart from abundance… (52) And he will trouble you in all of your gates until your fortified high walls, that you trust, come down in all your land, and he will trouble you in all the gates in all the land that Hashem your G-d gave you.
We call to all Jews and all people, and all the nations and countries of the world to repent, to avoid theft, bloodshed, and sexual sins, and to accept the yoke of Torah and commandments, every nation according to what is proper for him, and to help the Nation of Israel to cherish the dust of its land, and to erect its Temple on the Temple Mount and to call together to the G-d of Israel, G-d of the world, and to announce the abandonment of perverted ideas to establish a foreign state in the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Prof. Hillel Weisse – Spokesman Rabbi Dov Stein - Secretary
My connection to this story began when I visited this hilltop of Mavo Dotan about a year ago and met David Botzer, who I knew from some of his earlier involvements as a nationalist and building Eretz Yisrael. David & Shayna Botzer have a new born baby and they are, I believe, in their late 20's, early 30's. They live on this remote green hilltop, Mavo Doatan, with only one other neighbor, an elderly man who I also had the pleasure to meet (very interesting man). On this particular day David showed us what he had built and discussed why he felt that it was important to have a presence, strategically. His plan was to bring Jewish youth from troubled homes to this facility and provide them with farm-therapy, tending to sheep, horses and some light agriculture. As one who visited him, I was humbled by his dedication to this project and the vision that he had to see it through. I left him my business card, with email and phone numbers to call if he ever needed our help, financial or otherwise.
One month later, my daughter Tamara called to tell that she spent a shabbat, with her chatan, in Mavo Dotan, on a hill, with her future brother in law David and sister in law Shayna. They were sitting in the kitchen erev shabbat and Tamara noticed my business card on the fridge in their kitchen. She was shocked when she saw it and could not figure out how it was possible that it landed on this remote hill. How this story connects to me my daughter and the Botzers is mystical. How the destruction of their farm should connect to those of us who must find the inner strength to respond to the indignity when the Israeli police send goons to destroy the property of David & Shayna Botzer is yet another question.
I spoke to David yesterday morning after I received a call from my daughter about what had happened. David is very strong and has begun to rebuild a make shift shelter so that the sheep have a small covering to protect them from today's rains.
While this story has become typical of how the authorities handle young people like the Botzers, the fact that the Israeli authorities use such extra-judicial measures and then hide in silence, is even more excruciating. No authority is finding this problematic, the army, the police, don't see this kind of lawlessness as wrong.
The way I left it with David Botzer was that he would call me in the next few days on what financial assistance he may need to begin the rebuilding process. I will be searching out in the next few days where the order originated and hope to make some noise which will arouse the attention needed for a reaction from government officials.
Now what can be done for David & Shayna Botzer. Firstly, I would recommend that all of those who are reading about this for the first time should put through a long distance call to the Botzers and express your utter shock at what was done. Next to offer them whatever support you can afford financial or other. The very least that we can do is show your concern for your fellow Jew when it is needed the most.
David Botzer
057 624 2403
052 790 6052
IZZY KAPLAN
416 824 2858 CELL
416 256 2858 OFFICE
Check out my new blog http://israelonisrael.blogspot.com
comments from Paul Rotenberg (Toronto)
If you have been to Israel and visited farms like this one you will understand what an outrageous and pointless act the military did in Israel today. It IS about the farm, the family, the youth who go to work on the farm (often youth in trouble in the city, and the effect is incredible) and the rights of Israelis to live in Israel . It is about the fact that the military ignored the legal process, it is about some politicians enacting their own political agendas at the expense of specific (expendable) citizens and so many more issues. But this time it is about something else as well. Read this article, and don't miss what is being said: the military came to destroy and they invited the local Arabs to do the destruction. Can you imagine the army standing around preventing crying children and their shocked mother from protecting their home while the father is away serving in the reserves, and protecting who? Protecting Arabs who were invited to have a great time dismantling a Jewish home. Can you imagine the precedent this sets? This is so perverse it makes my head spin. Meanwhile the media in Israel is making a fuss about some soldiers, at their swearing in, who put it clearly on the table that they would not take part in this kind of action. This is so twisted it is becoming unrecognizable. There is no conclusion that I could draw that adequately describes the horrific nature of what went on today and the future ramifications of it.
Paul
Kislev 6, 5770, 23 November 09 08:26
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
(Israelnationalnews.com) The Botzer family, whose farm was demolished Monday morning by the military, described for Arutz Sheva Radio the loss they have suffered, saying it is far more than financial.
The Botzer farm, located adjacent to Mevo Dotan in the Shomron (Samaria) region, was destroyed Monday morning as part of the government crackdown on what have been defined as "unauthorized outposts" in lands liberated by Israel prior to the Six Day War. David and Shaina Botzer told Arutz Sheva that their farm is actually on state land within the municipal territory of Mevo Dotan , although west of the town's current residential area.
"My husband is a Navy commando and while he was planning to go to do his reserve duty, they came and dismantled his life's work. This was an animal pen worth tens of thousands of shekels. There were 50 heads of sheep there as part of an educational agricultural project that involves the area youth," Shaina said. The animal pen itself was subject to a demolition order, she said, but the order was in appeal before the proper authorities. In addition to the animal pen, the security forces also destroyed a stable that was not subject to the existing demolition order, Botzer added.
'Like a stab in the back'
"The Navy commando unit is in my husband's blood," Shaina told Arutz Sheva. "The unit is part of him and now it is hard for him to go to reserve duty. He feels like he was stabbed in the back."
Shaina was further surprised to see that the workers brought in to carry out the physical destruction of their property were Arabs from a neighboring village. "I am stunned. It is a total shock when Arabs come and dismantle a Jewish farm when so many of their homes in the village below [our farm] are illegal," she explained.
When the workers were taking down the pen, they tried to chase away the sheep, but the animals tried with all their might to remain in the enclosure. "Even after the pen was dismantled [the sheep] ran back to the area where it had stood, but they came upon a pile of rubble," Shaina Botzer said. "It is so symbolic that they tried to return home."
The Shomron Liaison Office informed Israel National News on Monday that the Botzer ranch is "an educational farm which is located in a very difficult and strategic area and is an inspiration to the region's development."
"We will continue and support the efforts of the Botzer family and those who help them secure a Jewish presence in the Northern Shomron ," the Liaison Office said. "We are now launching an emergency campaign to raise funds to rebuild the building that was destroyed."
"We are essentially protecting state land here," Shaina Botzer said, "and they took everything of ours apart. With G-d's help, we will start over again."
| ||||
A new report released by the Center for Near East Policy Research, a Jerusalem based think-tank, discusses the possible connection between American military aid and Palestinian terrorism. The report, "Implications of U.S. Military Training of Palestinian Security Forces," was authored by center chairman David Bedein and deals with the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC), run by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton. http://www.israelbehindthenews.com/library/pdfs/Assessment_of_US_Military_Aid_to_Fatah_US.pdf
|
An Educational Service of
Jewish Educational Resources of New
York
www.JERNY.org
"Dear Judge Goldstone,
My name is Dr. David Zangen. I am a consultant in Pediatric
Endocrinology and Diabetes at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem.
Over 50% of my patient population is Palestinian from Jerusalem, the West Bank
and Gaza. I speak Arabic and initiated the first training program for
Palestinian physicians in the field of Pediatric Endocrinology. The
trained physicians were fully respected and were included as first authors on
our studies that we published in the world's leading professional journals.
But, at the same time, I happened to be the Chief Medical Officer of
my brigade during Operation Defensive Shield, in Jenin, 2002. I was
responsible for the medical treatment of our soldiers, but also for enabling the
hospital in Jenin to provide full medical services to the civilian population,
and I was personally involved in numerous medical treatments that Palestinians
(including fighters) received from Israeli physicians.
During and after the operation the director of Jenin Hospital was a
source for what has been falsely called the "massacre in Jeninin which 5,000 people were slaughtered." This
same person, Dr. Abu Rali, has also claimed that one part of the Jenin hospital
was destroyed by Israeli tank missiles: "12 tank rockets were shot at the
hospital."
You should know, honorable Judge, that these statements have been
proven and documented as outright lies, not only by Israeli sources, but also by
the Human Rights Watch and UN organizations, which counted only 52 dead on the
Palestinian side and 23 on the Israeli side. These organizations, and
photographs of Jenin Hospital following the operation, showed no evidence of any
destruction at the hospital buildings.
This Dr. Abu Rali, a hospital director and physician, lies and
incites in the service of the Shahids. It is hard to believe that
a director of a hospital can give such an obviously false testimony. I
cannot understand it. And you cannot understand it. But,
unfortunately, this is what has happened. Even people who would normally
be considered reliable sources become advocates of blatant lies.
Tragically, moral misbehavior of doctors in the Palestinian Authority is not
new. The pediatrician, George Habash, sent his terrorists to kill children in
Israeli schools, as did Hamas' leader and pediatrician, Dr. Abd al-Aziz Rantisi, as well as pediatrician, Dr. Mahmud
Zaher, who continues to encourage the launching of rockets from Gaza
against innocent Israeli schools.
Please Judge Goldstone, you should really be careful when such
blatant liars serve as the basis for your report. I am sure that you mean
well, but being an eyewitness, both to the events in Jenin and to the subsequent
media, and initially false, UN reporting, I do understand what happened to you,
how a person of such stature and integrity could become associated with such a
faulty report.
Look, Judge Goldstone, at your report on the Al Fakhura incident on
January 5-6th 2009 (paragraphs 651-688). You do report how Israel was
accused for directly bombing the UNRWA school. It took two weeks for this
accusation to be withdrawn. But you, honored Judge, went back to get your
testimony only from the same people who spread the blood libel of the school
bombing. Moreover, when analyzing the scene you claim that you could not
verify the numbers of 24 dead and 40 wounded, but these numbers are not
considered exaggerated. Finally, in the 'Factual Findings' section, you
already determine that 24 people were killed and 40 injured!
Did you, by any chance, try to validate any of these invented and
inciting details? Did you look at the Al Jazeera or BBC reports from the
same very day of the event? Did you try to validate your 'Factual
Findings' conclusions by at least getting emergency room charts on the people
admitted to their trauma department on this very day? Did you go over the
ID's of the "dead" and the place or cemetery where they were supposedly
buried?
No, you didn't!
As a judge I am sure that you did not mean to hurt Israel. I
try to believe that you came to Gaza without prejudice. But a judge is
expected to look, at least, for some evidence and verification (media, emergency
room registration, burial places, etc.) of the testimonies and not accept
impossible "facts". You have allowed yourself to be misled by fabrications
made either by terrorists or doctors such as Dr. Abu Rali from Jenin.
I, and my colleagues in Israel, are proud of the medical service that
is given equally to everyb human being regardless of origin; we are also proud to
belong to a nation that is identified as having higher moral standards than
others.
I call on you, Judge Goldstone. Take this Al Fakhura incident,
look at the media coverage from the very same day. See the events in their
context. Try to live one day with the responsibility for the existence of
this small nation of six million Jews threatened constantly by 300 million
Muslims. I call on you to try and not draw conclusions from such lies and
misleading witnesses, even if they come from so-called professionals. In
the modern world, propaganda and lies are definitely a part of the war.
And as a judge, you should not serve as a tool for augmenting hatred and
conflicts.
We desire peace. We love peace. And we try our utmost to
fight for our right to exist while maintaining the highest possible moral
standards, even at the cost of our lives.
This letter was written by Dr. David Zangen and appeared in Ma'ariv in Hebrew on 27.10.09, front page. English courtesy of
Dr. David Zangen.
JEWS OF ISRAEL AND THE WORLD WE ALL HAVE TO DO THIS AND SHAKE UP THE HEAVENS---
especially all those who are sitting in their living room and just saying OY OY (and don't see any usefulness in hishtadlut via media or politics.).
Perhaps we must show the One Above that there are plenty of people who truly love the Land of Israel and the People of Israel and the Torah of Israel!
Till now they may have been sitting quietly in their living room ---but things have reached a head and they can't just stand by and ignore what is being done to Eretz Yisrael and to Am Yisrael and to Torat Yisrael . ! Then we have to all show up at the Kotel, Western Wall and yell the same again even louder!
SO START YELLING OUT THE WINDOW!!!!
THIS IS GREAT! WORTH WATCHING ! | |
|
Dear Jewish Journalists, Jewish Rabbinic Leaders and Fellow Activists,
{Please forward to all media lists)Rubashkin Denied Basic Rights
South Dakota Prison Officials Strip Rubashkin, Deny Him Kosher Food And Religious Items, Supporters Claim.
Pretty dismaying. Is this an accurate report? They said a video was taken. Why would they make it up? The source is chabad.info. It's about serious infractions in South Dakota State penitentiary in Sioux Falls where Rabbi Shalom Rubashkin was taken initially pending his transfer to Iowa when he insisted on wearing Yarmulka and Tzizis in Prison..
Before continuing please take some time to read
More on Rubashkin Part 1. It attempts to analyze the Bigger Picture! It is a letter to Attorney Sam Hirsch representing Rubashkin and Shmuly Yanklowitz representing Uri L'Tzedek.
It was posted in reponse to Zev Brenners program http://talklinecommunications.com/ featuring them both. People may argue that what is happening in Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian State is unrelated to what happened to Rubashkin. I disagree. I see clear connections.
What follows is more analysis and is directed primarily to Uri L'Tzedek. Uri L'Tzedek has lofty goals. Those that are quick to condemn human rights abuses actually might unintentionally or intentionally feed and enable evil. The biggest condemners of G-d fearing Jews come from leftist Jewish Media who are quick to condemn them based on allegations, theories, other biased negative media reports based on one or more of innuendos, lies, heresay, and absolutely no fact, like the Jewish Week's Article
'Messianic Marlboro Man': Are American-Born Settlers More Likely to Go Postal?
I would be pleasantly surprised to see that they actually find it newsworthy to present their Readers with articles based on clear factual data like article by Barry Rubin.
Why I Murdered 13 American Soldiers at Fort Hood: Nidal Hassan Explains It All to You
Make a point to watch the powerpoint slides of the academic lecture! Hassan is the first terrorist in history to give an academic lecture explaining why he was about to attack. Yet that still isn't enough for too many people-including the president of the United States--to understand that the murderous assault at Fort Hood was a Jihad attack.
More on Rubashkin Part 2
To: : Shmuly Yanklowitz and Ari Hart of Uri L'Tzedek
My purpose is not to defend Rubashkin. It is to analyze the outcome of the closing down of Agriprocessor and then to take an honest appraisal of what Uri L'Tzedek has accomplished with their victory of raising awareness of the lack of social and moral ethics on the part of Agriprocessor. To the rest of you reading this, please take a minute to watch a video describing Shmuly Yanklowitz as a real Jewish community hero. He has over 19,000 votes. http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/profile/shmuly-yanklowitz/
It's seems to me quite probable that in reality the opposite is true since one can expect that the economic conditions of the illegal Guatemalan workers actually deteriorate after being sent back to Guatemala. After all, why would they take the risk of being illegal immigrants if it was better in Guatamala economically. I am not even referring to being detained and imprisoned for being in the country illegally by the US gov't. I am not denying or confirming that there were abuses under Rubashkin and abuses must be addressed, and I have not researched evidence or testimony one way or the other, however, did the actions of Uri Le'Tzedek truly benefit this community consisting of legal and illegal employees given American Immigration Law and the reality of the employment conditions (wage and working conditions) in Guatemala itself? What actual good did Uri Letzedek accomplish? Many employees lost their jobs. Many legal employees lost their jobs or money as did many businesses. Does Uri LeTsedek now support them with charity until they find alternative employment or sources of income? Let us not even address the ripple effect of all the charities that benefited from Agriprocessor staying in business.
On the positive end, I suppose Uri L'Tzedek encourages employment to those that are in this country legally in an ethical manner and assures minimum wage for all employees. On the negative side this in turn raises the price of Kosher meat in an industry that must pay their employees the minimum wage. Besides the rise in prices, another worrisome negative is that it will encourage poorer Jews who are not as observant to buy non Kosher meat which is way more affordable.
After all, besides not being subject to extra expenses because of Kashrush stringency, the USA gov't didn't select all meat plants to enforce illegal immigration issues. Non kosher meat plants can keep hiring the illegal immigrants from Guatemala, pay them sub minimum wages and subject them to abuses unless the USA gov't gets on their case as well. It appears that Agriprocessor was subjected to selective prosecution where Agriprocessor was targeted to close down even though turning a blind eye to hiring illegal immigrants appears to be the industry standard way of operation for the typical meat plant. In addition, the judgement not to allow Rubashkin bail on grounds that he might run away to his Homeland Israel seem to come from left field.
My guess and hope is that Agriprocessor was far less abusive of their employees than non Jewish plants because the owners of Agriprocessor were G-d fearing Jews with laws against animal cruely and a religious requirement to create a Kiddush Hashem among gentiles. So if these illegal immigrants found work in other meat plants how did their working conditions compare with Agriprocessor. Have you done a comparison that is objective and fair? Perhaps many illegal workers from Guatemala were grateful at the opportunity to be treated with respect at AGriprocessor at what they considered a decent wage. The money they earned supported their families respectfully in Guatemala. Are you sure that there are no such examples of satisfied workers that also happened to be here illegally? You paint such a negative picture of Agriprocessor. Was Everyone there mistreated and abused? It seems hard for me to believe that G-d fearing Jews abuse their employees as a rule. Perhaps I am naive in a different way than you. My religious education never taught that it is ok to mistreat Gentiles. Quite the opposite. We are required to create a Kiddush Hashem!
Notwithstanding American Law requirements of minimum wage and our obligation to obey the law of the land, it is my understanding that paying less than minimum wage is not necessarily abusive because it's relative to the society one lives in. In Jewish Law, one must give charity on the level that the recipient is accustomed. Perhaps the solution is for Agriprocessor to open a plant in Guatemala not subject to American minimum wage as do other companies that manufacture in foreign countries like shoes and toys. Would you boycott them as well? Such a boycott would shut down the entire American economy. "Made in the United States of America" is a rare commodity in todays' world. Isn't there a real possiblity that workers in other countries get paid less then $7.25 an hour or employ children under age etc. Child Labor is a serious matter in foreign countries and not always illegal. But again everything is relative to the society that the people are accustom. It may be the lesser of an even greater evil.
Let me conclude with this eye opener by Dr. Paul Eidelberg.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <eidelberg@foundation1.org>
Date: Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Subject: It's NOT the Economy, Stupid!
To: list@foundation1.org
Arabs in Judea and Samaria were more prosperous and exercised far more self-determination under Israel than they now do under the PLO-Palestinian Authority!
It's NOT the Economy, Stupid!
Paul Eidelberg
A reader reminds me what I have often written about, namely, Israel's efforts after the Six Day War of June 1967 to raise the standard of living of "West Bank" Arabs.
As noted in my forthcoming book, "An American Political Scientist in Israel," the Arabs in Judea and Samaria were more prosperous and exercised far more self-determination under Israel than they now do under the PLO-Palestinian Authority! Under Israel's benevolent rule they elected their own mayors and enjoyed rights and opportunities non-existent in the entire Arab-Islamic world.
While the "West Bank" was occupied by Jordan, and Gaza by Egypt, conditions in these territories were quite dire. Life expectancy was low, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and child mortality were rife; and the level of education was very poor. Fewer than 60 percent of all male adults had been employed. When Israel regained possession of this land after the 1967 war, its government established new hospitals, health centers, and nursing schools. Infant mortality was greatly reduced and the standard of health improved beyond recognition. Roads as well as water and electric power facilities were constructed. Modern methods of agriculture were introduced. A system of primary and secondary schools was established, which greatly multiplied the number of girls and boys attending classes. Even more dramatic was the progress in higher education. From none in 1967, by the early 1990s, there were seven universities boasting some 16,500 students (where, unfortunately, they were also taught by their mentors, to hate Jews).
Eventually, tens of thousands of "West Bank" Arabs were employed in Israel. The Arabs' standard of living doubled and quadrupled. According to George Gilder: "Under Israeli management, economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza surged for some twenty years at a rate of 30 percent in 1979, averaging 25 percent per year …" (By the way, Gilder points out that "…without the presence of the Jews, there is no evidence that the Palestinians would particularly want these territories for a nation." "During the 1970s, the West Bank and Gaza constituted the fourth fastest-growing economy in the world … with per capita GDP expanding tenfold between 1968 and 1991 … Life expectancy rose from 48 years in 1967 to 72 in 2000 … By 1986, 92.8 percent of the population … had electricity around the clock, as compared to 20.5 percent in 1967 … [Similar advances occurred in hygiene, healthcare, child mortality, immunizations, and communications, which all rose to levels equal or exceeding other Middle East countries].
Despite Israel's "economic solution" to the plight and hostility of the Palestinians, their deeply engrained Islamic hatred of Jews never waned.
Those who think there are economic solutions to ideological and/or international ideological conflicts forget that no European country was more prosperous than Germany in the 19th century, yet this did not prevent Germany from waging war against France.
Israel's ruling elites like to believe that a middle class Palestinian society will live in peace with Israel. They forget that aggressive, militaristic sentiments and ambitions are not uncommon in places with a rising middle class.
Finally, one often says in America, "It's the economy, stupid.' As concerns the Palestinians, however, one must say—as suggested by one of my readers: "It's NOT the economy, stupid!"
I am using the Free version of SPAMfighter.
We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam.
SPAMfighter has removed 9051 of my spam emails to date.
The Professional version does not have this message.
RACHEL'S CHILDREN RECLAMATION FOUNDATION 5755-5770
60 West End Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11235 718-648-2610,
<rachelschildren@gmail.com> 054-224-2649 theracheltear@blogspot.com
CONTINUE TO BRIGHTEN THE LIGHTS FROM CHANUKAH WITH THE
7MS and Rachel Imeinu
AT MANHATTAN BEACH JEWISH CENTER, 2nd Floor
60 West End Avenue Brooklyn NY 11235
Saturday Evening December 19, 2009 7PM
MELAVA MALKA
CELEBRATING IMA RACHEL -
A LEGACY OF
MIDOS AND MITZVAHSs FOR MATCHES, MENDING, MIRACLES
Guest Speaker from Israel,
RABBI EPHRAIM SPRECHER
Lecturer at OU Israel Center and Dean of Diaspora Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem
Lecture, Learning, Latkas and Lasagna
Rabbi Machlis's itinerary for his emergency trip to the US and Canada.
Tomorrow evening (Monday, November 16) at 8:30pm Rabbi Machlis will be in Teaneck, New Jersey at the home of Jack and Lori Brauner, located at 591 Grenville Avenue, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666. For more information, please call Lori and Jack at 201-530-1179.
Rabbi Machlis will be saying a few words on the subject of Yerushalayim Shel Chesed , "Jerusalem, City of Kindness".
Refreshments will be served.
On account of the fact that this event was only set up very recently, I expect it to be a very cozy crowd. If you would like to have the chance to meet with Rabbi Machlis in a small group, this is likely to be an excellent opportunity for it.
At the same time, Rabbi Machlis of course is in the US for an important reason and you're receiving this email only because you're a partner with him as one of only a few dozen people who have contributed to his organization recently. Of course Rabbi Machlis wouldn't expect you to make any kind of financial contribution if you've helped out his organization so recently but if you know people who you could bring along to this event who may be inspired to help out, please do bring them along.
Tuesday evening (November 17) at 8:30pm Rabbi Machlis will be in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens at the home of Yermi and Tamar Ornstein at 147-17 72nd Drive in Queens, NY 11367. For more information please call Yermi and Tamar at 718-263-4424.
Rabbi Machlis will be sharing his thoughts on the subject of "Avenues of Chesed in the Modern World".
Refreshments will be served.
Wednesday evening (November 17) at 7:00pm Rabbi Machlis will be speaking at the Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh at 5685 Beacon Street in Pittsburgh, PA, followed by a parlor meeting at the home of Eytan and Jamie Rosenthal at 8:30pm at 2293 Beechwood Boulevard in Pittsburgh, PA 15217. For more information please call Josh Wander at 412-726-5408.
The event is sponsored by all of the shuls in the community and everyone is invited to attend both or either of these events.
Refreshments will be served.
Saturday evening / Motzei Shabbat (November 21) at 8:30pm Rabbi Machlis will be speaking in Thornhill, Toronto at the Sephardic Kehila Centre located at 7026 Bathurst Street in Toronto, Canada. For more information please call Victor Arrobas at 416-826-3711.
Sunday evening (November 22) Rabbi Machlis will be hosted for a parlor meeting in Montreal, Canada. If you're located in Montreal or would like to invite someone who is, please write me for details as they're finalized.
And of course, relevant to any of these events or Rabbi Machlis's schedule or fundraising opportunities, please feel free to call me, Moshe Rudner, at 760-880-1584.
Please seriously consider taking this opportunity to invite friends and colleagues who you think would like to learn more about the Machlises and their charitable doings and who might be inclined to make a positive difference for our favorite home away from home in Yerushalayim.You have already made a tremendous difference for the one-of-a-kind Chesed L'Orchim-Machlis. Please consider whether you know anyone else who should perhaps be informed about any of these events.
Bio of Rabbi Machlis
Along with his wife Henny, Rabbi Mordechai Machlis runs the largest home-based hospitality center in Israel.
Hundreds of people join the Machlis family for a multi-course, inspirational, educational, fun and festive Shabbat celebration each and every week.
In additional to Shabbat programs, Rabbi Machlis also runs a kind of home-based homeless shelter and soup kitchen out of his modest apartment where Jerusalem's indigent know that they have a place to get a home cooked meal, medical assistance and wise counsel from the Rabbi and Rebbetzin to help them get back on their feet.
It's no exaggeration to say that since opening their home-based hospitality center in Jerusalem they've been instrumental in saving the lives of dozens of people, ameliorating the unfortunate conditions of hundreds of the poor or suffering and inspiring literally hundreds of thousands of visitors, Jewish and non-Jewish, from around the world.
www.themachliscampaign.com