Givat Asaf Action! Public prayers for the hundreds of families whose homes are in danger

BS"D

Dear Rabbanim and Media, amv"sh

Another Gush Katif?  Another Amona? Let us do what we can to prevent the expulsion of hundreds of families rather than merely express our concern and share their pain after the fact!  I cc: rather than bcc Rabbonim and Media people, who in the past have shown their  support and solidarity with the settlers of Judea and Samaria since you are individuals of influence that shape public opinion and you have an added achraius, obligation and responsibility, to stop evil decrees using your pulpit or media to report, publicize and lend support to those who act to stop these evil decrees. 

Public Relations shapes policy as Caroline Glick points out in her post entitled Marketing of Gilad Schalit.  The Rabbanim and Media are officers in the PR War against terror.  There is an ongoing  PR War that is attacking our entitlement of Judea and Samaria.  It is being fought in the United Nations and on College Campuses and in the Media. The Torah perspective is the most powerful weapon we have that can win this war. 

The battle is raging and we have yet to effectively fight back using our strongest weapon. 

Public prayers for the hundreds of families whose homes are in danger

 

PM Netanyahu and his ministers have yet to shelve the destruction ordersagainst at least 3 communities - Givat Asaf, Ulpana at Bet-El, and Migron.

Public prayers at Givat Assaf (near Bet-El) tomorrow Thu 27 Sept  3 pm - 5 pm.

 

PM Netanyahu and his ministers are cordially invited to come and announce the annulling of the settler-bashing orders. Please pass this invitation along to Mr. Netanyahu via his Likud colleagues -- email addresses above in the Hebrew section

 

Bus info below, MUST pre-register. To drive:

From Jerusalem - via Hizme, head toward Bet-El

From Gush Dan - via Ariel, head toward Bet-El 

 

 

ישוב	City	טלפון נייד להרשמה Must Register!	שעת יציאהDeparting at	מקום יציאה Comments
בת ים	Bat-Yam	054-4436992
ירושלים	Jerusalem	054-6702319	14:15	ישיבת מרכז הרב
כרם ביבנה	Yavne area	054-7414942	13:40
נריה-חרשה	Nerya-Harsha	052-6576229
קרית ארבע	Kiryat-4	052-8109279	13:45
רמת גן	Ramat-Gan	054-8203733	13:15	ישיבת רמת גן
שעלבים-נוף איילון	Shaalabim	052-3863991	13:40	החנייה מול ישיבת ההסדר
רחובות	Rehovot	054-4558049	13:30

 

Dear Friends

 

Below is information sent to us by the Givat Asaf Action committee,
concerning the struggle to prevent the destruction of the community of
Givat Asaf and other communities. Please forward this email to all.

You will find:
1)   a call to come and participate in the mass prayer in Givat Asaf
this coming Thurday October 27th at 3:00pm, at Givat Asaf

2)   a text explaining the background of what is happening

3)   a list of all cellphones of ministers and members of Knesset.
Don't be shy! Call them and tell them that it is their obligation to
prevent the destruction of Givat Asaf. Every call has an influence. If
they don't answer, send them a text message. For those calling from
abroad, dial international-972-and then the cellphone number without
the first zero.

4)   For Hebrew speakers: register to receive updates from the Givat
Assaf action committee: send an email to mate.g.asaf@gmail.com and
send a text message to cellphone 052-3274026 with your name and phone
number so that if G-d forbid, the troops will come to destroy Givat
Assaf, we will all be able to receive calls, day or night, and we will
come en masse, bypassing the roadblocks, to protect Givat Assaf.

With love for Israel,

Yehudit Katsover 050-7161818  Nadia Matar 050-5500834
--------------------------------------------

1)   THURSDAY OCTOBER 27th at 3:00pm in GIVAT ASSAF: MASS PRAYER
sponsored by tens of Rabbis

2) Givat Asaf ­ A Primer

1.      Givat Asaf was established just over ten years ago following
numerous terrorist attacks in the area, culminating with the murder of
Asaf Chaim Hershkovitz (may G-d avenge his blood) on the 8th of Iyar
5761.

2.      There are currently 25 families residing here, including
almost one hundred children.

3.      A few months ago, the Israeli government made a commitment to
the Israel Supreme Court to expel us from our community and to destroy
our dwellings by the end of 2011 ­ i.e. in approximately two months.
The Court also demanded the destruction of nearby Migron by March
2012, and the destruction of Givat HaUlpana in Beit El by April 2012.
All in all, 160 families.

4.      The deportation and destruction are grounded in a "legal"
argument that we are "land thieves" sitting on private Arab property
--  a claim that is baseless and untrue.

a)      The Land of Israel was given to the People of Israel by G-d.

b)      The properties in question were never bought by any Arab; they
were distributed arbitrarily by King Hussein of Jordan during the
early sixties, in an attempt to consolidate his rule.

c)      This distribution of land has no standing under international
law, nor even under Jordanian law. In fact, the only court system that
gives any weight to Hussein's gifts is the Israel court system.

d)      No Arab has ever made a demand for the land upon which Givat
Asaf is built.

e)      Moreover, even if there were such a demand, legal precedents
abound for an equitable solution that does not involve deportation and
destruction. Namely, financial compensation to the land owner.

5.      Three months ago, the Israel Supreme Court instructed the
government to include in its plans for destruction and deportation all
homes built on land that is not registered as state-owned land. In
practice, this means that approximately 3500 families resident
throughout Judea and Samaria are affected.

6.      We in Givat Asaf are not deterred and do not intend to play
along. We are working in a variety of ways to defend our community,
and we understand well that if G-d forbid, Givat Asaf falls, the
appetites of those who want to destroy all Jewish settlement will be
inflated.

7.      The first and foremost area of activity is in the spiritual
domain, and we implore the entire public to wake up and pray for the
success of our struggle, upon which the future of all the settlements
hangs.

8.      Secondly, we call on all lovers of Eretz Yisrael: If we are
attacked, please see to it that you come to Givat Asaf in any possible
mannner. The presence of masses of people at the moment of truth is
critical both for the morale of the community and to hinder and
prevent the destruction and deportation.

9.      For more details, for (tax-deductible) contributions, and/or
to join a list of email or sms updates, please contact:
Mateh Givat Asaf 052-3274026  mate.g.asaf@gmail.com


2)    Phone numbers of MK's and ministers

Sofia Landver 050-6435706
Moshe Kachlon 050-6845584
Yitzhak Aharonovitch 050-5603158
Ayub Kara 050-6233617
Zeev Elkin 050-4623582
Yuli Edelstein 050-3334298
Avigdor Lieberman 054-8000333
Ophir Akonis 050-2002004
Stas Masnikov 050-3833776
Gilad Arden 050-5936500
Alex Miller 050-9022020
Dani Danon 050-7266225
Orly Levy 054-5550500
Moshe Bugi Yaalon 050-6625555
Anastasia Michaeli 050-7898020
Haim Katz 050-6233714
Carmel Shama Hacohen 052-6566666
Lea Nes 050-5247077
Michael Eitan 054-4700002
Gideon Saar 050-6343111
Dan Meridor 052-4336688
Yossi Peled 052-5003060
Miri Regev 052-6826666
Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz 050-6202119
Reuven Rivlin 050-5233818
Zevulun Orlev 052-3969888
Yuval Steinitz 052-3853280
Uri Orbach 050-6202131
Silvan Shalom 050-5571822
Gila Gamliel 052-2700727 no sms to Gila
Tsippi Hotovely 050-7423350
Meir Porush 050-4100041
Dr Benny Begin 050-6234538
Yitzhak Cohen 050-5457005
Yariv Levin  052-2769183
Yaakov Marguy 050-4963737
Yisrael Katz 050-6233939
Eli Yishai 054-5444544
Uzi Landau 054-2424454
Ariel Attias 050-5307028
Fania Kirshenbaum 054-5400187
Yaakov Litzman 050-4121212
Tsion Finian 050-5309110
Menachem Eliezer Mozes 052-7692221
Limor Livnat 050-5200005
Moshe Gafni 050-4141411

=============================================
Women For Israel's Tomorrow  (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

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__________________________________________________

Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan)  a great activist and lover of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichrono Baruch.

Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com 

Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog. 

Jews Boycotting Jews and Boycotting the "Settlements" Fwd: JCC in Manhattan Collaborating with groups that call for a Boycott of Israeli Products

bs"d

Let me educate my readers as per what Meretz is all about.  They have a campaign to 

Boycott these Settlement products sold in the US

Meretz USA says "we are reiterating our call to American Jews to "Buy Israel - Don't Buy Settlements (They're not the Same)".  We stand in solidarity with the brave Israelis who choose to boycott the Settlements.  We also take this solidarity one step further by ourselves taking the action to boycott goods produced in the Settlements and sold in the US."

Now let me describe how I would envision an open debate that Meretz would conduct regarding Israel's "Occupation" of the West Bank.

 Meretz would advertise this event as an open debate representing all sides yet would make sure to have full control over the "debate" and make sure that it would be conducted in the most "civil" manner possible. Therefore they would have a panel discussion of 3 speakers of their own choosing and the most right wing would be of course weak and on the defensive.  Then they would never  allow for open questions in the audience but rather in the name of civility would only allow a question and answer period following the panel discussion whereby  listeners are asked to write their question on a 3 by 5 post card.  Then they would have a moderator who would choose which postcards are to be read out loud. This moderator will of course read the questions himself/herself using his personal bias and discretion but of course will be the model of objectivity and civility.  In the name of "civility" any internal fury generated by a member in the audience supporting the "occupying settlers"  must  repress these negative emotions and be in control of his emotions. 

Meanwhile, listeners will be subjected to continuous lies, distortions  and unwarranted attacks  against the "settlers" with accusations depicting the Settler as occupiers,  aggressors,  and guilty of every evil under the book.  In contrast the Palestinians are depicted as the victims of an illegal occupation, pure and ethical, righteous and peace loving.   As mentioned above, the audience listener must repress any negative emotions to what he/she is hearing.  And should a member of the audience, display a lack of self control and is about to platz in outrage and is unable to contain his/her objection in a calm and civil manner in the face of lies and distortions, and uses poor judgement in failing to conduct himself in a "civil" manner,  will be cordially "escorted" out of the premises for being a disruption and disturbance to the community, who represent  the epitome of progressiveness and diversity. In this manner Diversity and multiculturalism will have the chance of expression in the most civil manner possible. 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BETH GILINSKY <bgilinsky@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 8:48 PM
Subject: JCC in Manhattan Collaborating with groups that call for a Boycott of Israeli Products
To: nationalconferenceonjewishaffairs@googlegroups.com


Please get this around.

Beth

JCCWATCH.ORG MEDIA ADVISORY October 24, 2011 Info@JCCWATCH.ORG Contact: JCCWatch.org at (917) 434-3480         Why is the JCC in Manhattan promoting and collaborating with groups That Support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel?    BE AWARE! The JCC in Manhattan's Other Israel Film Festival is collaborating with organizations that fund or support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The JCC in Manhattan lists as partners in the Other Israel Film Festival event, groups such as:   The New Israel Fund (NIF):  As documented by Dr. Gerald Sternberg, Bar Ilan University, head of NGO-Monitor.org, the New Israel Fund supports organizations that actively work to delegitimize Israel through boycott, divestment and sanctions and lawfare tactics.   Partners for Progressive Israel A/K/A Meretz-USA: This group calls on Jews to boycott other Jews. "Partners for Progressive Israel" has published a listing of Israel Products to be boycotted, such as Ahava Cosmetic Products, Beigel and Beigel baked products and eight Israeli wine vineyards.   B'Tselem:  This group is listed as a partner on the JCC's Other Israel Film Festival website & promotional material.  They worked hand in glove with Judge Richard Goldstone to produce false charges against Israel, including allegations of war crimes and purposely targeting civilian populations. Judge Goldstone recently admitted that the report bearing his name contains charges and conclusions that are without foundation.    Ask the JCC in Manhattan Board of Directors (a beneficiary agency of the UJA-Federation of New York) to STOP promoting and partnering with groups that support Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions against Israel.  Ask them to pass guidelines that will prevent this in the future:   CALL & WRITE TO THE BOARD TODAY! Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan    334 Amsterdam Avenue (at 76th Street)   New York, NY  10023 Tel: 646.505.4444    Rabbi Joy Levitt, Executive Director  jlevitt@jccmanhattan.org   Alice Gottesman, President Marti Meyerson, Chair Lisa Kiell, Secretary Andy Arno, Treasurer   Tracey Appelbaum              Andy Appelbaum                  Halle Benett Judy Bernstein Bunzi          Nick Bunzi                            Franklin Z. Davidson Susan Falk                           Edward J. Falk                     Michelle Feig Jeff Feig                               Gary Gelman                        Michelle Gill Brian Davis                          Jeffrey R. Gural                    Harold R. Handler Peter A. Joseph                   Julia Kaufman                      Peter S. Kolevzon Faye Koschitzky                  Sheila Lambert                     Heidi Lurensky Hanno D. Mott                      Bernard M. Plum                   Steven N. Rappaport Scott Romanoff                    Abby Rothschild                   Elizabeth H. Scheuer Carolyn S. Schwartz             Shirley Silver                        Barbara Benenson Warren Marc Warren                         Debra Wasserman                Jason Glasser Carolyn Weinberg                 Yaron Werber                       Carole Zabar       JCCWatch.org             ~   ~   Visit JCCWatch.org on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter

 

--
Beth Gilinsky

Political Strategy, Public Relations and Communications
(212) 726-1124 tel
(212) 726-3124 fax

--
Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan)  a great activist and lover of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichrono Baruch.

Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com 

Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog. 

Raging Anti-Semitism on Occupy Wall Street (OWS) - Glenn Beck

bs"d

http://web.gbtv.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=19944829&source=GBTV

How to combat anti-Semitism?  By speaking out proudly of our Jewish Heritage and bringing G-d's name back into the picture and proclaim what is written in the Torah.  Because anti-Semitism come about when there is a Chillul Hashem which literally means a void of G-d and G-d's Name (Hashem) in the world. Anti-Semitism literally means against G-d's name (from the word anti-Sem i.e. Shem, name.  Shem, Noah's son, brought G-dliness into the world).  

Kudo's for Glenn Beck and may there be many more like him, Jews and Non Jews who will take his cue and speak forcefully for Israel and the Torah and bring the Glory of G-d's Name down to earth filling this terrible void. 

--
Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan)  a great activist and lover of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichrono Baruch.

Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com 

Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog. 

Shalit Trade - Honenu, Daniel Greenfield, Ahlam Tamimi: Bill Levinon

bs"d

Even the extreme right like Honenu in my opinion is partly to blame.  BTW I and others have been  working hard to do a fundraiser/awareness for Honenu.   They are the best of the best and are representing over 1000 soldiers and civilians who have been prosecuted as a result of their attempts at self defense when the government of Israel has failed to protect and defend.  

When I  read how Honenu' director Shmuel Medad presented Yishai with a list of Jewish security prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons and asked him to request their release, it was a turnoff. It's like organizations like Meir Panim who do wonderful work providing soup kitchens and honor Malcolm Hoenlein who supported the expulsion of Gush Katif.  After all, with so many productive people unemployed and with no means of Parnassa, Meir Panim is there to make sure that there is food on the table.  Meir Panim has expanded and can be proud of its accomplishments.  

Hello???? Shouldn't Meir Panim be yelling and screaming about expulsions?  Do we really want them to expand? Isn't the greatest form of tzedaka  not to allow productive individuals to come to the point where they must depend on public welfare? When I raised this point with Meir Panim they tell me that they are not a political organization.  True, but did they really have to honor Malcolm Hoenlein?

By Honenu cooperating with Eli Yishai in this Shalit deal prior to the Ministers vote they encourage the gov'ts policy of endangering the lives of the residents in Judea and Samaria and then will work feverishly to legally protect those who are prosecuted for defending themselves.  Surely with this deal implemented Honenu will soon have booming business!

The energies are misplaced.  I still would like to help Honenu but I would like to be convinced that Honenu will not do a repeat number of the Yesha Council of Gush Katif.   This is the letter I wrote to Shmuel Medad and Dovid Wilder. 

bs"d

Dear Zangi Medad and Dovid Wilder, amv"sh

Bad idea.  In my opinion Shmuel/Zangi Medad/Eli Yishai is making a big mistake. Even though we are desperate and want the Jewish Security Prisoners released  and their families are suffering and want them  released and Jonathan Pollard released they can't be part of a pact signed in Jewish Blood (to quote Caroline Glick)  regardless of being approved by the cabinet. 

It shows that we are desperate and like the Shalit family are willing to settle for scraps they are sending our way rather than standing Komimiyut  for the protection of our people.

 Why are you so sure that we can not stop this exchange with enough public pressure.  How hard have you tried?  Susie Dym sent out an urgent email.  So did Nadia Matar.   Dovid, listen to your son! Where was Hebron's protest against this prisoner exchange? Where is Hebron's leadership? Is it Myopia? Why are you giving up so easily and why are you not seeing the broader picture?.  

The prisoners Honenu represent deserve better. Would they be able to live with their conscience knowing that their release was part of this blood deal? Rav Meir obviously disagrees with your approach but thank you for educating me.  Do you think that educating us about Rav Meir shows that you can strongly identify with  those that don't agree with your approach and then lets you off the hook?  Sorry. 

Rather than caving in,  attempt to mobilize the Yishuvim, Rabbanim and Am Yisroel in strong op-positional protest against such a deal, davan, and encourage teshuva. Don't partner with those who negotiate with Hamas to make this blood deal palatable.  

Don't be discouraged.  Sooner or later the Rabbanim and Am Yisroel will be convinced but in the process,  we want to limit Jewish blood spilled.  BeDamayic Chayii can also be accomplished with Mizvoth like Dam Mila and Korban Pesach  and even Shemittah and Tzedaka in support of acquiring EY (damayich can be translated as money). It doesn't have to be with terror attacks.   Our efforts will not go unnoticed in the gates in Heaven. 

Chag Sameach and Moadim LeSimcha. Robin

On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 10:07 AM, Honenu <honenu.org.il@gmail.com> wrote:

Honenu Demands Release of Jewish Security Prisoners Ofer Gamliel, father of 7, sentenced to 15 years for his role in placing a bomb that never went off near an Arab school in 2002. Gamliel said it was to instill fear in the Arab population & it was never meant to go off. Protest called for 8:30 PM Saturday night ( Oct 15 ) in front of the Presidents house in Jerusalem at Rechov HaNasi 3. Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) is advocating the release of 12 Jewish security prisoners convicted of "terrorism related activities," Arutz Sheva learned. Before the cabinet vote on Tuesday to approve the release of 1,027 terrorists for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Honenu director Shmuel Medad presented Yishai with a list of Jewish security prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons and asked him to request their release. The list of Jewish security prisoners reportedly included Ami Popper, Shlomo Dvir, and Ofer Gamliel, among others. Medad told Arutz Sheva, "We are against this disastrous transaction to release hundreds and hundreds of murderous terrorists, but if this is to be approved by the Cabinet, they can make this one small gesture for 12 Jewish families whose loved ones have been imprisoned for years in an Israeli prison." Arutz Sheva learned Yishai's initiative is supported by ministers Daniel Hershkowitz, Moshe Kahlon and Yuli Edelstein. Hershkowitz, one of the move's supporters, said "without justifying the actions of the Jewish security prisoners, the deal we were going to vote on now [the Shalit deal - ed.] is one of the reasons their actions were taken in the first place. We have to include the pardon of Jewish security prisoners in the equation. Israel may be able to swallow the bitter pill of this deal if we sweeten it." David Wilder from Hebron wrote an opinion piece supporting the release of Jewish prisoners. Jewish prisoners deserve no less than Arab terrorists  Donate to Honenu.  Make Israel a better place. P.S. Honenu representative, Shalom Pollack is available for speaking engagements inNew York - New Jersey area from November 9 - 28. He will also be in the Los Angeles area November 20-22. He is flying to the US on his own expense. If you can help us arrange speaking venues or wish to attend a Honenu event, please contact us.

Arutz7 writes, Before the cabinet vote on Tuesday to approve the release of 1,027 terrorists for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Honenu director Shmuel Medad presented Yishai with a list of Jewish security prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons and asked him to request their release.

Medad told Arutz Sheva, "We are against this disastrous transaction to release hundreds and hundreds of murderous terrorists, but if this is to be approved by the Cabinet, they can make this one small gesture for 12 Jewish families whose loved ones have been imprisoned for years in an Israeli prison."

Is it possible that this request weakened the resolve of the ministers especially when they see that the strongest in resolve were willing to negotiate and work with Yishai on this?  Why would Medad davka ask Yishai to request their release before the vote if they weren't in some way wishing to be part of release deal?

Shalit trade; Revolving Door Terrorism 

Daniel Greenfield  Monday, October 17, 2011

The Shalit deal will release some of the worst murderers in Israeli history, including those responsible for the Dolphinarium disco bombing which killed over a dozen teenagers, the Sbarro pizza bombing which wiped out an entire family, the lynchers of two Israeli reservists and the Passover Massacre at the Park Hotel.

This is Israel's worst military defeat in its modern history and it is being celebrated with grins and cheers, not just in Gaza but in Tel Aviv.

What the deal really means is revolving door terrorism is back. Kill Israelis and you stay in prison only long enough for other terrorists to kidnap an Israeli and win their release. Those 25-year sentences mean nothing. A life sentence doesn't mean life, it means however many years it takes the Israeli government to give in to blackmail.

As over a thousand terrorists are freed, it is time to recognize that every Israeli institution has failed to deal with terrorism. Its court system packed with career leftists is a joke. Its prisons have become nothing more than temporary housing with free education and entertainment for terrorist murderers in between their release under international or Hamas pressure.

The military excels at targeted strikes on empty warehouses and at sending unprotected units without artillery cover into enemy villages. While the soldiers are fighting and dying, denied artillery and air support, the generals who sent them there are planning which party they'll join after they retire. Usually the left, which needs military credibility and cover more.

Domestic law enforcement is excellent if you want to crack down on some "right wing extremists" who might be putting up a hut somewhere in violation of some voluntary construction freeze. Elite units can be on the way as soon as possible, backed by intelligence from embedded assets and security agencies who will have dossiers waiting on all the participants.

But if you took a bullet through your windshield, or a fist sized rock, while driving near an Arab village it's best to drive home and tell no one about it. If you do contact law enforcement, a weary police officer will tell you the same thing. And if you still insist on being foolish enough, then an investigation will begin and the local friendly Mohamedans will claim that you fired shots at them first. If you're lucky you won't spend any time in prison, but you will spend months dealing with the legal system, while your attackers will be represented free of charge by NGO's funded by America, Europe and Soros.

If you are unlucky and your attackers go to the trouble of putting on a good show and the Times picks up on it, then you will get a sentence anywhere from five to twenty-five years (depending on whether there is a fake corpse too) and your sentence will be an actual sentence. It will not be waived every time the terrorists kidnap a soldier. And unlike Noam Shalit, no one will pay attention to your parents when they cry and plead. They will be lucky if they aren't dragged out of court while the judge goes off to attend a seminar on human rights put on by those same NGO's.

Israel has three types of politicians

Then there are the politicians. Israel has three types of politicians. The absolutely corrupt, who believe in nothing and will vote for anything. They form the majority of all parties. The left, which believes that Israel is an immoral state. The right which makes patriotic speeches while following the policies of the left on everything but the economy. That is why Israel has a successful economy and a failed war on terrorism.

The country's economic inventiveness disguises its political malaise. The left has never admitted that its policies have failed, and the right has promised to follow its policies but with a more responsible emphasis on national security. There are no original ideas, only a succession of politicians trying to stay in power for more than four years while maintaining the status quo.

Israeli politicians are drawn from three groups. The sons of political figures, the military and minority activists. The leaders of all Israel's major parties come from one of these categories.What they all have in common is a complete lack of original ideas. Foreign Minister Lieberman, for all his faults and buffoonery, is the only prominent figure in the government who comes up with ideas. Which is why it's vital for pundits to compare him to Hitler and for the same foreign governments who fund those NGO's to urge the Israeli government to form into an incestuous Kadima-Likud bloc.

Israel's mainstream political establishment is a complete failure, on the left and the right

Israel's mainstream political establishment is a complete failure, on the left and the right. The mainstream electorate which supports Kadima even more so. Its only sources of vitality come from Russian, Middle-Eastern and Anglo immigrants who still haven't been beaten down into the Israeli way of doing things. Who still haven't adopted the cynical optimism that shrugs and refuses to think five steps forward. That cheers Gilad Shalit's release, the return of Barak, the return of Netanyahu and the same old revolving door political establishment leading to the same old revolving door terrorism, while admitting that none of it really means anything.

Hamas won because it had an objective, a long term strategy meant to achieve its goals. Israel has no objectives, except to keep the violence down to a minimum. Its strategic objectives are to avoid pain as much as possible. The Shalit decision ties into that strategy. After Noam Shalit and his allies terrorized the political establishment, in conjunction with Hamas, Noam and Hamas got their way. The terrorists go free, if Gilad is alive, he will probably go free too. I say "probably" because three years ago when Israel made this swap with Hezbollah, it got bodies in exchange for terrorists.

Israel only goes on the offensive as a defensive strategy. Bomb the terrorists a bit to remind the Israeli public that their government isn't completely incompetent and warn the terrorists to keep the violence down. If the terrorists go too far, then it might be a whole month of attacks, where soldier's lives are traded as a warning. A warning that means nothing.

The noise and furor over the so-called "Price Tag" attacks is pathetic hypocrisy when the attacks consist of civilians in dangerous areas practicing the policy of the Israeli government. And practicing it more honestly and more competently than the generals who trade off dozens of lives for a few hundred terrorists and six months of calm. The same generals who wisely stroke their chins and assure the public that they know what they're doing. And they do. But what they're doing isn't fighting terrorism, it's achieving a temporary calm through temporary violence that makes them and their bosses look good, without actually stopping terrorism.

The Israeli war on terrorism has failed. It failed when Rabin and Peres cut a deal with Arafat. It failed when Israel adopted a defensive strategy of retreating behind walls, real or imaginary. It failed when Israel traded off the worst terrorists in its prisons for a brief rush of positive feelings which is what the Shalit deal really comes down to. That and Netanyahu taking some of the pressure off.

Israel has no plan for going forward. The left can only think of cutting more deals with terrorists while pretending the outcome will be somehow different than it has been for nearly twenty years. The right has no policy except minimizing the pain of the status quo. It will do anything if it's pressured enough, and if it isn't pressured, then it takes out maps and begins planning a workable ghetto state for itself behind virtual fences and anti-missile defenses.

Savlanut is not the solution. At some point you either go on the offensive against the core problem, or you lose. The joke from the Six Day War that Nasser had borrowed the Soviet strategy from WW2 of retreating and then waiting for the snow to bury the Israelis. The joke has now been turned around. It's the Israeli political and military establishment which is retreating and waiting for the snow to bury the terrorists. But the snow isn't coming.

The terrorists have been going steadily on the offensive and they are winning

The terrorists have been going steadily on the offensive and they are winning. Most Israelis will deny that, but it's a fact. The UN hubbub and the Shalit deal are reminders of it. Things will not get any better by ignoring the problem. They will not get better with Hasbara. They will not get better if the terrorists are given free reign to demonstrate that they're not interested in peace. They will not get better at the negotiating table. They will not get better after a few weeks of bombing. They will not get better until the core problem is addressed.

The core problem is that Israel has armed terrorist groups operating within its borders. Those groups have military and political objectives that they are closer than ever to achieving. Those groups including the PA and Hamas. Israel will either drive out those groups, or in combination with sponsoring Muslim states, the UN and even their European allies, they will destroy Israel.

The snow isn't coming. The terrorists, the Turks, the Iranians, the Syrians and Egyptians are.

Ahlam Tamimi: Poster Child for Rule 303

This is why Israel should stop capturing terrorists alive
by Bill Levinson

We signed the petition "Remove Ahlam Tamimi from the list of terrorists to be freed" and we encourage others to do so as well. The petition explains,

We urgently call on Israel's Ministry of Justice to remove Ahlam Tamimi from the list of prisoners to be released in exchange for the return of Gilad Shalit.

Tamimi was sentenced to 16 consecutive life terms in jail for her involvement in the terrorist attack on the Sbarro pizza restaurant in Jerusalem in August 2001 that claimed the lives of 16 innocent victims, amongst them many Jewish children.

Tamimi has never expressed remorse and told reporters in 2006, "I'm not sorry for what I did. I will get out of prison and I refuse to recognize Israel's existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land."

Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing adds,

[The bomber] was escorted to the restaurant by Ahlam Tamimi, a 20-year-old female university student and part-time journalist, who had disguised herself as a Jewish tourist for the occasion. She later commented that she was not sorry for what she did and does not recognize Israel's existence. "Despite the fact that I'm sentenced to 16 life sentences I know that we will become free from Israeli occupation and then I will also be free from the prison," she said. Tamimi will be released in October 2011 in exchange for the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit.

Under U.S. civilian law, Tamimi could have been sentenced to death as an accessory to murder. Military law would have sanctioned her execution as a spy, as she had disguised herself as a civilian to avoid identification as a combatant. Her counterpart Terry Nichols, the accomplice of mass murderer Timothy McVeigh, is doing life without parole in the maximum security prison at Florence Colorado.

It is impossible to respect a country that would release an individual like this under any circumstances. Israel has in fact made itself a party to terroristic violence against its own people by releasing not only this individual but the likes of Samir Kuntar. Israel should realize that, if it has lost the respect of those on its side, it has gained only the contempt and derision of its enemies.

The prospective release of 1000 terrorists would not be an issue if the terrorists had not been captured alive in the first place. Nobody is suggesting the extrajudicial execution of prisoners, i.e. individuals whose surrenders have been accepted and who have been clearly disarmed–i.e. have no suicide belts or explosives implanted in their bodies. Our position is that the IDF and similar entities should (in the absence of capital punishment or credible and effective life without parole) not offer them the opportunity to surrender in the first place.

There are many ways to apply Rule 303 without crossing the line to atrocities like the Malmedy Massacre (of American soldiers who, as uniformed combatants, had the right to surrender and whose surrenders the Germans had accepted). First, rules of engagement should be issued that terrorists, unlike common criminals who are probably rational enough to surrender and serve prison sentences, are willing to blow themselves up to kill people on the other side. "Unless you are 100 percent sure the terrorist has no suicide belt or explosives implanted in his body, you are to shoot him to prevent him from getting within 30 or 40 meters of you or people for whose safety you are responsible."

Second, the ROE should state that the IDF does not order a terrorist to drop his weapon and surrender; it is simply to shoot him dead on the spot. This is in fact quite legal in warfare against uniformed opponents who conduct themselves according to the laws of war. If an enemy patrol walks into your killing zone, on which you have trained half a dozen machine guns along with mortars and sharpshooters with unobstructed lines of fire, it is not a war crime to simply kill the enemy soldiers without warning. If you are a decent person you will shout to them, "We have you surrounded; lay down your arms" and then take them into custody but, as far as we know, there is no law of war that requires you to do this. (This would incidentally be our desire with regard to people who simply have the misfortune to be wearing the wrong color uniforms, possibly because they were conscripted with no choice in the matter.) This is not a courtesy that anybody is obliged to extend to terrorists, though.

These measures would not even go as far as those for which Russia, which has always known how to take care of business, has set a precedent.

Instead, like many other warships that have intercepted pirate skiffs, the Russian marines released the pirates — but not before removing weapons and navigation equipment from the boat several hundred miles from shore. Russian officials gave no explanation for removing the navigation equipment.

In this case, the Russians effectively abandoned at sea men whose surrenders they had accepted (instead of gunning them down before they could surrender, which is the approach we recommend). Nonetheless, the pirates now studiously avoid anything with a Russian flag on it. Furthermore,

The EU has been targeting motherships. The effect is similar for any pirates at sea dependent on those captured motherships for fuel and food. Going after supply lines is a classic military strategy. However, those at the end of a disrupted supply line at sea are as doomed as the pirates the Russians 'freed' at sea.The only difference is that the Russians caught them and then let them go.

We finally note that Israel's release of these terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit has earned it nothing but contempt and disgust from the entire world including those on its own side. Israel was not obliged in any way to negotiate Shalit's release. It was Israel's right and duty to remind Hamas that prisoners of war are not held during peacetime and, as Hamas was holding Shalit, Hamas was at war with Israel. A state of war entitles Israel to use air power, tanks, artillery, and so on without any restraint whatsoever until Hamas surrenders (or preferably dies to the last man), and avoidance of that outcome should have been the only incentive given to Hamas to release its prisoner.--

Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan)  a great activist and lover of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichrono Baruch.

Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com 

Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog.