Tuesday, November 29, 2011

fwd:The Demolition Derby Disease by Helen Freedman Director AFSI

bs"d

Another testimony as per the despicable and unfair treatment of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria vs. the treatment of illegal Arabs houses (many times uninhabited) by the Israeli gov't. 

Americans For a Safe Israel
1751 Second Avenue (91st Street)
New York, NY 10128
Contact: Helen Freedman, Executive Director
Nov. 29, 2011 

 

 

 

The Demolition Derby Disease         
 

          On AFSI's recent CHIZUK mission to Israel, Nov. 13-22, we visited Givat Assaf. The community lies right off Route 60, just a short distance north of Yerushalayim.  It can be identified easily because it is covered with banners decrying the orders for its demolition. The community was created over ten years ago in response to the terrorist murder of Assaf Hershkowitz. Tragically, only thirty days later, Assaf's father was killed in another terrorist attack. The community houses 25 families, with one hundred children, all living in trailers, or caravans. Across the road from this poor grouping of temporary homes, one can see the palatial illegal Arab homes sprawling over the countryside from Ramallah. It is truly hard to understand why the Israeli government is so intent on destroying Jewish homes, while illegal Arab homes are allowed to flourish, existing without fences or gates or restrictions of any kind.

           We also visited Migron, another Jewish community just a short distance from the PA capital of Ramallah. Here we actually saw the remains of three Jewish homes that were totally destroyed by the Israeli government. The community rallied around the displaced families and quickly found housing, household goods, and clothing for them.   

          Amona, the site of brutal Israeli police attacks on Jews, where permanent homes had been destroyed, allowing only temporary caravans to remain, is once again threatened by the Israeli bulldozers, as is one of the neighborhoods in nearby Beit-El.

          The AFSI Chizuk group is used to these sights, having witnessed many destroyed communities over the years, as well as the total destruction of the 21 Jewish communities of Gush Katif, along with Sanur and Homesh in the Shomron. Our hearts break, and tears fill our eyes, as we see this wanton destruction. What can it possibly mean? Does any reasonable person believe that destroying Jewish caravans on the hilltops can advance the mordant "peace" process? If it's an attempt to destroy the Zionist zeal, there is a total misreading of the spirit and determination of the Jewish pioneers who persist in their belief in the biblical promise of the promised land for the Jewish people.

          Arutz Sheva, 11/27/11, reports that Christian tourists from Canada and America visited some threatened Jewish communities and reacted indignantly to the treatment they received at the hands of the IDF. 


Alberta, Canada resident Al Dublanko wrote the Prime Minister ....Jews are a chosen people and Israel is a special country, established not by a UN declaration, or Balfour Declaration, or any negotiations, not even by the might of the IDF, but by an ancient promise by G-d….for the complete article visit Christian Tourists Angry at Discrimination at Outpost


-- 
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. 

Honenu mailing address correction. The zipcode of US Honenu mailing address. It is 11219 not 11210

bs"d
* Honenu - Checks payable to Central Fund for Israel. Earmarked Honenu 
   P.O.B. 2 Kiryat Arba, Israel 90100 Tel 02-653-5802
   US office - 1327 45th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 Tel: 718-853-9216
   

Honenu, Har HaZetim Preservation, Notzrim, protectors of Judea and Samaria. Har Habayit

bs"d

Very important articles where we see a pattern of selective enforcement of the Law in Israel in favor of the Arabs: Let us all scream together "We're Mad As H-ll and We are Not Going to Take This Anymore!"

  • Standing Up for Justice in Israel: The Honenu Organization It is our duty to stand up and speak out against injustice and that is exactly what Honenu is doing.* 
  • The Law Is the Law – Except on Har Hazeism Menachem Lubinsky of  Har Ha Zeitim Preservation.  Why is Israel allowing a Mosque to be built on Har HaZeitim??????. November 28th, 2011   It is hard to fathom that the Israeli public is simply indifferent to this serious defamation of Judaism's holiest and oldest (3,000 years old) cemetery
  • Christian Tourists Angry at Discrimination at Outpost  a must read.  Tourists ask Netanyahu "Why would you so easily let these confessed enemies of Israel wander around with immunity, and arrest us who support you?"
  • A Voice for the Temple Mount! By Yosef Rabin  http://tmount.org/2010/11/22/controlsmount/ Where are the rabbis, communal leaders and Knesset Members? Why are they not speaking and crying out? How can we remain silent as the Arabs with the consent of the Israeli government, destroy the very remains of the Temple itself? How do we justify protesting for the Sabbath, while ignoring the Mount. Does not Maimonides teach "As it is written: 'My Sabbath you shall guard and my Temple you shall fear', just as guarding the Sabbath is eternal, fearing the Temple is eternal as well".  


* Honenu - Checks payable to Central Fund for Israel. Earmarked Honenu 
   P.O.B. 2 Kiryat Arba, Israel 90100 Tel 02-653-5802
   US office - 1327 45th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210 Tel: 718-853-9216
   

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. 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

report on Brooklyn event and More Honenu events: Today: Honenu events in Great Neck 10:00am in Bronx 7:00pm

bs"d

Distinguished Rabbanim and Media personnel, amv"sh

First let me report on the Brooklyn Honenu event. 

It was pouring rain but the strong in spirit came out nonetheless.  Shalom Pollack's presentation about Honenu was an eye opener even for me, (and I pride myself in being informed as to what is happening in Judea and Samaria).  Shalom told us of a settler who was being framed by Shabak. They wanted this settler to provide them with insider info that would put the settlers in a negative light and to perhaps incite him to do acts of violence.  This settler started to tape the telephone conversations with Shabak.  When they realized they were being taped, once late at night they stormed his house and found the tapes.  They thought they won against that settler, but they didn't know there was a copy elsewhere.  The tapes were then released to Israeli media.  This must have really upset the Shabak because this settler was then accused of killing 4 arabs and was arrested and sent to Jail under harsh conditions for 21 days without a lawyer and subjected to all kinds of methods used to break criminals. After 21 days a lawyer from Honenu was allowed on the case and only after another 10 days Honenu was able to get him released since there was no evidence against him.   Today he is a free man.  

Shalom described how an elderly gentlemen went to Beit HaShalom in Hebron as the residents of the building was being forcefully expelled.  This building is between Kiryat Arba and Hebron.  On the way there, this elderly gentleman was attacked by Arabs. He first shot in the air as one is required to do.  They kept on coming towards him.  He had no choice but to shoot in self defense.  One Arab was hurt.  But they kept on attacking. So he shot again wounding another Arab.  That too didn't stop them.  They kept on attacking.  Siata Dishmaya, someone came along that scared the Arabs away and he was saved Baruch Hashem.  But the next day he was brought in for questioning and arrested.  Honenu took the case and today he is a free man.  

Shalom told other such stories.  

Then Lori  got up to speak.  Very emotionally she said that she just got off the plane from Israel that morning .  She had been with Afsi on a Chizuk trip in honor of Chayei Sara.  She reported to us that in the communities where the group visited, the settlers are afraid of going to the police if they are attacked by Arabs. They are afraid of getting arrested.  This was not an isolated case.  It sounded like it was the motus operendez.  

She spoke of a Maaseh Shehaya, a true personal experience of one of the participants at passport control.  The official asked this women where she was going.  She answered to Hebron.  The official responded but that is not Jewish and that it was part of the Occupied territories.  She replied "Hebron? not Jewish????" The official responded that they were instructed to tell tourists that Hebron is not a safe place to visit to  which  this tourist responded "well I was there 2 months ago and it was just fine".  Lori  said that she and this other participant ate in Hebron on Shabbat Chayei Sara and sat at the same table with Danny Danon, Chaver Knesset.  They asked the Chaver Knesset about these strange instructions that people were receiving at passport control.  According to Lori, the Knesset Member was clueless as per what was happening.

Then Lester got up and spoke about how 8 of his grandchildren were helped by Honenu.  You can't find a more proud grandfather who brags about his grandchildren's arrests. My only wish is that my children and grandchildren have the same love and devotion for Eretz Yisroel as do the children and grandchildren of Lester and his Eishet Chayil.

It was a shame that Rabbanim didn't show.  Not even one. Shmuel Koneig spoke to at least 40 Rabbanim and called over 70 to tell them about Honenu and specifically about this event.  He spoke to several of the Rabbanim more than once.  I myself sent notices  to many Rabbanim and  newspapers and members of the Jewish Media. Only one reporter by the name of Fern Sidman showed up.  We expected her. She is on the front line fighting for the settlers and their rights to live on the Bilbical heartland of Israel. Yasher Koach to the Jewish Voice,

I really believe that all have legit explanation as per their absence.  Yasher Koach to Zev Brenner and Radio Hidabroot for putting Shalom on the air. 

But that night I came home and asked myself.  Is there a point in calling and calling when noone seems to pay attention? I went to bed with a book recently on loan from my friend Dina and the timing could not have been better.  After reading the first few pagesI felt that  G-d was pleading with me not to stop because look at what apathy could lead to.   Apparently, ignoring the plight of fellow Jews in Jewish Leadership is not a new phenomenon. The name of the book is Escaping Auschwitz by Ruth Linn published by Cornell University Press.   This is what I read on the jacket cover.

On 7 April 1944 a Slovakian Jew, Rudolf Vrba (born Walter Rosenberg), and a fellow prisoner Alfred Wetzler succeeded in escaping Auschwitz - Birkenau. As block registrars, both the men had been allowed relative (though always risky) freedom of movement in the camp and thus was able to observe the massive preparations underway at Birkenau of the entire killing machine for the eradication of Europe's last remaining Jewish community, the 800,000 Jews of Hungary.  The 2 men somehow made their way back to Slovakia where they sought out the Jewish Council (Judenrat) to warn them of the intending disaster.

The Vrba-Wetzler report was the first document about the Auschwitz death camp to reach the free world and to be accepted as credible. Its authenticity broke the barrier of skepticism and apathy that existed up to that point.  However, though their critical and alarming assessment was in the hands of Hungarian Jewish Leaders by April 28 or early May 1944, it is doubtful if the information it contained reached more than just a small number of of the prospective victims -during May and June 1944 about 427,000 Hungarian Jews boarded in good faith, the "resettlement" trains that were to carry them off to Auschwitz, where most of them were gassed on arrival.

Vrba, who emigrated to Canada at war's end , published his autobiography in England nearly 40 years ago.  Yet his and Wetzler's story has been carefully kept from Israel's Hebrew reading public and appears nowhere in any of the history texts that are part of the official curriculum. As Ruth Linn writes "Israeli history historiography was to follow the spirit of the courts policy at the Eichmann trial: silencing and removing challenging survivors from the gallery, and muting questions about the role of the Jewish Council in the deportations".

In 1998 Linn arranged for publication of the 1st Hebrew edition of Vrba memoirs.  In Escaping Auschwitz she establishes the chronology of Vrbas disappearance not only from Auschwitz, but also from the Israeli Holocaust narrative, skillfully exposing how the official Israeli historiography of the Holocaust has sought to suppress the story.

(fyi, , both my parents are from Hungary and they kept Yahrzeit for their families around Shavuot time which coincides with the deportation of the 427,000 Hungarian Jews.  That was the accepted yahrzeit of their towns.  Being that they were young and healthy and single at the time, my parents were sent to the Lager, the work camps rather than the crematoriums.My fathers first wife and daughter perished in the camps)
 
Distinguished Rabbanim and Media personalities, amv"sh

This is what I had planned to tell you at the event had you come.  Instead, allow me to email it to you. 

Firstly I believe that each and every one of you have a legit reason as per why you could not attend,  There is hopefully always tomorrow. I want to thank you for promoting this event in whatever capacity you have promoted it. Your promotion is key in igniting the spark and bringing Zechut to Hamonei Am. 

We urge you to encourage each and every Jew in chutz Learetz to at the very least partner with those who live in Eretz Yisroel, especially our brethren living in Judea and Samaria.  Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh LeZeh, We are all responsible for one another.  We must support the settlers, the outposts and give them Chizuk. In this way, we too will have the Zechut,  the Merit of acquiring a portion of Eretz Yisroel and fulfilling the Mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisroel.  
--
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. 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Fwd: Almost 800 Attend ZOA Dinner - Media Superstar Glenn Back, Cong. Ros-Lehtinen, Cong. Michele Bachmann Spoke

bs"d.  
Thank you Evelyn Haies for forwarding. Wonderful Honorees at ZOA dinner for which Israel and the Jewish people owe tremendous gratitude.  Mort Klein is up there as well.
From: ZOA <email@zoa.org>
Date: Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 7:20 PM
Subject: Almost 800 Attend ZOA Dinner - Media Superstar Glenn Back, Cong. Ros-Lehtinen, Cong. Michele Bachmann Spoke
To: ZOA <email@zoa.org>


 

 

 

November 21, 2011

Contact Dr. Michael Goldblatt at: 212-481-1500

Attn:  NEWS EDITOR

 

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann,

Adelsons and Six Congressmembers Attended

 

Almost 800 Attend ZOA Dinner - Media Superstar Glenn Beck, House Foreign Relations Chair Ros-Lehtinen, Cong. Michele Bachmann & PM Netanyahu Spoke

 

NEW YORK – Almost 800 people attended the Zionist Organization of America's (ZOA) 114th Louis B. Brandeis Award National Dinner on Sunday, November 20 at the New York City's elegant Grand Hyatt Hotel. Media superstar and seven-time NY Times best-selling author Glenn Beck, U.S.Congresswoman and House Foreign Relations Committee Chair, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) were keynote speakers at the Dinner at which they were also honored. Mr. Beck was awarded the Dr. Miriam & Sheldon Adelson Defender of Israel Award.  U.S. Cong. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also spoke.  Prominent philanthropists Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson spoke and personally presented the Adelson Award to Beck.

 

U.S. Cong. Ann Marie Buerkle and Robert Turner from NY, Cong. Dan Burton from Indiana and Cong. Joe Walsh from Illinois also attended the Dinner; other prominent guests included Richard Stone, Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Steve Emerson, terrorism expert.  Rep. Ros-Lehtinen was awarded the Dr. Irving and Cherna Moskowitz Award.  William K. Langfan and Mark Langfan, prominent lawyers and real estate entrepreneurs were honored with the Louis B. Brandeis Award. Jerome & Judy Taylor, distinguished philanthropists, received the Maccabee Award. 

 

In his video address to the Dinner guests, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke of the "remarkable and important ZOA." ZOA's "courage and integrity" which, he observed, under Mort Klein's leadership, had been "absolutely fearless" in fighting for the truth and working to advance the cause of Israel with the government, media and the American public. Mr. Netanyahu said, in these times of "seismic changes across the Middle East," the ZOA had been "unflinching" in its advocacy for which "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."  "I also want to congratulate Glenn Beck for winning the Adelson Defender of Israel Award.  If Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson put their name on something, it must stand for a lot."  Netanyahu  said.  "Glenn…you stand for a lot.  You too have been fearless in defending Israel against the slanders that are hurled against [it].  You've done that with considerable personal cost, but you've never backed off, you've never flinched, you've never walked away.  And I want to tell you how deeply we appreciate this stand of courage and integrity."  Prime Minister Netanyahu also strongly praised Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Miriam and Sheldon Adelson s long-time and powerful supporters of Israel.

 

ZOA Board Member Harvey Friedman introduced Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, describing her as  a "national treasure to every Jew in the U.S." and describing her legislative efforts opposing U.S. funding of both Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority (PA) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Rep. Ros-Lehtinen came to the podium and was greeted with a standing ovation. In her address, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen commenced by saying that she was "proud to be associated for so many years with ZOA." She spoke of two Dinner attendees, residents of the Jewish community of Kedumim in Samaria, stating sarcastically that "they're an impediment to peace, because they live in the Judean & Samarian community of Kedumim." Turning to the Iranian threat, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen said that the Obama Administration's policy for stopping Iran had been completely ineffective - "all we've got is a further three years closer to Iran getting a nuclear bomb." She called for further U.S. action, including genuinely "crippling sanctions to help bring this regime down … We passed the sanctions bill [H.R. 1905] targeting Iran's Central Bank." Speaking of the U.N. Reform, Transparency and Accountability Act [H.R. 2829], an earlier law which the Congress had passed that cuts funds to UN agencies that raise the states of the Palestinians, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen recounted how the Obama Administration had sought "flexibility" in its application, to which she had retorted with emphasis that "no flexibility" on the law would be allowed. She also referred to the views of the Obama Administration and Palestinian apologists before pausing and adding, "Did I repeat myself?"

Israeli scholar and director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Professor Efraim Inbar, presented the Louis B. Brandeis Award to William K. Langfan and Mark Langfan.  Inbar said, "Bar-Ilan University is the only Zionist university left in Israel," saying that Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, for example, were "not Zionist" in his opinion. "There are many Bolshevik post-Zionists at these universities, who pack their faculties with similar-minded lecturers. The Israeli universities are overflowing with post-Modernists who undermine not only Zionism but academic truth itself."

Inbar said that although he knows that there are also Zionist lecturers at the various Social Studies faculties, they are outnumbered. "An evil wind is emanating from these places," he said.

ZOA National Chairman of the Board, Dr. Michael Goldblatt delivered the presentation to Maccabee Award recipients Judy and Jerome Taylor, noting that they had been "long-time pro-Israel activists" who had worked side by side for years on behalf of Israel. He also noted that Judy Taylor's father had been involved in prosecuting Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg war crime trials, so that working "to protect Jews was in her genes."

 

ZOA National President Morton Klein introduced U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, observing that, while many speak of the importance of Israeli security, all too few speak of "the sacredness of the land of Israel. "If security was the entire issue for Israelis, they should move to Minnesota, it's safer there." That's why we're there. While noting that the ZOA does not endorse any political candidates, Klein described Rep. Bachman as "dynamic, principled and committed to her beliefs." Rep. Bachman opened by describing herself as a lover of Israel. "Although I'm not a Jew, I'm a Christian, we have something in common, the book of Genesis, which states that 'Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those that curse Israel will be cursed.' I stand with Israel."

 

She said her first foreign policy directive on Day 1 of her presidency would be moving the U.S. embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Palestinians "must recognize Israel's right to exist and renounce violence" if they expect to become a serious partner for peace. and that, under current conditions, Israel should cede to the Palestinians "not one acre, not one square foot, not one inch." She chastised President Obama for failing to support Israel, saying, "President Obama stands with Occupy Wall Street, but he doesn't stand with Israel. When Israel looks at President Obama, they don't see a friend." The United States "must sell Israel the additional fighter jets, bunker buster bombs, refueling tankers, and other materials they need to defend themselves," she said. She also said the United States should continue its "comprehensive missile system" in the Middle East. Rep. Bachman also spoke of the existential threat posed by Iran to both Israel and the U.S., declaring that the "Pentagon should prepare a war plan as a last resort, should all else fail in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons." She said that, while "only a fool wishes for war," other steps, like but a naval blockade of Iranian ports, increased intelligence operations against Iran and "crushing economic sanctions" were adequate the gravity of the threat.  She called on President Barack Obama "to accelerate covert operations and cyber operations in Iran and order the CIA Director to take all means necessary to stop Iran from getting the Bomb before it is too late."  Asserting that Iranian President Ahmadinejad was "striving for a second Holocaust" Bachman said that "once again millions of Jews are at the precipice of losing their lives today".  Ahmadinejad, she said, "will seek to use nuclear weapons against the US as well – and the US will learn what it is to be Israel if it does not act quickly." She said that the US Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State and CIA director must all support this "freedom policy" and that those in the bureaucracy who fail to do so – "especially in the State Department" – should be replaced.

ZOA Vice-Chairman of the National Board Steve Goldberg introduced Morton Klein pointing out that "Without Mort, there would be no ZOA. Mort rescued it when it was moribund .. Your shoes are too big and cannot be filled ... all the ZOA's past leaders, including Louis Brandeis and Abba Hillel Silver pale in comparison to Mort Klein."

 

Mort Klein commenced his address by praising Christian Zionists for their heartfelt support of Israel, especially at a time Israel has few reliable friends. "We applaud Christian Zionists, thank G-d for you ... People forget that Israel is called the Promised Land for a reason - because it was promised to the Jewish people by G-d." He emphasized that, unlike several other Jewish organizations, the ZOA was active in bringing Jewish students , not just to Israel, but specifically also to Jewish communities in Judea-Samaria like Efrat, Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim, Hebron, Ariel, and so on.

 

Klein spoke of the ZOA Law and Justice Center, headed by Susan Tuchman, and its important breakthrough in having Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which has applied to blacks and Hispanics, now applied to protecting Jewish students from discrimination, intimidation and harassment. He noted that the Office of Civil Rights would be investigating incidents involving Jewish students at Rutgers University.

 

 

In his remarks, Klein criticized Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League and David Harris of the American Jewish Committee for their strong opposition to an Israeli bill on sovereign foreign countries providing millions of dollars to anti-Israel non-governmental organizations that operate in Israel under the guise of being human rights organizations. 

 

Turning to the Arab war on Israel, Klein observed that "the Arab war against Israel has nothing to do with borders, land, settlements or a Palestinian state. It is simply old-fashioned Jew- hatred and anti-Semitism. The Arabs don't want a Jewish state within any borders. Please understand, Arabs don't want peace with the Jewish state, they never wanted peace with the Jewish state. And as much as we want peace, Israel will live and thrive without it as it has since 1948." Klein also noted that the world was silent on the fact that Hamas, with which Mahmoud Abbas' PA had signed earlier this year a unity government agreement and with whose leader, Khaled Meshaal, Abbas had met earlier in the week, calls in Article 7 of its Charter for the global murder of Jews - "This is a Nazi document, these are Nazi terrorists" and, to show that Fatah is similar, Klein held aloft the Fatah emblem, encompassing all of Israel under a Palestinian kfiyyeh, with a picture of arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat and a Kalashnikov rifle. 

 

Klein continued,  "The PA has violated the three legs of the Oslo accords. The PA has not stopped terrorism, has not accepted Israel's right to exist, and refuses to stop anti-Israel incitement.  Why are U.S. officials and Israeli officials not speaking out against this in our serious manner. We should be telling the PA- no more money, no more support, no more concessions. People speak as though a Palestinian state was the solution. It isn't. Iran, Syria, North Korea - they're all states, but that hasn't made them lovely and peaceful. In fact, it gives them more power to advance their terrible agenda. American Jews are now understanding this for the first time since Oslo, a majority of American Jews oppose establishing a Palestinian state." In a blistering attack on the Palestinians and on U.S. policy, Klein listed unjust accusations hurled against Jews since the time of the Crucifixion, drawing parallels to the current situation of Israel and the Jews and summing up with a sentence that seemed to encapsulate the attitude of most of the evening's participants:  "The whole world is wrong, and the Jews are right."  Klein received a standing ovation.

 

Sheldon Adelson and Dr. Miriam Adelson, stalwart supporters of ZOA and recipients of its rarely bestowed Theodor Herzl Gold Medallion and Brandeis Award respectively, introduced keynote speaker Glenn Beck. Mr. Adelson said first of Mort Klein that "I used to think that my wife was the strongest Zionist until I met Mort. He's my Zionist mentor. He's the greatest and most passionate Zionist, not only in this country but in the world." In introducing Mr. Beck, Mr. Adelson described him as a "very special man .... We knew he was a giant even before we met him. I'd never known a Christian Zionist like Glenn Beck.  Glenn Beck tells the truth about the Arab war against Israel."  Adelson, also the publisher of Israel Hayom (now Israel's largest daily newspaper), added there is "no greater supporter of Israel in the media today" than Beck.  When Palestinians murdered five members of the Fogel family in last March's Itamar massacre, Beck dedicated an entire show on Fox News to the tragedy and "displayed the pictures that almost every other television network ignored" – Palestinians celebrating the event by handing out candles in the streets – Adelson said.

 

Glenn Beck came to the podium amid a standing ovation and commenced his address with the words, "Well, this isn't going to help my popularity with the media .. I am a proud Christian Zionist. I know what that means in today's world. But I put all my chips on the table. Is there a G-d? And if so, how shall I serve Him? The whole world is in the middle of a profound and dramatic change, but the change need not be bad. History is calling us now."  Beck talked about the danger facing Jews because today the world is "aiding and abetting" the ranting of many madmen who are out to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.  He pledged to announce on December 8 where he is headed – "there is a vacuum and I intend to stand in its place," he said – but gave no details as to what he was referring to.  Beck said, "Many times you cannot tell the difference any more between peace activists and the terrorists and fascists they claim to stand against."  Mr. Beck reflected on the eight years since he had first gone to Israel and the evolution of his understanding of the country, and how few genuine friends it has, joking, "This is what bad shape things are in, you've got me."  

 

Speaking of the numerous individuals and groups working actively against Israel and the Jewish people, Mr. Beck said that "It's a badge of honor to be called an enemy of George Soros. Soros is not a friend of Israel and, let me say, neither is the Administration. But let me tell you we, the people of the United States are not the government, we are a country built on the individual, not on the government." 

 

Mr. Beck cast his mind back to several predictions and warnings he has given over the past decade and how he had been looking for what he called the "Archduke Ferdinand moment," referring to the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which had triggered World War One. "I spoke of a coming caliphate. I was ridiculed. I even once put it up on a chat on my program, saying 'This is what is coming' ... It will get worse if we don't stand together now. We must stand with Israel ... Jerusalem must remain Israel's "united and undivided capital ... I don't come here as a Christian. I come here as a brother. Evil hates you. It has since the beginning of time. Evil thinks it can somehow force G-d to break his covenant and that it can destroy the Jewish people. Israel wasn't established because of the Holocaust. That's just the last time such an attempt was made. Israel was promised by G-d to the Jews." Mr. Beck pledged to continue his work to speak the truth and to arouse the conscience of his listeners and was given a tumultuous standing ovation.

 

This year, a record number of college students - well over 100 - attended the Dinner. James A. Tisch, former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and NY Jewish Federation, and CEO of Loews Corp.; and Martin Gross, President of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Member of the Board of Trustees of Brandeis University, were Dinner Co-Chairmen. Rabbi Mark Wildes, director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience, delivered the invocation. ZOA Executive Director David Drimer and the entire ZOA staff worked hard on all aspects of the Dinner and Dr. Alan Mazurek, Chairman of the ZOA's National Advisory Council, was Master of Ceremonies, presiding over proceedings with his usual aplomb and elegant wit.

 

 

 





--
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.