Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Fwd: The Late Chief Rabbi Goren's position on Har Habayit by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <womeningreen@womeningreen.org>
Date: Sun, Nov 16, 2014 at 12:47 AM
Subject: The Chief Rabbi's War on Har Habayit by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

Rabbi Goren and the Temple Mount

The controversy with the Wakf is a nationalistic issue. There is also
an halakhic issue on which rabbis disagree. The late Chief Rabbi Goren
tried to arrange a mass prayer on the Mount in 1967 and was stopped by
the government.

From Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
November 14, 2014

The yahrzeit of late Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Shlomo
Goren's is this week.

Rabbi Goren's Decision to Print his Book about the Temple Mount

Next week on the 24th day of the Jewish month Mar Cheshvan (Monday)
will be twenty years since the death of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, the
Gaon, Rabbi Shlomo Goren ztz'l. In these days, when Har Habayit (the
Temple Mount) is in the headlines, it is worth quoting segments from
his book "Har Habayit", published a year before his death. In his
book, he investigates in detail the site of the Mikdash (Holy Temple)
and the azarot (Temple courtyards), areas that are forbidden to enter
even after immersion in a mikveh (a bath used for the purpose of
ritual immersion in Judaism), and areas that Jews are permitted to
enter after immersion.

The time was the days of the second Rabin government, which conducted
agreements with the PLO terrorist organization, and handed over parts
of the Land of Israel to our enemies. In his introduction to the book
he wrote: "Currently, when Jewish sovereignty over the Temple Mount is
in danger, Mount Moriah is liable to become the subject of negotiation
between us and the Arabs, and unfortunately, there are politicians who
are willing to negotiate our sovereignty over the Temple Mount,
relying on the alleged prohibition of the Chief Rabbinate to enter Har
Habayit. This prohibition is liable to be used as an excuse to hand
over the nation's Kodesh ha'Kodashim (inner sanctum) to the Muslims.
Therefore, I decided to publish the book now, from which it will be
proven that there are large areas of the Temple Mount which all Jews
are permitted to enter, according to all halakhic opinions, after
immersion in a mikveh..."(p.15).

The Reasons for the 'Heter'

The Temple Mount is composed of two areas. The first, which is the
smallest area, includes the site of the Holy Temple and the
courtyards, and is called machaneh shechina (the inner azara), which
nowadays is forbidden to enter because we cannot be cleansed from
tumat met (defilement of the dead). The second area, which includes
the majority of the Temple Mount, is called machaneh levia, and it is
permitted to enter these areas today after immersion. Indeed, in the
years preceding the establishment of the State of Israel the rabbis,
including Rabbi Kook ztz'l, instructed us not to enter the Temple
Mount at all, for fear that people might go beyond the permitted areas
and enter forbidden places.

Three factors prompted Rabbi Goren to permit going up to the majority
of areas on the Temple Mount: 1) the precise mapping of the Temple
Mount conducted by the I.D.F. Engineer Corps under his orders after
the liberation of the Temple Mount; with these maps, it was possible
to accurately determine which areas were permitted to enter according
to all halakhic opinions. 2) The many testimonies that for more than a
thousand years after the destruction of the Holy Temple, Gedolei
Yisrael (eminent rabbis) used to pray on the Temple Mount in the
permitted areas. 3) The threat to Jewish sovereignty on the Temple
Mount.

It is possible that one of the motivations for placing the warning
signs not to enter the Temple Mount might have been so as not to
provoke the Muslims when the British ruled Israel, and in events of
riots, did not properly protect the Jews.

Lowering Ourselves to the Kotel - The Result of the Sufferings of Exile

Rabbi Goren wrote about his feelings after the Six Day War: "I could
not escape the feeling that from a historic perspective, assigning the
Western Wall plaza for Jewish prayer was nothing but the result of the
expulsion of the Jews from the Temple Mount by the Crusaders and
Muslims together. Thus, an intolerable situation was created in which
even after our liberation of the Temple Mount, the Muslims remained on
top of Har Habayit, and we were down below; they were inside, and we
were outside.

The prayers at the Western Wall are a symbol of destruction and exile,
and not of liberation and redemption, because Jewish prayers at the
Western Wall began only in the sixteenth century - before that, Jews
prayed for centuries on the Temple Mount ... only about three hundred
years ago, the Jews began praying at the Western Wall. And this the
proof: in every reference in the Midrash where it is mentioned that
the shechina (Divine Presence) has not moved from the Western Wall,
and learns this from the verse in Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs):
'Behold! There he stands behind our wall' - this refers to the western
wall of the azara, or the wall of the heichal, in other words, the
wall of the Kodesh HaKodashim, and not the wall of the Har Habayit,
which we call the Western Wall"(pg. 26).

The Necessity to Ascend from the Western Wall to Har Habayit

However, the intensity of the minhag (custom) based on over three
centuries was considerable, and therefore after the Six Day War, the
public at large thronged to the Western Wall to pray. Rabbi Goren
himself wrote that one of the things that prevented him from acting
quickly to regulate the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount was his
being "bound by the 'chains of love' for the remnant of our Holy
Temple, the Western Wall, where I used to pray every Shabbat, holiday,
and Rosh Chodesh evenings. Since my first visit to the Western Wall
(as a child), my love and emotional affinity for the Wailing Wall has
not faded... ","but our shout ...Who may ascend the mountain of the
Lord"... aroused him to become stronger and clarify the heter to
ascend Har Habayit (pg. 14). Consequently, he began organizing prayers
on the Temple Mount (ibid, pg. 27).

The Canceled Prayer

Before the Shabbat following Tisha B'Av in 1967, Rabbi Goren publicly
announced a mass, gala prayer to be held on the Temple Mount in the
areas where entrance was permitted after immersion. However, by the
orders of Prime Minister and Defense Minister the prayer was canceled.
A few days later, the ministerial committee decided that the Defense
Minister and the Chief of Staff order the Chief Rabbi of the I.D.F.,
Rabbi Goren, not to arrange any more prayers on the Temple Mount (pg.
29-30).

The Shock

The order shocked Rabbi Goren, and he tried everything within his
power to cancel it, including writing a long and detailed letter to
the ministerial committee, in which he argued: How is it possible that
precisely in the holiest place for Jews, it is forbidden for them to
pray?! True, there are a limited amount of areas in which entrance is
forbidden according to the Torah for Jews and Gentiles alike, but
entrance to the majority of the Temple Mount is permitted. Towards the
end of his letter, he called out: "Distinguished men! Save the Holy of
Holies of the Jewish nation; do not hand over the Temple Mount to
those who defile it ..." (pp 30-33).

The Defense Minister

Unfortunately, Rabbi Goren's call went unanswered. Defense Minister
Moshe Dayan decided to transfer the responsibility for managing the
Temple Mount arrangements to the Waqf, and ordered the Military
Rabbinate to evacuate Har Habayit, and not to interfere in matters
concerning the Temple Mount any more. Rabbi Goren responded with "rage
and sorrow", informing the Defense Minister that "this, God forbid,
could lead to the destruction of the Third Temple, for the key to our
sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and Gaza is the Temple Mount" (page
34).

Nevertheless, the Defense Minister implemented one of the most
shameful acts in the history of Israel, and handed over the affairs of
the Temple Mount to the Muslim Waqf. For many years it was known that
Moshe Dayan had both a dark and a light side jumbled together. On the
one hand, he was a Jewish military hero, but on the other hand, an
adulterer and a thief. Apparently, his adultery and thievery tipped
the scales against him. That is when he began to lose his public
status. His name go down in infamy.

Sovereignty

Still, when the Muslims closed the Mughrabi Gate to prevent Jews from
entering the Temple Mount, at the request of Rabbi Goren, the I.D.F.
broke through the gate to ensure free entry for Jews, thereby
expressing sovereignty over the Temple Mount. However, this act did
not change the order prohibiting Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Goren goes on to relate: "Whenever I warned about handing over
of the Holy of Holies of the Jewish nation to the Waqf, the response
of consecutive Prime Ministers was: 'Look, in any case the Chief
Rabbinate forbids Jews from ascending the Temple Mount, and we are
prohibited from praying there." As a result, he decided to write the
book and explain the ways, places, and conditions under which it is
permitted to enter the Temple Mount (pg. 35). Consequently "we must
utilize to the fullest all sides of the heter, so we can demonstrate
continuous Jewish presence there, and maintain Jewish sovereignty over
the Mount, like the apple of our eye" (pg. 46).

The Chief Rabbinate's Sign

It has been claimed that during his tenure as Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Goren
agreed to the prohibition of entering the Temple Mount, but this is
not true. In the introduction to his book, he wrote: "During my tenure
as Chief Rabbi of Israel, I brought a proposal to the Council of the
Chief Rabbinate to remove the signs banning entrance to the Temple
Mount as determined by the previous Chief Rabbis. Because there were a
few members on the Council who had signed on the ban at the time, they
requested delaying the decision to remove the signs prohibiting going
up to Har Habayit until after I published the book ..." For various
reasons, the books' publication was delayed, and the signs remained in
place, "which, in effect, led to the handing over of Har Habayit to
the Muslim Waqf" (ibid pg. 35).

Desecration of the Holy

Moreover, he wrote: "This shameful situation, where under Israeli rule
a Jew does not have the right to pray on the mountain of God, cannot
be tolerated under any circumstances. The debate over where it is
permitted according to Jewish law to go on the Temple Mount, or where
it is forbidden, has nothing to do with the government ... These
sacred places are not the private property of the Muslim Waqf, whose
members have always been a source of bitterness and poison for the
Jews, with their incitement from within the mosques on the Temple
Mount to slaughter the Jews... had they closed the Temple Mount to
Jews and non-Jews alike, I would have kept quiet, but to allow the
Arabs to do there as they please while Jews are forbidden to even open
up a Book of Psalms and pour out their hearts before the Creator of
the world - this is a religious, historical, and legal scandal -
nothing short of blasphemy! "(pg. 41).

He further added (pg. 42) that by abstaining from going up to the
Temple Mount, the Torah prohibition of 'lo techonem' ('nor be gracious
to them'), which may also be rendered 'do not allow them to settle on
the soil' (Avoda Zara 20a) is transgressed, seeing as the poskim
(Jewish law arbiters) have already established that the loss of
sovereignty is similar to destruction (B.Y. and M.A., O.C. 561:1).
Thus, when the government forbids Jews to go up freely, it destroys
the place of our Holy Temple yet again.

The Words of Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda HaKohen Kook

Our teacher and guide, Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah HaKohen Kook, agreed with
the poskim who prohibited going up to Har Habayit. But in my humble
opinion, it seems that had he known that the over- cautiousness of
going up to Har Habayit would result in the loss of sovereignty and
turning the Temple Mount into a focal point of hatred against Israel -
he would have agreed with Rabbi Goren that it is permitted and a
mitzvah to go up. In addition, in my humble opinion, he would have
trusted Rabbi Goren's halakhic inquiries in regards to the areas
permitted to enter.

Blessed are Those Who Ascend the Temple Mount

The continuation of the disgraceful situation on the Temple Mount
brings our enemies hope, and motivates them to kill and riot
throughout the country. In order to suppress the wave of terrorism and
incitement from its roots, the government and the police must assert
Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount in the most decisive manner.

Blessed are those who go up to Har Habayit, but only if that is done
according to halakha. Thanks to them, our sovereignty over the Temple
Mount and all of the Land of Israel becomes clearer, and precisely as
a result of this, we will merit security and peace.

This article appears in the 'Besheva' newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/15980#.VGg4FcnNlfZ

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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) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch.  May their memories serve as a blessing.

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

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

The Sanctity of Eretz Yisrael by Moshe Dann. Relationship of Jewish People and Eretz Yisrael is fundamental component of Judaism

bs"d

Zachor: The sanctity of Eretz Yisrael
By MOSHE DANN, The Jerusalem Post
December 5, 2014
The relationship between the Jewish People and Eretz Yisrael is a
fundamental component of Judaism.


... But why do we need a homeland? Isn't being a People
and practicing Judaism enough? The laws of Shmita provide an answer.
These Torah-mandated laws which take effect at the end of a seven-year
cycle restrict Jews in Eretz Yisrael from agricultural work, even that
done in private gardens.....The sanctity of Eretz Yisrael does not come only from exercising control over it, but from recognizing that God alone is sovereign.
...Without Torah and Eretz Yisrael, we lose our connection to the process
of redemption, our opportunity and obligation to transform the world.
...We transform the land, and the Land transforms us. That process can only happen in the context of Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael.
...The core of Jewish civilization is living Torah, bringing ethical
monotheism to the world, rebuilding Eretz Yisrael and reestablishing
Jewish nationhood. That dream did not begin with Theodor Herzl, or
with his successors. 
...With Jews unable to express their collective, national consciousness at the
Temple Mount, Judaism was recast; ritual became embodied in prayer.One of the critical elements of that common purpose is the constant focus on Eretz Yisrael and the Temple, symbols for the spiritual and physical wholeness of the Jewish People.
...Reestablishing the State of Israel and regaining most of Biblical
Israel in 1967 created a new context and opportunity for the Jewish
People.
...The Covenant which binds us to Eretz Yisrael links Jewish history and
Jewish destiny, past and future.
...
Possession of Eretz Yisrael by the Jewish People confirms and is a
manifestation of God's presence and the purpose of the Jewish People.

That explains the very first Rashi in the Bible: when Jews are accused
of stealing Eretz Yisrael, they can respond that just as God created
the world, every nation received its land, including the Jewish
people.

Not only is Eretz Yisrael holy, it gives and receives holiness, as if
it were alive; it stands for an awareness of God's presence, not only
as Land, but Being.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Zachor-The-sanctity-of-Eretz-Yisrael-383716
--
Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch.  May their memories serve as a blessing.

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

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

Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Likud, Rule of Evil? What have the Hereidi Politicians done to confront the real enemy of the Jews?

bs"d

Motzei Shem Ra  (false derogatory statements, slander) by MK's who receive their guidance from the Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah?  How can this be?

Hareidi MKs Welcome End of 'Worst Government in History'

MKs from United Torah Judaism party welcome the dissolution of the Knesset, saying it was "the worst one in the country's history".

...MK Menachem Eliezer Moses agreed with his colleague, saying, "The rule of evil has come to an end. There is not one area where the government acted in the interest of the public. We can only welcome the dissolution of the Knesset and the dismantling of government."

MK Meir Porush said that "the worst coalition for hareidim was disbanded this evening with the dissolution of the Knesset. United Torah Judaism is determined to make a fundamental change, and restore the honor of the Torah and those who study it."

"The 19th Knesset will be remembered as the worst one in the country's history, due to the failure of the government in all areas: an economic collapse, loss of vision in terms of housing, cost of living and the continuous attacks on the middle class," said MK Ya'akov Litzman.



Preacher in Al Aqsa: We Will Slaughter You Jews

Blatant incitement against Jews on Temple Mount sees preacher claim Jews are 'abominable,' with growing audience.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188379#.VIdGJzHF8WI

Please,  MK Moses:  

Calling Netanyahu and Bennett: Rule of Evil? Are you sure you are being guided by the Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah?  Because your public statements put them in a very bad light.

Surely you agree that those preaching at Al Aqsa are evil!  Hitler yemach shemo was evil.....But the Likud Gov't? Everything in its proper perspective!  

Have we forgotten Operation Protective Edge and the missiles flying over the entire country.  Surely Hashem protected us and there were countless miracles. Can we ignore the fact that the gov't of Israel and the military did its  part, their hishtadlus, with IDF manning the Iron Dome not to mention the intelligence, airforce and the groundtroops that did the job!   No one can deny the threat to the soldiers lives...Arabs leaving behind booby trapped homes, underground tunnels filled with weapons, children used as civilian shields not to mention hospitals, ambulances, schools, UN buildings as well.   Why no expression of acknowledgement or Hakoras Hatov?  Surely the Tefillot of the Chareidim helped and the fact that some Yeshivot didn't have bein hazemanim in solidarity but we can not disregard the soldiers who actually fought nor the gov't that trained them and gave them weapons.  They too prayed as only a soldier whose life is in danger prays.  They had on them siddurim and tehillim, tzizit and Tefillin.  A true Jewish Army.  Please read the Commander Ofer Winter's letter http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2014/07/please-fwd-and-let-go-viral-time.html of Givati Brigade.

Perhaps if B'nei Torah synagogue, the shul in Har Nof  where the massacre took place, had mispallelim, worshippers,  with ammunition on them, as is the case of most Dati Leumi shuls (religious Zionists synagogues)  perhaps the terrorists could have been neutralized sooner than the 7 minutes it took for the police to come.  
Will you blame the gov't for not providing you equal protection as other Israeli citizens?

Let's talk Torah not politics:

Has UTJ or SHAS proclaimed that the Promised Land is G-d's Promise to the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Have they said that the Jews are indigenous People to the Land of Israel, whose borders are delineated in the Torah.  According to the Torah,  Temple Mount, Hebron and Shchem  are the most holy of places and Judea and Samaria constitute the Biblical heartland of Israel.  For a more thorough discussion please read, Parshat Matot-Masei - The Biblical Borders of the Land of Israel by Menachem Liebtag http://www.tanach.org/bamidbar/matot/matots1.htm  Here is a beautiful video about Israel that will bring tears to your eyes: The Words Of Our Prophets Come To Life. http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-words-of-our-prophets-come-to-life. Now these are words and images of Torah! 

Have the Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah followed the rulings of the Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah of the past in Marienbad 1937?

כנסי' מועצת גדולי התורה במריינבד בעברית The Knessiah Gedolah of Marienbad. Moetzet Gedolei Hatorah discussion re: A Jewish State: YES or NO? Yes for Jewish State! You will find links to the pdfs of the Pardes Journal September and October 1937. which documented the conference and the conclusions of the Gedoilim of that generation.  
http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2014/11/knessiah-gedolah-of-marienbad-moetzet.html

Read some of these other posts which are related.

Search on Marienbad in Shemittahrediscovered.

http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/search?q=marienbad

Let the readers decide for themselves!
Bennett Asks Indyk: How Many Need to Die Before You Wake Up? (Watch the youtube. The same questions should be asked to the Chareidi MK's as well,  When will they wake up? Robin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5haOuQJALAY&feature=youtu.be
From Arelene Kushner's post :"The World Keeps Turning" http://www.arlenefromisrael.info/current-postings/

Bennett Signs Up UST Global to Bring 10,000 Jobs to Israel
The giant firm will build a cyber-defense center outside of central Israel and train Haredim and others.

We Will Never Apologize For Defending Ourselves By: Ron Prosor
December 11th, 2014
http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/we-will-never-apologize-for-defending-ourselves/2014/12/11/2/  Ron Prosor, who represents the gov't of Israel, the government whose rulership was called evil by UTJ MK's writes

... Israel is the land of our forefathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is the land where Moses led the Jewish people, where David built his palace, where Solomon built the Jewish Temple, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace.

For thousands of years Jews have lived continuously in the land of Israel. We endured through the rise and fall of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman empires. And we endured thousands of years of persecution, expulsions, and crusades. The bond between the Jewish people and the Jewish land is unbreakable.

Nothing can change one simple truth – Israel is our home and Jerusalem is our eternal capital.
~~~~~~~~~~Ambassador Ron Prosor became Israel’s 16th Permanent Representative to the United Nations in June 2011.

Now about Netanyahu.  I often disagree with his politics and not standing up for Torah but would never call him or his gov't a rule of evil.  misguided, weak perhaps but EVIL????

Netanyahu Slams Abbas for Letter of Support to Family of Yehuda Glick's Shooter
NOVEMBER 2, 2014
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/11/02/netanyahu-slams-abbas-for-letter-of-support-to-family-of-yehuda-glicks-shooter/

Netanyahu accuses Abbas of violating pledge to calm tensions in Jerusalem


I love Netanyahu's comments!  He is spokesman par excellence. 

This Jewish State bill sounds terrific! Almost too good to be true! 

But.... I am worried about that but....Will the changes Netanyahu pushes undermine the very essence of the bill? 
The prime minister vowed to push the bill forward, but said it must undergo many changes.
"In the end, we will make it clear that Israel is the Jewish nation-state, while promising equal rights to all its citizens," he added. "

Right now, following a wave of violence in East Jerusalem, Temple Mount, random acts of terror spreading all over the country, the Prime MInister is losing support.  He needs to show that he hears the voice of the people.  However, in the past the Prime Minister has responded to situations as the above, with eloquent and powerful statements, music to our ears but then suddenly veers off course by actions that undermine what he just stated.  Proclaiming his support for a 2 State Solution for example, misses his target completely bowing  to political pressures from the US and EU.

Sunday, June 08, 2014 Fwd: Netanyahu Strong but still some unclarified messages

Netanyahu needs to acknowledge that the Promised Land is G-d's Promise to the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.  Jews are indigenous People to the Land of Israel, whose borders are delineated in the Torah.  According to the Torah,  Temple Mount, Hebron and Shchem  are the most holy of places and Judea and Samaria constitute the Biblical heartland of Israel.  For a more thorough discussion please read, Parshat Matot-Masei - The Biblical Borders of the Land of Israel by Menachem Liebtag http://www.tanach.org/bamidbar/matot/matots1.htm  Here is a beautiful video about Israel that will bring tears to your eyes: The Words Of Our Prophets Come To Life. http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-words-of-our-prophets-come-to-life


--
Sincerely,

Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list  are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch.  May their memories serve as a blessing.

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

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

Fwd: Editorial: Jonathan Pollard: Chained by a Malicious Lie


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From: <womeningreen@womeningreen.org>
Date: Tue, Dec 9, 2014 at 2:48 PM
Subject: Editorial: Chained by a Malicious Lie
To: womeningreen@womeningreen.org


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Editorial: Chained by a Malicious Lie
Hamodia [NY] - Hamodia Editorial - December 9, 2014
This editorial was originally published in the Weekend print edition
November 26, 2014
http://hamodia.com/2014/11/25/chained-malicious-lie/

The anguish-filled saga of Jonathan Pollard took yet another painful
turn last week, when it was revealed that the Parole Board denied
Pollard's request for parole after 29 agonizing years in prison. The
members of the Parole Board, which is an arm of the U.S. Justice
Department, had the opportunity to end a travesty of justice that has
been going on for far too long. Instead, they compounded it, making a
mockery of the American justice system.

Since Hamodia's inception, we have been a vigorous and forceful
advocate for Jonathon Pollard. On numerous occasions we have published
editorials, interviews and opinion pieces calling for his release. On
occasion, we have received inquiries from readers demanding to know
why Jonathan never chose to apply for parole.

The answer is simple: Every legal expert the Pollard camp has spoken
to -- and there were many -- told them that the Parole Board would
reject Jonathan's request out of hand. For one thing, the Department
of Justice steadfastly refused to allow Jonathan's attorneys -- both of
whom have the appropriate Top Secret/SCI-eligible security clearances
-- to see the documents that were submitted to the sentencing judge
prior to Mr. Pollard's sentencing in 1987. With access to that file
denied, persons opposed to parole know that they have free rein to say
absolutely anything about Jonathan without risk of being contradicted
by the documents.

The experts insisted that not only would parole be denied, but the
refusal would actually damage the only viable option to gain his
release. So Jonathan, his wife, Mrs. Esther Pollard -- who has
literally dedicated her life to try to gain her husband's freedom --
and their supporters focused on trying to obtain presidential
clemency.

Over the years, repeated hopes that clemency would be granted were
raised, only to be quashed. In 1998, President Clinton actually
promised to free Pollard as a way to convince Prime Minister Netanyahu
to attend the Wye River Summit. During the summit, Clinton again
promised to free Pollard, but ultimately reneged on his promises. Many
had hoped that his successor, President George W. Bush, widely
considered a friend of Israel, would use his final days in office to
free Pollard. Later, as the ever-growing list of extremely prominent
former American officials lent their voices to the clamor for an end
to this gross injustice, it was hoped that President Obama would
hearken to their pleas and grant clemency.

In December of last year, during President Obama's trip to Israel, the
president indicated that while he was not ready to grant clemency, if
Pollard would apply for parole, he would be treated fairly. Reading
this as a positive sign, Pollard submitted a parole application.

In the meanwhile, last March, mainstream media outlets revealed that
the United States may free Pollard as part of Secretary Kerry's
efforts to save Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. But the peace
talks fell apart, and once more the hopes of so many were shot down.

In June, as he concluded his term as president of Israel, Shimon Peres
visited Washington. Peres, ironically, was the prime minister at the
time of Pollard's arrest, and under his stewardship Israel actually
gave the U.S. documents with Pollard's fingerprints, which
incriminated him -- a bizarre and unprecedented betrayal by a country
of its own agent.

Peres reportedly requested of Obama to at the very least privately
inform the U.S. Justice Department that he didn't oppose parole for
Pollard.

According to the law, the U.S. Parole Commission may grant parole if
(a) the inmate has substantially observed the rules of the
institution; (b) release would not depreciate the seriousness of the
offense or promote disrespect for the law; and (c) release would not
jeopardize the public welfare.

Certainly Jonathan, a model prisoner who has served far longer than
anyone else who committed the same crime of passing classified
information to an ally, fit the bill perfectly. But at the hearing,
which was described by those present as a "kangaroo court," Pollard
was treated with contempt, and his attorney wasn't even allowed to
make his case.

As eight senior former American officials, all with first-hand
knowledge of the case and fully familiar with the classified file,
wrote in a letter to President Obama: "The Parole Commission decision
document mischaracterizes Mr. Pollard's actions and makes a patently
false claim upon which it bases its denial of parole."

The government relied heavily on a stale, discredited, 28-year-old
classified memorandum written by former Secretary of Defense Caspar
Weinberger. As Lawrence Korb, who served as assistant secretary of
defense under Weinberger, and knew him well, wrote, that memorandum
was based on an "almost visceral dislike of Israel and the special
place it occupies in our foreign policy."

The eight officials put it well when they wrote that "Denying a man
his freedom based on a claim of damage that is patently false while
ignoring exculpatory documentary evidence and hiding behind a veil of
secret evidence is neither fair nor just, and it simply is not the
American way."

We should also bear in mind the words of former CIA director R. James
Woolsey, who said that "If anybody is hung up over the fact that he's
an American Jew or that he's Israeli, just pretend that he's a South
Korean and set him free."

But our reaction to the parole board decision must be more than
outrage and empathy.

We must recognize the fact that each and every one of us is obligated
to do all we can to help him gain his freedom. It is imperative that
we let the president -- and every elected official who can possibly
influence the president -- know, in a respectful but forceful way, how
hurt the entire Jewish community is over this dreadful miscarriage of
justice. The fate of Jonathan Pollard must constantly be on the front
burner; it must be raised for discussion at every meeting with
government officials.

Most importantly, we must increase our tefillos for Yehonoson ben
Malka, who is 60 years old and in very poor health. Ultimately, his
fate lies solely in the Hands of Hashem. As Mrs. Pollard has pointed
out in past interviews with Hamodia, it is tefillos that are keeping
Jonathan alive. It will be our tefillos that will set him free.

SEE ALSO
   * <http://jonathanpollard.org/2014/111414.pdf>: Letter to Obama by
8 Senior US Officials slamming the unjust denial of parole to Jonathan
Pollard
   * <http://jonathanpollard.org/2014/120514.htm>Conference of
Presidents Joins 8 Senior US Officials in Decrying Pollard's Continued
Incarceration on False Charge; Calls for his immediate release
   *  <http://jonathanpollard.org/2014/120414a.htm>The Truth About
Jonathan Pollard's 'Escape Plan': Pesach Lerner - Hamodia [NY]
   *  <http://jonathanpollard.org/2014/120314.htm>Editorial: Prisoner
of Zion in the US: The Jerusalem Post

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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) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch.  May their memories serve as a blessing.

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

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

Yazidis. - Update. December 8th, 2014 A Race Against Time: Save Yezidis from ISIS, Slavery and Genocide! Cry for Help from Mirza Ismail Chairman Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International

Bs"d

Dear Friends,

Please note the date!  This was sent out yesterday December 8th 2014!

Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2014 00:40:47 +0300
Subject: Yezidis Current Situation in Northern Iraq
Dear all,

First of all I hope you, your families and colleagues are well.

Yesterday I and my colleague visited the displaced Yezidis camp in Shariya village to see their situation; they said on Saturday, December 06, 2014; six trucks of winter clothing came to IDP camp in Shariya village, we asked the displaced people there, but they did not know where or from whom the donations came from.  However, while they were video recording and taking pictures, the organization distributed the winter clothing to only about 60 families and they left the camp.  The Shariya camp holds about 30,000 displaced Yezidis.

Note: we also met with two Yezidi fighters, who just came from the Mount Sinjar two days ago; Mr. Sulaeman and Mr. Kamal were there fighting the Islamic State Terrorists since the beginning of the ISIL attack against the Yezidis in Sinjar region that started on August 03, 2014. They told us that there are still more than 12,000 Yezidis live in Mount Sinjar, they said they do not have good weapons and ammunition and most important there are no food, drinks, etc. especially for young children and other necessity such as winter tents and clothing; "If we do not receive direct humanitarian aid in the next couple of weeks, hudreds of people would pass away of starvation."

We are asking you in the name of humanity to help those struggling innocent Yezidis!


Best regards,

Mirza Ismail
Chairman
Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International
011-964-781-113-7179

It doesn't seem like what they are asking for is so much!

I am shocked that they haven't received such basic humanitarian aid till now in spite of the public awareness of their plight!!!  

 What happened to all the humanitarian aid, from America and elsewhere, from private Jewish and non Jewish organizations already sent?  Why haven't they reached the Yazidi's for whatever reason? Not enough winter coats? 

Excuse me for my ignorance but which  Congressman or Senator or Congressional Committees are addressing the plight of the Yazidi Community.  In light of the Yazidis being the most motivated to actually fight ISIS, wouldn't America and all those who feel threatened by ISIS see to it that military and humanitarian relief efforts are actually reaching them? Please sent this to your elected officials!  Why is American Foreign Policy failing them?  Thank you.

Yazidis Face Genocide by ISIS After U.S. Turns Away

Iraq's Yazidis Appeal For Help In Finding Their Missing Women



OVER 200 JEWS, CHRISTIANS, AND HINDUS HOLD RALLY FOR YAZIDIS AGAINST ISIS

Renanah writes:  


Hello MPs, Friends,
We as the Jewish People know these letters.  I do. I am a student of the life and work of Rabbi Weissmandl and the heroic group of Jews who send pleading letters  begging for help.  "One day you too will beat your breasts because you will know you could have helped us and you did not..."   I am begging all of us and you to wake up and investigate this matter  immediately and fully and if you find if it is just as Mirza says - the DO SOMETHING now to:
save these people on Mt. Sinjar,
protect the Yezidis in the camps,
rescue the women and children from slavery, 
and more.
With bleeding heart,
Renanah
I asked Peggy Shapiro from Standwith us how she put together such an amazing coalition of sponsors of this Yazidi Rally in Chicago this past week.  

​Peggy Shapiro from Standwithus - StandWithUs <peggys@standwithus.com> answers:


Robin,

Here is how you connect: ASK!

My rabbi and I walked into new places, Assyrian cultural centers, Korean busines associations, etc. and asked for their support. Some said no or maybe, but others replied YES!
Ask the IAHV  http://www.iahv.org/us-en/ for help with speakers and you already have their contact information if you are communicating with Matthew and others. Supplies are reaching them through IAHV. As winter ice rains are falling, these provisions are inadequate. I saw photos of the most recent deliveries and conditions and your heart will break.

Thanks,

Peggy

 LINK for how people can contribute.   http://www.iahv.org/us-en/yazidi-relief/

For a thread of background material and posts about the Yazidis: http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2014/08/israel-must-help-yazidis.html