Colour Revolution in Israel

Leftist fascist zombies Rioting vs. Peaceful Right Wing protest

JerusalemCats Comments: From the Pesach (Passover) Haggadah
The Cup of Elijah is poured at this point, after which the door is opened in accordance with the verse, “It is a guarded night.” Then the following paragraph is recited.

Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not recognize  You, and upon the kingdoms that do not invoke Your Name. For they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his habitation. Pour out Your anger upon them, and let Your fiery wrath overtake them. Pursue them with wrath and annihilate them from beneath the heavens of HASHEM.

שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ וְעַל־מַמְלָכוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ. כִּי אָכַל אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת־נָוֵהוּ הֵשַׁמּוּ. שְׁפָךְ־עֲלֵיהֶם זַעֲמֶךָ וַחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ יַשִּׂיגֵם. תִּרְדֹף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי ה’.


BREAKING : Gaza and its Media Allies |Caroline Glick’s Brief

11May2023


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The Rav is refused entry to Uman

14September2023 https://rivkalevy.com/the-rav-is-refused-entry-to-uman/
[EDD: reference to Rav Eliezer Berland]

I heard this privately, but now it’s also up on A7, so I guess the ‘secret’ is out.

HERE is the news story on the propaganda site called Arutz 7.

It’s not the news we wanted to hear, but what I can tell you is that this is probably the last slap in the face these people get to aim at the Tzaddik HaDor.

Now…. it’s going to be interesting.

Remember, staying close to the True Tzaddikim, working on our bad middot, LEARNING TORAH LISHMA, and not just to get kavod, money or influence, sincere teshuva and tzedaka all cancels the evil decrees.

God knows 100% what needs to be happening right now, there is nothing to fear except Hashem.

And from here on in, BH, God is really going to start showing the evils in the world Who is really the ba’al ha’bayit here.

And it’s not them.

 

====

I will update more when and if I hear more.

B’sorot tovot.

 

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http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com

Torah Is the ONLY Thing Which Unites Us

22 Tevet 5784 03January2024 http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2024/01/torah-is-only-thing-which-unites-us.html

 

In a recent interview, Jonathan Pollard drew a direct line between the Simchat Torah Massacre and the deep societal division that existed in Israel just prior to the invasion and attack.  Today, that same message went out to both the secular public, via Ynet (Golani Brigade deputy commander warns division in Israel ‘worst thing that can happen’), and the religious public, via YWN (“Hamas Massacre And Rift In Israel Were Connected,” IDF Spokesperson Says) – in English at any rate.  I didn’t check, but I guarantee you this conversation is being had in the Hebrew press as well.

 

It’s being raised now in the wake of the High Court’s slap to the face of every Israeli citizen by refusing to take the government’s advice to leave controversial subjects to the day after the war ends.  In a clearly illegal move (depending on votes of justices who by their own rules should have already been retired and off the bench), they brazenly struck down the Knesset’s hard-won Reasonableness Law.

 

The JPost addressed this issue via its main op-ed today…

The High Court of Justice on Monday struck down a law passed last year that would have curbed the court’s ability to use a “reasonableness doctrine” in its rulings. This is an important decision. The court made its ruling with a bare majority of eight justices against seven. It also said that it has a power to strike down basic laws by a majority of 12-3.

 

The rulings are important for Israel and show that the country is a thriving democracy, even during one of the worst wars in the history of the state.<

 

We face unprecedented crises today on the frontline as the war drags on soon into its fourth month. In addition, more than 100,000 Israelis are still evacuated from 100 border communities.

 

Nevertheless, courts operate during war time and our democracy must remain as strong during crisis as during peace. The test of a democracy is how it behaves in crisis, not how it behaves when things are tranquil. Our democracy has now passed that test. We have come through the fire of war and we are thriving in the unity that is needed during this time.

 

The ruling by the court brings back memories of the divisions in society in the summer of 2023 when the judicial reform was being passed and there were unprecedented protests. However, the court’s ruling need not be a reason to go back to those difficult days. We all know now how important unity is. Our enemies want to take advantage of divisions in our society to strike at us.

As usual, the consensus of the Democracy-worshippers is to shame and blame anyone who disagrees with or stands in the way of their desire to be a Western Liberal Democratic nation like all the rest.  The Faithful of HKB”H cannot allow themselves to be influenced by these tactics.  The only connection the Simchat Torah Massacre has to the escalating societal divisions in Israel is that they are both an unfortunately necessary part of the birrur process which is paving the road to our complete redemption.

 

“In the beginning…” the Creator began putting His world in order by making divisions – “each after its own kind” and in its own place, fulfilling its own Divinely mandated purpose in the world.

 

It’s not just the murderous Arabs who have to leave our Holy Land, but also the pretend Jews and Erev Rav who are doing everything in their power to prevent the rest of us from fulfilling our Creator’s will in this Land which He gave us specifically for this purpose.

 

The Torah is not silent on these subjects.  Everything we need to know about how to set up a government and who may or may not live in this land alongside us and under what conditions is clearly laid out.  Our main problems stem not from lack of knowledge but from a lack of will – an unwillingness to submit our own will to that of our Creator’s will.  That’s where the critical change must and will come.  Jewish unity comes only through our common commitment to HKB”H and His Torah.  There can never be unity around Western values and liberal (anti-Torah) ideals.

 

Mashiach is the agent HKB”H is sending to impose His will on humanity.  Peace with HKB”H is the only true path to peace in this world.

 

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Cartoon: [retired Supreme Court President Esther] Hayut is seen sticking a flag in the back of a IDF soldier


Danny Hendler-tweet-4January2024-For the sake of freedom of expression
למען חופש הביטוי, יצויץ מעכשיו על בסיס קבוע.

Translated from Hebrew by

For the sake of freedom of expression, will be tweeted from now on on a regular basis.
כהן-tweet-5January2024

Danny Hendler-tweet-4January2024-For the sake of freedom of expression

Danny Hendler-tweet-4January2024-For the sake of freedom of expression

 


 

YNet Logo https://www.ynetnews.com/

סערת הקריקטורה של חיות תוקעת דגל בגב חייל | קרעי: להסיר? זה חופש הביטוי

יועמ”ש הנהלת בתי המשפט דרש ממנהלי “שביעי” להסיר את הקריקטורה, שר התקשורת קרעי שלח לו מכתב זועם: “זו התנהגות נפסדת, אין לך סמכות לצנזר כלי תקשורת”. בשבועון הסכימו להסיר את הקריקטורה, אך תקפו: “זו השתקה ופגיעה חמורה בחופש העיתונות. הקריקטורה ביטאה מחאה בדרכה האומנותית”

מורן אזולאיטובה צימוקירוני גרין שאולוב|

Translated from Hebrew by

The cartoon storm of Hayut sticks a flag in the back of a soldier | Karai: remove? It’s freedom of speech

The ombudsman of the administration of the courts demanded that the directors of “Savi’i” “שביעי” remove the cartoon, the minister of communication Karai sent him an angry letter: “This is a losing behavior, you have no authority to censor media.” The weekly agreed to remove the cartoon, but attacked: “This is silencing and a serious injury in the freedom of the press. The cartoon expressed a protest in its artistic way

4January2024 https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bjzfgbeua

 

The cartoon leads to a political uproar: after this morning (Thursday) the free religious-national weekly “Savi’i” “שביעי”  published a cartoon in which retired Supreme Court President Esther Hayut is seen sticking a flag in the back of a soldier, the legal Advisor of the Courts Administration demanded that the weekly’s managers remove that cartoon. In response to this, Communications Minister Shlomo Karai said that this was “lost behavior and an attempt to harm freedom of expression”. The weekly later agreed to remove the cartoon, but attacked that “this is silencing and a serious violation of the freedom of the press.”

 

Supreme Court President Esther Hayut is seen sticking a flag in the back of a soldier

Supreme Court President Esther Hayut is seen sticking a flag in the back of a soldier

The cartoon, in which Esther Hayut is seen sticking a court flag into the back of the soldier, who was apparently killed, was published on the Twitter page of the illustrator Or Reichert, and also appeared in the digital edition of the weekly – which will be published tomorrow in its printed version.

 

The legal advisor of the Courts Administration, Barak Lazer, contacted the weekly and demanded that its managers take immediate action to remove the cartoon from all the media under the newspaper’s control. In addition, there is in the aforementioned publication a suspicion of court misconduct,” it said.

 

Communications Minister Shlomo Karai letter to the legal advisor of the Courts Administration

Communications Minister Shlomo Karai letter to the legal advisor of the Courts Administration

However, Communications Minister Shlomo Karai did not see it that way, and sent a threatening letter to the consultant. “It has been brought to my attention that you addressed a media outlet with a puzzling instruction to refrain from publishing an illustration criticizing the judicial system. Needless to say, your instruction was given without authority, and that you cannot censor media outlets or give any instructions to citizens,” Karai wrote.

 

“I intend to bring up for discussion in the government your losing behavior in this case,” he added. “Until then, you are required to refrain from giving instructions to citizens, exceeding your authority. As Minister of Communications, I do not intend to stand by your attempts to harm citizens’ freedom of expression.”

 

Later, the Savi’i newspaper responded to the request of the Ombudsman of the Courts and announced that it would remove the cartoon, including the newspaper that had already been printed. However, the weekly maintained their position that “there is no incitement to violence or lewdness of the court in the cartoon”, and attacked that Attorney Lazer’s request “Constitutes silencing and a serious violation of the freedom of the press.” The “Savi’i” also claimed that “the cartoon expressed a protest in its artistic way”, and wondered why the court does not condemn “caricatures in the Haaretz newspaper that present right-wing people as Nazis”, as well as sketches of a great land “that present the Jewish settlers as murderers or perverts”.

 

Above the cartoon appeared a scathing editorial against Hayut, after the publication of the rulings on the law of fortification and the law to abolish the probable cause, in which it was claimed that “at the exact time when the citizens of Israel, especially the soldiers , are looking for the unifying and the closer, Hayut was looking for the distancing and the dividing. Did she not think of the danger of consequences Her decision on unity among IDF soldiers? She probably thought, but she just doesn’t care. At this time, when the Nazi enemy from Gaza is celebrating the division within us, Hayut sees only one thing – to continue the anti-democratic revolution that Emperor Barak started.”

 

Following the publication of the cartoon, Member of Knesset Matan Kahane from the state camp, a religious Zionist himself, protested: “Whoever does not understand how shocking this is, even if he is very, very angry with retired President Hayut, who would imagine this picture with Prime Minister Netanyahu, for example, or with Every other character is ‘on his side’. Does this still look like a legitimate cartoon? To draw a character, even of the person who hates you the most on the other side, stepping on the body of an IDF soldier, is definitely one of the lowest things seen here recently.”

 

Hayut, we will recall, explained in the “reasonable cause” ruling why she had to publish it even during the war. “About a month after the hearing on the petitions took place, we were moved by a brutal terrorist attack and since then the State of Israel has been engaged in a hard and determined war against the terrorist organizations that want our brides,” she wrote. “We offer a prayer for the peace of the female soldiers, the soldiers and the members of the security forces who risk their lives for the sake of the security of the country, as well as for the return of the abductees to their homes soon. “

 

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YNet Logo https://www.ynetnews.com/

Right-wing protests prove judicial reforms are not synonymous with dictatorship

Opinion: The ongoing pro-judicial reform demonstrations reveal that the conflict reflects long-standing political divisions and puts to rest the misleading notion that the battle is not a matter of right versus left, but rather a struggle for democracy

Naveh Dromi| 04April23 | 23:47 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rytjg8fwh”

The right-wing protests have yielded many positive outcomes. They have spared us of more national “days of disruption,” “paralysis,” and “resistance“; the women dressed as characters from the Netflix show “The Handmaid’s Tale” have given us a short breather from their hysteria; right-wing elected officials now understand that they are obligated to pass the reforms, and not let it fall between the cracks; and maybe the most important outcome of all – we can finally rebut the demagogic, childish, and manipulative claim that the ongoing affairs are “not a matter of left or right.”

 

What a tiresome manipulation that is. Claiming that a certain protest is not rooted in a political stance implies that said stance is inherently superior, apolitical, and indisputably true.

Pro-government demonstrators march in support of the judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on Thursday (Photo: Yuval Chen)

Pro-government demonstrators march in support of the judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on Thursday
(Photo: Yuval Chen)

“הפגנה בעד המהפכה המשפטית בתל אביב”
Pro-government demonstrators march in support of the judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on Thursday (Photo: Yuval Chen)

This attitude of viewing any resistance to judicial reforms in Israel as a necessary act to prevent dictatorship creates a dangerous consensus.

 

Those who propagate this narrative often perceive themselves as altruistic champions of society’s interests rather than as individuals associated with a specific political faction or ideology.

 

This narrative further suggests that supporters of the judicial reforms are automatically excluded from the group claiming to be the selfless saviors of the State of Israel, fighting against Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s dictatorship.

 

The claim that this is “not a matter of left or right” has been frequently made, but has lost its meaning. Protests have been promoted through various channels, and even kids’ carpool WhatsApp groups have been hijacked to send invitations to participate. Anyone calling for those platforms to remain apolitical is immediately dismissed, with the response being “it’s not about left or right, it’s about democracy.”

Pro-judicial reform protesters rally in front of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem(Photo: Shalev Shalom)

Pro-judicial reform protesters rally in front of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)

מפגינים בעד ההפיכה המשפטית בירושלים
Pro-judicial reform protesters rally in front of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)

 

On the contrary, those with knowledge of Israeli politics recognize that judicial system reforms have been a focal point of the right-wing bloc’s agenda for several years.

 

During Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz’s joint tenure, Yariv Levin declined to assume the role of justice minister, given his limited ability to advance such reforms. Levin and Simcha Rothman may now have the opportunity to make progress on this front, but numerous academics, experts and wise individuals from across the political spectrum had previously advocated for reforms of the judiciary system.

 

Perhaps, if the Israeli left had paid more attention to the right in the past, they would not have been caught off guard by the current agenda being put forth.

 

Therefore, the claim that “it’s not a matter of left or right” emanates from the left. Any right-wing individual who is familiar with the judicial system’s impact on the right would not oppose reforms in this regard.

rotests in Tel Aviv (Photo: Tal Shachar)

rotests in Tel Aviv (Photo: Tal Shachar)

הפרות סדר באיילון
Protests in Tel Aviv (Photo: Tal Shachar)

However, it is possible that a right-wing individual may disagree with how the reforms are being promoted, given the lack of a clear public explanation of the expected changes. Nonetheless, such individuals recognize that Israeli democracy cannot become more inclusive and ideal without these reforms.

 

A recent poll conducted by research and strategy firm Direct Polls, aimed to shed light on the driving force behind the ongoing protests in Israel, revealed that 88% of the respondents who support the coalition (right-wing bloc) stated that the protest movement’s goal was to topple the current right-wing government.

 

For those familiar with opposition members, this outcome is not at all surprising. Those who are taken aback may belong to the group that views the protests as a unanimous public struggle for democracy, independent of left or right leanings.

 

The political divide between Israel’s right-wing and left-wing blocs has long been evident in their respective stances on issues such as the Palestinians, foreign policy, security agenda, and the judicial system.

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The ruling class must regain its senses

The Golani Infantry Brigade has rebelled and is getting away with it because the IDF General Staff has surrendered its moral power to discipline its soldiers.

Caroline Glick https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-ruling-class-must-regain-its-senses/

(April 20, 2023 / JNS) A group of soldiers from a company of Israel Defense Forces’ reservists in the Golani Infantry Brigade abandoned their posts at their training base in southern Israel on Tuesday and went home. The reservists revolted because they didn’t accept their battalion commander’s decision to replace their company commander with a company commander from the Paratrooper Brigade.

 

As Yediot Achronot’s military reporter Yossi Yehoshua reported, the last time that Golani experienced a mutiny of this dimension was in 2007. Back then, the top brass responded immediately, sentencing all of the soldiers to 56 days in jail.

 

This time, their commanders took their time responding and then hit them with a wet noodle. The soldiers were given suspended sentences and remanded to their base for a weekend.

 

The IDF’s decision to let the reservists off the hook for inexcusable behavior surprised no one. They had no choice. In February, a squadron of reserve Air Force fighter pilots shocked the country when they signed a letter announcing they would not serve in reserves so long as the Netanyahu government proceeded forward with its plan to place minimal limits on the powers of the Supreme Court and Attorney General. That is, they used their flight wings to extort the government and the public that voted it into office.

 

Rather than court-martial the pilots on charges of insurrection and sedition, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar opted to tolerate—and even coddle—the pilots in the hopes of getting them to relent.

 

The same cushy fate greeted the other leftist reservists from technology, artillery and other units.

When in response, flight mechanics announced that they would refuse to service the planes of the leftist pilots who refused to defend the country for political reasons, Halevi and Bar recognized that they couldn’t discipline them without destroying what was left of the unity of force in the Air Force. And now, Golani has rebelled and is getting away with it because the IDF General Staff has surrendered its moral power to discipline its soldiers.

 

The implications of this situation are devastating. And they were anticipated. Halevi and Bar were warned repeatedly that if the General Staff permitted IDF service to be used as a political weapon, the generals would rupture the chain of command and compromise the unity of the force. But Halevi, Bar and their fellow generals went ahead and legitimized it anyway. And like Humpty Dumpty, once the egg of non-politicization of military service was broken, it was broken.

‘Good’ vs. ‘bad’ Israelis

It would be bad enough if military unity was the only casualty of the rebellion of Israel’s ruling class. But, of course, it isn’t. Moody’s Investor Services didn’t lower Israel’s credit rating, despite massive efforts by Israel’s economic elites to convince the rankings service to do so. And Silicon Valley Bank’s crash demonstrated just how stupid Israel’s high-tech moguls were when they called for Israel’s wealthy leftists to pull their money out of the country.

 

But statements by the likes of Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron, former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak, former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon, current opposition leader Yair Lapid, and dozens of retired generals and other members of the ruling class warning that Israel’s economy isn’t a safe bet and that Israel’s democracy is hanging by a hair did more to advance efforts by Israel’s enemies to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state and mainstream anti-Zionism than any U.N. resolution or any boycott campaign ever could.

 

One of the most extraordinary aspects of their campaign to overthrow the government through insurrection and demonization is its international bent. In the past three months, Lapid, Barak, Olmert, Livni, Ya’alon and their powerful comrades have turned to Washington and other foreign capitals to convince them to boycott Israel. Last week, Lapid flew to New York and met with American Jewish leaders to mobilize them against the only democratically elected Jewish leadership in the world: the Netanyahu government. Lapid met with powerful lawmakers to draft them into the service of overthrowing the government. Three weeks ago, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called publicly for foreign governments to boycott the Israeli government.

 

This week, Ya’alon met with visiting Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. His goal was self-evident. The former hardline Likud minister who in recent years has undergone an ideological makeover and joined the radical left insisted three years ago that governing coalitions comprised of terror-supporting Arab Knesset factions are preferable to governments with Netanyahu and Likud. In recent months, like fellow former chiefs of general staff Barak and Dan Halutz, Ya’alon has called for soldiers and police to disobey lawful orders. In the context of his current positions, the only possible explanation for his meeting with Graham was that he and his comrades now seek to convince Republicans to hate Netanyahu and his voters as much as Ya’alon and his new friends hate them.

 

Back when he was first running for president in 2008, Barak Obama said, “I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you’re anti-Israel, and that can’t be the measure of our friendship with Israel.”

 

Obama’s remarks were panned by Israelis and American Jews for the contempt they displayed towards Israeli democracy. Likud is a major political party in Israel that has been the ruling party in the country far more often than not for the past 45 years because it is aligned with the views of the majority of Israelis. So whether or not you like Likud, if you support Israeli democracy, then you are expected to respect the will of the Israeli people. At the most basic level, you cannot be pro-Israel if you view the lawfully elected leaders of Israel as illegitimate.

 

Obama’s view has long been shared by many in the Democratic elite. In 2011, former President Bill Clinton gave a racist taxonomy of Israeli society as the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual conference. Ignoring that the Palestinians writ large rejected then—as they still reject today—any possibility of peaceful coexistence with Israel, Clinton blamed the bad, Netanyahu supporting Israelis for the absence of peace. Clinton explained that Israelis need to be divided into two groups: the good “pro-peace” Israelis and the bad “anti-peace” Israelis.”

 

By Clinton’s telling, “The most pro-peace Israelis are the Arabs; second the sabras, the Jewish Israelis that were born there; third, the Ashkenazis of longstanding, the European Jews who came there around the time of Israel’s founding.”

 

As for the bad Israelis, the former president and husband of the then-secretary of state, explained: “The most anti-peace are the ultra-religious who believe they’re supposed to keep Judea and Samaria, and the settler groups, and what you might call the territorialists, the people who just showed up lately and they’re not encumbered by the historical record.”

 

Back in 2008 and 2011, statements like Obama’s and Clinton’s were a cause for rancor, or at the very least, uncomfortable throat clearings among Israeli leaders on the left, and among liberal American Jews. But today, their contemptuous views of Israeli society are not merely accepted as legitimate. They have become the rallying cries of the Israeli ruling class that works with the Democrats and liberal American Jews to demonize and delegitimize not only Netanyahu and his government, but the majority of Israelis who voted them into office.

 

President Joe Biden has shown through his policies and statements on Iran, the Palestinians, Jerusalem, progressive anti-Semitism and a host of other issues of strategic importance to Israel that his Middle East policies are predicated on ideological positions that are hostile to Israel’s core national and strategic interests. Under normal circumstances, Biden’s hostile posture would place him in an uncomfortable position vis-à-vis the overwhelming majority of American Jews who are pro-Israel.

 

But with the likes of Lapid, Barak, Olmert, Ya’alon and their many partners demonizing the government and calling for American Jews, Democrat and Republican lawmakers and the Biden administration to boycott the government, Biden’s effective declaration of Netanyahu persona non grata last month went over with barely a word of protest among American Jewish leaders. He was applauded by Israeli leaders.

 

In this week’s “Caroline Glick Show,” Tony Badran from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies explained that Iran’s decision to escalate its aggression against Israel in recent weeks is predicated in part on Biden’s declared shunning of Netanyahu. Biden’s statement was interpreted by Iran as an invitation to attack Israel at will.

 

Likewise, in recent weeks, the Iranian regime-controlled media have given banner headlines to statements by retired IDF commanders like Barak and Ya’alon and politicians like Lapid declaring that Israel is doomed. And rather than join Netanyahu when he warns Iran not to believe the propaganda, Lapid, Barak, Ya’alon and their elitist comrades blame Netanyahu for failing to protect the country from the forces their insurrection has emboldened.

 

This week, the son of the former Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi made a historic visit to Israel. He participated in the official Yom Hashoah ceremony at Yad Vashem. He visited the Western Wall. He went to a desalination plant and spoke of the assistance Israel can offer a post-ayatollah Iran that will seek to repair the environmental devastation the regime has inflicted on the land.

 

Rather than praise Netanyahu and Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel who hosted Pahlavi, leftist commentators attacked them and Pahlavi. Former ambassador Daniel (“Danny”) Shek panned Pahlavi and Netanyahu for hosting him. In an interview on i24 News, Shek said the son of the former monarch “is not a force to be reckoned with” and that “Israel has nothing to gain from him.” Parroting Iranian regime propaganda, Shek insisted that no one in Iran supports Pahlavi.

 

Maariv columnist Yossi Melman attacked the government even more forcefully calling it “stupid” for hosting Pahlavi and inviting him to attend the Yad Vashem ceremony. Parroting the pro-Iran anti-Israel lobby in Washington, Melman wrote, “It’s counter-productive to topple the terrible regime.”

Why? Because.

Other members in good standing of the Clinton’s “pro-peace” Ashkenazi, sabra, Likud-bashing club joined the chorus of elitists standing with the Iranian regime and pillorying Netanyahu for hosting Pahlavi and Pahlavi for not hating Israel and Netanyahu.

 

With our ruling class in full revolt, Israel’s most important institutions—first and foremost, the IDF—are reeling. Our ability to defend ourselves on the battlefield and in diplomatic circles is constrained as never before. With our elites declaring our government illegitimate, and lobbying American Jews and politicians to boycott our leaders and reject the morality of the public that voted them into office, the government must fight against our enemies, against anti-Semitism, against BDS campaigns and anti-Israel propaganda machines with both hands tied behind its back, its mouth gagged while hopping on one foot. This situation is unsustainable.

 

As we approach Remembrance Day for Fallen IDF Soldiers and our 75th Independence Day next week, we must find a way to restore sanity and a sense of common destiny to our national life. We don’t have a spare country. Our ruling class needs to return to its senses and remember this obvious fact.

 

Caroline B. Glick is the senior contributing editor of Jewish News Syndicate and the host of the Caroline Glick Show on JNS. Glick is also the diplomatic commentator for Israel’s Channel 14 as well as a columnist at Newsweek. Glick is the senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington and a lecturer at Israel’s College of Statesmanship.

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Arutz Sheva http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

Context is everything: The gravity of Caroline Glick’s ‘ruling class’ article

If Israel responds with unity, strength, conviction and self-respect the violent protests will wither as any extinction burst does. Op-ed.

Paul Rotenberg


21April2023,  https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370329

Ehud Barak Flash 90

Ehud Barak Flash 90

To fully appreciate the gravity of Caroline Glick’s article about the leaders of the protests (The Ruling Class Must Regain its Senses) some context is in order. The leadership of the protests is often referred to as the leftist elite. They are a group of individuals who have held positions of power in previous governments, from Prime Ministers and Defense Ministers down and in the army as generals and high ranking officers. They are accustomed to power, to being able to tell people what to do.

 

They are, however, to a one, failures. The politicians among them have been rejected by the voters, the generals and officers who engaged in the politics of Israel have also been rejected by the voters, after the voters saw what these “leaders” represented.

 

In behavioural terms, what we are seeing now is called an “extinction burst”, often described as the child who gets more violent when not getting the desired response to violence. Continuing the comparison, the required response is to give the increased violence no better response than the initial violence got.

 

Bringing out 100,000 protestors in Israel looks significant, but we have to remember it is significantly less than 1 mandate, 1 seat in the Knesset. For leadership to claim this gives them authority is pitiful, for them to use violence to increase the effect of their protest is hideously irresponsible.

 

It leads to only 2 conclusions, the first is logical. Israel has forever been subjected to the attacks of terrorists. My son, Daniel, pointed out that to appropriately respond to terrorism you first have to recognize what it is. It is the assumed power of a person who has none, but is desperate to show how much power he has. Not rights, not privilege, they have lots of those, but tyrannical power to force others to do what the terrorist wants done.

 

This is exactly the case with the “leftist elitists” exacerbated by the fact that they had power and lost it due to their abuse (in the voters’ terms) of their power. They were rejected for making bad decisions and enacting bad policy. This is the context of any response to terrorists, similarly this has to be the response to the extinction burst of violent protestors and their leaders.

 

Is it a fair comparison, is it a fair evaluation of them? Consider the second conclusion, which is historical.

These “leaders” were the recently ousted government. This was a coalition that was formed in direct contradiction to the electoral platforms of the “leaders”. These are the “leaders” who created a government by giving veto power and a massive budget to a party representing the Muslim Brotherhood, Israel’s arch-enemy, sworn to destroy Israel.

 

This is a leadership that made bad decisions for Israel up until its last days, giving away massive natural resources critical to Israel’s energy independence to Hezbollah, another of Israel’s sworn enemies, to massively bolster Hezbollah’s coffers to buy the weapons that they would use to destroy Israel.

 

In other words these are “leaders” who showed nothing but contempt, not only for Israel and the Israeli voter, but for their own word as well.

 

And what are they protesting? They are out on the streets violently protesting the democratically elected government because those elected are working to fulfil their promises to the electorate. The ousted leftists can’t believe this government is actually going to do what they said they were going to do and were therefore elected to do, so they are protesting it.

 

Is that not bad enough? Unfortunately it gets worse.

The retired commanders who are counselling soldiers to refuse orders are the same ones who, for more than a decade refused Netanyahu’s order that they prepare plans to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability. Don’t take my word for it, read the reports in the NY Times and on CNBC. This decision on the part of individuals defying orders, has today put Israel in existential danger, and now these same people are counselling soldiers and airmen to continue to defy the orders for political reasons. This may demand legal recourse – but there is no court to take them to because reform has not been enacted.

 

So is Iran right, has Israel gone weak? Voting indicates not the vast majority of Israelis. Is Israel ripe for destruction? Only if Israel chooses to be. If Israel chooses to respond with unity, showing strength, conviction and self-respect the violent protests will wither as any extinction burst will. The “leaders” who show contempt for Israel will fulfil their own worst fears and never regain the power they so much desire and Israel will be the better for it. And without their interference Israelis will constructively deconstruct their enemies, a task the IDF is fully capable of when it sees them for what they are and responds proactively.

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From an Email:

The Jewish State and the right-wing government are in danger!

womeningreen@womeningreen.org

Apr 24, 2023, 11:22 AM
Dear Friends,
We must all participate en masse in the demonstration of the million that will take
place in Jerusalem on Thursday the day after Independence Day.

* Yes, demonstrations are influential. Despite the fact that we are the majority
and despite the fact that we won the elections, we do not have the luxury of
staying at home and abandoning the street to those who do not honor the
democratic determination of the voter&#39;s will and are seeking to cause a coup. Our
representatives in the government and the Knesset must receive strength and
support from us.

* The alternative to the current government is a return, G-d forbid, to a
government that will once again promote the Oslo disaster and the
transformation of Israel into a state of all its citizens.
* For the sake of a truly Jewish, democratic, Zionist and sovereign state, we will
all participate in the demonstration of the million and, with G-d’s help, we will act
and we will succeed.

* We call upon everyone to attend and bring along at least five more people.
* Link to the flyer

https://www.facebook.com/100064678058257/posts/pfbid02JLRBDHCWH51vo8%20FfKL9HzEq7xux3WjgaYotAA1b6bUQhg86mNtof5gvF82u9ydbnl/

* Please forward this email to all your contacts (email, whatsapp etc..)
* Link to order a seat for transportation to the protest from all over

Israel::  https://tickchak.co.il/43075

Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar
The Sovereignty Movement
ribonut@gmail.com
ribonut.co.il
=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow  (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:womeningreen@gmail.com
http://www.womeningreen.org
For online donations to Women in Green:
https://www.jgive.com/new/en/ils/external/charity-organizations/2759

To subscribe to the Women in Green list,
please send a blank email message to:
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Check your spam filter for confirmation to reply to


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March of the Million’ shatters opposition claim nation against judicial reform

“We are told that if the reform passes there will be a dictatorship. There is no bigger lie than that,” Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin told the crowd.

By David Isaac
https://www.jns.org/march-of-the-million-shatters-opposition-claim-nation-against-judicial-reform/

 

(April 28, 2023 / JNS) The “March of the Million” near the Knesset in Jerusalem on Thursday evening may not have hit its target (organizers say 600,000 attended; police say 200,000), but it succeeded in putting to bed opposition claims that Israelis are united against judicial reform. It also provided much-needed backing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s beleaguered government.

 

Supporters of reform have been slow to respond to months of protests against it, which have forced the coalition back on its heels, leading Netanyahu to pause the process and enter into negotiations with the opposition under the auspices of President Isaac Herzog.

 

Those favoring reform worry that the result will be a watered-down version of the legislation. Among the crowd’s chants at the rally: “Stop being afraid” and “We don’t want compromise.”

Translated from Hebrew by

The biggest demonstration that was reform will be

avisaban-tweet-27April 2023-The biggest demonstration that was reform will be

avisaban-tweet-27April 2023-The biggest demonstration that was reform will be

 

Of the many politicians and right-wing figures who addressed the assembled, the biggest cheers went to the chief architects of judicial reform: Justice Minister Yariv Levin of Likud and Knesset Member Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism Party, who chairs the parliament’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

 

“Over 2 million Israelis voted six months ago in the real referendum: the election. They voted in favor of legal reform,” declared Levin. “We are here on this stage with 64 mandates to right an injustice. No more inequality, no one-sided judicial system, no court whose judges are above the Knesset and above the government.

 

“We are told that if the reform passes there will be a dictatorship. There is no bigger lie than that. Show me a single democracy in which the legal advisers decide [government policy] instead of the government,” said Levin, adding to cheers, “I will do everything in my power to bring the desired change to the judicial system.

 

“If someone were to tell me a few years ago that in 2023 there would be such a broad consensus in Israeli society for the need for judicial reform and that the situation today isn’t democratic, I would have told him he was delusional,” Rothman said. “Correcting the judicial system is my life’s mission and I will continue to promote it in every way.”

 

Likud Knesset member Avichay Boaron acted as master of ceremonies. “The purpose of the demonstration is to remind and demand from our elected officials in the government and the coalition that the people want judicial reform, that the people are behind them, that the people give them strength,” he said.

 

Netanyahu, who didn’t attend for security reasons, tweeted, “I am deeply moved by the tremendous support of the national camp that came to Jerusalem this evening en masse. All of us, 64 mandates that brought on our victory, are first-class citizens. You warmed my heart very much, and I thank each and every one of you.”

Translated from Hebrew by

I am deeply moved by the tremendous support of the national camp that came to Jerusalem this evening en masse.

All of us, 64 mandates that brought victory, first-class citizens!

You warmed my heart very much and I thank each and every one of you 🇮🇱❤️

Benjamin Netanyahu-tweet-27April 2023-I am deeply moved by the tremendous support of the national camp

Benjamin Netanyahu-tweet-27April 2023-I am deeply moved by the tremendous support of the national camp

Twenty-nine NGOs sponsored the protest, foremost among them Tekuma 23, an NGO founded by political activist Berale Crombie together with Boaron. Its mission is to build support for judicial reform in the wake of the protests against it.

 

The pro-reform rally was different in tone from its anti-reform counterparts, which are grim affairs with warnings of pending dictatorship, clashes with police, solemn torchlit marches and women dressed as Margaret Atwood-inspired handmaids with heads lowered.

 

This rally was boisterous, resembling a giant block party. Music pumped through large speaker systems. Protesters danced and sang. Strangers backslapped one another. It was festive. The optimism was palpable.

The protesters were largely young. Photo by David Isaac

The protesters were largely young. Photo by David Isaac

 

The protesters were largely young. Photo by David Isaac.

‘Deterrence against terrorists’

Encountering Herzl Hajaj of Choosing Life, a forum of Israeli terror victims and bereaved families, JNS asked him to explain the difference.

 

“The right is always happier,” he said. “There’s a lot of money driving the left’s protests. The folks who make all the noise and confusion do it for a payment. People here have left work. They came from Eilat, Metulla, Dimona because their hearts are with this government.”

 

Another notable difference was the age of the protesters. At Thursday’s rally, youth was the rule with thousands of teens in attendance. Young families with infants were not uncommon.

 

Israel’s right argues that the Supreme Court turned activist starting in the 1990s under then-Supreme Court President Aharon Barak, who orchestrated what he termed the “Constitutional Revolution.” The government says its judicial reform program seeks to fix the problem that has grown over the years and restore the balance of power between the three branches of government.

 

Rothman told JNS earlier in the week that for the opposition the protests aren’t really about judicial reform but a clash between two visions of what Israel should be—a secular state on the lines of Denmark or a Jewish state deeply connected to its particular religious and cultural traditions.

 

If such is the case, the young teens chanting “Rothman” at Thursday’s rally symbolize opponents’ fear that demographics are against them. They see the Supreme Court as a check on right-wing ascendance, which explains their determination to defend its power.

 

Reformers are just as determined to drive through changes to the court, which they say rules according to a left-wing, globalist worldview.

 

Hajaj said, “Bereaved families, victims of terror, are here because the Supreme Court plays a big role in undermining deterrence against terrorists. They give them rights that no other country gives them. And we paid with the blood of our children. And the citizens of Israel will continue to pay with their blood until we change this.”

 

JNS also met Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, director of legal strategies at Palestinian Media Watch, who served in senior positions in the IDF Military Advocate General’s Corps.

 

“What brings me here is the understanding that the legal system has to change. I was part of that ecosystem for 20 years. I was an assistant district prosecutor. And I understand that the legal system as it is today has completely failed,” he told JNS, highlighting the self-selection process that goes on in the judicial system and precludes a diversity of views on the bench.

 

“We have members of the Bar Association appointing judges, lawyers appointing their friends to be judges with the assistance of Supreme Court judges, ensuring that they only appoint lawyers who are the same as they—in their image. Nothing changes. There’s only one way of thinking,” said Hirsch.

Im Tirtzu street theater Protesters perform street theater. Photo by David Isaac.

Im Tirtzu street theater Protesters perform street theater. Photo by David Isaac.

 

Protesters perform street theater. Photo by David Isaac.

Im Tirtzu, an NGO and one of the rally organizers, oversaw street theater highlighting the Supreme Court’s power. It featured people lined up in orange prison jumpsuits, representing a nation imprisoned by the court’s rulings. Each carried a sign with a different ruling: “The Supreme Court requires National Insurance payments to terrorists,” “The Supreme Court rejected petitions against the building of illegal mosques on the Temple Mount,” “The Supreme Court prevents the removal of illegal [aliens] even when they’re violent.”

 

One protester wearing a mask of current Supreme Court president Esther Hayut held a stick with which he pretended to threaten and beat the uniformed protesters should they get out of line.

 

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Am Yisrael Chai

28April2023 https://rivkalevy.com/am-yisrael-chai/

A quick update on the ‘million man march’ yesterday.

***UPDATE about the 600,000 ‘at the Gates of Jerusalem’***

 

Around 600,000 people showed up for it – the biggest demonstration since 2006 – and two of Israel’s biggest so-called ‘news’ channels, Channels 12 and 13, DIDN’T EVEN COVER IT.

Million man march-telegram-28April2023-Jerusalem

Million man march-telegram-28April2023-Jerusalem

Why is this important to know?

 

Those same channels have been in the forefront of running all the disgusting, slanderous stories about the Rav in recent years.

 

They are called ‘national news’ channels, and paid for, at least in part, by the Israeli taxpayer.

 

And now, hopefully, more people are starting to understand that they are ‘Deep State Propaganda Tools’ – and nothing much else.

Of course, that also applies to pretty much all other media, including ‘right wing’ sites like Arutz 7 and YWN, and all the rest, that are also government-sponsored and government-controlled, as became totally obvious, during the Corona plandemic and fear-porn operation.

Pay attention!

People still think ‘the news’ is objective / why would they lie / journalists are just doing their jobs blahdy blah blah.

The news is just one, huge, stream of government propaganda, and Deep State ‘psy-ops’, with a smidgen of truth thrown in to keep people thinking it’s all legit.

Don’t be fooled!

====

 

The good news is – haha! – more and more people are turning it off in droves, and tuning it out.

And may that process just intensify and continue.

====

The last thing to say is that I was very impressed with the calibre of the people showing up in Jerusalem yesterday.

I didn’t attend the demonstration, but I live in Jerusalem and I was driving around, and I saw a lot of people who were giving off good vibes, and many families, and many people who I’d just characterise as ‘good Jews’.

 

It’s just a shame we are still putting way too much of our precious energy and time into totally corrupt ‘politics’, instead of prayer gatherings that are called by real Tzaddikim, that have the power to really resolve our ‘problems’ at their root…

 

But at some point, I’m sure that the penny will also drop on that score, too, and in the meantime, it was beautiful to see so many beautiful Jews in Jerusalem.

====

 

Things are being sweetened all the time here, you can literally feel it.

One day – we are on the brink of chaos and war and terrible things happening, and then miraculously, time and time again, it kind of just fizzles and disappears.

Ashrenu, that we have real Tzaddikim protecting us, and preventing all the evil plans for  more wars and holocausts.

 

We aren’t out of the woods yet, I know.

 

There are still more ‘birth pangs’ ahead, until Moshiach shows up.

 

But, take heart that every prayer we say, every bit of teshuva we make, every Tikkun HaKlali we recite, every minute of hitbodedut we do, every bit of Torah we learn lishma, every good deed we do, every penny of charity we give – it’s all tipping the balance, where it really counts.

 

And as the Rav keeps telling us, there is no decree that seven Tikkun Haklalis can’t overturn!

====

There are more scary predictions coming into my email all the time, about wars and other things.

We live in complicated times.

 

Even my so-called ‘normal’ friends are starting to worry about war, and one of them asked me yesterday if I was stocking up on food, because she’s getting emails from her other so-called ‘normal’ friends in Israel telling her to be prepared….

It’s totally an upside-down world.

I told her that until I hear from the Rav that I need to stock up on food, I’m not rushing to stock up on food.

The Rav warned people to get food in, without panic, at the very beginning of the Corona plandemic.

 

And he warned people to get medicine in, again without panic, two summers ago.

And if he makes another warning, I will be sure to let you know, as soon as I know.

But in the meantime, it’s life as usual.

We can’t live our lives in a constant state of fear and anxiety.

There’s a real Ba’al HaBayit here Who is running the show, and is doing everything for our ultimate good, however it sometimes seems.

And that’s definitely not Ben Gvir.

====

UPDATE:

After I wrote this, I realised I’d seen something before about ‘600,000 people at the Gates of Jerusalem’ when I was putting together One in a Generation Volume II.
I’m just cutting and pasting this from the book, but it’s certainly interesting:

Another “clue” [that redemption appeared to be imminent] occurred on March 2, 2014, when more than 600,000 Jews gathered just at the outskirts of the city in a place called Sha’arei Yerushalayim, or the “Gates of Jerusalem,” to pray for the Torah world in Eretz Yisrael, and to protest the government’s plans to force yeshiva students to serve in the IDF.

Tehillim-1Million Man Atzeret-3March2014

Tehillim-1Million Man Atzeret-3March2014

The Million Man Atzeret-Tehillim-2-March-2014 Jerusalem-Religious Zionist Rabbanim

The Million Man Atzeret-Tehillim-2-March-2014 Jerusalem-Religious Zionist Rabbanim

There’s a special bracha, “Chacham HaRazim,” that is said when a person sees more than 600,000 Jews gathered together in one place. It’s arguably one of the rarest brachos ever said, because getting that number of Jews together is a very unusual occurrence. But on March 2, 2014, the bracha was said for the first time in living memory.

A few months before this gathering took place, students of Rav Dov Kook in Teveria put together a booklet that contained more of what the Vilna Gaon wrote about the coming of Moshiach, as brought in the book Kol Hator, section 6.

 

There, it’s written as follows:

Rabbi Binyamin of Shklov asked our master the Vilna Gaon what he could do to try to hasten the coming of Moshiach ben Dovid and the redemption of Am Yisrael. The Vilna Gaon answered his student: ‘If you can gather together 600,000 Jews in a place called the “Gates of Jerusalem,” whenever you’re able to do that, a gathering of 600,000 Jews can completely cancel out the power of the sitra achra that rules at the Gates of Jerusalem — and then, you’ll merit the complete redemption.’”

 

When the Vilna Gaon first wrote those words more than 200 years ago, no such place called the “Gates of Jerusalem” even existed, and barely a handful of Jews lived in the holy city, as economic conditions in the Holy Land were very difficult under the Ottoman Turks.

 

Similarly, when the students of Rav Kook wrote this information in their booklet, before Rosh Hashanah 2013, no plans for a huge gathering had even been considered. It seemed to be another clear-cut sign that the redemption was imminent.

====

Today, the area where the people were gathered is mamash called the ‘Jerusalem Gate’ project.

 

Some more ideas from this:

‘Binyamin of Shklov’ I now know to be that infamous ‘Frankist Rebbe’ who continued on ‘under cover’ in the Jewish community, i.e. this guy:

Benjamin Rivlin of Shklov genealogy

Benjamin Rivlin of Shklov genealogy

 

====

 

He’s the direct ancestor of former President of Israel Ruvi Rivlin – and a bunch of other people who are still playing a very big part in Jewish affairs today, on both sides of the ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ aisle.

Literally two days ago, I suddenly had a massive brainwave that the ‘Eliyahu Rivlin’ who is listed as ‘Benjamin of Shklov’s’ brother is none other than… the Vilna Gaon himself.

 

The history of the family was all re-written by a Rivlin ‘historian’ at the turn of the 20th century, to cover all this up, and the Vilna Gaon got hidden under the strange name of ‘Eliyahu Platkes Rivlin’.

RIVLIN is just an anagram of VILNA.

Now, go and see how many people descend from this ‘RIVLIN’ family who are literally still running Israel today.

====

If you go HERE, you’ll find that there are apparently many mysteries around the supposed tomb of the Vilna Gaon in Vilna.

I’ve written about this a lot before, but very surprisingly, the Vilna Gaon is meant to have been buried in a shared grave, with a shared tombstone, with someone else, called ‘Noah Lipshutz’.

This is  snippet:

Rav Noah Mindes Lipshutz, author of Parpera’ot la-Hokhmah (Shklov, 1775) and Nifla’otChadashot (Grodno, 1797). He died 3 Tevet, 1797, shortly after the death of the Vilna Gaon. He married Minda (hence: Mindes), the daughter of Rav Eliyahu Pesseles (see above, grave 1). Their daughter married the Gaon’s son, Rav Avraham. A close associate of the Gaon in his lifetime, they share a tombstone in death.

4. The Vilna Gaon. He died 19 Tishrei, 1797.

5. Minda Lipshutz, the daughter of Rav Eliyahu Pesseles and wife of Rav Noah Mindes Lipshutz. Righteous and learned, she was related to the Gaon in a variety of ways (see above, graves 1 and 3). Date of death uncertain.

====

HERE is that official ‘family tree’ on Geni, stuffed full of people I’ve linked back to the ‘Frankist Family Tree’.

 

Interestingly, the sister of the Maggid of Mezritch, Ruhama, is also meant to have married a ‘Noach’, surnamed Altshuler , and they became the grandparents of Chabad Rebbe Number 3, the Tzemach Tzedek- (but the more I look into the history, the more I understand so many of these names are made up and deliberately decieving.)

====

And HERE is the family tree for the person I believe to be AKA the Vilna Gaon, Eliyahu Platkes Rivlin.

 

It leads right down to people like the Koenig family of Lubavitchers (with a Breslov ‘sprig’ in Tsfat), amongst a bunch of other people you’ve also undoubtedly heard of, including the Schneerson family of Chabad Rebbes….

So much more to unpick here… but I’m totally sick of doing it!

====

 

One last thing:

It could be that the tomb of the real ‘Vilna Gaon’, Reb Eliyahu RIVLIN / VILNER is to be found in the old cemetery of Tiberias, and not in Vilna’s Shnipistok cemetery.

 

Right at the back there, behind the section where all the chassidic Rebbes were buried, there’s a tomb of a mysterious ‘Reb Eli’, who is meant to be one of the Perushim who came out with the other disciples of the Vilna Gaon.

Very little is known about who that mysterious ‘Reb Eli’ actually is.

I think I need to go back to Tiberius, and take a closer look at his tomb again.

TBC

====

 

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The Rav on ‘Judicial Reform’

judicial reform - Israeli flags flying - Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@yoavaziz?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Yoav Aziz</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/uKz2BLGq8jg?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

judicial reform – Israeli flags flying – Photo by Yoav Aziz on Unsplash

 

30April2023 https://rivkalevy.com/the-rav-on-judicial-reform/

Shavua tov!

The Rav made some comments about ‘Judicial Reform’ and all the protests going on last week, that I thought you might find interesting.

 

Translated from Shivivei Or Newsletter, Number 307:

====

 

They had here now on the television all the time ‘bombardments’ from the Leftist government, the government of kefira (heresy), who just wanted to bring more terrorist attacks, the drive away the Jews.

They wanted to erase the name of ‘the Jews’ from the world, that there ‘shouldn’t remain a trace of Israel’.

 

So, they were doing programs every day against brit milah – every day! What is this, to take children eight years old and to chop them?! Chop him when he’s 18 or 20! (I know that by then, he’s going to be totally chiloni (secular]…[i.e. so he’d have no interest in being circumcised as an adult].

====

 

In any case, they were doing this sort of awful, intimidating propaganda.

 

There was Aaron Baumel here, and he said now, I’m going on TV to talk in favor of the brit milah – he wanted me to tell him a few words.

 

I thought they’d already stopped… [all the propaganda against circumcisions…]

 

Now, they already stopped. They can’t continue. Now, there’s already a dati (religious) government, and they are going out of their minds.

====

 

At the end of the day, they just want to change one judge, that’s what they want to change.

There was Aharon Barak here, who made a dictatorship here.

 

He ruled over the land, and put all of the rabbis in prison. They also put me in jail, everyone….

This was all one co-ordinated action, to fabricate shtuyot (nonsense), to make up stories about everyone.

So, they want to change a judge, this is what they want to do, and not more than this.

They are still ruling here, even today.

====

 

Every word of the Rav contains mountains of information and clues.

But these comments were a little more ‘understandable’, even just on the basic level.

 

====

 

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רה״מ מסביר את הרפורמה המשפטית באנגלית / Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu Explains the Judicial Reform in English

02August2023 http://esseragaroth.blogspot.com/2023/08/israeli-pm-binyamin-netanyahu-explains.html

ט״ו לחודש החמישי תשפ״ג

English follows the Hebrew.

עשר אגורות (2¢):
הנה כמה קטעים מתורגמים מהסרטון להלן. המטרה האישית של הכתבה הזו היא להסביר ליהודים בחו״ל על המצב בארץ כלפיו הרפורמה השיפוטית.

רה״מ בנימין נתניהו (01:40): אנחנו רוצים ליצור מערכת של איזונים. סעיף “הסבירות” שיש לנו אומר — לא צריך לבטל את זה לגמרי — אומרים שזה לא מספיק… כדי לבטל החלטת ממשלה או חוק המבוסס על השקפה אישית, כמו טיעון “אני חושב זה לא סביר”. אז יש מגבלות על זה. ובכן אתה יודע שזה מה שיש בכל דמוקרטיה. זה מוצג על ידי מתנגדינו כסוף הנורא הזה לדמוקרטיה. אם זה המקרה, אז אין לך דמוקרטיות בשום מקום אחר על פני כדור הארץ. ולבג״ץ יש הרבה רשויות השגחה…

 

מארק לוין (03:22): אדוני ראש הממשלה, חברי מפלגות האופוזיציה באמת מארגנים את רוב ההפגנות הללו. והם עושים את זה בגלוי, למרות שנראה שהתקשורת מתעלמת מזה. אנחנו מדברים על התנגדות אליך, לרוב שלך, לקואליציה שלך. הם לא קיבלו את תוצאות הבחירות שלך. וכפי שאני רואה את זה, הם מנסים להפיל את הממשלה שלך. אגב, זה מבחינת אהוד ברק, רה״מ לשעבר, שעזר בארגון המאמץ הזה ורבים אחרים. יש לך כל מיני כסף אפל שמחלחל לארצך, אפילו מחו״ל. יש להם כל מיני פונדקאים לשופר בתקשורת, כמו תומס פרידמן ואחרים, שמנסים לערער את ממשלתך, ומעולם לא תמכו בממשלתך. האם זו לא באמת דרך לנסות להרוס את הקואליציה שהקמתם בתמיכה גורפת של העם הישראלי?

 

רה״מ בנימין נתניהו (04:15): ובכן, מארגני ההפגנות אומרים זאת בגלוי. למעשה, הם החלו במאמצים שלהם, הרבה לפני שהקמנו ממשלה שהציעה את הרפורמה השיפוטית. הם רק אומרים, תקשיבו, אנחנו חייבים להפיל,… זו ממשלת ימין במרכז, והם רוצים ממשלת שמאל. הם לא רוצים אותנו בשלטון. הם רוצים להיות בשלטון. אלא שהם לא יכולים להשיג את זה דרך בחירות. אז הם מנסים לעשות את זה דרך ההפרעות הענקיות האלה. אתה יודע, חסימת הכבישים, הצתת שריפות, חסימת שדה התעופה ודברים מהסוג הזה. והדבר השני שהם מנסים לעשות זה בעצם הייתי אומר, להרכיב צוות של אלופי צה״ל לשעבר, שאומרים לך את זה, או בעצם אומר לממשלה, אם לא תעשו מה שאנחנו אומרים, אם תמשיכו בחקיקה , אז אנחנו הולכים להסתה סרבנות המונית בצבא. אני אגיד לך ביום שישראל, שהממשלה הנבחרת בישראל נכנעת לאיומים על אלופי צה״ל לשעבר, זה הסוף של הדמוקרטיה. ואנחנו לא נותנים לזה להתקיים. זה המצב שלנו היום, ואנחנו לא נותנים לזה להתקיים.

העמידה טבלה Table of powers assumed by the court system Hebrew version

העמידה טבלה Table of powers assumed by the court system Hebrew version

 

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
For those of you interested… Maybe you’re sick of U. S. politics, right, left, upside down. Try Israeli politics for five minutes.

This interview by Mark Levin covers the judicial reform issue clearly and concisely, focusing on the “reasonableness” clause, recently cancelled by the Israeli government. The partial, self-perpetuation of Israel’s Supreme Court will be addressed by the Knesset in due course.

 

This illustration from Kohelet, an organization with which I often do not agree, provides a picture of just how much power Israel’s Supreme Court currently posseses.

Table of powers assumed by the court system in English version

Table of powers assumed by the court system in English version

I am not a fan of Netanyahu. He is very problematic in many ways. This video is biased, and Netanyahu definitely has his ulterior motives for judicial reform. However, on this issues in this interview, I believe he is right. See the posted highlights. The Israeli Supreme Court has been running amok for years. Unfortunately, the system’s supporters have the resources and the government didn’t see it coming. (or did they? 🤔) Their bad.

PM Binyamin Netanyahu (01:40): We want to create a system of check and balances. The “Reasonableness” clause that we have says — you don’t have to eliminate it altogether — you say that it’s not enough… to nulify a government decision or a law based on something subjective, like an argument “I think this is unreasonable.” So, there are limitations on this. Well you know this is what you have in all democracies. This is presented by our opponents as being this awful end to democracy. If that’s the case, then you have no democracies anywhere else on earth. And the Court has a lot of other checks…

That was an explanation of the first part of judicial reform in Israel, which was just passed, removing the Israeli Supreme Court’s abiity to cancel a law or other government action is fins to be [subjectively] unreasonable. In other words, distasteful to the Left. Now here is an explanation of what is truly behind the protests against the judicial reform.

Mark Levin (03:22): Mr. Prime Minister, Your opposition parties have really organized most of these protests. And they haven’t been secret about it, although the media seems to ignore it. We’re talking about opposition to you, to your majority, your coalition. They have not accepted the results of your election. And, as I see it, they’re trying to overthrow your government. They’re trying to get your government to back off. By the way, that’s how Ehud Barak sees it, a former prime minister, who’s helped organize this effort, and many others. You’ve got all kinds of dark money seeping into your country, even from outside your country. You’ve got all kinds of mouthpiece surrogates in the media, like Thomas Friedman, and others, who are trying to undermine your government, and who have never supported your government. Isn’t this really a way to try to destroy the coalition that you put together with the overwhelming support of the Israeli people?

 

PM Binyamin Netanyahu (04:15): Well the organizers of the demonstrations say so openly. In fact, they began their efforts, well before we established a government put forward the judicial reform. They just say, listen, we have to bring down,… This is a center right government, and they want a left government. They don’t want us in power. They want to be in power. Except they can’t get it through elections. So they’re trying to do it through these massive disruptions. You know, blocking roads, setting up fires, blocking the airport, and things of that sort. And the other thing they’re trying to do is basically I would say, assemble a cast of former generals, who tell you that, or basically telling the government, if you don’t do what we say, if you go ahead with legilation, then we’re going to insight for mass disobedience in the army. I’ll tell you the day that Israel, that Israel’s elected government succumbs to threats for former generals, that’s the end of democracy. And we’re not going to let that happen. That’s where we are today, and we’re not letting it happen.

Interesting that he did not give former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak any power by mentioning his name. Most Americans would not have recognized his name. Why help Barak by doing so, no matter how much feins lack of involvement in the opposition to bringing his judicial power structure down?

 

Politics can be complicated in Israel. You can be economically left-wing, but conservative when it comes to social issues, vice-versa, and any other possible combinations you can think of.

  • There is a gay Speaker of the Knesset from a right of center party.
  • A Sepharadi, haredi (ultra-orthodox) now former, member of Knesset attending his nephew’s wedding to a man. (Sure, he was pushed out of his seat because of this, but… he went.) 
  • There are settlers who are more environmentally conscious than the hypocritical, fake left of North Tel Aviv.
  • Meanwhile, a left-wing lesbian is fighting against illegal immigration in South Tel Aviv.

Never a dull moment. You just can’t make this stuff up.

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Why judicial reform is essential

28 Shevat 5783 | 19 February 2023 https://en.kohelet.org.il/publication/why-judicial-reform-is-essential
Written by
Adv. Aharon Garber
Adv. Avraham Shalev

Related Articles

הכנסת-The Knesset

הכנסת-The Knesset

Like all liberal democracies, Israel needs a strong court and independent judges who will guard the rule of law, good governance, and civil and human rights.

 

In the past decades, the Supreme Court has empowered itself in a manner that completely violates the balance between government branches. In a series of decisions, the Supreme Court has changed the rules of the game and arrogated for itself jurisdiction which it was not given, some of these being exceptional by international standards. Against the basic concept of rule of law according to which the Court judges according to the rules set by the legislature, the Israeli Supreme Court has designed its own rules, and unilaterally taken unauthorized power, without any public legitimacy. In parallel, the Court has adopted the position that “everything is justiciable”, transforming itself into the sole adjudicator in almost all public and political controversies, large or small. The Court has interfered in issues of foreign policy, security, economic policy, and even who will receive the Israel Prize.

 

Many controversial decisions taken in the past by elected officials – such as advancement of Jewish settlements, funding events in support of terrorism, or calling for anti-Israel boycotts, or even decisions regarding imposing taxes, tax benefits, private prisons or raising the prices of food essentials – have become issues that are brought to the Court’s final ruling.

 

The Supreme Court has invented new legal grounds to review the reasonableness of government actions and even to disqualify government appointments. It has adopted interpretations that allow it to veer from the law and the legislator’s intent. It has created new powers ex nihilo in order to strike down laws by virtue of the Basic Laws, after it declared on its own authority that the Basic Laws are a constitution – the sole such case in the world. As of late, the Supreme Court judges have begun advancing the idea that they are authorized to interfere even in the Basic Laws themselves or to strike down legislation by virtue of principles that do not appear in law – ideas that are completely rejected in other democratic countries.

 

This process has completely changed the status and role of the Supreme Court. Instead of the Court reviewing and checking illegal decisions taken by public officials or government entities, a critical role in a democratic country, it has become the entity that decides upon policy in place of the elected officials and authorized bodies. Even if the court chooses not to get involved in every decision, it has the ability to do so.

 

The Supreme Court has transformed the legal advisors – unilaterally and without any legal basis – into veto-holders over government decisions. As a result, legal advisors interfere in policy from its early stages, not due to legal reasons but rather reasons of reasonableness, proportionality and other ambiguous grounds developed or adopted by the court. Today, the legal advisors claim that they can block government legislation that they oppose, and even to prevent the Knesset from regulating their powers. A minister who decides to act in opposition to their legal counsel will find themselves defending themselves in court without legal representation, and even in a situation in which the Attorney-General argues against them. There is simply no comparison anywhere in the world.

 

A situation in which public value decisions are taken by jurists and not elected officials is one that violates basic democratic principles of majority rule and individuals’ ability to influence policy through choosing elected officials; a situation in which the court bends all laws, decides on the content of Basic Laws through which it strikes down legislation, and even flirts with the possibility of striking down Basic Laws – violates the principle of rule of law; and principally – a court that acts without legitimacy loses public trust, and cannot fulfil its crucial social functions.

 

These processes violate the democratic mechanisms, the proper functioning of government branches, and the right of each one of us to influence our fate in a democratic society.

 

The legal reforms announced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin seek to heal the governmental system in Israel and balance the relations between the branches. It is meant to provide a comprehensive and basic response to the aforementioned failures. It seeks to regulate the rules of the game and the balances between the branches in Israel, for the good functioning of the three branches, for the goods of Israel’s citizens and for the fortitude of the State of Israel.

Table of powers assumed by the court system in English version

Table of powers assumed by the court system in English version

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Israel’s #MeToo Stalinists celebrate their victory

After denying the Kohelet Policy Forum its chief donor, far-left activists have trained their sights on the Tikvah Fund.

Caroline Glick

Caroline B. Glick is the senior contributing editor of Jewish News Syndicate and host of the “Caroline Glick Show” on JNS. She is also the diplomatic commentator for Israel’s Channel 14, as well as a columnist for Newsweek. Glick is the senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington and a lecturer at Israel’s College of Statesmanship.

(August 20, 2023 / JNS)  https://www.jns.org/column/kohelet-policy-forum/23/8/20/311640

Campaigners against Israel’s Netanyahu government scored a notable victory on Aug. 4. After a six-month demonization, defamation and harassment campaign against the Kohelet Policy Forum and its chief donor, Arthur Dantchik, Dantchik, a Philadelphia businessman, announced that he was ending his support for the conservative Jerusalem think tank.

 

Moshe Koppel, a Bar-Ilan University professor, founded Kohelet a decade ago as a full-spectrum policy think tank. Like its opposites on the left, Kohelet has developed policies on legal reform, economics, education and welfare. Its scholars work closely with like-minded policymakers to advance their policies in government ministries and the Knesset.

 

In March, Kohelet became the target of a demonization campaign the likes of which Israel has never seen. Its offices were barricaded and vandalized. Its leaders were assaulted on the streets and in restaurants, and were subjected to noisy demonstrations at their homes in pre-dawn riots. Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. (res.) Nehemia Dagan called for the military “neutralization” of Kohelet, describing its funders as “Jews of the kind upon which the antisemitic ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ was based.”

 

Dantchik, whose funding enabled Koppel to establish Kohelet, was subjected to a prolonged, no-holds-barred campaign in Philadelphia.
Yaya Fink is a professional far-left political activist and failed two-time Knesset candidate. Until this year, he served as the CEO of Darkenu, a dark-money leftist pressure group that is associated with continuous efforts to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

Darkenu’s billionaire funder Kobi Richter proclaimed Saturday in a radio interview that the left will succeed in its anti-government campaign because it controls the military and the economy. It will destroy the economy to force Netanyahu to comply with its demands, he added.

 

Fink is a central figure in the anti-government campaign. He hosted an Aug. 8 Zoom conference with more than 1,000 participants to celebrate the victory over Dantchik and Kohelet. Conference speakers were key actors behind the operation.

“We cut off their oxygen”

The event opener was Eran Nissan, who leads a digital leftist outfit called “Strengthening.” Nissan initiated a campaign to demonize Kohelet three years ago and his operation was the basis for the left’s successful operation this year.

 

“If you want to understand in one word what the Kohelet Forum is, Kohelet Forum is the right’s brain,” proclaimed Nissan, sporting a black T-shirt with “FCKBNGVR” (“f*** Ben-Gvir,” referring to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir) emblazoned in red and white.

 

Basking in the success of the campaign he spearheaded, Nissan bragged, “We shut off their funding, or to put it more bluntly, the brain of the right had a stroke because we cut off their oxygen.”

 

The left’s demonization campaign had done its job. “Kohelet has turned into a poisonous brand, in large part because of the protests, and very much owing to the media,” said Nissan.

 

By demonizing Kohelet, Fink and his comrades made Dantchik embarrassed to be associated with it.

But while Kohelet has been turned into a pariah, it remains a danger because “their ideas haven’t disappeared,” Nissan warned. “We have to keep sharp eyes focused on Kohelet and see what happens to this whole ecosystem.” He fingered the conservative Tikvah Fund, “Kohelet’s big sister,” as the next target.

Creating a monster

Shany Granot Lubaton, a fresh-faced, veteran far-left political operative in Israel who now works for J Street in New York, spoke next.

Granot Lubaton organized the anti-government demonstrations in New York in May that saw expatriate Israelis ambushing, harassing and at times assaulting government ministers and senior Knesset members, who were in New York to participate in the Celebrate Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue.

 

Those demonstrations brought Granot Lubaton to center stage, but she has led the left’s anti-government operations in the United States since February. She also organized the slander and harassment campaign against Dantchik.

 

In the Zoom conference, she gushed with pride. “How great is it to see so many people here who want to celebrate and hear about our victory,” she said. “It’s something we need to mark and revel in.”

 

Granot Lubaton said she had identified Kohelet as “the enemy” in 2016, when she worked as a parliamentary assistant to then-opposition leader Shelly Yachimovich. “I saw how the lobbyists from Kohelet were present in every discussion against us,” she said.<

 

When anti-government protests began in Israel, Granot Lubaton saw an opportunity to go after donors who enable groups like Kohelet and the Tikvah Fund to think their “wrong” thoughts and discuss them in public.

 

She organized a group of leftist Israeli expatriates in Philadelphia, who demonstrated three times a week outside Dantchik’s home, synagogue and offices, and at an intersection near his house.

 

“I had to fire them up, to bring them the light. But what can I say? I created a monster,” she bragged, rolling with laughter.

Granot Lubaton’s campaign against Dantchik included a full-page, derogatory ad against him in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. She shied away from taking credit for the ad, but proclaimed that with the ad, “We moved tectonic plates in the Jewish community of Philadelphia.”

 

The ad also helped “infiltrate” Dantchik’s circles and persuade him that supporting Kohelet “isn’t worth the trouble. He’s better off walking away,” she said.

 

Her group’s success in “breaking a billionaire’s soul” whet her appetite, and the next targets, she insisted, must be everyone associated with Kohelet—intellectuals and donors.

 

“We have a lot more work to defame them, to shame their people,” she said. She added that intellectuals affiliated with Kohelet “are in all the government ministries, in negotiations rooms. And the goal remains transforming Kohelet into a brand that people are embarrassed to have on their resumes.”

 

“I know someone who resigned from Kohelet with a top salary, because he understood it harms him professionally and he’s better off not to be mixed up in this thing,” she added, smiling broadly. “This is a great achievement of the protest. … And I think that this is a very important thing to do.”

 

Donors need to see Dantchik’s fate as a cautionary tale, according to Granot Lubaton. “If you give money to someone that undertakes the regime coup in Israel, we will destroy your lives,” she said. “Don’t mess with us.”

 

Like Nissan, Granot Lubaton said the Tikvah Fund is next on her target list. Among its many activities, the fund translates and publishes conservative books and publishes the Hebrew-language, intellectual journal Hashiloach.

 

In Granot Lubaton’s telling, Tikvah “funds book publishing,” and it “prints the most extreme policy papers in Israel.” So it must be destroyed. “We’ll do everything possible to push them back and prevent them from taking Israel apart,” she said.

“Like a military operation”

The next speaker was Eyal Naveh, whose Brothers in Arms group operates as the shock troops of the left’s political warfare campaign. Brothers in Arms is behind most of the violent attacks on government ministers, members of Knesset, ultra-Orthodox Jews and conservative intellectuals.

 

The group used barbed wire and garbage to barricade Kohelet’s offices in March—a criminal act that received so much support in the media that it catapulted the campaign against the think tank onto the national stage. Naveh said the assault was geared towards foreign audiences, to help demonize Dantchik.

 

“We planned it like a military operation. It went over great from a media coverage perspective,” he said. “We knew what we wanted to accomplish.” He added that the group wrote its banners in English and had English speakers on hand “because we had a clear goal of helping the people in the United States.”

 

Naveh joined the others in proclaiming the war against Kohelet ongoing. They have already prepared a harassment campaign against Aviad Bakshi, who heads Kohelet’s legal department. Justice Minister Yariv Levin credited Bakshi with helping him prepare the government’s judicial reform program.

#MeToo tactics

The final speaker, Gayil Talshir, devoted her remarks to Bakshi, whom she views as a mortal danger to Israeli progressives.
Bakshi is an effective intellectual operative and the government’s leading candidate to serve as the next president of the Supreme Court, she warned. Blocking his advancement is the next goal of the left’s political warfare campaign, she said.

 

The conference placed the left’s tactics under a spotlight, demonstrating that it has adopted the tactics of the #MeToo movement.
#MeToo leapt to the forefront of American public life in 2017. Previously, allegations of rape and sexual harassment, like other criminal allegations, were subject to legal review, and suspects had the presumption of innocence and the right to defend themselves against allegations in courts of law.

 

The #MeToo movement did away with the legal process, replacing it with ground-level punishment for its targets. #MeTwo accusers went straight from accusation to execution. The only court involved was that of public opinion. And in active partnership with the media, #MeToo activists ensured that anyone targeted for destruction was destroyed.

 

Guy Rolnik, editor of the economics magazine The Marker, paid homage at the conference to Granot Lubaton and her followers in Philadelphia.

 

They realized there are better targets than politicians and understood that to destroy their political opponents, they had to destroy the latter’s ideas, according to Rolnik. So, they went to the source—the man whose funds enabled the right to produce and advance its ideas.

 

“Here you have a strategic understanding that there’s one person, a billionaire, who funds a great part of this process,” said Rolnik.

 

#MeToo’s targets were accused of committing actual crimes. Fink and his apparatchiks aren’t accusing Dantchik, the Kohelet Forum, the Tikvah Fund, academics, intellectuals and journalists on the conservative side of Israel’s ideological divide of doing anything illegal.

 

But he and his gang are targeting the right’s intellectual base for professional, social and financial destruction, because they dare to think, discuss and advocate on behalf of thoughts and ideas with which Fink and his comrades cannot contend intellectually.

 

Far from being guardians of Israeli democracy, Fink and his comrades are Stalinists. The goal of their campaign is to impose a thought police on Israel. They want all Israelis engaged in public affairs to either side with them or be silent. To this end, they impose a regime of intellectual, social and financial terror on Israeli public life.

 

Kohelet is far from their only target. Fink and his comrades have made massive advances in the universities, where faculty and students who support the government now live in a state of constant terror lest they be fired or failed by the commissars who run Israel’s academia.

 

In the Israel Defense Forces, career officers are similarly intimidated. Physicians and surgeons have joined the expanding list of professionals being subjected to intimidation and harassment by Fink and his comrades. Fink began the conference by hailing an earlier victory over the Bar Association.

 

On its surface, Fink’s conference was a victory lap. But in reality, it was a victory feast—on the entrails of his and his supporters’ prey, planning their next kills on their journey towards building their Stalinist utopia. There, only “the right views” will be permitted in Israel, which of course means leftist views.

 

“The protest isn’t the goal,” Fink proclaimed, closing the conference. “The protest is a tool for implementing a world view. We’re in the process of building infrastructures for the long haul.”
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THE THIRD MESSIANIC WAR; THIS COULD BE IT!!!

Tomer Devorah

B”H
From an Email 09May2023
Chai Iyyar/Lag B’Omer

THE THIRD MESSIANIC WAR

[See Below:]

There is a qualitative difference between what is transpiring now and what has been up until now.

** DEFENSE & SECURITY **

— IDF SURPRISE ATTACK… “Shield and Arrow” – A few hours ago the IDF attacked Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leadership in Gaza, bombing and killing 3 top leaders, naming the operation Shield and Arrow. An additional 10 sites were bombed in Gaza per the IDF.

— IDF HOME FRONT COMMAND… has declared an emergency situation within 40 km of the Gaza Strip. All outdoor activities are canceled.

— IDF RESERVES… Defense Minister Gallant has approved the call up of reserves

— GAZA CROSSINGS… Erez and Keren Shalom crossings are closed.

— RISK…. the operation is directed against Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization and not Hamas, Hamas is out of the picture as far as Israel is concerned, will they choose to get involved?

— BEN GURION…. Flights to Ben Gurion Airport were re-routed farther north to avoid risk of rocket fire. (None yet.)

— HEZBOLLAH…. In Lebanon, Hezbollah has stated it is mobilizing.

— ROCKETS? None so far, the funerals for the killed PIJ leaders are scheduled for right after noon prayers. Likely then?

…updates as they become available.

— EVACUATION FOR RESIDENTS AT SPECIAL RISK NEAR GAZA… HOME FRONT COMMAND has activated an evacuation plan for residents of near-Gaza towns & villages including Sderot who have special needs, seniors over a certain age, cancer patients, or disability over certain levels or who receive treatments or therapies. These people should expect to be contacted by their city or town officials for EVACUATION DUE TO HIGH ROCKET RISK. (source: note sent out by Sderot municipality)

— PALESTINIAN NEWS SITES HACKED…. Palestinian Islamic Jihad news site Kanan News has been hacked as has PalToday and Jehad, the front pages now with a poster in Arabic showing the killed leaders and saying “Who’s next?”.

ISRAEL REALTIME defense/security updates

— SHECHEM (Nablus)… Situation escalating? “Reports on helicopters and helicopters participating in the activity in Nablus. Mosques calling on fighters confront the IDF. According to the Arab reports, such a large amount of forces has not been seen in Shechem for many months. Dozens of armed men are involved in shooting against IDF forces.”

— PIJ KILLED LEADERS WERE HEADING TO EGYPT? According to reports, the three individuals have been in hiding for the past few days out of fear of assassination. They have recently resurfaced to join a delegation of political bureau members from the Islamic Jihad, to attend a convention of the movement’s elected officials from outside the Gaza Strip and West Bank. They emerged from hiding to bid farewell to their families in their homes after receiving permission from Egypt to leave through the Rafah crossing to Cairo. However, during this time, they were attacked and killed.

— JETS OVERHEAD… IDF jets heard loudly overhead in southern Israel. Fly safe, be successful!



Will the Third Messianic War Arrive with Mashiach ben Yosef?

27 Adar II 5779 02 April 2019
https://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2019/04/will-third-messianic-war-arrive-with.html

In light of this news from yesterday’s Debka (Egypt’s Israeli-Hamas deal further shakes Jordan’s Hashemite throne), I am reposting something I wrote five years ago…

There is an amazing prophecy in the Book of Yeshayahu that comprises only one pasuk, but which may very well describe what I call a “messianic war.”  To my mind, a “messianic war” is defined as one which brings us closer to the fulfillment of our destiny and includes the restoration of Jewish sovereignty over significant parts of our land.

 

For instance, the War for Independence in 1948 was the first so-called Messianic War.  It brought us sovereignty over the Land of Israel once again after almost two-thousand years of exile.  The Six Days War of 1967 was the second Messianic War.  It restored Jewish sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and, more particularly, Jerusalem.

 

Are you beginning to see a pattern here?  It’s called “levels of kedushah.”  Everyone knows that the Land of Israel has more kedushah than any other land and that Jerusalem is another step up in kedushah from the Land of Israel as a whole.  So, what is the next step up after that?  You got it!  The Temple Mount!

 

It should be clear to all by now that despite the words of the revered General Mordechai Gur, a”h“Har Habayit beyadeinu!” – it’s really not.  On 25 July, an Arab flag was hoisted over it and the Israeli police station there was set afire.

 

Therefore, the Third Messianic War should give us complete sovereignty over the Temple Mount and result in the eventual construction of the Third Temple.  So, is this Third Messianic War really described by the Prophet Yeshayahu?  It begins in chapter 11 and identifies the time period as being when “He will gather in the dispersed ones of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”  Unlike in Yeshayahu’s own time when we were divided into two kingdoms – Israel and Judah – we will be united as one people upon the land and then,…

They will fly in unison against the Philistine (Palestinians) to the West (Gaza), and together they will plunder the people of the East (‘Palestinian Territories’); their hand will extend over Edom and Moab, and their discipline over the Children of Ammon (Jordan). (Yeshayahu 11:14)

If I have understood correctly, The Third Messianic War will begin with the re-conquest of Gaza and will ultimately end with our occupation of Jordan.  We can easily imagine how this could happen even today as some unexpected occurrence in the current conflict in Gaza expands to rioting in the ‘West Bank’ and moves on to Jordan where a reported 75-80% of the population identifies as “Palestinian.”  That country becomes destabilized and the kingdom falls and…Israel must rush to fill the vacuum.

 

With the Jordanian WAKF out of the picture, we will have complete sovereignty over the Temple Mount restored and we will yet again be in possession of more land area, as happened in 1967.  This will also fulfill a promise made by the Prophet Yirmiyahu

And I will return Israel to its abode, and he will graze in the Carmel and in the Bashan; and in Mount Ephraim and in the Gilead his soul will be satiated. (Yirmiyahu 50:19)

Carmel and Mount Ephraim are on the west bank of the Jordan River. Bashan and Gilead are on the east bank of the Jordan River. See also…

…days are coming – the word of Hashem – when I will make the alarm of war heard in Rabbah [capital] of the Children of Ammon; it will become a heap of ruins and its surrounding towns will be burned down in fire; then Israel will inherit its inheritors, said Hashem. (Yirmiyahu 49:2)

Israel and Judah Map

Israel and Judah Map

Like Mashiach’s arrival, just because it is delayed doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen!

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JerusalemCats Comments:

JerusalemCats Comments:

As the Proxy war in Ukraine has proved. Israel like NATO can not survive with the IDF Generals and IDF Technology. It is the yeshivas that protect Israel and not the Iron Dome. Hashem is our protection.

תהילים פרק כ

 ח: אֵ֣לֶּה בָ֭רֶכֶב וְאֵ֣לֶּה בַסּוּסִ֑ים וַֽאֲנַ֓חְנוּ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣ינוּ נַזְכִּֽיר׃

Psalm 20:7 These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we call on the name of HASHEM our God.

Translated from Hebrew by

In an interview with ‘Mishpa’, Goldknopf reveals that Netanyahu was given a deadline regarding the conscription law: “The Prime Minister received unequivocal information from me according to which there is an order from the Council of Torah Elders that if the conscription law is not passed before the budget, we will withdraw from the government. As long as there is no other order, this is what will be done.” . @arutz7heb

JerusalemCats-tweet-4May2023-Israel like NATO can not survive with the IDF Generals and IDF Technology

JerusalemCats-tweet-4May2023-Israel like NATO can not survive with the IDF Generals and IDF Technology

 

jns-org-logo

‘Technical error’ caused Iron Dome to malfunction during Gaza terror onslaught

Several rockets hit residential areas in Sderot, including one that wounded three persons.

https://www.jns.org/technical-error-caused-iron-dome-to-malfunction-during-gaza-terror-onslaught/

(May 4, 2023 / JNS) A “technical error” caused a malfunction in the Iron Dome missile defense system during Tuesday’s conflagration with Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip, an Israel Air Force investigation found.

 

During a barrage on Tuesday afternoon, several rockets hit populated areas in Sderot, including one that wounded three foreign nationals working on a construction site.

 

A ceasefire that took effect early Wednesday ended 24 hours of fighting during which more than 100 rockets were fired at the Jewish state.

 

The IAF said Thursday that the interception rate of rockets headed for populated areas during the flare-up was nevertheless 90.5%.

 

The exchange erupted early Tuesday morning when senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative Khader Adnan died in an Israeli prison after an 87-day hunger strike.

 

Thereafter, terrorists in Gaza fired four projectiles at Israel, which responded later in the afternoon by shelling Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave. Following the IDF strikes, barrage after barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel, setting off warning sirens in numerous communities for the remainder of the day and overnight.

 

Amid the ongoing rocket fire, the IDF began striking terror assets in Gaza, including military compounds, weapons manufacturing sites and depots, a subterranean attack tunnel and training grounds.

 

Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket fire, the worst such outbreak since a conflict in August 5-7 of last year.

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US’ banning of Israeli entities in Judea & Samaria – boomerang

19July2023 https://theettingerreport.com/us-banning-of-israeli-entities-in-judea-samaria-boomerang/

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative”
July 19, 2023

State Department policy

*The June 2023 banning of all Israeli research and scientific entities in East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the Golan Heights from the mutually-beneficial US-Israel binational commercial research and development projects, such as BIRD, BARD and BSF, reflects the return of the State Department to the center stage of foreign policy making.

 

*This ban is consistent with the State Department’s systematically erroneous and counterproductive policy on critical Middle East issues, as documented by this video and this article.

For example:

*The State Department provided an essential tailwind to the Ayatollahs’ rise to power in Iran and the toppling of the Shah, who was “America’s policeman in the Gulf.” Foggy Bottom contended that the Ayatollahs would be moderate, anti-Soviet, pro-US, preoccupied with tractors and not with tanks, and refrain from the global exportation of the Islamic Revolution….

 

*The State Department considered Saddam Hussein as a potential ally (until the day of his 1990 invasion of Kuwait), worthy of an intelligence-sharing agreement, financial assistance, and the supply of advanced dual-use systems. It communicated to the ruthless despot that a military invasion of Kuwait would be treated as an intra-Arab matter.

 

*Foggy Bottom welcomed the 2010 turbulence on the Arab Street – which is still raging – as a “Facebook and youth revolution” and the “Arab Spring,” failing to realize that it has been an Arab Tsunami.

 

*The State Department establishment has opposed the Abraham Accords because they bypassed the Palestinian issue, centering on Arab interests,. However, all of the State Department’s own peace initiatives have crashed on the rocks of Middle East reality, because they dwelt on the superficial assumption that the Palestinian issue was the crux of the Arab-Israeli conflict, a crown jewel of Arab policy making and a core cause of regional turbulence.

 

*Since January 2021, the State Department has resumed its role as the chief foreign policy maker, as evidenced by the shift from unilateral policy making – based on an independent US national security action – to multilateral policy making, seeking a common denominator with the anti-US UN and international organizations, as well as with Europe, which has lost its will to flex a muscle against Iran’s Ayatollahs and Sunni Islamic terrorism.

 

*In July 2023, reflecting its multilateral policy, the US rejoined UNESCO, following the 2011 congressional suspension of the annual US contribution to the organization, and the 2018 US withdrawal from UNESCO for falsely disclaiming the 4,000-year-old Jewish roots in the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria – the cradle of Jewish history, religion, culture and language, as documented by a litany of archeological findings throughout the area.

In fact, the rejoining of UNESCO commits the US to transfer to UNESCO all its arrears, which amount to some $600mn.

Legal status of Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria

The State Department claims that banning Israeli research and scientific entities in Judea and Samaria from the mutually beneficial US-Israel binational commercial research and development projects is consistent with international law. The State Department claims that international law considers Judea and Samaria an “illegal occupied” area, and that the UN Security Council Resolution 242 mandates an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.

Is it true?

*According to Prof. Eugene Rostow, a former Dean of Yale University Law School and Undersecretary of State, who co-authored the November 22, 1967 UN Security Council Resolution 242: “[Under international law], Jews have the same right to settle in the West Bank as they have in Haifa…. [According to Resolution 242], Israel is required to withdraw ‘from territories,’ not from ‘the territories,’ nor from ‘all the territories,’ but from some of the territories, which included the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Desert and the Golan Heights…. Proposed resolutions calling for withdrawal from ‘all the territories’ were defeated in the Security Council and the General Assembly…. Israel was not to be forced back to the fragile and vulnerable 8-15-mile-wide lines… but to ‘secure and recognized’ boundaries, agreed to by the parties…. In making peace with Egypt in 1979, Israel withdrew from the entire Sinai… [which amounts to] more than 90% of the territories….”

 

*Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, a former President of the International Court of Justice, Deputy Legal Advisor at the State Department and Prof. of International Law at Johns Hopkins University stated: “[The 1967] Israeli conquest of territory was defensive rather than aggressive… as indicated by Egypt’s prior closure of the Straits of Tiran, the blockade of the port of Eilat and the amassing of troops in Sinai… [and] Jordan-initiated hostilities against Israel…. Jordan’s annexation of the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem in the 1950 were unlawful…. Modification of the 1949 armistice lines [by Israel] were lawful….”

*The legal status of Judea and Samaria is embedded in the following binding internationally ratified documents:

<The November 2, 1917 Balfour Declaration, which called for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people [on both sides of the Jordan River]…. Nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine….;”

<The April 24, 1920 San Remo Peace Conference of the Allied Powers Supreme Council, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration, and carved the boundaries of over 20 countries in the Middle East;

<The July 24, 1922 Mandate for Palestine, ratified by the Council of the League of Nations, and dedicated exclusively to Jewish national rights;

<The October 24, 1945 Article 80 of the UN Charter incorporated the Mandate for Palestine, which means that Jewish rights in Palestine are legal and may not be transferred;

<The November 29, 1947 General Assembly Partition Resolution was non-binding and superseded by the Mandate for Palestine.

The bottom line

*The State Department’s determination that Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria constitutes “illegal occupation” has been based on mistaken and misleading interpretation of international law. This determination has yielded false expectations among rogue elements in the Middle East (e.g., Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists and Iran’s rogue Ayatollahs), which has undermined the attempts to minimize regional instability and advance the cause of peaceful coexistence.

 

*The decision to punish Israel, by blackballing research institutions in Judea and Samaria – while courting the rogue Ayatollahs, the Muslim Brotherhood and the hate-education Palestinian Authority – is interpreted as an erosion of US’ regional stature by pro-US Arab regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. These regimes have expanded their defense and commercial cooperation with Israel irrespective of the Palestinian issue. In additon, they have also been subjected to US pressure; they oppose the US diplomatic option toward Iran’s Ayatollahs, and are concerned about the lack of a determined US response to Iran’s aggression (which has pushed them closer to China and Russia).

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JerusalemCats Comments: The only Questions is, Who is going to send the International Criminal Court to HELL, Israel or Russia?
https://www.jpost.com/

Reasonableness bill will not endanger IDF soldiers at ICC – Kohelet

Kontorovich said the ICC has no jurisdiction over IDF soldiers regardless of the status of Israel’s local courts.

Published: 19July2023
Updated: 20July2023
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-751670

The International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague.

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL Court, The Hague.
(photo credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)

 

During debates about the reasonableness standard bill in the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, opposition members have repeatedly warned that the passing of the legislation would lead to IDF soldiers being brought to stand trial before international legal forums.

 

.kohelet-org-il-LogoHowever, Prof. Eugene Kontorovich, director of International law at the Jerusalem-based libertarian Kohelet Policy Forum, argued in a new policy paper co-authored by Adv. Avraham Russel Shalev that the reasonableness bill will not change the legal situation with bodies like the International Criminal Court.

Click to download PDF file  Click to Download

The chief argument made by opposition members center on the principle of complementarity, the idea that international courts are supplemental to local courts, and that they only have jurisdiction when the local judiciaries are unable to prosecute war crimes and other criminal action because they are unable or unwilling, and are not independent or lack the authority or power.

 

Opposition members contend that if the reasonableness bill were to pass, the independence and power of the Israeli courts would be altered in a way that the ICC would feel that it had the right to bring itself to bear on IDF soldiers, officers, and officials accused of crimes.

 

Kontorovich told The Jerusalem Post that the ICC has no jurisdiction regardless of the status of Israel’s local courts. Across Israel’s political factions for the last 20 years, the view has been that the court has no right to judge Israelis. Israel has not ratified the Rome Statute to become a party to the ICC.

“Under Israel’s view, the ICC is an illegitimate international tribunal.

“The issue is not whether the ICC should prosecute us if we’re naughty or prosecute us if we’re nice,” said Kontorovich. “Under Israel’s view, the ICC is an illegitimate international tribunal. It is not a lawfully constituted court. It is just something that has no connection with Israel. Israel has not accepted its jurisdiction, and it has absolutely no authority to exercise that jurisdiction over Israel, especially in the way that it is trying to do about issues involving Gaza and the West Bank, which are not even a country capable of joining the ICC.”

 

IDF soldiers won’t be arrested abroad

IDF soldiers wouldn’t be arrested in other states that were a party to the convention and brought to The Hague, said Kontorovich, as jurisdiction was about authority over where the alleged crime occurred.

 

Kontorovich said the argument by the opposition lent legitimacy to the ICC, and while he didn’t want to exaggerate the danger, undermined Israel’s ability to push back.

 

Kontorovich also noted that even if the court had jurisdiction, ostensibly revolutionary changes to Israel’s legal system would not actually change the ICC’s conduct toward Israel.

 

“They have a clearly anti-Israel agenda, which means they’re probably going to act against us anyway, and they should not be treated as an impartial act,” said Kontorovich. “The ICC has said that it is going to exercise jurisdiction and has advanced an investigation through several important phases until it had, two years ago, opened a full investigation, completely undeterred by the lack of judicial reform. If Israel’s current judicial system in all of its details is truly some kind of Iron Dome against international lawfare, why has it been raining ICC actions against us? The ICC has taken numerous steps opposed by the Israeli government with no regard to the functioning of our legal system.”

“The ICC does not look into the details of how the legal system functions – which is not surprising because it has members from all over the world.”

Prof. Eugene Kontorovich

 

Bias aside, Kontorovich that the perception of the ICC as global police rooting out wrongdoing is incorrect – it has only convicted 10 people in its 20-year history. Independence of the courts was not actually enough of a factor to motivate the ICC.

 

“It is not about any details of the legal system,” explained Kontorovich. “It is not even about judicial independence. There are countries that completely lack judicial independence where the ICC has found complementarity satisfied. For example: The African country of Guinea, where, according to the US State Department, there is no judicial independence and massive corruption. The own internal investigations of crimes in Guinea were thought to be adequate by the ICC. The ICC does not look into the details of how the legal system functions – which is not surprising because it has members from all over the world.”

 

Kontorovich continued to argue that independence of the courts was not impacted by the reasonableness bill in the first place.

 

“Reasonableness has nothing to do with criminal prosecutions. It’s principally about appointments of officials and administrative action. It’s not about investigating people for crimes. You can’t prosecute someone for not being reasonable,” said Kontorovich.

 

The ICC’s investigations, the Kohelet fellow said, also had nothing to do with crimes, but were lawfare initiatives of the Palestinian Authority to have settlements ruled illegal.

The ICC’s investigations, the Kohelet fellow said, also had nothing to do with crimes, but were lawfare initiatives of the Palestinian Authority to have settlements ruled illegal.

In the Law Committee sessions, opposition members have argued that the reasonableness standard also created a requirement for officials to be reasonable in their decision-making and explain their reasoning. IDF soldiers, they said, relied on this guardrail to ensure that the orders and guidelines given to them were in fact reasonable, and would not lead them to commit crimes. Kontorovich rejected this idea, saying Israel’s laws and regulations on military conduct already guided such actions.

 

“Reasonableness is something that only kicks in after all actual legal requirements have been exhausted. The argument of reasonableness is, ‘you have complied with all of the laws, but still, we think it was bad what you did, even though it’s completely legal.’ You don’t need reasonableness if something actually violates a law,” said Kontorovich.

 

“Israel has a complicated system of military justice, which criminalizes things that are illegal under the Geneva Convention and basically requires soldiers to comply with the law of war. It’s hard to imagine something which complies with the law of war, but is unreasonable and is so obviously unreasonable that you would rather trust the judgment of the courts over commanders, even though it complies with international law.”

 

Kontorovich said the Israeli consensus was that the ICC isn’t legitimate, and shouldn’t be honored as an institution of international justice based on how one felt about domestic policy like judicial reform.

 

Kohelet has advocated for judicial reform for over a decade and advised the current government on the proposed reform legislation.

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Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner-tweet-11August2023-This morning in Yedioth Ahronot

Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner-tweet-11August2023-This morning in Yedioth Ahronot

bogeyman boo͝g′ē-măn″, boo͞′gē-, bō′gē- noun 1.A goblin; a bugbear; a bogey{1}. This is the form used by parents to frighten children. 2.A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories. 3.Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract. The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

bogeyman
boo͝g′ē-măn″, boo͞′gē-, bō′gē-
noun
1.A goblin; a bugbear; a bogey{1}. This is the form used by parents to frighten children.
2.A menacing, ghost-like monster in children’s stories.
3.Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract.
The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

 

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http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com

Attempting to Pre-Empt Mashiach

Posted by   http://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2023/07/attempting-to-pre-empt-mashiach.html

 8 Av 5783  26 July 2023  

As is now known, the disruptions in Israeli society were planned years ago and it is part of a greater agenda.  This is the Israeli “Spring”.  And nothing is really as it seems.

“The most right-wing, religious government in Israel’s history”FAKE NEWS! 

“Netanyahu is a dictator”FAKE NEWS! 

“This is the death of democracy in Israel”FAKE NEWS! 

From the mass of silver tents to the mass of red costumes to the black covers of the newspapers (and more) a lot of money has flowed into this effort.  And if you want to know the truth, just think the opposite of what you read in the media.  Is Biden really upset with Bibi? Is the US really concerned about what’s happening here?  Since it’s all fake, then I have to conclude that their staged reaction is also fake.  It’s all a show and Bibi is the knowing fall guy.  It’s a fake falling out between the US and Israel in order to inspire fear and manipulate Israelis into self-destructive behavior which will give the powers that be an excuse to insert themselves further into our business.  They’ve even gone as far as to orchestrate a lowered credit rating, a fall in stock value and the decline of the sheqel!

And why?

Because they want to discredit Judaism, and religious Jews in particular.  See Ben Gvir put front and center as the embodiment of the danger “messianism” poses to the “liberal democracy,” which itself was the result of the first attempt at preventing Mashiach from coming.  Ben Gvir will instantly be recognized by the Christian/Western world as representative of Judas the Betrayer, or one of those loathed Pharisees.  And even though Ben Gvir has no real power (everyone has refused to follow his instructions), media reports, both here and abroad, find a way to lay the blame for all the troubles at his feet, and by extension, those whom he represents.

 

See all that they are capable of doing in an attempt to quash the pathway down which Mashiach will come.

They want a civil war here.  They are instigating a civil war here.  That’s why Olmert is announcing to the world that there is a civil war here.  But it’s FAKE NEWS! 

 

Have any of you wondered why two national traumas have occurred at this particular time of year for the Jews – the “vote” taken yesterday and the expulsion from Gush Katif in 2005.  The pressure was built higher and higher until it culminated right at Tisha b’Av.  Why?  A very wise woman told me, and I agree with her, that it is because we, as a people, are most cognizant at this time of year of the danger and peril of sinat chinam and lack of unity.  Their plan was to do these evil deeds right when we were most vulnerable to the charges of sinat chinam and disunity, and it would hamper any impulse on our part to fight them.

 

This is the army of the Sitra Achra trying to pre-empt Mashiach’s arrival and prevent the redemption which marks the end of their reign of terror over humanity.  This is surely what was spoken of in Kol HaTor (Ch. 2, Part 2:2):

The erev rav is our greatest enemy It is what separates between the two Messiahs.  Its impurity operates only via indirect deception.  Hence, the war against the erev rav is the hardest and most bitter, and we must gird ourselves with our last strength toward this end.  Whoever does not actively take part in the war against the erev rav automatically becomes a partner to its impurity, and whoever he is, he is better off not having been bornThe main strength of the erev rav is in the gates of Jerusalem, especially at the entrance to the city on the western dividing line. [Where the entire government complex is located – the Knesset, the High Court, the Bank of Israel, etc.]

Let’s enter our fast, if fast we must, with a determination to do a complete teshuvah and dedicate ourselves to the war which lies before us, the war which Mashiach ben Yosef will lead in what I sincerely and desperately hope are the coming days and weeks.  Amen!!

 

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You Are Being Tested

26July2023 https://drybonesblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/you-are-being-tested.html

 

DryBones: fight baseless hatred

DryBones: fight baseless hatred

Celebrate this special Tisha B’Av by NOT Hating the “Side” that you disagree with! And, hey, how about forwarding Tisha B’Av greetings to someone you don’t agree with?

* * *
Tisha B’AV 2023 is a turning point in the history of the Jewish People. It is a Mythic time. You can make a positive contribution. Do it through PayPal or by using your Credit Card by just clicking on the link below:
Donate

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More ‘the year we beat sinat chinam’ – in action

28July2023 https://rivkalevy.com/more-the-year-we-beat-sinat-chinam-in-action/

A commentator left this on the bottom of the last post.

It had a very profound effect on me, so I’m giving it its own post.

And let me add a story that I heard from one of my daughter’s friends – a Shomronista, a ‘settler-ite’ – who got caught in terrible traffic in Jerusalem because of the ‘Left Wing’ protests against *judicial reform*.

 

She’d come out specially for the day with her sister, to have some time in the holy city – and then they spent hours and hours in the heat, caught in a massive traffic jam because the roads were blocked.

So what did she do?

She had to cancel the trip she’d planned….she went and found a candy store close by when she finally got out of the traffic jam….where she bought a ton of sweets….which she then took back and distributed to the ‘Left Wing’ protestors who were blocking the street.

When I heard this, I told her:

You have no idea, what awful decrees you just sweetened with your actions!

This girl single-handedly diffused 5 billion tons of ‘sinat chinam’ – the sin that Chazal taught destroyed the Second Temple, and THE MAIN REASON WE ARE STILL IN EXILE TODAY.

Other people can have different opinions about that, but then they are going AGAINST Chazal…

 

There’s a long list of people that go against Chazal about a bunch of stuff…. Each person can decide for themselves if that works for them or not.

====

So now, here is what got posted up on the previous post, in the comments section.

At the end of the day, the people who preach hatred of their fellow Jew – even if they have big beards and big yichus and big ‘Toyrah Learning’ – they are just as much part of the real problem as the ‘Lefties’ who preach hate against their fellow Jews.

 

A real Jew is kind and compassionate.

They don’t preach ‘hatred of the other’, even what that other is definitely doing hate-filled, despicable things.

We can hate the ACTIONS, but we can’t hate the people.

 

That’s a denial of God, and a denial that God is running the world, and just using all these horrible people as sticks in His hand, to encourage US to change something within ourselves.

That’s the whole point of all of this – our own personal teshuva.

(I know that people who have made it a ‘mitzvah’ to hate other Jews won’t agree. Those people are totally entitled to their opinions. But my soul is very weary of having to deal with their hate and never-ending anger in my comments section….)

====

And now, here’s what I got sent.

Yesh Tikva!

And the birur continues.

====

THIS WILL BRING THE GEULAH … the developing story of ahavas Yisroel in Israel… 💜❤️💕👑

(Forwarded)

There is a new movement here in Israel called סלוני ישראל which started a couple months ago.

They are listening circles where folks holding opposite perceptions of the situation here in Israel get together, led by facilitators, and hear each other’s pain, fear, frustrations. After Mondays vote in the Kenneset, emergency sessions were called as there were many who were against the reform that felt their lives were shattered and are in despair.

 

Within 24 hours as Tishe b’Av came in, over 60 circles across the country were organized to gather Tishe bAv night, hear each other and hear Eicha together. Last night folks from Tsfat went down to Rosh Pina to sit with the Rosh Pina protesters, in Baron Park there. It turned into a gathering of over 70 .

It was a huge healing.

====

One very profound moment was when some of the protesters asked for forgiveness from the Gush Katif folks for the way they were treated and perceived during the removal, as they were fighting for what was their truth.

 

(It was a self realization stimulated by a sharing early on from a Rosh Pina protester who had said how pained she was by the treatment they got from passerbyers, from a violent incident with how the police treated them, and how no one from Tsfat came down to support them. )

 

One older hippy woman from Kafar Hanasi said the kilkul [destruction] happening now is not new and how its from the beginning of the formation of the State. The seperation and lack of respect for each other. This stimulated an older Mizrachi woman to share saying,

 

“I am a simple woman. And perhaps because I live in Tsfat I haven’t felt it all these years what I am feeling these past months, the tremendous hate towards… ( she didn’t say straight out but her hand gestures were towards herself. Everyone understood what she was refering to as 20 minutes before a woman was getting hysterical speaking derogatorily about Deri and how he is stealing money from the government and giving it to his own people.)

====

Everyone just listened.

No one interrupted another. Youth spoke. One woman shared a passionate letter she wrote yesterday to Echud Barak (who is a relative of hers) that one thing she will not accept from him is to say to another “You are not my brother.” (apparently Barak made such a comment publically). She was shaking as she read her letter, sharing how she has 5 siblings and these days they have very firey differences of opinions but always at the end they know they are brothers and sisters.

 

“These are my biological brothers. Nothing will break that. And we as an Am are also all brothers. This I will not accept from you Echud to deny that we are all brothers. We can have different opinions and get strongly emotional about them, but still we are brothers.”

====

And there was the young man with his bushy long “peyos of five years” as he called them, who shared his struggles of when he goes to Tel Aviv how he feels maybe he should just get rid of his peyos because of the angry reactions he gets and how he really loves his peyos and doesn’t really want to cut them off and is pained by the intolerance of him doing his own thing.

 

A tall man dressed in white and khaki with a long whitish beard stood up and introduced himself as having served in some special platoon in the army.

 

Apparently he is also a facilitator of these kinds of circles as he shared the story of what happened in a circle he was fascinating on Monday or Tuesday in Tel Aviv.

====

Sitting next to him in the circle was one of the main organizers of the Tel Aviv protests.

When it was this guy’s turn to share what was on his heart, he said the following:

 

”As the days went on in organizing these protests my hate grew stronger and stronger and stronger until one night it got so intense I experienced this force of hatred totally take over me and it spilled out taking on a life of its own. At the last protest when it was getting very out of control I asked myself what are you doing ?! All this hate! So I jumped to the other side where the police were and I started pushing the protesters which I had pushed into the police, I started pushing them back onto the sidewalk. ”

====

As the night unfolded there were amazing sharing of feelings of hope, how out of this shatter is unfolding something totally new for Israel.

There were words of gratefulness that brothers and sisters came down from Tsfat to be together. Words of heartfelt appreciation of the folks of Rosh Pina hosting the space.

 

The husband of the beautiful Gush Katif family was the last to speak to the big circle.

He spoke so gently and compassionately you could feel all the hate and judgment dissolve ( one of the biggest expressions of hate and fear these days comes out towards anyone associated with Ben Gavir or the perception of being associated with him.)

====

After the circle finished, at some point that family went over to connect a few minutes with the youth of Rosh Pina and surrounding moshavim who were sitting together.

As the hippy sister said before she left: “I feel this is the beginning of the healing. A crack has opened in my heart. There is still a lot of pain and fear there and a lot more work to do.”

 

For many it was their first time hearing Eicha. Some took upon themselves to fast for the first time.

 

The organizers of סלון ישראל already are expanding the amount of circles for the weeks ahead, and supporting the continuation of the existing circles.

The sprouting of Beis David happened this Tishe bAv…. at its grassroots.

====

Please, please, send me more of this ‘good news’ if you come across it.

There are way more people pulling for peace and unity, than there are haters and dividers.

Just, the haters and dividers shout the loudest, and get the most air time.

So whatever we can do to ‘even that up’, let’s do it!

Together.

TBC

====

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Sefirat Ha’Omer chart

Count Today’s Omer

Do a mitzvah in just one minute.

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/sefirah/omer-count_cdo/jewish/Count-the-Omer.htm

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The Omer is counted every evening after nightfall, from the second night of Passover till the night before Shavuot.Forgot to count the Omer at night? Count the following day, but without a blessing. On subsequent nights, continue counting with a blessing as usual.The blessing is made only if every day has been counted; if you missed a day, say the day’s count without the blessing.
Omer-Blessing1

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Check Calendar for today’s Count

 

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Counting the Omer

True freedom, which includes liberty from social pressure and bodily urges, comes only from Torah. The Counting of the Omer is our countdown to discovering ourselves…

Rabbi Lazer Brody  |  Posted on 25December2007  https://breslev.com/265073/

Counting the Omer - Rabbi Lazer Brody

Counting the Omer – Rabbi Lazer Brody

During the interim 49 days the first day of Passover and Shavuot, we count the Omer in preparation for receiving the Torah.

“By virtue of the Omer that I counted today…may I be purified and sanctified with the sanctity from above, and may this cause an influence of great abundance in all the worlds”(Seder Sfirat HaOmer, terminating prayer).

 

At the conclusion of each night’s counting of the Omer, we ask God that we be purified and sanctified. We also say that our purification and sanctification triggers an influence of tremendous abundance in all the worlds – both material and spiritual.

 

Before attempting to comprehend the above principles, we have to realize that at Pesach, the people of Israel are likened to a nation of newly redeemed slaves. Not only were we newly redeemed slaves at the time of our exodus from Egypt, but every year at Pesach we are as if we have just been released from our bonds of slavery. Pesach is the furthest time of the year from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when all of Israel repents from awe of God. Over the long winter months, we drop our guard and fall slaves to our bodily urges and appetites.

 

At Pesach time, we complete a process of physically cleaning our domains from chometz, leavened agents, and begin a spiritual process of cleaning our hearts in preparation for true freedom – receiving the Torah. Teshuva, repentance, is cleansing the heart from all evil.

 

True freedom, which includes liberty from social pressure and bodily urges, comes only from Torah. Therefore, although we break off the chains of bondage at Pesach, we’re not really free until we receive the Torah 50 days later on Shavuot. During the interim 49 days, we count the Omer in preparation for receiving the Torah. Reb Natan of Breslev says that each of the 49 days corrects a character attribute that corresponds to the 48 ways of attaining Torah (see tractate Avot, 6:6 for the entire list), while the 49th day serves as a correction to our prayers.

 

Reb Nosson writes (Abridged Likutei Moharan 63:2) that the 49 days of the Omer also correspond to the 49 gates of teshuva. By reciting Tehillim (Psalms) every day, we can open each gate of teshuva. Therefore, concludes Reb Nosson, it is extremely important to recite Tehillim during each day of the Omer.

 

Reb Nosson’s principle of Tehillim and teshuva explains how the purification of our souls during the days of the Omer invokes abundance in all the worlds, as we shall see – with God’s grace – in the following parable from our book, Chassidic Pearls:

 

Yashka the farmer worked excruciatingly hard to prepare his field for the spring corn planting. His hands were scarred and bloody from gripping the leather reigns that held his mighty ox in a straight line while plowing a furrow and every muscle of his straining back would cry out in pain. When the field was finally prepared for sowing, he’d lovingly place each seed in the ground as if it were a cherished gem. After all that, Yashka would pray for the blessing of rain that would trigger seed germination and subsequent growth.

 

While weeding the furrows, Yashka derived tremendous satisfaction from the stout young corn plants; the lush green stalks made all the hard work worthwhile. He looked forward to the expected bumper crop, but his joy was short-lived. Just as the fertilized corn flowers turned to baby seed cobs, the crows appeared. The minute Yashka saw the cawing black feathered menaces descend on his field, he ran out of his thatch-roofed house with a pitchfork in his hand, chasing away the crows.

 

No sooner would Yashka leave the field, and the crows would reappear. Disgusted, he erected a scarecrow in the middle of the field. The scarecrow repelled the crows for a day or two, but as soon as the clever birds realized that the straw-filled dummy with Yashka’s old hat and shirt was both harmless and inanimate, they again descended on the crop.

 

This time, Yashka outsmarted them. His corn field was exposed to the prevailing breezes from all directions. Yashka carved a special flute out of a reed; then, he put the flute in the scarecrow’s mouth. Every few minutes, the wind would blow; when it passed through the flute, it would create an amazing tooting sound in three different octaves that scared the crows away. By virtue of the flute, Yashka reaped a full crop of golden yellow corn.

 

Our Pesach preparations resemble Yashka’s plowing and preparing of his corn field. The interim of the growth days between sowing and harvest correspond to the counting of the Omer. Just as Yashka’s harvest was corn, the harvest of the Jewish people is Torah. The crows, symbolic of temptations and bodily appetites, must be repelled for us to truly merit receiving the Torah on Shavuot. Often, we feel like a scarecrow, with no spiritual vitality. Through reciting Tehillim, we become spiritually vibrant and can scare away temptations; the Tehillim – like a magical flute in a scarecrow’s mouth – enable us to properly make teshuva and receive the Torah.

 

By virtue of Tehillim, we merit teshuva, subsequently purifying and sanctifying ourselves. With teshuva, we bring Torah into this world, together with all the accompanying material and spiritual abundance for all people everywhere. Also, when we receive the Torah, we become a truly free people, for there is no freedom without Torah (Avot 6:2). May this year be a year of freedom, abundance, and the true redemption of our people, amen.

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New Ben & Jerry’s Limited-Edition Flavor for Lag B’Omer in Israel

By Hana Levi Julian
29 Nisan 5783 – April 20, 2023 https://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/new-ben-jerrys-limited-edition-flavor-for-lab-bomer-in-israel/2023/04/20/

Ben & Jerry's new flavor for Lag B'Omer, 'S'mores'

Ben & Jerry’s new flavor for Lag B’Omer, ‘S’mores’

Photo Credit: courtesy – Ben & Jerry’s new flavor for Lag B’Omer, ‘S’mores’

Israeli ice cream lovers, rejoice!

Ben & Jerry’s Israel has announced it will offer a brand-new flavor – in a limited edition – for the upcoming Lag B’Omer holiday.

The new flavor, “S’mores” will reprise the long-beloved sweet, created annually by countless children at summer campfires, using sweet crackers, chocolate bars and gooey, roasted marshmallows.

The name “s’mores” is an abbreviation of the phrase “some more.”

The Ben & Jerry’s version – only in Israel and only for the Lag B’Omer holiday, will feature ice cream that combines marshmallow with cookie crumbs, chocolate cookie crumbs and pieces of fudge.

The new flavor will be available in all the Israeli food chains, convenience stores and supermarkets where Ben & Jerry’s is sold.

Ben & Jerry's new Lag B'Omer S'mores flavor

Ben & Jerry’s new Lag B’Omer S’mores flavor

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The Fires of Lag B’Omer

Is the purpose of the bon-fires on Lag B’Omer to consume all the accumulated garden waste? Or is there a deeper reason behind lighting fires on this holy day?

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum
Posted on 17May2022 https://breslev.com/413247/

The Fires of Lag B’Omer - Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

The Fires of Lag B’Omer – Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

Lag b’Omer – A Holiday Shrouded in Mystery

Lag B’Omer is an exciting and mysterious holiday. We light bonfires, play music, celebrate weddings, and some shoot arrows. All this takes place during the semi-mourning period when we do not hold weddings, play dance-music, cut hair, or shave. What is the underlying significance hiding behind this obscure holiday? Lag B’Omer celebrates the anniversary of the passing of the renowned Mishnaic sage and foremost Kabbalist, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. His teachings comprise the text of the Zohar, the primary book of the Kabbalah. We don’t have any other holiday of this caliber which celebrates the passing of a Jewish sage. Why do we celebrate the passing of one of the greatest sages in Jewish history with so much joy?

 

The Successor of Rabbi Akiva Entering the Orchard of Kabbalah

Lag B’Omer, which literally means the thirty third day of the Omer, commemorates two events. On the thirty-third day of the Omer, there was an interruption or end of the plague that killed twenty two thousand students of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud relates that subsequently Rabbi Akiva moved to the south of Israel, where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai became one of the five students, who then carried Rabbi Akiva’s teachings into the future. He later died on the same thirty-third day of the Omer. On his deathbed, he expressed his personal wishes that his yahrzeit (anniversary of death) be celebrated with great joy. Rabbi Akiva was the greatest Kabbalist of his time. He is the only one of four Rabbis who entered the Pardes (An acronym for the four levels of Torah including the secret mystical level of Kabbalah). Whereas the other Rabbis were injured either physically or spiritually, Rabbi Akiva was the only one who entered and returned in peace (Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 14b). The mystical tradition that Rabbi Akiva carried with him was passed down to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and revealed in the Zohar.

 

Lag B’Omer’s Kabbalistic Transmission – Rectification for Rabbi Akiva’s Students

Rabbi Avraham Trugman explains how Lag B’Omer celebrates the survival of the Kabbalah. When Rabbi Shimon and his son were hiding from the Romans in the cave, Rabbi Shimon summoned Eliyahu the prophet by a specific formula that he had learned from Rabbi Akiva. This is how it came about that Eliyahu taught them the holy Zohar. There is a tradition in the writings of the Chida (Rabbi Chaim David Azulai), that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai received the sacred traditions of the Kabbalah from Rabbi Akiva specifically on Lag B’Omer. The knowledge of Kabbalah needed to be transmitted during the Jewish month of Iyar, called the month of Ziv (splendor), because at this time the land of Israel is glowing with holiness, as the fruits are maturing on the trees and the flowers are blossoming. Since the knowledge of Kabbalah is the holiest teaching, the greatest obstacles deter it from being passed on and revealed in the world. This is the underlying cause of the dispute between the students of Rabbi Akiva and their death during the Omer period. However, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai brought about the rectification, by enlightening his students with the secret of Kabbalah that he had received from Rabbi Akiva. The zenith of this Kabbalistic revelation took place on the day when Rabbi Shimon’s soul rose to heaven. Therefore, we celebrate on the day of his passing, how Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai became the most important link in the chain of Kabbalistic succession.

Bonfires

Since “the Torah is light” (Mishlei 6:23), we can understand the main custom of Lag B’Omer to light the bonfire. The fires of Lag B’Omer represent the light of the inner dimensions of the Torah as well as the deepest longing of our soul to be close to G-d and to understand the spiritual, mystical depths of the Torah. The bonfires also connect us back to Rabbi Akiva, who was tortured to death. He transformed his burning pain into sacrificing his life with the fiery love of Hashem. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai carried on Rabbi Akiva’s ability to transform the fires of torture to the fire of love of G-d. This incredible light became engraved in the holy Zohar. Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh reveals that the two letters of “Lag,” 33, when inverted, spell “Gal,” which means to reveal/open, as in the verse “Open [Gal] my eyes that I may see wonders in Your Torah” (Tehillim 119:18). Lag b’Omer represents the fire of Torah that gives us the inner vision to grasp the wonders of the Torah, thereby illuminating the long night of exile. With Hashem’s help, Israel will be redeemed in the future through the merit of learning the Zohar. In order to overcome the darkness all around us, on a personal, national and universal level, we need to go beyond the superficial learning and observance of Torah, and reveal deeper and more spiritual levels that will bring light to ourselves and the world.

 

Receiving the Torah with a Good Heart

B’nei Yissascher explains that the forty nine days of counting the Omer can be broken down to the numerical value of the Hebrew “A good heart” consisting of (לב– lev– 32) and טוב)- tov- 17). (32+17=49) If you count from the first word of the Torah until the word “good” (“tov”) in “Hashem saw that it was good” (Bereishit 1:3), you will find exactly thirty two words. Together the first thirty two words (לב) and the word “good” (טוב) spell out the expression “לב טוב – A good heart.” Hashem commanded us to count the numerical value of “A good heart” in preparation for receiving the Torah, which embodies the quintessence of “A good heart.” The Torah is the heart of the world. Therefore, it has thirty two paths of wisdom. On the first day of Creation, after creating light, the Torah states that Hashem saw that the light was good. According to the Midrash, He concealed this light in the Torah. Therefore, the Torah is the essence of good corresponding to the hidden “light that is good.” This explains why Hashem commanded us to count 49 days (32+17) in order to be worthy to receive the Torah.

 

The Hidden Light of the Torah

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is called the holy candle, for through him the secrets of the Torah were revealed. This is the secret of “the light that is good” – the Ohr HaGanuz (hidden light) buried in the Torah. Just as the word “tov” in the sentence“the light that is tov/good” is the thirty third word in the Torah, so was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s holy light revealed on the thirty third day of counting the Omer. After having counted thirty two days of the Omer, then the “good” of the heart hidden in the Torah, is revealed. For this reason Lag B’Omer is “tov” (17) days from Shavuot. On that day Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai rose to the upper heaven, and it follows that this is also the day he was born, as Hashem always fulfills the years of the Tzaddikim (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashana 11b). Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s holy book is called the Zohar – (Splendor), which refers to “the light that is good” hidden in the Torah. His light will be preserved until the revelation of the light of Mashiach, as our sages said “G-d said, let there be light” (Bereishit 1:3) – this is the light of Mashiach (Yalkut Shimoni, Yesha’yahu 60). This explains the minhag (custom) to light candles and fires on this day, in honor of “the light that is good” which begins to sparkle on that special day of Lag b’Omer “tov” days before receiving the Torah. This is in honor of the soul of Rabbi Shimon the illuminator of the Torah, and in honor of his holy book the Zohar which gives light from one end of the world to the other (B’nei Yissascher on Lag b’Omer).

* * *
Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum is Founder and Director of Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin: Holistic Torah for Women on the Land. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha creates curricula emphasizing women’s spiritual empowerment through traditional Torah values. She published Women at the Crossroads: A Woman’s Perspective on the Weekly Torah Portion.Chana Bracha practices Emunahealing as a gifted spiritual healer through Emuna, tefila and energy work.

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Come Home

Olim from North America arrive in Israel - Nefesh B'Nefesh

Olim from North America arrive in Israel – Nefesh B’Nefesh

Dear America thank you and goodbye we have to go home now the Jews - kumah.org

Dear America thank you and goodbye we have to go home now the Jews – kumah.org

“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”

– Henry Kissinger

Ask the Afghans, ask the Kurds. Ask the Israelis. Ask the Germans. Ask Ghadaffy. Ask the Ukrainians.


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After bleating a path to Israel, Jacob’s sheep frolic in new home

With flock’s 5,000-year exile and difficult quarantine beset by rains behind them, biblical sheep are baaaack in the Holy Land

By Melanie Lidman and Video by Luke Tress 1 February 2017, 7:10 pm https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-bleating-a-path-to-israel-jacobs-sheep-frolic-in-new-home/

After baa-liyah, Jacob’s sheep frolick in new home

NES HARIM — Every new immigrant to Israel faces many challenges making a new life in the Holy Land. The 118 Jacob’s sheep, the first livestock to immigrate to Israel for religious reasons, are no different.

 

Gil and Jenna Lewinsky have spent the past three years fighting to make aliyah to Israel with their herd of Jacob’s sheep, a breed whose genetics trace it back to the Middle East some 5,000 years ago. The sheep are characterized by “spots and speckles,” the kind of sheep that Jacob took from Laban in Genesis, Chapter 30.

 

After a three-year-long journey that required top-level political negotiations between the Israeli Embassy and the Canadian Embassy, a road trip across Canada, $80,000 worth of flights to airlift the herd from Toronto to Tel Aviv, and a harrowing quarantine, the sheep are finally frolicking in their pasture in the Beit Shemesh suburb of Nes Harim.

 

As with all new immigrants, the first issue to address was the housing quandary. For the sheep, this was a quarantine imposed by the Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture. The wettest December in decades pelted the sheep with cold rain relentlessly, as their makeshift stables collapsed from heavy rain. Over 40 sheep got sick and five sheep died due to the difficult conditions. The Agricultural Ministry eventually allowed the Lewinskys to leave quarantine two days early to move to their new home in Nes Harim, ahead of another winter storm. They found the rental farm in Nes Harim through a farmers WhatsApp group.

The origins of the Jacob’s sheep date back to the Middle East 5,000 years ago, but until last December they hadn’t been in Israel for millennia. This sheep, pictured on January 15, 2017, is adapting well to the transition. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The origins of the Jacob’s sheep date back to the Middle East 5,000 years ago, but until last December they hadn’t been in Israel for millennia. This sheep, pictured on January 15, 2017, is adapting well to the transition. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The origins of the Jacob’s sheep date back to the Middle East 5,000 years ago, but until last December they hadn’t been in Israel for millennia. This sheep, pictured on January 15, 2017, is adapting well to the transition. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Now, as the sun shines over the Jerusalem mountains, the sheep playfully butt heads with each other and sniff at visitors’ pockets for treats, the difficult journey seemingly forgotten.

 

“When we first got out of the desert [quarantine], everything was so overwhelming it didn’t sink in that we were really in Israel,” said Jenna Lewinsky. “The next day we walked in the Judean Hills, from here you can see all the way to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and even Gaza. We felt that we saw the footprint of God’s miracle. Every day when I wake up it feels like we’re living the dream,” she said.

 

That’s partly because their bedroom window looks into the barn, so sheep impatient for their breakfast act as an alarm clock by bumping the glass with their nose and baa-ing pitifully until someone gets up to feed them.

 

“There is a mystical bond between the Jewish people and these sheep, they bring so much joy to everyone who visits,” said Gil Lewinsky. Gil Lewinsky sometimes reads parts of the Torah to his flock, kneeling down among the ovines and making sure no curious onlookers try to nibble pages of the holy books.

Jacob’s sheep can have a maximum of six horns each, though four, like the one pictured here on January 15, 2017, is more common. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Jacob’s sheep can have a maximum of six horns each, though four, like the one pictured here on January 15, 2017, is more common. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Jacob’s sheep can have a maximum of six horns each, though four, like the one pictured here on January 15, 2017, is more common. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

“This is the national flock of Israel, and the work has just started,” said Gil Lewinsky. “Our connection to these sheep goes back to the beginning of our faith.”

 

The next step in the immigration process was the identity card, or for the sheep, a red tag in their ears. The Lewinskys decided not to remove the Canadian yellow tags, allowing the sheep to keep their Canadian “passports.”

 

Eventually, all new immigrants need to join the workforce, and the sheep are no exception. The Lewinskys plan to turn the farm into an ecological heritage park and educational farm, which could open as early as March. They will offer “sheep trekking” with special sheep harnesses ordered from America, so visitors can choose their favorite sheep and go for a stroll in the stony Jerusalem hills that surround the farm, with stunning vistas and deep wadis. In the spring, Jenna Lewinsky, who completed a sheep-shearing course in Canada, will give the sheep haircuts. Future plans include possibly weaving tallits from the sheep’s wool. Until they open to visitors, the Lewinskys are subsisting on donations.

 

New immigrants to Israel often struggle with adapting to the culture of their new home. But here is where the sheep, who don’t seem to be having any difficulty becoming culturally Israeli, diverge from their human counterparts. “Israelis that come to visit say they know they’re Israeli sheep because they don’t stand in line,” said Jenna Lewinsky. “Every sheep has its own idea of what it wants to do; each one is its own boss.”

Jacob’s sheep - Gil and Jenna Lewinsky plan to open an ecological heritage park and educational farm where visitors can choose to take their favorite sheep for a stroll, like this one pictured on January 15, 2017. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Jacob’s sheep – Gil and Jenna Lewinsky plan to open an ecological heritage park and educational farm where visitors can choose to take their favorite sheep for a stroll, like this one pictured on January 15, 2017. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Gil and Jenna Lewinsky plan to open an ecological heritage park and educational farm where visitors can choose to take their favorite sheep for a stroll, like this one pictured on January 15, 2017. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The sheep also seem to be adapting to the food. During the quarantine, Jenna left a bowl of hummus on the table and stepped away for a moment. When she came back, the hummus was gone. Abraham, one of the original patriarchs of the flock, had a bit of suspicious hummus stuck to his wool.

 

The Lewinskys were never concerned that Abraham, whose magnificent horns and friendly demeanor make him an instant visitor favorite, would adapt to Israel. When the Lewinskys were still in Abbotsford, Western Canada, a volunteer who was considering donating came to visit the flock. She immediately connected with Abraham and knelt down to pet him under his chin, the “sweet spot” for sheep. Abraham, sensing the opportunity, tilted his head to the side, stuck his horn into her purse and deftly removed, among other things, her checkbook. She ended up making a donation. And after an exile that lasted more than 5,000 years, the Jacob’s sheep ended up back in Israel.

Journey of Jacob's Sheep – MapSource; https://habayitah.blogspot.com/2022/12/journey-of-jacobs-sheep-map-and-video.html

Journey of Jacob’s Sheep – Map
Source; https://habayitah.blogspot.com/2022/12/journey-of-jacobs-sheep-map-and-video.html

 

Gil and Jenna Lewinsky on their new rental farm in Nes Harim, outside of Beit Shemesh, on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

Gil and Jenna Lewinsky on their new rental farm in Nes Harim, outside of Beit Shemesh, on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

 

The Lewinskys hope to eventually use the sheep's wool to make clothing or tallit. Shearing is in the spring for this sheep, pictured in Nes Harim on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

The Lewinskys hope to eventually use the sheep’s wool to make clothing or tallit. Shearing is in the spring for this sheep, pictured in Nes Harim on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

 

Jenna Lewinsky feeds grains to the Jacobs sheep on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

Jenna Lewinsky feeds grains to the Jacobs sheep on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

 

All of the sheep have individual personalities and quirks, says Jenna Lewinsky, pictured here on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

All of the sheep have individual personalities and quirks, says Jenna Lewinsky, pictured here on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

 

Gil Lewinsky with the flock of Jacob’s sheep on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

Gil Lewinsky with the flock of Jacob’s sheep on January 15, 2017. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)

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A Sign: Fox on Temple Mount

28July2023 https://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-sign-fox-on-temple-mount.html

 

A Sign: Fox on Temple Mount

A Sign: Fox on Temple Mount

Last night [Tisha b’Av] in Jerusalem, a fox was spotted wandering among the rocks. On the solemn day of Tishabav, which commemorates the destruction of the Temple, we recall a story from the Talmud of Makkos. In this tale, a group of Rabbis visited Jerusalem to witness the ruins of the Temple. As they stood on the Temple Mount, they saw a fox emerging from the very place where the Holy of Holies once stood. This sight intensified their sadness, but Rabbi Akiva responded with laughter.

Confused by his reaction, the other Rabbis asked Rabbi Akiva why he was laughing amidst their grief. He explained that their tears were fulfilling two prophecies. Uriah had predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which led to the area being inhabited by foxes. On the other hand, Zechariah had prophesied a future where people would return to Jerusalem and live there peacefully.

Rabbi Akiva believed that since Uriah’s prophecy had come true (seeing the fox), it meant that Zechariah’s prophecy would also come true (people living peacefully in Jerusalem). Therefore, their tears of sorrow were actually bringing hope for a better future. The other Rabbis found comfort in Rabbi Akiva’s explanation and thanked him for his wise words.

Source: Sholom Rochela Rodal

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https://www.jpost.com/

Israel is 5th safest country in the world for tourists – study

The United States is ranked 20th on this list, earning an overall safety grade of C-, primarily because of a high homicide rate and the high risk of natural disasters.

By HERB KEINON
Published: 06DECEMBER2022 Updated: 07DECEMBER2022 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-724216

A man wearing a hat during a hot sunny summer day walks near the Tower of David in Jerusalem Old City on June 23, 2022. (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

A man wearing a hat during a hot sunny summer day walks near the Tower of David in Jerusalem Old City on June 23, 2022.
(photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Violence and the prospect of an untimely death, it seems, are all around us.

 

Turn on the television news and you’ll hear about an attempted car ramming or a stabbing attack. Tune in to the radio and you’ll hear about a man clobbered with a motorcycle helmet in a road rage incident. Open up the newspaper and you’ll read about extortion and “protection” rings operating in the South.

 

Not to mention horrific reports of car accidents, polio outbreaks, and salmonella in Sabra hummus. It’s enough to make you shout out the title of that 1961 musical: “Stop the world – I want to get off.”

 

Surrounded by a drumbeat of negative news in this country, a recent survey on the least and most safe travel destinations around the world, by a US insurance comparison website called The Swiftest may come as a jaw-dropping surprise.

 

According to this study, Israel is the fifth safest [EDD: Source: See Below] among the 50 countries in the world most widely visited by tourists. No, you didn’t read that wrong. The fifth safest, not the fifth most unsafe country to visit.

IN JERUSALEM: ‘Here I feel safer when walking around outside.’ (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

IN JERUSALEM: ‘Here I feel safer when walking around outside.’ (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

And here you thought that all those studies and surveys that consistently place Israel among the top 10 happiest countries in the world were counterintuitive? If we kvetch so much, one might ask, how can we be happy? Yet study after study, year after year, shows that we are; that in terms of happiness, we are right up there with New Zealand and a bevy of Northern European countries that are the happiest in the world. Who would have thought?

And now this – Israel is the fifth safest travel destination for tourists.

Turns out that the question that many first-time visitors to Israel are asked by friends and relatives when they reveal their plans to visit – “Are you sure it’s safe?” – is misplaced. Not only is it safe, but it is very safe; safer, in fact, than visiting the US (ranked 30), Canada (21), Australia (18), France (15) and the United Kingdom (10).

 

True, presumptive national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir may have done so well in the last elections because he ran on a law-and-order ticket that resonated among a population feeling increasingly insecure and unsafe. But according to The Swiftest study, Israel – at least in comparison with other countries – is safer than most.

 

The study – based on data culled from reports put out by numerous organizations such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, Our World in Data and the WorldRiskReport – came up with a “travel safety index” based on several per capita criteria: the number of homicide deaths, road traffic deaths, unintentional poisoning deaths, death from poor hygiene conditions, life years lost due to communicable disease, life years lost due to injury and a country’s likelihood to be hit by a natural disaster. Death or injury as a result of acts of terror, it is assumed, falls under either the homicide or life years lost to injury categories.

 

Israel’s overall safety index was -60.22, giving it a grade of A. Only Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Singapore were considered safer, with the last two countries earning an A+ grade.

 

Singapore, the study says, is “the least deadly country for tourists. With a very low homicide rate, road death rate and natural disaster risk, Singapore is an excellent choice for travelers regarding safety. What makes Singapore so safe? Well, crime does not pay in Singapore. The consequences for committing crimes in Singapore are incredibly high, even for ‘smaller crimes.’ This, combined with high surveillance and police presence, makes Singapore the world’s safest country for travel.”

 

And the least safe countries to visit? South Africa – by a wide margin, mainly because of its homicide rate of 36.4 murdered for every 100,000 people. According to the report, about 68 people are murdered every day in this country of 60 million.

 

India followed South Africa as the second deadliest destination for tourists – not because of homicide, but rather because of deaths caused by poor hygiene conditions (18.6 per 100,000), years lost to communicable diseases, and the risk of natural disasters.

 

The United States is ranked 20th on this list, earning an overall safety grade of C-, primarily because of a high homicide rate (5 for every 100,000 people) and the high risk of natural disasters.

 

In the homicide category, Israel received a B grade, with 1.5 murders for every 100,000 people. The only other B it received was regarding natural disasters and the country’s ability to deal with them, where it received a B+ score.

 

In all the other categories, Israel received an A. For instance, its incidence of road accident deaths (3.9 people per 100,000) is low compared to other parts of the world: 30.6 in Vietnam, 12.7 in the US, 9.4 in Poland, and 8.3 in Greece.

 

Israel has no instances of unintentional poisoning and a negligible number of deaths caused by poor hygiene conditions. Likewise, the number of years lost to communicable diseases and years lost to injury for various reasons – from poorly maintained hiking paths to interpersonal violence and traffic accidents – is also low compared to most other countries in the survey.

 

And there’s the rub. We feel things are awful in terms of crime, violence and car accidents because we are exposed to it hour after hour in the media. What we are not exposed to are the incidences of crime, violence and car accidents in other countries around the globe. If we would be, we might feel better about how things are here.

 

If things are so good, goes an age-old question, why do I feel so bad? In the case of overall safety, the reason is that we are not comparing our situation here with that in most other countries. When we do, our situation doesn’t look as bad as it so often feels.

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https://www.jpost.com/

Is Israel really a safe country?

An examination of police statistics, comparison with other countries, and local opinions show how secure Israelis truly are.

By ROMAN MEITAV
Published: 16SEPTEMBER2022 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-717223

IN JERUSALEM: ‘Here I feel safer when walking around outside.’ (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

IN JERUSALEM: ‘Here I feel safer when walking around outside.’ (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Walking down the streets of Jerusalem, one could be inclined to feel uneasy, with police officers on almost every corner and armed security guards at every government office or bank. But should this make us feel uneasy?

 

It is somewhat “common knowledge” that Israel is unsafe, at least when asking tourists or expats visiting Israel, but most Israelis don’t necessarily share that sentiment.

 

So is Israel safe or not?

Examining police statistics could help answer this question. One particular statistic that police departments use worldwide is crime per 1,000 citizens, which helps make clearer comparisons between regions or countries with sometimes massive differences in population.

 

In 2020, Israel had a standing rate of 30.4 crimes recorded per 1,000 citizens, including anything from petty theft to outright murder. That might sound like a lot, but how does it compare to other Western countries?

 

Israel crime rate comparison, using official statistics from the countries mentioned. (credit: Roman Meitav)

Israel crime rate comparison, using official statistics from the countries mentioned. (credit: Roman Meitav)

In England, for example, the same statistic from 2020 was 77.5 crimes per 1,000 citizens, and Germany had 63.8. Compared with countries such as these that are not thought to be as dangerous, Israel seems to actually be much safer.

 

Overall crime rates, however, may not accurately convey a projected feeling of safety. A rise in white-collar crime or computer offenses, for example, will likely have no real effect on how safe one feels on the street.

 

What is the murder rate in Israel?

A HIGH murder rate could be a better, more specific indication of how safe a country is. In Israel, the rate of murder/homicide in 2019 was 1.47 per 100,000 civilians. The US had a rate of 5.07, more than triple the amount.

 

European countries have much lower rates, however, with England standing at 1.12 murders per 100,000, Germany with 0.75, and Spain with 0.71. So when compared with European countries, Israel’s rate is more than double in some cases, which could indeed be a cause for concern.

 

For comparison, South American countries have numbers that could put Israeli statistics in perspective. Mexico had a whopping 26.6 murders per 100,000 citizens in 2019, followed closely by Brazil with 23.6.

 

Although the calculated number of murders per capita is indeed higher in Israel than in some European countries, this could be affected by several unique factors, such as a high murder rate in the Arab-Israeli sector and terror attacks, an issue European countries don’t have to deal with as much.

 

In 2019, seven people were murdered as a result of what the Defense Ministry defined as “terrorist attacks,” which would bring down the per-100,000 statistic by a mere 0.06 if excluded, hardly making a noticeable difference.

 

MURDER IN Israel is heavily represented by Arab society. According to police data, since the beginning of the year, 62 people have been murdered in Arab society countrywide. The police have solved only 12 murder cases in the sector so far this year.

 

Manar Hajjaj, 34, and one of her twin daughters, 14-year-old Hadra, were recently murdered in their car in Lod, in the latest crime-related Arab-sector killings.

 

They were shot dead under the residential building where they lived after returning from shopping at the supermarket, according to police reports. The girl’s twin sister, Miriam, was taken to Shamir Medical Center in moderate condition.

 

In another murder case, Nidal Aghbariya, an Arab journalist who ran the Bldtna news site, was shot in his car in Umm al-Fahm just a day earlier.

 

Although the situation looks grim, the police claim that the high number of murders in Arab society has decreased compared to the same time last year, when it stood at 67.

 

But the NGO Avraham Initiatives, which tracks cases of violence and murder in Arab society, claims that the actual number of murder victims so far in 2022 is 75. If this is true, it shows an alarming 12% increase from last year.

 

When compared to non-Arab victims, murders in Arab society make up about three-fourths of all murders in recent years, a very high percentage ranging between 73% and 78%, numbers calculated based on reports by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

 

The police attribute this decrease in the number of murders in the sector when compared to last year – from 67 to 62, according to their data – to Operation Safe Route, which set out to combat the high crime rate in Arab society.

 

Police have achieved impressive achievements so far. They have foiled at least 39 assassination attempts in the Arab sector alone since the operation began, police spokesman Eli Levi told the Magazine, along with the seizure of 65,000 various firearms, munitions and armaments.

 

A total of 2,787 arrests have been made so far in Arab society alone as part of the police’s greater goal of combating crime, which until now has been left neglected in Arab communities, directly influencing the high murder rate, a statistic one can hope will decrease as the operation goes on.

 

Why do people feel safe in Israel?

IF ISRAEL has such a relatively high crime rate compared to European countries, why do people still feel safe on its streets – and, in some cases, safer than they felt before?

 

“Here I feel safer when walking around outside,” Katia, a Jerusalem resident who immigrated to Israel from the US several years ago, said.

 

“Back in California, I would never walk around alone at night – it seemed unthinkable and felt really unsafe. Here in Jerusalem, though, I feel comfortable even walking home after a night out or getting into a taxi, without constantly worrying that something will happen to me.”

“Back in California, I would never walk around alone at night – it seemed unthinkable and felt really unsafe. Here in Jerusalem, though, I feel comfortable even walking home after a night out or getting into a taxi, without constantly worrying that something will happen to me.”

Katia

 

Another point that helps people feel safer, even if it takes some getting used to, is the heightened presence of security personnel in major cities.

 

In Jerusalem, for example, a city with many battle scars from terrorist attacks, one can’t walk more than a few minutes before spotting a police officer, Border Police officer, soldier, or armed security guard, especially in places with a high concentration of people like the light rail or the downtown bar area.

 

Border Police officers regularly patrol the downtown area day and night; riot police are stationed near nightlife areas when most people go out on the town in the evening; and there is a heightened police presence throughout the city during the morning and evening rush hours.

 

Some people may find so many armed security personnel intimidating at first, especially if one is coming from a country where this heightened security isn’t standard. But once you get used to this, it does have the intended effect of making people feel safer.

 

“When I first got to Jerusalem, the number of armed people freaked me out – I kept thinking that something had happened, it made me feel uneasy,” according to Peter, a Hebrew University of Jerusalem exchange student from Australia.

 

“We really don’t have anything like this in Australia – not even in major cities – so it definitely caught me off guard,” he said. “After living here for some time, though, I think I’ll feel odd when I go back home and there aren’t armed cops and security cameras everywhere. I’ve grown used to it; I think I’ll feel less safe otherwise.”

 

THE SECURITY situation in Israel is indeed complex, but as a country that has dealt with years of terrorist attacks – especially ones caused by “lone wolves” about whom there is almost no prior intelligence – security forces have adapted to meet the threat head-on.

 

In Jerusalem, a wave of “knife terror” occurred in 2015, a period that tested the collective mettle of Jerusalem security forces. But as a precaution against future events, the entire city’s security system received a boost: More forces overall were stationed around the city, security cameras were installed and the police presence was better felt.

 

A combination of adept security forces and the fact that murders are very sectorial in Israel explains what so many local Israelis feel – that despite everything, Israel feels like a safe place to be in. ■

 

The writer is The Jerusalem Post’s police affairs correspondent and former member of various Israeli security forces. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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Arutz Sheva http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

Good news for olim: Immigrant Absorption Ministry budget to rise by 220 million NIS

Due to the budget increase, funds will be directed to encourage immigration from the US and France and to assist those immigrants.

Israel National News, 25February2023 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/367951

Olim from North America arrive in Israel - Nefesh B'Nefesh

Olim from North America arrive in Israel – Nefesh B’Nefesh

With the approval of Israel’s 2023-2024 budget after a lengthy cabinet meeting on Friday, Immigrant Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer managed to upgrade his ministry’s budget for the coming two years.

 

The ministry will receive an additional budget of 220 million NIS this year and, in 2024, an additional 250 million NIS.

 

Minister Sofer demanded a significant addition to his ministry’s budget in light of the 75,000 new immigrants who arrived in Israel over the past year, nearly three times the amount of those in the previous year. The majority of the new immigrants arrived from Ukraine and Russia as a result of the war between the two nations, and more are expected to arrive from those counties this year as well.

 

The budget will be directed to absorption programs for the many immigrants who arrived in the past year, programs to encourage the immigration of communities and students, and resources to assist new immigrants in joining the workforce. In addition, the ministry will receive an additional 70 positions in the staffing quota, which will help the ministry assign more workers to immigrant programs and reinforce absorption centers.

 

The programs which Minister Sofer is expected to promote will integrate immigrant doctors and other professionals. In the past year, nearly 1000 doctors immigrated to Israel, and their integration into clinics and hospitals is expected to ease the current overcrowding. In addition, 4,000 engineers and 1,700 teachers immigrated to Israel, both professions needed in the Israeli economy.

 

“As I said in recent weeks, without a significant increase in the budget for the ministry, we would be facing a serious crisis in light of the substantial rise in immigration due to the Russia-Ukraine war,” Sofer stated after the cabinet meeting during which the state’s budget was decided.

 

The minister added: “In order to ease the absorption and integration of the immigrants to Israel and to encourage Jews to immigrate to Israel, we have to invest efforts to integrate the immigrants into the workforce by recognizing degrees and diplomas together with teaching the language. I am glad that I managed to enlist the Finance MInistry staff in understanding the importance of aiding immigrants, and despite the budget difficulties, I managed to obtain a substantial addition to my ministry. I thank Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for his support.”

 

In addition, Sofer said that due to the budget increase, he would be able to direct funds to encourage immigration from the US and France: “Over the past year, there was a significant drop of a few dozen percent in the quantity of American and French immigrants. The data from files being opened at the Jewish Agency shows a continuous trend, and this obligates us to form quality absorption programs and programs to encourage immigration from these areas.”

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Ben and Jerry’s Israel-All Kashrut Cholov Yisroel NO Kitniyot-Pesach Ice Cream

Michael Dickson-tweet-16March2023-Passover flavors of Israeli-owned Ben & Jerry’s

Michael Dickson-tweet-16March2023-Passover flavors of Israeli-owned Ben & Jerry’s

Ben and Jerry's-All-Kashrut-Pesach-כל-כשרויות-פסח

Ben and Jerry’s-All-Kashrut-Pesach-כל-כשרויות-פסח

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JewishPress-Logo

New Ben & Jerry’s Limited-Edition Flavor for Lag B’Omer in Israel

By Hana Levi Julian
29 Nisan 5783 – April 20, 2023 https://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/new-ben-jerrys-limited-edition-flavor-for-lab-bomer-in-israel/2023/04/20/

Ben & Jerry's new flavor for Lag B'Omer, 'S'mores'

Ben & Jerry’s new flavor for Lag B’Omer, ‘S’mores’

Photo Credit: courtesy – Ben & Jerry’s new flavor for Lag B’Omer, ‘S’mores’

Israeli ice cream lovers, rejoice!

Ben & Jerry’s Israel has announced it will offer a brand-new flavor – in a limited edition – for the upcoming Lag B’Omer holiday.

The new flavor, “S’mores” will reprise the long-beloved sweet, created annually by countless children at summer campfires, using sweet crackers, chocolate bars and gooey, roasted marshmallows.

The name “s’mores” is an abbreviation of the phrase “some more.”

The Ben & Jerry’s version – only in Israel and only for the Lag B’Omer holiday, will feature ice cream that combines marshmallow with cookie crumbs, chocolate cookie crumbs and pieces of fudge.

The new flavor will be available in all the Israeli food chains, convenience stores and supermarkets where Ben & Jerry’s is sold.

Ben & Jerry's new Lag B'Omer S'mores flavor

Ben & Jerry’s new Lag B’Omer S’mores flavor

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What should be! – Hope kindergarten

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jns-org-logo

It’s time for Jews to say, ‘Sorry, not sorry’

"בית מקדש שלישי בירושלים Third Beit HaMikdash Holy Temple in Jerusalem; And rebuild Jerusalem the holy city soon in our days! Blessed are You, O Lord, Who will rebuild Jerusalem in His mercy.

“בית מקדש שלישי בירושלים Third Beit HaMikdash Holy Temple in Jerusalem; And rebuild Jerusalem the holy city soon in our days! Blessed are You, O Lord, Who will rebuild Jerusalem in His mercy.

The age of the apologetic Jew is over.

JerusalemCats Comments: Pictures and Comments Added

Hillel Fuld 25December2022 https://www.jns.org/opinion/its-time-for-jews-to-say-sorry-not-sorry/

(December 25, 2022 / JNS) For many years, I have felt something that made no sense to me, but I felt it very strongly.

The feeling was that Jews around the world who blatantly support our enemies are worse than our enemies themselves.

 

There are many examples of this, but to keep it simple, I’m talking about Jews who are ashamed of their identity, Israelis who are ashamed of their country and the combination of the two: Jews who are ashamed of their country and Israelis who are ashamed of their Jewish identity.

 

Why do these people bother me so much?

 

Recently, the answer came to me: These people haven’t gotten the memo that Jews don’t have to be apologetic anymore.
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Throughout our history, we were always apologizing:

 

“Sorry, I won’t learn Torah if it offends you, Greeks.”

 

“Sorry if we destroyed your economy, Germans.”

 

It’s not new. It’s even in the Torah. We sent spies to examine the land before entering it, and guess what 10 out of 12 came back saying?

 

“I’m sorry. They are too strong. We can’t do this. We’re too small. We’re too insignificant. Sorry, but no.”

 

Today, we no longer have to apologize.

 

We don’t have to apologize for waving an Israeli flag, for praying on the Temple Mount, for holding a Torah scroll at the Western Wall or for living in our land—all of it.

 

But these people are constantly apologizing:

 

“We’re so sorry about the ‘occupation.’”

 

“We’re so sorry about those crazy religious people who want my kids to know the foundations of our history, our tradition and our religion.”

 

“We’re so sorry about those freaks who want and are willing to fight for every inch of this land.”

 

“We are so sorry that the citizens of Israel have spoken and democratically elected a right-wing government that realizes that there never was an Arab Palestinian state and there never will be.”

 

“We’re sorry, America. Please don’t pull your foreign aid. We depend on you.”

 

Those days are over.

 

We are home and some of us are proud to be home, while others are still stuck in the olden days when Jews would turn the other cheek.

 

Want to know how this manifests? It’s simple: When you are ashamed of who you are, you blame yourself.

 

There are many Jews out there who blame Israel for antisemitism:

 

“If only we didn’t ‘occupy’ the ‘Palestinians,’ there would be no antisemitism.”

 

“If only those ultra-Orthodox Jews wouldn’t dress like that and stick to their ‘primitive ways,’ people wouldn’t hate us so much.”

JerusalemCats Comments: This is what the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) reject:

“Hotel California” (1976)

“It’s our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles. It’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about.” – Don Henley.

"Hotel California (Remastered)" from Hotel California (40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) by Eagles. Released: 2017. Track 1. Genre: Rock.

“Hotel California (Remastered)” from Hotel California (40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) by Eagles. Released: 2017. Track 1. Genre: Rock.

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
I thought I heard them say

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the Captain
“Please bring me my wine.”
He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine.”
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
And in the master’s chambers
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives
But they just can’t kill the beast

Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
“Relax,” said the night man
“We are programmed to receive
You can check-out any time you like
But you can never leave!”

 

 

But they’ll never accept our apology, so it’s time we stop apologizing.

 

The new government is too right-wing for you? You must have confused me for someone who cares about your opinion.

 

Foreign aid? Go ahead, Biden, try to pull it. Try to boycott Israel, BDS. Go for it, let’s see how that goes for you. JerusalemCats Comments: The Ukraine/NATO-Russian War proves that the US sells over priced fragile weapon systems that Israel has to modify to work. The US Military Foreign Aid saves the US Military Trillions of Dollars in development and testing, or would you like the Russians test them out in Ukraine? US Body Bags anyone? See Below:

JerusalemCats Comments: Israel needs to develop it’s own Military Hardware like it did with the Iron Dome.

Oryx-tweet-9June2023-Ukrainian forces abandoned one Leopard 2A6, four M2 Bradleys

Oryx-tweet-9June2023-Ukrainian forces abandoned one Leopard 2A6, four M2 Bradleys

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”) 2018

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”) 2018

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”) 2018

We don’t need you any more than you need us.

Riots in Los Angeles California; Just remember that the only country that the Jews have is Israel אין לי ארץ אחרת"

Riots in Los Angeles California; Just remember that the only country that the Jews have is Israel אין לי ארץ אחרת”

Allow me to officially declare that the era of the apologetic Jew is dead. It should rest in peace.

 

Now let me introduce you to a new creature: the proud Jew.

Ben & Jerry's new logo - in Hebrew

Ben & Jerry’s new logo – in Hebrew

Ben and Jerry’s Israel-All Kashrut Cholov Yisroel NO Kitniyot-Pesach Ice Cream

Michael Dickson-tweet-16March2023-Passover flavors of Israeli-owned Ben & Jerry’s

Michael Dickson-tweet-16March2023-Passover flavors of Israeli-owned Ben & Jerry’s

Ben and Jerry's-All-Kashrut-Pesach-כל-כשרויות-פסח

Ben and Jerry’s-All-Kashrut-Pesach-כל-כשרויות-פסח

 

The world’s vision of Jerusalem from 1949 to 1967 was a place dominated by Christianity in terms of reverence, by Muslims in regards to prominence, and lastly by Jews, whose holiest spot was not even acknowledged and their basic human rights to live and worship were ignored. Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day Flag Dance Jerusalem Day is a day to mark the upending of that dynamic, at least in part.

The world’s vision of Jerusalem from 1949 to 1967 was a place dominated by Christianity in terms of reverence, by Muslims in regards to prominence, and lastly by Jews, whose holiest spot was not even acknowledged and their basic human rights to live and worship were ignored.
Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day Flag Dance
Jerusalem Day is a day to mark the upending of that dynamic, at least in part.

We have a lot to be proud of.

 

20% of all Nobel prizes have been awarded to Jews. We have the most moral army in the world. We are able to balance our military power with our unwavering need to behave morally and ethically, sometimes too ethically.

Since 2000, Israelis have won three times more Nobel Prize per capita in science and economics than the next highest-ranked countries.

Since 2000, Israelis have won three times more Nobel Prize per capita in science and economics than the next highest-ranked countries.

We lead the world in life-changing tech: Medicine, food, you name it, we are at the forefront of it all.

United Hatzalah saving lives

United Hatzalah saving lives

See: Angels on Ambucycles: Jews and Arabs saving lives

 

A 26-tent IDF field hospital set up during an exercise in Beit Naballah, in central Israel, on December 9, 2013. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

A 26-tent IDF field hospital set up during an exercise in Beit Naballah, in central Israel, on December 9, 2013. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)

See: Angels of relief

We took a desert that Mark Twain famously referred to as “a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land” and transformed it into one of the most flourishing societies in the Middle East and the world, and it only took us 75 years.

Mark Twain's Palestine

Mark Twain’s Palestine

See: I Am Israel

 

Rehovot, Israel in 1912

Rehovot, Israel in 1912

 

Jewish Settlements & Colonies

Jewish Settlements & Colonies

 

A KIBBUTZ MEMBER IRRIGATING ORANGE TREES IN THE PLANTATION OF KIBBUTZ NA'AN-September 1935

A KIBBUTZ MEMBER IRRIGATING ORANGE TREES IN THE PLANTATION OF KIBBUTZ NA’AN-September 1935

 

 Picking radishes in the market garden 1960Fields of Neot Mordechai

Picking radishes in the market garden 1960
Fields of Neot Mordechai

 

Potato harvest, Neot Mordechai, Israel – Mobilization of manpower to harvest potatoes 1959 -1960

Potato harvest, Neot Mordechai, Israel – Mobilization of manpower to harvest potatoes 1959 -1960

 

The Jerusalem Chords Bridge or Jerusalem Bridge of Strings גשר המיתרים‎, Gesher HaMeitarim, also called the Jerusalem Light Rail Bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem, Israel, designed by the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The bridge is used by Jerusalem Light Rail’s Red Line, Incorporated in the structure is a glass-sided pedestrian bridge enabling pedestrians to cross from Kiryat Moshe to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station.

The Jerusalem Chords Bridge or Jerusalem Bridge of Strings גשר המיתרים‎, Gesher HaMeitarim, also called the Jerusalem Light Rail Bridge is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge at the entrance to the city of Jerusalem, Israel, designed by the Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The bridge is used by Jerusalem Light Rail’s Red Line, Incorporated in the structure is a glass-sided pedestrian bridge enabling pedestrians to cross from Kiryat Moshe to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station.

 

Fruits Vegetables at Mahane Yehuda Shuk, Jerusalem

Fruits Vegetables at Mahane Yehuda Shuk, Jerusalem

So, it’s time we all declared the apologetic Jew dead and introduced the world to a new breed of Jew, the proud Jew.

Emuna and Dancing with the IDF near Gaza

Emuna and Dancing with the IDF near Gaza

If we don’t respect ourselves, how can we expect the world to?

 

Our new government, despite its shortcomings, represents the proud Jew. There has never been more Torah learning than there is right now. We have never been stronger physically or economically. That’s something to be proud of.

 

This new government will support Torah. It will support the land of Israel—all of it. It will support our needs, not the needs of our enemies.

Nahal Haredi IDF praying in combat

Nahal Haredi IDF praying in combat

We have always talked about and prayed for the people of Israel, with the Torah of Israel, in the land of Israel. And now, we have arrived, not yet to the final destination, but we are well on the way.

Through the desire to come to Eretz Yisrael, this brings about great parnassa (livelihood)

Through the desire to come to Eretz Yisrael, this brings about great parnassa (livelihood)

For that, we, the Jewish people, should be proud, not ashamed and apologetic.

 

Or, in other words: Sorry, not sorry.

 

Hillel Fuld, named Israel’s top marketer, is a leading journalist, tech advisor, online influencer and expert on Israeli innovation.

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How Israel is redefining foreign aid for the 21st century

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”) 2018

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”) 2018

Worldwide activity by Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (“MASHAV”)

By Sam Gordon

6March2018 https://jewishstudies.washington.edu/israel-hebrew/israel-redefining-foreign-aid-21st-century/

With the U.S. trumpeting an “America First” foreign policy, alongside draconian cuts planned for vital aid agencies like USAID, and China visibly increasing aid to the developing world, a new era of development assistance is dawning. This shift is coinciding with what the World Economic Forum is calling the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Data, AI, and the Internet of Things will redefine development in the 21st century, and countries at the forefront of innovative new technologies will gain a distinct competitive advantage.

 

Israel has already been globally recognized as a leader in innovation and technology, and it is now leveraging its technological advances into methods which are helping to redefine how foreign aid is delivered. This technological expertise, combined with its culture and history, grants Israel a unique angle in providing development assistance and establishing relationships with other countries through “development diplomacy.”

 

The government of Israel delivers aid through an organization called MASHAV, a Hebrew acronym for “Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation.” The organization represents an “official development assistance” model, in which a national government provides funding for development projects.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir dancing with Ngina Kenyatta, wife of the first Kenyan Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta, on a 1963 trip.

Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir dancing with Ngina Kenyatta, wife of the first Kenyan Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta, on a 1963 trip.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir established MASHAV in 1957 to reach out to nations in Africa and Asia. Today, MASHAV operates out of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and partners with 132 countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Guatemala. MASHAV seeks to focus on areas where Israel has a competitive advantage, such as technology, water, and education. It also places emphasis on sectors in which it has learned lessons during its own experience transitioning from a newly independent nation to a high-tech power.

 

This model relies on the use of Israeli experts to build up “human capacity” on the ground by training the next generation of professionals in developing countries, teaching them skills they can use to improve their society. To date, Israel has trained over 280,000 individuals.

Training and technology

One recent example of Israel using training and technology to redefine aid is the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP). This project was initiated in 2008 and is jointly operated by the Israeli embassy, the Indian national and state government, the Indian Agriculture Ministry, and MASHAV. The project trains 20,000 farmers a year through Agricultural Centers of Excellence; there are twenty Centers of Agricultural Excellence currently operating throughout India, with an additional seven under construction.

 

Greenhouse tomatoes grown through the IIAP (Indo-Israel Agriculture Project) using Israeli techniques

Greenhouse tomatoes grown through the IIAP (Indo-Israel Agriculture Project) using Israeli techniques

The project’s goal is to boost farmers’ crop productivity by employing advanced Israeli technology and leveraging Israel’s specific expertise in agriculture. Centers are created based on a consultation that considers overlapping sectors of need in India and experience in Israel. Examples include beekeeping, vegetable cultivation, and dairy production.

 

Part of the IIAP involves using “big data, with drones, with other instruments of technology” to determine the proper water needs for each individual plant on a farm. Adviser to the India-Israel CEO Forum Sunil Parek sees the possibilities: “special agriculture technology for targeted plant-single plant-based nutrient supply system[s] can… reduce water requirements & input costs in agriculture significantly.”

 

Israel is hoping that investing in India’s development will pay diplomatic dividends by, for example, increasing trade and promoting a future alliance. This case also reveals trends that will become prevalent in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Though Israel has eight million citizens and India over a billion, it is Israel’s innovation that is driving the relationship.

A legacy of foreign aid

Technology is clearly a factor in how Israel is redefining aid, but Israel’s culture and history also play a vital role. There is a biblical connection in why the Jewish State is committed to providing international aid: Israel has a desire to be viewed as a “light unto the nations.” This phrase, a foundation of Prophetic Judaism, first appeared in the biblical book of Isaiah and was later adapted by Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who said it was a “guiding star” in all of Israel’s efforts. This “guiding star” can be interpreted as an ethical imperative for Israel to be a moral beacon in the world.

 

Israel also wishes to share its own development experience with other countries. As a state that formed successfully following colonial rule by Britain, Israel strives to share its experiences with countries that have similar origins. This idea was especially powerful during Israel’s “golden age of diplomacy” in Africa during the 1960s, when newly independent African leaders looked to Israel for its experience with development issues that were similar to the ones they were facing.

 

Israeli irrigation techniques allow crops to grow on desert land

Israeli irrigation techniques allow crops to grow on desert land

A key component of this was Israel maximizing the potential of the non-arable Negev desert, which encompasses nearly fifty percent of Israeli territory, through the process of drip irrigation. This innovation, developed by Sholmo Blass, ensures that plants grow using “small, but steady drops of water… targeted at their roots” that is “brought to the crops” from a nearby water source such as a lake or reservoir. The method resulted in both water saved and yields that were “higher than any other irrigation technique.” Through MASHAV, Israel has cooperated with over a hundred countries to provide individuals training on water management and irrigation using these techniques.

 

Has this development outreach provided tangible benefits for Israel? Israeli scholar Ayre Oded asserts that international aid has “remained an important arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its efforts to enhance Israel’s standing.”

 

An example of these principles translating into successful diplomacy is Zambia in the 1990s. When Frederick Chiluba won the Zambian presidential elections in 1991, he immediately reinstated diplomatic relations with Israel. As the new Israeli ambassador presented his credentials, Chiluba said that one of the factors motivating him to reinstate relations was his desire to renew MASHAV’s activities in the country. In fact, one of the representatives in Zambian parliament was quoted as saying that they “wanted the Israelis to come back because ‘ten of them’ had done more than the thousands of foreign advisors currently at work in Zambia.”

 

The Zambian example demonstrates how diplomatic results can blossom from sustained development efforts. It also exemplifies how there is a practical as well as an altruistic, “Jewish” angle to Israel’s outreach.

 

Israel will continue to be a key bellwether in understanding how technology will redefine both development and diplomacy in the 21st century.

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US ‘foreign aid’ to Israel: What’s in it for America?

The annual $3.8 billion U.S. investment in Israel saves U.S. lives, strengthens U.S. security and yields an annual rate of return of several hundred percent.

Yoram Ettinger 19December2021 https://www.jns.org/opinion/us-foreign-aid-to-israel-whats-in-it-for-america/

(December 19, 2021 / JNS) 1. Return on investment

In October 2021 and January 2020, Israeli intelligence alerted the United States to Iranian drone and missile attacks on U.S. military installations in southern Syria and Iraq. Two hundred U.S. soldiers (in Syria) and 1,500 U.S. soldiers (in Iraq) took effective shelter.

 

The scope of intelligence shared with the United States by Israel exceeds that provided by all NATO countries combined. It includes data on Iran’s global terrorism and nuclear and ballistic programs; Islamic terrorism targeting the United States and pro-U.S. Arab regimes; battle tactics and military systems of U.S. rivals and enemies; Israeli-developed technologies and battle tactics; Soviet nuclear-equipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, and more.

 

According to General George Keegan, former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence: “I could not have procured the intelligence [received from Israel] with five CIAs.” The annual budget of one CIA is around $15 billion.

 

Israel is the most cost-effective battle-testing laboratory for U.S. defense industries, employing (with much gratitude!) hundreds of U.S. military systems, sharing with the U.S. manufacturers lessons learned (operation, maintenance, repairs), which are later integrated as upgrades. These upgrades enhance U.S. global competitiveness, spare the United States billions of dollars and many years of research and development, increase U.S. exports and expand U.S. employment.

 

According to Lockheed-Martin, Israel’s use of the F-16 fighter jet has yielded over 700 upgrades, netting the manufacturer a mega-billion-dollar bonanza. A similar bonanza was received by McDonnell-Douglas, the manufacturer of the F-15 fighter. The benefits to the United States deriving from Israel’s experience with the more sophisticated and expensive F-35 are substantially higher.

 

According to the late Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and General Alexander Haig, “Israel is the largest US aircraft carrier, which does not require American soldiers on board, cannot be sunk, and is deployed in a most critical region, economically and militarily, sparing the US the need to manufacture, deploy and maintain more real aircraft carriers and additional ground divisions, which would cost the US some $15 billion annually.”

 

The formulation of U.S. battle tactics is largely based on Israel’s battle experience. For instance, U.S. special operations units (on their way to Iraq and previously to Afghanistan) and urban warfare specialists are trained in Israel. The U.S. Air Force benefits greatly from joint maneuvers with the Israeli Air Force, which possesses much more battle experience, shedding light on the far-reaching capabilities of U.S.-made combat aircraft.

 

Israel is an innovation hub (second only to the United States), hosting more than 200 U.S. tech giants, which operate research and development centers in the country, leveraging the brain power of the “Start Up Nation.”

 

Israel is a unique commercial and defense force-multiplier for the United States, extending America’s strategic reach without the presence of U.S. troops (unlike Europe, South Korea and Japan), while deterring and preempting regional rogue entities, which threaten the United States and pro-U.S. Arab regimes.

More data is available here.

2. From misperceived liability to unique asset

In 1948, the State Department, Pentagon, CIA, The New York Times and the Washington Post opposed the establishment of the Jewish state, considering it a feeble pro-Soviet entity, unable to withstand an Arab offensive; a burden on the United States.

 

Israel’s 1967 victory obliterated the military of then pro-Soviet Egypt, which aimed to topple every pro-U.S. Arab oil-producing regime, at a time when the United States was heavily dependent upon Persian Gulf oil. It spared the United States a major economic and national security setback and dealt a severe blow to the USSR. Israel shared with the United States captured Soviet military systems (including surface-to-air missile batteries and tanks) and game-changing battle tactics. This event changed the U.S. perception of Israel from burden to asset.

 

In December 1969, an Israeli commando unit snatched from Egypt the most advanced Soviet P-12 radar system, and transferred its technologies to the United States (the Senate Intelligence Committee assessed the value of this gift at $3 billion), enhancing the capabilities of U.S. defense industries and the U.S. armed forces.

 

In 1966, 1968 and 1989, Israel acquired (through defecting Arab pilots) Mig-21, 17 and 23 fighter jets, which were shared with the United States, upgrading the U.S. Air Force capabilities.

 

In 1970, Israel demonstrated its effective posture of deterrence, forcing pro-Soviet Syria to roll back its invasion of pro-U.S. Jordan by buttressing its military presence on the Syria-Israel-Jordan border (the Golan Heights)—at the request of the United States—at a time when the United States was bogged down in Southeast Asia.

 

In 1981, Israel destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, sparing the United States a potential nuclear confrontation in the 1991 Gulf War.

The transformation of Iran (1978/79) and Turkey (2003) from favored U.S. allies to major enemy/adversaries highlighted Israel as the only effective, reliable and democratic Middle East U.S. ally.

 

In 2007, Israel destroyed the Syrian-Iranian-North Korean nuclear reactor, sparing the globe a potential nuclearized civil war in Syria.

 

Since 2010, the “Arab Tsunami” has traumatized the Arab Street, underscoring Israel’s role as a unique U.S. ally, against the backdrop of the inherently intra-Arab violence, instability, unpredictability and tenuous nature of Arab regimes, policies and accords.

 

In 2021, the United States could terminate its military presence in the Persian Gulf if there were an Israel-like entity in that region.

More data is available here.

3. Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) benefits the United States

Israel’s QME has:

• Upgraded its posture as a U.S. beachhead and force multiplier—with no need for U.S. soldiers—in the inherently explosive junction of Europe, Asia and Africa, between the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, which is an epicenter of regional and global Islamic terrorism, the proliferation of ballistic technologies, and drug trafficking.

 

• Bolstered its performance as a cost-effective battle-testing laboratory for the U.S. defense industry and armed forces, increasing U.S. exports, expanding U.S. employment and enhancing the formulation of U.S. battle tactics.

 

• Reinforced Israel’s posture of deterrence against Islamic terrorist organizations and rogue regimes, which have targeted the United States and all pro-U.S. Arab regimes.

 

• Constrained the maneuverability of Iran, Syria and Russia in Syria and Lebanon, serving as a critical line of defense for the highly vulnerable pro-U.S Hashemite regime in Jordan.

 

• Scaled down regional instability, reducing the threat of regional wars and terrorism, while enticing the relatively moderate and pro-U.S. Arab regimes to seek peace and normalization with Israel.

 

• Motivated the Arab Gulf States—in the face of Iran’s ayatollahs—to dramatically improve ties with Israel.

 

• Facilitated relatively swift and decisive military operations—with fewer losses to both sides—limiting the scope of Israel-Arab conflicts, regionally and globally.

 

• Eased a gradual U.S. military withdrawal from the Middle East, while Israel’s military capabilities fill in the geo-strategic void.

 

However, Israel’s QME is not an effective substitute for the topography of the Golan Heights and the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which dominate the geographic sliver along the Mediterranean of pre-1967 Israel.  Israel’s QME could be erased tomorrow, not so its topographic edge.

More data is available here.

Conclusion

The aforementioned data reaffirms the fact that the United States’ annual $3.8 billion constitute a most productive investment in—not foreign aid to—Israel, yielding an annual rate of return of several hundred percent.

 

Thus, U.S.-Israel relations constitute a mutually beneficial two-way street—with the flow of benefits from Israel to the United States expanding by the day.

 

Yoram Ettinger is a former ambassador and head of Second Thought: A U.S.-Israel Initiative.

This article was first published by The Ettinger Report.

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Caroline Glick-tweet-17July2023-US aid to Israel is a disaster for Israel on every level

Caroline Glick-tweet-17July2023-US aid to Israel is a disaster for Israel on every level

Foreign aid? Go ahead, Biden, try to pull it. Try to boycott Israel, BDS. Go for it, let’s see how that goes for you. JerusalemCats Comments: The Ukraine/NATO-Russian War proves that the US sells over priced fragile weapon systems that Israel has to modify to work. The US Military Foreign Aid saves the US Military Trillions of Dollars in development and testing, or would you like the Russians test them out in Ukraine? US Body Bags anyone? See Below:

JerusalemCats Comments: Israel needs to develop it’s own Military Hardware like it did with the Iron Dome.

Oryx-tweet-9June2023-Ukrainian forces abandoned one Leopard 2A6, four M2 Bradleys

Oryx-tweet-9June2023-Ukrainian forces abandoned one Leopard 2A6, four M2 Bradleys

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End U.S. Aid to Israel

America’s manipulation of the Jewish state is endangering Israel and American Jews

by Jacob Siegel and Liel Leibovitz

17July2023  https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/end-american-aid-israel

Two years ago, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez famously wept in Congress after changing her vote on funding Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system from “no” to “present.” The New York Times said that the incident showed progressive members of “the Squad” “caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party, such as influential lobbyists and rabbis.” (The line was later removed with no correction.) In People magazine, the congresswoman’s procedural maneuver to avoid voting was appreciated for its pathos: “Ocasio-Cortez Opens Up About Israel Iron Dome Vote That Left Her in Tears: ‘Yes, I Wept.’” In the end, the resolution passed the House 420-9.

 

Ocasio-Cortez’s bit of Kabuki theater fit neatly into the premade mythology of a domineering Israel lobby, popularized by academic John Mearsheimer, whose views are experiencing a burst of popularity in isolationist corners of the right. His central claim—that America has been pressured by an all-powerful, determined ethnoreligious lobby into acting against its own interests—is made explicit in references to “influential lobbyists and rabbis,” in Rep. Ilhan Omar’s tweets that U.S. support for Israel is “all about the Benjamins,” and in graphics like The New York Times’ infamous “Jew-tracker” that policed support for Barack Obama’s Iran deal according to the religion of members of Congress.

 

Belief in the mythic power of “the lobby” rests on a common article of faith that is shared by Israel’s loudest critics and most fervent supporters—namely, that U.S. military aid forms the cornerstone of the “special relationship” between the two nations, and that this aid is a gift that powerfully benefits Israel. Cutting off Israel’s D.C. cash pipeline, it’s assumed, would dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East: in one scenario by endangering Israel’s security, and in another by forcing its recalcitrant leaders to accept the enlightened proposals of Western policymakers.

 

While this fantasy version of the U.S.-Israeli relationship is useful for stirring up emotions and demonstrating partisan loyalties, it does more to flatter the self-importance of Israel-aid opponents and supporters alike than it does to describe an increasingly warped reality, in which Israel ends up sacrificing far more value in return for the nearly $4 billion it annually receives from Washington. That’s because nearly all military aid to Israel—other than loan guarantees, which cost Washington nothing, the U.S. gives Israel no other kind of aid—consists of credits that go directly from the Pentagon to U.S. weapons manufacturers.

 

In return, American payouts undermine Israel’s domestic defense industry, weaken its economy, and compromise the country’s autonomy—giving Washington veto power over everything from Israeli weapons sales to diplomatic and military strategy. When Washington meddles directly in Israel’s domestic affairs, as it does often these days, Israeli leaders who have lobbied for these payments—including current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—are simply reaping the rewards of their own penny-wise, pound-foolish efforts.

 

As the costs to Israel of U.S. aid have skyrocketed over the past decade, the benefits of the relationship to the U.S. have only grown larger. Aid is popular with key voting blocs (few of them Jewish). It functions as a lucrative backdoor subsidy to U.S. arms makers, and provides Congress and the White House with a tool to leverage influence over a key strategic ally. The Israeli military, often ranked as the fourth-most powerful in the world, has become an adjunct to American power in a crucial region in which the U.S. has lost the appetite for projecting military force. Israeli intelligence functions as America’s eyes and ears, not just in the Middle East but in other key strategic theaters like Russia and Central Asia and even parts of Latin America. Controlling access to the output of Israel’s powerful high-tech sector is a strategic advantage for the U.S. that alone is worth many multiples of the credits Israel receives. Meanwhile, the optics of bringing the snarling Israeli attack dog to heel helps credential the U.S. as a global power that plays fair—but must also be feared.

“The alternative to this unequal relationship based on dependence is a more forthrightly transactional relationship, which would allow Israel to benefit economically, diplomatically, and strategically.”

It’s no wonder that one well-known regional expert we consulted, who served in high security-related positions in the U.S. government, was horrified when we proposed ending American aid to Israel. When we asked which of our arguments were overstated or mistaken, this person answered: “None of them. But my job is to represent the American interest. Aid to Israel is the biggest bargain we have on our books. Ending it would be a disaster for us. I just don’t see who it benefits.”

 

We do. The alternative to this unequal relationship based on dependence is a more forthrightly transactional relationship, which would allow Israel to benefit economically, diplomatically, and strategically. It might also, we believe, diminish the current American infatuation with treating the Jewish state as a moral allegory in U.S. political psychodramas, rather than as a tiny country in the Middle East with its own local challenges and considerable advantages to offer the highest bidder. The current hyperpolarized atmosphere around Israel is not good for anyone—not for an America whose political class is looking to distract people from its own failings; not for a majority of the world’s Jews who live in Israel; and not for American Jews, who have come to identify their civic role with serving as props in an expiring piece of political theater. When the curtain comes down, they’ll find themselves without a role—and cut off from the 3,000-year-long Jewish historical continuum that is, or was, their inheritance.

 

Ending aid would not mean the end of the U.S.-Israeli military alliance, intelligence sharing, trade, or any mutual affinity between the countries. Rather, it would allow both sides to see what each is getting in return for what. In the words of retired IDF Major General Gershon Hacohen: “Once we are not economically dependent on them, the partnership can flourish on its own merits.”

 

Contrary to the blather about an “eternal relationship,” the U.S.-Israel alliance is a fairly recent coinage. America was not particularly involved in the creation of the Jewish state. When Israel declared its independence and was attacked by eight Arab armies in 1948, Washington extended diplomatic recognition to the new nation but refused to sell it arms, even pressuring other countries to deny weapons to the Israelis.

 

In 1956, when Czechoslovakia, then a satellite of the Soviet Union, sent a shipment of weapons to Egypt, Israel’s Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion implored American President Dwight Eisenhower “not to leave Israel without an adequate capacity for its self-defense.” But Eisenhower believed that a policy of “evenhandedness” would allow his administration to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict and strengthen America’s position in the Middle East, so he refused the request. When Israel, in partnership with Britain and France, seized the Suez Canal, Eisenhower made them give it back, and aligned the U.S. with Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser—in what Eisenhower later described as one of the worst mistakes of his presidency.

 

Eisenhower’s approach to the Middle East would change during his later years in office, but not before the Israelis found a different superpower patron: France. In addition to gunboats and fighter planes, the French supplied the Israelis with their single greatest strategic asset to date—the country’s nuclear program, which by the mid 1960s had produced several nuclear bombs despite the best efforts of President John F. Kennedy and his State Department to stop it. France continued to be Israel’s leading military supporter until the runup to the Six-Day War, when French leader Charles de Gaulle imposed an embargo on weapons sales to the country in expectation of a Soviet-backed Arab victory. After Israel took out the Egyptian and Syrian air forces on the ground in the first six hours of the war using French Mirages, it became clear that de Gaulle had bet wrong—and a newly powerful Israel entered the market for a new great power backer.

 

This, then, is when the U.S. began substantial arms sales to Israel, picking up the card that de Gaulle had discarded and playing it back against the Soviet Union, which as the dominant power in the region was backing the Arab states. From the beginning, the U.S. military partnership with Israel came with political conditions. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel’s fate hung in the balance until Henry Kissinger convinced Richard Nixon to resupply Israel with ammunition for U.S.-made weapons systems, which America was withholding. In 1975, the Ford administration suspended arms sales as a tactic to pressure Israel into signing a new “Sinai accord” with Egypt.

 

Formal U.S. military aid to Israel, as opposed to loans and cash-on-delivery arms sales, started in 1979, when the Carter administration offered it as a carrot to get Israel to agree to withdraw from all of Sinai as part of a peace deal with Egypt. The same deal provided a comparable sum of U.S. military aid and arms to Egypt, for many years the second-largest recipient of U.S. foreign military financing after Israel. Notably, the aid to Egypt was given despite the country’s displaying no capacity to deploy military force outside its own borders—the goal being to achieve a rough form of U.S.-brokered parity between the two recent foes.

 

These days, the appearance of massive U.S. largesse to Israel reinforces the claim that America provides Israel with a “blank check.” In 2019, leading liberal and progressive candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for president, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Julian Castro, all voiced support for making aid a condition of Israel allowing the U.S. to dictate its internal politics. “I would use the leverage of $3.8 billion—it is a lot of money,” said Sanders. “We cannot give ‘carte blanche’ to the Israeli government.”

 

Sanders is right that $3.8 billion is a lot of money. But he is either irresponsibly mistaken or being deliberately manipulative in his claim that it is offered “carte blanche.” U.S. financing for the Israeli military more than pays for itself, and has always had conditions attached. Aid to Israel has never been an act of charity or a payment extorted by “the lobby,” but a tool to advance American interests. The list of these interests can change—historically, it has included counterterrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, and a balance of military power that favors America’s dominant strategic position in the Middle East. What doesn’t change is that America’s foreign policy relationships are always rooted in the calculations of American politicians and elites.

 

Shortly before he left office, President Obama signed the largest aid package in history, committing the U.S. to send Israel $38 billion over a decade starting in 2018. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) capped the efforts of an administration that had spent the previous eight years downgrading the U.S.-Israeli alliance to the point of spying on pro-Israel members of Congress. After all the acrimony over the Iran deal, the landmark aid agreement shut up Obama’s critics by “proving” that he was in fact a stalwart ally of Israel, even as he was gifting Iran with a nuclear bomb—which the Iranians would presumably use to fulfill their threats to “wipe the Zionist entity off the map.” Even Obama’s archnemesis Netanyahu thanked the U.S. president for the “historic deal.”

 

In reality, the MOU advanced Obama’s goal of paying lip service to Israeli fears while constraining future Israeli actions, in line with a new American strategic architecture in which the interests of traditional allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia would be “balanced” with those of their mortal enemy, Iran. It deepened Israel’s reliance on U.S. arms and military spending, while extending Washington’s reach into Israel’s domestic affairs. Paradoxically, the “most generous” package ever was an instrument to downgrade the U.S. commitment to Israel. The MOU purchased both influence over Israel and the acquiescence of American Jews who were expected, in the face of such public generosity, to go along with the White House policy of strengthening Iran, while upholding the narrative that Obama was Israel’s “best friend.”

 

Why is it important to present Israel as America’s best friend, and as central to American decision-making? Because it’s easier than telling the truth, which is that many American foreign aid arrangements are ultimately rooted in enriching a morally profligate arms industry that is financially headquartered in the U.S. but invested in conflict on a global scale. Recently, U.S. military aid to both Israel and the Palestinian territories has been dwarfed by U.S. aid to Ukraine, which last year totaled over $75 billion. That’s more aid than Israel has received from the U.S. during the entirety of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

 

Last week, President Biden authorized the military to deploy up to 3,000 reservists to Europe in support of Ukraine’s war effort. There are, at present, an undisclosed number of American troops operating in Ukraine alongside the other 80-some countries where the U.S. has forces stationed. By contrast, no American soldier or pilot has ever risked their lives for Israel, and no American missile or aircraft has ever flown in Israel’s defense. Such are the myths and realities of “the lobby.”

 

In any age of political decay, social dysfunction, economic volatility, and geopolitical danger, it has been convenient and comforting to blame the Jews. The current American elite is not interested in frank public discourse about its own complicity in our national troubles. Ending aid won’t end the practice of scapegoating Jews, but it will remove a favorite decoy and dog whistle of American public officials, administrators, bureaucrats, philanthropists, and thought leaders. It might even force them to be more honest with the public—not least about what our Middle East strategy is actually supposed to accomplish.

 

The Israeli political class has known about the lopsided reality of the U.S.-Israel arrangement for some time, but for the past eight or nine years seems to have decided the farce had some value. For them, U.S. aid is valuable not because it is a good deal for Israel’s military-tech complex, but because the appearance of close strategic alignment with the U.S. serves as a public, tangible pledge, renewed annually, of Great Power backing, in a world that is largely hostile to the country’s existence. Even now, as it’s clear from Washington’s courtship of Iran that U.S. security pledges no longer mean what they once did (ask the Afghans, or before them the Vietnamese, Cambodians, and a long list of other former recipients of U.S. military aid), the value of these pledges to Israel has been based on the belief that other parties believe in them—and are therefore constrained accordingly. The point is for the world’s only hyperpower to be seen publicly putting a big diamond ring on Israel’s finger, even if the diamond is actually made of glass. The more “special” the relationship appears to others, the better.

 

As the price of its dependency, Israel is now being forced to downgrade its own defense industries. Whereas the previous MOU contained a special provision for Off-Shore Procurement (OSP) that allowed Israel to spend around 26% of the aid it received on domestic products, the new terms require that all aid received from Washington be spent inside the U.S. In 2018, Israel’s Defense Ministry projected that the new MOU would cost the country $1.3 billion annually in lost revenue and cause the loss of some 22,000 jobs. Moshe Gafni, a former chairman of the Knesset’s financial committee, warned of the deal’s “severe ramifications for the delicate fabric of the State of Israel, harming its security.” A separate assessment in 2020 by the Israeli think tank INSS, concluded that “anywhere between several thousand and 20,000 of the 80,000 jobs in the defense industries in Israel will be lost.”

 

In return for accepting Obama’s aid package, Israel has now become dangerously reliant on U.S. military technology. The result of this enforced dependency, according to the retired General Hacohen, is stunting the IDF. “Israel is so addicted to advanced U.S. platforms, and the U.S. weaponry they deliver, that we’ve stopped thinking creatively in terms of operational concepts,” Hacohen told the U.S. publication Defense News in 2016—two years before the new MOU went into effect.

 

This is especially dangerous because, having short-circuited Israeli competition and dumped tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment into Ukraine, the U.S. is increasingly having trouble arming itself—let alone anyone else. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found systemic problems in the U.S. procurement system leading to widespread delays. The report found that more than half of the 26 major defense acquisition programs under review “had yet to deliver operational capability” and were delayed due to “supplier disruptions, software development delays, and quality control deficiencies.” And what does get produced often isn’t up to par. As part of its “special arrangement,” Israel gets preferential access to the F-35, but is then locked into a fleet of aircraft both riddled with technical problems and a poor fit for Israel’s strategic air priorities. At the risk of stating the obvious, it would be nice to be able to shop on the open market.

 

The consequences for Israel’s economy and to the country’s security posture will get more severe in coming years as the full bill from the MOU comes due. According to a congressional report, the “phasing out [of] Off-Shore Procurement (OSP) is to decrease slowly until FY2024, and then phase out more dramatically over the MOU’s last five years, ending entirely in FY2028.” As a consequence, the report notes “some Israeli defense contractors are merging with U.S. companies or opening U.S. subsidiaries”—in other words, transferring their personnel and capacities from Israel to the U.S.

 

So, in return for a so-called “aid package” that actually costs Israel a fortune, the Jewish state is now tethered to its benefactor’s Iran-centric foreign policy and prohibited from capitalizing on its own considerable capabilities, while granting the U.S. access to its best military and scientific minds at a heavily reduced rate of pennies on the dollar. In turn, the ostensible largesse of this arrangement transforms Israel into a scapegoat for every lunatic conspiracy theorist in America to indulge in Jew-baiting in the guise of pontificating about “U.S. foreign policy.”

 

Had this been 1981, say, you could safely argue that Israel hardly has any choice but to depend on the kindness of strangers and disregard any unpleasant blowback. Back then, the Jewish state worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that President Reagan’s sale of the AWACS weapons system to the Saudis came with a consolation prize for Jerusalem as well.

 

But the Israel of 2023 is immeasurably wealthier and more powerful than the dusty socialist country of 40 years ago, where local electrical grids could be overloaded by American hair dryers.

 

The growth of Israel’s independent capacities are particularly obvious in the military arena. According to some estimates, Arab states purchased about a quarter of Israel’s $12.5 billion arms exports in 2022, a number that keeps growing. Add to that India, a growing market—and the recent buyer of a $1.1 billion Phalcon advanced early-warning system—and you have a robust nation perfectly capable of striking bilateral deals with partners that aren’t superpowers hellbent on containing and downgrading their allies.

 

Still, a small but powerful cadre of Israelis seems invested in the idea that nothing has changed. Certain former generals, politicians, investors, and intellectuals in Israel—often graduates of elite American universities who enjoy strong ties to American corporations and NGOs—can’t imagine a scenario other than fealty to the Big Brother across the ocean. They see Washington not only as a crucial ally, but as the center of all power and legitimacy. It is the U.S., after all, that bestows fellowships in prestigious think tanks and sabbaticals at Harvard that have become essential markers of global professional success—and who helps them fight their enemies at home. While this small, American-adjacent clique is increasingly finding themselves on the unkind end of the voters’ ballots (see under: Barak, Ehud), they maintain a powerful ability to stoke fears about how displeasing America could threaten the entire Jewish future.

 

In this, they are joined by Jewish communal leaders stateside. It is a bitter irony that organized pro-Israel political advocacy in America places “support full security assistance to Israel” at the top of its list of policy objectives. In doing so, these groups are setting a strategic trap in which being “pro-Israel” requires supporting a policy of U.S. soft power projection that conditions Israel to act as a satrap of Washington, and go along with a regional policy that poses a direct threat to the country’s longer-term prosperity and survival.

 

Indeed, in order to maintain their own power, the entire cosmos of American Jewish organizations, with few exceptions, is now dedicated almost exclusively to maintaining an arrangement that cripples Israel’s capacity for independent action, while locking American Jews into a permanent posture of appearing to suck the U.S. government dry in order to fund their own niche overseas project.

“American Jews have been herded into understanding Israel through the narrow prism of a 60-year-old political deal that has passed its sell-by date.”

This goes deeper than politics. Instead of looking at the Jewish state through the prism of a commitment that is as old as human civilization itself, and whose stakes include the physical survival of the Jewish people, American Jews have been herded into understanding Israel through the narrow prism of a 60-year-old political deal that has passed its sell-by date.

 

With Israel and Israelis increasingly a mystery to them, the only issue around which American Jews feel permitted to organize these days is antisemitism—and even then only as defined from above. Hence, we aren’t actually allowed to look at the major sources and manifestations of this phenomenon, which are anti-Zionism and attacks on religious Jews, but instead are urged to sign on to celebrity-driven, Instagram-friendly messaging campaigns whose actual beneficiaries—like those of other viral “justice” crusades—are, at best, unclear.

 

The whole charade has to end. External hostility has more or less been the Jewish fate since the time of the ancient Greeks. Yet Jews are still here—having somehow survived the previous 3,000 years and revived their historic homeland again without relying on U.S. military aid packages or officially sanctioned declarations against antisemitism that elevate people who hate us.

 

The irony is that American history, Jewish history, and the modern State of Israel already share a deeper, richer link than any provided by aid or social media: a belief in divine election, which also guided the Founding Fathers as they struggled to erect the political and moral foundations of the early republic.

 

If that sounds too lofty, too overblown, too religious, the same point stands on grounds of mere self-preservation, as evidenced by the history of Jews in Egypt, in Spain, and in Vienna whose survival strategy was to seek protection by those who happened to be in power at a given moment. The imperative to transcend such a strategy is not insular or backwards; it’s the powerful realpolitik of Jewish history.

 

Cut the stranglehold of aid. Let America pursue its interests. Let Israel, too, follow its own interests, which sometimes align with those of Washington and sometimes don’t. If Israelis think it will ensure their security to decapitate the Iranian regime, or give the Golan Heights on a platter to Bashar Assad, or develop their own homemade fighter plane and sell it to India or Saudi Arabia, let them go ahead. And let American Jews who care about being Jewish focus on observance and learning their people’s history, instead of pimping for Lockheed Martin. If the commitment to Israel is deeper than mere political fashion, if it is more than a secularized idolatry, then it’s time to prove it—by smashing the ideological idols of America’s Israel debate.

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Israel government is new normal in the Middle East

New coalition signals normalization of Israeli politics in a China-led era of fast-shifting geopolitical

by David P Goldman 03January2023 https://asiatimes.com/2023/01/israel-government-is-new-normal-in-the-middle-east/?mc_cid=c4f3b6b009&mc_eid=9a559f479b

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu adjusts his kippah after speaking at a special session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, to approve and swear in a new government, in Jerusalem on December 29, 2022. Photo: Pool / Amir Cohen

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu adjusts his kippah after speaking at a special session of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to approve and swear in a new government, in Jerusalem on December 29, 2022. Photo: Pool / Amir Cohen

JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government is anything but the manifestation of extremism portrayed in most of the world’s media.

 

Typical of misreporting in the Western press was Le Monde’s December 28 assertion that “the new coalition gives pride of place to Jewish extremists and the ultra-Orthodox, who plan to weaken the judiciary and expand settlements.”

 

On the contrary: The new coalition embodies the normalization of Israeli politics, that is, the politics of a Jewish State in the Middle East.

 

Israel’s “new normal” may find an alignment with a changing political landscape in the Middle East, especially if negotiations to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia succeed. This new alignment is the work of regional players, with China in a supporting role. The United States and other Western countries, meanwhile, have become bit players.

 

The success of the two national religious parties in the last election and their prominent place denotes the emergence of a Jewish nationalist center that seeks accommodation with the Arab world at large, as opposed to the radical fringe of Palestinian irredentists who have an exaggerated share of the global limelight. It also denotes a greater distance between the United States, which hosts the world’s second-largest Jewish community after Israel, and Israel itself.

 

Israel’s fifth national election in four years appears to have established a new and enduring majority. Netanyahu’s previous governments depended on a shaky alliance between the secular right-wing (Likud) and the Haredi religious parties. This arrangement was inherently unstable; the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) for the most part have little interest in Jewish nationalism and lobby for subsidies for their own communities.

 

This time, as numerous analysts have observed, some of the ultra-Orthodox vote, especially among younger Haredi, shifted to the nationalist religious parties. That, plus the law-and-order voter shift from the center, gives Netanyahu a solid and possibly lasting majority.

Terrorist Incidents per Month in Israel September 2020 - November 2022

Terrorist Incidents per Month in Israel September 2020 – November 2022

Israeli voters shifted their support to parties that insisted that Israel would deal with its own security problems according to its own requirements. A surge of support for Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Strength”) was a law-and-order vote more than anything else.

 

A surge in terrorist attacks on Israelis directed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad lifted the monthly count to more than 400 in October, the month of the elections.

 

Many Israelis from all walks of life told me that they had voted for the religious-nationalist ticket for the first time in response to the terror attacks. Ben-Gvir will have enhanced powers over Israel’s police in his new capacity as minister for national security.

 

Hamas, the governing entity in Gaza under a charter that demands the destruction of the State of Israel, likely took heart from Robert Malley’s return to office as Biden’s special envoy to Iran.

 

In 2008, the Obama campaign fired Malley for engaging in personal outreach to Hamas, only to bring him back as chief coordinator of operations against the Islamic State.

 

The military capability of Hamas has only nuisance value. Its sole stratagem is to engineer civilian casualties among Arabs in order to accuse Israel of human rights violations.

 

In May 2021 alone, Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists fired more than 4,340 rockets from Gaza at civilian targets in Israel. These rockets killed ten Israelis, but many of them fell back inside Gaza, killing more than 90 Palestinian Arabs.

 

That is, Hamas and Islamic Jihad killed ten Arab civilians for every Israeli civilian killed in missile attacks. Hamas uses Gaza civilians as human shields, by its own admission firing rockets at Israel from schools and hospitals.

 

Maximizing civilian deaths in order to accuse the Israelis of human rights violations recalls the classic definition of the Aramaic-Yiddish word chutzpah, namely a man kills his parents and then asks for clemency on the grounds that he is an orphan. But this charade has a sympathetic audience in the left wing of American politics.

Members of the Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, march in Gaza in a file photo. Photo: AFP / Emmanuel Dunand

Members of the Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, march in Gaza in a file photo. Photo: AFP / Emmanuel Dunand

When Israeli soldiers raided a Hamas cell in the West Bank town of Jenin last May 11, a stray Israeli bullet killed Shireen Abu Akleha, a Palestinian Arab journalist embedded with a terror group.

 

Under pressure from the left wing of the Democratic Party, which imagines that the Palestine conflict is a cognate of the American civil rights movement, the Biden administration on November 14 announced an FBI investigation into the shooting, despite a previous assurance that it wouldn’t.

 

Only 34% of Democrats (versus 66% of Republicans) have a favorable view of Israel’s government, according to a May 2022 Pew Research poll conducted while then-prime minister Yair Lapid made every effort to placate Washington.

 

The knee-jerk anti-imperialism of Third World governments continues to produce majorities for UN General Assembly resolutions condemning Israel, although the majorities are shrinking as more developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, vote with Israel or abstain.

 

More important than the UN General Assembly vote, though, is a shift in regional alliances that for the most part works in Israel’s favor.

 

Hamas, strictly speaking, is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist Islamic sect founded in 1928. The Brotherhood combines extreme Islamism with the organizational structure of a modern totalitarian party.

 

In the past, the Islamist government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Hamas, most visibly with the 2010 “Gaza flotilla” that sought to break the joint Egyptian-Israeli blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza.

 

Turkey provided refuge to Hamas and other Muslim Brotherhood operatives. This put pressure on the Arab Gulf states, which view the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to the Arab monarchies.

 

In 2016, an officers’ coup tried and failed to overthrow Erdogan. The Turkish leader blamed the Gulf States, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for backing the coup. In 2018, when Israel suppressed attacks from Gaza, Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Jerusalem.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has changed his tune on Israel. Photo: AFP / Mustafa Kamaci

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has changed his tune on Israel. Photo: AFP / Mustafa Kamaci

Turkey has now exchanged ambassadors with Israel, patched up relations with the UAE and reportedly expelled dozens of Hamas operatives. Turkey’s economic fortunes have reversed; the Turkish lira, in free-fall during 2021, stabilized during 2022, and Turkey’s depressed stock market doubled in US dollar terms, the best-performing stock market in the world.

 

Direct investment from the Gulf States helped Turkey, but (as I reported on December 15) a surge of Chinese exports to Turkey, presumably with Chinese trade financing, probably was the biggest driver of Turkey’s turnaround.

 

Turkey’s realignment with Israel, the Gulf States and China creates a new security architecture in the region. Iran is marginalized, emphatically so after China signed a December 9 joint statement with the Gulf States admonishing Iran for supporting terrorist activity in the region, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Saudi Arabia.

 

All of Israel’s major parties, emphatically including the national religious parties, agree that the country’s most urgent diplomatic goal is to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, the guardian of Islam’s holy sites. Normal relations with the Saudi kingdom, Netanyahu argues, would establish peace between Israel and the Arab world.

 

A great deal has changed since US liberals during the Obama administration envisioned a Middle East security architecture with Iran at the center. Instead, Turkey has moved into center position, with China’s economic backing.

 

Turkey has had to give up (or at least defer) its ambition to be the center of the Muslim world, in exchange for a rescue from the brink of economic chaos. Iran is the self-isolating odd man out, even where China is concerned.

 

The two-state solution that has occupied so much of the attention of Western governments is not on the agenda. It never really was. Hamas abhors the notion of a Jewish state of any kind. The Fatah faction that controls the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank notionally supports a two-state solution but in practice has done everything possible to stop it.

 

In a June 25, 2009 interview with the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Israeli government under former Likud prime minister Ehud Olmert had offered PA President Mahmoud Abbas territory equal in size to 100% of the land occupied in 1967.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas doesn’t really want his own state. Photo: AFP / Alex Brandon / Pool

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas doesn’t really want his own state. Photo: AFP / Alex Brandon / Pool

Abbas doesn’t want his own state, for several reasons. The Israelis unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and let the Palestine Authority take over in 2005, but Hamas took over in a violent 2007 coup. Abbas rightly fears the same outcome on the West Bank. In the meantime, Western subsidies make the PA a lucrative enterprise.

 

After years of Charlie Brown-and-the-football-games with the Palestine Authority, most Israelis are tired of hearing about the two-state solution. Only 31% of Israelis supported the notion while 60% opposed it, according to a recent poll.

 

In Judea, the biblical heartland of the ancient Jewish kingdom, an official of the Jewish settlers’ community said that the national religious parties would welcome a Gulf State presence on the West Bank, for example, to beautify the area around the tombs of the patriarch Abraham in Hebron.

 

The site is holy to Muslims as well as Jews, housing a mosque as well as a synagogue.

Follow David P Goldman on Twitter at @davidpgoldman

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Jordan: A whole country going on Silicon Valley Bank. Cash has dried up at several Jordanian banks

Mudar Adnan Zahran-tweet-27March2023-Jordan-A whole country going on Silicon Valley Bank

Mudar Adnan Zahran-tweet-27March2023-Jordan-A whole country going on Silicon Valley Bank

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The Jordan Option is finally being actualized

This means the King is abdicating.

By Ted Belman 3July2023  https://www.israpundit.org/the-jordan-option-is-finally-being-actualized/

The Jordan Option is finally being actualized

 

The President of the Jordan Coalition for Change, Abedalelah Amaala, tweeted on July 28th,

Abdullah II, Rania, his son Hussein, his hope, his prime minister and his entire government are outside Jordan in a tourist resort. Jordan is on the brink of collapse”

What this means is that King Abdullah II is abdicating along with his government.

 

The Jordan Option called for his abdication in 2017 and the change of Jordan into a republic lead by Mudar Zahran.  This is great news for Israel as Zahran wants to cooperate with Israel, not confront her. He intends to reaffirm the Jordanian citizenship of all Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Thus Israel will be able to annex most of the land without the need to give a path to citizenship for the local Arabs. Furthermore Zahran will effectively replace the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA will be done away with.

 

The next day the Secretary General of the Jordan Opposition Coalition, Mudar Zahran,  tweeted,

Mudar Adnan Zahran-tweet-28June2023-This is the map of Palestine as recognized by the League of Nations in 1917

Mudar Adnan Zahran-tweet-28June2023-This is the map of Palestine as recognized by the League of Nations in 1917

 

A day earlier he had tweeted,

“The remembrance benefits the believers;
One people, not two peoples, in spite of the crow of the clear..
The map of Palestine approved by the League of Nations in 1917, starting from the Jaffa Sea and ending at the Iraqi Trebil borders.
Churchill established the Principality of Transjordan as an experimental Palestinian “autonomy”, and the residents of eastern Palestine used the Palestinian passport until 1948, and the Palestinian pound until 1952, as there was no Jordanian dinar before this date…


The future is a new arrangement of peace and fair prosperity for the inhabitants of historic Palestine in both its Arab parts (Jordan and the areas of the West Bank) and Jewish Palestine (Israel). The overthrow of the marginals and their henchmen, the Eliasin Sarsour, is one of the inevitabilities of the coming future as a first step for the stability and prosperity of the entire planet…”

 

This actualization was set in motion at a Conference on the Jordan Option held in the Begin Center on Oct 17, 2017.  Ted Belman’s remarks at Jordan Option Conference in 2017.

 

One year later I wrote, Trump’s Deal of the Century a.k.a The Jordan Option.

According to a very well-informed source (and reiterated in 2022) , the administration of the A areas, will pass from the PA to Jordan. These areas include, Tulkarn, Qalkilya, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jericho. The B areas will be absorbed into the C area in order to remove the Swiss cheese effect. Hebron, on the other hand will be administered by a joint local council made up of Israelis and Palestinians. This is the Confederation that Abbas rejected a few weeks ago”

 

“My source also tells me that the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip will be given the option of being in a confederation either with Jordan or Egypt. Either way, negotiating a Gaza truce is part of the deal.

 

“This means that the PA will be done away with because its primary function is to wage war against Israel’s legitimacy

 

“All Palestinians living west of the River will be seen as both Jordanian citizens and foreign residents. There will be no need to give them Israeli citizenship.”

 

Then on Aug 28, 2022, I wrote, The Genesis of the Jordan Option and “Confederation with Jordan”. It is self-explanatory.

 

I explained,  How the Jordan Option will impact Israel and Who is Mudar Zahran and why is he important?

It is not clear to me what is meant by “confederation”.  I hope it does not mean that Jordan will be the sovereign of the “areas of the West Bank”. I have suggested many times to Mudar Zahran, that Israel should be the sovereign and that said lands could be leased to Jordan for a long time.

 

Mudar told me yesterday that Israel will be the sovereign over all lands west of the Jordan but I am not sure if he means Gaza also. He went further to explain in more detail what was happening. It seems that what he reported a year ago is still the order of the day.

 

At the Jordan Option Webinar in May 2022, he gave this talk.

Jordan’s Future Between the Abraham Accords and an Arab NATO – Mudar Zahran

And last summer he wrote this article:

Change in Jordan, Easy, Cheap and Good for Everyone – Mudar Zahran.

I was very disturbed by what I read and told him so.

 

“Your stress was on the gradual creation of the MEUnion similar to the EU.  In addition a defense pact like NATO is envisioned.

 

“In order to make the MEU remotely possible, you must  re-educate the Arabs to stop hating Jews, Christians and  infidels. This would require at least three generations of Arabs to be taught to love their neighbors in schools and in the Mosques. They must be taught to love democracy and reject the autocratic rule. They must do away with Sharia Law and give up on Jihad, except for the personal jihad.

 

“I do not believe this is possible. Perhaps you could make an argument for why it is possible and how it would be done.

 

“Secondly, the EU is breaking down now due to the stresses caused by Muslim immigration, open borders and the Ukraine War. Nationalism is on the rise. I for one think nationalism is a good thing. MEU is antithetical to nationalism and sovereignty.

 

“You stress that people will be able to live and work anywhere within the MEU. I find this very troubling.  the JO envisioned mass emigration to Jordan. This envisages the opposite. It will require the security fences to be removed  and travel restriction for Palestinians lifted and will permit Palestinians from A and B to live anywhere.

 

“The only restriction is that Israeli citizenship will be denied them. So A and B simply will be areas where Jordanians/Palestinians will have autonomy.

 

“Do I understand this correctly? Is this the future?”

 

“I still believe that all refugees must emigrate to Jordan and that all Area Bs must be ultimately done away with the inhabitants absorbed into Area A or preferably Jordan.”

 

At the conference in 2017, I said:

 

“Liberman came up with the asinine plan to double the population in Qalquilya,
I had a heart attack. What Insanity. We should be moving the residents of Qalquilya out of the area not adding to them.

 

“Now Martin Sherman points out how can you have authority over Area C when you have all these cheese holes all the way through it? How do you do the border? What do you do with all that? So from my point of view, we have to focus. We have to empty out Qalquilya. Empty out Tulqarm. Empty out any refugee camps that are in our heartland right at the middle, right adjacent to Highway 6 and we have to clean out all those area B lands and then do Area C.

 

“Thank you and just to show you how magnanimous I am I’m quite prepared to have the Palestinians in Hebron have an emirate as proposed by Mordechai Kedar. They want to be removed from the PA. They’re ready for self-government. They want to live in peace. They can stay and be an Emirate plus all the cities that are on the ridge, of Ramallah, of Shiloh, of Jenin. You know how far Ramallah is from Amman? 40 miles. We can make a highway. They could stay there and they could travel by highway to Amman.

 

“I can’t see it any other way.

Mudar texted me an answer today.

Ted

“A very important part of the JO is the compensated immigration to Jordan. What’s happening with that?”

“We must move everyone out of the B areas either to the A areas of preferably to Jordan.”

“MEU is the opposite of Nationalism. I’m for nationalism.”

Mudar

“There will not be a program to move them per say.”

“But they will automatically and naturally move to where the work and welfare are”

Ted

“Correct. So there can’t be work or welfare for them in Israel”

Mudar

“Nothing in Israel for them”

Ted

“Considering that only about 100,000 Palestinians have work permits does that mean the rest will have no choice but to more to Jordan?”

Mudar

“I think so. Also, we will cancel the pay for slay and end UNRWA. And of course the Arab curriculum must be overhauled. And we will criminalize all attacks on Jews.”

Looking good to me

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The following posts are arguments for a Jewish State and against the Arab Propaganda.

Caroline Glick’s Epic Speech about Settlements & Jewish Rights

Posted 10July2022 Jewish Civil Rights in the Land of Israel and Islamic NAZI Terrorists.
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Since when did the Palestinians become entitled to a state?

By Ted Belman 01January2017 https://www.israpundit.org/since-when-did-the-palestinians-become-entitled-to-a-state/

In 2011, Newt Gingrich said “The Palestinians are an invented people.” He was right. So why are they entitled to a state?

In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization was formed to liberate Palestine through armed struggle. But it took years for the notion of a Palestinian people to crystalize.  In 1967, they were not recognized as such, nor were they considered a party to the conflict.  Security Council Resolution 242 passed after the ’67 war, made no mention of them.

 

But in 1969, the State Department tabled the Rogers Plan:. It provided: “We believe its just settlement must take into account the desires and aspirations of the refugees and the legitimate concerns of the Governments in the area.” whereas Res 242 simply required a “just settlement of the refugee issue”. It also stressed the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war” as set out in the recital ignoring the fact that recitals do not create obligations.

 

In 1978, when the peace treaty with Egypt was being finalized, Pres Carter pushed PM Begin to agree to create a Palestinian state in five years. Begin refused but did agree to give them autonomy only.

 

Pres Reagan, who followed Carter, continued the pressure on Israel to create a Palestinian state.  Jewish Virtual Library reports on the Reagan Plan (1982):

 

“Unknown to Israel, the Reagan administration was preparing a new diplomatic initiative for the Middle East, designed to renew the peace process, deal with the Palestinian issue, improve Israel-Egypt relations and provide impetus for Jordan to join the peace process. It was also aimed at pleasing those Arab states who had accepted PLO . evacuees from Beirut and signaling them that the U.S. was not satisfied solely with their departure from Beirut, but was seeking an overall solution.”

 

When PM Begin finally heard of the plan he said, “It is the saddest day of my life”.

The Reagan plan called for direct negotiations, an interim period of self-government and then ultimately an alliance with Jordan rather than a Palestinian State. He also called for an immediate freeze on settlement construction and for an undivided Jerusalem, the fate for which to be decided by negotiations.

 

The US as a matter of policy, promoted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and forced Israel to accept them in peace discussions at the Madrid Conference in 1991.

 

Israel wanted to deal only with the Arabs in the territories but the US kept insisting that the PLO be involved because she wanted a voice for the Arab refugees outside of the territories. This pressure led Israel to come forward with her own Plan namely the Oslo Accords.  She wanted it to apply only to the local Arabs but Pres Clinton insisted that the PLO be involved and that Israel accept back 40,000 of their terrorists and their leadership who has been rescued from Beirut by Reagan and deposited in Tunisia for safe keeping.

 

In 1993, Israel signed, along with them, the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (Oslo I) and in 1995 the Interim Agreement on the West Bank (Oslo II), but these Accords made no mention of giving them a state.

 

Surprisingly, President George W. Bush gave it an official nod for the first time in his vision speech of 2002. This speech came about in response to enormous pressure from Saudi Arabia which was demanding the creation of such a state. Even so, it was conditioned on the Palestinians fighting terror, not aiding it or abetting it. In fact, there were many other pre-conditions to the creation of the state.  But the US and the world quickly forgot about the preconditions and went forward with the idea that the Palestinians were entitled to a state.

 

Then in 2004, Bush gave a very important letter of assurances to PM Sharon in order to support his plans for disengagement.

 

The United States will do its utmost to prevent any attempt by anyone to impose any other plan. Under the roadmap, Palestinians must undertake an immediate cessation of armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere, and all official Palestinian institutions must end incitement against Israel. The Palestinian leadership must act decisively against terror, including sustained, targeted, and effective operations to stop terrorism and dismantle terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. Palestinians must undertake a comprehensive and fundamental political reform that includes a strong parliamentary democracy and an empowered prime minister.

 

“Second, there will be no security for Israelis or Palestinians until they and all states, in the region and beyond, join together to fight terrorism and dismantle terrorist organizations. The United States reiterates its steadfast commitment to Israel’s security, including secure, defensible borders, and to preserve and strengthen Israel’s capability to deter and defend itself, by itself, against any threat or possible combination of threats.[..]

 

“As part of a final peace settlement, Israel must have secure and recognized borders, which should emerge from negotiations between the parties in accordance with UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338.”

 

In this letter, which amounted to a contract, Bush committed the US to prevent any other plan being imposed.  He also committed the US to Israel’s security and reiterated Israel’s right to defensible borders. By affirming Res 242, he was affirming that Israel need not vacate 100% of the land. The Arabs were livid.

 

Within a couple of months of his inauguration in 2009, Pres Obama repudiated this contract. In response to this and other indicators, I wrote that Obama intended to impose a solution on Israel in 2009. I explained that he had to repudiate it because the contract, if allowed to stand, committed the US to oppose the imposition of any other plan.

 

Obama then forced Netanyahu to recognize a Palestinian right to a state in his Bar Ilan Speech in June 2009 in which Netanyahu said:

 

“In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other.”

 

He went on to stipulate two demands or preconditions: namely the new state must be demilitarized and must recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people. This was the first time Netanyahu or his party embraced the two state solution. Obama was satisfied even with all the pre-conditions and stipulations. He got what he wanted. He would ignore the stipulations. And this resolution does just that.

 

Next, he backed the Arab Peace Initiative, which called for 100% withdrawal, contrary to Res 242, albeit with mutually agreed swaps.

 

Then he demanded a complete building freeze, even in Jerusalem. Even so he could not get any concessions from either the Arab League or from the PA as compensation. Having no other choice, he backed the PA’s demand that, as the price of the PA entering negotiations, Israel should release over 100 Arab prisoners with blood on their hands. Israel agreed, though no one had any expectations that the PA would compromise. This prisoner release was in effect another freebie for them.

 

After strenuous efforts to achieve an agreement, Obama backed off but demanded that there be a continued freeze and nothing be done to make untenable the two-state solution.

 

But he hadn’t given up. By engineering the passage of Security Council Resolution 2334 declaring “the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity” and demanding 100% withdrawal, he, in effect, was getting the Security Council to back his parameters for a peace agreement, namely ’67 lines plus swaps, with a divided Jerusalem.

 

This, in other words, is a demand by the international community that all lands east of the ’67 lines be free of Jews (judenrein, as the Nazis used to put it).  That would include the Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern part of Jerusalem.  Thus, the lands east of the ’67 lines must be ethnically cleansed of the 900,000 Jews that live there. A majority of which Jews were born there.

 

The Security Council underlined  “that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations….”  Thus the Jews were denied the Temple Mount, the Old City, including the Jewish Quarter, the Holy Basin and the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Kotel.

 

This resolution completely overturned Res 242, which was passed 50 years ago and which was the cornerstone of all subsequent initiatives like the Oslo Accords, the Roadmap and the Bush letter of ’04. Throughout this entire period, all US presidents stressed the need for direct negotiations to settle all disputes. Any concessions that Israel made along the way were conditioned on the basis of direct negotiations to come.

 

This resolution removed from such negotiations, the ultimate borders, the fate of the settlements, the requirement that the borders be defensible and whether to create a state.

 

In the Oslo Accords, Israel made major concessions to the Palestine Liberation Organization representing the Arabs by inviting them into the territories and granting them autonomy in Areas A and B as demarcated by the Accords, believing that all Israeli safeguards in the Accords would protect her. Keep in mind that the Accords did not promise the Arabs a state nor did they proscribe settlement activity.

 

Prior to signing these Accords, Israel insisted that the PLO accept Res 242 as binding. This was important to Israel because it stipulated that Israel need only withdraw to “recognized and secure boundaries”. This new resolution negates all Israeli safeguards but not the concessions made by Israel. To do so is unconscionable.

 

On the one hand, the UN continually accuses Israel of violating international law and declares the settlements illegal by international law; yet, on the other hand, it ignores salient facts and binding contracts. The resolution thus violates the international legal order itself. The UN should be governed by law not by caprice.

 

Another example of invoking a law that doesn’t exist is the clause which cites “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force”.  Howard Adelman makes short shrift of this proposition. There is no such law.

 

This resolution is built upon the proposition that the settlements are illegal by international law. But what if they aren’t?  The UN holds that the lands in question are subject to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies whenever a High Contracting Party (HCP)  i.e., a country which signed the convention, belligerently occupies the land of another HCP. But in this case the lands in question were not the land of a HCP but were unallocated land under the Palestine Mandate.

 

PM Netanyahu appointed a commission consisting of one retired High Court Judge and two senior lawyers to study the matter. In 2014, it issued the Levy Report, which concluded that the FGC does not apply. But even if it does apply, it doesn’t prevent Jews from voluntarily settling on the lands. And keep in mind that the Palestine Mandate gave Jews the right of close settlement on these lands, which right has never been terminated, nor can it be.

 

This matter has never been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction and thus the UN has no right to treat it as settled law.

 

To use the vernacular, Israel is being railroaded into creating a Palestinian state on all the territories captured 50 years ago, contrary to law, the facts, and existing agreements. Everything is twisted to label Israel a violator of law, when in fact it is the UN that is the violator. All this on behalf of an invented people who didn’t exist 50 years ago.

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The entrenchment of Western Jew-hatred

As the culture hurtles towards the precipice, Diaspora Jews are like rabbits caught in the headlights. Op-ed.

By Melanie Phillips
03February2023 https://www.israpundit.org/the-entrenchment-of-western-jew-hatred/

(JNS) In Britain’s House of Commons this week, MP Kim Johnson launched an attack on the “fascist Israeli government” and its “apartheid” policies.

Johnson is a Labour Party MP. You know, the same Labour Party whose current moderate leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has reputedly cleansed it of the Jew-hatred that exploded under its previous hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Following Johnson’s remarks, the Labour leadership leapt into immediate action. Within hours, Johnson was ordered to make a groveling apology.

 

This is supposed to reassure us. True, Starmer now takes action against any expression of Jew-hatred. This includes the pathological demonization of Israel that singles it out for lies designed to delegitimize and destroy it—an agenda applied to no other people or state in the world.

 

Any such eruption threatens Starmer’s strategy of suppressing the bigotry that previously threatened to destroy the party as the self-professed standard-bearer of conscience, enlightenment and all good things. So, he stamps down on it hard whenever it appears.

 

But Starmer is playing a game of whack-a-mole. Anti-Jewish bigotry still courses through the party. Anyone who thinks Labour’s antisemitism has gone away or is restricted to a tiny unrepresentative fringe is a fool.

 

The demonization of Israel is the defining cause of the progressive left. As such, it has become the default narrative in all higher reaches of the culture.

 

In America, where there is still a bedrock of public support for Israel, this poison has spread through the universities into the schools and infiltrated the Democratic Party. Unlike in Britain, however, the Democrats haven’t even gotten to the Labour Party’s stage of seeking to rid themselves publicly of this moral stain.

 

The ousting of the Jew-bashing Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee was organized by the Republicans. The Democrats, who refused to take action against her when they governed the House, opposed the ouster, complaining that it was “revenge” for the Democrats’ removal of two GOP representatives from committees during the previous session of Congress.

 

Accordingly, the Democrats continue to sanitize Omar’s egregious Jew-hatred. In 2019, she tweeted that U.S. support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins”—that is, hundred-dollar bills. In 2012, before she arrived in Congress, she claimed that “Israel has hypnotized the world” and added, “May Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

 

Last weekend, Omar claimed on CNN that she was unaware that the word “hypnotized” and conspiracy theories about Jews and money are anti-Jewish tropes.

 

“I might have used words at the time that I didn’t understand were trafficking in antisemitism,” she said.

Her protestations of ignorance have drawn widespread incredulity and scorn. In fact, they imply something more unpalatable than being disingenuous.

 

Omar knows that there’s a prejudice called antisemitism. However, she self-evidently believed that Jews do use their money to exercise covert and harmful power and that they do hypnotize the world.

 

In other words, Omar thought that what others know to be Jew-hating tropes couldn’t be prejudice because they’re true. So, when she says she didn’t think these tropes constituted antisemitism, she reveals just how antisemitic she actually is.

 

Yet even now, the supposedly anti-racist Democrats refuse to condemn her. This is because Western progressives either support or refuse to condemn “intersectional” Critical Race Theory.

 

Emanating from Marxist propaganda that damns as oppressive all who have political, economic or military power, this dogma identifies Jews as oppressors—because it itself draws upon the antisemitic tropes of Jewish power and money.

 

This ideology of Western oppression turned the left into the useful idiots of the former Soviet Union, which allied with the PLO’s terrorist leader Yasser Arafat in the 1960s to fuse Marxism with the fabrication of Palestinian Arab identity and victimization by Israel.

 

This both fueled and provided cover for overt Jew-hatred. While Western liberals have normalized this through their support for the Palestinian Arabs, it has been promoted disproportionately by black people and Muslims under the influence of Black Power, Critical Race Theory and the laundering of the global Islamic jihad through the Palestinian cause.

 

Black people and Muslims are involved in attacks on Jews in America, Britain and elsewhere in numbers significantly disproportionate to their presence in the population as a whole.

 

Such attacks are now being normalized in the wider culture. The Netflix movie “You People”—which premiered on International Holocaust Remembrance Day last week—depicts Jews in hateful terms. They are presented as rich people who profited from the slave trade and now leech off the poor, or degenerate and lying low-lifes who earn deserved humiliation over their attempts to whitewash their racism.

 

On the Jew in the City website, Allison Josephs observed how this production repeats and normalizes the Jew-hating tropes of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

“The erasure of past and current Jewish persecution, while pitting Jews against black people, is absolutely vile,” she wrote.

Where are the other Jewish voices raised in protest over this production?

The Jewish Diaspora leadership may complain about antisemitism on campus or some of the most egregious lies about Israel’s supposed oppression and “war crimes.” But in general, it refuses to call out Muslim or black antisemitism.

 

With very few exceptions, it refuses to tell the truth that the Jews are the only people with a legal, historical and moral claim to the entire Holy Land and thus lance the boil that produces this poison—the lie that the Jews stole the land from its indigenous inhabitants.

 

It refuses to call out the West’s political and cultural leaders for telling the lie that Israel illegally occupies “Palestinian” land. This is not just because of the fear of challenging people in power. Far worse, many Jewish Diaspora leaders themselves believe this lie because they are ignorant of Jewish and Middle East history.

 

In America, “progressive” Jewish groups that regularly demonize Israel actually defended Ilhan Omar. A number of them published a statement claiming that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was acting “based on false accusations that [Omar] is antisemitic or anti-Israel.”

 

In Britain, The Jewish Chronicle reported that the United Synagogue—analogous to America’s Orthodox Union—actually sold the now-defunct Wembley synagogue in London to an extremist Islamic group, the U.K. branch of the Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami.

In raising funds to buy this synagogue, the group described it in its publicity materials as “a former place of worship of non-believers.”

Dawat-e-Islami’s Midlands branch hosted an extremist preacher, Shaykh Asrar Rashid, who once claimed Hitler did Jews “a favor.” The group’s founder, Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadri, wrote that boycotting Jewish products wasn’t enough for Muslims, who must make sure not to behave as “imitations of the Jews.”

 

Yet the clueless United Synagogue claims that it activated its “robust due diligence processes” to conduct the sale. Like the rest of Britain’s Jewish leadership, it seems neither to understand Islamic extremism nor to recognize the severity of the threat it poses to Britain’s Jews.

 

While failing to call out systemic Muslim, black or Palestinian Arab antisemitism, Britain’s Jewish leaders instead demonize as Islamophobic, racist or extremist anyone who does.

 

Meanwhile, Jewish voters and donors are flocking back to the supposedly safe-again Labour Party; while in both Britain and America, Jewish communities internalize the hysteria and distortions about both the new Israeli government and the Palestinian Arabs that flow unremittingly from outlets such as the BBCHaaretz and The New York Times.

 

As the West careens off the moral and political road and hurtles towards the precipice, Diaspora Jews are like rabbits caught in the headlights, unable to move.

Melanie Phillips, a British journalist, broadcaster and author, writes a weekly column for JNS. Currently a columnist for The Times of London, her personal and political memoir Guardian Angel has been published by Bombardier, which also published her first novel, The Legacy. Go to melaniephillips.substack.com to access her work.

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Diaspora Jews keep making the same mistake

Herzl would recognize all too well the tragic fantasy of assimilation.

MELANIE PHILLIPS

MELANIE PHILLIPS

By  Melanie Phillips
Published on  12-02-2022 10:59 Last modified: 02December2022 10:59
https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/diaspora-jews-keep-making-the-same-mistake/

 

A perverse feature of the Jewish people is that they make one particular mistake over and over again. They are persecuted. They frantically try to assimilate into their host community in the belief that this will avert future persecution. They are persecuted again. They frantically assimilate again.

 

This week saw the publication of the first collected works of Theodor Herzl, the founding father of modern Zionism. The set initiated the Library of the Jewish People, a new series of works by classic Jewish writers issued by the Koren publishing house.

 

Publishing this now is particularly fitting because of striking similarities between Herzl’s time and today.

 

Gil Troy’s masterful introduction to the collection draws attention to the complexities of Herzl’s tortured life. This rings a loud contemporary bell, not just about the persistence of antisemitism but about the current attitudes of Diaspora Jews.

 

Assimilated and sophisticated, Herzl had an ambivalent attitude towards his Jewishness. Infatuated with the German high culture that was dominant in Europe, he refused to circumcise his son and lit Christmas tree candles for his children.

 

Jews had risen to the highest levels of German and Austrian political, professional and cultural society. Yet at the same time, Germany and Austria were becoming more and more pathologically hostile to the Jews.

 

Herzl was caught in a permanent identity crisis – a conflict between his “enlightened” Europeanized self and the Jewish culture whose fundamental importance he only gradually came to understand.

 

As he reeled from one antisemitic shock after another, he repeatedly tried to reconcile the high degree of assimilation achieved by European Jews with the fact that, for non-Jewish Europeans, the Jews were unassimilable.

 

In 1895, he was shattered by the conviction in Paris of the Jewish officer Capt. Alfred Dreyfus on a trumped-up charge of treason, with the profound Jew-hatred of the French on naked display. That year, he was further unnerved by the election of the vicious antisemite Karl Lueger as mayor of Vienna – a city described by Amos Elon in his book The Pity of It All as culturally dominated by Jews.

 

Realizing after the Dreyfus affair that the Jews would never be safe except in their own homeland, Herzl’s thinking nevertheless remained framed by his assimilationist mindset. As Elon writes, he thought the site of the new Jewish national home would be chosen by a committee of rational and scientific geographers and economists, and it would be a multicultural, multilingual state like Switzerland.

 

The echoes of all this today are unmistakable. In Britain and America, antisemitism has reached record levels. Yet their Jewish communities have their heads in the sand or are looking the other way entirely.

 

In America, a majority of Jews have embraced universalism and intersectionality. Although these ideologies are antithetical to the inherently particularist values of Judaism and fuel antisemitism and anti-Zionism as a result, “progressive” American Jews tell themselves they represent Jewish values.

 

For days, there’s been uproar over former President Donald Trump hosting two profound antisemites at his table: the rapper Ye and the white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Such criticism of Trump for helping legitimize antisemites, not least through his failure to denounce them and admit the magnitude of his error, is entirely justified.

 

But progressive Jews gloating over Trump’s behavior have themselves connived at the promotion of antisemitism. In particular, they have failed to condemn the “Squad” of Jew-bashing congresswomen.

 

Ye draws upon the ideology of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has spent decades vilifying the Jews as “satanic.” Yet former President Barack Obama had previously helped with Farrakhan’s organization, former President Bill Clinton shared a stage and a smiling handshake with him and the Democratic establishment has remained silent about his Jew-bashing.

 

In Britain, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has gone to great lengths to demonstrate his commitment to rid the party of the antisemites who openly infested it under the former hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn.

 

Yet Starmer had previously campaigned vigorously for Corbyn to become prime minister. Starmer’s current deputy, Angela Rayner, was a leading Corbyn acolyte. His foreign affairs spokeswoman, Lisa Nandy – who says she is a Zionist – has promised in the past to oppose what she called “the illegal occupation of Palestine” and the “blockade of Gaza,” and supported the Palestinian Arabs’ “right of return.”

 

Starmer has been extremely careful to press all the right buttons in his charm offensive to reassure Britain’s Jewish community. It’s worked. “Progressive” British Jews now think it’s safe to vote Labour again.

 

This is wishful thinking. Anti-Zionism and antisemitism still course through the left.

 

This week, the journalist John Ware won his third victory in the libel courts. He had sued the Labour party and certain individuals who falsely claimed that in his 2019 BBC “Panorama” program “Is Labour Antisemitic?”, Ware had knowingly exaggerated the scale of antisemitism in Corbyn’s Labour party.

 

In this week’s case, Ware had sued a retired TV producer named Paddy French.

 

Among French’s supporters were the hard-left film director Ken Loach and Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd who was French’s main financial backer. Waters, who has a long record of antisemitic remarks, said that Ware was “entirely controlled by the oligarchs … bought and paid for.”

 

On the contrary – Ware’s stand was heroic, particularly because he acted alone and with no financial support from the BBC or anyone else. Despite the record damages of £90,000 awarded to him this week, Ware risks being left badly out of pocket if French is unable to pay up, due to the high costs of the case.

 

Ware’s victory won’t stop French or Waters – with the rocker’s 550,000 Twitter followers – from pushing vicious falsehoods about Israel and the “world Zionist conspiracy” on social media.

 

Antisemitism will still roar out of control because it’s being fueled by defamatory lies about Israel. It’s not just the hard-left but the softer “progressives” who push this narrative, which is the cause of causes for Western liberals.

 

In both Britain and America, the Jewish community seeks ways of denying this reality in their overwhelming anxiety to fit into the dominant power structure. In order to pretend they aren’t different from everyone else, they tell themselves there are no barriers between them and non-Jewish Brits or Americans.

 

In a similar vein, Herzl and the Jewish communities of Germany and Vienna tried to rid themselves of characteristics that made them separate, telling themselves that assimilation made them as German or Austrian as everyone else. Such acceptance wasn’t true then and it’s not true now. The Jews are in the Diaspora on sufferance.

 

Last month, Israel’s Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs discussed a report published by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research. It showed that between 1970 and 2020, Europe lost 59% of its Jewish population through a combination of antisemitism, the collapse of Jewish communities and assimilation.

 

The committee’s chairman, David Bitan, said, “In Europe, Jews are forced to conceal the Jewish characteristics. They are afraid to walk through the streets wearing a kippa, and the synagogues are guarded by local police.”

 

Dr. Dov Maimon of the Jewish People Policy Institute said, “There is no positive scenario for European Jewry due to the economic decline and the rise of Islamization.” Yet more than 80% of European Jews aren’t even thinking about leaving.

 

Antisemitism may be more widespread and violent in mainland Europe than in America and Britain, but the same baleful trends are all too obvious there too. Obvious, that is, for those with eyes to see.

 

If Herzl were around today, he would surely marvel at the astounding strength and vigor of the State of Israel; but he would also surely grieve that, for “assimilated” Diaspora Jews, little seems to have changed.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
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What the World thinks of the liberal U S Society today

JerusalemCats Comments: This is reality in the west! This is NOT Russian propaganda!

Babel Was An Inside Job-tweet-8October2022-Russians moving to the U S

Babel Was An Inside Job-tweet-8October2022-Russians moving to the U S

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going home...to yerushalayim logo https://habayitah.blogspot.com/

THE FUTURE OF ERETZ YISRAEL

01 December 2022 https://habayitah.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-future-of-eretz-yisrael.html

THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT ALL THE CITIES IN ERETZ ISRAEL WILL BE PART OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO “TAKE THE TRAIN” TO THE CAPITAL OF JERUSALEM AND TO THE NEW BEIS HAMIKDASH

The National Committee for Planning and Building National Infrastructures is planning to extend the high-speed Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway line through the capital and into the Germany Colony neighborhood’s Emek Refaim Street.

 

Emek Refaim, albeit a main street, is narrow and hugely congested, with cafes, restaurants, vegetable and fruit stores and numerous other quaint shops on both sides of the street, which is lined with historic residential and other buildings as well.

 

The high-speed train currently takes 30 minutes to reach Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

 

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon told Ynet that “by 2030 Israel Railways will reach the Khan complex with a metro station in the city center as well.”

 

According to the plan, the track will pass through an underground tunnel and include new passenger stations at the intersection of Jaffa and King George Streets, and in the Khan complex near the historic Ottoman-era train station.

 

The line is expected to connect to the blue and red Light Rail lines, and the cable car that is planned for the Old City. https://www.jewishpress.com/news/travel-news/israel-plans-tel-aviv-jerusalem-train-extension-to-emek-refaim/2022/12/01/

Housing developments in Israel

Housing developments in Israel

Visit Israel Properties to see a panorama view of some of the buildings in Tel Aviv. Then search the drop-down menus to see more developments in Israel at https://www.israel-properties.com/new-projects

A panorama view of some of the buildings in Tel Aviv

A panorama view of some of the buildings in Tel Aviv

Israel’s Infrastructure for Growth 2021-2025

https://itrade.gov.il/usa/israels-infrastructure-for-growth-2021-2025/

https://infrastructure.pmo.gov.il/infrastructure/

The historic train line linking the UAE and Israel among new infrastructure projects. https://africa-me.com/the-historic-train-line-linking-the-uae-and-israel-among-new-infrastructure-projects/

The historic train line linking the UAE and Israel among new infrastructure projects

The historic train line linking the UAE and Israel among new infrastructure projects

Israel Economic Missions to The USA

https://itrade.gov.il/usa/posts/

Rebuild Jerusalem: The largest construction projects in Israel’s capital

 

Armed with the largest municipal budget in the city’s history, Mayor Moshe Lion has moved strongly to implement the campaign promises he made in 2018.

 

Must read this article at https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/rebuild-jerusalem-the-largest-construction-projects-in-israels-capital-677133

Rebuild Jerusalem: The largest construction projects in Israel's capital

Rebuild Jerusalem: The largest construction projects in Israel’s capital

 

TO VIEW NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN JLEM NEIGHBORHOODS:  https://geoln.com/israel/jerusalem

NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOODS

NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOODS

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Intel to invest $25b in chip factory in southern Israel

Israeli government agrees to give Intel a $3.2 billion grant toward the new plant in Kiryat Gat.

Kiryat Gat, Israel-Map

Kiryat Gat, Israel-Map

 

By Abigail Klein Leichman
27December2023 https://www.israel21c.org/intel-to-invest-25b-in-chip-factory-in-southern-israel/

 

ntel has confirmed reports, first floated half a year ago, that it plans to build a new chip factory in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, where it already has a foundry called Fab28.

 

The California-based international company, one of the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturers, said the planned addition is an “important part of Intel’s efforts to foster a more resilient global supply chain, alongside the company’s ongoing and planned manufacturing investments in Europe and the United States.”

 

A chip fabrication plant, or fab, is expensive to build. Israel’s government will kick in $3.2 billion toward the construction, as the new facility will create thousands of employment opportunities.

 

“Squeezing billions of tiny transistors onto ever-smaller computer chips requires one of the most complex manufacturing processes humans have devised. A fully equipped new fab costs about $10 billion and takes 6,000 construction workers about three years to complete,” according to the company.

 

Intel will invest a total of $25 billion. This amount includes a commitment to purchase some $16.6 billion worth of goods and services from Israeli suppliers over the next decade.

 

The new plant, to specialize in producing advanced chips for companies such as Apple and NVIDIA, is due to open in 2027.

 

Intel Israel, helmed by Yaniv Garty, was founded in 1974 in Haifa as Intel’s first development center outside the United States. In 1981, Intel established its first factory outside the United States, in Jerusalem.

 

Today, Intel Israel claims to be the largest private employer in the Israeli high-tech. It has development centers in Haifa, Petah Tikva and Jerusalem as well as the Fab28 in Kiryat Gat that produces the chips inside most of the PCs in the world.

 

“As one of the leading companies in the Israeli market, we are committed to contribute to local economic development. We do this through our 11,700 employees plus additional 42,000 in indirect employment, through our significant procurement of products and services from local suppliers, and through exports of $8.7 billion in 2022, representing 5.5% of the hi-tech exports from Israel,” according to Intel Israel’s newsroom.

 

In August, Intel announced that it would not go through with a planned $5.4 billion acquisition of Israeli company Tower Semiconductor due to issues with Chinese regulators.

 

However, Intel is historically a strong M&A partner for Israel, having acquired Mobileye, Habana Labs, Cnvrg, Granulate and Screenovate.

 

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Israel Has The World’s Highest Digital Quality Of Life In 2022, USA Only 12th

by Tyler Durden, 02January2023 – https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/israel-has-worlds-highest-digital-quality-life-2022-usa-only-12th

Life and work in the 21st century is increasingly reliant on modern technology, with a country’s digital quality of life playing a massive role on people’s day-to-day.

 

Some countries excel in internet access and affordability, while others have more modern digital systems and relevant laws. And, as Visual Capitalist’s Omri Wallach details below, many regions of the world suffer with lacking digital infrastructure and access across the board.

 

The 2022 Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) from Surfshark analyzes countries on digital wellbeing, based on data from the UN, World Bank, Freedom House, and the International Communications Union.

DQL index and 5 pillars ranking DQL index is calculated by looking at the impact of five core pillars: internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, e-government

DQL index and 5 pillars ranking DQL index is calculated by looking at the impact of five core pillars: internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, e-government

Source: https://surfshark.com/dql2022-tool/index.html

5 Metrics for Measuring Digital Wellbeing

The DQL Index covers 117 countries with readily available data, making up 92% of the global population. Each country is scored on five pillars:

  • Internet Affordability—How much time people have to work to afford a stable internet connection.
  • Internet Quality—How fast and stable the internet connectivity in a country is and how well it’s improving.
  • Electronic Infrastructure—How well developed and inclusive a country’s existing electronic infrastructure is.
  • Electronic Security—How safe and protected people feel in a country.
  • Electronic Government—How advanced and digitized a country’s government services are.

Visualizing The World’s Digital Quality of Life

Overall, Europe and Asia led the digital quality of life rankings in 2022. Israel took the top spot with an incredibly strong score in internet affordability. Here are the countries sorted by rankings and their weighted scores in each category:

Rank Country Affordability Quality E-infrastructure E-security E-government
1 Israel 0.1917 0.0981 0.1668 0.1503 0.1541
2 Denmark 0.047 0.1186 0.1968 0.1878 0.1844
3 Germany 0.0718 0.0926 0.1922 0.1946 0.1612
4 France 0.0534 0.111 0.1834 0.1878 0.1749
5 Sweden 0.0213 0.1059 0.1958 0.1878 0.1787
6 Netherlands 0.0241 0.0985 0.1956 0.1865 0.1796
7 Finland 0.0171 0.0973 0.192 0.1892 0.1869
8 Japan 0.0684 0.1024 0.1846 0.1462 0.177
9 U.K. 0.0413 0.0898 0.1882 0.1611 0.188
10 South Korea 0.0252 0.1139 0.1884 0.1516 0.1868
11 Lithuania 0.0508 0.087 0.1705 0.1973 0.1592
12 U.S. 0.0326 0.113 0.1944 0.1224 0.1947
13 Switzerland 0.0337 0.1114 0.1914 0.1597 0.1607
14 Estonia 0.0219 0.0759 0.1852 0.1946 0.1779
15 Singapore 0.0717 0.1134 0.1852 0.0943 0.19
16 Spain 0.0257 0.0924 0.1777 0.1919 0.1656
17 Norway 0.0136 0.0923 0.194 0.1649 0.174
18 Luxembourg 0.0272 0.0911 0.1878 0.1689 0.1597
19 Italy 0.0362 0.082 0.1733 0.1824 0.159
20 Portugal 0.0085 0.1101 0.1576 0.1932 0.1565
21 Belgium 0.0162 0.0868 0.1823 0.1973 0.1409
22 Austria 0.0279 0.0717 0.1782 0.1716 0.1719
23 Poland 0.0242 0.0869 0.1566 0.1905 0.1568
24 Ireland 0.0217 0.0874 0.1799 0.1662 0.1596
25 Czechia 0.023 0.0755 0.1707 0.196 0.1472
26 Canada 0.0228 0.0967 0.1831 0.1289 0.1723
27 Hungary 0.0206 0.1046 0.1647 0.1676 0.1425
28 New Zealand 0.0166 0.1027 0.1731 0.1341 0.1702
29 Slovakia 0.0233 0.0807 0.161 0.1865 0.1417
30 Bulgaria 0.0308 0.1025 0.1352 0.177 0.1452
31 Croatia 0.0133 0.0911 0.1625 0.1865 0.1346
32 Slovenia 0.0102 0.0934 0.1619 0.1622 0.1591
33 Latvia 0.0235 0.0918 0.1628 0.1784 0.1289
34 Romania 0.0299 0.105 0.1427 0.1743 0.1327
35 Australia 0.0453 0.0706 0.1755 0.1089 0.1802
36 Malta 0.0104 0.093 0.1639 0.1527 0.1547
37 Cyprus 0.0139 0.0718 0.1589 0.1689 0.1548
38 Malaysia 0.0319 0.0838 0.1636 0.1224 0.1561
39 Greece 0.0085 0.0713 0.142 0.2 0.1344
40 Chile 0.0251 0.1202 0.1469 0.1022 0.1538
41 Uruguay 0.0051 0.1054 0.1569 0.13 0.1498
42 Russia 0.0556 0.0794 0.1512 0.0943 0.152
43 China 0.0241 0.1045 0.1485 0.0741 0.175
44 U.A.E. 0.0071 0.1148 0.1779 0.0419 0.1712
45 Argentina 0.0073 0.0694 0.1575 0.13 0.1464
46 Qatar 0.0077 0.1077 0.1705 0.0808 0.1421
47 Armenia 0.1009 0.07 0.1356 0.0765 0.1221
48 Serbia 0.0184 0.0739 0.1387 0.1238 0.1429
49 Thailand 0.0081 0.1045 0.151 0.0876 0.1391
50 Ukraine 0.0259 0.0581 0.1613 0.1184 0.1256
51 Saudi Arabia 0.0057 0.0873 0.1635 0.0865 0.1408
52 Turkey 0.0153 0.0679 0.1526 0.0968 0.1488
53 Brazil 0.0078 0.0884 0.1388 0.0686 0.1558
54 Moldova 0.0357 0.0687 0.1359 0.0927 0.1226
55 Philippines 0.0044 0.0779 0.1371 0.1062 0.1265
56 Bahrain 0.0084 0.0878 0.166 0.047 0.1396
57 Colombia 0.0051 0.0775 0.1248 0.0954 0.1433
58 Costa Rica 0.0042 0.0721 0.1523 0.0954 0.1206
59 India 0.0266 0.071 0.1149 0.0822 0.1489
60 N. Macedonia 0.0095 0.0684 0.1409 0.0981 0.1237
61 Kazakhstan 0.0185 0.0639 0.1408 0.07 0.1473
62 Mexico 0.0111 0.0688 0.1291 0.0792 0.142
63 Paraguay 0.0091 0.0724 0.1424 0.0862 0.113
64 Albania 0.0087 0.0567 0.1313 0.09 0.1328
65 Oman 0.0053 0.065 0.1455 0.0473 0.1502
66 South Africa 0.0198 0.0689 0.1171 0.0778 0.1294
67 Georgia 0.0097 0.0577 0.1408 0.0941 0.1103
68 Mauritius 0.0149 0.0459 0.1311 0.09 0.1298
69 Belarus 0.0224 0.068 0.1396 0.0554 0.123
70 Vietnam 0.0145 0.0712 0.1396 0.0578 0.1241
71 Morocco 0.0068 0.0603 0.1247 0.113 0.1004
72 Indonesia 0.0064 0.0639 0.1382 0.0605 0.1342
73 Peru 0.0037 0.069 0.126 0.0819 0.1213
74 Azerbaijan 0.0093 0.0618 0.1361 0.0592 0.1253
75 Montenegro 0.0149 0.0566 0.1339 0.0765 0.1064
76 Bangladesh 0.024 0.0681 0.1204 0.0703 0.1021
77 Tunisia 0.011 0.0484 0.1225 0.0886 0.1142
78 Kenya 0.0047 0.0492 0.1391 0.0714 0.1193
79 Dominican Republic 0.0047 0.0597 0.1163 0.0754 0.1229
80 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.0127 0.0634 0.1353 0.0697 0.0974
81 Panama 0.0032 0.0851 0.1279 0.05 0.1111
82 Ecuador 0.0045 0.0656 0.132 0.0365 0.1256
83 Trinidad and Tobago 0.0094 0.0622 0.1277 0.0551 0.1074
84 Iran 0.0149 0.0585 0.1482 0.0149 0.1113
85 Egypt 0.0064 0.0583 0.1098 0.0595 0.1135
86 Nigeria 0.0014 0.0552 0.1187 0.0768 0.0916
87 Jordan 0.0048 0.0754 0.1434 0.0297 0.0862
88 Ghana 0.0025 0.0531 0.0957 0.0724 0.1091
89 Sri Lanka 0.0071 0.0658 0.0943 0.0446 0.1184
90 Mongolia 0.015 0.059 0.135 0.0189 0.0951
91 Kyrgyzstan 0.0105 0.0603 0.0986 0.0457 0.1074
92 Algeria 0.005 0.0601 0.1312 0.0551 0.0707
93 Bolivia 0.0051 0.0583 0.1287 0.0324 0.0941
94 Nepal 0.0069 0.0684 0.1132 0.0497 0.0762
95 Senegal 0.0036 0.055 0.1048 0.0603 0.0906
96 Pakistan 0.006 0.0616 0.0938 0.0446 0.1015
97 Jamaica 0.0047 0.0584 0.113 0.0432 0.0859
98 Uganda 0.0007 0.0489 0.0777 0.0768 0.0943
99 El Salvador 0.0028 0.0662 0.1066 0.0257 0.0944
100 Ivory Coast 0.0006 0.0465 0.0881 0.0724 0.0869
101 Cambodia 0.0043 0.0631 0.1178 0.0162 0.0831
102 Mali 0.0011 0.0548 0.0969 0.0603 0.0689
103 Namibia 0.0046 0.0517 0.0955 0.0322 0.0899
104 Guatemala 0.0029 0.059 0.0877 0.0257 0.0878
105 Zambia 0.0034 0.0241 0.0935 0.0781 0.0613
106 Botswana 0.0051 0.0523 0.0977 0.023 0.0777
107 Tanzania 0.0021 0.0517 0.0813 0.0257 0.0924
108 Honduras 0.004 0.0675 0.0838 0.0108 0.0861
109 Zimbabwe 0.0019 0.034 0.0907 0.0362 0.0854
110 Angola 0.0047 0.0567 0.0576 0.0495 0.0748
111 Laos 0.0066 0.0489 0.0955 0.0189 0.059
112 Tajikistan 0.0108 0.0485 0.073 0.0108 0.0754
113 Cameroon 0.0014 0.0178 0.073 0.0338 0.0832
114 Mozambique 0.0021 0.0378 0.0526 0.0295 0.0815
115 Ethiopia 0.0032 0.0472 0.048 0.0338 0.0682
116 Yemen 0.007 0.0644 0.0479 0.0081 0.0527
117 Congo DR 0.0063 0.0596 0.0446 0.0027 0.0394

Overall, 15 of the top 20 highest-scoring countries were located in Europe, including #2 Denmark and #3 Germany, reflecting the region’s strong scores in electronic infrastructure and security.

 

In addition to Israel, the Asia region was represented at the top by #8 Japan, #10 South Korea, and #15 Singapore. The only non-Asian and non-European country to make the top 20 was the United States at #12.

 

DQL World Map Digital Quality of Life Index.

DQL World Map Digital Quality of Life Index.

GDP’s Impact on Digital Infrastructure

Of the 117 countries that had data available for the index, the majority of the lowest-ranking countries were in Africa or Asia. This includes the bottom five: CameroonMozambiqueEthiopiaYemen, and DR Congo.

 

In fact, when the DQL Index was charted against GDP per capita, a clear and unsurprising trend emerges:

Countries digital quality of life-2022-in line

Countries digital quality of life-2022-in line

As countries have to grapple with limited resources and capital for increasing their digital wellbeing, we can see different priorities emerge. For example. many countries scored poorly on internet affordability and electronic government while prioritizing investments in internet quality and electronic infrastructure.

 

And despite the proliferation of mobile phones across the world, more countries were able to set up stable broadband internet over mobile internet.

DQL 2022-mobile internet is generally less stable than broadband

DQL 2022-mobile internet is generally less stable than broadband

 

To find out more interesting insights, dive in to the full Digital Quality of Life Index

https://surfshark.com/dql2022

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Handshake Between Israel And India

Handshake Between Israel And India

Eastern Horizon: Israel and India’s Unrealized Strategic Alliance

Yeshaya Rosenman https://en.hashiloach.org.il/india-and-israel-a-crucial-alliance/

 

The new geopolitical landscape following the October 7th terror attacks has highlighted a crucial yet largely unrecognized alliance between Israel and India. Increased Indian interest in the Jewish state should serve as a signal for Israel to broaden its diplomatic focus beyond its traditional allies in the West.


Never before Oct 8. had Israel been flooded with so many Indian reporters. Of the few thousand foreign journalists who rushed to Israel to cover the war, over a hundred arrived from India, including many of the most famous faces of Indian media.

 

I received multiple offers for reporting positions, and I chose Republic TV, India’s most viewed and most right-wing TV network. When I traveled to the residence of President Yitzhak Herzog to request an interview with our anchor in Delhi, they informed me that they were not intentionally ignoring my channel’s previous requests, but were simply swamped by inquiries from no fewer than 37 Indian outlets, each claiming it was the biggest in India.

 

Even more unusual than the sheer magnitude of Indian-focused coverage is the fact that Indian media was staunchly supportive of Israel. Excepting Communist-oriented media (such as the prestigious magazine ‘Frontline’)[1] and most Muslim-Indian reporters, Indian media was so enthusiastic in their support for Israel that Qatari-owned outlets began calling them out for “Zionism” and “Islamophobia”.[2]

 

Israelis may take for granted the strength of Israel-India relations and the warm welcome they receive in India, but merely a few decades ago our relationship was completely different.

 

From the Indian Independence Movement to Diplomatic Relations with Israel

Full diplomatic relations between India and Israel were only established in 1992 following the Madrid Conference, on the heels of over forty years of hostility. Since the inception of the Indian Independence movement, its leaders – from both the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League – were hostile towards Zionism (though not Jews) for a variety of reasons.[3]

 

Muslim leaders of the Indian independence movement such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who later demanded Pakistan as a state for Muslims, found themselves in the paradoxical stance of demanding the partition of India but not of Palestine. Mahatma Gandhi did not understand why Jews were coming to Arab Palestine in the first place. Both India and Pakistan voted “No” to the establishment of Israel.

 

Jawaharlal Nehru, who followed Gandhi as India’s first Prime Minister, was a product of Cambridge education and a Socialist by conviction. He harbored idealistic, perhaps even unrealistic, views on foreign policy that shaped India’s direction from 1947 until the 1990s. Nehru’s vision included leading non-aligned nations in the post-colonial and Third World landscape, fostering a sense of fraternity with Asian countries like China and Russia, and harboring a strong aversion to American dominance and capitalist ideals. He also shared a close bond with Gamal Abdel Nasser, the secular Socialist leader and President of Egypt.

 

The only exception was V.D. Savarkar, godfather of Hindu Nationalism, the political creed of PM Modi and the BJP party. Savakar wrote an open letter congratulating Israel upon its founding.

 

It is the backdrop of the long-standing Nehruvian legacy that makes the current Israel-India relations so surprising.

Indian Economy and Political Power

Beyond mere friendship however, India is also accruing a newfound importance, to Israel and globally.  From a country famous for masses living in abject poverty and neglect, hostile to USA and its allies, and with leaders famous for populism and corruption, India is finally being regarded as the rising global power it had always envisioned itself.

 

The initial economic liberalization that saved India from bankruptcy in 1992 has now led India to represent – as of 2022 – 7.2% of the global economy, with the 5th largest nominal GDP.

 

Pro-American sentiment is on the rise, even as Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, plots a course in foreign affairs that is asserting Indian independence from Western dictates. The greatest trophy for this independent Indian foreign policy would be a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Although it would force India to take stances rather than remain silently “non-aligned,” it would further the narrative of India as master of its own destiny.

 

The Indian government is at ideological loggerheads with both Western progressives regarding nationalism and Islam, and with American Evangelicals over the proselytization of Hindus. But beyond the snarky moralizing exemplified in Western media, Indian officials enjoy ever-growing collaboration with the highest levels of Western governments.

 

Aside from the goal of containing China, the primary reason for this red-carpet-treatment is the influence of India’s most valuable export: Indian brainpower. India exports enormous numbers of its best, brightest, and most ambitious citizens, who have become leaders in the fields of STEM and management, including the current CEOs of illustrious tech brands such as Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Palo Alto Networks. Indians and Israelis are the two most dominant minorities in Silicon Valley, and usually cultivate excellent work relationships, a sentiment echoed by former PM Naftali Bennet when speaking about his years as a high-tech CEO in the U.S.

 

Decades of elite immigration have led the 5-million-strong Indian-American community to supersede the Jews as the richest and most educated minority in the U.S. Yet a newer phenomenon is the Indian diaspora’s rising political power. Two Indian-originating Americans, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, are now contending for the Republican presidential nomination. Democratic Vice President, Kamala Harris, is half-Indian. There are five Indian Americans in Congress, ranging from radical ‘Squad’ member, Pramila Jayapal, to Shri Tenadar, who has founded a ‘Hindu Caucus.’ Rishi Sunak, PM of the UK, is a proud Hindu, as is former Home Secretary, Priti Patel, both Conservatives. Leo Vardakar is the PM of Ireland. Indians also lead countries in the Indies and South America such as Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname.

 

In the U.S., Indian-American advocacy organizations, such as the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), are collaborating with Jewish advocacy organizations like AJC and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and are even candidly adopting their methods; For example, modeling the definition of “Hinduphobia” along the contours of the IHRA definition for antisemitism.[4] As a conspicuous minority of non-white, non-Christian overachievers, Hindus have become targets of hate-crimes, and many Hindus, such as HAF leadership, are staunchly pro-Israel, as they are keenly aware that most of the anti-Hindu and and-Israel hatred originates from the same sources, with near-identical motivations.

 

Israel-India Conservative Alliance

We now begin to understand the common interests of India and Israel. Some such interests are shared by Jewish and Hindu diasporas, and some are unique to their respective motherlands.

 

Both share the existential threat of the global Red-Green Alliance of Progressives and Islamists. Many Hindus in the U.S. and UK were horrified by the post Oct. 7 pro-Hamas rallies and the dramatic spike seen in antisemitic attacks. Given a chance, these same mobs will come for the Hindus, as has already been the case in the UK.[5]

 

This opens up the possibility of a global conservative counter-alliance, although some obvious difficulties would have to be overcome: Israeli conservatives publish primarily in Hebrew and are largely unknown in the Anglosphere. And like most Westerners, they are unfamiliar with modern India and its discourse.

 

Hindu conservatives (“Nationalists” is their preferred term) don’t get along with Evangelicals, and for all their deep admiration of Israel, they are generally unaware of the basics of Jewish and Israeli history and heritage. If a long-standing bridge is to be built, deeper foundations must promptly be laid.

 

However, the recent wartime TV appearances of conservatives such as Douglas Murray are leading to a growing awareness and appreciation of Western conservatives, with whom Indians have had only a love-hate relationship since colonial times. And never before have so many Israeli experts and dignitaries appeared en masse on Indian screens.

 

Israel, India, and Islam

One major building block for further unity is the fact that Israel and India both share the common threat of Islamic terrorism, albeit from different terrorists and countries. India is already the Israeli defense industries’ largest client, and it will take years more for India to fully modernize its defense forces. According to foreign sources, it was an emergency shipment of Israeli precise armaments that allowed India to triumph over Pakistan in the Kargil War of 1999. This was the watershed moment in India-Israel relations, long before the rise of PM Modi, in 2014.

 

The primary Islamic threat to India is from Pakistan, in which wild incitement against India is inculcated in public schools, madrassas, mosques, and media. The Pakistani military recruits terrorists to organizations such as Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) for its cross-border attacks on Indian Kashmir, hidden behind a thin veil of plausible deniability. LeT was also responsible for the 26/11/2008 attacks on Mumbai, which killed 166 people, including four Israelis and two other Jews. Recently, Israel finalized its designation of LeT as a terrorist organization, and is lobbying for Hamas to be recognized as such by India.

 

Indian Muslims number an estimated 200 million, roughly 15% of the 1.4 billion Indians. The majority are not radical, except for known enclaves in places such as Kerala, West Bengal, Hyderabad, and Kashmir.

 

However, the Oct. 28 televised speech of Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, to a Jamaat-I Islami (India’s Muslim Brotherhood) rally was an alarming development. The rally was part of a campaign titled “Uproot Hindutva and Apartheid Zionism.” Hindutva, the ideology of Hindu Nationalists – here just a code word for Hindus – was equated with Zionism by Muslim Brotherhood leaders in a candid attempt to export Hamas ideology and methods to India. BJP leadership responded with outrage, but Kerala is governed by the Communist Party of India (CPI), who align with Islamists, and it is unclear just how the central government will deal with these clear threats.

 

Yet on a deeper level, here too, critical infrastructure is lacking: Although India has defense research and Pakistan experts, shockingly, for a country that will soon have the largest Muslim population in the world, it has almost no experts on Islam or the Middle East. This is due to both the Marxist-Communist orientation of Indian humanities faculties that dictated the downplaying of all religions, and to the weakness in foreign language instruction. Here, Israeli scholars can play a role and collaborate with various institutions, especially with the young up-and-coming right-wing Indian intelligentsia, who are mainly STEM graduates who transitioned to humanities, and who have yet to fully find their intellectual voice.

 

Israel has few experts of South Asian Islam, no leading experts on South Asian Islamic terrorism, and almost no Urdu speakers. The Israeli intelligence community invests little effort in this part of the world, which is traditionally seen as lacking influence on Israel. I believe this assumption is incorrect.

 

Israel, India, and the Global Order

The most tangible, immediate dividends in Israel-India relations have been aptly demonstrated by recent geopolitical realignments.

 

The history of the subcontinent is inextricably intertwined with that of the nearby Arabian Peninsula, even more so since the rise of Arab Petro-economies. In the UAE, South Asians (2.8 million Indians, 1.29 million Pakistanis, and 0.75 million Bangladeshis) number around half of the population, filling every position, from bellboys to billionaire CEOs. The UAE is India’s 3rd largest trading partner. Saudi Arabia (KSA) is itself home to 2.12 million Bangladeshis, 1.88 million Indians, and 1.81 million Pakistanis.

 

Cold War politics placed India in the non-aligned, de facto pro-Soviet camp. Pakistan aligned with the USA, as did the KSA and UAE, who both needed American military protection, and, as Salafi fundamentalists, espoused a visceral hatred of the “Godless Communists.”

 

Following the Cold War’s thaw, India moved ever closer to the West and its competitive economies, while Pakistan never recovered from the Islamic extremism, violence, and economic damage inflicted by Gen. Zia Ul-Haq’s Islamic reforms of 1978, and subsequent support for terrorism as a state tool. Gulf countries therefore increasingly courted India, while sending only nominal humanitarian aid to Pakistan.  Subsequently, India-Israel relations hit a glass ceiling: India would not part ways with the rich Gulf states and had to maintain a delicate balancing act.

 

This changed dramatically with the Abraham Accords. Suddenly, India did not have to choose sides. On the contrary: if the UAE was warming up to Israel – and it was obvious the KSA had given a green light – India could join the party.

 

This logic engendered the mini-lateral alliance of I2U2 (Israel, India, UAE, USA). Israel would bring tech and defense capabilities, India would supply skilled and menial labor, UAE would bring finance, and the USA would defend the alliance diplomatically and with its fleets. While the alliance remained amorphic, business boomed, as did defense and intelligence ties.

 

Since the Arab spring of 2011, the UAE had become hostile to radical Islam, wiping out the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood (Al Islah) by 2014.[6] As India legally integrated Kashmir in 2019, the UAE’s response to Pakistani outcries was granting the Medal of the Order of Prince Zaid to PM Modi. Kashmir apparently did not constitute an Islamic cause.

 

By the time the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020, the UAE had developed a vision of inter-religious tolerance, which resonates deeply with India.[7] The rise of Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) and his vision for the KSA hold a similar promise,[8] though yet to be fully implemented. These developments led to various interfaith initiatives. Currently, both countries align with Israel and India in their battle against radical Islam.

 

G-20, IMEC, and Oct. 7

The showcase initiative announced at the Delhi G-20 Summit in September was the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC). IMEC is a proposed route for Indian goods to Europe that would cut transit times by 60%. Goods would transit from India’s northwestern ports to the Jebel Ali port in the UAE, and from there to the Indian-owned port of Haifa via freight trains running through the UAE, KSA, Jordan and Israel, and finally from the Haifa port to Greece. New energy pipelines and communications lines would be laid as well.[9]

 

This was India’s first successful counter to Chinese encirclement, and posed a strong blow to Pakistan, further alienating it from the KSA and the UAE and cementing its status as a Chinese client.

 

Although G-20 delegates were careful not to mention it, it was clear that the corridor proposal carried with it implications of KSA normalizing relations with Israel. Messages of normalization were delivered in Western media months before the summit.

 

This was the working logic of the Abraham Accords in Israeli foreign policy: More Muslim nations were destined to join in, and KSA was to be the biggest catch. KSA is the leader of the Sunni world, and other Sunni states couldn’t be more Catholic than the pope and would immediately follow suit. Shortly before the Oct 7. attacks, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke of 6 other Muslim states that would normalize relations after KSA. The Palestinian veto on the Islamic world’s normalization with Israel seemed over at last.

 

Then came the Oct. 7 attacks. Muslim masses rallied emotionally behind Gaza, against Israel. The current Muslim popular sentiment is extremely anti-Israel, and some commentators have pronounced IMEC dead on arrival.

 

While IMEC and Israel-KSA normalization may have been delayed, I firmly believe they will materialize. Too many powerful parties are too deeply invested for it to fail.

 

In summary, IMEC represents staggering economic interests for all the involved parties, as well as the continuation of geopolitical realignments that began years ago – India realigning with the West and Israel, joined by a KSA and UAE inimical to radical Islam.

 

In this arena, China (which de-facto supports Hamas) is an anti-Western force that must be countered, as is the Progressive wing of President Biden’s Democratic Party, which has rallied so shockingly for Hamas. If Israel-KSA normalization has been postponed, it may well happen under a Republican president.

 

Epilogue

I agree with our ambassador in Delhi, Naor Gilon, who stated that Indian love for Israel is “something I cannot fully explain.”[10] While the straightforward explanation posits the fascination of Hindu Nationalists with Israel as a paradigm of a high-functioning Religious-Nationalist state (contrary to secularist accusations of them creating “a Hindu Pakistan”), there does seem to be a deeper metaphysical connection, akin to our relationship with Evangelicals who view Jews as objects of veneration.

 

As Evangelical support is suffering a dramatic decline amongst young Americans[11], one could only hope that Indian Nationalists fill the void, maybe even in the UN Security Council. Although lacking the Biblical backdrop, and any in-depth knowledge of Israel, this newfound and unrealized strategic partnership must be fostered carefully. Israel must invest swift efforts to build a steady, direct, and mutual flow of information and expertise with India, unhindered by third parties such as the New York Times or the Guardian, who have become a steady source of hostile disinformation about both Israel and India. It is my  hope that the recent peak of Indian interest in Israel may be leveraged to great effect in future times of peace.

 

 

[1] OpIndia, ‘Found your choice of interviewee sickening’: Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon slams ‘The Hindu’ for interviewing Hamas’s Mousa Abu Marzouk’, 10.31.23

https://www.opindia.com/2023/10/israel-ambassador-to-india-naor-gilon-slams-the-hindu-for-interviewing-hamas-official-mousa-abu-marzouk/

[2] The New Arab, Dana Hourany, ‘Why India is leading the pro-Israel disinformation campaign online’ 10.24.23 https://www.newarab.com/analysis/why-india-leading-pro-israel-disinformation-campaign?amp

[3] For a full overview of the stances of the founders of India on Zionism see: Shimon Lev (Hebrew)

שמעון לב, נהירין לנו שבילין דהודו  (גמא, 2018)

[4] For a magisterial overview of Hindu-Jewish advocacy partnerships by a writer who opposes both Hindu Nationalism and Zionism see: Jewish Currents, Aparna Gopalan, The Hindu Nationalists using the Pro-Israel Playbook, 28.6.23 https://jewishcurrents.org/the-hindu-nationalists-using-the-pro-israel-playbook

[5] The Indian Express, Vamsee Juluri, Anti-Israel sentiment on American campuses is a warning for Hindus, 11.1.23 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/anti-israel-sentiment-on-american-campuses-is-a-warning-for-hindus-9007846/

[6] Guido Steinberg, Regional Power UAE: Abu Dhabi is no longer Saudi Arabia’s Junior Partner, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) July 2020, Berlin, pp.12, 16 https://www.swp-berlin.org/publications/products/research_papers/2020RP10_UAE_RegionalPower.pdf

[7] See: The New Mandala, Greg Fealy, Selective moderation: Indonesia–UAE religious diplomacy, 17.4.23 and the embedded links inside https://www.newmandala.org/selective-moderation-indonesia-uae/

[8] It has been pointed out that the ambitious ‘Vision 2030’ and other official documents have deliberately written the Wahabi legacy out of Saudi history and society See: ‘Vision 2030’ https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/

[9] Jerusalem Post, Yeshaya Rosenman, What are the Key Takeaways from the G-20 Summit in New Delhi? 12.9.23 https://www.jpost.com/international/article-758642

[10] In an interview to ABP’s Nayanima Basu, 18.10.23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IR1QEDtct4

[11] Times of Israel, Jacob Magid, Support for Israel among young US evangelical Christians drops sharply — survey. 25.5.21 https://www.timesofisrael.com/support-for-israel-among-young-us-evangelicals-drops-sharply-survey/

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Amid the Noise and Hate, Israel is happy

 

Gallup’s 2022 World Happiness Report proves that while Israel is thriving, its enemies are among the world’s most miserable.

By Charles O. Kaufman 

(JNS / Bnai Brith) Israel, home to 53% of world Jewry, is a happy place. Yet you wouldn’t know it if you believed the headlines about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government or saw the latest anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations and the current wave of Jew-hatred propagated by American celebrities.

 

After all, between the International Court of Justice, Whoopi Goldberg, Kyrie Irving and Kanye West, antisemitism appears to be off to a good start in 2023.

 

Yet in the antisemitic worst of times, there are aspects of Israel that represent the best of times. The Startup Nation continues to innovate and flourish. The Abraham Accords continue to deliver positive security and global trade rewards. Israeli companies continue to make a massive impact on the quest to alleviate humanitarian disasters around the world.

 

Moreover, in the face of a tsunami of traditional and social media hatred, Israel is one of the happiest places in the world. It’s true. Last March, the Gallup Organization released its 2022 World Happiness Report, and the survey showed Israel improving its ranking from number 12 to number 9.

 

The survey, which is based on GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy and freedom to make life choices, assessed 146 nations. The countries ahead of Israel were Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Norway. Israel was ranked ahead of New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

 

Countries that signed normalization agreements with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords were also ranked in the top 25: Bahrain was at 21 and the United Arab Emirates at 24.

 

In contrast, the country that daily threatens Israel’s existence, Iran, was ranked 110. Iraq was 107 and Lebanon 145. The “Palestinian Territories,” by the way, were at 122.

 

In other words, no matter how much cacophony is heard in the Knesset, Israeli society is strikingly happy. Most people familiar with Israel understand that cacophony is a byproduct of a free, diverse society. After all, the Knesset has always been the home to shouting, arm waving and theatrical chaos.

 

Israel recently exercised its voice by electing Netanyahu in an election universally acknowledged to have been free and fair. Yet the media around the world, including in Israel, will continue to push the narrative of corruption, even as they seldom examine corruption in Palestinian society.

 

They will call Jewish settlements illegal, even when they’re not—unless you believe the sovereign state of Israel is illegal—but never challenge the illegality of Palestinian settlements or the usefulness of the so-called “refugee camps.”

 

The media will ratchet up the cries of “apartheid” and “occupation” to full volume. They will endlessly refer to Judea and Samaria as the “occupied West Bank,” even though they didn’t consider it “occupied” while it was occupied by Jordan from 1948-1967.

 

The world needs a strong dose of context. At a time when the world faces increasing antisemitism, Jews nonetheless understand that they have faced much worse over more than 3,500 years of history. What we are experiencing, of course, doesn’t make us happy. We would be happier if the media didn’t deny or ignore 3,500 years of history. We would be happier if Gen X Jewry and public and civil servants took 3,500 years of Jewish history into consideration. We would be happier without false narratives and revisionism.

 

But I’m afraid that, unless people become aware of the treacherous past of antisemitism and seek to understand Israel’s importance to Judaism, some forms of the scourge are here to stay.

 

The least happy countries on the Gallup list are fatigued by Middle Eastern wars. Ironically, they have a good—and happy—model of what could be the future in the form of Israel.

 

It’s not surprising that relatively few people in the world pay much attention to the Happiness Report or even know about it. Anyone, including Jews, who promote the BDS movement on college campuses or wishes to splinter and split Israel by appeasing the very unhappy Iran may want to learn more about the Jewish homeland and leave their bad karma at home.

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“The Economist” ranks Israel fourth best performing economy

Tel Aviv credit: Shutterstock

Tel Aviv credit: Shutterstock

25December2022 9:14  Oren Dori  https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-The-Economist-ranks-Israel-fourth-best-performing-economy-1001433653

The UK weekly said that Israel had enjoyed economic success over the past year, despite the political chaos.

“The Economist” has ranked Israel as the fourth best performing economy in 2022. “In the Middle East, Israel enjoyed success over the past year, despite the political chaos,” the UK weekly wrote.

 

The ranking of the 34 OECD countries was based on five macroeconomic indicators: GDP growth, annual inflation, inflation breadth, share prices, and government debt. As “Globes” reported last week Israel’s debt: GDP ratio has fallen from 68% to 60% this year. Although inflation over the past 12 months has risen to 5.3%, this is about half the level of inflation in much of the Western economies, as “The Economist” points out.

 

“The Economist” ranked Greece in first place as the best performing economy in 2022, after the shock waves that were sent through the economy in the years before the Covid pandemic. Among other things, Greece managed to shrink its debt: GDP ratio by 16% over the past year. In second and third places in the ranking, ahead of Israel in fourth place, were Portugal and Ireland. Israel shared fourth place with Spain.

 

The world’s biggest economies did not fare so well. The US was ranked 20th with negligible GDP growth of 0.2%, while Germany was ranked 30th with high inflation of 10%. In last place among the 34 OECD countries was Estonia.

 

The international comparison by “The Economist” shows an advantage in inflation in countries whose energy is not based on Russian gas and oil, such as Israel. Spain, for example, which purchases natural gas from Algeria and uses solar energy, recorded relatively moderate increase of 5.7% in its consumer price index, in the 12 months from October 2021 to September 2022. Latvia, on the other hand, was hit by inflation of 20% over that period due to its reliance on Russian energy.

 

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on December 25, 2022.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2022.

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2022’s unlikely economic winners

Which countries performed best and worst this year?

Economic Data and People

Economic Data and People

18December2022 | Ibiza https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/12/18/2022s-unlikely-economic-winners

In financial terms the past year has been bad for almost everyone. Inflation of 10% year-on-year across the rich world has slashed household incomes. Investors have lost out as global stockmarkets have plunged by 20%. Yet this poor aggregate performance hides wide differences: some countries have done pretty well.

 

To assess these differences, The Economist has compiled data on five economic and financial indicators—gdp, inflation, inflation breadth, stockmarket performance and government debt—for 34 mostly rich countries. We have ranked each economy according to how well it has done on these measures, and created an overall score. The table at the end of this article shows the rankings. It includes some unexpected results.

 

For the first time in a while, the economic party is happening in the Mediterranean. Top of our list is Greece. Other countries that plumbed the economic depths in the early 2010s, including Portugal and Spain, also score highly. They are not the only pleasant surprises. Despite political chaos, Israel did well. Meanwhile, despite political stability, Germany is an underperformer. Two Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia, which won plaudits in the 2010s for speedy reforms, come bottom.

 

GDP, usually the best measure of economic health, is our first indicator. Norway (helped by high oil prices) and Turkey (by a boom in sanctions-busting trade with Russia) have done better than most. The fallout from covid-19 also looms large. Thanks to strict lockdowns and a collapse in tourism, a year ago much of southern Europe was in dire straits, so the region was due a decent year. Visits to the Balearics recently rebounded beyond their pre-pandemic level. As your correspondent discovered on a recent trip to Ibiza, the island is so busy it is difficult to book a taxi or find a spot at a half-decent restaurant.

 

Ireland probably had a strong year, though one not nearly as strong as gdp numbers suggest. The activities of big multinational companies, many registered there for tax purposes, have for years distorted the figures. By contrast, America’s gdp numbers are misleadingly weak: in recent quarters official statisticians have struggled to account for the impact of enormous stimulus packages.

 

More granular data fill in the picture. Our second measure is the change in the price level since the end of 2021. Away from the world’s attention, some countries have seen low inflation. In Switzerland consumer prices have risen by just 3%. The country’s central bank, helped along by a strong currency, responded rapidly to the rise in prices earlier this year. Countries which have non-Russian energy sources—such as Spain, which gets much of its gas from Algeria—have also done better than average. Those reliant on Vladimir Putin for fuel have truly suffered. In Latvia average consumer prices have risen by a fifth.

 

Our third measure also relates to inflation. It calculates the share of items in each country’s inflation basket where prices have risen by more than 2% in the past year. This provides an indication of how entrenched inflation is—and therefore hints at how quickly inflation will fall over the coming year. Some countries that suffer from high headline inflation have nonetheless been able to limit its breadth. In Italy, for instance, average consumer prices have risen by 11% this year, yet “only” two-thirds of its inflation basket has above-target inflation. Japanese inflation also looks like it may fade away. Britain is in more trouble. The price of every category in its basket is rising fast.

 

People’s sense of economic well-being does not just come from prices in the shops. They also look at the value of their pension pots and stock portfolios. In some countries it has been a terrible year for these sorts of investments. Share prices in both Germany and South Korea are down by nearly a fifth in 2022, double America’s decline. Swedish stocks have done even worse. Yet there are a few spots of strength. Norway’s stockmarket is up on the year. So is Britain’s, which is populated by the sort of dull, plodding companies that tend to be rewarded when economic times are tough. A fall in the value of the pound has also increased the value of foreign sales.

 

Our final measure concerns the change in net government debt as a share of gdp. In the short run ministers are able to paper over economic cracks by increasing spending or cutting taxes. However this can create more debt and thus the need to turn the fiscal screws in the future. Some governments have spent extravagantly to cope with the cost-of-living squeeze. Germany has allocated funds worth about 7% of gdp to help with sky-high energy costs, meaning its debt-to-gdp ratio has risen. Other countries have pulled back from the splurge, helping to right the fiscal ship. Assisted by high inflation, public debt in southern European countries seems to be on the way down.

 

Will the gap between 2022’s winners and losers persist in 2023? Before long southern Europe’s economic growth, weighed down by rapidly ageing populations and high debts, will surely fall back to the region’s usual less-than-stellar levels. And there are hopeful signs that in countries such as America and Britain high inflation may finally be easing, which would help them up the rankings.

 

Along other dimensions, differences are likely to persist, not least when it comes to those countries reliant on Mr Putin for their energy supplies. Against the odds, many managed to replenish their stores of natural gas before winter set in—but only by paying outrageous prices. With supplies now largely cut off, the coming year will be a lot more difficult. That will be a big concern in the Baltics, but less so on the other side of Europe. It is hard to worry about gas supplies while eating a giant plate of squid on an Ibicencan beach. ■

The Economist has compiled data on five economic and financial indicators—gdp, inflation, inflation breadth, stockmarket performance and government debt—for 34 mostly rich countries -18December2022 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/12/18/2022s-unlikely-economic-winners

The Economist has compiled data on five economic and financial indicators—gdp, inflation, inflation breadth, stockmarket performance and government debt—for 34 mostly rich countries -18December2022 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/12/18/2022s-unlikely-economic-winners

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Arutz Sheva http://www.israelnationalnews.com/

Israel’s economic growth in defiance of grave odds

The volume and density of innovation has made Israel a mandatory destination for all leading investors. Op–ed.

Amb. (ret.) Yoram Ettinger


2August2023, 5:01 PM (GMT+3) http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/375021

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger is author of “Second Thoughts: a US-Israel Initiative”, his website is The Ettinger Report.

 

According to a July 17, 2023 Bloomberg report, a leading global investment bank, the NYC-based Jefferies Financial Group, Inc., “expects further growth in Israel’s tech sector despite political unrest over government plans to overhaul the judiciary….

 

“While there are considerable uncertainties, we anticipate Israel’s tech ecosystem growth and maturation will only accelerate, creating a dominant and necessary opportunity for investors…. The report expressed confidence that Israel’s tech industry will remain globally attractive….

 

“The volume and density of innovation has made Israel a mandatory destination for all leading investors and will likely create a disproportionate number of category-defining winners across sectors in the many years to come….”

 

Irrespective of the political turmoil associated with the judiciary controversy, the latest data indicates persistent growth of Israel’s high-tech sector, in particular, and Israel’s economy, in general.

 

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, as presented on July 27, 2023 by a senior Israeli economist, Shlomo Maoz:

 

Notwithstanding the dramatic decline in foreign investment in Israel’s high-tech sector, Israel’s high-tech export increased by 6.9% during the first 5 months of 2023, while domestic consumption of Israel’s high-tech products and services decreased by 0.2% during the same period.

 

The recent depreciation of the New IsraeliShekel (compared with the US dollar) has benefitted Israel’s exports.

 

Industrial production of the high-tech sector expanded during the first five months of 2023 by 5.6% more than the first five months of 2022, as reflected by the 3% growth in the number of high-tech workers during the first five month of 2023, and the 3.6% rise in the number of working hours during the first five months of 2023.

 

Israel’s defense export has surged due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war upon the demand for advanced Israeli military systems; the substantial increase of Germany’s defense budget, and Sweden’s and Finland’s decision to join NATO. In addition, there is the rising Chinese threat to India and the Pacific Ocean countries; and the sustained regional and global threat of Sunni (e.g., Moslem Brotherhood) and Shiite Islamic terrorism (Iran’s Ayatollahs).

 

Israel is expected to double its natural gas production to 40 billion cubic meters during the next few years, in response to the growing demand by Europe for alternative sources of natural gas, as it seeks to reduce reliance on Russian energy. As a result, there has been growing interest by international energy companies to invest in Israel’s gas exploration. For example, Chevron Corp. and Israel’s NewMed Energy and Ratio Energies – the partners in the Israeli offshore gas project, Leviathan – are investing $568mn to build a 3rd pipeline.

 

Unemployment has declined to 3.5% (3% among women). In fact, a shortage of manpower is reported by hundreds of contractors and subcontractors, especially in export and defense-driven companies.

 

Israel’s GDP grew by 3.2% during the first quarter of 2023, compared to 3.1% during the previous quarter, while industrial investment grew by 16.2% following a 4.8% decline during the last quarter of 2022.
Yoram will be available for speaking engagements in the US during summer and winter 2023: Israel’s contributions to the US economy & defense outweigh US foreign aid to Israel; 400-year-old roots of the US-Israel nexus; Myth of Arab demographic time bomb; Iran – negotiation or confrontation? President Biden’s Middle East policy; US pressure – testing US realism and Israeli leadership; Palestinian state’s impact on US interests; Arab talk vs. Arab walk on Palestinians; Is the Palestinian issue the crux of the Arab-Israeli conflict and a core cause of regional turbulence? Islamic terrorists bite the hands that feed them; Middle East reality vs. Western conventional wisdom, etc.

 

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SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING: New Gas Deal With Europe Turns Israel Into A Super Power

written by David Mark, March 14, 2023

SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING: New Gas Deal With Europe Turns Israel Into A Super Power

Prime Minister Netanyahu travelled to both German and Italy this past week to ink a new gas deal with $5 billion euros annually.

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu arrive in Rome.

More than the money, the deal is set to reset Israel-European relations by forcing Europe to reduce their overt support for “palestinian” NGOs and reexamining votes in the UN.

 

“You’re going to fall off your chair,” reporter Yossi Baum tweeted Monday night and continued: “It looks like the prophet’s vision of the end of times, but these are the facts: Israel is becoming a superpower. Our tiny country is becoming an extremely dominant and significant player vis-à-vis Europe, in a way that completely changes the rules of the game in the Middle East, including vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority. This is unbelievable!”

 

Besides the gas deal, Netanyahu inked a $3 billion arms sale to Germany.

Strategic Effect On Russia

There is an unspoken strategic consequence of the gas deal. The deal will begin to cut Russia’s influence over Europe by changing Europe’s dependency on gas away from Gazprom in Russia, to Israel. The Europeans may hate the Jewish State, but if it’s a choice between Jewish Israel and Putin’s Russia, they rather deal with Israel. Even if they have to ultimately jettison the arabs in Judea and Samaria to get the gas they need.

 

With battle lines drawn between the West and the new axis powers of Russia, Iran, and China, Israel is quickly finding that is having to make some hard choices. Europe has been against the Jewish State for some time, but at the end neither Europe or Israel have little choice but to work together.

 

With Israel in the driver’s seat, its little surprise that Bibi seems unfazed by the leftist color revolution brewing in Israel. After all, while it appears that the State Department might be openly antagonistic to the State of Israel, Europe is changing its tune. This leaves America more and more isolated when it comes to Mideast policy.

End of Days?

Much of what we are witnessing in our generation is eluded in the Bible. It says in the Torah: “God shall enlarge Yapheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”

 

It is understood that Europe is the descendent of Yapheth, one of the three son’s of Noach, while the people of Israel are descended from Shem.

 

Beyond the gas deal, Netanyahu has asked Italy to recognize Jerusalem as the eternal and ancestral capital of the Jewish people.

 

As the Maharal of Prague says in Ner Mitzvah: “And therefore the fourth empire is called “חזיר”- “Pig”, for “שתחזור” it will “Return” the Kingship to Yisrael, which is to say considering the aspect of the emptiness to which the fourth empire is attached, it will usher in the experience of the Kingship of Yisrael.”

 

Rome which became the Western world is analogous to the fourth animal sharing both kosher and non kosher signs – the Pig. Recognizing the Jerusalem as Jewish would be the reversal of the fourth and final exile, which Rome initiated nearly 2,000 years ago by exiling the Jewish people from Jerusalem and renaming it.

 

Netanyahu’s trip has far reaching consequences beyond economics – it appears the gears of biblical prophecy are moving ever closer to the grand finale written in the Bible thousands of years ago.

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Israel’s Negev Desert Technology Will Change Our World

05January2023  https://www.israpundit.org/israels-negev-desert-technology-will-change-our-world/

Israel’s Negev Desert Technology Will Change Our World

Posted 2November2022 TBN Israel “Israel’s Negev Desert Technology Will Change Our World | FULL EPISODE | Insights on TBN Israel”

On this episode of Insights: Israel & the Middle East, host Mati Shoshani discovers the miraculous story of turning Israel’s desert into a world of innovation and technology.

This video was brought to you by TBN Networks®.

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VERY GOOD NEWS ISRAEL

By Michael Ordman, VGNI
08January2023  https://www.israpundit.org/very-good-news-israel-144/

Already in 2023 we see Israel building for a better future.  And it promises to be a healthier future for everyone, with Israeli treatments for cancer, migraine, essential tremor, burns, and dental implants – all having made major advances in the past week. Israelis are also building up the skills of medics in Ethiopia.  It’s good to see Israel building up its diplomatic relations with Turkiye (Turkey) and Azerbaijan, building new business opportunities with Gulf states, and building cultural ties with Mexico and Serbia.

On the technology front, Israeli startups are building quantum computers; new facilities to convert waste into hydrogen and bio-plastics; new sustainable products, and a “green” cover for one of Israel’s busy highways.

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Israelis live longer. Israelis have the world’s 10th highest life expectancy, according to the Worldometer’s Life Expectancy of the World Population – a project by NiceR that helps Americans access affordable prescription medications. The average Israeli life expectancy is 83.5 (82 for men and 85 for women). In 2020 it was 82.6
https://www.israel21c.org/israel-has-10th-highest-life-expectancy-in-world/
https://www.nicerx.com/best-healthcare-countries/ https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/israel-life-expectancy

Reprogramming the immune system of cancer patients. Scientists at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital and Bar-Ilan University have developed HBI0101- a CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma and amyloidosis, benefiting over 90% of patients in trials. Los Angeles-based Immix BioPharma will commercialize HBI0101.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-demonstrating-57-remission-rate-israeli-immunotherapy-licensed-by-us-firm/  https://haematologica.org/article/view/haematol.2022.281628

Implants heal 3 times faster. Israel’s Magdent (see here previously) has received CE approval for its Miniaturized Electromagnetic Device (MED) that has been clinically proven to shorten the healing process after dental implants by up to 3 times. The device is being sold in Israel and the EU. FDA approval is being sought.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/companies/magdent

Relieving migraines in the US. (TY OurCrowd) 2,500+ US physicians have prescribed the Nerivio migraine relief device from Israel’s Theranica, benefiting some 35,000 Americans with its neuromodulation technology.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/us-doctors-offer-drug-free-migraine-relief-from-israeli-startup/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tbRRWVi1q4

From both sides now. Essential tremor usually affects hands and arms on both sides of the body – one side more than the other. Israel’s Insightec (see here previously) has now received FDA approval to treat the second side of the brains of patients in the US a minimum of nine months after treatment of the first side.
https://insightec.com/insightec-receives-fda-approval-to-treat-essential-tremor-patients-second-side-expanding-total-available-market-in-united-states/

New way to cure pulmonary embolisms. Doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital removed a blood clot in an Israeli’s lung (pulmonary embolism) using, for the first time in Israel, a US-developed FlowTriever. It sucked out some of the patient’s blood, cleaned it of the clot and replaced it. No blood thinners, no invasive surgery.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-knife-procedure-to-avoid-some-open-heart-surgeries-is-now-in-israel/

4th child for ex-cancer patient. (TY UWI) Thanks to the Fertility Preservation Center at Sheba Medical Center, Ayelet, 35, gave birth to her fourth child, following years of aggressive cancer treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. She is the first woman in the world to give birth to 4 children through cryopreservation of her eggs.
https://www.jns.org/four-little-miracles/

US approval for burns treatment. Israel’s Mediwound has received FDA approval for its NexoBrid pineapple plant-based burn treatment (see here previously) to be sold in the US to treat thermal burns. The US already has emergency stockpiles. NexoBrid is now approved for use in 44 countries, including the EU, Japan, and India.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-fda-approves-mediwound-burn-treatment-1001434234

More approvals on the way. This article identifies three more Israeli companies that are expected to receive FDA approval for treatments in 2023. They are Gamida Cell (Omidubicel / NiCord – bone marrow transplants); Protalix (PRX-102 – Fabry disease); and BioLineRX (BL-8040 / Motixafortide – multiple myeloma).
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-four-israeli-cos-expect-fda-approvals-in-2023-1001434199

Lower cost of prescription medicines. The maximum prices for dispensed medicines in Israel are to fall by an average of nearly 7.5%. Israel’s prescription prices are based on the lowest that the medicines cost in Europe on Jan 1st. Israelis then only pay 15% of that price – the remainder being paid by Israel’s health companies.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-725994

Training medics in Ethiopia. A team from Magen David (MDA) and three Israeli hospitals are currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia training doctors and nurses in the treatment of trauma. In a separate mission, Professor Hanoch Kashtan and his Assuta Ashdod team have been training surgeons and nurses, in northern Ethiopia.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365142  https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-726005

1.3 million calls to MDA. During 2022 Magen David Adom EMTs and paramedics attended over 1.3 million emergencies from nearly 200 stations. The call centers received on average one call every 10.8 seconds. MDA’s 31,600 staff include nearly 14,600 youth volunteers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365150

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Ella is a True Israeli Trailblazer. (TY UWI) An update of the career of Major Ella Waweya (see here previously) – the first Muslim Arab woman to publicly become a major in the IDF. The details of how she joined the IDF are especially interesting.  https://www.jns.org/the-trailblazing-female-muslim-arab-idf-major/

Turkish President presents award to Israeli professor. In a unique ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented the Turkish Academy of Sciences’ honorary commendation to Hebrew University Professor Amnon Cohen for his extensive research into the Land of Israel under Ottoman rule.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkzab1zci  https://www.bookdepository.com/author/Amnon-Cohen

Azerbaijan appoints its first ambassador to Israel. Deputy Minister of Science and Education Mukhtar Mammadov has reportedly been appointed as the country’s first ambassador to the Jewish State. He previously supervised projects with Israel. The news of was praised by George Deek, Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan.
https://www.jns.org/azerbaijan-appoints-its-first-ambassador-to-israel/
https://aze.media/azerbaijan-announces-appointment-of-first-ever-ambassador-to-israel/

Saving the ocean from plastic. Arik Rosenblum of Israeli NGO EcoOcean (see here previously) promotes the vital message to the whole world that, “To save the sea is to save us”. Plastic waste going into our food via fish is causing cancer. It is also killing vital marine creatures – like the sponge that may be a cure for Alzheimer’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnjCipIvzO0   https://www.israel21c.org/saving-the-ocean-from-plastic/
https://news.unair.ac.id/2019/10/24/marine-sponge-potential-to-treat-alzheimers-disease/?lang=en

Bird migration is in full swing. (TY Kay) I sent this website link to readers in September when the KKL-JNF cameras at Israel’s Hula Lake were set up.  Now the bird migration through Israel is at its peak, you can use this link to view the amazing live scenes as some 500 million feathered visitors rest their wings in the Jewish State.
https://www.kkl-jnf.org/tourism-and-recreation/forests-and-parks/hula-lake-park/live_broadcast/

Iranian invasion. It is good news. A flock of 200 flamingos from Iran arrived at Israel’s Hula Lake during their November migration. However, they seem to be happy here and don’t appear to be continuing their journey to Africa. KKL-JNF’s Inbar Shlomit Rubin says, “I just hope they won’t be accused of being spies!”
https://www.israel21c.org/flamingos-are-israels-most-enigmatic-guests-this-season/

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Eros C-3 launched. (TY UWI) Israel’s ImageSat (see here previously) successfully launched its EROS-C3 observation satellite into space from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Built by Israel Aerospace Industries, the EROS-C3 is one of the world’s most advanced observation satellites.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-private-satellite-with-state-of-the-art-camera-launched-into-orbit/
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sjg29p2ts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAA-AHUD_CA

TAU-SAT3 launched. Another SpaceX rocket launched Tel Aviv University’s SAT3 nanosatellite from Cape Canaveral. It will communicate with a groundbreaking optical ground station that can reconstruct any lost data in real-time using smart signal processing algorithms developed at TAU.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-nanosatellite-a-breakthrough-in-quantum-communications/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTeSX9KbZuA

Increasing natural gas extraction. (TY Atid-EDI) US energy giant Chevron is building a third pipeline to increase the gas extracted from Israel’s Tamar natural gas field. The aim is to take 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day – up from the present 1.1 billion, enabling Israel to export more gas to Egypt and supply other countries.
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/12/israeli-gas-sector-strengthens-chevron-morocco-deals

Israel’s quantum consortium. Israel’s Innovation Authority is investing NIS 115 million over 3 years to create the largest consortium in its history. IAI’s Elta Systems, Quantum Art, Classiq, Qedma, and Rafael will develop some of the most advanced quantum computing processor technologies and software.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/bkoylljcj  https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/365273

Award for hydrogen harvester. Israeli-Swedish-Polish startup Boson Energy (see here previously) was ranked first in the hydrogen production track in the Tech Tour Sustainability22 Flagship Program in Essen, Germany. Tech Tour’s European network connects investors, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners.
https://www.israel21c.org/hydrogen-harvesting-startup-wins-sustainability-award/
https://techtour.com/events/2022/11/event-sustainability22%5B4%5D.html?pageId=6082669

Bioplastic and more from food waste. (TY I24 News) Israel’s TripleW (see here previously) is now in full production on an industrial scale at its new facility in Belgium. It is converting massive amounts of food waste into biodegradable plastic plus biogas for energy production.  Watch the video for more details.
https://www.israelunwired.com/you-wont-believe-what-this-israeli-company-is-doing-with-garbage/
https://www.dsengineers.com/en/news/triplew-climatetech-food-waste-upcycling-process-goes-commercial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfs4VaL7sIA

Healthy processed foods. Teams from Israel’s Technion Institute competed in the “Foods Solutions” event in Brussels, funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. One Technion team won gold, with their nutritious, freeze-dried, instant vegan omelet. Another won silver with a chickpea, lentil, & cashew snack.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/nutrition/article-725996

Don’t forget to drink. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Impacx (previously water.io) has developed a smart water bottle that illuminates and vibrates to encourage people to stay hydrated. Impacx also makes smart medicine boxes that remind people to take pills, auto-replenishing them and generating valuable medical data.
https://nocamels.com/2023/01/vibrating-water-bottle-reminds-users-to-drink/  https://impacx.io/water-io/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPNw7F6mgG0

Green light for Begin Highway cover. Jerusalem has approved a NIS 1.5+ billion plan to cover the Begin Highway. The highway cover will include a 14.25-acre park with pedestrian access but no vehicles. It will create over 50 acres of new land for thousands of homes, office space and hotel rooms.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-plan-to-cover-jerusalems-begin-highway-approved-for-objections-1001433151

Cybersecurity startup is cool. Israel’s accSenSe has been named a “Cool Vendor” in Gartner’s Identity-First Security category.  Gartner Cool Vendors are chosen if they have innovative and transformative products, services or initiatives. accSenSe enables customers a fast recovery after a major security breach.
https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/12/07/2569543/0/en/accSenSe-Named-a-2022-Gartner-Cool-Vendor-in-Identity-First-Security.html   https://accsense.io/blog/accsense-gartner-cool-vendor/

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Israel’s resilient economy. Excellent short article by Prof. Micheal Humphries of the Jerusalem College of Technology and Touro College Israel. He gives six key reasons why (except for 2020 – Covid), Israel has had positive economic growth every year since 2003, including during the 2008-9 Great Recession.
https://www.israel21c.org/6-surprising-secrets-of-israels-economic-resiliency/   https://tci.touro.edu/

Unemployment falls to 4.1%. Israel’s rate of unemployment fell in November to 4.1% from 4.3% in October. The fall was mainly due to the rise in workforce participation to 60.6% (60.3% Oct).
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-despite-slowdown-unemployment-in-israel-falls-1001433181

Tourist numbers surge. Over 2.6 million foreign tourists visited Israel in 2022, compared to 397,000 in 2021 and 831,000 in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Israel opened its borders to tourists in Mar 2022 and all restrictions were dropped in May. Israelis enjoyed a record 20 million overnight local hotel stays in 2022.
https://www.jns.org/2-67-million-tourists-visited-israel-in-2022/

Abraham Accords transforms businesses. This article describes the work of the UAE-IL Tech Zone which focuses on building bridges between the two regions through tech. The group boasts more than 2,000 members. Also, the DANA Accelerator in Abu Dhabi, where women aim to solve major challenges in the Gulf.
https://www.israel21c.org/how-the-abraham-accords-are-transforming-business/

Preventing financial crime in the UAE. Dubai-based NOW Money is to use the AI anti-money laundering (AML) platform from Israel’s ThetaRay to help prevent financial crimes on its payments systems. ThetaRay’s SONAR cloud-based AML solution will monitor cross-border payments processed by NOW Money.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221213005555/en/

Good news disguised as bad. This negatively headlined article on Israel in 2022 is mostly comprised of good news. Productivity increasing; hi-tech booming; unemployment decreasing; job vacancies increasing; education results improving; life expectancy rising. Can’t these journalists lighten up a bit?
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-726058

Powering up the US. (TY Israel21c) Israel’s Zooz Power (see here previously) has signed an agreement with US-based Blink Charging for the marketing, distribution, sale, and deployment of the ZOOZTER-100 electric vehicle (EV) charging system in the United States. Zooz also just installed its first charging systems in Israel.
https://ir.blinkcharging.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/2412/blink-charging-collaborates-with-zooz-power-to-distribute   https://www.timesofisrael.com/zooz-power-deploys-first-ultra-fast-power-booster-for-electric-vehicles-in-israel/

Shufersal to open SPAR stores in Israel. Israel’s largest supermarket chain Shufersal is to invest tens of millions of shekels to open at least ten SPAR stores in Israel, as well as sell SPAR products in Shufersal stores. The lower prices of SPAR products are expected to help reduce Israel’s cost of living. See here previously.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/shufersal-inks-early-deal-to-open-local-stores-for-dutch-spar-chain/

Germany’s first fully automated supermarket. (TY Atid-EDI) The new REWE Pick&Go store in central Munich is Germany’s first-ever 100% autonomous store, thanks to Israel’s Trigo (see here previously).
https://www.trigoretail.com/rewe-launches-the-first-100-autonomous-store-in-germany/

El Al to buy its 17th Dreamliner. Israel’s El Al airline is soon to take delivery of two more Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Its 16th will be the 787-8 it ordered prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also buy a 787-9 originally ordered by another Boeing customer who no longer requires it. Boeing will adapt it for El Al.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-el-al-expanding-dreamliner-fleet-to-17-1001433126

Exits, takeovers and mergers. Israel’s Matrix has acquired Israel’s Zebra Technologies for approximately $18.5 million. US-based RMS has acquired Israeli fraud detection startup OrboGraph for over $100 million.

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`

Ofra Haza is one of the best singers ever. (TY IsraPundit & UWI) Israel’s Ofra Haza, who passed away in 2000, was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the best 200 singers of all time. It called her “The Madonna of the Middle East.” (But not “Israeli”) The Youtube is her rendition of “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav”.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-singers-all-time-1234642307/ofra-haza-1234642327/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj5H_Fz1dCY

Ravel, Berlioz, Bizet. On Jan 11 the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra promises a wonderful evening with conductor Yves Abel and mezzo soprano Rachel Frenkel featuring Le Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel, Les Nuits d’été by Berlioz and Symphony in C by Bizet.  Discounted tickets via the Nefesh b’Nefesh website.
https://www.jso.co.il/en/concert/ravel-berlioz-bizet/
https://www.nbn.org.il/events/ravel-berlioz-bizet/?mc_cid=bfa0da7e18&mc_eid=15465044d8

Jewish women of consequence. A series of free Zoom lectures by Prof. Moshe Rosman of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, highlighting the lives of four Jewish women who lived in the early modern period (16th-18th centuries).  On Jan 8, 15 and 22.  Registration required.
https://www.bac.org.il/events/?seriesID=1008  https://jewish-history.biu.ac.il/en/node/575

Things to do in Israel in January. In Israel’s coolest month, Tourist Israel recommends visiting Eilat. January events include the Tel Aviv Power Africa Expo, and the Israman triathlon in Eilat.
https://www.touristisrael.com/things-to-do-in-israel-in-january/3792/
https://www.cantonfair.net/event/13031-tel-aviv-power-africa-expo  https://www.israman.co.il/?lang=en

Puppet show for children in Serbia. Recent celebrations marked 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Serbia. They included a performance at the International Festival of Children’s Theatres in Subotica of the play “Up and Down Story” by the Israeli Koom-Koom Theater.  https://en.koomkoom.org/mala-mata
https://www.jpost.com/365days/-theatre/article-725290    https://en.koomkoom.org/

Dancing in Spain and Mexico. Israeli dancers have recently been entertaining audiences in Spain and Mexico. Israeli choreographer Sharon Friedman presented two works in the “Espacio Espiral, in Santander. Meanwhile, Israel’s Kamea dance company toured Mexico to celebrate the 70th anniversary of joint diplomatic relations.
https://www.jpost.com/365days/dance/article-725482  https://www.jpost.com/365days/dance/article-725543

Israeli cycling team returns to Tour de France. The Israel – Premier Tech (IPT) cycling team has been selected to compete again in the Tour de France. IPT was one of only six teams to achieve two Stage wins last year. IPT owner Sylvan Adams said that his team was looking forward to even more success at this year’s race.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-team-set-for-return-to-tour-de-france/

Judoka gold in Jerusalem. (TY Nevet) Israeli judoka Baruch Shmailov won the 66kg men’s gold medal at the Judo Masters tournament in Jerusalem, defeating French contestant Daikii Bouba in the finals. The tournament is the 3rd most important competition in judo, after the Olympics and the World Judo Championships.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-judoka-wins-gold-medal-at-masters-tournament-held-in-jerusalem/

THE JEWISH STATE

The first new Israelis of 2023. (TY TPS) Liel and Sergey of Rehovot celebrated the birth of their third son just after midnight on Jan 1st at the Shamir Medical Center (Assaf HaRofeh) near Tel Aviv. And see the second article for other babies born on the first day of 2023 – a microcosm of Israel’s population.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/israels-1st-baby-of-2023-born-just-after-midnight/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-726326

Surge in demand for Masa journeys. Hundreds of Jews aged 18 to 30 from the former Soviet Union have joined Masa Israel Journey’s two-to-12-month study, service, and career development programs.  The demand for pre-Aliyah programs was so great it had to be funded by a $3 million donation matched by the government.
https://www.jns.org/3-million-raised-to-let-more-fsu-jews-join-masa-israel-journey/

Jerusalem builds. (TY Sharon) One day all the construction projects in and around Jerusalem will be completed. Sacher Park, the Jerusalem Gateway, the Light Rail extension. New projects include Sultan’s Pool and the Pool of Siloam excavation. Sharon even made a video of the final construction of the new Government.
http://rjstreets.com/2023/01/01/from-jerusalem-a-look-to-the-future/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gADBvWBKk

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Israel travel
Tel Aviv Skyline_Cover

Transportation

 


Transportation


Israel is a small country, which makes getting around fast and convenient. Taxis are common in Israel for urban and interurban travel and can be flagged in the street or booked via phone or designated international apps such as GetTexi.

 

The main forms of public transportation are busses and the national train service both offering a convenient, reasonably priced means of travel to nearly every destination in the country.

 

Train Information Services: www.rail.co.il / Telephone: 08-6831222 or *5770

 

Busses Information Services: www.bus.co.il / Telephone: 1-900-72-1111

 

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booths in the central bus station in each city or town, or from the driver. Most of the bus lines do not run on Shabbat or on Jewish holidays. Service ends on Friday afternoon and resumes Saturday evening.

 

Students are entitled to discounts on intercity bus lines. To receive a discount they must present an international student card when purchasing tickets.

Jerusalem Light Rail - Old City

Jerusalem Light Rail – Old City

 

Smart ride apps
As of December, 2020, public bus services can be paid for using smartphone apps. The official app is The Station and is available on Google Play for Android and on the App Store for IOS. There are also several private mobility apps on which payment can be made.

 

The Station provides users with best options across bus, train, and more, using real-time data, taking into account schedules and the latest changes.

 

In order to use the app, set up an account and submit your fare type, if eligible.
On the bus, scan the QR sticker to validate your trip and share with the inspector if asked.

 

For tourists or debit card holders, the app calculates the best price for your journeys at the end of each day.
For Israeli credit card holders, best price is calculated and debited on a monthly basis.
The apps are currently only available for travel on buses, but should soon be available on Israel Railways and the Jerusalem light rail.

Domestic Flights

Israel is a small country, and for this reason, it is only worthwhile to consider flying between Eilat and Tel Aviv. Several companies operate flights from Eilat to Ben Gurion Airport, or Sde Dov in north Tel Aviv. Airfares are reasonable, but are higher than bus fares.

 

There are also private companies that operate special flights from anywhere in the country upon request.

 

Renting a Car

 

Most international car rental companies and local companies have offices in the large cities and at Ben Gurion Airport. It is recommended to reserve a car in advance from abroad.

 

To rent a car in Israel the driver must be over 24 years of age, and must hold a valid international driver’s license and an international credit card.

 

Israel has an extensive road system and clear signage in most places (in Hebrew, English, and Arabic).

Driving in Israel

The minimum driving age in Israel is 17 and the driving side of the road is the right. Speed limits are 30 to 50km/h in cities, 80-90 on freeways, 130 on highways and Route no.6. Safety belts are obligatory, and if you’re enjoying a night on the town, keep in mind there is a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving so find a designated driver and enjoy safely.

Highway 6

Highway 6 operates as an electronic toll road with no barriers at entrances or exits and no traffic lights which allows for uninterrupted trips. Advanced computerized information systems installed along the highway include electronic tollgates, identify vehicles, categorize types of fees (subscription or unregistered) and calculate the number of highway sections each vehicle travels. Every trip is automatically tabulated and invoiced. Drivers enjoy a rich, convenient, and safe traveling experience with a speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour.

 

Tourists renting a car will be charged via their credit card. Please inquire with the rental company the conditions and tariffs.

 

Most Rent a Car companies do not offer insurance for the areas in the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Tourists wishing to drive with rented cars into the areas of the Palestinian Authority are recommended to secure appropriate insurance.
JerusalemCats Comments: CAVEAT EMPTOR

Shurat HaDin-tweet-18July2023-Israelis are forbidden by law from entering parts of Judea and Samaria

Shurat HaDin-tweet-18July2023-Israelis are forbidden by law from entering parts of Judea and Samaria

If you are a male you will be killed and eaten by the NAZI Palestine terrorists if you drive in Palestinian Authority areas.
If you are a female you will be Gang Raped, then either forced to marry your rapist or Raped, killed and eaten by the NAZI Palestine terrorists if you drive in Palestinian Authority areas.

Warning sign for Jews entering Palestine territory

Warning sign for Jews entering Palestine territory

JerusalemCats Comments: THIS IS REAL! DO NOT ENTER!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!

Gaza “protesters” loft molotov cocktail on swastika kite over Israeli border

Gaza “protesters” loft molotov cocktail on swastika kite over Israeli border

Protecting-children-Israel-or-Hamas

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itraveljerusalem-com-logo

Jerusalem Light Rail

https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/ent/jerusalem-light-rail/

Yaffo Street, Jerusalem Photo: courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism

Yaffo Street, Jerusalem Photo: courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism

The Jerusalem Light Rail (Harakevet Hakala) stretches from Pisgat Ze’ev in the North (Heil Ha’avir Station) to Mount Herzl in the West, with many stops along the way.

Plan your trip

The tram’s arrival time is continuously updated on the electronic boards at the stations.

Know the right time for you! Use the “plan your journey” option on the rail’s official website to stay updated with the schedule.

Light Rail – Important Tips

  • Ticket machines are in English, Hebrew and Arabic only.
  • Purchase your ticket at the ticket machine before getting on the train (make sure the time is printed on it), validate it when you board the train by swiping it and then keep it for possible (and regular) ticket inspection by police officers. Those without proof of valid tickets are fined on the spot.
  • It is possible to pay by credit card at the ticket machines, even for single trips.
  • Payment by cash: maximum of 15 coins. Permissible notes are listed at the bottom of the screen depending on the sum of the transaction.

General information about tickets and pricing >>

The law of ticket validation >>

Purchasing options >>

Map

Click here to view the station map

By Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa) - 2012-08-19OpenStreetMap data for the background, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20740571

By Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa) – 2012-08-19OpenStreetMap data for the background, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20740571

Planned New Lines: Jerusalem Light Rail Map

The Jerusalem LRT Network

https://jlrt.org.il/

Red Corridor Green Corridor Blue Corridor
Track Length (km) 21.5 20 31(2.5 Underground)
Number of Stations 36 41 53(3 Underground)
Number of Rectifier Rooms 17 19 13
Number of Junctions 84 89 68
Depot & Stabling
French Hill Depot:
Capacity – 71 vehicles
Neve Yaakov Stabling:
Capacity – 24 vehicles
Network:
Secondary OCC
Lot 25 Depot:
Capacity – 50 vehicles
Network:
Primary OCC
Malha Depot:
Capacity – 122 vehicles
Blue Line:
Secondary OCC
Rolling Stock
  • 100% low floor vehicles
  • Complex traction package for enabling ascent on 9% slopes
  • Doors on double-sided vehicles
  • Bi directional vehicles
Jerusalem Light Rail Map-Planned New Lineshttps://jlrt.org.il/

Jerusalem Light Rail Map-Planned New Lines
https://jlrt.org.il/

Rav Kav

rav kav Israel

rav kav Israel

Rav-Kav (Hebrewרב-קוlit. “multi-line”) is a reusable contactless stored value smart card for making electronic payments as a joint fare collection system for the different public transportation operators across Israel.

Rav-Kav can be used in public transportation such as all bus companies, light rail trains including Jerusalem Light Rail, as well as the national railway in Israel.

The Rav- Kav (multi-line) card is an electronic magnetic reloadable smart card that can be purchased at the Central Bus Station. Though you can still buy single tickets printed on a piece of paper, the Rav Kav card is intended to replace all public transportation tickets and cards. Discount packages, such as the monthly pass ‘hofshi hodshi’ or multiple ticket “cartisiya’ are only valid when loaded onto the card. The card can be charged with up to eight different payment packages that you can use within Jerusalem and around Israel.

 

There are two types of Rav Kav cards: personal, which include all passenger personal information, and anonymous. An anonymous card can be purchased from an Egged bus driver and charged with single fare tickets or regular multi-ride tickets but it will not be insured and will not allow for discounts. Passengers who apply for the personal card need to produce the application form along with a picture or ID card and in the case of students and senior citizens, need to present appropriate documents.

 

Upon issuing, the Rav Kav can be recharged on board from a bus driver quickly and easily. You can also recharge at ticket booths at light rail stops. Light rail passengers need to make sure that they have credit on their Rav Kav cards before embarking as they are unable to do so on the train.

 

Parking

For drivers who wish to use the light rail, there are park and ride facilities near Mount Herzl, with a multi-storey car park and a first line terminal on its roof at the street level of Herzl Boulevard, and a parking lot next to the Ammunition Hill stop.

Parking lots in Jerusalem >>

History and Plans

The Light Rail began operating at the end of 2011, after ten years in the making and a great deal of disruption to business and life in the city center. The Jerusalem Chords Bridge near the Central Bus Station was built especially for the light rail, and is now a major landmark. There are plans to extend the line to Neve Yaacov in the North and to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in the West.

Contact Details

Phone: *2779

Operating hours: Sunday–Thursday: 7:00–20:00
Fridays and holiday eves: 7:00–13:00
Saturday evening / after a holiday: from about an hour after nightfall until 23:00.

Website: https://www.cfir.co.il/en

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Traveling By Train – Israel Railways — Lines and Stations, Payment Options

רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Rakevet Yisra'el-Israel Railways

רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Rakevet Yisra’el-Israel Railways

רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Rakevet Yisra’el-Israel Railways

https://www.rail.co.il/en/Pages/default.aspx

History and Heritage

https://www.rail.co.il/en/about/pages/history-and-heritage.aspx

​​​​​​​​Israel Railways invites you to get to know the history of the Railway from the Ottoman period and British Mandate right through to the establishment of the State of Israel, and the investment in the development of the railways and trains in Israel until today.

 

The development of Israel Railways is inextricably linked with the story of the State of Israel, and we are proud to have taken part in the development of the State, through establishing connections between cities and settlements across the country, by connecting people, and by creating diverse social and economic opportunities.

The history of Israel Railways​​

The roots of the Railway in the Land of Israel were planted within the vision of Moses Montefiore as a way of encouraging Jewish settlement in the middle of the 19th century. However, in fact, the first railway between Jaffa and Jerusalem was inaugurated only at the end of the century.

 

During the Ottoman Government and the British Mandate, many railway lines were established, including the line between Syria and Haifa through the Jezreel Valley. During this period, the Railway was used as the main transportation artery, which encouraged the Zionist settlement and the development of industry in the country. But at the same time, the Railway suffered from many attacks and dealt with frequent and extreme changes in the scopes of transportation, mainly due to circumstances beyond its control.

 

The establishment of the State of Israel saw the founding of Israel Railways, which began rehabilitation of the destroyed system and recruitment of new employees, in conjunction with the establishment of new lines and replacement of outdated equipment. This momentum ceased in the Sixties, but at the end of the Eighties government investment in passenger trains was renewed. Since then, the Railway is growing at an unprecedented rate and is again advancing settlement and the development of the country.

The Railway during the Ottoman period​

The first Jaffa–Jerusalem train arriving in Jerusalem 1892

The first Jaffa–Jerusalem train arriving in Jerusalem 1892

1892 – The inauguration of the first railway line in the Land of Israel

The first railway line is built from Jaffa to Jerusalem by a French company, initiated by Joseph Navon from Jerusalem. The line is constructed within a winding route and a narrow rail, of one meter gauge. This line was the only public line in the country ever built by private initiative and funds.

1906 – Completion of the line from Haifa to Syria

The line from Haifa to Syria, whose rail gauge was narrow as well, is built by the Ottoman Government as an extension of the Hijaz Railway in Trans-Jordan, and from which extensions stretched to Acre and Samaria. In time, this line gains the nickname of “the Valley Train”.​

Jerusalem First Station

Jerusalem First Station

The Railway during the First World War​​

1915 – The Hijaz Turkish Railway reaches Be’er Sheva

The Hijaz Railway is also connected to the Jerusalem Line, whose tracks had been slightly extended. During the war, its extensions also reach Hadera, the outskirts of the Sinai and Gaza. Although this railway line is built to a high specification, it cannot bear the advance of the Turkish Army in its battles against the British in Egypt.

1916-1919 – The establishment of the British Military rail from El Kantara to Haifa

The military railway is built upon the standard British gauge of 143.5 cm, in order to connect to the Egyptian network and enable larger scopes of transportation. The British Army is careful not to move forward faster than the pace of its establishment, aiming to ensure regular supply to his soldiers. Extensions are also built from Rafah to Be’er Sheva and from Lod to Jerusalem, along the original route, whose tracks had again been extended.

 

The Railway during the British Mandate period​​​

1920 – The establishment of the Mandatory Railway, “Palestine (the Land of Israel) Railways”

The Mandatory Railway is responsible for two different railway networks – the narrow Hijaz Rail of the Valley, with extensions to Acre and Samaria (and Trans-Jordan as well) and the standard railway, whose main lines were the Haifa- El Kantara Line and the Jaffa – Jerusalem Line.

1936-1939 – The Arab Revolt in Palestine (the Events of 1936-39)

During the period of the great Arab Revolt, the Railway experiences repeated attacks, while investing vast resources in security and repairing damage, with the support of the British Army and Jewish Guards.

1939-1945 – The Second World War

During the second World War, the Land of Israel is located at the core of the British activity in the Middle East, and the Railway triples in size thanks to assistance of personnel and equipment from the British Army. The main Line between Haifa and El Kantara is upgraded in order to increase its capacity.

1942 – Completion of the Military Line of Haifa-Beirut-Tripoli

The military line is established upon standard gauge tracks, based on the Haifa-Acre extension of the Hijaz Railway, whose purpose is to support British military activity in Lebanon and Syria. Its establishment also includes the quarrying of the tunnels in Rosh Hanikra. At that point, it is possible to travel by train from Haifa to Cairo, to Beirut (and from there to Turkey and Iraq), to Damascus and Amman.

1946-1948 – The struggle for the establishment of the State

The Railway absorbs attacks once again, this time including those carried out by the Jewish Underground: this results in extensive damage to equipment, buildings and infrastructure. At the time of the declaration of independence of the State of Israel, only the railway in the Haifa region remains active.

Young Israel Railways

1949 – Israel Railways re-inaugurates the line to Jerusalem

The reactivation of the line to Jerusalem is made possible due to the exchange of territories made with Jordan, with the intention that the entire railway will remain in the territory of Israel.

1953 – The inauguration of the Coastal Rail

Immediately after the establishment of the State, the Railway begins the reconstruction of the rail network and the construction of the new lines. The new tracks are intertwined with the existing network at Remez Junction next to Pardes Hanna and at Olamit Junction next to Petach Tikva. In 1954, Tel Aviv Central Station is inaugurated at its southern end, and in 1956, the railway to Be’er Sheva is inaugurated as well.

1959 – The Steam Era comes to an end in Israel Railways

Diesel locomotives and motor coaches, purchased using funds from foreign assistance and reparations, replace the last steam locomotives. The official farewell film stars Locomotive 70414, and the film’s soundtrack song becomes a hit.

1965 – The inauguration of the line to Dimona

Until the Eighties, investment in the Railway focuses on transporting heavy cargo in the Negev; as a result, transportation of passengers is neglected, leading Israel Railways to a deep low in the state of its outdated infrastructure and equipment.

1967 – the Six Day War

After the occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, the Railway quickly utilizes the rail at the Gaza Strip and operates the lines in Sinai, for the purpose of evacuating equipment and transporting supplies to the IDF forces.

1975 – The inauguration of Haifa Bat Galim Station

Haifa Bat Galim Station is initially built as part of an integrated transportation center, together with a central bus station. This Station is one of the only two large stations built for more than 30 years.

1988 – The establishment of the Ports and Railways Authority

The Ports and Railways Authority is responsible for the renewal of the national investment in the development of the Railway. In 1989 passenger carriages are equipped with air conditioning for the first time and in 1992, the One Hundredth Year of the Railway in the country, the first passenger trains begin service after 20 years!

1993 – The inauguration of Ayalon Line

The Ayalon Line is built as part of the Ayalon Highway Project about 40 years following the beginning of its planning and it soon became the busiest line in the country. During the Nineties, many of the existing lines and stations are upgraded, and the Coast Line between Tel Aviv and Haifa is doubled.

2003 – The establishment of Israel Railways Ltd.

The Railway becomes a government company and continues the investment momentum with direct funding from the State. New lines are built to Kfar Saba, Ben Gurion Airport and Modi’in and the line to Jerusalem, which was shut down in 1998 due to its poor condition, is been upgraded and reopened.

2013 – The inauguration of Sderot Station

Sderot Station is built as part of the Ashkelon-Be’er Sheva Line, with the aim of creating a second route between the Central Region and the Negev, parallel to the opening of the main line to Be’er Sheva, whose extension is completed in 2012. In 2015, the entire line is completed (upon the opening of Ofakim and Netivot Stations).

2016 – The inauguration of the renovated Valley Line

65 years after its termination, the renewed Valley Line is inaugurated, connecting Haifa to Beit She’an, along most of the route of the historic Hijaz Rail. The new rail is built next to the historic railway, with particular attention to the preservation of nature and landscape.

2017 – Dedication of the Karmiel line

The idea of building a railway to the Galilee Mountains had been around since the 1950s. The line planned to extend to Hatzor Haglilit and Kiryat Shmona.

2018 – Launch of the new line to Jerusalem

It was Israel Railways’ first electrified line, quickly and directly linking Israel’s two largest cities. The new line includes Israel’s highest and longest railway bridges and longest railway tunnel.

 

What are we doing today?

With the tremendous growth rate of the number of passengers using the train, and the understanding that the railway is the solution to the problem of traffic congestion, we are closing the gaps and working on many projects to expand and develop infrastructure and train lines

From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem train cab view

Lines and Stations

https://www.rail.co.il/en/pages/stationsnlines.aspx

All the information about train stations, getting there, parking and things to do around the station​​​​​​​​​​.

Popular Destinations

Israel Railways - Lines and Stations map

Israel Railways – Lines and Stations map

Travel Payment Options

https://www.rail.co.il/en/taarif/pages/travel-arrangements.aspx

  • Purchase a travel ticket using a mobile phone widget
  • Rav-Kav is a rechargeable card. It can be used to pay for travel on public transport. Rav-Kav passes are either personal (including user information) or anonymous. The passenger details included in the Rav-Kav may provide discounts for designated populations.

For more information: Rav Kav

rav kav Israel

rav kav Israel

​Rav Kav Service stands

If you are not yet 18 years old, you must be accompanied by a parent/guardian with an I.D. with an extract.

Traveling By Train

https://www.rail.co.il/en/enjoy-the-ride/pages/default.aspx

​​​​Israel Railways is a government-owned company responsible for transporting passengers and cargo all over the country. Israel Railways goes to great lengths to act safely, accurately, professionally and efficiently, while providing the best possible service to the millions of travelers using the train every month.

 

At Israel Railways, we know that your time is precious. That’s why we work around the clock expanding the rail network, increasing safety levels, and adopting the latest technologies.  ​As a company at the forefront of the public transportation revolution, we’re working to improve the quality of your journey, so you can sit back and simply enjoy the ride!

 

Israel Railways from the establishment of the State of Israel until today

Israel Railways already began operating as an auxiliary unit of the Ministry of Transportation upon the establishment of the State of Israel. In 1988, the operation of Israel Railways was transferred to the Ports and Railways Authority, and in December 1996 the Israeli Government decided to separate it from the Ports and Railways Authority and establish a governmental railway company. In 2003, Israel Railways became an independent government-owned company.

 

Israel Railways on the fast track

Israel Railways is the transportation company with the highest growth rate, and the largest company of transportation infrastructure in Israel. Israel Railways has two subsidiaries: The Company for the Development of the Israel Railways Sites Ltd. whose remit includes running the business-commercial development of the land sites of the railway stations; and the Cargo Railways Company Ltd., which is responsible for transportation of cargos by the railway and executing investments and infrastructure development.

 

5 things you never knew about Israel Railways

  • Over 200,000 passengers travel every day by Israel Railways.
  • In March 2016, there were 5.4 million train journeys – an all-time record!
  • Within the Israeli Railways’ Logo, you can find the silhouette of inclined Star of David from which four rails are splitting towards the four cardinal directions.
  • Control of the national railway traffic is handled by a national Control and Command facility located at Haifa Hof HaCarmel Station.
  • In October 2016, the Valley Line connecting Haifa and the Valley settlements, was restored after a gap of 65 years.

 

The vision and objectives of Israel Railways

Israel Railways hires approximately 3,400 employees working nationwide 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to provide our passengers with safe, fast and efficient travel.  Here are the goals we’ve set for all employees and managers of the railway:

  • Improving the quality of management, corporate culture and business orientation
  • Increasing the amount of rail journeys
  • Increasing revenues and profitability from cargo
  • Improving passenger service
  • Improving the railway’s image
  • Increasing safety levels
  • Improving the fitness of the mobile stock
  • Improving the availability and utilization of the rails and the associated infrastructures
  • Fulfillment of the development plan through compliance with the development schedule
  • Improving profitability and economic optimization

 

The customer is always at the center!

Israel Railways puts an emphasis on the travel experience and on continuous improvement of the service we provide our passengers. Inter alia, by increasing the frequency of trains, adding stations, expanding and upgrading parking lots and stations, providing training for service providers, making constant improvement in information channels and different projects designed to empower the travel experience and the time spent at stations, such as libraries and pianos at stations.

Israel Railways in numbers

In 2015, the annual turnover of Israel Railways totaled NIS 2.3 billion from current operation, and an investment flow of about NIS 1.7 billion from development activity. In 2015 and 2016 the company issued bonds to the amount of about NIS 1 billion per issuance and became a reporting corporation subject to the Securities Regulations regarding transparency and efficiency.

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Elder of Ziyon logo http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/

Elder of Ziyon logo http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/

The child and the bus: a tale of Israel in 15 seconds

16October2022 https://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-child-and-bus-tale-of-israel-in-15.html#.ZEwfRZhw4y0.twitter

The child and the bus-a tale of Israel in 15 seconds Yaakov Langer-tweet-15October2022-This kid knows how to file his own taxes too

The child and the bus-a tale of Israel in 15 seconds Yaakov Langer-tweet-15October2022-This kid knows how to file his own taxes too

This video of a Jewish child, no more than 6, flagging down a bus in Beit Shemesh and getting on by himself is starting to go viral:

 

Yaakov Langer-tweet-15October2022-This kid knows how to file his own taxes too

Yaakov Langer-tweet-15October2022-This kid knows how to file his own taxes too

 

Imagine a place where children could, without fear, go out by themselves and take the bus around town.

 

It sounds utopian, doesn’t it?

 

And parents outside Israel would naturally flinch at seeing a video like this. So many dangers to worry about – kidnapping, abuse, or worse.

 

But this is how the world should be.

 

The reason Israelis can act this way in Jewish neighborhoods is because everyone is family. People aren’t competing with each other – they are all on the same team, the same tribe, and they look out for each other. They have each others’ backs.

 

And this is what the anti-Israel activists want to destroy.

 

They don’t give a damn about Palestinian  rights – their silence about Palestinians languishing in Lebanon and Syria makes that clear.

 

The modern antisemites want to take away the Jewish right to live in safety and security. Their enemy is this little kid, his tzitzit openly visible, able to freely travel around his hometown on the local bus without his parents worrying that he’ll make it home safely.

 

Much of Israel, today, is the utopia that everyone else wants for themselves. And for some of them, their jealousy at Jews successfully building such a utopia is what animates them to want to tear it down.

 

Don’t believe the lies that they care about justice or international law or, ludicrously, Palestinian “self defense.” What they want is for Jews to return to being a frightened minority who are not safe, not secure, and not free.

 

They hate this child because he goes against everything they want to believe about Jews.

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