Can't stop all the missiles

Israel's 'Iron Dome' Missile Defense System Hits 85% of Targets - Eli Lake
Israel's cutting-edge missile defense called Iron Dome scored an 85 percent success rate in knocking out rockets launched against Israel's southern cities in recent clashes with Gaza.
The battlefield success of Iron Dome could change the political calculus in Israel by providing protection against attacks that prevented Israel from withdrawing after it dismantled settlements in Gaza in 2005. A former senior Israeli defense official with detailed knowledge of the Iron Dome system said it is a crucial element of Israeli defenses. "But it is not a silver bullet because there will always be 10 times more rockets than Iron Dome interceptors can stop," he said. (Washington Times)

www.mustdefeatobama2012.blogspot.com

http://mustdefeatobama2012.blogspot.com/




CHRISTIANS AND JEWS AGAINST THE RE-ELECTION OF Barack Hussein Obama JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO SAVE THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL
OBAMA-
Trying to destroy Israel
Aiding the Islamic Caliphate and terror
He's a fraud
Honors Antisemites
Same radical leftist/Muslim
Dangerous foreign policy
Destroying the US economy
Helping Iran get the bomb


Thank God America is wising up

His world view "I will bless those who curse you and curse those who bless you" opposite of Genesis 12:3
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Defeat-Obama-2012/170024166406281

Moral bankrupcy of the Christian liberals vis-a-vis Israel

THE VELVET KIPPAH
The Quiet Death of Interfaith Activity?
Israel must find its friends among religious individuals of all faiths, abandoning the so-called Christian leadership to its moral mediocrity.
By Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, August 25, 2011
14
Share

What important bonds of friendship were formed in six decades of Jewish-Christian interfaith activity? Judging from last weekend, probably none.
Silence, more than anything else, moved Christians and Jews closer in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Church leaders, coming to grips with the enormity and bestiality of Hitler's Final Solution, had to deal with guilt. They understood the role that church-inspired anti-Semitism played in the centuries before the Holocaust, and they felt some long-distance guilt. Greater, local guilt came from their own silence. They had watched Hitler promise to exterminate the Jews, and observed each step toward the crematoria of Auschwitz. They spoke up in horror only when it was too late—after six million had been murdered.
They knew that they had slept on their moral watch. They had let G-d down in their responsibility to innocent human beings, and they had failed the Jewish people—despite the deep roots of Christianity within Judaism. They called for affirmative action to improve relations between the sister religions. The effort was sincere, and much good came of it. But they could not provide what Jews may have needed the most: genuine friendship and caring. When you care, you don't remain silent when your friend is in mortal danger.
The Velvet Kippah
The Quiet Death of Interfaith Activity?
Are Jews Hung Up About Memory?
Aftermath of a Brooklyn Murder
Delta Blues Hit the Jews
Anthony Weiner Can Stay
Author Bio »
Last weekend, Israelis and Jews around the world watched in horror a significant escalation in the campaign of Hamas—acting on direct orders from Iran, according to political analysts—to bring an end to the State of Israel. Over one hundred rockets were launched at civilian targets—not at "settlements," but at Israel's pre-1967 heartland. One million citizens—Jews, Christians, and Muslims—had to hunker down as death came hurtling toward homes, schools, and places of worship. A series of coordinated terror attacks killed more than a dozen, as a bus was ambushed, and anti-tank weapons struck civilian passenger cars.
A fragile cease-fire—almost certainly temporary—was put together after a few days. Now only a few rockets each day are heading toward Ashdod, Beersheba, and Ashkelon. Is that supposed to be tolerable? Life, though, has changed for another million citizens of Israel, who now have firsthand experience with the seriousness with which Hamas and Hezbollah will pursue their goal of ridding the Middle East of all non-Arab presence and influence.
American media paid little attention to the scope of the attacks—at least until Israel took out a handful of terrorist leaders. Perhaps they were too preoccupied with Wall Street, Libya, and Katy Perry.
Church leaders, however, read the news carefully, even on weekends. The liberal churches—the ones who had initiated interfaith activity after the Holocaust—have been unanimous in their silence. It matters not in the slightest whether crying out in protest would make any difference. From genuine friends, you expect genuine concern and commiseration. Decades of interfaith activity have yielded photo-ops and high-minded rhetoric . . . but not friendship.
Jay Leno may have said it best. "Go through your phone book, call people and ask them to drive you to the airport. The ones who will drive you are your true friends. The rest aren't bad people; they're just acquaintances." If "interfaith partners" will not even cry out in outrage as others try to pound you to oblivion, what good are they?
12Next
Yitzchok Adlerstein is an Orthodox rabbi who directs interfaith affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and chairs Jewish Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He is hopelessly addicted to the serious study of Torah texts.
Adlerstein's column, "The Velvet Kippah," is published on alternate Tuesdays on the Jewish portal. Subscribe via email

How Obama aids the emerging Islamic caliphate surrounding Israel

How Obama aids the emerging Islamic caliphate surrounding Israel Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
A. LIBYA
1. Obama urged NATO jets to end Gaddafi's reign

"Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has lost legitimacy and must leave office, US President Barack Obama said while authorising the use of military aircrafts for humanitarian purposes in the strife-torn African nation on Thursday.
"Muammar Gaddafi has lost legitimacy to lead, and he must leave," Obama said at a White House news conference. The US president said, the "violence must stop. Those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable... The aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom, democracy and dignity must be met. I have approved the use of US military aircraft to help move Egypt [ Images ]ians who have fled to the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt."

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/obama-wants-gaddafi-out-sends-jets-to-libya/20110304.htm

2. The forces that will replace Gaddafi will be far worse-Islamic jihadists
Observations: from Daily Alert Aug 30 2011
The Islamist Factor in Post-Gaddafi Libya: Will Libya Become "Libyastan?" - Jacques Neria (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
The U.S. and the West's military intervention in Libya finally succeeded in toppling Gaddafi's 42-year reign in Libya and brought to power an amorphous body called the National Transitional Council (NTC). There are plenty of reasons to fear that the military action undertaken by the West might be playing into the hands of its worst foes and ideological enemies. A statement released on February 24 on the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Fajr media website quoted the group known as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM): "We declare our support for the legitimate demands of the Libyan revolution." Abdelhakim Belhadj, today the commander of the Libyan rebel Tripoli Military Council, emerged as a leader during the Libyan rebel operation to liberate the Libyan capital from Gaddafi's control. Belhadj, is also a former Emir of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). In 1988, he joined the Afghan jihad against the Soviet occupation forces along with other Arab volunteers, many of whom would form the core of al-Qaeda. Abdel Hakim Al-Hasidi declared that his jihadists had fought the American coalition in Iraq and "now they are fighting Gaddafi." Al-Hasidi is a current member of the NTC.
See also Ex-Jihadists in the New Libya - Omar Ashour (Foreign Policy)
Abdalhakim Belhadj, the commander of Tripoli's Military Council is the former commander of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a jihad organization with historical links to al Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Egyptian al-Jihad organization. By 1998, the LIFG was crushed in Libya. Most of its leaders and members fled and joined forces with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They even gave a religious oath of loyalty (bay'a) to Mullah Omar. After 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, Belhadj and most of the LIFG leaders fled that country as well, only to be arrested in 2004 by the CIA and then handed over to Qaddafi's regime, following interrogations in Thailand and Hong Kong.

See also What about the Jihadists in Libya? - Mshari al-Zaydi (Asharq al-Awsat)
In my estimation, there is a dangerous fundamentalist presence in the depths of the Libyan revolution, and this is something we should take heed of now. This presence could turn into a source of danger for Libya's future, in the days to come. These radicals could easily turn their guns from the Bab al-Aziziya compound towards the Libyan National Transitional Council, targeting it for being "secular" and an ally of the "Crusaders" (NATO). These radicals may seek to establish a Shariaa law state in Libya, and unleash their Jihad across North Africa"ran "Discreetly Aided Libyan Rebels" (AFP)
Iran "discreetly" provided humanitarian aid to Libyan rebels before the fall of Tripoli, Jam-e-Jam newspaper quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday as saying.
"We were in touch with many of the rebel groups in Libya before the fall of Gaddafi, and discreetly dispatched three or four food and medical consignments to Benghazi," Salehi said.
"The head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdel Jalil, sent a letter of thanks to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for having been on their side and helping," he added.
On Tuesday, Iran "congratulated the Muslim people of Libya" after rebels overran the capital Tripoli, but it has so far distanced itself from officially recognizing the NTC.

B. EGypt
1. Obama threw Mubarack under the bus
"Why Obama Pushed Mubarak Out, Occam's Razor often leads to the conclusion that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. Why is Obama among the first to call for Mubarak's ouster, even before many thought it remotely possible, or even wise?(And histroy will probably prove it was very unwise!)It's very simple. Of all the leaders of Arabic countries, Mubarak was the friendliest to the US, providing us with airbases, logistic support, Soviet weaponry and cover for many black ops in SW. who does Obama support, and who does he cut off at the knees? The answer is obvious.... and instructive.
The answer to "why" is obvious too. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2686841/posts

2. Obama wants to dialogue with Muslim Brotherhood, who are islamic jihadistssee http://rabbireflects.blogspot.com/2011/08/obama-wants-to-dialogue-with-muslim.html
3. Egypt will be taken over by the Muslim Brotherhood
NEW POLL: ‘TROUBLE FOR THE WEST’ AS EGYPTIANS ON PACE TO ELECT MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:32am by Jonathon M. Seidl Print »Email »
Comments (200)
Remember Amr Moussa? He’s the Egyptian presidential candidate — who is also a part of the Muslim Brotherhood — who said in May that Hamas — the terror group — is not a terror group. Now, a new Newsweek/Daily Beast poll finds that he‘s the likely winner in Egypt’s upcoming election, and his party is likely to gain power. And according to Newsweek, that’s bad news for Israel and America.

“The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest Islamist group, is poised to win the largest share of the vote in parliamentary elections,” the Daily Beast writes, “the man who appears to have a clear shot at the presidency, Amr Moussa, has made his name criticizing Israel; and a large majority of respondents favor amending or revoking the cornerstone of regional stability, the Camp David Accords.”

According to the poll of just over 1,000 respondents, the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Freedom and Justice Party” garnered the most support at 17 percent. The same support ringed true for Moussa:

On paper, the Newsweek/Daily Beast survey found a close race: Former Arab League chief Amr Moussa leads the pack with the support of 16 percent of likely voters, former diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik follow with 12 percent each, and a smattering of others trail in single digits. But Moussa clearly has wider appeal: When we surveyed likely voters with just the three front-runners, the former foreign minister, who talks tough on Israel, garners 47 percent, with “Undecided” running even with the remaining two. [Emphasis added]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/new-poll-trouble-for-the-west-as-egyptians-on-pace-to-elect-muslim-brotherhood/


CONCLUSION: Israel is almost surrounded by emerging Islamic caliphate. Libya, Egypt, Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syrai/Iran, Jordan will be next. Much of this with with Obama's assistance

Congr. Allen West R Florida on his recent return from Israel
So where does that take us today?

As one sits back and assesses the strategic and operational environment across the Middle East and the Maghreb, one thing becomes quite apparent.

This so-called “Arab Spring” is less about a democratic movement, than it is about the early phase of the restoration of an Islamic Caliphate, the last being the Ottoman Empire.

We are witnessing secular Muslim leaders being deposed in very volatile and unstable nations. This growing Islamic Totalitarianism manifested in militant Islam has had a modus operand of capitalizing on unstable political situations (Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia).

Now we see these same types of instances occurring in Egypt, Libya, and Syria and the rose-colored glasses of some seek to portray this as a great awakening of liberty. History does not support this in the Middle East.

We must evaluate these occurrences through the prism of keen strategic and operational insight which looks out 10, 20, or 30 years.

If we had done so during the deposing of the Shah of Iran, we might have been able to prevent what arose. The Iran with which we must contend today is the major exporter of Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism.

In the midst of it all is Israel, that tiny defiant bastion of freedom, liberty, and democracy in an evolving storm. One only needs to survey a map of the Middle East, and the immediate peripheral states to see the very threatening situation.

Obama wants to dialogue with Muslim Brotherhood-they are islamic jihadists

Please click here to donate to Our Soldiers Speak
Our Soldiers Speak is proud to introduce our in-house analyst, Yaakov Lappin.

Yaakov will be proividing regular, fact based updates on current affairs in Israel. Please forward his analyses to any and all on your mailing list, or visit his blog at www.oursoldiersspeak.org.

Kindest Regards,
Benjamin Anthony, Founder, Our Soldiers Speak

This week - Who are the Muslim Brothers?

History, ideology, and evolving tactics

Major changes are expected to occur in Egypt in the coming months and years, as the country of 83 million reshapes itself to adjust to the post-Mubarak era.

A myriad of political forces are in a race with one another to build up bases of popular support ahead of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, scheduled for October or November.

The elections will provide a most significant glimpse into Egypt's future, that will allow observers to identify the forces that will play big roles in running the country.

As the elections approach, one organization in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, is enjoying a head start in the race over the other political parties and ideologies.

The Muslim Brotherhood has spent the past six decades working to create a loyal support base among Egyptian society, while waiting for the day that the secular autocracy of Egypt would crumble.

Founded by Hassan al- Banna in 1928, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood believes in the establishment of a fundamentalist state ruled according to a strict interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law). (i)

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's history can be divided into two phases; In the first, it grew from 800 members (1936) to 2 million members (1948), and took part in a direct, ideologically-driven confrontation with the Egyptian state, in an effort to rise to power and realize its vision.

In the second phase, it adopted a deceptive pragmatism aimed at allowing it to survive and grow inside a secular-run Egypt, while also branching out around the world to create a global network, made up of overt and covert branches. (ii)

After its founding, as the movement grew over the next two decades, tensions with the Egyptian establishment grew with it.

In December 1948, A Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated gunman assassinated Egyptian prime minister Mahmud Nokrashi. Soon afterwards, Egyptian security forces killed the movement's founder, Hassan Banna in retaliation. (iii)

In 1954, secular nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser banned the Brotherhood, and it has remained officially prohibited in Egypt right up until the toppling of ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The Brotherhood's ideology places secular Arab regimes as the biggest obstacle to setting up fundamentalist Islamist states. The organization's motto is: "Allah is our goal, the Koran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader, jihad is our way, and death in the service of Allah is our loftiest goal." (iv)

These ideas have been expressed most virulently by Islamist ideologue and Muslim Brother Sayyid Qutb, who published the seminal book, Milestones. In his book, Qutb called for the establishment of a 'true' Islamic state.

Qutb divided the world into a "House of Islam," defining this as any country where the most stringent and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam reigns as the law of the land, and the "Land of the War," which is the rest of the world.

"A Muslim can have only two possible relations with Land of War: peace with a contractual agreement, or war,- he wrote. (v)

Muslims who do not support jihad are "hollow and full of contradictions," and stuck in a state of darkness, Qutb wrote. He identified secular Arab states as puppets of the West's satanic camp.

Qutb was executed in Egypt in 1966. His writings have become the foundation of most radical Sunni Islamist organization.

Throughout the 60s and 70s, thousands of members of the Muslim Brotherhood were imprisoned in Egyptian jails, and many were routinely tortured.

The destructive confrontations with the Egyptian state led to a new generation of Muslim Brotherhood leaders who came to the conclusion that in order to achieve their objectives, they would need to adopt a more pragmatic, tactically flexible modus operandi, that would enable them to work within Egypt's political system in order to eventually replace it.

The organization's ideologues came to believe that instant jihad was useless as long as the Muslim masses were not sufficiently indoctrinated with their ideas.

Armed rebellion would be pointless, they reasoned, until the Egyptian people themselves would demand a "House of Islam" Shari'a state.

The Muslim Brothers therefore dedicated themselves to spreading their ideology and interpretation of Islam throughout society in a nonviolent manner, and set up a large network of charities, medical clinics and social aid stations to spread their ideas to the poor.

Hence, while the objective of an Islamist state is unchanged, the means of reaching it " via the ballot rather than the bullet " has evolved.

This is in contrast to violent present-day jihadis, known as Salafis, which are the elements that form the al-Qaeda network. Salafis believe that force of arms alone can create a radical Islamic state.

While Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brothers emerged from common roots, and share common goals, they have splintered into two wholly different forces today, and a bitter rivalry exists between the two over the correct path to realize their aims.

Current structure

Today, the Muslim Brothers in Egypt are led by Muhammad Badi, elected as head of the organization in 2010.

In addition to its national Egyptian structure, an international Muslim Brotherhood also exists, led by exiled Egyptian Sheikh Yussuf al-Qaradawi, who lives in Qatar, and who is considered by many to be the most preeminent Sunni scholar in the world.

Projected political power in Egypt

The Brothers took a back-seat as an organization during the Egyptian revolution, wanting to ensure that Mubarak was truly gone before raising their profile - a cautious conduct that was learned during its many violent run-ins with the Egyptian state.

Other senior members include the more charismatic Essam el-Erian. During a recent media interview with Radio Free Europe, el-Erian summed up the Brotherhood's goal of having the masses demand a Shari'a state, saying: "Shari'a comes from inside the people." (vi)

The Brothers have formed a political party to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections, called the Freedom and Justice Party. They have insisted that Egypt's new constitution be written after the parliamentary elections, because they are confident that they will win enough seats to significantly influence the future constitution.

Prof. Elie Podeh, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, told me earlier this year that the the exact popularity of the Brothers cannot be measured due to the lack of democracy in Egypt, but that the 2005 parliamentary elections in Egypt saw 88 Muslim Brotherhood representatives - who ran as independents to bypass the ban on them - voted into the 454 member parliament.

The Mubarak regime had become alarmed at their influence, and not one Muslim Brotherhood candidate won a seat during the subsequent 2010 elections.

"That means that 88 out 454 is the minimum number of seats they could win, and their popularity could be greater," Podeh said.

Relations with Israel

In 2009, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt published a draft charter on its website, in which it said that the peace treaty with Israel would be 'reviewed' if it came to power.

More recently, on August 23rd, el-Erian said in his Radio Free Europe interview that he rejected the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination, saying: [The] existence of a state for Jews is against all rules of states all over the world." (vii)

In the same interview, he added: "I hope the revolutions in the Arab world can change the map. All the maps can be changed."

Relations with Hamas

Hamas is one of the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, as Hamas openly states in its charter.

The Muslim Brotherhood views Hamas as a sister organization which should be supported, and has justified Hamas terrorism and rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

El-Erian said in his recent interview: "Hamas is a resistance group fighting for freedom and liberation of their lands from occupation. And the West must revise their knowledge about Hamas!"

Should the Muslim Brotherhood form a major part any future Egyptian government, Egypt's relationship with Hamas would drastically change, and the Hamas regime in Gaza could find itself with an ally to its south. Mubarak took a highly hostile view of Hamas, but the Egyptian blockade he place on Gaza together with Israel is already beginning to crumble.

A Muslim Brotherhood elections victory could greatly enhance Hamas's ability to smuggle Iranian weapons through Sinai into Gaza.

Relations with Iran

The Muslim Brotherhood would steer Egypt to friendly relations with Iran, according to El-Erian.

Relations with the US

The Brotherhood views the US as an imperialist dark force in the world, and has hinted it would seek to break Egypt's alliance with Washington should it come to power. "America has, during the Mubarak regime, imposed its policy and vision via Mubarak himself as a pharaoh. Now there are no pharaohs' Any decision must be taken in the parliament, in the cabinet, maybe it will be taken to referenda. There is no way to follow all American policies in the region or the world," El-Erian said. (viii)

(i) Steve Emerson, Report on Roots of Violent Islamist Extremism for State Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, July 10, 2008, http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/testimony/353.pdf

(ii) Emerson, Report.

(iii) The Muslim Brotherhood, Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/muslimbrotherhood.html

(iv) Emerson, Report.

(v) Qutb, Milestones.

(vi) Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Leader Wants Reforms Across The Arab World, Radio Free Europe, April 23, 2011, http://www.rferl.org/content/interview_with_muslim_brotherhood_leader_essam_el-/24305890.html

(vii) Egyptian, Radio Free World

(viii) Egyptian, Radio Free World

Yaakov Lappin is author of the recently published book Virtual Caliphate; Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet, which takes the reader into the heart of the online jihadi presence. The book is available here.
www.amazon.com

There will never be peace with the PA-impossible demands

Abbas Won’t Give Way on Refugee “Return” Even If He Gets State

Jonathan S. Tobin | @tobincommentary 08.29.2011 - 9:30 AM

Those inclined to blame Israel for the lack of peace in the Middle East like to talk about the necessity of a two-state solution. But as much as a scheme that left Jewish and Palestinian Arab states living in peace with each other might seem like the only way out of the century-long conflict, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas​ gave us yet another reminder yesterday about the problem with merely focusing on the creation of a Palestinian state. As the Jerusalem Post reports, in an interview with a Jordanian newspaper, Abbas made it clear even if the General Assembly of the United Nations voted to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the 1967 lines, the PA would continue to insist on the “right of return” for Arab refugees to swamp Israel.

If he gets his way, Abbas will have a Jew-free state in the West Bank and Gaza next to a Jewish state that will have to live under the threat of being deluged with Palestinians who would transform it into yet another Arab state. That helps explain why he continues to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state. But, along with this promise of unending strife, Abbas’ statement also points to another issue that explains why his UN initiative represents more of a danger to the PA than it does to Israel.

As Khaled Abu Toameh explains in the Post, if the General Assembly does vote in favor of the Palestinian statehood resolution, it won’t actually create such a state, but it will raise the question of whether or not the PA could be said to still represent the interests of the millions of descendants of the 1948-49 refugees who are still kept in camps by Arab nations. They are currently represented in New York by the Palestine Liberation Organization’s UN observer office. But if the GA votes in favor of statehood then that status will be transferred to the PA, which is the putative government of the West Bank, though not Gaza, which remains under the thrall of the Hamas terrorist movement.

Considering the PLO created the PA after Israel allowed Yasir Arafat​ back into the territories after the 1993 Oslo Accords, this may strike those not immersed in the legalisms of the UN as confusing. But the transference of representation from the PLO to the PA may actually complicate the efforts of Abbas to try to legally represent the refugees.

Abbas’ remarks about not giving up the right of return also illustrate the zero-sum nature of the conflict from the Palestinian frame of reference. Abbas still balks at recognizing the legitimacy of a Jewish state no matter where its borders would be drawn. Left-wing critics of Israel dismiss this as a non-issue, but the PLO and the PA it spawned came into being fighting against the existence of Israel before the so-called “occupation” of the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian national identity is inseparable from the idea of opposing Zionist sovereignty over any part of the country and of returning refugees to pre-1967 Israel.

This is why Abbas and his predecessor Yasir Arafat have always refused Israeli offers of an independent state no matter the terms. Though their UN gambit is creating legal problems for the PA, the refugee issue shows it must nonetheless stick to it simply because Abbas’ overriding imperative is to avoid peace talks at any price.
www.israelgreatest.blogspot.com
www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org
www.rabbireflects.blogspot.com
www.rabbijonathanginsburg.net
www.rabbijonathanginsburg.com

My New Facebook page

My New Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Iran-from-getting-nuclear-bombs/275578969135142
publicize it

Israel 1 strike can't stop Iran

'Single strike would not halt Iran's nuclear program'
By REUTERS
08/28/2011 21:18


Senior defense official says Iran's nuclear program not easily derailed like Iraq or Syria; claims Iranian regime's biggest fear is US.
Talkbacks ()
Israel would not be able to halt Iran's reported quest for atomic weapons with a single strike, a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday.

The defense official, who in line with Israeli army guidelines declined to be identified, mentioned Iran during a review of the security situation in the Middle East in a briefing to foreign reporters.

RELATED:
'N. Korea supplied Iran with nuclear computer software'
Soltanieh: IAEA delegation visited Iran nuclear sites

"We're not talking about Iraq or Syria where one strike would derail a program," the official said, referring to Israel's 1981 air strike that destroyed Iraq's atomic reactor and the bombing in 2007 of a Syrian site which the UN atomic agency said was very likely a nuclear reactor.


"With Iran it's a different project. There is no one silver bullet you can hit and that's over," the official said.

Israeli leaders have urged the United States and other Western countries to present Tehran with a credible military threat to back up economic sanctions already in place.

The official said the United States stood a better chance of forcing Iran to change its mind over its nuclear program than Israel.

"With all respect to Israel ... the greatest fear of the (Iranian) regime is the USA. There is no question about it."

radio show this shabbat

I'm speaking on this Shabbat to 10,000 US Veterans or so 12 PM CDT on http://www.thevoiceofveterans.com/ as part of radio program with host and a minister on the topic of Israel and the US. If you want to listen, tune in there. Shomer shabbos? leave the station on.

Iran quiz Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg

I know I am way ahead of the curve and many think I'm crazy and worse ("war monger, monster, racist etc") but I see it so clearly and can't not say what I absolutely believe is the right cost, when everything is weighed. Before reading take this quiz.

Iran quiz

1. How soon will Iran posses nuclear bombs?

2. The Iran President says there was no Holocaust and Israel will be destroyed. Why should we not believe he means it? When he says he does not care if he loses half of Iran's population in a war because it would bring fort h the hidden 12 Imam, why don't we believe him?

3. Do you seriously believe after all these years, that any kind of sanctions will deter Iran from going ahead?

4. Even if our Navy destroyer off Iran's coat can shoot down 95% of Iran's missiles, and Israel in a few years could shoot down most of the rest, are you SO sure of technology and no human error that 0 nuclear bombs will get through?

5. Are you sure we can stop all dirty bombs from getting through cargo at US ports? Stop all Hezbollah suicide bombers with dirty bombs in the backpacks from crossing the Mexican border?

6. Iran has at least 27 sites, many deep underground. Israel has no b52s, is far away and has to cross much enemy territory. The US is also threatened by Iran, is right next door in Iraq, and is being begged by all the rest of the Arab states in Asia to stop Iran. Why should it not be the USA?

7. Even though there will be terrorism, mined gulf, increased oil prices for awhile, is that worse than Iran with nuclear bombs?

8. Many other Arab nations have said they want nuclear bombs if Iran gets them? Is that something the USA can live with?

9. name one issue in the world more important than this?

www.esynagogue.org
www.rabbirflects.blogspot.com
www.israelgreatest.blogspot.com
www.rabbijonathnginsburg.org
www.rabbijonathnginsburg.info
www.rabbijonathnginsburg.com

Cong West great piece on his trip to Israel

Greetings to our constituents, fellow Floridians, and all Americans, this week’s update will be a special edition focused purely on my week-long congressional delegation visit to Israel.
(A few pictures Here)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allenwestfl/sets/72157627542361210/

Having just returned earlier today- Sunday, August 28th- I want to first extend my sincere thanks to all the great Americans and Israelis that I met on this trip who came up to meet me to personally shake my hand.

This was my second visit to the modern State of Israel and it will certainly not be my last. People always ask you, “What did it feel like to be in Israel?"

For me, the response is quite simple. America is my physical homeland. It is a Constitutional Republic in which my entire adult life has been spent under an oath to support and defend. It embodies the fundamental principles of liberty, freedom of will and conscience, and democracy.

Israel, however, is my spiritual homeland. It is a place about which I have read and studied my entire life. It is the place where my Judeo-Christian faith heritage was born. Israel is the place that completes me as a person.

When you consider the shared values, culture, faith, and commitment to democratic principles, it is easy to understand why many believe America is not complete without Israel.

So, what did I feel while in Israel? I felt a sense of being home, especially on those mornings when I ran from our hotel to the Knesset and around the Old City walls of Jerusalem.

It was tough to not be glued to the stories about the constant rocket and missile attacks coming out of Gaza, while visiting Israel.

We arrived just days after a Thursday terrorist attack which claimed the lives of eight Israeli citizens.

We visited the borders with Lebanon and learned of the 50,000 rockets and missiles now in the arsenal of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, all in violation of United Nations Mandate 1701. But hardly any of that made our American news. Instead, 24/7 coverage of a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and a Tropical Storm/Category 1 Hurricane Irene.

Now, do not get me wrong, these were important events. But what I witnessed was almost “over-coverage,” while sirens were going off daily in southern Israel.

Our delegation visited the so-called “settlements” and all we found were neighborhoods and suburbs. When we went to Bethlehem to visit the birthplace of Jesus- a Jew- our group was not allowed to have our regular Jewish guides or bus drivers because Israeli citizens are not allowed in Bethlehem or the ancient city of Jericho where the Bible teaches us that Joshua blew down the wall with trumpets.

My point is that the hypocrisy is revealing.

I believe the most important question we must begin to ask ourselves is, “What is Palestine?"

The word Palestine comes from the Roman word, Palestina, which was first introduced to the region circa 73 AD. This was after the Romans had conquered and suppressed the Jewish rebellion and Emperor Hadrian decreed that the region would no longer be called Judea, a derivative of one of the Twelve Tribes, Judah. Instead, it would be called Palestina, today, Palestine.

The word Palestina was derived from the word Phillistia, in other words, Phillistines. However, interesting enough, the original Phillistines were Greek.

After World War I and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate referred to the region in this term, Palestine. And all residents, Jews and Arabs, had passports declaring them from Palestine.

The Peel Commission, the British Mandate, and the United Nations Mandate all sought to create a region where both Jew and Arab could coexist, which the Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected.

Therefore, let us no longer operate under the misconceived notion that Palestine has anything to do with being Arab. For those who tout, “Free Palestine,” I agree, return it back to the inhabitants who had the land taken from them back in the early 1st Century AD by the Romans.

When we walked last week through a 2,000-year-old tunnel under the ancient City of David to the Western Wall, there can be no historical or archaeological argument to refute that there has always been a nation of Israel.

It is a nation whose borders are clearly stated in the Bible, Numbers Chapter 34, a people who have a definitive bond to the land, their homeland.

So where does that take us today?

As one sits back and assesses the strategic and operational environment across the Middle East and the Maghreb, one thing becomes quite apparent.

This so-called “Arab Spring” is less about a democratic movement, than it is about the early phase of the restoration of an Islamic Caliphate, the last being the Ottoman Empire.

We are witnessing secular Muslim leaders being deposed in very volatile and unstable nations. This growing Islamic Totalitarianism manifested in militant Islam has had a modus operand of capitalizing on unstable political situations (Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia).

Now we see these same types of instances occurring in Egypt, Libya, and Syria and the rose-colored glasses of some seek to portray this as a great awakening of liberty. History does not support this in the Middle East.

We must evaluate these occurrences through the prism of keen strategic and operational insight which looks out 10, 20, or 30 years.

If we had done so during the deposing of the Shah of Iran, we might have been able to prevent what arose. The Iran with which we must contend today is the major exporter of Islamic totalitarianism and state sponsored terrorism.

In the midst of it all is Israel, that tiny defiant bastion of freedom, liberty, and democracy in an evolving storm. One only needs to survey a map of the Middle East, and the immediate peripheral states to see the very threatening situation.

And with that analysis, comes the resulting conclusion that Israel lacks one clear asset, and that is strategic depth for defense.

This is why any intonation of reverting to pre-1967 lines for Israel is not just ludicrous, but insane, and clearly evidences a lack of strategic security intelligence.

Slowly Israel is being surrounded on all sides: Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, an unstable Egypt and Syria, and a theocratic regime in Iran led by a 21st century "Madman."

As well, Israel must contend with an internal infiltration. How many Americans would tolerate having some 50-100 rockets and missiles launched across its border? Then why should we expect Israel to tolerate the same?

The objective could not be any clearer to a seasoned military strategist: isolate and eliminate the modern day Jewish state of Israel.

And what is most appalling, western civilization is watching it happen, again.

It all comes back to visionary leadership. Israel has it with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whom I had the distinguished honor of meeting.

America is so severely lacking this type of leadership, which is why the enemy is making its move now. The enemy knows that America has a Chamberlain, not a Churchill at the helm.

During our trip, we met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. He spoke of freedom and dignity -- but what of recognition and respect of Israel? Let me be clear, I do not see a credible peace partner in the Palestinian Authority. While we were in Israel, the PA never denounced the most recent heinous terrorist attack. There is no unity between Fatah and Hamas and therefore, no two-state solution exists. At best it would have to be a three-state solution; Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.

The proposed United Nations unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is nothing more than a sham, coming from an international organization which has little to no credibility, as evidenced with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission.

If the United Nations really wanted to do what is right, they would settle the homeland situation for the world’s largest ethnic group without a homeland, our dear friends, the Kurdish people.

In closing, let us realize that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a college fraternity but an organization with a well-developed strategic plan.

Let us no longer operate in the realm of irrational emotionalism, but rather study and come to learn true geopolitics based upon history and fact.

There is an inextricable bond between America and Israel, and we must stop denying it or feeling ashamed about it. When we visited the Mount of the Beatitudes on the Sea of Galilee, in Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus referred to a city that sits upon a hill. Several American Presidents have made reference to America being that “shining city that sits upon a hill.” I learned that Jews refer to going to Jerusalem as “ascending.”

And I am so grateful to now have firsthand experience running up both Knesset Hill as well as Capitol Hill, both very present beacons of liberty, freedom, and democracy amidst a sea of despots, dictators, autocrats, and theocrats.

God bless Israel, and God bless America!

Steadfast and Loyal

Allen


www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

www.rabbijonathanginsburg.com

www.rabbijonathanginsburg.info

latest from the PA

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has just laid down his conditions for ending the Palestinians' bid for a U.N. General Assembly vote on full statehood: Total capitulation by Israel.

According to a Jerusalem Post report, Abbas told a Ramallah audience on Saturday that Palestinians would forgo the U.N. vote if they recieved "acceptance of the 1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution and a cessation of settlement construction."

Such a concession would, in effect, decide the outcome of negotiations over borders before these negotiations have even begun, including the division of Jerusalem. All such issues have always been meant to be decided through bilateral negotiations.

Abbas denied this, however, saying that the Palestinians only

want to fulfill our dream of achieving official recognition of our Palestinian state with full sovereignty over the territories occupied in 1967 and a full membership in the UN.

It is unclear whether this statement, meaningless as it is, constitutes a stalling tactic or an act of desperation. Several European countries have expressed their distaste for the Palestinians' unilateral move at the U.N., and the U.S. has apparently made its displeasure known in no uncertain terms.

Although the story has been officially denied, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat claims that the U.S. consul-general informed him that, in the event of a unilateral declaration of statehood, all U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority will be cut off. The PA is almost entirely dependent on foreign aid from America and Europe.

PA wants it all!!

The cartoon is a clear example of the PA's lack of recognition of Israel's right to exist, and sends a message that the PA's real goal is a complete dismantling of Israel and its replacement by a Palestinian state. This sentiment is implicit in PA ideology but only occasionally is it expressed so explicitly in its controlled media.

Palestinian Media Watch has reported that the PA continuously presents all of Israel as "Palestine." In recent months, this message appeared in cultural and educational settings.

Political Action: ensure US stops palestinian bid

Next month, the Palestinian Authority plans to ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital.

The United States has strongly objected to this approach, with Congress overwhelmingly passing resolutions threatening cuts in aid if the Palestinians continue to shun peace talks and go forward in their harmful efforts at the United Nations.

However, the Palestinians have not yet abandoned this path and more action is now needed to persuade them to change course and return to the negotiating table.

If America fails in this effort, the consequences could be immense: Israelis could be dragged into foreign courts and charged with human rights violations...nations could implement sweeping economic sanctions...the Jewish presence in east Jerusalem could come under severe international challenge.

That is why I am writing to ask for your help by joining the work of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee today.
In the coming weeks AIPAC and its members will be working with our leader in Washington to:
Ensure the United States makes clear to the Palestinians that it will veto any such resolution at the U.N. Security Council.
Urge our government to press the PA to return to the negotiating table with Israel.
Urge the United States to press foreign leaders to oppose Palestinian intransigence and support direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

We must stop Iran militarily now Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg

We must convince President Obama and the US Congress that military action alone can stop Iran before it is too late.



President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
"The pretext (Holocaust) for the creation of the Zionist regime (Israel) is false "Confronting the Zionist regime is a national and religious duty." "This regime (Israel) will not last long. Do not tie your fate to it ... This regime has no future. Its life has come to an end," he said in a speech broadcast live on state radio.
Will Obama allow this man to control nuclear bombs and missiles?


There is no more pressing issue of our time then stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. They have delivery systems that can reach Israel and Europe and smart bomb delivery capability for the USA and everywhere. The evidence is clear that they are working diligently to develop nuclear weapons. Nothing anyone has tried (diplomacy, sanctions, threats) has, or will stop them. The use of force the only way and there isn’t much time. There will be dire consequences to the use of force, but it will be much worse for the world if force is not used. They say they will use them and we should believe them. The United States alone is capable of stopping them. The Arab world is begging the US to do so. Defenses as they exist today are not 100% guaranteed to stop Iranian missiles and certainly not suitcase dirty bombs. The problem is that Obama and the Congress have no current will to use force. Ron Paul says no problem if Iran gets nuclear weapons. We must mobilize to persuade them to bomb. Such an attack is Jewishly justifiable.

One. Iran is trying to achieve nuclear weapons capability.
They get closer and closer and have the missiles. It is estimated that Iran will have enough highly enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb within two months and currently has enough low-enriched uranium for three nuclear bombs.” 1

Two. They have delivery systems.
Iran Developing Long-Range Missiles - Reza Kahlili (Washington Times) Iran is also perfecting its missile-delivery systems. Recently, the Revolutionary Guards tested two long-range ballistic missiles, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The guards' ballistic missiles have a range of 1,200 miles, covering all U.S. bases in the Middle East and all of Israel, and now they possess missiles from North Korea with a range of 2,000 miles, which covers most of Western Europe.”

Three. Sanctions, hoping for regime change and diplomacy will not stop them “For years it was assumed that economic sanctions and diplomacy would produce a pliable negotiating partner in Iran. But Iran’s truculence has effectively undermined the once-popular notion, while a degree of confusion and consternation has gripped the international community. The often-unstated hope is that denial of critical technologies and sabotage can slow the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program until, somehow, an alternative strategy, or an agreement, emerges. The thinking has been that time is on our side and that Iran’s weak scientific foundation can be further derailed through such pressure. Contrary to such presumptions, however, Iran’s scientific infrastructure has grown in sophistication and capability in the past two decades.” . Ray Takeyh,The writer is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. For full article see http://bombirannow.blogspot.com/2011/08/who-will-stop-iran.html

Sanctions will not work
But Russia and India have made it clear that they intend to continue legitimate trade with Iran, providing Tehran with hope that some nations will accept its solution for the insurance crisis: coverage guaranteed by the Iranian government. "These sanctions have not affected us much," said Mohammad Hussein Dajmar, the managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), which has 160 ships in its fleet. "The world has many ports. We will sail to those nations that want to do business with us."

Ehud Barak: History Will Judge Obama on Nuclear Iran
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu “History will judge this [Obama] administration when it comes to the end of its term whether Iran has nuclear weapons or not,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Fox News in an interview. He also said sanctions are not enough to stop Iran from reaching nuclear capability.


Four. Dangers of Iran possessing the bomb.
Iran will use the weapons if they possess them
We should take them at their word that they will use them. Mutually Assured Destruction does not work with a suicide bomber mentality government. Ahmadinejad would sacrifice half of Iran to wipe out Israel' Jerusalem Post ^ | | DAVID HOROVITZ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would "sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel," Giora Eiland, Israel's former national security adviser, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. The Iranian president, he said, "has a religious conviction that Israel's demise is essential to the restoration of Muslim glory, that the Zionist thorn in the heart of the Islamic nations must be removed. And he will pay almost any price to right the perceived historic wrong. If he becomes the supreme leader and has a nuclear capability, that's a real threat." Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for the author of a book called “A Time To Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guard of Iran.” He joined the Revolutionary guard in 1979. He contacted the CIA and worked as an agent. In July, speaking in Washington, he predicted that Iran will eventually attack Israel, Europe and the Gulf. He advocated a preemptive military strike saying, “Stop dreaming please, you’re not dealing with rational people. Every time you extend a hand, it is not seen as sincerity but stupidity.”

There are other dangers too. Unless Jerusalem bombs, the Israelis will soon be confronting a situation without historical parallel. We’re not talking about the stolid (but at times dangerously foolish) Pakistani Army controlling nuclear weapons; we’re talking about folks who’ve maintained terrorist liaison relationships with most of the Middle East’s radical Muslim groups…Without a raid, if the Iranians get the bomb, Europe’s appeasement reflex will kick in and the EU sanctions regime will collapse, leaving the Americans alone to contain the Islamic Republic. Most of the Gulf Arabs will probably kowtow to Persia, having more fear of Iran than confidence in the defensive assurances of the United States. And Sunni Arabs who don’t view an Iranian bomb as a plus for the Muslim world will, at daunting speed, become much more interested in “nuclear energy”; the Saudis, who likely helped Islamabad go nuclear, will just call in their chits with the Pakistani military

Five. The Arab world wants the USA or Israel to stop Iran

The Israelis know that many in the Sunni Arab world would be enormously relieved if the Israelis did what the Americans have declined to take on. The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States recently revealed what is likely a Sunni Arab consensus: Bombing Iran might be bad; allowing Khamenei to have a nuke would be worse. 3

Six. Time is running out to bomb
Ehud Barak: History Will Judge Obama on Nuclear Iran
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu Barak estimated that Iran “technically” may be able to possess a nuclear weapon within a year and a half “if they break all the rules.” He explained the major problem is that Iran may “become immune” to a military strike by building several sites and protecting them by burying them deep underground.

Seven. The USA currently does not intend to stop them
The USA is not trying to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons
US drops ball on Iranian nuks.
First the numerous skipped deadlines….the silence and lack of support for Iranian protesters..the continual pushback of the date that Iran would be nuclear-weapon capable..and now “US has no problem with Iran’s Busherh atomic plant”. Iran is rich with natural gas- a relatively clean way to generate electricity. Iran does not need nuclear power. “ Ed Lasky

“And if we assume that ultimately there will be sanctions, so what? The involvement with sanctions, who's for and who's against, when, why and to what extent, deflects from the primary problem - the absence of an American strategy for tough negotiations with Iran. Even more serious, however, is that there are worrying signs that the Obama administration is beginning to resign itself not only to the fact that Iran will continue to enrich uranium, but also to recognition that the Islamic republic could ultimately build a nuclear bomb.” 4


Eight. A sustained US bombing campaign is the only way.
The US Navy believes its destroyer off the shore of Iran can shoot down any Iranian missiles. With 100% accuracy? Can it stop 100% cargo coming into to world ports? Dirty bombs being smuggled across porous borders.“Without genuine American determination, there is no prospect of preventing the Iranians from developing nuclear weapons.” The writer is a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies, where she is also director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Project. 5
Diplomacy and sanctions won't stop Iran from building a nuclear warhead, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."There has only been one time that Iran actually stopped the program," Netanyahu told Fox News' Chris Wallace Sunday. "That was when it feared U.S. military action."The prime minister agreed with CIA Director Leon Panetta that sanctions would "probably not" stop the Iranians http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/38298..



Nine. Jewish law justifies military action
Halachik justification for preemptive bombing campaign to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Such a war would be a mamlechet mitzvah.
The Torah does not expect us to submit to armed aggression, to stand silently and passively when others seek to conquer and dominate us. The people of Israel have the right to defend themselves from attack.
Indeed, we are commanded to do so: the obligation to defend and preserve our lives overrides virtually every other religious duty.[10] Though the word "mitzvah" has a particularly Jewish connotation, there is no reason to believe that the Jews are the only people that is entitled to self-defense. Every nation must possess the right to take up arms if necessary to protect itself and its citizens against military attack.
Analogy using Israel’s strike on Iraqi reactor in 1981
All we can say is that if the Iraqis were building a bomb there, then Israel was morally justified in attacking the facility in the name of national defense. When diplomacy fails, when our foes spurn the offer of peace that our tradition bids us to make them, when they are clearly bent upon their aggressive course, then the time to initiate preemptive action is sooner rather than later. 8

10. Yes there would be negative be consequences, but on balance much less probelmactic than allowing Iran to go nuclear. . Iran may mine the Gulf or sink ships making it impossible to transport gasoline. They may unleash terrorists cells everywhere, have Hezbollah and Hamas send its 70,000 missiles at Israel etc. Not stopping them though will be much worse. Contemplate one nuclear missile getting through Israeli defenses destroying Tel Aviv, or dirty bombs in LA, Chicago, NY etc.

11. Will/Should Israel have to take care of it?
a. Why Hasn't Israel Bombed Iran (Yet)?
The military risks are large; the political risks could be even bigger.
By BRET STEPHENS
Here are four theories in ascending order of significance and plausibility.
The first is that Israeli military planners have concluded that any attack would be unlikely to succeed (or succeed at a reasonable price). …senior Israeli military and political leaders insist it is not completely beyond it.
A second theory is that Israel is biding its time as it improves its military capabilities on both its offensive and defensive ends..
The third theory concerns the internal dynamics of Israeli politics. Mr. Netanyahu may favor a strike, but he will not order one without the consent of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, President Shimon Peres, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and perhaps also Mossad chief Meir Dagan. This inner cabinet is said to be uniformly against a strike, with the wavering exception of Mr. Barak. But Mr. Ashkenazi and Mr. Dagan are due to step down within a few months, and who Mr. Netanyahu chooses to replace them will have a material bearing on the government's attitude toward a strike.
Finally, Israeli leaders are mindful of history. Put aside the routine comparisons between a prospective military strike on Iran with Israel's quick and effective destruction of Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981. As I'm reminded by Michael Doran, a Middle East scholar at NYU, Israel's leaders are probably no less alert to the lessons of the Suez War in 1956. Back then, a successful military operation by Britain, France and Israel to humiliate Egypt's Gamel Abdel Nasser (in many ways the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of his day) fell afoul of the determined political opposition of the Eisenhower administration, which mistakenly thought that it could curry favor with the Arabs by visibly distancing itself from Israel and its traditional European allies. Sound familiar?



“Unless Jerusalem bombs, the Israelis will soon be confronting a situation without historical parallel. We’re not talking about the stolid (but at times dangerously foolish) Pakistani Army controlling nuclear weapons; we’re talking about folks who’ve maintained terrorist liaison relationships with most of the Middle East’s radical Muslim groups…Without a raid, if the Iranians get the bomb, Europe’s appeasement reflex will kick in and the EU sanctions regime will collapse, leaving the Americans alone to contain the Islamic Republic. Most of the Gulf Arabs will probably kowtow to Persia, having more fear of Iran than confidence in the defensive assurances of the United States. And Sunni Arabs who don’t view an Iranian bomb as a plus for the Muslim world will, at daunting speed, become much more interested in “nuclear energy”; the Saudis, who likely helped Islamabad go nuclear, will just call in their chits with the Pakistani military. So then, does the Israeli air force think it can do it? Historically, Israeli politicians have taken the assessments of their air force as canonical. If the air command believes it can, will Bibi Netanyahu and his cabinet proceed with preemption, which has, most Israelis will tell you, repeatedly saved the Jewish state from terrible situations? 9.


Therefore, it is our sacred and solemn duty to work day and night to convince President Obama and the US Congress that military action alone can stop Iran before it is too late.


Notes
1. DAILY ALERT Monday, August 1, 2011
Iran Developing Long-Range Missiles - Reza Kahlili (Washington Times)
2. ibid
3. Should Israel Bomb Iran? Better safe than sorry
BY Reuel Marc Gerecht
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/should-israel-bomb-iran
4. http://bombirannow.blogspot.com/2011/08/us-wont-stop-iran.html
5. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/sanctions-alone-won-t-stop-iran-s-nuclear-work-1.265981

6. http://bombirannow.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-hasnt-israel-bombed-yet.html

7. http://bombirannow.blogspot.com/2011/08/good-time-for-israel-to-bomb.html

8. http://bombirannow.blogspot.com/2011/08/jewish-justification-for-bombing.html
9. http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/should-israel-bomb-iran Should Israel Bomb Iran?
Better safe than sorry BY Reuel Marc Gerecht

Free trip to Israel for Jewish 18-26 year olds

Taglit-Birthright Israel registration is approaching! Parents, Hillel Foundation at the University of Illinois wants to ensure that your children get the Israel experience of a lifetime with Taglit-Birthright Israel! For the past decade our organizer Shorashim has been giving our students the best educational experience on our "Chicago Community" buses staffed by Hillel professionals. Official registration begins on Wednesday, September 14 at 9:00 am CDT (pre-registration for past applicants will open on Tuesday September 13th at 11:00 am Central). For information on how to register, visit our website www.illinihillel.org or go straight to http://www.israelwithisraelis.com or contact our Israel fellow, Erez Cohenerez.illinihillel@gmail.com
Students who are not at U of IL should go to the website www.israelwithisraelis.com to get more information, register or start the registration process. However, the goal is to get as many local students as possible on those buses. I think I can safely say that our fellow, Erez, our "Israel fellow,"will happily speak to anyone who wants more information.

Israel must destroy Hamas

Pinpoint strikes and limited retaliation won't end the terror from Gaza, writes one of Israel's leading columnists. Only the total destruction of Hamas will allow Israel to live in peace.

Yoram Ettinger, writing in Israel Hayom a few days after terror attacks in Israel killed seven people, says that "co-existence" is not a viable option when dealing with terrorists groups.

A decisive defeat of terrorism requires a victory over – and not coexistence or ceasefire agreements with – terrorism. We need to uproot – not just stop – terrorism. Any response to terrorism that falls short of devastating the ideological, political, financial, logistic and operational terrorist infrastructures only serves to reassure terrorists that they are immune to annihilation.

Moreover, it nurtures their hope-driven terrorism. They hope to destroy Israel’s defiance, wreck Israel’s steadfastness, and sustain the momentum of sweeping Israeli ideological and territorial retreats between the years 1993-2011.

And the more defensive -- rather than offensive -- Israel becomes, the more terrorists are emboldened.

Limited response has also been implemented in order to soothe international public opinion - which is never satisfied with Israeli concessions - thus recklessly subordinating national security to public diplomacy considerations. Sometimes it yields a false sense of security and enhances short-term tactical popularity.

However, limited response always undermines long-term strategic interests and international respect towards Israel, unleashing more pressure on Israel, radicalizing Palestinian terrorism and distancing the region from peace.

Whether Israel decides to live with terrorism or destroy it will become apparent in the days to come.



www.rabbijonathanginsburg.com

Report on Glen Beck in Israel

RESTORING COURAGE with Glenn Beck in Israel
By Helen Freedman

I had made the deliberate choice to leave New York and travel to Israel this August in order to participate in the Glenn Beck RESTORING COURAGE events. The three part program would take place over a period of four days - Sunday night, August 21, in Caesarea, would support the Courage to Love. Monday evening, August 22, at the Old Train Station Plaza. would focus on the Courage to Stand, and Wednesday evening, August 24, would be the Courage to Declare." It would take place at the Davidson Center near the southern wall of the Old City and at Safra Square.

At this writing, the Caesarea event has taken place. I joined a busload of people departing from our meeting place in Jerusalem to Caesarea. We arrived there at 6:30 PM on Sunday, as the late afternoon sun was spreading its rosy glow over the 2,000 year old stones. Throngs of people, mostly Christians, had already arrived and thousands more were being delivered by buses from all over Israel.

The mood was one of excitement and high expectancy. People met friends, along with old and new acquaintances. The warmth and friendliness of spirit emanated from everyone. As the huge theater stadium filled up with about 3,000 people, we had to admire the production features. The stage was lit beautifully; the sound equipment was working perfectly; the glorious backdrop of moving color photos of Israel's deserts, cities, mountains, rivers and Sea, gave us a beautiful look at Israel's amazing topography.

Dave Barton, President of Wallbuilders, proudly announced that eighty nations were represented in this demonstration of Standing with Israel. David Brog, Executive Director of CUFI, Christians United for Israel, spoke of the reality of shared Judeo-Christian values, having to do with loving thy neighbor as thyself. Venissa Mitchell and her choir of 23 men and women, along with a small orchestra, performed intermittently with some lovely inspirational songs.

Glenn Beck appeared on stage, greeted with wild applause. He seemed genuinely touched by the outpouring of love and the fact that so many people had come from so many countries, traveling at their own expense, to join with him in making his mission, their mission. The opening benediction emphasized Isaiah's vision of nations not learning war anymore.

Pastor Mike Evans told an amazing story about his Jewish mother and his anti-Semitic father who would beat his wife and threaten the boy whom he never called, 'son.' Evans has now spent forty years defending Israel. Pastor Tom Mullins spoke about G-d's divine love and the love of Nehemiah for the people of Jerusalem. He declared, "Have done with lesser things, and concentrate on doing great things together."

Glenn Beck, who was clearly turning over most of the stage time to the procession of speakers, then interjected that loving Israel also meant loving Jews. They are inseparable. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin continued with the theme of love and expressed the need to applaud the differences of "others" while having the courage to love them. He evoked cheers when he declared, "The Jewish people has never been alone. We have always been together with G-d."

Pastor John Hagee, leader of 750,000 Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and Pastor to 20,000 active members in his San Antonio church, electrified the audience by stating, "Our hope is not in Washington, but in G-d." He reaffirmed the belief of the Jews as the chosen people, pledged to always stand with Israel, and vowed that Israel's enemies were his. Affirming that "Israel is a tiny outpost of democracy in a sea of tyranny," he declared, "I am an Israeli," and led the crowd in chanting this over and over again.

Glenn Beck again took the stage to remind us that "We have to get off at the exits...We're speeding along the freeway, heading to the cliff, and we must exit." He concluded by reminding us that "G-d is not running for re-election, and we are entering the age of G-d's miracles."

The closing benediction was given by a Christian Arab from Bethlehem, Pastor Khouri. We listened to his words of love, recognizing that his appearance at this event, with Christians and Jews, in a demonstration of mutual love, took a great deal of courage on his part.

Fireworks illuminated the sky as the program ended. Everyone seemed to be uplifted and exhilarated by this outpouring of love and brotherhood. The bar of expectation has been set at an extraordinarily high level for the remaining events. They should dazzle, if Sunday in Caesarea is a sample of what's to come.


www.rabbijonathanginsburg.info

GOP candidates on Israel Jer Post

Tevi Troy, who served as a Jewish liaison in the George W. Bush White House, pushed back against the notion that the GOP candidates represented a threat for Israel.

“It would be hard to find a more pro-Israel collective than the people running for president on the Republican side of the aisle,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything that indicates a diminution of support for Israel.”

And he argued that politicians who were more interested in America going it alone could actually translate into more support for Israel, because they would be less concerned about placating the international community’s antagonism toward the Jewish state.

“They might be willing to take a stronger stand for Israel because they’re willing to risk criticism in the international arena,” he said.

So far, the Republican contenders have spoken of strong support for Israel and used the issue to take aim at Obama.

“He’s treating Israel the same way so many European countries have: with suspicion, distrust and an assumption that Israel is at fault,” Romney charged in the speech launching his presidential bid, in one of his only references to foreign policy.

“He seems firmly and clearly determined to undermine our longtime friend and ally.”

And Troy argued that the concerns American Jews have about Obama’s stance on Israel is their paramount foreign policy issue, and would trump any anxiety about an isolationist streak.

“The Obama administration’s policy toward Israel is the one that would concern Jewish voters who might be willing to consider a Republican,” he said. “They would be comforted by the views that the bulk of the Republican candidates have on Israel.”

Dorf, however, said the vast majority of criticism regarding Obama’s stance on Israel has come from the 20 percent of the Jewish community that reliably votes Republican. He dismissed the impact they would have on the race.

“Those are [the ones] we in politics call the unpersuadables,” he said.

According to Lawrence Korb – a former assistant secretary of defense, now with the Center for American Progress – however isolationist the Republican party veers, it sees Israel as different than other international alliances.

“Israel is separate. Regardless of whether people say we ought not to referee the world, there will always be support for Israel,” he said.


www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

Dear Friends:
For those of us who could not be in Israel at this historic time with Glenn Beck and his RESORTING COURAGE events in Israel, we can, through the internet, watch four major events.
Sign up for GBTV.
(If you can’t watch the events live, you can watch the replays.)

I had hoped to be there this week – Helen Freedman, the executive director of AFSI/Americans for a Safe Israel (afsi.org) and I had spoken about going. My mother has been ill and now was not the right time for me to be in Israel.
HELEN IS IN ISRAEL and will be attending all four of the major RESTORING COURAGE events. (You can see her in in the audience on Sunday’s show from Caesarea).

I am sure Helen will write about the experiences of this week. I can’t wait to read what she will send!


-Cheryl Jacobs Lewin
Chicago co-chair
AFSI/Americans for a Safe Israel

Nonsense from the Israeli right protesting Beck

Feiglin objects to Beck Jerusalem event
By GIL HOFFMAN
08/22/2011 05:22

Hawkish Likud activist tells 'Post' he objects to US Christian broadcaster's plan to hold Restoring Courage rally near Temple Mount.

Talkbacks (7)
American broadcaster Glenn Beck has faced criticism from left-wingers and Reform rabbis in the US and warnings from Arab MKs and Peace Now in Israel ahead of his Jerusalem mega event set for Wednesday night at Jerusalem’s Southern Wall site.

But Beck has been welcomed warmly by the Israeli Right until Sunday, when hawkish Likud activist Moshe Feiglin denounced him in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. Feiglin objected to the Christian broadcaster holding his Restoring Courage rally so close to Judaism’s holy site.

“Glenn Beck should do such an event in his court, not mine,” Feiglin said. “Besides territorial sovereignty, there is also a concept of spiritual sovereignty. When he holds his event so close to the Temple Mount, he is supporting us physically but undermining us spiritually.”

Feiglin noted that Beck was purposely holding his event close to the site where, according to the New Testament, Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers where Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem redeemed funds for sacrifices that would be made in the Temple. He said this was problematic, because the incident has been a source for anti-Semitism for centuries.

“This created the image of Jews as pursuers of money and Christian anti-Semitism that led to rivers of Jewish blood,” Feiglin said.


“Glenn Beck doesn’t back the Jewish mission. What drives him is the Christian mission. I have no problem doing business with him, but he has to respect me when he comes here just like I don’t try to force my identity on him when I come to him.”

Feiglin mocked right-wing figures such as MK Danny Danon (Likud) and Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip chairman Danny Dayan who have facilitated Beck’s visit.

“Jews like it when goyim finally smile at them, but sometimes a smile is more dangerous than a scowl, and this is one of those occasions,” Feiglin said.

Dayan responded that "Israel has too many real foes and very few genuine friends like Glenn Beck. I cannot understand the urge to reject his friendship with pseudo-theological argumentation."

He added, "Rejecting friendship is not a sign of national pride but a proof of very low self confidence."
Feiglin also said he had a “deep problem” with Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin participating as a featured speaker at a Chrisitan prayer rally Beck organized at the Caesarea Amphitheater Sunday night.

Following warnings from Arab MKs in the Post that Beck’s Jerusalem rally could lead to violence, the Jerusalem Police were asked whether they had considered forcing the event’s cancellation or moving it to a different site. Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said the police had not received information or threats of violence against the event.

“There has been absolutely no decision to change [the event],” Ben-Ruby said. “We are not going to revoke the permit in any way, shape, or form.”

Ben-Ruby said the police will have a regular security detail. Peace Now received a permit to hold a counter-demonstration outside the event to protest Beck’s conservative views and the decision to hold the event in a controversial location.

The Davidson Center at the Southern Wall is part of the Jerusalem Archeological Park in and around the Dung Gate, and is located about 100 meters from the Temple Mount. The building was created over the underground storage area for a 17thcentury Umayyad palace.

Melanie Lidman contributed to this report.


www.rabbijonathnginsburg.org

Understanding Israel

Want to Understand Israel? - David Harris (Huffington Post)
I believe that anyone who genuinely seeks peace should consider four key factors that inform the Israeli worldview. First, geography. The throwaway line these days is that geography no longer matters in an era of long-range missiles. Not so fast. Israel is a small country, about the size of New Jersey. To put it into a Middle East context, Egypt is approximately 50 times larger than Israel, Saudi Arabia a hundred times. Until its 1967 war for survival, Israel's borders, which were nothing more than the armistice lines, were 9 miles at their narrowest point, near the country's midsection and most populous area. Topography matters too. When the towering Golan Heights were in the hands of Syria before the Six-Day War, for example, Jewish villages and farms below were regularly targeted by Syrian shelling. Second, history. Notwithstanding Arab claims to the contrary, the Jewish people have been linked to this region for over 3,000 years. The bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel is central to the historical narrative. The metaphysical and physical link between the Jewish people and its wellsprings of history and holiness must be acknowledged. Third, psychology. Some dismiss Israel's preoccupation with security as obsessive. But Israel has a history. So do the Jewish people. And it teaches that there are those who wish to do harm and mean what they say. They are not to be neglected or minimized. That history also teaches that, all too often, Israel and the Jewish people have stood largely alone in facing the danger. Pledges of help are more often made than kept. So yes, Israel has every right, indeed obligation, to take Iran's nuclear ambitions seriously -- just as it has every right, indeed, obligation, to take seriously the 40,000 missiles in Hezbollah's arsenal in Lebanon and the desire of Hamas in Gaza to emulate Hezbollah's example. And fourth, yearning. The survivors of the exiles, the pogroms, the inquisitions, the blood libels, the ghettos, and the death camps don't need lectures about why they should seek "normality." When it has credible, committed partners in the search for peace, as history has amply shown, Israel will go to great territorial lengths, even at risk to its own security, to achieve a solution. The writer is the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee.





www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

Glen Beck in Israel? To help Jews

Why Is Glenn Beck Going to Israel? - Zev Chafets
In its long slog through history, the Jewish caravan has acquired a lot of improbable and colorful camp followers, from Bulan, king of the Khazars, to Marilyn Monroe and Madonna. Lately, conservative commentator and former Fox News TV personality Glenn Beck has joined their ranks. This week, he plans to set up his tent in the Holy Land for three televised Zionist rallies, dubbed "Restoring Courage," in Jerusalem and Caesarea.
The UN is holding another World Conference Against Racism, whose record of open anti-Semitism has prompted the United States, Canada and many European democracies to boycott it. Beck has timed his rallies to push back against these U.N. events, which he considers symptoms of an old malady. At a recent convention in Washington of Christians United for Israel, he electrified the crowd by declaring that, when the time comes to get the Jews, "count me as one, and count me first." (Washington Post)

GETTY IMAGES
Beck’s Here: Conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck was preaching to the choir as he launched his tour of Israel with a speech at a Roman amphitheater.

By Nathan Jeffay
Published August 21, 2011. fORWARD
PRINT EMAIL SHARE AUTHOR ARCHIVE NEWS
CAESAREA, ISRAEL — The Roman ampitheater hosts some of the wildest concerts in Israel, but it rarely sees a crowd as excitable as this one. After all, this was no mere musical act, but the conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck.
“While there may not be a political solution, the good news is the God of Israel ‘aint running for office,” he declared to rapturous applause Sunday.
Don’t worry about trifles like diplomatic processes and peace plans, went his message. After all, the entire world is “reentering the age of miracles of God.”
Beck declared that the Christians gathered there should “not only love Israel but we love the Jewish people as they are.”
The former Fox News talk-show host was joined on stage by the American evangelical icon John Hagee, who, in a twist on Kennedy’s famous “ich bin en Berliner” comment had the crowd chanting “ani yisraeli,” which means: “I am an Israeli.”
Related


FORWARD
Glenn Beck Brings Firebreathing Rhetoric Back to Israel
Glenn Beck Embraces His Yiddishkeit With Open Arms
Beck last year organized a huge event in Washington called Restore Honor, bringing together thousands of conservatives. This week he is running Restore Courage, a similar concept with a pro-Israel focus. It will culminate on Wednesday with a rally in Jerusalem — which some Palestinians claim could prove inflammatory.
Today was the first fixture, a rally attended by 3,000 people, mostly Americans who travelled to Israel especially for the Beck events. It took place at Caesarea Amphitheater, an impressive venue built in the first century by Herod the Great.
An hour before the start, almost everyone was seated, a feat of punctuality unheard of in Israel. People marveled at the amphitheater watched the sun set in front of them over the Mediterranean, chanted and cheered.
“We’ve got courage yes we do, we’ve got courage how about you?” yelled people in one bloc of seats, pointing to another which repeated the chant and passed it on. Then they did the wave. After that it was time to watch the live broadcasts going out on Glenn Beck TV, and followed at 1,200 “viewing parties” across the world.
The presenter mentioned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lives in Caesarea and the crowd exploded with applause. The most enthusiastic reaction of the evening came a few minutes after Beck’s big entrance when he said: “No matter what our governments may say, we are not our governments.”
Most of Beck’s soliloquies were emotional declarations of his love for Israel, religious teachings, and tellings and retellings against-all-odds story of how he, with God’s help, pulled the event together. He cried on close to a dozen occasions, and joked that he needed to drink extra water in the heat for his tears.
Beck for the most part avoided references to politics or discussion of his well-known disdain for the two-state solution. This was his hardcore fan base that needed no convincing. Darlene Petty, a middle-aged human resources manager from Florida, told the Forward that she had borrowed from her retirement fund to attend as she “felt it was going to be historical.” Louis Royas, a nurse from Connecticut has been “working non-stop for two and-a-half months” and taken money from his children’s’ education fund. It was worth it to deliver a message to Israelis that they are “not alone,” he said.
Hagee was invited to the podium and said that the Jews are “still the apple of God’s eye, still the chosen people, still the covenant people.”
While most of the Israeli rabbinic establishment steered clear of the event, American-born Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Efrat, attended and spoke. He told the crowd that the event was “magnificent” and “transformative,” and praised Beck’s “courage to love us in our otherness.”
The few Israelis in the audience felt it was a shame that more did not attend. “People told me I’m crazy for coming,” said Seth Greenberg, a high-tech manager from Ranana. “A lot of Israelis are afraid to assert themselves and think it will cause us problems, but I think the time that people like the underdog has passed and we need to be proud because the world loves a winner.”
Contact Nathan Jeffay at jeffay@forward.com


Read more: http://forward.com/articles/141701/#ixzz1VllHPz17


www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

Abbas worse than Arafat

Ha'aretz) 'PA Silence over Terror Raises Questions about Statehood' - Herb Keinon
The Palestinian silence regarding Thursday's terrorist attack in the South was "deafening," and raises serious questions about the Palestinian Authority's readiness for independence, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev said Sunday.
Government sources noted that even Yasser Arafat would issue pro-forma condemnations of violence during the height of the second intifada, something the PA leadership has not yet done since Thursday's attack. (Jerusalem Post



www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org)

Iron Dome can't stop them all

The IAF's Air Defense Corps intercepted 16 of the rockets launched from the Gaza Strip since Thursday. Iron Dome is capable of determining which rockets are liable to hit populated areas, and intercepts those rockets only in order not to waste the expensive intercept missiles on incoming rockets that will land in uninhabited areas.
After the Palestinian launch teams realized that the intercept systems deployed in the past two weeks around Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva provided near-perfect protection from rockets, they began targeting Ashdod and Ofakim more frequently. And when they did aim at Be'er Sheva on Saturday night, they did not fire one or two rockets, as in the past, but rather a volley of seven rockets almost simultaneously. Iron Dome intercepted five of them successfully, but one penetrated the defense system, killing a resident



www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

Truce with hamas? A joke

Gaza Rocket Fire Persists Despite Truce, Israeli Aircraft Retaliate
Palestinians militants in the Gaza Strip have fired more rockets and mortars on southern Israel despite a cease-fire agreement. Israel's military said Monday that 15 projectiles were launched a Israel overnight. (AP/Washington
One Israeli was killed and scores were injured after approximately 100 rockets were fired at southern Israel over the weekend,











www.rabbijonathanginsurg.org

Thank God we can fight back

May G-d watch over them and bring them home well and in victory only after victory comes peace hazakachshav courage now


We Have Been Called to the Army!
by Ari Abramowitz and Jeremy Gimple


We've Been Called to the Army!

After a devastating four-pronged terror attack against Israel this past Thursday, Hamas has fired over one hundred missiles into Israel hitting schools, killing, maiming, and terrorizing.

As we are on the front lines of the Southern Command, we have been called up to service as the situation is growing more grave each day! I (Ari) am in the US and heading back to Israel tomorrow to join Jeremy who has already been mobilized and is currently preparing for whatever may take place in Gaza in the immediate future. Jeremy just returned to his family from a two week speaking tour throughout the US, sharing the truth about what is happening in Israel, and to be called away from his wife and three beautiful children is quite difficult on his family as it is on the country as a whole.

I spoke to Jeremy this morning and he seems to be in good spirits despite the clear strain this is putting on his wife and children, who, by the way, have been heroic in their selfless encouragement and support. Or as supportive as a four year old wondering why his "abba" has to leave again can be...

In the few moments I was able to speak with him, I asked Jeremy how he was doing and he said "This murder and terror is nothing new. But for the first time in thousands of years when we are massacred in the streets, we can fight back. We are able to defend ourselves, and the entire nation of Israel, in the promised Land. There is much to be thankful for. These are good times!"

What a perspective! That's pretty much our dynamic in the army - as a commander he inspires the unit and I will crack a joke for good measure. The truth is that miraculously, when we are called up to the army in these times, a deep sense of joy and purpose is put upon us and so many of our fellow soldiers. The Torah establishes clear lines of consequences for listening or not listening to God and following the mitzvot. Within the curses the Torah states as a reason all the curses are occurring: "because you did not serve HaShem your God with joy and goodness of heart...." (Deutronomy 28:47).

The joy that we feel at being able to serve in the first Jewish Army since the times of King David - it is something that transcends logic. You feel it in your soul.

For those of you who would want to write Jeremy a message of encouragement and support, I encourage you to email him at Jeremy@thelandofisrael.com . He may not be able to respond immediately but he will receive it and your thoughts and prayers make a bigger difference than you could ever know.




www.rabbijonathanginsburg.org

Cong Paul Ryan on Israel (in case he runs)

Commitment to unbreakable U.S.-Israel bond.

Ryan signed Hoyer-Cantor letter to Secy. Clinton from 327 House members
Dear Secretary Clinton:
We are writing to reaffirm our commitment to the unbreakable bond that exists between our country and the State of Israel and to express to you our deep concern over recent tension. In every important relationship, there will be occasional misunderstandings and conflicts.
Our valuable bilateral relationship with Israel needs and deserves constant reinforcement. As the Vice-President said during his recent visit to Israel: "Progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to security, none. No space." Steadfast American backing has helped lead to Israeli peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. And American involvement continues to be critical to the effort to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
We recognize that, despite the extraordinary closeness between our country and Israel, there will be differences over issues both large and small. Our view is that such differences are best resolved quietly, in trust and confidence, as befits longstanding strategic allies. We hope and expect that, with mutual effort and good faith, the United States and Israel will move beyond this disruption quickly, to the lasting benefit of both nations.

Op-Ed: Obama and Israel are not on the same page Mort Klein

Op-Ed: Obama and Israel are not on the same page Mort Klein
Share Email Print
Op-Ed: Obama and Israel are not on the same page
By Morton Klein · August 16, 2011
Photos

1 out of 1Other Media
Morton Klein: It is clear that "Obama and Israel are not of one mind, or anywhere close to being so."
OPINION

PHILADELPHIA (JTA) -- It’s high time to face an unpleasant fact: President Obama and Israel are not on the same page.

This has been true ever since Obama took office in January 2009, but it was most recently apparent this May when the president ambushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an adversarial speech the day before Netanyahu’s U.S. visit by advocating that Israel return to the pre-1967 armistice lines (with mutually agreed swaps).

Obama’s speech meant that Israel cannot keep the Jewish neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall or the major settlement blocs without Palestinian Authority approval. No previous U.S. president ever took this position.

Neither has any previous president ever suggested, as Obama has, that the issues of “territory and security” should be agreed upon first, and only then should the issues of Arab refugees and Jerusalem’s status be decided. Thus in Obama’s view, Israel should establish a Palestinian state and give away virtually all the disputed territory, thereby eliminating its negotiating leverage, before negotiating over Jerusalem and refugees from a weakened position.

An anonymous Israeli official interviewed in early August by Reuters denied recent reports that Netanyahu now accepts the pre-1967 lines as a basis for negotiations, and two senior Israeli officials recently told me the same.

It’s also shocking that Obama made these demands of Israel only two weeks after Fatah, the faction that leads the Palestinian Authority, signed a unity agreement with Hamas, the terrorist organization that calls in its charter for the murder of Jews.

Netanyahu has been clear: He won’t negotiate with a Hamas-linked Palestinian Authority. Yet Obama has refused to make diplomatic or financial support for the Palestinian Authority conditional on its abrogating its unity agreement with Hamas.

Obama’s first major Middle East speech, in Cairo in June 2009, made clear his tenuous commitment to Israel. He ignored the legal, historical and religious basis of the Jewish claim to Israel, instead writing it off as a reward for enduring the Holocaust.

Obama also claimed that the Palestinians have been suffering in trying to establish their state for 60 years, but he ignored the fact that they turned down offers of statehood in 1937, 1947, 2000 and 2008. He spoke about the Arabs being "displaced" by Israel’s founding, ignoring the fact that if there had been no Arab war against Israel, there would have been no refugees.

Most egregiously, the president strongly implied that Palestinian suffering was equivalent to Jewish suffering during the Holocaust. And by framing his call for Palestinians to practice only nonviolent resistance by pointing to the experience of U.S. blacks during slavery and black Africans during South African apartheid, Obama effectively lumped in Israeli Jews with history’s oppressors.

In a January 2010 TV interview, Obama’s Middle East envoy George Mitchell -- who has since left his post -- told PBS’s Charlie Rose that “full implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative is the objective set forth by the president.” The so-called Arab Peace Initiative demands that Israel retreat to the pre-1967 lines, set up a Palestinian state and accept the right of millions of Arab refugees to move into Israel. That would end Israel as a Jewish state.

And let’s not forget Obama’s September 2009 U.N. speech, in which he spoke of the need to couple “unwavering commitment to Israel” with calls for Israel to “respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians.” Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton called this “the most radical anti-Israel speech I can recall any president making.”

Even former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat who campaigned for Obama, recently wrote in the Huffington Post, “I weep as I witness outrageous verbal attacks on Israel” that “are being orchestrated by President Obama.” Koch suggested that Obama is “throwing Israel under the bus.”

Perhaps Israel’s deepest concern is the existential threat posed by the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. Obama needlessly delayed congressional sanctions against Iran for a year while he tried to get multilateral, U.N.-backed sanctions enacted first. Now that sanctions have become U.S. law, Obama has not implemented them in a serious way.

Obama also sent Vice President Joe Biden to Israel to warn Netanyahu not to launch any military strikes against Iran without U.S. approval.

One of my most revealing experiences was a meeting I attended, along with 40 other Jewish leaders, with President Obama at the White House in March. The president told us, according to my notes: “You must speak to your Israeli friends and relatives and search your souls to determine how badly do you really want peace. Israelis think this peace business is overrated; their life is good, their economy is good, and things are quiet.”

Several times he emphasized that “the PA is sincere in wanting a peaceful settlement” and that “Israel has not sufficiently tried to make an acceptable offer.” He asked, “Is the Netanyahu government serious about territorial concessions?”

Things may get better or worse -- more likely the latter -- but one thing is clear: Obama and Israel are not of one mind, or anywhere close to being so.

(Morton A. Klein is the national president of ZOA, the Zionist Organization of America.)