A Soldier Made of Glass

Their is a Soldier in the Israeli Defense forces who has has a medical disability called Osteogenesis imperfecta and is serving in the Israeli military. This person by the name of Cpl. Idan Cohen is a clear example why disabled people can work in the military. If the US Military would simply take the lessons from the IDF and see how they do things and try to at least apply it in the US Military, think disabled people can serve in the US military as well. I think this is why the Israeli Defense forces are at the forefront of the Military and the IDF is leading the way and showing other militaries around the world that having disabled people in the service dose not hinder combat effectiveness and combat readiness.  What these disabled soldiers do in the IDF is to free up able bodied people who can go into Combat jobs and Combat units while leaving all the non combat and combat service support jobs to those who have a disability.

The article in the Israeli Defense forces website clear shows that a solider with a medical disability can clearly serve in the Military and clearly fulfill his goals of serving in the military regardless of his disability. This is why I believe that the IDF is far more advance in letting people serve regardless if they have a disability or they are Gay. It clearly proves to the rest of the world’s military that having women, gays and disabled people in the service dose not hinder the job and it only makes the job  easier and it gets the job done regardless of the person.

The only thing I have to say is that Cpl. Idan Cohen of the IDF would never be able to serve in the US Military with his disability because they would reject him automatically and the only place the US Military would send someone with a disability is either the US Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Civil Air Patrol. That’s why I think Cpl. Idan Cohen got it made when the the IDF lets him serve with his medical disability. I also believe this is why the US military should look to the IDF and see how they integrate Gays, women and people with disabilities into the Israeli defense forces and take a page or playbook from them. At least with the IDF, they can show other militaries around the world in how they integrated women, gays and those with a disability into the IDF and they seem to not have any problems with them.

I like the article and I think everyone with a disability should check it out and look to it as inspiration. I just hope that someday within my lifetime or my next life that the US Military looks to the IDF and apply’s what the IDF has done in terms of allowing those with a medical disability to serve in the military.

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Joys of Muslim Women
by Nonie Darwish

________________________________

In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year oldand
have sexual intimacy with this child. Consummating the marriage by 9.

The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his
slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as
a toy. Even though a woman is abused she can not obtain a divorce.

To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses.
Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the
family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her (an
honor killing) to restore the honor of the family. Husbands can beat their
wives ‘at will’ and he does not have to say why he has beaten her.

The husband is permitted to have (4 wives) and a temporary wife for an hour
(prostitute) at his discretion.The Shariah Muslim law controls the private
as well as the public life of the woman.

In the West World (America) Muslim men are starting to demand Shariah Law so
the wife can not obtain a divorce and he can have full and complete control
of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters
attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting
themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law. By passing
this on, enlightened American women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah
Law.

Ripping the West in Two. Author and lecturer Nonie Darwish says the goal of
radical Islamists is to impose Shariah law on the world, ripping Western law
and liberty in two. She recently authored the book, Cruel and Usual
Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law.

Darwish was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza before
immigrating to America in 1978, when she was eight years old. Her father
died while leading covert attacks on Israel. He was a high-ranking Egyptian
military officer stationed with his family in Gaza . When he died, he was
considered a “shahid,” a martyr for jihad. His posthumous status earned
Nonie and her family an elevated position in Muslim society.

But Darwish developed a skeptical eye at an early age. She questioned her
own Muslim culture and upbringing. She converted to Christianity after
hearing a Christian preacher on television.

In her latest book, Darwish warns about creeping sharia law – what it is,
what it means, and how it is manifested in Islamic countries.

For the West, she says radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the
world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. Westerners
generally assume all religions encourage a respect for the dignity of each
individual. Islamic law (Sharia) teaches that non-Muslims should be
subjugated or killed in this world.

Peace and prosperity for one’s children is not as important as assuring that
Islamic law rules everywhere in the Middle East and eventually in the world.

While Westerners tend to think that all religions encourage some form of the
golden rule, Sharia teaches two systems of ethics – one for Muslims and
another for non-Muslims. Building on tribal practices of the seventh
century, Sharia encourages the side of humanity that wants to take from and
subjugate others.
While Westerners tend to think in terms of religious people developing a
personal understanding of and relationship with
God, Sharia advocates executing people who ask difficult questions that
could be interpreted as criticism.

It’s hard to imagine, that in this day and age, Islamic scholars agree that
those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should be executed.
Sadly, while talk of an Islamic reformation is common and even assumed by
many in the West, such murmurings in the Middle East are silenced through
intimidation.
While Westerners are accustomed to an increase in religious tolerance over
time, Darwish explains how petro dollars are being used to grow an extremely
intolerant form of political Islam in her native Egypt and elsewhere. In
twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the
President by themselves!Rest assured they will do so… You can look at how
they have taken over several towns in the USA..Dearborn Mich. is one… and
there are others…

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the
ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us
sends it on! It is too bad that so many are disillusioned with life and
Christianity to accept Muslims as peaceful.. some may be but they have an
army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam.. the peaceful
support the warriors with their finances and own kind of patriotism to their
religion.. While America is getting rid of Christianity from all public
sites and erasing God from the lives of children the Muslims are planning a
great jihad on America ..
This is your chance to make a difference…! Pass it on to your email list
or at least those you think will listen..

 By Rabbi Dow Marmur

JERUSALEM–When we left Israel last May, the country had a Prime Minister known for his right-wing intransigent views. To support him he had several even bigger hawks in his cabinet, including as Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of a party consisting largely of anti-progressive immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

 Coming back to the country some seven months later, we now find a seemingly conciliatory, pragmatic and much less doctrinaire leader of the Government of Israel. But he’s the same person: Binyamin Netanyahu. Here are some indicators:

 (1) Last June he declared that he accepts a two-state solution: an Israeli and Palestinian state living side by side. (2) A few weeks ago he agreed to (a kind of) ten months’ freeze of settlement expansion.  (3) He has ordered the lifting of restrictions on the movements of Palestinians. (4) There are signs of economic growth in the territories. 

 The reasons for these visible pointers toward transformation are the same now as they were when other right-wing leaders were at the helm: Menachem Begin who made peace with Egypt; Ariel Sharon who withdrew from Gaza; Ehud Olmert who hobnobbed with the President of the Palestinian Authority Abu Mazen. It’s called Realpolitik.

 Israel is dependent on the United States. When its President wants the Jewish state to act in a certain way, the Prime Minister has little choice but to comply. Some of us hoped that such pressure would point in the direction of peace in the Middle East when Barak Obama was elected. By responding positively to the President, Netanyahu may either challenge the Palestinians to reciprocate or show the world that they aren’t serious.

 The Palestinian response is by no means certain. But the Israeli course of action is also problematic. For in the short time that Netanyahu has been in office, the settler movement – the backbone of some of his hawkish coalition partners – may have become stronger and decidedly more strident. The recent torching of a mosque in a Palestinian village, allegedly in protest against the settlement freeze, has pointed to settlers as suspects. (However, the Israeli public’s strong reaction against such vandalism has been very reassuring and may suggest that the settlers can and will be kept in check.)

 Equally troubling is the “guidance” offered by nationalist Orthodox rabbis to soldiers. A generation ago, the elite groups of the Israel Defense Forces were members of (largely left-wing) kibbutzim. With the collapse of the kibbutz movement as a result of the economic perestroika in Israeli society, its sons are no longer in the forefront. Some graduates of nationalist institutions in which extremist rabbis play a prominent part, again with roots in West Bank Jewish settlements, appear to have taken their place. Though there’s no reason whatsoever for alarmist hysteria about the danger of an army take-over, there’s reason to view the phenomenon as another obstacle to peace.

 Even if Netanyahu manages to deliver the critics within his own party, it’s less clear that he’ll be able to persuade some of his coalition partners. As ideologues they may prefer to be outside the government than support a pragmatic approach. Therefore, if he appears to act inconsistently, it may not be because he’s duplicitous but because he finds himself between the rock that’s Obama and the hard place of his partners in government.

 Trying to follow Israeli politics is indeed exciting. For those of us anxious about the future of our children, it’s also very personal and at times worrying.

*
Rabbi Marmur, the emeritus spiritual leader of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, divides his time between Canada and Israel

One of the most peculiar aspects of Jewry is its obsession with the Germanic people. Again and again, Jewish thinkers express their hatred of Germany and of Germanic culture. Why have Jews spent so much of their collective efforts at taking up residence in Germanic countries, as well as in other non-Jewish nations? Invaribly, Jews expressed disdain and contempt for the culture into which they have – usually unasked – intruded themselves. Above all other people, they have frequently been allowed a certain autonomy within their zone of settlement.

Mind you, during all those centuries of intrusion, the refrain sounding in Jewish ghettos and shtetl is propagated as “Next year In Jerusalem.” Whatever its meaning may seem to non-Jews, its meaning to Jews must have been beyond the obvious meaning the words seem to convey. Whether it is yet another occult formula of the Jews is not known to me. What is known is that Jews could have migrated back to Jerusalem, Haifa, etc., during the many centuries when they chose to intrude themselves into Europe and elsewhere. Whatever hostility they might encounter from the locals in the Palestinian area would not have been exceptional to their experiences elsewhere, where periodic pogroms, or “race-riots,” occurred, generally to their woe.

Jerusalem stood for something far more important than home. It was the “eye” of the Jewish storm, lashing against cultures far removed.

Today, I will direct the world intellectual community to consider a representative Jewish voice on the chosen subject of “Jews and Germans.” Consider:

“It’s almost as if some symbiotic relationship now exists between the Jews and the Germans. We can never break loose from them; we’re doomed to go through the ages together, tied to them by our hatred.

“…Jewish theater and film producers have created the wholly mythological figure of the gentle, inoffensive, philosophical, shoulder-shrugging Jew, ready to give the hero the benefit of his wise warm-hearted advice. [Film critic] Pauline Kael detects him in the kindly old pharmacist in West Side Story, and points out that his chief function is to convince the gentile world how harmless the Jew is.

“In the last hundred years [and since] Jews have been deeply involved with all the radical movements, from socialism to anarchism to communism….

“…Jewish radicals aren’t quite like non-Jewish ones. In spite of themselves their Jewishness permeates their thoughts and feelings. It even gives a special cast to their radicalism.

“In the early years of the century most of them rejected Judaism….But while they rejected the religion, they never actually left the Jewish community.

“On the contrary, they became the leaders of the community.

“Anti-Semitism, in short, was the issue that enabled the Jewish radical to be part of the total Jewish community. As long as radicalism could be equated with the fight against anti-Semitism, the Jewish radical was able to reject his religion without rejecting his people. He was even able to put his radicalism on a specifically Jewish basis…’You can’t be Jewish without being radical’ was the old Workmen’s Circle philosophy.

“The nonpopulist brand of radicalism is noisy, intellectual, ideological, and primarily Jewish.”

[see James Yaffe, The American Jew (New York, NY: Random House, 1968) pp.58,62,250,255, cited by Ted R. Weiland, God's Covenant People, pp 139-40]

Such an attitude explains well the incessant usage of the term “anti-Semitism” (or variant) by Jews, as if it were a righteous shield to ward off criticism. The most recent occasion I recall was the Israeli rabbi’s denounciation of a Turkish official who criticized the killing of Palestinian women and children in the IDF’s recent, bloody assault on the pitiable Palestinian population. Another example was the denounciation of FBI officials for arresting New Jersey rabbis running a human organ-selling operation. Since the Fedcops are exceedingly cozy with secular Jewish spying operations on American citizens, the arrests themselves must be viewed as anonymous.

Needlessly to say, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith would constitute one of many Jewish organizations devoted to stifling criticism of Jewry.

Downnlaced, 2009.

JOINS IN—Eitan Frysh, a senior at San Diego Jewish Academy, joins with
singers of the Israel Defense Forces at Friends of the IDF campus appearance.
_____________________________________________
By Yiftach Levy

SAN DIEGO, California–What can you say when a concert experience runs the gamut from deeply moving to bizarrely surrealistic to profoundly annoying to just plain fun? You could say there’s something for everyone, I suppose. Or you could respond with, “Oh, so you were at the Friends of the IDF Tribute Concert featuring the IDF Performance Troupe on Sunday, Dec. 13 too, were you?”

My fondness for the entertainment troupes of the Israel Defense Forces goes back to long before I served in the IDF in the early 90s. In the late 70s, my father was the sound man on the Israeli film “The Troupe” (הלהקה), considered by some the best Israeli film up to that point in history, and still one of the best of all time.

The movie – a musical, naturally -  tells the (sometimes melodramatic, but always entertaining) story of the members of the Nachal Troupe during the War of Attrition in the late 60s-early 70s. It launched (or in some cases sent into high orbit/boosted) the careers of some of Israel’s top performers of that generation, including Gidi Gov, Gali Atari, etc. etc. I was only in elementary school when the movie was made, but my exposure at such an early age to the timeless tunes of that period cemented a love for that material that has never waned. Most of the songs performed in the film were a kind of standard, known as Troupe Songs (שירי להקות), and my familiarity with the music and lyrics was anachronistic for a certain period of time in my youth (especially growing up in the States), but it’s all come back full circle as now, at the ripe and happy age of 40, I’m again “allowed” to know, love, and sing along with those songs.

I was thus really looking forward to attending this concert, hosted by Congregation Beth Am in Carmel Valley (where the IDF Performance Troupe has played twice before, it should be noted). The occasion was a tribute to the chair of the local chapter of the FIDF, Dan Brodsky, and the kickoff of the 2010 fundraising campaign. These elements of the evening were handled without a hitch, including an apt tribute message from the chapter’s Vice Chair, Norman Smith, and a video presentation detailing the story of one soldier, Lieutenant Yaakov Tesema.

Lt. Tesema (who was present at the venue and followed up the video with personal remarks) was born in Israel after his parents made the harrowing journey on foot from Ethiopia to Sudan and were airlifted to Israel as part of Operation Moses in 1984. His story is inspiring and would have served as a fine centerpiece for an evening solely dedicated to raising money – this, among a couple of other moments, was deeply moving. But this event was about more than that, it was about showcasing a different side of the IDF and Israel – the Performance Troupe’s singing was the real draw.

Unfortunately, sound problems plagued the event, with feedback, muffled vocals and an overwhelming music track contributing to a less-than-stellar audio experience – that was the annoying bit. Thankfully, though, the Troupe members’ energy and enthusiasm overcame what would have been a show-killer for many, and the audience stuck with them and then some. Some of the younger members of the audience (there were quite a few families with school-age and younger children in attendance) were dancing in the back rows early on, and by the end of the show, a significant portion of the capacity crowd in Beth Am’s spacious sanctuary was on its feet, many dancing in the aisles alongside the soldiers. That was the fun part.

As a native Israeli IDF veteran from a secular background (regardless of my current level of traditionalism), there is no other way to describe the soldiers singing the Chabad standard Ani Ma’amin (the one with the “Mashiach, mashiach, mashiach!” refrain) besides “surreal.” That song, part of a medley of “traditional” Jewish tunes that also included Hava Nagila, Heveinu Shalom, and others, was clearly arranged for consumption by a diaspora audience. The evening’s repertoire included a few modern Israeli tunes, including a lively medley of Israeli pop tunes with Mizrachi (“Oriental” or Middle Eastern) roots.

Having a few moments after the show to thank the soldiers personally was a highlight for me. It was a joy to let them know how enjoyable the show was, and how moving it was to see the show as a civilian, nearly two decades after my service in the IDF, during which I got to enjoy at least one performance from an entertainment troupe.

*
Levy is a freelance writer based in San Diego

By Ira Sharkansky

JERUSALEM–Responses to my column on negotiations for a prisoner swap indicate it is time for comments about relations between Israelis and Palestinians.

“The question I have is what has Israel done to make it completely out of the question for any enemy group to ever think of capturing an Israeli soldier again and using him as a pawn for negotiations.  The price to them should be too high. . . . “

“How stupid and dishonorable of the Israelis military to permit Hamas  to play cat and mouse with Israel. . . . “

“Call Hamas’ bluff. Either allow Israeli doctors visitation with Shalit or proceed on the assumption that Shalit is dead. And if Shalit is alive and well, demand his release within 24 hours or – an attention getting device perfected by the Nazis –we shoot 10 Palestinian prisoners  for every day Shalit is held in captivity, starting with the most ‘high profile.’”

“. . . wouldn’t it be wonderful if the dis-United Nations or the U S would withold aid until Shalit was released or at least visited by a reputable organization?”

The issue is too complex for sentiments like these. Israelis and Palestinians have lived as hostile neighbors for 130 years, if one begins their history with the onset of “modern” Jewish migration to the area. Jews have been invaders in the Palestinian narrative, and Arabs have been cruel barbarians in the narrative conceived by many Jews.   For some, the term ”Palestinian” is controversial in the extreme, insofar as it portends their victory in the national struggle. A Muslim student writing a thesis about his community struggled with the terminology of “Israeli Arabs” or “Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.” Remembering the arguments about “Colored,” “Negro,” “Black,” “Afro-American,” and “African American,” I told him that each person should name himself as he feels most comfortable.

“Palestinian” with or without modifiers can refer to Arabs living in Israel as well as those looking in from outside. Terminology by itself will not determine the outcome of the national conflict.

I am not about to express the cop out from controversy with the claims that “Some of my best friends are . . .” or “Some of my best students are Palestinians.” They might be true, but do not keep me from recognizing the cultural barriers between us and them, or the problems caused by their violence.

With all that happens, it is not a conflict appropriate to Nazi-like ultimatums. And we should not expect the United States or other major countries to line up on our side and use their power to force concessions from the Palestinians. It is in the nature of international politics that those countries express support for the Palestinians, but they have not used their power to solve anything as Palestinians wish.

The IDF and police spend considerable effort teaching their personnel to avoid excessive use of force. I was part of that effort when I served as Private Ira in the army’s Lecture Corp. In the nature of the IDF, I was often introduced to my audience as Private and Professor Ira. At the conclusion of one lecture to a training class of the Border Police, a recruit raised his hand. “Professor,” he said, “You should know that some of us like to hit people.”

Even the most antagonistic Palestinians have a human face on Israeli media. Some are interviewed frequently, and speak in decent Hebrew that they picked up during earlier stints in Israeli custody. Some appear to be uncompromising in their antipathy, but others are reasonable in the extreme as they present their view of whatever is the current topic. Israeli interviewers, and commentators explaining the clips from Arab media are neither fawning nor hostile.

The two communities know one another well. People speaking for one or the other have agreed to disagree. They can be disagreeable and threatening, but the conversations go on.

Individuals my age and older were spoiled by the nature of World War II. Being a total conflict in which the allies pursued the goal of “unconditional surrender” did not prepare the way for the much more common variety of “limited wars.” That has been every other armed conflict involving democracies since the 1940s. Von Clausewitz’s epigram, “War is the continuation of policy by other means” sums up the concept. Limited war employs violence in the pursuit of goals other that total surrender. Policy, or politics, is warfare without violence.

Limited war is especially relevant to a conflict between neighbors, where the weaker has the political backing of co-religionists with considerable power in international forums. Those forums do not rule the world, but they are taken into consideration.   The norms of the stronger party also figure into the situation. Palestinian have noted that they are lucky in dealing with Jews. Any other enemy might have been ruthless enough to destroy them.

So we are stuck with one another, and our issues that resist solution. Many Israelis and Palestinians agree in principle to “divide the land,” or to “divide Jerusalem,” but there remain the problems of where to divide them, and what will happen to the people left out of their homeland by the division. There is also the small but especially knotty problem of the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary, plus the pedestrian issues of who controls what water, regulation of sewage and waste disposal, the allocation of telecommunications frequencies, which powers of self defense might be allowed a Palestinian state, and what will happen with Gaza currently in the hands of people who are hostile in the extreme to Israel and to other Palestinians.   The proportions of each community that adhere to one or another posture are not altogether clear or fixed. Polls  typically find a majority of Israeli Jews  agreeable to a two-state solution and a substantial number of Palestinians wanting to live at peace alongside Israel.

Compromise for the sake of peace is more firmly rooted in the Jewish population. Large majorities of Palestinians have supported violence, including suicide bombings directed at civilians. There are Israeli Jews who view the Palestinians as Amalek, and accept a Biblical mandate to purge them from the Land that God deeded to His people. Majorities continue to say that the Gaza operation was justified, and successful.

Neither the hostility nor the conflict is total, but conditions may produce a great deal of unpleasantness. Many Jews who wish for an accommodation applaud their government’s capacity to be tough when appropriate. That does not mean that they ascribe to complete devastation of the Palestinians or their aspirations.

Not black and white. Get used to gray.
*
Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University.

Obama Aims to Impose a Solution on Israel

December 8th, 2009

WND

Activist garnering support for new uprising against Jewish state

A conversation group hosted by Yahoo.com is allegedly being used to build support for a new campaign of violence against Israel.

Lebanese-born activist Fadi Madi says he started the groups Lebanon View and Palestine Intifada to garner support for a new “intifada,” or uprising, against Israel.

One of the events promoted is the Gaza Freedom March, a five-day protest scheduled to begin Dec. 27 that will begin in Cairo and culminate in Gaza.

News of the Gaza protest comes on the heels of the Middle East Media Research Institute reporting Palestinian officials are considering a new anti-Israel intifada.

In a message sent through the Lebanon View group, Madi says he hopes the march is the beginning of a new international movement.

“As an international movement … our faith in our common humanity leads us to call on all parties to respect and uphold international law and fundamental human rights to bring an end to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories since 1948 and pursue a just and lasting peace. The march can only succeed if it arouses the conscience of humanity.”

The campaign declares “an end to the military occupation that began in 1948 is a major condition for establishing a just and lasting peace.”

The meaning is clear. Madi seeks the elimination of Israel.

Lebanon View e-mails feature a link to a dissolution of Israel petition.

When initially contacted about the sites, Yahoo said the company encourages dialogue.

“Our goal for Yahoo Groups and all of our online communities is to foster dialogue and interactions that are safe, meaningful, and respectful. We take the rights of our users very seriously, including their right to freedom of expression. At the same time, and as expressed in our Yahoo! Groups Guidelines, we do not permit harassment or abuse or threats or advocacy of violence.”

When informed that the sites were being used to gain support for rebellion against Israel and were linked to sites promoting armed conflict, Yahoo released a statement through spokeswoman Fiona Tang.

“Yahoo is taking this matter very seriously and is actively looking into this matter,” she said.

The Israeli government also has not responded to requests for comment on this story.

E-mail bulletins and press releases for the march say American novelist Alice Walker and Philippine peace activist Walden Bello will participate in the event.

Walker, author of the novel “The Color Purple,” is a well-known supporter of the Palestinian cause.Walker’s website features video of her participating in a Gaza protest marking International Women’s Day.

Walden Bello is the author of several books centering on anti-American themes and radical causes. Two recent works are “Dilemmas of Domination,” focusing on the demise of American power, and a laudatory biography of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh.

A spokesman for the Gaza Freedom March denied any connection with Fadi Madi and said the Lebanon-based Madi “is neither a leader nor a participant of any kind with the Gaza Freedom March.”

But who is Fadi Madi, and why is his march gaining such high-profile support?

Little is known about Madi, except that he was born into a Lebanese Muslim family and emigrated to Germany. Reports say he married a German woman and participated in campaigns to hold pro-Islam, anti-Israeli rallies in Germany.

According to reports, Madi’s political activities are the reason German officials arrested and deported him to Lebanon in 2004.

The German government says its Data Protection Act prohibits it from making any statements about Madi’s deportation.

It is on his websites that Madi openly rails against Israel. He writes on Lebanon View that he’s against “Zionism.”

“We declare the constitution of our international resistance; no to colonialism, no to slavery, no to Zionism and racism, no to imperialism, no to American hegemony, no to forest law, no to the globalisation of death and aggression, no to the destruction of moral and virtues, no to the commerce of slaves and countries, no to the American Zionist terror.”

His front-page message ends with an appeal for money.

“Please support this work today – these initiatives cannot continue without your financial support. The Anti-US and Israeli Globalization and Hegemony Movement.”

Writing in September 2004 for the radical Italian site Campo Antiimperialista, Madi believes his arrest makes him a hero of the cause.

“Just remember we were one unit all around the world, saying in all cities to end the occupation in Palestine and Iraq,” he said. “It’s only because of my words that they arrested me at the Berlin airport and held me for 12 hours. They deported me to Lebanon. …”

Madi has a Facebook page about “the resistance” in Lebanon. His writings reveal that the resistance is against Israel.

The Lebanon View page has drawn high-powered Arab supporters. One contributor to the page is Egyptian journalist and activist Iman Badawi. Badawi’s journalism career involves Palestinian issues, intifada, jihad and social justice.

A regular contributor to IslamOnline, one of her most recent stories is “Tortured to Death,” a story about Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri’s brother Yusef Abu Zuhri, who was tortured to death in an Egyptian prison.

Badawi has sent frequent messages to the site, urging the readers to join the Gaza Freedom March scheduled for Dec. 27, 2009, to Jan. 1, 2010.

She also urges supporters to sign a petition outlawing the nation of Israel.

Despite her record as a journalist and her writings on these sites, Badawi rejects the idea of her being an organizer.

“I do not belong to any organization, and I do not know from where you got this idea. I’m just an activist,” she says.

One link that repeatedly appears in the Arabic messages is to a site with a picture of a young girl biting barbed wire. It includes the English caption, “Freedom is only for those who are ready to die.”

Another linked site in Arabic has photographs of armed men and of cartoons that encourage resistance against Israel.

When questioned about the messages urging armed struggle against Israel, second site owner Fathi Milad responded that questions were the product of Western indoctrination.

“Now I could recognise that you are a Western citizen, and therefore you are, unfortunately, under the influence of Western media programmed to gloss over the issue of the Palestinian people.”

Milad proposes a solution but issues an ultimatum if his solution is not accepted.

“As a practical solution,” he said, “the state (of Israel) should be re-established to combine both Arabs and Jews in one democratic country based on respect for all religions, but, if this does not happen, the wars and tragedies will continue and I think in this case that the future of the State of Israel is questionable, despite what they look like today and despite the Western support.”

HEZBULLAH

HAMAS

FATAH

The Flags of those committed to the destruction of Israel

The question is often asked; why can’t Israel seek peace? The responsibility of seeking peace at one time rested with the Arab nations surrounding Israel. Why can’t they accept Israel into the pantheon of accepted states?? Why did they go to such extremes as sending in 5 Arab Armies to wipe out any attempt to create the tiniest sliver of non-Muslim state in 1948? Or why did Egypt, Jordan and Syria attempt this again in 1967??

Each effort was rewarded with a larger non-Muslim entity of Israel. Often the denial, outrage, and anger is expressed as the expression “Zionist entity”; because they cannot face reality and actually say Israel. When Sadat when to Jerusalem in 1977 I remember how unusual it was for him or any Arab to say “Israel”!

after it had leaked out that Israel had “the Bomb” The strategy of Muslim states destroying Israel in a standard war had to be reevaluated and when it was abandoned. The “Islamic cabal” who could not accept Israel changed tactics somewhat.

In the British Mandate of Palestine there were the Jews and the Arabs. When the UN set up the bi-national state it was to be composed of Jewish and Arab states. Never was there a mention of a nationality called Palestinian. Both Jews and Arab were called Palestinians. After the 1948 war There was Israel, but no Arab State; not even in Arab Palestine. Egypt took Gaza and Transjordan to the West Bank. Since that state was not both sides of the river it was renamed Jordan. After losing the West Bank, for some reason they remain Jordan. They ceded all rights to the Palestinians.

A deliberate policy of blaming the Palestinians (the victims) for their stateless plight and ostracizing them ensued. Even today Palestinians are refused citizenship in countries like Iraq, Lebanon, etc.

This policy was meant to embitter the Palestinians. It was meant to create a hostile population directly on the border with Israel. It was meant to create a gang like oppressed mentality that would be ever restless, self-destructive much like urban gangs in the USA, Russia, Central,and South America. But these gangs parked on Israel’s borders were also re-educated much like Mao’s China. It was a mix of re-interpreted Islamic fundamentalism or revolutionary socialism as seen through the right-wing supremacist thinking of Arabs; with revived anti-semitic beliefs imported from Europe. Those beliefs were of Nazi origin with still more ancient medieval origins. While educated refugees could see the ruse, the uneducated fodder fell for it BIG TIME! Most Muslims and not Christians were engineered to look to Israel as the scapegoat despite the obvious facts of other Arab states being responsible. This brainwashing of Islamic “Manchurian candidates” continues today in Palestine.

They were slowly transformed into Proxy Fighters for outside Muslim Arab interests or the “Islamic cabal”.

But they werent used immediately in a large-scale way. It takes time to create what Hamas is today.

For the first 19 years they were raiders or fedayeen who struck at Israel civilians with massacres and attacks in border areas trying to terrorize Israelis into leaving those areas and eventually Israel. A tactic Hamas STILL USES!! Yasir Arafat was one such fighter for the group he set up called Fatah. Ariel Sharon became famous for retaliation raid set up to discourage these attacks. Like now Gaza in the 1950’s was a hotbed of guerrilla attacks. Except then the Egyptians winked at fedayeen attacks and they “administered” Gaza. This calmed down after the Israelis invaded Gaza in 1956 in the Suez War.

Border attacks still continued especially from Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

The overwhelming victory of the Six Day war followed by the Yom Kippur was stopped much of this. But fedayeen had already transformed themselves for a new campaign of terror. In 1964 Arafat decided the re-christen the Arabs who were formerly called the Arab Palestinians into a new nationality. Ta-da The Palestinians. And today the media, the Arabs, Europeans, and the naive all behave as if Palestine was an ancient nation in the Middle East. It was brilliant move. Not only the invention but the sustained disinformation of Palestinian nationality. By 1974 when Arafat spoke at the UN Palestine as a country waiting for a spot in the globe. Preferably the spot occupied by Israel of course. After the Six Day War Arafat created the Palestine Liberation Organization. It was an umbrella for all organizations that sought to remove Israel from the map.

Their first strike was to create Palestine out of what actually was Palestine before the British gave it to the dynastic rulers of Mecca-Jordan. That was Black September. That failed. The next move in the area was for the PLO to set up a state in Lebanon. That set up a 15 year Lebanese Civil War that transformed the Amal militia into todays Hezbullah and pitted Muslims against Christians there.

But the signal for a new tactic was when PLO terrorists hijacked three airplanes; landed them in Jordan and blew them up before pliant Western media. What followed was an international war to terrorize Europe and Israel. It included an attack on the Olympic village in Munich by a group named Black September resulting in a massacre of athletes. As well as supporting terror by Leftist terrorists in the Entebbe hijacking and the Japanese Red Army massacre of Puerto Rican pilgrims in Lod airport. There were bombings and attacks at airports for the next 15 years. The Israeli airline EL AL became famous for its successful no-nonsense security. Of course the Israelis couldnt attack PLO easily, so they took their frustration on the Palestinians resulting in the 1st intifada. Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon send Israelis into civil war ravaged Lebanon twice in 1978 and 1982. Does that sound familiar? In 1982 the effort tuned in a major war to destroy the PLO state. And the PLO fled to Tunis discredited.

The setbacks by the Arab Muslims to destroy Israel brough in a new player in 1979. Iran an ally of Israel with no history of antagonism was overthrown by fundamentalist mullahs. They immediately took a prominent role of threatening Israel (They could only say Zionist entity and STILL DO). They set up a Shiite proxy from the Amal called the Hezbullah. So very much like the Sunni PLO the Shia Hezbullah set up a proxy state for Iran in southern Lebanon. When the Israelis left in the early 80’s they created a Christian buffer state in Southern Lebanon to protect Northern Israel.

For some reason Prime Minister Barak withdrew support in 2000 creating a 2nd intifada for Palestinians hoping Israel was collapsing and a new brave and closer Hezbullah state. By 2006 the new state attacked Israel and resisted invasion. Only international action pushed the hostile proto-state back from the Israeli border.

Lets go back to the Palestinians. Weary from attacks Israel decided to give in to international calls to negotiate with the increasingly limp PLO. That end in Oslo. Since the PLO was no longer active in destroying

Israel the “forces to destroy the Jewish infidels” went with a social welfare organization transforming them into a fundamentalist terror organization called Hamas.

Hamas had something new, They sent bomb laden individuals to blow themselves up in Israel cities. Suicide bombings took place in reception halls, pizza shops, buses, restaurants, more buses, etc. 1995 Hamas declared war. Arafat and his new Palestinian Authority negotiations on creating a state suffered. Since Arafat frequently spoke for the destruction of Israel, Israelis became wary. They became entrenched. And that increased more discord, that was ignited by Baraks move in Lebanon. Officially it Was Ariel Sharons visit of the mosques on the Temple Mount, but that was really a smokescreen. The 2nd intifada was a new method to destroy the Israeli state by the “islamic” cabal”. It was an underhanded attack on civilians brought into Israel. And the Israeli bomb certainly couldnt be used on a Palestinian state. The Arab world stopped, watched and waited.Ariel Sharon took the helm and eventually ended the 2nd intifada by actually building a wall between Israel and Palestine, It’s obvious that any trust the Palestinians built up after the end of 1970-85 Terror war evaporated again. Today Fatah state in the West Bank is at a low ebb in their c terror campaign. The economy there is improving. But Fatah still expresses it core beliefs in a destruction of Israel in speeches and issued documents. They want to destroy Israel; they just can’t do it now.

Hamas on the other hand is a very active proxy state for Muslims Arabs and Iran as well. Ariel Sharon in an effort to centralize Israel population the area withdrew Jewish settlers in 2006. Would Israeli-less Gaza calm down? No Hamas bereft of suicide bombers jacked up their rocket firing capabilities ans started bombing southern Israel more. The Hamas creed is like the PLO-Fatah one; no infidel state for the Jews. The Islamic cabal is very happy now. Theres a hostile Hezbullah proto state in the north and a smaller Hamas fanatic state shoved right up against Israel. And its ta return to the fedayeen tactics of the 1950s except its now with vastly improved weaponry. The Hamas Shaheed Culture doesnt fear death for its fighters nor its own population. For them the resultant Gaza War was worth it if it weakens Israel and THEN destroys it. Martyrs are welcome.

There you have it. Israel is in a fight for its life with terrorist proxy fighters. All this while the Israel economy flourishes. In the worlds eyes the onus for peace cannot fall on Fatah, Hamas or Hezbullah. They arent countries. But Israel is, so a new inequality is created.And this conundrum has created new distortions for retrogressive Islamic forces to spread. Israel could be in dire straits any minute; not by hostile states but small proto-states created by terrorist militias and funded by a cabal that cannot accept Jews as an independent self empowered people.

I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by the brilliant Palestinian journalist and photographer Mohammed Omer which was properly named Welcome to Hell. He demonstrated the the situation in Gaza, the Israeli war crimes, and his experience as a journalist working under the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the abuses and assault he was subjected to by Israeli soldiers.

Omer shocked an awed the audience with striking photos and videos almost never seen by a “western citizen” and he recounted tales of horror of families killed; homes demolished over the heads of its residents; children risking their lives to go to a bombed house looking for a bicycle, or to see whether their favorite school bag survived; and elderly women cooking grass to survive. Needless to say that’s all a result of the Israeli siege on Gaza that has been going on for years now while the international community stands silently on the sidelines.

What really amazed me was his talk about the fluffy names of Israeli operations in Gaza: Rainbow; Summer Rain; and, if I remember correctly, Plucking Flowers where Israeli soldiers would walk around randomly shooting civilians (children included) point-blank.

Looking at Omer’s Wikipedia page you’ll find out that “in 2008, Omer was awarded the 2007 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. In the award citation, Omer was honored as ‘the voice of the voiceless’ and his reports were described as a ‘humane record of the injustice imposed on a community forgotten by much of the world.’”

On his return to Gaza after winning the award, he was assaulted by Israeli Soldier’s at Allenby Bridge and received severe bodily injuries including broken ribs and spine damage. He is still receiving treatment for these injuries till this day. But that’s not the worst of his problems: in 2003 his 17 year-old  brother was killed by sniper bullets as he was going to school. Three years later his mother sustained severe injuries as she jumped out of a house window to escape with her life as an Israeli Army bulldozer was tearing down their 2-story house with no prior warning. Almost all of his younger siblings were injured by the Israeli army at one time or another.

After all he went through, he stood at Harvard advocating a nonviolent approach to end the suffering in Gaza. He asked the people to spread the message and pressure their congressmen to cease blind preferential treatment for Israel. He pointed out a small yet significant progress: The Congress condemned the Goldstone report as biased with a vote of 344 to 36. While the aggression were taking place the Congress overwhelmingly voted against condemning Israeli actions with only 2 in opposition. This counted as a success to a slowly, yet steadily, growing BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) against Israeli occupation.

Mohammed Omer will go on with his tour before going to the Netherlands to resume medical treatment for the aforementioned injuries. His work is available on his website: http://www.rafahtoday.org .

Attention: War Criminals

Your days are numbered.

“Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon on Wednesday said he is “willing to forgo visits to European capitals and to allow the Israel Defense Forces the freedom to act.”

The former IDF chief of staff is one of several current and former senior Israeli officials whom pro-Palestinian groups have sought to put on trial over the assassination of senior Hamas terrorist Salah Shehadeh in July 2002. The attack also killed 14 civilians.” – Haaretz

Σε προηγούμενο ποστ παράθεσα το πόρισμα της επιτροπής του Ο.Η.Ε. για τα Ισραηλινά εγκλήματα πολέμου στη Γάζα, ένα πόρισμα που είναι κόλαφος – αλλά το οποίο έσπευσε να αρνηθεί η κυβέρνηση του Ισραήλ με τους γνωστούς… τσαμπουκάδες της.

UPDATE: Την περασμένη Παρασκευή (16 Οκτ. 2009) το Συμβούλιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του Ο.Η.Ε. (“UN Human Rights Council“) έδωσε και αυτό την έγκρισή του στην έκθεση Goldstone, καταδικάζοντας τα εγκλήματα του Ισραήλ στη Γάζα. (βέβαια το συμβούλιο αυτό έχει θεωρηθεί μεροληπτικό σε άλλες περιπτώσεις παραβιάσεων ανθρώπινων δικαιωμάτων, όπως στο Νταρφούρ και αλλού – μια σχετική κριτική είναι ΕΔΩ).

Ε,  έχουμε φτάσει σήμερα σε μια τόσο ακραία κατάσταση, που… οποιοσδήποτε αντικειμενικός παρατηρητής ΔΕΝ ΘΕΛΕΙ να ενισχύσει τον αντισημιτισμό, αντιμετωπίζει ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑ μεγάλο, με τη συμπεριφορά του Ισραήλ (αλλά ΚΑΙ με τη νοοτροπία των κατοίκων του).

Με το να υπερασπίζονται το Ισραήλ, τα Εβραϊκά λόμπυ στην Αμερική και (ορισμένοι) Εβραίοι του υπόλοιπου κόσμου, ΠΡΟΚΑΛΟΥΝ αντισημιτισμό, τώρα πια, ΣΧΕΔΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΜΑΤΩΣ. Δηλαδή -για την ακρίβεια- προκαλούν εύλογη αποστροφή, για την οποία καθίσταται ολοένα και περισσότερο δύσκολη η αποφυγή της (έμμεσης) ενίσχυσης του αντισημιτισμού.

Ευτυχώς όμως, παρατηρήθηκε τους τελευταίους μήνες και μία μεγάλη αύξηση του αριθμού των Εβραίων της Διασποράς που διαφωνούν με τη ρατσιστική πολιτική του Ισραήλ - σύμφωνα με την Ισραηλινή εφημερίδα Haaretz- π.χ. εδώ (‘Diaspora Jews more critical of Israel than ever’) και ΕΔΩ.

• Το Ισραήλ έχει ενοχληθεί αφάνταστα από το καταδικαστικό πόρισμα της επιτροπής του Ο.Η.Ε, υπό την προεδρία του Richard Goldstone, ενός διάσημου Εβραίου Νοτιο-αφρικανού δικαστή, που δεν “χάρισε κάστανα” ποτέ του, σε εγκληματίες πολέμου και ρατσιστές. Ο ίδιος πολέμησε το Apartheid της Νοτίου Αφρικής, πολύ πριν γίνει στόχος στις… συκοφαντίες που του εξαπολύουν ΤΩΡΑ (στα 71 του χρόνια) οι θιασώτες του Ισραηλινού Apartheid (αποκαλώντας  τον “αυτο-μισούμενο Εβραίο“, οπορτουνιστή και… αντισημίτη!)
  

Richard Goldstone

• Τον Εβραίο δικαστή Goldstone καταδίκασε απερίφραστα σαν… “αντισημίτη“ (wow! ) και ο Ισραηλινός Υπουργός Οικονομικών Yuval Steinitz, π.χ. εδώ: “Israel Finance Minister: Goldstone Is ‘Anti-Semite’“

Μία λυσσαλέα και αγελαία επίθεση λάσπης κατά του… αδέκαστου δικαστή, διαδραματίζεται αυτές τις μέρες. Περιλαμβάνει οξύτατες επιθέσεις εναντίον του από μέλη  της δικής του κοινότητας, των Εβραίων της Νοτίου Αφρικής, όπως καταμαρτυρούν ξένα Εβραϊκά προοδευτικά blog. Η πλειοψηφία των Εβραίων της Νοτίου Αφρικής (όπως και οι… Ελληνες και οι άλλοι λευκοί) στήριζε κάποτε τον ρατσισμό και το Apartheid της Παλιάς Νοτίου Αφρικής. Ε, αυτοί ακριβώς αφοδεύουν τώρα, στον δικαστή Goldstone. Ομως, το 10% (περίπου) της ίδιας κοινότητας αποτελείται από ανθρωπιστές και αντι-ρατσιστές Εβραίους που δεν εγκρίνουν τα αίσχη του  Ισραήλ στους Παλαιστίνιους – και αυτοί επαίνεσαν τον Goldstone, ευχαριστώντας τον που έσωσε την Τιμή τους με την αδέκαστη κρίση του. Π.χ.

• “Ο ΑΦΟΡΙΣΜΟΣ του δικαστή Goldstone” (The excommunication of Judge Goldstone by Philip Weiss on October 6, 2009)

UPDATE: Αυτή η υπόθεση, που πέρασε σχεδόν ΑΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗ στην Ελλάδα, συγκλονίζει τον κόσμο αυτές τις μέρες. Προοδευτικοί Εβραίοι bloggers επικρίνουν ακόμη και τoυς “New York Times”, για μεροληψία και ένοχη σιωπή σε σημαντικές πτυχές της υπόθεσης, π.χ. εδώ:

• ‘The Times’ lets everyone off the hook on Goldstone

Ο ίδιος blogger καταλήγει σε ένα άλλο ποστ (εδώ)

…Vilkomerson also added a point similar to Cohen’s – “Plus, the Goldstone report is hardly the first. The Breaking the Silence report, which consisted entirely of soldiers’ testimonies, was equally attacked, and there is no one revered more than soldiers. So I don’t think the problem is the form of the report, the problem is that no one wants to acknowledge the truth.”

Ah, to acknowledge the truth. So far, none of Goldstone’s critics have actually challenged the facts of his report, but instead attacked the messenger. Landau criticizes Goldstone for not accepting Israel’s own myths about itself. At what point can we actually discuss what Goldstone had to say?

Αρχισαν να αναφέρονται στο θέμα και Ελληνικές εφημερίδες. Π.χ. η Ελευθεροτυπία στο άρθρο “Βρείτε τους εγκληματίες της Γάζας” (εδώ) και τα “Νέα”, που είχαν αναφερθεί προ ημερών στην οργή του Νετανιάχου λόγω της έκθεσης Goldstone (εδώ). (Δεν τις ψάχνω όλες όμως…)

Στο μεταξύ, πριν την εισβολή στη Γάζα, η επίσημη Ηγεσία των Ραββίνων του Ισραηλινού στρατού (IDF) είχε εκδόσει γραπτές οδηγίες στους Ισραηλινούς στρατιώτες να φερθούν ιδιαίτερα σκληρά στους Παλαιστίνιους, όπως είχε αποκαλύψει η Ισραηλινή εφημερίδα ‘Haaretz’ στο άρθρο “IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel”:

The IDF rabbinate, also quoting Rabbi Aviner, describes the appropriate code of conduct in the field: “When you show mercy to a cruel enemy, you are being cruel to pure and honest soldiers. This is terribly immoral. These are not games at the amusement park where sportsmanship teaches one to make concessions. This is a war on murderers. ‘A la guerre comme a la guerre.’”

Κάποιοι στρατιώτες του Ισραήλ εκπαιδεύονται περίπου όπως οι… βασανιστές της ΕΣΑ, τον καιρό της χούντας στην Ελλάδα, σύμφωνα με το “Breaking the Silence Report“ (μαρτυρίες Ισραηλινών στρατιωτών):

As part of this exploration into Israeli military abuses of Palestinian civilians, it is important to question what specific power dynamics exist within the Israeli military itself, and how these internal hierarchies affect the likelihood that a soldier may act violently towards innocent civilians. In a recent Ynet article, Amnon Meranda reported that the Knesset is currently discussing incidents of abuse between military commanders and troops. The twenty young soldiers who were recently hazed by their commanders in a violent manner is only one example of this abuse; according to Ynet, they were “humiliated and beaten to the point of suffering substantial bruising and scarring.” (πηγή: ΕΔΩ)

Ο σημαντικός Εβραίος επικριτής του Ισραήλ Norman Finkelstein δήλωσε σε διάλεξή του για τη Γάζα κάποια πράματα που εξίζει να προσεχτούν πολύ:

-Τρίτο τμήμα μιας μακροσκελούς διάλεξης, [1]εδώ, [2]εδώ,  [3] εδώ, [4]εδώ, [5]εδώ, [6]εδώ, [7]εδώ, [8]εδώ, [9]εδώ. Ειδικά το τμήμα που αφορά τις  βόμβες λευκού φωσφόρου είναι το πέμπτο, αυτό εδώ

Είναι και κάτι άλλο, όμως, ακόμη χειρότερο, που συνειδητοποίησα πρόσφατα. Σήμερα, φτάσαμε σε μία κατάσταση που… όχι μόνο το Ισραήλ φέρεται φασιστικά, αλλά και η αντιπάθεια για τις πράξεις του έχει ΞΕΠΕΡΑΣΕΙ σε ένταση, ΑΚΟΜΗ ΚΑΙ τον αντισημιτισμό. Σήμερα, δηλαδή, δεν “μισεί ο κόσμος τους Εβραίους”, τόσο πολύ, όσο (πολύ απλά)… αντιπαθεί το Ισραήλ, οπότε… τους Εβραίους (γενικά) ΑΡΧΙΖΕΙ (πολύς κόσμος) να τους αντιπαθεί ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΣΤΙΓΜΗ που υπερασπίζονται το Ισραήλ -με παράλογο, φανατικό ή/και μεροληπτικό τρόπο (γιατί με άλλον τρόπο ΔΕΝ ΓΙΝΕΤΑΙ  πια να το υπερασπιστεί κανείς).

Αν δεν το πιστεύετε, δείτε μερικά σχόλια που έγιναν κάτω από το σημαντικό άρθρο του Larry Derfner στην Ισραηλινή εφημερίδα Jerusalem Post:
(“Rattling the Cage: Our exclusive right to self-defense” -Oct 7, 2009).

Παραθέτω πρώτα μερικά αποσπάσματα του άρθρου:

…Do the Palestinians also have the right to self-defense?

We probably wouldn’t admit it out loud, but in our heads we would say – again, in one voice – “No!”

This is the Israeli notion of a fair deal: We’re entitled to do whatever the hell we want to the Palestinians because, by definition, whatever we do to them is self-defense. They, however, are not entitled to lift a finger against us because, by definition, whatever they do to us is terrorism.

That’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way it was in Operation Cast Lead.

AND THERE are no limits on our right to self-defense. There is no such thing as “disproportionate.” We can blockade Gaza, we can answer Kassams with F-16s and Apaches, we can take 100 eyes for an eye.

We can deliberately destroy thousands of Gazan homes, the Gazan parliament, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, courthouses, the only Gazan flour plant, the main poultry farm, a sewage treatment plant, water wells and God knows what else.

Deliberately.

After all, we’re acting in self-defense. By definition.

And what right do the Palestinians have to defend themselves against this?

None.

Why? Because we’re better than them. Because we’re a democracy and they’re a bunch of Islamo-fascists. Because ours is a culture of life and theirs is a culture of death. Because they’re out to destroy us and all we are saying is give peace a chance.

One look at the ruins of Gaza ought to make that plain enough.

Here is our idea of the “laws of war“: When Israeli bulldozers rolled across the border into Gazan villages and flattened house after house so Hamas wouldn’t have them for cover after the IDF pulled out, that was self-defense. But if a Palestinian boy who’d lived in one of those houses threw a stone at one of the bulldozers, that was terrorism.

The Goldstones of the world call this hypocrisy, a double standard. How dare they! Around here, we call it moral clarity.

Πολλά σχόλια από κάτω (που είναι όμως δύσκολο να τα διαβάσει κανείς λόγω της κακής οργάνωσης του site) επαινούν το άρθρο του Λάρρυ και συμφωνούν μαζί του.

Πρώτα όμως, δείτε όσα σχόλια “διαφωνούν”, που αναπαράγουν στερεότυπες φιλο-Ισραηλινές ΜΠΟΥΡΔΕΣ, ΟΧΕΤΟΥΣ που ΔΕΝ εκτοξεύονται πια από… μη-Εβραίους (δημιουργώντας την ΨΕΥΔΗ εντύπωση πως “όλοι οι Εβραίοι είναι έτσι”, δηλαδή τρέφοντας τον αντισημιτισμό). Ιδού δείγματα τέτοιων ΠΑΡΑΛΗΡΗΜΑΤΩΝ:

1) Αυτός εδώ λέει στο Λάρυ να φύγει και να πάει να ζήσει στη… Γάζα, σαν “self-hating Jew”:

59. Derfner and Goldstone are self hating Jews. You represent an insignificant minority of Jews. May you move to GAZA and get reality.
Anton – ISRAEL (10/08/2009 15:21)

2) Αυτός ο… Καρατζαφυρερίσκος, συκοφαντεί τον Λάρρυ σαν προδότη:

105. Another Jewish advocate for our Jew murdering enemies
another smiling Jew who wants to help those who want to murder Jews and destroy Israel. Can someone please reach the JP and let them know this message is tired and these terrorist enablers get more opportunity to spread their bile then they deserve. I look forward to the trial of this traitor and all his pathetic associates.
LA – (10/08/2009 22:47)

3) Αυτός ο…. αγράμματος έχει ανάγκη… λεξικό:

81. “There is no such thing as ‘disproportionate.’”
And what, may I ask is “proportionate?” In all the years that “disproportionate” has been used to bad mouth Israel, I have yet to see a definition, with examples, of proportionate. Not that I would expect such rationality from Derfner.
Norman B. – USA (10/08/2009 19:59)

4) Αυτός ο βλάξ νομίζει ότι ΟΛΟΙ έχουμε υποστεί “πλύση εγκεφάλου από τη Χαμάς” (την… ποιά?)

87. Derfner & many commenters here show that Hamas & other Palestinian terrorists know how to manipulate people.
Hamas knows that when they bring about destruction to their own people, most people in the world will denounce Israel for it, not Hamas. Hamas fired thousands of rockets & mortars aimed at Israeli civilians. They placed weapons depots at civilian sites, so Israel would have to destroy civilian sites in order to destroy the weapons. Hamas fought from among their own civilians, so that Israel would have to cause civilian casualties in order to fight Hamas. People see the civilian casualties, & the property destruction, & blame Israel, ignoring Hamas’s intentional endangerment of their people.
Arnold – Canada (10/08/2009 20:50)

5) Αυτό το φασιστάκι επικαλείται τη ΧΙΡΟΣΙΜΑ, απειλώντας να… λυώσει(!) τον αρθρογράφο, όπως τη Χιροσίμα:

60. This is the worst column Defner has ever written. What is “rattling ” around in his puny brain?
Defner could have written the Goldcrap report. Will someone tell Larry about Hiroshima. Larry it goes like this…If you attack us we will hit you back so hard your bones will melt! We Jews have six million reasons!
Hank L – US of A (10/08/2009 15:37)

6) Αυτός εδώ ο τρελλαμένος (που βγάζει το Λάρρυ τρελλό) νομίζει ότι η Γάζα είναι… Μεξικό:

122. The U.S. would flatten Gaza after the very first rocket attack. Why do we tolerate the likes of Loony Larry?
Israel endured thousands of rockets before our very limited response to terror on a scale no civilized nation would ever tolerate. If even a single Gaza rocket landed on an American city, the U.S. would completely flatten Gaza before the terrorists ever had a chance to launch another attack. That should be Israel’s response. Why do we tolerate the likes of Loony Larry Derfner?
Chaim – Israel (10/09/2009 02:24)

7) Αυτό το… ανθρωπάκι, βγάζει κι αυτό τον αρθρογράφο τρελό:

69. Derfner is possibly clinically definable as -how to put it politely- one sandwitch short of a picnic
Not buying the politically correct insanity – Israel (10/08/2009 17:10)

8 ) Αυτός εδώ… παραληρεί γενικά, κατά της αριστεράς:

63. Amazing. The absurd logic of the Left never changes
They always know what’s in their opponent’s head. The leftists simply KNOW that what’s behind any opposition to Obama is racism. They simply KNOW that anybody to the right of Shalom Akhshav _deep_in_his_mind wants to deny Palestinians any rights (read: Racism!). That rational people could come to rational opinions other than that of the Leftist party line just doesn’t compute. I think the Left just projects its own racism onto others. After all, they are the condescending elitists who push Affirmative Action and refuse to demand accountability from Arabs as if they were children.
Samuel – U.S.A. (10/08/2009 15:58)

9) Αυτό εδώ το φασιστάκι προσβάλλεται από την…. εφημερίδα που ΕΠΙΤΡΕΠΕΙ στο Λάρρυ να γράφει:

137. I’m offended, but not by Derfner’s silly ideas
Rather, I’m insulted that the Jerusalem Post editors think I find this buffoon a serious challenge and a stimulating read. It’s a galling allegation.
Edie P. – (10/09/2009 20:49)

10) ΑΛΛΟΣ ένας… φασιστάρας, που λέει στο Λάρυ να ΦΥΓΕΙ και να πάει να ζήσει στη Γάζα:

139. We’re tired of you just move to gaza
avraham – usa (10/10/2009 01:35)

[...]

Παραθέτω, τώρα, μερικά… υγιή σχόλια, ΟΧΙ τις φανατικές ΜΠΟΥΡΔΕΣ υπέρ του Ισραήλ:

_____
1. Larry, that’s one of the most honest columns I’ve ever seen in Israel’s press.
Keep up the good work. You wrote exactly how most of the world now sees Israel.
BBSNews – USA (10/07/2009 23:42)
_____
19. larry tells it like it is (again)
I always wondered about this. You never ever hear the word resistance with regard to actions of the palestinians. Even the weekly demonstrations are quelled as if they are terrorism too. No right to resistance whatsoever let alone self defence
rm – (10/08/2009 09:49)
_____
22. Insightful article – self defence, the Israeli version of Jihad?
Either is justifiable homicide, because you can justify anything if you try hard enough and ignore any annoying realities that challenge your delusion of righteousness. Going by some of the talkback comments one of those annoying realities is Larry Derfner.
Quentin Holt – New Zealand (10/08/2009 10:05)
_____
24. Well said, Larry
Very well said indeed. I admire your ability to see through the humbug and expose the nonsense that passes for hasbarah.
Johnboy – Australia (10/08/2009 10:11)
_____
37. Larry Derfner one of the few persons
that keep the rest of the world from regarding the Jews as a whole a despicable bunch.
Axel – Germany (10/08/2009 12:24)
_____
48. Hitting Home with Mr. Derfner
Interesting insights, Mr. Derfner. The Zionist coin has always been a con game from the beginning with heads being Zionist justification and tails being Palestinian wrongdoing. The only problem, I fear, is you may not fully realize and accept just how deep and foundational the intellectual and moral inanity of the Zionist enterprise goes.
Rob E. Barntt – USA (10/08/2009 13:58)
_____
61. Thank You So Much, Mr. Derfner!
It’s a great relief to know that there are Israelis who see things as we see them on the outside. This does so much more to repair Israel’s image than a thousand slander pieces about Palestinians. Your article will help remind people out here that there are many good Israelis who will come to harm if peace is not made.
Michael – USA (10/08/2009 15:57)
_____
88. Great Article
You would think that justifying using White Phosphors and Mass murdering Palestinians would be hard, but In Israels genocidal culture anything is possible
Salvador – Mexico (10/08/2009 20:56)
_____
100. Well said Larry
Well said Larry. Sometimes when reading the columnists of Jerusalem Post I get the feeling that whole Israel has been taken over by talibans, history revisionists, racial biologists and armchair generals. Under such circumstances it is good to hear a sane voice.
Marcus – (10/08/2009 22:05)
_____
103. Larry is right on the money again
and it is the same dunces in the talkbacks that are denouncing him. Keep talking truth to power Larry. It is refreshing to see that many Israelis actually do see the stupidity and double standard of their stance.
Joe – USA (10/08/2009 22:37)
_____
104. You people condemning Derfner? YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!
What Larry Derfner said is the truth, plain and simple. You just don’t want to admit it because it paints you in a less than flattering light. Larry is right on the money when he describes the attitude of some of you Israelis and supporters outside Israel (especially here in the US, which seems to have the Jews with the biggest mouths and the smallest balls). The fact is there is no excuse for some of the conduct of the IDF, and by extension the Israeli government, with regards to the targeting of civilian facilities in Gaza, the targeting of civilians themselves, the denial of med care, etc.
Joe – USA (10/08/2009 22:45)
_____
138. The voice of reason in a sea of right wing nut jobs
Perhaps some of you knee jerk reactionaries should actually read what Derfner writes. You could use a little perspective.
Jen – USA (10/09/2009 22:14)
_____
142. Important to see things from the perspective of “the other”
Both Palestinians and Israelis need to understand that the other side has legitimate concerns and complaints. The other side also wants a better future for their children. This understanding is crucial for peace. Larry gives readers this valuable perspective.
Chris Francis – Canada (10/10/2009 04:55)
______
143. Excellent Article
There’s a reason most of the world has begun to view Israel with contempt, and it’s all here in this article. Short, sweet and undeniable.
Mena – USA (10/10/2009 06:55)
_____
146. Rare but super-fabulous article!
If only more Israelis would wake up from their dishonest self deceiving slumber and realize the depravity of their actions and the hollowness of their arguments!
Sruti – USA (10/10/2009 17:39)
_____
148. Deaf Israelis
The message is clear, but the Israelis will not listen. They have become guilty of the greatest hubris, chest thumping and dismissive of the world’s view of their actions, delays, obfuscations and outright lies. Israel has now become America’s #1 enemy, and the latter should not give it one more penny of its tax dollars. Sanctions on Israel, not Iran.
robert wilson – USA (10/11/2009 19:38)
____
154. Bravo!
It is clear that from all the outraged apologists posting here in self-righteous horror, that reality does not sit well with ethnosupremacists. Bravo, Mr. Derfner, for this piece and (a rare and shocking) kudos to JPost for posting it. The more venomous detractors post furious and vitriolic comments to this article, the more it becomes apparent that what a colonial and apartheid culture fears most is truth. Without unchallenged hasbara and the cloak of perceived perpetual victimization, Zionism is left naked with only its racism, militarism, and genocide showing.
Lord Baltimore – USA (10/12/2009 20:15)
____
156. Israel should be proud of guys like this
This column reproduces precisely how the rest of the world perceives the Israeli official apologetics.
Mihai Martoiu Ticu – Netherlands (10/13/2009 08:51)
____
158. Fabulous, awesome, mind-blowing acknowledgement of truth!
If only more Israelis would indulge in some truthful introspection and realize the veracity of this article!
SRSabbah – USA (10/13/2009 21:05)
____
165. rabid israeli/jews can’t take the truth
that is why the world hates you
pete – usa (10/14/2009 20:34)
____
169. tip of the hat, Larry
As succinct and honest a column as I have ever read in the Post. If only Obama and Congress were forced to read it. (They wouldn’t get past the first paragraph.)
eliot – (10/15/2009 20:25)
_____
171. Everybody knows this – few brave enough to say it
Shame on the US for trying to force Quisling Abbas to sanction these Israel atrocities in Gaza – he must be forced from his fake office forthwith. Israel must investigate her war criminals herself, transparently, in front of the world, and imprison those who planned, ordered, and carried out the execution of these crimes against humanity
jeff – USA (10/17/2009 14:12)
_____

Αυτά…

Διαβάστε επίσης:

• Israel’s—and Only Israel’s—Right to Self-Defense (ένα άρθρο που ανακάλυψε ο σχολιαστής DennisV – και αναφέρεται στο άρθρο του Larry Derfner)
• Το προηγούμενο ποστ “Ο ρατσισμός του Ισραήλ ενισχύει τον αντισημιτισμό”
• ΟΛΑ τα άρθρα του Εβραίου ανθρωπιστή Giddeon Levy στην εφημερίδα Haaretz
  
• Ενα παλαιότερο ποστ για τα γεγονότα της Γάζας του blog “Πόντος και Αριστερά”
• Confessions of a ‘Self-Hating’ Jew (αυτο-σαρκαστικό χιούμορ)
• ‘Israeli army rabbis sound racist’–Haaretz
  

• The tropes of ‘Jewish antisemitism’ – The concept of the ’self-hating Jew’ has been dignified with a pseudo-psychopathology by those keen to suppress dissent (“The Guardian”)

• Τους συνδέσμους που έχω περί Ισραήλ και Γάζας στο delicious.com
  

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• Group: Israelis used Palestinians as shields (cnn.com)
• U.N. Finds Signs of War Crimes on Both Sides in Gaza (nytimes.com)
• Israeli aircraft strike Gaza smuggling tunnels (ctv.ca)
• Goldstone Gaza Report Accurately Sees Evidence Of “Persecution” Of Palestinians: Philip Weiss (huffingtonpost.com)
• More than 700 civilians killed in Gaza- B’Tselem (thejc.com)
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Obama “disgusted” with Israel; has not yet registered any disgust with Iran

By Cesar Chelala, Information Clearing House, Oct 15, 2009

In what can be considered a sad paradox of history, an analysis of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) actions during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza shows that the IDF violated several of the Nuremberg Principles, as well as the principles of the Geneva Conventions.

The Nuremberg Principles are a set of guidelines established after World War II to try Nazi Party members. They were established to determine what constitutes a war crime. The Geneva Conventions consist of four treaties and three additional protocols that establish the standards in international law for humanitarian treatment of the victims of war.

According to Nuremberg Principle I, “Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefore and liable to punishment.” As detailed in the “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict,” also known as the “Goldstone Report,” several crimes against unarmed civilians were committed by the IDF during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

Continued >>

Ah well, these “United Nations” are all… terrorists;

Yep! a bunch of antisemitic Israel-bashing terrorists…

Israeli denial of this report came out yesterday (14 Oct. ‘09).

I am now posting the report’s summary (UN press release) since it’s now worth looking closely, into what “outraged” Mr. Netaniahu – and what he thinks “threatens Israel“, causing “terrorism“:

• No more and no less than sane and fair International Law.

(I only became aware of this one month afterwards, because of its… denial).

________________

κλικ εδώ

______

UNITED NATIONS

Press Release

NEW YORK / GENEVA – The UN Fact-Finding Mission led by Justice Richard Goldstone on Tuesday released its long-awaited report on the Gaza conflict, in which it concluded there is evidence indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict, and that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity.

The report also concludes there is also evidence that Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes, as well as possibly crimes against humanity, in their repeated launching of rockets and mortars into Southern Israel.

The four members of the Mission* were appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council in April with a mandate to “To investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law that might have been committed at any time in the context of the military operations that were conducted in Gaza during the period from 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, whether before, during or after.”

In compiling the 574- page report, which contains detailed analysis of 36 specific incidents in Gaza, as well as a number of others in the West Bank and Israel, the Mission conducted 188 individual interviews, reviewed more 10,000 pages of documentation, and viewed some 1,200 photographs, including satellite imagery, as well as 30 videos. The mission heard 38 testimonies during two separate public hearings held in Gaza and Geneva, which were webcast in their entirety. The decision to hear participants from Israel and the West Bank in Geneva rather than in situ was taken after Israel denied the Mission access to both locations. Israel also failed to respond to a comprehensive list of questions posed to it by the Mission. Palestinian authorities in both Gaza and the West Bank cooperated with the Mission.

The Mission found that, in the lead up to the Israeli military assault on Gaza, Israel imposed a blockade amounting to collective punishment and carried out a systematic policy of progressive isolation and deprivation of the Gaza Strip. During the Israeli military operation, code-named “Operation Cast Lead,” houses, factories, wells, schools, hospitals, police stations and other public buildings were destroyed. Families are still
living amid the rubble of their former homes long after the attacks ended, as reconstruction has been impossible due to the continuing blockade. More than 1,400 people were killed during the military operation.

Significant trauma, both immediate and long-term, has been suffered by the population of Gaza. The Report notes signs of profound depression, insomnia and effects such as bed-wetting among children. The effects on children who witnessed killings and violence, who had thought they were facing death, and who lost family members would be long lasting, the Mission found, noting in its Report that some 30 per cent of children screened at UNRWA schools suffered mental health problems.

The report concludes that the Israeli military operation was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population. The destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses was the result of a deliberate and systematic policy which has made the daily process of living, and dignified living, more difficult for the civilian population.

The Report states that Israeli acts that deprive Palestinians in the Gaza Strip of their means of subsistence, employment, housing and water, that deny their freedom of movement and their right to leave and enter their own country, that limit their rights to access a court of law and an effective remedy, could lead a competent court to find that the crime of persecution, a crime against humanity, has been committed.

The report underlines that in most of the incidents investigated by it, and described in the report, loss of life and destruction caused by Israeli forces during the military operation was a result of disrespect for the fundamental principle of “distinction” in international humanitarian law that requires military forces to distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects at all times. The report states that “Taking into account the ability to plan, the means to execute plans with the most developed technology available, and statements by the Israeli military that almost no errors occurred, the Mission finds that the incidents and patterns of events considered in the report are the result of deliberate planning and policy decisions.”

For example, Chapter XI of the report describes a number of specific incidents in which Israeli forces launched “direct attacks against civilians with lethal outcome.” These are, it says, cases in which the facts indicate no justifiable military objective pursued by the attack and concludes they amount to war crimes. The incidents described include:
Attacks in the Samouni neighbourhood, in Zeitoun, south of Gaza City, including the shelling of a house where soldiers had forced Palestinian civilians to assemble;
Seven incidents concerning “the shooting of civilians while they were trying to leave their homes to walk to a safer place, waving white flags and, in some of the cases, following an injunction from the Israeli forces to do so;”
The targeting of a mosque at prayer time, resulting in the death of 15 people.

A number of other incidents the Report concludes may constitute war crimes include a direct and intentional attack on the Al Quds Hospital and an adjacent ambulance depot in Gaza City.

The Report also covers violations arising from Israeli treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank, including excessive force against Palestinian demonstrators, sometimes resulting in deaths, increased closures, restriction of movement and house demolitions. The detention of Palestinian Legislative Council members, the Report says, effectively paralyzed political life in the OPT.

The Mission found that through activities such as the interrogation of political activists and repression of criticism of its military actions, the Israeli Government contributed significantly to a political climate in which dissent was not tolerated.

The Fact-Finding Mission also found that the repeated acts of firing rockets and mortars into Southern Israel by Palestinian armed groups “constitute war crimes and may amount to crimes against humanity,” by failing to distinguish between military targets and the civilian population. “The launching of rockets and mortars which cannot be aimed with sufficient precisions at military targets breaches the fundamental principle of distinction,” the report says. “Where there is no intended military target and the rockets and mortars are launched into civilian areas, they constitute a deliberate attack against the civilian population.”

The Mission concludes that the rocket and mortars attacks “have caused terror in the affected communities of southern Israel,” as well as “loss of life and physical and mental injury to civilians and damage to private houses, religious buildings and property, thereby eroding the economic and cultural life of the affected communities and severely affecting the economic and social rights of the population.”

The Mission urges the Palestinian armed groups holding the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to release him on humanitarian grounds, and, pending his release, give him the full rights accorded to a prisoner of war under the Geneva Conventions including visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Report also notes serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial executions of Palestinians, by the authorities in Gaza and by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

The prolonged situation of impunity has created a justice crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory that warrants action, the Report says. The Mission found the Government of Israel had not carried out any credible investigations into alleged violations. It recommended that the UN Security Council require Israel to report to it, within six months, on investigations and prosecutions it should carry out with regard to the violations identified in its Report. The Mission further recommends that the Security Council set up a body of independent experts to report to it on the progress of the Israeli investigations and prosecutions. If the experts’ reports do not indicate within six months that good faith, independent proceedings are taking place, the Security Council should refer the situation in Gaza to the ICC Prosecutor. The Mission recommends that the same independent expert body also report to the Security Council on proceedings undertaken by the relevant Gaza authorities with regard to crimes committed by the Palestinian side. As in the case of Israel, if within six months there are no good faith independent proceedings conforming to international standards in place, the Council should refer the situation to the ICC Prosecutor.
The full report can be found on the web page of the Fact Finding Mission:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/FactFindingMission.htm

_______________________________________

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ:

Ορίστε τα χάλια της κατάστασης: http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=90708

Ευτυχώς, υπάρχουν και οι ισραηλινές ΜΚΟ -που ξεσκεπάζουν τα ψέματα της Ισραηλινής κυβέρνησης και του στρατού: http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.kosmos&id=80186

Ορίστε και ο… ΝΟΥΜΕΡΟ ΕΝΑ ΕΓΚΛΗΜΑΤΙΑΣ: http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=41&nid=1063094

Το Ισραήλ δεν θα επιτρέψει ποτέ να δικαστεί ηγέτης ή στρατιώτης του για εγκλήματα πολέμου ενώπιον του Διεθνούς Δικαστηρίου της Χάγης, διαμηνύει ο Ισραηλινός πρωθυπουργός Μπέντζαμιν Νετανιάχου απορρίπτοντας με οργή την έκθεση-κόλαφο των Ηνωμένων Εθνών σχετικά με τον πόλεμο στη Γάζα.

Ο Νετανιάχου δήλωσε από το βήμα της Κνσετέτ ότι έκθεση του ΟΗΕ, που κατηγορεί το Ισραήλ για εγκλήματα πολέμου κατά τις στρατιωτικές επιχειρήσεις στη Γάζα, υπονομεύει το δικαίωμα του Ισραήλ να αμυνθεί και ενθαρρύνει την τρομοκρατία…

• Δείτε επίσης το ποστ “Παράπλευρες απώλειες” στη Γάζα: Ο αιμοσταγής λαϊκισμός του Ισραήλ“ (του Αιρετικού)  που μέσω ανάλυσης τεχνικών χαρακτηριστικών όπλων (κλπ.)  είχε αποδείξει πριν καιρό (2 Αυγ. 2009) ότι το Ισραήλ διέπραξε εσκεμμένους φόνους αμάχων.

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Η Intel αλλάζει την εργοστασιακή ψύκτρα στους επερχόμενους Gulftown ! – ( HWBOX ) O/C on first boot

Στην IDF 2009 που διεξήχθη στο San Fransisco, η Intel παρουσίασε τον νέο της εξαπύρηνο Gulftown επεξεργαστή. Ομολογουμένως τράβηξε όλα τα βλέμματα πάνω του, ακόμα και πριν καν τεθεί σε λειτουργία, μιας και όπως παρατηρείτε όλοι το εργοστασιακό cooler του επανασχεδιάστηκε. Κατά τα λεγόμενα των μηχανικών της Intel, το νέο σχήμα που του δόθηκε όχι μόνο προσφέρει βολικότητα και μεγαλύτερες αντοχές, αλλά και την ισχυρή ψύξη που χρειάζονται όσο τίποτα άλλο οι επίδοξοι overclockers.[next]

Netanyahu at his best

Even those who aren’t  particularly sympathetic to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, could get a  good measure of satisfaction from this interview  with British Television during  the retaliation against Hamas’ shelling of  Israel.
 
The interviewer asked him: “How come so many  more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?” (A  nasty question if there ever was one!)
 
Netanyahu: “Are you sure that you want to  start asking in that direction?”
  
Interviewer: (Falling into the trap) Why  not?
 
Netanyahu: “Because in World War II more  Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no  doubt in anyone’s mind that the war was caused by Germany’s aggression. And in  response to the German blitz on London,  the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden, burning to death more German civilians  than the number of people killed in Hiroshima. Moreover, I could remind you  that in 1944, when the R.A.F. tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in  Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed  their target and fell on a Danish children’s hospital, killing 83 little  children. Perhaps you have another  question?”
  
Apparently, Benjamin Netanyahu gave another  interview and was asked about Israel’s occupation of Arab  lands. His response was, “It’s our land”. The reporter (CNN or the like)  was stunned – read below “It’s our land…” It’s important information  since we don’t get fair and accurate reporting from the media and facts  tend to get lost in the jumble of daily events.
 
“Crash Course on the Arab-Israeli  Conflict.”
 Here  are overlooked facts in the current & past Middle East situation. These were compiled by a  Christian university professor:

BRIEF FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT TODAY…  (It takes just 1.5 minutes to read!)
 
It makes sense and it’s not slanted. Jew and  non-Jew — it doesn’t matter.

1. Nationhood and Jerusalem: Israel became a nation in  1312 BC, two thousand (2000) years before the rise of  Islam.
 
2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying  themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after  the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
 
3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BC, the  Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand (1000) years with  a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300  years.
 
4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest  in 635 lasted no more than 22 years.
  
5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been  the Jewish capital.  Jerusalem has never been the capital of  any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they  never sought to make it their capital, and Arab  leaders
did not come to  visit.
 
6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in  Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures.  Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the  Koran.
 
7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem.  Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
  
8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem.   Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
  
9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab  refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge  the land  of Jews.   Sixty-eight percent left (many in fear of retaliation by their own  brethren, the Arabs), without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The ones  who stayed were afforded the same peace, civility, and citizenship  rights as everyone else.

10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee  from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and  pogroms.

11.  The number of Arab refugees who left Israel  in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees  from Arab lands is estimated to be about 800,000.
  
12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not  absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite  the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War  II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been  absorbed or integrated into their own people’s lands. Jewish refugees  were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the  state of New  Jersey.

13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are  represented by twenty two separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five  wars and lost.  Israel defended itself each  time and won.
 
14. The PLO’s Charter still calls for the  destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the  Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and  has supplied them.
 
15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites  were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship.  Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved  and made accessible to people of all  faiths.
  
16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security  Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against  Israel.
  
17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions  voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.
 
18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem  synagogues  were destroyed by the Jordanians.

19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians  systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
 
20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians  enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the  Temple  Mount and the  Western Wall.
  
These are incredible  times. We have to ask what our role should be.  What will we tell  our grandchildren about what we did when there was a turning point  in Jewish destiny, an  opportunity to make a difference?
  
START NOW – Send this to  other people you know and ask them to send it to others, Jew  and non-Jew – it doesn’t really  matter. 

By Haaretz Service, Haaretz/Israel, Sep 20, 2009

The Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military will soon hold a training exercise in which they will simulate missile attacks on Israel from Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported Sunday.

The exercise will be carried out as part of the ongoing maneuvers between Israel and the United States, the London-based paper said, which will reportedly be the broadest-ever this year.

According to the paper, the drill is also part of U.S. President Barack Obama’s new missile defense plan, under which the Pentagon will initially deploy ships with missile interceptors instead of stationing missile defense systems in Eastern Europe.

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As unlikely as it may seem, 1 of 7 of female IDF soldiers will be sexually harassed or worse during their service

This morning, I read a report issued this summer by the Knesset committee on The Status of  Women, chaired by Knesset Member Zipi Hotovely (Likud).

According to the 2008 military survey, one of seven female soldiers report that they have been victims of sexual harassment or assault. Of the 363 reports of sexual harassment or worse , 62%  were physical; 5% of the complainants were men. When it came time to pursue the charges, only 63% of the women complainants chose to pursue the matter further.

I was impressed enough to write Knesset Member Hotovely the following letter:

I am one of the founders and the Executive Director of El HaLev, a non-profit woman-powered organization dedicated to empowering women of all ages, body, mind and spirit, through training in the Martial Arts and Self-Defense. Since our founding in 2003, we have worked with thousands of women and collaborated with dozens of government and non-profit agencies in pursuit of a kinder, gentler and safer Israel…

…You wisely added that the fact that only 63% of the women complainants chose to pursue the matter further, indicates problems in the system. It also highlights the society-wide problem of being re-victimized after an assault.

I am a great believer in “Crisis=Opportunity”. Your implications of this survey are disturbing. However, they also present an unprecedented opportunity to empower an ever-greater proportion of Israeli women.

We at El HaLev (www.elhalev.org) are recognized throughout the country as The Experts in training women to find their physical and emotional strengths and use them in their own defense. We met this week with an Wingate army training representative to discuss the possibility of introducing our truly women-oriented self-defense, assertiveness and life-skills training into the army training regimen toward the goal of producing better, safer and more confident female soldiers. We were well-received and, I am certain, more meetings will follow…

…If we are going to succeed in our mission of reducing verbal and physical violence against women in our society in general, and the army in particular, we will need the help and support of people like you, leaders on the frontlines of changing the status of women in Israel.

Please do me the honor of meeting with me to explore how we can work together with your network of empowered women toward our common goal.

Now you all know MY resolution for wording toward my life’s dream the New Year.

What’s yours?

PUMA

In case you thought that the IDF is too “macho” to consider making women’s self-defense part of the training of female soldiers, don’t take MY word for it…

IDF mulling self-defense course for all female recruits

Citing fears of kidnappings and sexual assault, the IDF is considering establishing a special self-defense course for all female soldiers who enlist in the military.

The plan is the brainchild of Col. Dr. Avi Moyal, head of the IDF’s Combat Fitness Division. Moyal has discussed the idea with Brig.-Gen. Gila Klifi-Amir, the General Staff’s Adviser on Women’s Affairs and the two are hoping to secure a budget for the program.

Under the plan, all female recruits will participate in a week-long self-defense course to provide them with skills how to fend off potential attackers, rapists and kidnappers.

“This course will be aimed at providing the female soldiers with self-confidence to travel around the country in the framework of their military service as many of them need to” explained a senior officer in the IDF’s Ground Forces Command.

Most female soldiers in the IDF serve in non-combat positions and undergo a very low-level basic training without receiving any real self defense skills.

“Very few female soldiers are given an introductory class in hand-to-hand combat but not enough to know how to fight off an attacker,” the officer said.

Middle East Online, Sep 16, 2009


‘Violations of humanitarian law and human rights law’

‘Strong evidence’ of Israeli ‘willful killing’, torture, extensive destruction of property in Gaza.

UNITED NATIONS – A UN report Tuesday accused both Israel and the Palestinians of committing “war crimes” in the Gaza Strip, but particularly slammed Israel’s use of disproportionate force in the conflict.

The damning report found Israel violated international humanitarian law during its assault on the Gaza Strip eight months ago.

The four-member probe panel “concluded that actions amounting to war crimes and possibly in some respect crimes against humanity were committed by the Israel Defense Forces,” the head of the UN probe, former international prosecutor Richard Goldstone, told reporters.

Rocket firing by Palestinian resistance groups also amounted to war crimes “and may amount to crimes against humanity,” a seven-page summary said.

But only four paragraphs of the summary were devoted to Palestinian violations, and Goldstone, appointed in April to lead a broadened human rights probe into the Gaza violence, was more sharply critical of Israel.

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