Britain's blatant anti Semitism

Britain's National Sickness - Melanie Phillips
Liberal Democrat MP David Ward recently compared the persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust with the Jews' treatment of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Yet the Palestinian population has more than quadrupled since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, and they have benefited from some of the highest rises in GDP and lowest child mortality ratios in the Middle East.
    It is the Palestinians who are committing crimes against humanity by targeting Israeli innocents for mass murder without remission, both from Gaza and from the West Bank. It is the Palestinians who are brainwashed from the cradle to hate Jews and to believe that murdering Israelis is their highest glory. When the Israelis offered them more than 95% of the possible land for a state in 2000 and 2008, the Palestinians responded by murdering more Jews.
    The insane belief that Israel is trying to wipe out the Palestinians is now common currency in British progressive circles. The belief that, in Israel, the victims of one of the greatest crimes against humanity are themselves now guilty of crimes against humanity is the collective libel that has become the default position amongst the British intelligentsia.
    British Jews who support Israel and try to counter these Big Lies are treated as pariahs by baying mobs whose obsession with Israel has brought about nothing less than a mass derangement in British public debate. Self-defense against extermination is now considered a crime against humanity. (Daily Mail-UK)

Iran nuk site explosion

A British newspaper quoted anonymous Israeli officials on Monday confirming that a massive explosion struck an Iranian nuclear facility in Fordo.
The explosion was originally reported at a conservative American website, and went unconfirmed until Monday. One unnamed official said that Israel is still uncertain "what happened and how significant it is."
Iran has denied the report, but the original online article claimed that a former intelligence official claimed the explosion was real and had "destroyed much of the installation and trapped about 240 personnel deep underground."
The description of the explosion described it as occurring "deep within" the facility, which would be consistent with several scenarios, including an accident. It could also indicate sabotage, but makes an air strike unlikely.
Israel has made no formal statement on the incident, and the quoted officials did not outright deny possible Israeli involvement. Their comments do imply, however, that this was not the case.

2 new Jews today

2 new Jews today one Maryland one Scotland with our program www.convertjudaismonline.org

10 commandments from this week's paraha

How can Jewish senators back Hagel, who traffics with clear anti Semites?

Chuck Hagel’s colleague: So many Jews, so much disloyalty

Jennifer Rubin

January 28, 2013

As I have noted a couple times, Chuck Hagel has served as chairman for the Atlantic Council. His vice chairman is Chas Freeman (1). In a speech in Moscow on December, Freeman took to decrying the “fifth column” of disinformation agents in the United States who act on Israel’s behalf. Aside from the fact that Jews in particular have been branded for hundreds and hundreds of years as disloyal to their countries, the speech is a shocking diatribe that builds on the notion that behind any pro-Israel journalism is a “fifth column” of Jews.

A reader asks whether Freeman was actually singling out Jews. Let’s take a look.

Freeman began his speech by using a Hebrew word to describe this purported enterprise. “In the brief time available to me as a panelist, I would like to put forward some thoughts about the control of narrative and the manipulation of information as an essential element of modern warfare. The Israelis call this ‘hasbara.’ Since they are without doubt the most skilled contemporary practitioners of the art, it seems appropriate to use the Hebrew word for it. And, since Israel’s most recent war (against the Palestinians in Gaza) sputtered to an end just ten days ago, I’ll cite a few examples from that war to illustrate my main points.” A Hebrew — that is, Jewish — moniker for his conspiracy is appropriate, you see.

He asserted these people are traitors to America: “In some countries, like the United States, Israel can rely upon a ‘fifth column’ of activist sympathizers to amplify its messages, to rebut and discredit statements that contradict its arguments, facts, and fabrications, and to impugn the moral standing of those who make such statements.” Each and every one of these fifth columnists, wouldn’t you know it, is Jewish.

He called out a Jewish organization: “[T]he Jewish Agency for Israel has sponsored an online ‘Hasbara Handbook’ for students around the world to use as advocates of Israel and its policies.”  And then he cited another Jewish cabal: “The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America – an organization notorious for the viciousness of its efforts to blacken the reputations of those who criticize Israel or advance accounts of events that deviate from the official Israeli narrative by branding them as ‘anti-Semitic’ or ‘self-hating Jews.’ [The handbook] notes that CAMERA provides a free monthly magazine full of timely hasbara materials for Jewish students in the United States.”

He was not done. Next come the rabbis: “In addition, many American rabbis see it as their duty to rally their congregations to Israel’s defense. One typical example was a rabbi who, as the Gaza fighting began, stressed to his New York congregants that ‘making yourself well informed and able to articulate Israel’s case clearly and compellingly is … important. … No slanted print media article or editorial or electronic report that is … unbalanced and unfair can be allowed to go unchallenged. … Those media organs that are habitually anti-Israel should be flooded with letters and e-mails when their stories and pictures paint a … portrait of what we know to be other. Conversations at the water cooler, in health clubs, and particularly at holiday parties and gatherings so common at this time of year. … All of these are our challenge. Get informed, stay informed, and let your voice be heard.’ ”

No mention was made of the thousands of Christian churches or the largest pro-Zionist organization in America, Christians United For Israel, all of which strongly support the Jewish State and work to combat media bias against Israel.  (And Freeman never actually looked at whether the media is actually anti-Israel; he simply assumed it is accurate and everything to the contrary is propaganda.)

The rest of Freeman’s twisted version of Middle East events I leave to others. But can there be any doubt that this is a smear on Jewish Americans in particular? None from my vantage point nor, I would suggest, from that of any fair-minded person. (Someone should ask Hagel at the hearing what he thinks.)

And more to the point, what is Hagel and his organization doing with someone on their board who spews this verbiage? Hagel should be asked about these words, his relationship with Freeman and why, for goodness sake, he would agree to serve with him.

1) Barack Obama nominated Freeman to be the Director of National Intelligence. Wikipedia : "After several weeks of criticisms from prominent supporters of Israeli policy, he withdrew his name from consideration and charged that he had been the victim of a concerted campaign by what he called “the Israel lobby.” 

This week's parasha Beshalach

What is Israel to do now?

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/12759#.UP7CSWcu34Q

Shifting Sands, Shifting Alliances

By Victor Sharpe

Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:00 AM

Under the hostile and imperial presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, the mutually beneficial special relationship between Israel and the United States is rapidly and systematically being torn apart and may become irreparable.

To quote the esteemed conservative Talk Show host and expert on the U.S. Constitution, par excellence, Mark Levin, “Obama hates Israel.” And anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear cannot but agree with him.

The greatest threat to the Jewish state comes not from Iran, not from the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians, but from Barack Hussein Obama.

In a highly problematic article, US columnist Jeffrey Goldberg - yet another Jewish American who would presumably not resist seeing Israel forced back to the pre June 4, 1967 nine mile wide armistice (Auschwitz) lines - quoted US President Barack Obama as saying that, “Israel under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu does not know what is in its own best interest. Netanyahu, while visiting the Gaza border last week, was told that December was the quietest month in the last 12 years and essentially replied to Obama: Yes I do.

“I think everyone understands that only Israel’s citizens will be the ones to determine who faithfully represents Israel’s vital interests,” Netanyahu said on a visit to an army base near Gaza in his first direct response to Obama’s criticism. “Over the last four years we stood up against strong pressure, and I will continue to do so for Israel’s security.”

And that strong pressure is set to become almost overwhelming in its intensity, especially if Netanyahu receives a mandate from the Israeli electorate to continue as Prime Minister for a third term. Not only will Obama, with his likely appointed Israel bashers – Kerry at the State Department, Hagel as Secretary of Defense and Brennan as head of the CIA – turn on Israel but the European Union is reported to be ready, even anxious, to isolate the Jewish state if it does not bow down to European diktats and allow the creation – for the first time in history – of a Palestinian terror state within the biblical Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria; or what the world likes to call the West Bank.

And yet, that vicious anti-Israel pressure may well have an effect the Europeans, ever anxious to appease the Arab and Muslim world, and the American president whose growing tyrannical posturing is transforming America for the worse, do not expect. According to Fox News, the circulation of Obama’s reported comments, far from being detrimental for Netanyahu’s leadership prospects, might only help to band Israelis together ahead of the election.

And according to the website Hot Air, senior representatives in Netanyahu’s governing Likud party seethed, accusing Obama of “gross interference.” Barry Rubin recently wrote that Obama, Kerry, Hagel and Brennan are the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” certainly as far as Israel and the Middle East are concerned - and likely beyond.

Brennan cannot bear to use the name Jerusalem when referring to Israel’s capital city. He prefers to use the Muslim Arabic term, Al Quds. And Hagel has talked darkly of a “Jewish lobby” and wishes to join with his master in the White House in drastically reducing the United States armed forces and its antiquated nuclear defense abilities. Kerry, for his part, infamously once threw America under the bus with his hysterical and largely false charges of American atrocities in Vietnam.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who recently returned from a visit to Israel, described President Obama as “arrogant and presumptuous” for reportedly claiming to have a better understanding of Israel’s best interests than Prime Minister Netanyahu.

So what is Israel best advised to do when the combined anti-Israel tsunami strikes sometime after Netanyahu’s re-election despite what the despicable Israeli Left spews against him and which anti-Semites around the world gloatingly love to repeat?

We should remember that the United States has not always been Israel’s consistent supporter politically or militarily since the Jewish state was reconstituted in its biblical homeland in 1948. It was the Soviet Union, not the USA, which sent the first shipment of arms to the Haganah on April, 1st, 1948 through its Czechoslovakian controlled satellite by air and sea. This supply helped the fledgling Israeli forces at a critical juncture in repulsing Arab aggression. And as Egyptian forces, led by the Egyptian 2nd Brigade, moved north towards Ashdod, the first four Messershmitt aircraft arrived from Czechoslovakia and their appearance had a disastrous psychological effect upon the invading Egyptian army.

Similarly Britain and France helped arm Israel, especially before and during the 1956 One Hundred Hour War. It was France, not the United States, that provided Israel with nuclear technology and supplied the IAF with the Mirage and Mystere 1V jets which were used to destroy the Arab air forces at the outset of the 1967 Six-Day War.

Little, if any, help came at that time from the United States and visits between U.S. Administrations and Israeli politicians were few and far between. It was Prime Minister Levi Eshkol who was the first Israeli head of state to visit an American president when he met with Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Ironically the state that emerged from the breakup of Czechoslovakia, after the earlier Soviet collapse, is the Czech Republic. It alone stood out in an honorable act at the United Nations, rare among the cowardly European Union states. It opposed the recent illegal action by the Palestinian Authority in ditching all its previous peace agreements made with Israel by going to the General Assembly and predictable obtaining support from the 57 member Muslim bloc, the assorted leftist regimes and the majority of European appeasers for recognition as non-member state observer status.

The ever prescient Yoram Ettinger points out in his excellent website, www.TheEttingerReport.Com that, “since March, 2009, irrespective of harsh disagreements over the Palestinian issue, the mutually-beneficial US-Israel strategic cooperation has expanded, especially in intelligence-sharing, counter-terrorism, homeland security, missile defense, training, battle tactics, joint exercises, pre-positioning of military hardware, medical treatment of soldiers and civilians, research and development, space, commercial and defense industries and high tech in general.”

But though this relationship has been a boon to the United States as much as it has been to Israel, the Jewish state would be well served in realizing that alliances appear and disappear like the shifting sands of the desert as has happened before with countries like France and Great Britain. Under the hostile and imperial presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, the mutually beneficial special relationship between Israel and the United States is rapidly and systematically being torn apart and may become irreparable -even as the Obama Administration is sending F16s and Abrams tanks to the anti-Western Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt: Is this Presidential insanity or mendacity?

The Jewish state urgently must therefore prepare to recognize this unfolding tragedy and seek new alliances before it is too late. Even now the writing is on the wall as Obama trashes American exceptionalism and works tirelessly to bring America down to the same level as the failed states of the world. America’s few remaining allies may find themselves increasingly cold shouldered and betrayed; and Israel is no exception.

Even if the will would still be there to support embattled Israel, the U.S., after Obama’s term of office is at an end, may no longer have the ability to be even a shadow of its former super power status or a force for stability in an increasingly perilous world.

Victor Sharpe is a prolific freelance writer with many published articles in leading national and international conservative websites and magazines. Born and educated in England, he has been a broadcaster and has authored several books including a collection of short stories under the title The Blue Hour. His three-volume set of in-depth studies on the threats from resurgent Islam to Israel, the West and to Judeo-Christian civilization is titled, Politicide: The attempted murder of the Jewish state. www.amazon.com

Women in combat in Israel

In case your wondering how Israeli handles females in combat
Clause 16A of the military service law requires that female combat soldiers serve 3 years of mandatory service, and continue in reserves service up to age 38, even if they become mothers. These are essentially identical to the terms of service for male combat soldiers.[1] Each year, 1,500 female combat soldiers are drafted into the IDF.[4] Women currently make up 3% of the IDF's combat soldiers.[6]
A combat option for women is the Caracal Battalion, which is a highly operational force that is made up of 70 percent female soldiers.[3] The unit undergoes training like any combat infantry.[4] The IDF commando K9 unit, Oketz, also drafts females as elite combat soldiers.[6] Women in the Israeli Defense Forces are female soldiers who serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Israel is the only country in the world with a mandatory military service requirement for women.[1][2][3] Women have taken part in Israel’s military before and since the founding of the state in 1948,[4][5] with women currently comprising 33% of all IDF soldiers and 51% of its officers,[6] fulfilling various roles within the Ground, Navy and Air Forces. The 2000 Equality amendment to the Military Service law states that "The right of women to serve in any role in the IDF is equal to the right of men."[3] As of now, 88% to 92%[7] of all roles in the IDF are open to female candidates, while women can be found in 69% of all positions.[1]

The Israeli elections

New Knesset Members

	Breaking News  ▪  Magazine  ▪  Mideast News  ▪  World News

Fresh faces Pnina Tamanu-Shata Photo: Yaron Brener   Yair Shamir Photo: Moti Kimchi   Alizah Lavie Photo: Avshalom Levi   Michal Biran Photo: Labor Party     Meet next Knesset's 53 new MKs Nearly half of 19th Knesset seats to be occupied by fresh faces; five former MKs return to parliament Yaron Druckman Published:  01.23.13, 14:40 / Israel News Nearly half of the 19th Knesset seats will be occupied by fresh faces. Coming in all political shades, 47 members will enter parliament for the first time, and five will be re-admitted to after previous stints. Related stories: Lapid sets agenda for next government 2013 elections: 250,000 votes wasted Shas: Election results a miracle In addition, statistics show that the next Knesset will likely include 26 women and 38 religious representatives – a record number for both groups. Though the list might change after soldiers' votes are counted, these are the expected new MKs: Likud-Beiteinu Yair Shamir (67) – Former PM Yitzhak Shamir's son. Former colonel in the Air Force. Former chairman of the Israel Aerospace Industries. Moshe Feiglin (50) – Major (res.) Head of the Jewish Leadership faction in the Likud. Founded the Zo Artzeinu movement. Shimon Ohayon (67) - Professor at Bar-Ilan University's School of Education. Former Brit Yotzei Morocco chairman. Tzachi Hanegbi (55) – MK between 1988 and 2010, save for a brief period. Former minister of health, justice, environment, transportation, public security and a minister in the Prime Minister's Office. His last role in parliament was as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Yesh Atid Yair Lapid (49) – Chairman and founder of the Yesh Atid party, writer, former journalist and TV host. Son of writer, journalist and politician Yosef (Tommy) Lapid and of writer and playwright Shulamit Lapid. Shai Piron (53) – Rabbi. Until recently chairman of the High School Yeshivas in Petach Tikva and of the Hakol Hinuch movement. Founder and leader of the Tzohar foundation, dedicated to religious-secular dialogue. Shai Piron (Photo: Moti Kimchi) Yaakov Peri (Photo: Benny Deutsch) Meir Cohen and Yael German with Lapid (Photo: Moti Kimchi) Yael German (65) – Mayor of Herzliya between 1988-2013. MBA in public leadership, BA in history and a teaching diploma. Meir Cohen (57) – Mayor of Dimona for Yisrael Beiteinu since 2003. Former high school principal. Yaakov Peri (68) – Former Shin Bet director. Served as president and CEO of Cellcom and as chairman of the Mizrahi-Tefahot bank board. Harvard business school graduate and BA in oriental studies and Jewish history. Ofer Shelah (52) – Journalist since 1988. Former leading basketball commentator for the Israeli Sports Channel. Host of various news and political TV shows. Aliza Lavie (48) - Scholar and writer, publicist and social activist. Senior lecturer at the School of Communication at Bar Ilan University. Her study focuses on communications, multi-culturalism, and the world of feminine Jewish knowledge. Yoel Razvozov (32) – Former Israeli Judo Team captain, won two silver medals in the European championships and represented Israel in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Yoel Razvozov (Photo: Reuven Schwarz) Adi Kol (36) – Columbia University Law School doctorate. Founded the Dinei Rechov program which rehabilitates juvenile delinquents through education and empowerment. Karin Elharar (35) – Advocate Elharar directs the Bar Ilan Faculty of Law clinics, including the disabled and the elderly and holocaust survivors rights clinics, founded during her term. Karin Elharar (R) and Adi Kol (B) with Lapid (Photo: Moti Kimchi) Miki Levi (61) – Former Jerusalem District Police chief. CEO of Egged Transportation and public and urban safety consultant in Russia and Brazil. Shimon Solomon (44) – Major (res.) Made aliya on foot from Ethiopia in 1980 with his parents and five brothers and sisters. Until recently director of education in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village for Rwandan genocide orphans. Miki Levi (Photo: Moti Kimchi) Ruth Calderon (51) – Doctor Calderon was the TV host of a culture program. Was a consultant to Yedioth publishing, and for the Shenhar committee which examined Jewish education in public schools. Head of the culture and education division of the National Library. Pnina Tamano-Shata (31) – The first Ethiopian woman in the Knesset. Former Channel 1 correspondent. Rina Frenkel (56) – Deputy CEO of the Employment Services. Yifat Kariv (39) – Social activist for education, women and youth causes. Former Youth Division director in the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and a member of the Galilee and Hod Hasharon municipal council. Dov Lipman (41) – Rabbi Lipman was involved in education, public and community activity in the US and Israel for 20 years. Former principal and a teacher at various US high schools, and a rabbi and teacher at various yeshivot in Beit Shemesh. Boaz Toporovski (32) – Former National Union of Israeli Students chairman. Head of the Public Committee for Equality in Higher Education, former member of the Tel Aviv University board, member of the Higher Education Committee and member of the European Students' Union board. Boaz Toporovsky (Photo: Kobi Koanks) Ronen Hoffman (49) – Lecturer on government, political psychology and communications at the IDC in Herzliya. Doctor Hoffman was an active member in the Israel-Syria peace delegation, a diplomatic advisor to the defense minister and personal assistant to former PM Yitzhak Rabin. Labor Merav Michaeli (46) – Journalist. Host of various TV and radio programs. Feminist activist. Hilik Bar (37) – Labor party secretary general. Jerusalem city councilman, and holder of the tourism and foreign relations portfolios for the Jerusalem municipality. Omer Bar Lev (59) – Former General Staff Reconnaissance Unit commander, Hi-tech entrepreneur, founder and chairman of the Aharai! movement. Stav Shaffir (27) – Leader of the 2011 social protest and founder of the Hatnua Hachevratit movement to promote young leadership. Will be the youngest MK. Stav Shafir (Photo: Ido Erez) Erel Margalit (52) – Hi-tech and social entrepreneur from Jerusalem. Founder of the JVP hedge-fund. Itzik Shmuli (32) – Former Student Union chairman and leader of the 2011 social protest. Lod resident and leader of a national initiative for its development. Miki Rosenthal (57) – Investigative journalist, mainly in social-economic matters. Made the film "The Shakshuka System" which exposed the relationship between wealth and power in Israel. Michal Biran (34) – Chairman of the Young Guard of the party and a doctorate student of political science at the Tel Aviv University, specializes in pension policy. Moshe Mizrachi (61) – Founder and first chief of the International Crime Investigations Unit, former head of investigations and chief of the Judea District Police, a leader of the struggle against corruption. Moshe Mizrachi (Photo: Yaron Brener) Habayit Hayehudi Naftali Bennett (40) – Major (res.) in the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, team leader in Magelan unit. Founding member of the Cyota hi-tech company, which specialized in internet security, sold in 2005 for $145 million. Former PM Netanyahu's chief of staff and Yesha council chairman. Nissan Slomiansky (66) – First Gush Emunim chairman, Elkana founder and council head. Previous Knesset member. Eliyahu Ben Dahan (58) – Rabbi, former director of rabbinical courts. Wrote various articles debating Jewish law as opposed to civil law. Ayelet Shaked (36) – Rightist activist. Chairwoman and founding member, together with Bennett, of the My Israel movement. Former bureau manager for Benjamin Netanyahu, while he was the opposition leader. Ayelet Shaked (Photo: Avigail Uzi) Zevulun Calfa (Photo: Tzvika Tischler) Zevulun Calfa (50) – Secretary of the Shomria kibbutz, Bnei Shimon plenum and council member, community director in the Dvir kibbutz and secretariat member of the Amana Settlement movement. Avi Wortzman (42) – Beersheba deputy mayor in charge of welfare and community. Founder of the largest Garin Torani in Israel, Beit Moriya. Former Mibereshit movement chairman. Moti Yogev (56) – Served as platoon and division commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and special units. Commander of the Magelan unit. Former secretary general of the Bnei Akiva youth movement. Orit Strook (52) – Mother of 11. Chairwoman of the Yesha Human Rights Organization, former head of the Lobby of the Eretz-Israel Front in the Knesset. Orit Strook (Photo: Gil Yochanan) Yoni Chetboun (33) – Major (res.) Awarded the Chief of Staff citation for his actions during the Second Lebanon War. Head and Founder the Raananim religious Zionist youth movement. Hatnua Tzipi Livni (54) – Former Foreign and Justice Minister, in addition to other governmental roles. Former Kadima chairwoman. After losing the party chairmanship to Shaul Mofaz she resigned from the Knesset. Amram Mitzna (67) – Major General (res.). Haifa mayor for nearly 10 years. Labor chairman during 2003 elections, MK for the 16th Knesset. Former Mayor of Yeruham. Elazar Stern (56) – Major General (res.). Former head of the IDF Personnel Directorate and chief education officer. Elazar Stern (Photo: Moti Kimchi) David Zur (53) – Served for 28 years in the police. Was the Border Guard chief and the Tel Aviv District Police chief. Meretz Michal Rozin (43) – Former CEO of The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, led a coalition of nine organizations which worked with the Knesset and government to fight sexual violence and for sexual assault victims' rights. Esawi Freige (49) – Member of the Peace Now secretariat, founder of a forum dedicated to encouraging Jewish-Arab business ventures. Tamar Zandberg (36) – Tel Aviv-Yafo councilwoman, chairwoman of the women promotion committee, deputy chairwoman of the affordable housing committee and member of the finance and municipal administration committees. Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Gil Lavie) United Torah Judaism Meir Porush (57) – Jerusalem councilman for nearly 13 years and member of the zoning committee. MK between 1996 and 2011.