Tuesday - March 4, 2008

Dichter: Human Shields for Terrorists are Also Terrorists

by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) "We are creating an atmosphere of ghost towns with our own hands, with our own policy," Minister for Public Security, Avi Dichter, told the cabinet Sunday. "The terrorists, unlike the IDF soldiers and the citizens of Israel, are a perishable product, that is to be stopped and killed," he said. "In a state of war with a terror entity we must not shirk from hitting terrorists who try to carry out a terror attack from within an envelope of civilians. Civilians who provide a human shield for terrorists are terrorists, plain and simple."

"The citizens of Israel are not a perishable product, neither physically nor mentally. I expect you to instruct the IDF to completely stop the rocket fire at Israel, at any cost," the former head of the Shabak (General Security Service) told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. 

"On Wednesday, we went from [a situation in which we had] 25,000 people under the rocket threat to 250,000 people," Dichter continued, referring to the increased targeting of Ashkelon by terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza. A Gaza rocket exploded near Dichter's home on Sunday. "What we feared most has become a reality. Other than providing 130,000 more people with the 'Color Red' early warning system, what has changed?"

'They fire at anyone who is a Jew'
"The daring and smart IDF activity, by Givati [Regiment] and armor together with the Shabak east of Jebalya, is not bringing an end to the Kassams and Katyushas," Dichter said. "Not [the ones being fired] at Sderot, not at Ashkelon, not at the Gaza perimeter communities and not at Netivot. I saw with my own eyes a city beginning to suffer and to wilt. The Katyusha salvoes spread all over my city, from Kfar Silver in the east to the sea in the west; from the Shimshon neighborhood and Givat Tzion in the south to Barnea in the north. We must not broaden the Gaza roulette. We must stop it now."

Regarding Gaza, Dichter said: "The residents have nothing to do there, except to play the game of war and death. We fire at anyone who is a terrorist, they fire at anyone who is a Jew. This is not the way to build deterrence. Gaza civilians who are not at close range to the terrorists are not in danger. However, Jews who are within rocket range are always in danger."

'End it at any price'
"Mr. Prime Minister, I expect you to give the IDF instructions today to put a complete end to the firing of rockets at Israel at any price and instruct the IDF to present the ways and needs in order to realize this goal. I hope the cabinet decides to accept the IDF's policy on Wednesday. If we do not approve the IDF's plan, the government will be responsible for the sad reality that results. Defense Minister Ehud Barak scolded Dichter for his statements. "Ashkelon's residents are not perishable items and no one thinks of them as that," Barak said, "just as none of the government ministers thought that Tel Aviv's residents or those of Jerusalem or Netanya were perishable items during the period of terror attacks."

"I do not remember a minister in Israel's governments who spoke this way," Barak chided Dichter. "I advise you not to speak in this manner. Our duty in the government is to keep a cool head," he added.

Vice Prime Minister Chaim Ramon also expressed support for the idea of returning fire into the locations from which rockets are fired, even if they are populated by non-combatants.

Legal discussion on hitting human shields
Following Ramon's statement, Defense Minister Barak turned to Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and told him he would like to receive his opinion as a legal expert on the possibility of returning fire toward the sources of the rocket fire, or firing at communities from which rockets are fired.

It was decided to hold a discussion on the matter on Monday. The discussion will be attended by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, Chief Military Attorney Avichai Mandelblit, Defense Apparatus Legal Advisor Achaz Ben-Ari and other legal experts.

In a recent interview, Minister Friedmann criticized the High Court for hamstringing the government in its attempts to cut the supply of electricity to Gaza.  "We must remember that IDF soldiers and Sderot residents have human rights too," Friedmann said. "If the alternative to cutting down the supply of fuel is sending soldiers into Gaza, we must remember that the soldiers who will be killed also have human rights."

John 16:33

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

KJV

 

Wednesday - March 5, 2008

Hamas claims 'victory' as IDF withdraws

Abbas offers to broker ‘all-inclusive ceasefire’

Some 20,000 Hamas supporters attended a mass rally in Gaza City on Monday afternoon in celebration of the "great victory" over the IDF after Israeli forces withdrew from a two-day Kassam-search mission in areas of northeast Gaza this morning.

Despite the loss of as many as 116 Palestinian lives in recent days of fighting, as compared to two IDF soldiers and one Israeli civilian killed, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri insisted today, "The enemy has been defeated… Gaza will always be the occupation forces' cemetery.”

Hamas vowed to continue its rocket fire into Israel and followed through with the threats by launching several rounds of Kassam rockets into the Western Negev.

Addressing today’s ‘victory’ rally, senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar threatened to strike even deeper into Israel if the IDF offensive resumes. "Invading one inch of the Gaza Strip means that the battle and confrontation will continue and will expand even further than it has reached," he warned.

“The army's withdrawal is an Israeli admission of the failure of its operation. We defeated the Israeli army which has already been defeated in all the other wars in Lebanon and in the Strip," a Popular Resistance Committee representative told Ynet.

While defiant in public, Hamas leaders have signaled a readiness for a truce. Speaking to reporters, Zahar said his group has been in touch with an unidentified third party to discuss a cease-fire that would include the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an end to an Israeli blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza. He stressed, however, that his group would continue to train and develop weapons even under a truce.

Israel has been reluctant to seek a cease-fire, claiming Hamas would use any lull to rearm.

In the latest development, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly offered to broker an “all-inclusive ceasefire” to stop the bloodshed between Israel and Hamas, since the two sides have no direct contact with each other.
 

Exodus 15:9-11

9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

KJV

 

Friday - March 6, 2008

New Tunnel Expands Jewish Quarter of Old City

by Ezra HaLevi

(IsraelNN.com) Israel is opening a 25-meter long tunnel that will connect the Western Wall Tunnels with an ancient restored synagogue in the so-called Muslim Quarter, uniting the Old City.

Channel 2 television was brought on an exclusive tour of the new network of tunnels, which was broadcast during Wednesday’s 8 o’clock news. (click here to view the report - in Hebrew)

The tunnel will lead from the Western Wall plaza to the Ohel Yitzchak synagogue, which is being reconstructed and rehabilitated by the Moskowitz Foundation, headed by Land of Israel philanthropist Irving Moskowitz.

The foundation explains on its web site the significance of the structure: “An important building which was originally constructed as a Jewish religious center in the Old City of Jerusalem in the mid-19th century, the building is one of three large and elegant synagogues constructed in the old city during the 19th century, and following the Six-Day War in 1967 was returned to Israel's control. The Foundation is sponsoring the reconstruction and restoration of the synagogue due to its historical, archaeological, urban and architectural importance. The synagogue, when completed, will be used for regular services and will be open to general access as well.”

The synagogue was first abandoned during the Arab riots in 1936, and was later blown up by the Jordanian army during its conquest of the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 War of Independence.

Muslim preachers and propagandists insist that the new tunnel is part of a plot to tunnel beneath the Temple Mount and destroy the mosques there. In fact, however, the tunnel does not go past the Western Wall, though it is presumed that the security establishment has held off on opening the tunnels due to fear of Muslim rioting.

The opening of the final segment of the Western Wall Tunnels resulted in Arab rioting, as did the start of excavations on the Rambam (Mughrabi) foot bridge. With the war in the south, however, and Israeli-Arab rioting going on anyway, the government has apparently decided that time has come.
 

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Under-45s barred from Temple Mount

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS

Bracing for violence, Jerusalem police announced late Thursday that they will be imposing restrictions on Muslim entrance to the Temple Mount on Friday due to rioting in east Jerusalem earlier this week.

All Arab men under the age of 45 will be barred from Friday midday prayers due to security concerns, police said, with only those above 45 with Israeli ID cards - as well as women of any age - allowed into the compound.

Police sporadically close off the bitterly contested site to younger male Arabs on Fridays during times of high tension and following multiple alerts over possible violence at the compound.

Meanwhile, for the third straight day, police on Thursday barred a group of Israeli Arab members of the Islamic Movement from carrying out unauthorized construction work on the Temple Mount, police said.

Two men were detained by police after trying to carry out "surfacing work" in an unauthorized area of the holy site for the second straight day, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

Three Arab men had been taken in for questioning on Wednesday.

According to decades-old regulations in place at the Temple Mount, Israel maintains overall security control at the site, while the Wakf, or the Islamic Trust, is charged with its day-to-day administration.

Jerusalem police chief Cmdr. Aharon Franco said this week that maintaining Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were "top police goals." He noted that Islamic officials were exploiting the tensions in east Jerusalem over last weekend's IDF operation in Gaza to try and carry out the work, and break the status quo at the site.

Meanwhile, three Jerusalem Arabs were indicted Thursday for allegedly assaulting two Jerusalem Municipality inspectors during rioting earlier this week.

The three men, two adults and a minor, were charged with endangering human life, attempting to inflict serious injury, causing damage with grievous intent, and assaulting a public official.

The city workers were pelted with a shower of stones and rocks as they drove through a major east Jerusalem thoroughfare at midday on Monday, narrowly escaping serious injury.

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 27:11

11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

KJV

John 2:15-17

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

KJV

 

Saturday - March 8, 2008

Rabbi Shapira: Stop Playing with Land of Israel

(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, the head of Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva, eulogized the slain students Friday, saying that "it is about time we have a good, worthy leadership."

He added: "The Torah says: 'and you shall not defile the land' ['for bloodshed will pollute the land' – Numbers 35:33 – ed.]. It also says 'The Lord is a Lord of revenge,' but there is also revenge by human beings, and there is revenge of the land – 'Though I have acquitted them, those who shed their blood I have not acquitted.' [from the last verse in the Book of Joel – ed.]."

"The Land of Israel is not abandoned, and people must stop playing with it and dividing it," Rabbi Shapira said.
 

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Terrorist's Family Proudly Displays Hamas Flags

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) Israeli security forces have razed the home of the murderous terrorist who murdered eight Merkaz HaRav yeshiva students.  He lived in Jabel Mukabar, a neighborhood just east of Jerusalem's East Talpiyot neighborhood.

His family set up a mourners' tent outside the ruins, and hung Hamas flags all around it.

Police denied reports that the murderous terrorist had once worked for Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav.  However, he was a driver who often transported children and others, and there were reports that he had occasionally been hired by the yeshiva.  His last trip was Thursday evening to Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav, where his van was found after the attack with ammunition inside. 

Magen David Adom emergency medical services are on the highest level of alert all around the country.  Jerusalem police are out in force as well, especially to guard the Moslem prayers on the Temple Mount - though police commentator Uri Cohen Aharonov said, "The Arabs have basically had their fill for one day, and no disturbances are expected."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced, shortly after the slaughter, the emplacement of a closure on the Arabs of Judea and Samaria that "will be lifted according to security assessments." The closure will not include humanitarian, medical and exceptional cases.

Israel's Foreign Ministry issued this statement regarding Islamic terrorism after the attack:

"Tonight’s murder of yeshiva students during a religious event expresses at its most deplorable the fundamentalist-extremist foundations, in the name of which Palestinian terrorism operates.  Israel will never allow terrorism to achieve its goals.  Such abominable terrorist attacks must strengthen the free world’s understanding of the nature of the terrorist threat.  A clear, decisive and uncompromising stand is necessary against such terrorism.

 

"Israel is at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism and will continue to defend its citizens, who are exposed to this threat on a daily basis.  Israel expects the nations of the world to support it in its war against those who murder students, women and children, by any means and with respect for neither place nor target."

 

Isaiah 11:4-10

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

KJV

 

Sunday - March 9, 2008

Rabbi Yakov Shapira Calls for Spiritual Revolution

(IsraelNN.com) The head of Mercaz HaRav Kook yeshiva, Rabbi Yakov Shapira, told mourners Friday: "This massacre is a continuation of the massacre of 1929 and still the prophet's blood is boiling."

"The leaders of the nations also understand that the Torah is the heart of the nation. We all want, and we all believe, that it is already time for a spiritual revolution," he said.

Romans 5:11-17

11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

KJV

 

Monday - March 10, 2008

PA Daily: Mass Murderer is a Martyr

by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) Mahmoud Abbas's official Palestinian Authority daily newspaper has honored the terrorist who gunned down eight high school students at point blank range with the status of shahid, or holy Islamic martyr.

The official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida prominently placed a picture of the point-blank child killer on the front page, with the caption, "The Shahid Alaa Abu Dheim." In a page one article on the massacre at the Mercaz HaRav Kook yeshiva, his crime was again defined as an act of martyrdom (shahada).

Watchdog group Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) said that in publishing the article, "the PA is sending its people a straightforward message of support for the terror murders and the murderer." According to the PA's interpretation of Islam, PMW explained, a human being can achieve no higher status than that of shahid.

Will it cost them?
Besides its effect in inciting and encouraging terror, the honoring of terrorists by the PA has significant financial ramifications, PMW explained. Last week the US Administration sent a request to Congress to allocate $150 million to the Palestinian Authority. However, in response to earlier PMW reports on the widespread PA practice of honoring terror, Congress made it illegal for the US to give money to entities that "advocate" terror, as follows:

"[The Secretary of State] shall terminate assistance to any individual, entity... which she has determined to be involved in or advocating terrorist activity." Congress further legislated that "none of the [U.S.] ... assistance under the West Bank and Gaza Program may be made available for the purpose of recognizing or otherwise honoring individuals who commit, or have committed acts of terrorism" (2008 Foreign Operations Bill).

PMW stated Sunday: "Since a society's honoring of terrorists is one of the greatest terror promotions, and as the budget for the PA newspaper comes from the PA's general budget, the incessant honoring of this and all recent terrorists by Abbas's PA as Holy Islamic Shahids should render the Palestinian Authority ineligible to receive any American money under the terms of US law.

Shahid status
To strengthen its case, PMW gave examples of statements made by five Palestinian religious leaders in the past few years, all teaching of the supreme status of the shahids:

"Shahada [Islamic Martyrdom] is an honor, only those who Allah desires, attain the privilege" (Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sneina, Al Aqsa Mosque, Friday Sermon, PA Radio, Dec. 28, 2001).

"When the Shahid meets his Maker, all his sins are forgiven from the first gush of blood, and he is exempted from the torments of the grave. He sees his place in Paradise. He is shielded from the Great Shock and marries 72 dark eyed [maidens]. He is a heavenly advocate for 70 members of his family. On his head is placed a crown of honor, one stone of which is worth more than all there is in this world" (Dr. Isma'il al-Raduan, Friday Sermon, PA TV, Aug 17, 2001). ...

Matthew 27:37

37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

KJV

Psalms 24:8-10

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

KJV

 

Tuesday - March 11, 2008

Israel Collapses to US Pressure, Pulls Troops Out of Gaza

by Hana Levi Julian

(IsraelNN.com) Despite vows last week to continue military operations until there is an end to all rocket fire on southern Israel, the Israeli government has pulled troops out of Gaza.

The move came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressured Israeli leaders last week to end the counterterrorism operations against rocket-firing terrorists. More than 7,600 rockets have battered communities in the western Negev since the outbreak of the Oslo War in 2000, most recently striking the coastal city of Ashkelon.

Egyptian officials have been serving as mediators between Israel and Hamas to arrange an unofficial ceasefire, said Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah, who were quoted by the Jerusalem Port as saying "secret understandings" had been reached.

Both Israel and Hamas have publicly denied any such secret arrangement.

Defense Ministry officials also said they had not been informed of any ceasefire deal with Hamas.

But a military source said "There is restraint, even if undeclared." A senior government official expressed frustration with the quiet deal, saying "the new tacit arrangement… completely contradicts the cabinet's decision (to maintain pressure on Hamas –ed.) without proper procedure or cabinet approval."

Hamas spokesman Muhammed Nasr acknowledged that Egypt has been working on the issue, but noted that "Egypt has been working to achieve calm (tahadiye in Arabic –ed.) for several years." The terrorist organization has been insisting on a full IDF pullout from Gaza, the reopening of all the border crossings and an end to Israel's counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria as well.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accused the PA, after a massacre at a Jerusalem yeshiva that left eight young students dead and 11 others injured last week, of not doing enough to fight terrorism.

A senior aide to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded by accusing Israel of deliberately sabotaging peace efforts by carrying out counterterrorism operations in PA-controlled cities in Judea and Samaria.  Yasser Abed Rabbo threatened that the PA would not return to negotiations until an Israeli ceasefire with Hamas was reached.

Hundreds of trucks loaded with foodstuffs, medical supplies and equipment have been sent by Israel to Gaza throughout the IDF counterterrorism operations. On Monday alone, 145 trucks of humanitarian aid (meat, dairy products, oil, sugar, etc) are being delivered via the various crossings into Gaza. In addition, a number of Gaza residents wounded in the shootouts have been brought to Israeli hospitals for treatment. 

Talks to Resume Between Hamas and Fatah

Hamas and Fatah officials did confirm that an agreement to resume talks between the rival factions had been reached. Officials from the two factions are set to meet in Yemen in the near future to discuss ways to end the friction and hold early elections to form a new government.

 

The deal violates a promise by Abbas to eschew further contact with Hamas.

PA security forces received millions of dollars in foreign aid, thousands of new weapons, millions of rounds of ammunition and advanced military training by the US on the strength of that promise.

The closure imposed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak early Friday on Judea and Samaria was lifted Monday morning despite reports on Sunday that it was to remain through the holiday of Purim, which begins March 20.

Security officials sealed off crossings in and out of PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria hours after Thursday's attack on the yeshiva.

 

Ezekiel 38:23

23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

KJV

Wednesday - March 12, 2008

New Religious City in Israel: Modiin Illit

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) Modiin Illit, popularly known as Kiryat Sefer, is now a city, having been granted approval by the Interior Minister and IDF Central Commander.  It thus becomes the fourth Jewish city in Judea and Samaria, following Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Beitar Illit.

The new city is virtually all-hareidi, along the lines of Beitar Illit and Elad.  Located some 25 kilometers east of Tel Aviv, it straddles the Green Line border between pre- and post-'67 Israel, though most of it is well within the Samaria (Shomron) area.  For this reason, its change in status required the consent of IDF Central Commander Gen. Gadi Shamni.

Mayor Rabbi Yaakov Guterman said, "Our city is considered Israel's third-largest Torah center [after Jerusalem and Bnei Brak - ed.], and is a drawing card for Torah institutions.  It has long functioned as a city, and now it has received an official stamp of approval... Its great merit lies in its Torah scholars and the Torah and Hassidut insitutions that grace its streets."

History and Demography
Kiryat Sefer existed as a flourishing Jewish village during the Second Temple period, 2,000 years ago.  It was abandoned when the Romans destroyed the Temple and the Jewish commonwealth in 66-70 C.E, was later briefly resettled, and was totally destroyed during the Roman suppression of the Bar-Kokhba Rebellion in the 130's C.E.

The city today numbers over 36,000 people, more than Dimona, Or Yehuda and Maaleh Adumim, and approximately on par with Ramat HaSharon and Kiryat Bialik near Haifa.  Its fertility rate is the highest in the country.

The decision to turn a Local Council into a city is based on various factors, including: governmental stability, law enforcement and supervision, collection of taxes and payments, fair distribution of resources, measures taken against illegal construction, and the like.

Other Towns
Judea and Samaria localities such as Givat Zev, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, Karnei Shomron, Beit El, Kedumim, Emanuel and others continue to have Local Council status.  Smaller communities are bunched together geographically in Regional Councils.

 

John 5:22-29

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

KJV

 

Thursday - March 13, 2008

The Temple Institute is Pleased to Announce that Production of 120 Sets of Linen Garments for Lay Priests is Presently Underway

 

The rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service. The last priestly garments to have been worn were those worn by the priests who were martyred by the Roman legions who brutally invaded and destroyed the Holy Temple on the ninth day of the month of Av, in the year 70 CE.

THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE HAS SPARED NO EFFORT in procuring the necessary materials for the performing of this Torah commandment, and once again has enlisted 21st century technology in order to do so in a manner befitting the Torah injunction that these priestly garments be "both dignified and beautiful". (Exodus 28:40)

SPECIALLY PREPARED FLAXEN THREAD, wound into six-ply strands, according to the Torah prescribed requirement, ("twined linen - shesh mushzar"), has been imported from India. These individual spools of thread are presently being spun into larger 1.7 meter long spindles in order to accomodate the next step: the weaving of bolts of fabric 1.7 meters wide. Before commencing this process, (known in Hebrew as hashtayah), of creating the 1.7 meter spindles, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder of the Temple Institute made the traditional shechechiyanu blessing expressing gratitute to G-d " ...for keeping us alive and preserving us and permitting us to behold this day." In addition, before every step of the manufacturing process, a special statement of intent must be uttered in Hebrew: "L'shem mitzvat assei assiyat bigdei hakehuna: for the sake of the positive commandment to make the priestly garments."

THE PREPARED SPINDLES are then being transported from the textile factory in the town of Gedera to a second factory in the city of Tel Aviv. There they will be woven into kilometer (3,280 foot) long bolts. The weaving process, (known in Hebrew as arigah), creates the checkerboard pattern described in Torah, (ibid 28:39).

THE FINAL STAGES of the manufacture of the garments involves the cutting, sewing and embroidering of the woven fabric, creating the tunic (ketonet), pants (michnasayim), turban (mitznefet) and belt (avnet). The turban (mitznefet) is eight meters (26 feet) in length, and is wrapped around the priest's head. Each belt (avnet) requires a sixteen meter (52 feet) length of linen, which is wrapped around the priest's waist. (During the time of the Second Temple, when preparing to serve in the Holy Temple, the priests dressed in the chamber known as the chamber of Pinchas the Wardrober, and each priest was assisted by a fellow priest with the turban and belt.)

AS ALWAYS, IN RECREATING TEMPLE-READY VESSELS AND GARMENTS, the Temple Institute research department initiates the process with intensive research, assuring in this case that the priestly garments will be created in strict accordance to the halachic requirements as described in Torah and in the unbroken oral tradition received at Sinai and preserved by Jewish sages throughout the generations.

EACH SET OF PRIESTLY GARMENTS will be tailored to fit its individual purchaser. The garments being created are not museum pieces or collector's items. Their cost is 2,500 shekel, (approximately $695). They will be sold only to true decendants of the High Priest Aharon, who aspire to be fully prepared for the day when they can once again perform the Divine service in the Holy Temple, may we merit to rebuild it soon!

INCREDIBLY, this is our first public announcement of the production of the priestly garments and we have already registered our first orders. A second production run is already being planned to accomodate the anticipated demand. In these very difficult and trying times we witness the enemies of the G-d of Israel arrayed to the north and to the south and to the east and to the west of the land of Israel, shamelessly boasting of their wicked intentions, and even Israel's friends are calling upon her to relinquish control over the Temple Mount, the one place chosen on earth by G-d for His presence to dwell, and for all mankind to be seen in His service. The demand by the descendents of Aharon for the garments that they will wear while tending to their daily responsibilites in the Holy Temple can only be understood as an expression of unshakable faith in the unfolding trajectory of Jewish history and in G-d's promise for all mankind: "And My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56:7)

 

 

Exodus 39:27-29

27 And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,

28 And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,

29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses.

KJV

 

Friday - March 14, 2008

‘Calm’ shattered as two dozen rockets pound western Negev

Islamic Jihad calls Kassam barrages 'slap in Egypt's face'

Over 30 rockets and mortars were fired into southern Israel on Thursday, as the Islamic Jihad terror militia refused to abide by a pending ceasefire on the Gaza border.

Although no serious injuries were reported, the barrage of rockets today pointed out the flaws in the truce Egypt was attempting to broker in recent days between Israel and Hamas. First, Hamas can always just subcontract out attacks to one of several 'renegade' Palestinian terror militias and disclaim any connection to them. Secondly, Israel is reluctant to accept Hamas’s demand to extend the ceasefire to the West Bank, where two IDF arrest operations yesterday left five Islamic Jihad militiamen dead, prompting today’s rocket salvos from Gaza.

The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the latest round of Kassam rockets, saying that it was in retaliation for the IDF operations in the West Bank which killed the senior-most Islamic Jihad commander in Bethlehem, as well as four other Jihad operatives. An Islamic Jihad spokesman said Thursday that "what happened is a blow and a slap in Egypt's face in light of its efforts to reach a lull...”

The Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades also declared that it would no longer abide by an unofficial truce with Israel.

The Prime Minister's Office said on today that Israel holds Hamas accountable for every rocket fired by any of the myriad of terror militias in the Gaza Strip. "When another group publicly takes responsibility, as happened earlier today, such a group could not be shooting rockets without the acquiescence and collaboration of Hamas. We will not allow Hamas to subcontract out terrorism," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Olmert.

Also on Thursday, former Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Hamas had to be toppled before the Kassam rocket fire would stop. "Israel will not exist side by side with this Iranian entity 3 kilometers from Sderot and 10 kilometers from Ashkelon," Sneh told Army Radio. "There can be no solution without a diplomatic agreement, and there can be no solution without the military wiping out Hamas."
 

 

2 Corinthians 6:17-18

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

KJV

 

Saturday - March 1,5 2008

MK Ariel: Knesset Crawling Before German Amalek

(IsraelNN.com) MK Uri Ariel (NU/NRP) said Thursday that the Knesset was wrong to allow German leader Angela Merkel to address it in German next Tuesday. Ariel mentioned that the weekly Torah portion for this Shabbat includes the command "remember what Amalek did to you" and that the Germans "are Amalekites. They are the father of the Amalekites. No Amalekite like them has ever been born." Ariel compared the Knesset decision to "crawling" and behaving like "rags" (smartooteem). 

MK Aryeh Eldad (NU/NRP) said he would leave the plenum when Merkel spoke: "I cannot hear German in the Knesset plenum. It is the language in which my grandfather and grandmother were murdered."

Merkel is not the first leader to address the Knesset in German. She was preceded by German President Horst Kohler in 2005 and EU Parliament President Hans Gert Poettering in 2007.

---

Israeli Arrested After Entering No-Jew Zone
 

(IsraelNN.com) An Israeli citizen was arrested by "police" militiamen from the "Palestinian Authority" after he entered PA-controlled Bethlehem.

He was handed over to the IDF, which transferred his matter to the police.

Israelis may not enter PA-controlled territory.

 

 

Revelation 20:1-10

20 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

KJV

 

Sunday - March 16, 2008

Israeli air strikes kill 3 Gaza militants, Palestinians say

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israeli airstrikes killed three Palestinian militants and wounded six Saturday, Palestinian medical and security officials said. They said the dead and wounded were all members of the Islamic Jihad group, hit in three separate raids in central and northern Gaza.

The Israeli military confirmed two strikes, in which it said five armed men preparing to launch rockets at Israeli targets were hit. Earlier, the military said, three Palestinian rockets fell in Israel but there were no reported casualties.

---

The Jerusalem Post editorial

Israel is reportedly bracing for a "skewed" report from Lt.-Gen. William Fraser on Israeli and Palestinian implementation of their road map obligations. What is likely "skewed," however, is not just one report, but the whole US approach to achieving Arab-Israeli peace. .. The micro problem with this approach is that there is no symmetry between settlements and terrorism, on either the moral or strategic levels. It is a moral travesty that building homes is compared to murdering innocents… Read More

 

Nahum 2:13

13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

KJV

 

Monday - March 17, 2008

Israeli Court Refers Case of Jailed Teen to Sanhedrin Court

by Ezra HaLevi

(IsraelNN.com) Tzviya Sariel of Elon Moreh, who has been held in jail since December for refusing to recognize the authority of the secular court system, was allowed to testify before a Torah court set up by the nascent Sanhedrin Friday. The Sanhedrin Court for Matters of People and State ordered her immediate release.

The court, headed by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, heard Sariel’s testimony after a judge from Netanya’s Magistrates Court ordered that she be allowed to attend the hearing on the limits of the youth’s struggle against the Israeli judicial system. It is presumed that Netanya Magistrates Court Judge Smadar Kolander-Abramovitch hoped the Sanhedrin court would instruct Sariel to put and end to her struggle and recognize the civil courts.      

The Court For Matters of People and State also heard testimony from the girl’s mother, as well as Shmuel Medad of the Honenu legal assistance organization. The court concluded that Sariel’s right to refuse to recognize Israel’s current justice system is justified and ruled that the only limitation to the struggle is the ability of each individual to withstand the difficulties of prison. The court also ordered that Sariel be released immediately, without any limitations. "Every day and every hour that Tzvia Sariel spends behind bars is a wrongdoing to this girl," Rabbi Ariel ruled. "Justice demands to release her immediately. It is a serious stain on the judiciary system in Israel. According to the Torah law of Israel, we are demanding her immediate release without conditions and to erase the indictment." 

The hearing was marked by uncertainty over legal procedure, according to IsraelJustice.com. "Attorneys did not understand what role was given to the rabbinical court in a criminal case and whether the rabbis were granted any authority over the civil court judge who approved the procedure. Usually, Rabbinical courts are only authorized to hear cases that concern marriage and divorce. "There is a question of authorities," Honenu's Meidad explained.

Sariel was arrested in December and has been held for three months for allegedly pushing an Arab who entered her town to pick olives.  Judges decided to keep her in prison without formal charges after she refused to cooperate with the secular justice system.  Sariel, 18, remains in prison even after two Arab men, witnesses called by the prosecution, testified that she was not involved in the alleged physical assault.

Jabber Mahmoud Hussein, called to the stand by the Prosecution, said: "I managed to come to court twice, despite the fact that the accused didn't hit me or do anything bad to us at all...we are prepared to close this case because all we want is to harvest olives in peace."

Precedent: State of Israel Recognizes Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin court called for the establishment of a committee to act as bridge between the state's law and Torah law, in light of the legal precedent set by the Israeli court’s recognition of the court and its findings.

“It is no coincidence that the hearing took place on the anniversary of the passing of Moses our teacher, the father of Hebrew law, and close to the days of Purim, when it is said that the Jews reaccepted and affirmed their commitment to the law of the Torah,” a statement from the court said.

After the verdict was read, the court's rabbis, wrapped in prayer shawls, stood and recited the special prayers accepting the justice of the Almighty, according to IsraelJustice.com: "Everyone in the courtroom followed in a loud chant to say the words, 'Hear O' Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One,' despite an attempt by prison guards to prevent supporters, including Ruth Sariel, Tzvia's mother, from entering the hearing."

Following the hearing, the officials present from the Prisons Authority affirmed their commitment to carry out the verdict of the Sanhedrin court. Prisons' Authority warden Hila Furis reportedly told those present: “The Prisons' Authority recognizes the authority of the [Sanhedrin] court and will act to implement the verdict.” They removed Sariel's leg restraints and claimed she was being brought to the Ramle Magistrates court, where she would be released before the Sabbath.

Sariel was returned to Neve Tirza Prison, however, where she spent the Sabbath. Her parents say she has been placed in solitary confinement. Rabbi Ariel said the court would continue to follow the case and work for Sariel’s release, in accordance with the directives of the Netanya court.

The nascent Sanhedrin, headed by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, was established in 2004, with the renewal of Semikha (ordination) in order to create the infrastructure necessary to fulfill the Torah obligation of reestablishing the supreme Jewish legal body of 71 Torah scholars. The Court for People and State has been one of the most active projects of the nascent Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin court is not, as of yet, universally accepted, even among the many streams of observant Judaism. Those now participating are committed to stepping aside when greater or more prominent scholars take their seats.

Click here for an interview with three girls recently released from prison despite their refusal to recognize the court system.

 

Matthew 5:17-20

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

KJV

Matthew 5:21-22

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

KJV

Matthew 5:28

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

KJV

 

 

Tuesday - March 18, 2008

First Temple remains uncovered near Mount

The remains from a building dating back to the First Temple period have been uncovered in an archeological dig just west of Jerusalem's Temple Mount, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Sunday. The discovery marks the first time archeologists in Jerusalem have found building remains from the First Temple period so close to the Temple Mount. The "unprecedented" find was first discovered a couple of months ago in the northwestern part of the Western Wall plaza. The excavation revealed the remains of a magnificent colonnaded street from the Late Roman period (second century CE) referred to as the Eastern Cardo, which was set directly on top of the remains of a building that dates to the end of the First Temple period. The walls of the buildings are preserved to a height of over two meters. Another artifact found in the excavations is a personal seal made of precious stone bearing a Hebrew inscription that was apparently inlaid in a ring. The newly-found remnants of the city's past will be preserved next to a new Western Wall Heritage Center, slated to be built at the site, and whose planning prompted the salvage dig.
 

John 8:12

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

KJV

John 9:4-7

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

KJV

John 1:3-14

s made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

KJV

 

 

Wednesday - March 19, 2008

Dershowitz: 'Rule of Law Must Adapt to Terrorism'

by Hillel Fendel

 

(IsraelNN.com) Prof. Alan Dershowitz, visiting in Israel, says 'rule of law' must adapt itself to fight the terror threat. He bemoans American Jewry's lack of connection with Israel, and calls on U.S. Jews to visit Israel.

Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University and an outspoken advocate for Israel in books, articles, lectures and debates, has set two goals for his current visit to Israel: He's here to show support for the residents of Sderot and Ashkelon, and to teach classes and give lectures on how to fight the war against terrorism within a revamped rule of law.

Speaking with IsraelNationalRadio's Yishai Fleisher, Dershowitz said, "I will be teaching how the rule of law has to change, to adapt to the new realities of suicide terrorists who use human shields and thus place democracies in a difficult situation. They take advantage of our higher morality, forcing democracies to choose between doing nothing or inevitably killing civilians.  The rules currently favor the terrorists over the democracies, and the rules have to change."

On-Line Rally for Sderot
Dershowitz said he will be participating in a large American Jewish Congress conference this week at which these issues will be discussed. "Some of the world's most important and influential jurists will be there, such as Irwin Kotler, who was Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Canada, former Israeli Supreme Court justices, and Americans as well.  It will be an interesting attempt to redefine jurisprudence."

Prof. Dershowitz will also be visiting Sderot later this week, taking part in what organizers expect will be the largest-ever on-line rally.  The rally will begin at 5 PM New York time (11 PM in Israel) this Thursday night, at www.togetherforisrael.org, and will switch back and forth between Israel, New York, Los Angeles and other sites around the world.  Those involved, including Dershowitz, are hoping to have a million people click and sign on during the rally.

A Target on His Back
"I'll be under the rockets in Sderot myself, with a big target on my back," Dershowitz said, "just like all the other citizens of Sderot. I want to feel what it's like to be in Sderot and Ashkelon at these times, with the terrorists playing Russian rocket roulette with the lives of Israeli citizens.  Israel should adopt a zero tolerance policy for rockets. I have written that every rocket that flies from Gaza into Israel is a violation of UN Charter Article 51 - an armed attack giving Israel the full and complete right to proportional self-defense."

"Why must it be proportional?" Fleisher interjected, to which Dershowitz responded, "Proportional doesn't mean equating lives; it just means that if they fire a rifle at you, you can't nuke them.  It also doesn't mean that for every life taken, you can take one life, as the international community absurdly believes. It simply means that you don't react totally out of proportion, and neither do you look at the actual damage caused, but rather, you look at the risks of an attack. If each rocket can potentially kill 100 people, then just because they missed, it doesn't remove the risk that had been there. Israel doesn't have to wait until inevitably a rocket hits a school bus or a kindergarten or an ambulance; it can look at the risks, not just the actual consequences."

Hizbullah Wants More Civilian Deaths
Dershowitz noted that while Israel has built a shelter system in Sderot in order to protect lives, "Hizbullah did exactly the opposite in Lebanon in 2006 - because Hizbullah wanted to increase the amount of its civilian deaths. That's because our culture is one of ubacharta bachaim [the Biblical prescription to 'choose life'], while the Imams encourage them to look at their children as martyrs.  This is what makes it so difficult for the democracies, because the terrorists are trying to get us to kill their children."

US Jewry Growing More Disconnected with Israel
Fleisher asked Prof. Dershowitz about the lack of connection of American Jews with Israel, noting that 70% of them have never been to Israel. "It's getting much worse," Dershowitz agreed. "My generation had a high level of connection to Israel, but my children and grandchildren's generations are much less so. Jews in their 20's are sometimes embarrassed by Israel; they're fair-weather friends.  They're happy when Israel succeeds, but they ignore Israel when international support goes down.  But core support for Israel is still pretty strong."

"I think we have to increase the case for Israel, that's why I write so much - I've written The Case for Israel, and now I'm writing The Case Against Israel's Enemies, where I take on people like Jimmy Carter, and Ahmedinajad, and Mearsheimer and Walt and other professors who devote their lives to their hatred of Israel. They have to know that they will be answered..."

"And in order to increase a sense of passion for Israel," Dershowitz concluded, "we have to bring more Jews to Israel; there's no better way to get a passion for Israel than to be here." 

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

KJV

 

 

Thursday - March 20, 2008

Stellar Phenomenon
 

What happened to Saturn's rings? Amateur astronomers have noticed something different when they peer through their telescopes recently. "The rings have narrowed considerably in the last year," one said. "The Cassini division (a dark gap in the rings) is getting hard to see."

Red Alert: Saturn's rings are vanishing.

Around the world, amateur astronomers have noticed the change; Saturn's wide open rings are rapidly narrowing into a thin line. Efrain Morales Rivera sends these pictures taken through a backyard telescope in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico:

"The rings have narrowed considerably in the last year," he reports. "The Cassini division (a dark gap in the rings) is getting hard to see."

Four hundred years ago, the same phenomenon puzzled Galileo. Peering through a primitive spy glass, he discovered Saturn's rings in 1610 and immediately wrote to his Medici patrons: "I found another very strange wonder, which I should like to make known to their Highnesses...." He was dumbfounded, however, when the rings winked out little more than a year later.

What happened?
 

Leviticus 14:2-4

2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:

3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;

4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:

KJV

 

Ezekiel 43:23-24

23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

24 And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord.

KJV

Mark 1:42-45

42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

KJV

 

Friday - March 21, 2008

Poll: 84% of West Bank Arabs back Yeshiva massacre

According to a New York Times poll released on Wednesday, 84% of Palestinians in the West Bank support the actions of an Arab gunman who massacred eight Jewish seminary students on March 6 at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem. The poll of some 1,270 Palestinians also found that 64% supported the launching of Kassam rockets at southern Israeli towns. “The anger that this poll is registering is about equal to that at the very height of the second intifada,” said the Palestinian pollster, Khalil Shikaki, who added that he had never witnessed such a staunch support of terror in the last 15 years of surveying in Ramallah. The same poll also showed that Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh is drawing approval from 47% of respondents as compared to 46% for Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. Around 75% of Palestinians also want to stop Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
 

Revelation 7:14-15

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

KJV

 

Sunday - March 23, 2008

McCain on Sderot visit : 'This is no way to live'

'When attacked, one has to respond'

US Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain visited embattled Sderot on Wednesday and stopped to talk with local children dressed up in their Purim party costumes about the threat they face from daily rocket attacks.
 
"The situation here is one that is very compelling. [There have been] 900 rocket attacks in less than three months, on average [of] one every two hours," Mccain told an entourage of reporters. "Obviously, this puts an enormous strain on the people, especially on the children, as they celebrate their version of Halloween here."

"They are somewhere close to a 15-second warning, which is the amount of time they have from when a rocket is launched, for them to get to safety. That is not a way for people to live," said McCain.

This “tragedy” underlines the “absolute requirement to pursue the peace process,” which is the only method to stop the crisis, he said.

But McCain said he realizes that Israel has no alternative but to fight the ongoing rocket attacks when there is no peace. "When one is attacked, one has to respond," said McCain.

"No nation in the world can be attacked incessantly and have its population killed and intimidated without responding. One of the first obligations of government is to provide security for all of its citizens. The Israeli government has to act in that fashion and I understand it," said the Arizona Senator.

McCain is winding up a three-day stopover in Israel as part of a regional fact-finding mission linked to his dutes as a member of Congress. Though unrelated to his race for the presidency, McCain hopes the visit will build confidence with Israelis and attract American Jewish voters.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak accompanied McCain on the Sderot visit and vowed that IDF forces would continue to operate inside Gaza to stop the rocket attacks. Barak pointed out that although the rockets are not strong enough to harm armored military units, they are designed to kill civilians.
 

Mark 13:25-30

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

KJV

 

Mpnday - March 24, 2008

Netanyahu: J'lem Withdrawal Will Bring Iran to Capital

by Avi Tuchmayer

(IsraelNN.com) Opposition leader Benyamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that an Israeli withdrawal from any part of Jerusalem would lead to the creation of an Iranian base in the heart of Israel.

"The Iranian threat (must be neutralized) before it arms itself with a nuclear bomb. In addition, Iran must be prevented from building its main bases in the region, from Gaza to Lebanon, and particularly in Jerusalem," he said.

Netanyahu has been warning about Iran's nuclear ambitions for more than a decade. His 1995 book Fighting Terrorism contains a chapter entitled "The Specter of Nuclear Terrorism" that focuses largely on the Islamic Republic, and outlines the history of Iran's nuclear installations at Bushehr and Isfahan and concludes with a chilling warning about terrorist groups and states obtaining nuclear weapons: "(They will)  invariably deploy them in the service of their aggressive purposes."

In addition to security issues, Netanyahu told US Vice President Dick Cheney that basic religious freedoms for non-Muslims would be endangered by ceding parts of the capital to Iran and its latest prodigy, the Hamas terrorist organization.

"Hamas, Iran and other forces affiliated with them will take control of it. They will threaten Jerusalem's wellbeing, Israel's security and the freedom of worship for millions of pilgrims and members of the different religions who visit the city today," he said. Cheney replied that the US administration understood the situation.  

Netanyahu also reiterated his call to the Shas Party to quit the government over ongoing negotiations over Jerusalem with the PA, which Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni confirmed on Friday. Earlier this month, the Shas party received some 185 million shekels in government funding for its institutions as part of its coalition agreement.

 

Psalms 24:8-10

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

KJV

Luke 19:37-41

37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

KJV

 

Wednesday - March 26, 2008

Barak Admits: Jenin Decision Doesn't Jibe With Israeli Security

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) Defense Minister Ehud Barak has agreed to allow 600 armed Palestinian Authority policemen into the northern Shomron city of Jenin - though he knows it does not jibe with the requirements of Israeli security.

Explaining his decision this morning, Barak said, "We have overriding responsibility for the security of Israeli citizens, but in order to improve the chances in our talks with the Palestinians, we must try to make things easier for them - even at the price of a calculated risk."  He spoke at the IDF Induction Center in Tel HaShomer, near Tel Aviv.

Barak plans to inform PA prime minister Salam Fayad of the decision in a meeting with him tomorrow (Wednesday).  The Defense Minister will make it clear that security responsibility for the area will remain in Israeli hands.
 
Successful Model in Shechem
A similar model has been in operation for several months in Shechem (Nablus), where 500 armed PA policemen patrol the streets during the day.  "They deal only with regular law-and-order issues, and they are notably disciplined," Arutz-7's security correspondent Haggai Huberman notes. "When Israeli forces tell them to 'move over' so that terrorists can be arrested or the like, they do so." 

Israel Keeps Hamas Out
Asked to explain why this might be, Huberman said, "For one thing, they know that Shechem is surrounded by us - more so than Jenin.  But more importantly, they are well aware that the only reason Hamas is not taking over is because we are in charge.  The fact that we have overall responsibility for security is what is keeping Fatah in power."

Similar arrangements exist in Hevron and, to a lesser extent, in Bethlehem.  

Israel also plans to help the Palestinian Authority host an international business conference this coming May. 

Israel hopes that these gestures will remove some of the pressure that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice - who plans to visit the region at the end of this week - is expected to exert upon Israel.
 

 

Isaiah 10:20-21

20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

KJV

 

Friday - March 28, 2008

Obama Advisor Blames US Jews for Lack of Mid-East Peace

 

by Avi Tuchmayer

(IsraelNN.com) Once again, a furor surrounding US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has erupted, this time over a senior military advisor to the Obama campaign with a history of anti-Israel remarks. He has strongly criticized pro-Israel Jews in the United States for allegedly torpedoing peace efforts in the Middle East.

In a 2003 interview with The Oregonian newspaper unearthed by The American Spectator magazine, General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former chief of staff in the United States Air Force who is a candidate for secretary of defense in a potential Obama administration, claimed that efforts to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority failed because there is no US-written "playbook" to create peace.

An interviewer asked General McPeak "So where's the problem? State? White House?" McPeak pulled no punches. "(The problem rests in) New York City. Miami. We have a large vote here in favor of Israel. And no politician wants to run against it…nobody wants to take on that problem. It's just too tough politically. So that means we can't . . . you can't develop a Middle East strategy. It's impossible," he said.

Even prior to the Oregonian interview, McPeak was known as a long-time critic of Israel's presence in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan Heights. In a 1976 article in Foreign Affairs magazine, he criticized Israel for refusing to withdraw from areas liberated in the 1967 Six Day War, even as he wrote poignantly about the vital security advantages Israel obtained by conquering those areas.

"At the Suez Canal, Israel had the best 'tank ditch' in the Middle East. The Gaza Strip, long a nursery for Egyptian-supported terrorism reaching to within a few miles of Tel Aviv, had come under Israeli administration. On the Golan, Israel at last held the high ground. The bulge of the West Bank, an implicit threat that Israel would be cut in two, had been superseded by the line of the Jordan River. More important, the air threat to Israel had disappeared, at least for the moment. Tel Aviv had been 12 minutes flying time from Egyptian bases in the northern Sinai," he wrote.

Yet the same article calls for an Israeli withdrawal from those areas, and seems to suggest that despite Israel's legitimate security concerns, "genuine security depends on regional accommodation, which the Arab states say cannot occur until all of the occupied territory is returned."

Latest storm
The storm surrounding McPeak is the latest in a series of anti-Israel revelations to tar the Obama campaign in recent months. Obama has long been a favorite son of left wing elements in the United States, but has been strongly criticized for failing to cut ties with radical preacher Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Wright has called Israel a "racist country," said that "Israel" is a dirty word, and claimed US foreign policy was responsible for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Another anti-Israel activist, Arab-American Ali Abunimah, has claimed to know Obama well and to have met him on numerous occasions at pro-Palestinian events in Chicago.

During his tenure as a junior air force commander, McPeak spent time in Israel and participated in joint exercises with the Israeli air force. He acknowledged that he enjoyed his experiences here, "but that's maybe the more cosmopolitan, liberal version of the Israeli population," he added.

Zionist Canard
McPeak also charged Jews and Christian Zionists with dual-loyalties, and said that concern for Israel manipulated American foreign policy in Iraq.

"Let's say that if one of your abiding concerns is the security of Israel as opposed to a purely American self-interest, then it would make sense to build a dozen or so bases in Iraq," he said.
 

 

2 Corinthians 3:5

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

KJV

2 Corinthians 9:8-9

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

KJV

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

KJV