Stand for Israel

Iron Dome to the rescue

For over eight years Israel has been attacked by terrorist rockets. Israel has fought two wars -- in 2006 against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in 2008-2009 against Hamas in Gaza -- in an attempt to protect her people from this threat, and others.  Now, Israel has a new line of defense that could greatly lessen the threat posed by rocket attacks -- The Iron Dome:

The Iron Dome, under development by Rafael Defense Systems, is slated to become operational sometime in 2010 and to be capable of intercepting short-range Kassam and Katyusha rockets fired by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon.

The Iron Dome uses an advanced radar that locates and tracks the rocket that is then intercepted by a kinetic missile interceptor.

Reporting the truth

Breaking the Silence, supposedly a "human rights" organization, suffers from a lack of credibility. They publish anonymous "testimonies" about alleged abuses of the IDF during Operation Cast Lead, and are using these rumors to promote their anti-Israel agenda. The IDF is not pleased:

The IDF Spokesperson Unit regrets the fact that yet another human rights organization is presenting to Israel and the world a report based on anonymous and general testimonies, without investigating their details or credibility.  Furthermore, this organization denied the IDF the minimal decency of presenting the report to the IDF and allowing it to investigate the testimonies prior to the report's publication. This was done while defaming and slandering the IDF and its commanders.

 

Let the games begin!

The 18th Maccabiah Games, known as the "Jewish" olympics, began in Ramat Gan, Israel, this week:

Thousands of Jewish athletes and more than 25,000 supporters filled the National Stadium in Ramat Gan on Monday night as the 18th Maccabiah Games officially got under way in a riot of color and music.

Over 5,000 international sportsmen and women put on a striking illustration of unity, from the 900 members of Team USA, to Uruguay's lone participant.

President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu looked on from the VIP section, clearly delighted at the stunning show of solidarity by Jews from the Diaspora.

"Our brothers and sisters from every continent, from North America, from Europe, from Africa, South America, from Asia and from Australia, you come here representing 65 different countries, but above all, you represent one united nation, the nation of Israel," Netanyahu told the athletes to loud applause.

'Gilad's army of friends'

A new internet campaign is being launched to rally support for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit:

The headquarters of the campaign calling for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit launched on Sunday a new Internet campaign aimed at recruiting close to 1 million people for the cause through the Facebook social network, where a new group will be opened on July 21, titled 'Gilad's army of friends'.

According to campaign head Shimshon Libman, a large quantity of participants, possibly hundreds of thousands, "will express the willingness for a required step for Gilad's release. I am convinced that we are fighting for a value which encapsulates the very essence of national strength".

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Iranians continue protests

The Iranian people continue to fight for their freedom, but the government just keeps cracking down harder:

The source elaborated: "At one point I could not see anything in front of me because the streets were filled with tear gas and smoke from burning garbage cans. Then I heard a loud scream coming from near where I was standing. The voice called out to us, 'Don't let them take our brothers and sisters.'

"As I ran over with my brother, we saw five or six plainclothes security men pushing four young men and women into an unmarked van. The four had their hands tied behind their backs with wire, and one of the girls was hunched over and seemed to be unconscious. We went after those b**tards and ended up beating them with their own batons. When the cowards ran off, we carried the girl to her cousin's car. The cousin had also been detained and rescued. One of the other protesters who helped us said his uncle was a doctor and would help her. The young girl's cousin broke down in tears and tried to kiss our hands."

Palestinians connected to terrorist plot

Egypt foiled a terrorist plot to bomb oil pipelines and ships on the Suez Canal. The Jerusalem Post reported that the Palestinian and Egyptian terrorists were aided by al-Qaida:

The group learned how to make car bombs through communicating with al-Qaida terrorists on jihadi Web sites, according to an Interior Ministry statement.

The means by which the terrorists were funded is both shocking and tragic:

The detainees confessed to funding their activities through contributions from Islamic charities abroad and in one case robbed a jewelry store and murdered its Coptic Christian owner.

Palestinians kill Israeli for revenge

Two Palestinians murdered an Israeli to avenge the death of a relative:

Two Palestinians confessed to killing an Israeli taxi driver for revenge.

Muhammad Khaldi and Muhammad Uda told Shin Bet interrogators that they murdered Gregory Rabinovich in May to avenge the death of a relative, an Islamic Jihad operative, at the hands of the Israel Defense Forces, according to reports.

The suspects were arrested May 23 by the Shin Bet, which lifted a gag order on the case Thursday.

Rabinovich was found strangled near the northern town of Gan Yavne.

Khaldi and Uda, of the West Bank village of Arana near Jenin, were charged with Rabinovich's murder in Petach Tikvah District Court.

IDF for the cyber world

Israel's efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons extend to the cyber world:

In the late 1990s, a computer specialist from Israel's Shin Bet internal security service hacked into the mainframe of the Pi Glilot fuel depot north of Tel Aviv.

It was meant to be a routine test of safeguards at the strategic site. But it also tipped off the Israelis to the potential such hi-tech infiltrations offered for real sabotage.

"Once inside the Pi Glilot system, we suddenly realised that, aside from accessing secret data, we could also set off deliberate explosions, just by programming a re-route of the pipelines," said a veteran of the Shin Bet drill.

So began a cyberwarfare project which, a decade on, is seen by independent experts as the likely new vanguard of Israel's efforts to foil the nuclear ambitions of its arch-foe Iran.

A great interview

Michael J. Totten interviews Jeffrey Goldberg:

MJT: You have talked to Hamas people. Should the Israelis or Americans talk to them?

Goldberg: I don’t know what they’d get out of it.

MJT: What did you get out of it when you did it?

Goldberg: A first-hand understanding of how they think. People in the United States find it hard to understand how people in Hamas and Hezbollah think. It’s alien. It’s alien to us. The feverish racism and conspiracy mongering, the obscurantism, the apocalyptic thinking – we can’t relate to that. Every so often, there’s an eruption of that in a place like Waco, Texas, but we’re not talking about 90 people in a compound. We’re talking about whole societies that are captive to this kind of absurdity.

So it’s very important – and you know this better than almost anyone – to go over there yourself and tape it, get it down on paper, and say "this is what they actually say."

Read the whole interview here

 

"The IDF did more to safeguard civilians than any other army"

Echoing this message written by Rabbi Eckstein following the conclusion of Operation Cast Lead, a British Army Colonel testifies to the lengths Israel will go to to avoid civilian deaths in battle. Watch the video at Solomonia.

The Negotiator

From Haaretz:

The Prime Minister's Bureau on Tuesday defended its choice of a former top intelligence operative to head negotiations for the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, despite rumors linking him to a corruption scandal.

Former Mossad agent Haggai Hadas was recently named to take over negotiations in a prisoner swap deal for Shalit, who has been in Palestinian captivity since he was abducted in a 2006 cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

Read more...

Settlers -- "the scapegoat of the world"

Written by Sherri Mandell for the Jerusalem Post:

I am a settler. If I move 8 kilometers to Jerusalem, then I cease being a settler, I suppose. But then I am an Israeli. And that too is a problem.

The peacemakers assure us that if we leave our homes, then there will be peace. And not just peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Peace in all of the Arab world. Peace in the entire world. 'That bully Ahmadinejad, don't worry about him. Sherri the settler, just leave your house with the blue windows, and the winds of peace will sweep across this world.'

Never mind that before there were settlements, there was a PLO. Never mind that the Palestinians have refused the most generous offers from the Israeli state, including 97 percent of Judea and Samaria as reported in the Washington Post on May 29th. Never mind that there is room for Arabs and Jews in the West Bank and that a Palestinian government that cannot allow Jews to dwell in its borders is a fascist state. Never mind that Israel itself has more than a million Arabs living among us. Never mind.

There is practically nobody more reviled in the world today than a settler. We are seen as gun-toting racists, extremists, parallel to the extremists on the other side. Never mind that it is exceedingly rare for a Jew to be a terrorist. Never mind that those other extremists murder Jewish children like my son Koby with their bare hands just because they are Jews. Never mind that those other extremists send their own children to commit suicide as martyrs. Never mind that those extremists kill their own people by firing squad if they are suspected of being collaborators. Never mind that those extremists oppress their women. Never mind that those extremists are intolerant of homosexuality in their communities.

But it is the settlers who are the problem.

I was on a TV show where a Tel Aviv metropolitan woman referred to me as the 'cancer of the Jewish people.' There is nobody so bad and evil as a settler. We are the scapegoat of the world. It could be said that we are the Jews of the Jews. We are so convenient an object of hatred.

Is Israel safe for the Jews?

The Atlantic's Jeffery Goldberg interviews Michael Oren, Israel's new Ambassador to the U.S. Click here to watch the video.

Gilad's father pleas to UN

Ahiya Raved, Ynet News, covers the current story on Gilad Shalit:

Noam Shalit, father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, testified before a UN committee in Geneva Monday. He told Ynet he thought the message he had been trying to get across to the committee had been absorbed by its members.

"We wanted to stress that for three years our son's basic and international rights have been trampled by Hamas in Gaza. We received the impression that the committee members understood our pain and grief," he said.

Shalit said Richard Goldstone, who heads the committee, asked him about reports in the Arab media saying a prisoner swap deal was imminent. "I told him we have been hearing these rumors for three years," he said.

Hina Jilani, the UN's special representative on human rights defenders, said she identified with the Shalits and that anyone who uses human suffering to promote a political agenda was wrong.

Israel has boycotted the committee's hearings on the IDF operation in Gaza, claiming it was biased. On this subject Shalit said he would continue "to appear before any relevant international agent".

Later Shalit met the Red Cross's Middle East representative, Beatrice Megevand Roggo, but she had no news for him on efforts to examine his son.

"Hamas is still refusing to allow Red Cross representatives to see Gilad," he said. "I repeated our demand to receive a sign of life on some level, from a letter or a note to a family meeting with Gilad, as is done in Israel when Palestinian families come in from the West Bank to visit their relatives who are incarcerated here."

Clues from the Temple

From Haaretz:

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered an ancient quarry where they believe King Herod extracted stones for the construction of the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.

The archaeologists believe the 100-square-meter quarry was part of a much larger network of quarries used by Herod in the city. The biggest stones extracted from the quarry would have measured three meters long, two meters across, and two meters high.

The archaeologists said the size of the stones indicates they could have been used in the construction of the Temple compound, including the Western Wall, a retaining wall that remains intact and is a Jewish shrine.

The dimensions of the stones that were produced in the quarry that was revealed are suitable for the Temple walls, said Ofer Sion, the dig's director.

The two-week excavation, which was conducted before construction begins on an apartment complex at the site, also uncovered pottery, coins and what appear to be tools used in the quarry dating to the first century B.C.

Finding a large quarry related to the largest building project ever undertaken in Jerusalem ... that's more than just another discovery, said archaeologist Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, who was not involved in the excavation. It's an additional block that slowly reveals the picture of construction in ancient Jerusalem.

Herod was the Roman-appointed king of the Holy Land from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. and was known for his many major building projects, including the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. The Second Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 by Roman legions following a Jewish revolt.

Excavation at the site is almost complete, and the Israel Antiquities Authority says construction of the apartments will begin in the coming weeks.

Because of the amount of ancient remains in Israel, builders are required to carry out a salvage excavation before beginning construction. Such digs regularly turn up important finds.

The Fellowship takes care of Israel's children

The Jerusalem Post reports on how the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is helping the children of Israel by building playgrounds for day care centers:

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is joining with Na'amat, Emunah and WIZO to contribute 51 Fellowship Playgrounds to 22 day care centers.

The IFCJ is funded by donations from Evangelical Christians who have a love for Israel and the relationships between Jews and Christians. The IFCJ paid NIS 1.4 million toward the project.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the founder and president of the IFCJ, commended the women's organizations for their work with young children.

"[We] are happy to have the opportunity to contribute to the children of Israel," he said on Tuesday. "The Fellowship will continue to initiate partnerships which will strengthen Israeli society."

The IFCJ chose to sponsor playgrounds because they promote healthy development, Eckstein said.

The teachers appreciate the new facilities, too. "Since receiving our playground, the kids are happy to go and play outside," one said.

It's not just the children and teachers who appreciate the new equipment, but the parents, too, since they help the children's motor development.

The IFCJ gives around $60m. a year to Israeli causes, particularly to poor neighborhoods that lack adequate infrastructure.

Iran's iron fist

Tehran is in a state of emergency as the government continues its increasingly brutal crackdown against protesters. Hardliners and opposition politicians are searching for a compromise behind the scenes, but Iran's supreme leader is refusing to make any concessions.

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Pat Robertson interviews Nonie Darwish

Click here to see Pat Robertson's interview with Nonie Darwish at CBN.com: Sharia Law: Tearing the West in Two

Settlements provide jobs for Palestinians

By Khaled Abu Toameh:

The last thing that Abu Mohammed al-Najjar wants is for Israel to succumb to US and European pressure and halt construction in the West Bank settlements.

As far as the 58-year-old laborer is concerned, freezing the construction would be a disaster not only for him and his family, but for thousands of other Palestinians working in various settlements in the West Bank.

Of course, this does not mean that they support Israel's policy of construction in the settlements. But for them, it's simply a matter of being able to support their families.

"I don't care what the leaders say and do," al-Najjar told The Jerusalem Post at one of the new construction sites in Ma'aleh Adumim. "I need to feed my seven children, and that's all I care about for now."

The phenomenon of Palestinians building new homes for Jewish settlers is not new. In fact, Palestinian laborers have been working in the construction business from the first day the settlements began in the West Bank.

Today, Palestinian Authority officials estimate, more than 12,000 Palestinians are employed by both Jewish and Arab contractors building new homes in the settlements.

In some cases, Palestinians have found jobs in settlements that are located near their villages and towns.

Jamal Abu Sharikheh, 27, of the village of Bet Ur al-Tahta, has been working as a construction laborer in Givat Ze'ev for the past three years.

Asked if he had any problem building homes in the settlements at a time when the international community was demanding that Israel freeze the construction work, the father of four also said he was trying to support his family "in a dignified manner."

He and most of the laborers interviewed by the Post over the past week said they had never come under pressure from fellow Palestinians to stay away from work in the settlements.

"If they want us to leave our work, they should offer us an alternative," Abu Sharikheh said. "We don't come to work in the settlements for ideological reasons or because we support the settlement movement. We come here because our Palestinian and Arab governments haven't done anything to provide us with better jobs."

Back in Ma'aleh Adumim, most of the Palestinian laborers said they had no problem revealing their identities.

"We're not doing anything wrong," explained Ibrahim Abu Tair, a 42-year-old father of eight from the village of Um Tuba, southwest of Jerusalem. "We're not collaborators and we're not terrorists. We just want to work."

He said that during the first intifada, which began at the end of 1987, some Palestinian groups tried to stop Palestinians from heading to work in the settlements.

"In the beginning there were threats and physical assaults on some workers," he noted. "But the leaders of the intifada later realized that depriving the laborers of their livelihood would have a boomerang effect on the Palestinians. That's why they allowed the workers to go to the settlements."

Even today the PA does not object to Palestinians working in settlements, although its representatives say they would like to see the Palestinians work elsewhere.

"We can't tell the workers to stay at home without providing them with solutions, "admitted a Palestinian official in Ramallah. "We're talking about thousands of families in the West Bank that rely on this work as their sole source of income."

Some of the laborers said that boycotting work in the settlements would be ineffective and pointless because their employers would have no difficulty replacing them with Chinese or other foreign workers.

"Look how many foreign workers there are inside Israel today," complained Jawdat Uwaisat, 44, of the village of Sawahreh in the Bethlehem area. "There are about 150,000 workers from different countries who have taken our places of work inside Israel. They are even bringing workers from Thailand and Turkey."

He said that he and his colleagues working for Israelis earn almost three times what they would receive doing the same work for Palestinian construction companies.

"The Palestinian employers pay us NIS 100 to NIS 150 a day," Uwaisat said. "The Israeli companies, by contrast, pay NIS 350 to NIS 450 a day. That's why many of us prefer to work for Israeli companies, even if the construction is in the settlements."

He added that even Palestinians known as supporters of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are employed as construction workers in settlements.

"I know some people from Hamas who work as construction laborers in Ariel," he said. "When people want to feed their children, they don't think twice."

While most of the laborers told the Post that they were opposed to the settlements, they nevertheless stressed that they would continue to show up for work every day.

"If you see how big some of these settlements are, you will understand why the talk about a two-state solution is kalam fadi [nonsense]," commented Iyad Mansour, 55, of the Kalandia refugee camp, who has been working in Ma'aleh Adumim for the past three years.

"These settlements are growing every day at a very fast pace," he said. "One day you see empty land, the next day you see new buildings. They are really fast in planning and building. But who knows? Maybe these settlements will one day become homes for Palestinian refugees."

UNIFIL finds rockets in Lebanon

Yaakov Katz at the Jerusalem Post recently reported:

In an effort to prevent a flare-up along the northern border, UNIFIL has increased its operations in southern Lebanon and has begun entering villages in search of Hizbullah weapons caches, according to information obtained recently by Israel.

In one recent successful operation in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, UNIFIL peacekeepers uncovered close to 20 Katyusha rockets that were ready for launch.

UNIFIL operates under Security Council Resolution 1701, passed following the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Operations in villages have been a point of contention between UNIFIL and Israel, which said over the past three years that the peacekeeping force was failing to prevent Hizbullah's military buildup in southern Lebanon since it refrained from entering villages.

Read more... 

Support Trader Joe's!

From Powerline:

Very sadly, the tactic employed against Israeli products in Europe has now made its way to our own country, taking root in our own backyard and focusing its attention upon a grocery retailer that many of us patronize, Trader Joe's. Only the difference is that in the United States there is a significantly larger Jewish population than there is in Europe and we now find ourselves in a position to make an immediate and very positive impact on Israel's behalf.

Trader Joe's has been targeted by anti-Israel groups for boycotts, and possibly for picketing, because of their refusal to bow to pressure by anti-Israel groups who have sought to have the store's management remove Israeli products from their shelves. The group spearheading this effort nationwide is the BOYCOTT DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN, a coalition of anti-Israel groups that is based in Pittsburgh. Regionally, they are working in concert with the Northern-California-based South Bay Mobilization Group (not our South Bay, but rather that of Northern California).

Together with other groups comprising this sinister coalition that aims to cast Israel as an Apartheid State in the vein of South Africa - a baseless charge that reflects ignorance and, most often, anti-Semitic sentiments, those targeting Trader Joe's seek to bring harm to Israel's economy and to tarnish its standing in American public opinion by mobilizing intimidating boycotts in a most offensive manner.

Here's what we can do:

Learn more about this immediate concern by reading the report issued on the StandWithUs website (StandWithUs is a Los Angeles based Israel-advocacy organization that does outstanding work).

Please make a point of shopping at Trader Joe's over the coming days and weeks. Please go out of your way to introduce yourselves to store-managers and to let them know that one of the reasons that you are patronizing their store is precisely because of their principled and courageous determination to continue selling Israeli products. Let them know that you know of many others who feel this way, who might not choose to introduce themselves personally, but who have determined to support Trader Joe's all the more so because of its decision.

Wherever you may shop - for groceries and otherwise, please consider both or either (a) going out of your way to purchase Israeli products and/or (b) thanking store-managers or proprietors for carrying Israeli products.

Gilad, we have not forgotten you!

Gilad Schalit was kidnapped by Palestinian militants back in June, 2006. On the 25th of this month, it will be exactly three years since his abduction. While there is no set date for his release, Israel sent a message to Hamas, through former President Jimmy Carter, agreeing to exchange most of the prisoners that Hamas is asking for. 

"Israel is awaiting the letter of reply from Gilad Schalit to the letter transferred to him by his parents, Noam and Aviva, in order to verify that he is still alive," Palestinian sources said. "Afterwards Israel will agree to advance the negotiations for Schalit's release and end the affair."

The sources claimed that the Israeli government was eager to see Schalit return and had therefore agreed to release many of the prisoners on the list, including senior Hamas members.

Read more...

One Iranian Family's Story

The Wall Street Journal had this story about one family's son who was killed during the cross fire violence from the crack down on protestors in Iran. His family was told they have to pay a $3000 dollar "bullet fee"—a fee for the bullet used by security forces—before they can retrieve the body:

By Farnaz Fassihi   

TEHRAN—The family, clad in black, stood at the curb of the road sobbing. A middle-aged mother slapped her cheeks, letting out piercing wails. The father, a frail man who worked as a doorman at a clinic in central Tehran, wept quietly with his head bowed.

Minutes before, an ambulance had arrived from Tehran's morgue carrying the body of their only son, 19-year-old Kaveh Alipour.

On Saturday, amid the most violent clashes between security forces and protesters, Mr. Alipour was shot in the head as he stood at an intersection in downtown Tehran. He was returning from acting class and a week shy of becoming a groom, his family said.

The details of his death remain unclear. He had been alone. Neighbors and relatives think that he got trapped in the crossfire. He wasn't politically active and hadn't taken part in the turmoil that has rocked Iran for over a week, they said.

"He was a very polite, shy young man," said Mohamad, a neighbor who has known him since childhood.

Read On...

Two Irans

Amir Taheri, an Iranian journalist and author, has this insight on the current events:

Today there are two Irans. One is prepared to support Khamenei’s bid to transform the republic into an emirate in the service of the Islamic cause. Then there is a second Iran – one that wishes to cease to be a cause and yearns to be an ordinary nation. This Iran has not yet found its ultimate leaders. For now, it is prepared to bet on Mousavi. The fight over Iran’s future is only beginning.

Iran Update

An update on the recent clashes:

But on Monday afternoon local time, sources in Tehran say protesters gathered at two main squares Haft-e Tir and Ferdowsi, prompting clashes with security forces. They were gathering to remember a young woman killed during fierce clashes on Saturday that left at least 13 dead, by official count.

The protesters who have choked the streets by the hundreds of thousands in the past week are calling for a rerun of the disputed reelection of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But the protesters are torn between their desire to challenge an election result they consider a fraud – relying on Article 27 in Iran's Constitution that says peaceful marches "may freely be held" – and their fear of more violent confrontations that won't bring them any closer to their goals.

Free Iran

Check out these photos from "Free Iran" protests in the US:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/22/iran.election/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

The "Angel" of Iran

Over the weekend, the Iranian regime stepped up its efforts to quell demonstrators – cutting off internet service, suppressing cell phone service, and sending in the notorious Revolutionary Guards. And yet, protesters refused to clear the streets. Some observers note that cell phone and internet suppression is the regime’s attempt to repress what little information is getting out – since journalists have been banned for weeks.

The story of one protestor—a young woman named Neda Agha Soltan—has captured the imagination of the pro-democracy movement. Soltan – now known across the world as “Neda” and called the "angel" of Iran—was shot in the chest during a protest. The last moments of her life were captured on camera as would-be rescuer and her father scream for her to hang on. (CNN)

Iran threatens major crackdown on protesters

Reuters:

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a strong warning on Friday to leaders of mass street protests against a disputed presidential election that they would be responsible for any bloodshed.

His words appeared to hint at a future crackdown by authorities on rallies after the election a week ago, which Khamenei said was fairly won by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and not rigged, as defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi alleges.

Iran Protests

Widespread civil unrest and violence continues in Iran, as hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets to protest the victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in what is widely believed to be a rigged election. And Iran has cracked down hard on the protestors: 20 people have been reported killed, thousands have been injured, many arrested, and reporters have been kicked out of the country. And now some are saying that Hamas is patrolling the streets of Iran's capital city, Tehran: 

"The most important thing that I believe people outside of Iran should be aware of," the young man went on, "is the participation of Palestinian forces in these riots."

Another protester, who spoke as he carried a kitchen knife in one hand and a stone in the other, also cited the presence of Hamas in Teheran.

It was ironic, this man said, that the victorious Ahmadinejad "tells us to pray for the young Palestinians, suffering at the hands of Israel."

This photo gallery tells the shocking story. Take a moment today and say a prayer for the brave people of Iran who are hungry for freedom and are literally risking their lives to speak out against a cruel, repressive, and corrupt regime.

Terror in Iran

Michael Totten on the current unrest in Iran:

The Islamic Republic regime in Iran is vividly revealing itself as an enemy of the entire world.

“Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei’s police and the Basij militia are using violence and terror to suppress the Iranian people at home. His terrorist proxies fire missiles at Israel while torturing, maiming, and murdering Palestinians. He sponsored a violent coup d’etat against the elected government in Beirut last year with his Hezbollah militia. He sponsors a terrorist insurgency against the elected government of Iraq, while his fanatical proxies shoot and kill American soldiers. A car bomb cell belonging to the regime’s Lebanese franchise was recently arrested in Azerbaijan, and more cells were rolled up in Egypt. Terrorists sponsored and encouraged by him and his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, have murdered civilians from Argentina to Japan.

Netanyahu's speech

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a major policy speech on Sunday. Click here to see the full video.

Wright is Wrong

Reverend Jeremiah Wright explains why he believes President Obama, a former member of his congregation, will no longer speak with him:

"Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me," Wright said. "I told my baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck or in eight years when he's out of office. ...

"They will not let him to talk to somebody who calls a spade what it is. ... I said from the beginning: He's a politician; I'm a pastor. He's got to do what politicians do."

Of course, it is much easier to blame the Jews than figure out the real reason why Obama will not talk to Wright: the Reverend is a political mine field of offensive remarks and hatred. In the same interview, Wright also claimed that "Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza—the ethnic cleansing of the Zionists is a sin and a crime against humanity." No wonder Obama has distanced himself from Wright. A smarter man than Wright might be able to figure it out.

D.C. Holocaust Museum shooting

We ask for a moment of silence in your day for the security guard who lost his life today at the Washington D.C. Holocaust Museum:

A gunman opened fire inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum in the nation's capital Wednesday, shooting and killing a security guard before other officers returned fire and shot the assailant, officials said. 

The museum released a statement late Wednesday afternoon confirming that the guard, identified as Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, had died of his injuries. He had served on the museum's security staff for six years. 

"There are no words to express our grief and shock over today's events," the statement said, adding that the museum would remain closed Thursday in his honor. 

Please pray for the family of the victim and for all those who were impacted by this tragic event. As a security guard at the Holocaust Museum, he gave his life protecting the past and safeguarding the future.

IDF thwarts terror attack at security fence

The IDF stopped a major terror plot by the Janud Ansar Allah (Soldiers Loyal to Allah) organization aimed at destroying portions of Israel's security fence:

Members of the cell, some of whom had suicide bomb belts strapped around their bodies, led the horses from trucks and began planting explosive devices along the fence. They were identified by IDF soldiers on patrol, of Golani's 13th Battalion. The gunmen proceeded to open fire on the troops, while mortar fire from deep within the Gaza Strip was also directed at the soldiers.

4 terrorists were killed, but no Israeli soldiers were harmed. And, despite the terrorists' attempt to destroy the security barrier, Israel is still funneling aid into Gaza to meet humanitarian needs:

Following the attack, Israel closed the Karni crossing, the main commercial terminal between Israel and Gaza, as well as the Nahal Oz fuel depot.

However, 30,000 vaccine units against foot-and-mouth disease were transferred to Gaza via the Erez crossing, despite the thwarted attack. The IDF said that 125,000 units had been supplied to the Strip in the last three months in three separate transfers, due to the importance of preventing the outbreak of the disease.

In addition, 140 truckloads of humanitarian aid was scheduled to be transferred via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Egypt bans marriage to Israelis

Yet another story that highlights the hatred of all things Israeli and Jewish that is rampant in the Arab world:

[Egyptian attorney] Al-Wahsh has managed to extract a ruling from Egypt’s Administrative Court — which rules in disputes between citizens and the state — that would force the Egyptian government to strip Egyptians married to Israelis of their Egyptian citizenship. The May 19 ruling was met with the cheers of millions in this populous Arab country.

“This is an historic ruling,” al-Wahsh said to reporters after the ruling. “Egyptians married to Israelis are dangerous to Egypt’s national security, acting in ways that contradict the constitution of their country and Islamic laws,” he said.

(Hat tip: Solomonia)

Obama at Buchenwald

President Obama visited the site of the Buchenwald concetration camp on his trip overseas.  It is good that the President is reminding the world of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people, especially after denouncing Holocaust denial in his recent address to the Muslim world.

The President, after his visit to Buchenwald, commented:

“These sights have not lost their horror with the passage of time,” Mr. Obama said, standing alongside the group. “More than half a century later our grief and our outrage over what happened have not diminished. I will not forget what I have seen here today.”

Turning Point Three

Israel is currently engaged in a five-day civil defense drill, the largest ever in its history:

A rising and falling siren will sound Tuesday morning at 11 A.M. for a minute and a half as part of this year's Home Front Command national exercise, with all citizens encouraged to practice entering their protected rooms.

The exercise is meant to raise the public's preparedness for possible missile attacks on the country. The drill, named Turning Point 3, is being run by the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Authority. It is the largest ever emergency exercise the nation has undertaken.

In addition to the Home Front Command's request for all citizens to enter their secure rooms for 10 minutes, all educational institutions will also participate in the drill. All students will enter their schools' designated secure rooms, shelters or other protected spaces, and afterward the students will watch a special broadcast prepared by the command specifically for them.

Another terror plot averted

Four Jordanians arrested in Jordan in April had planned to perpetrate terror attacks in Israel in retaliation for Operation Cast Lead, DPA reported on Wednesday.

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Netanyahu cancels France visit

In response to inflammatory remarks about Israel by a spokesman from France's Foreign Ministry, the Israeli Prime Minister has changed his travel plans:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cancelled a meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy scheduled for next week, reportedly amid anger at France for its position on the final status of Jerusalem.

Additionally, sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu wanted to distance his recent - and highly publicized - meeting with US President Barack Obama from his relations with European countries.

Israel's compromise

(CBS/AP)  Israel would dismantle nearly two dozen wildcat settlement outposts in the West Bank in the next few weeks if the U.S. drops its objections to continued building in existing, government-sanctioned settlements, officials said.

Read More... 

Another tragedy averted

Yesterday, on the anniversary of Jerusalem Day, we heard about the foiled plot to bomb a Jewish community center and a synagogue in the Bronx.  Today, the JPost reported on a plot to bomb two synagogues in Brazil:

Police seized Nazi literature, knives and three homemade explosive devices earlier this week they said were to have been set off at least two synagogues in the city of Porto Alegre, according to police Inspector Paulo Cesar Jardim.

"I have no doubt that we have aborted a major tragedy," he said.

Thank G-d for protecting these Jewish communities.

A Message from the Rabbi

A message from Rabbi Eckstein about Jerusalem Day:

Every year Israel marks Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day - the commemoration of the Holy City's miraculous liberation during 1967's Six Day War. This year's celebrations will begin tonight at sundown, which corresponds to the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyyar.

In the months prior to the '67 War, Israel's neighbors peppered her with extreme threats and provocations. In May, Egypt blocked the straits of Tiran, putting a stranglehold on shipping in and out of Israel's crucially important port in the southern city of Eilat. The combined armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon were poised for attack on the borders of the tiny Jewish state (which was then only 9 miles wide at its narrowest point). "The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified," Iraqi President Abdel Rahman announced, making their intentions clear in no uncertain terms: "This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy that has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear — to wipe Israel off the map."

Israel's choices were plain: She could wait for the armies that vastly outnumbered her own to invade or to fight back in self-defense. Knowing that her very existence was in peril, she chose the latter course. The resulting battle, now known as the Six Day War, ended in a stunning victory for Israel that led to the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli rule.

Read more...

Terror attacks foiled in NY

Police and the FBI have foiled a plot to bomb a Jewish Center and synagogue in New York:

"We are Jews and we have a strong connection with Israel; we know what terrorism is; we experienced terror up-close on September 11, but we never imagined that it would end up on our doorstep," he [David Winter, Exec. Director of the Riverdale Jewish Center] said.

The four men had planned to detonate a car with plastic explosives outside the Jewish Center and to shoot military planes at the New York Air National Guard base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles, authorities said.

 

Iran testing the limits

Iran claims its Sajjl-2 missile has a range of 1,200 miles, meaning that it would be able to reach Israel and even southeastern Europe:

"Defense Minister (MostafaMohammad Najjar) has informed me that the Sajjil-2 missile, which has very advanced technology, was launched from Semnan and it landed precisely on the target," state radio quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. He spoke during a visit to the city of Semnan, 125 miles east of the capital Tehran, where Iran's space program is centered."

...Most Western analysts believe Iran does not yet have the technology to produce nuclear weapons, including warheads for long-range missiles. A group of U.S. and Russian scientists said in a report issued Tuesday that Iran could produce a simple nuclear device in one to three years and a nuclear warhead in another five years after that.

We can only hope Iran's bark is worse than its bite. There is always the chance that it is using missile tests and open talk of its nuclear ambitions to create fear and doubt among its neighbors and establish itself as a regional power. 

But the world -- and Israel in particular -- cannot afford to underestimate Iran's capabilities. With Iran testing missiles, and the Israeli Air Force practicing MIG-29/F-16 dogfights, we can only pray for the best and have faith in G-d's plan. 

Something Rotten in Austria

I had previously posted about the hotel in Austria that refused to accept Jewish guests. It seems that Austria has had a few other anti-Semitic incidents:

Survivors of the concentration camp Ebensee were shot at and abused as they gathered to remember their liberation on May 10th. Masked neo-Nazi thugs screamed ‘Heil Hitler!’ and ‘This way for the gas!’ at ten elderly Italian men and women, who returned to the site of the concentration camp in Austria. The gang also fired air guns at a group of 15 French survivors, many dressed in the striped pajama-style uniforms they wore as inmates. One suffered a head wound while another was injured by a shot in the neck. Some of the young neo-Nazi perpetrators are now in custody awaiting trial.

 

From the White House

Want to know what was said between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu?

Read here

The Mystery of Menachem

A jug inscribed with the name "Menachem" was found in East Jerusalem.

The discovery was made at the footprint of a new girls' school being constructed in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in the eastern part of the capital. The handle is estimated to originate somewhere between the Canaanite era (2200 - 1900 B.C.E.) and the end of the first Temple period (the 7th - 8th centuries B.C.E.).

Scientists at the Israel Antiquities Authority are now trying to decipher the identity of the "Menachem," whose name is inscribed in ancient Hebrew.

Scientists are trying to determine if the jug’s "Menachem" was a historical figure. The name means "Comfort" and remains in use today. It is a particularly popular name among Chabad Chassidim, who frequently name children after the late Lubavitsch Rebbe Menachem Mendl Schneerson.

Obama meets with Netanyahu

U.S. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today in Washington D.C. to discuss prospects for Middle East peace.  Obama was pushing for a two-state solution, but Netanyahu was not ready to commit to anything until the Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist:

Netanyahu said he was ready to resume peace talks with the Palestinians immediately but said any agreement depended on their acceptance of Israel's right to exist. It was not immediately clear in the way he phrased the response whether Netanyahu was demanding that as a precondition for talks.

"There's never been a time when Arabs and Israelis see a common threat the way we see it today," Netanyahu said, speaking of a sense of urgency felt throughout the Arab world about Iran's nuclear program.

 

Last Chance!

There's still time to sign our Statement of Support for Israel:

We stand in support of the State of Israel and affirm the historic relationship between the Jewish State and both the United States and the American people. The United States and Israel are united by the common goals of freedom, democracy and peace, and we support Israel’s front-line battle against the terror aimed at the heart of the West.

Like all other nations, Israel has a right to live within secure, recognized and peaceful borders. We affirm her right to protect her citizens; her identity as a Jewish and democratic state and as a homeland for the Jewish people; and we recognize her capital in Jerusalem, where she ensures the rights of all faiths in the Holy City.

Click HERE to show your support!!

Rabbi Eckstein in the Wall Street Journal

Rabbi Eckstein had an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal this weekend about the Pope's recent trip to Israel:

Most Israelis seem to agree that the pope's just concluded trip to Israel wasn't a raving success. Far from healing wounds, his address at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum garnered harsh criticism for failing to adequately address the horrors memorialized there.

I see the visit in a much more positive light.

Jewish-Christian relations have always been of a wary sort, laced with mutual suspicions that have deep theological roots, and with painful memories of persecution and anti-Semitism. But in the past half-century, the church's attitude toward Jews has undergone a fundamental shift. Read More...