Stand for Israel

Photo Friday

Take some time in the next few days to explore these wonderful photo galleries from photographer Doron Nissim that highlight Israel's natural beauty. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1)

Have a great weekend, everyone.

America and Israel: In the same boat

A photo from Pakistan of the celebration of the annual al-Quds day, a "show of support for the Palestinian people" that looks a lot more like a show of hatred for America and Israel.

Reaction to Ahmadinejad dinner

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), one of the sponors of last night's dinner that brought together Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with several religious groups, has issued a press release on the event:

[MCC Executive Director Arli] Klassen noted several areas of high tension in relations between Iran, the United States and other nations. Addressing President Ahmadinejad, Klassen raised concerns about his statements on the Holocaust and Israel, Iran's nuclear program and religious freedom in Iran.

"We ask you to find a way within your own country to allow for religious diversity, and to allow people to make their own choices as to which religion they will follow," Klassen said.

Sounds lovely. How did Ahmadinejad respond?

Although Klassen, the Rev. Bondevik and others raised concerns about religious freedoms and human rights in Iran, President Ahmadinejad did not address these issues directly.

So much for dialogue. The folks at the Internationl Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ), on the other hand, had this to say:

"We cannot fathom why his Christian hosts would debase their own faith so shamelessly by honoring him at this occasion," [ICEJ Executive Director Malcolm] Hedding said. "These Christian leaders will forever be associated with the appeasement of wickedness."

At least some people don't have a problem addressing issues directly.

Ahamadinejad's hatred, the world's silence

Blogger Meryl Yourish has a great post on what she calls "the echoing silence" of much of the world in the face of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's vocal hatred of all things Jewish and Israeli. Read it, and resolve to spread the word about the Iranian regime to anyone who will listen. Directing them to our Ahmadinejad in his own words page is a good place to start.

Making a joke of the U.N.

A good editorial in Canada's National Post begins:

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni -- who could soon be that country's prime minister -- says it would be "absurd" to elect Iran to a seat on the United Nation's Security Council, and she's right. But absurd is the UN's stock in trade. This is the world organization, remember, that ignores epic human rights abuses in places such as Darfur and Cuba, even as it passes endless resolutions slamming Israel. Ideas that are obviously ridiculous often strike the UN's collective brain trust as perfectly sensible.

"A disgrace"

That's what Israeli president Shimon Peres, speaking to the United Nations, called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appalling address to the U.N. yesterday:

"Yesterday, on this very stage, the Iranian leader renewed the darkest anti-Semitic libel – the protocols of the elders of Zion. An attempt to bring to life one of the ugliest plots of history.

"Their despicable denial of the holocaust is a mockery of indisputable evidence, a cynical offense to survivors of the horror. Contradictory to the resolutions adopted by this assembly.

New York rally to protest Ahmadinejad appearance

A group of Christian and Jewish groups has banded together to organize a rally to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at a dinner sponsored by the Mennonite and Quaker churches, among others. Find out more about the rally, and don't forget to take our action alert to tell the groups holding the dinner to cancel Ahmadinejad's invitation.

Is Ahmadinejad interested in "dialogue"? Again, judge for yourself. Here is a quote from his recent appearance at the U.N.:

Today, the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse, and there is no way for it to get out of the cesspool created by itself and its supporters.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, as usual, does a good job of summing up the threat Ahamadinejad and his regime pose to Israel:

If anybody needed any convincing about how dangerous the Iranian regime is listen to Ahmadinejad today. Not only did he say the things that you mentioned, he also said that Zionists controlled the financial markets in the United States. This is what this man thinks. Imagine him in possession of nuclear weapons.

Ahmadinejad in New York

JTA has coverage of the rally protesting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at the United Nations today.

More on Jerusalem attack

A firsthand account of yesterday's terror attack in Jerusalem:

Recounting the moments before he engaged the attacker, Elad said, "I ran towards him, meanwhile cocking my weapon, and shot several rounds at him from close range. The driver was beginning to recover when I came up to him and the car was splayed into the wall. Nothing went through my mind at that moment except that the terrorist had to be neutralized."

The Iran threat

If there is one recurring theme tonight, it is the threat posed to Israel and the rest of the free world by Iran. Pat Robertson is sounding the alarm right now. Ahmadinejad, Dr. Robertson says -- and he is right -- is very clear and explicit in his intentions. As for historical precedents, "The world didn't believe Hitler when he wrote [his plans] in a book." The result was world war and the Holocaust.