Friday, December 26, 2014The New Anti-Semitism in 2014: A Year in Review! 
When it comes to chronicling the "Oldest Hatred", stories abound. 2014 was no different, and in a sense, was even more heavily loaded with statements, events, tragedies and even death, than the previous year. All seems to indicate that Anti-Semitism is on the rise globally AND exponentially, in frequency AND intensity. A review of the main anti-Semitic acts that punctuated this last year will suffice to make your Judeo/Christian hair rise on your head.
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Friday, December 26, 2014
The New Anti-Semitism in 2014: A Year in Review!
When it comes to chronicling the "Oldest Hatred", stories abound. 2014 was no different, and in a sense, was even more heavily loaded with statements, events, tragedies and even death, than the previous year. All seems to indicate that Anti-Semitism is on the rise globally AND exponentially, in frequency AND intensity. A review of the main anti-Semitic acts that punctuated this last year will suffice to make your Judeo/Christian hair rise on your head.
A new fad has been spreading across the world like wildfire that originated in France in 2005, from the twisted xenophobic mind of stage comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala. Known as "La Quenelle" (French word for a fish dumpling), it consists of extending one arm like in the Nazi salute, but keeping it down along the body as you touch your shoulder with your other arm.
The new gesture is catching on and has been spotted during TV shows, on the Internet, in the printed press and many other places. It is also being duplicated by youths all over, who are mostly clueless about the message they are sharing. Additionally, famous athletes have used it during sports events. It has also been spotted in the military and in front of synagogues or Holocaust monuments.
This new gesture has made Anti-Semitism trendy and has emboldened Jew haters the world around.
On November 10, 1938, simultaneous violent attacks on Jewish businesses, Synagogues and properties occurred all over Germany. Kristallnacht or “The Night of Broken Glass” was a new phase in anti-Semitism leading to the Final Solution. While not many are willing to admit it, the modern day Boycott, Divestment and Sanction movement (BDS) started in 2005 by Mahmoud Abbas, could very possibly lead to what took place during AND after Kristallnacht
PCUSA (Presbyterian Church USA) has been at the forefront of the BDS movement for several years now. They have never publicly claimed that they desire the end of Israel, but we must not forget that the BDS movement was started by the Palestinian Civil Society who clearly wants the end of Israel and all Jews. PCUSA has published a booklet and DVD entitled: "Zionism Unsettled". Knowing that the agenda laid out in the booklet has recently garnered the praise of ex-KKK leader David Duke and much of the Iranian media, should suffice to prove its anti-Semitic agenda.
President Obama made a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jerusalem Post Washington Bureau Chief, Michael Wilner originally planned to join Mr. Obama and cover the US President's visit to Saudi Arabia for his newspaper. But Michael Wilner was denied a visa to the gulf country. He was the only journalist who was denied entry to Saudi Arabia on this trip. ! Is he a political agitator? No! Is he a human rights activist? No! Is he a terrorist? No! So what seems to be the problem? Oh Yes, I failed to mention, Mr. Wilner is Jewish, not Israeli Jewish, simply a Jew who lives in America and reports for the Jerusalem Post. No surprise from Saudi Arabia!
What greatly concerned me was the US administration's reaction to the banning of Michael Wilner's entry into Saudi territory. They were not disgusted, outraged, or even highly offended. They were simply "deeply disappointed" as was stated: "We are deeply disappointed that this credible journalist was denied a visa,"US National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said on Tuesday. "We will continue to register our serious concerns about this unfortunate decision."
I feel better already for the American Jewish community. Next time anti-Semitism shows its ugly head, will our government be "disappointed" again?
Growing up in post-World War II Paris, I remember my father telling me that during the German invasion of France, all Jews progressively saw their rights disappear and property being confiscated from them, eventually leading to the Final Solution. Few saw the handwriting on the wall, most people simply refused to believe that humanity could have become so corrupt as to completely seek the total eradication of the Jewish people. By the time the rumors were confirmed, it was too late and millions of innocent people had perished including six million Jews.
On April 14th, on the first night of Passover, some in the Jewish community of Donetsk, Ukraine were handed out leaflets written in Russian (translation here) on government letterhead, ordering Jews to register their real estate, modes of transportation and family members over the age of 16. Jews were told that if they failed to comply, expulsion was inevitable.
The leaflets ended-up being a forgery to create tension between Ukraine and Russia. The very fact that such an idea against the Jews would even cross the mind of any people group is evidence that humanity is not getting any better. If and when things heat up against my people to the level of the 1930s and 40s mass murders, it is clear that the new willing executioners will be ready, standing-by in the antechamber of anti-Semitism.
The world has witnessed what some call an unlikely reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Both parties desire the complete destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. They might have different approaches to their goal, nevertheless, it remains the same. So, is there a real winner in the reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority?
The Palestinian Authority has been under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas since 2005. Its political party is Fatah and at the risk of being accused of oversimplification, it could be said that Fatah is more of a secular political party while Hamas leans towards Islamic fundamentalism.
Drawing from the Palestinian Authority's reputation of being more moderate, Abbas has pushed the West for Palestine's recognition on the World scene at the UN and UNESCO. Over the last few years, inching their way towards what appeared to be an inevitable UN and world recognition in the near future, they have picked-up some momentum. The current "reconciliation" may hurt that momentum.
Benjamin Netanyahu immediately decided to put a halt to the peace process since Israel cannot and will not negotiate with terrorists, ever! The safety of Israel is first and foremost. Frankly, it wasn't much of a peace process to start with since Abbas was never really interested in recognizing Israel and continues not to be.
PC USA held its biennial 2014 General Assembly in Detroit. The result of the week-long gathering of delegates, leaders and other participants is still having major ripple effects within the Christian community at large.
Resolution 04-04 was the one that after several hours of a rhetorical ping-pong match, resulted in a vote in favor of divestment from Israel. The financial ramifications due to the divestment from Motorola, HP and Caterpillar are not really an issue. The motive behind the move is what really matters. PC USA joined other denominations in a bold move against Israel, like the Mennonites and Quakers and some within the Methodist denomination.
This has been such a biased case against Israel that it is very difficult not to see the anti-Semitic thread driving the whole move. The farce that was the 2014 PC USA general assembly was painful to watch, as no scripture was ever used to back up their pseudo-Christian move to divest. Why? Because none can be found. Instead, they would rather side with the "oppressed" Palestinians against the "oppressors" from Israel. Like it or not, this latest move aligns the pro-BDS voters with Hamas.
Mid-July in Paris was the first time that such a huge crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators was gathered. 10,000-20,000 people did not go unnoticed on the streets of Paris, especially when they were heard shouting "Death to the Jews", "F*# the Jews", "Hitler was right", "We will burn you" or "Jihad, Jihad, Jihad". When some of the demonstrators called for prayer, several thousand started to shout Allahu Akbar, removing all doubt as to the ethnic/religious fabric of the angry mob. It had simply morphed into an alibi for anti-Semitism.
Not too far from the demonstrators, about 200 Jewish people had gathered inside a synagogue for a special service to remember the three Israeli victims of the recent kidnappings/murders. All of a sudden the angry mob decided to throw café chairs (some of them lit on fire) at the building and continue to scream "Death to the Jews". By God's grace, a pogrom was averted but it appears that It is no longer sufficient for anti-Semites to denigrate the Jews with thoughts, words and even destructive acts against their property, now they want the people too.
The sad part to me is that the two sides of the vise are being tightened by the apathetic French by-standers. A by-stander who does nothing only facilitates the work of a perpetrator. Sometimes your boldest move is made by your lack of action.
After nearly a month of fighting between the IDF and Hamas and several failed cease fire attempts, a truce was reached. As Israel continued to withdraw its troops over a few days, the high cost of the Gaza War was assessed.
While over 3,000 rockets were fired by Hamas, the 2014 Gaza War was NEVER much of a military campaign but rather a media one. To be sure, Hamas' desire remains the complete annihilation of Israel through jihad as clearly delineated in their 1988 Charter. They have figured out that they can enroll the help of a biased media that has become so efficient at indoctrinating the clueless masses and corrupt governments against Israel and the Jews. So the result has become a smorgasbord of unfounded statements that serve only one purpose: the demonization of Israel. Truth is no longer sought!
There is no doubt in my mind that as the "scapegoat of humanity", from a human standpoint, Israel cannot win. But there is also no doubt in my mind that as "the apple of God's eye" (Zechariah 2:8), Israel will prevail. The truth must be told and if our voices remain all that we have, let us use them as much as we can!
The world ha been plagued by numerous attacks by Muslims from different factions. Damages have gone from verbal abuse on the streets of London to broken storefront in France to the crucifying of Middle Eastern Christians and the beheading of two American reporters. The perpetrators' common denominator is that THEY WERE ALL MUSLIMS. This is a fact and would only qualify as Islamophobia (a phobia is an irrational fear) if the story were fabricated to ostracize and/or demonize the Muslims. If, like some choose to do, I would state that "all Arabs are Muslims and I hate Islam, thus I hate the Arabs", that would undoubtedly make me an Islamophobe, but that statement is erroneous, so perish the thought. It would be the same as saying that all Germans were Nazis and I hate the Nazis, thus I hate all Germans!" Absolutely ludicrous!
I am convinced that true-to-the-Qur'an Islam IS NOT A RELIGION OF PEACE and only true-to-the-Qur'an Muslims are real Muslims. So NO, I do not believe that radical Islam is the exception, I believe that radical Islam is the real Islam and that the rest of the world's Muslims are not moderate but either nominal or cultural, but I ache for the 1.5 billion Muslims who are prisoners of Islam. God loves all people and I love God and want to be in His will, thus I will strive to show His love to all, and as a result I CANNOT HATE MUSLIMS.
By now, there are not that many places in the world where the acronym ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) remains unknown. They have acquired quite a ruthless, bloody reputation in just a few months. When it was first announced that they were a splinter group from Al-Qaeda, we witnessed an almost "tongue-in-cheek" yet blasé reaction from most people. Little did we all know about the rapes, crucifixions and beheading that were about to take place. The bold Caliphate declaration by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on June 29, 2014 was a surprise to most, but it remained unchallenged. It is a long shot to expect the rebirth and growth of an Islamic caliphate, but we must remember that even if the Third Reich was short lived, it was lethal.
ISIS is very impressive and attractive to a myriad of radical Islam aficionados (Muslims or not) and has managed to attract followers from various corners of the planet with their supremacist ideology. They have an uncanny ability to draw people making them a real but very unpredictable danger.
It is time for civilized people to unite against the Islamic State. It is also time for the more liberal among us to realize that ISIS is the new Nazis of the Middle East, not Israel!
It was in the midst of a daily service on November 18, that the lives of the congregants of ultra-orthodox synagogue Kehilat Bnei Torah were changed forever. Apparently "inspired" by the butchers of ISIS, two Palestinian cousins with hatchet and gun in hand, barged inside the house of prayer and killed four people–three of them rabbis– and wounded many more. This was the worst attack in Jerusalem since 2008.
Once again, in the midst of a bloodbath, Israel's enemies have joined forces. Perpetrators, supporters and reporters all seem to look at the Middle East crisis through the same warped lenses of bias and anti-Semitism.
• CNN originally reported that the attack was perpetrated on a mosque not a synagogue (most likely a mistake, but seriously!?)
• CBC Canada News originally reported that:"Jerusalem police fatally shoot 2 after apparent synagogue attack". Absolutely nothing was mentioned on the Jewish victims at first.
• The New York Times was beyond vague as they headlined: "four killed in Jerusalem synagogue complex". The reference to the two men being Palestinians was scratched.
There was malice in the act itself, there was malice in those supporting it and there was even malice in the heart of those reporting the tragedy. Long gone are the days when I gave them all the benefit of the doubt and allowed them to claim ignorance.
Recently, It is within a 1939 edition of the Larousse Dictionary that the flag of Palestine was found amidst the flags of the world. We can see a flag made of two equal squares, a light blue on the left and a white on the right. Superimposed in the center of the 2 squares is a yellow Magen David (Star of David), which as we all know is the Jewish symbol par excellence. Dated from 1939, which was the start of World War Two, the dictionary wouldn't include Israel (not re-born as a modern nation until 1948). Note also that on the first line of flags on the left page, you can see the German flag harboring the now infamous swastika of the Nazi regime. There is thus no question as to the time frame of the publishing of this volume. So what happened that changed it all?
For those of us who are concerned with historical accuracy, the meaning of "Palestine" is pretty straight forward, it simply describes the ancient name given to Eretz Yisrael and thus to a piece of land biblically known as the "Land of Canaan" (Genesis 17:7-8) given to the children of Israel by the God of Israel, period!
This re-definition is the result of a geo-political move by Yasser Arafat after the Six-Day war of 1967. The Palestinian people were created and forced to remain in refugee camps created at the time as well. After almost half a century of propaganda and indoctrination, history has been reversed and rewritten and the Palestinian flag certainly doesn't bear the Star of David any more. On their site on Palestinian Facts, the explanation of the new flag includes a statement about it adoption by the "Palestinian people" (who didn't exist then or now) as early as 1917, yet in 1939 it was the flag with the Jewish Star.
This wraps up 2014 as it pertains to my analysis of the world's approach to Israel, the Jewish people and anti-Semitism. We have certainly seen a great increase of the Jewish hatred, especially in Western Europe, but also in the Middle East and elsewhere. The findings of the ADL during their survey led them to conclude that almost one third of there total population of the countries surveyed is harboring anti-Semitic views. That is huge, considering that in many cases theses people have never met a Jewish person in their life.
I fear that we have yet to see the worst of it all. Several Jewish communities are moving to Israel or preparing to do so like the 6,000 French Jews who departed France this year.
I see this as the final attempt from Israel's enemy (Satan) at eliminating the Jews who are the Apple of God's eye (Zech 2:8). I call it eschatological anti-Semitism and even if God has promised from His word to never forsake Israel (Jer 31:35-37), casualties can and probably will increase.
There hasn't been a better time than now to express our love for Israel and the Jewish people. The Jewish Messiah (Yeshua) is on His way back, but until the glorious day of His return on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the Jewish people need friends. My prayer is that you would be on God's side and bless Israel (Genesis 12:3). Thank you for your support!
Many blessings in Messiah for 2015.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Did Someone Stop Drinking the Palestinian Kool-Aid?
The world has grown accustomed to seeing Israel as the culprit for all the ills of the Middle East. As the 21st Century politically correct leitmotif, Israel's guilt is even carried over to the global Jewish community. Let's face it, those who come to Israel's defense are also running the risk of being ostracized by a variety of anti-Israel protagonists, going from academics to clerics to government officials. This is why we must applaud the resolution that the US Senate passed on December 9 under the leadership of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia.
It is unclear if this was due to the changing of the guard that took place as a result of last November's elections but this resolution sticks out like a soar thumb amidst the usual anti-Israel rhetoric. While a vast majority of the global community continues to ignore the fact, the US Senate sent a clear message to Hamas and other terrorist groups indicating that the game they were playing wasn't fooling them anymore.
Just about every aspect of the crimes committed by Hamas were brought up in that resolution. The language used was bold and clearly unequivocal, to the point of risking some racist accusations from the more liberal factions. The resolution states that the Senate:
It is unclear if this was due to the changing of the guard that took place as a result of last November's elections but this resolution sticks out like a soar thumb amidst the usual anti-Israel rhetoric. While a vast majority of the global community continues to ignore the fact, the US Senate sent a clear message to Hamas and other terrorist groups indicating that the game they were playing wasn't fooling them anymore.
Just about every aspect of the crimes committed by Hamas were brought up in that resolution. The language used was bold and clearly unequivocal, to the point of risking some racist accusations from the more liberal factions. The resolution states that the Senate:
• Strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields;
• Calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas’ use of human shields;
• Places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Palestine Islamic Jihad;
• Supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts, and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out attacks against Israel;
• Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors;
• Calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas’ use of human shields;
• Places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Palestine Islamic Jihad;
• Supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts, and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out attacks against Israel;
• Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors;
• Supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas’s means to target Israel, including its use of tunnels, rockets, and other means; and
• Condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council’s biased resolution establishing a commission of inquiry into Israel’s Gaza operations.
This is such a departure from the regular libelous tirades we hear from government officials, especially considering that it was a by-partisan vote. The victims and the perpetrators were actually properly described and recognized as such. It will be interesting to see how Hamas and especially Mahmoud Abbas will react to this accusation, especially in the wake of their push for global recognition.
Another question comes to mind regarding Palestinian recognition. How in the world can countries like France, Ireland, Sweden, Spain and England continue to offer their support for a Palestinian State, co-ruled by Fatah and Hamas AND keep a straight face?
Could this resolution be the first of many, finally putting all parties involved where they belong? Additionally, several congressmen are trying to push the US Department of Treasury into investigating how and where some funds are being disbursed by the US and funneled for terrorism.
Let us not forget that just few weeks ago, the "peaceful" Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was listed by the United Arab Emirates as a terrorist organization, amongst 82 others such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The shock of course was that it came from a Muslim state.
It is too early to tell if more will stop drinking the Palestinian Kool-Aid, following the bold move presented in the recent resolution. On the other hand, in the grand scale of resolutions passed against Israel at the United Nations and/or reprimands pointed at the Jewish State by the US, this is one tiny drop of hope in an ocean of criticism, yet still a move in the right direction.
This is such a departure from the regular libelous tirades we hear from government officials, especially considering that it was a by-partisan vote. The victims and the perpetrators were actually properly described and recognized as such. It will be interesting to see how Hamas and especially Mahmoud Abbas will react to this accusation, especially in the wake of their push for global recognition.
Another question comes to mind regarding Palestinian recognition. How in the world can countries like France, Ireland, Sweden, Spain and England continue to offer their support for a Palestinian State, co-ruled by Fatah and Hamas AND keep a straight face?
Could this resolution be the first of many, finally putting all parties involved where they belong? Additionally, several congressmen are trying to push the US Department of Treasury into investigating how and where some funds are being disbursed by the US and funneled for terrorism.
Let us not forget that just few weeks ago, the "peaceful" Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was listed by the United Arab Emirates as a terrorist organization, amongst 82 others such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The shock of course was that it came from a Muslim state.
It is too early to tell if more will stop drinking the Palestinian Kool-Aid, following the bold move presented in the recent resolution. On the other hand, in the grand scale of resolutions passed against Israel at the United Nations and/or reprimands pointed at the Jewish State by the US, this is one tiny drop of hope in an ocean of criticism, yet still a move in the right direction.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The Three Reasons Why I Support a One-State Solution!
Two states, one state, no state! When it comes to Israel's right to exist on that small sliver of Middle East real estate the size of New Jersey, people get very creative. Land is being shared, some has been given away, some taken back and the never-ending cycle continues to punctuate life in that region.
The whole world seems to know better than Israel what is good for Israel. So, the Jewish state is being forced into a game of "geographical musical chairs" but every round they go, another chair is taken away. This lethal exercise is of course done in the name of peace in the Middle East.
Additionally, some people who claim to be proponents of a two-state solution are really proponents of a "judenrein" (cleansed of all Jews) one-state solution , but they are simply hiding their agenda until the time comes when they can implement it. I wouldn't necessarily be against a two-state solution if both parties were equally interested in peace and co-existence but they simply are not, and for anybody to say otherwise is simply ludicrous!
It was only a couple of days ago when Mahmoud Abbas declared (again) that Hamas didn't need to recognize Israel or even stop their acts of terrorism. How in the world is anybody able to support a Palestinian state under these conditions? And frankly, how are those agreeing with such an irrational claim sleeping at night? There is simply no way that a two-state solution would work under these circumstances.
What we are left with is a one-state solution. I run the risk of sounding racist or promoting apartheid but when you think of it, there are at least three good reasons why a one-state solution is currently the best if not only option for the Middle East.
• Biblically speaking, Israel is much more than the modern nation that was reborn on May 14, 1948. Now, I am well aware that not everybody believes in God, but even those who have a limited belief and/or understanding of the God of the Bible will have a hard time dismissing the hard evidence for the existence of the biblical land of Israel geographically, historically and archaeologically. Artifacts upon artifacts, not to mention ruins of buildings keep getting discovered and militate in favor of a Jewish homeland, people and customs pre-dating the modern state of Israel by several millennia.
But Scripture alone will show us that God gave the Land of Canaan to the children of Israel, yet He continues to care much for that small piece of real estate as we read in Deuteronomy 11:12 "a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year."
This land that God gave to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:7-8; 25:5-6; 26:3; 28:3-4) originally belonged to God as stated in Leviticus 25:23 "The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me".
These are just a few of the myriad of verses about Israel in the Tenach (none about "Palestine"). I cannot help but think that those who take offense at Israel's biblical right to the Land and to existence really are having an argument with God and about His divine decree.
• Geo-politically speaking, Israel cannot survive unless it is safe for the Jewish people. The security fence that has been erected for a while now continues to be a thorn in the flesh of the Palestinian Authority. Israel is constantly accused of being and apartheid state, being compared to South Africa. I strongly condemn apartheid, racial segregation and any form of racism. But Israel's security fence is not and was not based racial discrimination but built for the security of her citizens. Since its inception, the fence has helped reduce terrorist attacks by at least 30%.
The level of hatred and animosity displayed by Hamas during last summer's Gaza War should suffice to prove that any unilateral decision for a two-state solution is simply a one-state solution waiting to happen. Not to mention the other groups playing second fiddle to Hamas but that are also very lethal to Israel.
Terrorism will not cease under a two-state solution but rather spread further as Palestinians would be given access to more land within Israel. This is a concept similar to saying that World War Two could have ended sooner if only the Jews would have gotten along with the Nazis!
Israel simply cannot afford to let the enemy infiltrate its land and kill its people. It is a matter of life and death, period!
• Demographically speaking, Israel is currently faced with a great challenge. Under the "Law of Return" enacted in 1950 as a gateway to safety in the aftermath of the Holocaust and other acts of anti-Semitism, every Jew in the world has the right to come settle in Israel and become a citizen. This is what is meant when we say that diaspora Jews are making aliyah. In and of itself, this had never been a great challenge.
But the events of the last two decades having shown an exponential growth in global anti-Semitism, many Jews have recently decided to move to Israel. A perfect example of course is France that will have 6,000 Jewish people leave for Israel in 2014 with 10,000 more expected in 2015 (for a total of 3% of the 500,000 French Jews).
This is a trend that is only going to increase as anti-Semitism acts multiply globally. Never before has the world witnessed the immigration of 1% of any country's Jewish population within one calendar year. With an estimate of up to10,000 for 2015, we could see a departure of 2% at once next year. And it is only taking France into consideration. This is a modern exodus happening in front of our very eyes.
If the world is closing its door to the Jews, where are we to go? For that very reason Israel must remain safe and open to diaspora Jews pouring in. This would be greatly impaired by an increased Palestinian presence. To be sure, I am not suggesting that all Palestinians be expelled from Israel, yet I do not believe that opening the country for a two-state solution is a viable solution. Before I am accused of pointing to a problem without offering any solution, I would like to remind today's Palestinians–a term that is really a misnomer– that they had their own land a few decades ago, it was called Transjordan.
Outside of God's promise to never allow for Israel to disappear (Jeremiah 31:35-37), the survival of Israel remains a very delicate balancing act of diplomacy and national security, but an act much easier to balance without terrorism in the equation.
Biblically speaking, Israel was granted to the Jewish people by God.
Geo-politically speaking, Israel must secure its borders.
Demographically speaking, Israel needs the space for the 21st century ongoing exodus.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Palestine Before the Palestinians!
Way before Yasser Arafat, the PLO, Hamas, Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas and the likes, there was a Palestine. There was a Palestine that was recognized by the entire world and that was just fine. I am actually in favor of what Palestine used to be prior to the 1960s. Unfortunately, the word "Palestine" has since suffered from some kind of etymological virus for which there seems to be no cure. But why would the world look for a cure when nobody feels that there is even an virus? Yet it is pandemic!• The original meaning of the word "Palestine": While the exact origin of the word "Palestine" is still debated, there are aspects of the word's meaning that we can know for sure. It is indeed very possible that it is a word that once described a people group known as the Philistines. But that people group was in no way connected to the modern Palestinians. Not ethnically, not linguistically and not culturally. In 132 CE, a Jewish revolt took place against the Romans. It was known as the Bar Kochba revolt (Bar Kochba was a false messiah in Israel at the time). In a nutshell, things didn't end well for the Jewish people and in addition to a blood bath of gigantic proportions, Israel was renamed Palaestina by the Romans in an effort to undermine Jewish history and humiliate the Jewish people further. Additionally at the time, Jerusalem was also renamed Aelia Capitolina by emperor Hadrian. The name stuck and continued to be used after that time.
As a matter of fact, when the British were in control from 1922 to 1948, the area was governed under what was known as the "British Palestine Mandate". In the original text of the Mandate itself dated from 1922, we can read: "Whereas recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country". Sounds very Jewish to me!
If we take a look at article 4 of the Mandate, we also find two words in the same passage that any modern day Palestinian would be hard pressed to associate in a positive light: Palestine and Zionist. Yet, in the context of the original Mandate, it was to the current leaders of the Zionist movement that the administration and government of Palestine were entrusted to, as we can read: An appropriate Jewish agency shall be recognized as a public body for the purpose of advising and cooperating with the Administration of Palestine in such economic, social and other matters as may affect the establishment of the Jewish national home and the interests of the Jewish population in Palestine, and, subject always to the control of the Administration to assist and take part in the development of the country. The Zionist organization, so long as its organization and constitution are in the opinion of the Mandatory appropriate, shall be recognized as such agency. It shall take steps in consultation with His Britannic Majesty's Government to secure the cooperation of all Jews who are willing to assist in the establishment of the Jewish national home.
As a matter of fact, until the early 60s, Palestine was always synonymous with Israel and/or Holy Land. Arabs in neighboring countries never called themselves Palestinians but rather Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanian, Egyptians, etc. Most Arabs in the early 1900s would have argued that Palestinian Arabs were simply Syrians.
Recently, an interesting new piece of evidence in favor of Jewish Palestine was found in the most unlikely of places. Some will argue that it is just anecdotal and that it certainly doesn't prove anything, but I would beg to differ.
The evidence comes from the pages of a French dictionary known as the "Larousse Dictionary". Larousse Publishing House was started in France in 1852. They published their first dictionary in 1856. In France, Larousse has become synonymous with "dictionary".
It is within a 1939 edition of the Larousse Dictionary that the flag of Palestine was found amidst the flags of the world. On the right page, third from the top and third from the left, we can see a flag made of two equal squares, a light blue on the left and a white on the right. Superimposed in the center of the 2 squares is a yellow magen David (Star of David), which as we all know is the Jewish symbol par excellence. Dated from 1939, which was the start of World War Two, the dictionary wouldn't include Israel (not re-born as a modern nation until 1948). Note also that on the first line of flags on the left page, you can see the German flag harboring the now infamous swastika of the Nazi regime. There is thus no question as to the time frame of the publishing of this volume. So what happened that changed it all?
• Alternate meaning of the word "Palestine": It is not uncommon for the etymology of certain words to evolve with the times, culture and history. It is neither good nor bad but simply a result a change in the meaning of a word over time. So why is it that in the case of the word "Palestine" we should look at its new meaning carefully and I would go as far as saying that we should even reject it?
For those of us who are concerned with historical accuracy, the meaning of "Palestine" is pretty straight forward, it simply describes the ancient name given to Eretz Yisrael and thus to a piece of land biblically known as the "Land of Canaan" (Genesis 17:7-8) given to the children of Israel by the God of Israel, period!
But today, Palestine doesn't have any more Jewish connotation whatsoever. Palestine is allegedly the historical homeland of the Palestinian people, who because of their unalienable right to self-determination have the god-given right to fight for their return. But do they? I strongly disagree with that assumption! unfortunately,
This re-definition is the result of a geo-political move by Yasser Arafat after the Six-Day war of 1967. The Palestinian people were created and forced to remain in refugee camps created at the time as well. After almost half a century of propaganda and indoctrination, history has been reversed and rewritten and the Palestinian flag certainly doesn't bear the Star of David any more. On their site on Palestinian Facts, the explanation of the new flag includes a statement about it adoption by the "Palestinian people" (who didn't exist then or now) as early as 1917, yet in 1939 it was the flag with the Jewish Star.
I agree that it takes more than a flag to validate a people's right to exist and right to the land, but historians and Bible scholars alike have documented Jewish existence in the current land of Israel for over 3,500 years, uninterrupted since the days of Joshua.
So next time you hear about Israel the "occupier" of Palestine from Muslim leaders, Pro-Palestinian liberals, Christian anti-Semites and even self-defeating Jews such as those from the organization known as JStreet, consider the facts. You might not be able to change the minds of brainwashed anti-Jewish people, but you certainly deserve the truth about Israel and the Jewish people.
Palestine existed long before the "Palestinians" were implanted there. It was, is and always will remain the Jewish homeland; historically, geographically and last but not least, biblically. Don't let the name fool you!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Jerusalem Synagogue Massacre: Israel's Enemies Unite In Thoughts, Words and Deeds !
By Olivier J. Melnick
My heart goes out to the families of the victims as well as the community around that particular synagogue. But it really is the whole worldwide Jewish community who was hit on Tuesday. I have often said that the new anti-Semitism finds all Jews guilty of Israel's "crimes" as if by proxy, regardless of their locale. While this concept is not rooted in logic, a similar one–that one with merit– relating to the global Jewish community, makes all Jews mourn when they hear of the loss of a fellow Jew. For that reason, I mourn our loss and I denounce the barbarism of the perpetrators.
Passed the obvious outrage about this unspeakable act of terrorism, we need to consider the crimes beyond the crime, as we have also witnessed much more anti-Semitism than that of the two Palestinian murderers. What was the world's response to this third act of terrorism in Jerusalem in the last month?
President Obama, appeared to be denouncing this bloody carnage when he said:“ The murderers for today’s outrageous acts represent the kind of extremism that threatens to bring all of the Middle East into the kind of spiral from which it’s very difficult to emerge,” yet I am trying to understand what he really meant when he said: “But we have to remind ourselves that the majority of Palestinians and Israelis overwhelmingly want peace and to be able to raise their families knowing they’re safe and secure.”
I don't doubt that the majority of Israelis want peace in the region. I am also aware that even in the midst of the Jewish community, there might be some who do not wish for peace with the Palestinians and might even display some signs of racism. Let's remember that racism is part of human nature and as such it exists globally. This being said, the vast majority of Israelis do want peace.
On the other hand, I strongly disagree with President Obama regarding the Palestinian desire for peace. Come on Mr. President, it was only minutes after the crime that Palestinians were celebrating on the streets, holding pictures of the two terrorists as heroes and passing out candy. Even Hamas leadership was very clear in their position as they praised the attack on the synagogue. Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas denounced the attack, but of course he remained silent when it came to voice his disagreement with Hamas. It wouldn't be the first time that Mr. Abbas speaks from both sides of his mouth. Let us not forget that Hamas and Fatah are at peace and working together to promote the establishment of the State of Palestine. According to Hamas' charter, Israel and the Jewish people must disappear for Palestine to exist, as is clearly stated in several of their 36 articles.
Article 8 The Hamas document reiterates the Muslim Brotherhood's slogan of "Allah is its goal, the Prophet is the model, the Qur'an its constitution, jihad its path, and death for the sake of Allah its most sublime belief.
Article 13 There is no negotiated settlement possible. Jihad is the only answer.
As a Jew, I must ask: "What part of 'they want to kill us ALL' do you not understand Mr. President?" In the meantime, the US and the EU continue to fund the Palestinian Authority indiscriminately. Does that make them co-conspirators or co-perpetrators?
Aside from the two direct perpetrators, the myriad of cheering Palestinian supporters and various world governments making empty statements, we also must consider how the media kicked Israel and the Jewish people while they were down–a common practice, so it seems. The bias is nauseating!
• CNN originally reported that the attack was perpetrated on a mosque not a synagogue (most likely a mistake, but seriously!?)
• CBC Canada News originally reported that:"Jerusalem police fatally shoot 2 after apparent synagogue attack". Absolutely nothing was mentioned on the Jewish victims at first.
• The New York Times was beyond vague as they headlined: "four killed in Jerusalem synagogue complex". The reference to the two men being Palestinians was scratched.
• The Guardian (British News) reported that four worshippers were killed by two men armed with axes. Nor reference to the men being Palestinians.
Once again, in the midst of a bloodbath, Israel's enemies have joined forces. Perpetrators, supporters and reporters all seem to look at the Middle East crisis through the same warped lenses of bias and anti-Semitism. Long gone are the days when I gave them all the benefit of the doubt and allowed them to claim ignorance. There was malice in the act itself, there was malice in those supporting it and there was even malice in the heart of those reporting the tragedy.
In Psalm 133:1 we read Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! As the enemies of Israel continue to stand together in defiance of the real meaning of this beautiful passage of Scripture, we, the Jews and the friends of Israel must dwell together, hold hands and keep each other in a prayerful vigil.
There has never been a more appropriate time to remember God's promise to Abraham and his descendants in Bereshit (Genesis):
I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you".
On Tuesday November 18, 2014 many Jewish people around the world were gathered in their respective synagogues for worship and prayer. For pious Jews, synagogue attendance is part of a regular routine that punctuates their daily schedule. Prayer is like breathing; you simply can't function without it. It was Elie Wiesel in Night who, asked by Moshe from the synagogue why he prayed, answered: "Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?"
It was in the midst of a daily service that the lives of the congregants of ultra-orthodox synagogue Kehilat Bnei Torah were changed forever. Apparently "inspired" by the butchers of ISIS, two Palestinian cousins with hatchet and gun in hand, barged inside the house of prayer and killed four people–three of them rabbis– and wounded many more. The death toll was raised to five when one of the first responding police officers who was shot in the head, died within hours. This was the worst attack in Jerusalem since 2008.My heart goes out to the families of the victims as well as the community around that particular synagogue. But it really is the whole worldwide Jewish community who was hit on Tuesday. I have often said that the new anti-Semitism finds all Jews guilty of Israel's "crimes" as if by proxy, regardless of their locale. While this concept is not rooted in logic, a similar one–that one with merit– relating to the global Jewish community, makes all Jews mourn when they hear of the loss of a fellow Jew. For that reason, I mourn our loss and I denounce the barbarism of the perpetrators.
Passed the obvious outrage about this unspeakable act of terrorism, we need to consider the crimes beyond the crime, as we have also witnessed much more anti-Semitism than that of the two Palestinian murderers. What was the world's response to this third act of terrorism in Jerusalem in the last month?
President Obama, appeared to be denouncing this bloody carnage when he said:“ The murderers for today’s outrageous acts represent the kind of extremism that threatens to bring all of the Middle East into the kind of spiral from which it’s very difficult to emerge,” yet I am trying to understand what he really meant when he said: “But we have to remind ourselves that the majority of Palestinians and Israelis overwhelmingly want peace and to be able to raise their families knowing they’re safe and secure.”
I don't doubt that the majority of Israelis want peace in the region. I am also aware that even in the midst of the Jewish community, there might be some who do not wish for peace with the Palestinians and might even display some signs of racism. Let's remember that racism is part of human nature and as such it exists globally. This being said, the vast majority of Israelis do want peace.
On the other hand, I strongly disagree with President Obama regarding the Palestinian desire for peace. Come on Mr. President, it was only minutes after the crime that Palestinians were celebrating on the streets, holding pictures of the two terrorists as heroes and passing out candy. Even Hamas leadership was very clear in their position as they praised the attack on the synagogue. Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas denounced the attack, but of course he remained silent when it came to voice his disagreement with Hamas. It wouldn't be the first time that Mr. Abbas speaks from both sides of his mouth. Let us not forget that Hamas and Fatah are at peace and working together to promote the establishment of the State of Palestine. According to Hamas' charter, Israel and the Jewish people must disappear for Palestine to exist, as is clearly stated in several of their 36 articles.
Article 8 The Hamas document reiterates the Muslim Brotherhood's slogan of "Allah is its goal, the Prophet is the model, the Qur'an its constitution, jihad its path, and death for the sake of Allah its most sublime belief.
Article 13 There is no negotiated settlement possible. Jihad is the only answer.
As a Jew, I must ask: "What part of 'they want to kill us ALL' do you not understand Mr. President?" In the meantime, the US and the EU continue to fund the Palestinian Authority indiscriminately. Does that make them co-conspirators or co-perpetrators?
Aside from the two direct perpetrators, the myriad of cheering Palestinian supporters and various world governments making empty statements, we also must consider how the media kicked Israel and the Jewish people while they were down–a common practice, so it seems. The bias is nauseating!
• CNN originally reported that the attack was perpetrated on a mosque not a synagogue (most likely a mistake, but seriously!?)
• CBC Canada News originally reported that:"Jerusalem police fatally shoot 2 after apparent synagogue attack". Absolutely nothing was mentioned on the Jewish victims at first.
• The New York Times was beyond vague as they headlined: "four killed in Jerusalem synagogue complex". The reference to the two men being Palestinians was scratched.
• The Guardian (British News) reported that four worshippers were killed by two men armed with axes. Nor reference to the men being Palestinians.
Once again, in the midst of a bloodbath, Israel's enemies have joined forces. Perpetrators, supporters and reporters all seem to look at the Middle East crisis through the same warped lenses of bias and anti-Semitism. Long gone are the days when I gave them all the benefit of the doubt and allowed them to claim ignorance. There was malice in the act itself, there was malice in those supporting it and there was even malice in the heart of those reporting the tragedy.
In Psalm 133:1 we read Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! As the enemies of Israel continue to stand together in defiance of the real meaning of this beautiful passage of Scripture, we, the Jews and the friends of Israel must dwell together, hold hands and keep each other in a prayerful vigil.
There has never been a more appropriate time to remember God's promise to Abraham and his descendants in Bereshit (Genesis):
I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you".
Monday, November 10, 2014
Hatred wasn't the only cause for Kristallnacht!
In the book of Leviticus, the God of Israel gives His children a series of calendar dates to respect and commemorate each year. We read: "The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations (Leviticus 23:1-2)."
These are known as the Feasts of the Lord or the Feasts of Israel, and no, they have nothing to do with Kristallnacht per se, except maybe and within reason, the principle of yearly repetition found in those verses. God knew all along that mankind can have a tendency to become complacent and even forget about important events like His festivals, so He laid them out in a chapter of the Torah for believers to commemorate for years to come.
There is much value in remembering. We must remember not just the good that happened to us but also the bad. This is why many special dates have been set aside by various countries over the centuries to either celebrate the birthday of an important character of history, an event or even a place. Likewise we must remember the days that negatively punctuated mankind's history such as Kristallnacht each November since the event took place.
These are known as the Feasts of the Lord or the Feasts of Israel, and no, they have nothing to do with Kristallnacht per se, except maybe and within reason, the principle of yearly repetition found in those verses. God knew all along that mankind can have a tendency to become complacent and even forget about important events like His festivals, so He laid them out in a chapter of the Torah for believers to commemorate for years to come.
There is much value in remembering. We must remember not just the good that happened to us but also the bad. This is why many special dates have been set aside by various countries over the centuries to either celebrate the birthday of an important character of history, an event or even a place. Likewise we must remember the days that negatively punctuated mankind's history such as Kristallnacht each November since the event took place.
This unexpected event occurred 76 years ago on November 9-10, 1938, throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria and Czechoslovakia. It continues to be remembered as Kristallnacht or "the Night of Broken Glass". It consisted of a series of pogroms (organized riots) against Jewish communities during which over 260 synagogues and 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed and 91 Jewish people killed. Additionally, 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
This attack against the Jews of Europe was orchestrated by the paramilitary division of the Nazi Party known as the SA (Sturmabtellung) or "Stormtroopers", originally under Herman Göring until Hitler took it over from 1930 to 1945. The chief instigator of the riots was Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels
Originally, the reason given for Kristallnacht was the assassination of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by a young Polish Jew living in Paris at the time. The life of one German man precipitated the destruction of thousands of Jewish properties and the deportation and death of tens of thousands of Jews. This is somewhat
In reality the death of Ernst Vom Rath was simply a pretext for pogroms and mass boycotts against the Jewish community. Reputable historians see Kristallnacht as the inception of the "Final Solution to the Jewish Problem" that is the Holocaust. But what we must realize is that Kristallnacht wasn't only a demonstration of hatred against the Jews. It might have been fueled by anti-Semitism but there was also an equally devastating enemy at work there. I call it was apathy.
Whenever there is any kind of abuse in the world being the tight vise of a dictatorship, religious fanaticism or ethnic cleansing to name just a few, the grip of abuse is always facilitated by the apathy of those who could make a difference.
There were many Germans during Kristallnacht who could have made a difference. They could have stood in the way of evil. To be sure, some did and we certainly do want to generalize. As to what other civilized countries could have done to help a wounded Jewonistish community escape a much darker fate, history tells us that it was also too little and way too late, if at all. Doors for immigration were closed except for a few countries like England for a short while. Words come easy but when not followed by actions, they are just a collection of clinging cymbals making noise with no purpose.
Any time in history that a community becomes complacent or indifferent to the fate of one of its minority groups, it is only a matter of time until that minority runs the greater risk of extinction, all of it simply observed by their apathetic neighbor.
76 years after the original "Night of Broken Glass" anti-Semitism is at its highest since that gloomy episode of history that saw the death of 6,000,000 Jews. Do we run the chance of another Kristallnacht? Well, if we consider the level of anti-Israel sentiment displayed around the globe in words AND deeds, I would posit that YES, we do indeed. We could see another event of the sort that might again serve as a catalyst to a greater loss of life. All we have to do is watch the events of the last six months in Western Europe (France in particular). We can also look at what Iran's Ayatollah Khameini just published against Israel on the very day of the anniversary of Kristallnacht. His nine-point plan on the annihilation of the "Zionist regime" leaves no stone unturned.
When it comes to Israel and the Jewish people, we live in an age of "supporter fatigue". The events of the Middle East still make the 8 o'clock news but do not carry the same impact as they did even a decade ago. By extension, what happens to global Jewry has also become a rather tiresome story to most. People simply don't care any more unless there is "something in it for them". When self-gratification reigns, apathy is a co-regent, crippling those who could help.
We must remember Kristallnacht if only to be able to tell our children about it. We shouldn't hold a grudge or even seek retribution, but we should simply do our part to remain instrumental in teaching our world about evil and how to fight it.
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
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