Defiant Land… Faithful Land…. Holy Land

Painting walls and doors blue
will not make it “Jewish”

Waving angry flags up and down
will not make it “Jewish”

Scribbling around fantasies and lies
will not make it “Jewish”

Destroying evidence of deep rooted history
will not make it “Jewish”

Uprooting trees and stealing livelihoods
will not make it “Jewish”

Desecrating monasteries where peace is the prayer
will not make it “Jewish”

Writing Hebrew words on stolen olive oil
will not make it “Jewish”

Burning fruit trees to tighten the squeeze
will not make it “Jewish”

Shredding Holy books to pieces, with a grin
will not make it “Jewish”

Erasing a country from the world map
will not make it “Jewish”

Moving in, at gun point to some family home
will not make it “Jewish”

Disfiguring kuffiah with blue pointed stars
will not make it “Jewish”

Claiming God is a real-estate agent favouring his “chosen”
will not make it “Jewish”

Invading fully armed, a mosque or a church
will not make it “Jewish”

Destroying landscapes, for eyesore construction
will not make it “Jewish”

Bombing hills and mountains while hiding the crime
will not make it “Jewish”

Defiant Land

Faithful Land

Holy Land

Her stones yearn to be caressed

Only by those hands

which tenderly carved

NOTHING… NOTHING of what they do will ever make it “Jewish”

Defiant Land

Faithful Land

Holy Land

Her heart beats only

for those gentle eyes

which watered her with tears

she passionately adores

NOTHING… NOTHING of what they do will ever make it “Jewish”

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

One Week Before Purim, Nasrallah Issues Warning to Israel

By Richard Edmondson
  
The following comes from Press TV

Hezbollah Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah says the Lebanese resistance movement will defend the country against any possible attack by Israel.

“I warn Israelis, resistance will not be silent in case of aggression,” Nasrallah said Saturday during a speech marking the anniversary of martyred Hezbollah figures. 
 
Nasrallah denied speculation that Hezbollah has become weak and said the resistance movement is prepared more than ever. 
 
“Lebanon’s resistance movement is fully prepared and ready,” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Hezbollah secretary-general also stressed that resistance is the only choice for Palestinians in their struggle against Israeli occupation. 
 
“Israel is the greatest danger for Palestine and the region,” Nasrallah added.
He said Hezbollah would continue to support Palestinians in order for them to achieve their rights.
 
The Israeli military frequently carries out airstrikes and other attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, in violation of international law, disproportionate force is always used and civilians are often killed or injured. 
 
The attacks rage on while Israel keeps up its crippling blockade on Gaza, which it imposed on the enclave in 2007.

Nasrallah’s warning comes one week before the Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins this year at sundown on February 23. As I have mentioned before, Purim is traditionally a time when violence and aggression flares in the Middle East. Both US wars against Iraq, in 1991 and 2003, were in pivotal synchroneity with the Purim holiday; the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinians carried out by Baruch Goldstein also occurred on Purim; and then one week before Purim in 2010, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the mosque where the massacre took place would become a Jewish Heritage site—this despite the fact that the mosque is located on Palestinian land in the West Bank town of Hebron. The timing of Netanyahu’s announcement—four days before the sixteenth anniversary of the massacre was to be observed—also seemed intended as a provocation. And then when approximately 200 people, on the day of the anniversary, attempted to march down the main street in the town where the mosque is located, they were fired upon by Israeli soldiers using tear gas and percussion grenades.

On Purim of 2011 NATO began its bombardment of Libya.
 
And finally last year, just one day after the Purim holiday 2012, Israel launched a murderous assault on Gaza that killed at least 21 Palestinians. Here is an excerpt from an article by Ramzy Baroud and posted here at Leftwing-Christian:

Israel air raids on Gaza Strip have killed 21 Palestinians over the past three days, Monday, March 12, 2012.

The first Israeli missile sped down to its target, scorching the Gaza earth and everything in between. Palestinians collected the body parts of two new martyrs, while Israeli media celebrated the demise of two terrorists.

Zuhair Qasis was the head of the Popular Resistance Committee. He was killed alongside a Palestinian prisoner from Nablus, who had recently been freed and deported to Gaza.

Then, another set of missiles rained down, this time taking Obeid al-Ghirbali and Muhammad Harara.

Then a third, and a forth, and so on. The death count began on March 9 and escalated through the day. The Hamas government urged the international community to take action. Factions vowed to retaliate.

In these situations, Western media is usually clueless or complicit. Sometimes it’s both. The Israeli army was cited readily by many media outlets without challenge.

The first round of attacks was justified based on a claim that Qasis was involved in the planning of an attack that killed seven Israelis last year. The Israel army did not even bother to upgrade that claim – which had already resulted in the killing and wounding of many Palestinians. Even Israeli media had drawn the conclusion that the attack then originated from Egypt, and no Palestinian was involved.
Al Jazeera reported that some of the victims were decapitated, a familiar scene in most of Israel’s unforgiving atrocities.

Expectedly, Palestinians fired back. “The national resistance brigades, the DFLP’s armed wing, the Al-Aqsa brigades, and the armed wing of the PRC, the An-Nasser Salah Ad-Din brigades, have all claimed responsibility for rocket fire,” reported Maan news agency.

The incessant Israeli provocations would not have been enough to end the months-long truce. Palestinians know that Israeli provocations are often, if not always, politically motivated. This time however, the people killed were leaders in al-Muqawama, the local resistance parties. Neither Hamas’ might nor diplomacy could persuade Gaza’s many factions to hold their fire. Israel knows this fact more than any other party. This is why it sent such unmistakably bloody messages. Israel needed Palestinians to respond, and urgently so.

But why did Israel decide to ignite trouble again?

To answer the question, one needs to make a quick stop in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently tried to articulate a case for war against Iran there. Unlike the successful effort to isolate, strike and invade Iraq in 2003, the Iran war campaign is not going according to plan.

On March 12 of last year, I put up a post entitled The Purim Angle In Israel’s Gaza Attack, which included an article by Mark Glenn at the Ugly Truth website, who indeed serves up a bit of ugly truth about Purim:

My, what interesting times we are living in…A theocratic political machine with 1^st world death-delivering technology calling itself ‘the most moral army on the planet’ going hogwild against 1.5 million 3^rd worlders in what can accurately be described as the world’s largest private hunting preserve, where neither escape nor self-defense is a possibility.

And to think, prime time entertainment used to be innocent, defenseless people being fed to hungry lions. How far we have come…

And make no mistake about it—the recent bloodbath in Gaza was all about Purim. It always is. Like a full moon coinciding with all sorts of dark, violent and irrational behavior, every time this yearly festival of death comes ‘round, Israel goes on a killing spree of some sort in giving real-life significance to her annual celebration of anti-Gentile revenge.

Sometimes the toga parties thrown in Queen Esther’s honor are BIG, like the Zionist-engineered destruction of Iraq…and then, at other times, these Purim-inspired bloodbaths are—numerically speaking—‘minor,’ such as Baruch Goldstein’s machine-gunning to death almost 40 Muslims as they knelt down and prayed.

Either way however, the golden rule at this time of year is that someone has to die in a very dramatic and spectacular manner. Like some addict who simply cannot function till he gets his fix, it—Purimspiel–has to be pure, uncut, industrial-strength ritual murder in order for our Torah addicts to calm their nerves, get their shakes under control and feel ‘normal’ again, whatever the hell such a thing can mean in the Jewish sense.

The Purim holiday, for those who may not be aware, celebrates the foiling of a plot against Jews in Persia, and the subsequent murder of 75,000 Gentiles, as related in the Old Testament book of Esther. It seems to be a time when Jews indulge in their love of vengeance (over real or perceived wrongs), and perhaps we are already beginning to see a bit of “Purim-inspired” violence in association with this year’s holiday. All of the following comes from the past 24 hours:

Soldiers Kidnap 26 Palestinians, Mainly Children, in West Bank, 2 in Gaza

Army Kidnaps a Wounded Palestinian Youth Near Jenin

Soldiers Attack Nonviolent Protesters Near Hebron

Eight Injured After Army Invades Al-Eesawiyya (includes video)

Army Attacks Palestinians in Front of Ofer Prison

Dozens Injured as Army Attacks Nonviolent Protests in West Bank

Seven Palestinians Kidnapped in Jerusalem

Two Arab MKs Receive Death Threats

 

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

The Judaization of Panama

By Richard Edmondson
A couple of days ago our friend, sister, and research assistant MSA sent me a link to a story from the Jewish media regarding a group of rabbis who have named a New York Yankees baseball player as their “man of the year.” The player is not Jewish; rather, he is Mariano Rivera, who happens to be from Panama.
“Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera will be named Man of the Year by the New York Board of Rabbis and will be given a guided tour of Israel,” said the story, compiled by JTA, which can be found here.
One of the rabbis interviewed for the report described Rivera as “a strong supporter of Israel” as well as “a religious person who is deeply committed to doing good.” His trip to Israel will take place later this year, after baseball season and also following the Jewish fall holidays, the story adds.
I am not a sports fan and frankly had never even heard of Rivera, however, a rather lengthy article on him at Wikipedia describes him as a devout Christian.
Both MSA and I were kind of puzzled by the report, and both of us thought there may be more to it than meets the eye. Turns out we were right.
Readers will recall, of course, that Panama was one of only 9 nations to vote against Palestinian statehood this past November 29 when the UN General Assembly, over the strident objections of Israel and the US, voted overwhelmingly in favor of extending formal recognition—and in doing so, recognized the 65-year-long struggle for independence waged by the Palestinian people.

So why would the government of Panama side against such a sizeable portion of humanity, why place itself on the wrong side—of both justice and history—simply in order to stand, almost virtually alone, with the US and Israel? Are all the Christians in Panama Christian Zionists like Rivera?

In order to try and answer this, we might turn to an article that appeared recently in the Jewish Daily Forward concerning a group of Israelis who have made some rather significant economic inroads into Panama, essentially turning the country into an “Israeli Mecca,” as the headline above the article reads.

“Wherever there is good opportunity, Israelis are there,” says Avihai David, the man pictured in the photo at the top of this article.

David is part owner of something called “Dekel Development,” an Israeli company that has acquired beachfront property in a town known as Pedasi, and which has been busily turning the area into a tourist attraction. Pedasi is located on Panama’s Pacific coast, on the Azuero Peninsula, in an area known for its idyllic beaches and its pastoral lifestyle. Or as The Forward puts it, the place “emanates tranquility,” but is also located just minutes away from “the best surfing break in the country.”

A quote from The Forward article is instructive:

Driving through pastures where cows meander up to a rickety fence and the only traffic is on horseback, you suddenly reach endless white sands and blue waters. It’s one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen — in no small part because practically no one else is there. There are just three beachfront hotels and one backpacker’s hostel. It is, you think, truly paradise, a secret you want to hush up and hide.
Then the surprise: Most of the foreigners here are Israeli; many are relatives or friends. The only restaurant offers Shabbat dinners, which are packed. In fact, the chef was recruited from one of Tel Aviv’s hottest restaurants, Kimel. The hostel is crammed with Hebrew books; in the calle, Hebrew is almost as common as Spanish. Just how, you wonder, did a Central American Garden of Eden become a tiny Israeli outpost?

Indeed, how did it happen? Well, we go back eight years, to 2004, when a gentleman named Daniel Rudasevski decided to go “surfing in Costa Rica after serving in the Israeli army.” Around this time he met another Israeli military veteran, Rafi Museri, and initially the two tried investing in Costa Rica but found it too “developer-saturated,” so they turned their attention to neighboring Panama. Apparently the goal was to stay somewhere in Central America, to exploit whatever opportunities might be available to two smart Jews looking to make a killing (figuratively speaking), and eventually they happened upon Pedasi.
The roads were poor and the infrastructure terrible, but the two Israelis “saw the waves, the world-class fishing, the whales and dolphins and turtles that frolic here and knew they had stumbled onto something magical.” Also, the Azuero Peninsula is where a number of national Panamanian festivals are held. “This is it,” they decided.
Investors from Israel were attracted to put up funding. One project is “Andromeda Ocean Estates,” which was “just a cornfield when we got there,” but today has become a “luxury beachfront residential community” with more than 200 residential and commercial lots.
Eventually Israelis began moving there—actually leaving their beloved “Jewish homeland” no less! One is Natalie Libert. “I fell in love instantly,” she told The Forward. “It’s a really special place.”
Dekel Development has undertaken other projects in the area as well—a large-scale shopping center, a second giant resort community, hotel, coffee shop, wine bar, and an “eco-lodge.” And that’s just for starters. As the story affirms, “More is planned.”
The Forward also gives us a bit of history on Jewish involvement in Panama, and lest you think otherwise, this involvement did not begin with the two Israeli surfer dudes. The country has actually had two Jewish presidents: Max Shalom Delvalle, who served in 1969, and Eric Delvalle Maduro, who served 1987-88. (For some reason Wikipedia has the latter listed as “Eric Arturo Delvalle,” although the dates given for his presidency, 1985-1988, roughly correspond to those given by The Forward for Maduro, so I’m going out on a limb and assuming it’s one and the same man).
History buffs will of course remember that the US invaded Panama in 1989 in a successful drive to topple the country’s military leader, Manuel Noriega. The Wikipedia article gives us some interesting background information on that:

In 1986, US Secretary of State Elliot Abrams openly called on the Panamanian military to overthrow Noriega and suggested that it could lead to the restoration of military aid. The Delvalle government protested, filing a complaint with the Organization of American States; sixteen Latin American states joined Panama in condemning the US statement.

But it seems Delvalle made a quick about-face. “Loyalty” being what it is, of course, the Jewish president, after backing the most powerful man in the country initially, quickly threw his lot in with the greater power, the US, when the writing on the wall became evident:

After Noriega’s indictment on February 4, 1988 by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Delvalle unsuccessfully attempted to remove Noriega from his formal post as head of the Panamanian Defense Forces. Instead, Noriega’s allies in the Legislative Assembly voted on February 22 to oust Delvalle as president, appointing Education Minister Manuel Solis Palma in his place.^[4][5] Delvalle then went into hiding with the help of the American government.^[4] Though initially stating that he intended to remain in Panama,^[6] Delvalle soon went into the exile in the US.^[5] The administration of US President Ronald Reagan refused to recognize the legitimacy of Delvalle’s successors and continued to officially support the legitimacy of Delvalle’s presidency until his term’s official ending in late 1989.

In other words, Delvalle switched loyalties, treacherously aligning himself with the invaders of his nation. But then maybe Panama wasn’t really “his” nation per se; maybe, after all was said and done, he thought of Israel as his true homeland. We don’t really know for sure. What we do know is that the invasion began on December 20, 1989—just as Panamanians were preparing for the Christmas holiday—and that thousands of people were killed and injured. One heavily populated area, the El Chorillo neighborhood in Panama City, was burned practically to the ground. In December of 2012 I put up a post marking the twenty-third anniversary of the Panama invasion. You can check it out here. It includes an article by Felicity Arbuthnot and a 22-minute video clip from the film, “Panama Deception.”
Another Israeli who has moved to Panama is Adi Shlush, another Israeli military veteran, who comments, “I feel comfortable here.” Shlush remarks also that there is a “big Jewish community here,” and that “we have a very good group. We’re like family.”
So how many Jews are there in Panama? The story in The Forward places the figure at 8,000 (out of a total population of 3 million) and also informs us that Jewish immigration there has “tripled in the past two decades.”
And what’s going on in Pedasi only scratches the surface. The following, presented in no particular order, is a sampling, all of it turned up by our research assistant MSA. Links are included:

Panama Jews Welcome NY Visitorshttp://thejewishstar.com/stories/Panama-Jews-welcome-NY-visitors,2209?page=3&content_source=
While the Russian Jewish community in Panama is tiny, Lipsman expects it to be the next incoming wave, attracted by a warm climate and stable economy. 
“Unlike Florida, there are no hurricanes, and I’ve never been happier,” said his father Jacob Lipsman, who runs an air conditioner installation firm after arriving in Panama a month after his son.
“I thought it was going to be jungles, but it’s booming in construction. I was pleasantly surprised,” said RAJEon participant Angelina Fridman, 26. 
“I didn’t realize there were so many Jewish people here, and they’ve been here for decades.”
Dubbing the trip a success, Rabbi Ibragimov is mulling other exotic Jewish locations for his group, possibly including Cuba, Uganda and South Africa.

“This trip was a test run, we make the itinerary, and we have our connections in these countries, and we reach out to them. It’s like an extended family.”

Panama City—Panama Jews Welcome NY Visitors
http://www.vosizneias.com/74973/2011/02/02/panama-city-panama-jews-welcome-ny-visitors
Panama City – Having climbed out of its past as a military dictatorship, Panama is revamping its image for the world as a hub for business, culture and tourism. 
As the country’s famed canal expands and its capital city’s skyline rises, its Jewish community is also growing, a rare statistic in a world of assimilation and demographic fears.
“Panama is one of the few communities outside of Israel that has experienced growth and there is very little assimilation,” said David Mizrahi, president of the Central Jewish Community Council of Panama. “85 percent of our community keeps kosher. There is virtually no intermarriage.”
The first Jews arrived secretly in Panama to escape the Spanish Inquisition, but established communal roots date to the 1850s, when California-bound travelers needed a synagogue to handle burials and shelter sick Jews. That synagogue, Kol Shearit Israel, is now a Reform congregation, and its roster includes two former Panamanian presidents, Max Delvalle and his nephew Eric Arturo Delvalle.
But the real success story is the Orthodox segment, which now boasts two kosher supermarkets, eight restaurants, and three integrated Jewish schools with 1,600 students between them.
“The Jewish community here is more united and religious, people invest here more in Shabbat,” said Ofir Levy, 30, manager of the Deli K supermarket. “The dollar is accepted in Panama and we can match American prices on the food.”      (at the end of this paragraph it directs reader to the article above !? at jewish star…)


Panama’s Reform Jews Shunned by Orthodoxhttp://www.sandiegojewishworld.com/panama/1999-0416-panama-synagogues.htm
…When Torrijos put his children there, everyone from colonels down wanted their children at the Albert Einstein–colonels, majors, captains, whatever,” Zebede said. “Our rabbi was furious, all the society was furious.” 
After the split, the board at the Einstein decided to require non-Jewish students to learn Hebrew, a move that cut applications drastically, according to Zebede. “Like when we were in Catholic school (before the Einstein was opened) we were pressured to learn catechism–we knew more catechism than they did!” 
Zebede said he doubted there ever could be a reconciliation between the Reform and the Orthodox communities. 
“They would have to change their whole way of thinking, and of acting. It is difficult for them even to think that on Shabbat they cannot drive a car, or use a phone or handle money,” he said. “To them, how is it possible that we can’t have dairy products with meat? They take it as a matter of fact that one of their boys will marry a goya: ‘’What’s the problem?’ they will ask. This cannot be with us, under no circumstances. We don’t even want to permit the opportunity for this: it leads to intermarriages, it leads to not preserving our Jewishness. 
“I will tell you something: our community, thank God, has become with Rabbi Levy’s insistence, more and more observant.”


The History of Jews in Panama (snipped only small piece from this one)http://www.thepanamareport.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=351
Jews have held very high positions in politics within the Republic. Did you know that Panama is the only country besides Israel to have had two Jewish presidents in the twentieth century? 
Max Delvalle was first vice president of the Republic and later President from 1964-68 and Eric Delvalle Maduro served as president from 1987-1988.
The current wave of Jewish immigration started in the mid-1990′s when Israelis started to see Panama as a good place to settle down and invest in business. During this period about 1000 jews moved to Panama. 
They mostly settled in Panama City, but also scattered around the country in small clusters in Colon, David and the former American Canal Zone.
Diplomatic relations with Israel are strong. Panama has consistently supported Israel in the United Nations. Since 1948, 180 Panamanian Jews have emigrated to Israel.


Things Panamanians Like———————————— A blog to help foreigners assimilate in Panama
http://thingspanamanianslike.com/
(THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A JEW…~~~~!!!
according to comments posted on this page…)
#72 Complaining about jews November 22, 2010 by Panamaniac
One of the most efficient ways of gaining Panamanian friendship is to talk to them about jews. 88% of Panamanians have had a Jewish boss/friend who has done something bad to them and referencing this information can gain you a one-way ticket to the Panamanian heart.
In the Panamanian book of who not to trust, jews come right after Colombians and because most of Panama’s jews are wealthy, your first priority is to steer the conversation to the topic of inequality. (Example: “The jews park all their Range Rovers and I cannot find a space!”)  It is also acceptable to reference stores that are inconveniently closed on Jewish holidays (Example: “Oh, Multiplaza is closed today because of the jews.”). For added effect, you can say that a jewish person was rude or disrespectful in the process.
If none of these tactics work, try saying that you went to a Jewish school as a child. This is a way of saying, “I know too many bad jew stories to count” without necessarily coming up with anything specific.
Note: If you do happen to encounter a Panamaniana jew, it’s important not to freak out. There is a 13% chance that they have non-Jewish friends. You can also say “I’m jewish too” in which case the tables will turn and they will most likely invite you over for seder.

Perhaps what’s going on in Panama could be thought of as a “Judaization” process, not so terribly unlike that taking place in Jerusalem, differing maybe only in scale. Unlike the Palestinians, the Panamanians have not been dispossessed of their country—at least not yet.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

110 IOF Officers, Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, Situation on Alert

PNN

Published on Thursday, 07 February 2013 12:40

Al-Aqsa Association for Waqf and Heritage said in a press statement Thursday morning that around 110 officers from the Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem from Bab al-Magharbeh Gate.

Dozens of settlers also raided the mosque, protected by Israeli forces, and made a provocative tour of the area, while hundreds of Palestinian worshipers inside the mosque were alerted.

The Al-Aqsa Association also said that Israeli occupation forces have recently escalated their attacks on the mosque and call on Islamic nations to stand by Palestinians, and protect the al-Aqsa mosque from continuous Israeli attacks and attempts to control it.
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Judaization = Racism? Really?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 7:12AM Gilad Atzmon

By Paul Larudee

Artwork by Carlos Latuff, all rights reserved.

On Sunday, January 20, 2013, the “progressive” Israeli newspaper Haaretz published a short editorial titled “‘Judaization’ is racism”.[i]

Before you get your hopes up, let me tell you that the editorial is a criticism of Shimon Gapso, the Jewish mayor of Upper Nazareth, a community intended to diminish the Arab character of Nazareth, the largest Palestinian Arab city inside what most of the world recognizes as Israel.

Founded in 1957, Upper Nazareth was given priority for development and expansion as part of a campaign by Yitzhak Rabin. The impetus was a trip that Rabin made to the Galilee in 1975. At one point he found himself in the Carmel valley. Looking around, he saw nothing but Palestinian farms and villages. “Am I in Israel or in Syria?” he uttered, whereupon he lent his weight to the mission to “judaize the Galilee”. Upper Nazareth is one of the Jewish communities that became an important of that mission. It was intended to limit the growth of Nazareth and ultimately marginalize or displace it.

Ironically, however, the “Jewish character” of Upper Nazareth is itself being compromised, as Palestinians from Nazareth find that there is no longer enough room in the older city to accommodate their growing population. In response, the mayor of Upper Nazareth has tried to make the city as unfriendly as possible to its non-Jewish residents, including opposition to Arabic language schools in the town and a much-publicized ban on Christmas trees. (Most of the Palestinians in Upper Nazareth are Christian.) The Haaretz editorial is a criticism of the “benighted racist position that sees the presence of Arabs in the Galilee or anywhere else as a national threat.”

Nice words, but is not the entire Zionist project one of “judaization”? Is that not how its founders conceived it? Is not Israel itself the product of “judaization”? What is different about Upper Nazareth? What about the expulsion of the Bedouin in the Naqab (“Negev”)? Is the confiscation and demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem not merely an extension of the ethnic cleansing of 1948? How are the orders to evacuate and obliterate eight villages in the hills south of al-Khalil (“Hebron”) not consistent with the aims of Zionism?

If Haaretz wishes to oppose judaization, why not start with the judaization of 1948? Let them insist upon inviting all Palestinians back to their homes. Let them demand elimination of an immigration policy that is for Jews only. Let them call upon the Custodian for Absentee Property – who is responsible for the more than 80% of Israel that was confiscated from Palestinians in 1948 – to welcome the absentees back and return their property to them, with payment for damages and compensation for 65 years of unauthorized usage. Let them oppose a policy of separate states for Arabs and Jews (forgetting that many are both or neither).

Judaization is just another word for Zionism. And yes, it’s racism.

---

[i] http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/judaization-is-racism.premium-1.494990
 

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!

Netanyahu : The Face of the Jewish terror state’s Fascism

by Stephen Lendman

Israel under Netanyahu reflects Arundhadi Roy’s view. Her book titled “Field Notes on Democracy” explained.

“What kind of India do they want,” she asked? “A limbless, headless, soulless torso left bleeding under the butcher’s clever with a flag driven deep into her mutilated heart?”

She compared Hindu right wing persecution of Muslims to Hitler’s war on Jews. Occupied Palestinians are treated the same way.

Hitler terrorized Jews for a dozen years. Israel waged war on Palestinians for decades. It rages out-of-control. It shows no signs of ending.

During his first late 1990s prime ministerial term, Netanyahu was Israel’s most polarizing leader. He exceeded the worst of his predecessors.

Right-wing extremists adore him. He’s worse than ever now. Polls favor his January 22 reelection. Israelis will have themselves to blame. They’re as out of touch as Americans. They accept what demands rejection.

Netanyahu wages war on democracy. He threatens his own people. He defies them. He gives chutzpah new meaning.

He spurns Palestinian rights. He accelerated lawless settlement construction. He’s stealing Palestinian land faster than ever. His E1 Ma’aleh Adumin plan drew flack.

At issue is separating the West Bank from Jerusalem, Judaizing the entire city, surrounding Palestinian urban areas with encroaching Israeli settlements, and driving the last spike into the corpse of a two-state solution.

It’s no longer possible with or without E1 development. Proceeding with it divides the West Bank into separate north/south areas. Doing so reflects Netanyahu’s divide, conquer, steal, and ethnically cleanse strategy.

He calls Occupied Palestine “disputed territory.” He believes Jews have sole “natural right and territorial claim.” He spurns international law. Fourth Geneva leaves no ambiguity. Article 49 states:

“Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.”

Palestinians acted in their own defense. They defied occupation harshness. They erected a Bab Al Shams village tent city. They did so on their own land.

Bab Al Shams means “Gateway to the Sun.” It reflects Palestinian liberation. It’s the gate to their return. Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury discussed it. He related Palestinian history symbolically through a love story.

Younis left his wife, Nahila. He joined Lebanese-based Palestinian resisters. She remained in Galilee. For years, he went back and forth secretly. Their children were born in Bab Al Sharms cave.

A Popular Struggle Coordination Committee statement explained Bab Al Shams resistance, saying:

“We, the sons and daughters of Palestine from all throughout the land, announce the establishment of Bab Al Shams Village (Gate of the Sun).”

“We the people, without permits from the occupation, without permission from anyone, sit here today because this is our land and it is our right to inhabit it.”

“A few months ago the Israeli government announced its intention to build about 4000 settlement housing units in the area Israel refers to as E1.”

“E1 block is an area of about 13 square km that falls on confiscated Palestinian land East of Jerusalem between Ma’ale Adumim settlement, which lies on occupied West Bank Palestinian land, and Jerusalem.”

“We will not remain silent as settlement expansion and confiscation of our land continues. Therefore we hereby establish the village of Bab Al Shams to proclaim our faith in direct action and popular resistance.”

“We declare that the village will stand steadfast until the owners of this land will get their right to build on their land.”

Netanyahu ordered them out. He issued a lawless eviction notice. Forced expulsion followed.

On January 13, Haaretz headlined “Israeli security forces evacuate activists from Palestinian tent outpost in E-1 area,” saying:

Netanyahu asked Israel’s High Court to rescind a temporary injunction against evacuation. He ordered access roads blocked. The IDF designated the area a closed military zone.

Netanyahu defied High Court authority. Osnat Mandel is Director of Israel’s Justice Ministry HCJ (Israel High Court division). Netanyahu ordered him to act.

He followed through, saying “the people and tents must be removed due to security considerations.” He lied. He claimed the High Court injunction prohibits removing tents, not people.

Israel’s Civil Administration Office falsely said Bab Al Shams “was installed on state land.” Palestinians living there have legal ownership deeds.

Hundreds of security forces attacked Palestinians on their own land. They did so pre-dawn. Journalists and supporters were targeted.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi is Palestinian National Initiative Secretary-General. He witnessed what happened. He said:

“The people who need to leave are the settlers who have taken over the land, because the Palestinians have the right to stay on their own land.”

He added that Israeli forces surrounded Bab Al Shams before invading violently.

They attacked and arrested peaceful Palestinians, supporters and journalists. Women, children, the elderly and infirm were dragged away violently.

Palestinian television aired what happened. Israeli forces disruptively tried to prevent it. They want Netanyahu-ordered violence out of sight and mind. Haaretz reported it.

One Palestinian spoke for others, saying:

“We tied our hands, chained ourselves with each other to prevent the soldiers from removing us. The Soldiers violently attacked us, beat us, and injured at least 10.”

He vowed the Bab Al Shams struggle for justice won’t end.

Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and police defied the High Court injunction.
Haaretz said it “determined that the tents were put up on private Palestinian land.” Netanyahu plans E1 development there.

Palestinian spokesman Nour Odeh condemned what happened, saying:

“The eviction and the exercise of force is another indication that Israel is defying the international consensus on the need to vacate occupied Palestinian land.”

One Palestinian spoke for others, saying “Our hope is to return to our land. For us, we are here because we want change. We did not forget our land and never gave it away.”

Palestine’s liberating struggle continues.

A Final Comment

Netanyahu represents the worst of rogue leadership. He defies rule of law principles and other democratic values. He’s contemptuous of Palestinian rights. He threatens world peace.

On January 12, Haaretz headlined “Netanyahu, Barak spent NIS (New Israel Shekel) 11 bil. (around $3 billion) on preparations for Iran strike that never happened,” saying:

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert calls it a major election campaign issue. Netanyahu wasted Israeli resources on reckless “adventurous fantasies,” he said.

Revenues spent are gone. “Can and should (Israel) bear the enormous defense budget, which has grown to unprecedented levels” under Netanyahu, he asked?

He’s defiant. He won’t touch defense spending. He claims it’s “in light of the challenges facing Israel.”

The Jewish state has no enemies whatever. Netanyahu invents them. He menaces the region. He endangers his own people. Megalomania and delusions of grandeur define him.

His mindset is messianic. He’s a loose cannon. He’s out-of-control. Hardliners around him share his vision. His Iranian obsession threatens Israel. His “bomb or be bombed” rhetoric reflects bluster. It demands condemnation and rejection.

Netayanhu rejected Olmert’s accusation. He called him “irresponsible.” He said he won’t “divulge details of defense spending, but I can say that we developed capabilities in arenas both near and far, and that is an important investment.”

He lied. Current and former Israeli officials deplore him. Some went public and said so. Israelis aren’t paying attention. On January 22, he’s favored to remain prime minister.

Haaretz contributor Yoel Marcus calls it “One term too many.” Netanyahu reflects a “storm….strong enough to paralyze our lives, close down roads,” and threaten lives that deserve protection.

“Maybe all those who are still drunk with Netanyahu’s glory will awaken before he brings disaster upon us all,” he added. Odds favor the latter, not the former.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

http://www.dailycensored.com/netanyahu-the-face-of-israeli-fascism/

posted by Steve Lendman @ 12:16 AM 

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The Judification of American Democracy (video)

Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 9:32AM Gilad Atzmon

 

Deeply within the spirit of The Book of Esther that teaches female Jews how to bridge the gap between sex and political power, Sarah Silverman offers intimate services to Zionist billioner Sheldon Adelson.

In the video, Comedian Sarah Silverman makes a proposal to ‘scissor’ Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson if he will donate his money to President Barack Obama and not Willard Mitt Romney.

“If you give that $100 million to Obama instead of Romney, I will, well, I won’t have sex with you because we’re not married and I’m a nice girl. But, I will scissor you wearing a bikini bottom through to fruition, that means until you c-m.”

Sarah Silverman then demonstrates the position with a small dog.

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Netanyahu: ‘No Limit on our aggression & expansion!’

Via FLC

“… Netanyahu spoke Sunday after the European Union’s foreign policy chief criticized plans to build 800 new apartments and a military college on contested land, which the international community considers to be under Israeli occupation.“We are not imposing any restrictions on construction in Jerusalem” Netanyahu told his Cabinet. “It is our capital.”

(Oh, & this happened)

“… A top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promptly accused Netanyahu of deliberately destroying prospects for peace…”

Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 9:27 PM

 

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Israel: ‘Be a woman and shut-up’

Posted on August 20, 2012 |

Today, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that four women were arrested yesterday for praying in the women’s section of the Wailing Wall. After keeping them under lock for half-a-day, the Jewish security police released them on the condition that they would not enter the area for praying for the next 50 days. If any of those women decided to go back on their promise, she could face upto 18 months in jail under Israeli law for “being danger to public peace”.

 

Merav Michaeli’s comment on the news:

“Understanding matters of security and life and death are also an asset and symbol of masculinity; and secular men, like religious men, do not allow women to step into their holy of holies“.

I agree with the first part of Merav Michaeli’s comment. To western racists and ignorants, both seculars and religious – only Islam discriminates against women. In fact, in the West and most Muslim countries, women participate in prayers along with men in women section of mosques. World’s oldest university, Al-Azhar (Egypt), always have ‘co-education’.

 

As far the Wailing Wall being Jewish sacred place is concerned – it’s one of numerous Zionists’ myths created to fool its fanatic anti-Muslim western Zionist Christian backers. American archaeologist and author, Professor Dr. Ernest L. Martin (died 2002) in his 1999 book ‘‘The Temples that Jerusalem Forgot’ has claimed that Muslims’ two sacred structures, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of Rock are not built on top of the Temple Mount ruins. The so-called ‘Wailing Wall’ is in fact, a portion of an old Roman fortress.

 

The Judeo-Christian Bible shows no respect toward women. Rev. Roland de Vaux in book ‘Ancient Israel: Its life and Instructions’ claims that in social and legal matters, an Israelite woman is the most oppressed women in the world.

 

This is not the first event of women-bashing in Israel. In certain areas of Jerusalem city, Jewish women are forced to ride in the back of buses and trains. In Israel, Jewish women are not allowed to carry Jewish Holly book Torah, or board Israel’s national airline El Al carrying Rabbis. These flights between Tel Aviv to New York are ‘women-free and movie-free’. No air stewardesses are allowed.

 

Even in Hillary Clinton’s so-called “country with the best women rights and religious freedom”, the United States – Jewish women are neither allowed to drive or walk on the same side of the street as men – right in New Square, an Orthodox Jewish enclave north of Time Square.

 

A group of Judeo-Christian, Muslim and Hindu women, the Women Against Islamophobia and Racism have been involved in spreading the truth about women’s place in Islam – in order to challenge some of the Zionists’ Islam-bashing propaganda lies to promote Israeli interests.

 

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MK Aryeh Eldad: We’re Willing to Share al-Aqsa

by Barb Weir
Saturday, August 11th, 2012

Israeli Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad

On the heels of the announcement that Israeli Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad had introduced a bill to exclude Muslims from the al-Aqsa Mosque on certain days, I caught up with him as he was testing the latrines of the new Jewish Museum of Tolerance, being built on top of the historic and ancient Muslim cemetery of Mamilla in Jerusalem.
BW:           How are ya, Aryeh?  Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
AE:            You’re looking sharp today, Barb.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist, either.
BW:            I’m glad I found you.  I want to ask you about the bill that you’ve submitted in the Knesset to give Jews exclusive access to the al-Aqsa Mosque on certain days of the week.  What is the motivation behind that?

AE:            We believe in sharing, Barb, so this is a bill to promote sharing of the al-Aqsa Synagogue.  Muslims will be allowed to use it on certain days.
BW:            What days do you have in mind?

AE:            The third Monday of each month.  We were hoping to make it a Friday, but as you know, the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday for us, and we need several days to prepare after the Muslims leave.

BW:            Why do you need so much preparation time?

AE:            We have to burn everything inside and then wash the place down, of course.  We can’t have any traces of Muslims when we enter.

BW:            How can you call this sharing, Aryeh?  This is the holiest Islamic site in Palestine. How is your proposal equitable?

AE:            Of course it’s equitable, Barb – separate but equitable.  We Israelis take this kind of sharing seriously.  We share the land with so-called Palestinians, who live separately in almost 10% of the land where they used to live.  Isn’t that sharing?  We also share the work: they get to work for us, building the wall and settlements, and in factories that pollute too much and pay too little to be built in Jewish areas.  Building a Museum of Tolerance on top of a revered Muslim cemetery is yet another example of sharing.  It seems only fair that we should share al-Aqsa Synagogue in equal measure.

BW:            You keep saying equal, how equal is the sharing if they are almost half the population and you are taking almost everything?

AE:            We recognize this problem, and we’re trying very hard to be an American-style democracy – i.e. to reduce the indigenous population.  We’ve already confined most of them to reservations and we’ve prematurely given some of them citizenship even though we still have a long way to go before they are an insignificant proportion of the population.

BW:            If you have taken away their homes, land, income, freedom and human rights how do you think they will react when you take away the most sacred place in Palestine for Muslims?  Even the Christians are likely to object.

AE:            We expect them to object.  No matter how much we share their homes, lands and places of worship, they react like terrorists.  It’s totally unreasonable, but we nevertheless feel obligated to share.
BW:            How do you explain that?

AE:            It’s the cultural difference, obviously.

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