'Beginning of the end of Jewish history in Europe' Sharansky Predicts

Jewish Agency chairman responds in part to the rising wave of anti-Semitism crashing over the continent since the start of Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

Natan Sharansky Photo: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST

Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky joined with a growing number of high profile figures in casting doubt on the viability of European Judaism in an article in the Jewish Chronicle.

Writing in the British newspaper, Sharansky asserted that he believes that “we are seeing the beginning of the end of Jewish history in Europe.”

While Sharansky’s comments came partially as a response to the rising wave of anti-Semitism crashing over the continent since the start of Israel’s current military operation in the Gaza Strip, the former refusenik also pointed to a number of long term trends which he said militated against a continuing Jewish presence in Europe.

In April, against the backdrop of an increasing number of Jews indicating that they are uncomfortable with displaying any overt signs of their religious identity publicly, European Congress President Moshe Kantor told reporters in Tel Aviv that “normative Jewish life in Europe is unsustainable” unless the fear in which Jews live can be substantially mitigated.

Citing a November study by the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights that showed that almost a third of Jews in several European countries are mulling emigration, Kantor asserted that “Jews do not feel safe or secure in certain communities in Europe.”

Others have responded in a more alarmist vein, with Vladimir Sloutsker, a former president of the Russian Jewish Congress and current head of the Israeli Jewish Congress, warning MKs that “we are potentially looking at the beginning of another Holocaust now.”

While Sloutsker’s views are certainly not mainstream, there is a consensus among many observers of European Jewry that anti-Semitism and related phenomena serve to drive Jews away from their identity.

Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennet is a proponent of this view, having told the cabinet in January that “for every Jew who makes aliya as a result of anti-Semitism, there are many others who cut ties with Judaism and the Jewish way of life.”

In his article, Sharansky asserted that Europe has become “very intolerant of identities in a multicultural and post-nationalist environment” and that as a result Jews are being caught in the middle of a kulturkampf.
“This new antisemitism is very connected to Israel — demonization, delegitimization and double-standards — and is now so deep in the core of European political and intellectual leaders that practically every Jew is being asked to choose between being loyal to Israel and loyal to Europe,” he wrote.

According to a recent study by the Anti-Defamation League, forty five percent of Europeans see Jews as more loyal to Israel than to their countries of residence.
“Europe is abandoning its identities, with the multicultural idea that there will be no such things as nation-states or religion. In post-identity Europe, there is less and less space for Jews for whom it is important to have both identity and freedom,” he explained.

The nationalist backlash, with the election of far-right parties, many of them hostile to Jews, and increasing Muslim immigration both also serve to reinforce Jewish alienation from Europe, he added, using the increasing number of French Jews immigrating to Israel as an example.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post earlier this year, Rabbi Yosef Pevzner, director of the hassidic Sinai school network in Paris, expressed similar sentiments, stating that many French Jews felt trapped between Islamic anti-Semitism on the one hand, and increasing state secularism on the other, leaving them feeling they no longer belonged there.
“Europe is abandoning its basic values of respecting identities while at the same time guaranteeing full freedom for its citizens,” 

Sharansky continued.
“On the one hand, Europe opens its gates to immigration, to people who are not asked to share its values of freedom and tolerance. And on the other hand Europeans are rushing back towards the right-wing parties who are hostile to ‘the other.’ Then there is the intellectual atmosphere which asks Jews to choose between their loyalty to Israel and their loyalty to Europe. All this creates an impossible situation for Jews. This feeling of non-belonging and disengagement is much stronger than the feeling of aliyah.”

According to Sharansky, the trends he enumerated serve to justify the strategic emphasis placed on Jewish identity programs by the Jewish Agency in recent years.
“Apart from the ultra-Orthodox who will keep their identities, all other Jews who don’t have that connection to Israel will assimilate,” he said, calling a connection to Israel the only other factor that can maintain Jewish identity in the face of the challenges facing continental communities.

European Jews, he continued, may feel that “they can have more Europe in Israel, because it is Israel which is fighting to be both Jewish and democratic. Israel is the place that is fighting for European values. Europe will die here and survive in Israel.”

While many felt that European Jewry would not survive following the Holocaust, “we see today that quite a large Jewish Community still exists in Europe,” Ukrainian Chief Rabbi Yaakov Bleich told the Post in response to Sharansky’s article.
“It is shocking but true. So I think that the Jews are a stubborn nation. And even though hundreds of thousands have made aliyah in these 70 years I think that there will remain a Jewish Community in Europe.”

However, he added, 
“there is an important message in the underlying anti-Semitism which tells us not to feel at home in Europe. Our home is in Israel, and everywhere else is exile.”

While the rise in anti-Semitism has been especially harsh in countries like France, Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich responded, Europe is not monolithic.
“Some countries like France and others have shown despicable attitudes towards Israel and Jews, yet other countries even unexpectedly have shown sensitivity and even support for Israel also during these past two months,” he told the Post.
“Some of Europe are pushing out its Jews. 

But let us not forget those European countries like Poland that understanding of Israel and supportive and nurturing of local Jewish life.”
"London is not Paris, Malmo is not Antwerp, and Amsterdam is not Budapest, but it is obvious that current trends are all headed in the wrong direction. 
There are two components: the antisemitism and the Jewish reaction to it. The antisemitism shows no sign of slowing, and each eruption of antisemitism now falls upon a previous outbreak, making the overall impact even worse each time. This is the crush of trigger events and critical incidents from 2000 to July 2014. Of course, France is now the critical case in continental Europe. In Britain we are asking if we are the exception, or not," Mark Gardner of the community security trust in London told the Post.

Therapist Letter to Parents Who Send Their Daughters To Seminaries Far From Home!

Is Meir Kahane from Chedvas Seminary a Fake, fraud and a phony? Read the following letter sent to us!

I am a therapist, frum, no not just frum but FFB. I am American born and bred, practicing in Israel. 

I am not a newcomer comer to Yeshivos and Seminaries, like I have said I grew up in the mainstream frum American world (rare among therapists, and even more rare among mechanchim in Israel. But I write this as a regular yid, who happens to have inside exposure to the mess.

I pride myself in having gone to Yeshivos and my family in every direction too. There may some due criticism for all mosdos, and lots for specific ones, but by and large they do devoted and hard work for our children, as was done for us.

Firstly, let us acknowledge this; the vast majority of people working in chinuch are devoted and honest people, who are moser nefesh for a praiseworthy goal. Those who don’t live up to this standard, who are not honest and fair and even worse abusive are the exception. Thank you to all the special true mechanchim!

Now, yes with heartbreak, we must admit not all, and yes it is becoming more and more common, are people we should trust our children, teens or adults too.

As a therapist, I often deal with such cases, of neglect and outright abuse of all types. Whether the issue stems from parents, friends, strangers or the teachers themselves, too often mechanchim and even rabbonim are implicit. It is simply rare to find people who will stand up for the truth, who are not afraid of it. Who will get up and put down their foot to protect and prevent abuse.

At the end of the day, adults are responsible for themselves, people need to fight for their rights, fairly and honestly. Parents are responsible for their children, and as such all I can say, is that it is FRIGHTNING how foolish and willfully blinded people can be when making decisions on where and why it is safe to go places.

(It causes great harm when so many innocent are accused, often by rumors or clearly non-reliable people and their lives ruined without fair and honest investigation. Please, lets be wary of unconfirmed rumors, and be very careful who we really can trust to say one was guilty. Ironically the guilty usually get away and the innocently framed get nailed and shattered).

For many of us in the field this specific expose came as no surprise, nor is it the first time such 'problems' were discovered in seminaries. The writing has been on the wall for years! People in the know make no secret of the questionable situations which come up constantly for young impressionable girls away from home. 

The options include but are not limited to; 

hashkafic crumkeit (the majority of seminaries proudly entertain all types of 'Jewish thought' -little do parents knew what their child will be exposed to), 

sexual education -undesired, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, manipulating for egotistic reasons, peer abuse, dangers of all sorts from within and without seminaries, and more. Every year a number of girls learn the hard way. Not a small number, I myself have a connection with a few dozen a year! And I obviously do not come across all. (I am not only referring to abuse, but also other situations, such as girls getting a lot deeper than they planned or their parents can imagine with other people, etc..).

So, pray tell, Who are we relying on to protect the young and dumb? 

How do we expect young trusting girls to see through delicate guises?! 

I hate to say it but the recent letter from one unscrupulous 'menahel' forces me to cry out! To cry out with the pain of those precious souls we fool ourselves these people are protecting, I have seen too much to be quiet!

We don’t need to be savvy to realize that a person who abuses, is rarely a one time crime. Common sense (and statistics) tell us that those who abuse their powers of charisma and stature are generally repeat offenders. It doesn’t compare to a one time drunk attacker. 

And yes, if a Beis Din of the stature and worldliness of the Chicago beis din, stood up and made a hard statement after months of investigation, clearly only a fool will still be unsure. If they stood up to the danger of taking on a man is not a nobody, a tough guy from powerful background close to home for themselves, this wasn’t a joke. And like I noted, for those in the now the writing has been on the wall for a while.

Just in case anyone could still believe no one knew something was amiss, that not one staff member of this person wasn't privy to real life stories or grounded suspicions is ludicrous.

Most people shuddered when they read the words of Kahane, one of the henchmen. No this is not his fist blatant attempt to cover-up evil for his own advancement. The same manipulative; "you are the saviors, You are my army, Mashiach is coming I have inside info, just follow me" is standard methods for narcissistic manipulators.

This year there was case involving a student in Kahane's 'care'. Nothing that would have implicated him, it actually had no connection to him nor did he bear any responsibility for it. His only connection was that he knew for a while something was desperately wrong and not only did he not deal with it properly, he made sure to control the situation and use it to manipulate the student to remain silent. The name of the seminary stood before him, sic. Somehow the cover-up ended up at the door of one the leading English Rabbonim. This Rov in turn bravely didn't just go to the next caller, like others might but begged a close student of his, a Rabbi and Therapist trained specifically on abuse, to help and evaluate the situation. Warning the Rov of the working of these 'mechanchim', but infuse with a sense of duty, not to allow these people to continue to push peoples pain under the carpet, they took it on.

Sure enough it was soon confirmed that there was a real problem, and worse the seminary and others were exasperating it. At first he repeatedly stated, that proper help was expensive and not his problem (this is called a caring mechanech?) "who cares" its not my problem. But he adamantly refused to concede and allow the proper services to be offered. When he saw his sweet assurances that he knew all and was taking care of were not being accepted due to there absolute falsity.

As soon as this 'Kahane' realized his sweet talk didn't work, he went on an all out battle against this therapist. 

Literally threatening him that he will ruin his name, reputation, harm his family, frame him, etc.

"you are young and know nothing about the real world, if I let people now you are making trouble, your whole life will be ruined. You'll be done, for your own good look away" 

All along kahane swore that anyone but himself would only cause damage to the victim, only he knew (by prophesy we can assume, same channel as 'sinking feeling mashiach is coming bec of him') how to deal with it and what was good for her. Go wonder why he threatened, but refused to prove the proper care was actually being offered. Can we believe a word from such a source?

Worse yet, this Rabbi and Therapist had confirmed (through myself and knowledge from my cases)and in consultation with leading Mental Health Professionals and Rabbonim that Mr. Kahane himself was fully implicit and perhaps more.

I still can hardly believe it but so recklessly and foolishly was he determined to cover-up and 'be in control', that Kahana went so far as to summon the police to the home office of the therapist in middle of the night on supposed fear of an endangered missing student! (At times, therapists see clients in safe conditions at off-hours, especially in delicate student situations so as to avoid unwarranted attention and danger from others. As protocol, such sessions are recorded and a witness remains throughout to maintain safety of the therapist and client.) 

Of course the police, were quite suspicious being called down to a certified session and having been directed exactly where to find an adult student 'missing'. And the attempted threat to the therapist backfired as the police interrogated the student, worried for her safety in school. 

It turned out that she had actually arrived directly from Kahana's home after her having summoned her there at night and she had told him she was going to the therapist. Luckily, the therapist was able to use connections in police to assure them there was no immediate danger with kahana. No, not for kahana and his seminaries business, but for the sake of the frightened young girl.

I can still hear the worry and pain in the voice of this special therapist, when I was woken by him to consult in middle of the night, he was sick to the stomach at the cruelty this mechnaech had shown to a suffering young child crashing her only safety and subjecting her to the horrifying experience. He cried as he described how she had collapsed with fear when the police arrived and begged in tears that she not be left alone to return to seminary. (A kind frum officer and the therapist kindly escorted visibly trembling back to her dorm.)

Immediately, kahane used his full manipulative skills to scare the student away from seeking help or getting guidance from anyone. And Meisels, the owner of the seminary himself worked hard to make sure the police and others stay away.

When attempting to have other seminary colleagues and some Rabonim assist him in intimidating and threatening the therapist from steering her to help, kahane realized that not everyone was fooled by his charisma, and more importantly that this particular therapist had strong connections to back him in Mental Health circles, Rabbinic circles and power centers that be. Only then did he drop the offensive. In the end, due to the reckless endangerment he was subjecting this student to, after consultation with myself and other colleagues we were forced to step away (I must note, this brave therapist, made one last attempt at personal financial expense to circumvent the monsters and not abandon the victim, though he will never get credit for his act or even be able to see the results). 

I don't know if this girl will ever realize how much trouble 'this loving father to his chedvas students' caused her.

The words of his Folly http://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/kahanes-folly/sicken me to no end, having closely seen how narcissistic this man can be, how dangerous people of his like are.

He has not and will not offer to help his students receive help from this scandal, he will do whatever it takes to ensure his position and protect himself by crushing any attempts to open the box and look around.

As is evidenced in several places firsthand, he wasn't unaware, girls complained to him many times. On young woman described in detail phone conversation she had with Kahane. I can attest to the truth, as the conversation transcribed is so perfectly his style it could not have been made up by someone who doesn't know him. -though that doesn't prove its his words, it does show it is a student.

To all the students of his out there, and of Meisles and others, all I can repeat is the words of one of your peers;

 "Do not talk to me about the fact that I “need a shidduch and the malachim in shamayim might talk bad about me to HKB”H”

(-threat from Kahane) like you did on the phone. 

I am not in seminary anymore and am ZERO interested in a seminary mussar schmooze. I am living in the real world and I know who I am inside. And TRUST ME, HKB”H knows as well and He has my back."

As was mentioned in some of the discussions; 

Kahane is not a representative of the proper Yeshiva world. Thankfully we can say his approach to human pain, to Torah, to teaching yiddishkeit and to self proclaiming himself an mechnaech and General of his army, are the products of our yeshiva system. 

As is often the case, the ones who live and work through false manipulation are the kasha ksapchas. The people who come from elsewhere and tout themselves as great mechanchim, baalei haskafah and experts. 

he same ideals and goals which taint the education and then slyly fill young girls with, tell them to cover and confront anything which gets in their way, it is not just a slight. See Kahana  publicly dismiss the clear and public decisions of Chicago's most senior Rabbonim or in the above incident Yerushalyims senior Poskim.

These people are represented of Torah MiSinai, their strength in kiruv arises from mastering manipulative techniques. 

The new development is their people have moved into the seminary business and used the same techniques on Bais Yaakov girls who are more vulnerable because unlike the secular Jews, they are not used to thinking critically about the positions of rabbis.

The four seminaries involved in this scandal, were heavily staffed by out-of-the-box teachers and Rabbis. 

Is there a shortage of normal, ffb, who can give over the same chinuch and haskafah we guarded for generations? 

 For some reasons, Miesles chose, as do many, to surround himself with pawns, people with their own agendas who would not wish to ruin their own careers and agendas with some bothersome incidents. 

Of course, Kahana forgot to mention in either letter that he feels sorry and wants to help any victims of his partner, of course he will do all he can regardless of the facts to silence with holy reasoning any whistleblowers.

Parents, girls, be careful! Don’t just allow the human desire to imagine all is fine to fool you. We need to be careful. If it is necessary to send a young girl far away on her own, we need to be very wary of whose care we entrust her!

As far as the letter from Kahane, please use your sechel, there is nothing more I can say than:

Manipulative, false, corrupt, disgusting and scary.

Obama puts Missile Shipments to Israel on Hold!

The United States is tightening controls on military sales to Israel in the wake of the conflict in Gaza.

On July 20, days after Israel began its ground invasion in Gaza, Israel requested and received a shipment of munitions from the Pentagon without prior approval from the White House, according to The Wall Street Journal.

While Defense Department officials say both sides followed established protocol, the newspaper reported that White House officials were upset that the military did not get White House approval before sending the shipment. The request came as the U.S. urged Israeli restraint in its Gaza operation and days before Israel rebuffed a cease-fire proposal from Secretary of State John Kerry on July 25.

The Obama administration put a subsequent missile shipment on hold. It is now requiring that the White House review every Israeli weapons request rather than having the U.S. Defense Department and Israeli Defense Ministry handle transactions directly.

The Journal reported that an Obama administration official called the change equivalent to “the United States saying ‘The buck stops here. Wait a second … It’s not OK anymore.’ ”

Relations have been tense between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the Obama administration throughout the conflict, which began on July 8. But Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said relations between the two governments were strong.
“Israel deeply appreciates the support we have received during the recent conflict in Gaza from both the Obama administration and the Congress for Israel’s right to defend itself and for increased funding of Iron Dome,” Israel’s U.S.-funded missile defense system, Dermer said, according to the Journal.


Read more: http://www.jta.org/2014/08/14/news-opinion/united-states/report-u-s-military-sent-israel-weapons-without-white-house-approval#ixzz3AO3jdbXq

Satmar brainwashes children to believe that WWII was started by the Zionists! Video

This pure unadulterated filth and hate,  is what Satmar is indoctrinating their precious children with. This is no different than what Hamas and Hizballah is teaching their mamzeirim!
This is a massive Chillul Hashem! 
This re-writing of History must be addressed by the Mainstream Frum Jewish Organizations,

Go tell me that Satmar does chesed! 

Charedi Protesters Clash With Police Over Archaeological Dig Of Jewish Graves

For this they have time! 
All they care about is the dead, they have no respect for the living. 
They protest and riot just like the Arabs and the Shvartzas!
If they would have full time jobs they wouldn't have time for these narishkeitin!
I'll bet the people working at the site, didn't pay off the Asra Kadisha Mafia!

All of Eretz Yisroel is sitting on grave sites, since the land was inhabited for over 5 thousand years.
I wonder why nobody protested when they built Meah Shaarim, I'll bet that was one huge cemetery, since it was outside the walls of Yerushalayim, it stands to reason that they would put a cemetery not far from the Yishuv!

One of these protestors, Avraham Walles z'l, was murdered by an Arab last week at a similar construction site, and they blamed it on the Zionists!

Frum "parasites"  seen during a protest at road number 1 in Jerusalem on August 14, 2014, Frum, protest against the desecration of ancient graves which were discovered at a new housing construction site near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem old city. (Credit: Flash90)

Hebrew Yated Ne’eman, denounces Yeshivah that provides a comprehensive secular education

The Frum world has gone crazy! We must stop this! 
We must get together and stop funding any Rosh Yeshiva that criticizes this normal Yeshivah! We should make it clear to every single Meshulach, that if the Institution that he represents does in any way denounce Yeshiva Darkei Torah, we will not give him a penny!

Just today, a Meshulach with a black leather briefcase, came to me, and before he had a chance to pull out his "Photo Album." I asked, does his kollel "approve or disapprove of Yeshiva Darkei Torah?"
He said, "well, I don't know," so I said, "here is a phone, call the Rosh Ha'Kollel right now and ask him."

So he called, and the Rosh Ha'kollel, told him, he doesn't approve.... 
I then wrote a substantial check to Yeshiva Darkei Torah right in front of him and  told him to kiss me where the sun doesn't shine and to get the H-- out of my sight!

These "gedolim" want to perpetuate parasites and poverty, we must put an end to this craziness!
 

Rabbi Yisrael Cohen-Rozovski Shlitah

 A new Charedi yeshiva that provides a comprehensive secular education alongside religious studies has aroused consternation and bitter criticism from the Charedi establishment. 

Yeshiva Darkei Torah was founded by Rabbi Yisrael Cohen-Rozovski one year ago and is poised to begin its second academic year in several weeks time when the Israeli academic year begins.

Despite having been up and running for a year and having had 25 enrolled students, Darkei Torah has only this week caught the attention of the Charedi establishment, and was bitterly denounced on Tuesday and Wednesday for combining religious and secular studies in the same institution by Yated Ne’eman, the largest selling Charedi daily newspaper and mouth piece for the Degel Hatorah non-hassidic Charedi political movement.

Cohen-Rozovski has been an activist for education and employment within the Charedi sector for close to twenty years but said that in recent years it was becoming clearer to him that change needed to be made at an earlier stage in the educational career of Charedi youth.

He said in particular that the intense, detailed study of Talmudic minutiae was not appropriate for everyone and that this method of study was frustrating for many students and does not provide a sense of satisfaction or achievement.

“In recent years the Charedi sector has begun to integrate more into Israeli society and to understand that it needs to be part of everyday reality,” Cohen-Rozovski told The Jerusalem Post.

“The Charedi community is in some ways like a group of new immigrants which must integrate but is finding it hard to do so,” he observed.

The process is underway however, Cohen-Rozovski asserted, and pointed to the growing exposure of Charedim to the internet and the new sources of information and horizons that it provides.

“The children of the revolution are requesting to make something of themselves. The Charedi world is being exposed to the idea that they can be Charedi Jews who are faithful to the Torah and the commandments and at the same time support themselves financially as well.

“This is the model for Charedi Jewry, which in the Diaspora, where Charedim are lawyers, accountants, businessmen and outside of their work hours study Torah,” Cohen-Rozovski continued.

“Right now, a young Charedi man will start his yeshiva studies but sees no horizon where he can gain an education and an income but nevertheless wants to make something of himself and realizes he needs and education to do this.”

To this end, Cohen-Rozovski established Yeshiva Darkei Haim in Jerusalem for young Charedi men. The institution is styled as a yeshiva gevoha or “advanced yeshiva,” for ages 17 and over which the overwhelming majority of young Charedi men attend after their secondary education which is generally comprised only of religious studies.

The yeshiva provides a daily schedule of three hours of religious studies in the morning, followed by five and a half hours of studies either for a high-school diploma or for professional, vocational courses in hi-tech.

The yeshiva offers 21 different academic units for the Israeli high-school diploma which is taught in an intensive one-year program. In addition, a vocational course in website building and design is on offer as well as an Open University in Computer Science in which Open University lecturers come to the yeshiva to teach.

In the last academic year 25 students joined Darkei Hayim, and Cohen-Rozovski says that the yeshiva will grow in size this year to between 50 and 60 students.

He said that parents from a variety of different backgrounds in the Charedi community had decided to send their children to the yeshiva, and that those from the mainstream were well represented.

It is the success in gaining significant numbers of students that Cohen-Rozovski says has led to this week’s bitter attacks against this yeshiva.

In an article on the yeshiva in Yated Ne’eman on Tuesday, the newspaper branded the initiative “dangerous,” “illegitimate,” and cited the words of two former leaders of the Charedi world on the issue who called the combination of religious and academic studies “the wielding of an ax towards the Charedi world.”
And in the paper’s editorial on Wednesday, it wrote that “even if those behind such initiatives have good intentions they are still sinning and causing the masses to sin.”

It wrote that if people wanted to leave yeshiva altogether and find a job then that is their own personal choice but that the attempt to teach both religious and secular studies at a yeshiva was “the first time that an initiative has been started to adorn a pig with a golden ring, to dress the head of a non-Jew with a Jerusalemite yarmulke, to erect a cross in the sanctuary of the king and to turn a sin into a religious commandment.”

Cohen-Rozovski rejected the criticism on ideological grounds and also intimated that it was politically motivated.

He noted that in the past two days since the exposure in the Charedi press he had received eight new applications to the yeshiva and had not received any cancellations from students already enrolled.

Currently, the yeshiva is supported by private donations and the backing of charitable foundations although it is also seeking support from the Ministry of Education for its study program. 

The Head of UN Investigation on Crimes Israel May Have Committed is Anti Israel and Twisted the UN to Investigate

Schabas Urged 'Twisting Things' to Get Israel in the Dock

'With a bit of luck and by twisting things and maneuvering we can get them before the courts,' said UN investigator in 2013.'

****Please everybody take a minute to sign this online 

petition against Hamas and forward to friends.

www.stophamasnow.com/

Speaking in a 2013 panel, Prof. William Schabas, a rabid anti-Semite, who has been tapped to head the United Nations' investigation into Operation Protective Edge, clearly revealed his great eagerness to bring about the prosecution of Israel over its actions in Gaza, even if that involved “twisting things and maneuvering” in the international legal arena.

He said that it is his “profound belief, that international law can be used to demonstrate and underscore the violations committed by the state of Israel, and moreover can be used to hold accountable individuals who have perpetrated international crimes against the people of Palestine.”

Asked about various possible tools for prosecuting Israel, he said: “I would have been inclined to talk about crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, all of which I think can be shown have been perpetrated at various times during the history of the state of Israel. These are all crimes that have become increasingly robust in their definition in recent decades and for which we now have international institutions capable of prosecuting the crimes.”

Schabas urged prosecution of Israel in the International Criminal Court and said that a the court made “a policy error” in failing to take up the issue.

Asked about the possibility of prosecuting Israel for “gecocide” as well, Schabas expressed optimism on gradually enlarging the scope of legal accusations against Israel. “Years ago there were no courts at all,” he noted (at minute 25:15 in the video embedded above). “When [the term] 'genocide' was invented there was no court at all. There was no court for crimes against humanity, but we have them now. And with a bit of luck and by twisting things and maneuvering we can get them before the courts.”

Schabas did not deny Wednesday, in an interview with Israel's Channel 2, that the international community has a double standard regarding Israel's conduct of war.

Channel 2's anchor, Danny Kushmaro, asked Schabas if there is not a double standard involved when that thousands of innocent civilians were killed in Chechnya by the Russians, and by NATO forces in Libya, yet there was “not one international investigation,” whereas Israel acted in self defense in Gaza and two investigations have been launched in the course of six years.

“There are a lot of double standards in the international level,” answered Schabas. “This is explained by the relative strength of the powers,” he added, and noted that some claim there is a double standard in Israel's favor in the UN Security Council, where anti-Israel resolutions are vetoed.

Litvish Roshei Yeshiva will not allow "Achdus" In Israel,

The war in Eretz Yisroel has brought together practically ALL Jews. 
And a  wave of warm feelings for the Israel Defense Forces swept over Israel’s frum citizens in recent weeks, and was expressed in prayer, study and the recitation of Tehillim on its behalf. 

However, it turns out that not all frum people share the same sentiments.

The Litvishe Roshei Yeshivah are against this new spirit of Ahavas Yisroel. They are afraid that because of the new respect that the Heimishe & Yeshivishe Oylim has for the IDF, they, the Roshei Yeshivah, will lose their standing and clout amongst  their perspective students, since it was the Roshei Yeshivah that were constantly berating the IDF, and now the oylim sees that it was all a bunch of nonsense. 

 R' Yisroel Yitzchok Kalmanowitz, a well respected litvishe Rosh Yeshivah went into panic mode and was reported saying:

"that it's better for soldiers to die in battle than to live as sinners."

I wonder if he would be saying this if one of his grandchildren (which I'm praying happens) joined the IDF!

Rabbi Kalmanovitz is then quoted as saying the following:

“How much does the soul of a son of Israel, especially a Torah learner, need to be disgusted in order to loathe the state and its army, [which] are the greatest haters of all of the whole of Israel, inciters and agitators.”

This Kalmanovitz guy, lives in the State, has his garbage picked up by the State, has his streets paved by the State, and has his water and electricity provided by the State.
He has no Hakoras Hatoiv and we allow this fanatical hater of his fellow Jews, teach our children! 

That was followed by an editorial in the Israeli Yated Ne'eman 

“The unceasing efforts to change us became even greater during the war. The attempt to cynically exploit the emergency situation by digging spiritual terror tunnels must be rejected and expelled,” the editorial stated. It cited the haredi conscription law that passed in March as evidence of attempts to change haredi society.

“At this time when they are trying to coerce us, we must seal every crack and strengthen the weak who are more likely to be tempted,” the article read. “We must raise the walls.... Contact and connection between the haredi camp and the secular is treif [non-kosher], especially at a time like this.”

Move to Gaza, R' Yisroel! We don't need you amongst us, we are still paying the price for what the Meraglim said! 

338 New Immigrants Arrive At Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin welcomes new immigrants from USA and Canada as they arrive in a special "Soldier Aliyah Flight 2014" on behalf of the Jewish Agency and the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, at Ben Gurion airport in central Israel. 

A group of 110 young new immigrants from the USA and Canada arrived in Israel on AUgust 12, 2014 on a special "soldiers flight", to recruit into the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). 
The Nefesh B'Nefesh organization works on promoting immigration to Israel from western countries. 

George Clooney's British Lawyer fiancee turns down UN offer to help probe 'war crimes' by Israel and Hamas in Gaza

Amal Alamuddin

I guess Clooney knows which side his bread is buttered on. George Clooney is an actor and his producers are all Jewish. He must have told Amal, his Kallah, if you go on the UN panel, you will have to support me like the rest of the Kollel wives!

George Clooney's barrister fiancee has turned down an offer from the United Nations to become one of three experts called in to investigate alleged human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza.

British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 36, was named as part of an independent team observing alleged crimes by both sides during Israel's military offensive on Monday morning, but within hours she issued a statement saying she had turned the offer down, citing prior work commitments.

‘I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing commitments - including eight ongoing cases - unfortunately could not accept this role,’ said Alamuddin.

 ‘I wish my colleagues who will serve on the commission courage and strength in their endeavors.'

William Schabas, a Canadian professor of international law, was also announced on Monday as the head of the panel along with Doudou Diene, a veteran U.N. human rights expert from Senegal.

The team will investigate 'all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law ... in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014,' the U.N. statement said.

A month of war, marked by Israeli air strikes on Gaza and rockets fired by Hamas militants into Israel, has killed 1,938 Palestinians and 67 Israelis while devastating wide tracts of densely populated Gaza.

The panel is due to report by March 2015 to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Israel has long accused the 47-member state forum of bias against it.

Navi Pillay, the top U.N. human rights official, said on July 31 she believed Israel was deliberately defying international law in its military offensive in Gaza and that world powers should hold it accountable for possible war crimes.

There are no plans as of this writing for the UN to investigate, Hamas, ISIS, Syria, Iran, Hezbollah etc.

BREAKING: Oscar-winning comic, 63, found dead in apparent suicide at California home after long battle against depression

Actor Robin Williams has died aged 63 from an apparent suicide, police in California said tonight. 

His wife Susan Schneider confirmed the tragic news and spoke of her 'profound grief'. 

'This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.' 

A statement by the Marin County Sheriff's Department in California said: 'On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 am, Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA. The male subject, pronounced deceased at 12:02 pm has been identified as Robin McLaurin Williams.'

Sarit Hadad will not sing for the IDF because of "Kol Isha"

Sarit Hadad offered to perform for Givati troops for free, but the commander refused.

The commander of one of the Israeli army's infantry brigades refused an offer for a free concert for his troops that was scheduled to be performed by female pop star Sarit Hadad for fear that her presence would insult the sensibilities of religious soldiers, according to Channel 10.

Col. Ofer Winter, the commander of the Givati Brigade, refused to allow the concert to go ahead, even though Hadad had offered to sing for the troops for free, according to Channel 10.

The singer was ready to appear at a special brigade event next week, but those plans appear to be off.

Winter has courted controversy in the past, particularly when it comes to the influence of religion in the military.

A letter of encouragement written by Winter to his soldiers containing several biblical references and religious overtones generated condemnation from secularist groups and support from senior public officials, including Deputy Religious Services Minister Eli Ben-Dahan.

Just before the start of last month's ground incursion in the Gaza Strip, Winter sent a letter to soldiers under his command saying that it was a great merit to be in the vanguard of a fight against “the terrorist enemy that dares to curse, blaspheme and scorn the God of Israel.”

Winter said the brigade should accept the mission upon itself with humility and be prepared to give up their lives “to protect our families, our people and our homeland.”

He continued, “I look up to the heavens and I read with you ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one,’” quoting the Shema prayer recited twice a day in the Jewish liturgy.

“The Lord, the God of Israel, make our path on which we go successful, as we are poised to fight for your people Israel against an enemy that abuses your name. In the name of the fighters of the IDF and in particular the brigade and the commanders, may the verse be fulfilled for us that ‘the Lord your God goes with you to fight for you with your enemies to save you,’ and we will say ‘Amen.’ Together and only together we will win.”

Mickey Gitzin, the head of the Israel Be Free secularist movement, criticized Winter’s letter, saying his words turned the conflict into a religious war.

“IDF commanders should also remember that the IDF is the national army, not a religious militia, and therefore he needs to include everyone who serves in the IDF, haredim, national-religious, secular, Jews and non-Jews, and to refrain from the kind of terminology he used,” Gitzin said.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.

IDF successfully tests system designed to detect terror tunnels

Senior army officer says system passed lab tests, currently undergoing field testing; could be deployed around Gaza within 1 year; system will cost at least NIS 1 billion.

A system designed to detect infiltration tunnels proved successful in laboratory tests for the first time ever and is now being tested in the field, a senior IDF officer said Monday.
If the field test proves successful, the system can be deployed around the Gaza Strip within approximately one year, the officer added.

The system will cost from NIS 1 billlion to NIS 1.5 billion to deploy.
According to Israel Radio, the officer said that the IDF is also working to improve the Iron Dome.
It is believed that, in the future, Israel's enemies will try to overcome the rocket defense system by launching a number of missiles and rockets at the same time, including more advanced projectiles that can reach a greater height than those previously fired from Gaza.

The officer also touted the Trophy tank defense system for its success in saving the lives of IDF soldiers during Operation Protective Edge.
He said that the Trophy system had neutralized dozens of anti-tank missiles fired at tanks and armored personnel carriers during the operation.

The officer said that the defense establishment was in need of an additional NIS 3 billion in order to bolster Israel's ground forces.

Our Next President?

Hamas said to have executed dozens of tunnel diggers

Hamas executed dozens of diggers responsible for its extensive tunnel system in past weeks, fearing the workers would reveal the site locations to Israel, a report on the Mako website’s army blog said.

The tunnelers, many of whom constructed the tunnels over the course of months, would dig for 8-12 hours a day, and received a monthly wage of $150-$300, according to the blog.

Sources in Gaza told the website that Hamas took a series of precautions to prevent information from reaching Israel. The terror organization would reportedly blindfold the excavators en route to the sites and back, to prevent them from recognizing the locations. The tunnels were strictly supervised by Hamas members, and civilians were kept far from the sites.

M., a former tunnel digger and Israeli collaborator, told the website that Hamas would strip search the workers to ensure they had no recording devices or cameras hidden on them.

“The people we met had their faces covered; no one knew them by their real names, it was all codes and first names. They didn’t want to take the risk that some of the diggers were collaborating with Israel,” he said.

A tunnel entrance, within a civilian home, found by Golani soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip (photo credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit/ Flash 90)

After the tunnels were completed, dozens were reportedly executed to prevent intelligence leaks to Israel.

“Anyone they suspected might transfer information to Israel on the tunnels was killed by the military wing,” a different source said. “They were very cruel.”

In 2012, a Journal of Palestine Studies article claimed 160 Palestinian children were killed while working on Hamas’s tunnel system.

A soldier leading journalists through a tunnel in Khan Yunis. (screen capture: Walla! News)

The digging of tunnels began four years ago and has demanded 40 percent of Hamas’s budget, The Times of Israel has learned.

Tunnel diggers have been using electric or pneumatic jackhammers, advancing 4-5 meters a day. The tunnels found were reportedly mostly dug 18-25 meters (60-82 feet) underground, though one was discovered at a depth of 35 meters (115 feet).

 “That’s like a 10-story building underground,” one expert said.

Digging requires engineering and geological expertise, with tunnels usually dug through sandy soil, their roof supported by a more durable level of clay. As they are dug, the tunnels are reinforced by concrete panels, manufactured locally in workshops adjacent to each tunnel. These workshops have also been targeted by the IDF throughout its military operation.

Elhanan Miller contributed to this report.

Third Bais Hamikdash Already Built ...... in Brazil

It is a replica  of  the Second Bais Hamikdash as described by Josephus. The building is made from Jerusalem Stone, imported from Jerusalem and they also imported some 2,000 Mezuzas from Israel. The building is  in Sao Paulo, Brazil.


The huge building was erected by the cult Brazilian, in Sao Paulo and will be used for education.

The building, was built at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.. 

Misleading statements in the name of Achdus

by http://jewishworker.blogspot.com/

Jonathan Rosenblum

Jonathan Rosenblum wrote a column describing the efforts of Mrs. Sharon Issacson a member of the "Charedi" community in Ramat Bet Shemesh, to help out women whose husbands were called up to the army to fight in Gaza. The point of the article was to show how the Charedi community has stepped up to the plate and is showing achdus with the soldiers and the Israeli people.

There is only one problem. Mrs. Sharon Issacson is not your typical Israeli Charedi. In fact, it would be hard to call her Charedi at all given her background and life today. 

She was raised in a Modern Orthodox home in NY and 
attended a co-ed elementary school and YUs Stern College. 

Her husband is a graduate of MTA and YU and has a law degree from Columbia. He is currently the Rosh Yeshiva of Mevaseret, a 1 year American Yeshiva for modern orthodox boys in Israel. Her 2 sons went to Maarava for High School. There is 1 even more startling fact that is missing, her son is currently serving in the Israeli Army in Nachal Haredi. 

Given all of the above is it not very misleading to simply call her "Charedi"?

It seems that every time the Charedi world tries to appeal to more moderate Americans they bring examples that fall into one of 2 categories:

1. Baalei teshuva
2. They grew up in modern homes

A few years ago, Aish Hatorah published an article 
Women at Work
which claimed that Orthodox women can work at any job that they want.

Let's get something perfectly clear: Jewish women work. One of my neighbors is a nuclear physicist. I'm a zoo veterinarian.
...
And nowadays, like women all over the Western world, they work in every field. Some run their own businesses or are part of a larger corporation. Here in Israel one of my neighbors is a nuclear physicist. Another is a school principal. Several good friends are lawyers. One's a pediatrician. Two are successful artists. I'm a zoo veterinarian.
...
My point is, little is forbidden to us. We work in the fields we want. We have open choices. We can choose to work part-time or full-time.

As I pointed out then (See Misleading statements in the name of Kiruv) if Aish Hatorah was a Modern or Centrist Orthodox institution then these statements would be perfectly true and not misleading. However, Aish Hatorah is a Charedi institution and it's goal for it's students is that they join Israeli Charedi society. The fact is that if Elizabeth had been born to a Charedi family she would not have had a choice to be a veterinarian, a nuclear physicist or anything other then a school teacher. University study is strictly prohibited. In Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak even getting a high school diploma is prohibited (see this post No Bagrut for Beis Yaakov girls?).I find it very offensive when Charedi institutions use examples of Baalei Teshiva or people who were brought up in a more Modern home, as Rosenblum does in this case, to try to make a point about the Israeli Charedi community. It is simply not true, the are not really in the same Charedi community. A "real" Israeli Charedi would never marry any of their children for example. Americans, either Baalei teshuva or those coming from a more modern home, have a very different world view and certainly do not represent Israeli Charedi society.

Turkish Airlines hires 2000 Iranian Pilots .. Oh Oh!

Many Israelis are still flying Turkish Airlines, even to the United States in an effort to cut ticket costs. Turkish Airlines offers a connection via Istanbul, which works for many Israelis.

If you are among those flying Turkish Airlines you might want to know airline officials have announced they are experiencing a critical shortage of pilots. As such, they are hiring the services of 200 pilots, from Iran. 

The airline reports it is short 350 pilots.

Interestingly, pilots from the airline are angered over the news, 

Channel 2 News reports, explaining the Iranian pilots lack proper training due to the sanctions against that country and other factors. Nevertheless, for now at least, it appears Turkish Airlines is moving ahead with the plan.

It is also reported that all pilots entering Israel must first be approved by Israeli security officials so it is less than likely we will be seeing Iranian pilots in Ben-Gurion Airport.