Monday, July 27, 2009

Obama's Treatment of Israel

by Nadene Goldfoot
It seems like all the comments Obama made when running for president that were supportive of Israel as previous presidents had been were just so much hogwash. In actuality, he's turned completely around in his dealings with Israel.



An example is his demanding that Israel not build in an old neighborhood in Jerusalem because the Arabs are against it. This old neighborhood was originally a Jewish neighborhood though it is now a place where Arabs are living. He's taken the Arab's viewpoint and is so adamant that he is demanding that Israel obey him. Even President Clinton had said that Jerusalem was not to be a divided city, and here Obama is trying to keep Jews out of a section of their own capitol, the reason being that the Arabs want Jerusalem as theirs.



Jews have never kept Arabs out of Jerusalem, but Arabs kept Jews out. In 1967 when we won a war, we regained Jerusalem and made it a free and open and undivided city with freedom of access and worship for all. Arabs have not shown that they are free-thinkers and only want Jerusalem to be free of Jews. Their next step will be to try to push Israelis into the sea, their very first goal in 1948.



Again, our USA administration is not concerned about Iran's threats to destroy Israel, but Israel certainly is not taking it lightly. Iran is developing nuclear power and is a threat to not only Israel but also the USA. Obama is bartering very gently with them, rather in a non-pushy way which is so different as to how he is handling Israel. There he is demanding! I guess he isn't taking Iran seriously but thinks he can bully Israel into submission. Netanyahu is surprising many by sticking to his guns and thinking about the preservation of Israel first and foremost.



Let's face it. Many of Israel's neighbors want to destroy her. You don't even have to be on the border to be a neighbor like Lebanon who has its group working towards Israel's destruction. I sound paranoid, but that actually is the situation. There are some people who never give up and don't want a peaceful co-existence. The Jewish people have continued to exist for thousands of years, mainly because they use their ideas and minds and not because of material things like oil. When you're surrounded by hatred, you've got to be on top of things and can't sluff off thinking nothing will happen. Jews are down to a small population now and are not about to abide by Obama's rulings . They have their own agenda to follow through with, and that is to survive. They already have a prime minister and a president. Who needs more? What it needs are friends who understand their precarious state and that care.



Resource: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby072209.php3

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Big Problems With Obama's Speech in Cairo

Condensed by Nadene Goldfoot
There are a lot of good things to be said about Obama's speech in Cairo but there are three things of concern that are very important.

1. Obama's implication that the Holocaust was the main reason for the establishment of Israel
Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. All our values were shaped here. As President Truman admired Psalm 137; By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We have been praying since 70AD to return to Israel. We've always had Jews living there, but not as many as before Rome destroyed our country.

Arabs are challenging Israel's legitimacy and saying only Westerners are settling there to appease Europeans consciences.

Yasser Arafat denied the history of the Jews to Jerusalem, the city King David has been known to be connected with. He denied history and the Bible. What he thought he passed onto his followers.

2. Obama compares Palestinian condition with black Americans and South African Blacks and others that are suffering, blaming the Israelis by doing this.

In truth, the Palestinians condition has been brought about by themselves, not Israel. Yes, they have suffered, but they have been following their leaders and fighting Israel to bring about its destruction. They have had no leaders that promote non violence. They are the world's largest group receiving foreign aid. Their corrupt leaders and their mismanagement have taken money from the people for themselves, starting with Arafat. Their leaders have not been held responsible for their behaviors. This is the game--keeping the people thinking they are victims instead of leading them to become responsible citizens.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization which is a danger to Israel and even Abbas, whom they challenge in the West Bank "Judea and Samaria." Hamas ran Abbas out of Gaza and they took over. They want to do it also in the West Bank.
The one million+  Palestinians living as citizens in Israel are fairly treated and are living better than they would ever live under the Arab rule.

3. Obama is demanding something from one country; Israel. He wouldn't dare demand something from other countries, and he is the first president of the USA to demand.

He is demanding that all settlement building in Israel be stopped. The Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is also demanding this as she takes orders from Obama. Once she professed such sincere understanding of Israel and an eagerness to help them as did Obama. Not now. Both have turned 180 degrees.

This causes Abbas to be able to say that he will wait for a freeze in settlements before he makes any commitments. Palestinian leaders are using the settlements as the cause of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute while they should only be used in negotiations. It's like saying someone is guilty of a crime before they have had the hearing in court.


It's a terrible thing to tell a soverign country that they can't build whatever in their own country because another group plans on taking it over, but this group breaks the law constantly by attacking and killing people who live in that country. If they can't control themselves and stop being killers, do they also have the right to swallow up that country? It means that the bullies win in the world, and that's who Obama is backing. Killers. Bullies. They're not victims, it's Israel who is the victim here.
This is the most dangerous situation in the world. Arabs want control over part of Israel and their only goal is to destroy Israel. There is so much to negotiate here, and Israel has to be so careful. They hare completely surrounded by people ready to slaughter them and have to rely on themselves for protection, themselves and Ha-Shem. America seems to have stepped out of the picture and like other European countries, have disengaged themselves at this time, though are quick to expel some nice platitudes.


Israel will never go back to the 1967 armistice lines as it was almost impossible to defend Israel under that condition. Is that Obama's goal, to put Israel into a defenseless position and thus bring about its destruction? That's what he is actually doing, whether he understands this or not. He is siding with the Arab's goals.

Israel has endured 60 years of warlike conditions without peace from all sides. Now Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah call for its destruction, which all the Arab nations tried to do at its birth in 1948. They haven't changed their goals, they have just created new groups with names to fight against Israel.

Israel alone has been surviving all the attacks and have made many painful concessions in the name of peace. Israel has proven beyond a doubt that they want peace but are not about to commit suicide. Who is speaking for us now besides ourselves?


Reference: Jerusalem Post Newspaper: http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/harris/

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Obama Demanding, Israel Digging Heels In

Nadene Goldfoot
The Palestinians are getting very creative in fighting Israel with other tools besides bombs. Shin Bet, Israel's security service disclosed that both Fatah and Hamas groups were active in east Jerusalem to prevent Jews from buying property. An Egyptian cleric, Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, has $25 million to be given to Hamas activists in Jerusalem. Yes, they are there infiltrating, so we know that that part of Palestine will be fighting against Israel despite what Abbas has intimated. They are not going to be a peaceful group. Abbas lost the power he had in Gaza. This Sheik is a regular on the satellite Al-Jazeera network and a well known person to Arabs. He wants to buy apartments and plots of land and they say "build charitable institutions to broaden its base in the city". Hamas is a terrorist group and it is barred from operating in Jerusalem. Jerusalem still belongs to Israel. Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator, said that Jewish expansion in east Jerusalem jeopardizes peace efforts, and Palestinians have refused to talk about peace until Israel halts all settlement expansion. They want Jerusalem.

They forget that peace efforts are useless anyway because the Palestinians seem to be divided with Abbas operating in the "West Bank" which is Judea and Samaria. While Gaza is ruled by the terrorists, Hamas, whose only goal is to get rid of Israel by any means, they will work at taking over Judea and Samaria from Abbas.

Foreigners have been getting into Gaza who are connected to global jihad. Of course, Fathi Hamad, the interior minister in Gaza, said that the charge was baseless propaganda. He said that there is no al Qaeda or any other group in Gaza. This information came from Yuval Diskin, head of Shin Bet in Israel, so I don't think he's wrong. Israeli intelligence has saved people many a time. They're probably the best in the world at gathering facts.

Now at the same time, Obama is demanding that Israel stop their planned housing project in east Jerusalem. In fact, Washington has summoned Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador, and told him that a project planned to create 20 apartments developed by an American should not go ahead. Netanyahu is resisting these American demands on "settlement expansion". "Settlements" is a political term used by Americans which denote something we saw in the wild west, people settling and land belonging only to the Indians. Jews do not or should not refer to building in Jerusalem as creating a settlement. Jerusalem is our eternal city and has been a part of our world since King David. Jerusalem is Jewish and there has been no restriction by Jews of keeping other people out such as the Arabs did until 1967 when Israel survived a huge attack and won.

Today Netanyahu told his Cabinet that there would be no limits on Jewish construction anywhere in "UNIFIED JERUSALEM." This we cannot accept. The idea that we can't be entitled to live and buy anywhere in Jerusalem is terrible. Israel has sovereignty over the whole city and is indisputable. What would happen if Jews could not live in certain neighborhoods in New York, London, Paris or Rome? That's what is being suggested for Jerusalem. Need I remind readers that Israel lost many lives in 1967 defending themselves when attacked. They earned the right to live in Jerusalem, but the world closes their minds at the circumstances and history. No Jew or Christian was allowed there under Arab rule. Graves were desecrated by human feces and urinating and destruction. Everyone is allowed there under Israel's rule. Everyone is much better off with Israel's ownership. People think this is a hotbed of turmoil because there are holy sites there of Jewish, Christian and Muslims. The Palestinians are trying to take it over by using the ploy that they intend for it to be their capital of their future state.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the administration was trying to reach an agreement with Israelis and the negotiations are ongoing and intense. I bet they are with words like DEMAND. We all wondered if Netanyahu could stand up to such pressure, and it looks like he is.

We have rejected Obama's demand to stop the housing project. Almost 300,000 Israelis live in Judea and Samaria, and about 180,000 Israelis live in Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem. That's right. Jews live there, too, and they would all have to leave if Abbas gets his way. He wants his state to be rid of Jews even though over a million Arabs live in Israel. In Israel you have a Democracy. In Palestine there will be no such thing; discrimination against Jews will prevail. I think Obama just wants to check off this problem quickly and has chosen his favorite side. He wants to accomplish what other past presidents haven't-the creation of Palestine. Well, I guess 23 Arab nations in the world and the future demise of Israel doesn't bother him, for he is trying to bring about only destructive things against this little state.

Opinions of writer, Nadene Goldfoot
Reference: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/19/israel-rejects-us-call-halt-jerusalem-project/

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Healthcare in Israel: Universal Access and World-Class Treatment

Nadene Goldfoot
So much talk is going on about the USA's healthcare issue that I was very impressed to find the following article about Israel's healthcare and how they have handled it. Of course, Israel is like one of USA's smallest states, so the size is a completely different issue.

When we made aliyah in 1980, we were immediately given choices of healthcare systems to join, and we chose the cheapest system, being new immigrants without jobs and having to retrain for 10 months for our profession. It was very different from our HMO system here, as most all the doctors in the clinic were Russians, or Hebrew speakers and didn't understand English. When I fell and broke my elbow and lower part of my arm, I had to be in the army hospital as it was the closest one to my accident. I then had 3 doctors operate for 3 hours to repair my bones. They told me they, being an army hospital, had had plenty of practice. One doctor was American but spoke to me in Hebrew until I overheard him speaking in English. He told me he just wanted me to practice Hebrew. In the ward with many other women I quickly learned the phrase, Coev lee, Coev lee--there is pain to me literally, or I'm in pain ! This was followed up with rehab to regain the use of my hand and arm. Others joined a private more expensive group. We had choices and we had treatment and Jews aren't shy or afraid of going to the doctor, either. I did not change the following but thought it so well said that I wanted all of it on my blog.


"The Israel Project takes no position on U.S. healthcare, as it is outside the mandate of our organization. However, for those covering this issue, Israel offers an important model.

When Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, a national health infrastructure was already in place. Traditional Zionist ethos emphasized society’s responsibility to provide for the welfare of the community in general, including in maintaining public health. The Jewish community prior to Israel’s statehood had already established a variety of services, such as mother and child care centers, which administered vaccines and instructed new mothers on proper childcare practices.

While modern Israel is widely recognized for its high quality of health care and abundant contributions to medical and biological sciences,  Israel’s health care system continues to embody its foundational consensus that society is responsible for health of citizens.Universal coverage became law in Israel in 1995; however, even before then, 96 percent of Israelis were insured.

Guaranteeing Equal Access: The Fundamentals


Today, 100 percent of Israelis enjoy full health care coverage. All Israeli citizens – rich and poor, Arabs and Jews, men and women - are required to join one of four health care funds (in Hebrew ‘kupot holim,’ literally ‘sick funds’) and may choose to purchase other forms of supplementary health care.

1. Clalit health fund (meaning ‘general’ in Hebrew), is Israel’s oldest and largest health insurance fund. Clalit was founded in 1911 and insures more than 54 percent of Israelis;
2. Maccabi health fund (named after the Israeli sports organization of the same name) was established in 1941 by immigrant German doctors and insures more than 23 percent of Israelis;
3. Meuhedet (‘United’ in Hebrew) health fund is the product of a 1974 merger of two smaller health funds that had existed from the 1930s. Meuchedet insures more than 12 percent of Israelis;
4. Leumit health fund (meaning ‘National’ in Hebrew), was founded in 1933 and insures slightly fewer than 10 percent of Israelis. [6]
(named after the Israeli sports organization of the same name) was established in 1941 by immigrant German doctors and insures more than 23 percent of Israelis;

Reference: Israel Project

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Israelis Have Paid Dearly For Israel

by Nadene Goldfoot
Back in 1948, Jews in the newly created state of Israel were attacked by the surrounding Arab nations. We lost 7,000 to 10,000 Israelis in that war. That’s more than one out of every hundred Jews who were living there at the time. The Arabs lost even more men.

During the Six Day War Israel lost only 800 out of a population of 2.5 million. Israel had a greatly well-trained army by then.

For starters, people moving back to the area of Palestine bought the land. It’s been in our oral prayers for the past 2,000 years to return to our land of Israel, and we finally organized ourselves and got there after our long absence. Even though we had legitimate claims to the land, being the original dwellers, buying land from present-day owners, getting the official sanctions from the newly formed U.N., and even facing a holocaust that wiped out six million of us, we were attacked for needing to be there. Amazingly, we won and survived.

Back before 1948, we had no army. We actually were fighting from November 1947 to the invasion of Palestine by regular Arab armies in May 1948. We had defenders, though. One group was the Stern Group, with the Chief of Intelligence Stanley Goldfoot. When the attack of 1948 broke out, we had all sorts of problems to contend with. Jordan, also a newly created state, had a British-commanded Arab Legion who came at us with artillery, tanks and planes but did not know how to use them like we later did. We didn’t even receive arms until the middle of the battle and won due to "an unyielding spirit" more than to military equipment or proficiency. We weren’t about to let such a monumental occasion of becoming a state again after 2,000 years go by the wayside.

Teen-aged Jewish girls and Jewish children of age 10 and 11 fought next to our men. Our Jewish communities were attacked by Arab peasants with no military training as well as their present day armies. Luck or, I would like to think Ha-Shem, played a part in our winning the battle.

There was a Molotov cocktail that struck a leading Arab tank. Whoever tossed it from our side wasn’t even a baseball player. We had problems with our fighters being from so many different countries that they didn’t understand each other’s language so had a hard time following directions. It’s just really amazing that we did win.

One story that came out from Safed, my Israeli home-town is related by Dov Silverman. It's another miracle story. When the Arabs left Safed they really expected to return which their leaders told them would happen. Most took the route of the Wadi Amud which passed the water pumping station built by the British. If they had blown it up, it would have been terrible for the Jews there as it was the beginning of summer and everyone would have had to leave because of not having any water. They had left it alone because they expected to be able to return, victorious and take over the city. That water pump is still in use today.

We’ve gone through a lot to get where we are today, and yet we’re still being threatened. We’ve given so much to the world in the field of medicine and other sciences, but are not the favored child of many countries anymore. Now when we defend ourselves from constant attacks, we are condemned for it. Though the world has become unfair and kowtows to the Arab states who hold much of the world’s oil, we cannot give up hope. We’ve just begun to fight.

Resource: Book: Genesis 1948 by Dan Kurzman
Book: Legends of Safed by Dov Silverman