Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sunday:Israel's Neighbors in Devastation: Sunni-Shi'a Battle Involving Hezbollah in Lebanon-Assad of Syria

Nadene Goldfoot                                                              

The neighbors of Israel are having a power war involving the two divisions of Islam, Sunni and Shi'a.  Hezbollah terrorists have openly said that they are fighting with President Assad's forces against his own Syrians who have rebelled against his regime.  President Bashar Assad belongs to the Alawite sect of Islam which is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.  The Syrian rebels are Sunnis. Hezbollah terrorism is Shi'ia.  Iran backs Shi'a and Russia backs them as well.  Syria is the 17th largest Muslim majority country in the world with over 22 million Sunni and Shi'a mixed Muslim population following the Hanafa or Alevi fiqhs.
                                                                             
Assad, after much precious time has been wasted, has finally said he is allowing UN investigators into Syria to investigate allegations of chemical warfare, at least 4 days after the fact.  All that the inspectors really should do is talk to the "Doctors Without Borders" who have treated within 3 hours about 3,600 patients since the onset on Wednesday morning in their 3 clinics  of which 54 children, 82 women-322 in all have died.  This includes rebel fighters as well.  The doctors had treated these people for breathing problems, dilated pupils, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and blurred vision.  Even some of the medics had the symptoms of which 1 has died.  What was the cause?  The doctors say it is a neurotoxic agent.  The 3 centers who reported these findings were medical centers near the site of the suspected chemical weapons attack near Damascus.
                                                                       
Syria's government is in denial about using these chemicals, but TV news over NBC has statements saying that Assad has reacted violently because of an attempted attack on him.  He is saying that his soldiers had found chemical supplies in places that had been taken by rebel forces.  Russia, Syria's backer,  thinks the rebels used chemicals and others think that Assad's enemies have the supplies or the ability to get them. Even some US officials  feel that Assad's forces had used chemical weapons on a small scale many times already in this past year.  It's said that the US is still trying to gather information to find out just what had happened.

This power war has spread into Lebanon where in Tripoli, a Sunni city, 2 mosques, Taqwa and Salam,  were attacked on Friday at noon.  This is looked at as a revenge attack between Sunni and Shi'a..  The results are that more than 500 were injured of which 300 are still in hospital, 65 in critical care. 47 or more have died from the double bombing.

The scene was devastating with bodies scattered beside burning cars, smoking vehicles with charred people trapped inside, bloodied injured coming out of thick black smoke and people all shouting and screaming while rushing the victims away towards waiting help.

The effect on the Lebanese on Israel's northern border, a small state of about 4,196,453 with 60% Muslim population made up of Sunni and Shi'a, who used to have a Christian government that was ousted,  has caused civilians to arm themselves and set up checkpoints by Saturday near the mosques hit while their security forces patrolled the streets.  Recently, there have also been small-scale clashes like Iraq-style car bombings.  One occurred over a week ago in the Shiite district south of Beirut which is controlled by Hezbollah and killed 27 people.

The USA said Saturday that US intelligence agencies are trying to gather facts to decide what happened in Syria.  Their navy is prepared to act with destroyers carrying long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles the likes of which were also used in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

In the meantime, Tunisians demonstrated on Saturday calling for the resignation of their Islamist-led government.  They called out,"We tried you, you failed, now leave,"  This is a first in their "week of departure" for the government.  Tunisia, with a population of about 10,383,577 of which 98% are Sunni Muslims, has an educated middle-class population and is thought to have the best chance of becoming a working democracy-especially since Egypt has turned the tables on their Muslim Brotherhood president.

As for the over 91 million of Egypt, the military government has had to shorten their imposed night-time curfew to bring about stability from all their unrest at reacting to the ousting of the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi, as their president elected.  Their Arab Spring was short-lived, overcome by the storm brought in by Morsi.  Fridays would maintain the length of the curfew, though.  Having such a curfew is hard on shoppers and hurts Cairo's bustling night life and revenue for the businesses, hotels and restaurants.  Cairo alone has 18 million people.  The military is going after the Brotherhood's top and mid-level opponents and are the ones committing acts of terrorism, shown by the recent attacks on churches and government buildings.  The Muslim Brotherhood had been ousted by Sadat, and only recently came into power by ousting Mubarak in their "Arab Spring." "Arrests and killings appear to have weakened the Brotherhood's ability to mobilize its following." 

And what seems to be the most prevalent problem in the Middle East?  Israel building a few apartment buildings in territory the Palestinians are drooling to take over which also holds Israeli citizens as well; thus the fight over territory; the ancient original  Jewish Israel (Samaria) and Judah and Jerusalem which the Arabs covet.  

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper, 8/25/13 page A7, Signs of chemical attack detailed by Ben Hubbard, NY Times, and Suspect arrested in Lebanon blasts by Ryan Lucas, AP, page A10 Tunisians protest government by Bouazzaa Ben Bouazza, AP, page A10 and Strife, curfew reduced in Egypt by Tony G. Gabriel, AP
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/egypt-courts-hear-cases-against-mubarak-islamists

Friday, August 23, 2013

Al-Qaida Militant Battalion's 4 Katushas From Lebanon Fired Into Israel

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                 

Four Katusha rockets fell into Israel Thursday afternoon fired from southern Lebanon.  This happened in the early hours of Thursday morning to those of us in the USA on the Pacific coast as there is about a 10 hour difference.  Later, The Lebanese branch of the Abdullah Azzaam Brigades, a militant al-Qaida Islamist group said it was them who had attacked Israel.

Israel's Iron Dome downed one, a short-range Katyusha rocket.  A Twitter account, the terrorists' communication media, was seen to say "Praise and thanks be to Allah."  I say thank G-d that one rocket had barely missed. hitting a retirement home near Acre that houses Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.  Thank G-d that that the remaining 3 rockets caused little damage where they did fall.  Thank G-d that the rain of rockets from Gaza have so far fallen without a direct hit on life.  However, they cause enough harm emotionally as it is.  The hatred spewing from Islamic militant groups causes enough of a financial burden on everyone involved that could be better spent improving lives, not trying to take lives, including their own.

This is fairly rare that rockets come in from Lebanon.  Israel has been receiving rocket firing from Gaza even through the cease fire and has responded.  Like Netanyahu warned after this attack, "Anyone who attacks us, or tries to attack us, should know that we will get him."

The response came Friday morning reporting that Israel's planes were successful and hit their target which was south of Beirut.  Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible.  Palestinian military groups are in Lebanon firing at Israel from that point.  As Defense Minister Moshe Ya'aon commented, "The Middle East is hot and turbulent, whether among the extremist Islamic movements or the spread of global jihad."

Resource: Oregonian newspaper 8/23/13 page A5, Militants fire rockets into Israel; none reported hurt, Washington Post.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.543066

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

IDF Attacked in Jenin

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                    
                  
The IDF (Israel Defense Force)  went into Jenin today on a mission jointly with the Israel Border Police to find a wanted terrorist, Bassam Saadi,  and was met with rioting which resulted in them coming under heavy fire shot by the Palestinians from behind cover and from rooftops.

The IDF returned fire and one was killed and 2  were injured who were evacuated by the Red Crescent.

Jenin, in the northern section of ancient Israel, later called Samaria because the city of Samaria had become the capital of Israel.  This also included the land surrounding it.  Today non-Israelis refer to it as the West Bank, the name Jordan gave it.  It  is a Palestinian town today,  It is probably the biblical En Gannim found in Joshua 19:21.  In Roman times it was renamed as Ginaea.  It had a small Jewish community in the 17th century.

In the 1930's it was the center of Arab nationalist fanaticism and became part of Jordan in 1948 till 1967 by Jordan's illegal taking of the land that was part of the Jewish Homeland Agreement through the League of Nations.  The population in 1967 was 8,346 Arabs which was apart from 5,019 Arab refugees in the vicinity.  In 1997 the population had risen to 26,650 of which 50% of that number was of refugees.

I searched for an up to date  population figure and was met with some sites saying 39,004 to 120,004, both for 2007.

Resource: http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/08/20/terrorist-killed-after-idf-fired-upon-in-very-violent-jenin-riot-video/
http://inagist.com/all/369866513571790851/?utm_source=inagist&utm_medium=rss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysVajFhmMQk&feature=youtu.be
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenin
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia : Jenin
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10072.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Border_Police
Update: 7:13pm  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/171100#.UhQiBdKOTqF

Monday, August 19, 2013

Temple Mount Arabs Bring Hitler Into Egypt's Fight For Leadership

 Nadene Goldfoot


The Temple Mount, an area off limits to Jews by the design of Israel's own government in an act of fairness and sensitivity to their minority Muslim population, was a scene of aggressive anti-Israel rhetoric and hatefulness by Arab Israelis towards their fellow Jewish citizens today.

The Arabs there were getting in on the act of demonstrating for Morsi, the past leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted President by the Egyptian Military who has taken over in an interim position until new elections.  In the poster They are comparing Hitler with the commander in Chief of Egypt's army, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.  
                                                                       
Do they even realize that it was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammad Amin al Husayni,  who went to Germany to conspire with Hitler against the Jews?  It was the Grand Mufti who had organized rioting and massacres against the Jews in "Palestine" when the British held the mandate.  The Grand Mufti was probably the Granddaddy of the Muslim Brotherhood.  They've pulled out the wrong evil empire representative to compare with Sisi.
                                                                             
King  Abdullah I of Jordan, a distant relative,  had to remove the Grand Mufti from this position and banned him from Jerusalem.  It was Abdullah who was in agreement in Israel's creation, but he had turned against the idea when he saw that Britain had promised the Jews more land than he was led to believe.  Neither the Jews nor Abdullah saw promises from Britain come to fruition.  In the end it was the Jews who accepted the lot while the Arabs did not.

Egypt does not think of the ousting of Morsi as a coup.  As one government employee, Ahmed Ragab,  in Cairo puts it, "If you have roaches in the kitchen that are eating away at your food,, what do you do?  You spray them,"  he said.  "These are not Islamists.  They are terrorists."

The Muslim Brotherhood's charter has as its goal to destroy Israel, so anyone sticking up for the Military on the Temple Mount was taunted by them to be on the side of Jews.  Yet here they all are, freely demonstrating without being carried off to the police station or hit with a baton, right in Israel.  They are not even free to do that in Egypt, and for many reasons.  There it has turned into a war with the Muslim Brotherhood behaving like terrorists and instigating all the fight against the citizens of Egypt along with the military.  The demonstrations in Egypt have turned into savage death events.

Cairo, a city of over 18 million people, has almost 3 times the population of Israel's 7 million.  Egypt has continued to have a peace pact with Israel since Sadat, who came to Israel in a show of sincere peace  and spoke to the Knesset on November 20, 1977.  Egypt's total population is about 91 million people.

"El-Sisi was the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt. On 12 August 2012, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi took a decision to replace Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Egyptian Armed Forces, by el-Sisi, and promoted him to the rank of General.   El-Sisi also took the post of Minister  and Military Production in the Qandil Cabinet." 

The Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood have gone after the Christians, the churches and nuns.  They have torched a Franciscan school, took 3 nuns like they were prisoners of war and paraded them in the streets while they were sexually harassed.  Christians had been all of 10% of Egypt's population before the Muslim Brotherhood came into power with Morsi last year.  The pastor, Boulos Fahmy,  of a Catholic church was interviewed and told the reporter that he was terrified and unable to focus.  His church was just a short distance away from a Franciscan school in Bani Suef.  "I am expecting an attack on my church anytime now," he commented.

When the new President Barack Hussein Obama of the USA went to the Cairo University with his speech in 2009,  the Muslim Brotherhood was still being outlawed, but there they were, listening to him speak.  Khaled Hamza, editor of the Muslim Brotherhood website, confirmed that 10 of their parliamentary bloc had received official invitations to attend the speech.  Conservatives in the US were upset because these Muslims were not known to be the conservatives to appeal to.  However, the comeback was that they had renounced the use of violence in the 70's.  What the Muslim Brotherhood wanted most was to see changes in the US foreign policy.  This seemed to start the future power and comeback of the group, recognition by the American President.
                                                                         
Resource:  http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2013/08/18/anti-semitic-slurs-by-morsi-protesters-on-the-temple-mount/
Oregonian newspaper 8/19/13 page A5, Egypt, con't from page 1, Venomous feud turns Cairo into battlefield by Aya Batrawy, AP
Oregonian newspaper 8/19/13 page A4,  Christian sites become targets by  Hamza Hendawi, AP
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/sadat_speech.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel_Fattah_el-Sisi
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/03/muslim-brotherhood-members-attend-obamas-cairo-speech/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mufti_of_Jerusalem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_I_of_Jordan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haj_Amin_al-Husseini

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Cairo, Egypt's News Today-Hit al Qaida Hard

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                   

Egypt has not slept.  Al-Qaida was surprised today when their Chief, Ayman al-Zawahri found out his brother was arrested today in Cairo.  Mohammed al-Zawahri b: 1953, a Jehadi Salafist, who are even more extreme than the Muslim Brotherhood, if that is possible, was detained in Gaza which is right across the Nile River from Cairo.  He had spent time in prison from 2000 to 17 March 2011 and then was re-arrested soon after.

173 people were killed yesterday.  The Muslim Brotherhood rebels held up in the downtown Cairo Mosque. People had ignored the 7pm curfew and kept battling.

Protesters find themselves in a crossfire.  The Four Seasons Hotel was the scene of a gunfight right at the doorway  with opposing sides who were wielding guns and machetes.  There are plain old criminals roaming the streets.  One cannot tell who is friend or who is foe, depending on what side you are on.

Two days ago the police had moved thousands of protesters from sit ins supporting Morsi and wound up killing about 200 to do so.  Egypt is the 5th most populous Muslim country  in the Middle East with about 91 million people.  That's not counting the Syrian refugees that took refuge there.  The military-government issued a statement saying that they, the police and the people were together in the face of the treacherous terrorist scheme against Egypt.  They had promised to restore order and security but the Brotherhood isn't letting it happen.  Two policemen have been killed.  One of the Muslim Brotherhood members killed was 30 year old Dr. Khaled el-Banna, the grandson of the Brotherhood's founder, Hassan el-Banna who was shot almost in the same locale in 1949.  This was at Ramses Square where much of the rebellion was going on.

There have been marches where one could see guns in the hands of civilians on both sides.  One Morsi supporter held a machine gun near the hotel.  Other civilians threw rocks or held sticks while police fired.  .

A coalition of Morsi supporters say they will continue demonstrating for this coming week. " The coalition says that they won't back down until it topples the government installed by the military."

Looking back in better days, there was a bus from Cairo to Jerusalem that started in 2008.  They had 3 busses going; one that left at 6am, one at 9:30am and the last at 10:15pm.  A person just bought his ticket a day in advance.  The same was repeated from Jerusalem.  I'm sure that isn't happening today, and of course all tourism is hurt with the rebellion going on.   Maybe someday again all will be quiet and it can again be a great tourist spot.  

Resource:  http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/17/egypt-brother-of-al-qaida-chief-arrested/
Oregonian newspaper 8/17/13 front page, and A7 Violence, anarchy raise toll in Egypt by David Kirkpatrick and Kareem Fahim, NY Times
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_Sadat
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/17/mohammed-al-zawahiri-arrested_n_3772315.html

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Tuesday Night's Rocket Into Sha'ar HaNegev

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Terrorists in Gaza had concealed a rocket launcher in northern Gaza which shot a rocket into Sha'ar Ha Negev Tuesday evening.  They had shot 2 rockets, but one fell on their own side.

Israel had to have an airstrike Wednesday morning to snuff it out, which they did.  This is supposed to be a period of cease fire, and it hasn't been.  Terrorists continue to shoot rockets and mortars into southern Israel's civilian population.

The responsibility is on Hamas to keep the peace, but they are the ones who shot the rockets!  They fell at the moment that the 26 prisoners were being released.

I'm noticing that as the peace talks progress, the terrorists get less cautious  in their attacks on Israel.


Resource: Christians United For Israel
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Rockets-fired-from-Gaza-at-South-as-Israel-releases-prisoners-322952

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

Qassam and Rocket Shot From Gaza During Past Month of Cease Fire and Peace Talks

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

Nadene Goldfoot
Wednesday night a Qassam rocket from Gaza fell into the Eshkol Regional Council.  Terrorists from there just can't keep their fingers off of firing into southern Israel.

Last Tuesday morning a rocket was shot into the Shaar Hanegeve Regional Council.  Promises evidently are made by these terrorists in order to break them.

These are follow ups from rockets shot on the 18th and 21st of July.  So there's really been many rockets breaking the cease fire that have been shot into southern Israel.  Do not think that just because no one was killed that it doesn't cause damage to the civilians.

One thing is certain; it hardens the hearts of the Israelis who are the targets and it hardens the hearts of those of us who find out how our friends are being treated.  If Israel were any other country, such as China, you know how they would react.  How about Northern Korea or Russia?

I don't want to hear one word about how horrible Israelis are and that they have killed Gazans.  Israel is not like any other country in that when they feel they must retaliate to teach those incapable of understanding a lesson, they aim for the supply centers and not the civilians.  The tactic that this unbelievable foe uses is to hide among their own people, especially children.  They don't mind if they lose such people to the cause anymore than they mind talking  depressed  or extremely radical people into becoming suicide bombers.  Their whole scene is  sick.

Resource:  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/170696#.UgMHQdKOTqE

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Interviews of Hanan Ashrawi on Peace Talks

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

                                  Yasser Arafat, PLO Leader and Hanan Ashrawi before 2004
                                                 
CNN aired this morning an  interview with  a representative of Israel's peace negotiations and then Hanan Ashrawi, 67 year old Palestinian spokeswoman,  legislator and activist.  She is the daughter of one of the founders of the PLO, Daoud Mikhail.  Anytime she has ever been interviewed she manages to talk like a speeding train spouting out her pat list of grievances and opinions of Israelis.  


The Israeli’s concerns were of security.  Hanan was asked about the Palestinian concerns and she mentioned “Jerusalem.”  She said, “Jerusalem.”  She didn’t say East Jerusalem.  Then she went on with her diatribe against Israel, which I finally had to turn off.  It was so full of lies and false accusations that I just couldn’t listen anymore.  I feel for our peace negotiators.

A July 26th interview done by Christine Amanpour with Hanan heard her say, “and we are waiting now for the invitation from Secretary Kerry on the basis of what he is going to receive in terms of Israeli commitments.”

Christine answered that statement with, “That sounds suspiciously like laying down conditions and I think everybody pretty much understands that conditions and preconditions are a non-starter.”  Hanan denied saying this.

One of the other comments made by Hanan was, “Well, first of all, when we talk about the Europeans, settlement activities are illegal.  Annexing and stealing land which is not your own is illegal.  The Europeans have been telling the Israelis to stop doing this repeatedly for years.  This is illegal.  This is counter productive.  This destroys the chances of peace.  And Israel has refused".

What she said was a lot of bashing of Israel and then she talked about the right of return of 4 million Palestinians.

What I'd like to do is give her a lesson in Israeli history, something she has so mixed up.

Resource:  CNN TV aired newscast interview of Hanan Ashrarwi 8/4/13
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanan_Ashrawi
Hanan,
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1307/26/ampr.01.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/ashrawi.html