Palestinians Boycotting Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Nadene Goldfoot

Boycotting any goods from Israel has been the Palestinian's latest bullet into the heart of Israel.  They  even boycotted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Tuesday night that was playing at Carnegie Hall.  Perhaps the weather was against them for the turnout was sparse, but the effort was visual with posters, etc. against Israel.  Inside the audience filled the auditorium even though protesters were yelling through bullhorns and littering the sidewalk with handbills against Israel comparing Israel to South Africa's apartheid.    Zubin Mehta conducted as usual.  The orchestra played the national anthems of both the USA and Israel.  They'll continue on their circuit coming to the West Coast but not to Portland, unfortunately. 

This was happening at the time Israel was bombed with Grad rockets.  They are constantly attacking Israel but crying how terrible their fate is with Israel. 

All this time Israel has been the only democratic country in the Middle East.  Now they all have the fever of attaining a democracy for themselves and the Palestinians are on the bandwagon calling out that Israel is one of the despots.  Many Egyptians will fall for this out and out lie no doubt as well as others.  The two Iranian ships that just went through the Suez Canal to dock at Syria were carrying weapons meant to be used on Israel.  Maariv Newspaper reported Wednesday that the two ships were carrying missiles, rifles and ammunition and night vision gear.  Evidently Egypt didn't even ask let alone search the ships. 

Resource: http://vigilantsquirrelbrigade.blogspot.com/2011/02/fakestinian-protest-as-iisrael.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/arts/music/24orchestra.html
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2147372&Language=en
Pamela Geller's Atlas Shrugs

              Katusha Attacks from Gaza
Nadene Goldfoot
Yesterday evening a katusha grad rocket hit Beersheva.  This was the first time since Operation Cast Lead that this has happened.  Then a lot of attacks followed.  Avigdor Lieberman told the Israeli UN delegation to submit a complaint to the U.N for these attacks. 

This morning an IDF patrol was out along the Gaza border as usual but this time were fired on by mortar shells  along the fence.  Several Israeli tanks were fired on East of Gaza City.  The IDF fired back at this Jihad cell group and 10 Palestinians were wounded.   Three Palestinians were known to be militants from Al Quds Brigade, a radical IAslamist Jihad group of which one died later.  Patrols had found 12 bombs along the fence in the past two months. 

Later the Gazans fired a Grad rocket at Beersheva, which is only 25 miles from Gaza.  It's a city of 200,000.  The rocket made a big crater alongside a badly damaged home.  Also, three mortars had been fired at Kibbutz Nahal Oz.  They hit a football (soccer) field.  Four Israelis were treated for shock, two of which were children.  They said many homes shook.  Earlier, 6 mortar shells had fired on Sdot Negev. 

Two Palestinians were wounded when they were collecting gravel near the border.  That's their story.  Why would anyone be collecting gravel?  Isn't there enough rocks in Gaza that they would have to look near the fence? 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110223/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansconflictgaza
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=209584
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201122413827437111.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142501

             When Israel's Jerusalem Was In Jordan's Hands                                   
Nadene Goldfoot
Some of Israel was once in Jordan's hands. This was because when Israel declared itself a state in May 1948 with the UN in agreement, Jordan then invaded and occupied East Jerusalem.  They drove out the Jews living there and into exile from their homes.   Jews were not allowed to live in their ancient historic places.  While Jordan illegally occupied the land for 18 years, Jews could not go to the Wailing Wall "Western Wall" in Jerusalem.  They could not visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs or even Rachel's Tomb.  Finally, the War of 1967 put an end to the first time division of Jerusalem and Israelis were able to be in all parts of it. 

The Masada, a place of last refuge for Jews before being attacked and killed by the Romans and now a place of initiating IDF soldiers as well as a tourist attraction was forbidden to Jews until March of 1949.  This is when IDF  units moved from Be'er Sheva to the Dead Sea at Sodom and Ein Gedi.

March 1949 was  a time that an armistice was drawn up between Jordan and Israel.  If one remembers, Jordan was the land that was supposed to go to Israel originally and instead they complained so much that they got it instead.  Then on April 24, 1949, an armistice line was agreed on at Rhodes.  It was not a border but just a line where the fighting stopped.  This fighting happened when Israel was attacked by all surrounding nations when it declared itself a state.  It's called the War of Independence.  Moshe Dayan and Yosef Tabenkin were brigade commanders then and wanted to capture the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron at that time but were stopped by the cease-fire of October 22, 1948.

The Jordanians treated Jerusalem with much disrespect while it was in their hands.  The cemeteries were vandalized.  They uprooted tombstones, and then plowed the land which scattered skeletons and bones all about.  38000 tombstones were smashed or damaged and used for flooring for their latrines and for paving material for roads.  They made 4 roads right through cemeteries.  The graves of famous personages were destroyed.  The Intercontinental Hotel was built right over a cemetery as well as a gas station.  The Mount of Olives, a cemetery that Jews have used for 3,000 years and held 150,000 graves, was desecrated when in Jordan's hands along with others. 

As Oregonians study Oregon in the 4th and 8th grades and take field trips to sites to remember their history, so do Israeli students.  They take trips to the tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  These are their reminders that the Land of Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people.   Many of us had been gone for 2,000 years, but we have returned to join the remnant left here and are building it up again.

Much has been said about the 1967 borders.  This line shouldn't deter Israelis from going and remembering their history and why they live in Israel.

Just as Americans remember their history of 1776 and the Revolution, Israelis cannot forget their leaders who fought for the creation of Israel before and after May 1948.  They have the right to study and see the places.  Whatever would have happened to the Jewish religion if Jews did not remember Pesach "Passover"?  These historic sites should be held in esteem just like any other country's historic sites. 

Resource: http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/jews-connection-to-the-land-must-not-be-s   by Moshe Arens, Born 1925 in Lithuania, immigrated in 1948; US ambassador to USA in 82-82; Minister of Defense in 90-92 and Jan 99.  Engineer educated at MIT. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/3/Moshe%20Arens

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Jerusalem.html

Egypt and Israel's Peace Treaty: On a Slippery Slope in Danger of Crashing

Nadene Goldfoot

Young Egyptians who demonstrated for democracy and higher wages are among the anti-American and anti-Israeli group of demonstrators who still view Israel as an enemy.  So said Michael Laskier, professor of Mid-East studies at Bar-Ilan University. 

Already the anti-Israel cleric, Yusuf al-Qardawi, has called for the "conquest" of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.  This came into Israel's domain after 1967's war in which Israel regained Jerusalem.  It also is a Jewish holy site.  This is Islam's 3rd-holiest site.  Yusuf had been exiled and was living in Qatar for many years and probably now is ready to get even.  Debka File also pointed out that he is a  Sunni who though exiled previously, now was allowed to lead the victory assembly at Taher Square on February 17th with a call to march into Jerusalem for taking over al Aqsa.  He even justified suicide bombings against Israelis.  Also, he is pushing to open the Egyptian-Gaza Strip border allowing Hamas freedom to fight against Israel in a bigger way.  He is all for jihad.  This radical preacher, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, was allowed his way in this demonstation. 

The soldiers had left the area and the Muslim strong armed moved in.  Opponents were dragged away.  This is not what the freedom demonstrators had bee asking for, but they now have it amonst them leading the way. 

A major cause for concern is that for the first time in 30 years two Iranian ships that have gone through the Suez Canal on their way to Syria.  Netanyahu feels Iran is out to broaden its influence by doing this at this time.  Egypt had no reason to stop them as they said they were not carrying weapons.  I wonder if they bothered to inspect them.

The peace treaty had brought about many positive things.  40% of Israel's natural gas has come from Egypt.  Recently the pipe lines were attacked and damaged. Egypt also has been halting the flood of African immigrants through Egypt into Israel which was above and beyond what Israel could take care of.  People foreget that Israel is a wee little country.  Egypt has also been halting weapons coming into the Gaza Strip for Hamas to use against Israel.  Because of maintaining the peace, the USA has been generous in its aid to Egypt.  Laskier is afraid that Egypt may not actually break the peace but will not keep it, either, at the status quo. 

The danger is that many reporters and countries think that the Muslim Brotherhood is nothing to fear because Egypt regained the country through "peaceful" means, but note what they are now doing and getting away with.  Though Yusef was allowed the star role in the demonstration on the 17th, articles published on the 18th show none of what was happening in the Brotherhood's rise to power in Egypt. 

Now the question in my mind is just how strong will the young university students and others who only want a democratic state and prosperity be in fighting off the demands of the Brotherhood?  Already they were put down on this night of the 17th. 

Reference:  Oregonian Newspaper, February 22, 2011, page A5, "Cold peace" turns chillier in Mideast
http://www.debka.com/article/20688/
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/110217/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-US-foreign-policy

Disagreeing with Obama Over Israel and It's Makeup

Nadene Goldfoot        from Jonathan Tobins's article, How Pro-Israel is Obama?  Assessing the United Nations Post-Veto Fallout

The UN just had a vote brought up against Israel by the Palestinians which the USA vetoed, thank goodness.  However, there are many points that Obama and Israel supporters do not see eye to eye on. Hillary made mention on ABC News on Sunday that Jewish presence there, referring to Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, was "illigitimate" which is not following protocal at all.  It stinks! 

More than a quarter of a million Israelis live in Judea-Samaria, so called West Bank.  More than 200,000 live in parts of Jerusalem that had been illegally occupied by Jordan before 1967's war.  Obama has fought Israel on building homes in existing Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem which to me and others is ridiculous.  He is trying to do away with the fact that Israel already had said it would do away with remote settlements for a peace accord and those that in the Bush administration were already facts to be respected would remain in Israel's hands.  Obama is messing with Israel's capital, Jerusalem, and its 40 year old Jewish neighborhoods. 

I feel there should have been a time limit as well for the Palestinians to come around and make peace with Israel if they really want and need their own state so badly.  Israelis have waited now for 63 years and they haven't done it yet, no matter what has been offered to them.  That's ENOUGH!  I feel that this fact alone gives Israel the right to go ahead with their life and build in Judea-Samaria, their ancient homeland.  Otherwise, it just sits there as a wasteland, waiting.  When you come right down to it, the Palestinians, who came from many other countries in the first place and who were looking for jobs with  the returned Israelis, do have 46 other Muslim countries that they could live in other than what they claim to want now.  Look at Jordan.  It is home to many so called Palestinians. 

For Obama and Clinton to end this with saying that the Jewish state's position on the issue of settlements was illegitimate and that Israel threatened peace and devastate trust shows that the USA has very little respect for Israel.  To me they are putting their head in the sand and refusing to see just who is threatening peace and cannot be trusted.  Many see that the Israel-USA relationship has lessened a great deal since the Bush administration.  Actually, other presidents have never accepted Israel's position on territory, new towns or borders, but then they are not the ones living there or seeing it through the eyes of the Israelis, either.  They are most likely seeing the situation as it affects them personally.  They make decisions without having studied the personalities involved or knowing the psyche of the Middle Easterners. 

Does the American administration think that giving the Palestinians East Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria will cause them to sign a peace treaty and....keep it?  Do they think this will bring Hamas around?  They were given Gaza on a silver plate and they only became more violent and haven't stopped yet.  No.  The Palestinians, unfortunately, are not thinking with American heads.  They want more; the extinction of Israel, and no one has counseled them as to why this is a bad idea.  The American administration only seems to be contributing to the Fatah and Hamas belief that they are right to want the death of Israel. 

I think it is most unwise to even think of having a peace treaty as long as Hamas remains Israel's enemy.  When these former PLO groups, Fatah and Hamas can jointly be acceptable peace-loving people and care for the lives of their children to be long and safely lived, then peace can be  obtained.  Fatah is not ready for peace, not as long as they teach in their schools that there is no Israel on the map, or teach hate for Israelis, I know they are not truly into a peaceful accord.  They seem to have taken just one important step in the right direction, and that is to not fire upon Israel.  Of course, they are allowing the Hamas Gazans to do all of that.  Abbas or others in his party have no  authority over Hamas.  When these two Muslim groups can become peaceful with Israel, we will all celebrate.

Resource: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0211/tobin022111.php3?printer_friendly

Americans, Canadians & Others of Multinational Force in Sinai Trapped

Nadene Goldfoot

We have a group of Americans and Canadians and some from other countries that are part of the Multinational Force stationed in Sinai. This came about after the UN's 1979 attempts failed. By 1981 the USA, Israel and Egypt signed the "Protocol of the Treaty of Peace". They have been policing the area under this peace treaty. For the past three weeks they have been locked in their camps under Hamas and Bedouin siege.

Egypt's army then transferred 900 men of their 18th Division battalions to Sinai to stop the lawless rampage going on there. A request was also sent to the Army Council from Washington.

On February 12th, Saturday night, Israel's Defense Minister, Ehud Barak phoned the Egyptian council head, Defense Minister Mohamed Tantawi. He thanked him for helping.

Ehud Barak also welcomed the military's pledge to honor the peace treaty. The Egyptian 76 year old field marshal's manner with Barak was "curt and to the point" rather than cordial. Too bad he doesn't care to emulate Sadat, who was a mentch. I have a feeling that the only reason he helped was that the USA was involved. If it were to rescue Israeli tourists, he wouldn't have had the heart. I say this because of other comments I've read about their job not being to come rescue Israelis from Palestinians. Tantawi, we all thank you for doing the right thing. I hope you feel pride in saving lives and know that Hamas is being unreasonable.

The Sinai happens to be Egypt's responsibility right now. In 1982 Israel had to withdraw-again for the sake of peace with Egypt, who has turned out to be honorable. Since then it has become a tourist attraction with its coral reefs, Sharm el Shiek city which Israel had to leave, and of course, Mt. Sinai. The Sinai Desert is what Jews crossed in the Exodus from Egypt.

The Multinational Force is made up of 11 countries. Recently it has had 425 men from the Illinois National Guard there. Uruguay had 87 men.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_Force_and_Observers

Debka @thejmg.com Debka Newsletter 2/18/2011-Exclusive Report

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinai_Peninsula

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_Force_and_Observers

Wondering About Iran's Warship in the Neighborhood

Nadene Goldfoot

A warship belonging to Iran is getting very close to Israel by planning to go through the Suez Canal tonight. We know that Iran has threatened Israel with extinction and has called Jews every name under the sun. Admiral James Burnell-Nugent, former commander-in-chief, fleet, of Britain's Royal Navy, described the action as a form of mischief.
"I would put it in the manipulative, stirring the pot category, rather than the military, strategic category.
"And the more wound up the Israelis get over it, the more the Iranians will be laughing."

"For warships to pass through the canal, approval from the ministry of defense and the ministry of foreign affairs is needed and this applies to all warships owned by any country," a Canal official told Reuters. No notice had been given so far.

I'm sitting here in safety in Oregon, but as a dual citizen with Israel, I would hope that Israelis feel some concern, for I do. It's interesting that Britain takes such a move so lightly, but their lives are not threatened. Iran isn't just any old country.

Anytime a country shows such hostility and hatred towards Israel, Israelis are going to be cautious and question their movement. Radio report said that they will be docked in Syria for a year. Syria is friends with Iran.

“It is strange for the Iranian Navy to use the Suez Canal since it really doesn’t have anything to do in the Mediterranean Sea,” one official said. They haven't gone through the Suez Canal since 1979. It's been 32 years.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110216/wl_nm/us_israel_iran_warships
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110216/wl_nm/us_egypt

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=208566

America's Unawareness of Muslim Brotherhood's Influence

Nadene Goldfoot

The Pew Research Center published interesting facts of Egypt's and Turkey's Muslim attitudes two months ago. This is the % of approval.

Egypt and Turkey's %

1. Stoning people who commit adultery: 82% 16%

2. Whipping/cutting off hands for theft and robbery: 77% 13%

3. Death penalty if one leaves Muslim religion: 84% 05%

They found that 59% side with fundamentalists in modernizing their country and 27% agreed with the modernizers.

The question of whether suicide bombings are justified showed:

54% justification

8% often

12% sometimes

34% rarely

46% never be justified.

A question should have been asked "when is there justification?" Mohamed Morsy spoke Thursday with a reporter and would not commit his movement to keeping the Israel-Egypt peace treaty. His group is opposed to Zionism and kept saying that the Muslim Brotherhood does not use violence but felt that Palestine was "resistance, " and resistance is acceptable by all people and is the right of people to resist imperialism. I am shocked to think that they see Israel as imperialists.

The New York Times has not been a help-mate to Israel at all. Barry Rubin also comments about this. This newspaper, which the Sulzberger family has founded in New York, has been publishing damaging articles such as Thomas Friedman's "Egypt delivers shock and awe" where he puts blame on Netanyahu for not making peace with the Palestinians, when it is the Palestinians who will not even come to the peace table. In fact, Palestinians have been offered half of the original plot that Israel was to have, and succeeding peace plans were not accepted by the Palestinians. They have been offered peace deals from 1948 to now and haven't taken them. They bide their time. They're planning on a complete take over of all of Israel. Proof of my statement is wanted, so look at the maps they produce. Where is Israel? They call it Palestine. Look at the missles and mortars they shoot into Israel that still go on to this day. So Friedman has the chutzpa to blame the Prime Minister of Israel instead. Another instance is their "Bumbling Brotherhood" which Dr. Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood spokesman, wrote that Israel must know that it is not welcome by the people in this region. I would agree with this statement, but is he implying that they should leave? It is it from the NY Times? Reporter Scott Atran also wrote that the Brotherhood "wants power." He's right on with this statement, but do people understand what type of power they stand for? Egypt hasn't been like Iran. He also stated that the Brotherhood is receiving flack from Al Qaeda, of all groups, and is being accused of acknowledging the existence of Jews! He made mention that Tony Blair of England was well aware of the seriousness the Muslim Brotherhood stands for. Yet the American government is not admitting to this fact. In fact they are putting out their opinions that they are not powerful at all nor ever will be. There's a lot of history that they are not taking into consideration.

If Israel were imperialists they wouldn't have offered the choice parts of their own piece of Israel to the Palestinians in 1947-48 that weren't accepted. It's not Israel that has started the many wars; it's been the greedy Muslim nations that surround them who want their land.

Are Egyptians getting a complete education on what has transpired between Israel and the Muslim nations? No. Many can't even read. They have to rely on gossip and propaganda and it's against Israel. I would also bet their their history books, read in college, are not giving the true facts of history, either. They'll be in the same position that Palestinians were when Obama insisted that they be given the democratic opportunity to vote, and they voted in Fatah. Probably even the ones who were more liberal were forced by threats to vote this way. So much for Democratic voting in a non-democratic environment.

President Obama said that he was bringing in a new partnership between the US and the Muslim world when he spoke in Cairo in 2009. Now his staff "seems to be encouraging a transitional outreach to the Muslim Brotherhood". In pressuring Egypt's Mubarak to step down immediately, which he may have to do tomorrow, Egypt is ripe for a transition that will include the brotherhood again that could take over the whole country. Turkey has done just this. They had been in the Western group but now are leaving it. They have become one of the backers of Hamas terrorism.

It is most naive to think that just because we haven't seen the Muslim Brotherhood in the protests in Egypt on TV means that they lack the ambition to be in power. Give them an inch and they will take the whole foot or even the yard in their good time without your knowledge.

Resource: Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx/id=206969

http://www.liquida.com/blog-news/16983309/egypt-united-states-nyt/

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/how-would-democracy-in-egypt-change-the-muslim-brotherhood/70926/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/opinion/03atran.html

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-york-times-not-just-anti-israel-but.html

Islamic Jihad Kassam Rocket Attack

Nadene Goldfoot

The terrorists of Gaza who call themselves the Islamic Jihad attacked Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council in southern Israel Tuesday the 8th with 4 rockets. First they fired 2 kassams hitting a field and parking lot and damaging a vehicle parked there. Three hours later they fired another volley of 2 rockets. The town of 6,000 lies between Beersheva and Ashkelon.

Evidently these rockets are made by the terrorists themselves and are classified as a simple steel artillery rocket which were developed by the military arm of Hamas. Since 2000 they have killed 22 Israelis and one Thai national. Israelis have a 15 second warning of an attack being they are close by. They cause more psychologicl harm than anything.

A 12 ship flotilla is preparing to arrive on May 31st with anti=Israelis. They had better not be carrying surgar, potassium nitrate (fertilizer), TNT or urea nitrate (fertilizer) for these things are used in making Kassams. This is why the ships must be inspected.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=207335
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket

Another Bigger Flotilla Planned for May

Nadene Goldfoot

25 nations are planning to take part in a 12 ship flotilla to Israel carrying construction material, electric generators and a desalinization plant. They plan to get there on the 31st of May to commemorate last year's flotilla of 6 ships.

That's very nice that they want to help out people who cannot afford much, but the question remains as to just what reason they are doing this. Do they realize that this is wartime between Gaza and Israel in that Gaza has vowed to destroy Israel and kill all Jews? It appears that these people do not respect Israel. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel or sign a peace treaty. They have kidnapped an IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, and refuse to release him. Hamas has brought about the need for Israel's blockading Gaza. As long as they keep shelling and hating Jews, the blockade needs to continue.

However, if this group will allow their ships to be searched for materials Israel cannot allow to go through that will bring harm to its citizens and will go to the port requested, it is fine and dandy. However, the first flotilla was not compliant and that brought about the problem they incurred. It seems to me that if they were just doing a good deed they would have gladly allowed their ships to be searched, and at least 5 of the six did. It was the largest ship who resisted boarding and searching.

Last year's Turkish ship had connections to radical Islamist groups. They were connected to the Free Gaza Movement which is a pro-Palestinian Human Rights organization with activists that are backed by such people as Tutu and Noam Chomsky. al-Qaida and Hamas, terrorist groups, have a history of arms smuggling and that may be the flotilla's primary purpose. Thus the need for inspection.

It seems to me that Israel is bearing the heavy financial burden of Gaza even though they have pulled out completely for the sake of "peace," which they haven't received at all. They have been continually fired on with missiles and mortars. Do the organizers of this next flotilla ever think about this fact? I'm afraid that they certainly have and they are willing adjuncts in a war against Israel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110207/wl_mideast_afp/israelconflictgazaturkeyeu
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/31/AR2010053103445.html
http://www.theage.com.au/world/facts-about-the-flotilla-and-gaza-20100601-wv8t.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0601/Gaza-flotilla-Why-the-blockade-makes-sense-for-Israel added 2/8/2011-Excellent by David Makovsky

Gaza Fires 2 Grad Rockets Into Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

Grad rockets are the bigger kind than the usual rocket. One was fired into Netivot which is 9 miles east of Gaza and another into Ofakin which is 15 miles from Gaza. The terrorists most likely get them from Iran. There was damage but no one was hurt.

Netivot is a city in the southern part of Israel with about 26,700 people. They have 11 high schools. Sderot is to its north and Ofakin is to the south. Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzseira is buried here. This Moroccan tzaddik and kabbalist, known as Baba Sali, died in 1984. Many people come here to pay their respects and to pray at his tomb.

Ofakin is 20 kilometers or less than 20 miles west of Bersheba with a population of 24,800. It's made up mostly of North African, Indian, Russian and Ethiopian Jews. The city has 8 high schools. It has one of the 14 tennis centers in Israel with 6 courts. A soccer stadium is also in this city.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110131/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netivot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofakim

Middle East in Turmoil

Israel's Neighbors Want Democratic Values

Nadene Goldfoot

Joining Tunisia and Algeria in riots against their respective government are Yemen, Jordan and Egypt. Egypt is on Israel's west side and Jordan is on the eastern side.

Egypt is the 5th largest country in the Middle East and is a country of 77,100,000 people of which 90% are Sunni Muslims who have a state religion and a semi-presidential republic. It's a poor country with a GDP of 5,491. News on television just said that internet and twittering had been stopped in this 5th day of rioting but had just started up again. I was saddened to hear that rioters had entered a famous museum and had torn off the heads of a couple of mummies. That's the trouble with rioting. People get too carried away and start destroying. It's no wonder that the government came out with tanks and they in turn have killed many people now. Our TV news said that street venders may be college graduates but can't find jobs. Prices are high and Mubarak has put money in his homes but has not invested it for the people. I guess there's no need to do so when he's got a lifetime position. He's 82 years old and still has black hair. I can't believe it's been 30 years of power for Hosni Mubarak. I can't imagine having a president for that long a time. Thank goodness we vote every 4 years for one and they can only serve for 8 years at the most. Egypt has been receiving US Aid for the past 60 years. In 2009 its FY (Foreign Operations Budget Request) was 551,255,600. In 2010 the FY was 20,700, 790. Egypt is the 2nd largest recipient of US money. Egypt has signed a peace treaty with Israel. It has honored the peace made by Sadat. I taught with an Egyptian Jewish lady teacher in our English department. Where there used to be many Jews living in Egypt, there are very few left there now.

Yemen happens to be the 16th largest country with a population of 23,013,376 where 99% of the people are Sunni and Shi'a in their Islamic state which has a Presidential republic. Their GDP is only 2,335. Yemen was where Ofrah Haza, the Israeli singer, had come from. She was my very favorite when I lived in Israel from 1980-1985. Sadly, she has died. Yemen wants a change in government from their President Ali Abdullah Saleh who has ruled them for the past 32 years with a corrupt government. Oil is the country's only source of income. The country is the poorest of all the Middle Eastern countries. The police only have used batons against rioters as that's all they could afford. The country has no proper sanitation nor paved roads. Our USA government gave them 250 million in the last 5 years and gave them 300 million in 2010 while expecting to give them 250 million or more in 2011 to fight terrorism as it's been a haven for al-Qaida militants.

Jordan is the 30th largest country with 5,568,565 people of which 95% are Sunni Muslims with a state religion and a constitutional monarchy which has a king. Their GDP is 4,886. Jordan has been having many demonstrations for the last few years but this time it was over price increases and economic austerity. It started on January 4th at the U. of Jordan which is outside of Amman and spread to four other towns. This happened while King Hussein was in Washington at a meeting so his brother, Crown Prince Hassem had to take over and ask for calm. Jordan has also been receiving US Aid for 60 years. In 2004 it received 400 milion dollars per year from USA. Its FY in 2009 was 515,749,676 and in 2010 the FY was 336,398. Jordan has signed a peace treaty with Israel.

Update: 1/30/2011 NBC this morning stated that Egypt receives 1.3 billion from USA.

Lebanon's government collapse, which I wrote about on January 12th in this blog, has continued to have riots and just voted in Nijib Mikati of Hezbollah to lead the new government. There has been 7 shot in continued rioting in clashes with Shiites in Beirut. Harari said that he didn't want to be in the Hezbollah coalition but may change his mind as today he said it's just a Sunni Clan family riot. Lebanon, on Israel's northern border, is the 35th largest Muslim state with 4,196,453 people where 60% are Muslim and the rest Christian who are of a mixed Shi'a/Sunni Islam and is not of any state religion supposedly with a Parliamentary democracy. Their GDP is 11,270. In 2004 Egypt was receiving 2.2 billion dollars per year from USA.

Right now Israel is surrounded by rioting states buffered by Gaza and the West Bank. It's not a pretty picture. Welcome to 2011.

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110130/wl_nm/us_egypt
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_yemen_protest
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1186285.html on Jordan
http://www.usaid.gov/policy/budget/money/
http://www.usaid.gov/policy/budget/cbj2011/
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/29/time_for_the_us_to_put_its_money_where_its_mouth_is http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_muslim_majority_countries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_%E2%80%93_United_States_relations
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/after-riots-and-rage-lebanon-is-ready-to-move-on-1.339397
NBC Meet the Press 1/30/2011

http://shmuelkatz.com/wordpress/?p=590&Source=email

Time Magazine's Israel Article Knocking Only Democratic State in Middle East

Nadene Goldfoot

The January 18th article "Israel's Rightward Lurch Scares Some Conservatives," has bias, distortions and shows a complete lack of understanding both Israel and the Middle East.

It made ridiculous accustions and neglected to include very important facts which I will repeat.

1. Oaths of allegiance are expected in most democratic countries. Immigrants have had to give them upon wanting citizenship in the United States. That means 3 of my 4 grandparents had to swear this oath.

2. Citizenship can be taken away for various reasons like undermining "national interests. The democratic countries of Italy, Germany, France and Great Britain do this.

3. In the United States a bill was proposed last year to add that if you join a foreign terrorist organization or engage in or support hostilities against the USA or its allies you would lose your American nationality.

4. America has a Foreign Agent Registration Act called FARA which requires that any organisation that lobbies in the US that receives money from foreign individuals, or foreign governments must register as a foreign agent with the Department of Justice and permit the Attorney General to inspect all of its activities.

5. Democratic countries do not accept foreign government intervention in its domestic affairs by funding domestic groups engaged in criticism of a particular policy or be allowwed to attack the very foundations of the state. They would probably say to mind your own business or to butt off.

6. Debate goes on in Israel's government including the Likud party over the best way to deal with the problem of foreign government funding of local NGO's which are non governmental organizations that have social aims with political aspects. Russia has 40,000 of them while India has 3.3 million. What if the French goverment was funding a British NGO that was designed to eliminate the monarchy? What if Iran was funding American NGO's that were to force the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East? Can't the countries make decisions for themselves without this meddling from another country? What rights do they have to control a country's decisions?

Israel is made up of people who feel they hold a valid opinion and their opinions are heard in this country. David Ben Gurion used to tell the joke where he's talking to President Truman who tells him that he's president of 300 million people. David Ben Gurion answers that this is nice, but he is Prime Minister of 3 million presidents. Besides such outstanding people as Moses and Einstein, we also have people that are imperfect who do not have the highest values or don't wear halos. Therefore, Netanyahu announced at the opening of a Bible Quiz show that he condemned people with racist feelings against Arabs who did not want to rent apartments to Arabs, which happened in Safed, I believe. America had this same problem of racial inequality with Blacks. He contrasted this with the fact that in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria-area controlled by the Palestinian Authority) they have a law that if a person sells land to Jews they are condemned to death. In the Middle East Christians are persecuted by Muslims, and under their law gays are hanged in a public square and women are stoned for adultery.

In Israel women, gays and minorities' rights are protected. Even the 20% Arab population in Israel enjoy freedom of speech and religion and protection in courts and the rule of law.

Israel has been under a microscope by the foreign press ready to pounce on every decision made in this tiny country who only hope to say something detrimental as that is what sells their articles. If they bothered to look they would see that Israel upholds its democdratic values while it is threatened more than any country on earth today. It has to defend itself against a war of agression for Muslim neighbors, terror campaigns and to hear heads of state promising to annihilate it. It isn't Israel banning minarets and headscarves like the Swiss and French.

In Israel the reporters are able to write their terrible accusatory coverage about Israel without fear of being killed for it. It's not like the Palestinian Authority "Abbas" threatening an Italian TV station (RAI) because they broadcast the film of a Palestinian mob lynching 2 Israeli soldiers causing the Italian station to apologize for showing it. Shame on the Italian station! Apologizing for showing the truth, yet. In America, CNN did something like that in 2003. They didn't show their coverage about Sadaam's regime because that would mean that their people couldn't work safely in Baghdad. Makes you wonder about what we see on television and how it's controlled, doesn't it? And now I see that even Time Magazine isn't giving us a fair or honest story, either. They have gone over to the other side, writing a biased and unbalanced article about Israel.

I watched an American History TV program about a secret government society who meet in a grove. The narrator commented that if we walked in on them, we wouldn't understand what we were seeing and would take it as something else again. They have a giant 40 foot owl on their dias and quite a ceremony. Are the reporters like that in Israel not understanding many things they might see without asking about them first? Or do they only ask the Palestinian Authority, I wonder?

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization

Letter by Ron Dermer, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Time magazine's managing director, Mr. Stengel. 1/18/2011

West Bank to Receive Ammunition Foiled

Nadene Goldfoot


Judea/Samaria "West Bank" had people in Florida ready to ship them arms. And for why? Supposedly Palestinians living under the guidance of Abbas wanted to make peace with Israel.


A Cuban has come over to Florida and made friends with Palestinians living in Hialeah. In May 2009 Yanny Aguila Urbay, 24 from Cuba, was the go-between for his 23 year old partner, Abdalaziz Aziz Hamayel, in buying hundreds of stolen high powered rifles, grenades and explosives to be sent to the West Bank His problem was that he was dealing with a police officer, Pete Perez, in Miami.


Aguila's partner who lived in Coral Gables wanted to buy 300 M-16 rifles for a possible $1,300 each. They wanted M-16s with silencers, 200 grenades, 200 IEDs totaling $380,000 with a discount of $120,000. Hamayel was interested in buying cell-phone and remote-control detonators.


Hamayel told Policeman Perez that he was interested in buying the cache for his people "over there," meaning the Palestinian Authority of which Abbas is the head. He was video-taped dealing inside a vehicle and handling guns, grenades and other ammunition. Hamayel went to Jordan, then came back to Chicago and finally Miami where he was arrested.

This tells me that Israel has to be more than careful about armed dissinence in Judea and Samaria. All are not peaceful there.

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/09/two_hialeah_men_arrested_on_te.php
http://freedetainees.org/category/yanny-aguila-urbay
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0111miami_west_bank.php3?printer_friendly

Stuxnet Virus in Iran

Nadene Goldfoot

Iran has told the world that their nuclear program only has the best of intentions. They just need the power, as if oil in their backyard isn't enough. At the same time they have threatened Israel in the worst possible ways, saying they will destroy the country. They do not jest.

If Iran gains atomic weaponry, all countries are in danger who are within range. Even such places that are fairly close such as Saudi Arabia would be in harm's way. Remember, Iran and Iraq had a war going on from September 1980 to August 1988. Iran is not an Arab country. They differ in their Muslim religion. Iran is Shiite, Iraq is Sunni. Miracle of all miracles, the stuxnet virus, found in July 2010 was able to find its way into Iran's computers and has set back their nuclear program by two years, which was announced in the middle of December 2010. It's thought that by June of 2012, they just might have the problem cleaned up.

The German conputer consultant, Langer, analyzed their program's code. Those countries worried feel the virus was almost as good if not better than a military strike. No one was killed in the process. However, I have read that a few computer scientists have been executed already over it.

In December of 2010 the stuxnet virus was still infecting Iran's computer systems at the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and the reactor at Bushehr. This is the most advanced and aggressive malware in history. Iran may have had to throw all their computers out and also may have had to rebuild their centrifuges as well as buy a new turbine for Bushehr. Iran had 62,867 computers infected with stuxnet which will have to be replaced.

Mossad's Meir Dagan thought that Iran wouldn't have the bomb till 2015. If the virus hadn't come along, he thought they would have had it by 2011. Now he's projected 2014 as the date for having the bomb. Iran is trying to speed things up with Russian scientists who want to back off, saying that Iran could have another Chernobyl because they are not into safety standards.

Even J Street's Susskind remarked that "there are creative ways of working around military brinksmanship." This is something he does not complain about.

It's thought that when Iran is weak, they will become more recalcitrant. The leaders plan on small points to expect from them first, before getting to the bigger issues.

Iran is the only clerically ruled country in the world but also is a presidential republic. It's definitely a theocracy that many Muslims are not deeply happy about. A country with a population of 70,495,782 of which 98% are Shi'a Muslims. They have a military power made up of 545,000. Yet only 53% of Iranians are actually Persians. (Persia was the original name-therefore they have many immigrants). Many Jews used to live in Persia since the days of Queen Esther "Hadassah". 50,000 Jews left for Israel. My professor in Israel had come from Iran and had seen his friends hung for small infractions and for being Jewish. I have a relative who escaped at age 16 on a camel and saw several of his friends shot in the act.

Resource: http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=199475 12/15/2010

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/01/18/2742605/do-stuxnet-revelations-allow-breathing-room-or-create-more-pressure-on-iran
http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/iran-and-islam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/01/israel-tests-on-worm-called-crucial-in-iran-nuclear-delay.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet

Dr. Jonathan Adelman's Speech 1/24/11 in Portland, OR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim_majority_countries

Flies in the Ointment for Peace Between Palestinians & Israelis

Nadene Goldfoot

The biggest fly of all is that the Palestinian authority refuses to accept Israel as a state for Jews. We cannot have but one state in the world while they have 48 Muslim majority countries. A Palestine would be the 49th. Though there are almost the same number of Jews in the USA as in Israel, Jews in the USA make up only 2.2% of the population.

One of the points to discuss is the return of Palestinians from 1948. They and their descendents have now grown to 5 million, a number that is absolutely imposssible to accept. At one point our prime minister had said we could take in 100,000, that that was not accepted. With their practice of plural marriages in which a man may have 4 wives, they have produced children four or more times faster than any other group in the world.

First off, the Palestinians refused the offer in 1948 for their half of Palestine from the British. They been refusing such offers ever since. As recently as 2008, Israel's PM Ehud Olmert offered to end the "occupation" and to give Palestinians 94% of Judea and Samaria and the other 6% from land in a land swap and PLO leadership said "NO." That was a great deal. This shows how badly the PLO does not really want or need a state. They have other goals in mind. I breathed a sigh of relief on this. I feel that since all the Arab states attacked Israel in 67 and lost, Judea and Samaria can stay under Israel's occupation since that was a part of our Jewish land long ago. This is the land of our beginnings, of our history. At any rate, even with the act of giving it away to the Palestinians, it wasn't accepted, so that proves they really don't want it or the responsibility. As the auctioneer calls out, "Going, going, GONE!"

In 2010 Abbas refused to negotiate with Netanyahu unless Israel accepted his preconditions for negotiating which would mean giving into the items that are to be discussed. This is so ridiculous it's pathetic. This means that Abbas is not about to discuss anything as a "mentch". And he hasn't, even with pressure from the USA and possibly even a little from the UN.

Now the war has also become a war with words. Palestinians are out to erase any mention of Jews in Israel, Samaria or Judea. They have published items saying that there is no connection to Jews from the Western or Wailing Wall which is Judaism's holiest site. This is where all Jews head for in Jerusalem and say special prayers. This wall was built in 20 BCE by Herod and it took 11 years to build. It was circling the 2nd Temple and also supported it. This has become an open air synagogue where tens of thousands of Jewish celebrants come to worship. It's where Bar Mitzva's are celebrated. Now the Muslims are claiming that the only reverence to be observed is that their Prophet Muhammad tethered his winged horse, Buraq on his journey from Mecca to Jerusalem in the 7th century AD. Islam was born with Mohammad in the middle 600's AD. It's the last of the three major religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Palestinians continue to teach hatred for Jews in their schools and on their TV programs, especially the ones for children. This doesn't show any chance to have a peaceful affair with Palestinians, ever. They're trying to push Israel back "today" to the 1967 borders. "Tomorrow", as they said in 1948, they most likely will be pushing Israel into the sea if they can get away with it.

Palestinians paint with lying words of information calling Israel criminals and get away with it with the biased international "human rights" of the United Nations. However, Israel was just cleared in the flotilla mission of Turkey, much to Turkey's disappointment, no doubt. Israel is being called criminals because they won't lay down and die. They do outlandish things like protect their citizens and they fight terrorism acts. Israelis intend to live and keep their religion alive with them.

Why haven't Palestinians ever accepted the multiple offers of having their own state? It's thought that they may be trying to force Israel into accepting them all into one large single state. That would wipe out the Jewish reason for creation and Israel would become another Muslim state in short time, losing even its name.

Israel is being shelled by rockets, mortars and missles from Gaza on the Southwest. They have at different times, and are in danger today from Lebanon, now taken over by Hizbollah so that's from the North. On the East is Judea and Samaria, under constant pressure from their brothers in Gaza to let loose and attack, which they have on occasion. When will the Palestinians realize that they all are threatened by Iran if they become capable of atomic attacks against Israel. If Israel is hit, they all will die; Gazans, Palestinaians in Judea and Samaria, and yes, even the one million Arab citizens in Israel. So it's not just Jews that can be eliminated. It's time they all decide to turn their weapons into plowshares and do some planting of food and goodness instead of giving everyone a bellyache of hatred. Palestinians could learn and benefit from Israeli Jews. Their lives could be much happier.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-western-wall

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-dershowitz/the-palestinian-leadershi_b_794519.html from Professor Alan Dershowitz, author of "The trials of Zion" and many others.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/usjewpop.html

Abdullah Abu Rahmeh

Palestinian Protester

Nadene Goldfoot

In 2002, Palestinian protesters were getting so violent against Israelis that a fence had to be built by Israel to shield Israeli citizens against attackers. In some places it is a wall; in other places a wire fence.

Abdullah Abu Rahmah was a 39 year old schoolteacher from the village of Bil'in in Judea/Samaria "West Bank". Since 2005 they have been demonstrating against this wall of protection called a security barrier because it keeps them from a direct path to their fields, and causes an inconvenience. So did stone throwing and rioting against Israelis.

Every Friday from 2005, Rahmah led a group of villagers in a parade carrying flags and placards while they chanted slogans along with the intrigued international and Israeli activists to the barrier. I have learned that the chants are not nice at all. They're about taking over israel. the international people would not understand Arabic and had no idea what was being said. Of course, at the end of the parade were the Israeli IDF wearing riot gear that they had learned was necessary to wear in these events. They were prepared to meet force with tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and arrests if necessary.

A year ago Rahmah was arrested and was told he was to serve a year in prison and his time would be up by November 18, 2010. Why? He was a leader and was arrested for incitement and organizing an illegal demonstration. He was also charged with stone-throwing and arms possession. The defense tried to make a point that there was no proof of the latter accusations. He served in Ofer Military Prison.

The army just extended his stay in prison by 4 months saying it was because they felt that he would go back to "inciting" again if he were released.

He sounds like a case any defense would love to work with. He's married and the father of 3, and a schoolteacher. He seems to stand for unarmed resistance to the security barrier and has raised international awareness, which is easy to do nowdays. Anything against Israel attracts the international community who climb aboard the bus.

The Oregonian newspaper even mentions today that the European Union foreign policy chief, Lady Catherine Ashton, "deplores" the continued imprisonment of prominent Palestinian activist Rahmeh whose belief is that Palestinians have the right to engage in peaceful demonstrations.

I say that most likely these demonstration have never been peaceful. Both Palestinians and Israelis can become highly emotional and excitable, and no doubt these are. I'd like Ms. Ashton to come on down and keep the group peaceful without causing a riot or throwing stones at the IDF. It's not easy to be a teacher nowdays and keep a class quiet let alone angry demonstrators chanting hate slogans.

Since Rahmeh was arrested, no doubt the court system has investigated the case and found that Rahmeh was quite the leader and is afraid he will instigate the group more. Perhaps they have been fairly quiet since he has been in prison.

I worked with teen agers in a Residential Treatment Center who were judicated by the courts to be there. It was like being in prison only continuing their education and getting counseling and learning new habits, for they were there as sex offenders. A system was in force whereas they were rewarded for good behavior with outings such as roller skating, movies, and such. Their behaviors were monitored throughout the week and demerits were given for problems they caused. I'm wondering if Rahmeh didn't do a few things that caused a demerit system which added on months after the year he was sentenced. He sounds like a nice guy, but in this situation, one never knows.

Israel is up against a lot of problems and is trying to solve them. Very few people in these positions are American citizens with American training. They've been attacked and hated since they were born and are prepared for the worst. We as Americans or Europeans cannot imagine what Israelis have been through. We must walk in their shoes to see what it's like to be amidst neighbors who are out for your destruction. Their children have to be in an ROTC program in high school and serve in the army. Ours don't. Life is quite different. Men serve every year for a month until they are 55. If the IDF is concerned about his release, they have to have good reason.

How about Lady Catherine Ashton and her friends doing something about Israel's soldier who was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists, Gilad Shallit. Has anyone other than Israelis begged and pleaded for his release? I don't think so. He's been held as a hostage since June 25, 2006 by Hamas terrorists. That'll be 5 years in June. I wouldn't be surprised if there's no outside protesting going on about him. I know his wife and parents have been doing most of it.

I'm glad to hear that Abdullah Abu Rahmah is known to others as a peaceful fellow. He's got to prove it. I'm a teacher, too, and know that we have the ability to sway our people and classes. If he really is on the road to peace and feels he's another Ghandi, more power to him. He just shouldn't incite violence and get arrested. He could find peaceful channels like meetings with the powers that be like the court systems, attorneys, chairmen, mayors, etc. He could cut out the protests that cause harm, because that's not getting the fence to come down or bringing on a peaceful atmosphere between the two peoples.

Reference: http://publicblognewspostingservice.com/2010/12/07/abdullah-abu-rahmeh-west-bank-school-teacher-viewed-as-an-instigator-of-violence-palestinian-protest-leaders-case-has-sparks-scrutiny-with-israel/

Oregonian Newspaper 1/23/11 page A11 Image on Facebook gets a Palestinian in trouble
http://972mag.com/972-magazine%E2%80%99s-person-of-the-ear-abdullah-abu-rahmah/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895204575320851852473996.html

Terrorists Working from Inside USA Against Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

A radical iman, Mohammed Qatanani, is the head of one of New Jersey's largest mosque. He has participated in rallies and programs against Israel. Last March demonstrators chanted calling for Israel's destruction, a chant used at pro-Palestinian rallies. They call for a Palestine state that stretches from the Jordan River to the Mediterrnean Sea, completely doing away with Israel. Qatanani told the people at his rally that Palestine will be free one day and that they would "see it very soon by your actions, by your standing for justice; justice, freedom, the liberation of the land will be very soon".

One of his close friends is Governor Chris Christie, Republican, who praised him at a Ramadan breakfast at the mosque when he was the US attorney. When the governor was the US Attorney, Fort Dix defendants were accused and then convicted of plotting a mass casualty attack on the New Jersey military base as an act of jihad. Christie later said his office was not a party to the case but that after 9/11 he had found the iman to be very helpful in strengthening relations with the community. However, his bio states: "One of Chris’s finest moments was when he led the team that thwarted terrorists' plans to attack our military men and women at Fort Dix".

The iman preceding Qatanani, Mohammed El-Mezain, was convicted of illegally routing millions of dollars to Hamas in 2008. Qatanani himself has supported Hamas and was even related by marriage to a leading Hamas operative in Judea/Samaria. Qatanani had to return to a New Jeresey immigration court where the Department of Homeland Security was trying to have him deported. When he originally filed for a green card in 1999, he failed to disclose a conviction in an Israeli military court for being a Hamas member and providing support to them.

During the trial, Christie's assistant US attorney, Charles B. McKenna, testified as a character witnesss for Qatanani. Other support came from sheriffs of Bergen and Passaic counties and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Democrat. Qatanani admitted that the was in an Israeli prison for 3 months but didn't disclose this. He also admitted being in the Muslim Brotherhood, leaving in 1991 as he had no time. This group works at spreading Islamic law, like a grand jihad to eliminate and destroy Western civilization and make their religion over all others. However, strangely, the judge ruled for Qatanani. in 2008, not accepting Israel's documents. In 2009 this was overturned and that the Israeli evidence was authentic.

An alien who supported a terrorist organization is inadmissible to the USA. This type of misrepresentation is used to deport people. Governor Christie has supported Islamists such as Qatanani and a Sohail Mohammed, who he nominated to be a state judge. Mohammed represented clients who were alleged to be connected to terrorists. and so is a counsel to the American Muslim Union or AMU. One of their newsletters claimed that a Zionist commando orchestrated the 9/11/terrorist attacks. This is the type of conspiracy theory being thrown about against Jews today. In a state which is 37% Catholic, New Jersey's Jews make up 2% and Muslims 1% of the population. New Jersey has the 2nd largest Jewish population in the states. The first is New York.

I can only ask why Governor Christie isn't more cautious in his dealings. What's in it for him? Why did all those people testify for Mohammed and Qatanani? Homeland Security has known for a long time about them. While certain Muslims complain of courts using words such as "Islamic militants" by telling us not to equate actions with religion, part of that is right. Not all Muslims are militants. However, the militants just so happen to be Muslims, so this is going to happen. The Chinese families instill in their children to be good and not bring shame to their families. What are the Muslim parents doing? This is a philosophy all should take to heart. Children can harm the good name of a family by their actions. In the Muslim world, there are a lot of things going on that are against our government, both here and in Israel. Another example is a longtime professor at the U. of South Florida, Al-Arian, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide goods and services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He's the leader of the group and is Muslim. Jihad comes from Islam. It is designed to destroy us; our religion, and our culture with Islam taking over. Not all Muslims may be involved, but those that are are very influential. Where are the Muslim groups that are counteracting it?

Update: 1/27/11: Mohammed Qatanani, Palestinian, is facing deportation. He has a trial coming up in May in Newark. He continues to say that "West Bank" occupation is unacceptble and that he is not a silent man on this matter. He also stated that he was not detained in Israel so that's why he didn't put it on the form for the states.

I'm upset with anyone that is not willing to make peace with Israel who is living in Judea/Samaria. If Palestinians are unhappy about the occupation, they shouldn't have ganged up on Israel and attacked her in 1967. Qatanani should have urged Abbas to sit down with Netanyahu and discuss peace instead of instigating riots calling Israel's destruction.

Resource: http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0111/emerson012011.php3?printer_friendly

Added: 1/27/2011: http://newyorkermen.multiply.com/links/item/210/Imam_Mohammad_Qatanani_Faces_Deportation

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/about/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christie

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2008/04/new-jersey-imam-is-member-of-hamas.html

Backing Terrorism Instead of Residences

What's Illegal to UN is not Terrorism

Nadene Goldfoot

Back in 1947-48, the UN passed the resolution that created Israel legally. That was back in the days when I had such great faith in the UN born in 1942 under Roosevelt being the institution that would bring peace to the world when I was only 14 years old. How naive I was to trust this. After all, we had already had a similar group that had expired, The League of Nations created in 1919.


Since Israel's birth it has had to fight for the right to exist from that very same hour of birth in 1948, then in 1956, 1967, 1972, 1982, and continuously since then. The UN has grown with more Arab nations belonging to it, ever ready to think of more ways to wipe out Israel. Not once has the United Nations ever protested to the Arabs to leave Israel alone and stop attacking. No, they supply the terrorists with more money and weapons instead. They've kept Palestinians living in camps and on the dole from the United Nations of which the United States is the main supplier. Arabs keep them there but do not feed and clothe them. To the Arab leaders, these unfortunates are pawns in a chess game. They bring about sympathy for their cause living such as they do. They're probably into their 3rd generation by now of living in such a manner.


After the major war of 1967 which Israel managed to win, Judea and Samaria fell to Israel as well as Eastern Jerusalem. Israel announced that Judea and Samaria, called the "West Bank" by Jordan, was now an administered territory. Administered is a term used to designate control but not sovereignty. Israel had accidently come to control its old homeland once again.


Pakistan also has administered areas in its northwest. It has 7 tribal agencies and 6 smaller regions that it administers.


The British seem to be the biggest user of administered territories. British Columbia, Hudson's Bay Territories or Rupert's Land, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Vancouver Island were all once Britain's Administered territories. These all are now a part of Canada. They also had administered territories in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe and in the Pacific.


Judea and Samaria would not have come to Israel had the Arabs not attacked Israel. With the British, their administration probably has a different history of needing raw products and overtaking a piece of land along with the inhabitants.


The Arab nations have given a draft resolution to the UN Security Council condemning Israeli settlements. These are not army bases or stockpiles of uranium. These are villages and towns with families causing no harm, living inside the Green Line. The draft has almost 120 co-sponsors, all Arab, of course with some of their friends. It's thought that the USA will veto it if voted on now. They're including East Jerusalem in the statement, calling it all a big obstacle to peace. Netanyahu never intimated that E. Jerusalem was a part of any deal. It is part of our capital.


I say that the big obstacle to peace is the Gaza Strip with Hamas and the assundry of other terrorist groups firing rockets, mortars and missles at Israel. Lebanon's terrorism threatening from the north isn't helping either. Syria adds fuel to the fire and Iran keeps its threats and money working up the terrorists. The UN has no business threatening Israel being they have never helped Israel at all.


Diplomats in Washington have tried to tell Abbas not to submit the resolution because the administration of President Barack Obama would feel awkward vetoing a resolution that they agree with. Now we know where Obama stands. They could vote on it after a conference in Munich, Germany, where Quartet members will meet on February 5th. Rosemary DiCarlo, US Deputy Ambassador says the position should be resolved in direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The USA's position hasn't changed. Abbas is trying to slip this in for leverage in case they ever do sit down to discuss a peace deal. And we thought President Richard Nixon was tricky.
http://www.jpost.com/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110119/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_un/print