Watch out!

I ran across this video on you tube with Glen Beck interviewing Benjamim Netanyahu. I really think he pinpoints the arrogant naivite that many Americans have. They just believe everything they hear and if they thought about it, people should realize this truth. We saw it a little bit with 09/11. We should know better!

The Fogel Family in Israel

I think by now everyone has heard of the horrific attack on the Fogel Family. It's a bit late but I was thinking that I haven't voiced my opinion about it. Of course, I'm dismayed, but more than that, I'm overwhelmingly not surprised. The people that did this have been hiding behind babies of their own and shooting at us, why should we be surprised that they should kill our own babies. One hopes that the world will hear about this event and wake up. I doubt that will happen. The Muslims will continue to trash Jews and Israel in the media. Americans will continue to fall for it, feeling sorry for the likes of what committed 09/11. If only they would learn...

If only....

Below is a video discussing the attack.

ANONYMOUS who is against Israel... you must read this

This is from the long trail of comments on the last post....



Well, ANONYMOUS person who started this... DO YOU SEE THAT?!?

The other thing is that I think you were not realizing that while I see an intrisic value to Israel, I do see this as, we all hope, an intermediary between between diaspora and the Israel davened for.

Proof that no one, not even the Modern Orthodox Zionists see this Israel as the "end all, be all Israel" is in the fact that the rabbis haven't taken out of the siddur to daven for Israel. We continue to daven for that Israel because this Israel is not that Israel. However, we are no longer in the same total diaspora situation we were in prior to (this) Israel. We are somewhere in between. We commemorate the "in-between" state that we are in.

Perhaps, you could be a beacon to explain this misunderstanding to others. That is, if that wasn't too confusing.

Let's clarify...

When I said that someone who demonstrates against Israel isn't Jewish, I really meant in that behavior of protesting the Jewish land, they are un-Jewish. If someone burns a US flag.. they are unAmerican. I know some of you don't agree but, Israel is the only Jewish land. Israel is the only land where THE national holidays are the Jewish holidays. I agree with those who say that we really don't know how safe we are in another country. Sure, we may be safe now... but, who knows how long that will last. I agree that many American Jews are disconnected greatly from the land of Israel. When I went to see Jaffa, the Israeli movie:
http://michalbasavraham.blogspot.com/2009/11/jaffa-israeli-indie-film-review.html

at the reception afterwards, I overheard people who had been to Israel once telling others about it. One specific snipet I heard was, "it was very hard to get around because it was THE SHABBAT." Who says, "the shabbat" anyway? Obviously this person was barely, if at all aware of what Shabbos is supposed to be. Now, I bet the secular Israelis have a better grasp of Shabbos. It showed that indeed, most American Jews are too disconnected and cofortable in the diaspora.

The idea that we have a whole nation full of Jews... it intrigues me. Israelis are different than American Jews. In America, Jews are kinda similar. There's the stereotype of the JAP and the pencil pusher with glasses... In Israel, the Jews are everyone not just a population. It's ssssssssoooooooooo different. Ok, I admit this is my feeling from talking to people and watching my secular Israeli videos. Sidenote: MAN, are the Israeli men hotter in Israel! Anyway, I definately want to at least make my first trip to Israel: for the men and just to be in the Jewish land....

An anti-Israel comment from a Jew...

If you look back to this September post, you will see a nasty little commment against Israel from someone who seems to be saying they are Jewish.

http://michalbasavraham.blogspot.com/2009/09/jews-who-rally-against-israel-what.html

The comment is as follows:
Anonymous said...
I really have an issue with anyone questioning someone elses Jewishness especially when either one of those ppl is a convert. The issue with Israel is long and complicated. According to your blog they were protesting the "State of Israel". Well from what I've heard and seen I question the "State of Israel" as well. I mean really, when Hashem promised us this land did He really intend that we should have prostitution and such there? Was that really the goal? After years of persecution and rejection of Jews all over the world that some should come to the Jewish homeland and still be rejected and persecuted by your own people? The "State of Israel" and state in which Israel is in is seriously flawed and you have no right to question anyone's Jewishness for speaking out.

And speaking of "handing it over to the Arabs", you do realize that we Jews got kicked out of Israel for disobeying G-d' commandments (baseless hatred and all that). In the meantime a new group of ppl happened on some empty land (pretty prime real estate as the Torah describes it) and made it their home. The Holocaust happens and the agreement is made to send us to Israel, completely disregarding the fact that ppl are already living there.

How would you feel after you moved into your new home and the government said " Now I know u found this place empty, and i know it technically didn't belong to anyone, and I know you've built your roots here and I know you've got no where else to go, but umm get out" Wouldn't you be pissed off? Wouldn't you "fight" for what you worked hard for? Would you hold at least a little grudge against the folks who took your home away?"

Now I'm not saying anyone is right or that anyone is wrong but there are always 3 sides to a story- yours, theirs and the truth


Michal responds here:
I'm sorry. Would you prefer that I get some born Jews to come and defend Israel because in your mind, you have decided that I'm not Jewish. When I say that they are not Jewish, I am not saying that they are halachically not Jewish. I don't have the ability to say that as you do not have the ability to say that about me just because I'm a gyoress. However, I will say this: to rally against the state of Israel is unJewish in the way that burning an American flag is unAmerican.

As for the state not being perfect, well no, at this time, it is not. However, fighting each other is not the way bring Moshiach and the perfect state of Israel. We have to appreciate the imperfect Israel, lest Hashem should find us unworthy of the Perfect State of Israel.

Interesting article...

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091122/FOREIGN/711219850/1002


Ok, as an Orthodox woman, I'm in no hurry to run out and buy myself a tallis and tefillin or try to layin the Torah. However, I don't agree that Charedim in Israel should insist that women don't have these rights. The points that I've heard against all women from the Chareidim are ridiculously sexist and male chauvinistic. In general, you hear these men name call women stupid for anything, even for doing nothing. So, it doesn't surprise me that they call women stupid for wanting to wrap in a tallis.

Incidentally, so Rashi's daughter's were stupid? Does that mean Rashi was stupid?

Jews who rally against Israel.. WHAT????

A Facebook friend commented on his status:
I was not commenting on that fact Israel, I do appreciate it very much. The status has to do with a rally that took place today in manhattan, NYC. Where many Hassidic Jews from the Satmar sect protested on the outside as a facade that Israeli Police were beating them up... but quickly turned into a nasty anti Israel rally where ... Read MoreSatmar principle of Throop avenue school called for the end and complete destruction (gd forbid) in yiddish of the State of Israel. May GD smite this man and the many others with the harshest of punishments for their reprehensible actions and grave chillul hashem.

My response:
I'm sorry, but in my mind these people are not Jewish, which is funny because they think they are more Jewish than everyone else and some people think "chasidic" is somehow better or MORE Jewish. Try more 18th Century Poland.....

That idiot, VOX POOPULI should read THIS article from the Jpost

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1248277865693&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Just as I suspected, he was wrong. Obama is trying to tell the Jews they can't live wherever in Jerusalem. He is trying to halt building on land purchased from the Arabs to a Jew over a century ago. You see who's side he's on... Yeah, we know who's side he's on.

Incidentally, a muslim tried to run me over this morning while I was on my way to work. Uh, huh! You see how they are? That's how they are.

Netanyahu Taking A Stand

So, it's been four years since the residents of Gush Katif were evicted. It seems former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon has something to do with this.

Lemme guess, Gush Katif was a settlement and one of the US presidents demanded this?

I just LOVE this group and especially this video!

The Arabs Are Squatters

You know, I was reading this article just now from the goyim about Israel: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/world/europe/29iht-letter.html?_r=1

I find the statement striking, "Neither the United States nor the rest of the world has ever recognized Israel’s claim to the territories — including East Jerusalem, which is mostly Arab — that it captured after its victory in the 1967 Middle East war." That's funny. It seems to me the UK which is part of the rest of the world was the last one to have ownership of Israel, not the Palestinians.

Britain gave Israel to the Jews in November of 1917 with the Balfour Declarations. End of story. It's our land.

The background on Israel's problem

Courtesy of a commenter who didn't know what the problem is, I posted this response then realized it warranted being another post.

The PROBLEM is that there are not 2,000 but, over 300,000 "Almost Jews" in Israel who are not halachically Jewish and don't want to be. These are primarily patrilineage Jews from the former Soviet Union. However, there are patrilineage Jews from other countries, as well as converts with conversions good enough for the Law Of Return, yet not good enough for marry and bury in Israel.

These "Almost Jews" live, breathe, think and celebrate their Jewish year the same way that other secular Jews do. They don't keep kosher and Shabbos. However, they have a seder for Pesach. They celebrate Chanukah and high holidays. This is what plenty of secular Jews do. They are indisguishable from a halachically Jewish secular Jew. However, they are not Jewish due to a technicality.

This is a problem because there is now assimilation taking place in the Jewish state between these masses of "Almost Jews" and Jews. This is why they have overturned so many conversions from Rabbi Chaim Druckman. Originally, the solution was to convert them but since they don't want to be observant, they just sort of handed over the conversions after a they learned a little more than they previously knew.

Currently, non religious marriage and burial is not available to these people. What are these people to do? They aren't Xtians. They aren't muslims. They do not wish to marry and bury under either of these auspices. I guess you can say they are noahides, however, they grew up thinking they were Jewish and so, they are more Jewish than a regular noahide. However, the matter still remains, they are not Jewish.

I have the solution to Israel's problem!

Right here. That's right. I've got it!

Create a separate state for non-halachic Jews. They can meet each other, marry each other, bury each other in their own cemetaries.

Maybe, that's a little too much... What about creating a new religion for them? It would be the Jewish religion of non-halachic Jews and give them an infrastructure. Let them marry and bury each other. They can start an online dating service to meet each other. I just don't know what to call this new religion... Jewahides?

In this suggestion, they wouldn't be physically separated into a separate state. In the other suggestion, they would.

So, what does everyone think?

What should Isreal do with all the Russians?

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346482193&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Neeman: I'll appoint dozens of former IDF chaplains to conversion courts
By DAN IZENBERG


Just to recap: the big issue is that there are alllllllll these patrolineage almost Jews and even some non-Orthodox conversions from overseas who are in Israel. So they aren't in the Arab society. Of course not, they are a part of the Jewish world in Israel. Tiny problem, while they are more Jewish than anything else, they AREN'T Jewish. So, the solution Israel came up with was to hand them conversions that they didn't earn. This is why alllll these other conversions needed to be overturned.

I'm not sure this was the right solution. However, I can't really come up with any good situation. Is it fair that someone who grows up knowing nothing other than Jewish as their religion becomes someone with no religion at all? You hear Jewish people say, what is your mother? You are what your mother is.

However, other religions have other criteria for being a part of it. The Catholic religion requires confirmation. I know someone who she and her husband had to go through confirmation to get married. The various protestant religion each require stuff like this. I think being baptized is also important.

The point is what should Israel do with these people? Is it fair to ask them to become Chareidi? I saw a blog poster suggest that they be given green cards (legal residency) instead of citizenship. I think that would only lead to the same problem we have now.

The Pope Is A Dope

Inspired by this blog post and comments:
http://www.alizahausman.net/2009/05/pope-in-it-in-israel.html

So, I was reading my friend's blog and this guy comments about how the Jews weren't so nice to the pope when he came to Israel. He says we're the laughing stock on the Catholic blogs. One of the Catholic blog posts is here: http://blog.catholic-convert.com/?p=4103

This is just more outrageous stirring of anti-semitism. For starters, the Pope has been encouraging Catholics to pray for the conversion of Jews to Catholicism.Just google: conversion Judaism without quote and look at the recent articles.

The pope did not come to Israel on a friendly mission to the Jews. First, he wanted to protest a museum display. The display was in regards to someone's anguish that they felt the world, including the Catholics and their leader, was kicking the Jews when they were down during the Shoah.

Furthermore, it seems like the pope came on a friendly mission to the Arabs, not the Jews. If one considers that the Palestinians are a threat to the Jewish state of Israel, it seems to make perfect sense that we may not be overly welcoming to the Pope in these circumstances. In the picture above, you see where the pope's loyalties lie. That is the Palestinians army, not the Israeli one.

I feel the need to remind people that the Arabs spent several months firing Qassams missiles into Israel. While Hamas did announce an immediate ceasefire back in January, there were quite a few missiles that did make come into Israel proper. An average of almost 9 rockets per day were fired at Israel in 2008. Many schools were hit. Israeli children were injured. Where was this in the news?

Oh, Bomb us, is helping his people that he claims are not his people

http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2009--02-04-E9-2488

I'm disgusted with all this pity on the "Palestinians." Now our government is giving them assistance and considering them victims. Have our senators gone mad? Shouldn't they know better after NINE-ELEVEN? Shouldn't they realize that the Arabs are not our friends. Look at their track record. I guess the rest of the world just misses the fact that they were relentlessly sending Qassams, which are rockets, into Israel.

It seems to have been forgotten that Israel owns the land, not the persons from Gaza. The land was owned by Britain and they allowed Israel to be settled by the Jewish people. At some point, Israel sectioned that part of their country off for the people who had previously had the nation. However, this is not good enough.



Hat tip to someone named Zev Isaacs to sending this to the Yated "Readers write" section (p.126)