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| Monday, Nov 2 '09, Cheshvan 15, 5770 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1. US Report Criticizes Israel's Jewish Character by Hillel Fendel  In its 2009 International Religious Freedoms Report, the U.S. State Department accuses Israel of “governmental and legal discrimination against non-Jews and non-Orthodox streams of Judaism.” The JewishIsrael organization, in its review of the document, calls it a “protracted denunciation against Israel’s Jewish character.” The State Department report, released last week, analyzes religious freedoms in many countries of the world, and its section on Israel is entitled Israel and the Occupied Territories; the text explains that “Occupied Territories” includes “areas subject to the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.” JewishIsrael is an interactive internet portal that “provides a platform for ongoing monitoring and pro-active responses to aggressive missionary campaigns now targeting Jews for conversion in the Jewish State.” “A disproportionate amount of the [State Departmen report,” JewishIsrael notes, “is dedicated to depicting Torah traditions and Orthodox Judaism as oppressive, and to reporting on Israel’s ‘growing’ but ‘harassed’ community of apostate Jews and Christian missionaries.” The report emphasizes, “Proselytizing is legal in the country and missionaries of all religious groups are allowed to proselytize all citizens.” It then criticizes Israeli “society” by reporting, “Society's attitudes toward missionary activities and conversion generally were negative. Most Jews were opposed to missionary activity directed at Jews and some were hostile to Jewish converts to Christianity.” Though this sentence merely describes the natural attitude of Jews living in the Jewish State after centuries of religious persecution, the implication is one of criticism. The report notes that 56 percent of the public describes itself as traditional or religious, and that most of the remainder also “observe some Jewish traditions.” Despite this, it also includes the following statements of criticism: “The Government implements some policies based on Orthodox Jewish interpretations of religious law which thereby discriminates against citizens adhering to other religious groups.” “The Orthodox Jewish establishment also determines who is buried in Jewish state cemeteries, limiting this right to individuals considered Jewish by Orthodox standards.” “Jews in most professions were prohibited from working on the Sabbath unless granted a special permit by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor.” “In order to marry in government-recognized ceremonies, Jews had to undergo marriage counseling administered by the Orthodox religious authorities.” “The Interior Ministry distinguishes between Jews and non-Jews on identification cards by printing the birth date of Jews in Hebrew letters according to the Jewish calendar while listing that of others according to the Gregorian calendar.”Critical of Western Wall Prayers The report is critical of prayer customs at the Western Wall, second in Jewish sanctity only to the Temple Mount just above it. The report states: “Governmental authorities prohibit mixed gender prayer services at religious sites in deference to the belief of most Orthodox Jews that such services violate the precepts of Judaism. At the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism [si, men and women must use separate areas to visit and pray. Women also are not allowed to conduct prayers at the Western Wall while wearing prayer shawls, which are typically worn by Jewish men, and are not permitted to read from Torah scrolls.” The report quoted that Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) as “alleg[in that the Interior Ministry refused to process immigration applications from persons entitled to citizenship under the Law of Return if it was determined such persons held Christian or Messianic Jewish religious beliefs.” According to the State Department, the JIJ filed a petition to Israel’s High Court in May of this year on behalf of three Messianic Jews whose application for immigration was blocked by the Ministry of Interior. They cited an April 2008 High Court ruling according to which a person eligible to immigrate under the Law of Return could not be denied immigration rights on the basis of his identification as a Messianic Jew. “The case was ongoing at the end of the reporting period,” the report noted. Noting that “most Jews were opposed to missionary activity directed at Jews,” the report still had this to say about grass-roots counter-missionary efforts in Israel: “The Messianic Jewish and Jehovah's Witnesses communities, among others, accused groups such as Yad L'Achim and Lev L'Achim, and Jewish religious organizations opposed to missionary activity, of harassing and occasionally assaulting their members. According to Yad L'Achim's annual report for 2008, quoted in the newspaper Yom L'Yom, the organization ‘saved 174 souls from the clutches of the [Messianic and evangelica mission" during the year.’ The organization's semi-clandestine Counter-Missionary Department, headed by Rabbi Alex Artovski, also claimed to have dozens of informants and infiltrators in the Government and in Christian or Messianic Jewish congregations, enabling the organization to force the closure of 18 religious meeting places and expel 12 ‘top-ranking’ missionaries from the country during 2008.” Agudath Israel: Israel is True to Its Foundational Ideal Agudath Israel of America stated, “Criticism of Israel for being true to its foundational ideal is ill-conceived.” The organization issued the following statement in response to the report: “Much of the criticism of Israel in the [repor is misplaced. The United States is rightly proud of its tradition as a republic that embraces no official religion. But numerous other countries, with equal pride, define themselves as Muslim or Christian. One country was created as a Jewish state. Israel’s choice of timeless Jewish tradition in the public realm and with regard to issues of personal status requires no apology. Criticism of Israel for being true to its foundational ideal is ill-conceived.” For its part, the JewishIsrael organization concludes that the State Department’s report is a “clear case of Judeo-Christian tolerance and values becoming tyranny. In a sort of ‘clash of civilizations,’ Jewish heritage and tradition has been pitted against American-style Freedom of Religion and Democracy. The bitter irony is that it was Orthodox Jew Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute who in the mid-1990’s, teamed up with evangelicals and spearheaded the Congressional International Religious Freedoms Act of 1998 which would result in the current State Department reports which are now challenging Israel’s right to be a Jewish nation. That this law and subsequent reports would be used to defend missionary activity in Israel, promote ‘messianic’ Christianity as Judaism, and pressure Israel into withdrawing counter-missionary legislation, was written on the wall early on, and in a number of publications.” Comment on this story 2. Obama Appoints Anti-Israel Chuck Hagel as Intelligence Aide by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  Jewish Republican party officials and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) are among several groups that have called on U.S. President Barack Obama to rescind his appointment of former senator Chuck Hagel as co-chairman of his Intelligence Advisory Board. Hagel made clear his attitude towards Israel when he spoke at the pro-Arab and self-proclaimed pro-Israel Jerusalem Street lobby last week. He echoed President Obama’s previous statements that meeting the demand of the Palestinian Authority for a new Arab state within Israel’s current borders “is central, not peripheral, to U.S. vital security interests in combating terrorism.” He also said that the “special relationship” between the United States and Israel “must not come at the expense of our Arab relationships.” Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks stated that Hagel’s record reflects “a fundamental misunderstanding of the region and of the nature of the threats to U.S. interests in the region. Hagel does not seem to understand that the U.S. and Israel are fighting a war against terrorists whose agenda is an existential threat to our free and democratic system.” Hagel, who once criticized President George W. Bush for refusing to meet with Yasser Arafat, has questioned the loyalty of American Jews who support Israel, stating that “the political reality is that ... the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here.” The ZOA stated that Hagel has a "long and troubling record of hostility to Israel,” including his refusal to join fellow congressmen to ask the European Union to declare Hizbullah a terrorist organization. He also was one of four senators who refused to sign a letter backing Israel after the outbreak nine years ago of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War. His appointment is another in a long list of Obama aides whose policies are against Israel. One of the president's advisors is Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was national security advisor to former President Jimmy Carter. He recently stated that the U.S. should shoot down any Israeli planes that fly through Iraqi air space on the way to attacking Iran’s nuclear reactors that are preparing nuclear uranium for nuclear weapons. President Obama also has appointed Prof. Samantha Power as senior director for multicultural affairs on the National Security Council. The Obama team originally distanced itself from her during the presidential campaign because of her nasty remarks about Israel and now U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. One potential Obama advisor who backed out following harsh criticism is Charles Freeman, who was nominated to head the sensitive National Intelligence Council of which Hagel will be co-chairman. Freeman’s history includes close financial ties with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Comment on this story  3. Death Threats against Bedouin with Jewish Ancestry by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu  Bedouin in the area of Rahat, northwest of Be’er Sheva, have threatened the life of a neighboring sheikh and set his house on fire following his recent meeting to reinforce ties with Jews and Judaism that are part of his ancestry. Sheikh Salem al-Huzeil maintains that most his tribal ancestors were Jewish until they were forced to convert during the Muslim conquest approximately 1,300 years ago. Hundreds of Bedouin and Arabs families in neighboring villages are known to practice certain Jewish customs, such as lighting candles Friday night, evidence of their Jewish roots. Bedouin enemies have reacted violently to his efforts to maintain friendly relations with the Jewish community and to demonstrate for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. Posters recently have been distributed calling for the death of Sheikh al-Huzeil, although he has said that his tribe has no intentions of converting to Judaism. Several members of his family suffered severe burns after Bedouin opponents set his house on fire. The Islamic Movement in the south does not want good relations with Jews,” noted Rabbi Dov Stein, who as among those who met with the Sheikh. Rabbi Stein has urged Defense Minister Ehud Barak to investigate the threats and calls for incitement. The movement's northern branch is headed by Sheikh Raad Salah, who has been convicted several times for incitement, Related articles: Sanhedrin Sponsors Unique Bedouin-Jewish Get-Together Bedouin Sheikh: My People are of Jewish Descent Comment on this story 4. Teitel Consulted Neither Rabbis Nor Wife by Hillel Fendel  The arrest of Yaakov Teitel and his apparent confession to a series of ideological murders and attacks has aroused a lively public debate in Israel on the topic of apportioning blame. While most spokesmen in radio interviews, newspaper columns, and the like appear to agree in principle that entire population sectors should not be held responsible for the actions of lone individuals among their number, in practice the nationalist camp finds itself under attack. IDF Army Radio showhost Razi Barkai badgered settler Karni Eldad of Kfar Adumim (liberated Jordan Valley), daughter of MK Aryeh Eldad and past parliamentary aide of MK Uri Ariel (both of the National Union). He asked her to name a member of the left-wing camp who had committed ideological terrorist acts, and she could come up only with Amos Keinan - assumed of having thrown a bomb, in the 1950’s, at the home of then-Transportation Minister David Tzvi Pinkas of the national-religious Mizrachi party, leading to his death. Barkai then made it clear that the national camp is clearly more prone to sprouting murderers and terrorists in its midst than the left. Ultra-left Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy then summed up: “It’s obvious that people who steal other people’s lands will then take up weapons and shoot people.” Haaretz, in an editorial the day after the arrest, wrote that though "Teitel-style terrorism reflects hatred that knows no borders or sectors… we can already learn some lessons: [There must increased intelligence gathering and law enforcement among the extremists of the settlements, and deeper investigation of attacks against Palestinians.” In any case, a senior Shabak [General Security Servi figure who was involved in Teitel’s interrogation has been quoted as saying that Teitel did not consult with any rabbis or anyone else before carrying out his attacks. The Shabak figure said that Teitel said he did not even include his wife in his plans - and in fact has now been quoted as saying that she feels she was "tricked" all these years. Teitel was under GSS surveillance for an unspecified period before he was caught, during which time he did not commit any attacks. He was ultimately arrested while posting posters in support of the murders at the homosexual youth club three months ago. Comment on this story  5. Prime Minister Gives in: Foreign Children Can Remain For Now by Gil Ronen  Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decided Sunday that the children of illegal foreign laborers who are enrolled in the state educational system would not be repatriated until the end of the school year. The decision came after an intense media campaign on the subject which portrayed the government as unfeeling because it wanted to deport illegal workers, and which focused on the workers' children. The Prime Minister's Bureau announced the formation of a professional team headed by the Minister of Interior which would examine the specific case of children of illegal migrants who are enrolled in Israeli schools. The team's decision regarding the children would not pertain to other illegals, no matter what their age. The Prime Minister also tasked the Finance Minister with leading a team that would include the Interior Minister and Justice Minister, which would decide upon a general policy for reducing the number of illegal foreign workers in Israel. The team would look into increasing the severity of punishments handed down to businesses that employ illegal workers, stepping up enforcement, and the creation of a physical barrier along Israel's border with Egypt. The number of children of illegal workers enrolled in the education system has been estimated at between 1,200 and 2,500. The total number of illegal foreign workers in Israel is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Comment on this story 6. MKs ‘Singing for the Rain’  Last week, Jews in Israel added to thrice-daily prayers the traditional request to the A-lmighty for rain. Knesset Members will meet on Tuesday to recite a special traditional hymn and pray for much-needed precipitation. The event will be held as part of the Knesset “Beit Midrash” (House of Study), which was founded by national religious MKs for both observant and secular legislators to study current events as they relate to Judaism. The MKs will recite the hymn “May the Living A-lmighty open the Treasures of the Heavens” at the room of the Knesset Committee for Education, Culture and Sport. Flooded Roads near Netanya  Photo: Flash 90 At the same time, the legislators will be praying and learning, the current winter storm is expected to weaken after having dumped near-record amounts of rain in the north for this time of year but, so far, almost nothing in the south. The official forecast for Monday calls for the rain to reach the northern Negev in the afternoon or evening hours before the system weakens and moves out of Israel late Tuesday.The Golan Heights, Upper Galilee and the northwestern region of Israel have received up to three times the normal amount of precipitation for this time of year while the amount in Jerusalem is slightly more than normal. The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has received more than double the usual amount of rain for this time of year, and the lake’s level has risen several inches. It still lacks more than 16 feet before dams would have to be opened to prevent flooding to the lakeside city of Tiberias. More than four inches of rain have fallen in the Tel Aviv, Haifa and several northern areas since the rains began falling last week. Comment on this story 7. Criminal Charges Against Arab MK Barakeh by Gil Ronen  The Attorney General informed Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin Sunday that criminal charges have been filed against MK Muhammad Barakeh (Hadash), for attacking an official who was discharging his legal duty, insulting a public servant, assault and interfering with a policeman in the line of duty. The charges relate to four separate incidents. The first occurred in April 2005. According to the charges, Barakeh assaulted a police officer who was arresting a leftist demonstrator during a riot near the village of Bil'in. Barakeh choked the police officer and called out to other rioters, in Arabic, “release him, release him.” He also punched the officer in the arms and chest. In August 2006, Barakeh insulted a police officer who arrested his son, after the son had attacked the police officer. Barakeh stood in front of the officer and shouted: “you are violent,” and “you will pay dearly.” He also called the officer nevelah – a derogatory word that refers to a vile person (and literally means 'carcass') – while slapping his face with his finger. The officer told him to calm down, and Barakeh allegedly answered: “I am a Knesset Member, I will make sure to finish you.” Barakeh is also accused of attacking a person who shouted criticism of leftist speaker Uri Avneri at a demonstration in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv in 2006 against the Second Lebanon War, and of trying to prevent police officers from arresting the Director of the Hadash party at a demonstration in Nazareth in July 2007. Comment on this story | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Everyday of Freedom is an Act of Faith for my writings ============> http://robertoscaruffi.blogspot.com for something on religions ===> http://scaruffi1.blogspot.com
Monday, 2 November 2009
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