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1. A Song and Prayer for Gilad Shalit: Take a Little Time to Pray
A 78-year-old Jerusalem Jewish resident and a Northern Ireland Christian have teamed up to produce an extraordinary video and song for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been in captivity under the guard of Hamas and allied terrorists since June 25, 2006.
They sent it to INN and asked us to post it. Here is the link:
youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTaJDrNCGLY
British native and psychotherapist Elchanan Berkovitz told Israel National News he had produced a video from pictures of Shalit and wanted a song to go along with it, similar to an effort he made for missing Air Force navigator Ron Arad.
“I found someone in the Northern Ireland Friends for Israel group who said that a singer named Jim Clint had written a song for Gilad,” Berkovitz says.
After they made contact and collaborated on the project, Berkovitz posted the video and song on YouTube and showed it to Shalit’s parents on a visit to their protest tent near the office of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
"It is one thing to read about people and see pictures on television,” Berkovitz relates. "To actually be with them and see and share their pain is a humbling experience. I told them the story about Jim Clint, a Christian supporter of Israel, who was moved to write the song about Gilad."
Clint lived in Israel for nearly a decade and worked as a maintenance manager at a hostel in Tel Aviv. He is an educator for an Irish Christian community that celebrates the Jewish origins of their faith.
"Like everyone else I watched with horror the story of the Gaza flotilla and the ongoing conflict between Jews and Arabs", Clint explains. "I have witnessed myself the aftermath of a suicide bombing in the Machaneh Yehuda market in Jerusalem in July 1997. I couldn’t help thinking that in all the waves of criticism which is engulfing Israel at the moment, no one was saying anything about a young Israeli in Gaza, deprived of every human right, and facing the most awful threats if his kidnappers don’t get their way.
"I wanted Gilad’s family to know that in a far away country like Northern Ireland there are people who have not forgotten Gilad and pray for his return to his family. Like millions of others around the world, I want to give the Shalit family encouragement and hope".
Following are the lyrics for the “Take a Little Time,” a song for Gilad Shalit.
[Words and music Jim Clint]
How can we not remember you, through all this time that's passed
We're all in this together friend, no matter what the cost
When nights are cold and lonely, and thoughts are not so clear,
A voice is calling softly saying "Do not be afraid, do not fear"
Inside our hearts are burning to see your smile again
To put our arms around you, and call you by your name "Gilad"
Love is so much stronger than this mountain that you see
And love will lift you high above, love will set you free.
Let us stand together with our voices as one,
Crying out for freedom - for this special son.
We cannot be silent nor turn away,
So take a little time to pray.
2. Hizbullah Terror Rocket Victims Sue Al Jazeera for $1.2 Billion
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A group of 91 victims of Hizbullah-fired Katyusha missiles in the Second Lebanon War have filed a $1.2 billion lawsuit in a U.S. federal court, charging that the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network’s war coverage aided the terrorist group.
The plaintiffs are family members who were wounded or are relatives of victims of the rockets that rained down on northern Israel for 34 days in the summer of 2006. The Kaplan vs. Al Jazeera suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
Attorney for the plaintiffs, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, stated, “Al-Jazeera made itself a crucial component of the Hizbullah missile offensive. The intent was to assist the terrorists in targeting and killing civilians. Without the assistance of Al-Jazeera’s on-the-ground spotters, Hizbullah would have been unable to accurately aim its missiles into Israeli cities. Al-Jazeera, which has offices in New York, aided and abetted Hizbullah terrorism and is responsible for the injuries suffered by the victims of these attacks.”
The team of lawyers who filed the suit for the victims charged that “Al-Jazeera intentionally reported live coverage of the locations of the missile strikes inside of Israel in violation of military censorship regulations, in order to enable Hizbullah to aim the missiles more accurately.
“Al-Jazeera camera crews in Israel during the war were repeatedly detained by the Israeli police for broadcasting real-time information regarding the location of missile strikes, which Hizbullah utilized to more accurately aim their missiles at civilian population centers.”
Israel has reprimanded Al Jazeera several times for its pro-Hamas coverage and for a short time prohibited government officials from speaking with reporters of the huge satellite network.
Al Jazeera previously has been the target of a U.S. complaint that its coverage is anti-American and that it describes Arab suicide bombers as “martyrs.”
The spokesman in 2006 for the U.S. Defense Department, Lt. Col Dodd Vician, stated, “Anyone, even an American living in the Middle East watching a network like Al Jazeera day after day after day, would begin to believe that America was bad just based on the biased, one-sided coverage.”
3. IDF Probe Cites Flotilla ‘Mistakes;’ Libyan Ship Nears Gaza
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
The IDF made mistakes in preparing for the flotilla clash May 31, but there were no wholesale failures, according to a probe of the incident. The report by Major-General Giora Eiland was submitted as a Libyan ship heads for Gaza in another effort to challenge Israel’s sovereignty over the waters off the Hamas-controlled Gaza coast.
His investigation is independent of the Turkel Commission, which also is covering areas beyond the military action itself.
Eiland said that several mistakes included the lack of intelligence on the activity of IHH terrorist activists, who had planned to attack Israeli Navy commandos who intercepted the six-ship flotilla. Eiland said that Israeli intelligence did not reach the proper conclusion that the IHH group is involved with terrorist operations. Germany declared Monday that the IHH is a charity front for a terrorist organization.
The Navy made a tactical error in ordering the commandos to land on the deck of the Turkish flotilla ship, the Mavi Marmara, by climbing down ropes that were attached to a hovering helicopter. The IHH members, armed with metal clubs, ganged up on each commando before he could place both feet on deck.
At one point, three commandos had been kidnapped until the Navy soldiers were able to overpower the ship.
The IDF appointed Eiland and his team to examine the deployment towards the flotilla, advance preparations, alternative ways to confront the flotilla and the operation's implementation.
The team included eight officers and their examination focused on intelligence, Navy command, the naval commando unit responsible for carrying out the operation, the Air Force, media relations, technological alternatives, medical aspects and legal counsel and international law.
The team pointed out that the anticipated level of violence used against the forces was underestimated and that the IDF did not prepare for an alternative course of action in the event of violence.
The experts determined that the Navy Commando soldiers operated properly and that the commanders exhibited correct decision making. Eiland wrote in his report, "The fact that the IDF examines itself and others do not results in that only the errors of the IDF are publicized.” Government officials have said that Turkey should be investigated for its sponsorship of the IHH group and the flotilla.
The IDF has put into effect lessons learned from the clash and is preparing for the worst possible scenario as the Libyan ship nears the Gaza coast. The government has warned that it will not allow the ship to reach Gaza, where it would dock Wednesday or Thursday, based on its current location and speed.
The vessel was chartered by Libyan’s eccentric leader Muammar Qaddafi (pictured), and one of his sons, infamous for scandalous adventures, is reportedly on board. Israel’s seizing the ship would create a sensation in Libya. Qaddafi’s spokesman Yusuf Sa'anei has stated that the ship will not violently confront the Israeli Navy and will sail to Egypt if forced away from Gaza.
“Do not overestimate its anti-Israel position,” Israeli political scientist Avigdor Eskin told Pravda. “First of all, now he wants to get his PR in terms of a trendy topic - attempts to break the blockade of Gaza - and change his image. Some in the Arab world started labeling him as pro-Western and pro-Israel. Participation in anti-Israel event will allow him to justify himself.”
4. US Warns Jordan: Coordinate with Israel on Nuclear Power
by Hana Levi Julian
The United States has warned Jordan that it will find itself having to pinch the pennies much harder than usual if it refuses an American request to coordinate its nuclear development policy with Israel.
The Hashemite Kingdom is home to one of the largest deposits in the world of uranium ore – at least 65,000 tons – a potential nuclear treasure that would enable Jordan to produce much of its own power and still be able to export electricity to other nations.
But in order to develop the discovery, made in 2007, the Amman government must build a nuclear reactor, for which it has yet to receive a green light from the White House. The reason for the delay: Jordan refuses to include Israel in the extraction of its uranium.
Talks over the issue have dragged on for six months, and Jordan still continues to refuse to cooperate, essentially telling Jerusalem to “mind its own business.” Finally the Amman government last month accused Israel of undermining Jordan's efforts to create a peaceful domestic nuclear energy program.
Losing patience over the issue, the United States told Jordanian officials that if the program continues without coordination with Israel, America will stop underwriting the project.
The United States has provided at least $665 million to the country in foreign aid so far this year alone, according to a report published by Al Bawaba – $360 million of which has been earmarked for military funding, and $360 in economic assistance, said Jaafar Abu Hassan, Jordanian Minister of Planning. The upgraded financial package was intended to continue for a period of four years, Abu Hassan added, but the memoradum was non-binding.
5. Crowd of 10,000 Declare: The Temple Mount Belongs to Jews
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A huge crowd of 10,000 Jews gathered at the old gates of the Temple Mount Monday night and declared their allegiance to the holy site, which rally organizers said is being separated from Jews by discriminatory practices by the police.
The “pledge of allegiance” to a Jewish Temple Mount and a united Jerusalem was part of the monthly “March around Old City Temple Gates,” a colorful event featuring the recital of Psalms at various closed gates around the Temple Mount.
The monthly march usually attracts 2,000-3,000 people, but organizers successfully brought out thousands more Monday night as Jews around the world marked the beginning of the Hebrew month of Av. The Ninth of Av is marked every year as the day when foreign invaders destroyed the First and Second Holy Temples.
The marches feature music and dancing and are peaceful, but police have barred several of the monthly prayer rallies during the past year because of fears of Arab violence.
National Union Knesset Member Uri Ariel told the crowd that deterioration in security and the increasing discrimination against Jews in Jerusalem prompted the unusually large turnout. In his speech he described the “surrender of Jerusalem to Arabs,” the worsening security in several Jewish neighborhoods, disturbances by anarchists and the discrimination by police who severely restrict the ability of Jews to ascend the Temple Mount.
Jerusalem council member Aryeh King reminded the crowd that the Temple Mount site is closed to Jews most of the time while police allow non-Jewish tourists to freely visit the holy site.
Israel accepts Muslim rules that forbid a Jew from praying out loud or even carrying a prayer book when ascending the Temple Mount.
6. Qureia: Jerusalem Situation Becoming a 'Time Bomb'
by Hana Levi Julian
Top Palestinian Authority negotiator Ahmed Qureia told a gathering in Jerusalem this week that the dispute over the final status of the capital in talks between the PA and Israel is turning the city into a “time bomb.”
Qureia made the statement at a panel that featured him with Kadima Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni, who contended that “the status quo is not possible.” Both also agreed that indirect talks were unnecessary after years of direct negotiations. The two were leaders of their respective negotiating teams during the summit that led to the Annapolis Joint Declaration in November 2007.
Qureia and Livni met with reporters at the King David Hotel ahead of a conference organized by Hebrew University's Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, entitled “The Israeli-Palestinian Proximity Talks: Lessons from Past Negotiations.”
Supporting the “two state solution” is in Israel's interest, Livni told the gathering of academics, “and not a gift to the president of the United States.” U.S. President Barack Obama has been actively trying to pressure Israel into increased concessions to the PA in an attempt to woo Fatah leader and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to at least begin indirect negotiations, if nothing else.
Both Livni and Qureia agree that the window of opportunity for final status talks to succeed is rapidly closing. Iranian-backed terrorist organizations committed to Israel's destruction are gaining ground, especially in Gaza, they pointed out.
Qureia in particular focused on the recent announcement of plans by the Jerusalem municipality to demolish 22 illegal Arab homes in the Silwan neighborhood, and to retroactively legalize 66 others in order to rehabilitate an ancient area called the “King's Garden.” The Fatah leader told the gathering that the plan, as well as other past construction, and increasing numbers of Jews moving into the neighborhoods of Silwan (Shiloah) and Sheikh Jarrah (Shimon HaTzaddik), is dangerous.
“The Jerusalem situation, I think, is a time bomb if it continues in this way,” he said. “It has an impact on the Palestinian people... and on trust on both sides.”
The PA is demanding all of the Jerusalem neighborhoods that were restored to the city during the 1967 Six Day War – such as Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah, among others – to be handed over for creation of a capital for a new Arab country within Israel's current borders.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said bluntly in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, “We have differences with the Palestinians. We want a united city. They have their own views. We can – this is one of the issues that will have to be negotiated.”
However, despite Netanyahu's numerous concessions, among them his controversial agreement last November to freeze Jewish construction for 10 months in Judea and Samaria, the PA has shied away from coming to the table to begin direct talks for a final status deal.
7. Showdown on $100 Million 9/11 Mosque Project
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
A “last-chance” public hearing to block the proposed 13-story $100 million mosque planned near Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 attack on New York Tuesday puts Mayor Bloomberg on the defense. He has rejected opponents’ demands that the backers of the plan be investigated for possible links with terrorists or terrorist groups.
New York City officials already have approved the project, and the only hope by opponents to block its construction is to convince the Landmark Preservation Commission to prevent the demolition of the 152-year-old Cordova House warehouse in order to make way for a mammoth Muslim community center and house of worship.
Opposition groups from a wide spectrum of the population—ranging from Jews to Sikhs—staged a large demonstration in early June against the planned mosque.
The Park Place site is 600 feet from the area where Muslim suicide terrorists hijacked two planes and aimed them at the two towering Twin Towers in the early morning, when the planes’ fuel tanks were full.
The resulting explosion and intense fire melted the metal structures, toppling the towers and killing nearly 3,500 people, including police officers and firefighters who arrived to control the blaze and cordon off the area. One of the engines of the hijacked planes crashed into the Cordova House roof, causing severe damage.
Mayor Bloomberg has taken heat for not conducting a probe into the backers of the mosque project, while Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio last week called on Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, his Democratic opponent, to conduct a probe. Lazio questioned the sympathies of the center’s backers, and said that “the people have a right to know if this ‘charity’ is using its resources in a legitimate, legal, and charitable way.”
Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, has charged that “the imam behind [the] proposed mosque near Ground Zero is a prominent member of a group that helped sponsor the pro-Palestinian activists who clashed violently with Israeli commandos at sea.
"Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a key figure in Malaysian-based Perdana Global Peace Organization, according to its website. Perdana is the single biggest donor ($366,000) so far to the Free Gaza Movement, a key organizer of the six-ship flotilla that tried to break Israel's blockade of Hamas-run Gaza" May 31.
“It’s just two blocks away. They will pass it on the way to the memorial,” Roman Gertsberg, a Queens resident who lost his only daughter Marina in the terrorist attack told am/NY.
Building a mosque just several blocks away from Ground Zero is an insult and an affront to every single person that was killed on 9/11, to their families, to the first responders and every concerned American who cherishes liberty, democracy and freedom,” Pamela Geller, executive director of 'Stop the Islamization of America',” said at last month’s protest.
Tuesday’s hearings, which are expected to be hotly contested, are expected to last for two hours, but a decision will not be announced until later this summer.
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