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1. Egyptian Civil Rights: 156 Christians Arrested Over Church
by Maayana Miskin
Egyptian officials arrested 156 Christians Thursday in connection with a protest one day earlier over an unfinished church. One Christian protester was killed by police during the Wednesday demonstration.
The detainees are charged with several crimes, including attempting to
murder the assistant head of security in Giza. They were not allowed
legal representation during questioning.
The just recently publicized Executive Summary of the U.S. State
Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report for
2010 listed Egypt in the category of countries who have "noteworthy"
violations of religious freedom,, a placing protested strongly by Egypt;'s government.
The Christian community in Giza had planned to use a partially-complete
building as a church once construction is finished. However, the
community was denied a permit for a church and told the building can be
used as a community center, but not as a house of worship.
Government officials have accused the community of violating building
law, while many Christians have accused the government of discrimination
against non-Muslims.
Earlier in November a Muslim mob burned down several Christian homes in southern Egypt over rumors that a Christian man had been seen walking with a Muslim woman.
United States officials have expressed concern over the timing of
recent Muslim-Christian clashes. Tensions between Egypt's Muslim
majority and Coptic Christian minority have risen shortly before the
parliamentary elections scheduled for December.
“We've seen a clear uptick in recent weeks of incitement coming from
media outlets and clerics espousing sectarian hatred and violence.This
kind of rhetoric goes too far and stokes the fire of extremists looking
for ammunition to justify violent acts against religious minorities,”
said Leonard Leo of the U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom.
Egyptian Foreign Affairs Committee head Mustafa El-Feki laid the blame
elsewhere, accusing Israel of causing Muslim-Christian fighting. The
Mossad was behind recent clashes, he claimed.
Persecution of religious minorities in Egypt dates back generations,
and led to the expulsion of nearly all of Egypt's Jews. Despite this,
Egyptian Jews have a long history, as attested to by the 280,000
documents in the Cairo Geniza, found in a synagogue storeroom in 1996, taken to Cambridge University by the British and still being catalogued to date.
Members of the Jewish minority, which in the 1940s numbered
approximately 80,000, were usually denied citizenship. In 1948 bombs
were set off in the Jewish quarter in Cairo, murdering 70 and wounding
hundreds more.
In 1956, the Egyptian government expelled 25,000 Jews and confiscated
their property. A second round of expulsions and confiscation took place
in 1967.
It is estimated that less than 100 Jews now live in Egypt.
Anti-Semitism,however, remains a problem, as media outlets often incite
against Jews and Israel.
The government has announced plans to honor Jewish structures as part
of Egyptian history, and in March 2010 completed a restoration of the
historic Maimonides synagogue in Cairo.
However, no government officials attended the opening of the synagogue,
and the government announced shortly after the opening that Jews would not be allowed to pray in the building.
2. Israel Warned over Wikileaks Release
by Maayana Miskin
Israel may face diplomatic embarrassment as United States documents are
published on Wikileaks, U.S. diplomats warned Friday. U.S. officials
have warned several countries that they may be affected by the leaked
documents.
Wikileaks plans to publish hundreds of thousands of America diplomatic
cables sent from Washington to various U.S. embassies. The documents
could be posted on the whistle-blowing website as early as Friday.
The Obama administration has criticized the decision to leak the files.
“These revelations are harmful to the United States and our interests,”
said State Department spokesman PJ Crowley. He expressed concern that
the leak could lead allies to lose trust in America.
Diplomats at America's Tel Aviv embassy expressed concern as well.
The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat reported Thursday that some
of the leaked documents show that Turkey allowed weapons to be smuggled
to Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. The report also alleged direct Turkish involvement in terrorist attacks.
3. WikiLeaks: Turkey Allowed Weapons Flow to Al-Qaeda
by Gil Ronen
Turkey allowed weapons to be smuggled to Al Qaeda forces in Iraq,
according to documents that are about to be exposed in the WikiLeaks
website. This – according to a report Thursday in the London-based
Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat.
The newspaper reports that WikiLeaks – which specializes in publication
of classified documents – has gotten hold of classified official
documents that prove that the the Turkish authorities allowed money and
weapons to pass across Turkey's border with Iraq, en route to Al Qaeda
terrorists in Iraq.
In addition, the documents allegedly show that Turkey was involved both
directly and indirectly in carrying out terror acts in Iraq, including
the blowing up of a bridge in Baghdad.
One of the reports mentioned by Al Hayat is an intelligence cable that
appears to have been sent by an American intelligence agency. The cable
says: “Large amounts of water have arrived from Turkey, large waves will
hit Baghdad in a few hours. Some people are widening the irrigation
canals.”
This message is believed to refer to the arrival of weapons from
Turkey, that were intended for terror and warfare in Baghdad. Al Hayat
also says that the WikiLeaks documents show that ammunition seized in a
terrorist's apartment in Iraq in 2009 bore the markings “made in
Turkey.”
The US is mounting a diplomatic damage control campaign as it prepares
for the release of the documents. State Department Spokesman PJ Crowley
said Wednesday: "These revelations are harmful to the United States and
our interests. They are going to create tension in relationships between
our diplomats and our friends around the world."
Crowley said the release of secret communications about foreign
governments will likely the cause the US embarrassment and damage
relations with other countries. "When this confidence is betrayed and
ends up on the front pages of newspapers or lead stories on television
or radio, it has an impact," he said.
4. Strong Orthodox Opposition to Palestinian State
by Hillel Fendel
Orthodox Jewry in the United States is "fairly solid" in its opposition
to a PLO state in the heartland of Israel - though a slight crack has
been noted.
For instance, the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) has urged
American political leaders to reconsider its "two-state solution"
policy. The NCYI also initiated a grass roots effort aimed at
“enlightening” U.S. leaders regarding the dangers of pushing for an
independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
In late 2007, when the future of the Jerusalem appeared to be on the
table at the Annapolis talks, a broad coalition of Orthodox
organizations wrote a letter to 2,000 American rabbis, stating: "This is
not the time to discuss the dangers of a terrorist Palestinian State as
a neighbor to Israel. Today, we must raise our voices at the thought of
losing our united capital of Jerusalem…” The coalition included the
National Council of Young Israel, the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical
Council of America, Emunah Women of America, AFSI, Hineni, AJOP
(Outreach), NCSY, Poalei Agudath Israel of America, ZOA, and more.
Just this month, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) criticized
plans reportedly being pushed by the Obama Administration to turn Judea
and Samaria into a Palestinian state, with parts of eastern Jerusalem
and the Jordan Valley to be “leased” by Israel from said state. The
organization asserted that such a state “in which there is incitement to
hatred and murder against Jews in PA-controlled media, mosques, schools
and youth camps; terrorist groups not outlawed; terrorists not
arrested; a Palestinian society that supports terror against Israel and
doesn’t accept Israel as a Jewish state – would likely become another
anti-Israel terrorist state.”
The ZOA also called upon the Obama Administration to publicly declare
that it will veto any attempt by the Palestinian Authority and its
allies to have the UN Security Council pass a resolution to unilaterally
establish a Palestinian state.
Similarly, the OU (Orthodox Union), at its last international
convention, adopted a resolution that stated, "The Orthodox Union feels
an historic obligation to preserve for the Jewish people the right to
live and travel freely and safely in the land of our heritage, including
the territories of Yehuda and Shomron [Judea and Samaria]... Thus,
while we strive for security and peace, we are skeptical of any policy
that relinquishes part of Eretz Yisrael without obtaining both."
A Crack?
This week, however, a slight crack in this strong Orthodox policy
alliance against a Palestinian state was opened, even if not very
noticeably. It occurred in an op-ed written by Nathan Diament, the
Public Policy Director of the OU, for the New York Daily News, entitled,
“Jerusalem Must Remain Undivided.”
While making a solidly compelling case for keeping Jerusalem wholly
under Israeli sovereignty, Diament allowed that the OU actually supports
the two-state solution. “While we support a two-state solution that
guarantees Israel's security and Jewish character,” he wrote, “the
choices required to bring us to that point must be grounded in reality.”
Contacted by Israel National News, Diament responded that the OU
“hasn't changed its position,” that a “passing phrase in my op-ed is not
a reversal or change in that position,” and that it was just “an
unfortunate articulation.” He did not offer to retract it, however.
OU leaders contacted by INN about this apparent contradiction of
official OU policy by a top official did not respond. Others, however,
in other email correspondence, left the off-the-record impression that
Diament had “made a mistake.”
The OU, billed as America’s largest Orthodox Jewry umbrella organization, has been called upon,
along with others, to “openly deplore plans promoted by the United
States which clearly imply a total repudiation and [forced] elimination
of Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria… Our entitlement to the Land of
Israel is G-d-given. Declare to the world vocally that you as Torah
Leaders of the People of Israel… do not reject our Biblical birthright…
and therefore do reject, in principle, a Palestinian State.”
Opposition to Palestinian State
Opponents of the two-state solution have cited many concerns regarding
the formation of yet another Arab state specifically in the heart of
the Land of Israel, including:
the cession of Jewish land to a foreign sovereignty, including
religious, historic, political and security ramifications;
the fate of the 320,000 Jews who live in Judea and Samaria - whether
they reside in “settlement blocs” that the PA has never agreed will
remain Israeli, or in the dozens of other towns that much of the world
feels “certain” will come under PA rule;
security dangers on many planes;
the gradual militarization of the state, even if it starts out
demilitarized;
fear that Judea and Samaria will be taken over by
Hizbullah-Hamas-Iranian elements, as has occurred or is occurring in
other areas relinquished by Israel;
the future of the holy sites;
the ramifications of yet another Israeli diplomatic collapse;
and more.
5. Obama's Grandmother Prays for Conversion to Islam
by Maayana Miskin
The Kenyan grandmother of United States President Barack Obama has told
a Saudi daily paper that she prays for her grandson to convert to
Islam. Sarah Omar, 88, told Al-Watan that she prayed for Obama to become
Muslim during her recent pilgrimage to Mecca.
Omar was in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage along with her son Saeed Hussein Obama, Obama's uncle, and four grandchildren.
While Omar is not Obama's biological grandmother, she raised his father
after the father's mother left the family, and so is considered his
grandmother according to Kenyan culture.
Obama has battled rumors that he is Muslim for years. Polls conducted
in August show that approximately 20% of Americans believe him to be
Muslim.
Obama says he is a “committed Christian” who has attended church regularly for decades.
The rumors regarding his alleged Muslim status circle around his father
Barack Obama senior, who was raised as a Muslim. According to Islamic
law, a child's status follows the father, making the children of a
Muslim man Muslim as well.
Obama's parents divorced when he was young, and he lived for several
years with his mother and stepfather in Indonesia, then in Hawaii with
his mother and maternal grandparents. His stepfather, Lolo Soeoro, was
an Indonesian Muslim.
Rumors have also been fueled in part by Obama's attempts to reach out to the Muslim world. In June 2009 he gave a speech in Cairo
in which he called for "a new beginning" in U.S. ties with Muslim
states, and mentioned his own Muslim ties. He bowed to the Saudi Arabian
ruler when they met, hosted Muslim business leaders in April and told
NASA to "reach out to Muslims", sparking a new set of rumors about his
religious affiliation.
6. Gaza Exports via Israel despite Terror, Shalit Captivity
by Maayana Miskin
IDF Major-General Eitan Dangot, coordinator of government activities in
Judea, Samaria and Gaza, has informed a visiting Italian minister that
Israel will soon allow Hamas-run Gaza to export goods through Israeli
crossings. The move would be likely to significantly boost exports,
bringing new money to Hamas coffers.
Dangot told Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini that Israel will
begin to allow exports through Israeli crossings by mid-2011.
His revelation came as IDF soldier Gilad Shalit remains captive, held
by Hamas. Shalit was kidnapped during a terrorist attack in Israeli
territory in 2006. Hamas demands the release of 1,000 terrorists,
including mass murderers, in exchange for his freedom.
In addition, terrorism from Gaza continues. Terrorists have recently stepped up their attacks, firing on the city of Ofakim
for the first time since the Cast Lead counterterror operation in early
2009, and using white phosphorus in rockets launched at Israeli
civilians.
Israel has already begun to prepare for resumed exports from Gaza,
Dangot said. Work is being done at the Kerem Shalom crossing to increase
its capacity.
Some exports have already begun. Israel is already allowing flowers and strawberries to be exported via Israel.
Dangot reported that Israel has significantly relaxed its policy on
imports to Gaza as well. While Israel initially allowed only
humanitarian aid to enter the region from Israel following the Hamas
takeover, today approximately 250 trucks enter the region every day
bearing a wide variety of goods, and everything but weapons and
dual-purpose goods is allowed through.
As the work at Kerem Shalom progresses, imports are expected to rise
further, and by early 2011 an estimated 400 trucks will deliver goods to
Gaza daily, he said.
Frattini was shown a live video feed of activity at Kerem Shalom, where
workers were busy checking goods entering Gaza. He and Dangot also
discussed projects taking place in Gaza in the fields of housing and
education.
While the world has focused primarily on Israel's Gaza policy, the
region also shares a border with Egypt. Egyptian authorities have also
relaxed their policy regarding Hamas-run Gaza recently, allowing Gaza
residents to exit via Egypt's Rafiah crossing and allowing foreign
activists bringing goods to enter.
7. Canada to Boycott Durban Conference, Says it ‘Scapegoats’ Israel
by Elad Benari
Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Thursday that his
country will not be taking part in the Durban III conference next year.
Speaking at a press conference and quoted in AFP, Kenney said: “Our
government has lost faith in the Durban process. We will not be part of
this event, which commemorates an agenda that promotes racism rather
than combats it.”
Kenney called the conference a “charade” and a “hatefest”, and said
that it is essentially all about criticizing Israel. “The government of
Canada will not lend Canada's good name to the organized exercise in
scapegoating (Israel) that is the Durban process.”
While Canada will not participate in the conference nor will it provide
funding to any NGOs that are planning to participate, Kenney was quoted
by Canadian newspaper The National Post as saying: “We obviously
continue to believe in the United Nations as an important multilateral
forum. But we are able to make basic distinctions between good and bad.”
The UN resolution on Durban III passed by a 121-19 vote,
with 35 abstentions. The conference will commemorate the 9th
anniversary of the first such conference, held in Durban, South Africa
just 10 days before the 9/11 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
That conference was described by the ICEJ as a “concerted effort by
nearly all the Muslims of the world to denounce and de-legitimize the
Jewish state of Israel; an awful verbal forerunner much as the one the
Nazis sent before launching the Holocaust of the expunging of Israel as
sovereign Jewish state from their Arab Muslim midst.”
The upcoming conference is to be held in New York City just ten days
after the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in September 2011.
The Canadian Jewish Congress praised the decision by the Canadian
government on Thursday. CJC President Mark Freiman was quoted in The
National Post as saying: “Both Durban I and II, ostensibly aimed at
fighting racism, turned out to be little more than concerted
anti-Semitic charades that set back the real fight against racism and
discrimination by decades. This UN process is fundamentally flawed and
by now beyond repair.”
The Canadian delegation walked out of the first Durban conference to
protest a “festival hate” directed at Israel, as then federal Justice
Minister Irwin Cotler called it.
Canada was also one of nine governments (along with countries such as
the United States, Australia, Israel, Germany, and Britain) to boycott
last year’s Durban II due to fears of anti-Semitism, which Kenney said
came true when Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the conference
as a means to launch an attack on Israel. He expressed his hope that
other countries will follow Canada and recognize that Durban is nothing
but a “dangerous” platform for racism and anti-Semitism.
8. Jewish Revival in Indonesia's Christian Stronghold
by Chana Ya'ar
A 19-meter tall Chanukah menorah stands bright on a mountain
overlooking Manado, a Christian stronghold in northern Indonesia -- the
country with the largest Muslim population in the world.
A Jewish revival of sorts is taking place in the area.
Home to descendants of Dutch Jews who immigrated to the country
generations ago, the city and some of its residents are now beginning to
explore those ancient roots -- even as Islamist harassment of other
groups begins to grow.
Manado's government funded the creation of a sparkling new 62-foot (19
meters) menorah, built atop a mountain from which one can view the
entire city.
Some taxi stands fly the flag of the State of Israel.
Local officials also paid for the large Magen David (Jewish star) that
adorns the new ceiling in the six-year-old local synagogue that was
recently refurbished. Only 10 people attend services at the synagogue so
far; the community is that tiny.
Jewish Roots Run Deep
Jews came to Indonesia more than a century ago from Iraq and the
Netherlands. Over the years, some moved to Singapore, and many others
assimilated. Although most of Indonesia is Muslim, Manado and the
surrounding areas are mainly Christian.
One does not have to dig so deep to find the history of those roots; it
was only in 1949, when Indonesia gained its independence from
Netherlands, that Jews began hiding their religious status “for safety,”
according to an article published this week in the New York Times.
“We told our children never to talk about our Jewish origins,”
70-year-old Leo van Beugen told the NYT reporter. “So our grandchildren
do not even know.” Van Beugen was raised as a Roman Catholic.
Only 10 years ago did a family member finally let the secret slip to a
young relative, Toar Palilingan (now Yaakov Baruch) who immediately
began to seek his heritage on the Internet and by reaching out to Rabbi
Mordechai Abergel, the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Singapore.
Only 1 Synagogue Left
Last November the country's venerable 100-year-old synagogue in
Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, was shut down by angry
Muslims, supposedly in retaliation for Israel's Operation Cast Lead
campaign.
The IDF counter terrorism war against the Hamas terrorist rulers of
Gaza, was, intended to end the constant barrage of missile and mortar
fire that made life miserable for the civilian residents of Israel's
southland for nearly a decade. It lasted barely three weeks and ended on
the day U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama was sworn into office.
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