A look at the Judean and Samarian settlements at stake

David Makovsky lays out the communities involved. Filmed at AIPAC Policy Conference 2010.

Torah-true Rabbis challenge Jewish Voice for Peace rallying with Muslims against Israel's founding

Rabbi Menachem Weiss is angry that the Jewish Voice for Peace helped bring Muslim and Christian activists opposing the founding of Israel as a Jewish state to rally outside the Holocaust-aversion, Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance on Sunday 15 May. 

 

"They lie. They say that this is about peace. But they are saying that the day that Israel was established in 1948 is a disaster - it never should have happened. They don't want just a Palestinian state. They want the eradication of not only the Israeli state, but all Jews. And in front of the Holocaust Museum - they will sit and they will protest - and they pretend that it's about peace. But Hamas wants every single Jew dead. It's in their Charter and they say it publicly. You can go on YouTube you can see it they say that having Jews out of Israel is not enough. They will not stop until every Jew is dead. And that's exactly what Hitler said, and Jews didn't stand up at that time. And I will be damned if I don't in my lifetime stand-up against the Nazis of today- the Jew-haters of today- which these people represent. What does that mean: al-Naqba? It means that its a disaster that Israel was established. Israel has a right to exist! Am Yisrael Chai! Who attacked Israel in 1948? The Arabs attacked the Jews. The Jews didn't attack the Arabs. Read your history.

I want to stand here so that people can see a proud Jew. They used to make us wear stars over here out of shame. I wear my star out of pride. And no one's gonna stop me. (To policeman confronting him:) If you want to arrest me, go ahead, I'm ready to get arrested."

Earlier that day, Jewish Voice for Peace participated in a more militant, Muslim and far-leftist, anti-Israel demonstration at the Israeli Consulate in L.A. Rabbi Moshe ("New Moses") Parry was prevented by L.A. policemen by addressing the anti-Zionist antagonists with the mystical Kabbalistic prophecy that Israel would be founded and Jerusalem would be returned to Jewish hands.



Rabbi Parry explains that Jews are G-'ds designated guardians of His land- and that it is that religious designation which the Muslims are seeking to eradicate and assume.

Israel celebrates 63rd Independence Day

Remembrance Day sorrow gets replaced with Independence Day joy:

Nation's anniversary festivities kick off with traditional lighting of 12 beacons on Jerusalem's Mt. Herzl.

The State of Israel kicked off its 63rd anniversary celebrations on Monday evening with the traditional torch lighting ceremony on Jerusalem's Mount Herzl.


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On Israel's Memorial Day, Hassidic anti-Zionists front UC Irvine Muslim Students Union Israeli Apartheid Week

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Moon-walking astronaut Buzz Aldrin pays homage to Israel Air Force astronaut Ilan Ramon chronicle of Holocaust survivors' ascent into the heavens

Watch the trailer of the film "An Article of Hope:

Los Angeles luminaries, themes shine in annual L.A. Jewish Film Festival

The annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival returns for a week of screenings beginning Thursday 5 May. All tickets can be purchased online or by calling 800-838-3006. For group sales or questions, call 323-938-2531.  To view films, click here .  To view schedule, click here .  

The L.A. Jewish Film Festival held an early screening in February of "100 Voices: A Journey Home," a moving documentary directed by Matthew Asner and Danny Gold about Jewish history and culture in Poland.

A group of cantors, led by Temple Stephen S. Wise's Nathan Lam with acclaimed composer Charles Fox (“Killing Me Softly,” “I Got A Name”) made an important historical pilgrimage to Poland, the birthplace of cantorial music, to stage a concert which Mr. Fox composed. 

The film looks into re-establishing the bond between Jews and their former Polish countrymen, picking-up the olive branch of Pope John Paul II (beatified a few days ago) whose pilgrimage to Israel in 2000 warmed relations between Catholics and Jews.

Cantor Nathan Lam, Michael Lam (co-writer/producer), and Matthew Asner (son of actor Edward Asner)  speak with JooTube about the themes of this picture, such as reconciliation, and why they feel it is important.

American composer, Charles Fox, identifies some of his recognizable contributions to American pop culture. He explains what the Polish, 100 Voices project has meant for him.

Mr. Fox discusses how Jewish culture and heritage has factored into his career and music.

Iran tells world Israeli jets in Iraq preparing to strike deep inside Iran. A ruse for pre-emptive attack?

Israel Air Force F-16's in flight   (Photo: Israel Matzav)

If Pres. Obama resisted the Pentagon & State Depts' beseechings to capture Osama bin Laden (to the President's own political, if not ideological, benefit) what are the odds that he'll authorize Israel to do anything beyond "flex their wings" on provoking military and terror reprisals from the apocalyptic Muslim ayatollahs' regime?

'Israeli jets prepare in Iraq to strike Iran' Mon May 2, 2011 Iranian state-owned Press TV

Israeli jet fighters have reportedly conducted drills at a military base in Iraq in order to strike targets inside Iran.

A considerable number of Israeli warplanes were seen at al-Asad base in Iraq, reported a source close to prominent Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sader's group.

The aircraft reportedly included F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, and KC-10 jet fighters.

The warplanes carried out their week-long exercises at nights, the same source added.

The drills were reportedly aimed at preparing to strike Iran's air defense systems, disrupt Iran's radars and attack targets deep inside Iran.

Iraqi officials had not been notified of the exercises, which were conducted in collaboration with the US military.

The United States maintains numerous bases in Iraq, and the Baghdad government is not involved in any of the military deployments taking place there.

John Loftus on Western betrayals and conspiracies- real and imagined- against the Jews

How the U.S. worked to not save Jewish lives, but to employ and import Nazi war criminals. The Allies' Arab Nazi connection- the heirs to Hitler's plan, but after Israel's independence, Britain supported the Muslim Brotherhood against Israel.

Mr. Loftus was the keynote speaker at L.A.'s community-wide Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, 2011.

Has Obama struck a deal with Islamists: Osama bin Laden for Jerusalem?

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Israel's Parliament debates political conditions conducive to Arab attacks on Jews, in the aftermath of Palestinian killing 2 Jews at Joseph's Tomb

(Video courtesy: Israel National TV, Reporter: Yoni Kempinsky)

Passover prayers of Cohanic Blessing seek return to the Mount, not just the courtyards around it

(Video courtesy: The Jewish Filmmaker)

Many thousands of Jews gathered at the Kotel (the Western Wall) on the 2nd day of Chol HaMoed Pesach 5771 (the intermediate days of the Passover festival of 2011) for Birkat Kohanim (the Priestly Blessing) in accordance with the Torah's commandment in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers) chapter 6 verse 23-27.

The ceremony has become a tradition ever since the liberation of Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount) and the rest of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. It is in commemoration of the Biblical obligation to visit the Holy Temple on the three annual festivals, namely, Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

It is also a special opportunity for many Cohanim (Jews who trace their lineage to Aaron, the first High Priest) to fulfill the Biblical obligation of blessing the nation, and for non-Cohanim to be blessed (also a Biblical obligation, according to some).

It is to be noted that the Western Wall is merely a supportive wall of the Temple Mount in which the Holy Temple itself stood. The holiday prayers emphasize our goal of returning to the Mount, and not to the courtyards around it: "Bring us to Zion Your city with joy, and to Jerusalem, the House of Your Temple, with everlasting happiness... Build Your house as at the beginning, and establish Your Temple on its foundation; show us its construction and gladden us with its rectification... and to there we will ascend and be seen and bow down before You on our three festivals..."

Israel catches Fogel killers; expected to reward terror with state

Fogel Family Killers Caught  excerpted from FrontPage Magazine April 20, 2011
P. David Hornik is a freelance writer and translator in Beersheva, Israel. He blogs at http://pdavidhornik.typepad.com

Hakim Mazen Awad, 18, and Amjad Mahmad Awad, 19, of
West Bank village, Awarta, killed Fogel family to become martyrs

Last March 12, Israelis learned that, the night before, terrorists had broken into a home in the West Bank community of Itamar and murdered five members of the Fogel family—the parents, 11- and 4-year-old boys, and a 3-month-old girl. Sunday, the eve of Passover, brought the relieving news that the two terrorists had been nabbed by combined intelligence, army, and police forces. So had six accomplices who helped them hide the murder weapons and suppress evidence.
The two perpetrators are Hakim Mazen Awad, 18, a high school student, and Amjad Mahmad Awad, 19, also a student (the two are not directly related, though from the same clan). As expected, they’re from Awarta, a Palestinian village of 8,000 that is considered a “breeding ground for terror” and neighbors Itamar (pop. 1,000). Acting without leads, in the course of the investigation the Israeli forces detained hundreds of Awarta residents before fingering the culprits and their helpers. 

Although the two murderers have links to the Popular Front—a terror organization considered “secular” and not Islamist—it’s believed at this point that they did not act under its auspices. Terror, however, runs in the family for both of them. Among the suspected accomplices are Hakim’s father and one of his uncles, both from Awarta and the latter a Popular Front member (and the former as well, according to one report). As for Amjad, an uncle of his was involved in a 2002 terror attack on Itamar that killed five; the next year he was killed in a clash with the Israeli army.  

Officers of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, said the two gave a “chilling reenactment” that was one of the most “shocking, cold, remorseless and detailed” they had ever witnessed. Amjad said his motivation was to “die a martyr’s death.” Two other Fogel boys, eight-year-old Roi and two-year-old Yishai, were also sleeping in the house but were spared because the intruders didn’t notice them. The latter said, however, that they “would not have hesitated to kill them, as well. . . .