From Rabbi Nachman Kahana:
BS"D 4 Be’Mar Cheshvan 5770
Dear Friends
Today I received the following missive from a well-meaning acquaintance that expresses the feelings of other people who have written to me. He writes:
"As much as I enjoy your drashot, I am wondering if you are sending out e-mails on other themes for the parsha that do not emphasize aliya that is aimed at those comfortably ensconced in orthodox or haredi communities in the galut".
The writer feels that I put too much emphasis on the single mitzva of living in Eretz Yisrael and aim specifically at the orthodox and chareidi communities.
To this I would add a complaint, which is often hurled at me, that it is not my responsibility to "save the world!"
I request equal time.
The most important mitzva in the Torah is the saving of a Jewish life. Chazal taught that one who saves even one Jewish life is considered to have saved a world.
From the time my wife and I came on aliya nearly 50 years ago, we have merited to inspire and influence many other families to come. A modest accounting of my own family, including my brother hy"d, who came a while after us, we arrive at way over 100 children, grandchildren, great grandchildren - and the list grows weekly. In one generation, the list will include over 1000. If I add the other families we have influenced, the numbers already reach into the thousands. Had we and the others not come, we would have been doomed to the fate of those still clinging to the galut - including children and grandchildren who would have left the Torah and even married out.
I am an adherent of the religious Zionist philosophy. I came to Eretz Yisrael with the intent of being an integral part of Israeli society. I teach, daven and learn in Ivrit. I proudly served in a fighting unit in Tzahal. My sons all learned in Hesder Yeshivot and still serve in the army, as do my older grandchildren. I salute the flag and cry when recalling the thousands of Jews who gave their lives for what this flag stands for. I stand at attention reciting Tehilim when the sirens sound on memorial day for the fallen holy soldiers of Israel. I believe that the Medina is the harbinger of the Mashiach and the tool with which HaShem will reveal Himself very shortly.
But all this is my personal hashkafa (world view), which I don’t desire to impose on anyone. The reason for all my efforts is not religious Zionism - it is the saving of Jewish lives whether they be dati, chareidi or very far from the Torah.
The galut is steadily and quickly sinking in the quicksand of time. When I first began to write, many Jews had the financial capability of coming on aliya. They could have sold their homes at enormous profits and easily settled into a comfortable apartment or villa anywhere they chose. I pleaded for people to come before it was too late. They did not, and now it is very very late.
Those who have a healthy desire to live will cut their ties now without considering the financial losses. Your sons are not yet drafted into the US army; and the gates of Israel are still open, and it is still possible to withdraw money from the US. All this will change and the curtain of American Jewry will come down as it has so often in the past on other Jewish communities.
So, my good friends, aliyah is not just one more mitzva. It is the Noach’s ark of the Jewish people, the destiny of our nation and its individuals, and the stairway to heaven where we connect to our great past and even greater future.
Nachman Kahana
29 October 2009
28 October 2009
They never saw it coming
INDONESIAN ASTEROID:
Picture this: A 10-meter wide asteroid hits Earth and explodes in the atmosphere with the energy of a small atomic bomb. Frightened by thunderous sounds and shaking walls, people rush out of their homes, thinking that an earthquake is in progress. All they see is a twisting trail of debris in the mid-day sky:
This really happened on Oct. 8th around 11 am local time in the coastal town of Bone, Indonesia. The Earth-shaking blast received remarkably little coverage in Western press, but meteor scientists have given it their full attention. "The explosion triggered infrasound sensors of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) more than 10,000 km away," report researchers Elizabeth Silber and Peter Brown of the Univ. of Western Ontario in an Oct. 19th press release. Their analysis of the infrasound data revealed an explosion at coordinates 4.5S, 120E (close to Bone) with a yield of about 50 kton of TNT. That's two to three times more powerful than World War II-era atomic bombs.
The asteroid that caused the blast was not known before it hit and took astronomers completely by surprise. According to statistical studies of the near-Earth asteroid population, such objects are expected to collide with Earth on average every 2 to 12 years. "Follow-on observations from other instruments or ground recovery efforts would be very valuable in further refining this unique event," say Silber and Brown.
Picture this: A 10-meter wide asteroid hits Earth and explodes in the atmosphere with the energy of a small atomic bomb. Frightened by thunderous sounds and shaking walls, people rush out of their homes, thinking that an earthquake is in progress. All they see is a twisting trail of debris in the mid-day sky:
This really happened on Oct. 8th around 11 am local time in the coastal town of Bone, Indonesia. The Earth-shaking blast received remarkably little coverage in Western press, but meteor scientists have given it their full attention. "The explosion triggered infrasound sensors of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) more than 10,000 km away," report researchers Elizabeth Silber and Peter Brown of the Univ. of Western Ontario in an Oct. 19th press release. Their analysis of the infrasound data revealed an explosion at coordinates 4.5S, 120E (close to Bone) with a yield of about 50 kton of TNT. That's two to three times more powerful than World War II-era atomic bombs.
The asteroid that caused the blast was not known before it hit and took astronomers completely by surprise. According to statistical studies of the near-Earth asteroid population, such objects are expected to collide with Earth on average every 2 to 12 years. "Follow-on observations from other instruments or ground recovery efforts would be very valuable in further refining this unique event," say Silber and Brown.
27 October 2009
20 MarCheshvan 5770
I am not one to play around with dates. As far as I can recollect, this is a first for this blog. I'm not saying this is for sure, we won't know until the day arrives, but there is a very strong possibility that 20 MarCheshvan will mark a turning point in this long and drawn-out geula process. It falls out this year on Shabbat Parshat Vayera, 7 Nov '09.
A second date to watch is 20 Kislev / 7 Dec. If the details as described in Sefer Eliyahu materialize this year, then we can extrapolate from that how much longer we might have to strengthen ourselves and each other to make it through these very turbulent times.
In my opinion, riots and unrest on the Temple Mount throughout the entire week of Sukkot was a very big sign of what's to come. MarCheshvan 7 it started up again. As reported, "extremists on both sides" believe that facts must be made on the ground in order to advance their side's agenda. Both Jews and Arabs are being provoked into upsetting the status quo.
JEWISH POSITION
ARAB POSITION
But, this is good, because while the "status quo" is being maintained, no progress is being made. I believe there will be war with Iran, but I don't think it will be fought over their nuclear aspirations. Rather, it will be about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Iran: Zionists threat to all
"Today we see that applying force in Gaza was not enough for them (Israel) so they are attacking holy Jerusalem," the Iranian leader (Achmadinejad) added.
Some people are worried that the world is preparing to try to take our nukes away in exchange for Iran giving up theirs.
Iran: World can't block our atomic program while Israel has nukes
But I think this whole thing about nukes is a smoke screen for what they are really after. Zekharya 14 describes the nations coming to "divide" our "spoils" in our midst. Well, the nations have been saying for quite some time now that the "spoils" of the Six Days War are not rightfully ours and that we have to "give them back," i.e. Yehuda, Shomron and "eastern" Jerusalem, which includes the entire Old City with the Western Wall and Temple Mount. And Zekharya goes on to say that "half" the city will go into exile---the eastern "half"?
Logically, the West will see the eruption of hostilities between Arabs and Jews to be a prime opportunity for them to come and take it over claiming that neither of us can administrate it, so they will do the job for us. And I believe that THIS will be the catalyst for war with Iran, who is positioning itself to be the defender of the faith for the entire Muslim world. They no doubt believe that a clash over Jerusalem will advance their vision of redemption just as our prophets foretold for us.
Watch this continue to unfold over the next few weeks.
A second date to watch is 20 Kislev / 7 Dec. If the details as described in Sefer Eliyahu materialize this year, then we can extrapolate from that how much longer we might have to strengthen ourselves and each other to make it through these very turbulent times.
In my opinion, riots and unrest on the Temple Mount throughout the entire week of Sukkot was a very big sign of what's to come. MarCheshvan 7 it started up again. As reported, "extremists on both sides" believe that facts must be made on the ground in order to advance their side's agenda. Both Jews and Arabs are being provoked into upsetting the status quo.
JEWISH POSITION
ARAB POSITION
But, this is good, because while the "status quo" is being maintained, no progress is being made. I believe there will be war with Iran, but I don't think it will be fought over their nuclear aspirations. Rather, it will be about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Iran: Zionists threat to all
"Today we see that applying force in Gaza was not enough for them (Israel) so they are attacking holy Jerusalem," the Iranian leader (Achmadinejad) added.
Some people are worried that the world is preparing to try to take our nukes away in exchange for Iran giving up theirs.
Iran: World can't block our atomic program while Israel has nukes
But I think this whole thing about nukes is a smoke screen for what they are really after. Zekharya 14 describes the nations coming to "divide" our "spoils" in our midst. Well, the nations have been saying for quite some time now that the "spoils" of the Six Days War are not rightfully ours and that we have to "give them back," i.e. Yehuda, Shomron and "eastern" Jerusalem, which includes the entire Old City with the Western Wall and Temple Mount. And Zekharya goes on to say that "half" the city will go into exile---the eastern "half"?
Logically, the West will see the eruption of hostilities between Arabs and Jews to be a prime opportunity for them to come and take it over claiming that neither of us can administrate it, so they will do the job for us. And I believe that THIS will be the catalyst for war with Iran, who is positioning itself to be the defender of the faith for the entire Muslim world. They no doubt believe that a clash over Jerusalem will advance their vision of redemption just as our prophets foretold for us.
Watch this continue to unfold over the next few weeks.
25 October 2009
23 October 2009
Obama Delivers
You have to admit, Obama is delivering on his promise of "change." That's all anybody is going to have left when the dollar crashes.
1. The Dark Years are Here
(Excerpt) The real unemployment in the US is 20% or 30 million. These are the real unadjusted figures calculated on the same basis as the official figures before the method of the calculation was changed in the 1990’s. Reported government figures, especially in the US, are continually manipulated in order to suit the political aims of the government. Therefore, one should not give any credence to the published figures. Most governments mislead the people most of the time.
1. The Dark Years are Here
(Excerpt) The real unemployment in the US is 20% or 30 million. These are the real unadjusted figures calculated on the same basis as the official figures before the method of the calculation was changed in the 1990’s. Reported government figures, especially in the US, are continually manipulated in order to suit the political aims of the government. Therefore, one should not give any credence to the published figures. Most governments mislead the people most of the time.
With 20% unemployment in the US we are already approaching the levels in the 1930’s when peak total unemployment reached 25%. The 20% current level is the non-farm unemployed and is still a lot lower than the non-farm peak figure in the 1930’s which was 35% unemployed.
Since we are still in the early stages of this crisis, it is our firm opinion that non-farm unemployment levels will reach 35% at least in the US in the next few years.
But even the current figure of 30 million unemployed is a catastrophe. Adding dependants to every unemployed person there are currently 100 million people affected by unemployment in the US. In the next three months 3 million unemployed will fall out of the social security safety-net. These are the people who were laid off in the second half of 2008. Including their families this means that around 10 million people will become destitute between now and September with no social security and no savings. If we then add the 4 million that were made redundant in the first half of 2009 that will result in an additional 13 million people including families will become destitute around Christmas. This is a disaster of unimaginable consequences that will affect the whole fabric of American society.
2. A Shocking Fall
(Excerpt) ... the dollar is living on borrowed time and as we outlined in last month’s newsletter “The Dark Years Are Here”, the autumn of 2009 will see a precipitous fall of the dollar. It will be relentless and greater than anyone can imagine. There is always a day of reckoning when the law of supply and demand is out of kilter and that day is now here. The move will be unexpected by many and this will mean that everyone will run for the exit and dump their dollars thus exacerbating the fall.
22 October 2009
Recipe for a Happy Life
Find a reason for living.
Put a smile on your face,
And a song in your heart.
Make others happy.
Get away from yourself.
Get involved with other people.
Volunteer.
Don't do the 3 c's:
-- Complain
-- Criticize
-- Condemn
(The foregoing was heard in a shiur by Aharon Romm.)
Psalm 27 says: "Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the Lord."
The first step is always ours and then Hashem meets us where we are. We make the decision to be happy, even if we don't feel it and the feeling will follow.
Put a smile on your face,
And a song in your heart.
Make others happy.
Get away from yourself.
Get involved with other people.
Volunteer.
Don't do the 3 c's:
-- Complain
-- Criticize
-- Condemn
(The foregoing was heard in a shiur by Aharon Romm.)
Psalm 27 says: "Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the Lord."
The first step is always ours and then Hashem meets us where we are. We make the decision to be happy, even if we don't feel it and the feeling will follow.
20 October 2009
Good without God is just "o"
Which is probably all that these egotistical people are going to be able to say when Hashem reveals Himself to the world.
'Good Without God,’ Atheist Subway Ads Proclaim
Starting next Monday, a coalition of local groups will run a monthlong advertising campaign in a dozen Manhattan subway stations with the slogan “A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” The posters also advertise the Web site BigAppleCoR.org, which provides a listing of local groups affiliated with the Coalition of Reason, the umbrella organization that coordinated the campaign.
The campaign — which is being paid for by $25,000 from an anonymous donor — follows a similar but unrelated monthlong campaign on buses by New York City Atheists in July. Jane Everhart, a spokeswoman for the New York City Atheists, said that campaign was highly successful and brought in many new members. “We are trying to raise money to do it again,” she said.
Starting next Monday, a coalition of local groups will run a monthlong advertising campaign in a dozen Manhattan subway stations with the slogan “A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” The posters also advertise the Web site BigAppleCoR.org, which provides a listing of local groups affiliated with the Coalition of Reason, the umbrella organization that coordinated the campaign.
The campaign — which is being paid for by $25,000 from an anonymous donor — follows a similar but unrelated monthlong campaign on buses by New York City Atheists in July. Jane Everhart, a spokeswoman for the New York City Atheists, said that campaign was highly successful and brought in many new members. “We are trying to raise money to do it again,” she said.
PS: I would not want to be anywhere near NYC after this comes out!
“Ayn od milvado”
My (imperfect) translation of the MESSAGE POSTED 19/10/2009---
A bit of the latest message from Binyamin Golden and Daniel
Jerusalem, Tishrei 5770. (The complete message will be put up soon)
Binyamin:…In World War 2, they gathered the Jews – men, women, children and babies. They said to them, take only what you need, and they took everyone to the train. The majority of the people did not believe that they were going to their death, that they were going on their last journey, they did not believe, how could it be? The sun is shining, there is air to breathe, various acquaintances and relatives around us, how could it be? And until the last moment when they walked into the gas chamber, they did not believe, at least the majority.
We are now in the same situation. And who doesn’t believe. There are those that don’t want to believe. Those that want to believe that the shallow material world, the world of the golden calf, will continue. They don’t want to believe that it is all lies, they don’t want to believe that Hashem will destroy it all forever… The Jews need to understand “Ayn od milvado” (There is nothing besides Him.) and if they don’t understand that, there is no hope. It isn’t possible to do partial teshuva in any case. It’s possible not to stop keeping Shabbat the way you’re supposed to or something similar, but if one believes also even a tiny drop of this world’s lies, that’s the end.
Daniel: …I just want to remind everyone that the time has come to come up to the Land. The time has come to begin to pack up our things and make a march to Eretz Yisrael. To the Jews in America, it's hard for you to comprehend what is happening to you, need to pray for them that the true Jews that are among them will understand and escape....
A bit of the latest message from Binyamin Golden and Daniel
Jerusalem, Tishrei 5770. (The complete message will be put up soon)
Binyamin:…In World War 2, they gathered the Jews – men, women, children and babies. They said to them, take only what you need, and they took everyone to the train. The majority of the people did not believe that they were going to their death, that they were going on their last journey, they did not believe, how could it be? The sun is shining, there is air to breathe, various acquaintances and relatives around us, how could it be? And until the last moment when they walked into the gas chamber, they did not believe, at least the majority.
We are now in the same situation. And who doesn’t believe. There are those that don’t want to believe. Those that want to believe that the shallow material world, the world of the golden calf, will continue. They don’t want to believe that it is all lies, they don’t want to believe that Hashem will destroy it all forever… The Jews need to understand “Ayn od milvado” (There is nothing besides Him.) and if they don’t understand that, there is no hope. It isn’t possible to do partial teshuva in any case. It’s possible not to stop keeping Shabbat the way you’re supposed to or something similar, but if one believes also even a tiny drop of this world’s lies, that’s the end.
Daniel: …I just want to remind everyone that the time has come to come up to the Land. The time has come to begin to pack up our things and make a march to Eretz Yisrael. To the Jews in America, it's hard for you to comprehend what is happening to you, need to pray for them that the true Jews that are among them will understand and escape....
18 October 2009
15 October 2009
12 October 2009
"It's a finger of G-d"
And soon the whole world will be forced to admit that there is no such thing as "coincidence."
Pacific earthquakes rewrite seismic lore
WEEKS of earthquake activity in the Asia-Pacific region have triggered a shift in the view of some seismologists, who are now considering the possibility that the recent devastating cluster of quakes are related.
Yet another earthquake was reported as having struck the Pacific Island nation of Tonga yesterday, one of several to hit the region in two weeks, including the deadly West Sumatra earthquake, the quake that just hours before triggered the Samoan tsunami, and Thursday's series of major tremors in Vanuatu.
...Although it was still difficult to determine whether the earthquake cluster was anything more than "a remarkable coincidence", he said geologists would be looking at the events of the past fortnight with keen interest.
"It's certainly quite unusual. I haven't seen it in my professional career," Dr Cummins said.
"There has been no sequence of earthquakes occurring in such rapid succession in such different locations across the globe."
Veteran earthquake-watcher Gary Gibson, who said more than a week ago that he was treating quakes thousands of kilometres apart as "coincidence", said yesterday that he was re-evaluating that hypothesis.
"I can no longer keep using the response it's all a big coincidence, can I?" said Dr Gibson, a senior seismologist with the Seismology Research Centre at Environmental Systems and Services Victoria.
..."For two great earthquakes to occur within hours in such a way, it is abnormal."
Pacific earthquakes rewrite seismic lore
WEEKS of earthquake activity in the Asia-Pacific region have triggered a shift in the view of some seismologists, who are now considering the possibility that the recent devastating cluster of quakes are related.
Yet another earthquake was reported as having struck the Pacific Island nation of Tonga yesterday, one of several to hit the region in two weeks, including the deadly West Sumatra earthquake, the quake that just hours before triggered the Samoan tsunami, and Thursday's series of major tremors in Vanuatu.
...Although it was still difficult to determine whether the earthquake cluster was anything more than "a remarkable coincidence", he said geologists would be looking at the events of the past fortnight with keen interest.
"It's certainly quite unusual. I haven't seen it in my professional career," Dr Cummins said.
"There has been no sequence of earthquakes occurring in such rapid succession in such different locations across the globe."
Veteran earthquake-watcher Gary Gibson, who said more than a week ago that he was treating quakes thousands of kilometres apart as "coincidence", said yesterday that he was re-evaluating that hypothesis.
"I can no longer keep using the response it's all a big coincidence, can I?" said Dr Gibson, a senior seismologist with the Seismology Research Centre at Environmental Systems and Services Victoria.
..."For two great earthquakes to occur within hours in such a way, it is abnormal."
11 October 2009
Post Holiday Report on TM News
'Palestinians don't want third intifada'
While police lifted restrictions on entrance to al-Aksa Mosque, Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan on Sunday warned that riots in Jerusalem would not end as long as "settlers" were allowed to enter the Temple Mount compound.
...However, Dahlan stressed that the Palestinians were not interested in a third intifada or in clashes with IDF soldiers.
The Fatah official went on to draw a comparison between suicide attacks and the establishment of West Bank settlements, saying there is no difference between blowing up a bus in Tel Aviv and stealing Palestinian lands.
Column One: The newest round of war
An atmosphere of fantasy pervaded US President Barack Obama's Middle East peace processor George Mitchell's meetings with Israeli leaders on Thursday. In separate photo opportunities, Mitchell stood next to President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and pledged to surmount all obstacles to achieve peace not only between Israel and the Palestinians but between Israel and Syria and Lebanon and with the whole Arab world.
Mitchell's remarks were even more stunning than similar statements from him during previous visits, because this week the Palestinians launched their newest terror campaign against Israel. Like previous rounds of Palestinian terror against Jews beginning in 1929, the latest round has been precipitated by wholly fabricated claims by Muslim leaders that Israel is asserting Jewish rights to the Temple Mount - Judaism's most sacred site - and so endangering the Muslim claim to the sole right to worship at the site that was never even mentioned in the Koran.
Israel lifts restrictions on entry to Temple Mount
Israel on Sunday lifted the restrictions it had imposed on entry to Jerusalem's Temple Mount, following a period of heightened tensions at the holy site, which houses the Jewish Western Wall and the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In light of sporadic clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in the area, and calls by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs to "protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque" in recent days, Israel restricted the entry of Muslim men under the age of 50, and prohibited Jews from entering the mosque compound altogether.
On Saturday, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported that Israel had agreed to allow some 400 Muslims, who barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the recent riots, to leave the compound without being arrested.
While police lifted restrictions on entrance to al-Aksa Mosque, Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan on Sunday warned that riots in Jerusalem would not end as long as "settlers" were allowed to enter the Temple Mount compound.
...However, Dahlan stressed that the Palestinians were not interested in a third intifada or in clashes with IDF soldiers.
The Fatah official went on to draw a comparison between suicide attacks and the establishment of West Bank settlements, saying there is no difference between blowing up a bus in Tel Aviv and stealing Palestinian lands.
Column One: The newest round of war
An atmosphere of fantasy pervaded US President Barack Obama's Middle East peace processor George Mitchell's meetings with Israeli leaders on Thursday. In separate photo opportunities, Mitchell stood next to President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak and pledged to surmount all obstacles to achieve peace not only between Israel and the Palestinians but between Israel and Syria and Lebanon and with the whole Arab world.
Mitchell's remarks were even more stunning than similar statements from him during previous visits, because this week the Palestinians launched their newest terror campaign against Israel. Like previous rounds of Palestinian terror against Jews beginning in 1929, the latest round has been precipitated by wholly fabricated claims by Muslim leaders that Israel is asserting Jewish rights to the Temple Mount - Judaism's most sacred site - and so endangering the Muslim claim to the sole right to worship at the site that was never even mentioned in the Koran.
Israel lifts restrictions on entry to Temple Mount
Israel on Sunday lifted the restrictions it had imposed on entry to Jerusalem's Temple Mount, following a period of heightened tensions at the holy site, which houses the Jewish Western Wall and the Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In light of sporadic clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in the area, and calls by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs to "protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque" in recent days, Israel restricted the entry of Muslim men under the age of 50, and prohibited Jews from entering the mosque compound altogether.
On Saturday, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported that Israel had agreed to allow some 400 Muslims, who barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the recent riots, to leave the compound without being arrested.
09 October 2009
Hoshana Raba TM News
FINAL UPDATE: Rock Attacks Around Jerusalem
(IsraelNN.com) Seven Border Police officers were lightly injured by rocks thrown by Arabs in the Ras Al-Amud neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem on Friday. An officer was lightly injured in the face in one of the three attacks.
A Border Guard jeep was also targeted by rock throwers at the Har Gilo and the tunnels checkpoint south of the capital. No injuries were reported, but the jeep was damaged in the attack.
In Tzur Baher, the throwing of rocks was accompanied by the burning of tires. Border Policemen chased and caught a masked demonstrator.
Police reported no major incidents during Friday prayers at Temple Mount mosques.
*******************
Temple Mount Tensions Rise; Fatah, Hamas Call Muslims to Act
(IsraelNN.com) Thousands of police officers have deployed in Jerusalem Friday in advance of Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount. Police are on high alert following a week in which Muslims rioted in and around Jerusalem as Muslim and Arab leaders accused Israel of attempting to harm the al-Aksa Mosque atop the Mount.
********************
Palestinian FM urges UN to ease Jerusalem tension
Ahead of Friday prayers at Temple Mount, Malki calls for Ban's 'immediate intervention to prevent Israel from escalating situation in Jerusalem.' Jerusalem Police on high alert. High Court rejects petition demanding Jews be granted access to holy site over the weekend
Hamas declares 'day of rage' for Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas declared Friday a "day of rage" and called on its supporters to come out and demonstrate at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Temple Mount.
The call came Thursday, following days of tension at the Temple Mount compound as Palestinian protesters sporadically clashed with Israeli police patrolling the holy site.
Leading religious figures in the Muslim world, such as Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi, dubbed Friday "protect Al-Aqsa day." Joining the call to "protect" the mosque were Palestinian politicians and religious figures, who have been trying to convince the lethargic public in Gaza to come out and demonstrate.
Old City cops brace for Friday prayers
It seemed as though the calm before a storm had descended on the capital's Muslim Quarter on Thursday afternoon, as shopkeepers peered wearily at passing police patrols while hawking their wares to tourists, and the streets and alleyways grew eerily quiet by dusk.
While Thursday passed without any of the violence that had flared-up daily this week in the east Jerusalem neighborhoods bordering the Old City, both police and young Muslim men said they were readying themselves for Friday's noontime prayer at al-Aksa Mosque - which traditionally draw the largest crowds of the week - and focusing on it as the next likely flash-point.
"We're going to throw everything we can find," said one young Arab man in the Old City who was reluctant to give his name. "Rocks, stones, whatever we can find. I'm telling you, dirbalak [watch out], be careful if you come around here tomorrow, because if they see a Jew, it could be dangerous."
(IsraelNN.com) Seven Border Police officers were lightly injured by rocks thrown by Arabs in the Ras Al-Amud neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem on Friday. An officer was lightly injured in the face in one of the three attacks.
A Border Guard jeep was also targeted by rock throwers at the Har Gilo and the tunnels checkpoint south of the capital. No injuries were reported, but the jeep was damaged in the attack.
In Tzur Baher, the throwing of rocks was accompanied by the burning of tires. Border Policemen chased and caught a masked demonstrator.
Police reported no major incidents during Friday prayers at Temple Mount mosques.
*******************
Temple Mount Tensions Rise; Fatah, Hamas Call Muslims to Act
(IsraelNN.com) Thousands of police officers have deployed in Jerusalem Friday in advance of Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount. Police are on high alert following a week in which Muslims rioted in and around Jerusalem as Muslim and Arab leaders accused Israel of attempting to harm the al-Aksa Mosque atop the Mount.
********************
Palestinian FM urges UN to ease Jerusalem tension
Ahead of Friday prayers at Temple Mount, Malki calls for Ban's 'immediate intervention to prevent Israel from escalating situation in Jerusalem.' Jerusalem Police on high alert. High Court rejects petition demanding Jews be granted access to holy site over the weekend
Hamas declares 'day of rage' for Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas declared Friday a "day of rage" and called on its supporters to come out and demonstrate at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on Temple Mount.
The call came Thursday, following days of tension at the Temple Mount compound as Palestinian protesters sporadically clashed with Israeli police patrolling the holy site.
Leading religious figures in the Muslim world, such as Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi, dubbed Friday "protect Al-Aqsa day." Joining the call to "protect" the mosque were Palestinian politicians and religious figures, who have been trying to convince the lethargic public in Gaza to come out and demonstrate.
Old City cops brace for Friday prayers
It seemed as though the calm before a storm had descended on the capital's Muslim Quarter on Thursday afternoon, as shopkeepers peered wearily at passing police patrols while hawking their wares to tourists, and the streets and alleyways grew eerily quiet by dusk.
While Thursday passed without any of the violence that had flared-up daily this week in the east Jerusalem neighborhoods bordering the Old City, both police and young Muslim men said they were readying themselves for Friday's noontime prayer at al-Aksa Mosque - which traditionally draw the largest crowds of the week - and focusing on it as the next likely flash-point.
"We're going to throw everything we can find," said one young Arab man in the Old City who was reluctant to give his name. "Rocks, stones, whatever we can find. I'm telling you, dirbalak [watch out], be careful if you come around here tomorrow, because if they see a Jew, it could be dangerous."
08 October 2009
Quick Note about the Moon "Bombing" Tomorrow
1. You can read about it here.
2. How ironic is it that they are doing this in an effort to locate a source of water on the very day when "mankind is judged as regards water?" (From Sefer ha'Roke'ach according to The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov)
Israelis can watch it here starting at 12:15 pm. The event is currently scheduled for 1:31 pm our time.
Fifth Day Chol HaMoed TM News
Afternoon Update: MDA on Highest Alert Friday in Jerusalem
(IsraelNN.com) Magen David Adom announced on Thursday that it was raising its level of alert to level three in Jerusalem for Friday in response to reports of planned Arab demonstrations and protest. Elsewhere throughout the country the level alert will remain at level two.
In response to the change in alert level, MDA will be making adjustments in its ambulance and medic crew shifts.
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IDF fears spread of J'lem violence
The IDF is raising its level of alert ahead of Friday morning prayers in Jerusalem and out of fear that violence there will spread to Palestinian cities in the West Bank, defense officials said Thursday.
The fears in the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) are that the violence in Jerusalem will spread to the West Bank and develop into large demonstrations, increased stoning on roads used by settlers and possibly even shooting attacks against IDF positions and patrols.
The Shin Bet has already noted a slight increase in terror attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem in September, during which there were a total of 50 attacks, including two shootings and 45 Molotov cocktails. In contrast, in August there were only about 30 attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The "real test," defense officials said, would be Friday morning prayers at the Temple Mount. If the prayers passed quietly, there might be a chance that the violence would die out, defense officials said.
"We are closely following the events and understand that many wounded or several dead Palestinians could trigger additional violence in the West Bank," one official said. So far the special undercover Border Police units have been doing an effective job in quelling the violence in east Jerusalem, he added.
In addition, defense officials told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF recently arrested several Palestinian policemen who were operating illegally in east Jerusalem. The policemen were in plain clothes, but were part of a force that the Palestinian Authority was trying to establish in the city as part of its efforts to create a presence in what it believes will be the capital of its future state, the defense officials said.
(IsraelNN.com) Magen David Adom announced on Thursday that it was raising its level of alert to level three in Jerusalem for Friday in response to reports of planned Arab demonstrations and protest. Elsewhere throughout the country the level alert will remain at level two.
In response to the change in alert level, MDA will be making adjustments in its ambulance and medic crew shifts.
*********************************
IDF fears spread of J'lem violence
The IDF is raising its level of alert ahead of Friday morning prayers in Jerusalem and out of fear that violence there will spread to Palestinian cities in the West Bank, defense officials said Thursday.
The fears in the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) are that the violence in Jerusalem will spread to the West Bank and develop into large demonstrations, increased stoning on roads used by settlers and possibly even shooting attacks against IDF positions and patrols.
The Shin Bet has already noted a slight increase in terror attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem in September, during which there were a total of 50 attacks, including two shootings and 45 Molotov cocktails. In contrast, in August there were only about 30 attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The "real test," defense officials said, would be Friday morning prayers at the Temple Mount. If the prayers passed quietly, there might be a chance that the violence would die out, defense officials said.
"We are closely following the events and understand that many wounded or several dead Palestinians could trigger additional violence in the West Bank," one official said. So far the special undercover Border Police units have been doing an effective job in quelling the violence in east Jerusalem, he added.
In addition, defense officials told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF recently arrested several Palestinian policemen who were operating illegally in east Jerusalem. The policemen were in plain clothes, but were part of a force that the Palestinian Authority was trying to establish in the city as part of its efforts to create a presence in what it believes will be the capital of its future state, the defense officials said.
07 October 2009
News on Iran (Paras)
The Yalkut Shimoni (midrash, compiled circa 500 c.e.) states:
Rabbi Yitzchak said: The year that Melech HaMoshiach will be revealed, all the kings (leaders) of the nations will be struggling against each other. The leader of Persia (Iran) will contest with an Arab leader and the Arab leader will go to Aram (the Western Superpowers) to get council from them.
The leader of Persia will respond and destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will be trembling and shaking and falling on their faces. They will be seized by pains like labor pains.
The Jewish people will be trembling and quaking and saying: "Where can we go? Where can we go?" And [Moshiach] will say to them: my children, do not fear! Everything I did I did only for you! Why are you frightened? Don't be afraid--the days of your redemption have arrived!
Report: Iran Planning to Attack Gulf States
(IsraelNN.com) The MEMRI organziation has translated an Alarabiya.net report which says that 40,000 well-trained operatives, mostly Shi'ites, are in the service of Iran in the Arab Gulf states - 3,000 in Kuwait alone. The story is based on an interview with an Arab Ahwazi man who says he was a former undercover agent for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The assessment is in line with an intelligence report from an Iranian regime opposition group. The Ahwazi Islamic Sunni Organization says it has classified Iranian Air Force information that reveals Iran has a comprehensive military plan to attack the Gulf countries using MiG-31 aircraft that it purchased from Syria. It says Iran is preparing secret airports and camps in Ahwaz province, as well as forces in the northwest of the province, in order to attack Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Israel, U.S. to Simulate Iranian Missile Attack
(IsraelNN.com) The joint missile defense exercise being prepared by Israel and the United States for next week will involve a mock missile strike by Iran, United Press International reported Tuesday. Air-defense technology and 15 naval vessels have already been deployed by the U.S. to Israel for the Juniper Cobra drill which the two countries conduct every two years since 2000. The exercise help the two nations coordinate their missile and air-defense activities.
The exercise is expected to deliver a "loud and clear" message to Iran, Maariv quoted a high-level Israeli military officer as saying. The drill will be overseen by a senior U.S. Army general and three Patriot missile defense systems may remain in Israel following completion of the exercise.
(See Shirat Devorah for more on Iran here and here.)
Rabbi Yitzchak said: The year that Melech HaMoshiach will be revealed, all the kings (leaders) of the nations will be struggling against each other. The leader of Persia (Iran) will contest with an Arab leader and the Arab leader will go to Aram (the Western Superpowers) to get council from them.
The leader of Persia will respond and destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will be trembling and shaking and falling on their faces. They will be seized by pains like labor pains.
The Jewish people will be trembling and quaking and saying: "Where can we go? Where can we go?" And [Moshiach] will say to them: my children, do not fear! Everything I did I did only for you! Why are you frightened? Don't be afraid--the days of your redemption have arrived!
Report: Iran Planning to Attack Gulf States
(IsraelNN.com) The MEMRI organziation has translated an Alarabiya.net report which says that 40,000 well-trained operatives, mostly Shi'ites, are in the service of Iran in the Arab Gulf states - 3,000 in Kuwait alone. The story is based on an interview with an Arab Ahwazi man who says he was a former undercover agent for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The assessment is in line with an intelligence report from an Iranian regime opposition group. The Ahwazi Islamic Sunni Organization says it has classified Iranian Air Force information that reveals Iran has a comprehensive military plan to attack the Gulf countries using MiG-31 aircraft that it purchased from Syria. It says Iran is preparing secret airports and camps in Ahwaz province, as well as forces in the northwest of the province, in order to attack Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Israel, U.S. to Simulate Iranian Missile Attack
(IsraelNN.com) The joint missile defense exercise being prepared by Israel and the United States for next week will involve a mock missile strike by Iran, United Press International reported Tuesday. Air-defense technology and 15 naval vessels have already been deployed by the U.S. to Israel for the Juniper Cobra drill which the two countries conduct every two years since 2000. The exercise help the two nations coordinate their missile and air-defense activities.
The exercise is expected to deliver a "loud and clear" message to Iran, Maariv quoted a high-level Israeli military officer as saying. The drill will be overseen by a senior U.S. Army general and three Patriot missile defense systems may remain in Israel following completion of the exercise.
(See Shirat Devorah for more on Iran here and here.)
Fourth Day Chol HaMoed TM News
Israel fears violence following arrest of Islamic Movement headSecurity forces fear an outbreak of further violence following the arrest of the leader of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, Sheikh Ra'ad Salah. Salah was arrested, and later released, last night after Police Commissioner David Cohen, State Prosecutor Moshe Lador and Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco decided that Salah would be interrogated about recent statements.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered Salah released four hours after his arrest. Judge Shimon Fineberg accepted the police's argument that Salah's statements could endanger the peace in Jerusalem, but he said it would be enough to keep him out of the city. Salah was ordered to stay out of Jerusalem for 30 days.
Fatah official to 'Post': Violence may lead to 3rd intifada
Recent violence in the capital and the ongoing tensions surrounding the Temple Mount could trigger a third intifada, senior Fatah official Hatem Abdel Kader warned in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
"It's a very sensitive situation," the former Palestinian Authority minister for Jerusalem affairs said as he stood outside a home in the city's Wadi Joz neighborhood.
Officials from the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, including its leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, were among those who had congregated on the home's roof, in response to what they called "recent Israeli actions."
..."Israel's decisions so far have been very dangerous," he said. "And if they don't want things to escalate, the Israelis should back away from this issue. If not, we are afraid that the situation could lead to an explosion - it could lead to a third intifada."
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered Salah released four hours after his arrest. Judge Shimon Fineberg accepted the police's argument that Salah's statements could endanger the peace in Jerusalem, but he said it would be enough to keep him out of the city. Salah was ordered to stay out of Jerusalem for 30 days.
Fatah official to 'Post': Violence may lead to 3rd intifada
Recent violence in the capital and the ongoing tensions surrounding the Temple Mount could trigger a third intifada, senior Fatah official Hatem Abdel Kader warned in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
"It's a very sensitive situation," the former Palestinian Authority minister for Jerusalem affairs said as he stood outside a home in the city's Wadi Joz neighborhood.
Officials from the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, including its leader, Sheikh Raed Salah, were among those who had congregated on the home's roof, in response to what they called "recent Israeli actions."
..."Israel's decisions so far have been very dangerous," he said. "And if they don't want things to escalate, the Israelis should back away from this issue. If not, we are afraid that the situation could lead to an explosion - it could lead to a third intifada."
06 October 2009
Very BIG things going on in our world
Secret meetings have already been held by finance ministers and central bank governors in Russia, China, Japan and Brazil to work on the scheme, which will mean that oil will no longer be priced in dollars.
UN calls for new reserve currencyThe United Nations called on Tuesday for a new global reserve currency to end dollar supremacy which has allowed the United States the "privilege" of building a huge trade deficit.
Gold surges to record high above $1,040Gold surged to a record high above $1,040 per ounce on Tuesday, fueled by a steadily falling U.S. currency, which prompted investors to buy gold as a hedge against dollar-denominated portfolios.
Earthquake Expert Says Quake Activity Building Up
NASA to Bomb Moon on Friday
Third Day Chol Hamoed TM News
Evening Update: (AP)Israeli police bring reinforcements to Jerusalem
— Israeli police mobilized reinforcements from across the country to secure volatile Jerusalem on Tuesday, deploying thousands of officers on city streets for fear days of clashes with Palestinian protesters would escalate.
Police Arrest Sheikh Salah for Incitement, Prepare for Riots(IsraelNN.com) Police Tuesday night arrested Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Raad Salah for instigating the Arab riots that have wrought violence by Arabs in Jerusalem this week. Further riots are feared, both as a reaction to the arrest and to the planned cornerstone ceremony Wednesday for a new Jewish neighborhood in the Jabal Mukhaber area of eastern Jerusalem.
...Salah’s arrest followed another riot in eastern Jerusalem on Tuesday, when one policeman was wounded as 100 Arabs hurled rocks at officers and tried to block a road in a Jewish neighborhood.
(Debka)Israeli security forces are braced for the Islamic violence to peak Friday, Oct. 9, after the television preacher Yusuf Qardawi, spiritual leader of the international Muslim Brotherhood movement, urged all Muslims to mark that day by "defending Al Aqsa" against the shrine's takeover by "the Jews." His influence is enough to bring inflamed Muslims streaming to Jerusalem in Friday. [Hoshana Raba!]
*******************************
Abbas: Jews buying J'lem
Jordan to Israel: Don't let Jews onto Temple Mount
Islamic leader tells Haaretz: Temple Mount clashes won't end until occupation of Jerusalem does
— Israeli police mobilized reinforcements from across the country to secure volatile Jerusalem on Tuesday, deploying thousands of officers on city streets for fear days of clashes with Palestinian protesters would escalate.
Police Arrest Sheikh Salah for Incitement, Prepare for Riots(IsraelNN.com) Police Tuesday night arrested Islamic Movement leader Sheikh Raad Salah for instigating the Arab riots that have wrought violence by Arabs in Jerusalem this week. Further riots are feared, both as a reaction to the arrest and to the planned cornerstone ceremony Wednesday for a new Jewish neighborhood in the Jabal Mukhaber area of eastern Jerusalem.
...Salah’s arrest followed another riot in eastern Jerusalem on Tuesday, when one policeman was wounded as 100 Arabs hurled rocks at officers and tried to block a road in a Jewish neighborhood.
(Debka)Israeli security forces are braced for the Islamic violence to peak Friday, Oct. 9, after the television preacher Yusuf Qardawi, spiritual leader of the international Muslim Brotherhood movement, urged all Muslims to mark that day by "defending Al Aqsa" against the shrine's takeover by "the Jews." His influence is enough to bring inflamed Muslims streaming to Jerusalem in Friday. [Hoshana Raba!]
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Abbas: Jews buying J'lem
Jordan to Israel: Don't let Jews onto Temple Mount
Islamic leader tells Haaretz: Temple Mount clashes won't end until occupation of Jerusalem does
Palestinian official: Israel deliberately sparking fire in Jerusalem
A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday accused Israel of deliberately creating "an extremely dangerous situation" in East Jerusalem, to trigger violence, justify a crackdown and tighten its grip on the disputed city.
"Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire, deliberately escalating tensions in occupied East Jerusalem rather than taking steps to placate the situation," chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement before meetings later this week with U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy.
Raed Salah: We will pay any price to defend Aqsa Mosque
Salah, who leads the Islamic Movement's northern branch, called on all Israeli Arabs and residents of east Jerusalem to immediately make their way to the Old City and "shield the mosque with their bodies."
A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday accused Israel of deliberately creating "an extremely dangerous situation" in East Jerusalem, to trigger violence, justify a crackdown and tighten its grip on the disputed city.
"Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire, deliberately escalating tensions in occupied East Jerusalem rather than taking steps to placate the situation," chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement before meetings later this week with U.S. President Barack Obama's envoy.
Raed Salah: We will pay any price to defend Aqsa Mosque
HOSHA NA!
This is a very, very sad day. The rabbis are trying to do good, but since they do not understand what they are dealing with, they make a chillul Hashem.
It's hard to make Jews understand the language perversion of the Yeshu "believers"---how they can use terms like "Hashem echad" and yet still be the same old Christian of yesterday.
The man says "every Christian" should make this declaration, but he does not consider himself a Christian but a "believer." This is for one reason only. He knows that the word Christian turns off the Jew. But when a "believer" in Yeshu says "HaShem", he thinks YESHU. And when he prays to "HaShem," he pictures YESHU in his mind. And when he says "echad", he means three-in-ONE.
This group of rabbis does a great disservice to Hashem and to Am Yisrael by representing itself as a "Sanhedrin" and attempting to kasher idolaters in His (and our) name.
G-d help us and save us from such a "Sanhedrin."
05 October 2009
Second Day Chol HaMoed Update
(I have a feeling that this situation is destined to escalate. Watch for new additions throughout the day.)
Evening Update: PA: World must prevent Judaization of Jerusalem
...Palestinians have warned that the tensions flaring over access to a holy compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque, an area also revered by Jews as the site of an ancient temple, could, on the background of stalled peace talks, ignite a third uprising.
..."The Palestinian cabinet calls on all international, Arab and Muslim elements to take responsibility for the developments in Israel and force it to put off its attempts to take over Jerusalem and Judaize it," the statement read.
...Ilan Franco, Israel's police chief for Jerusalem, appealed for calm, condemning what he called some isolated people "from all sectors (who) are generating a warlike atmosphere.
Sheikh Khatib: Temple Mount events mark start of difficult era
"The recent events in Jerusalem's Old City mark the beginning of a difficult period, Sheikh Kamal Khatib, the deputy head of the Islamic Movement's branch in northern Israel, told Ynet on Monday, "The al-Aqsa Mosque is ours, and Jerusalem is our city....
Addressing the Muslim world's mild response to the developments in east Jerusalem, Khatib said, "If people in Israel think that that the Muslims are silent, they are gravely mistaken. History has showed us that the Islamic faith will eventually erupt, and when it does there is no telling how things will end."
*********************************
Afternoon Update: Arabs angered by Franco's remarks
The Arab public was enraged Monday by remarks made by Jerusalem District Police Commander Aharon Franco, who, following recent riots at the Temple Mount say "Arabs are ungrateful".
...After a relatively quiet morning at the Temple Mount, it seems Franco's statement is only faming the flames. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee on Monday decided to go to Jerusalem on Tuesday to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque.
..."I fear the events of 2000 may be repeated, and I hope that the government is responsible enough to make the decision to allow Muslims to enter the Temple Mount as usual, and not continue to deny entry. Denying entry is a dangerous thing that will lead to a disaster."
[Read the article in its entirety. They are taking the words right out of our own mouths!]
J'lem: Salah supporters march from Temple Mount to Wadi Joz
Sheikh Raed Salah, who was in Wadi Joz, urged the followers to come in masses to the Temple Mount and said, "We will liberate al-Aqsa with blood and with fire."
[Unwitting prophecy???] Sheikh: Tensions on Temple Mount are start of difficult era
********************************
Palestinians throw rocks at haredim on Mount of Olives
By Abe Selig
Palestinian youths threw rocks at haredim on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives Monday, as thousands of Jewish worshippers flocked to the nearby Western Wall for the Priestly Blessing, and tensions were rising in the area surrounding the Temple Mount.
...Jordan on Sunday evening rebuked Israel for the clashes earlier in the day and expressed dismay at Jerusalem's decision to restrict entry to the Temple Mount on Monday.
Israel's ambassador in Amman, Yaakov Rosen, was summoned for a meeting with the head of Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh's bureau. Rosen was handed a letter demanding that Israel immediately stop the "disturbances" in east Jerusalem and at the Aksa Mosque.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that in the meeting, Rosen stressed that Israel has been handling the situation responsibly, responding with restraint despite the violent provocation by hostile Muslim groups.
Rosen explained that Israel acted legally, and that the clashes in the Old City would not have erupted had the Muslims not incited violence.
Judeh also sent a letter of protest to the ambassadors of the five permanent member-states of the UN Security Council, in which he called on the council to pressure Israel over the matter.
Evening Update: PA: World must prevent Judaization of Jerusalem
...Palestinians have warned that the tensions flaring over access to a holy compound housing the al-Aqsa mosque, an area also revered by Jews as the site of an ancient temple, could, on the background of stalled peace talks, ignite a third uprising.
..."The Palestinian cabinet calls on all international, Arab and Muslim elements to take responsibility for the developments in Israel and force it to put off its attempts to take over Jerusalem and Judaize it," the statement read.
...Ilan Franco, Israel's police chief for Jerusalem, appealed for calm, condemning what he called some isolated people "from all sectors (who) are generating a warlike atmosphere.
Sheikh Khatib: Temple Mount events mark start of difficult era
"The recent events in Jerusalem's Old City mark the beginning of a difficult period, Sheikh Kamal Khatib, the deputy head of the Islamic Movement's branch in northern Israel, told Ynet on Monday, "The al-Aqsa Mosque is ours, and Jerusalem is our city....
Addressing the Muslim world's mild response to the developments in east Jerusalem, Khatib said, "If people in Israel think that that the Muslims are silent, they are gravely mistaken. History has showed us that the Islamic faith will eventually erupt, and when it does there is no telling how things will end."
*********************************
Afternoon Update: Arabs angered by Franco's remarks
The Arab public was enraged Monday by remarks made by Jerusalem District Police Commander Aharon Franco, who, following recent riots at the Temple Mount say "Arabs are ungrateful".
...After a relatively quiet morning at the Temple Mount, it seems Franco's statement is only faming the flames. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee on Monday decided to go to Jerusalem on Tuesday to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque.
..."I fear the events of 2000 may be repeated, and I hope that the government is responsible enough to make the decision to allow Muslims to enter the Temple Mount as usual, and not continue to deny entry. Denying entry is a dangerous thing that will lead to a disaster."
[Read the article in its entirety. They are taking the words right out of our own mouths!]
J'lem: Salah supporters march from Temple Mount to Wadi Joz
Sheikh Raed Salah, who was in Wadi Joz, urged the followers to come in masses to the Temple Mount and said, "We will liberate al-Aqsa with blood and with fire."
[Unwitting prophecy???] Sheikh: Tensions on Temple Mount are start of difficult era
********************************
Palestinians throw rocks at haredim on Mount of Olives
By Abe Selig
Palestinian youths threw rocks at haredim on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives Monday, as thousands of Jewish worshippers flocked to the nearby Western Wall for the Priestly Blessing, and tensions were rising in the area surrounding the Temple Mount.
...Jordan on Sunday evening rebuked Israel for the clashes earlier in the day and expressed dismay at Jerusalem's decision to restrict entry to the Temple Mount on Monday.
Israel's ambassador in Amman, Yaakov Rosen, was summoned for a meeting with the head of Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh's bureau. Rosen was handed a letter demanding that Israel immediately stop the "disturbances" in east Jerusalem and at the Aksa Mosque.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that in the meeting, Rosen stressed that Israel has been handling the situation responsibly, responding with restraint despite the violent provocation by hostile Muslim groups.
Rosen explained that Israel acted legally, and that the clashes in the Old City would not have erupted had the Muslims not incited violence.
Judeh also sent a letter of protest to the ambassadors of the five permanent member-states of the UN Security Council, in which he called on the council to pressure Israel over the matter.
The Situation is Ripe
The morning of the third day of Sukkot. This situation is ripe for leading to a conglagration that will bring the nations into Jerusalem to wrest away our control of Har Habayit.
PA waging diplomatic war over Temple MountBy Barak Ravid and Liel Kyzer
The Palestinian Authority has been waging a diplomatic campaign against Israel for the past two weeks over what it terms "provocations" on the Temple Mount.
At a closed briefing for foreign ambassadors last Tuesday, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad warned that the situation on the mount could quickly deteriorate into a "loss of control" by the PA and asked them to submit official protests to Israel over its "provocations" there, a senior Israeli government official said.
That prompted Sweden, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency, to ask Jerusalem to work to calm the situation during this week's Jewish holidays.
While the PA has always conducted intensive diplomatic activity with regard to Jerusalem, it has previously focused on issues such as Israeli construction in East Jerusalem or the eviction of Palestinian families from homes in the city's Arab neighborhoods. But following the clashes on the Temple Mount last Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, it began warning the international community about the possibility of a conflagration there.
According to reports that have reached Israel about Fayyad's meeting with the ambassadors, the PA prime minister described last Sunday's clashes as "an assault by extremist religious settlers on the Temple Mount compound" and said it was "a provocation planned in advance that was aimed at sabotaging the peace process and derailing [U.S.] President [Barack] Obama's peace initiative."
Warning that the situation on the mount was flammable and could swiftly deteriorate, he added, "I remind you that this is where the Al-Aqsa Intifada began, after [Ariel] Sharon's visit" to the mount in September 2000. "The Palestinians' popular response stems from the Israeli aggression, and we are liable to lose control over events."
He therefore urged the ambassadors to protest to Israel and "demand a change in its behavior" on the mount.
Fayyad's description of last Sunday's events bears no resemblance to Israel's version. According to senior Israeli officials, members of a right-wing Jewish organization did indeed declare their intent to ascend the mount on the morning of September 27, but police prevented them from even entering the Temple Mount compound.
Shortly thereafter, however, a group of French tourists - most of them Christians - came to the mount for a previously arranged tour, and hundreds of Palestinian worshipers, who had apparently been awaiting the right-wing activists, began hurling stones at them. Police responded with tear gas, and in the ensuing clashes, 30 people were wounded - half of them policemen and half Palestinians.
Nevertheless, Fayyad's plea drew a swift response from the United States and many EU countries, all of which demanded explanations of last Sunday's events from Israeli officials.
The United States was satisfied by Israel's explanation and dropped the matter. However, several European countries - headed by Sweden, whose relationship with Israel has also been deteriorating - sent worried messages demanding that Israel work to calm the situation.
The tensions reached a peak last Tuesday, when the Palestinians told several foreign embassies that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intended to accompany right-wing activists to the East Jerusalem village of Silwan to dedicate a new tunnel.
In fact, Netanyahu was merely planning to treat his senior aides to dinner at a nearby restaurant - an event that was ultimately canceled due to a heavy work load. Nevertheless, both American officials in Washington and the U.S. Embassy in Israel contacted the Prime Minister's Office to demand explanations for the alleged tunnel dedication, while senior officials in Sweden's Foreign Ministry demanded similar explanations of Israel's ambassador in Stockholm.
Possible new clashes
Police are now preparing for a possible new round of clashes today, when tens of thousands of Jewish worshipers are expected to come to the Western Wall to hear the traditional priestly blessing.
There were several violent incidents in the Old City Sunday, after the Islamic Movement urged Arab demonstrators to come to the Temple Mount to "defend Al-Aqsa [Mosque]."
In one incident, at about 10 A.M., Arabs from northern Israel and East Jerusalem began throwing stones and bottles at police on Motta Gur St., near the Old City's Lions Gate. Two policemen were lightly wounded and five demonstrators were arrested.
Yesterday afternoon, Arabs threw stones and Molotov cocktails at a Border Police roadblock near the Shuafat refugee camp. The incident produced no casualties.
Also yesterday, police arrested the deputy head of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Kamel Khatib, and Hatem Abdel Qader, who is in charge of Jerusalem for the PA's ruling Fatah party, on suspicion of incitement to violence.
A court released them on bail on condition that they stay out of the Old City for 15 days.
This morning, police plan to restrict entry to the Temple Mount to Muslim worshipers aged 50 or older - a move that has in the past proven effective in preventing clashes on the mount. It will also bar Jews and tourists from entering the mount, to forestall friction with Muslim worshipers.
Thousands of policemen and border policemen will be stationed in the Old City and throughout both East and West Jerusalem to protect the tens of thousands of visitors who are expected to flock there today.
PA waging diplomatic war over Temple MountBy Barak Ravid and Liel Kyzer
The Palestinian Authority has been waging a diplomatic campaign against Israel for the past two weeks over what it terms "provocations" on the Temple Mount.
At a closed briefing for foreign ambassadors last Tuesday, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad warned that the situation on the mount could quickly deteriorate into a "loss of control" by the PA and asked them to submit official protests to Israel over its "provocations" there, a senior Israeli government official said.
That prompted Sweden, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency, to ask Jerusalem to work to calm the situation during this week's Jewish holidays.
While the PA has always conducted intensive diplomatic activity with regard to Jerusalem, it has previously focused on issues such as Israeli construction in East Jerusalem or the eviction of Palestinian families from homes in the city's Arab neighborhoods. But following the clashes on the Temple Mount last Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, it began warning the international community about the possibility of a conflagration there.
According to reports that have reached Israel about Fayyad's meeting with the ambassadors, the PA prime minister described last Sunday's clashes as "an assault by extremist religious settlers on the Temple Mount compound" and said it was "a provocation planned in advance that was aimed at sabotaging the peace process and derailing [U.S.] President [Barack] Obama's peace initiative."
Warning that the situation on the mount was flammable and could swiftly deteriorate, he added, "I remind you that this is where the Al-Aqsa Intifada began, after [Ariel] Sharon's visit" to the mount in September 2000. "The Palestinians' popular response stems from the Israeli aggression, and we are liable to lose control over events."
He therefore urged the ambassadors to protest to Israel and "demand a change in its behavior" on the mount.
Fayyad's description of last Sunday's events bears no resemblance to Israel's version. According to senior Israeli officials, members of a right-wing Jewish organization did indeed declare their intent to ascend the mount on the morning of September 27, but police prevented them from even entering the Temple Mount compound.
Shortly thereafter, however, a group of French tourists - most of them Christians - came to the mount for a previously arranged tour, and hundreds of Palestinian worshipers, who had apparently been awaiting the right-wing activists, began hurling stones at them. Police responded with tear gas, and in the ensuing clashes, 30 people were wounded - half of them policemen and half Palestinians.
Nevertheless, Fayyad's plea drew a swift response from the United States and many EU countries, all of which demanded explanations of last Sunday's events from Israeli officials.
The United States was satisfied by Israel's explanation and dropped the matter. However, several European countries - headed by Sweden, whose relationship with Israel has also been deteriorating - sent worried messages demanding that Israel work to calm the situation.
The tensions reached a peak last Tuesday, when the Palestinians told several foreign embassies that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intended to accompany right-wing activists to the East Jerusalem village of Silwan to dedicate a new tunnel.
In fact, Netanyahu was merely planning to treat his senior aides to dinner at a nearby restaurant - an event that was ultimately canceled due to a heavy work load. Nevertheless, both American officials in Washington and the U.S. Embassy in Israel contacted the Prime Minister's Office to demand explanations for the alleged tunnel dedication, while senior officials in Sweden's Foreign Ministry demanded similar explanations of Israel's ambassador in Stockholm.
Possible new clashes
Police are now preparing for a possible new round of clashes today, when tens of thousands of Jewish worshipers are expected to come to the Western Wall to hear the traditional priestly blessing.
There were several violent incidents in the Old City Sunday, after the Islamic Movement urged Arab demonstrators to come to the Temple Mount to "defend Al-Aqsa [Mosque]."
In one incident, at about 10 A.M., Arabs from northern Israel and East Jerusalem began throwing stones and bottles at police on Motta Gur St., near the Old City's Lions Gate. Two policemen were lightly wounded and five demonstrators were arrested.
Yesterday afternoon, Arabs threw stones and Molotov cocktails at a Border Police roadblock near the Shuafat refugee camp. The incident produced no casualties.
Also yesterday, police arrested the deputy head of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Kamel Khatib, and Hatem Abdel Qader, who is in charge of Jerusalem for the PA's ruling Fatah party, on suspicion of incitement to violence.
A court released them on bail on condition that they stay out of the Old City for 15 days.
This morning, police plan to restrict entry to the Temple Mount to Muslim worshipers aged 50 or older - a move that has in the past proven effective in preventing clashes on the mount. It will also bar Jews and tourists from entering the mount, to forestall friction with Muslim worshipers.
Thousands of policemen and border policemen will be stationed in the Old City and throughout both East and West Jerusalem to protect the tens of thousands of visitors who are expected to flock there today.
04 October 2009
Sukkot Report
It's only the first day of chol hamoed and already it's not the usual Sukkot in Yerushalayim.
Arab Threats Close Temple Mount
US: 'Don't Go to Jerusalem's Old City During Sukkot!'
Rock Attack at Western Wall
Police: No Attack at Western Wall
Border Police Attacked in Shuafat
Rock Attack in Hevron
Rock Attack near Shilo
Arab Threats Close Temple Mount
US: 'Don't Go to Jerusalem's Old City During Sukkot!'
Rock Attack at Western Wall
Police: No Attack at Western Wall
Border Police Attacked in Shuafat
Rock Attack in Hevron
Rock Attack near Shilo
01 October 2009
Redemption on Sukkot?
Ya'akov Avinu left this world on Sukkot and what did he want to do on the last day of his life? He wanted to reveal the keitz to his sons. "It's obvious that gilui hakeitz is on Sukkos! ...The Vilna Gaon said that Milchemet Gog uMagog would happen on Hoshana Rabbah in the last three hours!"
Chag HaSukkot Sameach! Shabbat shalom!!
May this truly be our Zeman Simchateinu with the geulah shleimah!!