"Forgetting vs. Remembering"

22 Kislev 5779
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayeshev

Parashat Vayeshev - Forgetting vs. Remembering - Rabbi Meir Kahane

When a Jew is away from Israel, he must constantly acknowledge that he is a stranger in a foreign land, living among a foreign nation, like one who is with a woman whom he does not know. As Solomon expressed it: And why should you stray, my son, with an alien woman, and hug the bosom of a foreign woman (Proverbs 5:20). [...] Human nature is to forget suffering after some time has passed and one finds refuge and starts to live in peace; then the nekhar (“unknown”) and the nokhri (“foreigner, stranger”) become nikkar (“recognized”) and mukkar (“known”), and the alien land becomes homeland.And indeed, this happened even to Joseph himself:

Joseph thought: When I was in my father’s house…my brothers envied me; now that I am here [in Egypt], I thank You that I live in wealth. G-d said to him: It is so good for you here that you are rebelling. By your life! I will incite the bears against you (Genesis Rabbah 87:4). The Tanhuma says something similar: When Joseph saw himself such [so great, in Potiphar’s service], he began to eat and drink, he curled his hair, and said: Blessed be the Omnipresent Who has caused me to forget my father’s house. G-d said to him: Your father is mourning for you in sackcloth and ashes, and you eat and drink and curl your hair?! For this, your mistress [Potiphar’s wife] will seduce you and cause you grief (Tanhuma, Vayeshev 8).

This teaches that it is not enough for the tzaddik to recognize G-d’s kindness; he must also understand that the purpose of His kindness is solely in order to help him to fulfill his obligation and his destiny. Joseph was indeed obligated to thank G-d for having been saved, and for having found a good life – but he should not have celebrated and rejoiced as long as his father was mourning and suffering. We further see that even though his personal situation in Israel with his family was far worse than his current situation in exile, this feeling was considered a sin, for a Jew is forbidden to forget his true home – and far more so, is forbidden to erase the memory of his true home. And Joseph was punished for this twice over: the first time, when he was thrown into prison; and the second time, when he forgot all [the Torah knowledge] that he had learned, as the Midrash says:

And Jacob arrived unblemished (Genesis 33:18) – Rabbi Yohanan said: unblemished in his learning. But Joseph had forgotten, as he said, G-d has caused me to forget my hardship; and subsequently it is said, The toiling spirit toils for itself (Proverbs 16:26) [in the verse which speaks of toiling in the Torah].

While he was in prison, Joseph failed in his trust in G-d when he asked the chief steward to save him. As our sages said (Shemot Rabbah 7:1), “Joseph really only deserved ten years in prison...yet because he asked the chief steward, 'Remember that I was with you...Say something about me to Pharaoh' (Gen. 40:14), two years were added.”

A Jew who seeks help from a non-Jew out of despair and fear, lest G-d not help him, commits a grave sin. Had Joseph approached the steward with a demand because the steward owed him a favor, that would not have been considered a sin. Yet by petitioning him with a request, indicating that we need a favor from a non-Jew, he profaned G-d's name, showing that he did not trust in G-d but only in flesh and blood. From here we derive a major principle regarding aid from a non-Jew: If the non-Jew gives it as part of mutual aid, or payment for what he owes the Jew, that is allowed. If, however, we approach a non-Jew or a country with a request, like a pauper standing at the door, there is no more severe Chilul HaShem and lack of trust in G-d than this. It is an unatonable sin for a Jew to despair. It constitutes national denial of G-d for Israel to turn to human strength, to non-Jewish allies, and to lean on them while scorning G-d's ability to help.

On the national level, this means : [...] whoever relies on the non-Jew and his aid, and fears that without such aid the Jews and their land will be unable to survive, has been caught by lack of complete trust in G-d, bordering on denial of His existence. The individual Jew and the Jewish people as a whole will not be forgiven if they abandon their faith in G-d, the Supreme, Omnipotent King Who rules over the world and over the nations. He alone is our salvation. Even totally righteous, G-d fearing people fall prey to the terrible sin of lack of trust in G-d. As our sages said (Sotah 48b), “What is meant by 'Who has despised [baz] the day of small things?'(Zechariah 4:10)? What causes the future heavenly reward of the righteous to be squandered [yitbazbez]? Their smallness in not believing in G-d.” Had our sages not said this, we would not dare to put this thought to words.

Yet our sages established a great and frightening principle: that it is possible to be a righteous person, i.e. one who observes Torah and mitzvot, who keeps all of Torah ritual, and still be small of faith. It is appropriate to cry over this, for the signs of this terrible sin can be seen openly in this orphan generation. King David said, “He will bless them that fear the L-rd, both children and adults [lit., 'great and small']” (Ps. 115:14). This hints that some among the G-d fearing have little fear of G-d and little faith. King Solomon warned against the terrible sin of fearing mortal man when he said, “The fear of man brings a snare; but whoever puts his trust in the L-rd shall be set up on high. Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's judgment comes from the L-rd” (Prov. 29:25-26).

This week's Parasha ends accordingly with “Yet the [non-Jewish] chief steward [whom Joseph had asked to remember him] did not remember Joseph, but he forgot him.” (Gen. 40:32)

Interestingly, at the beginning of the redemption from Egypt G-d told Moses to address the Jewish people with a reference to remembrance (although a different word for remembering is used):

“I have assuredly remembered you - pakod pakad’ti:” G-d commanded Moses to use specifically these words because the elders had a tradition that the redeemer would use these words when he would come, and they would thereby know that this was no false messiah: He [G-d] said to him [Moses]: They have a tradition from Joseph that I will redeem them with this word, pakod (“remember”). Go, address them with this sign. (Exodus Rabbah 3:18.)

This also applies to the future redemption of Israel:

Pakod pakad’ti: I have remembered you, and not forgotten you. I have remembered My promise and not forgotten it; I have not redeemed you until now – not because I have forgotten, but because the appointed time has not yet come, the number of years needed to redeem you has not yet passed.

These excerpts were gleaned from Rabbi Meir Kahane's Peirush HaMaccabee – Shemot – Chapter 2 and 3 and from The Jewish Idea, Chapter 'Faith and Trust'.

~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~

"The Story They Never Taught You in School"

21 Kislev 5779

Chanukah - Hanah and her 7 sons, Rav Yehuda Richter, part 1

Jews in America Are Being Set Up

20 Kislev 5779

When President Trump went against all calls to condemn Saudi Arabia's gruesome murder of a Washington Post journalist, one of the reasons he gave was: "If you look at Israel, Israel would be in big trouble without Saudi Arabia." (See Trump: Israel Needs Saudi Arabia)

In the wake of news about three more US servicemen being killed in action yesterday in Afghanistan, President Trump remarks today: "We have reached a point where we don't have to stay in the Middle East. One reason to stay is Israel,...." (See Trump: U.S. Troops Will Remain in the Middle East for Israel)

In consequence, Jews in America can surely look forward to more scenes like this one...

SHOCKING FOOTAGE: Angry Residents Shout “We Don’t Want You” at Rabbi Trying to Build Girls School in Nanuet – “That Was The Attitude in PITTSBURGH”



Jews in America, get the message! HKB"H is ending the exile. Get with the program! Come home now!

After Pittsburgh, Another American "First"

19 Kislev 5779

"We will stay here. We're not going anywhere."



They just don't get it. Read story HERE.

A Place Among the Nations - On the Moon

18 Kislev 5779

"Why Is Anti-Semitism on the Rise?"

17 Kislev 5779

The Pittsburgh Massacre: Why is Anti-Semitism on the Rise?

"Fearing No One But G-d"

15 Kislev 5779
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayishlach

Parashat Vayishlach - Fearing no one but G-d - Rabbi Meir Kahane

“As a muddied fountain and a polluted spring, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked” (Prov. 25:26) [...] G-d said to Jacob, “Esau was walking on his way, and you sent him a message, saying, “Your servant Jacob says...” (Excerpt from Bereshit Rabbah 75,2)

G-d had promised Jacob that He would be with him, and had Jacob believed this and not feared Esau, Esau would have gone on his way. Through his fear, Jacob brought Esau upon himself by sending him messengers and by his servile use of, “Your servant Jacob.” Tanchuma Yashan (Vayishlach,4) teaches, “Jacob sent [vayishlach] messengers...to his brother Esau” (Gen. 32:4): G-d lamented: “Alas [Vai!] Jacob was sending messengers to Esau!” Likewise, regarding the verse, “So shall you say to my Lord Esau” (32:5), our sages comment (Bereshit Rabbah 75:11), “G-d said to him, 'You degraded yourself and called Esau 'my lord' eight times. I swear that I shall make eight of his offspring precede yours as kings.”

To understand the pitfall of lack of bitachon (trust in G-d), we must ponder the following verse: “He selected a 'mincha' for his brother Esau from what he had with him... These he gave to his servants... He said to his servants, “When my brother Esau encounters you, he will ask, 'To whom do you belong?'... You must reply, 'It belongs to your servant Jacob. It is a 'mincha' to my master Esau'”...Jacob said to himself, “I will win him over with the 'mincha' that is being sent ahead”... He sent the mincha ahead. (Gen. 32:4,17-19,21-22) A 'mincha' is a gift or present, but it is also the name of an offering or prayer. The offering whose specific name is mincha is brought from plants, either wheat or barley, and is called mincha because it is brought not only as a gift or present but also out of self-sacrifice and trust in G-d.

Our sages said (Menachot 104b): Why in the case of the mincha does it say "nefesh", (soul)? [“If an individual [nefesh] presents a meal-offering to the L-rd” (Lev. 2:1)], whereas regarding the olah, or burnt-offering, it says, “When one person [adam] brings an offering to the L-rd” (Lev. 1:2).] G-d said, “Who normally brings the mincha? The poor man. I shall treat him as having sacrificed his life before Me.” A poor man is unable to bring an animal, and even the flour he brings for his meal-offering involves self-sacrifice for him. Surely this is the true purpose of the korban, or sacrifice – that one sacrifice oneself and thereby bring oneself closer to G-d. The poor man, although even the meal-offering is as hard for him as sacrificing his life, still brings it, trusting in G-d to worry for him about his livelihood. This offering is called 'mincha', from the word "nach", “passed away”, as if the poor man bringing the mincha has died. For that same reason, the prayer preceding evening is called mincha.[...] It is called this because when the sun is already turning westward to rest [lanuach], to set, this is the time of mincha and of trusting in G-d. The light is dimming, darkness is approaching, and a person trusts that after the darkness of night, the sun will rise again and there will be light. The time for mincha is when sunset and darkness are approaching. This is why it is called mincha. Every mincha is tied to trust in G-d, and to poverty and humility before the One Who is Master of all. G-d will bring light and day once again. He will bring a livelihood to the poor man who brought Him his fine flour. He will save Israel from all its mighty enemies ...

[...] Jacob took the mincha, our gift to G-d, representing man's lowliness before his Maker, and his faith and trust in Him, and he transferred these sentiments to Esau. This reflected great lack of bitachon (trust in G-d), as in Rashbam's explanation of why Jacob was smitten in hist struggle with the angelic prince of Esau (on Gen. 39:29): Jacob was smitten and ended up with a limp, because G-d made a promise to him while he was fleeing. Just so, all who refuse to take G-d's path, or who take an opposing path, are punished.

In Rav Kahane's “Peirush HaMaccabee” we find: There were two people to whom G-d made promises but were afraid…: One was the choicest of the Patriarchs – this is Jacob, as it says, For Hashem chose Jacob to Himself (Psalms 135:4) [i.e. this verse testifies that Jacob was the chosen of the three Fathers]. And G-d said to him, And behold I am with you (Genesis 28:15) – and yet, eventually he was afraid, as it says, And Jacob was greatly afraid (ibid. 32:7). And the other was the choicest of the prophets – this is Moses, as it says, He said He would destroy them [the Israelites], had Moses, His chosen one, not stood in the breach before Him (Psalms 106:23). And G-d said to him, Because I will be with you – and yet, eventually he was afraid [of Og, king of Bashan], as it says, And Hashem said to Moses: Do not be afraid of him (Numbers 21:34); and one would only admonish “do not be afraid” to one who is afraid. – (Genesis Rabbah 76:1). This commandment, do not be afraid, is a difficult one to obey, and a major commandment. But the person whom G-d has sent on His mission must stand firm in his trust in Him. And if he has committed sins, he must understand that even though sins can indeed annul G-d’s promises, this will not happen as long as he is fulfilling a defined mission, according to G-d’s specific decree. [...] There is a moral here. Jacob feared Esau only because he was concerned that his own sins might have caused G-d to annul His promise to him: All these years, [Esau] was dwelling in the Land of Israel – meaning that he is coming against me with the power of having settled the Land of Israel… and meaning that he is coming against me with the power of having honored his father and mother (Genesis Rabbah 76:2). Nevertheless, he was wrong to be afraid, and was punished for having feared Esau. G-d had, after all, given him an explicit command – which entailed precisely the attributes of faith and trust in G-d – to return to the Land of Israel; and He surely would not have commanded him to endanger himself by returning to Israel had his sins been liable to annul the promise. To the contrary: this command was designed to test his trust in G-d against Esau – but he was afraid, and was therefore punished.

Faith and trust in G-d are no small matter. The Jewish People must prove their trust in G-d by difficult, frightening, and sometimes ostensibly dangerous acts, acts that demand of Israel courage, acts which by their very nature show disdain for the non-Jew, anger him and threaten to bring a confrontation between him and Israel, and all must be performed with complete faith and trust that if Israel do what is decreed upon them, then G-d, too, will fulfill what he promised His treasured nation.

Precisely this proves one's true faith and trust, for it is impossible that one who fears mortal man really believes in G-d. Real trust in G-d requires the Jew both to trust in Him and cast off all fear of mortal man and reliance on human aid. [...] Whoever accepts this principle of bitachon (trust in G-d) unreservedly, truly believes that G-d is the One Supreme Power, G-d of heaven and earth. Whoever hesitates, whoever fears the non-Jew, shows that he questions G-d's ability to help His people. It is doubtful, whether he completely believes in G-d as an Omnipotent Supreme Power.

Compiled by Tzipora Liron-Pinner from "The Jewish Idea" and "Peirush HaMaccabee on Shemot" of Rabbi Meir Kahane, HY"D

"A Good Arab Is..."

14 Kislev 5779

Rabbi Yehuda Richter on "A good Arab is..."

Growing Strength of ROC Threatens Israel

13 Kislev 5779

(If you haven't already, please read Putin the Pious first.)

President Putin and Patriarch Kirill

This has been passing completely below my radar, but, as you will see as you read further, the threats coming "from the North" are stronger than we imagined.

Present mirrors past in how the Russian Orthodox Church relates to Judaism.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch announces church-government inquiry to prove that the Tsar was killed in 1917 as part of a Jewish ritual

Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church says he's working with Vladimir Putin to convene a Church-based inquiry into whether the execution of the royal family by revolutionaries in 1917 was actually a Jewish ritual killing; this appears to be an actual thing the Russian state is about to do, with many details confirmed in a public statement by Moscow's General Prosecutor.

Reviving Old Lies to Unite a New Russia

Many Russians, especially among radical nationalist groups, accept the charge of ritual murder as part of a vicious conspiracy theory: that rather than a Bolshevik crime, the Romanovs’ murder was the product of a Judeo-Masonic plot to sacrifice the czar’s family in a religious ritual intended to symbolize a murder of the Russian people.

The accusation of ritual murder, of course, has a much longer history. In the violent anti-Semitism that pervaded the czarist empire, the murder of a Christian child in murky circumstances would typically be attributed to Jews, who were falsely accused of needing the blood of a child for religious rituals — the infamous “blood libel.”

Such pernicious lies helped provoke particularly brutal eruptions against Jews in Russia, making the word “pogrom” part of a gruesome universal vocabulary. One of the most notorious pogroms broke out in Kishinev (now Chisinau, Moldova) on the Easter Sunday of April 17, 1903, after anti-Semitic groups accused Jews there of committing a “ritual murder.” For two days, the authorities did nothing to stop the rampage of a drunken mob; 49 Jews were killed, over 500 wounded and an unknown number of women raped.

...The fact is that the Kremlin has been relying on the church more than ever, unleashing fundamentalist forces and turning a political campaign into a moral crusade. And at the center of the Kremlin’s efforts, promoting patriotic causes, is Bishop Tikhon, the chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture and a member of the Presidential Council for Culture.

...the Kremlin and the church, which face a declining ethnic Russian population and rising numbers of Muslims, are on a Russification campaign to make the multiethnic Russian Federation a more homogeneous nation-state united by Russian people and the Orthodox Church.

Mr. Putin seems determined to ride a wave of Russian nationalism, Christian fundamentalism and anti-Semitism like the one 100 years ago that helped bring the Russian empire to the cataclysm of war and revolution.

Turning their backs to the lessons of the past, church and state are again unleashing sinister forces of right-wing extremism and marching hand in hand into a dark unknown.

And whether there was "collusion" with Russia during the 2016 presidential election or not, we see the same dynamics at work in the Trump era of the USA. There is a Christian Dominionist Vice President waiting in the wings with many more sitting quietly in key positions. There is no doubt that they would admire and sympathize with Putin's religious agenda. Putin is making Russia "great again."

Russian Orthodox Church revival under Putin continues

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has been expanding at the rate of nearly 1,000 churches a year, according to its head, Patriarch Kirill. Speaking at the Council of Bishops in Moscow, Kirill said the ROC now numbers 34,764 churches. Five thousand have been built or restored since 2009.

The Church has 361 bishops, nearly 40,000 priests and deacons, 455 monasteries and 471 convents.

The position of the ROC under the presidency of Vladimir Putin has strengthened considerably and it is increasingly identified with a nationalist agenda. Putin himself revealed in 2012 that he was illicitly baptised as an infant at the behest of his mother against the wishes of his staunchly Communist father at a time when the Church was still out of favour.

Around 23,000 churches fell into disrepair or were demolished during Communist rule. However, Putin has sought to reverse this decline, signing orders restoring some of the Church's large landholdings confiscated under Communism.

Now, what does this mean for Jews in Israel? What happens when East and West unite to take Jerusalem? Gog uMagog.

Between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Middle East Crisis

In a speech delivered on May 6 last, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, defined the Russian war in Syria as a conflict "against global terrorism" and hence suggested a "holy war" to free not only the Middle East, but also the entire Christian civilization, from this "fierce and deceitful enemy."

Russia as a "third Rome," after the first falling and the second failing, because it surrendered to the profane world.

Patriarch Kirill believes that Christians are in terrible danger in many countries – and this is the reason why the Head of the Russian Orthodox Church cherishes good memories of the meeting he had in Cuba with Pope Francis.

A meeting that, as Patriarch Kirill said, "took place in the right place and at the right time." After one thousand years.

The Church of Rome has realized that modern society is failing and that an alliance of religions is needed to save the world. This is an idea that the Patriarch of Moscow has always had and, after the USSR collapse, Russia can finally work freely with the West.

And Patriarch Kirill has certainly been the least pro-Soviet of the Orthodox Fathers.

In other words, the Russian Church – closely linked to the new regime of Vladimir Putin, who never forgets his role as believer – is thinking of an agreement, not necessarily hegemonic, with the Roman Church.

An agreement to overcome the "two worlds," the East and the West, and unite and federate the Middle East, the cradle of the faith (and of the faiths) and the strategic axis between the East and the West.

...According to Patriarch Kirill, however, peace in the Middle East can be certainly achieved with the new relationship established with the Church of Rome, but above all, by reactivating the old "Orthodox Imperial Society of Palestine," which shall reacquire all the huge and ancient Russian properties in the Middle East.

The Society also wants to reacquire the Israeli side of the Monastery of Saints Cyril and Methodius and put back in order the Monastery of Alexandrovsky in Jerusalem, as well as the other eleven churches and the three Orthodox sites still owned by the Russian Orthodox Church outside the motherland.

One of the largest and symbolically most important properties of the Churches in all the Sacred Places, which Patriarch Kirill (and Putin) will use with extreme subtlety to conquer Middle East peoples’ minds and hearts.
The cross of the Slavic Church has two inscriptions in Russian, which are very important, especially today: "For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet" (Isaiah, 62).

Hence, Patriarch Kirill’s underlying idea is to return to the pre-revolutionary situation when there were over 100 Orthodox schools and education institutes in 50 different cities throughout Syria.

An immense cultural and political presence that no media propaganda can supplant and replace.

Currently, 500 Palestinian children are already attending the Russian school in Bethlehem, opened under the aegis of the Imperial Society.

...Hence, another asset of the Russian Church, which is preparing Russia’s expansion throughout the region, between Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, by taking credit for the protection of Christians, including those faithful to Rome.

...Patriarch Kirill's goals also include support for the small, but growing Catholic community speaking Hebrew and operating in Israel, as well as defining fixed dates for pilgrimages to the Holy Land so as to maintain a continuous flow of faithful from abroad.

According to Patriarch Kirill, all Christian communities are protected in Israel.

And the Jewish State can develop – without losing its identity – into a political entity protecting religious minorities throughout the Middle East.

The great presence of Russian migrants in the Jewish State makes many Orthodox pilgrims "feel at home," and the current agreement between Russia and Israel on passports makes everything easier.

Also at a religious level, the Russian Orthodoxy is essentially a geopolitical project to protect all Christian minorities throughout the Middle East – as "major shareholder" of Christianity – as well as to collaborate with the Vatican, which still has a pro-Western geopolitics, and finally create a cultural and religious climate to support Russia's operations.

In short, Patriarch Kirill wants Israel to collaborate with his interreligious project. He particularly appreciates the significant presence of the Jewish State in Russia and proposes a relationship between Orthodox people and Judaism, foreshadowing – at a religious level – the future bilateral and preferential relationship between Russia and Israel.

As to Saudi Arabia, the Russian Church has supported President Putin's policy of opening, by maintaining that all the Islamic countries, often hit by ISIS, such as Saudi Arabia, must enter an interreligious alliance against extremism and terrorism in a multilateral context.

...Hence, while in the Greater Middle East, the Westerners ally with vast Islamic communities known as "moderates," the Russian Orthodox Church becomes the united pole of all the Christians in the region. Furthermore, while the Vatican reduces its presence in the core of the Islamic world, to avoid retaliation or to promote dialogue with the Mohammedans in Europe, the Russian Church establishes a stable relationship with all religious faiths in the region. Finally, while Islam has its own statehood, the Orthodox Russia treats us amicably; while Judaism discusses in theological terms, the Russian Church extends the interreligious debate also to Israel.

Hence, for Russia, the construction of religious hegemony, which seems to be the necessary shadow of Putin’s project for multipolar control over the Middle East after the United States being forced to leave the region, due to the many mistakes made, thus leaving it in the hands of unreliable "friends."

An ominous and dire threat that I'm sure most of us had no inkling of until now. I certainly never dreamed that Russia's war in Syria had a religious basis. Hashem help and protect us!

"Putin the Pious"

12 Kislev 5779

President Putin immerses himself in the icy waters at Lake
Seliger during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in January.ALEXEI DRUZHININ/KREMLIN VIAREUTERS

Putin's Puritan Piety: The Ideological War against the West

During the Cold War, American conservatives used to label the Soviet Union "the godless nation" on the verge of collapse because it had purged religion from the Russian society. Two decades later, the Kremlin is occupied by a former officer of the KGB, secretly baptized, who launches the same accusation of atheism at the United States and the West.

Welcome to "Putin's covert war on Western decadence", as The Spectator defined it:

"Putin's Russia is fast becoming a very puritan place. Ever since returning to the presidency in 2012, Putin has pursued an increasingly religious-conservative ideology both at home and abroad, defining Russia as a moral fortress against sexual licence and decadence, porn and gay rights".

Recently, Russian officials censored porn websites. When the largest pornography site on the internet, PornHub, offered the Russia's official communications and media watchdog a premium account in exchange for lifting the ban, Russian officials replied: "Sorry, we are not in the market and the demography is not a commodity."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's ideological war against the West is getting cocky and self-confident. In a televised speech from a Kremlin hall, Putin declared that Russian traditional family values are a bulwark against the West's "so-called tolerance -- genderless and infertile."

"Many Euro-Atlantic countries have abandoned their roots, including Christian values," said Putin. The patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Kirill, echoed Putin by charging the West of being engaged in a "spiritual disarmament" of the Russian people, and by criticizing the European laws that prevent wearing religious symbols in public. "We have experienced an era of atheism and we know what it means to live without God", Kirill said.

The first ten years of Putin's dominance were devoid of any religious and cultural reference. Putin and his circle never mentioned any "values", and did not try to teach any moral lessons to the West. The second Putin decade has been marked by a "conservative revolution" based on the revival of an isolated Russian Orthodox culture, separated for centuries from European civilization. "Putin wants to make Russia into the traditional values capital of the world," said Masha Gessen, author of a Putin biography, entitled The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. In the Russian media, Putin is now called "the savior of the decadent West."

...Vladimir Putin has presided for years over the great revival of Orthodox Christianity. On the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution, the Russian church had 50,000 parishes and 60 schools. By 1941, Stalin had eliminated the church as a public institution. Every monastery and seminary had been closed. With the fall of communism in 1991, the church began to rebuild its devastated institutional life. Putin's Russia is returning to the concept of Byzantine symphonia -- an approach in which church and state work together.

...The first Cold War was a clash between Western democracy and the Soviet dictatorship of the proletariat. Western freedom crushed the Soviet gulags. The new Cold War is a one between Western liberalism and Russian conservatism.

This turn of events will not bode well for Israel while it is currently culturally aligned with the Wicked West.
_____________________________

Tomorrow, iy"H, the renewed influence of the Russian Orthodox Church and what it might portend for Israel.

Bibi Goes Too Far

12 Kislev 5779

Last week, PM Binyamin Netanyahu said he would like to step down from the Premiership, but that there was no one else to step up and take over - meaning, I took it, that no one in view was as qualified as he to do the job. I think he truly believes it. 

Today, he reportedly has said:

“I don’t need others to protect me. I protect. I protect this country, I protect the security, I protect our children,” Netanyahu said. “There has never been a prime minister who has faced so many pressures and has stood up to them. Others would have run away. It won’t happen with me.”

Someone should tell him: "Before destruction comes pride, and before stumbling comes a haughty spirit."  ~ Proverbs 16:18:

Note to my fellow citizens: If you want a truly "right-wing" government, you are going to have to go further right than Likud and Jewish Home. Furthermore, if you are going to vote at all, you are going to have to vote for the right person regardless of your calculations as to their chances of winning and leave the winning to HKB"H! 

Hanukah - American Style!

11 Kislev 5779

God help us and save us from today's Hellenists!!!

...As part of strengthening the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish People in the Diaspora, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, together with dozens of Jewish and Zionist organizations, will inaugurate a new tradition – a March of Solidarity with Diaspora Jewry.

About 5,000 marchers from varied backgrounds will join the parade, including: soldiers, university students, high school students and youth movement members; members of organizations working in cooperation with the Diaspora Jewry, members of Knesset, Israeli government ministers and honored guests from Israel and abroad.

...The parade will include marching bands, huge floats that will feature displays from the Jewish world, enormous displays, and gala performances by Netchi Netch and Matisyahu. The parade will also includes floats from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.   (Source)

"No Tranquility for the Righteous"

8 Kislev 5779
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayetze

Parashat Vayetze - No Tranquility for the Righteous - Rav Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane

“Yaakov went out” and “Yaakov sat.”

“And Yaakov went out” - This seemingly innocent opening of our Parasha is really not as simple as it may appear. Think about it: From where is Yaakov going out and where is he going to? He is departing from Yitzchak and Rivka's warm home, from the cozy tent (as the verse says, “he dwelt in tents”), from a pure and wholesome environment (and Yaakov was “tam”, meaning wholesome or pure). And where is he headed? To a cold, cruel world of murderers and swindlers. Yaakov, a wholesome, pure man, whose only desire is to serve G-d, finds himself fleeing from his brother who wants to kill him. He is on the way to a place he is not at all familiar with. Sure, it's his uncle. But what kind of uncle is this? Lavan the Aramite, the cheat and scoundrel. Does Yaakov really need all this grief?

Remember, Yaakov tried to avoid all this in the first place. It wasn't his idea to steal the blessings, which was what got him into this mess in the first place. It was his righteous mother who incited him to do it. Yaakov wanted to sit in his tent, to bask in the radiance of his father, to absorb Torah from him, to elevate himself spiritually. And now? He is alone and unsure of his destination, with but a stick in his hand. This is a situation he never dreamed he would find himself in. And again, where is he headed? To his uncle. If only he knew what waits for him there. With brothers and uncles like that, who needs enemies? How are we supposed to understand this? Why does G-d wish to see Yaakov go through all these difficult circumstances? Esau, Lavan, and let us remember his greatest sorrow of all – the loss of Yosef. Why doesn't G-d allow this righteous man, whose entire life's goal is to sit in the tent of Torah and serve G-d – why doesn't G-d allow him to fulfill his aspirations? Instead, this man of enormous potential must waste his thoughts and his efforts in scheming how to avoid his murderous brother. Is this not a waste of talent? Isn't there a more optimal way this spiritual giant can use his time? What is the reason for all these trials and tribulations which befall Yaakov, turning his life into one of brutal hardships, a life he himself sums up as: - “few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.”

In order to understand, “And Yaakov went out”, we must understand “And Yaakov sat”, which is two Parashot ahead of us. On this seemingly mundane phrase “And Yaakov sat”, the sages tell us: “Yaakov desired to sit in peace, but there sprang upon him the troubles of Yosef. When the righteous desire to sit in tranquility, the Almighty says: Is it not sufficient for the righteous that which is prepared for them in the world to come, but they seek to sit in tranquility in this world too!”

What is so wrong about wanting to sit in tranquility? Don't the righteous deserve it? This is basically the same question we have been asking all along. And the answer is a resounding, No! The righteous are not supposed to sit in tranquility. Yaakov was put on this earth to be a “And Yaakov went out” man, and not a “And Yaakov sat” type of person. This is a novel idea in this generation. For up to now, we have been taught that the complete Jew is one who spends all his time learning in the Beit Midrash. Not true. There is a time for sitting in the Beit Midrash and a time to go out to the people. People are suffering. There are ideals that must be fought for. There are problems that must be solved.

Therefore, it is wrong to think that Yaakov “went to waste” wandering and investing energies to foil con-men and murderers. All these experiences, which may seem as needless aggravation and wastes of time, bring the Jew to loftier heights. A Jew who must face all this while remaining steadfast in spreading G-d's word and doing the right things; the one who takes on the wicked - and does it all out of a connection to G-d and guidance from the Torah he is engrossed in during every moment available to him – such a Jew reaches far greater heights than the one who dismisses himself from such “politics,” and sits only in the Beit Midrash. Yaakov is a symbol for the sons who succeeded him, the nation of Israel. Yaakov does not sit in tranquility. The days of Messiah have not yet arrived.

Jew! In this world there are problems which are sometimes difficult, and one must deal with them, and if necessary, fight them. This is part of your destiny. Why do you think there is Esau and Lavan in this world? For you! They did not sprout up by themselves. G-d created them! They exist in order to harass the wholesome Jew. They exist to test him. And the tests are difficult ones. True, you do not have to go and look for tests. But don't worry, they will find you. Each one according to what has been designated for him. But take comfort, Jew: In the end, these tests and trials mold you and give you the chance to reach greater heights, and to prove your faith and trust in G-d. And that's what being a Jew is all about.

The “gedolim” of all generations, who are our guiding light from the days of Avraham until today – they are people who never fled from struggles. When Yaakov starts to fatigue, and it happens, G-d throws all kinds of challenges his way – events which awaken him from the cocoon of tranquility he tries to curl himself into. They awaken him and say: Yaakov, Yaakov, there is no rest in this world! Don't worry, don't take it too hard – if only you knew what awaits you in the next world! And then he is awakened, inspirited, anxious to do battle. We are amazed to see Yaakov, this pure and simple man being forced to deal with the devious Lavan, and overcoming him. Sure, Yaakov is “tam,” but when he leaves his tent, he knows how to deal with evil...

From "The writings of Rav Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane, HY"D ", commentary on Parashat Vayetze

"The Pittsburgh Eleven"

7 Kislev 5779

STOLEN LIGHT

6 Kislev 5779


FAKE NEWS! "Today's Evangelical Christians have given up 'Replacement Theology.'"

It's just another lie in a 2,000-year string of perfidious lies. They still believe the answers all reside with them and THEIR understanding of OUR Tanakh.

You remember the Garlows. ("Meet the Missionaries - The Garlows") He was the pastor of the San Diego Church that, after establishing a sister Messianic Congregation, established "branches" of their church in three centers of power: the Capitol in Washington, D.C., the UN in New York City, and the Knesset in Jerusalem. 

Jim Garlow Transitioning From Local Church Pastor to Leading Governmental Ministries

...Pastor Garlow, however, is now answering a call to a national and international focus on governmental ministries and believes that our nation and all nations are poised for a touch from God.

...he will lead the unique ministries in governmental cities that were begun by Skyline Church in recent years. Skyline Church is setting up a new organization that consolidates these various ministries, to be led by Garlow.

Toward the end of 2018, he will shift his full-time focus to bringing "worship of the Lord  [Yeshu, c"v] and learning from the Word [Tanakh+NT]" to such strategic locations as the Capitol building and the various agencies in Washington, D.C. (begun in 2014) and the United Nations in New York City (begun in 2017).

...Garlow, along with his wife, Rosemary..., will continue to co-sponsor the Bible (Tanakh) study in partnership with a Jewish organization—Israel 365—which was begun earlier this year in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in Jerusalem, led by Member of the Knesset Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who leads the Knesset Caucus for the Encouragement of Bible Study. Rosemary has invested deeply in Jewish-Christian relationships,....

...Pastor Garlow and his wife, Rosemary, will continue to reside most of the time in San Diego, yet New York City, Washington, D.C., and Jerusalem will become "second homes" as they attempt to bring the blessing of God to those who work in high-level political and governmental life.

Jim Garlow Leaves Pastorate, Launches Well Versed Governmental Ministry

...Garlow is now the CEO and founder of a new ministry called Well Versed that is "meeting humanitarian needs ... differently."

The phrase "well versed" comes from his 2016 book titled Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today's Tough Issues that lays out the scriptural underpinnings to 30 political topics.

Garlow and his wife, Rosemary Schindler Garlow, will now focus full-time on governmental ministries in Washington, D.C., New York City and Jerusalem, as well as other global cities.

"God has used all of our lives to this point to prepare us for this moment, for God's kingdom-purpose," Rosemary says.

The ministry helps national and international leaders become "well versed" in God's principles for the governance of nations. They do so by establishing relationships with political leaders and assisting them in understanding the scriptural principles of government by hosting special gatherings in the centers of influence.

In other words, they have stolen the "light" that God gave to Israel to disperse and since they were not entrusted with it, they were never made fit to transmit it. A greater chutzpah simply does not exist.

...In addition to the Well Versed ministry, the Garlows will be involved in what has been labeled "faith diplomacy." During the 2016 election, Garlow served on the Trump Faith Advisory Board, now referred to as the "White House Faith Leaders Initiative."

From time to time, small delegations of these White House faith leaders have traveled to various countries to meet with heads of state, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala and others. They recently met with President Juan Orlando Hernandez when he was in Washington, D.C.

Although the White House Faith Leaders do not formally represent the president or any governmental agency in these meetings, the "faith missions" have proved to be highly beneficial.

In the upcoming months, Garlow and his wife, along with a small delegation, will be meeting with heads of state in some Eastern European and Latin American countries. In addition, the couple is scheduled to be at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, as well as in Africa and Asia.

..."We will be bringing groups of people to Washington, D.C., and New York City to see what God is doing in restoring biblical truth in governmental places, and bringing people to Jerusalem to see the ways in which Christians can stand in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people," Garlow says.

Replacement theology is still very much alive and well and kicking. Hashem, ad matai!?

Key to Riches, Honor and Fame - "Love" Israel

6 Kislev 5779

FRIENDS OF ZION BUILDING $100 MILLION SOCIAL NETWORK CAMPUS

50 MILLION ‘FRIENDS OF ZION’ CELEBRATE PASTOR JOHN HAGEE

...Hagee arrived in Israel with a group of over one a hundred Christian Zionists and was honored after he and his group toured the Friends of Zion Museum. Founder of the Friends of Zion Museum Dr. Mike Evans presented Hagee with an award for his steadfast support of Israel and the Jewish people.

...Since 2015, Hagee has been working with the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem on a $100 million project that reveals the heroic stories of the courageous Christians and non-Jews who have assisted the Jewish people throughout the Zionist movement, as well as in critical times such as the Holocaust.

Reminder about what 'Friends of Zion' is: "Meet the Missionaries - FoZ"

They come right out and say we OWE the Christians because we would not exist today without their help. This is meant to engender mutual "love." 

The Idols Are Falling

5 Kislev 5779

Who would ever have thought that the vaunted IDF would lose a war simply through inaction? But you can't win when your "leader" is a loser.

From JPost Live Updates on the latest "flare-up" in Gaza...

[8:41] Report: Security cabinet members don't see extension of IDF activities

Security cabinet members reportedly expect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to order an extension of IDF activities, Army Radio reported.

According to the report the purpose of the cabinet meeting is to find a way to ensure Hamas bears the necessary responsibility for the escalation of violence.

But, even this is a losing gambit because the world has already laid the blame for "the escalation in violence" at the door of Israel's "botched raid" inside Gaza on Sunday night.

The Prime Minister of the "Jewish" State which the Zionists touted as the safest place for Jews, where Jews would defend Jews, is willing to let his nation suffer, be injured and even die if it saves Israel's so-called "standing" in the world community. Maybe I should amend that. He is willing to let the periphery of Israel suffer, but would the story be the same if the target were Tel Aviv?

Jewish Israelis put their faith in a "right-wing" secular government and in the might of the IDF. Today, those idols are falling. And soon, every Jewish Israeli is going to understand that only HKB"H is worthy of our trust and faith.

There are a new set of messages from the Jewish autistic people HERE. In one of them from 27 Tishrei 5779, "Esther" writes the following:

"...There is going to be a huge tragedy. It will concern Yisrael, but it won't be in Yisrael, after this, there will be one thing after another until there will be a huge war...." 

The first thing I thought of that could fit this description is the "Pittsburgh Massacre." If so, then perhaps this time Gaza really will blow up into WW3. Hashem yishmor aleynu!



RELATED: Ashkelon couple was only found under rubble an hour after rocket strike

Civilian says he discovered dead man and seriously injured woman after police, firefighters had left the scene; ‘It was a terrible screw-up,’ neighbor says

First responders and police came under censure on Tuesday morning after it emerged that a man and a woman whose apartment was directly hit by a rocket from the Gaza Strip weren’t found for an entire hour after the attack.

The man was killed and the woman was seriously injured when the projectile hit an apartment building in Ashkelon shortly after midnight. The rocket appeared to hit the upper floors of the four-story apartment building, leaving a gaping hole in its side.

The man, in his 40s, was found dead under the rubble, according to the United Hatzalah rescue service. The woman, also in her 40s, was found in serious condition near the man and was rushed to the city’s Barzilai Hospital for treatment.

Reports in Hebrew media identified the man as a West Bank Palestinian living in Israel without documentation, while the woman was identified as his wife. Neighbors said they hadn’t known the two.

"For Three Transgressions, But Not for Four"

4 Kislev 5779

Yesterday's post makes it abundantly clear that there is no Jewish sovereignty over the Land of Israel, not even a secular sovereignty. If you follow news reports closely, it is abundantly clear that we are ruled by a puppet regime of the United States. Jerusalem makes no moves without prior approval of its master in Washington. Gentiles complain that we are not a proper "light to the nations" and yet it is they who, at the same time, tie our hands behind our backs making it impossible to do so!

This situation cannot continue because it costs not only Jewish lives and property, but it brings advancement of the Jewish mission in the world to a standstill. This is what truly delays the redemption, as well as the assimilation of Western thinking that makes too many Jews think that being Eisav's "little brother" and following in his path is a wonderful thing.

It is the Anglo Axis - Britain and America - with the cooperation of the Erev Rav, who have consistently held us back from achieving our destiny in this land. And it won't stop until HKB"H brings them to their knees.

Jason Greenblatt is back in town still floating his "neither side will like everything in the peace plan" as if to bolster the US position as "fair" arbiter. He continues also to tantalize the public with announcements that the great unveiling will happen "soon." And says that "compromise" will be required from all sides. They don't yet understand, since they deal mainly with the Erev Rav, that for real Jews, there is NO COMPROMISING our Holy Torah. In this aspect, we have much more in common with the neighboring Arabs.

In typical Eisavian style, the "peace"-promoters think economic incentives will induce the Arabs to compromise, but the Arabs merely take insult at that and rightly so; not that they won't take advantage of such opportunities as a means to further weaken the Jews until they can manage to kill us all.

WITH MIDEAST PEACE PLAN, KUSHNER PREPARES HIS DEBUT
Trump's son-in-law will be the public face of his White House peace effort, breaking a two-year habit of working behind the scenes.

WASHINGTON – At a standing desk in his cramped, high-ceilinged West Wing office, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser has labored for nearly two years over a detailed plan for peace in the Middle East. Along the way he has granted a mere handful of interviews, none of which have provided much in substance of a plan that has, up until now, remained the administration’s most closely guarded secret.

But we’re about to see a lot more of Jared Kushner. As he puts the finishing touches on a project he hopes to be his crowning achievement in government, Kushner is preparing to sell it to the public.

State Department sources tell The Jerusalem Post that Kushner recently visited Foggy Bottom to begin preparing for a more public role centered on the plan. Moving into the spotlight would be a relatively new format for the prodigal son-in-law, who has rarely spoken in public since entering the White House. While Trump is likely to announce the plan in a formal speech, Kushner is expected, from that point on, to serve as the public face of the peace effort.

White House officials insist the administration has not settled on a strategic communications strategy for the roll out. But Kushner has beefed up his communications staff in recent weeks with outside hires and State Department veterans as he prepares for the plan’s release. He is anticipating intense media interest both in the contents of the plan, as well as its news value as a vehicle to discuss Kushner’s effectiveness as a government official.

...At the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said he wanted to release the plan by the end of this calendar year. But fallout from the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and columnist for The Washington Post, may have altered the plans of his peace team, which has configured the plan to build off of a burgeoning alignment between Israel and the Sunni Arab world.

The Prophet Amos famously said "For three transgressions...[I have looked away], but for four I will not pardon them...." The prophecy concerns "the downfall of wicked nations" according to the commentary.

Rashi says on the first chapter of Amos...

For three transgressions of etc.: As it is stated (Job 33:29) “Lo, all these things does God work, twice, yea, thrice, with a man.” But He does not forgive more (according to Shem Ephraim). And here, it is as follows: I have already behaved toward them according to My standard, to forgive them for three transgressions, and if there are more, surely the smaller number is included in the larger amount.

yea for four I will not return them: For the fourth transgression, I need no longer return him empty- handed from taking his recompense from Me, and surely since there are many transgressions in their hands; now I will visit upon them the retribution for threshing the inhabitants of Gilead, their neighbors.

The Prophet Amos does not define the "three sins," but the fourth which delivered the well-earned judgment concerned persecution of His children - the Israelites. HKB"H tolerates a lot from the nations, allowing them time to repent, but when they start causing trouble for His children, that's already the limit and judgment swiftly follows.

Do you think (1) legalized abortion-on-demand; (2) recognition of "gay marriage;" or (3) wars of conquest for riches and resources in the Middle East and its resultant miseries for the resident populations are cause enough for judgment? Not yet, but when the US starts promoting "peace" between Israel and her enemies that requires "compromise" on Israel's part - compromise of the mission and destiny for which the Nation of Israel was brought into existence - that's where the line is drawn.

It is primarily for this sin that judgment falls on the nations, but their punishment will include their other sins as well. 

It probably applies equally across the West, but taking the United States as an example, since they have taken the lead in promoting a false peace against Israel's interests, it's clear that economic prosperity is their number one concern. Even the public has proclaimed at the polls that the health of their economy is their main issue when voting. And no doubt, America's involvement with Israel's affairs has, at its heart, mainly an economic component. Therefore, their economy will be the vehicle by which HKB"H brings them down. Hence we see storm and flood and fire destroying property without end. 

Yet, still, they persist with making "The Deal of the Century." They won't stop until HKB"H forces them to stop. But, what is it going to take? I shudder to think.

Who Looks Out For Jewish Interests?

3 Kislev 5779

Here is a situation of which the Jewish public needs to be aware. Here is the history...

Heads of churches in Jerusalem on [September 4, 2017] criticized what they see as a breach of the status quo in the capital, claiming there is a “systematic attempt to undermine the integrity of the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and to weaken the Christian presence.”

In a joint statement the leaders said, “We now find ourselves united once again in condemning recent further encroachment on the status quo,” the churches said. “In such matters as this, the Heads of the Churches are resolute and united in our opposition to any action by any authority or group that undermines those laws, agreements, and regulations that have ordered our life for centuries.” [Meaning, before the Holy Land returned to Jewish sovereignty.]

The church leaders are referring to two contentious issues that surfaced in recent months.

The first is a Jerusalem District Court ruling from last month saying that the purchase of three major compounds adjacent to Jaffa Gate in the Old City were carried out legally, and as a result, were transferred from the Greek-Orthodox church to the rightwing NGO Ateret Kohanim Yeshiva, according to a Maariv report.

The second issue is a bill proposed by the Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria which is signed by 39 other MKs across the political spectrum, that seeks to nationalize lands owned by churches in west Jerusalem and sold to private entrepreneurs.

The bill aims to prevent exploitation of residents who live on these properties. [Primarily Jews.]

Churches leased the disputed properties in west Jerusalem to the Jewish National Fund, mainly in the 1950s, parts of which it sold to residents living there. In the next 20-50 years the lease periods will end, and the churches have reportedly sold parcels of the land to private entrepreneurs – a deal that affects the residents, and creates future uncertainty.

It was reported that even now – before the lease periods have ended – the residents are facing uncertainty over mortgage and making upgrades to properties, such as installing an elevator in buildings.

The bill proposes to compensate all sides that would be harmed from the nationalizing of land.

The churches statement is signed by senior Christian leaders of Jerusalem, including Greek Patriarch Theophilos III; Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian; Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa; and Archbishop Aba Embakob of the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate.

The heads of churches added that they call on world leaders to intervene and help them protect the status quo.

“We therefore, as those to whom Divine Providence has entrusted the care of both the holy sites and the pastoral oversight of the living, indigenous Christian communities of the Holy Land, call upon our fellow Church leaders and faithful around the world, as well as the heads of governments, and all people of good will, to support us in order to ensure that no further attempts are made from any quarter to change the historical status quo and its provisions and spirit,” the statement reads.

“We cannot stress strongly enough the very serious situation that this recent systematic assault on the status quo has had on the integrity of Jerusalem and on the well-being of the Christian communities of the Holy Land, as well as on the stability of our society,” it adds.

Azaria, who is also a former Jerusalem city councilwoman, told The Jerusalem Post in response to the letter that the she intends to protect the residents living on the disputed lands, and has no intentions to weaken the Christian presence in the capital.

“The land ownership bill I initiated has one goal only: to protect the residents. There is a group of wealthy entrepreneurs that bought the land from the church and thousands of residents in Jerusalem can find themselves homeless, after they purchased their homes fair and square,” she said.

“This law is not a breach of the status quo mainly because it does not apply to church-owned lands, but only to the lands bought by real estate entrepreneurs,” she added. (Source)

Related Issue: Jerusalem seeks end to tax breaks on church-owned properties
City council says exemptions wrongly given to commercial real estate owned by Christian institutions

Israel suspends plan to tax Jerusalem church properties

A little over a year on, US Congressmen have answered the Churches' call for help:

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers, including a top democratic senator and seven congressmen, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo protesting Israel’s advancement of the so-called "properties bill," which aims to nationalize properties used for housing that were owned by the church and sold to private entrepreneurs.

[See letter here.]

...“We are concerned that this bill threatens the sustainability of the historic Christian presence in Jerusalem,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Pompeo, obtained by The Jerusalem Post.

Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria proposed the bill, signed by 61 lawmakers, in response to the Greek Orthodox Church’s recent sale of its control of 50 hectares (about 124 acres) of land in the capital, containing more than 1,000 housing units, to an anonymous group of investors.

Azaria’s bill proposes that the rights to land leased to the JNF or anyone else by the Greek Orthodox Church, and then sold, will go to the state. The state will compensate whomever bought the rights from the church.

The lawmakers wrote that if the bill proceeds, it will make it “impossible for the churches to continue to deliver their ministry within the wider community.”

 [This is a nonsensical claim based on nothing.]

They asked that the US government do everything “within its power to work with the government of Israel to resolve this matter and ensure a lasting resolution of the church properties issue.”

In the most recent letter sent by Netanyahu to the church leader in July, he told them "since receiving your letter, Minister Tzahi Hanegbi has met with representatives of relevant government ministries in order to study the issues and to explore an equitable solution. He has also recommended that the specific legislation in question be withdrawn."

Just like in the matter of taxes in the "related issue" above, this "Jewish" government in the "Jewish" State has once again set aside the protection of "Jewish" rights and "Jewish" life in favor of kowtowing to the demands of the nations. Netanyahu is the most spineless leader ever to sit in the Prime Minister's office! His constant capitulation is shameful!

[Another related issue: US Ambassador for Religious Freedom]

So who looks out for Jewish interests? ONLY HaKadosh Baruch Hu!