May 2004
May 3, 2004 The Truth about the Women of MachsomWatch
May 5, 2004 Likud has Decided: Israel is Promised Land!
May 6, 2004 Condoleezza Rice fundraises for the PA
May 7, 2004 Upcoming Activities
May 7, 2004 Disengagement from Reality
May 9, 2004 And the world still remains silent
May 9, 2004 An American Christian Zionist Referendum
May 10, 2004 An American Christian Zionist Referendum - Commentary
May 11, 2004 Different Views of President Bush's "Achievements"
May 12, 2004 What's Behind the Double Standard
May 13, 2004 Muslim Europe
May 13, 2004 A Word to the Wise
May 13, 2004 Abandoning our Jewish Obligations - Cause for Terror
May 17, 2004 Can The Left Claim Innocence?
May 19, 2004 World War Against the Non-Muslim World
May 20, 2004 The War that Dare Not Speak Its Name
May 21, 2004 Thursday, Isru Chag Shavuot, May 27th 2004
May 27, 2004 The Big Lie Which Planted Seeds of Global Jihad
May 28, 2004 Upcoming Activities
May 31, 2004 This is the Enemy
May 31, 2004 Old Fool
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May 3, 2004
The Truth about the Women of MachsomWatch
by Nadia Matar
This is an English translation of an article that was written in Hebrew for
the "Jerusalem Newspaper", which appeared in that paper on April 23,
2004.
A few weeks ago the Association for Civil Rights in Israel awarded the
women of MachsomWatch the "Civil Rights Emblem." "Machsom" in
Hebrew means army checkpoint. The Israeli public was told that
MachsomWatch is a group of women spread out at IDF checkpoints in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, to objectively monitor what is happening, and
ensure that IDF soldiers protect the civil rights of the Palestinian Arabs
who enter the area of pre-1967 Israel. The media portrayed the group in a
favorable light, and we heard only raves and plaudits about them.
We want to shatter this lie, and to tell the People of Israel just who the
women of MachsomWatch really are. As part of our activities in Women in
Green, we go to IDF checkpoints every week to give the soldiers drinks,
refreshments, and a lot of love. We often encounter a small group of
women from MachsomWatch, and every time this happens, we are shocked
by their outrageous behavior.
These women, a considerable portion of whom also belong to the extreme
leftist movement "Women in Black," stand next to IDF checkpoints with
obvious hostility to our soldiers and clear sympathy for the Arab
population. They unceasingly photograph our soldiers, shame them in
front of the Arabs, go among the Arabs with notebook and pen and incite
them against the IDF by asking the Arabs if they have complaints against
any of the soldiers. Naturally, the Arabs are only too happy to comply.
Without checking the veracity of the accusations, these women
immediately file complaints against the soldiers. A soldier who does his
duty properly and conducts a thorough and lengthy examination of an Arab
and his belongings is subjected to curses and vilification from the
MachsomWatch women. These women, who threaten to file complaints
against the soldiers every minute, are actually encouraging the soldiers to
do their work sloppily, and thereby endanger the security of Israeli citizens.
Proof to their dangerous harm, was given last week when an Arab suicide
bomber blew himself up at the Erez checkpoint and killed the soldier Kfir
Ohayon, H"YD. Kfir's father Avi was interviewed on the day of the funeral,
and he clearly accused the activists of the Left for bringing upon his son's
death. Avi said that two days before the Arab suicide attack, his son Kfir
was dealing with an Arab at the checkpoint who refused to lift his shirt.
[The Arabs need to lift their shirt to show no suicide belt is attached to their
chest]. Kfir acted as expected from a soldier, took the Arab- at gunpoint- to
another room and checked him. An activist woman of the Left who
witnessed the event, complained against Kfir, saying he "dealt too harshly"
with that Arab. Avi told the radio how his son Kfir called him at midnight,
worrying about the complaint against him [complaints at the army police
that stick with those soldiers also later, in civil life]. Two days later Kfir was
killed and Avi says clearly that his son probably did not do his job as well
as he should have, for fear of more complaints against him. This is just one
proof among many, that those women not only harass our soldiers, but
actually endanger our soldier's lives.
Therefore, if we're dealing with prizes - the women of MachsomWatch
should receive a black mark for their collaboration with the Arab enemy,
while the IDF soldiers at the checkpoints, they are the ones who deserve
the Civil Rights Emblem. Simply put, it is their hard work at the checkpoints
that is meant to protect the basic civil right of every Israeli citizen: the right
to live.
The Women in Green movement, has decided to establish a Fifth Column
Watch team on behalf of our precious soldiers. The team, whose sole aim
is to defend our soldiers against harassment by the women from
MachsomWatch, will monitor the activity of these women, photograph
them, and if necessary, file complaints with the police on the charges of
incitement, collaboration with the enemy, disturbing soldiers in the
fulfillment of their duties, insulting a public servant (a soldier), and other
crimes. We go from checkpoint to checkpoint, and hand out to the soldiers
leaflets explaining them their rights and helping them to protect
themselves legally from the Leftist harassment. We also sent out hundreds
of letters to army personnel and many public figures, explaining the
damage those women do and urging the army to prevent those women
from coming near our soldiers. We invite the public to volunteer for this
activity. Details appear in the "Fifth Column Watch" section of our Hebrew
web site: www.womeningreen.org.il.
(The horrible murder of a pregnant mother and her four daughters in the
Gaza area only highlights the insensitivity of these women of
MachsomWatch and that of the entire radical left in Israel. The results of
the vote by the members of the Likud Party, overwhelmingly rejected
Sharon's proposal to evict Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel and
the entire communities in which they live.
That vote expresses the true mood of the people of Israel, who are
outraged by the disloyal behavior of those who are left oriented. There is a
time and place for watching out for the civil rights of minority groups.
However, where the Arab populace remains significantly silent in
connection with the brutal murders of women and children, and hides and
shelters terrorist fugitives, it is not fitting for left-oriented women to
endanger the life of soldiers and Jewish citizens.
Criticism of our soldiers in the fulfillment of their responsibilities to ensure
the safety and security of the Jewish People, in an atmosphere where lethal
Arab terror reigns, makes no sense whatsoever, and should not be
allowed.)
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May 5, 2004
The Membership of Likud has Decided: Israel is the Promised Land!
The aftermath of the results of the landslide vote of Likud members against
the Sharon disengagement plan is still not fully known. The U.S.
presidential spokesperson states that the U.S., despite the Likud vote,
intends to go forward with the Plan. That was to be expected, but the
statement should not be taken seriously. Certainly the democratic vote
taken by the members of the ruling party in Israel, has to be considered
significant and meaningful by a democracy, which the U.S. purports to be.
Although consistently inconsistent as to its terror policy with regard to
Israel, its claim to be a shining example of Democracy would be tarnished
by ignoring the democratic vote of the members of the Likud Party.
The overwhelming vote of the Likud members against the Sharon Plan,
must have a great deal of significance for Sharon as well. Even his
Defense Minister Mofaz has pointed out that this vote by Likud members,
has to be taken into account with regard to any future policy of Israel
towards the Arabs.
One thing is certain. A new awareness of the effective measures that can
be taken has been learned by everyone concerned in Israel. Personal visits
to people's homes has proven to be an important tool to be employed in
the future, with regard to issues of national significance. Moreover, when
properly motivated, one need not belong to any particular Party, to present
facts that are of great concern to all the People of Israel. This message
from the successful campaign which preceded the vote in question, is
something the extra-parliamentary groups must learn.
One thing is clear, the fact is that the Arabs are practicing ethnic cleansing
in their own countries as far as Jews are concerned. They would also do
so in Gaza and any other areas abandoned by Israel. This Arab practice
cannot be tolerated by the Jewish People or any Government of Israel in
the Promised Land.
Ethnic cleansing is undemocratic and would create an uproar, if executed
against any minority in the world. Gaza is part and parcel of the Land
Promised in the Bible to the Jewish People, by the L-rd Himself. (Genesis
15:18, Joshua 15:47, Judges 1:18). The Jewish People should not permit
any Israel Government to allow the Arabs to practice ethnic cleansing in
any part of its Land.
Despite the Likud members vote, it will take many months before the U.S.,
the EU, the UN and Russia can properly react thereto. They met recently in
New York and endorsed the Disengagement Plan. In light of the
democratic vote of the members of the ruling party in Israel, it would be
astonishing if such vote is ignored by those pushing the unrealistic "Road
Map" Plan. Israel is an independent nation. The right of Israel's People to
be free from terror cannot be ignored, neither by the Israeli Government
nor by anyone else. Of course, the kind of leadership needed is one which
speaks in moral terms, as did the Prophets of old. Up to now, no such
leader has appeared on the horizon in Israel. May he come soon and in our
day!
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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May 6, 2004
Condoleezza Rice fundraises for the PA
By Michael Freund
Jerusalem Post, May 5, 2004
Congratulations would appear to be in order for US National Security
Adviser Condoleezza Rice. In addition to her already weighty
responsibilities as President George W. Bush's chief adviser and
confidante, Rice has now added a new task to her resume: chief fund-raiser
for Yasser Arafat. According to a May 3 article in The Washington Post, the
Bush administration has launched a "diplomatic offensive" aimed at
allaying Arab concerns regarding the president's recent embrace of Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan.
Among other things, the paper notes, "the administration in recent days
has tried to emphasize its concern for the Palestinians." This has included
an effort to drum up financial support for the PA. "As part of the diplomatic
offensive," the report says, "national security adviser Condoleezza Rice
last week called some Arab countries that were behind in making payments
to shore up the Palestinian Authority."
Isn't that thoughtful of her. With American casualties mounting daily in
Iraq, Osama Bin-Laden still on the run, and North Korea threatening to
develop more nuclear weapons, doesn't Rice have better things to do than
making sure Arafat can balance his checkbook? Indeed, Rice's telethon on
behalf of the PA is particularly astonishing in light of some of the
Palestinians' recent actions.
Just this past weekend the PA transferred funds to Hamas-affiliated
organizations in Gaza, claiming that economic conditions in the territories
were the reason for the move. But if the PA itself is truly in such need of
funds that the US national security adviser must intervene, why is it
showering money on Hamas terrorists?
Moreover, it is difficult to comprehend why Rice is seeking to keep the PA
afloat despite all the evidence indicating that it is actively engaged in terror
against Israel.
In the past three years, and particularly during Operation Defensive Shield,
Israel has uncovered thousands of official PA documents including many
with Arafat's handwritten approval proving direct PA financing of terrorist
attacks and other acts of violence.
Even the State Department, in its annual report released last month on
"Global Patterns of Terrorism," linked the PA with terror."The PA's efforts
to thwart terrorist operations were minimal in 2003," the report said, and
"some personnel in the security services, including several senior officers,
have continued to assist terrorist perations." Doesn't Rice read her own
government's reports? If not, then she is probably also unaware that PA
incitement against both Israel and the US has continued unabated in recent
months.
The Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), an official arm of the US
government, monitors electronic and print media worldwide and publishes
a daily digest of translations.
According to the FBIS, PA television broadcast a Friday prayer sermon
from the Zayid bin-Sultan mosque in Gaza on March 26, in which the
preacher called upon Allah to "shake the land under the Zionists and the
United States and its allies. O Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, the
Americans, and their supporters. O Allah, avenge the blood of our
martyrs."
Just two weeks earlier, the FBIS reported, a sermon broadcast on PA
television on March 14 had this to say: "Here are the Jews today taking
revenge for their grandfathers and ancestors, the sons of apes and pigs
This is the extremist tendency of Jews. They are extremists and terrorists
who deserve death, while we deserve life, since we have a just cause."
More recently, on April 30, a Palestinian preacher again prayed for the
downfall of America, telling his audience on PA television, "O Allah,
support our kinfolk in Iraq. O Allah, direct the shots of the holy warriors for
your sake. O Allah, shake the land under the pillars of the United States
and its allies." This too was documented in a FBIS digest, yet that does not
appear to have prevented Rice from seeking to bail the PA out of financial
trouble.
IT HAS been nearly seven months now since three Americans were killed
by Palestinian terrorists in an attack on a US diplomatic convoy in Gaza on
October 15. Under US pressure the Palestinians eventually arrested several
suspects, who then "escaped" from a Palestinian prison last month under
extremely suspicious circumstances. Last month it was reported that the
US now has evidence indicating that PA Chairman Arafat personally
authorized the attack in order to "convey a message" to Washington
(Ma'ariv, April 14).
Based on Rice's recent telephone activity, it would seem fair to say that the
message has gotten through loud and clear; for instead of shutting down
all financial support to the PA, Washington is inexplicably trying to keep
Arafat's lines of credit open. In so doing, the Bush administration is not
only undermining the moral clarity of its own war on terror, it is also
indirectly facilitating the funding of anti-Israel terrorist attacks.
If Rice insists on continuing to serve as a fundraiser, she would do well to
consider adopting a better cause to promote. Rather than collecting money
for Yasser Arafat and his hired hands of terror, she might wish to lend a
hand to their many victims. They are, I would think, far more deserving of
her time and assistance.
--------------------------------------
The writer served as deputy director of communications & policy planning
under former premier Binyamin Netanyahu
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May 7, 2004
Upcoming Activities
1)A delegation of Women in Green went on Wednesday to Gush Katif to
pay a
shiva call to David Hatuel, whose pregnant wife Tali and their 4 daughters
were murdered by Arab Nazis. The shiva took place in their beautiful home
in katif. Everybody coming in immediately saw how Tali HY"D had invested
so
much love and devotion to every detail in the house. Mourning with David
are Tali's parents, her two sisters and one brother. Tali's mother warmly
greeted us and told us to pass on the message that the People of Israel
must stand united and strong. Only then do we have a chance against our
enemies. Since the brutal murder, she said that hundreds of people keep
on
calling the family and showing support.
Expressions of sympathy for David Hatuel of Katif can be sent to him via
his neighbor, Irit Ben-Aryeh, whose email address is abirit@zahav.net.il
After visiting the mourners, Women in Green went to the 3 different
kindergartens in Katif and handed out toys to the children, telling them
how much we love them and care for them.
One of the women in charge told us how devastated she was by the
murder. As
a kindergarten teacher, she had taught 3 out of the 4 Hatuel girls.
In Katif we were told to pass on the message that it is important to
protest against the Supreme Court judges who denied the army's request,
months ago, to raze down empty Arab buildings next to the road where Tali
and the girls were murdered. Those empty buildings were used by the Arab
Nazis to hide and kill the Hatuels.
Women in Green call upon all to join the different activities that will
take place against the Supreme Court. First demonstration is organized by
Atty Baruch Ben Yossef this coming Sunday at 3:00pm in Jerusalem at the
Supreme court.
Here is his flyer:
The High Court of Justice must be held directly responsible for the brutal
murder of Tali Chatual and her four young daughters. As the Chief of Staff
of the I.D.F. Yaalon voiced out after the murder that despite security
demands that dictated the destruction of houses used constantly for cover
by the terrorists, the Aharon Barak legal system prevented the destruction
of the houses. The five righteous ones paid with their lives because of the
liberal, perverted judges.
For years now, the High Court has stood behind terrorism, caring for the
rights of terrorists, so by placing the Jewish People in needless danger.
Justices who do not place their own lives in danger to protect Jews, have
no right to tie the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces in shackles of
perverted morality.
The only mission of the I.D.F. is to totally eradicate the terror of the
Arab enemy. This mission justifies any and all means required to do so.
We
are totally fed up with the High Court that is completely in support of the
enemy.
The demonstration will begin at 15:00 in front of the Supreme Court
Building to be followed by demonstration for Jonathon Pollard at the Rose
Garden across from the Knesset at 17:00.
for details call Baruch Ben Yossef 053-285-623
2) FREE NOAM FEDERMAN!
Noam Federman is still in jail- in administrative detention- it is now 8
months! and nobody knows why! No court- no way of defending himself.
Motsaei Shabbat, 8-5-04 at 10:00pm
DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF THE ASHKELON PRISON
Organized by the committee to Free Noam Federman
A Lag baOmer bonfire will be organized on the spot
3) FREE JONATHAN POLLARD!
Sunday, Lag baOmer, 9-5-04 at 5:00pm in Jerusalem Rose gardens
Massive demonstration demanding Jonathan's release with the
participation
of Rabbis, Mk's and public figures.
Organized by the Committee to free Jonathan.
Performing: Sinai Tor, Mordechai Fisher and Yaron Oz
For details: 054-5684481 www.freepollard.org
4) FIFTH COLUMN WATCH
Women in Green's efforts are starting to bear fruit. We have sent hundreds
of letters to army people and public figures demanding to stop the activity
of the extreme leftist Machsomwatch women. More and more people are
aware
of the harm those women do. More and more articles are appearing in the
Hebrew press telling the public about our activities and explaining the
horrendous things those leftists women do.
The latest (fair) article appeared on Wednesday May 5th in Hebrew on the
famous YNET website.
Link to the article: http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/1,7340,2912211,00.html
TUESDAY, May 11th we will go to the Aram, Kalandya and Bethlehem IDF
checkpoints. Media people will be joining us.
Leaving with our cars from Jerusalem the Inbal (Laromme) hotel at 9:30am.
Anybody who needs to reserve a seat- please call Nadia 050-5-500-834 or
Anita 050-5-777-254
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May 7, 2004
DISENGAGEMENT FROM REALITY
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by Moshe Saperstein
As a former New Yorker living in Israel for the past thirty-seven years I am
delighted
that the internet allows me to read my favorite hometown paper every day.
Permit me,
then, to express my disappointment at "Sharon's Setback" by Eric
Fettmann, a columnist I
usually admire.
I live in Neve Dekalim, the largest of the 21 communities that make up the
Gush Katif
bloc of Jewish habitation in the Gaza Strip. Not one inch of the land on
which our homes,
farms and factories are built was taken from Arab residents. They were
built on sand
dunes which we, as foretold in the Bible, have transformed from desert into
a small
paradise. It would be bitter enough if our reward for steadfastness in the
face of three and
one-half years of unceasing and unrelenting Arab warfare would be
expulsion for some
greater benefit to the people and State of Israel. With heavy hearts we
would accept the
need for our sacrifice. But to be expelled in exchange for nothing? That is
unbearable.
Not one single benefit claimed by Mr. Sharon stands up to examination.
The plan is called a Disengagement Plan. Disengagement means
separation. But
according to the plan Israel continues to provide Gazan Arabs with food,
water,
electricity and fuel, and Gazan Arabs can continue to work within the Green
Line and to
ship their products for sale in Israel or transshipment abroad through
Israeli ports. Clearly
the only thing being separated are Jews from their land.
Mr. Sharon claims that leaving Gaza will increase Israel's security. The late
Yitzhak
Rabin, no friend of "settlers", stated that "If Gush Katif didn't exist we
would have to
invent it." He explained that the existence of Jewish communities in Gaza
provided the
reason for an Israel Defense Forces presence in the area, a presence that
would keep
Gazan Arabs from organizing large scale attacks on Jews within the Green
Line.
If the Israel Navy radar base opposite my home is dismantled how will we
know of arms
smuggling by small ships? Unless we have developed a method of
examining planes in
flight, how will we prevent arms being flown in to the Dahaniya airport in
Gaza? As to
troops in the so-called Philadelphia Corridor separating Gaza and Egyptian
Sinai, Mr.
Sharon has already agreed to American requests that the IDF stay be of
limited duration.
Mr. Sharon has stated that chaos will reign in Gaza, and that various Arab
factions will be
busy killing each other. Even if this doubtful proposition is accurate, for
how long will
such a situation continue? Two days, two weeks, two months? Following
which they will
return to their favorite activity of killing Jews. Is our expulsion worth a
short period of
relative quiet?
Mr. Sharon states that the absence of Jews in Gaza will deprive Arabs of an
excuse to
attack. Since when have Arabs needed an excuse to attack Jews? Excuses
aplenty are
provided to the Western media hungry to justify Arab atrocities. But in the
Arab media it
is clear that the simple existence of Jews is justification for their
extermination.
Perhaps Mr. Sharon's greatest success has been in convincing people that
he has won
President Bush's approval for his plan that will strengthen Israel's hold
over settlement
blocs in Judea and Samaria. Certainly his supplicants were arriving in
Washington with
greater frequency than the F train arrives at the East Broadway station.
[When I lived
there it was the D train.] But even a cursory examination of the Bush letter
indicates that
other than a photo-op Mr. Sharon received nothing. The much-touted
comment about no
going back to the 1967 borders because of demographic facts on the
ground covers the
Jerusalem neighborhoods built since the Six-Day War. And nothing else.
As Secretary of
State Powell stated the day after publication of President Bush's letter,
"America's Middle
East policy has not changed."
As to the so-called "security wall that Sharon is building", the wall may be
solid but the
security is a mirage. Though politicians view it as the Holy Grail, military
people who
haven't metamorphosed into politicians view it as the Maginot Line. The
large wall
separating Gush Katif from Khan Yunis hasn't prevented over 4000
mortars, missiles and
rockets from being fired at us since Rosh Hashanah 2000. And just
yesterday tunnels
were discovered under the wall leading in to our community.
"Yet the plan," Mr. Fettmann writes, "… surely has the support of a large
majority of
Israelis." Might I remind him that a week before the Likud referendum polls
gave Mr.
Sharon a double-digit majority, yet he lost by 60%-40%. Israelis bought the
Brooklyn
Bridge when we agreed to the Oslo Accords. We're not going to be
suckered again. The
average Israeli has twice the common sense of the politicians that lead us,
and four times
the common sense of our intellectual elite.
One last example of the absurdity of Mr. Sharon's plan. Clause Five
mandates that Israel
will once again provide military training and arms for the "Palestinian
Security Services"
at a time when Sharon declares that there is no reliable Palestinian peace
partner. Don't
Mr. Fettmann and his colleagues see the logical disconnect?
It is unfortunate that Mr. Fettmann and his colleagues have suspended
their critical
faculties and put their trust in Mr. Sharon. We prefer to put our trust in the
Almighty.
Mr. Sharon's so-called disengagement plan represents Jewish despair. The
Israeli citizens
of Judea, Samaria and Gaza represent Jewish optimism. And in Israel it is
the dreamers,
not the pragmatists, who are the realists.
*******************************************************
May 9, 2004
And the world still remains silent
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
There are only a couple of possible explanations for why the world is not
out
even now, protesting the intentional murder of a pregnant woman and her
four
young daughters by Palestinian gunmen.
I think it's clear that had the shooters been Israeli soldiers and the victims
a Palestinian family, millions of righteously indignant protesters would
have
hit the streets and the airwaves calling for the capture and punishment of
the
murderers and, no doubt, the immediate dismantling of "the Zionist entity."
They do that when a Palestinian civilian gets unintentionally caught in the
crossfire. They do it when actual gunmen and terrorists are killed. They do
it
when fences are constructed to keep the killers out. They do it when
terrorists' houses - their houses, not their families - are destroyed. They do
not do it when defenseless Jewish women and children are gunned down
in the
street.
There are only a limited number of explanations for this - none of them very
pleasant.
One must realize that we are talking about the intentional murder of a
pregnant
woman and four little girls. Someone had to take aim at and shoot an
obviously
pregnant woman and four small children ages 2 to 11. This was not a case
of
accidental collateral damage. This was a targeted killing. And, I'm sorry, but
there is absolutely no moral equivalency between the targeted killing of an
armed (or even an unarmed) terrorist mastermind, and the murder of an
unarmed
pregnant woman and her children, no matter how much certain people
would like
there to be. It is the difference not between apples and oranges, but
between
apples and skyscrapers.
Had the victims been any other pregnant woman and her children,
practically
anywhere else in the world, there would have been a deafening hew and
cry.
So, either much of the world is OK with the Jews as victims or they have a
very
low opinion of Arabs.
What I mean is, that unless there is a collective understanding that Jews
are
unimportant, expendable or worse, justifiable targets, the only other
explanation is that the world feels the Palestinian Arabs are simply
incapable
of civilized behavior. Unless the world is collectively thinking, "well,
they're Arabs, what do you expect?" then we can explain the deafening
silence
over this atrocity only through worldwide, systemic and deeply entrenched
anti-
Semitism.
I'm not crazy about either explanation, but I think I hope it's the former,
because there is some chance for the Arabs themselves to change that
perception
by behaving in a civilized manner, and by calling on their misguided
brethren
to do so, too.
The latter explanation, on the other hand, has terrifying and far-reaching
implications that I'd prefer not to contemplate, and which people all over
the
world, in the United States in particular, are dismissing as impossible.
Unfortunately, those of us familiar with history know that dismissing
unpleasantness out of hand doesn't make it go away. On the contrary, it
allows
it to fester and grow.
If the international acquiescence to or rationalization of the murder of that
Jewish family isn't a function of anti-Semitism or a belief that no better
behavior can be expected from Palestinian Arabs, then it can only be a fear,
a
terror as it were, that to speak out against the wholesale slaughter of
innocent Jewish men, women and even children may bring the wrath of the
proverbial Hun down upon the protester.
If that's it we're all doomed, of course, because that means the terrorists
have already won.
(What make these murders even more horrendous, is the fact that the
Arabs
involved deliberately came up to the car afterwards and slaughtered the
children at close range.)
*******************************************************
May 9, 2004
An American Christian Zionist Referendum
When Sharon first announced his Gaza disengagement plan, we went on a
day of
tree planting, to demonstrate our faith that the communities of Gush Katif
would
always remain in Gaza. For some three months I have been recuperating
from
ankle fractures suffered when leading one of the buses Women In Green
brought
to Gush Katif. It has been a slow recovery, and I have really missed
communicating with you all. Hopefully. with God's help, I will now be
able to
again send you a letter from Jerusalem each week.
I read with great interest a report that appeared in the Jerusalem Post, that
our
American Christian Zionist friends intend to hold a referendum, patterned
after
the recent referendum of the Likud Party. The referendum will deal with the
provocative question of whether there should be another Arab State within
Biblical Israel. President Bush has been proposing the Road Map Plan,
along
with the EU, UN and Russia.. The Road Map is in open defiance of the
Promise
the Lord made to the Jewish People, as set forth in the Bible.
The proposed Christian Zionist referendum could not come at a more
important
time. President Bush will be standing for re-election this coming
November, One
of the crucial issues he faces at that time is his policy towards Israel, as
represented by the Road Map. Bible believing Christians generally agree
that the
Road Map is a reward for terrorism. Moreover, President Bush has not as
yet
recognized that the Road Map is essentially a Saudi Arabian plan for Israel,
which
threatens Israel's very existence. In addition, the Moslem threat to the
Judeo-
Christian values held by Western Civilization is very real, and its spread
and
threat must be taken seriously by President Bush.
When President Bush finally recognizes the strong opposition against the
Road
Map by his American Christian Zionist constituency, upon whose support
his re-
election largely depends, he may well abandon his support of the Saudi
Road
Map. He also must take seriously the fact that Saudi Arabia is not
America's true friend, and its Moslem values are in direct conflict with
those held by Christian America.
We, in Jerusalem, therefore, look forward to the results of the upcoming
Christian
Zionist referendum with great anticipation, and fervently pray for its
success.
Israel views such a referendum in a very positive light, since it is a
fulfillment of
Biblical promises, and is in fact a reaffirmation of the strong beliefs of the
founding fathers of American Democracy. Their strong beliefs in the Bible,
which
continue to this very day in the Christian Zionist communities , has made,
and
continues to make America a light unto the nations.
Ruth Matar
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May 10, 2004
An American Christian Zionist Referendum
Dear Friends,
When Sharon first announced his Gaza disengagement plan, we went on a
day of tree planting, to demonstrate our faith that the communities of Gush
Katif would always remain in Gaza. For some three months I have been
recuperating from ankle fractures suffered when leading one of the buses
Women in Green brought to Gush Katif. It has been a slow recovery, and I
have really missed communicating with you all. Hopefully, with G-d's help,
I will now be able to again send you a letter from Jerusalem each week.
I read with great interest a report that appeared in the Jerusalem Post, that
our American Christian Zionist friends intend to hold a referendum,
patterned after the recent referendum of the Likud Party. The referendum
will deal with the provocative question of whether there should be another
Arab State within Biblical Israel. President Bush has been proposing the
Road Map Plan, along with the EU, UN and Russia. The Road Map is in
open defiance of the Promise the Lord made to the Jewish People, as set
forth in the Bible.
The proposed Christian Zionist referendum could not come at a more
important time. President Bush will be standing for re-election this coming
November, one of the crucial issues he faces at that time is his policy
towards Israel, as represented by the Road Map. Bible believing Christians
generally agree that the Road Map is a reward for terrorism. Moreover,
President Bush has not as yet recognized that the Road Map is essentially
a Saudi Arabian plan for Israel, which threatens Israel's very existence. In
addition, the Moslem threat to the Judeo-Christian values held by Western
Civilization is very real, and its spread and threat must be taken seriously
by President Bush.
When President Bush finally recognizes the strong opposition against the
Road Map by his American Christian Zionist constituency, upon whose
support his re-election largely depends, he may well abandon his support
of the Saudi Road Map. He also must take seriously the fact that Saudi
Arabia is not America's true friend, and its Moslem values are in direct
conflict with those held by Christian America.
We, in Jerusalem, therefore, look forward to the results of the upcoming
Christian Zionist referendum with great anticipation, and fervently pray for
its success. Israel views such a referendum in a very positive light, since it
is a fulfillment of Biblical promises, and is in fact a reaffirmation of the
strong beliefs of the founding fathers of American Democracy. Their
strong belief in the Bible, which continue to this very day in the Christian
Zionist communities, has made, and continues to make America a light
unto the nations.
With blessings and love for Israel,
Ruth Matar
*******************************************************
May 11, 2004
Different Views of President Bush's "Achievements"
There are many points worth reading in the analysis of US Middle East
policies for the past 25 years which Victor David Hanson sets forth in his
article "The Fruits of Appeasement" Hanson points out, among other
things: (see www.city-journal.org/html/14_2_the_fruits.html)
"In contrast, George W. Bush, impervious to such self-deception, has, in a
mere two and a half years, reversed the perilous course of a quarter-
century. Since September 11, he has removed the Taliban and Saddam
Hussein, begun to challenge the Middle East through support for
consensual government, isolated Yasser Arafat, pressured the Europeans
on everything from anti-Semitism to their largesse to Hamas, removed
American troops from Saudi Arabia, shut down fascistic Islamic
"charities," scattered al-Qaida, turned Pakistan from a de facto foe to a
scrutinized neutral, rounded up terrorists in the United States, pressured
Libya, Iran, and Pakistan to come clean on clandestine nuclear cheating, so
far avoided another September 11- and promises that he is not nearly
done yet. If the Spanish example presages further terrorist attacks on
European democracies at election time, at least Mr. Bush has made it clear
that America ,alone if need be,will neither appease nor ignore such killers
but in fact finish the terrible war that they started."
But Dafne Yee, Director of Jewish Watch Dog, is critical of Hanson in some
respects: She makes these credible points: "This Middle East analysis is
seriously flawed in its recounting of Bush's "achievements"! … Bush isn't
responsible for "isolating Arafat") but he IS responsible for personally
guaranteeing Arafat's safety! Just two weeks ago, he insisted that Sharon
not harm Arafat, completely ignoring Arafat's bloody history. Bush's
continued refusal to acknowledge that either Arafat is a terrorist or the PLO
is a terrorist organization is a enormous boost to terrorists everywhere
because you can't pick and choose which terrorists to fight and which are
your friends! Bush's "support for consensual government" is nothing but
a fancy way of promoting the "Palestinians" with Arafat as its leader as a
legitimate government.
Even worse, Bush's taking on the creation of "Palestine" as a personal
crusade through the Saudi-written "Road Map" -- which he adopted as his
own -- has helped to give the terrorists the confidence to expand their
operations which have left over 1000 Israelis dead and over 10,000
wounded just since Bush has been in office! Bush gave a personal
presidential waiver to give the PLO $20 million in July 2003 when they were
still listed as a terrorist organization.
The Saudis, like all the other Arab countries except Turkey, have a
totalitarian repressive regime and Bush panders to every one of them! He
even invites their leaders and representatives to his home where he fawns
over them. (Everyone seems to forget that Bush refused to have Sharon to
his home but he entertained his friend Mubarak there!) … Bush is
appeasing terrorist murderers every time he comes out with another pro-
"Palestinian" statement or vows to create a terrorist state which will be
called "Palestine"! And no statement of support for Israel can possibly
make up for his openly pro-"Palestinian" actions!"
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May 12, 2004
What's Behind the Double Standard
By Samuel Z. Anvil
Oh, the humiliation! The horror! No wonder the press cries out! Worldwide
revulsion, disgust and Moslem rage! Shame on you!
Of course they're not speaking about what Sadam did to his own people:
the
gassings, the rapes, the strangulations, the mass graves, etc. Or any of the
atrocities countless Moslem leaders inflicted on their fellow Moslems over
the
years. But why not? Weren't those things disgusting too? Is there
something
going on here that ordinary people like you and me don't understand?
Well, actually there is. But it's all very simple really, and it makes perfect
sense to Moslems. It's only we infidels who have difficulty understanding it.
You see, in the Islamic view of things, the lives of infidel kafirs like us
(Christians, Jews and everybody else), are "worth" something between a
Moslem
woman and a camel. I'll bet you didn't think there was room between those
two
lowly categories to wedge a fingernail in, let alone the vast majority of
human
beings on this planet, but there is. There's room for each and every one of
us.
It's another of Allah's miracles.
At the top of the heap are Moslem men, Masters of the Universe, the
purpose of
all creation, the exclusive custodians of the eternal Truth, and the people
whose feet we kafirs should all be kissing. Below them are Moslem women,
whose
job it is to wash those feet. Below them, us, then camels and other useful
creatures like sheep that don't make too much of a fuss when a Moslem
man whips
out his knife.
So when a Moslem man tears out another Moslem's fingernails and rapes
his
daughters and slits all their throats, well that's just the way things are in
Allah's dysfunctional little family. And when a Moslem man shoots dead a
pregnant dhimmi woman and her four daughters as they drive through a
part of
the world he thinks belongs to him (and of course every square inch of this
planet rightfully belongs to Moslems and to nobody else), well, that's his
natural-born right as Master of the Universe. Even the kafirs of Europe
don't
dare deny him that right.
But if a kafir, a dhimmi, one of those so-called people whose role in this life
is to be properly submissive to and respectful of his Moslem betters,
should
turn around and strike back, well that's completely unthinkable. It's against
Allah's holy law. It's as though a wife should, perish the thought, hit back
when her husband beats her. It's a shameful humiliation, a travesty of
Allah's
creation, it can't be allowed to stand, and it "fuels Islamic rage."
It's shameful and humiliating because what the dhimmi is saying when he
strikes
back is that maybe, just maybe, Moslem men are not the pinnacle of all
creation, the reason why the whole universe exists. And when the dhimmi
creates
a free society in which people have real hope of better lives, while Moslem
men
use their oil billions to create one hellhole country after another, the
dhimmi
is saying: "Don't give me this crap about how wonderful you are, and how
Allah
himself has chosen you to rule the world."
And that is a message no Master of the Universe wants to hear. Not from
his
wives, not from his slaves (and yes, they do have slaves in this twenty-first
Christian century), and certainly not from the dhimmis, the sons of pigs
and
monkeys. So he runs for refuge to his holy books, which tell him to – guess
what? – kill the infidel! And if it's not possible to kill the infidel right
now, to do what Prophet did: lie to the infidel, make a false peace while you
prepare for war, and plan for the long term. Send him your masses to
overwhelm
his country with the fruits of your wombs, take advantage of the kafir's
unsuspecting nature, use his democratic laws and rights to undermine his
society, enlist the help of the dull-witted, remind him of his wars against
you
and when he mentions your wars against him, call him a racist, and in the
end –
maybe a hundred years from now, maybe a thousand – you will finally rule
the
world as Allah intended. Patience. The infidel is too stupid to understand
what
you are doing.
And that is how the dhimmi world came to recoil in revulsion at photos of
Moslem prisoners being abused, while the Islamic world danced for joy at
the
photos of the charred bodies of murdered dhimmi hanging from a bridge.
Do you understand now?
===========
This article and more by this writer can be seen at samzanvil.blogspot.com
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May 13, 2004
Muslim Europe
by DANIEL PIPES
"Europe becomes more and more a province of Islam, a colony of Islam."
So declares Oriana Fallaci in her
new book, "La Forza della Ragione," or, "The Force of Reason." And the
famed Italian journalist is right:
Christianity's ancient stronghold of Europe is rapidly giving way to Islam.
Two factors mainly contribute to
this world-shaking development.
"The hollowing out of Christianity. Europe is increasingly a post-Christian
society, one with a diminishing
connection to its tradition and its historic values. The numbers of
believing, observant Christians has
collapsed in the past two generations to the point that some observers call
it the "new dark continent."
Already, analysts estimate Britain's mosques host more worshippers each
week than does the Church of
England.
" An anemic birth rate. Indigenous Europeans are dying out. Sustaining a
population requires each woman
on average to bear 2.1 children; in the European Union, the overall rate is
one-third short, at 1.5 a woman,
and falling. One study finds that, should current population trends continue
and immigration cease, today's
population of 375 million could decline to 275 million by 2075.To keep its
working population even, the E.U.
needs 1.6 million immigrants a year; to sustain the present workers-to-
retirees ratio requires an astonishing
13.5 million immigrants annually.
Into the void are coming Islam and Muslims. As Christianity falters, Islam is
robust, assertive, and
ambitious. As Europeans underreproduce at advanced ages, Muslims do
so in large numbers while young.
Some 5% of the E.U., or nearly 20 million persons, presently identify
themselves as Muslims; should current
trends continue, that number will reach 10% by 2020. If non-Muslims flee
the new Islamic order, as seems
likely, the continent could be majority-Muslim within decades.
When that happens, grand cathedrals will appear as vestiges of a prior
civilization - at least until a
Saudistyle regime transforms them into mosques or a Taliban-like regime
blows them up. The great national
cultures - Italian, French, English, and others - will likely wither, replaced
by a new transnational Muslim
identity that merges North African, Turkish, subcontinental, and other
elements. This prediction is hardly
new. In 1968, the British politician Enoch Powell gave his famed "rivers of
blood" speech in which he
warned that in allowing excessive immigration, the United Kingdom was
"heaping up its own funeral pyre."
(Those words stalled a hitherto promising career.) In 1973, the French
writer Jean Raspail published "Camp
of the Saints," a novel that portrays Europe falling to massive, uncontrolled
immigration from the Indian
subcontinent. The peaceable transformation of a region from one major
civilization to another, now under
way, has no precedent in human history, making it easy to ignore such
voices.
There is still a chance for the transformation not to play itself out, but the
prospects diminish with time. Here
are several possible ways it might be stopped:
"Changes in Europe that lead to a resurgence of Christian faith, an increase
in childbearing, or the cultural
assimilation of immigrants; such developments can theoretically occur but
what would cause them is hard to
imagine.
" Muslim modernization. For reasons no one has quite figured out
(education of women? abortion on
demand? adults too self-absorbed to have children?), modernity leads to a
drastic reduction in the birth rate.
Also, were the Muslim world to modernize, the attraction of moving to
Europe would diminish.
"Immigration from other sources. Latin Americans, being Christian, would
more or less permit Europe to
keep its historic identity. Hindus and Chinese would increase the diversity
of cultures, making it less likely
that Islam would dominate.
Current trends suggest Islamization will happen, for Europeans seem to
find it too strenuous to have
children, stop illegal immigration, or even diversify their sources of
immigrants. Instead, they prefer to settle
unhappily into civilizational senility.
Europe has simultaneously reached unprecedented heights of prosperity
and peacefulness and shown a
unique inability to sustain itself. One demographer, Wolfgang Lutz, notes,
"Negative momentum has not
been experienced on a large scale in world history." Is it inevitable that the
most brilliantly successful society
also will be the first in danger of collapse due to a lack of cultural
confidence and offspring? Ironically,
creating a hugely desirable place to live would seem also to be a recipe for
suicide. The human comedy
continues.
Mr. Pipes (www.DanielPipes.org) is director of the Middle East Forum and
author of "Miniatures" (Transaction). This article was published in the New
York Sun on March 11, 2004.
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May 13, 2004
A Word to the Wise
We recently sent out to our email list an article expressing different
views of what may be considered President Bush's "achievements",
emanating from a lengthy article written by Victor David Hanson. Dafne
Yee, who on
the whole liked that article, nevertheless expressed some reservations.
Quite a few letters and actual calls were received from those who subscribe
to our list thought that Ms. Yee's criticism of President Bush might be
inappropriate in an election year, particularly when Mr. Kerry, in his Mid
East outlook, may prove to be far worse than Mr. Bush.
We wish to stress that Women For Israel's Tomorrow generally find Mr.
Hanson to be a friend of Israel. We merely sent out this article to show
that there were other views about the handling of the Mid East problem
than that which Mr. Hanson expressed in his major article. We certainly
had no
intent to favor either candidate for the U.S. Presidency in our discussion
of what was best for Israel. Generally, we favor Mr. Bush, despite his
catering to the Saudi Road Map plan, with the hope that he will eventually
abandon his "Road Map" position, since it threatens Israel's survival.
*******************************************************
May 13, 2004
Abandoning our Jewish Obligations is the real Cause for Terror
by Gary Cooperberg
Would it have occurred to anyone, in the aftermath of 9/11, to negotiate
with Bin Laden, perhaps suggesting to give him Manhattan for a promise of
no further acts of terror? Would any sane American leader as much as
suggest pulling out of Iraq, a foreign and independent nation, in reaction to
the decapitation of Nicholas Berg?
Yet in reaction to far many more acts of inhumanity and cold-blooded
murder, Israel is expected to negotiate with her enemies and give them
parts of our own homeland! It would be bad enough if only our enemies
would make such an outrageous suggestion. But those who claim to be
our friends, and even many of our own governmental leaders are also
doing so. Shimon Peres, after hearing the grisly news of the murder of our
soldiers, had the nerve to state, "We have nothing to do in Gaza. We
should just leave." Such a statement is a reward to both those who
bombed our soldiers, as well as the "heros" who murdered a pregnant
mother and her four little daughters in cold blood for the "crime" of
choosing to live in that part of our homeland.
Simple common sense would dictate that if someone comes to steal that
which belongs to you, you fight to keep what is yours. Why would it enter
anyone's mind to negotiate with or, even worse, give away parts of our
homeland to thieves who seek not only your land, but your very existence?
We choose to forget some very basic facts in the war for our survival. First
and foremost we forget that there is no such thing as a "Palestinian"
people. Those who masquerade under that pseudo identity all came from
real Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This new peoplehood was
concocted in a very effective propaganda effort to deny the legitimacy of
Israel. It has worked so well that even our present Prime Minister has
suggested to build a "Palestinian" state upon Jewish soil in the futile hope
to placate our enemies and so-called "friends". What our leaders refuse to
admit to themselves, aside from the fact that these Arab impostors have
absolutely no valid grounds to demand any Jewish Land to create yet
another Arab state, is that such a move will only serve to further endanger
the Jewish State and encourage even more terror against our people.
Yes, indeed, the Gaza Strip is overcrowded with a huge Arab population.
This problem was begun by Egypt, prior to Israeli liberation in 1967. It was
the mistake of this country not to have forced Egypt into caring for their
own brothers by removing them to the Egyptian side of the border at that
time. Meanwhile an entire generation of poverty-ridden Arabs has been
nurtured on the lie that Israel has stolen their land! Israel has never sought
to rule over Arabs. She did seek to welcome them into Israeli society and
help them raise their standard of living. Instead of accepting the welcome,
the Arabs only recognized Israel as an oppressor and sought to destroy
her.
It would seem that Israeli leaders read in the Bible that it says when you are
slapped in the face you should turn the other cheek. What they failed to
realize is that this particular adage is not to be found in the Jewish Bible.
In our Bible we are admonished, "When someone comes to murder you,
rise up and kill him first." It may not sound very nice, but that is just the
way it is. Here in Israel we have an entire population who not only comes to
murder us, but has already done so on countless occasions and in the
most barbaric manner. How dare our leaders so much as suggest
negotiations with such people? The only rational response. . . the only
Jewish response, is to destroy our enemies completely before they murder
any more Jews. Peace will never be achieved by negotiating with such
people. We have tried this too many times only to discover that it really
doesn't work.
If Sharon has, at long last, returned to his senses, (and I truly doubt this),
he would launch an offensive in the Gaza Strip which will completely route
our enemies and enable us to rebuild all of Gaza as a Jewish neighborhood
to help ease the absorption of millions more Jews who are about to return
home from all over the world. There is no moral imperative to live with our
enemies or to reward them by abandoning our obligations to our
homeland. Indeed, it is a sin to even consider such actions. It is for the sin
of Oslo that so many of our innocent civilians have been murdered. Terror
is our reward for abandoning our Jewish principles. Only by returning to
those eternal principles will we succeed in uprooting terror and bring
genuine peace both to our homeland and the world.
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May 17, 2004
Can The Left Claim Innocence When Its Hands Drip With the Blood of its
People?
by Nadia Matar
If we had a truly nationalist government, it long ago would have positively
responded to the requests to place the Oslo criminals on trial. We would no
longer hear the insolent voices of the left , that call for leaving Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza, and the dismantling of the settlements. Instead of
dancing
on the blood of our fellow Jews, and using every possible media
opportunity to
spread their incitement against the national camp, against the Likud, and
against the settlers, the left would have lowered its eyes in shame, and
would
have asked forgiveness from the people of Israel. Shimon Peres, Yossi
Beilin,
Yossi Sarid, Ron Pundak, and the other Oslo criminals would be long
behind bars
for being guilty of collaboration with the enemy, for the giving of arms and
ammunition, and for turning cities in our homeland into cities of refuge for
monstrous murderers. No politician any longer would suggest capitulating
to the
arch-murderer Arafat, a worthy successor to Hitler.
Such a public trial would make it clear, once and for all, that the architects
of Oslo are the ones who are truly responsible for the terrorist attacks in
recent years. Although the Arabs are directly guilty for the murders of
Jews,
the Oslo criminals are responsible for the success of the Arabs in carrying
out
their fiendish designs. It was the Oslo criminals who created the
murderous
monster called the "Palestinian Authority," which fully cooperates with the
Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the Hizballah. The Oslo criminals brought
the
arch-murderer Arafat and his band of murderers to Israel. The Oslo
criminals
gave the murderers weapons, ammunition, and cities of refuge. The Oslo
criminals tied the IDF's hands. The Oslo criminals, including Ehud Barak
and
the women of "Four Mothers," fled from Lebanon with their tail between
their
legs. They thereby brought Lebanon and the Hizballah within range of
Israel.
The Oslo criminals are responsible for the murder of the more than 1000
victims
of Oslo. The national camp warned and demonstrated against these cursed
accords. And yes, the Oslo criminals are responsible for the killing of
thirteen soldiers during the past several days. They are the ones who led to
the IDF no longer being in Gaza. Because of them, the city has turned into a
murderous hell, controlled by cannibalistic monsters who create weapons
and
ammunition within Gaza against Jews everywhere.
But, despite all, not only did the Likud governments not put the Oslo
criminals
on trial, thy continued the policy of Oslo - a policy of submission to terror,
tying the hands of the IDF, in opposition to the will of the majority of the
people. Bibi Netanyahu was elected as the opposite of Shimon Peres - but
instead of eliminating the PLO, he fled from Hebron, signed the Wye
Accords,
and shook Arafat's hand. Ariel Sharon went even further. He was elected as
the
opposite of the plan of Amram Mitzna for unilateral withdrawal from Gaza -
but
instead of eliminating the Hamas and the Jihad, Sharon wants to reward
the Arab
murderers, by adopting the Mitzna program - a program quite similar to that
of
the Hamas, with a call to uproot settlements, expel Jews, and make those
regions of Israel Judenrein.
The plan of defeat, flight, and surrender, that is shared by Ariel Sharon and
Peace Now, does not represent the thoughts of the majority of the people
of
Israel. Ever since the killing of the thirteen soldiers, our office has
received nonstop telephone calls from citizens not known to us, who want
to
establish a tremendous protest against the policy that is forced upon the
IDF,
that takes pity on the enemy, but sacrifices the lives of our soldiers
instead.
They want to take to the streets and scream that a truly moral country
cares,
first of all, for its citizens and not for the enemy. Accordingly, instead of
sending our soldiers on foot to a deathtrap within a hostile and dense
population, the IDF should have bombed the enemy's territory from the air,
even
if this entailed the killing of many Arab civilians, the majority of whom
support Arafat and his continued call for terror and the murder of Jews.
The majority is fed up with the Oslo policy of tying the hands of the IDF, out
of the fear of harming a hostile Arab population. The majority is fed up with
the daily humiliation. My goodness, a Jewish mother and her four
daughters were
murdered at close range by the Arab enemy. Not a single voice in the Arab
world
condemned the massacre. This terrorist attack should have been followed
by an
IDF response so harsh that the Arabs would beg for their lives. Yes, for the
massacre of the Hatuel family we should have razed the entire Arab village
from
which the Nazi murderers came, with all its inhabitants. This is the only
language that they understand. But Israel did not respond, for fear of
"harming
the Arab populace." Once again, Jewish blood is free for the taking - oh,
what
shame!
The same holds true for the Arab gunfire at the participants in the memorial
ceremony for the Hatuel family. Only two Arab terrorists fired at hundreds
of
Jews, men, women, and children who hit the ground. Next to them are
dozens of
IDF soldiers with tanks, APCs, and the most sophisticated weaponry in the
world. The IDF could have stopped the terrorist fire in half a second. It
should have shelled the area from where the terrorists were shooting. But
the
IDF did not fire, because it might have harmed the hostile Arab population.
The
army thereby endangered the lives of Jews, and brought shame upon itself,
and
upon the entire Jewish people. Once again Jewish blood is free for the
taking -
oh, the shame of it!
The people of Israel is fed up with the policy of being merciful to the cruel.
The people is fed up with the incitement and lies of the left in the media.
The
people is fed up with the politicians who act in accordance with the Oslo
policy of surrender, defeat, and flight. The people is strong, and waits for a
proud and strong Jewish leadership, who will declare :that all of the
Promised
Land belongs to the people of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel. The
answer to Arab terror is not the deportation of Jews, but the accelerated
construction of Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. True
moral
behavior is not the offering of the other cheek, but attacking and defeating
the Arab enemy who murders Jews in cold blood and plays soccer,
barbarically,
with the heads of IDF soldiers.
The left is panicking, because it understands that the results of the Likud
poll also represents the will of the majority. In order to circumvent this
will, the left today is dancing on the blood of our soldiers, and spreads lies
and incitement. It falsely equates Gaza and Lebanon. It recreates the
defeatist
"Four Mothers" which receives media coverage all out of proportion to
what is
newsworthy in order to deceive the public and let it think that there is a
majority among the people in favor of rout and retreat.
But all this will be of no avail to the left. The people is wise. The people
knows that whoever flees from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza will eventually
seek to
flee from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The people do not believe the incitement
of
Shimon Peres and his band against the settlers of Judea, Samaria, and
Gaza. The
people does not forget that ,today's inciters are responsible for the curse of
Oslo. We must demand more than ever: "Put the Oslo criminals on trial!"
--------------------------
A delegation of Women in Green went to pay condolence calls to two
families of
soldiers who were killed in the battle in Zeitoun, the Newman and Deri
family.
Sara Newman, mother of Eitan urged us to pass on the following message
in
Israel and abroad: Buy blue and white products! Our dear soldiers fell
defending the People of Israel in the State of Israel and therefore one of the
many ways to strengthen Israel is by buying products "Made in Israel" We
urge
all of you to pass this message on to other lists. You can send your
condolences to the Newman family at msnewman@netvision.net.il
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May 19, 2004
WORLD WAR AGAINST THE NON-MUSLIM WORLD
LETTER FROM RUTH MATAR (WOMEN IN GREEN) JERUSALEM
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Dear Friends,
Global Jihad (Arab holy war) is intensifying!
In Nigeria last week Muslim mobs brandishing machetes butchered some
thirty Christians in the streets of the city of Kano. They butchered them
and then set them aflame.
American contractors are murdered in Iraq, their abused corpses
triumphantly dragged through the streets and displayed hanging from a
bridge. An American, Nick Berg, is beheaded on camera.
Six Israeli soldiers are blown up by a roadside bomb and masked terrorists
parade their body parts, including a head, for the press. The Arabs
shockingly are allowed to use UN and UNRWA ambulances to bring body
parts to PA controlled territory, to be used for extortion purposes in
dealing with Israel.
The hooded men who displayed the head of an Israeli soldier, and those
who decapitated Nick Berg, are part of the same global Jihad. One wants
an Islamic dictatorship in Iraq, the other wants the same thing but in place
of Israel.
We must finally come to grips with the fact that our enemies are engaged in
a world war against the entire non-Muslim world. We must understand the
depth of their hatred. We, Israelis, Americans, Jews and Christians
worldwide, constitute the front line in the war, wherever we are.
It was not the US military deployment in Saudi Arabia that precipitated the
September 11 attacks (15 of the 19 suicide bombers were Saudis), any
more than it was the Israeli presence in Gaza or Judea and Samaria or
Jerusalem that precipitated the Palestinian-led Jihad against Israel. It is
our free democratic way of life, our very existence, that provokes our
enemy.
Our enemies, the forces of global Jihad, be they Palestinian or Jordanian,
Saudi, Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian or Iraqi, use all the means at
their disposal to wage their war against us. They do not wage this war
because of anything we have done, they do so because they are ruthless
barbarians.
Nonetheless, the rest of the world including, unfortunately, the United
States, are behaving as though the Palestinian branch of the global Jihad is
engaging in a war over a few kilometers in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, rather
than playing a central role in the global Jihad against non-Muslims.
Proof positive that the Palestinian Jihad against Israel is not about
territory: It should be noted that in 1964, the year the PLO was founded,
article 24 of its charter stated: "This organization does not exercise any
territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan and the Gaza Strip..." The 1964 version of the PLO charter can be
read on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs site (www.mfa.gov.il).
Most people are only aware of the 1968 version, which was changed
following the Six Day War to reflect the Palestinians' sudden eternal
attachment to these areas.
The "Road Map" is essentially a Saudi plan to drive the Jews out of Israel.
Before 1967, when Jordan occupied Judea and Samaria, and Egypt
occupied Gaza, the PLO was not interested in sovereignty over these
areas. Their present passionate attachment to this land is so that the
infidel Jews should not live thereon. This attitude, of course, is
encouraged and financed by all the Arab states as part of the general Jihad
against the Judeo-Christian world.
Why is the United States so anxious to carry out the "Road Map", slicing
away from Israel the Biblical Heartland of Judea, Samaria and also Gaza?
Yes, dear friends, not only Judea and Samaria, but Gaza, as well, is a
Biblical inheritance of the Jewish People!
Gaza has been part of the Land of Israel since biblical times. The borders
of Israel specified in Genesis 15 clearly include Gaza, and it is described in
Joshua 15:47 and Judges 1:18 as part of the inheritance of the tribe of
Judah, and in Kings it is included in the areas ruled by King Solomon.
Israel unfortunately has powerful enemies in the US government, chief
amongst them, the US State Department and its current head, Secretary of
State Colin Powell.
As an example, State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher said at his
daily press briefing on September 27, 2001: "Essentially, there are, on
some planes, two different things. One is that there are violent people
trying to destroy societies, ours, many others in the world. The world
recognizes that and we're going to stop those people. ON THE OTHER
HAND, THERE ARE ISSUES AND VIOLENCE AND POLITICAL ISSUES THAT
NEED TO BE RESOLVED IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ISRAELI AND
PALESTINIANS."
It seems that State Department spokesman Richard Boucher feels that the
Arabs are murdering us daily, merely to resolve political issues!
And the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell seems to agree. He said in the
fall of 2001, that Palestinian terrorists might just be "freedom fighters."
Although Bin Laden's Al-Qaida is clearly a terrorist group, said Powell
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Palestinian groups
allegedly lie in "gray areas," areas "THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE TREATED
POLITICALLY." Speaking of Palestinian organizations that regularly target
and murder Israeli schoolchildren, Powell instructed the Committee that
this is a domain where "ONE MAN'S TERRORIST IS ANOTHER MAN'S
FREEDOM FIGHTER."
Is Colin Powell an enemy of the Jewish State? He certainly is not a friend!
Last Saturday, Powell met with the Palestinian leadership in Jordan. He
told reporters that he was pleased to have a "constructive talk" with
Palestinian premier Ahmed Queri, along with "my colleague Nabil Shaath
and so many other of my good friends from the Palestinian Authority."
This is the same Palestinian Authority that has been waging a terrorist war
against Israel since September 2000 and which is directly responsible for
the deaths of hundreds of innocent men, women, and children. It is the
same entity that Powell's own State Department, in its recently released
report on patterns of global terrorism , has linked to acts of terror against
the Jewish State.
And this is who Powell considers to be his "good friends"?
Not only that, but in his remarks to the press, with a smiling Qurei standing
at his side, Powell did not even bother to mention the horrific events of the
preceding week. He did not see fit to condemn the Palestinians; vile
desecration of Israel's dead, nor did he denounce their ongoing efforts to
carry out attacks against the Jewish State.
However, he did slam Israel for demolishing Palestinian structures in Gaza,
that have been used to stage attacks on Israeli soldiers.
Interesting! Fifteen years ago, in December of 1989, then General Colin
Powell, oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama. U.S. forces bombarded the
El Chorillo neighborhood of Panama City where the headquarters of the
Panamanian Defense Forces were located, alongside the homes of
thousands of innocent civilians. By the UN's estimate, the homes of at
least 2,723 Panamanian families, totaling approximately 13,500 people,
were affected.
If that is not the height of hypocrisy and double standard, I cannot imagine
what is!
I do hope and pray that Colin Powell's opinions and those of his State
Department, are not those of President George W. Bush. I believe that it is
of utmost importance, in this closely fought election year, for President
Bush to disassociate himself from those of Colin Powell's
pronouncements, which are at variance with his own viewpoints. In
addition, President Bush would be wise to pay attention to his large
constituency of Bible believing Jews and Christians, who firmly hold the
opinion that a Palestinian state carved out of covenant land is directly
against the Word of G-d.
The butchers in Gaza who kicked the remains of Israeli soldiers like
footballs, like the butchers in Baghdad, Karachi, Riyadh and beyond, who
kill with barbaric ecstasy and hatred, do not do so because of anything we
have done. They do so because they are fanatic subhuman barbarians.
And if we do not wish to be destroyed, we must do everything to destroy
them and not give them hope that their terrorism will be rewarded.
With Blessings and Love for Israel,
Ruth Matar
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May 20, 2004
The War that Dare Not Speak Its Name
The battle is against militant Islam, not "Terror"
by Andrew C. McCarthy
At any gathering of analysts, academics, and law-enforcement officers who
specialize in counter-terrorism, it certainly is appropriate that we should
focus on risks, responsibilities, and realities. My question, though, is
whether we have the order backwards. Our most urgent imperative today is
the need to confront reality. Only by doing that can we get a true
understanding of the risks we face and our responsibilities in dealing with
them.
What reality am I talking about?
Well, we are now well into the third year of what is called the "War on
Terror." That is the language we all use, and it is ubiquitous. The tabloids
and the more prestigious journals of news and opinion fill their pages with
it. The 24-hour cable television stations are not content merely to repeat
"War on Terror" as if it were a mantra; they actually use it as a floating logo
in their dizzying set designs.
Most significant of all, the "War on Terror" is our government's top
rhetorical catch-phrase. It is the way we define for the American people and
the world - especially the Islamic world - what we are doing, and what we
are about. It is the way we explain the nature of the menace that we are
striving to defeat.
But is it accurate? Does it make sense? More importantly, does it serve our
purposes? Does it make victory more identifiable, and hence more
attainable? I humbly suggest that it fails on all these scores. This,
furthermore, is no mere matter of rhetoric or semantics. It is all about
substance, and it goes to the very core of our struggle.
Terrorism is not an enemy. It is a method. It is the most sinister, brutal,
inhumane method of our age. But it is nonetheless just that: a method. You
cannot, and you do not, make war on a method. War is made on an
identified - and identifiable - enemy.
In the here and now, that enemy is militant Islam - a very particular
practice and interpretation of a very particular set of religious, political and
social principles.
Now that is a very disturbing, very discomfiting thing to say in 21st-century
America. It is very judgmental. It sounds very insensitive. It is the very
definition of politically incorrect. Saying it aloud will not get you invited to
chat with Oprah. But it is a fact. And it is important both to say it and to
understand it.
We have a rich and worthy tradition of religious tolerance in America.
Indeed, in many ways our reverence for religious practice and tolerance is
why there is an America. America was a deeply religious place long before
it was ever a constitutional democracy. That tradition of tolerance causes
us, admirably, to bend over backwards before we pass judgment on the
religious beliefs and religious practices of others. It is an enormous part of
what makes America great.
It led our government, within hours of the 9/11 attacks, to announce to the
world that Islam was not and is not our enemy. Repeatedly, the president
himself has said it: "The 19 suicide terrorists hijacked a great religion." The
message from all our top officials has been abundantly clear: "That's that;
Islam off the table; no need to go deeper."
But we have the ostrich routine way too far. A commitment in favor of
toleration is not the same as a commitment against examination. We have
been so paralyzed by the fear of being portrayed as an enemy of Islam -
as an enemy of a creed practiced by perhaps a billion people worldwide -
that we've lost our voice on a very salient question: What will be the Islam
of the 21st century? Will it be the Islam of the militants, or the Islam of the
moderates? That's the reality we need to grapple with.
Let's make no mistake about this: We have a crucial national-security
interest in the outcome of that struggle. We need the moderates to win.
And here, when I speak of moderates, I am not talking about those who
merely pay lip service to moderation. I am not talking about those who take
advantage of America's benign traditions and our reluctance to examine
the religious practices of others. I am not talking about those who use that
blind eye we turn as an opportunity to be apologists, enablers, and
supporters of terrorists.
I am talking about authentic moderates: millions of Muslims who want an
enlightened, tolerant, and engaged Islam for today's world. Those people
need our help in the worst way. They are losing the battles for their
communities. The militants may not be a majority, but they are a vocal,
aggressive minority - and they are not nearly as much of a small fringe as
we'd like to believe.
As an assistant U.S. attorney, time and time again I heard it over the last
decade, from ordinary Muslims we reached out to for help - people we
wanted to hire as Arabic translators, or who were potential witnesses, or
who were simply in a position to provide helpful information. People who
were as far from being terrorists as you could possibly be. "I'd like to help
the government," they would say, "but I can't." And it was not so much
about their safety - although there was, no doubt, some of that going on. It
was about ostracism.
Repeatedly they'd tell us that the militant factions dominated their
communities. These elements were usually not the most numerous, but
they were the most vocal, the best networked, the best funded, and the
most intimidating. Consequently, people whose patriotic instinct was to be
helpful could not overcome the fear that they and their families could be
blackballed if it became known that they had helped the United States
prosecute Muslim terrorists. The militants had the kind of suasion that
could turn whole communities into captive audiences.
This is no small matter. Events of the last decade, throughout the world,
are a powerful lesson that the more insular and dominated communities
become, the more they are likely to breed the attitudes and pathologies that
lead to terrorist plots and suicide bombings. It's true that suicide bombers
seem to defy precise psychological profiling; they come from diverse
economic and educational backgrounds - the only common thread seems
to be devotion to militant Islam. But while we have not had success
predicting who is likely to become a suicide bomber, it is far easier to get a
read on where suicide bombers and other terrorists will come from. They
come from communities where the militants dominate and those who don't
accept their beliefs are cowed into submission.
SAVING OURSELVES, SAVING ISLAM
That militant Islam is our enemy is a fact. That it is the object of our war is a
fact. That we need to empower real moderates is a fact. And we need to talk
about these facts.
We are not helping the authentic moderates if we avoid having the
conversation that so needs to be had if the militants hiding in the weeds
we've created are going to be exposed and marginalized. If we fail to be
critical, if we fail to provoke that discussion, it will continue to be militants
who hold positions of influence and who control indoctrination in
communities, madrassas, prisons, and other settings where the young, the
vulnerable, and the alienated are searching for direction.
For ourselves too, and for the success of our struggle, we need to be clear
that the enemy here is militant Islam. If we are to appreciate the risks to our
way of life, and our responsibilities in dealing with them, we need to
understand that we are fighting a religious, political and social belief
system - not a method of attack, but a comprehensive ideology that calls
for a comprehensive response.
In the 1990s, our response, far from being comprehensive, was one-
dimensional. We used the criminal justice system. As an individual, I am
very proud to have been associated with the good work done in that effort.
Yet, if we are going to be honest with ourselves - if we are truly going to
confront reality - as a nation, we'd have to call it largely a failure.
We have learned over the years that the militant population is large -
maybe tens of thousands, maybe more. Certainly enough to staff an
extensive international network and field numerous cells and small
battalions that, in the aggregate, form a challenging military force.
Nevertheless, in about a half dozen major prosecutions between 1993 and
2001, we managed to neutralize less than three-dozen terrorists - the 1993
World Trade Center bombers; those who plotted an even more ghastly
"Day of Terror" that would have destroyed several New York City
landmarks; the Manila Air conspirators who tried to blow U.S. airliners out
of the sky over the Pacific; those who succeeded in obliterating our
embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; and the would-be bombers of Los
Angeles International Airport who were thwarted just before the Millennium
celebration.
In these cases, we saw the criminal-justice response at its most
aggressive, operating at a very high rate of success. Every single
defendant who was charged and tried was convicted. As a practical matter,
however, even with that rate of efficiency, we were able to neutralize only a
tiny portion of the terrorist population.
Now, however, combining law enforcement with the more muscular use of
military force - the way we have fought the battle since September 11 -
we are far more effective. Terrorists are being rolled up in much greater
numbers. They are being captured and killed. Instead of dozens being
neutralized, the numbers are now in the hundreds and thousands.
But I respectfully suggest that this is still not enough, because it doesn't
necessarily mean we are winning.
WAR OF IDEAS
When I was a prosecutor in the 1980s, it was the "War on Drugs" that was
all the rage. We would do mega-cases, make mega-arrests, and seize mega-
loads of cocaine and heroin. It made for terrific headlines. It looked great
on television. But we weren't winning. Neighborhoods were still rife with
narcotics traffickers and all their attendant depravity. And there was the
tell-tale sign: The price of drugs kept going down instead of up. We said we
were at war, but with all we were doing we were still failing to choke off the
supply chain.
Now I see another version of the same syndrome, and if we don't talk about
Islam we will remain blind to it - to our great detriment. To understand
why, all we need to do is think for a moment about the cradle-to-grave
philosophy of Hamas. Yes, what blares on the news are suicide bombings
that slaughter scores of innocents. But look underneath them, at what
Hamas is doing day-to-day. They don't just run paramilitary training for
adult jihadists. They start from the moment of birth. From infancy, hatred is
taught to children. They learn to hate before they ever have a clue about
what all the hatred is over. At home, in mosques, in madrassas, in summer
camps - dressed in battle fatigues and hoods, and armed with mock
weapons - it is fed to them.
And Hamas is not nearly alone. A funding spigot has been wide open for
years. We are better about trying to shut it down than we used to be, but
we're not even close to efficient yet. And even if we were to shut it down
tomorrow, there are hundreds of millions - maybe more - already in the
pipeline. Dollars that are contributed and controlled by the worst
Wahhabist and Salafist elements. Those dollars are funding hatred. Hatred
and the demonization of human beings simply because of who they are.
Some suggest that our situation might benefit from making
accommodations - policy concessions that might mollify the militants and
miraculously change their attitude toward us. But let's think about a five-
year-old Muslim boy who has already gotten a sizable dose of the venom
that is found in the madrassas and the Arabic media.
I can assure you that that five-year-old kid does not hate American foreign
policy in the Persian Gulf. He does not hate the intractable nature of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What he hates is Jews. What he hates is
Americans. It is in the water he drinks and the air he breathes. Sure, as he
grows, he'll eventually be taught to hate American foreign policy and what
he'll forever be told is the "Israeli occupation." But those abstractions are
not the source of the child's hatred, and changing them won't make the
hatred go away - the hatred that fuels the killing.
When I say I worry that we could lose this struggle against militant Islam
that we keep calling the "War on Terror," it is that fuel and that hatred I am
talking about. We have the world's most powerful, competent military - it
can capture and kill large numbers of terrorists. With the help of our law-
enforcement and intelligence agencies - especially cutting off funding and
cracking down on other kinds of material support - our unified
government can make a sizable dent in the problem. It can give us periods
like the last two years when there have been no successful attacks on our
homeland - although it is hard to take too much comfort in that once you
look at Bali, or Casablanca, or Istanbul, or Baghdad, or Madrid.
Yes, we can have temporary, uneasy respites from the struggle. We cannot
win, however, until we can honestly say we are turning the tide of the
numbers. The madrassas are like conveyor belts. If they are churning out
more militants in waiting than we are capturing, killing, prosecuting, or
otherwise neutralizing, then we are losing this war.
It's not enough to deplete the militants' assets. We need to defeat their
ideas, and that means marginalizing their leaders. That means talking
about how Islam assimilates to American ideals and traditions. It means
making people take clear positions: making them stand up and be counted
- and be accountable - not letting them hide under murky labels like
"moderate".
As far as recognizing what we're really up against here, the terrorism
prosecutions of the 1990s were a powerful eye-opener. We saw up close
who the enemy was and why it was so crucial to be clear about it. Those
cases are generally thought to have begun with the 1993 World Trade
Center bombing - a horror that oddly seems mild compared to the
carnage we've witnessed in over a decade since. Yet, while that attack -
the militants' declaration of war - began the string of terrorism cases, it
was not really the start of the story.
That actually began years earlier. The men who carried out the World Trade
Center bombing spent years training for it, mostly in rural outposts remote
from Manhattan - like Calverton, Long Island, western Pennsylvania, and
northern Connecticut. There, they drilled in shooting, hand-to-hand
combat, and improvised explosive devices. From about 1988 on, they were
operating here, and saw themselves as a committed jihad army in the
making.
They were fully convinced that their religion compelled them to brutality.
And unlike us, they had no queasiness: They were absolutely clear about
who their enemy was. They did not talk in jingos about the "War on
Freedom," or the "War on Liberty." They talked about the War on America,
the War on Israel, and the War on West. They were plainspoken about
whom they sought to defeat and why.
Their leader was a blind Egyptian cleric named Omar Abdel Rahman, the
emir of an international terrorist organization called the "Islamic Group."
This was a precursor of al Qaeda, responsible for the infamous 1981murder
of Anwar Sadat for the great crime of making peace with Israel. Abdel
Rahman continues to this day to have a profound influence on Osama bin
Laden; his sons have been linked to al Qaeda, and one of bin Laden's
demands continues to be that America free the "Blind Sheikh," who is now
serving a life sentence.
Abdel Rahman laid out the principles of his terror group - including its
American division - with alarming clarity: Authority to rule did not come
from the people who are governed; it came only from Allah - a God who,
in Abdel Rahman's depiction, was not a God of mercy and forgiveness, but
a God of wrath and vengeance, and a God single-mindedly consumed with
the events of this world. For the Blind Sheikh and his cohorts, there would
be no toleration for other religions or other views. There was militant Islam,
and there was everybody else.
All the world was divided into two spheres - and it is very interesting how
those spheres were referred to: the first was Dar al Islam, or the domain of
the Muslims; the second was Dar al Harb. You might assume that Dar al
Harb would be the domain of the non-Muslims. It is not. It is instead the
domain of war. The militants perceive themselves as in a constant state of
war with those who do not accept their worldview.
Sometimes that war is hot and active. Sometimes it is in recess while the
militants take what they can get in negotiations and catch their breath for
the next rounds of violence. But don't be fooled: the war never ends -
unless and until all the world accepts their construction of Islam.
As Abdel Rahman taught his adherents - and as the bin Ladens, the
Zawahiris, and the Zarqawis echo today - the manner of prosecuting the
never-ending war is jihad. This word is often translated as holy war; it more
closely means struggle.
We hear a lot today from the mainstream media about jihad. Usually, it's a
happy-face jihad, congenially rendered as "the internal struggle to become
a better person," or "the struggle of communities to drive out drug
peddlers," or "the struggle against disease, poverty and ignorance." In
many ways, these reflect admirable efforts to reconstruct a very troubling
concept, with an eye toward an Islam that blends into the modern world.
But let's be clear: these are reconstructions. Jihad, in its seventh-century
origins, is a forcible, military concept. I realize politesse frowns on saying
such things out loud, but one of the main reasons it is so difficult to
discredit the militants - to say convincingly that they have hijacked a
peaceable religion - is this: when they talk about this central tenet, jihad,
as a duty to take up arms, they have history and tradition on their side. As
Abdel-Rahman, the influential scholar with a doctorate from the famed al-
Azhar University in Egypt, instructed his followers: "There is no such thing
as commerce, industry, and science in jihad.... If Allah says: 'Do jihad,' it
means jihad with the sword, with the cannon, with the grenades, and with
the missile. This is jihad. Jihad against God's enemies for God's cause and
his word."
So rich is the military pedigree of this term, jihad, that many of the
apologists concede it but try a different tack to explain it away: "Sure, jihad
means using force," they say, "but only in defense - only when Muslims
are under attack." Of course, who is to say what is defensive? Who is to
say when Muslims are under attack? For the militants, Islam is under attack
whenever anyone has the temerity to say: "Islam - especially their brand
of Islam - is not for me." For the militants who will be satisfied with
nothing less than the destruction of Israel, Islam is under attack simply
because Israelis are living and breathing and going about their lives.
Simply stated, for Abdel Rahman, bin Laden, and those who follow them,
jihad means killing the enemies of the militants - which is pretty much
anyone who is not a militant. When your forces are outnumbered, and your
resources are scarce, it means practicing terrorism.
Abdel Rahman was brazen about it. As he said many times:
Why do we fear the word terrorist? If the terrorist is the person who
defends his right, so we are terrorists. And if the terrorist is the one who
struggles for the sake of God, then we are terrorists. We have been ordered
to terrorism because we must prepare what power we can to terrorize the
enemy of God. The Quran says the word "to strike terror." Therefore, we
don't fear to be called terrorists. They may say, "He is a terrorist. He uses
violence. He uses force." Let them say that. We are ordered to prepare
whatever we can of power to terrorize the enemies of Islam.
It is frightening. But, as this makes clear, it is not simply the militants'
method that we are at war with. We are at war with their ideology. Militant
Islam has universalist designs. That sounds crazy to us - we're from a
diverse, tolerant, live-and-let-live culture. It's hard for us to wrap our brains
around a hegemonic worldview in the 21st Century. But if we are going to
appreciate the risk - the threat - we face, the reality is: it matters much
less what we think about the militants than what they think about
themselves.
The militants see terrorism as a perfectly acceptable way to go about
achieving their aims. When they succeed in destroying great, towering
symbols of economic and military might; when with a few cheap bombs
detonated on trains they can change the course of a national election; it
reinforces their convictions that their designs are neither grandiose nor
unattainable. It tells them that their method of choice works, no matter what
we may think of it.
Making our task even more difficult is the structure of Islam. As Bernard
Lewis and other notable scholars have observed, there are no synods, and
there is no rigorous hierarchy. There is no central power structure to say
with authority that this or that practice is heresy. There is no pope available
to say, "Sheik Omar, blowing up civilians is out of bounds. It is
condemned."
So how does the conduct become condemned? How do we turn the tide?
Naturally, only Muslims themselves can cure Islam. Only they can
ultimately chart their course; only they can clarify and reform where reform
is so badly needed.
There is much, however, that we can do to help. It starts with ending the
free ride for the apologists and enablers of terrorists. We need to be more
precise in our language. We are not at war with terror. We are at war with
militant Islam. Militant Islam is our enemy. It seeks to destroy us; we
cannot co-exist with it. We need to defeat it utterly.
We seek to embrace moderate Muslims; to promote them, and to help them
win the struggle for what kind of religious, cultural and social force Islam
will be in the modern world. "Moderate," however, cannot just be a fudge. It
needs to be a real concept with a defined meaning.
What should that meaning be? Who are we trying to weed out? Well, last
year, the distinguished Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes proposed a few
questions - a litmus test of sorts. Useful questions, he said, might
include: Do you condone or condemn those who give up their lives to kill
enemy civilians? Will you condemn the likes of al Qaeda, Hamas, and
Hezbollah by name as terrorist groups? Is jihad, meaning a form of warfare,
acceptable in today's world? Do you accept the validity of other religions?
Should non-Muslims enjoy completely equal civil rights with Muslims? Do
you accept the legitimacy of scholarly inquiry into the origins of Islam?
Who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks? Do you accept that institutions
that fund terrorism should be shut down?
To be sure, we should have no illusions about all this. We are never going
to win every heart and mind. Asking these questions and questions like
them, though, would provoke a very necessary conversation. It could begin
to reveal who are the real moderates, and who are the pretenders. It could
begin to identify who are the friends of enlightenment and tolerance, and
who are the allies of brutality and inhumanity. It could begin the long road
toward empowering our friends and marginalizing our enemies. Finally, it
could make the War on Militant Islam a war we can win - for ourselves and
for the millions of Muslims who need our help.
- Andrew C. McCarthy, a former chief assistant U.S. attorney who led the
1995 terrorism prosecution against Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman .
This piece is the most important commentary I have ever read on the threat
we face from militant Islam. I urge you to read this in its entirety. This
should be required reading for every American, to be read again and again.
I urge you to forward it to as many people as you know. Steven Emerson
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May 21, 2004
Thursday, Isru Chag Shavuot, May 27th 2004-
The community of Neguhot, in the southern hills of Hebron, will have a
hachnasat Sefer Tora in their new neighborhood of Neguhot maarav.
Neguhot maarav, with its young families, is considered by the government
"an illegal outpost" and is under the threat of being uprooted.
On Thursday, Women in Green will join the many other visitors to support
and strengthen the community in the celebration of the Hachnasat Sefer
Torah.
We will thus tell the government and the world that there are no Jewish
"illegal" outposts in the Land of Israel- for the Land of Israel belongs to
the people of Israel. It is crucial that many supporters show up, for the
authorities to understand that there is no difference between Neguhot and
Tel Aviv.
A bullet proof bus will leave Jerusalem Inbal hotel (ex-Laromme) at 3:30pm
promptly.
At 4:15- pick-up at Gush Etzion junction (at entrance to Pina Chama)
At 4:45- pick-up at trempiada/busstop of Kiryat Arba, southern entrance
Approximate return to Jerusalem- 9:30pm
Cost 30 NIS
Reservations a must to insure your seat on the bus.
call Anita 050-5-777-254 or email
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May 28, 2004
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES:
1) Thursday May 27th, Many Women in Green members- men, women and
children- joined the many
hundreds who came from all over Israel to Neguhot in the southern hills of
Hebron, to participate in the
joyous event of a Hachnasat Sefer Torah in the new neighborhood-
Neguhot West. That neighborhood -
located on a strategic hill overlooking the entire coastal plain- (we could
even see Ashkelon!!- from there )
with its young couples, synagogue and a little park for children- has been
put
by Ariel Sharon on the list of the places to be uprooted in the near future-
(G-d forbid!). The hundreds of people who came from all over the country
made
a very clear statement: nobody has the right to uproot and deport Jews
from the
Land of Israel for this land was given to us by G-d. We hope and pray that
in
the future, we will continue to travel to Neguhot for happy events.
2) SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2004 at 9:00 am
DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE PM'S OFFICES- NO to Sharon's new-old
suicidal plan!
This coming Sunday morning, PM Ariel Sharon will present to the
government his
so-called "renewed" disengagement plan. From the information leaked in
the media,
we understand that it is exactly the same program as the one that was
rejected
by a vast
majority of Likud people in the referendum- only this time, the uprooting of
Jewish towns in Gush Katif and the Shomron is supposed to happen
gradually and
not at once. In addition, we are told that instead of handing over the
Jewish
homes to the Arabs as Sharon originally intended; this time Sharon says
he
wants to completely destroy those homes and then hand over the area to
the
Aarab enemy. As if that was making the uprooting of Jews kosher!
In any event, Ariel Sharon is spitting in the face of democracy and is
trampling the will of his party. Like a real dictator, his intent is to pass
his plan that was rejected a few weeks ago by a large majority of the Likud.
We cannot remain quiet at this utter contempt by Sharon to disregard the
Will
of his Party, which coincides with the Will of the majority of the Jewish
People. The referendum clearly stated that Sharon has no mandate, not
for
unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza strip, nor for destroying any Jewish
towns.
On Sunday morning, during the cabinet meeting, all of Gush Katif will be
coming
to Jerusalem to demonstrate in front of the PM's offices. . Women in Green
call
upon everyone to join. The demonstration starts at 9:00 a.m.
In addition , it is of utmost importance to fax the Likud ministers and to
urge
them to respect the results of the referendum- The media tells us that
Livnat,
Netanyahu and Shalom tend to vote against Sharon's plan- let's send them
many
faxes showing them
we expect them to do exactly that: to vote NO to the Sharon Plan.
Fax numbers:
Shaul Mofaz 03-6976218
Meir Shitreet 02-5317697
Zippy Livni 02-6757611
Gideon Ezra 02-6773699
Danny Naveh 02-6787662
Binyamin Netanyahu 02-5317203
Limor Livnat 02-5602246
Silvan Shalom 02-5303506
3) FIFTH COLUMN WATCH
In last week's Besheva newspaper, an article was written by Gil Ronen,
describing the harm done to our
soldiers by the extreme leftist women of Machsomwatch. Gil Ronen also
mentioned Women in Green's
Fifth Column Watch Campaign and wrote how the
soldiers and their superiors are happy we launched our campaign against
the women of the _Left. _ They
hope more and more people will join our campaign. In order for us to
succeed in our goal, we must
convince the army not to allow those women to interfere with the vital
work our soldiers do at these
checkpoints to prevent Arab terrorism.
Tuesday June 1st, leaving 9:30 from the Inbal Hotel (formerly the Laromme)
Women in Green will leave as a group in our cars to the IDF checkpoints at
the entrance to Bethlehem and
Aram. Anyone who wants to join us, and have a seat in one of the cars
please call Anita at 050-5-777254
or Nadia at 050-5-500834
Shabbat Shalom,
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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May 31, 2004
This is the Enemy
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz
Arutz Sheva, May 30, 2004
[WARNING: The following contains graphic descriptions of violence.]
Nick Berg, an American from Philadelphia, was kidnapped and tortuously
beheaded by Arabs in Iraq sometime in May. The murderers filmed the
deed
and proudly displayed the victim's severed head.
After killing six Israeli soldiers in an attack on an armored vehicle in
Gaza on May 11, the Arabs near the scene of the carnage gleefully held
aloft human body parts in front of rolling cameras. One of the Arab
terrorists was later interviewed on film with what appeared to be a human
head in front of him.
The week before, after shooting at Tali Hatuel's car, causing it to skid
and stop, Arab terrorists walked over to the vehicle to finish the
occupants off. They looked at the heavily pregnant mother and her four
no-doubt frightened girls; the youngest was two years old. And then shot
them all. At point-blank range. With sadistic satisfaction, they
systematically murdered Tali Hatuel and her unborn son, as well as all of
Tali's daughters - Hila, age 11, Hadar, 9, Roni, 7, and two-year-old Meirav.
In Fallujah in March, crowds of townspeople dragged four American
civilians
out of their vehicles, shot or beat them to death, mutilated their bodies,
dragged them through the streets, suspended them from a bridge and
burned them.
And they danced and cheered.
With their children.
In Ramallah in 2000, two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped, beaten, stabbed
countless times, had their eyes gouged out, and were literally
disemboweled
and dismembered by an Arab lynch mob.
The people - and I use the term loosely - who carried out the initial
beatings threw one of the victims down to the waiting mob, where his face
was further crushed with stones, feet, fists and even a heavy metal window
frame. One Jew was set on fire and dragged along the street as Arab
onlookers danced and cheered. Some of the butchers celebrated their
crimes
with the victims' internal organs. One of the killers, famously captured on
film, proudly displayed his blood-soaked hands to the cheering Ramallah
crowd.
And it gets worse. In 2003, nearly two years later, Arab parents in Gaza
cheered again when their little children dressed up as members of the
Ramallah lynch mob, complete with hands painted blood red, for a
kindergarten graduation ceremony.
According to a report by Dr. Michael Widlanski, an Israeli Arabic expert,
the Voice of Palestine called the attack on the Hatuel girls "an act of
heroic martyrdom". The targeted children and their mother, the PA radio
reported only as "five settlers".
Among the participants at the funerals of the Hatuel family members was
President of Israel Moshe Katzav. He said, "This day of blood will be
engraved in our history. An earthquake has happened. No one in the world
can stand apathetically by in the face of these acts by such evil people.
Where are those who speak in the name of Allah?"
National Review contributing editor David Frum posed the same question
in
his May 12 "Diary" on NRO: "Where are the imams?" he asked.
Some of "those who speak in the name of Allah," Mr. President, were busy
sawing Nick Berg's head from his body in Iraq. "Allah is great!" they
shouted in triumphal glee as they killed their bound and helpless victim.
The imams are in the mosques, Mr. Frum, waving swords and exhorting
their
followers to behead a Jew: "Allah willing, we will cut off his head! Oh
Jews! Allah is great! Allah is great!" They are also in Saudi Arabian
palaces, telling their subjects that they are 95% certain Zionists are
behind Islamist terrorism. They are also writing for the Arab media,
explaining that Jews are behind all the evil in the world. And they are
even organizing soccer matches, Mr. President, honoring mass murderers.
This is the enemy. Don't look away.
Perhaps when another rally is held in support of Iraqi "resistance" or
"Palestinian liberation" somewhere in the world, counter-protesters can
remind the ever-so-sensitive and progressive demonstrators of Nick Berg's
scream of pain, or of two-year-old Meirav Hatuel cowering in her car seat,
or of the Ramallah or Fallujah savages dancing with human entrails.
During the lynch of the two IDF soldiers who had taken a wrong turn into
Ramallah in 2000, one of the Arab murderers paused in his savage beating
to
answer a cell phone belonging to one of the dying soldiers.
He told the worried voice on the other end of the line, "We are killing
your husband."
There is a Talmudic dictum that states, "One who is merciful to the cruel,
will ultimately cause cruelty to the merciful."
It seems to me that we, Israelis and Americans, have proven the Talmudic
sages absolutely correct. Please, no more mercy.
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