tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86979017528627097922024-03-14T01:51:17.641-07:00JEW-WITH-A-VIEWZionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-80830172014050198672008-08-25T16:40:00.000-07:002008-08-25T16:41:33.274-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;">This blog has now moved!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Jew With a View can now be found at:</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.ajewwithaview.com/">http://www.ajewwithaview.com</a></span>Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-20357606960430118482008-07-18T02:25:00.000-07:002008-07-20T13:26:06.152-07:00JEWISH - CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">For several weeks now, I have been enjoying a challenging discussion with a fellow blogger across the pond. Sam is a Christian, I am a Jew, and he raises many interesting points that I feel will be of interest to other Jews and Christians struggling to understand each other. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I'm devoting this page to some of our exchanges - beginning with a question Sam put to me that I know other Christians also wonder about:</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">SAM</span>: "My brother-in-law, who is an atheist, comes from a Jewish family, and I had an argument with him one day about whether a Christian could be a Jew. He insisted that they couldn’t. But he still considers himself to be a Jew even though he’s an atheist. I found it ironic that he thinks Christians, who believe in God, cannot be Jews, but atheists, who deny the existence of God, can. What do you think about that? Do you think an atheist can be a Jew?"<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">TABATHA:</span> Ah, the old 'Jewish atheist' debate......!<br /><br />It sounds so counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Yet in fact, there are Jewish atheists. Although they are not following the ideal path for any Jew, the bottom line is that they are not violating Torah, because they are not worshipping other gods. This is the most sacred tenet of Judaism, summed up in the Shema, the Jewish prayer: 'The Lord our G-d, the Lord is ONE.'<br /><br />A person can be Jewish, and an atheist, because they are not violating this. Also, Judaism is more than the belief in one true G-d. It also comprises an entire system of rules for ensuring that all are treated ethically. Judaism values action above beliefs, thus a Jewish atheist who leads a moral and 'righteous' life, is still living in accordance with Jewish values.<br /><br />That said, Orthodox Judaism does not look favourably at Jewish atheists and will probably be less charitable. But the key point remains: they are still Jewish and fully entitled to define themselves as such.<br /><br />Now for the second part of your question: Can a Christian ever be a Jew?<br /><br />Let's clarify the actual question:<br /><br />Can a Christian *become* a Jew?<br /><br />YES: Anyone is welcome to join the Jewish family by converting. Judaism is a tribal religion and when someone converts, the Jewish people effectively 'adopt' them. They are every bit as Jewish as those born into the faith. Indeed, the Talmud tells us that G-d has a special affection for those who convert to Judaism, or 'Jews by choice', as they have consciously chosen the religion.<br /><br />Can a Christian remain a Christian and also be a Jew?<br /><br />NO. This would be a theological contradiction. Let's look first at the actual definition of 'Jewish', as defined by Jewish religious law. A person is Jewish if they are:<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">- born to a Jewish mother</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">or</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">- they have converted to Judaism</span><br /><br />These are the only two ways that anyone is 'Jewish'. Even if a person attends synagogue regularly, keeps kosher, and adheres to Torah, they are not Jewish unless they fall into one of the above two categories.<br /><br /><br />The only time a Jew ceases to be Jewish, is if they adopt another religion. Any other religion. At this point, they become an Apostate; they still have a Jewish heritage, and they are welcome to return to Judaism if they would like to, but they cannot still claim to be representing Judaism, and they cannot define their beliefs or their religion as 'Jewish'.<br /><br /><br />Thus, a Jew who converts to Christianity, is NOT a 'jewish christian', nor are they a 'jew for jesus'. They are an Apostate to other Jews, and they are a Christian, in terms of their religion.<br /><br /><br />So, no: a Christian cannot be a Jew AND still retain Christian beliefs and Christian rituals.<br /><br /><br /><p>Apart from the fact that Jewish religious law does not allow for a Jew to simultaneously practise nor embrace any other faith, it would also be impossible to be both Jewish and Christian in terms of ideology. For how could any one person adhere to two sets of contradictory and mutually exclusive tenets?</p><p>Jews believe the maschiach has not yet arrived: Christians believe Jesus was their messiah and that he will return.</p>Jews believe the maschiach will be a normal mortal: Christians believe Jesus was resurrected, was born to a 'virgin', and that he is the 'son of god'.<br /><br />Jews hold the Torah as sacred; it cannot be added to nor superceded: Christians adhere to the 'new' testament, which they believe is divinely inspired.<br /><br />Jews recognise an eternal covenant with G-d: Christians believe they have a 'new' covenant that at best 'equals' and at worst 'replaces' the Jewish one.<br /><br />Jews do not believe in 'hell': Christians do believe in hell and *some* Christians believe that all NON Christians end up there.<br /><br />These are just some of the core differences. It would be impossible for anyone to believe in the veracity of both sets, since they clearly contradict each other.<br /><br />A person is Jewish or Christian: nobody can be Jewish AND Christian.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">********************************************************************</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">SAM: </span>"Who is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53? It says, “But he was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, and by his bruises we were healed. We all went astray like sheep, each going his own way; and the LORD visited upon him the guilt of all of us,” (Isaiah 53:5-6)<br /><br /><br />and “For he was cut off from the land of the living through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment,” (v. 8) and “My righteous servant makes the many righteous. It is their punishment that he bears” (v. 11). The suffering servant obviously dies for the sins of Israel. But the suffering servant cannot be Israel itself because (1) he dies for Israel, and (2) “we” are all guilty of sin and worthy of punishment while the suffering servant “had done no injustice and had spoken no falsehood” (v. 9) and is a “righteous servant” (v. 11). If no human can ever die for the sins of others, then the suffering servant cannot be a human. Read the whole chapter. Start from Isaiah 52:13."<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">TABATHA: </span>I am aware that many Christians interpret Isaiah 53 to be referring to Jesus. The problem is: there is no hint, let alone anything resembling 'proof', that the ‘servant of G-d’ referred to is either the Jewish messiah OR Jesus.<br /><br />Indeed, one can refute the claim that it refers to Jesus very swiftly: the subject of Isaiah 53 was ill, was buried with the ‘wicked’, had offspring, and lived a long life.<br /><br />Jesus does not fit any of these, let alone all of them.<br /><br />For a more detailed refutation:<br /><br />In genuine messianic prophecies there is always a clue that the text refers to the messiah. It will speak of a king, or a ruler, or about a descendent of King David. But there is nothing like this in Isaiah 53!<br /><br />As for this ‘servant of god’ - where else in the Tanakh is the messiah EVER referred to in this way?<br /><br />Answer: nowhere! Not in the entire Tanakh.<br /><br />There are additional problems for the claims made by Christianity about this piece of text.<br /><br />The prophet Isaiah is talking in the present/past tense; verse 3 and 4: “He is despised and rejected of men” “We hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised, and we esteemed him not” It goes on like this in the past tense up to verse ten.<br /><br />This is not the way the prophets announce future events, by saying that they had already happened!<br />The King James Version says in verse 2: "For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant."<br /><br />Future tense.<br /><br />However; this is wrong. In the original text, it appears in the past tense. Compare the Revised Standard Version, it gives this verse *correctly* in the PAST tense.<br /><br />When the prophet Isaiah switches to the future tense, he describes events that are not applicable to Jesus; verse 10: “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days.”<br /><br />But Jesus was not married - how is he going to ‘see his seed’?<br /><br />So who is Isaiah referring to?<br /><br />Well, we know that the name of Jacob was changed to Israel, when he had struggled with the angel in Genesis.<br /><br />Isaiah 41:8: “But thou , Israel art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou who I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thou from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee: Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.”Isaiah 44:1-2; “Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel who I have chosen. Thus said the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; fear not O Jacob my servant, and thou Jesurun whom I have chosen.”Isaiah 44:21; “Remember these, O Jacob and Israel, for thou art my servant. I have formed thee, thou art my servant; O Israel thou shalt not be forgotten of meIsaiah 45:4; “For Jacob, my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name.”Isaiah 48:20; “The lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.”Isaiah 49:3; “And said unto me: Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”<br /><br />The ‘servant’ that Isaiah refers to is the people of Israel.<br /><br />There are some very interesting points about this piece of text at <a href="http://www.jewsforjudaism.com/">http://www.jewsforjudaism.com/</a>, which points out:<br /><br />'In verse five, rather than "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities," the prefix "mem" means "from," not "for", i.e. the speakers of the verse hurt the servant, not that he was punished by G-d as a substitute for them. In verse 11, the Hebrew "yatsdeek" means "will make just" (by bringing the Torah), not "will justify (someone's sins by taking their punishment).'<br /><br />If one reads Isaiah from Chapter 40 all the way to the end, chapter 66 it’s easy to see that Isaiah is referring to the people of Israel.<br /><br /><br />When many Christians claim that Isaiah is referring to Jesus, they are trying to put a Christian interpretation on a Jewish text. It doesn't work.<br /><br />Jesus cannot be 'back engineered' into the Tanakh, because a quick read of either the original Hebrew OR of an accurate translation of that Hebrew, reveals that the Christian slant makes no sense.<br /><br /><br />Indeed, I would respectfuly argue that the only way anyone can 'find' Jesus in the Tanakh is if they begin with the premise that he is there. Logically, there is no reason why Jesus would be there. The Tanakh was written long, long before Jesus was even a glint in Joseph's eye. And as Jesus was one of many young Jewish men claiming to be the messiah, and as he did not fulfill any of the Jewish messianic prophecies, he has never played any role *in* Judaism.<br /><br />So there is no rational reason to suggest he would appear in the Tanakh.<br /><br />********************************************************************Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-37865699648122819922008-07-08T03:21:00.000-07:002008-07-08T08:17:39.192-07:00JUDAISM: Not 'just Christianity without Jesus'Want to make a Jew mad?<br /><br />Easy: inform them that Judaism is 'really Christianity, but sans Jesus'.<br /><br /><br />It's something that Jews hear fairly often, and we don't like it. Why would we? It suggests that Judaism was merely some archaic, warm-up act that set the scene for the main event: Christianity. And it reinforces an idea that many Christian fundamentalists espouse: namely, that Christianity is 'perfected judaism'.<br /><br /><br />So let's set the record straight.<br /><br /><br />Christianity is not 'fulfilled' nor 'perfected' nor 'completed' Judaism. And the correct response to anyone suggesting this, is laughter, frankly. Because such a statement only shows how ignorant the person is about all things Jewish.<br /><br /><br />Christianity = the rejection of Judaism.<br /><br /><br />Now, this is not to imply that one faith is right and one is wrong, or that one is somehow 'better' than the other. Not at all. But let's be crystal clear: Christianity does represent a rejection of core Jewish beliefs.<br /><br />For those out there reading this, and now muttering in disagreement, take a look at the things Judaism and Christianity disagree on:<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that no human can ever die for the sins of others<br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- says that Jesus died for the sins of mankind<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that all humans are born pure, and innocent<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- says that all humans are born with 'original sin'.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that G-d would never allow/enable a 'virgin birth'<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- says that Mary gave birth, though a virgin<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that no man gets a 'second coming'<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- says that Jesus will have a 'second coming'<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that every human should speak directly to G-d<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- Jesus claims in the 'new testament' that the 'only way' to G-d is via him<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says G-d is one, indivisable, cannot be separated into three aspects/incarnations<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit<br /><br /><br />JUDAISM<br />- says that we are ALL equally G-d's children<br />CHRISTIANITY<br />- says that Jesus was 'god's son' above all others<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- has no concept of 'hell'<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- *some* Christians non believers to 'hell'<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- has no 'devil', the Jewish 'satan' is just an ordinary angel, under G-d's control<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- describes 'satan' as a devil and 'fallen' angel<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- the 'messiah' will be a normal, mortal man who must fulfill all the Jewish messianic prophecies in one normal, mortal lifetime<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- Jesus was the 'messiah' and will fulfill the prophecies when he 'returns'<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- says that the righteous of ALL faiths will reach 'gan eden' or 'garden of eden'.<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- *some* Christians insist that only those who 'know Christ' can reach heaven<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">JUDAISM</span><br />- forbids Jews from trying to convert anyone to Judaism<br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">CHRISTIANITY</span><br />- believes in actively 'witnessing' and encouraging people to convert to Christianity<br /><br /><br />These are just some of the differences between Judaism and Christianity. Only those unaware of such differences could possibly state that the two faiths are 'similar or, even more bizarrely, that they are the 'same'.<br /><br /><br />And let's shatter another myth, while we're here.<br /><br />Some Christians claim that their faith is somehow 'jewish' because 'the first christians were jews'.<br />Now, using that 'logic', does that mean that today's Australians are 'British', because the first Australians were Brits?<br /><br /><br />Clearly, the answer is 'no'.<br /><br /><br />The tiny sect of Jews that then became part of the emerging Christian faith, left Judaism when they violated Torah and began practising the new religion that ultimately, would become the Christianity that we know today. The fact that they were born Jewish, is irrelevant.<br /><br />Just because a Jew converts to Christianity, does not make Christianity somehow 'jewish'. Yet a surprising number of people think it does!<br /><br /><br />Again, let's use their 'logic':<br /><br /><br />I'm Jewish, by birth. So are some of my friends. If we decide that Scientology is the right faith for us, and begin practising it, does this then confer 'jewish' status on Scientology?<br /><br />Answer: NO, of course not.<br /><br />Well, the same reasoning does apply to Christianity. A Jew who becomes a Christian is a CHRISTIAN.<br /><br />The Jewish bible, the Tanakh, makes it clear that no Jew can follow another religion or deity AND remain Jewish: a person who was born a Jew can at some point cease to be called a Jew.<br /><br />In the Book of Kings, Elijah the prophet is sent to rebuke those Jews who were worshiping a foreign god called Baal. In I Kings 18:21, Elijah says to them:<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is G-d, follow Him: but if Baal, follow him."</span><br />In other words, you are either a Jew or a worshiper of Baal. Not both.<br /><br />A Jew who follows another religion is Jewish only in that that he is obligated to return to Judaism. But, while his beliefs are idolatrous and foreign to Judaism, he cannot call himself a Jew.<br /><br />That is why the terms "Messianic Jew," "Hebrew Christian," or "Jew for Jesus," are all totally, utterly nonsensical.<br /><br /><br />Judaism and Christianity are two entirely different, separate religions. And anyone who knows even the basics of both, knows this.Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-24486731840232967952008-05-31T12:41:00.000-07:002008-06-02T14:52:46.535-07:00JESUS - A Nice Jewish BoySo, let's talk about Jesus.<br /><br /><br />Theologically, of course, there's no need to. Because Jesus does not feature in Judaism - not at all. But as Jews are asked so frequently about their views of Jesus, let's clarify:<br /><br />You could go to every synagogue on planet Earth, and I guarantee, you will never hear Jesus being mentioned. Not even once. He is about as relevant to Judaism as, say, the Tooth Fairy is to Christianity. Many people find this strange; after all, millions of Christians proclaim Jesus as their 'messiah' and their 'saviour'. Why on earth don't Jews themselves place any importance to this most famous of historical figures?<br /><br />Well, let's remember the context:<br /><br />Back when Jesus was busy gallivanting around Judea, declaring himself as 'messiah', the Jews were living under Roman oppression. And it was tough. The Romans had a nasty habit of crucifying people - mainly Jews. Sometimes up to 100 Jews in a single day.<br /><br />And as at many other hard times in Jewish history, the Jews longed for their Maschiach. The Torah makes it clear: the Jewish Maschiach is a normal mortal man - he's born, he lives, he dies. And BEFORE he dies, he must usher in world peace, rebuild the temple, redeem Israel, and redeem the world.<br /><br />So where was he?<br /><br />Numerous young Jewish blokes believed themselves to BE that messiah. Jesus was one of them but - Christian friends, brace yourselves - he was far from unique.<br /><br />Indeed, the vast majority of Jews had no awareness of Jesus. It was only ever a tiny sect of Jews that followed Jesus. Christianity very swiftly became an entirely NON Jewish faith. There were NEVER thousands of Jews following Jesus.<br /><br />Now, many Christians claim that Jesus 'fulfilled' the messianic prophecies - and they point to Jewish scripture in a bid to 'prove' this. They claim that, among other things, Isaiah mentions a 'virgin birth', for example.<br /><br />What they forget is this:<br /><br />1 - the very concept OF 'messiah' originated with Judaism. The messianic prophecies and description of the Maschiach were written in Hebrew, by Jews, for Jews. Thus it seems logical to include that the people who first described their messiah, are sufficiently intelligent to IDENTIFY THEIR OWN MESSIAH.<br /><br />2 - when Christians study the 'old testament' many of them assume they are reading the 'jewish bible'. Well, newflash: they're not!<br /><br />The OT is just a MIStranslation of a translation of the actual Jewish bible - the Tanakh. This was written, of course, in Hebrew - then translated into Greek and THEN into various other languages. Talk about meanings getting lost in translation! Many versions of the OT are FULL of incorrect translations. And as if that doesn't muddy the religious waters enough, the material is also organised differently in the OT - thus altering the context on many occasions.<br /><br />Let's look at one of the most well known examples.<br /><br />Many Christians insist that Isaiah references a 'virgin birth'.<br /><br />But the Hebrew word used is ALMAH.<br /><br />ALMAH = YOUNG WOMAN<br /><br />It has always meant 'young woman' or 'maiden'.<br /><br />The Hebrew word for 'virgin' is an entirely different word: it's 'BETULAH'.<br /><br />Interestingly, SOME Christian bibles have now AMMENDED their translations to bring them into line with the original Hebrew. Here they are:<br /><br />Christian Translations of Isaiah 7:14<br /><br />Revised Standard Version: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a <span style="color:#33ffff;">young</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">woman </span>shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.<br /><br />Revised English BibleBecause you do, the Lord of his own accord will give you a sign; it is this: A <span style="color:#33ffff;">young woman</span> is with child, and she will give birth to a son and call him Immanuel.<br /><br />New English BibleTherefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: A <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> is with child, and she will bear a son, and will call him Immanuel.<br /><br />New Revised Standard Version: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the <span style="color:#33ccff;">young</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">woman</span> is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.<br /><br />New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures(Jehovah Witnesses) Therefore Jehovah himself will give you men a sign: Look! The <span style="color:#33ccff;">maiden</span> herself will actually become pregnant, and she is giving birth to a son, and she will certainly call his name Immanuel.<br /><br />Good News Bible: Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: A <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> who is pregnant will have a son and will name him "Immanuel."<br /><br />The Jerusalem Bible: Readers EditionThe Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: The <span style="color:#33ccff;">maiden </span>is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.<br /><br />The Bible: A New TranslationAn omen you shall have, and that from the Eternal himself. There is a <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> with child, who shall bear a son and call his name "Immanuel" (God is with us).<br />The Bible: An American Translation:Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold! A <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> is with child, and is about to bear a son; and she will call him "God is with us."<br /><br />The International Critical Commentary:Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a <span style="color:#33ccff;">damsel</span> is with child, and shall bring forth a son, and call his name Immanuel.<br /><br />The New Jerusalem Bible:The Lord will give you a sign in any case. It is this: The <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.<br /><br />The Layman's Bible Commentary:In reply, Isaiah says that the Lord will provide a sign. It will be a most unusual and remarkable event. A <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> shall bear a son and name him "Immanuel," meaning "God is with us."<br /><br />World Biblical Commentary: Therefore my Lord himself will give you (pl) a sign. Behold, the <span style="color:#33ccff;">woman</span> shall conceive and bearing a son -- she shall call his name "Immanuel."<br /><br />The Bible in Basic English: For this cause the Lord himself will give you a sign; a <span style="color:#33ccff;">young woman</span> is now with child, and she will give birth to a son, and she will give him the name Immanuel.<br /><br /><a rel="nofollow" name="2"></a><br />Clearly, many Christian authorities now admit that there is NOTHING about a 'virgin birth' in Isaiah - or indeed anywhere else in the Torah. And why would there be? The mere idea is totally alien to Judaism.<br /><br />The Jewish G-d NEVER takes human form - and certainly doesn't pop in to planet earth to quickly impregnate young Jewish chicks!!!<br /><br />And there are other reasons why Jesus was not the Jewish Maschiach, quite apart from this. Jesus did not fulfill ANY of the Jewish messianic prophecies.<br /><br />The Jewish Maschiach must:<br /><br />- usher in world peace<br />- unite all Jews in Israel<br />- bring Torah to all the nations<br />- rebuild the temple<br />- REJECT doing miracles<br />- redeem Israel, and the world<br />- be from King David's line<br />- create G-d's kingdom, here on earth.<br /><br />Now, did Jesus fulfill ANY of these BEFORE he died?<br /><br />Answer: NO. NOT EVEN ONE.<br /><br />Conclusion: Jesus was not, indeed could not have been, the Jewish Maschiach.<br /><br />To reiterate a key point: the concept of 'messiah' is a JEWISH concept. Judaism was the first faith to articulate the idea. Christianity has revised the definition of 'messiah' so much that now, many Christians don't even know that THEIR messiah bears NO relation to the original Jewish Maschiach.<br /><br />So, what DO Jews think about Jesus?<br /><br />Well, there's no official line on him. Some Jews probably doubt he ever existed at all - remember, Jesus is not mentioned by any of the contemporary writers of his own time.<br /><br />Many Jews regard Jesus as a young, charismatic preacher who sought to reform Judaism - but who never intended to 'start' a new faith. Jesus lived and died a practising Jew. He TAUGHT Judaism. 'Love Thy Neighbour' appears first in the TORAH.<br /><br />Most Jews, though, don't think about Jesus at all. He simply is not relevant to Judaism.<br /><br />And he certainly was not our Maschiach.<br /><br />In short, then, Jesus was just a Nice Jewish Boy. And let's face it - if ever he should somehow return, he'd head straight for the nearest synagogue.Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-57585214637962595792008-05-18T07:50:00.000-07:002008-06-16T12:53:00.207-07:00THE MISSIONARY POSITIONSomething strange is happening in London.<br /><br />Specifically, in areas where Jews live.<br /><br />Take last week. 15 year old Natasha heard a knock at the door and, through the spy hole, saw three Orthodox Jews on her doorstep. Feeling perfectly safe, she opened the door to them straight away.<br /><br />Greeting her with warm smiles, they explained they were from the 'Beth Shalom' synagogue. Natasha didn't know of it but hey, there are plenty of synagogues in London. They were in the neighbourhood doing 'outreach' work. And they were keen to learn how they could engage Jewish teenagers and make synagogue more 'relevant'. Might she spare them ten minutes of her time?<br /><br />Knowing her mother was due home shortly, Natasha invited her fellow Jews in and made some tea. And indeed, for almost forty minutes, they enjoyed a lively conversation about Judaism, life in north west London, and sundry other topics. The men spoke Hebrew. They quoted from the Torah. They were great company.<br /><br />And then one of these oh so Orthodox Jews asked Natasha what she thought about Hell.<br /><br />Now religious she might not be, but Natasha knew that in Judaism there IS no 'hell'.<br />Baffled, she asked 'Chaim' to elaborate.<br /><br />Leaning forward with a look of great concern on his face, Chaim asked if Natasha worried about her parents. After all, surely she didn't want them to spend eternity in 'hell'? Chaim went on to explain that this was just what would happen - if Natasha's family failed to 'find Christ'.<br /><br />So Natasha now found herself, bizarrely, with three Orthodox Jews who were preaching Christianity! Flummoxed, she asked which 'movement' within Judaism her guests represented.<br /><br />'Messianic', came the beaming response, A 'new and liberating form of judaism in which jews can remain Jewish AND still know Jesus.'<br /><br />And while this did not enlighten Natasha, her mother knew EXACTLY what it meant when she arrived home ten minutes later and threw 'Chaim' and his friends out.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">You see, these 'orthodox jews' were not Jews at all. They were Christian missionaries. Or, as they prefer to be known, 'messianic jews'.<br /></span><br />Confused?<br /><br />You're in good company.<br /><br />So here's the key point to bear in mind: there is no 'messianic' sect WITHIN Judaism. None. Never has been. Indeed, the idea makes no sense - Judaism is inherently 'messianic' because Jews await the Jewish messiah.<br /><br />The simple fact is that 'messianic jews' are about as 'jewish' as a bacon roll.<br /><br />The Messianic movement has been around for decades. Many of us are familiar with 'jews4jesus', with its smiling, attractive young adherents handing out their leaflets on street corners and sometimes outside schools. Interestingly, the founder of 'jews4jesus' is Martin Meyer - an ordained BAPTIST minister.<br /><br />Now, do we really think that a Baptist can found a 'new' branch of Judaism?<br /><br />The idea is laughable.<br /><br />Or at least it would be, if so many people weren't being duped by Messianics into thinking they were embracing an authentic form of Judaism. The Messianics in the USA are currently spending BILLIONS on a massive conversion drive - aimed at both Jews AND non Jews. There are Messianic preachers and representatives on many college campuses, and they are not reticent about sharing their views. But the fact remains:<br /><br />Messianics are Christians.<br />They preach Christianity.<br />They practise Christianity.<br />They aim to convert others to Christianity.<br /><br />And lest anyone out there still be in any doubt, here's what Martin Meyer, founder of 'jewsforjesus' says:<br /><br />Abridged from: "Holy Terror" by Flo Conway and Jim Seigelman<br /><br />In a document entitled "<span style="color:#33ccff;">What Evangelical Christians Should Know About MESSIANIC 'JEWS'; A Confidential Report: Not to be Distributed to Non-Christians,"</span> Meyer reveals his goal:<br /><br />‘We define ourselves as evangelical fundamentalists and we seek the cooperation of individuals and Christian bodies meeting this description…We believe in affiliation with a local church and being accountable to the church for service and discipline. We will uphold the local church wherever we can.<br /><br />‘We consider ourselves an arm of the local church. We are primarily evangelists and we are always mindful that we should not usurp the authority of the local pastor. As we win and disciple (convert) Jewish people, we urge them to take their place in a local evangelical church or establish a congregation and call their own minister. Our duty is to aid the church at large and we work as an arm of that body to gather in the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.’<br /><br />And now they're here in the UK.<br /><br />Natasha was lucky. The approach made to her was clumsy and ultimately, doomed to fail. But numerous young Jewish students away from home for the first time have been lured into Christianity without even realising it.<br /><br />Take Josh. He was away at University, in his first year, studying Politics. When a fellow student, Rachel, befriended him, he was delighted. He knew, of course, that she was Jewish - well, after all, she was wearing a Star Of David!<br /><br />After a few weeks, Rachel invited Josh to go with her to 'synagogue'. Not the one that most Jewish students at that particular University preferred but another, 'more friendly' synagogue. Josh said yes, and didn't give it another thought.<br /><br />And on the following Friday night, he was impressed by the warm reception he got at this 'temple'. Everyone was smiling. Welcoming. The synagogue LOOKED like every other synagogue he'd ever attended. The 'Rabbi' was charismatic, and gave an interesting and humorous service. The kiddush was lovely. Josh went home feeling great.<br /><br />And so when, a few weeks later, Rachel and some of the other members of the temple suggested to Josh that he take a look at a wonderful 'Hebrew scripture', he shrugged and figured, 'Where's the harm?'.<br /><br />Rachel explained that the scripture was called the 'Brit Chadasha'.<br /><br />She gave Josh some photocopied pages from it and he glanced through them. They were fairly interesting. Prettily written. He found himself impressed with the emphasis on kindness and love that appeared throughout the pages. Josh had never been very into religion - sure, he was Jewish, but he wasn't 'observant'.<br /><br />But Rachel was keen to discuss the scriptures and Josh soon found he was enjoying their chats. By the time the name 'Yeshua' came up, Josh wasn't even bothered. He liked this new form of 'messianic' Judaism that he'd been introduced to.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"><span style="color:#000000;">The problem?</span> 'Brit Chadasha' is Hebrew for NEW TESTAMENT.</span><br /><br />Josh had been studying the Christian bible without even knowing it. He was not now a 'messianic' Jew. He was now well on the way to being a practising CHRISTIAN.<br /><br />The above are merely two examples of how Messianics work. So successful has the movement been in America, that a Rabbi there has created a group SPECIFICALLY to counter the lies and MISinformation spread by the Messianics. To find that group: <a href="http://www.jewsforjudaism.com/">http://www.jewsforjudaism.com/</a><br />But WHY are the Messianics getting such great results?<br /><br />Firstly, there are some Christians who, fair enough, are interested in Judaism; they know that Jesus lived and died a practising Jew, and they wish to have some kind of 'connection' to the faith of their messiah.<br /><br />So when the Messianics tell them that they CAN be Jewish, by being a 'messianic jew', it sounds like the perfect solution! This way, they get to celebrate the Jewish holidays etc yet they can still worship Christ!<br /><br />Here's the thing, though: these people are not 'jewish'. A person is ONLY Jewish if:<br /><br />- their mother is Jewish<br />or<br />- they convert to Judaism<br /><br />Judaism is a tribal religion; when someone converts, they are 'adopted' by the Jewish people. And it doesn't matter if a person follows the Jewish religion to the letter - without that formal conversion process, they are not 'Jewish'.<br /><br />An analogy: I might wake up tomorrow and decide I'd rather like to be a Navajo Indian. I might even learn all about their traditions and beliefs and then claim to BE a Navajo Indian! But that doesn't mean I AM one!<br /><br />Around 99% of Messianics fall into this group - Christians wanting an involvement with Judaism. What they end up with is Christianity - wrapped up in a few Jewish traditions and Hebrew words.<br /><br />But the Messianics will quickly counter these facts. And they'll do so by noting that they have 'plenty' members who were born to Jewish mothers, making them Jewish.<br /><br />The first thing to know: only around 1% of Messianics were born Jewish.<br /><br />The second: EVEN if they were born Jewish, by embracing a religion other than Judaism - in this case, Christianity - they are an apostate in the Jewish world.<br /><br />But no - Messianics apparently know better! They will INSIST that these people are 'still jewish'. And many people believe them.<br /><br />Messianics will tell you:<br /><br />- a Jew can remain Jewish AND worship Christ<br /><br />THIS IS BLATANTLY FALSE<br /><br />Jesus plays no role in Judaism. He wasn't the Jewish messiah. Quite apart from which, it is FORBIDDEN for Jews to WORSHIP any human, to worship anyone or anything apart from G-d. So even if someone is born Jewish, the minute they start worshipping Jesus, they have removed themselves from the Jewish community and are now an 'apostate'. And if they're practising Christianity, then they are a Christian.<br /><br />Think about it. If a Christian converts to Islam, would we insist that they are a 'Christian for Muhammed?'<br />No!<br /><br />If a Hindu converts to Christianity, would we describe them as a 'Hindu for Jesus'?<br /><br />No!<br /><br />Yet Messianics will tell you over and over and over again, that EVEN when a Jew practises Christianity, they are somehow still 'jewish'. They are just a 'jew who has found jesus'.<br /><br />Clearly, it's nonsensical.<br /><br />Another of the Messianics' favourite claims is that:<br /><br />A person can be BOTH Jewish and Christian; they can be 'racially' or 'ethnically' Jewish, and religiously Christian.<br /><br />Again: FALSE<br /><br />Judaism is a RELIGION. Jews are not a 'race' - if we were, how could anyone convert to or from Judaism, both of which happen?<br /><br />And to burst another myth: Jews are NOT an 'ethnic' group. We can't be - there are Jews from ALL ethnic backgrounds. White Jews. Black Jews. Indian Jews. Chinese Jews. Is anyone seriously going to suggest that a black Ethopian Jew, and a blond, blue-eyed Swedish Jew share the same 'ethnic' group?<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">Judaism is a religion. It is profoundly different to Christianity. A 'jew who worships jesus' is the equivalent of 'a christian who denies christ'.<br /><br />In other words: a theological contradiction.</span><br /><br />Finally: some Messianics go by different names. So just to make it clear:<br /><br /><br />'fulfilled jew' = CHRISTIAN<br /><br /><br /><br />'completed jew' = CHRISTIAN<br /><br /><br /><br />'restored jew' = CHRISTIAN<br /><br /><br /><br />'hebrew christian' = CHRISTIAN<br /><br /><br /><br />'christian jew' = CHRISTIAN<br /><br /><br /><br />'Jewish' = JEWISH<br /><br />And for anyone out there who is unsure about whether they are involved in real Judaism or with Messianics, here's the way to tell:<br /><br />Jesus is never mentioned in Judaism. You could go to every synagogue on planet earth: you will never, ever hear his name.<br /><br />So, if you should hear a 'rabbi' waxing lyrical about 'yeshua' then you'll know. You may love the people, you may love the theology they are offering you. It's your right, of course, to stay.<br /><br />Just don't try and claim it's Judaism.<br /><br />It 'aint.Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-78463320430077715742008-01-25T03:40:00.000-08:002008-03-16T17:32:07.509-07:00THE BIGGEST LIE?<span style="color:#000000;"><strong>How many times have you heard someone confidently stating: 'I'm anti Israel;</strong> </span><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#000000;">the Jews STOLE the land from the Palestinians'???<br /><br />People who know nothing about the topic, still feel strangely confident trotting out this accusation. Indeed, it's becoming a veritable mantra among those who oppose Israel's right to exist. After all, they'll insist, she's 'illegal'.<br /><br />The most peculiar thing about these 'facts' is that...... well, they're not anything of the sort. They are myths. History disproves them.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">So, how about we do some mythbusting?</span></strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /></span><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">TRUTH:</span> THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A COUNTRY CALLED 'PALESTINE'</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#000000;">Yep, that's right. There was never, in the entire</span> </span><span style="color:#000000;">history of Planet</span><span style="color:#ffffff;"> <span style="color:#000000;">Earth, a <em><span style="color:#33ccff;">country</span></em> called Palestine. It was a <span style="color:#00cccc;">region</span>.</span>. </span><span style="color:#000000;">Formerly, it was known as Judea; then the Romans conquered it, chucked the Jews out, and in a bid to sever the link between the Jews and the land, changed the name to PALESTINA. They named it after the Philistines, a sea-faring and somewhat warlike people that had already attacked the Jews more than once.<br /></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ccff;"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">TRUTH:</span> THE TERM 'PALESTINIANS' ORIGINALLY REFERRED TO THE JEWS, AS WELL AS THE ARABS</span><br /><span style="color:#00cccc;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Again, people often take on trust that the 'native Palestinians' were the Arabs. Wrong. </span></strong><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#00cccc;">Jews </span>are the <span style="color:#33ccff;">native Palestinians</span>. They were living in Jerusalem before Islam even existed. There has been a Jewish</span> </span><span style="color:#000000;">community in what was Palestine, for thousands of years. It was certainly NOT a case of the Jews just rocking up in '48 and demanding a state! </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000000;">The term 'Palestinian' referred to the Jews, and </span><span style="color:#000000;">also to the others living in the region; Arabs and Christians</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;">. </span><br /><br /><strong>In 1854 a report in the New York Tribune reported that Jews made up two thirds of the population of Jerusalem.</strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#000000;">A travel guide to Palestine and Syria, published in 1906 by Karl Baedeker, illustrates the fact that even when the Islamic Ottoman Empire ruled the region, the Muslim population in Jerusalem was minimal. The book estimates that there were 7,000 Muslims, 13,000 Christians, and 40,000 Jews.</span></span></strong><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="color:#ffcccc;">TRUTH:</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">82% OF THE REGION OF PALESTINE ALREADY BELONGED TO THE ARABS IN 1948<br /></span><span style="color:#00cccc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Absolutely correct. The British had the mandate on the region of Palestine. And they had already already given a whopping <span style="color:#ff0000;">82%</span> to the<span style="color:#ff0000;"> Arabs</span> - today we know it as <span style="color:#ff0000;">J</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">ORDAN</span>.<br /><br />So that left 18%. And in 1947, the British in their wisdom declared they were going to divide this part between the Jews, and the Arabs. This, of course</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;">, <strong>was the Partition Plan. A tiny sliver went to the Jews - they accepted, and began celebrating. The rest went to the Arabs - they rejected it, and immediately declared war on the new Jewish state.</strong><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">I'm sure you've picked up on the key point? Yes, that's right: it was the ARABS who REJECTED a Palestinian Arab state! They would not even agree to the idea of a democratic Jewish nation in the Middle East.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">And on May 15, 1947, when Israel was less than 12 hours old, the armies of <span style="color:#33ccff;">FIVE</span> Arab nations attacked her: EGYPT, SYRIA, JORDAN</span></strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">, <strong>LEBANON and IRAQ. Terrified of being caught in the crossfire, the Palestinian</strong> </span><span style="color:#ffffff;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Arabs looked to their Arab brethren for instructions.<br /></span><br /></strong></span><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Also on May 15th, 1947, the ARAB LEAGUE secretary general, AZZAM PASHA called for 'jihad' and said: 'This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacre and the crusades.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">TRUTH:</span> </span><span style="color:#33ccff;">IT WAS THE ARABS WHO ORDERED THE PALESTINIANS TO FLEE</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Here's where it gets really interesting. It is a matter of public record that the Israelis pleaded with the Palestinian Arabs to stay; indeed, those that did, are today Israeli citizens.</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#000000;">So what happened to the rest? How did they end up as refugees?<br /><br /><em>The Economist</em>, an intense critic of the zionist movement, reported on October 2 1948: 'Of the 62,000 Arabs who formerly lived in Haifa, not</span><span style="color:#ffffff;"> <span style="color:#000000;">more than 5,000 or 6,000 remain. Various factors influenced their decision to seek safety in flight... the most potent one being the announcements made over the air by the </span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="color:#33ccff;">HIGHER </span></span></span><span style="color:#33ccff;">ARAB EXECUTIVE</span><span style="color:#000000;"> urging the Arabs to leave... It was clearly</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"> </span><strong><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#000000;">intimated that those Arabs who remained in Haifa and who accepted Jewish protection would be regarded as renegades.'<br /><br /><em>Time</em> magazine's report was similar. On May 3, 1948: 'The mass evacuation, prompted partly by orders of the <span style="color:#ff0000;">Arab leaders</span>, left</span> </span><span style="color:#000000;">the Arab quarter of Haifa a ghost city.'<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">THE ARAB NATION COMMITTEE</span> in Jerusalem, ordered women, children and the elderly to leave their homes: 'Any opposition to this order is an obstacle to the holy war and will hamper the operations of the fighters in these districts.' </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#33ccff;">HAG AMIN AL-HUSSEINI,</span> the Mufti of Jerusalem, declared: 'I declare a Holy War, my Muslim brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!'</p></span></strong><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><p>And the invading Arab armies also sometimes ordered entire villages to depart, so as not to be in their way.<br /><br />BENNY MORRIS, the historian who documented the Palestinian exodus, states that in early May, the <span style="color:#ff0000;">ARAB LEGION</span> ordered the evacuation of all women and children from the town of BEISAN.<br /><br />Even <span style="color:#33ccff;">Jordan's KING ABDULLAH,</span> in his memoirs, blamed the Palestinian Arab leaders for the refugee problem:</span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><em>'The tragedy of the Palestinians was that most of their leaders had paralyzed them with false promises that they were not alone; that 80 million Arabs and 400 million Muslims would instantly and miraculously come to their rescue</em>.'<br /><br />In March 1976, <span style="color:#ff0000;">MAHMOUD ABBAS</span>, of the <span style="color:#ff0000;">Palestinian Authority</span> recalled: 'The Arab armies abandoned the Palestinians, forced them to emigrate and to leave their homeland, and threw them into prisons similar to the ghettos in which the</strong> <strong>Jews used to live.'</strong><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">And what kind of response greets Arabs who confirm what really happened?<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Arab American writer, Joseph Farah</span>, has received death threats from his fellow Arabs for stating facts about the creation of Israel. He says:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">'Let me state this plainly and clearly: the Jews in Israel took no one's land. Many historical records show that the Jews urged the Arabs to stay and live with them in peace.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> But tragically, they chose to leave. 54 years later, the sons </span></strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;"><strong>and daughters and grandchildren of those refugees are all too often still in refugee camps - not because of Israeli intransigence, but because they are misused as a political tool of the Arab powers.'<br /></strong></span><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>And he adds: 'At no time did the Jews uproot Arab families from their homes. When there were title deeds to be purchased, they bought them at inflated prices. When there were not, they worked the land so they could have a place to live. It's a GREAT BIG LIE that the Israelis displaced anyone - one of a series of myths and lies that have the world on the verge of committing yet another great injustice to the Jews.'<br /></strong><br /></span><strong>SOURCES</strong><br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27338"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27338</span></strong></a><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><br /><br />The Birth Of The Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited: Cambridge University Press, 2994, page 590, author BENNY MORRIS<br /><br />Middle Eastern Studies, January 1986<br /><br />King Abdullah: My Memoirs Completed, 1978<br /><br />Arab Attitudes To Israel, by Yehoshofat Harkabi, 1972, page 364<br /><br />Mahmoud Abbas, as quoted in</strong> <strong>Falastin a - Thaura</strong></span></p>Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-13780000404596106342008-01-09T11:54:00.000-08:002008-01-14T17:12:47.485-08:00A MIDDLE EASTERN FAIRYTALE - ARABS & JEWS BEFORE ISRAEL<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><em><strong>Once upon a time, before the creation of Israel, Jews and Arabs lived in peace together, in the Middle East. In fact, they were the best of friends and in the Arab countries, the Jews were free to worship as they wished, with no fear of persecution or violence from their benevolent Arab rulers. And in Palestine, Arabs and Jews were neighbours, friends, and allies...</strong></em></span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>This is the version of events that I've been given countless times by Arabs and Muslims. 'Israel is the only thing that ruined Jewish-Arab relations', they insist.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>Is it true?</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Well, not <em>exactly...</em></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Take <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">SYRIA.</span> Jews had lived there since biblical times. And after the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, the Jewish population in Syria increased.They were mostly to be found in Damascus and Aleppo; combined, we're talking about roughly 30,000 people. But in 1945, in a bid to stop the creation of Israel, the Syrian government banned Jews from leaving the country, and Jewish property was burned and looted. The government then froze Jewish bank accounts, and confiscated their property.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And a year later, in 1946, following Syrian independence from France, again attacks on Jews and their property increased. This violence reached its' zenith in the pogroms of 1947, which left all shops, homes and synagogues in Aleppo in ruins. Thousands of Jews fled Syria at this point. The minute they left, their homes and property were taken over by their Muslim neighbours.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Over the next few decades, the remaining Jews in Syria found they were virtually hostages. They were only permitted to leave Syria if they left family members behind, as a guarantee they would return. Citizenship was taken away from them, and they found a lot of discrimination when searching for work. The Jewish community was also under constant surveillance of the Syrian secret police.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The last Jews to leave Syria departed in 1994.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Did Jews fare any better in <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">EGYPT</span>?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Jews have lived there since biblical times. By 1897, there were more than 25,000 Jews, mainly in Cairo and Alexandria. But in 1926 came the first Nationality Code, which stated that the only people entitled to Egyptian nationality were those 'who belonged ractially to the majority of the population of a country whose language is Arabic or whose religion is ISLAM.' This led to the expulsion of many Jews.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1945, with the rise of Egyptian nationalism and a big increase in anti-western and anti-Jewish sentiment, riots erupted. Ten Jews were murdered, <span style="color:#ff0000;">350</span> injured, and a synagogue, a Jewish hospital and an old age home burned down.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In July 1947, a clause was introduced to Egyptian Companies Law, making it compulsory for 90% of the employees to be Egyptian nationals. This led to the loss of livelihood for many Jews. Then, when Israel was established in 1948, there were yet more anti Jewish riots. Between June and November 1948, bombs detonated in the Jewish quarter killed more than <span style="color:#ff0000;">70</span> Jews and wounded nearly <span style="color:#ff0000;">200</span>. 2000 Jews were arrested and most had their property confiscated. Rioting over the next few months led to many more Jewish fatalities.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And in 1956, the Egyptian government expelled almost 25,000 Egyptian Jews, taking their property as well. Around 1000 Jews were also sent to prisons and detention camps. On November 23, 1956, a declaration signed by the Minister of Religious Affairs, and read aloud in mosques throughout Egypt, stated that 'all Jews are zionists and enemies of the state.' </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Thousands more Jews were ordered to leave the country. They were permitted to take only one suitcase and a small sum of money, and were forced to sign papers 'donating' their property to the Egyptian government. Foreign observers noted that members of Jewish families were taken hostage, apparently to ensure that those forced to leave did not speak out publicly against the Egyptian government.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">By 1957, the Jewish population stood at 15,000. In 1967, after the SIX DAY WAR with Israel, there was another wave of aggression against the Jews, and the community now fell to 2.500. By the 1970s, the community was nothing more than a handful of families. Today, the Jewish community in Egypt is all but extinct.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And how about <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">IRAQ</span>?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Jews had flourished in what was Babylonia for 1200 years before the Muslim conquest in 634 AD. Under Islamic rule, the Jews' position was never secure. Some Jews did hold good positions in the government, and did well in trade. But at the same time, Jews were subjected to special taxed, and restrictions on their professional activities. And when Iraq gained independence, things only got worse.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In June 1941, the Mufti-inspired, Pro Nazi coup of Rashid Ali incited riots and a pogrom in Baghdad. Armed Iraqi mobs, murdered <span style="color:#ff0000;">180 </span>Jews and wounded almost 1000. Although emigration was forbidden, many Jews made their way to Israel (then still Palestine) with the help of an underground organisation.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">There was yet more anti Jewish rioting between 1946 and 1949. And after the creation of Israel in 1948, zionism became a capital crime. In 1950, the Iraqi parliament finally permitted emigration to Israel - on the condition that Iraqi Jews gave up citizenship and all other rights. Between May 1950 and August 1951, the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency airlifted around 110,000 Jews to Israel in OPERATION EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. At the same time, 20,000 Jews were smuggled out of Iraq via Iran.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">One year later, the property of any Jews who had emigrated was frozen, and severe economic restrictions placed on the Jews remaining in Iraq.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1952, Iraq's government banned any more Jews from leaving - and publicly <span style="color:#ff0000;">hanged </span>two Jews after falsely accusing them of attacking the Baghdad office of the U.S. Information Agency.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1967, the remaining 3000 Jews were arrested and fired from their jobs. Of those who were arrested many were then hung in the public square of Baghdad. Others died of torture.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Let's look now at <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">MOROCCO</span>. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Jews first settled in Morocco more than two millenia ago. The first substantial Jewish communities developed in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In June 1948, terrible riots in Oujda and Djerada killed <span style="color:#ff0000;">44</span> Jews and wounded countless more. That same year, an economic boycott was initiated against Moroccan Jews. In 1956, Morocco declared independence and three years later, any support of Israel by Moroccan Jews was officially illegal. In 1963, more than 100,000 Jews were forced from their homes. They emigrated to Israel, France and America.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Were things any better in <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">YEMEN</span>?</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1922, the Yemen government decreed that Jewish orphans below 12 years old were to be converted to Islam.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1947, after Partition was approved, Muslim rioters, joined by the local police force, launched a terrible pogrom in Aden that killed <span style="color:#ff0000;">82 </span>Jews and destroyed hundreds of Jewish homes. Aden's Jewish community was economically ruined, as most of the Jewish stores and businesses were also destroyed.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In 1948, 50,000 Jews were forced to leave. By 1959, over 3000 Jews from Aden arrived in Israel, and more fled to the USA and the UK.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></p></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></p></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></p></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></p></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></p></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And what of the Jews and Arabs living side by side in <span style="font-size:130%;color:#33ccff;">PALESTINE</span>, prior to 1948 when a small part of it became Israel?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">There were periods of peaceful co existance - but sadly these never seemed to last.</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">And then, there were the</span> </span>1920 Nebi Musa Riots</span>; these were terrible Arab attacks against the Jews of Jerusalem on April 4th and April 7th, in and around the Old City.</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The riots are named after the Nebi Musa holiday during which they occurred; the attacks followed serious tensions between Arabs and Jews, and also a series of attacks against the Jews.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The annual Nebi Musa spring festival was intended to ensure there was a big Muslim presence in Jerusalem during the arrival of Christian pilgrims, who were there for Easter. <span style="color:#33ffff;">Arab educator and writer Khalil al-Sakakini</span> described how caravans and tribes would arrive bearing weapons and banners.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">By ten a.m. on April 4th, almost 70,000 Arabs were in the city square. Already, Arab gangs had been attacking Jews in the Old City. Hate filled anti Jewish rhetoric was being shouted from the balcony of the Arab Club. The man responsible for much of this was <span style="color:#33ccff;">Haj Amin al-Husayni,</span> while his uncle, the mayor, spoke from the municipal building's balcony.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">At the same time, the editor of <span style="color:#00cccc;">Arab newspaper Suriya al-Janubia, Aref al-</span><span style="color:#33ccff;">Aref</span>, gave his speech while on horseback. The crowd began screaming: 'Independence! Palestine is our land! The Jews are our dogs!'</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The Arab police also joined in, and then the violence began.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">One Arab mob fell upon the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, attacking anyone they could find, ransacking shops and homes as well. The Toras Chaim yeshiva was raided, the Torah scrolls torn and thrown to the floor - and then the building was set on fire. During the following three hours, 160 Jews were seriously injured.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Khalil al-Sakakini</span> describes it:</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">'A riot broke out... and stones were thrown at the Jews... I saw a zionist soldier covered in blood and dust.... Afterwards I saw one Hebronite (Hebron Arab) approach a Jewish boy, who tried to hide by the Jaffa Gate... the Hebronite took his box and beat him over the head. The boy screamed and began to run, his head bleeding. The riot reached its' zenith. Everyone shouted: 'Muhammed's religion was born with the sword'. I walked to the municipal garden... my soul is nauseated and depressed by the madness...'</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And what did the British do while all this was going on?</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The British response was less than impressive. After the riots began, Jewish leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky met Governor Storrs and asked if his Jewish volunteers could help support the Jews in the Old City. His request was denied. Worse, Storrs confiscated his pistol and wanted to arrest Jabotinisky for possession of a firearm.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">That night, the British imposed a curfew but the following morning, the Arabs they'd arrested were permitted to attend morning prayers, and were then released. The Arab gangs carried on attacking Jews and breaking into their homes.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">On the Monday, the violence intensified. The Old City was sealed off by the army. Jews attempting to escape were stopped. Martial law was declared but burglary, rape and murder continued unabated. Several homes were burned down, and gravestones attacked and destroyed. British soldiers discovered the vast majority of illicit weapons hidden on the bodies of Arab women.</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">On that Monday night, British soldiers were ordered to evacuate. This left the Jews in the Old City with no weapons, and no protection. Meanwhile Jabotinsky had positioned some of his men outside the city. Two of his volunteers managed to get in, disguised as doctors. They helped some Jews to flee and swiftly tried to organise some makeshift 'weapons' for those that remained, in the form of rocks and boiling water. But later, the Palestinian Arab leaders pressured the British to go and search for those Jews that had escaped, and Jabotinsky and his team were arrested.</span></strong><br /><br /><br /></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">It then took the British FOUR DAYS to calm the riots. </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">216 Jews were seriously hurt, 18 of them critical. Five Jews were killed. Seven British soldiers were beaten up by an Arab mob. And some 300 Jews had to leave Jerusalem for their own safety.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And then, in 1929 came </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">the <span style="color:#ff0000;">HEBRON MASSACRE</span></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#ffffff;">Hebron is the second holiest site for Jews; it is one of the four 'Holy Cities'. It is here you will find the Cave of Machpelah, holding the Tomb of the Patriarchs where Abraham was buried, and where David was anointed King of Israel. Hebron, which is 30km south of Jerusalem, is revered by Muslims also.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In Hebron, in the early 1920s, the Jews and Arabs got on pretty well - thus proving that it is possible for them to be neighbours and friends. There were patches of Arab harassment, involving rocks being chucked through the windows of Jewish homes, and the occasional physical assault, but that aside, all was well. But in the late 1920s, the Arab nationalist Muslim-Christian Association began spreading racist propoganda about the Jews and stirring up trouble.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Every member of the Hebron civil administration was an Arab. Of the forty policemen, one was Jewish. Raymond Cafferata was the Assistant District Superintendent of the Palestine Police Force. On the Friday afternoon of 23rd August, hearing that there was trouble in Jerusalem, Cafferata asked headquarters for reinforcements in Hebron.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">While on patrol, he met Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Slonim, who pleaded with him for protection, since he had just been attacked by an Arab crowd who had thrown stones at him.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">At 4pm, an Arab crowd gathered by the Hebron Yeshiva, chucking stones through the windows. Inside were a student and a sexton. When the student was injured, and tried to leave, he found himself surrounded by an Arab mob, who stabbed him to death.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Hours later, a group of mukhtars came to speak to Cafferata; he tried to get them to calm the Arab mob. But the mukhtars explained that the Mufti of Jerusalem had told them to take action or be fined. Cafferata persuaded them to leave.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">But the next morning, an Arab crowd armed with axes appeared in the streets and killed two Jewish boys; one was stoned to death, the other stabbed. Cafferata shot two of the mob, but he slipped and fell and at this point, the mob set about attacking Jewish homes.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Reinforcements from Jerusalem, Jaffa and Gaza did not arrive in time. Both Jewish and Arab businesses in the Bazaar were looted. Many of the Jews survived by hiding in their Arab neighbours' houses. The surviving Jews were later evacuated to Jerusalem. One third of those killed were young students from the Hebron yeshiva. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">67 </span>Jews were murdered in Hebron, and a further <span style="color:#ff0000;">59</span> died later. Several cases of rape, mutilation and torture were also reported. After the Jews were evacuated, the Arabs seized their property.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Death sentences were handed down to 17 Arabs; these were later commuted to long prison terms except in the case of 3 Arabs who were hanged.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">A few dozen Jewish families returned to Hebron in 1<span style="color:#ff6666;">931</span>, but again had to be evacuated during the <span style="color:#ff6666;">1936-39</span> Arab revolt in Palestine. The city had no Jews living in it for 37 years, until <span style="color:#ff6666;">1967 </span>and the <span style="color:#33ccff;">Six Day War</span>, when the Jews returned to Hebron.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">SOURCES</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">- <a href="http://www.zionism-israel.com/Hebron_Massacre1929.htm">www.zionism-israel.com/Hebron_Massacre1929.htm</a></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Historyhebron29.html">http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Historyhebron29.html</a></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">for eyewitness accounts: <a href="http://www.professors.org.il/docs/eye.htm">http://www.professors.org.il/docs/eye.htm</a></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">for photos : <a href="http://www.hebron.org.il/hebrew/gallery.php?id=189">http://www.hebron.org.il/hebrew/gallery.php?id=189</a></span></strong> </p><p><strong>REFERENCES</strong></p><p><strong>Thomas A Idinopulos: Weathered by Miracles: A History Of Palestine from Bonaparte and Muhammad Ali to Ben-Gurion and the Mufti. ISBN 1-56663-189-0</strong></p><p><strong>Tom Segev (2001) One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs Under The British Mandate. ISBN 0805065873</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><br /><strong>REFERENCES </strong></p><p><strong>Isabel Kershner: 'The Other Refugees', JERUSALEM REPORT, January 12, 2004</strong></p><p><strong>David Littman, 'The Forgotten Refugees: An Exchange Of Population' THE NATION REVIEW (December 3, 2002)</strong></p><p><strong>David Matas 'Jews from Arab Countries: The Case For Rights and Redress' JUSTICE FOR JEWS FROM ARAB COUNTRIES (June 23, 2003)</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p><br /></p><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong>Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8697901752862709792.post-28747147817683216752008-01-03T10:37:00.000-08:002008-01-24T01:46:22.739-08:00The Love That Dare Not Speak Its' Name<div align="justify"><div align="left"><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p><strong></strong></span></p></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></span></p></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"><strong><p></strong></span></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong></strong></span></div></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="left"><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I almost got lynched last week. Right in the middle of a dinner party. Why? Because I did something that's most uncool now in Britain. I defended Israel. I even - brace yourselves - called myself a <em>zionist</em>.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The topic of the Middle East had arisen over coffee. Inevitably, someone mentioned Israel. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">After listening for five minutes, I had to conclude there must be TWO countries on this planet with the same name. Because I sure as hell didn't recognise the Israel being described.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>For <em>this </em>one was now teeming with psychotic Jewish soldiers, all merrily murdering innocent Palestinians.</strong></span></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">And <em>this </em>Israeli government was fiendishly plotting to gobble up the entire Middle East. No country in the region was safe! </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Oh, and let's not forget the 'genocide' that was occurring at such a fast rate that </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">my goodness, pretty soon there wouldn't be any Palestinians LEFT!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">And on it went. I blinked in astonishment as I heard Israel described variously as 'huge', 'powerful', 'fascist' and assorted other nasty things.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I was bewildered. I mean, 'big'? <em>Israel?</em> Hardly. Look at any map of the region and trust me, you'll be hard pushed to even see the Jewish state. She takes up <span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">less than 1%</span> of the Middle East.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I also reminded my fellow diners that as the number of Palestinians is steadily increasing, clearly there is no 'genocide'. Especially since news crews, complete with cameras, are an ever present fixture. Could anyone present verify their charge of state sanctioned 'ethnic cleansing'? Please? </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I asked ever so nicely. Did they have any facts? Figures? Anything? No? Apparently not.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Oh, and out of interest, how many present had ever set foot on Israeli soil?</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">None.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Let me stress: these people were not bigots. They were not anti semites. Probably not a racist bone in their pale British bodies. They didn't mean to bash Israel: they thought they were merely stating <em>fact. </em>Which makes it more alarming, somehow...</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">'But you can't deny that Israel is a racist state,' one of the guys at the table glared at me. </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">'How so?' I enquired.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">'Well, we all know that only Jews can become citizens,' he snapped, 'If that's not racist, what is?' Nods from the others, several of whom were now sending me baleful glances. </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">So I explained that almost 3</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">0% of Israeli citizens are not Jewish. More: there are several Arab politicians in the knesset, the parliament. And anyone of any faith can apply for citizenship, as with any other nation. People seem to forget that Israel is the only true democracy in the whole Middle East.</span></strong> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><p></p></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><p></p></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><p></p></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>At this point, one of the women arched an eyebrow and indicated my pendant, which has my name in Hebrew. </strong></span><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">'Yeah but hang on - you're Jewish! Naturally you're biased when it comes to Israel.'</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">And there you have it. The argument always used when a Jew defends the Jewish state. <em><span style="color:#ffffff;">You're biased.</span></em></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;">Please, somebody tell me: since when does stating objective, verifiable fact, equal 'bias'???</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Let's take that 'logic' a bit further, shall we? No woman can discuss abortion: for clearly she'll be 'biased'. No black person can describe the racism they suffer or refer to slavery: after all, they're hardly objective, right? And how can any Arab make any point about anything in the</strong></span><strong> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Middle East? They control 99.9% of it, so they're bound to be partisan!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yet strangely, I've yet to hear this charge of 'bias' applied to any group other than Jews who defend the Jewish state.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">And then of course, it happened. Someone came out with the one allegation that makes every Jew see red and which offends many non Jews too. The allegation that right now seems to be voiced every other week. It appears in letters sent to newspapers, it's voiced on radio shows. I've heard it trotted out by people whose geographical knowledge is so poor they think the 'Middle East' is the new Curry restaurant in their high street.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">'Ironic, isn't it? After all you Jews have suffered, you lot are the new Nazis.'</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">My, but how extraordinary!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">When American troops went pouring into Afghanistan and Iraq, unpopular though that was, they were never called 'Nazis'.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">When Britain entered into a war with Argentina over the Falklands, a piece of rock in the middle of nowhere that nobody ever looked twice at, those British soldiers were not referred to as 'Nazis'.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">And when terrorists plotted and planned for years before slaughtering thousands of innocents in New York and London, well, even THEY were not <em>quite</em> 'Nazis'.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Oh, but the Israelis...</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">How DARE they put up checkpoints to stop terrorists making it into packed restaurants, schools and hospitals!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">How DARE they seek to protect citizens from those who, in the past, have dressed up as pregnant women and orthodox Jews and have managed to slip through and detonate their deadly bombs!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">How terribly <em>aggressive</em> of those blasted Jews, for claiming the right to defend themselves from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and all the Arab nations that still openly admit their desire to wipe Israel off the map!</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I pointed this out to my fellow diners. One or two of them looked thoughtful. Most were dismissive. A few gave me the cold shoulder. Then someone changed the subject and for that night at least, Israel was off the hook.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Not for long, though. In the UK, Israel bashing is our new national sport. And going for gold medal is - cue drum roll please - the BBC. Closely followed in second place by the Guardian newspaper.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thus the BBC will cover terror attacks on Israel by showing the grieving mother of the suicide bomber - and ignoring the grieving relatives of the dead Israelis. Of course, that's when they deign to cover the attacks at all. </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Half the time, they don't even bother to mention them. Unless those dying are Palestinian. Then it's often the lead story. And for anyone who doesn't believe this, check out the detailed study done of the BBC's coverage of the Middle East, here: <a href="http://honestreporting.com/">http://honestreporting.com/</a></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">As for the Guardian, well, don't even get me started. Nobody's asking them to be 'pro' Israel but a passing acquaintance with the facts would be nice.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Don't think any of this really matters? Think again. In 2007 we saw a mass rally of Brits marching through the streets of London, screaming and chanting 'Death To Israel', and brandishing banners which read, chillingly: WE ARE ALL HEZBOLLAH</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's right. Hordes of British people, publicly swearing allegiance to a known terrorist group. Watching this on T.V. I fought an urge to grab my passport and catch the next plane to Israel. I love Britain but I'll admit - that scared me.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And physical attacks on British Jews have got so bad that in Manchester, Jews walking to synagogue must now have a police escort. Jewish schools have to install bomb-proof glass in all the windows. Two NON Jewish MPs have launched a parliamentary enquiry into the level of anti semitism now occurring in the UK. </span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Is it coincidence that all this comes after years of Israel being demonised in the British media?</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Brits are tolerant, decent, and fair. But when fed this constant diet of anti Israel junk by their own media, why wouldn't they conclude that </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Israel is the villain of the piece?</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now if humanly possible, I'd be there every damn time someone bashed Israel unfairly. Indeed, there are days when reading and hearing some of the garbage that passes as 'fact' about the Jewish state, it is all I can do not to scream.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Are you now thinking I view Israel through rose-coloured glasses?</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't claim that Israel is some utopia, in which innocent blood is never spilled. Israelis and Palestinians are both dying. And from what I can see, they both bleed red.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Nor do I claim that every Israeli soldier is some little cherub, complete with wings, harp and halo. There are good soldiers and bad soldiers. As in any other army.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">But tell me - have you seen the touching pictures of young Israeli soldiers playing with Palestinian children and looking after them? No? <em>Quelle surprise</em>. I'll be giving a link to them on another page; check them out. You won't be seeing them on the BBC any time soon.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">My point: Israel is a country like any other. How would the UK react if Islamic terrorists, <em><span style="color:#ff0000;">every day</span></em>, launched rockets into towns and killed innocent British citizens? That's what's happening in the Israel town of Sderot, as</span> I <span style="font-family:verdana;">sit and type this.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Israelis live their lives on constant red alert. Some people know this, but just shake their heads and tut, thinking that hey, they 'stole' the land and are now getting their just desserts, well, newsflash: Arab leaders themselves admit this is NOT what happened.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Want proof? You betcha. I'll give you quotes from Muslim and Arab leaders who openly admit that they, not the Jews, made the Palestinians flee their homes back in 1948, so as to avoid the five Arab armies poised to attack.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">I realise I can't persuade anyone to love Israel as much as I admittedly do. But if I can maybe stop even one person from hating her, just by giving them verifiable, objective FACTS, then that's a start.</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">After all, nobody wants to base their beliefs on errors and lies, right? That really would be biased...</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>London Jewess</em></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><p></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></em></strong></p></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">4th January 2008</span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#666666;"></span></strong></div><strong></strong><br /><br /><strong></strong>Zionistahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01753719460466097912noreply@blogger.com14