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by Nadia Matar

Dear Friends,

Yair Stern, the leader of Lehi (Lohamei Herut Yisrael), wrote an article on the holiday of Hanukkah entitled “The Miracle of Hanukkah.”

It was written on the eve of Hanukkah 1942, and was published in the Kislev 5702 issue of the organization’s internal newspaper Bamahteret:

“The miracle of Hanukkah […] What is a miracle? A cruse of oil that seemed as if it would burn for only a single day, burned for eight days. The miracle of Hanukkah - like every miracle - was not what was visible, what could be measured, what could be calculated. A miracle is something that cannot be calculated by arithmetic, nor can it be perceived by the intellect, since it is elevated above the intellect and exalted above any comprehension. The miracle is […] something that forcefully and daringly breaches the boundary of the reality. The miracle is the grandeur of majesty and the sublimity of holiness.

There is nothing more sublime and holier than a national war. The nation’s war for its honor, its freedom, and its life. The life of a nation without honor and without freedom is no life. Consequently, any nation worthy of respect, small or large, takes its life in its hands and goes forth to national war. The course of the war is determined by the degree of the nation’s willingness and its steadfast resolve to fight to the end, whatever may be, to be killed rather than to surrender. Although these “immeasurable” values do not always determined the outcome of the war, it is these that determine its historical fate, that is: its value for the future of the nation.

Whatever the war’s outcome will be, defeat or victory, conquest or enslavement, these do not determine the future of the nation for all time, but rather [this is determined by] the war itself, its nature, and the people’s stance in the face of danger, facing the enemy.

[…]

The war of the Hasmoneans - a war that began with a daring outburst and ended with freedom and rule, this war was and always will be a sign and portent for Israel and for the non-Jews. Israel! This name is a symbol of the constantly fighting nation: “for you have striven with God and men, and have prevailed” [Gen. 32:29] was said to Jacob. From then on we have always striven. And this was always the war of the few against the many, the war of who seemed “weak” against who seemed “strong.” During the time of Joshua we invaded this land, and we were as “grasshoppers” in the eyes of the mighty peoples who dwelled in it, but the “grasshoppers” prevailed over the children of the Anakim. Gideon and his three hundred men crushed in battle the camp of Midian, who were “as thick as locusts.” David the youth went forth to confront Goliath the giant Philistine, and cut off his head. Deborah went forth to the battle. Jael and Judith avenged their people. The sons of Mattityahu raised the banner of revolt and the few defeated the myriads of the uncircumcised […] The wars of the Hebrews, their tradition of heroism, call for the war of the few against the many in all generations, to NILI and our war, against foreign rule.”

This is what Yair said about Hanukkah.

Dear friends, the freeze decrees not allowing any Jewish building in Israel’s Biblical Heartland are a declaration of war against the Jews of Judea and Samaria. Let it be clear to all: the freeze decrees are the first step on the way to the elimination of all the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and the expulsion of 350,000 Jews from their homeland, for the purpose of establishing in their stead a Palestinian state, that, as is well-known, will constitute a threat to the little pre-67′State of Israel.

Our opposition to the freeze decrees is therefore a struggle for the survival of the entire state.

We must set forth on a resolute and uncompromising struggle against these decrees. Protests are important, but not enough. There was a large demonstration on Wednesday. It is important to raise our voices against the decrees, but we should not invest all our energy in this. The lesson of Gush Katif is that quiet, organized, and orderly demonstrations will not decide the outcome and will not change decrees because Israel is no longer a democratic country. In a country in which the electorate votes right and nevertheless receives policies of the left, politicians are not influenced by old-fashioned demonstrations; at least not here in Israel.

(In contrast, demonstrations in front of the Israeli consulates abroad are important, because they put pressure on Israel; see below, for details on the demonstration by Americans For a Safe Israel.)

Here in Israel, the government must receive a stiff message from the field, that we simply will not let this happen.

The blocking of the communities by tens of residents to the inspectors from the Civil Administration was a good start.

Now the struggle must intensify.

So that this time there will really be a struggle, and not a fake struggle as there was five years ago in Gush Katif, Moetzet Yesha (the Council of Jewish Settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza) cannot be allowed to head the camp.

Moetzet Yesha is limited. It is dependent on government budgets, and therefore it is capable of engaging only in protests, large but quiet demonstrations (like Wednesday’s), and political pressure. All these tactics were used in Gush Katif but did not prevent the expulsion.

The true struggle must be waged by extraparliamentary bodies.

What is struggle?

Struggle today is to rebel against the immoral and anti-Jewish decrees, to proudly violate them, and to send a clear message to all: Never again! They will never again succeed in carrying out a destruction program. Jews will never again be expelled from their homeland.

In our humble opinion, the main struggle now must be conducted in two arenas:

1) Construction, construction, and more construction throughout Judea and Samaria. A few days ago our movement, Women in Green, issued a call to establish a fund for light construction for couples and families on the hilltops. In the coming days we will, with God’s help, distribute a short video that will exemplify and explain this step. God willing, the lovers of Eretz Israel will mobilize for this project, and we will succeed in erecting houses throughout Judea and Samaria,especially outside the boundaries of the existing communities. We must pass on a clear message: we will not agree to be ghettoized or limited. The Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel and we will continue to settle, build and expand in it.

2) Expanding the phenomenon of soldiers who already today declare that they will not participate in the expulsion of Jews from their land and the handing over to the enemy of our land, our homeland. Women in Green gives its support to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed from har Bracha, who stated outright that if an order in the army conflicts with our loyalty to Eretz Israel - the order must be refused. We cannot leave the rabbis in the front lines. We, too, parents to soldiers, must send a clear message that we send our sons to the army to fight the Arab enemy, to defend the homeland and the people, and not, Heaven forbid, to expel Jews from their land. The greater the phenomenon of soldiers loyal to their people and their homeland who declare, already now, that they will not give a hand to the implementation of the policies of the extreme left, the faster the authorities will understand that they do not have the ability to realize their plan.

The more successful we will be in the two areas described above, the more it will put real pressure on the politicians and make it clear that unlike five years ago, when our camp was so well-behaved and docile during the expulsion of our brothers from Gush Katif and Northern Shomron, this time, we are determined to fight for the right of the Jewish People to their G-d given Biblical Homeland.

As Yair Stern wrote: we, the people, are in a “national war. The nation’s war for its honor, its freedom, and its life.” May it be His will that we receive inspiration from the heroic Maccabees, who did not fear and proved that the little Jewish people is capable of fighting and besting great empires. Like then, today as well, the struggle, unfortunately, is not only against the Greeks, but also against the Jewish Hellenizers who collaborated with the Greeks.

If we succeed in awakening and in understanding that the responsibility and obligation to join the struggle is incumbent on each and every one of us - then we will do and, with God’s help, we will prevail.

A happy Hanukkah holiday and Shavua Tov,

Nadia Matar

Below please find the details about AFSI’s important demonstration:

AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL/AFSI will lead a demonstration on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, from 11AM-12 noon, in front of the Israeli Consulate, 42nd Street and Second Avenue, NYC.

People of conscience will gather to protest against the immoral, illegal, discriminatory construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, ordered by PM Bibi Netanyahu.

Participants will carry menorahs to signify that on this second day of Chanukah, the warmth and courage of the Chanukah lights will melt the freeze.

Signs will read, “Let My People Grow”, “End the Freeze of Appeasement”, “Likud - Honor Your Mandate to Preserve the Land of Israel”, “Bibi - You were elected to save Israel, not sell it out,” “Obama -Stop Iranian Nukes - Not Jewish Homes.”

Speakers will be grass roots activists following the cry of Judah Maccabee - “All who are faithful follow me!”

Contact the AFSI office, 212-828-2424; 1-800-235-3658; afsi@rcn.com for additional information. http://www.afsi.org/

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
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Dear Friends,

Below please find two articles that relate to the upcoming Shalit deal. An article by Prof Louis Rene Beres and a release by Helen Freedman from AFSI.

Interestingly, the freezing decrees against the Jews in Judea and Samaria came exactly at a time when, in Israel, one should have a huge outcry against the upcoming release of a 1000 terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Israel could have done and still can do many things to release Shalit without capitulating to Arab terror and without having to release terrorists:

1) Pressure on the Gaza Strip. Declaring that each day that goes by and Shalit is not released, Israel will cut off electricity, water and other supplies. For those who might be under the impression that Gazans are starving please take a look at the pictures in the following link. This provides pictures taken in Gaza very recently for Eid celebrations — they were in an Palestinian Arab paper. Were you under the impression that the Gazans were starving (because of big bad Israel)? You’ll change after seeing this:
http://www.paltoday.com/arabic/News-64161.html

2) Each day that goes by and Shalit is not released, Israel should arrest another Hamas and PA leader/activist who roam freely anywhere and everywhere.

3) Worsening the condition of Arab terrorists in prison. Few people know that Arab terrorists in Israeli jails enjoy hotel conditions. Their cells are equipped with TV, DVD, radio and sometimes even computers. They enjoy festive meals. Each Arab terrorist is allowed to study and many have completed B.A’s and M.A’s in jail. Most of them enjoy visitation rights of their families and even conjugal visits of their wives. All this should have been stopped from the day Shalit and other soldiers were kidnapped.

4) Last but not least, instead of sending its soldiers and elite units against the Jews in Judea and Samaria who might commit “the crime” of building, Israel has the capability of organizing a military operation to enter the Gaza Strip, destroy all terror organizations, free Shalit and finally reinstall Jewish sovereignty over this piece of our Land that foolishly has been given away five years ago to the Arab enemy.

We know that this last option is not what this government wants to do but we, the people loyal to the Land of Israel, must constantly remind ourselves and the world that we have not given up on going back to the Gaza Strip and rebuilding Gush Katif. Firstly because the Gaza Strip (known as “Eretz Grar” in the Bible) is as much part of the Land of Israel as Judea, Samaria, Galil, Negev and Golan. Secondly, because only when Israel is in full control of all areas, including Arab towns and villages, we can be sure there will be no Arab terror and kidnappings.

With love for Israel,

Nadia Matar
Women in Green
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Trading Israeli Gilad Shalit for Palestinian Terrorists - An Illegal and Perilous Exchange
Louis René Beres - Dec 07, 2009
Purdue University
http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/news/article.php?id=4843

Under long-standing international law, every state has a primary obligation to protect its citizens. Yet, it appears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may soon be prepared to exchange Palestinian terrorists for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Any such exchange, however humane to Shalit and his family, would imperil thousands of other Israelis.

A core element of all civilized legal systems is the rule of Nullum crimen sine poena, “No crime without a punishment.” This principle, drawn originally from the law of Ancient Israel and reaffirmed at the post-War Nuremberg Trials, is part of all international law. It applies here.

To the extent that U.S. President Barack Obama should concur in this impending deal - effectively, an American act of complicity with terrorists - our own country would be in violation not only of international law, but also the law of the United States. Such violation would be two-fold because all international law has been made part of US law (the “supreme law of the land”) by Article 6 of the Constitution, and by a number of landmark Supreme Court decisions.

For Israel, there is also a pertinent and portentous history of terrorist exchanges. In June 2003, the Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center, in anticipation of then-planned terrorist releases, condemned Israel’s freeing of 100 Palestinian prisoners. Later, almost five times that number were freed by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In her letter to the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet, Shurat HaDin, Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, wrote that releasing terrorists for any reason would reignite Arab terrorism against defenseless Jewish men, women and especially children.

Nitsana was correct. Soon thereafter, at least two newly released Palestinian terrorists proceeded to launch suicide bomb attacks in Israel. In these attacks, one “military target” of the heroic fighters was a cafe filled with mothers and their babies.

Every state has an indisputable core obligation under international law to prosecute and punish terrorists. This obligation derives in part from “No crime without a punishment.” It is codified directly in many authoritative sources, and is also deducible from the binding Nuremberg Principles (1950). According to Principle 1: “Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefore and liable to punishment.”

Terrorism is a serious crime under international law. The precise offenses that comprise this crime can be found at The European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism. Some of the Palestinian terrorists previously released were also guilty of related crimes of war and crimes against humanity. These are Nuremberg-category crimes, so egregious that the perpetrators are known in law as Hostes humani generis, “Common enemies of humankind.”

International law presumes solidarity between states in the fight against all crime, including terrorism. This presumption is mentioned as early as the seventeenth century in Hugo Grotius’ The Law of War and Peace. Although Israel has a clear jurisdiction to punish any crimes committed on its own territory, it also has the right to act under broader principles of “universal jurisdiction.” Its case for such universal jurisdiction, which derives from an expectation of interstate solidarity, is found at the four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. These Conventions impose upon the High Contracting Parties the obligation to punish “Grave Breaches.”

No government now has the legal right to free terrorists in exchange for its own kidnapped citizens, military or civilian. Terrorism is a criminally sanctionable violation of international law that is not subject to manipulation by individual countries. In the United States, it is clear from the Constitution that the President’s power to pardon does not encompass violations of international law. Rather, this power is always limited precisely to “Offenses against the United States.”

In originally capturing and punishing Palestinian terrorists, Israel acted on behalf of all states. Moreover, because some of the terrorists had committed their crimes against other states, Israel cannot properly pardon these offenses against other sovereigns. Although Mr. Netanyahu’s impending prisoner exchange would not, strictly speaking, represent a “pardon,” it would have exactly the same effect.

No state possesses the authority to pardon violations of international law. No matter what might be permissible under its own Basic Law, any impending political freeing of terrorists by Israel would be impermissible. The fundamental principle is also established in law that, by virtue of such releases, the releasing state itself must assume responsibility for past criminal acts, and for future ones.

Under international law, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s impending exchange - effectively analogous to a mass pardoning of criminals - would implicate the Jewish State for a “denial of justice.” This could have practical consequences. Although it is arguable that punishment, which is central to justice, does not always deter future crimes, such an Israeli freeing of terrorists would undermine the Jewish State’s legal obligation to incapacitate violent criminals from committing new acts of mass murder.

A tragic aspect of modern international law is sometimes the need to make hard and painful choices in order to safeguard larger populations from future harms. Mr. Netanyahu should now act accordingly.

LOUIS RENÉ BERES was educated at Princeton (Ph.D., 1971), and is author of many books and articles dealing with international criminal law.

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1751 Second Ave, New York, NY 10128
Tel: 212-828-2424; Fax: 212-828-1717;
afsi@rcn.com; http://www.afsi.org/

Contact: Helen Freedman, Executive Director

Dec. 7, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SHALIT DEAL MOTIVATES MORE KIDNAPPINGS & STRENGTHENS HAMAS

(Based on a Bulletin put out by Palestinian Media Watch, Dec. 6, 2009)

Americans for a Safe Israel recognizes the extraordinary difficulty in coming to a decision regarding the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for PA terrorists, many of whom have blood on their hands and are serving life sentences for murder.

It is our belief that the Israeli government might know where Gilad Shalit is being held prisoner and if so, should use its military might and expertise to rescue Shalit from his captors. Instead, it has put the Shalit family and the country through the torturous exercise that seems to be heading for the exchange of Shalit for 1,000 unrepentant terrorists. The record shows that released terrorists return to their pattern of murder and mayhem bringing death and suffering to innocent Israelis.

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik quote from this month’s Al Ayam. Hani Al-Masri, Dec. 1, asserts that “Israel understands only the language of force, since kidnapping is the only thing that leaves
open the gates of hope for freedom for prisoners with long prison terms. This encourages others towards self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland” Abdallah Awad writes, Dec. 3, “Only, only-says the
Hebrew state - by force, detainment, capture, and kidnapping of occupation soldiers, is it possible to free Palestinian prisoners “whose hands are stained with blood”

Similar quotes have been heard throughout the debate on the prisoner exchange. Can Israel really open the gates wide on future kidnappings and attacks on Israeli citizens? We believe that especially at this
time of Chanukah and miracles and the bravery of Judas Maccabeus, the Israeli government must act to instill pride and strength in its people. It can only do this by “Just saying NO” to internal and
external pressures that would have Israel appease its enemies and weaken itself.

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
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Dear Friends,

A few thoughts about the recent freezing decrees we, residents of Judea and Samaria have received. I must say, there is great potential to turn the curse into a blessing if we act correctly.

Let me first say kol hakavod to those mayors who organized and participated in the protest in Efrat against the freezing decrees. Efrat mayor Oded Revivi and other mayors poured cement and started the foundations of a synagogue. An important message was passed on to all: We, the mayors, declare we proudly and publicly defy the anti-Jewish building freeze decrees.

Now, in order for this not to be a one-time statement, this must continue. And we must be careful not to fall in the trap they are planning.

Let me explain:

The healthy reaction by almost all communities seems to have scared of Netanyahu a bit. What bothers the authorities the most is the unity in our camp. Moderates and less moderates, all united, came out strongly against the decrees.

In dovish and secular communities like in the Jordan valley or bet Arieh, the mayors physically blocked the entrance to the Civil Administration informers. Some were even arrested. More moderate communities, such as Efrat and Gush Etzion, were as strong in their terminology as more hawkish Yitzhar and Har Bracha. Dovish Ariel mayor compared the decrees to the “saison”.

When there is unity and determination in our camp around the issue of Erets Israel, the government cannot implement their decrees. So what do the authorities do? They implement the policy of “divide and conquer” which helps them neutralize some leaders and keep them quiet.

For instance, in the past they said that unlike Yitzhar and Kiryat Arba, the communities of Gush Etzion and Ariel are “in the consensus”. As long as some leaders actually believed this sad joke, they wouldn’t come out to fight for other areas because ‘we are in the consensus” so we shouldn’t rock the boat”, “we should be well-behaved”.

Netanyahu and Barak managed to burst the bubble of the “you are in the consensus” joke. The decrees made it clear. Alon Shvut, Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Neve Daniel are exactly like Yitzhar, Bet El and Har Bracha.
All are part of the freeze, meaning all are meant to later be expelled (G-d forbid).

So how is Netanyahu going try and fix this? News reports say that he will allow mere 84 projects to be built, anyway, around Yesha. How smart! Shimon Peres, the general of ‘divide and conquer” policies must have advised him.

If our mayors in Judea and Samaria will fall into that trap, they each will now bicker who will get some bread crumbs from these 84 permits and mayors who will receive these permits will then immediately be good boys again. A mayor who will receive, for instance, 12 permits will not struggle anymore for the larger cause and for other places to be allowed to build. He will keep his head low just to be able to build these 12 “divide-and conquer” bread crumbs. That is how, G-d forbid, they will manage to end the amazing uprising we have seen in the last few days.

So we hope and pray that the mayors will not fall for this. That they will stay united and declare: Don’t try to buy us with 84 bread crumbs. We are not fools. Unless you completely thaw the freeze everywhere, in Gush Etzion and in the Shomron and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, we will continue to defy your decrees. We will turn a blind eye to all our residents who hopefully continue to build. We will build, build, build, anyway.

Let’s see what happens in the next few days. Let’s remember that the authorities managed to destroy Gush Katif because they had managed to neutralize and convince some Yesha leaders and Rabbis to collaborate with them (probably by promising them all kinds of “divide and conquer” bread crumb promises) and thus making sure there would not be a real struggle in our camp but rather only symbolic demonstrations.

Now is the time for the Yesha leaders to do a tikkun (correction) of the mistakes made in Gush Katif.
The last few days of uprising show we are on the right path. But now Netanyahu-Barak will try to break this healthy defiance with handing out candies and bread crumbs.

We, who still are traumatized by the betrayal of some Rabbis and Yesha leaders during the Gush Katif and Northern Shomron expulsion, will this time keep close watch of their moves. Let’s pray our mayors and Rabbis do not fall in the trap Bibi and Barak are planning. Let’s pray they can raise to the challenge.
If they do, and manage to stay loyal to the Land of Israel, we will thank Bibi for finally awakening the national camp and pushing it to finally struggle for the Land of Israel in an uncompromising way.

Shabbat shalom,

Nadia Matar

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
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Dear Friends,

Women in Green wishes all of Israel’s friends a Happy 61st Independence Day.

Last night, some of us went to celebrate Independence Day by participating in a festive dinner organized by the Kiryat Arba Hevron Action Committee. The dinner took place in the street, on the Zion road between Kiryat Arba and Hevron, as a protest against the intention to open the road to Arab traffic. On the one hand we celebrated Independence Day by thanking G-d for the miracle of the creation of the state of Israel, but on the other hand it is clear we must continue the struggle for real Independence and that means that sometimes we need to continue to protest.

At the festive dinner where close to a hundred people participated, Rabbi Shimon Ben Zion gave a nice talk:

Rabbi Ben Zion pointed out that to be independent means to be able to run a country without having to rely on external forces. In Hebrew the word independence is “atzmaut”. There is another word in Hebrew that is very close to the word “atzmaut” and that is the word “otzma”, strength.

As Rabbi Ben Zion pointed out, quoting from Rabbi Kook: Israel will be strong and really independent when we will act in the interest of the Jewish People without worrying what the nations of the world will say.

One of the conditions to be independent and strong is to declare, proudly and clearly, that the entire land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People and no one has the right to give it away.

We hope and pray that Israel’s new Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, understands this simple message and, when going to the States to meet president Obama on May 18, will present a strong position as to our right to this land and the people’s complete opposition to the creation of an Arab State in Israel’s Biblical Homeland.

We expect the Prime Minister to stay firm and proudly declare: The land of Israel, given to us by G-d, belongs to the people of Israel. This is the message of a strong and independent Israel!

Happy Independence Day,

Nadia Matar
Chair, Women in Green

———————

Obama`s Mideast Myopia
Leo Rennert - Apr 24, 2009
American Thinker

President Obama met this week at the White House with King Abdullah of Jordan — the first of separate get-togethers with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders in coming weeks. In an exchange with reporters, Obama made several comments which ought to give pause to anyone expecting him to act as an honest broker to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace. His comments raise serious doubts about his grasp of the conflict and thus what it will take to resolve it.

To wit:

1. If you log on to the White House website, the transcript of the Obama and Abdullah remarks is preceded by a statement that the two leaders spent the bulk of their time on questions regarding Israel and “Palestine”. Obama`s support of a two-state solution is well known. But to have the White House declare that there already exists a “Palestine” is, to say the least, jumping the gun. Beyond that, it points up the basic flaw in Obama`s peacemaking strategy — to start with Palestinian statehood instead of preceding it with confidence-building measures, including Palestinian renunciation of terrorism and cessation of anti-Israel incitement, as required by Bush`s “road map,” which the Obama administration itself seems to have embraced.

2. In stressing the need for an end to the conflict, Obama said “generations of Palestinian and Israeli children are growing up insecure, in an atmosphere of hate.” This is what you get when you persist in playing the equivalence game, regardless of how lopsided some realities may be. Is there really as much of an “atmosphere of hate” in Israeli homes and schools as there is in Palestinian homes and schools? Does Israeli children`s TV promote the killing of Palestinians as Palestinian TV does in grooming Palestinian kids to become terrorist “martyrs”?

3. And with such an equivalence paradigm, Obama then goes on to declare that there will need to be “some hard choices of all the actors involved.” What about “hard choices” already made? On the Israeli side, there has been a total withdrawal from Gaza and a ceding of administrative and political autonomy to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Plus, recent Israeli leaders already have shown ample evidence of readiness for “hard choices” by volunteering to withdraw from 95 percent of the West Bank and even to give up Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

What “hard choices,” in return, were made by Arafat or, more recently, by Abbas? Zilch. Abbas hasn`t deviated one inch from his claim of an absolute Palestinian “right of return” (which would create 2 states — both Palestinian) and complete Israeli withdrawal from the entire Old City of Jerusalem and all of Hebron. Yet, by flippantly calling on both sides to make “hard choices,” Obama buys into the false notion that there is somehow an equivalent point of departure — as if Israel and the Palestinians will have to proceed from the same starting gate — with no points for Israel for already having unilaterally shrunken its size and unilaterally empowered the Palestinian Authority to rule all major Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, to say nothing of Hamastan in Gaza.

4. Said Obama: “I am a strong believer in a two-state solution. I think there are a lot of Israelis who also believe in a two-state solution.” This is a not-so-veiled slap at Prime Minister Netanyahu for not embracing Obama`s mantra to put Palestinian statehood at the head of the line. And why did Obama fail to say anything about how many Palestinians favor a two-state solution? Why is it only important that Israelis do? Why not admit that many Palestinians reject a two-state solution and want a single Palestinian state from the river to the sea? After all, Hams iron rule of Gaza and as a sizeable political presence in the West Bank isn`t exactly chopped liver. If Obama were really serious about playing the role of impartial, honest broker, he`d have to, at a minimum, spell out how Abbas can negotiate for the Palestinians as long as he can`t speak for half his people.

But to Obama, these are all inconvenient details to be swept aside in favor of his grand vision of a Palestinian state.

http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/news/article.php?id=3942

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
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Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day

Hypocrites, Leave the Swiss President Alone!
by Nadia Matar, Women in Green

When Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz’s intention to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the Durban II Conference taking place in Switzerland became known, officials in Jerusalem issued a statement harshly critical of Switzerland, and of Merz himself. It declared, inter alia, that “there is absolutely no reason to hold such a meeting with a serial Holocaust denier such as Ahmadinejad.”

Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, expressed himself in a similar manner at the ceremony opening Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, saying that “the Conference that opens today in Geneva is the acceptance of racism, not a war against it. And the main spokesman at it, Ahmadinejad, calls to destroy Israel and denies the Holocaust. It’s a shame.”

If I were the President of Switzerland, I would respond to Shimon Peres and those Israeli officials:

“Excuse me? What do you want from me? You don’t have a problem with meeting with the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen! The same Abu Mazen who chose the denial of the Holocaust as the subject of his doctoral thesis. And this is not all - to the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen, the head of Fatah, a partner in the massacre of the eleven Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, you give guns, “police” forces, an army, and an almost autonomous Authority, with control over a population in which the book Mein Kampf is a best-seller, and Holocaust denial is universal. Why are contacts with Abu Mazen OK, while shaking Ahmadinejad’s hand is invalid?”

Actually, if the Swiss President were to answer like that, I think he would be right.

This is simple, unvarnished hypocrisy to distinguish between the Holocaust denier Ahmadinejad and the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen. And Holocaust denial is not all that they have in common. Both support the elimination of the State of Israel. One by an atomic attack, and the other by the “two states for two people solution,” which in fact is a nice slogan on the road to a Final Solution for the State of Israel as a Jewish state.

So then, anyone who conducts talks with Abu Mazen and his people, and even helps him to enhance his power and standing - should not have any complaints about someone who has talks with Ahmadinejad. Israel can register complaints only when it mends its own fences. It can do this only by the formal revocation of the Oslo Accords and a public announcement that the Oslo Accords were a mistake and a crime that cannot be repeated.

With the Oslo Accords, the Oslo architects, headed by Shimon Peres, gave a seal of approval to the arch murderer Yasser Arafat and his movement. The Oslo Accords are based on the false assumption that Arafat and the PLO/Fatah are legitimate partners for dialogue, and that they should be strengthened by giving them weapons, ammunition, and cities of refuge, while in contrast, other organizations, such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, are not kosher - when it was clear to all, already in 1993 when the Oslo Accords were signed, that there is no difference between Fatah, on the one hand, and, on the other, Hamas and the other terror organizations. The murderous terror attacks against Israel, a considerable part of which were perpetrated by Fatah members (despite the signing of the Oslo Accords), proved that they all champion terror against Jews, and actively participate in terror activities against Jews. All of them - Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the other organizations - are united in their belief that Israel has no right to exist. All you have to do is open up a history book in the PLO Palestinian Authority’s schools to see that Israel does not appear in its books, just as it does not appear in the books of Hamas supporters.

Accordingly, before attacking and denouncing the Swiss President, we must understand that the ones who gave a “kosher” stamp to Arafat and Abu Mazen are the ones who paved the way for approving Ahmadinejad.

It is still not too late to make things right. The new Israeli government must proclaim to all the world that it makes no distinction between Abu Mazen-Ismael Henya-Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden. They all are detestable terrorists, against whom a no-holds-barred war must be conducted. This is the only way that Israel will once again be a light unto the nations.

Only then will Israel regain its moral right to make demands to and raise complaints against the countries of the world, with Switzerland at the top of the list.

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

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Hypocrites, Leave the Swiss President Alone!
by Nadia Matar, Women in Green

When Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz’s intention to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the Durban II Conference taking place in Switzerland became known, officials in Jerusalem issued a statement harshly critical of Switzerland, and of Merz himself. It declared, inter alia, that “there is absolutely no reason to hold such a meeting with a serial Holocaust denier such as Ahmadinejad.”

Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, expressed himself in a similar manner at the ceremony opening Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, saying that “the Conference that opens today in Geneva is the acceptance of racism, not a war against it. And the main spokesman at it, Ahmadinejad, calls to destroy Israel and denies the Holocaust. It’s a shame.”

If I were the President of Switzerland, I would respond to Shimon Peres and those Israeli officials:

“Excuse me? What do you want from me? You don’t have a problem with meeting with the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen! The same Abu Mazen who chose the denial of the Holocaust as the subject of his doctoral thesis. And this is not all - to the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen, the head of Fatah, a partner in the massacre of the eleven Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972, you give guns, “police” forces, an army, and an almost autonomous Authority, with control over a population in which the book Mein Kampf is a best-seller, and Holocaust denial is universal. Why are contacts with Abu Mazen OK, while shaking Ahmadinejad’s hand is invalid?”

Actually, if the Swiss President were to answer like that, I think he would be right.

This is simple, unvarnished hypocrisy to distinguish between the Holocaust denier Ahmadinejad and the Holocaust denier Abu Mazen. And Holocaust denial is not all that they have in common. Both support the elimination of the State of Israel. One by an atomic attack, and the other by the “two states for two people solution,” which in fact is a nice slogan on the road to a Final Solution for the State of Israel as a Jewish state.

So then, anyone who conducts talks with Abu Mazen and his people, and even helps him to enhance his power and standing - should not have any complaints about someone who has talks with Ahmadinejad. Israel can register complaints only when it mends its own fences. It can do this only by the formal revocation of the Oslo Accords and a public announcement that the Oslo Accords were a mistake and a crime that cannot be repeated.

With the Oslo Accords, the Oslo architects, headed by Shimon Peres, gave a seal of approval to the arch murderer Yasser Arafat and his movement. The Oslo Accords are based on the false assumption that Arafat and the PLO/Fatah are legitimate partners for dialogue, and that they should be strengthened by giving them weapons, ammunition, and cities of refuge, while in contrast, other organizations, such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, are not kosher - when it was clear to all, already in 1993 when the Oslo Accords were signed, that there is no difference between Fatah, on the one hand, and, on the other, Hamas and the other terror organizations. The murderous terror attacks against Israel, a considerable part of which were perpetrated by Fatah members (despite the signing of the Oslo Accords), proved that they all champion terror against Jews, and actively participate in terror activities against Jews. All of them - Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the other organizations - are united in their belief that Israel has no right to exist. All you have to do is open up a history book in the PLO Palestinian Authority’s schools to see that Israel does not appear in its books, just as it does not appear in the books of Hamas supporters.

Accordingly, before attacking and denouncing the Swiss President, we must understand that the ones who gave a “kosher” stamp to Arafat and Abu Mazen are the ones who paved the way for approving Ahmadinejad.

It is still not too late to make things right. The new Israeli government must proclaim to all the world that it makes no distinction between Abu Mazen-Ismael Henya-Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden. They all are detestable terrorists, against whom a no-holds-barred war must be conducted. This is the only way that Israel will once again be a light unto the nations.

Only then will Israel regain its moral right to make demands to and raise complaints against the countries of the world, with Switzerland at the top of the list.

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

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Dear Friends,

In a few hours we will all sit with our family and friends around the Seder table and start the celebration of Pesach. We will read the Haggada of Pesach recounting our miraculous exodus from Egypt, when Hashem saved us from slavery with a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” to bring us to the Land of Israel, the Land promised by Hashem to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

At the Seder we will drink four cups of wine, representing four languages of redemption: “Vehotseti” (and I take you out ­of Egypt); “Vehitsalti” (and I save you); “VeGaalti” (and I redeem you); “Velakachti” (and I take you).

Rabbi Shlomo Goren in his book “Torat Hashabat VeHamoed” points out that there really should have been five cups of wine for there are five languages of redemption. In addition to the four already mentioned above, the last language of redemption is ‘Veheveiti” ­and I bring you”, based on the verse “and I will bring you to the Land of Israel that I am giving you…”

Why did our Sages not order us then to drink five cups of wine for the five languages of redemption by G-d? Is the promise by G-d to bring us to the Land of Israel less important that it does not deserve to have its own cup of wine, asks Rabbi Goren.

To this question Rabbi Goren gives a beautiful explanation: There is a difference between the first four promises by G-d and the last promise.The first four promises by G-d were all acts of redemption that relate to our exodus from Egypt. All those acts were done by G-d with supernatural miracles. The people of Israel had no partnership in those supernatural acts of redemption. They passively enjoyed the miracles.

In contrast to that, says Rabbi Goren, the fifth promise by G-d, “Veheveiti” (and I bring you to the Land) is not entirely in the hands of G-d but rather must be with the full participation of the People of Israel. Rabbi Goren writes that in order for the promise “and I bring you to the land” to be fulfilled, each and every person belonging to the people of Israel must take part in the conquest and the settling of the land of Israel. For this language of salvation ‘Veheiveiti” to be fulfilled, we cannot just stay passive and wait for G-d to act; we must be full partners in redeeming the Land of Israel. We must be willing to fight for this land and make sure no strangers take it away from us.

When the people of Israel will completely devote themselves to freeing the land of Israel, protecting it and settling it, then, says Rabbi Goren, we will please G-d see the miracles related to the drinking of the fifth cup.

Rabbi Goren finishes his words by suggesting we add a fifth cup of wine to the Seder table to represent our obligation and commitment to fight for the Land of Israel and our faith in G-d and our hope that the same way we deserved the miracles by Hashem to take us out from Egypt, we should deserve to see the fulfillment of the promises of the fifth cup.

Women in Green are certainly aware of Rabbi Goren’s teachings that the Land of Israel will only be ours if we take an active part in fighting for it, building it and settling it. Staying at home and praying for miracles will not bring any redemption. Women in Green has been active since 1993 representing the voice of the Land of Israel and acting on the ground to keep those parts of the land that the enemy is trying to take away from us. Our latest efforts are now to keep Shdema in Jewish hands, the abandoned army camp near Har Choma-Jerusalem, that the Arabs are trying to steal from Israel.

It seems that with the incoming new government we, loyalists of the Land of Israel, will have more work than ever. It will be our job to remind our politicians that the majority of the People of Israel have voted against the continuation of the leftist policies of withdrawal and capitulation to the Arab enemy.

The People of Israel expect this government to act like a proud Jewish government that finally will fight for the interest of the Jewish People in its Biblical Homeland.

What is needed first and foremost, is a change of attitude to the enemies of the Jewish People. Last week Shlomo Nativ HY”D, a 13 year old boy from Bat Ayin, was butchered by an Arab terrorist who had entered the community. The reaction to that murder has been complete quiet. No outrage or condemnation has been heard by the UN, the EU, the world media nor by the Israeli Left. When Jewish children are murdered (especially if they are “settler and religious” children, the world and the Israeli left is quiet.

That has to change!

The time has come to go back to the old fashioned Zionist response to Arab terror: for every Jew that is attacked we must create a new community in Judea and Samaria. That must be one of the first acts of this new government and if the government does not have the willpower or the courage to do so, it will be our job to demand it and fight for it.

Women in Green wishes all its friends a happy and kosher Pesach. May we all, together with all of Am Yisrael, act with loyalty and love to the Land of Israel that we will, please G-d, be worthy of Hashem’s blessings of the fifth cup of redemption.

Chag Sameach,

Nadia Matar
Chair, Women in Green

For details about the struggle for Shdema and to see our latest movie please click on http://womeningreen.org/shd.htm

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
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Dear Friends,

One of the messages inherent in the holiday of Purim is that even if the lot has been cast and everything seems lost, one must not despair. As the activists Mordechai and Esther taught us, you must act to change the evil decree, even if, in the beginning you represent only a minority among your people. If you are a proud Jew, who adheres to his belief and in the justness of his cause, you will not kneel down or bow to the haters of Israel. If you do not fear to “go through the city, crying out loudly and bitterly” (Esther 4:1) to defend your brethren- then eventually, with G-d’s help, you too will succeed in awakening the people and changing the decree.

From then to the present, the Jewish People has been forced to act against the descendants of Haman, who was from the seed of Amalek.

The distinguished Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap, of blessed memory, explained in his article “Arousing the Hatred of Amalek”, that in order to understand the meaning and importance of the commandment to “remember what Amalek did to you on your journey after you left Egypt” (Deuteronomy 25:17), we must deeply examine Amalek’s intentions.

Rabbi Charlap explains, based on various midrashim, that Amalek led Israel to be doubtful, hesitant, and questioning regarding the very fact of the involvement by G-d in the life of the people; until the Children of Israel actually questioned:
“Is the Lord present among us or not? (Exodus17:7).
Amalek understood that only when the children of Israel would lack faith, their enemies could defeat them in battle.

During the time of the wilderness, Amalek introduced doubts and hesitation about the existence of the G-d of Israel. In our modern time, Israel’s enemies try to implant in the Jewish People doubts and hesitations concerning our right to the entire Land of Israel. Unfortunately, those external enemies have partners within Israel too. Both internal and external enemies continue to push forward the Amalekite plan of “the two state solution” knowing very well that the creation of a Islamo­Fascist Arab State in Judea and Samaria would bring upon the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State.

The one and only obstacle to this suicidal “Two-State solution plan” is the settlement enterprise.
300,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria are the belt that defend the entire country from becoming targets for kassams and Grad missiles.

For Israel to be strong we must make sure that the new elected government will have no doubts and hesitations as to the justness of our cause and the clear knowledge that the entire Land of Israel belongs solely to the Jewish People. In order to overturn the “Two-Sate solution Decree by the US and EU and UN, the new Israeli government must strengthen the Jewish stronghold in Judea and Samaria by creating new settlements, expanding the existing ones, and stop all Arab take-over of thousands of dunams of State Land.

Ultimately the world will have to understand that the only way to achieve peace is when Israel will have complete control over the entire Land of Israel with Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Golan and the Temple Mount.

For that we need leaders who proudly and fearlessly declare:
The entire Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel based on the Torah of Israel.

In the past elections a few weeks ago, the majority of the people in Israel voted for such a strong Jewish Zionistic leadership.

On this holiday of Purim we pray that those leaders will finally have the courage to live up to the people’s expectation, and will act like Mordechai and Esther, with faith in Hashem.

With blessings of “VeNahafochu”- “May the Jews finally rule over those who hate them”,

Happy Purim,

Nadia Matar
Women in Green

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

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