OPINION DECEMBER 1, 2008 Wall Street Journal
Egypt's Jew Haters Deserve Ostracism in the West
More proof the prejudice has nothing to do with Israel.
By AMR BARGISI
Cairo, Egypt
"But we are Semites ourselves!" That is what an urbane Egyptian journalist will likely reply to the charge that the Egyptian media is rife with anti-Semitism. But there are few places where Jews are blamed for so many of the world's ills, from carcinogenic pesticides to the war in Iraq.
More distressing is that much of the pointing is being done by Egypt's self-described liberals -- the pro-democratic and anti-Islamist crowd on which the country's hopes for a more tolerant future supposedly rest.
The most recent episode began on Oct. 2, when the Anti-Defamation League issued a press release reporting "Surge in Anti-Semitic Messages on Online Finance Sites." An Egyptian journalist read about it in the Israeli daily "Maariv," and here is how the new, "liberal" Egyptian weekly Al-Youm As-Sabi headlined its report the next day: "Jews are the principal suspect in the financial crisis." The article ran alongside a photo of stock market readouts, captioned "why are cries against Jews growing louder in the U.S.?"
This was not the only instance in which Egypt's "liberal" intelligentsia found ways to blame Jews for the financial crisis. On Oct. 11, Abbas at-Tarabili, the editor in chief of the Al-Wafd daily -- the house organ of Egypt's leading "liberal" political party of the same name -- wrote a column purporting to show that Jews were merely manipulating the stock market as they had the price of gold in the late 1970s.
"The Jews played a filthy game," he wrote. "It is true that the Western countries -- the United States on top -- have a lot to lose, but all pours into the pockets of Jewish businessmen who control the stock markets of the world."
Two weeks later, Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt's largest independent newspaper and widely regarded as the country's only serious tribune for liberalism, ran a column baldly titled "The Jewish Conspiracy." The columnist, Khairi Ramadan, who also co-hosts one of the country's most successful talk shows, asked his readers not to ignore what is being said on the Internet "about a Jewish conspiracy in the end of Bush's term, in preparation for controlling the next president."
"The available information," wrote Mr. Ramadan, shows that "the Jews withdrew 400 billion dollars from Lehman Brothers a couple of weeks before it collapsed," adding that the collapse of the brokerage house was of a piece with the events of September 11, "when thousands of Jews did not go to the WTC."
These examples are especially notable because they have nothing to do with Israel or Zionism. They expose the falsehood -- popular with prominent scholars like John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, authors of last year's best-selling book "The Israel Lobby" -- that hatred of Jews is not one of the great motivating factors in the Arab world's overall objections to Israel.
But these examples also raise a serious question about what passes for liberalism in the Arab world. Why bother listening to these voices on matters of economics -- much less politics, democracy or human rights -- if they also propagate hateful conspiracy theories?
There's another question: Over the past eight years, the United States has invested huge resources in attempting to bring democracy to the Middle East. But it's not clear whether that project will succeed as long as America's natural allies in the region remain themselves so profoundly irrational and illiberal.
What can be done? Here's a modest suggestion. The Egyptian state and the country's newspapers go out of their way to make a leper of any author who expresses even remote sympathy with Israel. Perhaps Western institutions could adopt a similar practice, refusing to invite to their various functions any editors who allow their pages to become Jew-hatred platforms. The cold shoulder alone might get these lunch-eaters to change their tune.
Mr. Bargisi is a Cairo-based writer and a former Bartley Fellow at the Journal.
---
hat tip: James Eaves-Johnson
Monday, December 1, 2008
Commentary on the situation in Postville.
Mitchell Levin, from Cedar Rapids, offers the following Op Ed, "Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules," published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
See also the JCRC/Jewish Federation's statement on Postville ( May 15, 2008) "Enforce the law humanely, Reform the system, and Ensure fair labor practices."
IMMIGRATION RAID
Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules
By Mitchell Levin
Writing a column about Agriprocessors, the Rubashkins and/or Postville is difficult. On the one hand, Jews are cautioned against L’shon hara, “the tongue of evil,” or speaking ill of another person.
In addition to which we are all mindful of the admonition of “judge not lest you be judged.” On the other hand, we have an obligation to speak out against injustice and those who lead others astray. In the spirit of fulldisclosure,readers should understand that we are probably one of the few families in Cedar Rapids who actually buys (or used to buy) the Rubashkins’ meat, which means that I am, by turn, angry, ashamed and disgusted.
We bought it because it was kosher. What does kosher mean?
This is a difficult to answer in a brief column, so please remember you are getting the “Cliffs Notes” version.
The Hebrew word “kosher” literally means “fit,” as in fit for purposes of Jewish ritual.
The laws of Kashrut (keeping kosher) have their origins in the Bible and have been amplified and clarified by respected rabbis and scholars.
Among other things, the Bible provides lists of animals that may be eaten (kosher) and those that cannot be eaten.
(This explains why Jews eat beef but not pork). Additionally, to be kosher, these animals have to be slaughtered in a ritually proscribed manner that ensures a humane, swift death. People are allowed to eat meat, but animals are not supposed to suffer for our pleasure. This form of slaughter also ensures all of the blood will drain from the animal because Jewish dietary laws include prohibitions against consuming blood.
When a meat-processing operation like Agriprocessors is described as kosher, it means that it follows all of the Jewish dietary laws, the slaughtering is performed and overseen by the proper religious officials, many checks and balances required by Jewish law are being followed and that the whole process is certified by an appropriate Jewish organization, as well as being in compliance with the USDA.
So why are there Jews who contend that the Rubashkins’ meat is no more kosher than a Smithfield Ham? Because they believe that being kosher means more than just following the ritual rules pertaining to the slaughtering of meat. It means that the company operated in a manner that conformed to all civil laws and relevant biblical injunctions.
Based on the sages’ interpretation of Deuteronomy 23:19, “illgotten gains cannot be cleansed ... for holy ends,” which means that something done in violation of the law cannot be turned around and deemed fit for ritual use. If a company is violating the commandments concerning the proper treatment of workers, including the injunction to pay workers promptly and fairly, its product cannot be deemed ritually fit. These laws concerning the treatment of workers are so important that the prophet Malachi singles out the violators of these laws as people who will receive special punishment at the time of the Final Judgment.
I am angry when I read reports of any meatpacker breaking the law. But as a Jew, I am angry, ashamed and disgusted when a Jewish businessman cloaks his operation in Jewish ritual law and then breaks the law and that includes the laws of the Bible, which is the whole excuse for the existence of Agriprocessors in the first place. The Talmud teaches “if one is honest in his business dealings and people esteem him, it is accounted to him as though he fulfilled the whole Torah.” As Rabbi Telushkin points out, for Jews, ethics are not just for the synagogue, but for the marketplace as well.
People ask, “How could a Jew do such a thing?” Simple. Jews are human beings.
According to our tradition, people are imbued with the “inclination to do good” and “inclination to do evil.” The commandments are there to guide us to choose the former, but each of us has the free will to make that choice. In the case of Agriprocessors, it would appear that it chose to follow “the inclination to do evil” while companies like Empire and Hebrew National, whose businesses are thriving, chose to following “the inclination to do good.”
Mitchell Levin is human resources director for a company with headquarters in Cedar Rapids. He edits two blogs “This Day ... In Jewish History,” http://thisdayinjewish history.blogspot.com/ and “Downhome Davar Torah,”
Mitchell Levin, from Cedar Rapids, offers the following Op Ed, "Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules," published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
See also the JCRC/Jewish Federation's statement on Postville ( May 15, 2008) "Enforce the law humanely, Reform the system, and Ensure fair labor practices."
IMMIGRATION RAID
Being kosher goes beyond slaughter rules
By Mitchell Levin
Writing a column about Agriprocessors, the Rubashkins and/or Postville is difficult. On the one hand, Jews are cautioned against L’shon hara, “the tongue of evil,” or speaking ill of another person.
In addition to which we are all mindful of the admonition of “judge not lest you be judged.” On the other hand, we have an obligation to speak out against injustice and those who lead others astray. In the spirit of fulldisclosure,readers should understand that we are probably one of the few families in Cedar Rapids who actually buys (or used to buy) the Rubashkins’ meat, which means that I am, by turn, angry, ashamed and disgusted.
We bought it because it was kosher. What does kosher mean?
This is a difficult to answer in a brief column, so please remember you are getting the “Cliffs Notes” version.
The Hebrew word “kosher” literally means “fit,” as in fit for purposes of Jewish ritual.
The laws of Kashrut (keeping kosher) have their origins in the Bible and have been amplified and clarified by respected rabbis and scholars.
Among other things, the Bible provides lists of animals that may be eaten (kosher) and those that cannot be eaten.
(This explains why Jews eat beef but not pork). Additionally, to be kosher, these animals have to be slaughtered in a ritually proscribed manner that ensures a humane, swift death. People are allowed to eat meat, but animals are not supposed to suffer for our pleasure. This form of slaughter also ensures all of the blood will drain from the animal because Jewish dietary laws include prohibitions against consuming blood.
When a meat-processing operation like Agriprocessors is described as kosher, it means that it follows all of the Jewish dietary laws, the slaughtering is performed and overseen by the proper religious officials, many checks and balances required by Jewish law are being followed and that the whole process is certified by an appropriate Jewish organization, as well as being in compliance with the USDA.
So why are there Jews who contend that the Rubashkins’ meat is no more kosher than a Smithfield Ham? Because they believe that being kosher means more than just following the ritual rules pertaining to the slaughtering of meat. It means that the company operated in a manner that conformed to all civil laws and relevant biblical injunctions.
Based on the sages’ interpretation of Deuteronomy 23:19, “illgotten gains cannot be cleansed ... for holy ends,” which means that something done in violation of the law cannot be turned around and deemed fit for ritual use. If a company is violating the commandments concerning the proper treatment of workers, including the injunction to pay workers promptly and fairly, its product cannot be deemed ritually fit. These laws concerning the treatment of workers are so important that the prophet Malachi singles out the violators of these laws as people who will receive special punishment at the time of the Final Judgment.
I am angry when I read reports of any meatpacker breaking the law. But as a Jew, I am angry, ashamed and disgusted when a Jewish businessman cloaks his operation in Jewish ritual law and then breaks the law and that includes the laws of the Bible, which is the whole excuse for the existence of Agriprocessors in the first place. The Talmud teaches “if one is honest in his business dealings and people esteem him, it is accounted to him as though he fulfilled the whole Torah.” As Rabbi Telushkin points out, for Jews, ethics are not just for the synagogue, but for the marketplace as well.
People ask, “How could a Jew do such a thing?” Simple. Jews are human beings.
According to our tradition, people are imbued with the “inclination to do good” and “inclination to do evil.” The commandments are there to guide us to choose the former, but each of us has the free will to make that choice. In the case of Agriprocessors, it would appear that it chose to follow “the inclination to do evil” while companies like Empire and Hebrew National, whose businesses are thriving, chose to following “the inclination to do good.”
Mitchell Levin is human resources director for a company with headquarters in Cedar Rapids. He edits two blogs “This Day ... In Jewish History,” http://thisdayinjewish history.blogspot.com/ and “Downhome Davar Torah,”
Saturday, November 29, 2008
PALESTINIANS MUST RECOGNIZE ISRAEL, ITALIAN PRESIDENT SAYS
(ANSAmed Italian Press Agency) - JERUSALEM, NOVEMBER 27 -
"We must never let matters slide as considers the delegitimization of Israel," said Giorgio Napolitano [President of Italy] at the [Hebrew] University in Jerusalem, expressing his "concern" over the "harsh conditions in which people live in Gaza", but adding that this "can never obscure," for any Palestinian or Arab, "the issue of the full and unequivocal, consistent recognition of the state of Israel, its legitimacy, its right to exist and its security."
This part of his speech met with thundering applause in the auditorium. Immediately afterwards Napolitano left for Bethlehem where, this morning, he will be meeting with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). On the subject of the delegitimization of Israel, Napolitano spoke once again of the condemnation of the negationist and threatening statements made by Iranian president Ahmadinejad (whose name he did not mention, but only referred to him as 'a head of state or government'). To these threats, said the Italian president, "we oppose the tormented history to which we have borne witness or have been active participants in, the ever-present duty of memory especially as concerns the tragedy of the Holocaust."
The duty of memory, said Napolitano, compels Italians to also remember the Italian Jews who are part of Italian history, since they were "among the leaders of the Risorgimento" and "suffered the vile persecutions in our country of the Fascist regime and the Nazi occupation," as also Antonio Gramsci and Enzo Sereni and many other Italians who to the Jews "chose to give solidarity and assistance in the most dangerous moment."
(ANSAmed Italian Press Agency) - JERUSALEM, NOVEMBER 27 -
"We must never let matters slide as considers the delegitimization of Israel," said Giorgio Napolitano [President of Italy] at the [Hebrew] University in Jerusalem, expressing his "concern" over the "harsh conditions in which people live in Gaza", but adding that this "can never obscure," for any Palestinian or Arab, "the issue of the full and unequivocal, consistent recognition of the state of Israel, its legitimacy, its right to exist and its security."
This part of his speech met with thundering applause in the auditorium. Immediately afterwards Napolitano left for Bethlehem where, this morning, he will be meeting with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). On the subject of the delegitimization of Israel, Napolitano spoke once again of the condemnation of the negationist and threatening statements made by Iranian president Ahmadinejad (whose name he did not mention, but only referred to him as 'a head of state or government'). To these threats, said the Italian president, "we oppose the tormented history to which we have borne witness or have been active participants in, the ever-present duty of memory especially as concerns the tragedy of the Holocaust."
The duty of memory, said Napolitano, compels Italians to also remember the Italian Jews who are part of Italian history, since they were "among the leaders of the Risorgimento" and "suffered the vile persecutions in our country of the Fascist regime and the Nazi occupation," as also Antonio Gramsci and Enzo Sereni and many other Italians who to the Jews "chose to give solidarity and assistance in the most dangerous moment."
Friday, November 28, 2008
A Memorial Service is being planned in Des Moines. Most likely for Tuesday evening. Details to follow.
Mumbai Terror: In cold blood
Nov. 27, 2008, THE JERUSALEM POST
The dreadful images coming out of Mumbai since late Wednesday night have stunned Israelis - and not just because the city's Chabad House was targeted along with a hospital, open market, the main train station, a popular restaurant and two posh landmark hotels. At least 125 people are known killed and some 327 wounded.
The bloodbath reminds us that, though Muslim extremism is often traceable to some local grievance, it's in essence part of a larger conflict between civilizations. Islamists are violently affronted when Hindus, Jews, Buddhist or Christians are sovereign over a Muslim minority.
AS WE try to make sense of the mayhem unleashed on Mumbai, a city of some 13 million souls, our thoughts naturally are with the family of Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. We are anxious, too, for the dozen or so other Israeli hostages. And we express our condolences to the people of Mumbai who have lost loved ones in this reprehensible assault.
Mumbai has been attacked six times since 1993, most recently in 2006 when 200 people were killed in a train-bombing. The nature of the latest attacks, however, with multiple terror teams hitting some 10 targets with explosives, automatic rifle-fire and grenades - in an operation that carried on from one day into the next - suggests a far higher level of coordination and training than anything seen before. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks were launched from outside India "with the single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country." Plainly, the terrorists are connected to elements in the failed state of Pakistan. At least some of them may have arrived by sea, landing across from the Taj Mahal hotel.
They hunted-down guests with US, British and Israeli passports to take as hostages. At the Chabad House, Indian neighbors nobly tried to fend off the attackers until they themselves were driven back by terrorists' bullets.
Israelis feel at one with the people of India, especially at times like these. Both countries are modern incarnations of ancient civilizations. We share common political values, overlapping security concerns and a growing commerce.
India was established in 1947; Israel in 1948. Both peoples rejected British rule, both faced Muslim opposition to their independence. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. In the Mideast, the Palestinian Arabs rejected the idea of two states for two peoples. Substantially, they still do.
Though much still needs to be done to draw India and Israel closer, enormous steps have been taken since New Delhi first recognized Israel in 1950 and finally established an embassy in 1992. Israel has actually maintained a consular presence in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, since 1952.
India is a genuine multicultural democracy. Among its 1.1 billion people are 150 million Muslims. Its former president, and father of New Delhi's nuclear program, is a Muslim.
NO ONE yet knows who carried out these attacks and speculation is rampant. Pakistan has in the past encouraged terrorism in Kashmir. Its doubtful India's unstable neighbor is explicitly responsible for the aggression (the government there denounced it), but Pakistan has multiple power centers and its intelligence service has previously been linked to the Taliban. Both they and al-Qaida have an interest in diverting attention away from the Pakistan-Afghan border. And coincidentally, Pakistani troops reportedly opened fire on Indian positions along their joint border on Thursday. Still, al-Qaida specializes in mega-attacks using suicide bombers, which was not the case here. Even if it turns out that this outrage was the handiwork of Lashkar-e-Toiba - or one of its front-groups - which wants to turn India into a Muslim state, that still doesn't unveil the real masterminds.
Whoever did this wanted to create panic, scare off foreigners, undermine India's economy and turn the country's people against one another.
ISRAELIS have long argued that no political grievance, no perceived injustice and no religious creed can ever justify waging war against civilians. Others have sometimes made excuses for "resistance" movements.
If any consolation can be derived out of the heartbreak in Mumbai, perhaps it will be that India will work ever more vigorously in international forums to isolate terrorists and the state's that sponsor them.
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702350509&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Mumbai Terror: In cold blood
Nov. 27, 2008, THE JERUSALEM POST
The dreadful images coming out of Mumbai since late Wednesday night have stunned Israelis - and not just because the city's Chabad House was targeted along with a hospital, open market, the main train station, a popular restaurant and two posh landmark hotels. At least 125 people are known killed and some 327 wounded.
The bloodbath reminds us that, though Muslim extremism is often traceable to some local grievance, it's in essence part of a larger conflict between civilizations. Islamists are violently affronted when Hindus, Jews, Buddhist or Christians are sovereign over a Muslim minority.
AS WE try to make sense of the mayhem unleashed on Mumbai, a city of some 13 million souls, our thoughts naturally are with the family of Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. We are anxious, too, for the dozen or so other Israeli hostages. And we express our condolences to the people of Mumbai who have lost loved ones in this reprehensible assault.
Mumbai has been attacked six times since 1993, most recently in 2006 when 200 people were killed in a train-bombing. The nature of the latest attacks, however, with multiple terror teams hitting some 10 targets with explosives, automatic rifle-fire and grenades - in an operation that carried on from one day into the next - suggests a far higher level of coordination and training than anything seen before. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks were launched from outside India "with the single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country." Plainly, the terrorists are connected to elements in the failed state of Pakistan. At least some of them may have arrived by sea, landing across from the Taj Mahal hotel.
They hunted-down guests with US, British and Israeli passports to take as hostages. At the Chabad House, Indian neighbors nobly tried to fend off the attackers until they themselves were driven back by terrorists' bullets.
Israelis feel at one with the people of India, especially at times like these. Both countries are modern incarnations of ancient civilizations. We share common political values, overlapping security concerns and a growing commerce.
India was established in 1947; Israel in 1948. Both peoples rejected British rule, both faced Muslim opposition to their independence. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. In the Mideast, the Palestinian Arabs rejected the idea of two states for two peoples. Substantially, they still do.
Though much still needs to be done to draw India and Israel closer, enormous steps have been taken since New Delhi first recognized Israel in 1950 and finally established an embassy in 1992. Israel has actually maintained a consular presence in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, since 1952.
India is a genuine multicultural democracy. Among its 1.1 billion people are 150 million Muslims. Its former president, and father of New Delhi's nuclear program, is a Muslim.
NO ONE yet knows who carried out these attacks and speculation is rampant. Pakistan has in the past encouraged terrorism in Kashmir. Its doubtful India's unstable neighbor is explicitly responsible for the aggression (the government there denounced it), but Pakistan has multiple power centers and its intelligence service has previously been linked to the Taliban. Both they and al-Qaida have an interest in diverting attention away from the Pakistan-Afghan border. And coincidentally, Pakistani troops reportedly opened fire on Indian positions along their joint border on Thursday. Still, al-Qaida specializes in mega-attacks using suicide bombers, which was not the case here. Even if it turns out that this outrage was the handiwork of Lashkar-e-Toiba - or one of its front-groups - which wants to turn India into a Muslim state, that still doesn't unveil the real masterminds.
Whoever did this wanted to create panic, scare off foreigners, undermine India's economy and turn the country's people against one another.
ISRAELIS have long argued that no political grievance, no perceived injustice and no religious creed can ever justify waging war against civilians. Others have sometimes made excuses for "resistance" movements.
If any consolation can be derived out of the heartbreak in Mumbai, perhaps it will be that India will work ever more vigorously in international forums to isolate terrorists and the state's that sponsor them.
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1227702350509&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
The late Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg. After hours of uncertainty, the Chabad shaliach and his wife are now reported to have been among those murdered in Mumbai by Islamist terrorists
News as of 8:30 am.
Five of the Jewish hostages had been murdered at Nariman House (Chabad Jewish Center) by their captors, including Chabad-Lubavitch emissary, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka. CNN-India reports continuing military action at Nariman House.
Zichronam l'Vracha.
Live coverage on IBNLive.com (CNN-India)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Uncertainly about situation at Mumbai's Chabad House
Throughout the day we have been following news reports about the Islamist terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India's financial center. Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones or whose family members or friends have been injured.
Jewish community members may well be particularly concerned as to the whereabouts and well-being of Americans, Israelis and other Jews in Mumbai that have been specifically, it seems, targeted by the terrorists.
Our attention at present is focused on what is being referred to in the media as Nariman House, the residence of Chabad in Mumbai. Earlier reports indicated that the hostages held by terrorists in Nariman House had been freed. But more recent reports are not so clear. We are awaiting clarification of the situation. //Mark
Here is some background information.
(IsraelNN.com) ...The Chabad House was one of 10 sites that were struck by some 25 terrorists who apparently infiltrated into Mumbia by sea and then fanned out through the city. ...
In a statement released by Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky of Chabad World Headquarters in New York reads:
Once again, terrorism has reared its evil head, this time in Mumbai (Bombay) India. Our Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Community Center, located in Nariman House in the Colaba district, is still occupied by the terrorists.
As of Thursday (Nov. 27) evening, we have not yet heard from our representatives in Mumbai, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, who head the center. The Holtzbergs’ 18-month old son, Moshe, was rescued early Thursday morning and is in the custody of trusted friends.
Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters, through its global contacts, continues to vigilantly monitor this tragic situation as it develops.
We pray for the speedy, safe release of all the hostages and those yet missing, and for the healing and complete recovery of all those wounded. We express heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of each of those who have been brutally murdered in this senseless barbaric attack.
The Chabad couple's two-year-old son Moshe was taken out of the building by his babysitter shortly after the siege began Wednesday night.
There is also grave concern over the fate of at least two other Jews as well, both of whom had flown to India on business to serve as Kosher food supervisors in Indian plants that provide ingredients to kosher food companies in the U.S.
Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum of Jerusalem, the son of the Volover Rebbe of Boro Park and son-in-law of the head of the Toldos Avraham Yitzhak Chassidic sect, was in Mumbai and hasn't been heard from, as is the case with his co-worker Ben Tzion Korman of Bat Yam.
The public is being asked to pray for Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma and Rivka bas Yehudis, Aryeh Leibish ben Elta Nechama Maltshi and Ben Tzion ben Elka, as well as "anyone else affected by the tragedy." [Adpated from Israel National News report.]
The situation is being blogged as it happens by http://www.theyeshivaworld.com and covered by the Israel news sources such as http://www.ynetnews.com
Here is the present information from CNN as of 8:30 pm on Thursday.
Fighting erupts at Mumbai Jewish center
A gun battle broke out early Friday between government soldiers in a helicopter and terrorists holed up in a Mumbai Jewish center. Forces are also trying to find gunmen thought to be in two luxury hotels, more than a day after 125 people were reported killed in several coordinated attacks.
Throughout the day we have been following news reports about the Islamist terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India's financial center. Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones or whose family members or friends have been injured.
Jewish community members may well be particularly concerned as to the whereabouts and well-being of Americans, Israelis and other Jews in Mumbai that have been specifically, it seems, targeted by the terrorists.
Our attention at present is focused on what is being referred to in the media as Nariman House, the residence of Chabad in Mumbai. Earlier reports indicated that the hostages held by terrorists in Nariman House had been freed. But more recent reports are not so clear. We are awaiting clarification of the situation. //Mark
Here is some background information.
(IsraelNN.com) ...The Chabad House was one of 10 sites that were struck by some 25 terrorists who apparently infiltrated into Mumbia by sea and then fanned out through the city. ...
In a statement released by Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky of Chabad World Headquarters in New York reads:
Once again, terrorism has reared its evil head, this time in Mumbai (Bombay) India. Our Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Community Center, located in Nariman House in the Colaba district, is still occupied by the terrorists.
As of Thursday (Nov. 27) evening, we have not yet heard from our representatives in Mumbai, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, who head the center. The Holtzbergs’ 18-month old son, Moshe, was rescued early Thursday morning and is in the custody of trusted friends.
Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters, through its global contacts, continues to vigilantly monitor this tragic situation as it develops.
We pray for the speedy, safe release of all the hostages and those yet missing, and for the healing and complete recovery of all those wounded. We express heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of each of those who have been brutally murdered in this senseless barbaric attack.
The Chabad couple's two-year-old son Moshe was taken out of the building by his babysitter shortly after the siege began Wednesday night.
There is also grave concern over the fate of at least two other Jews as well, both of whom had flown to India on business to serve as Kosher food supervisors in Indian plants that provide ingredients to kosher food companies in the U.S.
Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum of Jerusalem, the son of the Volover Rebbe of Boro Park and son-in-law of the head of the Toldos Avraham Yitzhak Chassidic sect, was in Mumbai and hasn't been heard from, as is the case with his co-worker Ben Tzion Korman of Bat Yam.
The public is being asked to pray for Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma and Rivka bas Yehudis, Aryeh Leibish ben Elta Nechama Maltshi and Ben Tzion ben Elka, as well as "anyone else affected by the tragedy." [Adpated from Israel National News report.]
The situation is being blogged as it happens by http://www.theyeshivaworld.com and covered by the Israel news sources such as http://www.ynetnews.com
Here is the present information from CNN as of 8:30 pm on Thursday.
Fighting erupts at Mumbai Jewish center
A gun battle broke out early Friday between government soldiers in a helicopter and terrorists holed up in a Mumbai Jewish center. Forces are also trying to find gunmen thought to be in two luxury hotels, more than a day after 125 people were reported killed in several coordinated attacks.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
"Critics seem to dismiss the basic cause-and-effect connection between Hamas-led violence and the plight of the Palestinians."
The Gaza Blockade A Fact Sheet
(November 24, 2008)
The State of Israel set up a blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2006 after the terrorist organization, Hamas, obtained control of the area. In recent months, in response to barrages of rocketfire from Gaza into Israel, sanctions and security around the area have been increased.
Although Israel has tolerated many months of rocket attacks on their cities, international outcry from the United Nations as well as worldwide media has focused almost entirely on the Palestinian plight in Gaza, which they assume to be a result of the blockade.
Despite the terror onslaught, Israel sends thousands of liters of fuel into Gaza every day, and electricity from Israeli power sources is not being witheld. Interestingly, Palestinian Authority sources maintain that there is not a shortage of fuel in Gaza. They accuse Hamas of stealing thousands of liters of fuel from local Gazan companies and then telling the media that there is no fuel left. Fatah members also claim that Hamas is lying about the fuel shortage "crisis" for propagandistic reasons. On November 24, 2008, Israel opened the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allowed through humanitarian supplies, including medicine, food and fuel.
Additionally, the Ministry maintains that commercial crossings between Gaza and Israel have been kept open - especially since the June 19, 2008, "state of calm" which allowed for a 50% increase of material goods into Gaza. The materials that are allowed into the terrority include medicine and medical supplies, food, some fuel and building materials. Gazans in need of medical assistance in Israel have continued to be allowed in. Even after the "state of calm" was broken by Hamas, those Gazans seeking medical treatment in Israel were still allowed to do so although they were chaperoned during the process. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs posesses daily delivery statements from Israel into Gaza since the June 19 agreement. These published statistics prove that the media and the High Commissioner for Human Rights are incorrect in reporting that the Israeli government has been preventing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Indeed, Hamas is not only witholding supplies from the Palestinians in Gaza but the organization is also spending all of its resources on weapons of terror instead of material goods that a government is expected to provide for its citizens.
The relative peace in Israel for the last several months was broken in early November 2008 when Hamas again began to fire rockets into Israel in response to Israel's raid of an illegal militant tunnel from Gaza. Israel has maintained a "calm" front and has not retaliated to these rocket attacks with military measures. Instead, Israel increased security around the Gaza border on Tuesday which prompted criticism from the United Nations.
Later on November 18, 2008, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for a stop to the Israel-enforced blockade of Gaza. Pillay declared that the situation in Gaza was one that impeded upon the humanitarian rights of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. The suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, she claimed, was the fault of the Israeli government. Only in Pillay's last sentence did she mention Hamas' rocket attacks on Israel - the sole reason for the imposed blockade.
The Israeli representative to the United Nations, Aharon Leshno-Yaar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took strong offense at the High Commissioner's statement and her inaccurate assumptions. Pillay's blatant oversight of Palestinian violence towards Israel was especially outrageous because over 170 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in the past ten days alone.
UN critics question why Israel did not open the Gaza blockade during the nearly six-month ceasefire and allow for supplies to be delivered to the Palestinians. The UN's assumption that Israel has not permitted the entrance of material goods into Gaza, however, is simply incorrect and has been formed out of Hamas-led media ploys.
Media critics and the United Nations have consistently ignored the terrorist attacks on Israel in favor of a focus on Palestinian suffering. As always, they seem to dismiss the basic cause-and-effect connection between Hamas-led violence and the plight of the Palestinians. Were Hamas and, for that matter, the PA willing to maintain a legitimate ceasefire, Israel would feel secure enough to dissolve the blockade of Gaza.
Sources:
The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ha'aretz, The Jerusalem Post
Yedioth Acharonot
The Gaza Blockade A Fact Sheet
(November 24, 2008)
The State of Israel set up a blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2006 after the terrorist organization, Hamas, obtained control of the area. In recent months, in response to barrages of rocketfire from Gaza into Israel, sanctions and security around the area have been increased.
Although Israel has tolerated many months of rocket attacks on their cities, international outcry from the United Nations as well as worldwide media has focused almost entirely on the Palestinian plight in Gaza, which they assume to be a result of the blockade.
Despite the terror onslaught, Israel sends thousands of liters of fuel into Gaza every day, and electricity from Israeli power sources is not being witheld. Interestingly, Palestinian Authority sources maintain that there is not a shortage of fuel in Gaza. They accuse Hamas of stealing thousands of liters of fuel from local Gazan companies and then telling the media that there is no fuel left. Fatah members also claim that Hamas is lying about the fuel shortage "crisis" for propagandistic reasons. On November 24, 2008, Israel opened the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allowed through humanitarian supplies, including medicine, food and fuel.
Additionally, the Ministry maintains that commercial crossings between Gaza and Israel have been kept open - especially since the June 19, 2008, "state of calm" which allowed for a 50% increase of material goods into Gaza. The materials that are allowed into the terrority include medicine and medical supplies, food, some fuel and building materials. Gazans in need of medical assistance in Israel have continued to be allowed in. Even after the "state of calm" was broken by Hamas, those Gazans seeking medical treatment in Israel were still allowed to do so although they were chaperoned during the process. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs posesses daily delivery statements from Israel into Gaza since the June 19 agreement. These published statistics prove that the media and the High Commissioner for Human Rights are incorrect in reporting that the Israeli government has been preventing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Indeed, Hamas is not only witholding supplies from the Palestinians in Gaza but the organization is also spending all of its resources on weapons of terror instead of material goods that a government is expected to provide for its citizens.
The relative peace in Israel for the last several months was broken in early November 2008 when Hamas again began to fire rockets into Israel in response to Israel's raid of an illegal militant tunnel from Gaza. Israel has maintained a "calm" front and has not retaliated to these rocket attacks with military measures. Instead, Israel increased security around the Gaza border on Tuesday which prompted criticism from the United Nations.
Later on November 18, 2008, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called for a stop to the Israel-enforced blockade of Gaza. Pillay declared that the situation in Gaza was one that impeded upon the humanitarian rights of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. The suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, she claimed, was the fault of the Israeli government. Only in Pillay's last sentence did she mention Hamas' rocket attacks on Israel - the sole reason for the imposed blockade.
The Israeli representative to the United Nations, Aharon Leshno-Yaar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took strong offense at the High Commissioner's statement and her inaccurate assumptions. Pillay's blatant oversight of Palestinian violence towards Israel was especially outrageous because over 170 rockets and mortars have been fired at Israel in the past ten days alone.
UN critics question why Israel did not open the Gaza blockade during the nearly six-month ceasefire and allow for supplies to be delivered to the Palestinians. The UN's assumption that Israel has not permitted the entrance of material goods into Gaza, however, is simply incorrect and has been formed out of Hamas-led media ploys.
Media critics and the United Nations have consistently ignored the terrorist attacks on Israel in favor of a focus on Palestinian suffering. As always, they seem to dismiss the basic cause-and-effect connection between Hamas-led violence and the plight of the Palestinians. Were Hamas and, for that matter, the PA willing to maintain a legitimate ceasefire, Israel would feel secure enough to dissolve the blockade of Gaza.
Sources:
The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ha'aretz, The Jerusalem Post
Yedioth Acharonot
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