Kissinger Calls For Pollard's Release

Here is the text of Henry K.'s letter to President Obama:

March 3, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I would have written this letter sooner but for a long trip abroad, from which I have just returned. While I was gone, I gave much thought to the question of clemency for Jonathan Pollard. At first I felt I did not have enough information to render a reasoned and just opinion. But having talked with George Shultz and read the statements of former CIA Director Woolsey, former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman DeConcini, former Defense Secretary Weinberger, former Attorney General Mukasey and others whose judgments and first-hand knowledge I respect, I find their unanimous support for clemency compelling.

I believe justice would be served by commuting the remainder of Pollard’s sentence of life imprisonment.

Respectfully yours,
Henry A. Kissinger

Check out Kissinger's biography at Wikipedia. Here is something that I never new about him:

Kissinger underwent basic training at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he was naturalized upon arrival. The Army sent him to study engineering at Lafayette College, Pennsylvania, but the program was canceled, and Kissinger was reassigned to the 84th Infantry Division. There, he made the acquaintance of Fritz Kraemer, a fellow emigrant from Germany who despite the age difference, noted Kissinger's fluency in German and his intellect, arranged for him to be assigned to the military intelligence section of the division. Kissinger saw combat with the division, and volunteered for hazardous intelligence duties during the Battle of the Bulge.[11]

During the American advance into Germany, Kissinger was assigned to de-Nazify the city of Krefeld, owing to a lack of German speakers on the division's intelligence staff. Kissinger relied on his knowledge of German society to remove the obvious Nazis and restore a working civilian administration, a task he accomplished in 8 days.[12] Kissinger was then reassigned to the Counter Intelligence Corps, with the rank of Sergeant. He was given charge of a team in Hanover assigned to tracking down Gestapo officers and other saboteurs, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star.[13] In June 1945, Kissinger was made commandant of a CIC detachment in the Bergstraße district of Hesse, with responsibility for de-Nazification of the district. Although he possessed absolute authority and powers of arrest, Kissinger took care to avoid abuses against the local population by his command.[14]

In 1946, Kissinger was reassigned to teach at the European Command Intelligence School at Camp King, continuing to serve in this role as a civilian employee following his separation from the Army.[15][16]

He was a fighter, not just an academia geek.

HH #307

Be sure to check out this week's Jblogosphere wrap-up:

Peace Now's Nightmare

Video: Jewish Farmer Protects His Well From Leftist Thieves

Read more about this here.

Jewish Boycott of Bank Leumi Pending?

From INN:

Bank Leumi, the main creditor of Jewish neighborhood Nof Tzion’s developers, has rejected an offer by Rami Levy and a partner to pay off its debts – and as a result, an Arab takeover again threatens the seamline Jerusalem area. Rabbis threaten a local boycott of Bank Leumi, and American Jews threaten a boycott abroad.

In light of the Bank Leumi rejection, Palestinian Authority semi-resident Bashir Al-Masri, represented by the same lawyer who advised Ariel Sharon during the Disengagement, Dov Weisglass, has redoubled his efforts to buy the lands of Nof Tzion.

Located to the east of Talpiyot and south of the Old City, the neighborhood was originally planned as a luxury project for wealthy apartment-seekers from abroad. When this did not pan out, the project was saved by the religious-Zionist public, for which its strategic spot, in terms of both Jewish-Arab demographics and a panoramic view of the Temple Mount and the Old City, increased its attractiveness. Thus, a new religious-Zionist neighborhood arose in eastern Jerusalem.

The first phase of the project was completed several years ago, and much has been written about the 90 families' satisfaction with their new neighbors and surroundings. However, they are now greatly apprehensive that if the project falls into Arab hands, the 180 planned units of Stages II and III of the project will not only not be built, but also that their own homes will become an unsafe and unviable Jewish enclave surrounded by Arab homes.

They have therefore threatened to take Bank Leumi – the guarantor of the project – and the Digal development company to court for backing down on their much-touted plans to ensure that the project is for the national-religious public.

Bank Leumi has rejected Levy’s offer, saying that it prefers to break up Digal altogether and sell its assets – including the land of Nof Tzion – to the highest bidder. This once again leaves the field open to Al-Masri. Al-Masri has also taken another step, seeking to buy out the shares of Digal.

A letter of intent to boycott Bank Leumi has already been signed by top rabbis in the religious-Zionist camp.

Rabbis Shmuel Eliyahu, Elyakim Levanon, Yehoshua Shapira, Zalman Melamed, David Druckman, Dov Lior, Yaakov Yosef and others issued a call to Bank Leumi customers to withdraw their monies if the project is sold to Al-Masri. The rabbis call on Bank Leumi to “support and accept the offer by Jewish interests to purchase the neighborhood lands and to save it from Bashir Al-Masri, who does not hide his intentions to build on Nof Tzion an Arab outpost in Jerusalem.”

Globes has reported in the past that if Bank Leumi would enable the sale of the Nof Tzion project to Al-Masri, it would be likely to face a widespread boycott in the United States. Several apartment owners in the project wrote to Bank Leumi as follows: “I have been involved in this project ever since it was presented to the public some eight years ago, and I am in contact with many of its American investors. These people have power and are very influential in their communities. We were under the impression that Bank Leumi would never work against the People of Israel - but we are now quickly concluding that this is not true. It appears that Bank Leumi is taking part in an act of treachery in allowing secret deals that will lead to the sale of Nof Tzion properties to Arab interests.”

Well, if Bank Leumi goes ahead with this treachery I will certainly close my account there.

Additional food for thought: the name "al-Masri" means "the Egyptian" in Arabic.

HH #305

This week's edition of Haveil Havalim is here.

Standing Up For Family Values

This lady entered the Knesset when Haim Ramon quit. A little bit different from the regular Kadima bunch I think:

MK Yulia Shamalov-Berkowitz of the Kadima party continues to criticize Israel's extremist feminist leaders in her stand for family values. Shalamov-Berkowitz told attendees at the Knesset Conference for Gender Equality on Wednesday, "Enlightened feminism has been hijacked by radical feminists. We call it 'the Feminist Jihad.'"

Shamalov-Berkowitz, who recently accused extremist feminist leaders of exaggerating claims of sexual harassment, and of hurting families by uncritically supporting programs for single mothers, said, "radical feminism pressures the 'enlightened' to fund organizations that harm the family."

"The State of Israel is founded on the values of community and unity, but funds activities of organizations working to split the family and enshrine individualism," Shamalov-Berkowitz said, adding she thought the Jewish State should legislate to strengthen the organic family, including state subsidies for counseling. "Today only a family with means can go for marital counseling, but on the other hand, the cost of a divorce can run up to NIS 100,000 for each side. There is a huge money industry on the backs [of divorcing families]."

Shamalov-Berkowitz recommended providing new parents with parenting courses for free, allowing maternity leave for men independent of their wife's maternity leave, and a longer school day "to ensure the safety of children in a safe environment." Causing a media firestorm last month, Shamalov-Berkowitz attacked the trend of women's intentionally becoming a single mother and seeking benefits. "Its kind of a bon ton to be one [a single mother] - to make a baby outside the family and seek benefits from the state."

Here's an interesting film of her listening to Benny Katsover explaining the significance of the Shomron and Shechem.

Notes from an Ex-Agnostic

How does one make the leap from "lack of faith" to "faith"? Shoshana bares her soul in this interesting article:

I was driving down the road one bleak February morning, feeling immersed in a monochromatic world. The gray road snaked its way around a rocky gray hillside. To my left, a large gray river moved sullenly in its path. Gray concrete buildings blended into a sky that was – you guessed it – gray.

And then I asked myself a question: What if God exists?

Something within me shifted. Just a bit, but it made all the difference.

This day came after months of struggle. Actually, the struggle began many years before, while an undergraduate student at a Catholic university. A young woman of simple, unexamined faith who had considered becoming a nun, I embarked upon a double major of psychology and theology. I studied philosophy of religion, where I learned for the first time that there were arguments against the existence of God. I studied Freud, who wrote that religious beliefs are an illusion, a projection of our wishes and fears. And I was counseled by a priest, who ended up acting not very priestly.

Read the rest!

The Future of Egypt: Anybody's Guess

Now that the dictator Mubarak is out of power there is a lot of speculation about what lies ahead for Egypt. Some pundits say we are witnessing the dawn of democracy. Egypt will become a beacon of political enlightenment in an Arab world ruled largely by despots.

Others are almost sure that the Muslim Brotherhood will take over Egypt. The land of the Pharoahs is the way to becoming just a larger version of the Gaza Strip, Hamastan raised to the fifth power.

Still others foresee the army continuing to rule over Egypt if it is not satisfied with the results of the upcoming elections. The army is probably interested in seeing someone from its own ranks taking control of the nation, in the tradition of Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak.

Who is right? Perhaps none of the above. I think that the third option is the most likely. Time will tell.

It's Easy To Be A Jew

Some people say, "It's hard to be a Jew." I say, "It's easy to be a Jew!" Really, it is! You even don't have to sift the flour for the creepy-crawling things anymore. That is to say, the package of flour on the left was processed and packaged in such a way that it does not have to be sifted. What will they think of next?

HH #304

Here!

Former Vice President Dan Quayle to Obama: Free Pollard

Do you think Obama reads his mail?:

Dan Quayle, a former vice-president of the United States, has written to current U.S. President Barack Obama asking him to free Jonathan Pollard.

“I write this letter urging you to consider commuting the sentence of Jonathan Pollard,” the letter read. “I believe that a life sentence for the crime committed is very extreme. Though his crime was very serious, I hope you will once again look very carefully at this pending request.”

So far all the letters from all of the distinguished people that have written to Obama on this matter have not had an effect. Perhaps a letter from Jeremiah Wright will do the trick.

Dear President Obama: Release Pollard

Yet another letter winds up on the president's desk:

January 28, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500-0001

Dear Mr. President:

I was Counsel to the President in 1993-94. Along with Deputy Attorney General Philip Heymann, who has written to you regarding Jonathan Pollard, I also extensively reviewed the Pollard file while I served in the White House. I write this letter to state that I fully share the view expressed by Professor Heymann – as well as the other distinguished former public officials who have written to you – that the time has come for Jonathan Pollard’s sentence to be commuted.

I will not repeat the cogent reasons set forth in Professor Heymann’s letter except to say that I too believe that Jonathan Pollard has been appropriately punished for his conduct and that a failure at this time to commute his sentence would not serve the course of justice; indeed, I respectfully believe, it would be a miscarriage of justice.
Sincerely,

Bernard W. Nussbaum

The people who have reviewed the Pollard file have confirmed what I have been claiming on this blog for years: that the continued incarceration of Jonathan Pollard is a miscarriage of justice. Now that the issue at hand is so clear, what is President Obama waiting for?

Jblogosphere News

This week's edition of Haveil Havalim is here.

The latest Kosher Cooking Carnival is here.

Jon Voight: The Pollard Case is a Result of Anti-Semitism

See the video here.

From Song to Song

Wow, such a great article, such great writing:

Ironic how I'd sung at least a dozen times in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, and here I was in that same room attending a Jewish seminar. A 30-something rabbi, slight of build, in a yarmulke, beige polyester suit and a really, really red tie gets up and speaks about dating. I listen, comfortable in a conference-room chair at the back of the room. Then I listen leaning forward in the chair. Then I listen leaning forward in a chair a few rows closer, then move closer again... He's saying that "casual dating" is an oxymoron. An impossibility. He's saying, in short, that intimacy is not casual. It leaves its imprint on the heart and soul, and especially on the heart and soul of a woman. How non-PC!

Flash: I had known this, somewhere in the benthic depths of me.

The rabbi continues. He talks about why Jews should marry Jews… common sense reasons. The biggest question he addresses, however, is whether anything important inheres in being a Jew. I'd never, ever heard anyone ask, never mind address, such issues – not in the Hebrew School I'd detested in my youth, nor at home, where the refrain had been simply, "Don't marry a gentile." Uh…

Be sure to read the whole thing!

Arutz Sheva Interviews MK Einat Wilf

Somebody over at Arutz 7 doesn't seem to understand the severity of intermarriage. How else can you explain this interview with MK Einat Wilf? It starts by listing her credentials:

Dr. Wilf is a member of Ehud Barak's breakaway HaAtzma'ut or Independence Faction in the 18th Kenesset. She served as a lieutenant with the IDF's 'Shmoneh Ma'atayim' or Unit 8-200 in signals intelligence and decryption, holds a BA in Government and Fine Arts from Harvard University an MBA from SEAD in France and a PhD in Political Science from Cambridge University. She was a foreign policy adviser to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres. She replaced MK Ophir Pines-Paz as the 13th member of the Labor faction of 2009. MK Wilf has found herself at the center of controversy over Ehud Barak's recent decision to break from the Labor Party.

Of course there is a "minor" omission here. They forget to mention that her "husband" is a Gentile, German television personality Richard Gutjahr!

Instead of shunning this lady, they give her a microphone! Since I am a big fan of Arutz 7 it really pains me to say that this is just another example of a supposedly national religious group acting in a way that is neither national nor religious.

HH # 302 A McFalafel w/Mustard

Here you go!

When a Dictator is Called President

The recent demonstrations against Mubarak in Egypt remind of a post that I wrote a long, long time ago (that is to say six years ago):

It is amazing that the press, when referring to the dictator of Egypt, calls him "President Mubarak." Even Arutz 7, which is an island of sanity among the sea of Israel's LLL* media, refers to Dictator Hosni as "Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak." It is really pathetic to hear "President Bush" and "President Mubarak" mentioned in the same breath. The former is a president, while the latter is a dictator!

* LLL = Loony Liberal Leftist

See also what the crew at the Muqata has to say about this.

Rabbi Yisrael Rosen: Ban MK Einat Wilf!

Does the Rabbi reads this blog? Here is an excerpt (translated into English) of what he wrote for this week's Shabbat B'Shabbato parasha sheet:

For now we will put aside thoughts about this situation that are related to political science. Let us also put aside any thoughts about "Israeli democracy," which after the founding of "Kadima" – "Go forward towards the Disengagement" – will never surprise me again by its shenanigans. What I want to do here today is point a finger of guilt at one of the dwarfs in Atzmaut, by the name of Einat Wilf. It has been announced that she will be appointed the head of one or more Knesset committees, either Education or Immigration and Absorption.

I hereby call for a complete ban on all of this woman's public activities in the above matters, because of the totally negative image she projects as the wife of a German who is not a Jew (as far as I know, he has not even taken on Israeli citizenship). This call is not made on a religious basis (there are greater sinners than she is) or on a nationalistic basis (there are greater "nationalistic traitors" than she is), and not even on a cultural basis (there are MK's who present a worse example of personal behavior). I simply cannot accept the idea of an MK in a mixed marriage. The opposition to such a marriage is still within the broad consensus of our people (and I am not referring to a case of "Jewish blood" which is common among Russian-speaking immigrants).

I know very well that some members of the Knesset are not Jewish, including Moslems and Druze. I would not be surprised, and I would not even object, if some immigrant from the former Soviet Union would declare that he represents the community of immigrants who have not yet converted to Judaism or who want to maintain non-Jewish communities, but who want to be loyal citizens of our country. Five years ago I wrote an article titled, "We can learn to live with a significant Gentile minority, descendants of the Jews" (it is reprinted in my new book, "Love the Convert," published recently by Zomet Institute). I have not changed my mind since then. But an MK in a mixed marriage, just like that, is too much for me. Especially when this is touted under the name of Israeli "Independence," or when the individual involved is slated to head a committee on such subjects as education, immigration, or absorption.

Do not take this case of the MK and her husband lightly. It is a subject that carries an educational message. Richard Gutjahr (her husband and the father of her son Yonatan – I wonder if the child has been circumcised) has shown that he is a pioneer in education! How can we ever forget that he was the very first customer to receive the new iPad ("It's heavy and very shiny!") because of the determination that he showed by standing in line in New York for ten hours! This record totally dwarfs the fact that he has no command of Hebrew and that as the host of a television show in Bavaria he spends only part of his time in our country!

With all this, the lady has written educational books in Hebrew which are eminently suited to our generation. Here is her vision for solving problems in education: "Expelling children from the class who cause disturbances, giving low marks in response to bad behavior or violence in class, limiting the day-to-day contact between parents and teachers, and giving the teachers stronger backing by the principals" (as quoted on internet). But don't make any mistake, she is not so conservative! Her world vision is based on a view of the global world (could it be otherwise?) and allowing the use of light drugs because of the high cost of fighting them (remember that she has a background in economics, for example as the manager of a financial fund). She expounded (or perhaps absorbed) these messages as a Senior Fellow in the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute!

In summary, and in protest, I say once again: FOR SHAME!

For shame indeed!

Former Deputy Attorney General Philip B. Heymann to Obama: Release Pollard

The pile of letters on the president's desk gets higher and higher:

25 January 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington DC 20500-0001

Dear Mr. President:

Having reviewed the Pollard file at length as Deputy Attorney General in 1993-1994, I enthusiastically join the many distinguished others who are now urging you to commute the sentence of Jonathan Pollard. Like Jim Woolsey and Dennis DeConcini, I know the record thoroughly and fully share their conclusions. Like Secretary of State George Shultz, I particularly admire the precise statement of the issues by former Attorney General Mukasey.

Pollard’s conviction was justified but his sentence was entirely out-of-line with others engaging in similar behavior and it was made less-than-legitimate by a treacherous recommendation of the then Secretary of Defense. There is no evidence that Pollard intended to harm the United States or help its enemies. Having already served a severe sentence; Pollard is now supported by political and religious leaders across the political spectrum in seeking a commutation. I join them with deep conviction as to the justice of their shared cause.

Sincerely,
Philip B. Heymann

This letter is particularly interesting in that it calls Caspar Weinberger's recommendation to incarcerate Pollard for life as "treacherous".

Another Convert

I must admit that I really enjoy reading what converts have to say. Their view on life, on Judaism, and on the Jewish community are truly unique. There is so much to be learned from them.

Every convert has his own special story. Matys Weiser, born a Catholic in Poland, is no exception. I highly recommend his blog and web site.

HH #301 and Other Links

Best Of The Jewish/Israeli Blogosphere #301

Ka'anashim Harbei Bilvavot Rabot

In the spirit of parashat Yitro:

The Jewish Prince of Persia

Michaltastik

You're Not Crazy

Gideon Levy's Intermarried Messiah Lets Him Down

Gideon Levy is such a crybaby! It looks like he had high hopes for Einat Wilf, the MK who is married to a gentile:

The moaning and groaning about Israeli politicians is always accompanied by a yearning for "young and talented" people who will go into politics. Give us scientists, businessmen, graduates of prestigious universities and high-tech whizzes, and watch how everything will change. Enough of the party hacks, bring on the success stories.

This week one of their prominent representatives participated in the press conference where a fresh ideological movement was announced, and proved that redemption will certainly not come from those quarters. The titles, proven successes and impressive resume won't help. There's no such thing as a successful politician without a clear-cut worldview, honesty and courage.

Einat let poor Gideon down. She did not do the bidding of his employers at Haaretz, that is to say, topple Netanyahu. Waaa!:

MK Dr. Einat Wilf turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary hack. If we once had an MK-electrician from Ashkelon who sold his soul for a Mitsubishi, this time it was the MK and Ph.D. holder, graduate of the Insead business school, who sold her soul to head a minor committee in the Knesset. Between Wilf and Alex Goldfarb there is only one line, the line of opportunism.

You hear that? Gideon Levy accusing somebody of selling his soul! LOL!

Five Levels of Pleasure

This is a truly fantastic article by the late Rabbi Noah Weinberg. The rabbi was not only a genius, he was a master teacher. Read it, you won't be sorry!

Haveil Haveilim #300 and Other Interesting Links

This is for sure a milestone: The 300th edition of Haveil Havalim. I also saw some other interesting links today that you might want to check out:

Foreign Funded Demonstration in Tel Aviv

20th Anniversary of First Gulf War

Netanyahu's Grandfather

A Star of David - Legal and Right

Even After The Referendum In Sudan, Muslim Slavery Of Blacks Will Remain A Problem

Khartoum and hartumim

Who's Afraid of Einat Wilf?

In my first post about this MK from the Labor Party that is "married" to a gentile, I mentioned my surprise that Hadassah Magazine would interview somebody like that.

Well, I am not alone! It turns out that other readers were equally disturbed by what they read and they let Hadassah know about it:

After reading the interview with Einat Wilf (October/November issue), I wasn’t sure whether to dismiss her as a misguided Jew, or just forget about her rants. I decided to write to the editor and see if other readers have the same reactions as I do.

Wilf is clearly a member of the young elite in Israeli society. I am quite sure she has a great future in front of her. Unfortunately, this future should not be as a “Jewish” leader. Her answer to the question of what is modern Zionism’s greatest challenge is almost bordering on heresy. Her answer as quoted “I believe the Knesset is the new Sanhedrin of the Jewish people. As such, it has the right to remake Jewish law” is not only against everything Jews have lived and died for centuries, but is antithetical to every credo Jews believe in. The Knesset making religious laws? Based on what—their expertise in Talmud, Mishna or halakha? Wilf should learn a little more about how Jews survived for 5,000 years. Harvard, Cambridge and Hebrew University, where I also received my master’s of arts, unfortunately does not teach Jews how to live or even survive. Yeshivot, religious day schools and academies throughout the world have guided Jews in their every day life for thousands of years. What a sad state of affairs that this Knesset member feels she has the right to establish religious laws.

Marc Aron
Teaneck, NJ

Marc Aron hit the nail on the head: She's not fit to be a "Jewish" leader. This is especially true when we take into account the fact that she is shacking up with a gentile. This comment of his is also very insightful:

"Harvard, Cambridge and Hebrew University, where I also received my master’s of arts, unfortunately does not teach Jews how to live or even survive. Yeshivot, religious day schools and academies throughout the world have guided Jews in their every day life for thousands of years."

Jewish parents, cut that quote out and paste it on your mirror!

Here's another reaction:

The interview with Einat Wilf revealed a hostility to the Jewish religion that makes a joke of the Prayer for the State of Israel that refers to Israel as the “flowering of our redemption.” Clearly her remarks about Haredi women (“absolutely no way you can choose to travel on a segregated bus”) and her remark about “a version of medieval Judaism” show her unbridled hostility to the Jewish religion. The idea of making the Knesset the new Sanhedrin and its “right to remake Jewish law” ranges between ludicrous and shocking.

I lived and worked in Israel for 12 years. Three of my grandchildren serve in the Israeli army. If people like Einat Wilf run things I will not be able to wear a kippa on the street. Spare me from people who think as she does.

Justin Sweet
Professor of Law Emeritus, University of California
Berkeley, CA

Professor Sweet seem to be pretty upset with the lady. I wonder what he would have written if he knew that she was "married" to a gentile.

Dear Mr. President...Free Pollard

The latest:

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to join with many others in urging you to consider that Jonathan Pollard has now paid a huge price for his espionage on behalf of Israel and should be released from prison.

I am impressed that the people who are best informed about the classified material he passed to Israel, former CIA Director James Woolsey and former Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dennis DeConcini, favor his release.

I find the letter you received from former Attorney General Michael Mukasey of the Bush administration particularly compelling.

With my respect,

Sincerely yours,

George P. Shultz

Links Between B'Tselem, Terror Funds Reported

No surprise here. The buck starts at the Al Aqsa Fund and stops at several Israeli leftist NPOs:

Israeli leftist groups receive money from Arab pro-terror organizations, an independent investigation by grassroots student group Im Tirtzu revealed. The findings were reported by Ma'ariv Tuesday.
Im Tirtzu's study connects the dots between 13 Israeli leftist groups - including B'Tselem and the Center for Protection of the Individual ('Hamoked') - and a Ramallah-based fund called the National Development Center (NDC), which is closely linked to a fund called the Welfare Association (WA). The WA, in turn, receives some of its money from the Al Aqsa Fund, which also gives money to the relatives of mass murdering 'martyrs' who carried out suicide attacks against Jewish men, women and children.

Im Tirtzu says that by receiving money from these sources, the Israeli groups are legally obliged to fight Israel through propaganda and 'lawfare.'

The NDC gave a total of about two million dollars to 13 Israeli groups in 2008-2009 alone, the new research reveals. The largest donations were to Hamoked, which received $450,000, and B'Tselem, which got $400,000.

Read the rest.

Singer/Songwriter Moshe Yess Passes Away

Baruch Dayan HaEmet:

Moshe Yess, a beloved performer and musician who has entertained audiences around the world, passed away Motzoei Shabbos, considered Shvat 4, 5771.

He was 65 and suffered from Cancer.

He was hospitalized earlier this year at University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, Arizona, and was visited by local Chabad Shluchim, before he underwent recovery treatment.

Yess, known for the song ‘Zaide Made us Laugh,’ lived in Montreal, Canada, for many years after he became a Baal Teshuva and made a living singing and teaching.

Yess was half of the "Megama" duo. I remember when I was at the beginning of my teshuvah, I went to see Megama and Mordechai Ben David. Megama made a very big impression on me back then. This video was filmed a couple of years before the time that I saw them:

Fruit From the Land of Israel on Tu Bishvat

The box says:

Many generations dreamed of coming to the land of the Patriarchs and partaking of its fruit. And behold at this moment you have the privilege of holding a package of dry fruit that were grown entirely by Jewish agriculture in the land of Israel. Eat with pleasure from the blessing of our wonderful land.

HH Three Hundred Minus One

The amazing Jewish Blog Carnival is closing in on 300 editions. Here.

More on Danny Rosen

The Israeli MSM is too busy crucifying Eli Yishai, lionizing Danny Rosen, and canonizing Ahuva Tomer to pick up Halemo's amazing scoop that I mentioned the other day. It just doesn't fit their agenda.

However one news site, Yoav Yitzchak's Machlaka Rishonah, has got the story. They do not mention rotter.net. It is possible that they found much of the information independently. What's more, they found information about the man and his problematic behavior that was not mentioned in Halemo's scoop. I have a feeling that the other news outlets cannot afford ignoring the story any longer.

Amazing Scoop at Roter.net: What is the Real Reason That Danny Rosen Wants to Sue Eli Yishai?

There is an amazing scoop on Rotter.net. You may have heard about what happened at a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Carmel fire:

Minister of Interior Eli Yishai had to be escorted out of an official memorial ceremony at Beit Oren Wednesday for the 44 people who died in the Carmel fire disaster. Yishai left, accompanied by Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, after several family members of the fire's victims loudly interrupted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu when he got up to speak.

The shouting was led by Danny Rosen, who was the life partner of Brigadier-General Ahuva Tomer, the female commander of Haifa Police who died in the blaze. Rosen, a retired member of Israel's security forces, stood up and singled out Yishai in the loud verbal attack, which he carried out from one of the front rows of chairs that seated the bereaved families. He said that Yishai had no right to be present at the ceremony and demanded that he leave. He then threatened that he and other relatives would leave the ceremony if Yishai did not.

Eli Yishai, together with Chief Rabbi Amar, nobly left the ceremony. However, Rosen's outburst was just the start. Now he wants to sue Eli Yishai:

Danny Rozen, the life partner of former Haifa Police chief Ahuva Tomer, told Israel Radio on Thursday that he would sue Interior Minister Eli Yishai.

"Eli Yishai has to pay" for the Carmel fire, Rozen said. "I will do whatever I can so he pays out of his own pocket."

I'm not a lawyer, but it doesn't seem to me that this suit has much merit. I was puzzled by the issue until I saw the following scoop by Moshe HaLevi a.k.a. "Halemo" at rotter.net . Here is what Halemo claims (I've translated it into English):

In the year 2010 "open door" judicial proceedings took place in the Haifa District Court. In the proceedings a property and financial separation was requested between Ahuva Tomer and her partner for life Danny Rosen, his son and his daughter. (This was not a proceeding in the court of family matters which take place behind closed doors). During the proceedings it was revealed that Danny Rosen has serious financial problems since 1993. He sold his apartment in '93 to his partner Ahuva Tomer.

The banks wished to place a lien on his possessions because of his debts. They wanted to put a lien on his apartment in the city of Nesher, the very apartment that he sold to Ahuva Tomer.

During the proceedings it was revealed, by means of an affidavit that Rosen presented, that the sale of the apartment was done without a lawyer and without informing the tax authorities. Rosen and/or Tomer chose not to pay the "appreciation tax" on the deal. The tax was payed many years later after this flaw was revealed.

The tragic death of Tomer, Rosen's partner, places him in deep financial problems, since the couple decided to live a partnership life style that is not anchored in the law, separating their property and money, in order that it would not be confiscated by the banks.

Check out Halemo's scoop, along with the relevant legal documents at rotter.net.

Should Jonathan Pollard Be Released?

Certainly!

Bohemian Rhapsody, for Four Violins

Pollard's Exodus?

Could it be that we will merit to see Pollard free? First this happened:

A broad-based interfaith coalition comprised of more than 500 members of the clergy and community leaders sent a letter today to President Barack Obama, in which they called on the President to commute the sentence of Jonathan Pollard. (The letter with the complete list of signatories is attached; the text of the letter appears below.)

The signatories on the letter include prominent religious and communal leaders from a wide array of Christian and Jewish communities, including representatives of Alliance for Jewish Renewal, American Values, Amit, Association of Reform Zionists of America, B'nai B'rith International, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Christians United for Israel, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, EMUNAH of America, Florida Council of Churches, Hebrew Union College, Hillel, JCC's of North America, Jewish Women International, National Council of Young Israel, New York Board of Rabbis, ORT America, Inc., Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Council of America, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Union for Reform Judaism, Yeshiva University, and the Zionist Organization of America.

The need to free Pollard has finally entered the consensus as Jennifer Rubin points out:

Nyer is correct that the letter is noteworthy, in part, because of the diverse political affiliation of the signatories, ranging from conservative Morton Klein of the ZOA to such leftwing figures as Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, head of the Union of Reform Judaism. In the past, the intensity for Pollard's pardon has been primarily on the right, but this broad-based plea suggests this is no longer a rightwing issue. As the press release notes, some well known liberal individuals and groups have adopted the cause:

And now this:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made an unprecedented public appeal in the Knesset Tuesday night for freeing Jonathan, reading out loud a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, appealing to him to end Pollard’s life sentence in prison.

The ball is definitely in Obama's court. Will he harden his heart as the Pharaoh of old? Time will tell.

Moshe Feiglin: Katzav Not Guilty of Rape

It seems that a significant number of Israelis are not convinced that the conviction of former Israeli President Moshe Katzav is justified. In addition to the people I mentioned previously we have the leader of the Likud's Manhigut Yehudit faction Moshe Feiglin:

משה קצב אשם במה שאיש לא העז להאשימו, וזכאי לחלוטין מן העברות המרכזיות שבית המשפט הטיח בו. הטרדה ברמה כזו או אחרת – אולי, ואם זה נכון, זה חמור ומתועב מאוד מאוד, אבל אונס - ודאי שלא

A rough translation:

Moshe Katzav is guilty of what nobody dared accusing him of, and is totally innocent of the main crimes that the court convicted him of. Harassment on one level or another - perhaps, if it is true, is serious and is very,very abominable - but (of) rape, (he is) certainly not(guilty).

Who Thinks Katzav May Be Innocent?

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner:

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, one of Religious Zionism's leaders, said Thursday that the former President Moshe Katsav was innocent, and that the Tel Aviv District Court should not have convicted him of the sexual offenses detailed in the indictment.

The rabbi stated that the case files had previously been revealed to him and his conclusion was that the man in question was innocent. His statements were first published on the Kipa website.

Ben-Dror Yemini:

Moshe Katzav was the victim of a feminist-leftist media lynch and his trial may well have been a mistrial, according to popular columnist Ben-Dror Yemini of Maariv.

Atty. Yoram Sheftel:

Maverick Israeli lawyer Yoram Sheftel says that justice was not served in the Katzav case and that the judges were unable to stand up to media pressure. “There is no evidence to back up the accusations,” Sheftel told Arutz 7.

Cosmic X:

The verdict is in. He may be guilty and he may not be. I do not have faith in the Israeli Judicial System.

Bad Translation of the Day

Here it is:

"Freedom of speech has been stolen from wizened students by the police and the prosecution, because they believe it is deserved only by radical and post-Zionist academicians, who call on Arabs to refrain from renting to Jews in their neighborhoods," they said in a statement.

Who are these "wizened students"? Obviously the Hebrew original was "Talmidei Chachamim" which could be translated literally as "students of the wise" but really should be translated as "Torah scholars".

Einat Wilf's Sham and Shanty

Not too long ago I learned about a Jewish member of the Knesset, Einat Wilf, who is married to a gentile. As my aunt used to say, "Such a shonda!" I previously expressed my great dismay at the fact that someone like this serves in the Israeli Parliament here (Be sure to check out the post and the comments!).

Using the power of Google I uncovered an article by Einat Wilf written over five years ago: "Mitzvot of peoplehood". In it she outlines her plan to recreate the Jewish People in her image:

"But if Peoplehood is to become the Jewish Holy Grail of identity for our age, it must emerge as an effective source of meaning and guidance in our lives.

It must have content and depth. It must go beyond who we are, to become what we must do. It must say something about how to lead a good life in this world at this time.

We all need guidance and structure in our lives. It is our human need. But when traditional guidance is no longer relevant and old structures fail, we search for new ones. If we’re truly blessed, we not only find them, we create them.

So this is our great opportunity - to create new movements, institutions and ideas that will provide Jews around the world with structure and guidance suited for a global age.

It is our chance to harness the awesome power of science, technology, instant communications and cheap transportation to be one people, undivided, in a quest to fathom what it means to be human and moral in our time.

What are the mitzvot of Peoplehood? What should we do as members of the Jewish People when we wake up in the morning? What does it mean to be a good Jew in our time? Answer this question, and you square the circle of our generation."

She's a charmer, isn't she? One who is not steeped in Torah learning and observance could easily be swayed by such sweet talk. The slick rhetoric, so disconnected with God and Torah proves that she is a protégée of Shimon Peres.

After reading her article, it is not surprising at all that she ended up "marrying" a gentile! After all, she and her friends are the ones who are going to define what Jewish Peoplehood is, what is moral, what mitzvot must be performed etc. Maybe her "husband" Richard will also put in his two Deutsche Mark.

What is surprising is that I had already seen that article way back when. Not only that, I even left a comment:

"There is only one definition of Jewish Peoplehood - that which the Torah offers. Anything else is destined to find itself in the dustpan of history . "

I did not know back then how quickly Einat Wilf would find herself in the dustpan. The house that she has built is not a holy Jewish house of "kiddushin", but an impure edifice, a sham and shanty that is condemned to collapse. Lies, even backed up with academic degrees and spoken fluently in several languages, remain lies.

HH #298

This week's edition is by Jack.

Katzav Convicted of Rape and Molestation

The verdict is in. He may be guilty and he may not be. I do not have faith in the Israeli Judicial System:

A three-judge panel of the Tel Aviv District Court unanimously convicted this morning former President Moshe Katzav of all charges against him, except for that of harassing a witness. He was convicted on two counts of rape, one count of an indecent act, sexual harassment of three women, and an attempt to obstruct justice. It is not known when the sentence will be handed down.

The tensions had been high in anticipation of the reading of the ruling, but as soon as Court President George Kara began without declaring Katzav innocent, it was clear that he had been found guilty of at least one of the charges against him.

The judges declared that Katzav, a former Transportation Minister, should not have accused the media of "trying him publicly," because he himself "used the media to his advantage whenever he could."

The State Prosecution is now facing strong criticism for having offered a relatively moderate plea bargain offer to Katzav, while the women's groups have been empowered.

Public officials praised Israel's justice system. Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman said that the "commandment not to sway justice had been fulfilled," while Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch said that the ruling proves that all are equal before the law. The prosecutor in the case, Ronit Amiel, said that it shows the strength of Israel's democracy. A woman, known only by her first initial Aleph, accused Katzav over four years ago of attacking her more than once when she worked for him in the Transportation Ministry. Three other women also accused him of similar, though less serious, crimes. The charges by one accuser - another woman known as Aleph, who worked for Katzav in the President's office - were dropped over three years ago.

Katzav strongly denied the charges against him throughout the last four years. At one point, he even held an angry press conference, charging the media - and especially Channel Two - with waging a witch hunt against him.

The judges said that Katzav's testimony had been "replete with lies," and that he should have accepted the plea bargain that was offered him. He turned it down at the time, saying he would fight for his complete innocence.

Katzav's wife Gila was not in court. His son broke down in sobs when the ruling was read aloud, while Katzav himself remained stone-faced.

Let's assume for the sake of argument that Moshe Katzav is innocent. Katzav could have avoided this mess if he had kept the laws of yichud and negiah. With regards to negiah, apparently Moshe Katzav admits that he sometimes hugged female members of his staff. If he had acted in accordance to Jewish law with regards to these matters any attempt to slander him would have been immediately written off.

I know a God fearing doctor who will not perform bodily examinations on any of his patients unless a member of his staff is in the room with him. This is in order to avoid any claims of improper conduct on his part. Where I work, even the so-called secular Jews know that you don't hug or even shake hands with a religious member of the opposite sex.

I hope the case will lead to a strengthening of modesty in the workplace and in general.

Terrible Translation at Jpost.com

This is just too funny:



Who are these "female rabbis"? Are they graduates of the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College, the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary, or both? Here is what they wrote:

The letter states, "There are quite a few Arab workers who give themselves Hebrew names. Yusef turns into Yosef, Samir turns into Sami, and Awabad turns into Ami. They ask to be close to you, try to find favor with you, and give you all the attention in world, they are actually here knowing to act with courtesy, acting as if they really care for you, say a good word, but their behavior is only temporary. The moment you are in their hands, in their village, under their control, everything changes."

"Your life will never go back to the way it was, and the attention you so desired will turn into curses, beatings, and humiliations," the letter warns.

Say what? My gut feeling was that there is something is very wrong here. A quick check on the Arutz 7 web site determined that the letter was not composed by "female rabbis", but by the wives of regular Orthodox rabbis. Someone at jpost translated "rabbaniot" (in Yiddish "rebbetzins") as "female rabbis"! Among the signatories: Rebbetzin Esther Lior of Kiryat Arba (Rabbi Dov Lior's wife) and Rebbetzin Shlamit Melamed of Beit El(Rabbi Zalmen Melamed's wife).

This reminded me of an old Yiddish saying:"It's a lot easier to become a rebbetzin than to become a rabbi." However, at jpost it's the same thing!

80 ultra-Orthodox Jews Enlist Into IDF Intelligence

The times they are a changing:

Eighty hareidi-religious men joined the ranks of IDF intelligence this week, becoming the largest group to do so in the history of the “Bina B'Yarok” (Intelligence in Green) program to bring hareidim into the corps.

The new inductees represent a 25% increase in hareidi-religious presence in the Intelligence Corp.

They will begin work in a variety of positions, working with communications, computers, GIS systems, and in research. Most will work with computers or in communications.

Young men from a variety of streams within the hareidi-religious community enlisted with Bina B'Yarok. Some are from the chassidic Gur and Sanz groups, others are Sephardi, and still others are “Litvaks,” members of communities based in European Jewish traditions.

The recruits came from cities across the country, including hareidi-religious strongholds like Beitar Illit and Modiin Illit (Kiryat Sefer) where IDF enlistment is often discouraged.

So How did the IDF succeed in enlisting them?:

Commanding officer Major Yoram Dan explained that the Bina B'Yarok program is designed with the haredi soldiers' unique needs in mind. The soldiers serve exclusively with men, are provided with food that meets demanding kosher specifications, and are given time to pray each afternoon, he said.

“Our goal is to make more options available for hareidi recruits,” he added.

This is a simple solution that could have been implemented a long time ago: Create different frameworks within the army that do not contradict the Hareidi way of life i.e. do not force them to serve with women etc. BTW, I know that not all of the recruits are "Hareidi" in the "black hat" sense of the word. Some of them are youth from from the National Religious community that found the “Bina B'Yarok” program appealing.

Behatzlachah to the new recruits!

Translating Hebrew to Yeshivish

This poster, as well as various variations of it, were pasted up in Jerusalem's religious neighborhoods. On the right is the message in Hebrew and on the left is the translation into English Yeshivish(click on the pic for enlargement!):



I like the way they translated it:

Bat Yisrael = Bas Yisroel
Eshet Avrech = Kollel Youngerman "wife"
"al pi torah" and "Posek" are left in Hebrew letters as is
Peah = sheitel
Mitpachat = tichle

And so on.

BTW, I sympathize with the poster's message.

Jpix on the Banks of the Old Raritan

Go for it!

This Week's Edition of Haveil Havalim...

can be found here!

Former Attorney General Mukasey: Pardon Pollard

More voices for freeing Pollard:

Former US attorney-general Michael Mukasey sent a letter to US President Barack Obama calling for Jonathan Pollard's sentence to be commuted to the time he has already served - 25 years.

"[Pollard] has not been alleged by anyone to have had any motive to harm the United States," Mukasey wrote Obama in the letter that was released Wednesday. "In these circumstances, a life sentence can only be considered utterly disproportionate to the crime."

"I had occasion myself to consider life sentences, and indeed to impose them," Mukasey wrote. "In more than 18 years on the bench, I imposed such sentences on four defendants," he went on. "Two of these had committed double murders and the two others were convicted of terrorist acts. The accusations against Pollard are not even close in their severity to those kids of crimes."

Mukasey noted that Pollard had passed information to a friendly country without intention to harm the US. "I think it would be proper for you to use your power as the President if the United States to release the man who has already paid a price far beyond what the severity of his deeds required."

Netanyahu Decides to Ask Obama to Free Pollard

Let's hope this helps:

Israel will formally and publicly ask U.S. President Barack Obama to free Jonathan Pollard, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday.

The appeal will represent a major step to rescue Pollard from a life term in prison for passing to Israel classified documents when he worked for the Pentagon. The usual punishment for the offense is up to four years in jail.

Prime Minister Netanyahu acted after appeals by Pollard’s wife Esther and a string of events and reports the past few weeks that have weakened the American case for imposing a life sentence on Pollard. The Prime Minister’s office stated that the decision to appeal to President Obama “was made following a series of talks and contacts…in recent months with senior U.S. administration officials.”

One of those leading the free-Pollard movement is former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb, who revealed that he has spoken with President Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at least six times. He recently has said that Pollard was not dealt with fairly.

Israeli governments have said they have made quiet efforts to free Pollard, and Prime Minister Netanyahu warned them that his appeal to President Obama may not succeed, if not backfire. Esther Pollard, citing her husband’s deteriorating health, said that “this might be my last chance to beg you to change your tactics. There is a greater risk in doing nothing.”

American sentiment never has been strongly behind Pollard, who is widely regarded as a spy although he was not convicted of passing on classified information and not for spying on the United States. In contrast, in Israel and in many Zionist communities in the Diaspora, Pollard’s name is cited as a captive and his name is mentioned in prayers for the return of missing Israel soldiers.

During Prime Minister Netanyahu’s previous term in office, he recognized Pollard as an Israeli agent and granted him Israeli citizenship.

"I intend to continue acting with determination for Pollard's release, both because of the State of Israel's moral obligation to him and also so that he might live with his family and be restoredf to health after his prolonged incarceration,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Voices Against Assimilation

This is great to see:

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Bat Yam's Yoseftal Street on Monday evening. The demonstration, entitled "We Want a Jewish Bat Yam", was initiated by the city's residents and the Lehava organization. They were backed by activists from all over Israel who came out to protest what was termed "the Arab takeover of mixed cities."
Posters that accompanied the protest called to "keep Bat Yam Jewish," proclaimed "Jewish girls are for the Jewish people" and stated "Jews - let's win!". According to the posters, Arabs have been buying and renting apartments from Jews in Bat Yam, and taking Jewish girlfriends.

In recent years, thousands of Jewish girls have married Arab men who take them to their villages where they are then usually abused, activists claimed.

One demonstrator said that when Jews organized and acted, they recently succeeded in stopping a similar trend in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Ze'ev.

Read the rest and see the video...

With regards to this, I would like to emphasize something which I mentioned in my previous post:

In fact, a Jewish women that has sexual relations with a gentile is considered a zonah, and has disqualified herself from being able to marry a Cohen (Maimonides, Laws of Forbidden Relations, Ch. 18).

In addition, please read Rabbi Eliezer Melamed's article "A Courageous Rabbinate":

Question: Can we, the Jewish people, who lived in the Diaspora for generations and suffered from harsh discrimination, possibly agree with a position that discriminates the Arabs? How can rabbis have written not to rent apartments to Arabs? Is that how we would have wanted to be treated while living in the Diaspora? Aren't we commanded in the Torah: "When a proselyte comes to live in your land, do not hurt his feelings. The foreigner who becomes a proselyte must be exactly like one who is native born among you. You shall love him as [you love] yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am G-d your Lord" (Leviticus 19:33-34)?

Answer: There is no similarity between the situation of the Jews in the Diaspora and that of the Arabs living in Israel. First of all, for most of the time spent in the Diaspora, Jews insisted on living in the framework of independent, Jewish communities which were isolated from the non-Jews amongst whom they lived. Secondly, the Jews living in the Diaspora never threatened the nation amongst whom they lived. They never made territorial or political claims or supported the enemies of the country they lived in. On the contrary, they greatly appreciated their host country, prayed for its welfare and scrupulously obeyed its laws, according to the halacha of 'dina d'malchuta dina' (the law of the land is the binding law). Thirdly, the Jews never demanded that their host countries grant them funds for living, education, and health. If the Jews weren't doubly taxed, they praised and applauded their government for its great kindness, for indeed, many times the Jews had to pay twice as much in taxes. Fourthly, in every land in which they lived, the Jews made a tremendous contribution to the prosperity of their host country. They invested their energies and talents in the development of the economy, agriculture, science, and culture. They did all this because of an ethical approach to life which encourages one to work for the betterment of the world.

Read the rest!

Einat Wilf: The Plague of Intermarriage Hits the Knesset

Those of you that follow this blog know that the subject of intermarriage has been on my mind lately. Last Friday, during the fast of the Tenth of Tevet, I came across an article in BeSheva that made a sad day even sadder. It mentioned that MK Einat Wilf from the Labor party gave birth to her first son at the age of 40. I know what you are thinking: What's so sad about that? It is sad because the father is a gentile, German journalist Richard Gutjahr! A Jewish MK is "married" to a gentile! I put "married" in quotes because Jewish Law does not recognize such a marriage. In fact, a Jewish women that has sexual relations with a gentile is considered a zonah, and has disqualified herself from being able to marry a Cohen (Maimonides, Laws of Forbidden Relations, Ch. 18). This is sad indeed.

I did a bit of Googling and the story gets "better". This lady who married out "'worked as a Senior Fellow with the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute". What kind of policy were they planning over there? The "Final Solution"?

But wait, it gets "even better". She fancies herself as an expert on education. She even wrote a book, "Back to Basics: The Road to Saving Israel's Education (at no extra cost)." If she is really an expert she certainly knows that an educator, first and foremost, must set a good example. Marrying a gentile is not a good example, Ms. Wilf! And that is an understatement!

An additional note: Haddasah Magazine interviewed this lady. Could it be that they were not aware of her problematic personal life?. In any case here's a quote from the interview that tells us a lot about the Jewish lady who sleeps with a German:

Q. What is modern Zionism’s greatest challenge?

A. The cutting-edge issue is that Zionism has not realized the full extent of its revolutionary ideals. Zionism was about remaking Judaism for the modern age. It was not about subcontracting family law to a version of medieval Judaism. The fact that we took on the duties of a state while keeping in place the rabbinical structures that were developed for a communal life without a state was not the right path. I believe the Knesset is the new Sanhedrin of the Jewish people in Israel. As such, it has the right to remake Jewish law.

It is amazing that somebody with a doctorate can say such incredibly stupid things!

Haveil Havalim #296

Wow, we're closing in on 300! Here.

Ezra the Scribe: Valiant Warrior Against Intermarriage

On the Tenth of Tevet we fast, among other things, because of the death of one of our greatest leaders: Ezra the Scribe. Rabbi Berl Wein tells us about this great man:

The ninth day of Tevet is held to be the day of the death of Ezra the Scribe. This great Jew is comparable even to Moses in the eyes of the Talmud. "If the Torah had not been granted through Moses, it could have been granted to Israel through Ezra." Ezra led the return of the Jews to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile. It was under his direction and inspiration, together with the help of the court Jew, Nechemiah, that the Second Temple was built, albeit originally in a much more modest scale and style than the grandeur of Solomon's Temple.

Ezra also renewed the covenant of Moses between Israel and God, staunched the flow of intermarriage that afflicted the Jews returning to Jerusalem, strengthened public and private Sabbath observance, and created the necessary schools and intellectual tools for the furtherance of the knowledge and development of the Oral Law of Sinai within the Jewish people.

A man of incorruptible character, great compassion, deep vision and erudition and inspirational charisma, Ezra the Scribe is responsible for the survival of Judaism and the Jews till this very day. It is no wonder therefore that Jews marked the day of his death as a sad day on the Jewish calendar. Since fasting on the eighth, ninth and 10th days of Tevet consecutively would be unreasonable, the events of the eighth and ninth were subsumed into the fast day of the Tenth of Tevet.

Indeed, Ezra's successful war against intermarriage is described in the Bible:

1 Now while Ezra prayed, and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there was gathered together unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children; for the people wept very sore. {S} 2 And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra: 'We have broken faith with our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of the LORD, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for the matter belongeth unto thee, and we are with thee; be of good courage, and do it.' {P}

5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the faithlessness of them of the captivity. {S} 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8 and that whosoever came not within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of the captivity. {S} 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the broad place before the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. {P}

10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them: 'Ye have broken faith, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.' 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice: 'As thou hast said, so it is for us to do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two; for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14 Let now our princes of all the congregation stand, and let all them that are in our cities that have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God be turned from us, as touching this matter.' {P}

As we fast tomorrow, let's remember Ezra and his great deeds. In particular we should remember his uncompromising stand against intermarriage.

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner Explains Why Not To Sell Israeli Real Estate to Arabs

Rabbi Aviner writes:

Why did I add my humble signature to the Rabbinic petition against selling houses and apartments, lands and fields, to the Arabs?
The answer is so simple. The vision of the Jewish state. We have returned here after 2000 years of exile, in order to establish a Jewish state.
True, it is permissible for non-Jews to live there, and one has to treat the non-Jew who lives in the land with integrity and respect. Yet strengthening the foothold of the Arabs in the Land demonstrates a lack of national responsibility, for they are presently 25% of the entire population, and a large scale Jewish majority has to be preserved.
It is no secret that the Arabs want to annex our country for themselves and banish us from our Land, and they are doing this in every possible way: 1. By way of bloody wars which result in our country being full of widows and orphans and bereaved parents. 2. Unrelenting terror which likewise exacts from us a price in blood. 3. Recently, since the Carmel tragedy, a call has gone forth from the Arabs to commit a lot of arson in Israel, and indeed, there have been 15 attempts at arson since then. 4. Unrelenting land purchases by the Arabs throughout our country on a gigantic scale, in Yafo, Haifa, Acco, the Galil, and recently, an attempt to buy the Nof Tzion neighborhood in Jerusalem. In our world there are enormously wealthy Arabs who are ready to budget millions towards this end, and indeed, the Jews, lacking national responsibility, who are tempted by the money.

Read the rest!

Kalmen Libskind's Latest Blog Post

Kalmen Libskind writes about the Israeli MSM's coverage of the Carmel fire, and enlightens us:

1) Last week, dozens of acts of arson were committed in forests all over Israel, apparently by Israeli Arabs. These acts of arson were not reported by the Israeli MSM.

[Update: Arutz 7 also saw the blog:

Israel's police, fire brigades and press intentionally hushed up an Arab arson offensive that took place while fires raged on the Carmel last week, a reporter for Ma'ariv Hebrew daily claimes.

According to Kalman Libeskind, sources in the Police and within the Fire Commission said - in briefings that were not for attribution - that they decided not to spread the information about the arson "so as not to wake into action more potential terrorists." The press became "willing accompices" in this hush-up effort.

Libeskind lists the locations of about 25 arson attacks that the fire brigades fought in the course of last week]

2) Libskind is astounded (as I was) by the press' unfair treatment of Interior Minister Eli Yishai. He gives examples and attributes this to Yishai's uncompromising stance on the need to deport illegal immigrants.


3) Kalmen Libskind also mentioned that the Israeli MSM is also responsible for the disaster in the Carmel. (Do you think he reads this blog?)

4) Finally he makes a great point. There were those that glibly claimed that the money used to support Torah learning should have been used to buy fire engines. Kalmen mentions that the same thing can be said about the 70 million shekels budgeting to the various theaters in Israel.

A Book That Counters the Claims of "Torat HaMelech"

Srugim reports that Ariel Finkelstain (that's how his name is spelled in the book), a graduate of the hesder yeshiva in Netivot, has wrote a book that counters the claims of the book "Torat HaMelech". The name of Finkelstain's book is "Derech Ha'Melech (The Path of the King), Racism and Discrimination of Gentiles In Halachah, A Halachik and Meta-Halachik Alternative to the book Torat Ha'Melech'"

Finkelstain's book is graced with the approbation of Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan.

In my review of Torat HaMelech I wrote:

It is no secret that the book caused an uproar among the ignorant and among the learned as well. Personally, I could not care less what the ignoramuses have to say. They lack the tools to understand such a work. What's more, their desire to promote their warped version of reality often compromises any intellectual integrity they might have had. On the other hand, I am very interested in what the Rabbis have to say about the book. The gauntlet has been thrown down! Any Torah Scholar that does not agree with the book will have to pick up the gauntlet and show where the authors are mistaken, using Torah sources. Blanket condemnations that are not backed up with appropriate references to Rabbinic literature will not be accepted!

Congratulations to Ariel Finkelstain for picking up the gauntlet. The book can be downloaded at the web site of The"Ahavat Yisrael" "Hesder" Yeshiva in Netivot.

I hope to read and review it in the near future.

A Geulah Film

Yaak made this film. You have to appreciate the scholarship needed to create something like this!

HH #295 — And…It’s Tevet

That's he name of this week's edition of Haveil Havalim. Go for it!

In Defense of the Rabbis' Ruling

Hillel Fendel has wrote an interesting piece on the latest controversy. This excerpt is to get you started. Be sure to read the whole thing:

The Rabbis’ Letter forbidding Jews from selling homes in Israel to Arabs has become the latest controversy in Israel. It was placed on hold for a few days while the Carmel fire raged wildly around it, but is now comfortably back on the media’s “hot seat” – and the rabbis are indeed feeling the heat.

Some 300 rabbis have expressed support for the ruling, while several mainstream rabbis have come out prominently against it. What is a bystander to think?

Here’s one opinion: The question is not so much one of technical Jewish Law, but rather this: May Jews help Israel remain Jewish, or not?

It appears that the rabbis who signed on the ruling take very seriously accusations leveled at them in the past of “standing idly by,” “not being proactive,” and “ignoring dangers.” In fulfillment of the Mishnaic teaching, “Where there is no man, try to be a man,” they took bold and seemingly unpopular action to try to stem a tide that threatens to engulf all of us – reporters, modern rabbis, Jews in the Diaspora, and certainly the Jews of Tzfat, Lod, Ramle, the Galilee, Haifa, Arad, Tel Aviv, and all of Israel.

In a word, Israel faces a gerrymandering demographic threat, if you will. Instead of the slowly growing Arab minority to which we have essentially grown accustomed and which basically remains within specific areas, Arabs have now begun moving into specific Jewish areas, rendering many of the areas no longer Jewish.

Dov Shilansky z"l

Baruch Dayan HaEmet:

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said, "Dov Shilansky's death marks the end of a generation of politicians with integrity who do not zig-zag ideologically according to narrow interests and passing popular whims. He was a believer in the Greater Land of Israel who until his dying day did not forgive the Germans and their supporters. May his memory be blessed."

Zot Channuka

Seen in Jerusalem just a few hours ago:

Pics From the Har-Shefi Wedding

Mazal Tov!

Do Gafni and Yishai Read Cosmic X?

A couple of days ago, I took to task two of the journalists that were calling for Eli Yishai's resignation because of Israel's sub par firefighting ability. I mentioned that these journalists probably did not do anything to help solve the problem, even though it was well known for many years:

I imagine that journalists Verter and Fishman, who are supposed to knowledgeable about current events, know about the Ginosar Commission and its recommendations. How many articles did they write warning about the lack Israel's firefighting capabilities? Chances are that unlike Eli Yishai, they don't even have a "mound of paper" to hide behind!

It is interesting to note that MKs Moshe Gafin and Eli Yishai made the same point today:

Referring to the question he was asked during the fire disaster on why he worked on other issues like the children of foreign workers and yeshiva student stipends, he said: "I dealt with a variety of issues. A minister should never only engage in one issue that the media is interested in."

Knesset Member Moshe Gafni also referred to the media attention issue and said that several discussions were held on the fire services issue during his stint as chairman of the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee.

"Warnings of a national disaster were heard in these discussions," he said. "The media devoted about a line and a half to these discussions and warnings. Not one minute of air time was given to the matter on TV."

The Fire on the Carmel: The Rabbis Say...

When a tragedy of this scale occurs two different kinds of investigation take place: One to investigate the immediate cause (was the fire arson or the result of carelessness?) and the other to seek the deeper spiritual reasons for the blaze.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef attributes the disaster to Sabbath desecration:

Hagaon Chacham Ovadia Yosef Shlita said on Motzei Shabbos that the devastating Carmel fire was a result of insufficient Shmiras Shabbos in the area.

“Fires only happen in a place where Shabbos is desecrated,” he quoted from the Gemara in his weekly Shiur. “Homes were ruined,” he continued, “entire neighborhoods wiped out, and it is not arbitrary. It is all divine providence.”

“We must repent, keep Shabbos appropriately. When the People of Israel repent, God safeguards them with a wall of fire,” but not of the incinerating type, the Chacham added.

Rabbi Dov Lior writes that the fire was Divine punishment for giving away parts of the land of Israel to terrorists.

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu calls for soul searching on the individual and national level.

Rabbi Uri Sherki says that the fire was "yissurim shel ahava", and that it was in place of a potentially greater disaster.

One may wonder: If Rabbi Yosef is correct, then Rabbi Lior is wrong. Likewise, if Rabbi Lior's reasoning is correct, then Rabbi Yosef is mistaken! The same with all the other rabbis mentioned. The answer is that, "eilu ve'eilu dirvrei elokim chayim". They are all correct!

A related item: Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zini takes to task the rabbis that claimed that the current drought does not justify declaring a public fast (See echoes of that in the comment section of this post).

A Jewish Child on Xmas

One of the crazy results of being dispersed among the nations:

Something was suddenly very plain, and I didn't want to see it. To be a Jewish child singing Christmas carols was to feel...like a fool. A misfit. I was making a fool of myself in my own eyes. All this longing to belong... to partake of someone else's joy. No matter how radiant, glorious, magical, and enchanting ...no matter how deeply I was stirred by these baffling words on my own lips...something craven and pitiful was going on. Something had been hidden, or I was hiding from something. And the whole thing had spawned something like... contempt. For what?

Read more...

Is Eli Yishai Responsible For Israel's Weak Firefighting Ability?

Journalist Alex Fishman seems to think so:

Yet this failure has an address. This person disappeared from the public eye Thursday, and this was no coincidence. He is intimately familiar with the firefighting force's grim state. His name is Eli Yishai and he is the interior minister, who holds the ministerial responsibility for the failure. Had Yishai shown the same kind of care for Shas' schools and its yeshiva students, Rabbi Ovadia would have fired him a while ago.

Fellow journalist Yossi Verter apparently feels the same way (from his article "Interior Minister must take responsibility for Carmel fire"):

When it came to squeezing out NIS 110 million for yeshiva students, in defiance of High Court rulings, he invested many hours of feverish discussion in back rooms. On the other hand, when it comes to matters that do not make the blood rush through his veins, he is satisfied to issue warnings, write letters and save these documents for a rainy day.

When it came to the needs of Israel's fire and rescues service, he was hardly going to precipitate a government crisis - he issued no threats, nor did he race over to the home of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to pressure him into issuing a ruling of religious law.

Over the weekend, Yishai's spokesman drowned the media in impressive warning letters formulated by Yishai over the past year. The Prime Minister's Office replied with letters of its own. File clerks in government offices were kept very busy during the 18 months of the second Bibi government. But other than the drafting and filing of letters, very little got done. Yishai can run, but he can't hide between a mound of paper. On the contrary, the letters will merely complicate his situation when he faces a state commission of inquiry, which is sure to be established. For his part, Netanyahu is not guilty, but he is responsible.

However, this is quite unfair, considering the following from jpost:

In 1998, the Ginosar Commission recommended that the government establish a national firefighting authority. It took 10 years for the government to vote to establish such an authority – which it did in 2008; but over the next two years, labor disputes between firefighters’ representatives in the Histadrut Labor Federation and the Treasury deadlocked the process.

If Yossi Verter did not have an anti-Shas axe to grind, he would have found this article from The Marker (a publication that is affiliated with his newspaper, Ha'aretz) that was published only a couple of weeks ago:

Besides the state comptroller, there have been at least three public committees - in 1976, 1995 and 1998 - that addressed the state of the country's firefighting personnel, and all came to similar conclusions. The government hasn't been quick to respond, but in 2008 it decided to adopt the reform recommendations of the Ginosar Committee from 1998. Don't hold your breath, because that reform hasn't budged even an inch since them, and no one is expecting it to go anywhere, either, due to the objections of the firefighters' organization and the Histadrut labor federation over its terms.

That is to say, past governments, as well as the Treasury, the firefighters' organization and the Histadrut Labor Federation bear much of the blame.

Here is a list of Interior Ministers, their political affiliation, and the dates that they served in that function since the Ginosar Commission:

Eli Suissa, Shas, 18/6/1996 - 6/7/1999
Natan Sharansky, Yisrael BaAliyah, 6/7/1999 - 11/7/2000
Haim Ramon, One Israel, 11/7/2000 - 7/3/2001
Eli Yishai, Shas, 7/3/2001 - 23/5/2002
Ariel Sharon, Likud, 23/5/2002 - 3/6/2002
Eli Yishai, Shas, 3/6/2002 - 28/2/2003
Avraham Poraz, Shinui, 28/2/2003 - 4/12/2004
Ophir Pines-Paz, Labor Party, 10/1/2005 - 23/11/2005
Ariel Sharon, Kadima, 23/11/2005 - 4/5/06
Roni Bar-On, Kadima, 4/5/06 - 4/7/07
Meir Sheetrit, Kadima, 4/7/07 - 31/3/09
Eli Yishai Shas 32 31/3/09 - present

Is it fair to say that only Eli Yishai is to blame?

I imagine that journalists Verter and Fishman, who are supposed to knowledgeable about current events, know about the Ginosar Commission and its recommendations. How many articles did they write warning about the lack Israel's firefighting capabilities? Chances are that unlike Eli Yishai, they don't even have a "mound of paper" to hide behind!

Lots of Links and Lots of Latkes

Here!

Yesterday's Cellcom Tsunami: Some Geeky Details

I don't think that there was anyone in Israel who wasn't affected by this in one way or another:

It's a black Chanukah for Cellcom: an estimated three million clients of Israel's largest cellular phone company have been unable to send or receive calls and text messages since early Wednesday afternoon. The company said the problem was caused by a fault in the company's core program.

Cellcom Director Amos Shapira said in a press conference that the company is not ruling out the possibility that its software was intentionally sabotaged.

Speaking on Army Radio in the afternoon, Shapira said: “I will not go back [home] to light [Chanukah] candles until the problem is taken care of. I estimate it will happen in a matter of hours.”

"These are very complex systems, so fixing them takes many hours,” he explained. “This is the most serious malfunction the company has known since it was founded.”

He said dozens of engineers and programmers were hard at work fixing the malfunction but could not say for sure that the system would not be down for days.

Clients affected by the failure who attempt to dial out receive a message saying that their phone has no reception. People calling the affected clients receive messages saying the network is busy.

All the geeks in Israel were wondering what exactly happened. What computer system fell and how? Was it sabotage or espionage? I found an article (in Hebrew) that explains a little bit about Cellcom's tsunami. Read it geeks!

Happy Hanukkah or Chanukah or However You Spell It

Sorry, but I didn't write anything new in honor of the holiday. Click here for some old stuff!