Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Gilad Shalit - a Song and a Message for Him
I've been waiting for the video I wanted to post. I thought it would be with a lot of pictures and few words, but I was wrong.
This is sung by Arik Einstein and Guy Bocati - the pictures are there, but the words are better...Hebrew singing - English translation...
This is sung by Arik Einstein and Guy Bocati - the pictures are there, but the words are better...Hebrew singing - English translation...
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Stop the Release of Ahlam Tamimi
Dear friends,
Please pass this heartfelt request along urgently to your contacts. It's a request to sign a petition, online here:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html
Under normal circumstances, requests to sign a petition are unlikely to lead to any significant outcomes. In this case, we are hoping to do something important.
The petition asks for the removal of one specific name from the list of more than one thousand terrorists, including hundreds of convicted murderers, to be published by the government of Israel tomorrow, Sunday. That list is the basis of a transaction by which Israel will get back Gilad Shalit, held hostage by the terrorists of Hamas for more than five years. The deal involves Israel throwing open the gates of its top-security prisons and issuing wholesale pardons. My wife Frimet and I have expressed our principled objection to the deal. While others are busy trying to stop it in the courts, we are focusing our energies on one specific person, and getting her off the list.
Her name is Tamimi. An article in today's New York Times [ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/world/middleeast/israel-prisoner-swap-touches-old-wounds.html ] provides some background:
Among those is Ahlam Tamimi, a 31-year-old woman who was a key figure in the pizzeria attack. She is often described as the driver of the car that brought the suicide bomber to the Sbarro restaurant and killed 15 people. But the Roths say her role went far beyond that, to the actual planning of the attack. In interviews from prison, Ms. Tamimi, who was a journalist, has told of having brought the suicide bomber to Jerusalem and then going on Palestinian television’s afternoon broadcast to announce the news of the attack without acknowledging her involvement. “I’m not sorry for what I did,” she told an Israeli news organization in 2006. “I will get out of prison, and I refuse to recognize Israel’s existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land.”
The Roths said their anger over the prisoner exchange was focused on Ms. Tamimi, who is being sent to Jordan. She is young, fervent and charismatic, Mr. Roth said, and proud of what she did. In a documentary on Palestinian prisoners, she was asked whether she knew how many children had been killed in the attack. She did not. When told the number was eight, she smiled.
There is a fuller background about the circumstances in which our daughter was murdered on the Keren Malki website: http://www.kerenmalki.org/Sbarro_Massacre.htm
And there are many articles on the web tonight showing her family and supporters celebrating her impending return to freedom and to a full and active life as a heroine and inspiration.
Even if you do not normally sign petitions, or pass them along to friends, we ask you to seriously consider signing this one. Once again, it's online here:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html
Time is very limited. We really only have until Sunday (16th October) to get a significant number of signatures. If we succeed, we can then put pressure on the Prime Minister's Office and the Justice Ministry and publicize this in the media.
Finally, allow me to mention that Keren Malki, the not-for-profit we created in our daughter's memory in 2001, does very important work in our murdered daughter's name for the benefit of families raising a special-needs child. Your support for that work will be much appreciated. More at www.kerenmalki.org
Thank you for reading this far. Together with our friends and their friends, we hope - despite the odds - to do something constructive in the face of the terrible transaction being done with the terrorists of Hamas.
Arnold Roth
Please pass this heartfelt request along urgently to your contacts. It's a request to sign a petition, online here:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html
Under normal circumstances, requests to sign a petition are unlikely to lead to any significant outcomes. In this case, we are hoping to do something important.
The petition asks for the removal of one specific name from the list of more than one thousand terrorists, including hundreds of convicted murderers, to be published by the government of Israel tomorrow, Sunday. That list is the basis of a transaction by which Israel will get back Gilad Shalit, held hostage by the terrorists of Hamas for more than five years. The deal involves Israel throwing open the gates of its top-security prisons and issuing wholesale pardons. My wife Frimet and I have expressed our principled objection to the deal. While others are busy trying to stop it in the courts, we are focusing our energies on one specific person, and getting her off the list.
Her name is Tamimi. An article in today's New York Times [ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/world/middleeast/israel-prisoner-swap-touches-old-wounds.html ] provides some background:
Among those is Ahlam Tamimi, a 31-year-old woman who was a key figure in the pizzeria attack. She is often described as the driver of the car that brought the suicide bomber to the Sbarro restaurant and killed 15 people. But the Roths say her role went far beyond that, to the actual planning of the attack. In interviews from prison, Ms. Tamimi, who was a journalist, has told of having brought the suicide bomber to Jerusalem and then going on Palestinian television’s afternoon broadcast to announce the news of the attack without acknowledging her involvement. “I’m not sorry for what I did,” she told an Israeli news organization in 2006. “I will get out of prison, and I refuse to recognize Israel’s existence. Discussions will only take place after Israel recognizes that this is Islamic land.”
The Roths said their anger over the prisoner exchange was focused on Ms. Tamimi, who is being sent to Jordan. She is young, fervent and charismatic, Mr. Roth said, and proud of what she did. In a documentary on Palestinian prisoners, she was asked whether she knew how many children had been killed in the attack. She did not. When told the number was eight, she smiled.
There is a fuller background about the circumstances in which our daughter was murdered on the Keren Malki website: http://www.kerenmalki.org/Sbarro_Massacre.htm
And there are many articles on the web tonight showing her family and supporters celebrating her impending return to freedom and to a full and active life as a heroine and inspiration.
Even if you do not normally sign petitions, or pass them along to friends, we ask you to seriously consider signing this one. Once again, it's online here:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-ahlam-tamimi-from-the-list-of-terrorists-to-be-f.html
Time is very limited. We really only have until Sunday (16th October) to get a significant number of signatures. If we succeed, we can then put pressure on the Prime Minister's Office and the Justice Ministry and publicize this in the media.
Finally, allow me to mention that Keren Malki, the not-for-profit we created in our daughter's memory in 2001, does very important work in our murdered daughter's name for the benefit of families raising a special-needs child. Your support for that work will be much appreciated. More at www.kerenmalki.org
Thank you for reading this far. Together with our friends and their friends, we hope - despite the odds - to do something constructive in the face of the terrible transaction being done with the terrorists of Hamas.
Arnold Roth
Friday, August 5, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
This is Not Israel - Syria Again
This is an incredible video - a blogger is videotaping what is happening near where he is - you can hear gunfire. He moves the camera, almost frantically searching for the source of the gunfire. And then he finds the shooter - a soldier of the Syrian army. He focuses, just in time to see the soldier take aim at him...and kill him. This is Syria.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Why Israel MUST Stop the Flotilla
For once - so smart - for all to understand.
Spoken in Arabic with Hebrew and English subtitles. You can't get more clear than this message from the IDF to those on the flotilla and around the world!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Jerusalem Day - United, Undivided, Ours...
The real transcript of the capture of the Old City, 1967
The Old City - the Western Wall - is in our hands, forever
The Old City - the Western Wall - is in our hands, forever
Friday, May 27, 2011
Gilad...in Video...
This video was taken in September, 2009 - almost a year and a half ago. It is hard to believe we are coming up on the FIFTH anniversary of his captivity...hard to believe the world has allowed this to go on for so long.
This is an injustice. This is an outrage. This is not something that Israel can fix because Israel did nothing wrong. Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel, attacked and murdered Israeli soldiers and kidnapped Gilad Shalit. Israel has offered ridiculous amounts of security prisoners and still Hamas demands their murderers freed... all of a boy of 19...20...21...22...23...and soon 24 years of age. They have stolen his youth, his freedom. Don't let them steal his life.
This is an injustice. This is an outrage. This is not something that Israel can fix because Israel did nothing wrong. Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel, attacked and murdered Israeli soldiers and kidnapped Gilad Shalit. Israel has offered ridiculous amounts of security prisoners and still Hamas demands their murderers freed... all of a boy of 19...20...21...22...23...and soon 24 years of age. They have stolen his youth, his freedom. Don't let them steal his life.
Israel's pre-1967 Borders - what would it really mean for Israel
Pictures certainly say it better than words...
Billboard for Gilad Shalit
A campaign is starting to purchase advertising space near the United Nations. A simple but clear message - FREE GILAD SHALIT!
I got this note on one of my blogs and decided to share it here as well - if you can help, please do:
I am trying to raise money to fund a billboard in NY City near the UN building saying "Free Gilad Shalit." Please help me get the word by telling people about my effort and posting this link to my campaign (where donations can be made):
http://epicstep.com/campaign/231/free-gilad-shalit/
I spoke with the Shalit family's campaign manager and they are supportive of this effort. My name is Gal Sitty. Search for my billboard effort at "Free Gilad Shalit Billboard" for more info, if you want to verify this.
I got this note on one of my blogs and decided to share it here as well - if you can help, please do:
I am trying to raise money to fund a billboard in NY City near the UN building saying "Free Gilad Shalit." Please help me get the word by telling people about my effort and posting this link to my campaign (where donations can be made):
http://epicstep.com/campaign/231/free-gilad-shalit/
I spoke with the Shalit family's campaign manager and they are supportive of this effort. My name is Gal Sitty. Search for my billboard effort at "Free Gilad Shalit Billboard" for more info, if you want to verify this.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Timeline of the Mavi Marmara and Flotilla
Takes 20 minutes - best 20 minutes you could spend to understand how planned this was...how they wanted violence...and we did not:
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Is a cemetery sacred ground?
If it is, do you think it should be used as a place from which to launch rockets at civilians?
(Video of terrorists preparing a rocket launcher and then covering it up...in the middle of a cemetery.)
If it isn't, I assume the world will not complain when we blow it up...
(Video of terrorists preparing a rocket launcher and then covering it up...in the middle of a cemetery.)
If it isn't, I assume the world will not complain when we blow it up...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
A Beautiful Video of Israel
A beautiful video of our love for Israel - amazing photos - not the many colors of the berets on the soldiers - so many units, one love. Israel
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
To the Far Reaches
Have you ever been to Mt. Hermon? I've seen it from the distance but only climbed (drove) up once. It's amazingly far from most areas of Israel - far to the north, in the north of the Golan Heights and it towers above the rest of Israel.
Security-wise, it is a vital element of Israel's defense. Atop Mt. Hermon, it is very cold, freezing...much of the year. An amazing organization, Yashar Lachayal (www.yasharlachayal.org) delivered Purim gifts (shlach manot) to the combat soldiers stationed there. They say a picture speaks a thousand words - this one does!
Security-wise, it is a vital element of Israel's defense. Atop Mt. Hermon, it is very cold, freezing...much of the year. An amazing organization, Yashar Lachayal (www.yasharlachayal.org) delivered Purim gifts (shlach manot) to the combat soldiers stationed there. They say a picture speaks a thousand words - this one does!
And the amazing part is that all donations - every shekel or dollar donated, goes directly to the soldiers to buy them warm clothes, treats like the ones you see above, even basketball courts to give them exercise and fun during their off hours. They focus on combat soldiers, needy soldiers (buying them ovens, refrigerators, whatever they need) and on lone soldiers (visiting them, helping them, sending them special gifts).
What these soldiers give to Israel cannot be measured. What Yashar Lachayal gives to the soldiers is a measure of comfort and thanks for their hard work. And what the soldiers give back to Yashar Lachayal and all those who donate to this worthy cause - can be seen in the smiles, the many letters thanking them for their tireless work. You can learn more about Yashar Lachayal and their amazing work on their website and you can follow them on Facebook!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
News Flash...
News flash:
Unbelievable news - did you hear?
A family in Laredo, Texas was massacred in their sleep, and then a bomb hit bus #74 outside the D.C. convention center injuring dozens and killing at least one. And on the same day, dozens of rockets and missiles continued falling in Fairfax, Virginia.
Do I have your attention?
Is this completely insane and far fetched?
Then why is it allowed to be commonplace in Israel??????
(thanks to Arnie for this important reality check)
Unbelievable news - did you hear?
A family in Laredo, Texas was massacred in their sleep, and then a bomb hit bus #74 outside the D.C. convention center injuring dozens and killing at least one. And on the same day, dozens of rockets and missiles continued falling in Fairfax, Virginia.
Do I have your attention?
Is this completely insane and far fetched?
Then why is it allowed to be commonplace in Israel??????
(thanks to Arnie for this important reality check)
Dear Palestinian Civilian
I want to tell you, from the other side of the divide in which we live, that I care. I care about you, your children, your wife or your husband. I care about your parents, your grandparents. I care about your future and that of your children and grandchildren and generations to come.
I care because I am a human being, a mother of beautiful sons and daughters that I love beyond measure. I care because I know that locked into the future of your family, is the future of mine. I am not stupid. I am not racist. I am not filled with hatred and a desire for revenge. I live on a hilltop that never knew a house before mine was built here. No Arab homes were destroyed to build my beautiful neighborhood; no Arabs suffered its loss. It was a barren, empty hilltop, owned by us thousands of years ago, then the Romans, then the Turks. The Jordanians got it from the British; and we liberated it back to our control in 1967, when the Jordanians refused our request to stay out of the war.
We fight with our brothers, they told Israel in 1967, and they did. They fought, and lost this piece of land, where no one lived, no village, nothing. People came to live here in the mid-1970s and have been building ever since. There are almost 45,000 people who live around me here on these hilltops surrounded by light and desert.
I love my house, with its large windows and the sun streaming in early in the morning. In the far distance, I can just barely see the Dead Sea; closer, so much closer, is the beginnings of the enchanting city of Jerusalem just a few kilometers away. But as much as I love my home and my city, if someone were firing rockets from a nearby house, I would run. I would grab my children and run as fast as I could. This isn't about rights; this is about life.
I cherish my husband and my children above all that I have, all that I am. I would run to the very corners of this country (but no, not beyond those corners). A bit over 2 years ago, the unthinkable happened. My son was serving in the army, as all young Israeli men do, and he was ordered to the border with Gaza.
Over a hundred rockets had been fired at Israel in a single month. The situation was intolerable. He was ordered to fire artillery into Gaza - at pinpoint targets where rockets were being fired at us; where mosques and hospitals were being used to shelter weapons and explosives.
Now again, just two years later, as he predicted when Israel stopped the Cast Lead war, your people are again firing on our cities. This morning - Beersheva; last night Ashdod and Ashkelon. It is impossible. It is intolerable. Even Israel, even Israel cannot withstand this barrage.
Yesterday, rockets were fired and our tank division immediately returned fire at the source of the incoming attack. These mortars and rockets you fire at us are incredibly portable. If we don't respond in seconds, like animals, your fighters will tunnel underground. We fired and hit the launchers, but 12 civilians were apparently also hit. And so I ask - not why you fired on us. I know the answer to that - it is the same culture that allows you to slit the throat of a 3-month old baby and stab a 3-year-old in the heart. It is the culture of the suicide bomber who carefully places himself between families hoping to maximize the dead. No, I know why you fire on us.
I know why we fire back too. We are trying to stop you, to protect our babies, our families. We cannot stand the cruel murder of another Hadass. Our hearts broke and continue to break. No, even Israel cannot allow this. So, I understand why we fired back at the rocket launchers yesterday.
What I cannot for the life of me understand is why your civilians are near the rocket launchers. So dear Palestinian civilians - we will do our best to avoid hitting your homes, unless you allow them to be used as rocket launchers. We will do our best to avoid hitting your mosques, unless you hide explosives there. We will do our best, but the wind and the earth, the inconsistencies of war, make it impossible that we can be accurate 100% of the time.
No, I won't point out the obvious, that your goal is to target our children while our aim is to avoid yours. I won't quote Golda Meir and her now-famous comment that this endless war will end when you love your children more than you hate us. I won't speak of your incredible hatred or your culture of martyrdom and death.
I will ask only one thing. It is logical. It is reality. If you live near a place being used as a rocket launcher, please run away. Please move. There is no other option. We cannot allow you to launch rockets at Beersheva. Don't you realize 185,000 people live there? Ashdod, Ashkelon. No, this is not possible. Sderot has suffered enough. So, Palestinian civilian, if you are truly innocent in this, truly a civilian who loves your family - go the very corners of your neighborhood. Move away from the rockets because they will be stopped.
My oldest son took part in a war to stop the rockets two years ago. We had a partial success. You continued to fire, but at least it wasn't every day and certainly not a hundred in a month...until now. But now, once again, your people are attacking in numbers we cannot ignore and should not be expected to endure. Even one rocket is wrong and it is not right that we let you get away with even that. But yesterday and today, this morning and now. That we have to close the schools of an entire city to keep our children safe is not acceptable. At midnight in Ashkelon; at 5:30 a.m. in Beersheva. No, not acceptable.
So all that leaves is an endless cycle of your attacking and our responding. We will do our best but you have a responsibility too. During the Second Lebanon War, which began after Hezbollah crossed into Israel and kidnapped two of our soldiers, our ambassador to the United Nations said something so simple and yet so profound. I offer you his words, please take them to heart.
"Sometimes," Dan Gillermann said, "sometimes when you sleep with a missile, you don't wake up."
I want you to wake up in the morning and see the beauty of the sun, as I do now, as it shines through the thick clouds over this mountain where I live. I want you to live because ultimately, your future is tied to mine and those of my children. But whether you live or die, whether your family is safe or not, depends as much on you and the decisions your duly-elected government makes, as it does on mine.
It is the nature of a government, at least ours, to protect its people. If you want to wake up to the sun tomorrow, make sure you are not near those rocket launchers today.
I care because I am a human being, a mother of beautiful sons and daughters that I love beyond measure. I care because I know that locked into the future of your family, is the future of mine. I am not stupid. I am not racist. I am not filled with hatred and a desire for revenge. I live on a hilltop that never knew a house before mine was built here. No Arab homes were destroyed to build my beautiful neighborhood; no Arabs suffered its loss. It was a barren, empty hilltop, owned by us thousands of years ago, then the Romans, then the Turks. The Jordanians got it from the British; and we liberated it back to our control in 1967, when the Jordanians refused our request to stay out of the war.
We fight with our brothers, they told Israel in 1967, and they did. They fought, and lost this piece of land, where no one lived, no village, nothing. People came to live here in the mid-1970s and have been building ever since. There are almost 45,000 people who live around me here on these hilltops surrounded by light and desert.
I love my house, with its large windows and the sun streaming in early in the morning. In the far distance, I can just barely see the Dead Sea; closer, so much closer, is the beginnings of the enchanting city of Jerusalem just a few kilometers away. But as much as I love my home and my city, if someone were firing rockets from a nearby house, I would run. I would grab my children and run as fast as I could. This isn't about rights; this is about life.
I cherish my husband and my children above all that I have, all that I am. I would run to the very corners of this country (but no, not beyond those corners). A bit over 2 years ago, the unthinkable happened. My son was serving in the army, as all young Israeli men do, and he was ordered to the border with Gaza.
Over a hundred rockets had been fired at Israel in a single month. The situation was intolerable. He was ordered to fire artillery into Gaza - at pinpoint targets where rockets were being fired at us; where mosques and hospitals were being used to shelter weapons and explosives.
Now again, just two years later, as he predicted when Israel stopped the Cast Lead war, your people are again firing on our cities. This morning - Beersheva; last night Ashdod and Ashkelon. It is impossible. It is intolerable. Even Israel, even Israel cannot withstand this barrage.
Yesterday, rockets were fired and our tank division immediately returned fire at the source of the incoming attack. These mortars and rockets you fire at us are incredibly portable. If we don't respond in seconds, like animals, your fighters will tunnel underground. We fired and hit the launchers, but 12 civilians were apparently also hit. And so I ask - not why you fired on us. I know the answer to that - it is the same culture that allows you to slit the throat of a 3-month old baby and stab a 3-year-old in the heart. It is the culture of the suicide bomber who carefully places himself between families hoping to maximize the dead. No, I know why you fire on us.
I know why we fire back too. We are trying to stop you, to protect our babies, our families. We cannot stand the cruel murder of another Hadass. Our hearts broke and continue to break. No, even Israel cannot allow this. So, I understand why we fired back at the rocket launchers yesterday.
What I cannot for the life of me understand is why your civilians are near the rocket launchers. So dear Palestinian civilians - we will do our best to avoid hitting your homes, unless you allow them to be used as rocket launchers. We will do our best to avoid hitting your mosques, unless you hide explosives there. We will do our best, but the wind and the earth, the inconsistencies of war, make it impossible that we can be accurate 100% of the time.
No, I won't point out the obvious, that your goal is to target our children while our aim is to avoid yours. I won't quote Golda Meir and her now-famous comment that this endless war will end when you love your children more than you hate us. I won't speak of your incredible hatred or your culture of martyrdom and death.
I will ask only one thing. It is logical. It is reality. If you live near a place being used as a rocket launcher, please run away. Please move. There is no other option. We cannot allow you to launch rockets at Beersheva. Don't you realize 185,000 people live there? Ashdod, Ashkelon. No, this is not possible. Sderot has suffered enough. So, Palestinian civilian, if you are truly innocent in this, truly a civilian who loves your family - go the very corners of your neighborhood. Move away from the rockets because they will be stopped.
My oldest son took part in a war to stop the rockets two years ago. We had a partial success. You continued to fire, but at least it wasn't every day and certainly not a hundred in a month...until now. But now, once again, your people are attacking in numbers we cannot ignore and should not be expected to endure. Even one rocket is wrong and it is not right that we let you get away with even that. But yesterday and today, this morning and now. That we have to close the schools of an entire city to keep our children safe is not acceptable. At midnight in Ashkelon; at 5:30 a.m. in Beersheva. No, not acceptable.
So all that leaves is an endless cycle of your attacking and our responding. We will do our best but you have a responsibility too. During the Second Lebanon War, which began after Hezbollah crossed into Israel and kidnapped two of our soldiers, our ambassador to the United Nations said something so simple and yet so profound. I offer you his words, please take them to heart.
"Sometimes," Dan Gillermann said, "sometimes when you sleep with a missile, you don't wake up."
I want you to wake up in the morning and see the beauty of the sun, as I do now, as it shines through the thick clouds over this mountain where I live. I want you to live because ultimately, your future is tied to mine and those of my children. But whether you live or die, whether your family is safe or not, depends as much on you and the decisions your duly-elected government makes, as it does on mine.
It is the nature of a government, at least ours, to protect its people. If you want to wake up to the sun tomorrow, make sure you are not near those rocket launchers today.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A Letter to Obama from Aliza
This is a letter written by a young woman. I don't know her - and yet I do. She is 20 years old, she lives in America. She is Jewish. She shares a first name with my youngest daughter - and more, she shares a collective memory, something that binds her to us, and us to her. She lives far from the tragedies of the Fogel family. This message shows that through the distances of miles and time, this horrible terrorist attack should touch us all.
A Letter to President Obama from a Young American Jewish Woman
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to you about the unspeakable and horrific acts of terror that took place in the settlement of Itamar in Shomron on the West Bank of Jersualem on Friday night, March 11, 2011. Udi, 36, his wife Ruth, 35, and their children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and Hadas, 3 months, were all stabbed to death in their homes. I am sure you are well aware of the attacks and the terrifying details of that sadistic massacre. I am writing to ask you what America, our brave and beautiful country, plans to do about it.
I am a Jewish American, born and raised in the United States. I love my country with all my heart and am a very patriotic citizen. However, I love Israel with all my heart as well, as the Jewish people are my brothers and sisters. This innocent family was murdered in their own homes, slit by the throat and in the heart, some while asleep and some while awake, witnessing their own extermination. This is the type of horror that one cannot even bear to imagine. Three children, who G-d chose to carry on their family’s legacy, survive them. The type of horror these young children now live with is also something one cannot even bear to imagine. Although bombs and chemicals are atrocious, the personal nature of this attack makes it indescribable and abominable.
I have been in Israel twice in my life, on a vacation and a ten-month deferment when I studied abroad two years ago. I have seen the landscape of the country and seen the heartbeat of this illustrious and indestructible nation. I have lived in America my entire life. I have seen the greatness and strength of this country, and the unyielding power we hold in the world. It is time for America to step up and take a stand. It is time for the media to condemn these actions. It is time for the world to take note and pay attention to the fear and terror that is occurring in homes and cities far away from theirs. It is time to start publicizing heinous crimes and report the truth. When will enough be enough?
To stand and watch is to align yourself with terror.
To quote Martin Niemöller’s famous poem:
First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for me—and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.
I am speaking out now in the hopes that my voice can be heard. I stand behind my people, as I hope my President does for his.
Sincerely,
Aliza Falick, 20
A Letter to President Obama from a Young American Jewish Woman
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to you about the unspeakable and horrific acts of terror that took place in the settlement of Itamar in Shomron on the West Bank of Jersualem on Friday night, March 11, 2011. Udi, 36, his wife Ruth, 35, and their children Yoav, 11, Elad, 4, and Hadas, 3 months, were all stabbed to death in their homes. I am sure you are well aware of the attacks and the terrifying details of that sadistic massacre. I am writing to ask you what America, our brave and beautiful country, plans to do about it.
I am a Jewish American, born and raised in the United States. I love my country with all my heart and am a very patriotic citizen. However, I love Israel with all my heart as well, as the Jewish people are my brothers and sisters. This innocent family was murdered in their own homes, slit by the throat and in the heart, some while asleep and some while awake, witnessing their own extermination. This is the type of horror that one cannot even bear to imagine. Three children, who G-d chose to carry on their family’s legacy, survive them. The type of horror these young children now live with is also something one cannot even bear to imagine. Although bombs and chemicals are atrocious, the personal nature of this attack makes it indescribable and abominable.
I have been in Israel twice in my life, on a vacation and a ten-month deferment when I studied abroad two years ago. I have seen the landscape of the country and seen the heartbeat of this illustrious and indestructible nation. I have lived in America my entire life. I have seen the greatness and strength of this country, and the unyielding power we hold in the world. It is time for America to step up and take a stand. It is time for the media to condemn these actions. It is time for the world to take note and pay attention to the fear and terror that is occurring in homes and cities far away from theirs. It is time to start publicizing heinous crimes and report the truth. When will enough be enough?
To stand and watch is to align yourself with terror.
To quote Martin Niemöller’s famous poem:
First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for me—and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.
I am speaking out now in the hopes that my voice can be heard. I stand behind my people, as I hope my President does for his.
Sincerely,
Aliza Falick, 20
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Video of Truth - I am Israel
All the words that need to be said - are in the video - please watch and send a link to your friends!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
This is NOT Israel - about Egypt
I rarely do this, but could not resist posting this email I got from a friend.
The Egyptian media organization Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that about 1000 people entered the museum, but most looting was confined to the gift shop. Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told TIME
"I'm glad that those people were idiots...They looted the museum shop. Thank God they thought that the museum shop was the museum."
This may or may not be Egypt - it certainly isn't Israel.
The Egyptian media organization Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that about 1000 people entered the museum, but most looting was confined to the gift shop. Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told TIME
"I'm glad that those people were idiots...They looted the museum shop. Thank God they thought that the museum shop was the museum."
This may or may not be Egypt - it certainly isn't Israel.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Remembering the Moment We Went to Haiti
A year ago, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti and the world looked in horror at the catastrophic results. We now know that in an absurdly short period of time, perhaps even in those first few minutes, Israel begin to mobilize its crew. The planes were loaded within 8 hours; a 15 hour flight, and another 8 hours until the field hospital was set up; the rescue workers ready to go save lives.
This is the last photo taken - moments before the team left Israel. They left in sunshine and landed in a hell beyond their worst nightmares. They made us so proud then; they make us so proud now.
This is the last photo taken - moments before the team left Israel. They left in sunshine and landed in a hell beyond their worst nightmares. They made us so proud then; they make us so proud now.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Murder of 77,000 Iranians?
Between the Saudi arrest of a vulture, the Egyptian accusation against the sharks, one has to wonder what other insanity could possibly plague the Arab world? And now we know.
According to Israel National News, the Iranians are blaming Mordechai and Esther, the heroes of Purim for murdering 77,000 Iranians. Now, according to my book (it's called a megillah and comes in a scroll, but I've got the book version), I don't recall any 77,000 and I sure don't remember seeing the word "Iran."
And there's that little issue of self-defense.
And there's that little plot of destruction by Haman in which he promised to kill all the Jews.
But, if you can crown a vulture as a spy and say a shark attack is a Zionist plot, I guess you can blame people who have been dead and gone hundreds of years...for murder.
It fits, in some sick and demented way. My only question now is which Arab country will vote to condemn Israel for the "massacre" and how many votes it will pass by.
According to Israel National News, the Iranians are blaming Mordechai and Esther, the heroes of Purim for murdering 77,000 Iranians. Now, according to my book (it's called a megillah and comes in a scroll, but I've got the book version), I don't recall any 77,000 and I sure don't remember seeing the word "Iran."
And there's that little issue of self-defense.
And there's that little plot of destruction by Haman in which he promised to kill all the Jews.
But, if you can crown a vulture as a spy and say a shark attack is a Zionist plot, I guess you can blame people who have been dead and gone hundreds of years...for murder.
It fits, in some sick and demented way. My only question now is which Arab country will vote to condemn Israel for the "massacre" and how many votes it will pass by.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Wisdom from an almost 11-year-old
My daughter should have been sleeping, but she came out of her room a short time ago and I showed her the picture of Israel's latest "spy" and told her of the Saudi conclusion that a vulture they captured was actually a Zionist spy.
"I don't think he's a spy. How can he be a spy if he can't even talk? It's a bird! I'll find a bird and say it's a spy?"
There you have it - my almost 11-year-old is smarter than the entire Saudi Arabian police and security forces!
"I don't think he's a spy. How can he be a spy if he can't even talk? It's a bird! I'll find a bird and say it's a spy?"
There you have it - my almost 11-year-old is smarter than the entire Saudi Arabian police and security forces!
The Shark, the Jellyfish, and the Vulture
I'm sure that these three animals have little in common and weaving them into a coherent story would be hard, but leave it to the Arab world to succeed where no one else could.
It all began with the sharks that plagued Sharm-el-Sheik. Four times they attacked bathers in the waters and while it apparently didn't occur to the Egyptians to close the beaches, they did want to rush to offer blame. And, who else could it be but the Zionists? Mossad? "What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark in the sea to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question. But it needs time to confirm," Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shousha.
According to Mustafa Ismail, an Egyptian diving instructor, in an interview which aired on Egyptian TV in December 2010, Israelis are not only responsible for somehow redirecting sharks toward Egypt, but also for the migration of jellyfish - Zionist jellyfish, perhaps even Mossad jellyfish!
And now, if that isn't bizarre enough - the Saudis have confirmed the plot and even arrested a suspect - the vulture. That's right. A vulture tagged by Israeli scientists flew to Saudi Arabia, which, considering you can see it from Eilat, isn't really that far away. The vulture was caught red handed...or maybe red tagged with the evidence.
You can't pull anything over those Saudis...there's a tag from Tel Aviv University showing the bird is part of a science study on migration. It is, after all, a natural jump to assume the bird was spying, right?
Honestly, I just can't figure out how they thought this one up!
It all began with the sharks that plagued Sharm-el-Sheik. Four times they attacked bathers in the waters and while it apparently didn't occur to the Egyptians to close the beaches, they did want to rush to offer blame. And, who else could it be but the Zionists? Mossad? "What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark in the sea to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question. But it needs time to confirm," Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shousha.
According to Mustafa Ismail, an Egyptian diving instructor, in an interview which aired on Egyptian TV in December 2010, Israelis are not only responsible for somehow redirecting sharks toward Egypt, but also for the migration of jellyfish - Zionist jellyfish, perhaps even Mossad jellyfish!
And now, if that isn't bizarre enough - the Saudis have confirmed the plot and even arrested a suspect - the vulture. That's right. A vulture tagged by Israeli scientists flew to Saudi Arabia, which, considering you can see it from Eilat, isn't really that far away. The vulture was caught red handed...or maybe red tagged with the evidence.
You can't pull anything over those Saudis...there's a tag from Tel Aviv University showing the bird is part of a science study on migration. It is, after all, a natural jump to assume the bird was spying, right?
Honestly, I just can't figure out how they thought this one up!
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