Feb 2010

No.
133
God or State?
Egypt Takes on Hamas
Upper Room Controversy
E.U. donations undermine ISRAEL

2.25
February 2010
www.israeltoday.co.il
printed in Israel
POLITICS 4 God or State? Shalom Haverim,

In the last decade, Israel has gone through a lot. It began with the landmark Camp David Summit in 2000 with Ehud Barak, Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat. When that failed, the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) erupted in a wave of terror that lasted for years. To put a stop to it, Israel invaded Judea and Samaria in 2002 in Operation Defensive Shield. The Second Lebanon War took place in 2006 followed by the Gaza War in 2009. During that same period, four Israelis won the Nobel Prize, while two main actors left the Middle East stage: Ariel Sharon and Arafat. Three Maccabiah Games, the Jewish Olympics, were held. We saw the Annapolis summit, Israels 60th anniversary, four Knesset elections, the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, and 10,000 rockets fired at southern Israel from Gaza. Despite all these hardships, Israel has never given up. During this decade, the population grew from 6.3 million to 7.5 million. Longing for the coming of the Messiah, hope for peace and the remembrance of Gods mighty acts on behalf of His covenant people enable Israel to persevere. It must have been overwhelming for the children of Israel in biblical times to experience the wonders of God, which we can only read about, first hand. But isnt the remembrance of itsustained from generation to generation and engrafted into the collective consciousnessas valuable? Isnt the memory of Gods revelation at Mt. Sinai, if it is received in faith, equivalent to the actual experience? The word of God lives in our national memory, reaching more hearts from generation to generation. We do not forget that He does not forget us. Praise be to God who has guided us through this last decade. We thank our readers around the world for their support over the past 10 years and look forward to bringing you the news about Israel in the decade to come!
Aviel Schneider and the isra eltoday editorial staff Dear Friends,
6 7 8 9
Bedouin Women in Modern Israeli Society EU Donations Undermine Israel Another False Alarm on Shalit
ARaB PRESS
Egyptian Clerics, Press Blast Hamas
PaLESTINIaNS
10 Egypt Finally Seals Gaza Border

FOCUS ON JERUSaLEM PEOPLE
11 Israel, Vatican Spar over Upper Room 12 Supermodel Is Model Ambassador

PROFILE
13 Anne Franks Hidden Heroine

WORD FROM JERUSaLEM THE LaND DEBaTE
14 Pressing on to the Greater Calling 16 RETROSPECTIVE: The Last 10 Years in Israel 18 Who Caused the Palestinians to Flee?
PROpHECY
11
19 The Future Role of Israel

CHRISTIANS
22
20 O Little Town of Bethlehem

MESSIaNIC JEwS
COVER EUROS FOR PALESTINE: The EU manipulates with money
21 Are All Jewish Believers Jews for Jesus?

ARCHaEOLOGY CULTURE
23 Nazareth Home from Jesus Time 24 Kosher Comics

BEHIND THE SCENES
24 23
25 Hummus War
ECONOMY IN BRIEf
28 Israeli Company Builds Mega-Mall in Eastern Europe 30 Israeli Cooking Adds Flavor to Thai Food 31 Farewell to the Captain of Exodus
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POLITICS
Basing Peace Talks on the Bible
delegation of rabbis brought a novel peace proposal to James Cunningham (see photo), the US ambassador to Israel. From now on, they told him, negotiations with the Palestinians should be based on the Bible. You must switch the entire approach to the situation, said Rabbi Joseph Gerlitzky, chairman of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace (RCP) which represents 350 rabbis in Israel. We all believe in the Holy Bible and up until now we tried every formula except for that which is delineated in the Bible. Lets try it! Indeed, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fuad Twal admitted in his Christmas message that mans efforts have failed. Our dreams for a reconciled Holy Land seem to be utopia, said Twal, a Jordanian. Despite the praiseworthy efforts of politicians and men of good will to find a solution to the ongoing conflict, all of us, Palestinians and Israelis, have all failed in achieving peace. The reality contradicts our dreams. Every time that peace
seemed to be near, Israelis and Palestinians were disappointed. Peace only moved farther away like a mirage in the desert. From the Palestinian side, popular Muslim opinion is that peace is only possible according to the Koran. But since America is a country founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic, the rabbis sought to persuade the US to adopt a biblical line. We did not settle in Hebron because we had nowhere else to go, said Dov Lior, the rabbi of Kiryat Arba-Hebron. Hebron is the city of our forefathers and the core of our nations bond with Eretz Israel [the Land of Israel]. God gave the US the power and influence to affect the rest of the world and supporting Israel is the key to Americas success. The same can be heard among Messianic Jews, who believe that Israels legitimate claim to the Land is based on the word of God. The rabbis noted that the Oslo Accords of 1993, which were hailed by the international community, brought nothing but suffering and sorrow on the Jewish people. The past 17 years have proven without a shadow of a doubt that every square inch ceded by Israel to the Palestinians was transformed into a platform of hatred and terrorism, said Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Lewin. The land-forpeace formula in the Israel-Palestinian context, besides being a formula that goes against the divine will, is ineffective, obsolete, and an exercise in futility. Most of all it is a dangerous policy that only leads to bloodshed and instability. Its all a play of words, there is no peace process, added Rabbi Shalom Gold. Why should our enemies want to make peace with us when they see that with terrorism they get what they want? Even the US, supposedly Israels best friend, sides with them in demanding a freeze and evacuation of settle-
ments. Is the triumph of Arab terror one of Americas interests? Ambassador Cunningham defended his countrys policies. I definitely understand your pain and concern for the Jewish nation in Israel and their security, he told the delegation. However, I can assure you that whatever President Obama and Secretary [George] Mitchell are doing, it is with good intentions for the benefit and good of Israel and the Jewish people. Then he asked the rabbis, So what is your solution to the problem? Rabbi Moshe Havlin explained that the solution lies in the very first verse of the Bible: In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. He said the Jewish response to those who accuse Israel of stealing the Land from the Arabs is that God created heaven and earth and does whatever He desires, and His desire was and is that Eretz Israel be given to the Jewish people as an everlasting inheritance. It is no coincidence that the words In God we trust are engraved on the American currency, he said. And adhering to the words of God is the only way to attain a true and just peace. Y
By Aviel S chneider
PEACE PARTNER? Western-backed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (left) burns products made in Jewish settlements
POLITICS
God or State?
Who should the people of Israel obey, God or the state? This question has become the focal point of a heated national debate.
B y Av i e l S c h n e i d e r
obey the orders of the army. Among Orthodox Jews, 64 percent obey the rabbis and Jewish Law first, and the state second.
abbi Eliezer Melamed (see photo), head of the yeshiva (seminary) at the Jewish settlement of Har Bracha in Samaria, set off a storm with the following comment: Relinquishing the Land of Israel is forbidden by God, and therefore I am telling soldiers to disobey any order to evacuate Jewish settlements. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israels most decorated soldier and a former army chief, was outraged. Barak, who heads the dovish Labor Party and who is spearheading the governments freeze on settlement construction, summoned Rabbi Melamed to his office for an explanation. But the rabbi refused to show up, throwing more fuel on the fire. Barak responded by banning Har Bracha from the Hesder program, in which religious soldiers combine military service with Torah study. Hesder has been very successful, producing some of Israels best and most motivated soldiers.
The Source of Disobedience: God or the Conscience?
What Is a Hesder Yeshiva?

There are 52 Hesder yeshivas in Israel, a five-year program of Torah study including 16 months of military service. This arrangement (hesder in Hebrew) between the Religious Zionist Movement and the State of Israel dates back to the 1950s. The yeshivas are financed by the state and are the pride of the national-religious (dati leumi) population in Israel, which seeks to carry out the biblical command to settle all the Land of Israel promised by God to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 4 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
The controversy touched a raw nerve because the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is the peoples army and the consensus is that it should be left outside of the political debate. Many secular Jews were furious, demanding a separation between synagogue and state. Ladies and gentlemen, the party is over, wrote popular commentator Alex Fishman in Israels biggest newspaper Yediot Ahronot. You cannot have everything: study Torah, serve less than half of the mandatory army service, and still enjoy all the benefits of soldiers who served the full three years. You receive the same prestige and national patriotic recognition from the people, in addition to taxpayer money for your yeshivas, but all you do is spit in our faces. According to a Yediot survey, 49 percent of Israelis supported Baraks decision to ban Har Bracha from the Hesder program. In their view, Israels rabbis must instruct their students to
It is a difficult choice for Orthodox Jews when it comes to choosing between God and the state, Messianic Jewish journalist Tsvi Sadan told isra eltoday. The settlement movement does not want to separate the Orthodox population from the state because they are loyal both to the state and to God. But as soon as their duties to the state and the Torah clash, these Jews find themselves in a dilemma. Sadan points out that the religious Jews are not the only ones facing a dilemma: While the Orthodox are pressured by the laws of the Torah, liberal, secular Jews struggle with their conscience. At the same time, there is unbalanced media coverage; the Orthodox dilemma is lambasted by the left-wing Israeli media, while the stories of conscientious objectors fail to make headlines. In January 2002, 51 Israeli soldiers signed the Combatants Letter, refusing to serve in occupied territories. Since then, 650 left-wing Israelis have refused to serve in the army due to their conscience, including 27 combat pilots in 2003. Yet there was no hullabaloo in the Israeli media. So, why is the refusal to obey orders out of a God-fearing conscience more sensational than the refusal from a secular conscience? Probably because it challenges the sacred democratic value of the separation between religion and state. But for religious Zionists who believe that the State of Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, it is impossible to separate the two. So when the Israeli government makes Gaza to decisions that are contrary to sent was Karov MIRACLE COUPLE: Hesder student Aharon year A ed. wound ly critical the Bible, such as the Gaza was and Tsvia d marrie he 12 hours after us youth like pullout in 2005 when 21 Jewlater, doctors describe his recovery as a miracle. Religio
him are among Israels finest soldiers.
A Raw Nerve
POLITICS
ish communities were destroyed, the religious population is pushed into a spiritual conflict. We should have screamed louder: Listen to God! said Rabbi Ynon Ilaniof the Chen Midbar (Grace in the Desert) Yeshiva in the Negev town of Arad.We cannot bestow total authority on a government that does not consider the Torah. We must listen to the Almighty alone. When Moses asked for a clear decision from the people to return to God(Exodus 32), it is reminiscent of the current situation. Israels rabbis ask the politicians to make clear decisions according to Gods will. Messianic congregation leader Meno Kalischer pointed to Romans 13 and the requirement to obey the governing authorities. This applies even to the evacuation of Jewish settlements in Eretz Israel [the Land of Israel], he said. However, if government actions diametrically oppose Gods commandments, like the murder of war prisoners, the prohibition of prayer or the denial of your own faith, soldiers are allowed to disobey orders. But they must be prepared to accept the legal punishment, like in Daniel 3 and 6. So every Israeli, national-religious, left-liberal or Messianic has his own reasons to refuse an army order. Kalischer says there will only be a united Israel when all the people recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah.
God Is Israels Secret Weapon

The truth will be revealed, said religious commentator Tsvi Ben Gedalyahu. The state fears that Israeli society trusts more in God than in the army. God is Israels secret weapon, and Israel will lose His blessing if it forgets who bestowed the miraculous victory of the Six Day War in 1967. The arrogance of the secular war heroes caused the surprise attack of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when Israel was unprepared and paid a heavy price. More than three decades later the tension between God and the state is still being played out in the Israeli army. The IDF is led by secular generals who fear a mutiny among religious soldiers, especially in the event of an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Judea and Samaria under a peace agreement with the Palestinians. The army has become the battleground in a conflict between ancient biblical laws and the modern Jewish state.
The Settlers and the Maccabees

Despite the tension between religion and state, the settlers are held in high esteem by the Israeli public. According to a Ynet poll, 51 percent of the secular population compare the settlers to the Maccabees, the heroes of Hanukkah. The same comparison
was drawn by 69 percent of religious and 58 percent of traditional Jews. The Maccabees were rivals of the Seleucid Empire under King Antiochus, who founded the royal and priestly caste of the Hasmoneans (165-63 BC). The settlers are widely seen as the heirs of these Jewish freedom fighters who overthrew pagan rule and rededicated the Temple to the God of Israel. While much of secular Israel has grown weary, soft and materialistic, the settlers still have the ideological, pioneering spirit of Zionism. The settler rabbis say God gave the Promised Land to the Jewish people as an inheritance, and therefore no Israeli government has the right to hand it over to the Gentiles. For the Orthodox, the secular governments that have ceded land to the Palestinians are like the Hellenistic Jews in the time of the Maccabees who assimilated to foreign rule and forgot about God. This points to a widening rift between religious and secular Israelis, akin to the gap between the Maccabees and the Hellenistic Jews. Jewish believers in Yeshua find themselves somewhere in between. We are obligated to follow the laws of the state and not fight against them, says Messianic Jewish historian Gershon Nerel. We cannot take the law into our own hands. We do what we can and God will handle the rest. Y
HE TRAINS MY HANDS FOR WAR, AND MY FINGERS FOR BATTLE (Psalm 144:1) Faith and army service go hand-in-hand, but sometimes they can clash
POLITICS
Bedouin Women in Modern Israeli Society
BREAKING MORS Traditional Arab women find a place in the modern Jewish state
resident Shimon Peres welcomed 20 Bedouin women from the Negev desert to his official residence in Jerusalem. From a conservative, nomadic and once-primitive Muslim society, these women have come a long way in the Jewish State of Israel. You are brave Bedouin women, Peres said. The message that you pass along will bring hope to many hearts in Israel. The women told Peres their life stories and about their achievements
in medicine, education, business, social work and family. Among them was Israels first Bedouin nurse who works in the Oncology Department of Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. Others included a businesswoman who sells Bedouin cosmetics, one in management at a university, the director of an art gallery, the founder of a library, and a dietician. Everything you told me makes me very happy, Peres said. You are making an important contribution to Israeli society.
The life of Bedouin women is not easy. They are torn between a modern, progressive and westernized Jewish society and the traditional Bedouin world where women play a subservient role to men and working outside of the home is frowned upon. About 250,000 Bedouins live in Israel, mostly on the southern edge of the Judean desert and in the Negev. These Arab nomads stayed in Israel during the War of Independence and afterward received Israeli citizenship. Even though polygamy is prohibited in Israel, it is still common among Bedouins to have many wives. To get around the law, the additional wives do not have legal status. There are more than 6,000 unmarried Bedouin women registered with the Ministry of Interior who are mothers at the same time. The annual birthrate among the Bedouin is 5.5 percent and the population doubles every 13 years. Unlike other Israeli Arabs (excluding the Druze), the Bedouin serve in the army. Many have taken military careers serving as trackers. Y
By Aviel S chneider
Rabbis, Settlers Make Amends at Palestinian Village
hen a mosque in the Palestinian village of Yassuf in Samaria was torched by militant Jewish settlers, the people of Israel felt remorse. This was how the Holocaust began, the tragedy of the Jewish people in Europe said Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who visited the mosque a few days after the arson. I came to express my disgust with this horrible deed. Rabbis from the Jewish settlement movement, regarded as archenemies by the Palestinian population, also came to seek reconciliation. The army did not allow them into the village for security reasons, so they met with Palestinian community leaders at the nearby Tapuach Junction. Light covers the darkness and love overcomes hate, said Rabbi Menachem Fruman of the settlement of Tekoa, where the biblical Prophet Amos once lived (Amos 1:1). We must not forget that this land belongs to God, the Almighty alone. Rabbis and other settlers gave out new copies of the Koran because many of the Muslim holy books were destroyed in the fire. We want to create a new relationship with the Palestinians, said Rabbi Fruman. People like us can resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians because it is a re6 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
LOVE OVERCOMES HATE: The torching of a mosque provides a rare opportunity for reconciliation
ligious and not a territorial dispute. The ones who torched the mosque are sinners against God and the Bible. They should be expelled from the Land. The Palestinian villagers were moved by the visit of the settlers. I was surprised that they came to apologize for something they did not do, a resident named Iyad told isra eltoday. If the tables were turned, I cannot imagine Muslim clerics and sheiks would go to the Jews and apologize. But honestly, now I know that we can live in peace. Y
By Aviel S chneider
COVER STORY
E.U. Donations Undermine Israel

sraels right-wing government has confronted the European Union, demanding that it provide a secret list of donations to left-wing and pro-Palestinian Israeli organizations. These donations total a whopping 50 million Euros ($72 million) a year. The EU is interfering in internal Israeli affairs, a senior official in the Foreign Ministry told isra eltoday. The EU is undermining Israeli policy. Donations to political organizations require transparency, in Israel as well as in Europe. Several countries, including the Netherlands, agreed to Israels demand and provided the lists of Israeli organizations receiving donations. But the most influential countries, including Britain, France and Germany refused. Why does the EU donate secretly? asked the official. There are many humanitarian organizations financed by Europe and it does not bother us. But there is a serious problem when Europe-
OPPONENTS OF PEACE: Peace Now, a recipient of EU funds, put out this poster equating Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (left) with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
an money supports organizations with a hostile agenda to the State of Israel. Among the Israeli organizations the official named as receiving EU money are: Peace Now, an extreme left-wing group which monitors Israeli settlement construction and reports to the international community; the pro-Palestinian human rights group Btselem; Machsom Watch, which monitors Israeli checkpoints; Breaking the Silence, which publishes testimonies of Israeli soldiers about alleged army atrocities, usually without any evidence; the Geneva Initiative, which supports an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders and dismantling all settlements; IrAmim, which criticizes Israeli policy in disputed East Jerusalem; and Adallah, which monitors discrimination against the Israeli Arab population. These groups have a lot of influence abroad, especially Peace Now which can be credited with playing a key role in the settlement freeze imposed on Israel by the US. These are political organizations which have a negative impact on the State of Israel, the official said. No country would allow such interference in its internal affairs. This has to stop. The EU did not deny the Israeli charges and explained that European donations are meant to counterbalance the large sums of American money which flow into right-wing organizations. But these secret donations cannot be compared to the private donations from the US. The American money does not come from the US government, while the European donations come directly from the EU Treasury. Many Israelis are outraged by this EU support since the recipient groups are not part of the mainstream, are on the extreme left, have a pro-Palestinian agenda, promote boycotts of the settlements and give the Jewish state a
BUYING INFLUENCE: The EU is funding Israeli groups with an anti-Israel agenda
bad name abroad. These organizations also play a role in the international allegations of war crimes and attempts by British and Spanish courts to arrest senior Israeli officers and politicians and bring them to trial. Many of these organizations stand behind the human rights allegations against Israel, both in the Israeli Supreme Court and in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, says Gerald Steinberg who heads the NGO Monitor, a non-governmental organization whose stated aim is to stop other NGOs from promoting ideologically motivated anti-Israel agendas. They are tarnishing Israels image abroad, Steinberg told isra eltoday. There is no justification for this attempt to manipulate Israeli society by giving large amounts to a narrow group of organizations. The European Union is using secretive and undemocratic methods to influence public opinion. Y
By Aviel S chneider
www.israeltoday.co.il | February 2010 | 7
POLITICS
AHMAD SAADAT is the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a radical PLO faction. He was convicted by Israel of masterminding the assassination of Israeli Cabinet Minister Rechavam Zeevi in 2001. Israeli forces seized Saadat from a Palestinian jail in Jericho in 2006.
TERRORIST BLACKMAIL These four arch-terrorists are among the 1,000 Palestinian prisoners Hamas is demanding in exchange for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
ABBAS AL SAYED of Hamas is the mastermind of the notorious Passover Massacre in Netanya in 2002, in which 30 people were killed. He was also behind another suicide attack at a Netanya mall in which five Israelis died. He was sentenced ABDALLAH BARGHOUTI of Hamas to 35 life terms in prison. is blamed for the deaths of 67 Israe-
lis. He masterminded four suicide bombings, targeting a bus in Tel Aviv, Caf Moment and Sbarro in Jerusalem, and a club in Rishon LeZion. He is serving 67 life terms.
MARWAN BARGHOUTI of Fatah was the leader of the Second Palestinian Uprising. He planned attacks on Tel Avivs seafood market, a wedding hall in Hadera, Jerusalems pedestrian mall and the roadside ambush of a well-known settler couple. Barghouti is serving five life terms.
Another False Alarm on Shalit
fter a month of almost hysterical rumors in the Arab and Israeli media that the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was imminent, hopes were dashed once again. Under the emerging deal, Israel would release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, who was captured by Hamas gunmen more than three years ago in a cross-border raid and is being held in the Gaza Strip. The sticking point is dozens of hardcore terrorists responsible for deadly attacks, whom Israel is reluctant to release. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is caught between a rock and a hard place. Releasing terrorists would harm Israeli security and deterrence, but he is under pressure from Shalits family which has launched a very public campaign for his release. We are waiting for decisions, and we think its about time to decide and conclude this issue, said the soldiers father Noam Shalit. But fearing that releasing Hamas military leaders to their homes could 8 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
spark a new intifada (uprising) and a wave of terror from Judea and Samaria (the so-called West Bank), Netanyahu attached a tough new condition. According to state-run Israel Television, Israel is demanding the deportation of 125 terrorists with blood on their hands to Gaza or abroad. This is a reasonable, sensible demand by Israel, says Israeli counter-terrorism expert Yossi Melman. [After all], we are going to release terrorists who have been involved in horrific acts of murder and violence and terrorism. But it was clear from the outset that Hamas would reject the demand. I dont think that Hamas would change its spots, would compromise, Melman said. And why should it. The negotiations have dragged on for years and every time Hamas rejects a proposal, Israel comes back with a better offer. Israel seems desperate to end the affair; Hamas is biding its time. And this time as well, Hamas said no. Israel is stubborn and is zigzagging, said Hamas leader Khaled
Mashaal. But in the end, Israel will have no choice but to give in to our demands and release all the prisoners on the list. Israel has made lopsided prisoner swaps in the past, setting a precedent with the notorious Jibril Agreement in 1985, in which 1,150 Arab terrorists were traded for three Israeli soldiers. Two years later, the intifada (Palestinian uprising) erupted. Israeli analyst Dan Schueftan says this government should not repeat the same mistake. I dont think anybody will accept responsibility for the hundreds of Israelis that will be killed, either directly by the people we will release, or by the kind of confidence building that the terrorists will have all over the Middle East, not only in Hamas but throughout the area, he said. All the radicals will be encouraged and terrorism will surge. But many other Israelis say it is part of the national ethos to bring the captive soldier home at any price. Y
By Shl omo Mordechai
ARaB PRESS
Egyptian Clerics, Press Blast Hamas
he killing of an Egyptian solder by a Hamas sniper during a Palestinian protest over the underground wall being constructed on the Gaza border (see page 10) brought furious reaction from Muslim preachers during Friday prayers across Egypt. The London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that the verbal assault on Hamas took place in thousands of mosques. An imam at the Ibad el-Rahman Mosque in Cairo asked the sniper, What will you tell your god now? The preacher at Cairos Al-Rahma Mosque said Hamas is to blame for the crippling blockade on Gaza: Its leaders want to stay in power, even at the cost of their own peoples expulsion and starvation. He called the Egyptian soldier
a shahid (martyr) and said the sniper who killed him would be sent to hell if he does not repent. The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram published an editorial titled, Killing Egyptians wont liberate Palestine. Did anyone ever imagine that Egyptian blood would be spilled by a Palestinian? the editorial said. A Hamas sniper mustered all of his false courage, pointed his weapon and killed his Egyptian, Arab and Muslim brother. Does this make any sense? An editorial in the Egyptian daily Al Watan said, Just as Egypts fighter squadrons taught Libyas leaders a lesson in 1977 by bombing them, the gang in Gaza [Hamas] demands the same treatment.
arab Political cartoons
SAW OF DAMOCLES over Dome of the Rock
Jews Source of All Evil

Taysir al-Tamimi, the Chief Justice of the Palestinian Islamic Court, said the Jews are the source of all evil. The Koran says clearly that the Jews have no wisdom or understanding and only break contracts, the sheikh told government-run Voice of Palestine Radio. Throughout history, Jews have lied, faked and defamed to cover up their aggression. The Jews steal land, desecrate holy places, destroy homes and kill mothers and children.
STAMPED out Akbar al-Khalij (Bahrain)
Abbas Makes Terrorists National Heroes

he government-run Palestinian media was full of praise for three Fatah terrorists gunned down by Israeli commandos in a lightning raid, just two days after they killed a 45-year-old Jewish settler and father of seven in a roadside ambush. They were labeled as martyrs by Palestinian leaders, in clear violation of the Roadmap peace plan which prohibits incitement. Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent his personal emissary to visit the bereaved families in the town of Nablus, according to Palestinian Television: The envoy conveyed condolence letters from the President to the fighters families and informed them of his decision to declare them shahids [martyrs] of the Palestinian revolution. Another Palestinian leader visited the families in person, according to
the official Wafa news agency: Prime Minister Salam Fayyad visited the city of Nablusand presented condolences to the families of the three martyrs who were murdered by the occupation forces. Abbas also honored the memory of the notorious female terrorist Dalal Mughrabi by symbolically celebrating her 50th birthday. Mughrabi led the worst terror attack in Israels history in 1978, when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and killed 37 civilians. Palestinian officials attended the gala ceremony and were entertained by a childrens marching band. The text on the giant banner carrying Mughrabis portrait read: Under the auspices of President Mahmoud Abbas[we celebrate] the birth of the bride of the cosmos, the shahida (martyr) Dalal Mughrabi.
AMERICAN SHIELD The US provides cover for Israeli atrocities
ON YOUR MARK Israel shoots the peace dove at the starting line
C ompiled by Shl omo Mordec hai
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P A LESTI N I A N S
Egypt Finally Seals Gaza Border
ARAB vs. ARAB: Egyptian troops face off with Palestinian protesters on the Gaza border
A year after the Gaza War, the noose tightens around Hamas
This terrible wall will not force the Palestinian people to retreat or surrender! shouted Hamas official Mushir alMasri in a fiery speech. That incited the crowd which began throwing stones at Egyptian soldiers across the border. Shots rang out from both sides, and an Egyptian soldier in a watchtower was shot dead by a Hamas sniper. Now Hamas was really in hot water. Isolated by Israel and the West, the last thing the terror group needed was a confrontation with its powerful neighbor, Egypt, the traditional leader of the Arab world. Hamas quickly sought damage control, expressing regret over the killing of the soldier. We are carrying out an investigation ...[which] aims to arrive at the truth and to put measures in place that ensure Palestinian-Egyptian relations are protected, said Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. But Egypt was furious (see page 9). For the one-thousandth time we say to the Gaza Gang [Hamas], which claims to be heroic while its members are sleeping in palaces in Damascus and eating whatever they wish while their people are hungry, and who are wearing fur while their people are shivering from cold, that the day of judgment has arrived, wrote Muhammad Ibrahim, editor of the Egyptian daily AlGomhuria. Never in history has a gang succeeded in imposing its will on a state [Egypt]. The Egyptian wall and Israels new Iron Dome rocket defense system (see page 22) are putting a double-squeeze on Hamas a year after the group was routed in the Gaza War. And there are signs of discontent on the streets. When Hamas sounded air raid sirens and called for two minutes of silence to mark the first anniversary of the war, the public at large was indifferent. Traffic zoomed by and people kept walking down the streets, ignoring the sirens and the commemoration. Y By Shl omo Mordechai
TARGETING THE TUNNELS: Egypt is building an underground wall to curb Hamas weapons smuggling
he rumble of heavy equipment on the Egyptian side of the border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip signaled that a major change was afoot. A massive drill squiggled through the sandy soil creating deep holes, a crane lowered steel beams into the ground and a powerful jackhammer pounded them into place. Egyptian troops in armored personnel carriers mounted with machine guns guarded the worksite as armed Hamas guards looked on and shouted occasional insults. After years of turning a blind eye to Palestinian smuggling through a network of tunnels under the border, Egypt suddenly reversed course. The construction of an underground steel wall could slice through hundreds of tunnels along the nine-mile (14-kilometer) frontier, cutting off a lifeline to Hamas and tightening Israels already crippling blockade. Before Israels three-week invasion of Gaza a year ago, there were about 3,000 tunnels used to smuggle weapons, gasoline, food and other goods, bypassing the Israeli blockade. Though most of the tunnels were destroyed in Israeli air strikes, nearly 400 are still operational and provide a lifeline to impoverished Gaza. But since the Gaza War, Egypt has been under mounting pressure from Israel and the US to cut off weapons smuggling to Hamas. And Egypt has interests of its own: It fears that the Islamic militancy in Gaza could spread across the border and destabilize the country. The pro-Western Egyptian government already faces a threat from the radical Muslim Brotherhood, and the two-way flow of weapons and terrorists from Gaza could threaten the lucrative tourist industry in the Red Sea resorts of the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt also had a bone to pick with Hamas, which has rebuffed Cairos efforts to bring reconciliation with the Fatah faction in the West Bank led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Fearing that its only conduit to the outside world was being cut off, a move that could destabilize the Islamist regime, Hamas reacted furiously, organizing a protest on the Egyptian border.
FOCUS On JERUSaLEM
LAST SUPPER: And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there (Luke 22:12)
Israel, Vatican Spar over Upper Room
THE JEWS AND JESUS: Israel sees one of Christianitys holiest sites as its own
hough Israel and the Vatican have come a long way toward reconciliation after centuries of troubled relations, there is a new focal point of contention: the Upper Room, the site where Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated the Last Supper, in Jerusalems Old City. A delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon paid a visit to the Vatican to tell Church officials what they did not want to hear: The Upper Room is part and parcel of Jerusalem, and nobody can expect us to split sovereignty or possession, Ayalon said. The Upper Room was constructed by the Crusaders in the 12th century, and in 1340 it passed into the custody of the Franciscans, a Catholic order that is responsible for many of the Christian holy places in the Land of Israel. The Muslim Ottoman Turks seized control of the site, also known as the Cenacle, in 1552. Since establishing ties with the State of Israel in 1993, the Vatican has been trying to get it back.
However, the place is also sacred to Jews because it is on Mount Zion next to King Davids Tomb. Regarding the Last Supper room, it has a long history, the Israeli envoy to the Vatican, Motti Levy, told Israel Radio. The Vaticans old dream is to restore past glory. [However], it has not been in their hands for 400 years, and I dont foresee a change in the near future. The dispute is not only about religious heritage, but also about sovereignty. Israel fears that relinquishing the site could strengthen Vatican and UN demands for the internationalization of Jerusalem, which the Jewish state sees as its sovereign, undivided and eternal capital. It is crucial to secure the freedom of worship in this city, said Franciscan priest David Jaeger. All three monotheistic religions have to be treated equallySince the holy places of Christians, Muslims and Jews are centered in
JESUS, SON OF DAVID (Mark 10:47) The site is sacred to Jews because of Davids Tomb
Jerusalem, its future status is a highly sensitive question in the interfaith dialogue. Relinquishing Israeli sovereignty over the Upper Room would mean it would legally belong to the Vatican, and that any Israeli request to pave roads or develop infrastructure in the area would have to be approved by the Holy See. It would also bolster Vatican demands for sovereignty over other holy sites such as the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, the Church of All Nations (Gethsemane) on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (Tabgha) on the Sea of Galilee. Pope Benedict brought up the issue of the Upper Room during his visit to Israel last year, prompting an unequivocal statement from the Chief Rabbinate: According to Halacha [Jewish Law], it is prohibited for any person to assist in transferring property in the Land of Israel to the Vatican, including the holy places that are the heart and essence of the people of Israel. Y
February 2010 | 11
PEOpLE
Supermodel Is Model Ambassador

ormer American supermodel Kathy Ireland visited Israel in her new role as international ambassador of Holyland Heroes, a new Friends of Sheba Medical Center campaign to raise awareness and support for wounded soldiers and terror victims. She attributes her unwavering support for Israel to her Christian faith. Admittedly, Im led to support Sheba through my faith, but we need not be Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist to understand Israels survival is critical to our survival, Ireland said. Too often Israel is portrayed as aggressive when she acts only to protect her people and the cause of freedom in the world. Ireland has graced the prestigious cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition three times and today is CEO of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, a design and marketing firm with annual sales of $1.4 billion. Friends of Sheba selected Ireland for her amazing appealher complete passion for Israel as a pro-Israel Christian and her willingness to take the public heat when talking about the virtues of Israel publicly.Y
IRELAND STANDS WITH ISRAEL She says the reason is her Christian faith
Zionist Sheikh
Muslim cleric Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Italy, who is dubbed the Zionist Sheikh, visited Israel and toured Jerusalem, the Knesset and Hebron. Its normal, according to traditional Islam, to recognize the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, he said. He also blasted the governments freeze on settlement construction: I think that Israel should allow the settlements to grow in every part of the Land of Israel. Palazzi is seen here at the Gush Katif Museum, commemorating the 21 former Jewish settlements of Gaza. Y SHEIKHING THINGS UP: Palazzi speaks out
Israeli Arab Beauty Queen

Manar Dabah, from the village of Deir alAsad near Haifa, has been crowned Miss Israeli Arab. The beauty contest, held in the town of Shfaram, was organized by the Arab communities of Israel. Manar is doing pharmaceutical studies at Arbed University in Jordan. Defeating 10 other contestants, she received a prize of jewelry and 20,000 shekels ($5,450) in cash. Y
Jewish Sect in Gaza

Leaders of the anti-Zionist, ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta sect visited the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. We are in Gaza to show support for the Palestinian people, said the groups leader, New York Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss. Its crucial that the people of Gaza understand the terrible tragedy here is not in the name of Judaism. The sect believes there should not be a Jewish state until the Messiah comes and establishes one under Jewish Law. Neturei Karta also made headlines when it attended a Holocaust denial conference in Iran in 2006. Y
RADICALLY ANTI-ZIONIST: The Neturei Karta sect
C ompiled by Shl omo Mordechai & Barry Rosenfeld
12 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
PROfILE
100 Names of the Messiah

B y Ts v i S a d a n
Anne Franks Hidden Heroine

iep Gies, the woman who recovered Anne Franks diary, has died at the age of 100. She was the last surviving member of the small group that hid Anne and her family in Nazioccupied Amsterdam during World War II. If not for Miep, the story of Anne Frank might never have been known. Gies had been working in the office of Otto Frank, Annes father, when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940. In 1942, as the Nazis ramped up deportations of Dutch Jews, Otto asked Gies to PROFILE IN COURAGE hide the family in the attic of the comMiep Gies risked her life daily panys warehouse. She and the other five non-Jewish helpers, smuggled food, books, writing paper and news of the outside world to the secret apartment where Anne, her parents, sister and four other Jews were hiding out. She won the hearts of all of us, said Israeli President Shimon Peres. Mieps selfless humanitarian deed inspires us to continue believing in the goodness and integrity of human beings in the face of unfathomable evil. The diary chronicles Anne Franks life in hiding from mid 1942 until the familys arrest in August 1944. She died of typhus at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945 two weeks before it was liberated. Otto Frank was the only family member who survived. The diary was made into a Broadway play and an awardwinning movie, both entitled The Diary of Anne Frank. The book has been translated into 70 languages and read by millions of people. Gies risked her life daily and would have been sent to a concentration camp if she was caught. But she was as humble as she was courageous. I dont want to be considered a hero, she once said. You dont have to be a hero to do your duty as a human being. Y
By Ba rry R o se n f eld
DEAR DIARY Anne Frank gave the world an inside look at the Holocaust
Prince of Peace
rince of Peace (sar shalom) as a name for the Messiah is primarily known from the famous messianic prophecy: For unto us a child is bornand his name will be calledPrince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5). Messianic is in quotation marks because most Jewish interpretations see the promised child as King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz. For example, Radak (Rabbi David Kimhi) believes that he named this child Prince of Peace because to him shall be the authority and he will not submit to another king. As it says, And he [Hezekiah] rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him (2 Kings 18:7)and all those names of God speak about Hezekiah. However, there have always been those who consider the Prince of Peace to be the Messiahnot the least of whom is Maimonides. In his Epistle to the Jews of Yemen (Igeret Teiman, 1174 AD), Maimonides set out to encourage the suffering and persecuted Jewish community, many of whose members were questioning whether their religion was valid. Among the things that baffled the Jews of Yemen at that time was a person who claimed to be the messiah. Addressing this issue, Maimonides composed his well-known statement concerning the signs of the Messiah. Among other things, he writes: His virtue will be greater than the virtue of the prophets and more honorable, with the exception of Moses, the blessed Creator setting him apart through things not given to Moses, because about him it was said Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his waist (Isaiah 11:5). The Holy One, Blessed be He, called him by six names: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And he called him God by way of exaggeration to proclaim that his greatness is superior to all mens. Maimonides very likely based his interpretation on this opinion of Rabbi Yose Haglili, who lived shortly after the destruction of the Temple: The name of Messiah is Shalom for it saysPrince of Peace (Masachtot Ketanot, Derech Eretz, 11). This saying is placed within a chapter which deals with the utmost importance of peace. So great is the value of peace that God is even willing to give up His name, written in holiness, to be erased upon the water for the sake of peace between a man and his wife (this mysterious practice is based on Numbers 5:23). The Prince of Peace is therefore indispensable in the overall messianic scheme.
Comments: dzsadan@netvision.net.il
WORD fROM jERUSaLEM
PressiNg ON tO the Greater CaLLiNg

By Ludwig Schneider
e know that we are growing old when we take more pleasure in the past than in the future. However all of us, and in particular older people, standing as it were on the edge of eternity, should take more pleasure in the future because the best is still ahead of us. Nevertheless, instead of looking at what lies ahead many of us prefer to look back. Perhaps it is because the previous yearswhen we were stronger and in better healthseem better in our eyes. We should not ignore the past because we can always learn lessons from it, but the past must not restrain us from moving forward. Every year at Passover, we celebrate how God liberated His people Israel from the slavery of Egypt and divided the Red Sea. Similarly, each year Christians celebrate the virgin birth of Jesus at Christmas. Both the Jewish and Christian calendars are filled with days of remembrance, which bring to mind the great deeds performed by God in the past. This builds our faith, but God Himself exhorts us to look to the future: Thus says the LordDo not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:16-19). The New Testament contains a similar exhortation: But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13). 14 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il
This brings us back to the prophetic words of the Bible, which serve as a marker directing us to what lies ahead: Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophetsThe Lord God has spoken. (Amos 3:7, 8). In their sermons, preachers often reminisce about the past deeds of God, recounting them with great passion, as if they themselves had been there to witness their fulfillment. Yet when it comes to the promises of God, what He is accomplishing in our own day, they are sometimes silent. It is as if somebody asks for directions and is answered with a description of the path he has already taken. It is good to interpret the Scriptures with an eye toward the future, studying the words of prophecy that God has given us, so that in these chaotic times we will know the right steps to take: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). People who hold a flashlight or a lantern do not light up the path behind them, but rather before them. And the path ahead of us is illuminated by prophecy. Today, there is no clearer prophetic sign than that of the establishment of the State of Israel. But just as God promised to bring His people back to the Land, He also promised to complete his workto bring Israel to salvation and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth. It is perhaps easier to focus on the past, on the mighty deeds of God in the Bible, than facing the uncertainty of what lies ahead. But that is why Gods word is a light to our pathit shows us the way forward. Israel has a momentous past, but an even more momentous futurebut then so do all of us in the household of faith. Y
BIBLE STUDY
Death The Gateway to Life

hen Jews greet each other on a birthday, they do not just say, Mazal Tov! (Congratulations!); they also say, Ad mea veesrim! May you live to be 120! This is a reference to Moses who lived to that ripe old age. Nowadays, many use the greeting, Ad mea ach esrim! May you live to be 100 and feel as if youre 20! When a will or death are discussed, one does not say after the death but rather Acherei 120 After 120. A Jew who dies must, according to rabbinic law, be buried within 24 hours, even if this means having the funeral as late as midnight, so that the body does not decay. The first believers in the Messiah, who were Jews, kept the same custom: Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay (Acts 2:26-27). In addition, cremation is taboo in Judaism and in particular in Israel. The body of the deceased is washed by the Burial Society (a group of volunteer Orthodox Jews) and wrapped in a tallit (prayer shawl), of which the four tassels on the corners have been cut off. Coffins are not usually used in Israel. The deceased is carried, wrapped in the shawl, to the gravesite. Following a brief ceremony in which Hebrew prayers are recited including the Prayer for the Dead (Kaddish), the body is placed in the grave and covered with earth.
After the funeral, for a period of seven days (called Sheva in Hebrew for the number seven), family, friends, neighbors and work associates gather at the home of the deceased to convey their condolences to the bereaved. The Orthodox sit on low chairs, their shirts torn, and grieve. The 30 days following the death are a time of mourning, during which relatives of the deceased are forbidden to participate in any joyful event. Genesis 35:20 says that after the death of his wife Rachel, Jacob set up a memorial stone on her grave (which can be seen to this very day near Bethlehem). Therefore it is the tradition in Israel to erect a gravestone 30 days following the interment. This is known as the unveiling. There is no fixed custom with regard to the inscriptions on gravestones. In the Diaspora, the Hebrew and the civil name of the deceased are written on the gravestone along with the dates of birth and death according to the Hebrew and civil calendars. In Israel, this usually appears only in Hebrew. Among Ashkenazi or European Jews, it is traditional for the Hebrew letters peh nun to appear before the name. They stand for po nitmanhere lies. It is the custom among Sephardic (Eastern Oriental) Jews to place the letters kuf mem before the name of the deceased. This represents the words matzevet kevuratgravestone of Many gravestones also contain the Hebrew initials for the words tiheyeh nishmatolah zerurah bizror hachayim May his soul be bound up in the
covenant of life. If the image of two hands spread in the form used for the Priestly Blessing appears on the gravestone, the individual is a Cohen (priest) from the house of Aaron. The image of a jug indicates a Levite. It is customary for those who visit the cemetery to place a small stone on the grave as a sign of their presence and as a symbolic joining in the laying of the gravestone. Bet Chaim is the nice expression for a cemetery and means House of Life. One can also say Bet Kevarot House of Graves. Jewish graves are not dismantled after a period of time; they are intended to remain forever. For example, there are Jewish graves on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, including those of the prophets, that are 3,000 years old. A cemetery is a sacred site and visitors should show reverence and respect for those resting there. Y
By Ludwig S chneider
Torah Portions
February 2010
The Sabbath Readings
Feb. 6th Shabbat Yitro Jethro Exodus 18:1-20:23; Isaiah 6:1-7:6; 9:5-6 Feb. 13th Shabbat Mishpatim Judgments Exodus 21:1-24:18; 30:11-16; 2 Kings 11:17-12:17 Feb. 20th Shabbat Terumah (Bring Me an) Offering Exodus 25:1-27:19; 1 Kings 5:26 - 6:13 Feb. 21st Moses Yahrzeit (Day of Death) Memorial for those with unknown place and date of death Feb. 25th Taanit Esther Fast of Esther Esther 4:16 Feb. 27th Shabbat Tetzave You Shall Command Exodus 27:20-30:10; Deuteronomy 25:17-19; 1 Samuel 15:1-34 Feb. 28th Purim Book of Esther; Exodus 17:8-16 February 2010 | 15 (from 17th of Shvat to 13th of Adar 5770)
HE RAISES THE DEAD IN GREAT MERCY A passage from the Jewish prayer book; (inset) symbol of a Cohen (priest)
RETROSPECTIVE: The Last 10 Years in Israel

2000 2009: The first decade of the millennium
2005: 17th Maccabiah
2002: Caf Moment Bombing
2008:60th Anniversary
2000: Pope John Paul II

2005: Maccabi Tel Aviv Is
2003: Ilan Ramon Space Flight
2000: Camp David Summit 2004: New Ben-Gurion Airport 2004: Avraham Hershko,
European Basketball Champ
Aaron Chiechanover Win Nobel Prize
2009: Gaza War 2000: Ariel Sharon
Visits Temple Mount

2002: Siege of Nativity
Church, Bethlehem
2001: Sbarro Bombing 2001: 16th Maccabiah Games 2007: Annapolis Summit 2007: Shimon Peres Elected President
2003: Memorial for Maxim
Restaurant Bombing, Haifa
2004: Yasser Arafat Dies
2002: Operation Defensive Shield
2006: Gilad Shalit Abducted
2004:
Gold Medal in Athens

2009: Ada Yonath Wins Nobel Prize
2001: Rehavam Zeevi Assassinated
2006: Second Lebanon War 2005: Robert Aumann Wins Nobel Prize 2009: Pope Benedict XVI Visits
Bronze Medal in Beijing

2000: Two Israelis
2008:
Lynched in Ramallah
2006: Ariel Sharon Has a Stroke 2005: Pullout from
Gaza Strip
Expelled Settler
21 Gaza Settlements Destroyed
Palestinians Torch Gaza synagogues
2009: 18th Maccabiah Games
DEB A TE
Who Caused The Palestinians to Flee?
am taking the liberty of writing about Palestinian refugees because I myself am a refugee. First of all we fled from the Nazis to Quedlinburg (a small town in central Germany). There we managed to survive because we were hidden by a Lutheran sexton and his family. In 1950, we had to flee from the Communists to West Germany. And all simply because we were Jews, although my parents did not want to be Jews. Now I live in Israel with my family, and here we are accused of forcing the Palestinians to become refugees. Were the Israelis so strong in 1948 that they put all the Arabs to flight? Didnt the Israelis have to defend themselves in 1948 against superior Arab forces of 310 to 1? This reminds me of Moses farewell song: How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unlessthe Lord had given them up? (Deuteronomy 32:30). Yet this is what God has promised in Numbers 10:35that it is He who puts Israels enemies to flight. The Arabs who fled from Eretz Israel (the Land of Israel) were not driven out by the Israelis; they left for a number of different reasons. The wealthier Arabs left the land fearing the impending war. The others followed the appeal of their leaders to make way for the advancing victorious Arab army. Once the fledgling Jewish state was destroyed, the Arabs could return to their homes.
TWO-WAY STREET: Palestinian refugees (left) flee Israel while Jewish refugees flee from Arab countries
after the War of Independence. This means that about 650,000 Palestinians fled. In fact, a census conducted by the UN showed that 472,000 Arabs had left. During the same period, 820,000 Jews were forced to leave their native Arab countries, where they had lived for centuries, because they were seen as potential traitors and supporters of Israel. Of these, 586,000 fled to Israel and were absorbed though the new nation was weak economically. Since then, Israel, with its extremely small land mass, has taken in more than 3 million Jews. If little Israel was able to do this, the Arab countries, which cover an area 613 times larger than the Jewish state, could have also absorbed their 650,000 Arab refugees. In fact, we are talking about a similar number of refugees: 650,000 Arabs compared to 586,000 Jews. It could have simply involved an exchange of homes. The properties that the Jews were forced to leave behind in the Arab lands could have been taken over by the Arab refugees. Yet the Arabs confiscated the Jewish houses and
It is He who puts Israels enemies to flight

On November 29th, 1947, the day the Partition Plan for Palestine was approved by the United Nations, there were 809,100 Arabs living in the Land of Israel. A census conducted by the Israeli government at the end of 1948 found that 160,000 Arabs remained in Israel placed the Arab refugees in refugee camps, where 80 percent of them still live today, being provided for by the United Nations. Today the Palestinians speak of millions of refugees who are demanding to return to their homeland (Is-
rael). Most still leave in squalid, overcrowded camps which fulfills the goal of cultivating hatred of Israel, as young Palestinians blame the Jews alone for their misery. They have been taught, with their mothers milk, that their parents or grandparents were driven out by the Israelis who stole their land. The fact that their fathers followed the inducements of their Arab leaders, because they believed that their victorious armies would drive the Jews into the sea, was their great mistake. They went to war with Israel with the rallying cry from the Koran, And He [Allah] made you heirs to their land and their dwellings and their property (Sura 33:27). All this is hushed up today out of shame because, according to the Muslim way of thinking, there can be no defeat. Therefore, the Arabs even celebrate their bitter defeat in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 as the October Victory. Jewish refugees from the Arab countries fled thousands of miles to the tiny Land of Israel. They had to first learn the Hebrew language before they could be absorbed into their oldnew homeland. The Arab refugees on the other hand, simply fled to neighboring Arab lands, where the people spoke their language. As a result of all these irrational developments, we cannot help but believe that it was God who brought the Jews back to their land and who also drove the Arabs to flee. Y
By Ludwig Schneider
Israel Today
PROpHECY
The Future Role of Israel

fruitfulness is just a temporary situation, until the complete harvest of non-Jews has been brought into Gods Kingdom. Then all Israel will be saved and the fig tree will bear its fruit. For Yeshua the fig tree is already a sign of His return, even though it is the season when it only has leavesi.e. it does not yet bear fruit. This means that we should not wait for the fruit to prepare for the coming of the Messiah; rather, when the twigs of the fig tree are producing their sap and the leaves are emerging, this is a sign that the Lord is at the door. This must be seen in context: There is the great vineyard, worldwide Christendom, and in the midst of it is the solitary unfruitful fig tree Israel. The fig tree that is native to Israel (Ficus carica) by nature does not bear fruit every year, and when it does the fruit comes in three stages. The first harvest from the blossoms of the previous year comes at the time of Pesach (Passover). These are the first figs pagim. Only a few rather dry fruits usually appear. In the same spot where the first figs grew, the early fig bikkurahwill appear toward the beginning of June. This fig, although few in number, is quite succulent. If these figs do not appear, there will be no main harvest in the fall at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot. The main crop of figs, referred to by the Hebrew name teehnah, is numerous and juicy. These three stages of harvest reflect Gods plan of salvation. The first figs, pagim, are the original Jewish believers in Yeshua, the apostles and the early Church, which rose up from the leafbuds of the Old Covenant. The early figs, bikkurah, represent todays Messianic Jews, succulent but few in number. Their existence is a sign: Even though they are still only a few, the great harvest, teehnah, is coming when all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26; Zechariah 12:9-14). Once the fullness of the Gentiles has come inthe full number of non-Jews has entered into the Kingdom of God (Romans 11:25)it will again be Israels turn, and the nation will reassume its original calling: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyesIt is too small a thing that You should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6) Zechariah had a similar vision: Thus says the Lord of Hosts, In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. (Zechariah 8:23) From all the nations! Then Israel will fulfill its prophetic role and bring all mankind to God. Y
By Ludwig S chneider
THE FIG TREE is a sign of the coming of the Messiah
eshua (Jesus) revealed a mystery to His disciples which He concealed in the form of a parable: Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:32-36) Over and over again the question arises, who is to say that the fig tree represents Israel? In Luke 13, we learn about the fig tree that did not bear fruit for three years and was therefore slated to be cut down. At least this is how the farmer sees the situation; to him the fig tree in his grove appears to be useless because it does not bear fruit. Paul would not cut down the unfruitful fig tree because it is a picture of a true Israelite (John 1:48); it is unfruitful for the sake of the non-Jews. The fig tree being cursed for its un-
THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH is ripe (Rev. 14:15)
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CHRISTI A N S
Pilgrims Flock to Bethlehem for Christmas

By Shlomo Mordechai
ethlehem Tens of thousands of pilgrims from around the world came to Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:1) during the week of Christmas, visiting the Church of the Nativity and the grotto where tradition says the Messiah was born. The whole story becomes even more alive here! Laura Wagner of Wabash, Indiana told isra eltoday. The idea that were just a few feet from where Jesus was born and a few miles from where the angels came to the shepherds is mind blowing; there arent even words to describe it. As usual, there was a mixture of religion and politics. Palestinian boy and girl scouts marched through Manger Square, which was decked out with Christmas trees and lights and Palestinian flags. In his Christmas message, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, a Jordanian, expressed solidarity with Palestinians suffering from the occupation and deprived of a state of their own. The Palestinian Authority said Israels security barrier, erected to stop a wave of suicide bombers, created a Christmas without hope and turned Bethlehem into a prison. We need bridges of love and understanding between the people, not walls of hatred, said Bethlehems Christian Mayor Victor Batarseh. Nevertheless, the big turnout was a boon to the Bethlehem economy and mood. Its great to see all these people here, said Sami, a waiter at a new InPEACE ON EARTH? A Palestinian interpretation of Christmas
O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
ternet caf in Manger Square. The atmosphere is nice here in Bethlehem. Its quiet now and thats what people want. Indeed, Bethlehem has changed a lot since the Second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) erupted in 2000 and armed militants ruled the streets. And the lull in violence prompted the biggest turnout in years. I feel very safe here, said British tourist Michael Wright. The people are nice and hospitable. The atmosphere is calm. To be honest, I feel safer here than in a lot of places back home in London. The atmosphere was festive in Manger Square. David Bogenrief of Le Mars, Iowa, who has lived in Israel for 25 years, played Christmas carols on his trumpet as Palestinian Muslim youths gathered round. Yeshua loves you! he shouted, using the Hebrew name of Jesus. Thats what Christmas is all about: the love of God. Jesus was born here and hes alive! In a land troubled by conflict, it was a peaceful Christmas in the little town where it all began. Y
THE GROTTO of the Nativity
M E S S I an I C J E W S
Are All Jewish Believers Jews for Jesus?

Jesus in Modern Hebrew Culture
ews for Jesus is an American mission organization founded in 1973 by Moishe Rosen. Due to its aggressive missionary tactics, many (particularly American) Jews think of this organization as representing any Jew who believes that Jesus is the Messiah, even though sharp disagreements between Jews for Jesus and other Messianic groups have surfaced.
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JEWISH EVANGELISM is controversial
One key point of dispute lies in the Jews for Jesus doctrine that believers can and should be 100 percent Jewish and 100 percent Christian; not any Christian but Evangelical Christian. As Rich Robinson, a senior member of Jews for Jesus put it: The major Jewish missions dedicated to proclamation evangelism retain close connections with the Church and remain firmly evangelical in theology (The Messianic Movement: A Guide for Evangelical Christians). This conviction influences how Jews perceive Jesus. Within the Jewish world, this type of 100 percent Jewish/Christian mentality is understood as a threat to Jewish existence; if what Jews for Jesus are saying is true, they reason, then it also means that this is what Jesus wants. It follows that Jesus taught and preached an end to the Jewish people. There is little wonder why such an approach stirs up strong emotions for, after all, what healthy person would welcome his own annihilation? An opinion piece in the daily newspaper Haaretz a few years ago is
a sample of, one could say, typical Jewish reaction to Jews for Jesus. Written by Bradley Burston, it is entitled, Why Jews for Jesus Is Evil. Here are some excerpts: Proselytizing is persecution. Granted, its not the same as burning us at the stake for Christs sake...But theres more than one way to wipe out a people, and poison, like gas, comes in many forms. Sometimes it looks like a leaflet...Sometimes it looks like a smile. Jews in the post-Holocaust era have a mission, no less than you. We have some saving to do of our own...It has been left to us to save Jewry itselfits faith, its culture, its values, its memory, its historyfrom extinction. There are those who will say, and I applaud them, that we should engage and embrace members of Jews for Jesus, showing openness to them rather than the cold shoulder that drives them further away. I applaud those who say this and act accordingly, but I dont have it in me. In its electronic edition, Burstons article registered over 650 talkbacks. In the same electronic issue, a piece on the The Da Vinci Codeanother hot item received no responses. Another controversial issueIsraels decision to give Hamas 50 million shekelsreceived only 42 responses. This says something about the concern Jews have for their own survival. The relationship of the Jewish people to Jesus is said to be complex. Reactions such as Burstons may be shrugged off as an expression of the Jews being a stiff-necked people (Exodus 32:9), but is it the only possible explanation for such harsh words? Could it be that those who demand from Jewry a deep soul searching are themselves in dire need of the same? Y
By Tsvi Sadan
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Let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are standing in the gates, O Jerusalem (Psalm 122:1, 2)
MILITaRY
ROCKET DEFENSE SHIELD: Hi-tech missiles take on low-tech rockets
Pilots Watches Made in Israel
Iron Dome Could Change Strategic Equation T
en years and 10,000 rockets later, Israel finally has a hi-tech answer to lowtech Palestinian terror. Israel has successfully tested its Iron Dome defense system, which uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and can shoot them down within seconds of their launch. The system was developed by Rafael, the Israel Military Industries, at a cost of $200 million. This is really great news, says Yiftach Shapir, an Israeli expert on military technology. This is a very advanced system. I think we should all take our hats off to the engineers of Rafael for doing it. Its very unique. The first Iron Dome battery will be deployed on the Gaza border in the south in May. Later on, the system will be deployed on the northern border where Israel faces a rocket threat from the Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. But there is a catch. This system is not 100 percent foolproof, like any other defense system, Shapir says. And that means that millions of Israelis within rocket range are not out of danger. Shapir says that in the event of an attack, many rockets would be shot down, [but] some of them would still explode in the towns, and residents would have to go back into the shelters. Another hitch is the price tag. Every Iron Dome missile costs a whopping $50,000, compared to just a few hundred dollars for a Palestinian rocket. But officials say its worth the price because it could largely neutralize the rocket threat that has terrorized residents on the Gaza and Lebanese borders. We cannot create the illusion that tomorrow morning there will be full protection, said Defense Minister Ehud Barak. It will take years before we are fully equipped. But in the coming years, Iron Dome will doubtlessly become part of the armys defense mechanisms for civilians on the home front as well as for military sites. The Iron Dome, which deals with short-range rockets, will be integrated into Israels overall missile defense shield. Israel has already deployed the Arrow antimissile system to defend against long-range threats, like an attack from arch-enemy Iran. Y
sraels sole watch manufacturer, ADI Watches of Kibbutz Yavne, has won a contract to provide watches for pilots of the Israel Air Force (IAF). The watch includes a titanium alloy case which is resilient to scratches and dents, and a shatterproof crystal made of Sapir glass. The watch is shockproof with air force-blue hands. Tested to withstand forces of Mach 2, the watch can also be used by divers and is guaranteed to a depth of 200 meters (656 feet). The electronic watch combines both digital and analogue functions. Priced at 1,600 shekels ($420), the watch will be presented to the graduates of the highly-esteemed IAF Academy and will not be available in stores. In the past, watches for Israeli pilots were manufactured by top Swiss companies such as Breitling and Omega. But former Air Force commander Dan Halutz decided to change to products made in Israel. ADI manufactures watches for other IDF units and exports to the Singapore armed forces as well. The company also offers a unique watch featuring Hebrew letters instead of numbers. Y
By Michael S chneider
TIME to go blue and white
ARCHAEOLOGY
Ancient Footprints under Lod Mosaic

ne of the largest and most beautiful Roman era mosaics in Israel, a piece approximately 1,700 years old, was being removed for conservation when footprints were discovered, preserved in the plaster underneath. Archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) found the imprints in Lod, near Ben-Gurion Airport. Its exciting. This is the first time I have ever encountered personal evidence such as this under a mosaic, said Jacques Neguer, head of the IAA Art Conservation Branch. When removing a section of mosaic it is customary to clean its bedding, and in that way study the material from which it is made and the construction stages...This is also what happened with the Lod mosaic: while cleaning the layer, we found the imprints of feet and sandals. The way the imprints are arranged indicates that the builders must have molded the mortar in place with their feet. The excitement here was great, Neguer said. It is fascinating to discover a 1,700-year-old personal mark of people
IMPRINTS on the past
who are actually like us, who worked right here on the same mosaic. We feel the continuity of generations here. Y
By Netanel D oron
Nazareth Home from Jesus Time
rchaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority have discovered the remains of a house in Jesus hometown of Nazareththe first that dates back to the time of Christ. This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with, said the head of the excavation, Yardena Alexandre. Its a logical suggestion. The find reveals that Nazareth was a small village, unlike the big Israeli Arab city it is today. It was an out-of-the-way community consisting possibly of 50 houses on just four acres of land. Because of the small size of the village, Jesus and boys his age may have known the home and played there. What we can learn is a litJESUS HOMETOWN was a small tle bit about the lifestyle, said hamlet of just 50 homes Alexandre. The remains that we have are very simple and it reflects the simple houses that must have existed in the small village of Nazareth. She said that based on pottery shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a simple Jewish family. The Virgin Mary may have lived close by. The remains of the house are located near the Basilica of the Annunciation, where tradition says the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to the Messiah. Y
By Barry Rosenfeld
Coins from Temple Mount Area

unique coin exhibition is on display at Jerusalems Archaeological Garden near the Western Wall in the Old City. For the first time, the public can see all of the ancient coins uncovered by Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount. The rare collection includes 2,000-year-old coins that were burned during the Great Revolt by the Jews against the Romans. These coins, which were minted in Jerusalem during the rebellion, include an extremely rare shekel from 70 AD, the year the Second Temple was destroyed. Because of the biblical prohibition against graven images, in contrast to the coins cast by pagan rulers, the Jewish coins depict objects such as a wreath, a scepter and helmet, and a pomegranate. Attesting to the presence of many pilgrims over the centuries are coins from other countries, from Persia to North Africa to France. The exhibition will be open for one year. Y
CULTURE
Kosher Comics
T
he secluded ultra-Orthodox community of Israel is extremely conservative, regarding television, movies, the Internet and videos as a source of moral corruption. But now non-sexual, non-violent comic books are being offered as a source of entertainment, as well as a fun way to teach children the Bible and Jewish tradition. Many colorful comic books featuring biblical stories and the adventures of famous rabbis and Jewish sages can be found on the shelves of bookstores in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, next to large, heavy tomes of the Talmud and other holy books. A long way from the thrills of Spiderman or the sexual allures of Wonder Woman, these comics provide an acceptable alternative for Orthodox youth. Outside a bookstore in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv, Yom Tov Cohen, with side curls and typical black coat and hat, watches his son reading one of the kosher comics. It is great to have something that the children enjoy and that also teaches them the traditions, he says. There has been a growing demand for kosher comics over the past few years with new publications appearing frequently. Even Orthodox women, who once wrote under a pseudonym, are now openly publishing their works. Dror Yisrael Cohen, from the mostly Orthodox city of Safed in northern Israel, was one of the first to present his community with these special comics. Local rabbis denied Cohen both Internet
access and digital drawing programs, so he started drawing his comics by hand. Still, the religious censorship of these works is strict, with every page being closely examined, especially when it comes to the prohibited portrayal of God. The heroes of his stories are rabbis, the first and foremost being Rabbi Yisrael Ben Eliezer, the founder of Hassidism, a charismatic form of Orthodox Judaism. He and his fellow rabbis have supernatural powers, including prophecy, intuition and healing. Y
By Netanel D oron
Most Influential U.S. Jews 2009

The Jewish Daily Forward has released its annual list of the 50 most influential Jews in America. The Forward 50 was introduced 15 years ago by Forward founding editor Seth Lipsky. In line with the title, many, but not all, of the people on the list are in their 50s. Here are some of the key figures:
erry Silverman, 51, president of the Jewish Federation of North America. The organization was created in 1999 to serve the 157 local Jewish Federations. Silverman used to work in the garment industry before entering full-time service for the Jewish people. Michael Oren, 54, historian, bestselling author and the new Israeli ambassador to Washington. Born in New Jersey, he immigrated to Israel as an adult.
Sara Hurwitz, an Orthodox woman from New Jersey, is a Jewish community leader, authority on Halacha (Jewish Law), spiritual guide and Torah scholar. She is the co-founder of Yeshivat Maharat, a seminary dedicated to giving Orthodox women proficiency in learning and teaching Talmud and understanding Jewish Law. Joel (54) and Ethan (52) Coen, better know as the Coen Brothers, gained
fame and fortune through movies like Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998) and No Country for Old Men (2007). Labor union leader Stuart Appelbaum, 56, who is fighting against international boycotts of Israeli products. Joel Engelbaum, 24, who was sexually abused as a child in a Brooklyn yeshiva (seminary), has committed himself to the fight against child abuse within the Orthodox community. Y
OSCAR WINNERS Joel and Ethan Coen
BEHInD THE SCEnES
Hummus War
srael once again has the upper hand in the Hummus Wara simmering conflict with Lebanon over which country can claim the famous Middle Eastern chickpea paste as its own. An Israeli village unveiled the biggest dish of hummus in the world, at 9,017 pounds (4,090 kilos)! Placed in a giant satellite dish on loan from a nearby broadcast station, the concoction entered the Guinness Book of World Records, unseating Lebanon which set the record in October. Israel has marketed hummus around the world as an Israeli product, but Lebanon says the Jews stole the recipe. Lebanon is trying to win the battle against Israel bytelling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese product, Lebanese organizer Fady Jreissati said at the time of the previous record. Its part of our traditions.
HUMONGOUS HUMMUS: Israel and Lebanon vie for supremacy
Not to be outdone, chefs in the Israeli Arab village of Abu Gosh near Jerusalem more than doubled the Lebanese record. The mastermind was Jawdat Ibrahim, an Israeli Arab who became a millionaire after winning a lottery in the US, and who came back to his hometown of Abu Gosh to open a restaurant. Competition is a healthy thing, he said. Today we have hummus. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will have peace talks. Hundreds of Israeli Jews and Arabs came out to celebrate the victory, and
of course, to enjoy some excellent hummus! White doves and blue and white balloons (the national colors) were released into the air in a sign of peace. May these be the wars between Israel and Lebanon, one exhilarated participant told isra eltoday. The war over the biggest and best hummus! So the moral of this story is that its better to fight the Third Lebanon War with chickpeas than with bullets. Y
and the Bank Notes

So were getting new bank notes in 2012 with pictures of the late Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin. But Im thinking, why go to all that trouble to display people no one really knows anymore?
Isnt it much better to choose a person who is known to readers worldwide
a funny, clever, witty, entertaining, and humble guy
like me!
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PURIM HOLIDAYS
February 27 - March 1
t, Mishloach Manot, a traditional gift to bless Many Jewish families will prepare a Purim food baske ing items: baked goods, nuts, hamentaschen others (Esther 9:19), which includes some of the follow a Jaffa orange, Israeli crackers, juice, etc. cookies, a can of salmon or tuna, a tub of hummus, giving the Purim food gift basket The entire family takes part in the joy of preparing and the basket. and will go together to a neighbors home to present
to needy Israeli YOUTH... This year you can participate in giving a Purim Treat boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 5 years. organizations eltoday will go to hospitals, nursery schools, and isra ent your Purim Treat. (that serve the needs of handicapped children) to pres m Treat Consider taking part in the joy of giving a Puri to the children of Israel.
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ECOnOMY
Israeli Company Builds Mega-Mall in Eastern Europe
FROM EAST TO WEST: Israel westernizes Eastern Europe
frica Israel Group (AFI) has built the biggest mall in Eastern Europe, in the Romanian capital Budapest. AFI invested $450 million in the project along with $350 million from its partner in the venture, the German company Hypo Real Estate Group. The mall was inaugurated by Romanian president Traian Basescu and the CEO of Africa Israel, Israeli entrepreneur Lev Leviev. AFI Group is a global business enterprise with activities in the fields of real estate, construction, infrastructure and energy. Founded in 1934 by Jewish investors from South Africa who wanted to support the economic development of the Yishuv, the nascent Jewish community in British Mandate Palestine, the company now maintains subsidiaries throughout the world. The Bucharest mall hosts about 100,000 shoppers daily. With 300 stores, the mall covers an area of 20,000 square meters (214,000 square feet). There is a 25-screen cinema and an IMAX Theatre as well. The parking area covers about 9,000 square meters (97,000 square feet). It is expected to generate some $50 million a year in revenue and has an estimated worth of $600 million. AFI Group is building several other supermalls in Eastern Europe that will be opened in the near future. Y
Best Hi-Tech Workplaces in Israel

Intel is the best hi-tech workplace in Israel, according to a survey by BdiCoface. Hewlett Packard came in second and IBM third. Hewlett Packard moved up six positions over the previous survey a year ago. Google Israel dropped to fourth place (from second) and Motorola earned the fifth rank despite many recent layoffs. The survey was conducted among 12,000 workers in Israels high tech industry. Y
New Bank Notes in 2012
ll of the 300 million bank notes currently in circulation will be replaced with new ones starting in 2012. One of the reasons is that few Israelis recognize the people on the bills: Zalman Shazar, Yitzhak Ben-Tzvi, Moshe Sharet and Shai Agnon. Their faces will be replaced with more familiar ones: Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, and the late Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and David Ben-Gurion. But many people are unhappy about the move, which will cost hundreds of millions of shekels. For one thing, special polymer paper will be used for the new bills, which makes them last longer and more difficult to counterfeit. This paper is already used for the 20 shekel note, but people dont like it because the money feels fake, like plastic, and not like the paper money used everywhere else in the world. Other critics say the bills should not feature politicians, but rather women, musicians and other artists, and even landscapes. Y
Israeli Military Sales to Brazil and India
tate-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed a $350 million contract to supply drones to the Brazilian police, the biggest military deal ever between the two countries. The Heron drones will monitor Brazils borders and help prevent the smuggling of arms, drugs and other contraband. They will also be used to beef up security during the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Some however, question the wisdom of this sale noting the recent visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Brazil. Critics say Israeli technology could eventually reach Syria via Iran. IAI also supplies drones to US forces in Afghanistan. Israel Aerospace Industries has also signed a $1.1 billion contract with India for a tactical air defense system to be used aboard ships. Known as the Barak-8, the
system can shoot down incoming missiles, planes and drones. Its advanced version can also be deployed on land. Delivery is not expected before 2017. The deal was completed when Indias army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, visited Israel and met with his Israeli counterpart, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Y
C ompiled By Judith Jeries
NaTURE
StAND iN tHE GAP

Intercession for Israel
On New Years Eve the founder of isra eltoday, Ludwig Schneider, prayed and cast lots for a word for the company in 2010. It is from Joshua 21:45:
MIGRATING BIRDS: Millions of birds from Europe pass through Israel on their way to Africa
Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.
* Avinu SheBaShamayim May the Bible guide negotiations with the Arabs and may Israel stand on the word of God! May Your promises to Israel continue to be fulfilled, and thwart all attempts by the nations to nullify them. (Page 3) * Avinu SheBaShamayim Expose the myths of Palestinian origins, which seek to displace Your promises. Vindicate Your word in the sight of all the nations. (Pages 4-5, 19)
Go to Israel and Go Green

ounded in 2004, MASA Israel Journey is an Israeli government project designed to help young Jews from all over the world spend a semester to a year in Israel studying at their choice of several educational institutions. Aligned with the Jewish Agency and Jewish communities throughout the world, MASA has launched a new campaign: Go Green in Israel. The goal is to encourage young people from North America to study, volunteer or intern in Israel while participating in projects to save the environment. Participants can choose between environmental studies at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba in southern Israel, or the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura near the Red Sea resort of Eilat. They can volunteer at an eco-farm or fill an internship at companies developing and testing renewable energies. MASA has joined forces with Hazon (Hebrew for Vision), Americas largest Jewish environmental non-profit organization. Hazon is promoting special events including 50- to 100-mile, two-day bike rides and retreats in California and New York. Israel is leading in the research and development of renewable energies and technology for water conservation, said Avi Rubel, director of MASA Israel in North America. The program is not only a chance for Jewish young adults to start a career in the environmental sector but also to connect to their Jewish roots. Y
By Neta n e l D oron
* Avinu SheBaShamayim Bring reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Reveal the Messiah to Jews and Muslims alike. (Page 6) * Avinu SheBaShamayim Expose and cut off European Union funding to leftwing and anti-Zionist Israeli groups. (Cover Story, Page 7) * Avinu SheBaShamayim Win the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but grant that Israel would not cave in to terrorist blackmail and release murderers. Reveal to the army his whereabouts. Give Israeli officials and commanders wisdom about how to bring him home in an honorable way. (Page 8) * Avinu SheBaShamayim Turn the Arab nations against Hamas and grant that the group would be isolated, toppled and ruined. Neutralize the Hamas terror threat. (Pages 9, 10, 22) * Avinu SheBaShamayim Give rain to Your land in its season (Deut. 28:12). Bring heavy winter rains all over the country, with snow on Mt. Hermon. Fill the Sea of Galilee, Israels biggest reservoir, to the brim. Replenish the depleted Mountain and Coastal Aquifers.
* Our Father in Heaven
In B R I E f
Tidbits
ISRAELI ENTERTAINS IRANIANS Despite the tense relations between Israel and Turkey, Israeli singer EliIdan is entertaining in Anatolia hotels. Whats more, he sings in Hebrew before Iranian tourists! The guests also include members of the Turkish government and their families, who keep a low profile for political and security reasons. So where politics fails, music builds a bridge. As one avid, young Iranian female fan put it: No matter if he is a Jew or a Muslim, we love Idans music! INTERNET ENTREPRENEURS: Some of the most successful Internet entrepreneurs of the 21st century have two things in common: they are young and they are Jewish! Take for example the cofounder of the famously successful social networking site Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg. The 25 year old from Dobbs Ferry, New York, who studied at Harvard, decided to launch a website from his dorm that mimicked the student directory. It contained headshots of all the schools students, faculty and staff and was known as the Facebook.
Israeli Cooking Adds Flavor to Thai Food

ow the King of Thailand can enjoy Israeli food thanks to a visit by his head chef Mack Dang. Dang admitted that he had misgivings about his trip, which came by invitation from Israels ambassador to Thailand Yitzhak Shoham. Before I came to Israel, I was anxious because of all of the tanks and the bombings you read about in the Thai newspapers, Dang said. But I found that the opposite was true. I discovered a secure country filled with happy people and cultural and culinary attractions. I fell in love with Israeli cuisine! he said. Israelis are obsessed with eggplant. Their eggplant salad looks bad, but it tastes like heaven. Israeli food incorporates, like the Israelis themselves, many different cultures. A nephew of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand, Dang grew up in the royal palace until the age of 12. In addition to his royal duties, he has his own popular TV show, writes a column and has authored several cookbooks. When Dang used Israeli cooking as the theme on one of his TV shows, the Israeli embassy offered him a trip to the Holy Land. Dang visited many fine Israeli restaurants and visited the Golan Winery, one of Israels best, on the Golan Heights. Describing his return El Al flight he said: The plane seemed like a flying Thai village, everyone knowing each other; a huge mess where no one sat
SHAKSHUKA: Thai chef Mack Dang (right) prepares a meal for the Israeli ambassador and his wife
still in his seat. Everyone clapped their hands when we landed back home. Following the trip, Dang prepared a special meal at the home of the Israeli ambassador and his wife Dalit that included his favorite Israeli dish, according to a recipe given to him by Dr. Shakshuka, Israels famous shakshuka chef. The popular dish is made from tomatoes and eggs, but Dang added his own special spices to suit the Thai palate. A journalist from one of the Thai newspapers that interviewed him on his return said that he too was scared of travelling to Israel, but that Dangs enthusiasm impressed him. Now, he said, I want to visit Israel as soon as possible and see all this with my own eyes! Y
Netanyahu Chooses Chinese

YOUNG, JEWISH AND RICH Facebook cofounder Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
He later joined forces with roommate Dustin Moskovitz, also Jewish, and today the site has 350 million members. Zuckerbergs fortune is estimated at $10 billion, making him the worlds youngest billionaire. But he still lives in a modest San Francisco apartment. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the developers of the powerful Internet search engine, have a similar story. They did their ground work while students at Stanford and are also Jewish, young, and of course, rich!
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed something out of the ordinary for the Israeli educational system when he said, Lets teach Chinese, its important. Netanyahu is a strong supporter of reform of the countrys educational system, especially with regard to the teaching of languages. In the past, he says, you would learn things by heart and know it. Now you just click on Google or Wikipedia. The most important foreign language is English, but right after it is Chinese. Y
Right-Hand Woman
ver a period of 25 years, Marrit Danon served five different Israeli prime ministers: Yitzhak Shamir, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. It was her job to deal with the pressures associated with Israels top job. She was there to field telephoned death threats against Rabin prior to his assassination in 1995. She describes how just days before the Gaza pullout in 2005, Sharon shared a troubling dream: I was being lowered into a deep shaft, he said, and all of a sudden the rope broke and I was surrounded by silence. Y
In B R I E f
Farewell to the Captain of Exodus

year ago Yossi Harel, the commanding officer of the 1947 refugee ship Exodus, passed away. Now, at age 86, the ships legendary captain, Yitzhak (Ike) Aharonovitch, has also died. The thrilling story of the 4,554 Jewish 2009 refugees who narrowly escaped the horrors of the Holocaust and fled to Palestine was immortalized in the movie Exodus starring Paul Newman and the book of the same name by Leon Uris. The ship became a symbol for heroism when it desperately tried to break through the British blockade surrounding pre-state Palestine. In July 1947, in the face of increasing violence between Jews and Arabs, the British Mandate government put a total halt to immigration. Nevertheless, the Exodus set sail from France heading toward Eretz Israel (the Land of Israel), packed to overflowing with exhausted Holocaust survivors. They immediately came under British surveillance and were flanked by warships of the Royal Navy. Arriving at the Port of Haifa after seven days at sea, they were denied permission to land. During the military action that followed, including the forceful boarding of the ship by British soldiers, three crew members were killed and the ship was forced to return to the port of Hamburg, Germany. Everyone referred to Aharonovitch as Captain Ike. He was born in Germany but immigrated to Mandate Palestine at the age of nine, growing up on Kibbutz Yagur near Haifa. In 1940, he stowed away on a ship to Russia, hoping to join the Russian army and fight the Nazis. He was caught, however, and returned to Israel where he later boarded a ship for Tobruk, North Africa. Afterward, he moved to London to study, qualifying as third, second and finally first officer, becoming captain of the Exodus at the age of only 23. Aharonvitch wanted to fight the British to the death rather than surrender the ship, but Harel refused to sacrifice the lives of these people who had already suffered so much. This led to a life-long disagreement between the two men. The drama of the Exodus did not darken Ikes spirits and he went on that same year to captain another refugee ship, Kibbutz Galuyot (Ingathering of the Exiles). Later in life Aharanovitch continued to work as a sailor, leading a major labor strike in 1951. The famous Captain Ike leaves behind two daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. My father was a brave idealist, said his daughter Ella Hoffman. For him there was only one home for all Jews, here in Israel. Speaking at the graveside, President Shimon Peres paid his last respects to a national hero: He is one in a million, who did not walk on paved roads but paved his own. He fought for the spirit of the pioneer, courage and love for the Land of Israel. Y
1947 LEGENDARY LINER: The Exodus, carrying 4,554 Jewish refugees, was turned away by the British
BIRTH CERTIFICATE: An omission may have saved Peleds life
Sole Holocaust Survivor in Parliament

he Knesset (parliament) has only one member who is a Holocaust survivor Yossi Peled (see photo). But that is not his original name. Peled was surprised when he was handed an envelope containing his birth certificate issued in 1941 in Antwerp, Belgium. It gave his name as Josef Mendelvitch. The certificate was given to him by Aharon Weintraub, 76, of Rehovot near Tel Aviv. It was the Weintraub family that took in little Joseph and his sister during the war while his father was transported to Auschwitz, where he died. After the war his mother returned to take him and his sister to Israel. Unfortunately Weintraub had little information about Peleds father. I did not know him, Peled says, but as a Holocaust survivor I am happy to receive any information about those dark times. Peleds birth certificate is in Flemish and contains the seal of King Leopold II. He can only guess why the certificate does not identify him as a Jew: Antwerp was under Nazi occupation and maybe the clerk wanted to save me and did not write that I am Jewish. Then Weintraub took out a photo album. Peled immediately recognized the photos of the six-year-old boy whose family had saved his life and was moved to tears. Y
Hats Off
hile most Israelis (86 percent according to a recent poll) believe that killing animals for their fur is immoral and would support a law barring the import of fur to Israel, one group does not agree. In fact, legislation to that effect was blocked by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism THE SHTREIMEL arouses the party whose members want to hold on to ire of animal rights activists their shtreimels, the traditional fur hat. This special fur hat is worn by many married ultra-Orthodox men, and in particular, members of Hassidic sects, on the Sabbath, Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. It is made from the tails of the Canadian or Russian rabbit, sable, stone marten, pine marten and the American grey fox. Y
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Feb 2010

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Egypt Takes on Hamas

Upper Room Controversy

E.U. donations undermine ISRAEL

POLITICS 4 God or State? Shalom Haverim,

10 Egypt Finally Seals Gaza Border

11 Israel, Vatican Spar over Upper Room 12 Supermodel Is Model Ambassador

13 Anne Franks Hidden Heroine

19 The Future Role of Israel

20 O Little Town of Bethlehem

21 Are All Jewish Believers Jews for Jesus?

23 Nazareth Home from Jesus Time 24 Kosher Comics

Basing Peace Talks on the Bible

The Source of Disobedience: God or the Conscience?

What Is a Hesder Yeshiva?

God Is Israels Secret Weapon

The Settlers and the Maccabees

Bedouin Women in Modern Israeli Society

Rabbis, Settlers Make Amends at Palestinian Village

E.U. Donations Undermine Israel

BUYING INFLUENCE: The EU is funding Israeli groups with an anti-Israel agenda

www.israeltoday.co.il | February 2010 | 7

Another False Alarm on Shalit

Egyptian Clerics, Press Blast Hamas

arab Political cartoons

SAW OF DAMOCLES over Dome of the Rock

Jews Source of All Evil

Abbas Makes Terrorists National Heroes

AMERICAN SHIELD The US provides cover for Israeli atrocities

C ompiled by Shl omo Mordec hai

TOLL FREE ORDERING: 1.866.854.1684 (N. America) 00.800.60.70.70.60 (UK/Norway)

www.israeltoday.co.il | February 2010 | 9

Egypt Finally Seals Gaza Border

Israel, Vatican Spar over Upper Room

Supermodel Is Model Ambassador

Israeli Arab Beauty Queen

Jewish Sect in Gaza

C ompiled by Shl omo Mordechai & Barry Rosenfeld

12 | February 2010 | www.israeltoday.co.il

100 Names of the Messiah

Anne Franks Hidden Heroine

www.israeltoday.co.il | February 2010 | 13

WORD fROM jERUSaLEM

PressiNg ON tO the Greater CaLLiNg

Death The Gateway to Life

RETROSPECTIVE: The Last 10 Years in Israel

2002: Caf Moment Bombing

2000: Pope John Paul II

2003: Ilan Ramon Space Flight

European Basketball Champ

Aaron Chiechanover Win Nobel Prize

2009: Gaza War 2000: Ariel Sharon

Visits Temple Mount

2003: Memorial for Maxim

Restaurant Bombing, Haifa

2004: Yasser Arafat Dies

2002: Operation Defensive Shield

2006: Gilad Shalit Abducted

Gold Medal in Athens

2001: Rehavam Zeevi Assassinated

Bronze Medal in Beijing

2006: Ariel Sharon Has a Stroke 2005: Pullout from

21 Gaza Settlements Destroyed

Palestinians Torch Gaza synagogues