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Jewish Calendar Events for July 31 - Aug 16 / 29 Tammuz - 15 AvDiary for July 31 - Aug 16 / 29 Tammuz - 15 AvCourtesy of AZAMRA.
Thursday night-Friday 31 July-1 August / 29 Tammuz Today is the Yahrzeit of Rashi -- Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105) outstanding commentator on Bible and Talmud. Friday-Saturday 1-2 August / 1 Menachem Av Shabbat Parshat MAS'EI Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av Torah reading: Numbers 33:1-36:13 completing the book of Numbers ("Chazak"); Haftara: Second of the Hafarot of reproof -- Ashkenazim: Jeremiah 2:4–28 & 3:4; Sefardim: Jeremiah 2:4–28 & 4:1–2. Some communities read all or at least some verses from Isaiah 66:1-24, the usual Haftara when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat. The first day of the month of Av is the Yahrzeit of Aharon the High Priest (Numbers 33:38). Attributes of the month of Av: Ruling permutation of the letters of HAVAYAH: KEH VAV YOD KEH, contained in the initial Hebrew letters of Haskeis Ushmo'a Yisrael Hayom... "...take heed and listen, O Israel, this day..." (Deut 27:9). The month's corresponding letter is: TET; Human attribute: HEARING; Body Part: LEFT KIDNEY ; Tribe: SHIMON; Constellation: ARYEH (Leo, the Lion). Sunday 3 August / 2 Av Today marks the beginning of the observance of the stringencies of "The Nine Days", which culminate next Sunday 10 August with the fast of Tisha b'Av commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples. The prevailing custom this week is to abstain from meat and wine, not to change, wash and launder clothes (except essential underwear), not to wash one's whole body even in cold water except where washing is necessary for hygiene, to minimize business and pleasure activities, in order to keep our minds focussed on the Temple and upon our yearning to regain it. The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged people to conclude the study of Talmudic tractates (siyum masechta) in this period in order to provide occasions for a mitzvah-feast, where meat and wine are permitted. The purpose is to understand that the goal in this period is not to be depressed but to focus our minds joyously on the Torah. Tuesday night-Wednesday 5-6 August / 5 Av Today is the Yahrzeit of the Holy ARI, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (1534-72), outstanding Safed kabbalist and author of the teachings in Eitz Chayim, "The Tree of Life", and numerous other volumes written down by his student Rabbi Chaim Vital. People in Israel flock to the ARI's gravesite in the old cemetery of Safed. Friday 8 August / 7 Av Although some observe the prohibition of washing the entire body even on the eve of Shabbat during the Nine Days, many wash in warm water in honor of the Shabbat and put on their customary Shabbat clothes. Friday night-Saturday 8-9 August / 8 Av Shabbat CHAZON, Parshat DEVARIM Eve of Tisha B'Av Torah reading: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22; Haftara: Isaiah 1:1–27 "The vision (Chazon) of Isaiah..." after which this Shabbat preceding the Fast of Tisha B'Av is named. "Intent, focussed prayer on this Shabbat elevates the prayers of all the year, because the prayer of a poor person elevates all prayers to favor" (R. Uri of Strelisk). "This is the greatest Shabbat of the year" (the Oihev Yisrael of Apta). It is permitted to eat meat and all delicacies at the Three Meals this Shabbat, but it is necessary to conclude all eating and drinking at the Third Meal prior to sunset on Shabbat afternoon, when the fast begins, though Zmirot and Birkhat HaMazon (grace) may be recited after sunset. On Shabbat afternoon only the Torah subjects that are permitted on Tisha B'Av may be studied, i.e. laws of mourning, passages of reproof in Jeremiah, Job, etc. and works of Mussar and Chassidut that arouse us to Teshuvah. Saturday night-Sunday 9-10 August / 9 Av The Fast of Tisha B'Av commemorating (1-2) The destruction of the First and Second Temples (3) The decree that the generation of the wilderness who listened to the evil report of the spies would not enter the Land of Israel (4) Capture of the city of Beitar after the failure of Bar Kochba's rebellion (5) Plowing of Jerusalem by the Romans. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 also took place on Tisha B'Av. Besides abstaining from eating and drinking, full mourning is observed today, including sitting on very low chairs or on mats on the floor and abstaining from washing, annointing, wearing shoes and marital relations. After the evening service at the conclusion of Shabbat, Megillat Eichah (Lamentations) is read, followed by the recital of Kinot, mournful dirges about the destruction of the Temple and other tragedies. Following the morning service Torah reading, lengthy Kinot are recited followed by the reading of Eichah. This takes up most of the morning until midday. Many visit Jewish graves on Tisha B'Av to rouse the souls of the dead to beg for mercy for us. The fast ends after nightfall (Tzeit Hakochavim, appearance of the stars) on Sunday. It is customary to recite Kiddush Levanah, "Sanctification of the Moon" after the evening service after end of the fast. Monday 11 August / 10 Av The prohibitions against haircuts, washing, laundering and consumption of meat and wine are observed until midday today, since the fire that engulfed the Temple on 9 Av continued burning until the 10th. Today is the anniversary of the birth and death of Issachar, son of Jacob and Leah. Friday night-Saturday 15-16 August / 15 Av Shabbat NACHAMU, Parshat VE-ETCHANAN Torah reading: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11; Haftara: Isaiah 40:1–26, "Comfort ye (nachamu), my people..." The Fifteen of Av (Tu B'Av) is one of the holiest, albeit hidden, festivals of the Torah calendar, marking the day when death ceased for the generation of the wilderness and the reconciliation of the Tribes of Israel with the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 21:19; Ta'anit 30b). Today is particularly propitious for prayers for one's Zivvug -- marriage partner. Obama: "Israelis crazy not to accept Saudi peace plan"http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2008/07/obama-israelis-crazy-not-to-accept.html
Why Are They There?While other people may question why they should even bother dealing with the people around them, a Chabad shaliach understands with certainty that the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent him to that very location specifically to deal with those people. Yet, why should it be that it is only the Chabad shaliach who views the world with this unique perspective? Didn't Hashem send each and every one of us to the locations where we now reside and surround us with the people He wants us to interact with? How often do we stop, look around us, and consider that every single person we see is there because Hashem wants these people to be in our lives? There may be times when we may not care to deal with some of them, yet how can we be so dismissive of them? If there was absolutely no reason for us to come into contact with them during the course of our day, why are they there to begin with? Seal of King Zedekiah's minister found in J'lem digJul. 31, 2008 Etgar Lefkovits , THE JERUSALEM POST
www.jpost.comservlet/Satellite?cid=1215331162371&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull A seal impression belonging to a minister of the Biblical King Zedekiah
which dates back 2,600 years has been uncovered completely intact during an archeological dig in Jerusalem's ancient City of David, a prominent Israeli archeologist said on Thursday. The seal impression, or bulla, with the name Gedalyahu ben Pashur, who
served as minister to King Zedekiah (597-586 BCE) according to the Book of Jeremiah, was found just meters away from a separate seal impression of another of Zedekia's ministers, Yehukual ben Shelemyahu, which was uncovered three years ago, said Prof. Eilat Mazar who is leading the dig at the site. The excavation at the history-rich City of David, which is located just
outside the walls of the Old City near Dung Gate, has proven, in recent years, to be a treasure trove for archeologists. "On the one hand it is so unexpected to find such a fragile bulla in such
harsh conditions of excavation, while on the other hand it was logical to find precisely here the bulla of Gedalyahu ben Pashur - only meters away from the place where we found the bulla of Yehukhal ben Shelemyahu - since these two ministers are mentioned side by side in the Bible as having served together in the kingdom of King Zedekiah," Mazar said. The first bulla was uncovered inside an impressive stone structure, which
Mazar believes is the Palace of David, while the second bulla was found at the foot of the external wall of the same structure, under a tower that was built in the days of Nehemiah. Both of the bullae with the names of the two ministers, measuring 1 cm. in
diameter each, were found among the debris of the destruction of the First Temple period. The letters are in ancient Hebrew and are very clearly preserved, Mazar said. Both ministers are mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38 1-4) along
with two other ministers when they came to King Zedekiah demanding the death of the prophet Jeremiah for preaching to the besieged city to surrender. Mazar said it was "absolutely fantastic" to have uncovered the seals
"complete and in perfect condition" after 2,600 years, affording scholars a clear read of the names that were impressed on them. "It is not very often that such a discovery happens in which real figures of
the past shake off the dust of history and so vividly revive the stories of the Bible," she said. The archeologist, who rose to international prominence for her excavation
that may have uncovered the Biblical palace of King David nearby, has been at the forefront of a series of back-to-back Jerusalem archeological finds, including the remnants of a wall from the Biblical prophet Nehemiah, also in the area. Other Biblical-era bullae were previously found a quarter century ago at the
City of David site. In 1982, the Israeli archeologist Yigal Shiloh discovered a cache of bullae in a nearby site, including one with the name of Gemaryahu ben Shaphan - mentioned in the Bible as a minister and scribe during the reign of King Jehoiakim (608-597 BCE). The current dig is being conducted on behalf of the Shalem center, a
Jerusalem research institute, and the right-wing City of David Foundation, and was carried out under the academic auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Interview: Son of Hamas leader who converted to Christianity* This is a long article, but well worth reading. Prodigal son
By Avi Issacharoff Haaretz (Magazine secion) Last update - 18:52 31/07/2008 www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007462.html CALIFORNIA - A moment before beginning his dinner, Masab, son of West Bank
Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef, glances at the friend who has accompanied him to the restaurant where we met. They whisper a few words and then say grace, thanking God and Jesus for putting food on their plates. It takes a few seconds to digest this sight: The son of a Hamas MP who is
also the most popular figure in that extremist Islamic organization in the West Bank, a young man who assisted his father for years in his political activities, has become a rank-and-file Christian. A few seconds later, he is savoring his meal, explaining that he hasn't been eating much recently because of financial problems. During the past week he has been living with the friend, a Christian, of course, whom he met at church. "Without him," he says, "I would have become homeless." The younger Yousef is well aware of the implications of this interview, and
how it will likely offend his family, as well as of the slim chance that he will be able to return to Ramallah one day. But apparently he is on a crusade of his own. "I know that I'm endangering my life and am even liable to lose my father, but I hope that he'll understand this and that God will give him and my family the patience and willingness to open their eyes to Jesus and to Christianity. Maybe one day I'll be able to return to Palestine and to Ramallah together with Jesus, in the Kingdom of God." "I'm now called Joseph," he says at the outset. A few seconds earlier he had
received me with greetings in Arabic: "Ahalan wasahalan. I'm very excited that you're here," he said, switching to a few words in Hebrew: "Shalom, ma nishma [What's up]?" he laughed. We met for the first time about four years ago, outside the military prison
at the Ofer Camp, only about half a kilometer from the family home in the town of Bitunia, near Ramallah. His father, not a member of parliament at the time, was one of the founders of Hamas in the West Bank and one of the prisoners' leaders; he was supposed to be released after several years' imprisonment for membership in the organization. In order to arrange an interview with Sheikh Hassan Yousef (Abu Masab), I had to speak to his eldest son, Masab, who was expected to take an active part in running his father's political affairs in the future. When I saw him in the prison parking lot I was surprised by his unusual appearance, which deviated from the dress code expected of relatives of senior Hamas leaders. Without a beard or even a goatee, he sported a Western haircut, jeans and a motorcyclist's leather jacket. But the media uproar that accompanied his father's appearance made me forget his "improper" appearance. Since then, the young man has hardly changed. He is 30 years old and has
lost several kilos ("because I don't eat much"), his hair is short, he is suntanned and looks like just another young Israeli in California. Most of the interview is conducted in English, mostly so that his friend Ryan will understand. "As a child I grew up in a very religious family, on the principle of hatred
of Israelis. The first time I encountered them was at about the age of 10, when soldiers entered our home and arrested my father. Until then I had never been separated from him. We didn't know anything about the circumstances of his arrest. His membership in Hamas was a secret matter, and we certainly didn't think he was one of its founders. I didn't understand anything about politics or religion. I only knew that the Israeli army had arrested my father repeatedly, and for me he was everything: a good, loving man who would do anything for me. He took care of us, bought us gifts, gave of himself, whereas the soldiers entered our house and took him away from me. In high school I studied sharia, Islamic law. In 1996, when I was only 18, I was arrested by the Israel Defense Forces because I was the head of the Islamic Society in my high school. It's a kind of youth movement of the organization. And my process of awakening began." What happened?
Masab-Joseph: "Until then I knew Hamas through my father, who lived a very
modest and loving life. At first I really admired the organization, mainly because I admired my father so much. But during the 16 months I spent in prison I was exposed to the true face of Hamas. It's a negative organization. As simple as that. A fundamentally bad organization. I sat in Megiddo Prison and suddenly I understood who the real Hamas was. Their leaders in prison received better conditions, such as the best food, as well as more family visits and towels for the shower. These people have no morals, they have no integrity. But they aren't as stupid as Fatah, which steals in broad daylight in front of everyone and is immediately suspected of corruption. [Hamas people] receive money in dishonest ways, invest it in secret places, and outwardly maintain a simple lifestyle. Sooner or later they will use this money and screw the people. "Nobody knows them and how they operate as well as I do. For example, I
remember how the family of Saleh Talahmeh, a member of the military arm of Hamas, who was assassinated by Israel, was forced to beg for financial assistance because they were left with nothing after his death. The Hamas leadership abandoned them as well as the families of other shaheeds [martyrs], while the senior members of the organization abroad wasted tens of thousand of dollars a month only on security for themselves." For example?
"Even some of the current leaders of Hamas were involved in the past in the
'security arm' in the prisons, so that he is among those responsible for these acts. They were suspicious of prisoners who spent too much time in the bathroom, even if it was only an upset stomach. They suspected that the prisoner was transferring information or alternatively having sexual relations with other men. A homosexual. The gays were immediately suspected of collaboration. Then I understood that not everyone in Hamas is like my father. He's a nice, friendly man. But I discovered how evil his colleagues are. After my release I lost the faith I had in those who ostensibly represented Islam." Were you tortured?
"No. I enjoyed immunity because of my father's status."
'Jesus loves me'
Masab-Joseph has five brothers and two sisters. He is in regular contact
with them and keeps them informed of his situation. However, until recently he refrained from telling his family that he had converted to Christianity, and at the time of this interview his father the sheikh still did not know that his son had converted. And in spite of the secrecy surrounding his conversion, sometimes he seems like a veteran missionary who is trying to get entire communities to change. "You'll see, this interview will open many people's eyes, it will shake Islam from the roots, and I'm not exaggerating. What other case do you know where a son of a Hamas leader, who was raised on the tenets of extremist Islam, comes out against it? Although I was never a terrorist, I was a part of them, surrounded by them all the time." How were you exposed to Christianity?
"It began about eight years ago. I was in Jerusalem and I received an
invitation to come and hear about Christianity. Out of curiosity I went. I was very enthusiastic about what I heard. I began to read the Bible every day and I continued with religion lessons. I did it in secret, of course. I used to travel to the Ramallah hills, to places like the Al Tira neighborhood, and to sit there quietly with the amazing landscape and read the Bible. A verse like "Love thine enemy" had a great influence on me. At this stage I was still a Muslim and I thought that I would remain one. But every day I saw the terrible things done in the name of religion by those
who considered themselves 'great believers.' I studied Islam more thoroughly and found no answers there. I reexamined the Koran and the principals of the faith and found how it is mistaken and misleading. The Muslims borrowed rituals and traditions from all the surrounding religions." But they all did that.
He doesn't respond to this comment directly. "I feel that Christianity has
several aspects. It's not only a religion but a faith. I now see God through Jesus and can tell about him for days on end, whereas the Muslims won't be able to say anything about God. I consider Islam a big lie. The people who supposedly represent the religion admired Mohammed more than God, killed innocent people in the name of Islam, beat their wives and don't have any idea what God is. I have no doubt that they'll go to Hell. I have a message for them: There is only one way to Paradise - the way of Jesus who sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us." Four years ago, he decided to convert. He says that nobody in his family
knew about it. "Only those Christians with whom I met and spent time knew about my decision. For years I helped my father, the Hamas leader, and he didn't know that I had converted, only that I had Christian friends." I remember how you dressed at the time. How were you accepted in Hamas?
"You have to understand, I was never one of them. Although I helped my
father and accompanied him, I was always opposed to the use of terror. Hamas members didn't like me. I didn't come to pray in the mosques, I hung around with strangers. They didn't like my leather jacket or even my jeans. They considered it going astray. But I helped my father and conducted his affairs because he's my father, not because he's a leader in Hamas. I'm not a Hamas activist who converted to Christianity. That's not the story. I wanted to help my father understand that harming innocent people is forbidden and through him perhaps to change other people's thinking." What is Hamas' attitude toward Christians? What is your father's attitude?
"When I was with my father, I in effect pushed a moderate Hamas leader into
making logical decisions, such as stopping the attacks and establishing two states alongside one another. I felt responsible. It was better for me to be there rather than a gang of fools who would poison his mind. I tried to understand those people, their thoughts, in order to change them from inside by means of a strong person like my father, who admitted to me in the past that he does not support suicide attacks. He thinks that harming innocent people gives the organization a bad name. The sheikh once said to me that when he sees an insect outside the house he is careful not to harm it, 'so what can I say about harming civilians?' "But within Hamas there were other leaders, mainly from the Gaza Strip and
Damascus, who thought they had to continue with suicide attacks as an effective means of achieving their aims. The problem was that they were stronger than my father in terms of their status in the organization. What helped stop the attacks in the final analysis was Israel's attacks against the Hamas leaders." How involved was your father in making decisions in Hamas?
"He had no connection to the military arm, but they always consulted him
about strategic decisions. The Hamas leadership did not make decisions only according to the opinion of the organization leaders in Syria or Gaza. However, you have to remember that the Hamas leadership in Damascus was in control of the organization's money. Therefore it had the most influence on organization policy. They were also the only ones who were not restricted in contacting one another, as opposed to the leaderships in the West Bank and Gaza, so that they also served as go-betweens among all the groups in Hamas. And incidentally, although they now claim that the revolution in Gaza was not planned, I can tell you from clear knowledge that a year earlier, in the summer of 2006, they spoke among themselves to the effect that if the tension with Fatah continued, they intended to take control of the Strip." Regards to Israel
Masab-Joseph listens to singer Eyal Golan in his free time. "I've been
listening to his music for 10 years," he says. "I like his voice but don't always understand the words." However, his favorite singer is Leonard Cohen. "He's a Canadian Jew," he explains. He has a bachelor's degree in geography and history from the Al-Quds Open
University in Ramallah, but in the United States he has difficulty finding work. He has plenty of free time, and participates in religion lessons and prayers in the church at least once a week. Every few days he plays football with friends from the church, and surfing is a must. This is California, after all. When he was working in his father's office, he encountered Hamas leaders as
well as members of the Palestinian and Israeli security services and Israeli journalists, who often spoke with the sheikh. He does not conceal the fact that he supported contact with the Israeli media and has almost warm feelings for Israel. "Send regards to Israel, I miss it." You miss Israel?
"I respect Israel and admire it as a country. I'm opposed to a policy of
killing civilians, or using them as a means to an end, and I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself. The Palestinians, if they don't have an enemy to fight, will fight each other. In about 20 years from now you'll remember what I'm telling you, the conflict will be among various groups within Hamas. They're already beginning to quarrel over control of the money." He does not conceal his abhorrence of everything representing the human
surroundings in which he grew up: the nation, the religion, the organization. "You Jews should be aware: You will never, but never have peace with Hamas.
Islam, as the ideology that guides them, will not allow them to achieve a peace agreement with the Jews. They believe that tradition says that the Prophet Mohammed fought against the Jews and that therefore they must continue to fight them to the death. They have to take revenge against anyone who did not agree to accept the Prophet Mohammed, like the Jews who are seen in the Koran as monkeys and the sons of pigs. They speak in terms of historical rights that were taken from them. In the view of Hamas, peace with Israel contradicts sharia and the Koran, and the Jews have no right to remain in Palestine." Is that the justification for the suicide attacks?
"More than that. An entire society sanctifies death and the suicide
terrorists. In Palestinian culture a suicide terrorist becomes a hero, a martyr. Sheikhs tell their students about the 'heroism of the shaheeds' and that causes the young people to imitate the suicide bombers, in order to achieve glory. I'll give you an example. I once met a young man named Dia Tawil. He was a quiet boy, an outstanding student. Not a Muslim extremist and not radical in his ideas against the Israelis. I never heard extreme statements from him. He didn't even come from a religious family: His father was a communist and his sister was a journalist who didn't wear a head covering. But Bilal Barghouti [one of the heads of the military arm of Hamas in the West Bank] didn't need more than a few months to convince him to become a suicide terrorist." (Tawil, 19, blew himself up in March 2001 next to a bus at the French Hill junction in Jerusalem; 31 people were wounded.) "Do you know that Hamas was the first to use the weapon of suicide bombers
against civilian targets?" he continues. "They are blind and ignorant. It's true, there are good and bad people everywhere, but Hamas supporters don't understand that they are led by a wicked and cruel group that brainwashes the children and gets them to believe that if they carry out a suicide attack they'll get to Paradise. But no suicide bomber will find himself there and no virgins are waiting for them after they have carried out an attack. They have to understand that Islam was created by people and not by God." Were there good people in Hamas?
"In my eyes there were all cruel, ugly inside. But I think that Mahmoud
Zahar [one of the leaders of Hamas in Gaza] is one of the worst." And yet, in spite of the criticism of the place he left, California can't
make the longings disappear. "I miss Ramallah," he says. "People with an open mind. I liked to walk around among the buildings, the restaurants, the people, to feel the night life. I have many friends there whom I would like to see and I don't know whether I'll be able to do that at all. I mainly miss my mother, my brothers and sisters, but I know that it will be very difficult for me to return to Ramallah soon." Cloudy future
In spite of his financial distress, the severance from his family and the
loneliness, during the entire interview he sounded determined and sure of himself. "I hope that I'll succeed one day in becoming a writer, in order to write about my personal story and about the Middle East conflict. But at the moment, at least, my ambitions are only to find work, a place to live. I have no money, I have no apartment. I was about to become one of those homeless people, but people from the church are helping me. I'm dependent on them." Why did you leave? After all, there are other Christians in Ramallah.
"I left behind a great deal of property in Ramallah in order to achieve true
freedom. I wanted to get to quiet surroundings that would help me to open the eyes of the Muslims and reveal the truth to them about their religion and about Christianity, to take them out of the darkness and the prison of Islam. In that way they'll have an opportunity to correct their mistakes, to become better people and to bring a chance for peace in the Middle East. I don't give Islam a chance to survive for more than 25 years. In the past they scared people and in that way they prevented anti-religious publicity, but today, in the modern age, they won't be able to hide the truth any longer." At the moment he doesn't have a partner, but he is relying on help from
above on this matter, too. "I hope that someday God will give the opportunity to meet the right one. She will have to be a believing Christian, and if she's a Jew who converted, even better." There are things that Masab-Joseph is still afraid to talk about. In the
middle of the meeting he wanted us to go outside the restaurant in order to make sure that I wasn't carrying listening or recording devices. "Many people will hate me for this interview, but I'm telling them that I
love all of them, even those who hate me. I invite all the people, including the terrorists among them, to open their hearts and believe. Now I'm trying to establish an international organization for young people that will teach about Christianity, love and peace in the territories, too. I would like to teach the young people how to love and forgive, because that's the only way the two nations can overcome the mistakes of the past and live in peace." Muslims Killing Muslims: 10 Mil since 1948Posted on October 9, 2007 by wasteofmyoxygenhttp://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=F3DBDA14-AD32-4BAB-8791-F7AB3AA7DE5D
By Gunnar Heinsohn and Daniel Pipes ''ACT as posted a set of statistics that demonstrates the real violence against Muslims, it is not Jews, Christians or even America that is leading the pack in Muslim Genocide, but rather other Muslims. These numbers (almost 10 million killed by other Muslims) defy rationality and surely anyone with half a brain can see where the real problem lies. Islam may or may not be a peaceful religion, but the people who dominate the religion and are the face that the world sees as representation of the religion, surely are far from peaceful.''
Demographic Optimism, Not FatalismBy Yoram Ettinger
The Washington Jewish Week, July 25, 2008
-------------------------
''Anyone suggesting that Jews are doomed to become a minority west of the Jordan River is either grossly mistaken or outrageously misleading.'' * Read This and read it again, and send it to anyone you think needs to know it. -ty
The secular Jewish sector is mostly responsible to the impressive increase, especially
Soviet Olim, who shifted from Russian fertility rate of 1 child per woman to the secular Israeli
Jewish rate of 2.2 children. Arab-Jewish fertility gap has been reduced from
6 children per woman in 1969 to 0.7 child in 2007! Arab fertility rate (3.5 births per woman) has declined 20 year faster than projected - due to successful integration into Israel's health, educational, financial and commercial infrastructures - while Jewish fertility rate is rising (2.8 births per woman). Arab-Jewish fertility rates have converged in Jerusalem -
3.9 births per woman - for the first time since 1948. Currently, Israel's Jewish fertility is the highest in the industrialized world. The Bennett Zimmerman-led "American-Israel Demographic Research Group" (AIDRG) documents a substantial decline of Arab population growth rate in Judea & Samaria and Gaza, primarily, due to annual average net-emigration of well over 10,000 (some 80% from Judea & Samaria). Emigration was encouraged by King Hussein, but was slowed down in 1968 due to the access gained by Palestinians to Israel's health, educational and employment base. However, emigration has escalated since 2000 due to the Second Intifadah, and shifted
to a higher gear following the ascension of Hamas to power and the subsequent civil war with Fatah. Arab net-emigration from Judea & Samaria
and Gaza has peaked (25,000 annually in 2006 and 2007) with the rising price of oil, which has increased demand by Persian Gulf sheikdoms for Palestinian workforce. At the same time, the Jewish State has benefited from annual Aliya since 1882, in defiance of Israel's demographic establishment, which has projected - since 1944 - no substantial waves of Aliya. A decline in Judea & Samaria and Gaza Arab fertility has been documented by AIDRG, which audited Palestinian births, deaths, school enrollment and voter registration records, kept by the Palestinian Ministries of Health and Education, Palestinian Election Commission and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The decline in fertility is attributed to accelerated urbanization, expanded education, evolving career mentality, higher divorce rate, higher median wedding-age, decline in teen-pregnancy and intense family planning, led by the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA. In fact, such a decline is typical of today's Muslim countries, forcing the UN Population Division to reduce global population projections by 25%. The unprecedented drop in Muslim fertility has been led by Iran's Ayatollahs and Mullahs: from 10 children per woman twenty five years ago to 1.8 children today. AIDRG documents a 1.1MN (40%) artificial inflation in the official number of Palestinians in Gaza, Judea & Samaria (2.7MN and not 3.8MN) and a 53% inflation in the official number of Palestinians in Judea & Samaria alone (1.5MN and not 2.3MN). The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) includes in its census some 400,000 overseas residents, it adds over 200,000 Israeli (Jerusalem) Arabs who are also counted as "Green Line" Arabs, it ignores about 200,000 emigrants (since 1997), etc. The World Bank 2006 survey of education, in Judea & Samaria and Gaza, documents a 32% gap between the number of Palestinian births claimed by the PCBS, and those documented by the Palestinian Ministries of Health and Education. The World Bank attributes the gap to reduced fertility and escalated emigration. A solid 67% Jewish majority exists on 98.5% of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean (without Gaza). There is a demographic problem, but there is no demographic machete at the throat of the Jewish State. Moreover, the demographic momentum has shifted to the Jewish sector. Demography constitutes a source of hope and optimism, not fatalism and pessimism, when it comes to long-term social, economic, Aliya and national security policy decision-making. Paper, rapped for outing Obama note, claims campaign pre-approved leak
Barak Obama and Tisha B'AvThe Rise of Mister Vhttp://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/current_affairs/
barak (Hebrew) - lightning; flash; glitter, shine; veneer Image, left: Israeli President Peres with Obama, "Mister V" Mister V is a great code-name for Bara(c)k Hussein Obama for two "V" reasons: First, according to the way we're reading the spiritual map, BHO will be victorious in the upcoming Presidential election. That's right, it looks like he'll be the next President of the United States. Second, he's got the best veneer in town, a smile that Colgate or Crest would pay millions for, and a kaleidoscopic tongue that plays whatever music his listeners want to hear. Hashem makes drastic changes overnight to expedite the process of Geula, the full redemption of our people. Overnight, an insignificant beer-guzzling Austrian barstool-jockey corporal named Adolph Shicklegruber (aka Hitler) came out of nowhere to become the Fuhrer - the absolute dictator of Europe's most cultured nation that also overnight turned into a country of bloodthirsty savages. Mister V is part of the Geula blueprint. Hashem took him out of nowhere too. He hasn't even finished his freshman term in the Senate, and he's already the Dem's candidate for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW. How did it happen? On July 27th, 2004 Senate candidate Barack Obama spoke to delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Some call it "The Speech", a 17 minute star-making turn. Obama walked on stage an unknown, and walked off as a star. Four months after the convention, Obama won the U.S. Senate seat in a landslide. Now hear this: July 27th, 2004 was the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, "Tisha B'Av." This is a perpetual day of calamity for the Jewish people when among other disasters, both Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed. Mister V, finishing up his glittering tour of Israel today, has wrapped all the anti-emuna feeble-brained politicians around his pinky finger. Abu Mazen and Said Ereket of the Palestinian Authority are dying for Mister V to be elected. We know all the triple talk that he said to the Jews, but we don't know a thing of what he said to the Arabs. I wonder why they're so fond of him... Your friend Lazer says once again that it's high time for teshuva. By teshuva, I don't mean simply going through the motions of Jewish rituals, but establishing a sincere and personal relationship with Hashem. Don't think that the rocky road to redemption is only our problem over here in Israel. Many thousands of people are waking up here, for there's no lack of stimuli. But, if our beloved brothers and sisters outside of Israel don't wake up on their own, then the Global Jihad just might remind them that it's time to return to Hashem. Here's a Geula prediction: Mister V will negotiate (and be buddies) with Iran, Syria, and everyone else, and Israel will stand alone with no one to turn to but Hashem. I like Mister V because I'm looking forward to that day. Wait and see how emuna will win and reign. This is getting exciting. |
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