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July 24, 2015: From All Sides

This is a posting that begs to be written, even as I do my Shabbat preparations.  Shabbat is actually Tisha B’Av – the ninth of Av, which commemorates a host of tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, most significantly the destruction of the Temples.  Because we do not mourn on Shabbat, the observance begins immediately after Shabbat into Sunday.
 
We must seek an especially meaningful fast this year – with a maximum in prayer and contemplation, for we are facing down so much that is dire.  

Credit: NJJewishnews

  

 

Credit: Levlalev
 
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They seem to be coming at us from all sides. And so, while we battle the farcical accords with Iran, we have to stand our ground – literally and figuratively – in many other spheres at the same time.
 
I think perhaps there is a notion that they can kick us while we’re down. But you know what? We are not going down.
 
In coming posts I will share additional information on ways in which we are demonstrating strength.
 
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Typical of what we are contending with is the issue of the illegal Arab village in Susiya.  Ari Briggs of Regavim has done an op-ed on this, “The Invention of the Village of Susiyah” (emphasis added):
 
”On July 16 the daily press briefing of the US State Department astonished legal circles in Israel.

”… State Department spokesperson John Kirby with a prepared statement pressured Israel not to enforce demolition orders against an illegal Arab encampment adjacent to the Jewish community of Susiya. The State Department took this stand despite the fact that these demolition orders had been confirmed by Israel’s High Court in May 2015 after decades of appeals.

The Israelis were astonished for two reasons. One, the State Department was apparently misinformed about basic facts of the case. Two, the statement appears to be an arrogant attempt to undermine the Israeli legal system, including its universally respected High Court.

”The High Court found that these assertions were demonstrably false, based on comprehensive objective historical and geographical accounts. Historical aerial photography, detailed mandatory maps, travelogues from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the population registry all established that their assertions were a fabrication. Fact: no such village ever existed. The High Court has ruled repeatedly against these false assertions (HC 7530/01, 430/12, 1556/12, 1420/14).

However, the Nawajah family’s ‘struggle’ has become a cause célèbre of the cadre of foreigners and foreign-funded NGOs intent on harming Israel and its standing worldwide through untruths, misrepresentations and outright lies.

”…apparently the State Department failed to realize that the High Court established that the Nawajah family members have permanent homes in Yata, a city in Area A, under full Palestinian Authority rule (HCJ 430/12 and HCJ 1556/12).

”Moreover, Regavim’s research has established that like other PA residents from Areas A & B, the Nawajah family are being encouraged by the PA in accordance with the Fayyad Plan (2009) and assisted by the EU (EU report “Area C and Palestinian State Building”– 2011) to illegally establish facts on the ground in Area C (under full Israeli authority, as per Oslo Accords)…”

 
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Comment-The-invention-of-the-village-of-Susiya-409861
 
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It seemed important to me to inform my readers about this because of the huge press this is getting.  You need the facts, as the lie is advanced that Israel is in the wrong, mistreating poor, suffering Arabs once again and trampling on their “rights.”  It is astounding, the degree to which the world thinks it has a right to a say with regard to legal matters inside of Israel.  This hugely important fight against international claims is being fought by Regavim (http://www.regavim.org.il/en).
 
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Then see this report from UN Watch, yet another fine organization that is fighting the good fight:
 
“Israel was the only country in the world to be condemned at the ECOSOC [UN Economic and Social Council] annual session when a resolution adopted on Monday by 42 of 54 member states, including all EU members – with only Australia and the US opposed – excoriated the Jewish state for a litany of crimes including ‘the dumping of all kinds of waste materials in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.
 
The EU-backed resolution mentions Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the PLO for a total of 0 times. (emphasis in the original)
http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1314451&ct=14743407

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That a UN agency behaves thus is hardly surprising.  But loud warning bells are sounded regarding the degree to which the EU is complicit.  Western Europe is lost.

For a hint as to how lost Europe is, consider this:

“French President Francois Hollande conferred with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani Thursday…

“’The two leaders also agreed to…step up bilateral cooperation in this new context,’ the presidency said in a statement.

Hollande ‘expressed the wish for Iran to contribute positively to the resolution of crises in the Middle East.’” (Emphasis added)

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hollande-rouhani-discuss-iran-deal-implementation/

Come again??

I will follow with more regarding EU plans for BDS and intentions to pressure us into a “two state solution.” 

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Let me circle back now to a couple of items related to the Iran deal.

It has been exposed that the US had forged some secret annexes with Iran. Once again, ZOA has put out an informative release on the matter (emphasis added):

”…secret annexes to the nuclear agreement concluded by the P5+1 powers (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, including the United States, plus Germany) and Iran that have emerged – about which neither the U.S. Congress nor the American public were told. These secret annexes concern Iran’s military base at Parchin which, like other Iranian military sites, are off-limits to nuclear inspectors under the agreement, and Iran’s failure to disclose its past nuclear-related military and procurement activities as was once demanded of it. The ZOA has called upon President Obama to fully disclose the nature of these aspects of the nuclear agreement, noting that President Obama committed to fully disclose the full agreement to Congressional scrutiny.

“The secret annexes were discovered by Senator Tom Cotton (R–AK) and Congressmen Mike Pompeo (R–KS) during a July 17 meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials in Vienna. Both legislators said:

“’According to the IAEA, the Iran agreement negotiators, including the Obama administration, agreed that the IAEA and Iran would forge separate arrangements to govern the inspection of the Parchin military complex — one of the most secretive military facilities in Iran — and how Iran would satisfy the IAEA’s outstanding questions regarding past weaponization work. Both arrangements will not be vetted by any organization other than Iran and the IAEA, and will not be released even to the nations that negotiated the JCPOA [Iran nuclear agreement]. This means that the secret arrangements have not been released for public scrutiny and have not been submitted to Congress as part of its legislatively mandated review of the Iran deal.’”

http://zoa.org/2015/07/10291332-pres-obama-must-disclose-iran-deal-secret-annexes/

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NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind participated with others, included Helen Freedman of AFSI, in a protest outside of the office of Senator Chuck Schumer yesterday, calling upon him to declare his intention to vote against the Iran deal. Schumer is a Democratic Senator of considerable clout in the party, and his refusal to date to make a definitive statement regarding his opposition to the deal is shameful.
 
Hikind and Freedman, along with others, were arrested in the course of the demonstration:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL0ODfbr4nY
 
“Shomer” means guardian in Hebrew.  Schumer is being called on to fulfill his role as a shomer.
 
If you live in NY, please, be in touch with Senator Schumer, preferably by phone:
 
New York:          
212-486-4430

Washington, D.C.: 
202-224-6542
 
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To the people of Israel, unity and strength.

Credit: Jewlicious

 

Credit: mymorningmeditations
 
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SHABBAT SHALOM!

 

 
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© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 
 
If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

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