As reported in Arutz Sheva and numerous other sources today, Howard Kohr, AIPAC’s CEO expressed strong support for the establishment of a Palestinian state during his address to the organization’s 2018 conference in Washington DC Sunday night, warning that the Jewish state will never live securely “until she is at peace with all her neighbors”.

AFSI is strongly opposed to Howard Kohr’s statement. His words reflects the fantasy that sanctioning a Palestinian state will put a stop to the ongoing acts of terror Palestinians commit against the Jewish people. In this fantasy will there be an end to the financial rewards given to those who do commit these heinous acts? Kohr fails to mention the Palestinians continued refusal to recognize Israel as a legitimate state. Does the fact that Mahmoud Abbas brainwashes his people and lavishly spends on his needs (a $50 million presidential plane) while neglecting to take care of his people illustrate that statehood is the right solution?

It’s disturbing that Kohr fails to see the critical facts on why a two-state plan IS NOT THE SOLUTION. His comment in reference to Israel, “until she is at peace with all her neighbors,” clearly puts the blame on Israel and for a leader of such a high-profile pro-Israel advocacy group to state this….we think it’s disgraceful

“We must all work toward that future: two states for two peoples,” said Kohr. “One Jewish with secure and defensible borders, and one Palestinian with its own flag and its own future. Today that dream seems remote. This is tragic.”

Mr. Kohr, you are dreaming. Your dream is remote because you failed to state support for Israel as a nation under the constant threat of terror. Your endorsement of a Palestinian state rewards terrorists and this is not a dream – it’s a nightmare. Maybe you need to go back to sleep, dream a different dream, and wake up.

These are photos taken at AFSI’s December 22, 2015 rally in support of Elisha Odess. With us are his grandmother, aunt and uncle. We were chastised for coming to Elisha’s defense while the world was busy “price-tagging” him. We knew he was innocent then, and we know it now. It’s time that the Israeli government said so.

In July 2015, an arson attack in the Arab city of Duma, was responsible for the deaths of members of a PA family. Although it was well known that an 18 year-old feud existed between Arab clans in the city, responsibility for the attack was immediately placed on the “price-tag” Jews who had been accused of retaliating for murders of Jews. In January 2016, two Israeli Jews were indicted in the case. One was a 17-year-old boy, Elisha Odess, who was imprisoned, tortured, both physically and mentally, kept in solitary confinement, denied his religious observances, and allowed only brief visits with his family. Elisha is still in prison, although NO evidence has been found to tie him to the arson attack. There is no evidence that a trial is planned.

In Israel, a country that prides itself on its morality, its ethics, and its democratic values, it is beyond comprehension that a Jewish boy should be subjected to the torture that Elisha Odess has experienced and should be imprisoned without a trial for two years. Regardless of the outcome of the situation, and we trust he will be exonerated, if and when there is a trial, he can never resume normal life. The trauma to which he has been subjected is so inhumane as to be almost impossible to overcome.

We ask that each person write to Ambassador Ron Dermer expressing concern about this miscarriage of justice, and ask the Ambassador to use his influence to secure the release of Israeli/American Elisha Odess, or at least bring him to trial so his innocence can be established.

CLICK HERE for a sample letter to write to Ambassador Dermer.

“After much effort, the Supreme Court agreed to the State’s request and delayed the Netiv Ha’avot eviction by three months. This was a humanitarian decision made in order to allow the residents to move ‘from their homes to their new homes.’ Obviously, it would have been better if the original appeal [to destroy the homes] had been rejected outright. Now, we are working to build a new town for them,” Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Education Minister Naftali Bennett said.

“We thank the extreme left-wing organizations for their success in creating a new town in Judea and Samaria, one which cannot be destroyed. For every home evicted due to leftist appeals, we will build a new town.”

Read the Arutz Sheva report 

As we rejoice in the victory of the Jews over the evil Haman while reading the Megillah of Esther, it is important to realize that “there is nothing new under the sun.” The Persia of 5th Century BC is not unlike the Iran of today. While the King of Persia, Ahashveurus, is clearly manipulated by the evil Haman, and the Jews are only rescued because of the efforts of Mordechai and Queen Esther, today’s mullahs in Iran seem to know just what they are saying and doing.

While working on a nuclear bomb, shooting off ballistic missiles inscribed with the intent to destroy Israel, arming Hezbollah on the Syrian/Lebanese border and Hamas in Gaza, denying the Holocaust, there is no reason to doubt their desired intent to “erase the Zionist entity.” Let us hope that the Purim story is prophetic, and that the evil Iranian plotters will “swing from the gallows erected for Mordechai”, just as Haman did.

Another key instruction in the Book of Esther is the fact that we can’t sit idly by while our people are threatened. Mordechai tells Esther, when she hesitates about going before the King without being summoned, that she will suffer the same fate as her brethren if she doesn’t intervene. This is the driving force in AFSI’s activism. We cannot wait until we personally bleed but must speak out and get involved when danger is sighted. The noise of the Purim grogger, at the mention of Haman’s name, is a reminder that we must make noise also – in defense of our freedom and our people.

AFSI would like to thank the Estate of Samuel Dyen for his generous gift.

Bequests are an important link between our past and the future and have always played an important role in providing valuable support for AFSI

If you would like to consider naming AFSI in your will, and to discuss in confidence, please contact Judy Kadish.

On February 7, 2018, the first International Legal Forum for Israel brought 150 top legal experts from around the world to Jerusalem for a three-day conference. Under the leadership of Yifa Segal, Director of the International Legal Forum, with the cooperation of the Israel Bar Association and Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs, led by Minister Gilad Erdan, the Forum focused on countering international BDS efforts. Alex Traiman writes about this for JNS: https://www.jns.org/legal-summit-in-jerusalem-tackles-moves-against-international-bds-efforts/.

Below is a video capturing some of the highlights of this landmark conference.

AFSI’s co-Executive Directors, Helen Freedman and Judy Freedman Kadish, were with Senator Tom Cotton, (R-AR) at a NORPAC event held at the home of Careena and Drew Parker in Englewood N.J. on Sunday morning, Feb. 25. Senator Cotton, who served in the U.S. Army from 2005-2009, graduated from Harvard University, and began his Senate term in 2014, impressed the large audience with his apparently total devotion to Israel and its concerns. On the topics of Iran, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Mahmoud Abbas, the U.N., and more, Senator Cotton drew applause and thanks. We are fortunate to have Senator Tom Cotton in our corner.

Under a declaration of cooperation, the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad (CPAHA) and the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs agreed to work together to preserve the cultural heritage of their citizens in Europe, including cemeteries, monuments, and archival material, which were decimated by the Holocaust and decades of communist rule.

Arutz Sheva reports that “Under Ambassador Friedman’s leadership partnering strategically with Israel has never been easier. We were able to accomplish this important milestone in record time because of the trust and credibility that the Ambassador on behalf of President Donald Trump has restored to America’s crucial relationship with the State of Israel.”

The Jerusalem Post reports that three Arab citizens of Israel from the village of Um el-Fahm were indicted Monday for plotting a terrorist attack on the Temple Mount in the name of Islamic State, the Shin Bet security agency announced.

According to the Shin Bet, the cell planned to carry out a shooting attack at the al-Aksa Mosque compound similar to the July 17 attack in which two Israeli police officers were murdered.