Category: Articles

Supreme Court Visit

The Israel Independence Fund, led by Aharon Pulvér, finally, after waiting two years, had their Temple Mount case heard before three judges of the Supreme Court. The IIF has claimed that Jewish civil rights have been violated for years by the Israeli Police in their discriminatory treatment of Jews at the Temple Mount.

To everyone’s shock, the district Commander of the Israel Police, Superintendent Yoram HaLevi, denied the two different lines – for Jews and tourists – and denied any form of profiling or discrimination.

AFSI visitors to the Temple Mount know this is not true. Helen Freedman, present at the appeal, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the discriminatory practices the AFSI Chizuk missions regularly encounter. We hope the Court will accept the appeal and restore Jewish civil rights on the Temple Mount.

Dr. Joseph Frager’s blog in yesterday’s Arutz Sheva, Time for Complete Reclamation of Jewish Holy Sites, comments that President Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, has been paved the way for further discussion on reclaiming Jewish Holy sites in Israel.

For example, the Tomb of Joseph in Samaria, is at the top of the list. In April 2002 Joseph’s Tomb was retaken by the IDF as part of Operation Defensive Shield. Despite this, Jews visit the Tomb only at night with a heavy Army presence and visits are limited to once a month.

In 1995 the Tomb of Rachel was saved only through well attended protests and a fierce outcry from the people. It’s time to raise our voices once again and take back what rightfully belongs to Israel.

We encourage everyone to help support the family of Rabbi Raziel Shevach, which includes his wife and 6 orphans. An online crowdfunding platform has now been adapted for English language and dollar donations. CLICK HERE to support the Shevach family.

Back in November AFSI reported that the Israeli government destroyed the Aharonowitz family’s carpentry shop in Netiv Avot. This was the opening volley for the additional destruction of a number of homes, slated to take place this coming March. This destruction is totally senseless and must be stopped! Naftali Bennett has asked Netanyahu to halt the destruction. Many other Knesset members feel this way and are embarrassed at their lack of power when going head to head with the high court of justice.

Unfortunately, to date,all they can offer are words of support.

Who was born in Palestine? Remember, Israel was Palestine before the state was declared Israel in 1948.
Some people say that Arabs are “native Palestinians,” while Jews are “invaders” and “settlers.” But reading the biographies of Israeli and Palestinian political leaders, it is clear who are the natives and who are the invaders.

ISRAELI LEADERS
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Born 21 October 1949 in Tel Aviv
EHUD BARAK, Born 12 February 1942 in Mishmar HaSharon, British Mandate of
Palestine
ARIEL SHARON, Born 26 February 1928 in Kfar Malal, British Mandate of
Palestine
EHUD OLMERT, Born 30 September 1945 in Binyamina-Giv’at Ada, British Mandate
of Palestine
ITZHAK RABIN, Born 1 March 1922 in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine
ITZHAK NAVON, Israeli President in 1977-1982. Born 9 April 1921 in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine
EZER WEIZMAN, Israeli President in 1993-2000. Born 15 June 1924 in Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine.

ARAB PALESTINIAN LEADERS
YASSER ARAFAT, Born 24 August 1929 in Cairo, Egypt
SAEB ERAKAT, Born April 28, 1955, in Jordan. He has the Jordanian
citizenship.
FAISAL ABDEL QADER AL-HUSSEINI, Born in1948 in Bagdad, Iraq.
SARI NUSSEIBEH, Born in 1949 in Damascus, Syria.
MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR, Born in 1945, in Cairo, Egypt.
So, Israeli leaders, born in Palestine, are “settlers or invaders, while Palestinian Arab leaders who were born in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia are “native Palestinians”?

WE THINK NOT!

AFSI likes the reporting of David Bedein, MSW, who has devoted 30 years of research into examining UNRWA policies.

In today’s Arutz Sheva OpEd, Bedein writes that if UNRWA loses roughly $369 million in funding from the US it doesn’t guarantee UNRWA will collapse.

Bedein reports that the Saudis are third in line with the highest amount of funding and when figures for 2017 are released, the numbers may show the Saudis coming in as the number one funder, which could replace the US budget altogether.

An opportunity for the 68 UNRWA’s donor nations to work together and adopt an “UNRWA Reform Initiative,” with reasonable demands is needed. Read more HERE

Havat Gilad was created on private land owned by Moshe Zar in 2002, in response to the murder of Gilad Zar by Arab terrorists in 2001. Labeled an “unauthorized outpost” by the Israeli government, it has existed all these years struggling to buy water and electricity, since the government would not supply these humanitarian needs. We are aware that if these basic requirements were denied to Arabs in Gaza, the world would be up in arms, but somehow Jews in the Jewish state could be treated this way.

Now that Rabbi Raziel Shevach, a 35 year old father of six and mainstay of the community has been murdered by Arab terrorists, the government is ready to supply electricity. We hope they will also remember the water.

Artuz Sheva reports today that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ordered that the community of Havat Gilad in Samaria be connected to Israel’s national electricity grid immediately, days after Rabbi Raziel Shevach, z’l, was gunned down by Arab terrorists just a few hundred yards away from his home.

While we can appreciate this important development for the residents of Havat Gilad, we simply CANNOT accept why it took so long for electricity to be connected. Moreover, we are angered by the fact that a death prompted action to be taken.

Remember – Donations to the Shevach family are sorely needed. AFSI members and friends can send checks to AFSI, 1751 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10128. Checks should be made out to AFSI, but EARMARKED for the SHEVACH FAMILY.

AFSI’s Co-Executive Director, Helen Freedman, will be leaving for Israel on Sunday, bringing with her duffel bags filled with clothing and toys for the six fatherless children, all donated by an anonymous donor. She will be offering condolences to the family from the entire AFSI family, as well as giving them funds that have already been raised for them.

We don’t want to comment on the nonsense of the Steve Bannon, Michael Wolff book except to say that Steve Bannon is falling all over himself now, apologizing to President Trump and his family for his falsehoods. Unfortunately, as with all “corrections”, they get ignored, while the first impression remains. The book is selling out to those who delight in denouncing the President. We, who so appreciate his positive moves towards Israel, Iran, and the entire Middle East, as well as his coping with Russia, North Korea, and the United Arab Nations, have no intention of spending one dime on the book, nor would we read it if it were given to us. We also appreciate what President Trump has done with the economy, health care, immigration, fossil fuels, and on and on. May he continue to defy his critics with good deeds. May he go from strength to strength.

Once again Stephen Flatow writes a factually correct, sensible, important article. In agreeing with Ambassador David Friedman’s request to the State Department to stop referring to Israel as an “occupier” in Judea and Samaria. It is sad that our pro-Arab State Department continues to deny history, international law, the Bible, and just plain facts on the ground. As Flatow points out, 98% of the Palestinian Arabs (we don’t use the word ‘Palestinians” since this is a fabricated word, and there is no ‘Palestine’, but for reasons of being understood, we use PA), live in 40% of the area in Judea and Samaria where they have had total control over the past 22 years. The huge Arab cities of Jenin, Nablus (Shechem), and Ramallah are totally self-governing. The Jewish communities built in biblical Judea and Samaria are centers of study, growth, healthy living, positive productivity, where Jews proudly proliferate as they reclaim their heritage. They are not “occupiers.”

Flatow speaks about the true “occupiers” – Mahmoud Abbas, who refused to hold elections in 2009 when his term expired, and continues with his terrorist grip on the PA. In Gaza, “Hamas is now beginning its second decade of illegally occupying Gaza,” but one never hears the term “occupation” referring to that terrorist entity.

Thanks to Ambassador Friedman for giving the world a reality check, and thanks to The Jewish Press for always being there to print such critically important articles as this one. AMBASSADOR FRIEDMAN IS RIGHT: THERE IS NO ISRAELI ‘OCCUPATION.’

Helen Freedman
Co-Executive Director
Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI

Who is responsible for the recent protests taking place in Iran?

Will the Iranians fighting for justice, freedom and civil liberties prevail?

In a thought provoking, in-depth essay on this subject, read the OpEd in today’s Arutz Sheva. Dr. Mordechai Kedar elaborates on:

1. The important questions we should be asking
2. The internal factors to understand
3. Major points the international community needs to consider
4. What the future scenario may look like