Category: Articles

During the 2016 presidential campaign, then Republican candidate Donald Trump stated that under his administration, the United States would “recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”
Donald Trump: I will ‘recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel’.

Since then, he has commented numerous times on his support for recognizing a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and for moving the embassy to Jerusalem – eventually – but he has hedged on actually doing so.

In June of this year, he signed the six month waiver delaying the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

During the past few weeks, a bill known as the “Greater Jerusalem” law has been circulating in the Knesset that would extend Israeli sovereignty to a number of Jewish communities surrounding Jerusalem. This would effectively increase the Jewish majority of Israel’s capital in relation to the Arab minority.

This bill was supposed to be up for a vote shortly, but reportedly due to U.S. pressure, the vote has been delayed.
Israel delays move to expand Jerusalem, citing US pressure

Regarding the vote, a U.S. official stated, “It’s fair to say that the US is discouraging actions that it believes will unduly distract the principals from focusing on the advancement of peace negotiations. The Jerusalem expansion bill was considered by the administration to be one of those actions.”
US official: Jerusalem expansion bill ‘distracts’ parties from peace

DISTRACTS THE PARTIES FROM PEACE? Nonsense. Just this past month, the sham reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah showed the true face of Arab “unity.” As summarized in Jewish Virtual Library (click HERE):
Under the terms of their agreement, Hamas remains committed to the destruction of Israel and the agreement does not require the group to meet any of the conditions set by the U.S. and other Western nations for entering discussions with the organization. Hamas is expected to recognize Israel’s right to exist, cease terrorism and agree to abide by past agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinians. Worse, from a security standpoint, Hamas is not required to disarm, so it can continue to build up its arsenal of rockets, construct tunnels and engage in terror.

So, what kind of “peace” does President Trump and the administration expect to result from negotiations when one side is still committed to the destruction of the other?

President Trump has selected a number of excellent individuals to represent the administration in the Middle East and Israel. However, we fear that, to paraphrase the president himself, the State Department “swamp” has not yet been drained, and he is unduly influenced by holdovers from the Obama administration, many of whom were no fans of the Jewish State.

We ask the President: when will you live up to your campaign promises and move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognize a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and accept the fact that Jews have the right to live everywhere, especially in their historic homeland and cradle of Jewish civilization, Judea and Samaria?

If you passed up the opportunity to travel to Israel with AFSI this November, stay tuned for details about our
2018 Spring Chizuk Mission.

Come to Israel with AFSI and experience the trip of a lifetime!
– Visit Judea and Samaria – the Heartland of Israel.
– Discover the real Israel that is not portrayed in the media
and find out the truth!

Relatives of Israelis killed in terror attacks on the roads of Judea and Samaria have joined in a demonstration calling for money for bypass highways and security cameras. Funding for security is key to protecting and developing Israel’s communities. Read here.

Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation is to vote on the “Greater Jerusalem” bill at its next meeting on Sunday.

The bill calls for expanding the Jerusalem municipal boundaries to include Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, Beitar Illit and Efrat in the Gush Etzion bloc, home to over 130,000 Israelis. AFSI has been a strong supporter of Sovereignty for Judea and Samaria and gives its full support to the expansion. Read here

A report from Arutz Sheva yesterday states that after pressure from Yesha leadership, PM Netanyahu promises an 800 million shekel budget ($228 million) to develop the Judea and Samaria infrastructure, starting next year. We look forward to seeing the promises become a reality! Read the full article here.

As we near the one year mark in President Trump’s administration, the truth about illegal activity during the Obama administration, including that of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is finally emerging.

It appears that the Obama administration’s dealings with Russia regarding the sale and procurement of uranium stores in the United States were so serious, that they were criminal offenses deserving impeachment!

AFSI’s CEO Mark Langfan offers a detailed analysis of corruption at the highest levels of Obama’s administration. In his must-read article, he concludes:
In short, and in conclusion, the Obama national security team should lawyer-up because they are looking at massive criminal claims coming their way.

Read it all here:
Obama’s felony: ‘Sitting’ on the ROSATOM nuclear crimes

Finally, after months of protesting against the hiring of David Myers, the new CEO of the Center for Jewish History, because of his anti-Israel, historical revisionism of Jewish history, David N. Myers has broken his silence. He has given interviews to the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel. Ronn Torossian comments on Myers’ remarks in a scathing article. Read Ronn Torossian’s article here.

Netiv Ha’avot; where Jewish homes are slated
for destruction on order of the
Israeli Supreme Court
(Arutz Sheva)

Yesterday, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that several homes in the Gush Etzion community of Netiv Ha’avot must be demolished, as parts of them extend onto “Palestinian” land.

As reported in Arutz Sheva:
The residents of Netiv Ha’avot reacted angrily to the court’s decision. “The Supreme Court once again chose to ignore the residents and is unwilling to examine the reality on the ground, despite the absurdity and the indignities [inflicted on the residents], and once again has decided to show that it has the upper hand and that justice was not its guiding principle. It is forcing us into an uncompromising struggle.”

The residents added: “The verdict is pure evil. The Supreme Court continues to make political [rulings] and to discriminate against the Jewish population, but when it comes to the Arabs, time after time the court rules in their favor. We stand stunned by the helplessness of the politicians and their inability to control our beloved country.”
Supreme Court: Destroy Gush Etzion homes completely

We have seen this story repeat over and over. Most recently, residents of the destroyed Jewish community of Amona were promised new homes in the yet-to-be built community of Amichai, but are still waiting, living in temporary homes.

In the meantime, the European Union continues to fund and illegally construct homes for Arabs throughout Judea and Samaria – including the E-1 area – and they have the chutzpah to demand payment from Israel when Israel demolishes them!
IN FIRST, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO DEMAND ISRAEL PAY BACK FOR DEMOLISHED W. BANK STRUCTURES

As is its practice, the upcoming AFSI mission will be visiting Israelis who have been expelled from their homes by the Israeli government, in addition to Jewish communities slated for destruction. These missions provide true Chizuk for these brave and proud citizens of Israel who live the truth, that Jews have the right to settle throughout the Land of Israel.

The time has come for Israel to assert sovereignty throughout Judea and Samaria – the cradle of Jewish civilization – and build, build, build.

Charlie Bernhaut, Richard Allen, Helen Freedman, Judy Freedman Kadish

Wednesday evening, Oct. 18, outside the Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th Street, NYC, Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI and JCC Watch.org, led a protest against David Myers, the new President and CEO of the CJH.

Over 200 people assembled in front of the stage set up on W. 16th Street to hear speeches from AFSI’s Co-Executive Directors, Helen Freedman and Judy Freedman Kadish, JCCWatch.org President Richard Allen, ZOA’s Liz Berney, AFSI’s Charlie Bernhaut, Concerned Citizen Stewart Cahn, Yom HaShoah Committee Chair Lynn Bursky-Tammam, along with rocking music by the trio of brothers, Pey Dalid.

The overall message was the following:

We, the people, the grassroots, are here to speak up for TRUTH. Enough of the lies and falsehoods. Enough of the revisionist history. The time is NOW, as we stand before the Center of Jewish History – the home of five esteemed institutions – that has allowed itself to be trapped in a quagmire. With David Myers as CEO and President of the Center, it becomes the Center of Revised Jewish History, with the Jewish story, the Jewish entitlement – biblical, historic, and legal, lost in the fictions and distortions that he brings with him.

Myers has preached the “inevitable demise of Israel”. How dare he deny our 4000-year-old history, and Hashem’s promise to us that we are his chosen people, to whom he gave the Torah and the Land of Israel? How dare Myers speak about removing Israel as central to Jewish identity?

There is no other people that has always made Jerusalem its central core. In the midst of the joy of the Jewish wedding, the glass is shattered, reminding us of our connection to Yerushalayim.

Has David Myers been to the “settlements” in Judea and Samaria? Has he ever been on a trip such as an AFSI Chizuk mission, where we climb the hills of Itamar, Yitzhar, Kedumim, Elon Moreh, Shilo, Eli, and on and on? Has he met the people and seen their homes, schools, work places? If he has, then he knows there is no “occupation” and these are the biblical holy places, and NOT the West Bank. If not, then he must visit them before he condemns them.

How dare Myers excuse the evil terrorism of the Arabs which has been going on since the early 1900’s and continues on a daily basis today. He says that it is “frustration” driven. What drivel is that? What humanity is that? Do we excuse mass murderers because they are “frustrated?”

How dare Myers rewrite Jewish history so that the Balfour Declaration of 1917 is questioned, the Israel victories of 1948 and 1967 are declared disasters, and a case of Israel “conquering” its own land, rather than re-claiming it?

The time is NOW!!

We have to change the trajectory – anti-Israel propaganda against Israel cannot be tolerated – especially in an institution named THE CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY.

What history will David Meyers be teaching those who walk through those doors? What lies and defamations will he be promoting, disguised as historical facts? Will it be the propaganda of J Street, the New Israel Fund, BDS, IfNotNow, Open Hillel, and the Academic Advisory Council of Scholars for Israel and Palestine? This is intolerable.

We denounce the evil of such teachings and plead with the Center of Jewish History to purge itself of this infection in its midst – FIRE MYERS – FIRE MYERS – FIRE MYERS!!

Irwin Hochberg was a pillar of the Jewish community, as well as an AFSI supporter. As a leader of countless Israel and Zionist causes, his impact extended far and wide. His passing is a great loss for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. We extend our sincere condolences to the entire Hochberg family and pray that they will be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.