SILENCE CAN KILL !!

I am taking this post from a comment that I made in answer to a fellow blogger, on another blog. I felt so strongly about this issue that I decided to post it here on my blog for others to read. The blogger had asked a very good question, I thought, one that deserves an attempt at an answer,
"Why would we want to defend the secular state of Yisrael, especially after Gush Katif and in anticipation of planned future withdrawals?" A very good question and one I will try to answer, at least from my own feelings on the subject. This touchs on what I have commented about too. It is time for us to speak-out and to no longer remain silent !! I often come across the argument for ahavas Yisrael, as a reason given for not speaking-out against wrongs done by Jews to their fellow Jews, but this is a one-sided argument and not a good one in my opinion. This is about defending the Jewish state of Israel, secular or religious, it is the Jewish birthright and homeland given by HaShem to the Jewish people forever. Some few religious Jews argue that because it is a secular state with a secular beginning, therefore it is illegitimate, hence they feel no obligation to support, or defend a secular state. I disagree with this attitude and even question their loyalties. Israel is secular today because secular Jews took the lead in establishing a Jewish homeland while the religious debated. It should have been the religious who took the lead in claiming their G-D given birthright and things might would be different now. I hope this doesn't offend anyone because that is certainly not my desire. I am not in any way defending the actions of the secular establishment, to the contrary, I condemn their actions fervently, but "giving away the farm", as my grandfather would have called it, OR, allowing those in power to do so without a fight, is UNTHINKABLE !! Sure, they gave away Gush Katif and they will give away more, MUCH MORE, if we don't do something to stop it !! This is a golden opportunity for the religious to step-up to the plate and denounce the actions of the "Jew-beating, Jew-expelling, Jew-imprisoning, cemetery-desecrating, shul-demolishing, Jew-betraying secular state" *(as expressed by the blogger I was answering in my comment, on another blog).* As I said in a previous comment, the "bad guys" (sadly, some of them Jews Too), are very vocal and the good guys, are far too SILENT, if we remain silent, those in power WILL achieve their intended objectives and we'll have no one to blame when it happens again, except OURSELVES for keeping quiet, and often hiding behind religous arguments to defend our inaction. Ahavas Yisrael DEMANDS that we speak-out, not that we keep silent. SILENCE CAN KILL !! Love is demonstrated in action, when we speak the TRUTH, even when no one wants to hear it !! We're not defending the actions of these seculars by supporting Israel, we're defending their actions, IF WE DON'T SPEAK-OUT, because our silence is their greatest strength !!

ANTI-ISRAEL / PRO-ARAB MEDIA BIAS EXPOSED

AT LAST, THE BIAS OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAS BEEN UNMASKED FOR ALL TO SEE !!

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE, "HOW A HOAX BECAME NEWS", UNCOVERS THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MEDIA'S FRAUDULENT AND BIASED ACCOUNT OF THE RED CROSS AMBULENCE , WHICH WAS, "REPORTEDLY", DELIBERATELY TARGETED BY ISRAEL, DURING THE RECENT ISRAELI/HEZBOLLAH WAR.

READ THE ARTICLE BELOW AND THEN CLICK ON THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR A MORE INDEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE BIAS IN OUR MEDIA.

Conclusion: How a Hoax Became News

Link directly to this

So, what really happened? The Lebanese and the global media insist that the ambulances were deliberately targeted by Israel, for the specific purpose of killing civilians and rescue workers -- a serious war crime. Israel, for its part, has stated repeatedly that it never intentionally attacks rescue vehicles, but otherwise has stayed mostly silent about the incident, apparently awaiting further information. But what would the average reasonable person conclude after reading and viewing all the evidence on this page? What do you think is the truth behind this incident? This story, as presented in the media, seems to have more holes than the ambulance roof. Not a single aspect of it holds up under examination. But then what did occur? Consider the following scenario:
Two ambulances that had been somehow damaged long before the July Israel-Hezbollah conflict even began were dragged out of a salvage yard, where they had been rusting for months or years. They were taken to a parking lot and smashed up even more, inside and out. Then fresh gurneys were placed inside one of them. An intentionally amateurish video was then taken of the two vehicles, in order to show the damage. That night, as planned, some Red Cross workers feigning minor injuries rushed into a hospital in Tyre, and recounted a tale of horror: their ambulances had been attacked by Israeli missiles. The media was notified. The next day, reporters from around the world interviewed the ambulance drivers as they lay in the hospital sporting prop bandages. The one driver who spoke the best English was quoted the most in the English-speaking press. The journalists, however, were not allowed to inspect the ambulances themselves; instead, the pre-packaged video was supplied to them, freezeframes from which were used as illustrations to accompany the articles. Three patients in the same hospital were identified as also being victims of the attack, even though their injuries had actually happened elsewhere. Every single Western reporter accepted the ambulance drivers' story without question. Emboldened by the media's credulity, the drivers exaggerated the severity of the incident with each new interview, until it no longer even vaguely matched the staged evidence. The story was broadcast to the world, and accepted as fact. A few days later, after the Western press had wandered away to find other stories, the damaged ambulances were towed and parked in front of the Red Cross office in Tyre, as a martyrdom exhibit for the sympathetic local press and residents. Few if any mainstream journalists ever attempted to verify any of the claims made by the ambulance crews, despite the seriousness of the charge.
Could it be that the entire incident is a fabrication? All signs point to "Yes." If so, the implications are enormous, both for the outcome of the war and for the credibility of the media. Most analysts agree that Israel was pressured into a ceasefire due to international outcry over how it was conducting the battle. The media informed the public that Israel was intentionally targeting civilians; the public insisted that their governments demand that Israel stand down; international pressure was applied, and Israel caved in. And of all the incidents decried in the media -- taking out infrastructure, destroying Hezbollah-associated buildings that had not been fully evacuated, and so on -- only the ambulance incident could be held up as having no possible military purpose; all the other attacks were pointed out by Israel as being intended to degrade Hezbollah's ability to fight. Aside from a handful of stray missiles and accidents or misunderstandings for which Israel apologized, only this incident was "proof" that Israel was purposely aiming at noncombatants. So reports that an Israeli missile attack destroyed two ambulances played a role in shaping global opinion, which led to a ceasefire leaving Hezbollah intact. But if the entire incident turns out to have been an elaborate but clumsy hoax, where does that leave the reputation of the media? Not a single reporter or editor doubted the story for a second. Or if they did, they certainly didn't inform readers of their doubts. Why did the media swallow the story hook, line and sinker? In their zeal to bash Israel, did they allow themselves, consciously or unconsciously, to be duped by Hezbollah supporters into broadcasting propaganda as news? Or is the media so eager to jump on any fresh scandal that they simply switch off their critical thinking and become absolutely credulous of any juicy tale thrown their way? It took the blogs and non-professional independent researchers to shine the harsh light of forensic analysis on this case, in the process debunking just about every aspect of the allegations. And this was done merely with the meager scraps of evidence left over by the "professional" journalists, and by squeezing the maximum amount of information out of the subtlest of clues. But if the journalists who were right there on the scene had even the slightest interest in actually investigating the story, they had access to all sorts of information that could have blown the lid off the case. How hard would it have been to go back to the Red Cross office after a few days to inspect the ambulance carefully in person? To look at the hole in the roof, to photograph the rust up close, to search for burn marks or blood on the gurneys, to notice the driver's healthy chin? Wouldn't that have been a scandal worth reporting?

Is the media that gullible -- or does it have a political bias?

Either way, its credibility has now been lost.

(Posted: August 23, 2006.)

http://www.zombietime.com/fraud/ambulance/

Link

WE WON, THIS TIME !!!!

I am posting this as a follow-up to an earlier post about the World Gay Pride Events planned for our Beloved Yisrael. I realize that the dates for these events is now behind us, but I felt someone should take the time to pointout that, WE WON !!

I pulled a "GIDEON" and "slipped" into the enemy camp to get their take on the outcome of our struggle, and this is what "the other side" is saying.

Bay Area Reporter (BAR)
Issue: Vol. 36 / No. 33 / 17 August 2006

Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971

by Matthew S. Bajko
Published 07/27/2006

San Francisco resident Julie Dorf, one of two North American co-chairs for WorldPride who plans to attend the event, said the cancellation of the parade had more to do with the "massive" level of opposition from conservative politicians and religious leaders in Israel who plan to hold several counterdemonstrations against WorldPride, taxing the local police's ability to staff the week's worth of events and rallies.
"The right-wing opposition has mobilized so many people against us that the Jerusalem police are not sufficient to staff the size of the march they anticipate in opposition to WorldPride. The organizers of the opposition march are calling for a million people," said Dorf, an executive at Horizons Foundation and a founder and past executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. "We are expecting only 20,000 on our side, so they are going to outnumber us in a major way. I say that not to scare people but this is unprecedented in gay and lesbian history. This is not crazy Fred Phelps with a few big signs. It is very orchestrated, public antigay demonstrations in Jerusalem."

From their own leadership, we read here that they were overwhelmed by the opposition !! However, it doesn't stop here !! They also make it clear that they intend to try again at a later date. I post this information to encourage all those who fought so long and hard to prevent these ABOMINATIONS from taking place in our HOLY JERUSALEM, that their fight was not in vain, and that this time, we've WON !!

Now, we must determine to continue the struggle until they realize that, WE WILL NOT EVER TOLERATE THESE EVENTS IN OUR BELOVED JERUSALEM !!

WE MUST NOT STOP HERE, WE MUST CONTINUE the RIGHTEOUS STRUGGLE for the SANCTITY OF HOLY JERUSALEM !!
May HaShem give us the VICTORY !!!

PRO-GAY RALLY HELD DISPITE TREMENDOUS OPPOSITION BY THE MAJORITY OF ISRAELIS

First I would like to say that I was very saddened that the Jerusalem Police Department felt they had no other option but to allow this so-called "PROTEST VIGIL" to take place in a public park, in Holy Jerusalem, despite numerous appeals by phone and fax, from concerned opponents of this OUTRAGE. I applaud the police for their earlier refusal to grant a permit for an open march down the streets of this Holy City, but I feel that in light of the fact that this gathering was planned dispite there not having been any permits granted, and in open disregard for both the authority of the police department, and the majority of the public's sentiments on this issue, I feel the police should have done more to prevent this unlawful assembly. I also would like to say that I feel the Jerusalem Post's article following the rally, gave far too much coverage to this so-called, protest vigil, and to the organizers of this public rally, and almost NO coverage to those who have fought so hard to prevent these events from taking place in our Beloved Jerusalem. I feel the coverage given to this gathering was certainly lop-sided, and not balanced reporting. I have posted the JPost article below for your appraisal. One part of the article that I had a particular problem with, was where they stated, and I quote,

"The event was marred when a group of anarchists joined the gathering and began waving placards against the war in Lebanon and shouting slogans against the IDF. Police forcibly prevented them from approaching the sidewalk on the edge of the park and detained a protester who unfurled a PLO flag."

This reads as though the "group of anarchists" were seperate and unconnected individuals, who just happened to join in the assembly of protestors, without their prior knowledge or approval. This is highly doubtful, to say the very least. I have seen these pro-gay sponsored events, and World Gay Pride Parades in the media for several years now, and I don't care where they are held, the United States, Rome, the E.U., Israel, or wherever, they always have one thing in common, they are ALWAYS seen carrying banners and chanting anti-Israel and pro-Arab sentiments. We should ask why it is that these two seemingly unconnected agenda's, that of promoting their pro-homosexual lifestyles, and that of being opposed to Israel, while rallying around every pro-Arab cause, are ALWAYS shared by these groups. What does one have to do with the other, and yet I challenge you to pay closer attention when the media displays these pro-gay events on the news, and see if you ever view media coverage of these events without also seeing these anti-Israel/pro-Arab banners in the crowd. You won't find any, because they're ALWAYS there with their banners and their anti-Israeli retoric.

Having said all of this, I would like to conclude with a statement that I read on Rabbi Lazer Brody's blog. I think it will encourage us all to keep fighting the RIGHTEOUS FIGHT. He wrote, on his blog, Lazer Beams, that, "the Melitzer Rebbe shlit'a explained to him how difficult the future tests of faith will be. He says on Lazer Beams, that The Rebbe shlit'a was in effect saying, "Don't be fooled when you see evil winning out; this is a difficult - but only temporary - test of faith." This is an important principle to remember, especially during these difficult times."


THE JERUSALEM POST

Aug. 10, 2006 20:12 Updated Aug. 11, 2006 0:44

Gay activists hold J'lem protest vigil

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS

The heavily guarded demonstration, which was ignored by the city's haredi community, was allowed to take place after organizers adhered to the conditions police had set for it, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.
The event was marred when a group of anarchists joined the gathering and began waving placards against the war in Lebanon and shouting slogans against the IDF. Police forcibly prevented them from approaching the sidewalk on the edge of the park and detained a protester who unfurled a PLO flag.
The low-key event, which was one-fifth the size organizers had originsally planned, came near the culmination of six-day World Pride Event in Jerusalem, which was overshadowed by the war and the police decision to bar a planned parade through the streets.
A huge red banner at the protest read "Jerusalem is for all," while rainbow-colored placards included such slogans as "The Path to God is not always straight" and "Senseless hatred."
"We believe that the holiness of Jerusalem is increased by this city being the center of tolerance and coexistence," said Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, 32, who lead a delegation from New York City's Congregation Beth Simhat Torah, the world's largest gay and lesbian synagogue.
She added that organizers understood that the tone had to be "appropriate" during wartime when "the voices of tolerance and hope are all the more essential."
Some motorists shouted at the protesters to go to Lebanon or relocate to the Gaza Strip.
"At a time when Jewish blood is being spilt in Lebanon, all that these self-indulgent narcissistic, selfish, perverted people can think about is engaging in sodomy," said New York Rabbi Yehuda Levin, of the Orthodox Rabbinical Alliance of America and the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the US and Canada, who has been spearheading an international campaign against the parade.
Levin, who was prevented by police from entering the park lest there be a violent confrontation, slammed police for "wimping out like French poodles" in not stopping the gathering.
Ben-Ruby noted that the event was not dispersed since protesters did not move out into the streets, block traffic or use bullhorns.
A parade was nixed last month, when police said they were unable to allocate sufficient forces needed to secure such a major event due to the war.
The international gay festival, which was originally scheduled to take place last year and had already been postponed until August due to last summer's Gaza pullout, has been widely criticized by Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders in Jerusalem and around the world as a deliberate affront and provocation to millions of believers.
The idea of holding an international gay parade in Jerusalem was seen by many residents as out of touch with both the spiritual character of the city and the sensitivities of its observant residents.
A public opinion poll released last year found that three-quarters of Jerusalem residents were opposed to holding the international gay event.

PEACE, PEACE, WHERE IS THE PEACE ???

The rockets keep coming, and the troops are back
in Southern Lebanon, another Tisha B'Av has came and gone, where will this all end? Peace, Peace, that's all we've heard since Israel's rebirth in May 1948. Where IS the PEACE? On this blog I would like to explore some of the reasons why Israel is once again at war, and why PEACE still eludes her.

As I sit here this afternoon, I am a woman with a broken heart. As all of us who love Israel have done for the past three + weeks, I have been glued to my TV and the internet, trying to follow the latest news from Israel. Half of my heart is here in America dealing with the issues of my day-to-day life while the other half is with the people of Israel and this latest war. In the past few hours more rockets have landed in Haifa, the details of this latest attack on Israeli civilians can be found in the lead story from IsraelNationalNews.com, I've pasted the link to this article, which reads as follows:

Monday, August 07, 2006, 13 Av 5766

3 Dead, 160 Injured in Rocket Barrage on Haifa Three Israelis were killed and scores more wounded in a rocket barrage that slammed into Haifa a few minutes before 8:00 pm Sunday evening. more

My heart breaks for these innocent victims and their families. When will this horror end?

How many more rockets will hit Haifa and the communities of Northern Israel? Will Tel Aviv be next? What will be the outcome of yet another war? Only HaShem knows, but I believe we can find many of the answers that we're seeking in the Nevi'im (The Prophets), and the Kethuvim (The Writings). I would like to attempt to address this current crisis in the light of The Tanakh (The Holy Bible). I feel that the answers will become clear as we apply the Holy Scriptures, and that they will give us clear guidance to assure, not only Her survival, but also the ultimate glorious VICTORY of our BELOVED ISRAEL.

First, I would like to say that all the verses which I will be quoting will be taken from the JPS English Edition of The Tanakh (The Holy Scriptures). One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is found in the Kethuvim (The Writings), Proverbs 3:5-7, where it reads, "Trust in the L-rd with all your heart, And do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths smooth. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the L-rd and shun evil." Here I believe is the key to the answers we are seeking. We must not rely on our own understanding. We must look to G-D for direction. We must acknowledge Him in all that we do and He has promised that if we do this, then He will make our paths smooth and it will be well with us in the end. We are instructed to fear HaShem and to shun ALL evil. If we will live by these simple teachings then we are guaranteed the VICTORY. Sounds simple enough doesn't it? So why haven't we seen the PEACE in our BELOVED ISRAEL that VICTORY brings? Because we haven't seen VICTORY, and why have we not seen VICTORY, because we have not lived by the teachings I just referenced. It's as simple and yet as complex as this. Now let's look a little deeper at the reasons why PEACE eludes us, though we seek it with all of our hearts.

The first words of this Scripture really sum it all up best, "Trust in the L-rd". To trust is, to rely on, to rest in, to believe with ALL our hearts, to lay ALL our worries before Him and KNOW that He is in TOTAL control. Trust in the L-rd, not in the United States, not in the U.N., nor the E.U., nor any other source, but in G-D alone. We cannot place our trust in our own abilities, our weapons, our politicians, our intellect, or even in our friends, it must be in G-D alone. The second part of this Scripture reads, "with ALL your heart", not a part of, but the whole. I said earlier that PEACE has eluded us though we have sought it with ALL our hearts, here is a big part of the problem I think. It is G-D that we are to seek with ALL our hearts and TRUST Him, not to seek after PEACE, but to seek after Him, the giver of TRUE PEACE.

A story is told, of a powerful and wealthy king who once commissioned a great work of art. He sent out the word throughout his vast kingdom, summoning the most accomplished artists in the land to paint for him a painting, for which he would pay an enormous sum, to whomever could capture the essence of PEACE on canvas. Many tried and many failed to capture the true nature of this elusive subject. At long last, an unknown artist came forth and presented his work before the king. The king marveled as the painting was unveiled. Upon the canvas the artist had portrayed with dark clouds and raging ocean waves, a scene of a tiny bird asleep in a nest, upon a limb which jetted out from a steep cliff, overlooking jagged rocks, and a swirling sea below. There were dark threatening clouds approaching and the winds were blowing fiercely, but the tiny bird lay sleeping, serenely in it's nest. The king, in amazement declared, "Truly, this IS PEACE". The moral of the story is that our PEACE should not be dictated by those circumstances in life which rage around us, but should rather be an inward constant assurance that, come what may, we are sheltered by G-D, the ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, EVER LOVING G-D, in whom we can safely TRUST.

The next part of the scripture instructs us, "And do NOT rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths smooth. Do NOT be wise in your own eyes; fear the L-rd and shun evil." How many of us have kept this part I wonder? Do we really acknowledge HaShem in ALL of our ways, or do we rely on our own understanding most of the time? We live in a day when good is called evil and evil is called good. We live in a modern secular society where political correctness is the law of this world, where Torah is rejected as out-dated, and seen as too harsh for our modern-day, liberalized lifestyles. May G-D help us. I was reminded of a story that I read years ago about a certain Rabbi's son who died and then was revived, and the father asked his son, what he had seen when he was dead, the boy responded, "Abba, everything was UP-SIDE-DOWN". The Rabbi thought for a moment on what his son had seen, and then he answered his son with, "No son, what you saw WAS right-side-up, it is THIS world that is UP-SIDE-DOWN". We are told in scripture to acknowledge HaShem in EVERYTHING that we do, but this world doesn't want to acknowledge Him, nor do they want to be reminded of Him. We who do want to acknowledge Him have allowed ourselves to be intimidated by the world, and for fear of their rejection, we fail to acknowledge Him. The verse tells us to fear the L-rd, NOT man, so why do we fear their judgments? We are told to fear G-D and to SHUN evil, and yet we embrace EVIL, and even allow it to be called GOOD, for the sake of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. Shame on us ALL.

Israel is again fighting for her survival against heartless, blood-thirsty killers, terrorists who the world pities, while denouncing Israel as the aggressor, how UP-SIDE-DOWN is this? When will we wake-up and realize that it is HaShem that we should fear and NOT the opinions of mere men. For the sake of acceptance (whatever that is) we keep silent. We do NOT acknowledge G-D and His Torah, nor do we SHUN EVIL in our midst. Sadly, even in our BELOVED ISRAEL, those who practice what the TORAH calls abominations are allowed to PARADE themselves down the streets of Holy Jerusalem itself. As I write, the organizers of the World Gay Pride Day are at work in Israel. Their planned march has been TEMPORARILY POSTPONED, but for how long, and their other detestable events are going-on as planned. How do these abominations, being allowed to take place, ANYWHERE, in G-D'S LAND serve to ACKNOWLEDGE HIM? They DO NOT ! If HaShem is the G-D of Israel, and HE IS, then to allow these events inside HIS Land, is to fail to acknowledge HIM. We are told to SHUN EVIL, not to embrace it. When will we choose? As Elijah said, "CHOOSE YOU, THIS DAY whom you will serve". Let us ALL say with Joshua, "I and MY HOUSEHOLD, WILL SERVE THE L-RD". Joshua 24:15 JPS