Marty Roberts: Staying Real in Israel
"The Marty Roberts Show"

What a bunch of phoney-baloney…As former head of Israel’s Mossad Ben-Levy just said on the radio…Obama and the US certainly know that there is not a snowball’s chance in Florida of successful peace talks with the palestinians. They know that the palestinians are not at all serious about making peace with Israel. But Obama has another agenda, which he clearly stated at the beginning of his term. He does NOT want to be perceived as an enemy of Islam and the Moslem countries, which by definition makes friendship with America’s best friend, Israel, problematic. So Obama MUST be seen as furthering the palestinians’ alleged goal of carving a state out of Israel’s territory, which means peace talks, however futile they may be.
I would assume that Israel’s leadership is also well aware of this. At least Netanyahu is…Coalition member Labor Party head and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak might be another story…

Biden holds Palestinian talks after condemning Israel


The US vice-president Joe Biden is holding talks with Palestinian leaders, a day after condemning Israel’s announcement of 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem.

Reprinted from ABC News Australia Anne Barker

Israel’s announcement coincided with Mr Biden’s arrival and came days after Palestinians agreed to re-enter indirect peace talks with Israel.

The vice-president condemned the decision, saying it undermined the trust needed on both sides. He displayed his anger by turning up 90 minutes late to a dinner with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s own defence ministry also blasted the move, saying it would affect peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

Mr Biden has since held talks with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, who say Israel’s decision is dangerous because it will hinder negotiations.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their capital in a future state.

The US has a lot of nerve…not to mention the UN and the Arab League. Basically, Israel building homes for her citizens in her capital is none of their goldang business!!
First of all, Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish state for more than 2000 years. It has NOT ever been the capital of any other country. Anyone can claim anyplace as the capital of their country, but first, they should have a country, and then, it would help if there was some sort of historic basis to their claim…Neither of which is the case when it comes to so-called palestinians and Jerusalem. In case you forgot, Jerusalem is city #3 in importance to Islam…They pray with their behinds facing Jerusalem. Every Jew in the world faces Jerusalem to pray, wherever they are in the world.
Secondly, if you ask the Arabs living in the neighborhood where the building is slated to take place…They are HAPPY to have the additional housing units in their neighborhood. The tradesmen and shopkeepers cannot wait to start earning money from the increased population in their area. I just heard some of them interviewed on the radio, and, although fearful to speak out in public, that is what they said.
Oh, and I condemn the decision by the US government to build new apartments in Washington D.C….Very counterproductive…(even if you Do look cute wearing that silly black yarmulke)

Biden Condemns Construction Project in Israel’s Capital


U.S. Vice President Joe Biden flatly condemned a years-old city construction project in Israel’s capital late Tuesday, saying it is “undermining the trust” needed to jump-start final status talks with the Palestinian Authority.

Reprinted from INN Hana Levi Julian

“I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem,”
Biden said in a prepared statement. “The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I’ve had here in Israel.”

The term “proximity talks” is the new phrase that refers to final status negotiations between Israel and the PA, so called because the Obama administration will now be serving as an intermediary. PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and his aides have refused to meet for direct talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other top government officials.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also slammed the government’s approval of the project, issuing a statement Wednesday that said “the settlement activity is contrary to Israel’s obligations under the Roadmap, and undermines any movement towards a viable peace process.”

According to the Interior Ministry, which also issued a statement Tuesday night, the authorization for the project, a plan by the Jerusalem District Planning Committee to build 1,600 housing units in eastern Jerusalem, was routine. Interior Minister Eli Yishai said the announcement had been a “procedural matter,” and not a deliberate attempt to insult Biden or anyone else. He added that he regretted the timing and would have delayed the announcement had he been aware it was coming up.

The project, slated for the hareidi-religious neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, had been on the table for more than three years, did not require approval of the prime minister, and has been submitted for public comment – a 60-day process. It is still subject to final approval, and still must be reviewed by the committee. If after that process it passes muster, the project will extend the existing neighborhood by adding an access road from the west, upgrading the current entrance road, and adding apartments on the southeastern side. Each apartment will be approximately 120 square meters (1,290 square feet). The total project will comprise some 580 dunams (143 acres).

The Interior Ministry said in its statement that Netanyahu had been unaware of the plan and its timing.

Biden’s statement was issued at the close of his second day in the region on a visit that was promoted primarily as confidence-building mission meant to emphasize America’s support for Israel. “There is no space between us,” Biden told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday.

The prime minister responded by telling journalists following their two-hour meeting that the American vice president was “a real friend to me, and a real friend to Israel and to the Jewish people.” Biden is the latest in a parade of American officials to arrive in Israel in recent weeks on a mission to keep the Netanyahu administration in line with American policy on Iran and talks with the PA.

Last November, Netanyahu responded to pressure from the White House by authorizing a freeze on construction in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. However, he was unwilling to extend that freeze to the neighborhoods of Jerusalem that were restored to the capital following the 1967 Six Day War — a point of contention with the PA which has refused to resume talks with Israel until those areas are included.

Israel has had a woman Prime Minister….We have a woman leading the parliamentary opposition in the Israeli Knesset, made up of many women members…Our girls serve in the Israeli Army, even in combat units…Many top executives in Israel are women…
But…We still managed to win a prize for sexism in TV advertising…for, of all things, Fairy dishwashing soap…

Fairy dish soap ad deemed most sexist


Panel of judges rules advertisement most offensive to women in 2009 is one in which comedian Gavri Banai, chef Israel Aharoni convince woman to wash dishes

Reprinted from YNet News Meirav Crystal

The television spot for Fairy dishwashing liquid was chosen by the Women`s International Zionist`s Organization as the most sexist advertisement in 2009.

The spot depicts a family sitting down to eat a meal together. At the end of the meal, the hostess’s daughter-in-law refuses to wash the dishes. However, chef Israel Aharoni and comedian Gavri Banai succeed in convincing her to do her duty and all ends well.

The ad was made by Adler, Chomsky, & Warshavsky for Proctor & Gamble, the company that manufactures Fairy. The spot was a awarded the dubious title as part of WIZO’s annual campaign against sexist advertising in honor of International Women’s Day, which takes place on March 8.

The four advertisements ranked most offensive towards women in 2009 after the Fairy spot were for Axe deodorant’s “No one says no to chocolate” in which women are shown fawning over a man because he smells like chocolate; Goldstar beer’s “I’m alone” in which men mock a female soccer player; “Stop pestering – Postinor is here” for the day-after pill which stars the blond women from The Amazing Race; and “Going the distance” for Do It Kitchens win which a woman is seen lying on a kitchen countertop.

The panel of judges was made up of experts from various fields. They chose out of 10 finalist advertisements.

WIZO awarded this annual dishonorable distinction for the first time last year to the Mei Eden commercial in which model Bar Refaeli is seen sensually crawling along the kitchen counter in an attempt to seduce a man with a glass of water.

Jonathan Pollard is a hero. He risked all to protect Israel. He did nothing, really, to betray the United States, Israel’s strongest ally, yet he is paying dearly for his loyalty.
Almost 25 of his 55 years on earth spent in horrible conditions in a US prison. This is how America treats a “spy” for an allied country? For America’s closest friend, Israel?
Spies of enemy nations have not received such harsh treatment.
America, please, release Jonathon Pollard NOW!!!

Special ‘Pollard Haggadah’ Issued


The holiday commemorating G-d’s redemption of His firstborn nation from Egyptian bondage is approaching, and a new Haggadah dedicated to Jonathan Pollard was issued Monday for the occasion.

Reprinted from INN Hillel Fendel

Pollard, 55, is now in his 25th year of incarceration in the United States, sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on one count of transferring classified information to US-ally Israel.

The publishers of the new Haggadah – the ritual text used to guide the annual festive Passover “seder” meal – say that Pollard’s extended imprisonment “is a test for us all regarding the extent of the mutual responsibility that lies at the base of our very national existence. Jonathan Pollard, may G-d strengthen him, has been decaying in U.S. prison for over 24 years, and if we are not privileged to see his release soon, this coming Seder night [March 29] will be his 25th in the prison of that ‘friendly nation.’”

This coming Sunday will mark 8,888 days that Pollard has been in prison.

Some 20,000 copies of the Haggadah will be printed, “and if we need more, we’ll print more,” said Asher Mivtzari, one of the forces behind the project. The book will be distributed in towns all around Israel as soon as it comes off the presses, and will be sold for the token price of ten shekels.

The Haggadah was edited by Rabbi Gabi Kadosh, the rabbi of the northern Negev town Shomriyah, where several dozens expelled Gush Katif families have made their home; he was the rabbi of the Gush Katif community of Ganei Tal for many years. Rabbi Kadosh compiled what many rabbis and public figures have said about Pollard, as well as Torah thoughts on the tremendous importance in Judaism of Redemption of Captives.

Passover was traditionally a time when extra efforts were made to redeem captives. The Book of Our Heritage, by Rabbi Eliyahu Ki-Tov, cites a traditional practice in many Jewish communities “that on the morning of Passover eve, the leaders of the community would go to the jails in and around their town, checking to see if there were any Jewish prisoners, whom they would then attempt to free.”

Asked why no English edition is available, Mivtzari explained that the first priority in the campaign to free Pollard is Israel, where it is hoped that public pressure will be exerted on the government to work for his release. “In addition, the entire project was done amazingly quickly and there was no time to think of adding anything else,” Mivtzari said.

The name of the new publication is “Freedom Haggadah: Let’s not ‘pass over’ our brother Jonathan.” Volunteers will sell it door-to-door, and copies can be ordered at .

From the book’s introduction:
“Jonathan sacrificed his freedom for me, for you and for all of us, so that we would be able to live as free people in the Land of Israel, with our children forever. He simply wanted us to live and not die, that we should not fall victim to the evil schemes of those who hate us and want to destroy us… He is paying a terrible price: separated from his wife and imprisoned in disgraceful conditions that impair his health and endanger his life.”

If you don’t believe it, just ask the terrorists sitting in prison waiting for the next release of prisoners…the next “good-will” gesture on Israel’s part…the next “confidence-building measures” imposed on Israel by the US and Europe. Or, more likely, the next exchange of a zillion palestinian terrorist prisoners for one innocent Israeli captive, dead (G-d forbid) or alive.
They are seriously talking about releasing this guy, even though he has publicly announced that he fully intends to return to murdering and maiming innocent Israelis. So far, Netanyahu and the Israeli government is standing strong against the insanity of releasing these murderers, but we’ll see…It ain’t over till it’s over…

Abdullah Barghouti: I will keep fighting occupation


Hamas ‘engineer’, who was sentenced to 67 life terms for several deadly terror attacks, says PM Netanyahu sabotaged execution of prisoner swap securing Gilad Shalit’s release. ‘He is far more concerned with Kadima’

Reprinted from YNet News Sharon Roffe-Ofir

Abdullah Iyad Barghouti, who has been mentioned as one of the Hamas officials currently jailed in Israel that the organization demands in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, does not believe he will be freed in the near future, and blames Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for sabotaging the deal.

“There is no way the deal will be executed soon, Netanyahu does not want to execute the deal, he is busy with many other things,” Barghouti said Sunday afternoon at a hearing on the conditions of his imprisonment at the Nazareth District Court. The hearing addressed whether or not Barghouti should remain in confinement.

After he told the court that there is “no way” he believes in the Israeli court system, he responded to questions by reporters – in fluent Hebrew. He stated that if he were to be released, he would continue to “fight the occupation.” When asked if he was referring only to the occupation in Gaza or in other places, such as Nazareth, he said: “The occupation in all of Palestine”.

Barghouti answering questioning in court on Sunday (Photo: Hagai Aharon)

Of the prisoner exchange deal he said, “I was the third name in the deal, Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat were before me. Hagai Hadas signed, the German mediator signed, and Hamas signed. When it reached Netanyahu, he zigzagged and caved. He is more concerned with other things. For example, he is far more concerned with Kadima.”

In response to a question on the captive soldier’s condition, he said, “As far as I know he is 100% okay, he is normal, he eats, he drinks, he sleeps. We do not hurt our prisoners.”

Barghouti, a relative of jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti but a member of the rival Hamas organization, is considered the movement’s “engineer”. He was convicted of involvement in terror attacks that claimed many victims, including the suicide attacks in Café Moment and Sbarro in Jerusalem, the Sheffield Club in Rishon Lezion, and the bus 4 line in Tel Aviv.

In total, Barghouti was responsible for the murder of 66 Israelis and the injury of some 500. In 2004 Barghouti was sentenced to 67 life sentences.

In the past two years Barghouti’s name has come up repeatedly as one of the “four officials” that Israel refuses to release and that make up the main obstacle standing before the completion of a prisoner swap. The list also includes Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat and Hamas member Ibrahim Hamed, who is considered head of the organization’s military wing in the West Bank.

According to other reports, the list of prisoners Israel refuses to release includes other members of Hamas’ military wing such as Abbas a-Sayed, Jamal Abu al-Hija, Hassan Salameh and a number of female terrorist.

Can you just imagine when the world gets ahold of this one? UN resolutions, sanctions, outrage, international condemnation…
Bets, anyone on whether or not the double standard rears its ugly head?

Israel: Plans for 3rd Nuclear Reactor


Israel will announce plans this week to build a new nuclear reactor to diversify its energy sector, officials said Monday. Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau has discussed the possibility of cooperating on building a nuclear plant with France and Jordan, the ministry said. The project would be overseen by France and use French technology. Israel already has two reactors, the Dimona reactor in the Negev desert, which is widely assumed to have produced nuclear weapons, and a research reactor at Nahal Soreq near Tel Aviv.

Reprinted from NY Times Reuters

I remember when being liberal was about human rights for EVERYONE, not just those that shared your own personal viewpoint. That concept seems to have gone the way of calypso pants and penny loafers. Now, it’s “If you don’t agree with me…Shut up, or I’ll break your f–ing face”.
It’s getting more dangerous every day to be a Jew in America, especially on the “liberal” university campuses. I wasn’t around in Germany in the ’30s, but they tell me…

Anti-Israel Activist Attacks Jewish Girl on Campus


University of California at Berkeley was again the site of a clash involving pro-Israel and anti-Israel activists last Friday when Husam Zakharia, leader of the Students for Justice in Palestine, assaulted Jessica Felber of the pro-Israel Tikvah group with a shopping cart

Reprinted from INN Avi Yellin

The incident occurred during competing events from the SJP-run “Israel Apartheid Week” and “Israel Peace and Diversity Week” organized by Tikvah. Felber was holding a sign that read “Israel Wants Peace” when Zakharia intentionally slammed her from behind with a shopping cart filled with toys donated for the welfare of Arab children in the Hamas-controlled Gaza region.

Felber told Israel National News that she responded to the incident by immediately placing her attacker under citizens’ arrest. Police arrested him later that day and Felber expressed hope that the District Attorney will see the case through and file charges against Zakharia.

Felber said that Friday’s incident was not the first time Zakharia used violence against pro-Israel advocates. According to her, physical intimidation has frequently been employed as a tool by SJP to silence students opposing their anti-Zionist activities on campus. “SJP students have been terrorizing us for three years with intimidation, accusations and threats. This incident is simply the culmination of it all and we are not going to tolerate it anymore.”

SJP’s tactics backfired on at least one occasion when, in November 2008, the group attempted to disrupt a concert organized by the Zionist Freedom Alliance during “Israel Liberation Week” on the UC Berkeley campus. After striking a ZFA activist in the head, Zakharia found himself beaten to the ground. Following the incident, Zakharia and two fellow SJP members, along with two Zionist activists, were cited for battery but no charges were officially filed.

The UC Berkeley Hillel and leaders of the California Bay Area Jewish community condemned the violence at the time but made no moral distinction between SJP and ZFA. This time around, however, Felber said Hillel and many other Jewish organizations have been very supportive and she expressed hope that SJP will no longer be able to intimidate her or other students on campus.

I think that this is what is properly referred to as “cutting off your nose to spite your face”. For what possible reason would the Turks refuse help from the world’s leading experts at search and rescue and disaster response? Once again, that emotion called “hate” has a way of leading to particularly bad decisions…even to the extent of costing human lives…

Turkey rejects Israel’s offer of post-quake aid


Ankara declines Jerusalem’s proposal to assist search and rescue operations following 6.0-magnitude earthquake which hit country’s east

Reprinted from YNet News Roni Sofer

Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the defense establishment to put together an aid proposal for Turkey, following the earthquake that hit the country’s eastern region Monday, only to be rejected by Ankara.

Barak’s office said that Turkey informed Israel that it did not require assistance at this time.

The 6.0-magnitude quake shook the Elazig province in eastern Turkey around 4:30 am (GMT). Some 57 people were killed and over 40 aftershocks have been registered since, the strongest reaching 5.5 on the Richter Scale.

Over a decade ago, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey, killing some 18,000 people. An Israeli search and rescue mission sent at the time was instrumental in saving dozens of lives.

Jerusalem’s relations with Ankara have deteriorated greatly over the past year, in wake of both Operation Cast Lead and Turkey’s failure to mediate indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.

The growing tensions have seen Turkey cancel a joint military exercise scheduled to take place between the two air forces.

Diplomatic relations between both countries deteriorated further after Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon reprimanded the Turkish ambassador to Israel following a television show which depicting Mossad agents as baby snatchers.

Following the meeting, Ankara accused Ayalon of violating diplomatic etiquette and humiliating its ambassador. Following a Turkish ultimatum, and only after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres were forced to address the issue, Ayalon apologized for his behavior.

Some countries would call this treason, like, for instance, any Arab country in the Middle East that Mr. Copti might choose to live in.(but he doesn’t…he chooses Israel) He is, in fact, a citizen of the State of Israel. Israel, by the way, helped fund this film which is giving Copti his 15 minutes of fame. He had no problem accepting the money and all the benefits of Israeli citizenship. He chooses to live in Israel, not anywhere else, as do all of the Arab citizens of the Jewish State. No one is keeping them here against their will.
How about a little grace? How about a little thankfulness for all the good you have received from your country?
You seem to be taking your freedom and human rights in Israel a bit for granted…
Copti says he doesn’t represent his home country,,the country that facilitated his advance in the movie industry and helped finance his film. I wonder just exactly who he DOES represent?…I guess just old selfish himself…

‘Ajami’ director: I don’t represent Israel


‘I cannot represent a state that does not represent me,’ Scandar Copti says just hours before Academy Awards ceremony

Reprinted from YNet News

“Ajami” co-director Scandar Copti said Sunday that he is not representing Israel at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, just hours before his film competes in the best foreign film category.

“I am not the Israeli team and I am not representing Israel,” Copti told Channel 2. “It’s a very technical thing. This is how it works at the Oscars. It says Israel because the money comes from Israel. You have an Israeli director, you have a Palestinian director, you have Palestinian actors and Israeli actors.

International Success
‘Ajami’ gets real, aims for Oscar / Reuters
None of Israeli film’s actors imagined low-budget drama would earn nomination for best foreign language film at Academy Awards. Directors’ strategy was to find first-time actors who shared similar backgrounds with characters and who would infuse roles with real-life experience
Full story

“The film represents Israel technically, but I don’t represent Israel. I cannot represent a country that does not represent me.”

Yaron Shani, the film’s other co-director, does not agree with Copti. “It’s an Israeli film. It represents Israel, it speaks in the Israeli language and it deals with Israeli problems. The representation question refers to problems of perspectives and political problems which need to be solved,” Shani said in the same interview.

Following the remarks, Science and Technology Minister Daniel Herkowitz (Habayit Hayehudi) called on Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat to launch an inquiry into the film’s funding by the State of Israel.

“The person who directed the film with Israeli funding may cover himself with Hamas flags tonight. If the film wins an Oscar, this may be a Pyrrhic victory for the State of Israel,” the minister said.

In response to Copti’s remairs, Minister Livnat said, “The film ‘Ajami’ was produced and received an Oscar nomination thanks to funds from the State of Israel, which Scandar Copti now tries to renounce. Without the State’s support, Copti would not be walking on the red carpet tonight.”

She added, “It’s sad that a director who was supported by the State is renouncing those that made it possible for him to create and express himself. Fortunately, all the others who had a part in the film’s creation consider themselves part of the State of Israel and are proud to represent it.”

The film’s directors and stars attended several Hollywood events over the weekend ahead of Sunday night’s ceremony. Copti told Ynet earlier that winning was not the most important thing for him.

“It would be nice to get the prize, but we don’t need it. It’s not a must,” he said.

“Ajami” will be competing in the best foreign-language film category against “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” from Argentina, “The Milk of Sorrow” from Peru, “Un Prophete” from France, and “The White Ribbon” from Germany. It is the ninth Israeli movie to be nominated for an Oscar in this category.

Dr. Lerner at IMRA said it best. He pointed out that the only Jews that US Vice President Joe Biden’s wife will meet while in Israel are dead!! No problem finding live Arabs to meet though…
An unfortunate oversight??..I don’t think so…
Peace now, baby…..

Only Jews wife of VP Biden to meet are dead?


Who is Dr. Jill Biden visiting on her official trip to Israel and the PA?

Reprinted from IMRA Dr. Aaron Lerner

Dr. Biden’s visit:
Israel: – teachers and children at the integrated Peace Pre-school program
at the Jerusalem International YMCA
Israel: – grave sites of Yitzhak Rabin and Theodor Herzl
Israel – Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum
Israel (eastern Jerusalem) – Augusta Victoria Hospital (Jerusalem Arabs)
PA – Al Kamandjati Music Center (Palestinians)
Israel – Bedouin Women Crafts Center in Lakiya (Israeli Arabs)

So who is she meeting in Israel? Dead Jews and live Arabs?]

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President
For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2010

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND DR. JILL BIDEN TRAVEL
TO THE MIDDLE EAST

…
Tuesday, March 9th – Jerusalem

Dr. Biden:

In the morning, Dr. Jill Biden will visit teachers and children at the
integrated Peace Pre-school program at the Jerusalem International YMCA.
This visit will be POOLED PRESS.

In the afternoon, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will visit the national
grave sites of Yitzhak Rabin and Theodor Herzl and lay a wreath. Afterwards,
they will visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum and memorial. Both of
these events will be POOLED PRESS.

In the evening, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will have dinner with the
Prime Minister and Mrs. Netanyahu. There will be a pool spray at the top of
this dinner.

Wednesday March 10th – Ramallah, Palestinian Territories and Bethlehem,
Palestinian Territories

…
Dr. Biden:

In the morning, Dr. Biden will travel to Augusta Victoria Hospital, where
she will visit with doctors, nurses and patients and take a tour of the
hospital’s facilities. Dr. Biden will learn about the hospital’s breast
cancer outreach program and will visit the radiotherapy unit. She will also
visit with children and parents in the pediatric cancer care and kidney care
units. This visit will be POOLED PRESS.

In the afternoon, Dr. Biden will visit the Al Kamandjati Music Center in
Ramallah where she will meet with teachers and students, and listen to a
student music performance. Al Kamandjati provides music lessons, workshops
and music programs including concerts for Palestinian children, particularly
those living in refugee camps and in marginalized villages in the West Bank,
Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.

Thursday, March 11th – Tel Aviv, Israel and Amman, Jordan

…
Dr. Biden:

In the morning, Dr. Biden will visit Masada, and in the afternoon she will
visit a Bedouin Women Crafts Center in Lakiya. Both of these visits are
POOLED PRESS

In the afternoon, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will depart en route to
Amman, Jordan.

In the evening, the Vice President will meet with King Abdullah. There will
be a pool spray at the top of this meeting. Afterwards, the Vice President
and King Abdullah will have dinner together.

Friday, March 12th – Amman, Jordan

The Vice President and Dr. Biden will visit and tour Petra in the afternoon.
This visit will be POOLED PRESS.

Dr. Biden: Details on Dr. Biden’s schedule in Jordan will be released later
in the week.

In the evening, the Vice President and Dr. Biden will depart Jordan en route
Washington, DC.

The US vice president, Joe Biden, is here, in the Middle East to work on re-starting peace talks between Isrel and the palestinians. He is meeting the palestinians, the so-called “moderate” palestiniian leadership, in Ramallah, where they are about to dedicate a public square to a terrorist that murdered 37 innocent Israelis.
1. What kind of peace partner is this for Israel?
2. This is what you call “moderate” palestinian leadership?
3. How can any peace-loving country be expected to talk peace with an entity that honors mass murderers by naming public places after them?
4. Joe Biden, what the heck are YOU doing visiting this place at this time????

VP Biden’s schedule details: visiting Ramallah day before PA officials dedicate square there honoring murderer of 37 civilians (live internet feed of speech to Israelis)


Thursday, March 11th At 11:30 AM local time (4:30 AM ET) the Vice President
will a deliver a speech at Tel Aviv University entitled “The Enduring
Partnership Between the United States and Israel.” Afterwards, the Vice
President will answer questions from university students in the audience.
The Vice President’s speech will be streamed LIVE at:
www.justin.tv/shimongx#r=w7MdF4U~

Reprinted from IMRA

PA to name square for murderer of 37
on anniversary of her attack


Another chapter is unfolding in the ongoing confrontation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the naming of a square after the terrorist Dalal Mughrabi. In December, Palestinian Media Watch publicized that the Municipality of Ramallah planned to name a public square in honor of the terrorist Dalal Mughrabi, who led the worst terror attack in Israel’s history when she and other terrorists hijacked a bus and murdered 37 civilians in 1978. Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately protested to the US and sharply criticized the PA for its intention to name the square in Ramallah “after a terrorist who killed dozens of Israelis.”

Reprinted from Palestinian Media Watch
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The official PA daily newspaper reports today that the PA has chosen to ignore PM Netanyahu’s criticism and protests to the US. Not only does it still intend to name the square after the terrorist, but the date chosen for the inaugural ceremony is this Thursday, March 11, the 32nd anniversary of the terror attack.

Since PMW’s exposure of the story, PA leaders have repeatedly rejected PM Netanyahu’s criticism while defending the practice of honoring murderers, whom they honor as Martyrs (Shahids). PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas also referred to the terror attack as “military activities.”

See the timeline of the ongoing dispute below.

After PMW’s exposure of the PA’s naming of the square in December, Israeli PM Netanyahu protested and condemned the intention:

“Today, and a week ago, senior officials from the Prime Minister’s office conveyed a protest to the US against Mahmoud Abbas… that the governor of Ramallah named a square in her [Mughrabi's] honor.”
[Israeli News Channel 2, Jan. 7, 2010]
“Whoever sponsors and supports naming a square in Ramallah in honor of a terrorist who murdered dozens of Israelis on the Coastal Road – encourages terror.”
[Galei Zahal, (IDF radio), Jan. 10, 2010]

Today the official PA daily reports that the Municipality is continuing with this Thursday’s inauguration:

Headline: “Preparations for inauguration of Shahida (Martyr) Dalal Mughrabi Square complete”
“The El-Bireh Municipality has completed construction work at the Shahida (Martyr) Dalal Mughrabi Square in the Um Al-Sharait region, and has commenced preparations for its inauguration this Thursday, the anniversary of Mughrabi’s Martyrdom. The mayor, Jamal Al-Tawil, said that… this year the municipality will celebrate the inauguration of the Shahida (Martyr) Dalal Mughrabi Square in order to commemorate her memory and her sacrifice as a Palestinian woman who resisted the occupation. City Council member Aida Abu-Ubeid said that the square is considered a symbol of the sacrifice of the Palestinian woman. She also noted that flowers and trees will be planted there, and that a picture of the Shahida Dalal Mughrabi will be placed at the center of the square.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 7, 2010]

There has been no public comment from the Obama administration about the PA’s honoring of the terrorist.

Timeline on Dalal Mughrabi Square debate:

Dec. 31, 2009: PMW releases story of PA’s intention to name square after Mughrabi
Click to view PMW’s release of PA’s naming of square after terrorist.

Jan. 7, 2010: PM Netanyahu protests PA’s honoring Mughrabi to the US
“Today, and a week ago, senior officials from the Prime Minister’s office conveyed a protest to the US against Mahmoud Abbas… that the governor of Ramallah named a square in her [Mughrabi's] honor.”
[Israeli News Channel 2]

Jan. 10: PM Netanyahu opens cabinet meeting with criticism of PA’s honoring Mughrabi
“Whoever sponsors and supports naming a square in Ramallah in honor of a terrorist who murdered dozens of Israelis on the Coastal Road – encourages terror.”
[Galei Zahal, (IDF radio), Jan. 10, 2010]

Jan. 11: PA Minister of Culture, Siham Barghouti, rejects Netanyahu’s protest
“Honoring them this way [by naming places after Martyrs] is the least we can give them, and this is our right.”
[Al-Ayyam, Jan. 11, 2010]

Jan. 17: PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas rejects Netanyahu’s protest
“I do not deny [the naming]. Of course we want to name a square after her [Mughrabi]… [We] carried out military activities; can I then later renounce all that we have done? No, I don’t renounce it.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Jan. 17, 2010]

Feb. 3: Ashraf Ajrami, former PA Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, defends naming
“[PA] talk about Shahids (Martyrs) is considered, from their [Israel's] point of view, extremism and support for terror… Likewise, naming a square after Dalal Mughrabi is [according to Israel] reason for criticism and attack.”
[Al-Ayyam, Feb. 3, 2010]

Feb. 25: Mahmoud Al-Aloul, General Commissioner for Recruitment and Organization, emphasizes importance of naming
“Mahmoud Al-Aloul, member of the Fatah Central Committee and General Commissioner for Recruitment and Organization, emphasized that it is important to continue commemorating the memory of the Shahids (Martyrs) and the Palestinian acts of heroism, and most importantly the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Dalal Mughrabi, heroine of the Coastal Road operation [terror attack], which falls on March 11th each year.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 25, 2010]

Today, March 7: PA daily announces Thursday’s inauguration of square
“The El-Bireh Municipality has completed construction work at the Shahida (Martyr) Dalal Mughrabi Square … and has commenced preparations for its inauguration this Thursday, the anniversary of Mughrabi’s Martyrdom… City Council member Aida Abu-Ubeid said that the square is considered a symbol of the sacrifice of the Palestinian woman. She also noted that flowers and trees will be planted there, and that a picture of the Shahida Dalal Mughrabi will be placed at the center of the square.”
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 7, 2010

This gorgeous young Israeli lady had to get permission from her commanding officer to attend the beauty pageant…which she won…She is an Israeli soldier on active duty in the army!!!
I bet MY army is prettier than YOUR army (and we fight pretty well, too)…

Miss Israel 2010 crowned


Shavit Wiesel, 20, wins beauty pageant in Haifa ceremony marking competition’s 60th anniversary

Reprinted from YNet News Roni Amar

Shavit Wiesel, 20, of Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel was crowned Miss Israel 2010 on Monday. The Miss Junior Israel title was awarded to Bat-El Jubi; Adi Sassi was named Miss Teen Israel; and the Miss Congeniality title was given to Shel Arazi. Another runner-up was Gal Erez.

Wiesel is an Israel Defense Forces soldier serving in the Teleprocessing Branch and has had a steady boyfriend for the past five years. After her army discharge she intends on volunteering and has expressed a interest in working with children with special needs.

During the ceremony, which was held in Haifa and hosted by model and presenter Hila Nachshon, singer Harel Skaat – Israel’s representative to the Eurovision song contest – and 1973 Eurovision winner Anne-Marie David performed a duet in French.

Other performance included that of singers Maya Bouskila and Moshe Peretz.

Among the judges were LaIsha women’s magazine editor Miriam Nofech-Moses, model and actress Agam Rodberg, singer Amir Faye Guttman and model and presenter Ilanit Levy.

Monday’s event marked the contest’s 60th anniversary and allowed the audience to vote and influence the judges’ choices for the first time.

If you are in or near NYC and you support the IDF (Israeli Army), you need to head for this site THIS EVENING!!!

Counter protestesting protestors at Friends of the IDF dinner – 9 March NYC


TO CONCERNED JEWS – BE THERE WITH US – TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 5-7 PM – NYC
Posted Thursday, March 04 @ 15:39:13 EST
URGENT COUNTER-PROTEST , TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 5-7 P.M.

TO ALL THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT ISRAEL – IT IS URGENT THAT YOU ATTEND THE
COUNTER-PROTEST RALLY

Across from the WALDORF ASTORIA – PARK AVE.,bet. 49th & 50th , NYC

Reprinted from IMRA

UPDATE:
The NYPD has switched the locations for Tuesday night WE ARE GOING TO BE on
PARK at W. 50th – 51st, and the Haters will be at W. 48th – 49th.

On Tuesday, March 9, The Friends of the IDF is having their annual dinner at
the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC. We have learned that there will be an Arab
demonstration outside the hotel, defaming the IDF and Gabi Ashkenazi, the
Chief of the IDF General Staff.

We will be handing out information, holding signs, Israeli and American
flags, and alerting the public as to the true nature of Fatah, Hamas and the
PA. The Hamas terrorist acts against Christians and Fatah, the use of women
and children as human shields, the firing of rockets from mosques, homes,
and schools in order to deter IDF retaliation, the misinformation and hatred
being fed to Arab children in their classrooms and through PA media, will
all be detailed.

We’ll be highlighting the IDF and Israeli assistance to the Arabs in the
fields of medical care, education, and providing a standard of living for
Arab Israelis that is the highest in the Middle East. In addition, in
opposition to the recent “apartheid” claims against Israel, the Israeli
Arabs enjoy full democratic rights in the Knesset , in their religious
observances, and in the media.

A number of grass roots activist groups have come together to
counter-protest on that evening. They include Americans For a Safe
Israel/AFSI, Get Out The Facts, Human Rights Coalition Against Radical
Islam, National Council of Young Israel, Shalom International, Stand With
Us, World Committee for the Land of Israel, Zionist Organization of
America/ZOA . Individuals such as Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Lori Lowenthal
Marcus, and Andy Upton are also working with us. Others continue to join.
PLEASE BE THERE WITH US – MARCH 9, 5-7 P.M.

I guess this is what you mean when you call someone a “member of the tribe”…Looks like a real lost tribe, no?
I don’t think you really need the DNA once you catch a look of these guys in their prayer garb, eh? Well, maybe that staff is a bit over the edge…

Report: DNA tests support Zimbabwe tribe’s claim of Jewish roots


British scientists have succeeded in proving the Lemba tribe of Zimbabwe and South Africa descended from Jewish ancestors, according to a report by the BBC.

Reprinted from HaAretz.com

According to the report, the scientists conducted DNA tests on a large sample of the Lemba people, which confirmed Semitic origins dating back more than two millennia.

The BBC says that the 80,000 Lemba tribe members abstain from eating pork, wear yarmulke-like skull caps, conduct ritual animal slaughter, and even put a Star of David on their gravestones.

The report says the tribe has an oral tradition that links them to the ancient Jews. They also circumcise their male children, which is not a common practice in Zimbabwe, but is one of the basic principles of the Jewish faith.

Members of the priestly clan of the Lemba even have a genetic element also found among the Jewish priestly line – known as Cohen.

“This was amazing,” Professor Tudor Parfitt from the University of London told the BBC. “It looks as if the Jewish priesthood continued in the West by people called Cohen, and in same way it was continued by the priestly clan of the Lemba,” he added.

“They have a common ancestor who geneticists say lived about 3,000 years ago somewhere in north Arabia, which is the time of Moses and Aaron when the Jewish priesthood started,” Parfitt told the BBC.

In addition, the report says, the Lemba have a sacred prayer language that combines Hebrew and Arabic, which indicates their roots were in Israel and Yemen.

“We have been a very secretive people, because we believe we are a special people,” religious Lemba singer Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave told the BBC.

The tribe even uses a religious artifact they say connects them to their Jewish ancestry – a replica of the Biblical Ark known as the ngoma lungundu, meaning “the drum that thunders,” which they say was made by Moses.

The tribe’s oral tradition says that centuries ago a small group of men began a long journey carrying the ngoma lungundu from Yemen to southern Africa.

The Ark went missing during the 1970s and was eventually rediscovered in Harare in 2007 by Professor Parfitt.

“Many people say that the story is far-fetched, but the oral traditions of the Lemba have been backed up by science,” Parfitt said.

Despite their “Jewish roots,” many of the tribe are now Christian or Muslim, the report claims. But, says Perez Hamandishe, a pastor and member of parliament, “Christianity is my religion, and Judaism is my culture.”

Hard to believe that such a tiny little country can demand SO much attention around the world. And don’t give me that “Jewish conspiracy-the Jews are running the world” nonsense, either. The world was set up by the Creator with Israel at it’s physical and spiritual center. THAT is the concept of the “chosen-ness” of the Jews. Apparently, G-d’s Chosen people DO have an effect on everything that happens in the world, even the California Senate race.
And it’s not about some Jewish plot…If anyone is doing the plotting, it’s the Big-Guy up in Heaven…

California GOP U.S. Senate race focusing on Israel?


California is broke, its 12.1 percent unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation, housing prices have plunged, home foreclosures have skyrocketed and a drought is threatening the state’s dwindling water supply. There also are plenty of other issues for would-be U.S. senators to debate, including the battered economy and a massive effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

Instead, the state’s Republican Senate primary has been heating up over Israel.

Reprinted from Miami Herald By ROB HOTAKAINEN
McClatchy Newspapers

With former Rep. Tom Campbell leading in the polls, his challengers for the Republican nomination – businesswoman Carly Fiorina and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore – are taking persistent shots at the front-runner, saying that his record consistently has been anti-Israel.

As a result, Campbell will have to play defense Friday when California’s Republican Senate candidates meet in their first debate.

On Monday, Fiorina, the former chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, asked Campbell to explain why he’d voted against aid to Israel when he was in Congress, why he opposed recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, and why he accepted contributions from groups that have been linked to Islamic extremists.

The Campbell camp said that the former congressman had a pro-Israel record and would wait until the debate, which will be hosted by a Sacramento radio station, to respond to Fiorina’s specific charges. Campbell pushed for Friday’s debate as a way to air the charges against him fully.

Fiorina will face some hard questioning, too, however. DeVore plans to ask about her years as the head of Hewlett-Packard, when, he charges, the company made millions by selling printers and other goods to Iran through a distributor in the Middle East.

“This is the time bomb waiting to explode on the Fiorina campaign,” said Josh Trevino, DeVore’s spokesman.

Julie Soderlund, a spokeswoman for Fiorina, called the charges “unfounded attacks.”

“These politically motivated allegations are false, based solely on speculative media reports and are not supported by any verified facts,” she said. “During Carly Fiorina’s tenure at HP the company complied with the law and did not violate U.S. sanctions regarding trade issues with Iran.”

DeVore, who’s running last in the polls, is eager to focus on Israel and Iran and to have Campbell and Fiorina spend time defending their records.

“It’s a great opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with these people and explain why he’s the only consistent conservative with nothing strange to explain about the past,” Trevino said. “I think it’ll be a great contrast.”

All in all, it’s shaping up to be a fiercely contested race, which will be decided in a primary June 8. The winner will try to unseat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in November.

In advance of the debate, the rhetoric has gotten plenty hot: Last week, one of Campbell’s prominent supporters said that Fiorina’s campaign manager had called Campbell an anti-Semite, a charge that was quickly denied.

James Fisfis, Campbell’s spokesman, said the attacks on Campbell “have sunk to unforeseen depths, going from bizarre to, now, grotesque.”

Campbell, who was elected five times to the U.S. House of Representatives after he took a leave of absence from Stanford University, where he was a law professor, wants Friday’s debate to focus on national security and foreign policy.

In response to the controversy over Israel, Campbell said he’d voted against a $30 million increase in aid to Israel because it would have taken money from an aid allotment for Africa. He said that the Jerusalem measure in 1990 had been introduced by a Democrat as a way to embarrass the George H.W. Bush administration.

Regarding his alleged link to extremists, Campbell says he made a mistake in associating with Sami Al-Arian, a sympathizer of radical Islamic movements. Campbell wrote a letter of recommendation on Al-Arian’s behalf, but he says that even George W. Bush posed for a photograph with Al-Arian in the spring of 2000, when Bush was campaigning for president.