Don’t they have something more important to worry about, like maybe saving Greece or Spain from economic collapse?

Besides, haven’t the French learned yet that Israel’s building of homes, communities, or even cities has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with peace or the lack thereof in the Middle East?

But I DO hate to see those Frenchmen so deeply concerned over anything…

France deeply concerned over Israeli settlements

France is deeply concerned about Israel’s authorization for the expansion of 2,000 settlement homes built on occupied Palestinian land in east Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry said Monday

Reprinted from dailystar.com

“Our position is constant: Settlement building is illegal in the eyes of international law, in the West Bank as well as in East Jerusalem,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero.

Jerusalem’s municipal council Sunday approved the expansion of 2,000 homes in the settlement district of Ramat Shlomo, allowing each home to add a room. The Ramat Shlomo neighborhood lies in an area of Arab East Jerusalem, which Israel captured during the 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognized by the international community.

France called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume peace talks based on proposals made by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe when he visited the region earlier this month.

“We call on the parties to resume negotiations based on principles contained in the French initiative … and to refrain from unilateral gestures,” Valero said.

It’s bad enough that Israel relinquishes sovereignty over holy ground in our nation’s capital to our good friends in the Vatican…The least they can do is carry some of our tax burden!!!

I thought that Jews knew how to negotiate…

Ayalon: Israel won’t give up Christian holy sites

Israel, Vatican reach understanding on real estate taxation in Holy Land.

Reprinted from jpost.com

Jerusalem and the Vatican have made significant progress in the ongoing negotiations between the sides after a breakthrough on the issue of taxation of the Holy See’s property in Israel.

According to conclusions reached Tuesday at the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission taking place in the Vatican, religious institutions owned by the Holy See in Israel will be exempted from tax, in the same manner synagogues and mosques are.

Church-owned businesses, however, will not be afforded that dispensation.

A joint communique issued following the meeting headed by Ettore Balestrero, under-secretary for relations with states, and Deputy Foreign Minister- Danny Ayalon said “the negotiations took place in an open, friendly and constructive atmosphere, and very significant progress was made.” The next plenary meeting will be held this December at the Foreign Ministry.

Hope has been expressed that now that the taxation issue seems to be resolved, other topics, such as sovereignty over sites and appropriation of Vatican- owned land by Israel – might be resolved. The Vatican had demanded sovereignty over sites, including the Cenacle – or the Upper Room, the site of the Last Supper, which is outside Zion Gate in Jerusalem.

Last year, the sides agreed to take the contentious issue of sovereignty over the Cenacle out of the bilateral issues being discussed, to facilitate movement in the negotiations.

While Israel remains firm in its refusal to relinquish ownership over the Cenacle and other sites, certain gestures might be made to provide the Holy See with leeway.

“Israel will not give up sovereignty over any of the holy places,” Ayalon said on Tuesday.

“However we will always keep freedom of worship and free access to all religions to their holy places.”

Why do actors think that they are qualified to engage in international diplomacy???

Since when does being very famous and being very good at pretending to be someone that you are not in a situation that is not real in front of a camera or on stage…since when does that qualify you as an expert on international affairs? Why should anyone give an actor any more credence than a plumber (no offense to plumbers…I respect THEM more than I do actors…they do something MUCH more useful to society) when it comes to their opinion on international issues (that they usually know nothing about)???

Nimoy, you may be Jewish, but you do NOT live in Israel, you do NOT have any particular knowledge about events in the Middle East, neither you nor you children serve in the Israeli Army, and you are not even particularly identified as being Jewish or caring about Israel, even if your Vulcan hand signal is an imitation of the Jewish priests’ hand position while blessing the Jewish people (you probably didn’t even know that)…

So, when it comes to your efforts for “peace” in Israel…please keep them to yourself and your family and close friends…

‘Spock’ calls for Jerusalem’s division

Jewish actor Leonard Nimoy known for famous Star Trek role writes letter on ‘Americans for Peace Now’ website supporting two-state solution

Reprinted from Ynetnews.com

The Americans for Peace Now (APN) organization published Tuesday a letter written by actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Spock in the original Star Trek series and movies, in which the actor supports the establishment of a two-state solution.

The 80-year-old actor called upon the American people to support the peace initiative.

“I reach out to you as someone who is troubled to see the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continue apparently without an end in sight,” Nimoy wrote.

“In fact, there is an end in sight. It’s known as the two-state solution – a secure, democratic Israel as the Jewish State alongside an independent Palestinian state. Even Israel’s nationalist Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has come to see this as the shape of the future. The problem is how to reach that end point. It’s something we should be concerned about – not only as world citizens, but as Americans.”

He went on to write that he supports the division of Jerusalem, mentioning 50 other prominent Israelis, including former heads of the Mossad, the Shin Bet and the military who support a two-state solution.

“There is a sizable number of influential voices in Israel saying the same thing… a call for two states for two nations. Their plan includes a Palestinian state alongside Israel with agreed-upon land swaps. The Palestinian-populated areas of Jerusalem would become the capital of Palestine; the Jewish-populated areas the capital of Israel.”

“I’m a strong supporter of APN and the work it does,” Nimoy wrote. “Peace Now’s activities and programs… keep peace on the world’s agenda… Like those Israelis who issued the peace plan, the members of Peace Now have their boots on the ground. They serve in Israel’s military reserves and see every day what life is like without a negotiated peace with the Palestinians.”

Nimoy also addressed the Itamar massacre and the increase in violence in the Middle East.

“A Jewish family was murdered in the West Bank and a woman was killed in a bus bombing in Jerusalem. A rocket attack on southern Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip resulted in a school bus being hit and a teen died of his wounds. Israel, in turn, has retaliated,” he said.

He added that a strong American leadership is needed to “pivot from the zero-sum mentality of violence to an attitude that focuses on the parties shared interests: Security and prosperity.” Paraphrasing his famous Star Trek quote: “Live long and prosper.”

Nimoy recalled a Star Trek episode called, “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield,” in which the Enterprise runs into “two men, half black, half white, are the last survivors of their peoples who have been at war with each other for thousands of years, yet the Enterprise crew could find no differences separating these two raging men… And they were prepared to battle to the death to defend the memory of their people who died from the atrocities committed by the other.”

The actor attempted to convince the American people to act by supporting the APN, mostly through donations, in order to help resolve the conflict.

“I’m a strong supporter of APN and the work it does. It is a leading voice for Americans who support Israel and know that a negotiated peace will ensure Israel’s security, prosperity and continued viability as a Jewish and democratic state,” wrote Nimoy.

Nimoy stressed he does not intend to belittle the issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians.

“What I do mean to suggest is that the time for recriminations is over. Assigning blame over all other priorities is self-defeating. Myth can be a snare. The two sides need our help to evade the snare and search for a way to compromise,” he said.

The actor also noted how the tumultuous situation in the Middle East has a direct effect on the US economy.

“We’ve seen oil prices rise sharply and America become involved militarily in Libya. The cost to American lives and our economy continues to rise at a time when unemployment and deficits are sapping our country’s strength.”

Nimoy explained that it is also in the interest of the US “to spread the message that there is a peace solution, and to let Congress and the White House know it’s preferable for America to be part of the solution than to be drawn into another conflict.”

The circle is complete…The circle that started with King David first sitting in Jerusalem as the ancient capital of the Jewish state…We have returned…This time, to stay…

It is only under Jewish sovereignty for the past 44 years that people of ALL faiths, Christians, Muslims and Jews, have been allowed free access to their holy sites in Israel’s capital.

Prior to 1967, under Muslim control of Jerusalem, only Muslims were allowed access to the holy places. It was (and is) considered a desecration for Jewish or Christian “infidels” to tread on any area that the Muslims consider holy…basic anywhere that they do not want Christians or Jews…

No effort was made to maintain, develop or preserve the sites considered holy to Judaism and Christianity. To the contrary, synagogues were made into stables and used as latrines, Jewish gravestones were used to pave roads, and anybody not of the Muslim faith was allowed to enter the holy places of Jerusalem.

Once the Jews re-took control, all this changed…In Jerusalem, the re-united Capital of Israel, under Jewish control…

Free access to ALL faiths to ALL sites, ongoing excavations and development of the sites holy to all faiths, while carefully preserving their sanctity and historic significance.

And so it will remain…And so it MUST remain…

Jerusalem Poll: Oppose international control of holy places 73%:21%, Oppose construction freeze 67%:23%

Reprinted from IMRA.org.il

Would you oppose or support having part of Jerusalem part of a Palestinian
state?
Oppose any part 66% Support some Arab neighborhoods 23% [rest of table not
recorded in time]

Would you agree to international control of the holy places within the
framework of a peace agreement?
No 73% Yes 21% Don’t know 6%

Should construction be frozen in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the ’67
lines?
Build 67% Freeze 23% Don’t know 10%

Not without Jerusalem


Op-ed: As Israel’s anthem makes clear, Zionist dream cannot be fulfilled without our Jerusalem

Reprinted from YNetnews.com
Ariella Gottesman

Many years ago, I heard a speaker – a self-proclaimed Zionist – taking Israel’s national anthem, HaTikvah, to task. In her opinion, it didn’t speak to the Zionist dream, the true feeling of the Jewish heart aching to return home, or the mission of Zionism. She suggested that “The Impossible Dream” from the hit Broadway musical “The Man of La Mancha” take its place as the national anthem. The very words, she thought, encapsulated everything Zionism and Israel stands for:

To dream the impossible dream,

To fight the unbeatable foe,

To bear with unbearable sorrow,

To run where the brave dare not go…

CLICK to read more…

We Celebrate 38 Years Since the Liberation and Reunification of The Holy City of Jerusalem “The Eternal Capital of Israel”

Also…New York Show’s Solidarity with Israel…

The “Salute to Israel Day” Parade
All this and MORE…

Happy Jerusalem Day!!!

1967: The Liberation and Re-Unification of the Holy City of Jerusalem
Eternal Capital of the Jewish State of Israel

New York Shows Solidarity with Israel

The Annual “Salute to Israel Day” Parade Down Fifth Avenue

Do they paint the line down the middle of Fifth Avenue blue and white???

We anxiously await the arrival of Dov Hikind and his delegation of supporters of the Jewish communities of Gush katif and the Northern Shomron…

Thank you, New York!!!…

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

Jerusalem–Eternal Capital of Israel and The Jewish People…
EXTRA SPECIAL–The Jews and The Messiah…the REAL facts
Also, some disturbing statements and…SILENCE…out of the London Conference

Today’s show talks about the basis for the status of Jerusalem as Holy Capital of Israel and The Jewish People..a historical and biblical basis that harks back thousands of years.

Marty also talks about the dangers of giving in to ill-founded claims on Jerusalem by Islam, why, in fact they want to conquer once again this oh-so-holy city from her rightful owners–the Jews of the world.

In response to listeners’ questions, Marty also explains the Jewish concept of Messiah, (May He Come Speedily in Our Days!!!!) Using the book, the “Mishna Torah” of The Rambam, Rabbi Mosese ben Maimon (Maimonides), Marty explains just what to expect when the REAL Messiah gets here.

Also, more disappointment for lovers of peace and justice in the world…the London Conference, held yesterday, aimed at recruiting aid and support for the palestinians concluded with the following dismal results:

1. $1.2 billion(!) to the palestinians, with no accountability whatsoever required

2. No demands, or even REQUESTS for the new palestinian leadership to actively fight terror

3. More demands, stated and un-stated, on Israel to relinquish territory and compromise on her security

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

What IS kabbalah, anyway?…What makes Rabbis like Rav Kaduri special?…

Also…Ehud Olmert is leading Israel now…What kind of a person is he?…Marty has some personal insights…

Plus…Praying in Hebron and dividing Jerusalem…

All this and MORE…

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A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

We are fighting for the right to live in our Homeland…Against our own leaders!…

Also…Jewish Law and Jewish life…How the talmud guides us to sanctify and make holy even the most mundane aspects of our daily life…

And…The holiness of Jerusalem to the Jews…More proof of our love for this magical city…

Plus…The Rockets continue to rain, and cigarettes and the health of mystics…All this and MORE…

A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

We still mourn the beginning of its destruction that took place almost 3000 years ago!…
Also…Joshua and Caleb and the “Generation of the Desert”…What do they have to do with today’s Jews and the coming Redemption?…
And…Why C.E. and B.C.E., and not B.C. and A.D.?…Marty explains…
Plus…Update on Sharon’s medical condition, coming out of the coma with Mozart…
All this and MORE…

A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

If 2000+ Years of Mourning is Not True Love, Then What Is?

Also…Al Qaeda Strikes London Again…

Who Will be Next?
And WHY are the Jews of London Hiding Under Their Beds???

All this and MORE…

A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

The Western Wall of the Holy Jewish Temple Mount

2000+ years have passed, and we still shed tears over our loss…

The Beit HaMikdash…The Jewish Holy Temple

This was the center of Judaism in the world…

We mourn the loss every year, for three weeks…

We anxiously await the opportunity to re-build it…

Which we WILL do, G-d willing, in the very near future…

and it will NEVER be destroyed again!!!

Protesting the Next Destruction???

We hope and pray and work to prevent it from occuring…

If it is G-d’s will, it will happen anyway…

If not, There is NO WAY it will happen!!!

London is Rocked AGAIN by Al Qaeda

Is there anybody left that STILL does not get the message???

Unfortunately, probably so…

Pope John Paul II

He thought that Christians and Moslims worship the same god…

I’m not so sure…

Did HE read the newspapaers to see what was going on today???

The New Pope Benedict

Will HE speak out???

What will he say???

Appeasement or truth???

We’re waiting…

Native American Indians passed the pipe to Mayor Uri Lupolianski to commemorate the 39th Jerusalem Day Celebration this week…Could THIS be the key to real peace in the Middle East?…Maybe so…

And…What is this Yad Sara group that Jerusalem Mayor Lupolianski founded 30+ years ago?…Quite a wonderful organization…

Also…Petach Tikva for sale…But you’d better hurry…

Plus…Drama in the skies over the Dimona nuclear facility, and mental illness and the current Israeli government…

All this and MORE…

A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

The Key to Middle East Peace?
Smoke the Peace Pipe!

Why not?

We’ve tried most everything else…

Maybe we need to just sit down and “get high” with our enemies…

Then again, what about General Custer?

Uri Lupolianski – Mayor of Jerusalem

He was the receiver of the pipe from “native American” leaders this week…

What ever happened to just plain old “Indians”, anyway?

We will be commemorating the 39th anniversary of the re-unification of the eternal capital of Israel, Jerusalem under Israeli rule later this week…

The City of Peace…

For Sale
City in Israel
Petach Tikva
Cheap

No, seriously…

It’s on E-Bay…

But you only have 2 more days to bid…

I don’t know if you get all 180,000 residents with the deal or not…

But it WAS Israel’s first village in 1878, so it has SOME historic value, doesn’t it?

Dimona Nuclear Reactor

The Israeli skydiver-paraglider probably should have chosen a better location for his flight…

At least the Israeli Air Force, which launched a squadron of fighter planes to bring him down thought so!

Will he have to pay the 300,000 or so shekels that it cost the Air Force to intercept him?

Maybe they will give him a discount…

NOT very Jewish..and NOT in Israel!!!

Also…Gay Pride Parade Will Pollute the Streets of Holy Jerusalem…

But NOT Jewish Pride, says the Israeli Courts?!?!?

And…Special Fertility Gene in Jewish Women…but it STILL requires a Man and a Woman…

A classic post and podcast from the archives!!!

CLICK PLAY Button to Listen to “The Marty Roberts Show”

Same Sex Marriage

This MAY be acceptable in Holland, Belgium and, now, Canada…

But NO WAY, according to Jewish Law…

And Israel still has NOT succumbed to “Political Correctness” that

Bears no resemblance to “Moral Correctness”…

Not to mention raising healthy kids…

A Special “Jewish Fertility Gene”

Yes, it’s confirmed by scientific research at Hadassah Hospital…

But, fortunately, you still need to “do it” the old-fashioned way…

With a MAN and a WOMAN (preferably married to each other)…

Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem

Is this the kind of scene we expect to see in this, the holiest of cities in the Universe???

Gay Pride – Yes…………… but Jewish Pride – No???

Which flag should be flying over Israel’s capital city??

The Jerusalem courts say “the one with all the colors”…

(You can fly the blue-and-white, ALSO)

But it’s just not appropriate for there to be a “Jewish Pride” parade on the Jewish Holy Temple Mount…

Go figure…

We Must Bring Gilad Shalit Home…But at What Price?

New Show/Podcast!!!

It’s the fourth anniversary of the capture of 19-year old Israeli Gilad by palestinian terorists…The country is once again engaged in debate, protest marches, commemorations, demonstrations on how high a price the Israeli government should be willing to pay for this hostage being cruelly held by Hamas in Gaza…

A look at the issues involved…moral, ethical and Halachic (considerations of Jewish Law)…

Plus…The lights go out in the ancient Roman Colosseum in a show of unity with Shalit and the Israeli/Jewish people…irony of ironies…

Also…A word or two about the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz and the Period of Mourning over the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem…

And…Crossword puzzles for the blind…Made in Israel…

All this and more on “The Marty Roberts Show”…

Listen to the show…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Deal delayed due to refusal to allow terrorists into West Bank


As captive soldier’s family begins protest march to Jerusalem, it is revealed that six months ago Israel agreed to release some 100 terrorists involved in murder of 800 people, but refused to allow their return to West Bank due to security concerns based on Jibril, Tannenbaum prisoner swaps

Reprinted from YNetNews.com…Roni Sofer…Click to read article

Tomorrow, with the “Fast of the 17th of Tammuz”, we Jews will begin the “Three Weeks” mourning period over the destruction of Jerusalem and the 2 Holy Temples. Our annual period of grief reaches its peek on Tisha B’Av, “The Fast of The Ninth of Av”.

Rabbi Yaakov Emden (The Yaavetz) writes in the introduction to the Siddur,Beit Yaakov:

“When it seems to us in our present peaceful existence outside Eretz Yisrael that we have found another Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim, this is to me,the greatest, deepest,most obvious and direct cause of all the awesome , frightening, monstrous, unimaginable destructions that we have experienced in the Diaspora.”

Something to think about as we mourn the “real” Jerusalem…

Let’s look at the facts here…

The Municipal government of Jerusalem has made a decision regarding building permits…and the United States of America feels it has a right to interfere!!! How ridiculous is this? Doesn’t Obama and Co. have anything better to do than supervise Jerusalem’s building Commission? (Like clean up a bunch of oil that is destroying the East Coast of America) Apparently the government of the United States feels that it is FAR more important to become involved in the day-to-day decisions of Jerusalem, like what building were built WITH permits and which were built WITHOUT permits…I think that Jerusalem’s building inspectors can probably do a much better job of it…

But here’s the thing…

Jerusalem is going to build a National Archeological Park on this biblical historic site. A park that will also include hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions. There happens to be about 88 Arab homes built on the site…homes BUILT WITHOUT BUILDING PERMITS, therefore, ILLEGAL!..So what is the Municipality of Jerusalem doing? They say that 22 of these illegal buildings must be destroyed…the Park cannot be built with them standing there, BUT…They have retroactively APPROVED the other 66 ILLEGAL ARAB HOMES!!!

Why isn’t Abbas THANKING Israel instead of whining to Big-Daddy America?

Abbas appeals to US over Silwan construction plan

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says Palestinian president contacted Washington to urge US to take action to cancel King’s Garden construction plan in east Jerusalem. ‘US must take swift action against this provocation,’ Abbas’ spokesman says

Reprinted from YNetNews.com

While Washington has already stated that the construction plan that entails the demolition of 22 Arab homes in Silwan damages trust between Israel and the Palestinians, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not making do with statements, and is looking for action.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP on Tuesday that Abbas asked the United States to take action to cancel the King’s Garden project in east Jerusalem, part of which includes the demolition of Arab homes.

“I sent a notice this morning from the Palestinian president to the US in which he asked the American administration to intervene directly so that the Israeli project is canceled,” said Erekat.

Erekat also said, “We vehemently denounce the decision, which will result in the demolition of 22 houses in Silwan.”

According to him, “Israel continues its settlements policy in east Jerusalem and threatens to harm US efforts to promote proximity talks.” Erekat added that this will be the main topic of discussion in the meeting between Jordanian King Abdullah and Abbas that is slated to be held later Tuesday.

Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that the decision to destroy the homes in east Jerusalem “is a return to the Israeli policy that tries to place obstacles that will damage American efforts to promote negotiations. The US must take swift action against this provocation.”

On the other hand, the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday night clarified that the demolition and development plan in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan was in a “very initial stage” and that its final approval would require many discussions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his hope that all sides would reach “an acceptable solution guaranteeing that the law will be honored.”

The plan’s approval by the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Committee on Sunday sparked a row, just two weeks before Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with US President Barack Obama.

This is a very initial procedure,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. “The plan will face discussions and objections both at the municipality’s local committee and at the Interior Ministry’s district committee, where the residents’ stand will be presented.”