Tuesday, May 29, 2001

The Roof is Falling In


The Roof is Falling In
May 29, 2001

At 7:30 this morning, when Anat Cohen, Oren Zar and Shlomit Bar-Cochva opened the door of their respective homes in Hebron, death stood on the steps. Awaiting them were messengers bearing tidings of the death of their brother, Gilad, aged 41, father of eight, murdered by terrorists not far from this home, the community of Itamar, in the Shomron.

Gilad was the security officer of the Shomron municipal region. On March 25, less than three months ago, he was shot and critically injured, having been hit by a bullet in the chest.  He had not yet fully recovered from his wounds, but insisted on returning to work, which was vital to the security of residents living in the Shomron.  This morning, at about 7:00, again he was shot by members of Arafat’s armed forces. This time he was hit in the head and died a short time later.

According to reports broadcast on Kol Yisrael, after having killed Gilad, the terrorists approached his car and continued shooting. It is now reported that his car may have been booby-trapped by the terrorists. IDF sappers are presently trying to neutralize the bombs attached to the car.

Gilad Zar was one of eight brothers and sisters. Gilad’s father, Moshe Zar, is a well-known land dealer in the Shomron. He was injured during the Sinai war in 1956, when he lost an eye. Years later he was attacked by Arab terrorists and very critically injured.

*****************************************
See picture of Gilad Zar - http://www.hebron.org.il/pics/giladzar.htm
*****************************************

This morning the Israeli cabinet met in special session to discuss last week’s wedding hall disaster, which left 23 dead and hundreds wounded. At least nine people have been arrested, including the architect, engineer, contractor, etc. The cabinet decided to form a special governmental committee of inquiry, to investigate the cause of the tragedy.  The pictures of people literally falling through the floor are unlike anything most of us have ever seen. Heart-breaking stories are told of those who died. The bride and groom were both injured. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s decision to implement the law calling for a committee of inquiry is understandable.

What is incomprehensible is that since Yitzhak Rabin signed the Oslo Accords, over 500 Jews have been murdered by Rabin’s ‘peace partner.’ Almost 90 Israelis, civilians and military personnel have been butchered in the last 8 months, all at the hands of Arafat’s armed forces. People like Gilad Zar, murdered in cold blood, victims of war declared by the Arafat’s palestinian authority against the State of Israel. Last night Sharon reiterated Israel’s willingness to continue a one-sided cease-fire.  Arafat, traveling around the world, drumming up support for his murderous activities, has not ordered his troops to stop fighting. To the contrary, they are increasing their activities throughout Israel, all of Israel.

How can Ariel Sharon sit quietly will car bombs are exploding in Jerusalem, the capital of our country? How can he sit quietly while Gilo is being attacked? How can he sit quietly when civilians are being killed one after another? How can he agree to implement another cursed agreement, this time called “Mitchell,” again rewarding Arafat for continued terror and killing.

If the tragic deaths of 23 people in a building collapse demands a Committee of Inquiry, what about the Oslo catastrophe? When will the planners, engineers and contractors of Oslo be forced to answer for their crimes?  When will Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin stand trial for the needless deaths and suffering they have inflicted on their people? The Israeli cabinet must decide on formation of a special governmental committee of inquiry to investigate the calamity called Oslo, a debacle endangering the very existence of the State of Israel.

Sometimes we say, in retrospect, the writing was on the wall. The secret is to see that writing, not in retrospect, but before tragedy strikes.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: The writing is on the wall and tragedy has already struck.

THE ROOF IS FALLING IN!           

Wednesday, May 23, 2001

Arik and Saul


Arik and SaulMay 23, 2001

Last night Prime Minister Ariel Sharon answered questions following his dramatic press conference, announcing Israeli acceptance and compliance with the Mitchell Report.  One of the final questions dealt with‘settler security.’ Sharon remarked that he guaranteed the security of all Israeli settlements.  With that, David Bedein, Bureau Chief of the Israel Resource News Agency, interrupted, “what about Abu Sneneh?” Sharon, who until that moment appeared relaxed and poised, look down at his notes and stiffened. Again, Bedein asked, “what about Abu Sneneh?” Sharon, looking more than mildly upset, walked off the stage, not answering the question, not saying a word.

Only moments before, Sharon outlined the measures to be taken:
1. A total and unconditional cessation of violence and terrorism.
2. A meaningful cooling off period.
3. Implementing confidence building measures.
4. Resuming political negotiations.

That having been said, Defense Minister Ben Eliezer issued a new military command:
“Due to the ceasefire, all pre-emptive shooting must be halted, excluding life-threatening situations, or a reaction to firing on Israeli soldiers or rescuing of wounded soldiers. Any entrance into Area A territory requires political authorization.”

What has happened since?

*Last night, at 12:00 midnight, Arabs started shooting in Hebron. The IDF was not able to identify the ‘source of shooting’ and did not respond.
* Early this afternoon two men were shot at the community of Ariel in the Shomron. One of the men died on the operating table a short time ago. The other was wounded.
*Gilo was again attacked by Arafat’s armed forces. An 84 year old man was hit and seriously wounded. A woman was also injured. Other homes were struck by Arab gunfire.
* The Jewish community Tekoa was again shot at and 3 houses were hit, no one was injured.
* Kol Yisrael radio announced that Israeli security forces arrested a Gazza resident, owner of a metal-casting factory. This man admitted that he cast thousands of parts for mortars for Gaza Civil Police head Brig. Gen. Ghazi Jabali. He said that he recently had an order for 10,000 improved 120mm mortars from Jabali. The GSS says that Yasser Arafat was aware of the operation.

The Arab also reported that Gaza Preventive Security head, Col. Muhammad Dahlan, also ordered 120mm mortars from him.

And finally, to climax this wonderful day, (at least, up to this writing), the Sharon administration announced that, despite today’s shootings, despite the murder of another Israeli civilian, the ceasefire would continue!

Thomas Friedman, in a column titled, “The Big Mideast Problem is Arafat,” after blasting Israel’s settlement policy, writes, “But the settlements are not the core problem. The core problem now is that Yasser Arafat cannot say “yes”…he launched this idiotic uprising…because he is essentially a political coward and maneuverer, who apparently has not given up his long-term aim of eliminating Israel…”   Friedman concludes, “The real problem is that the Palestinians are leaderless today…”

Friedman’s initial analysis is 100% correct. However, his conclusion is wrong. The Arab leadership, namely Arafat, Rajoub, Dachlan Tiraway, Barghuti, Jabali, and all the others, are an accurate reflection of so-called‘palestinian’ public opinion. They reject the existence of a Jewish state. The reject the concept of anyone other than Moslems living in the Middle East. They fully accept use of brutal, primitive violence to achieve their aims. They will stop at nothing if they really believe their goal is achievable.

What Friedman forgets is that Arafat was elected, as were many of his cronies. His‘people’ knew exactly who and what they were electing, and they received what they voted for. Arafat represents them, they are Arafat’s warriors, they are inciting, they are perpetrating the terror attacks, killing Israelis, shooting at our cars and houses.

The problem is not only Arafat. The problem is the entire‘palestinian authority’, predecessor of the planned‘Palestinian State.’

The question that begs to be answered deals not with the Arabs. It concerns Ariel Sharon. What is his problem? What is preventing him from lashing back at those who are attacking Gilo in our capital, at those shooting and killing innocent civilians, at those sniping from the Shalhevet (Abu Sneneh) and Harat a’Shech hills, into Hebron neighborhoods and apartments?

Is it possible that the quintessential war hero, Ariel Sharon, is……... afraid?

What else could be stopping Sharon? Perhaps George W. and Collin, Husni and Bashar, teamed up with Yasser, and let’s not forget Shimon, the 2 Yossis, with Avraham and Bibi watching and waiting from the sidelines, and maybe Fuad too, ----  together they….... scare Ariel Sharon? Perhaps when Sharon sees Arafat, he thinks he is seeing a 21st century Goliath?

When King Saul stared out at Goliath in the Elah Valley, less than an hour from Hebron, he saw what looked like a giant, ranting and raving, taunting, cursing the G-d of Israel. When David looked at Goliath, he saw Israel’s honor defiled. When Saul gaped at Goliath he was filled with dread. When David gazed at Goliath he said, “Let no man's heart fail within him.”

And the Philistine (Arafat) said to David (Israel): 'Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.'

Was this not perpetrated in Ramallah and again, two weeks ago, at Tekoa?

Then said David to the Philistine:
‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to thee in the name of the L-RD of hosts, the G-d of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast taunted.”

Arafat, like Goliath, is toying with Israel’s honor, he is taunting and cursing our People, our Land, our G-d.  The peoples of the world are observing. All Israel is watching, waiting, expecting. Our eyes are on our leader, anointed by the people to annihilate the enemy.

Who is Arik? Is he David? Or is he Saul?


Thursday, May 10, 2001

Another Day, Another Funeral


Another Day, Another Funeral
May 10, 2001

Yesterday, at 7:06 in the morning my beeper started buzzing. The words on the screen were chilling: “Two boys from Tekoa were found dead in a cave in the Judean Desert. There are signs of mutilation on their bodies.”

The 2 boys, Kobi Mandell and Yosef Ishran, both 14 years old, were so badly mutilated that they were unrecognizable. The two bodies had to be pathologically examined in order to positively identify them. The killers pelted them with huge rocks and then hacked at them.  They then buried them in a cave underneath a mound of rocks, leaving only their feet visible. The murderers then wrote slogans on the walls of the cave with their victim’s blood.

At the funeral the killers were called beasts. This is an inaccurate description, as it degrades animals. There is no word in the human language to describe the species of creature that murdered these two boys.

At the funeral it also was said that the cause of the killing was continued incitement, broadcast on palestinian television and radio. This too, is not accurate. Arabs murdered and mutilated Jews long before the television was invented.

For example, Hebron in 1929. Sixty seven Jews were brutally murdered and almost 70 others were wounded. What types of injuries? Fingers and hands were cut off  others were axed in the head. Women and young girls were raped, others were tortured. One man, the baker, was thrown into the oven by his Arab employee. Others were broiled by kerosene burners. Some lived and some died.

Those who insist that 1929 is ancient history - several months ago two Israeli soldiers were butchered in Ramallah. After being slaughtered their bodies were dropped from windows and dragged through the streets. Their deaths were perpetrated by creatures dressed up in uniforms, adorned by the insignia of the palestinian ‘police’. 

What was accurately expressed at the funeral is, that in the eyes of the Arabs, only a dead Jew is a good Jew.

It is time to grasp simple facts:
1.         The Arabs are our enemy. They are not a ‘peace partner.’
2.         Yassir Arafat is the leader of the largest terrorist organization in the world, hiding behind the name ‘the Palestinian Authority.’
3.         The only way to fight fire is with fire.

Not too long ago, when discussing options available to the Israel Defense Forces, and particularly the retaking of land transferred to Arafat, we were told by a senior government official, “There are rules to combat which must not be violated.”

This is utter nonsense. War is war. Arafat understands this. He will do anything and everything to achieve victory. It makes no difference to him how many people die, whether they are Arab or Jew, whether they are 10 months old, 14 years old or 83 years old. His aim is to win and the ends justify the means.

Israel has yet to learn this. There cannot be rules of war. The Nazis knew no rules of war 60 years ago when they annihilated six to seven million Jews. Arafat is continuing where Hitler left off. His goal is the eradication of the State of Israel, to be achieved via terror, world pressure (cloaked behind euphemistic ‘diplomacy’) and the ‘right of return’ of millions of ‘palestinian refugees into “Israel proper”.

Yesterday, following news of the murder, Labor MK Haim Ramon described on Israeli radio his proposal to renew negotiations with the devil. His idea revolves around implementation of a third, 10 to 15 percent Israeli withdrawal from Yesha. This, in return for a cessation of hostilities and a return to the negotiating table.

How dense can even a politician be? Ten to fifteen percent of Yesha is ten to fifteen Tel-Avivs. Israel is supposed to reward Arafat for 7 months of war and almost 80 dead? Israel is expected to grant a prize to Arafat for sponsoring the horrific slaying of Shalhevet Pass, Kobi Mandell and Yosef Ishran? 

So, what is Ariel Sharon waiting for? Yesterday, at the funeral, Education Minister Limur Livnat, seeing the two murdered boys stretched out in front of her, looking as shocked as all of us, said, “we (the government) have made changes in our policies but we haven’t done enough.”

When will they ‘do enough?” Arafat’s forces now have ground to air missiles which can knock airplanes out of the sky. (Sports minister Matan Vilnai said two days ago that the Strella anti-aircraft missiles that the Palestinians have "do not endanger people - just aircraft".) So what is Sharon waiting for: a passenger plane with 400 people aboard to get hit by an Arafat-signed missile? Only then will he officially ‘declare war’ on Arafat?

This past Monday night, Arabs killed 48 year old Aryeh Arnaldo Agronyoni, from Ma'aleh Yisrael, near Ariel. Last Tuesday Arabs murdered 30 year old Assaf Hershkowitz from Ofra, three months after murdering his father, Aryeh. On April 28 Sgt. Shlomo Elmakias, 20, of Netanya, was killed in a drive-by terrorist shooting attack on the Wadi Ara highway in the Galilee. On Sunday April 22 Dr. Mario Goldin, 53, of Beit Levenstein Rehabilitation Center, was killed, the result of a suicide bombing in Kfar Saba. Yesterday, Kobi Mandell and Yosef Ishran from Tekoa. Today, two Romanian workers on the Gazza-Kisufim border.

I have pasted on my wall in the office a full page advertisement from the Jerusalem Post . It shows a picture of six year old Na’ama Didovsky, daughter of murdered teacher Rina Didovsky, crying at her mother’s funeral. The page is titled, “Another Day, Another Orphan.”

A new full page ad must be printed, headlined:
"Another Day, Another Funeral."