מאיר אטינגר שובת רעב/Meir Ettinger Hunger Strike

י"ד לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

English version follows the Hebrew.

הקול היהודי: פרסום ראשון: מאיר אטינגר שובת רעב

לאחר קרוב לחצי שנה מאז נעצר בצו מנהלי דרקוני. "הגיע הזמן להבדיל בין אוהב לאויב" העציר המנהלי מאיר אטינגר, פתח אתמול (שלישי) בשביתת רעב, זאת במחאה על תנאי כליאתו. (י׳ שבט תשע״ו)

מאיר אטינגר

קרוב לשישה חודשים חלפו מאז נעצר אטינגר, צעיר כבן 24, נשוי תושב השומרון, במעצר מנהלי בצו החתום בידי שר הבטחון משה יעלון, ללא משפט וללא שהוצגו כנגדו ראיות כלשהן.

יחד עם אטינגר, נעצרו גם אביתר סלונים ומרדכי בן גדליה (מאייר). לפני כשלושה שבועות, הודיעו בשירות הבטחון הכללי כי המידע עליו הסתמכו בהוצאת הצו כנגד בן גדליה, היה מוטעה ובשל כך בוטל הצו המנהלי עליו חתם שר הבטחון והוא שוחרר.

אטינגר נמצא בתנאי מעצר קשים, באגף שמור ובבידוד מוחלט מאסירים נוספים. כמו כן, נאסר עליו לשוחח בטלפון, מלבד זמן קצר בכל יום, עם מספר מקרובי משפחתו בלבד. תוקפו של הצו המנהלי שכנגד אטינגר, צפוי להסתיים ביום חמישי, כ"ה שבט.

לפני כשלושה חודשים, נאסר על אטינגר לשוחח בטלפון, ובשל כך, פתח אטינגר בשביתת רעב במחאה על תנאי מעצרו. לאחר כשבוע, הוחלט בשירות בתי הסהר, לאפשר לאטינגר לשוחח בטלפון, על פי הגבלות מסוימות, כאמור.

מקורביו של אטינגר מסרו, כי "מערכת הבטחון, ובראשה שר הבטחון, לא ידעו כיצד להתמודד עם גל הטרור, שגבה את חייהם של עשרות יהודים וגרם לפציעתם של מאות, וניצלו את ההצתה בכפר דומא כדי לחסל חשבון עם מי שלא חושב כמוהם", מסרו.

"אנו מקווים כי מערכת הבטחון תתעשת, ובמדינת ישראל יבדילו בין אוהב לאויב".

עשר אגורות (2¢):
אנחנו כבר ראינו הרבה פעמים אסירים ערבים שובתים רעב. ומה קרה להם בסוף? הם השתחררו.

ואסירים יהודים? מה קורה להם? אני אבטיח לכם שאין למאיר אטינגר שום סיכוי להשתחרר בזכות שביתת הרעב שלו.

כיהודי שומר תורה ומצוות ורואה את הקדוש ברוך הוא ברמה מעל מדינת ישראל, ותורתו ברמה מעל חוקי האדם, אנשי ביטחון המדינה מתיחסים אליו כאיום חיותי למדינת ישראל יותר מהעברים, ואפילו יותר מחמס, מחיזבולה, ומאירן.

נא להתפלל לשיחרור מאיר דוד חי בן טובה (אטינגר).

HaKol HaYehudhi (The Jewish Voice): First Published: Meir Ettinger hunger strike
After almost six months since he was arrested a draconian administrative order. "It's time to distinguish between friend and enemy" administrative detainee Meir Ettinger said yesterday (Tuesday), at the beginning of a hunger strike, in protest of the conditions of his imprisonment. (January 21, 2016)

Close to six months have passed since Ettinger, a married, 24-year-old, resident of the Shomron (Samaria), was arrested, and has been held in administrative detention, under signed order from Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, without trial and without any evidence presented against him.

Evyatar Slonim and Mordechai Ben Gedaliah (Mayer) were arrested along with Ettinger. About three weeks ago, the General Security Service (ISA/Shabba"k) announced that the information that was relied upon to issue the Minister of Defense's signed administrative detention order, against Ben-Gedaliah was misleading. Thus, it was canceled, and he was released.

Ettinger has been in harsh prison conditions, in in solitary confinement, completely isolated from other prisoners. And as such, he has been forbidden to talk on the phone, except for a short period of time each day, and only with a few close relatives. The administrative order against Ettinger, is expected to expire on Thursday, 25 Shevat (Feb. 4).

Three months ago, Ettinger was forbidden to talk on the phone, and because of this, he began a hunger strike to protest the conditions of his detention. A week later, it was decided by the prison service to allow Ettinger phone access, with the specific restrictions, mentioned above.

Those close to Ettinger said that "the defense establishment, led by Defense Minister, did not know how to deal with a wave of terror, which claimed the lives of dozens of Jews and injured hundreds of others, and took advantage of arson in the village of Duma to take out some of those who do not think like them."

We hope that the security system will come around, and the State of Israel to distinguish between friend and enemy."

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
We have already seen Arab prisoners go on hunger strikes many times. And what happens to them? They get released.

And Jewish prisoners? What happens to them? I promise you that Meir Ettinger has no chance of being released, as a result of his hunger strike.

As a Jew observes Torah and misswoth, who sees The Holy One, Blessed Be He on a higher level than the State of Israel, and who regards His Torah as being on a higher level that human-made law, the State of Israel's security personnel regard him as an existential threat to the State, more so than Hamas, Hezbollah, or even Iran.

Let us pray for Meir David Hai ben Tovah's (Ettinger) speedy release from State custody.

What Happens when your "Rabbi" Hugs Terrorists? (Updated w/Video!)

ט' לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

Hold onto your hats, and fasten your seat belts. This is going to be the most offensive post I have ever written.

I just found out that Menachem Froman, the late "rabbi" of the town of Teqo'a, was the father-in-law of one of the women attacked this week.

Froman saw the Arabs through a Western, (ie. non-Torah) mindset. Anyone who bothers to read the Tana"kh, and the works of Haza"l will see just how dangerous the Arabs are, and will ever be.

Anyone who bothers to pay attention, will see that Abbas's [not in the least bit] moderate Fata"h Party sees no difference between Teqo'a, Othni'el, Efrat, and Tel-Aviv. All of these are seen as "settlements," to be eradicated of their Jews, and to be re-settled by Arabs.

PA President Abbas's vision for a Pseudostinian State.

Fata"h Party Emblem

PLO Emblem
worn by Arafat ysh"w

Who was it who said that if ten thousand bottles of water stood in front of you, and you knew that one was poisoned, just how many of the bottles would you drink before you finally stopped, to prevent yourself from drinking the poisoned one.

How many times would you repeat the same mistakes over again expecting different results? (Albert Einstein's definition of insanity)

Yet, Froman insisted on hugging terrorists from Fata"h and Hamas, and their associates.

Was Froman blind? Ignorant? Naive?


Peace is the increasing observance of the Torah by Jews,...the entire Torah,...including the politically-incorrect parts.

Peace is not ignoring The Almighty's warnings and other instructions regarding Yishma'el (Arabs/Muslims), and any other parts of His precious Torah, which some Jews happen to find distasteful.

We must ask the ultimately insensitive and politically-incorrect question. Even though his daughter-in-law was only recently attacked, and recovering, we must seize the opportunity, while the wound has been freshly re-opened, before another Jew is brutally attacked or even murdered:

Was Froman partly responsible for his daughter-in-law's attack?

Then I just saw this...

I was almost certain that this was a parody of Israeli news, much like "The Onion." The IDF would never suggest something so racist as disallowing Arabs to enter Jewish towns in Yehudah and Shomron (Judea and Samaria), right?

Un-Enlightened! Un-Democratic! Even Racist! Oy Gevald! And what is now being forced down our throats, the crap that such an act is Un-Zionist!

But, sure enough. They did.

It will be interesting to see just how long such "guidance" will remain in place. Undoubtedly, it will be the Jewish towns, which have become so utterly dependent on Arab labor, to be the biggest whiners over the lack of building and renovations taking place  because of it.

In the words of some of the great residents of Ofra, where I used to live...

"These Arabs are different. These are our Arabs, and our Arabs are different."

Will see how long the town stands with that motto.

Parashath Beshalah: Which 20% of the Jews Will Survive this Time?

מוצש״ק פר׳ בשלח תשע״ו

Leading up to the parting, and then crossing, of the Red Sea, the Torah teaches that...

...וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.(שמות יג,יח)

...and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt. (Ex. 13:18)

חמושים (hamushim) here means "armed," explaining that we left Egypt with weapons (kli zayan/swords). It is no surprise that Hamush is used to mean the same thing today.

However, Rashi explains that this word can have another meaning, as well.

דבר אחר: חמושים אחד מחמשה יצאו, וארבעה חלקים מתו בשלשת ימי אפילה:

Another thing: hamushim - one out of five left; and four parts [out of five] died during the three days of darkness.

Hamush meaning "one fifth" is derived from the root word hamesh, meaning five.

Torah scholars have suggested that parallels exist between the exodus from Egypt and the future exodus from our current fourth, and presumably last, exile of Edom (Esau/Rome/The West).

One Torah scholar in particular, the Kol HaTor, the last hevrutha of the Vilna Ga'on, writes that the percentage of Jews surviving the exodus from Edom could be one of these parallels with the exodus from Egypt.

Think about it. As few as only 20 percent of the Jews from around the world might survive leaving Edom.

Fortunately, we are taught the rule of thumb concerning prophecy. Positive prophecies always come to fruition. We just do not always know exactly how and when.

Negative prophecies, on the other hand, do not have to be fulfilled at all. They might be. But, because of The Almighty's Mercy, and our through tefilllah, tzedaqah, and teshuvah (prayer, charity, and repentance), negative prophecies can be commuted, if not cancelled.

The classic example of this can also be found in Egypt. The Almighty informs Avraham Avinu that his descendants will be in exile for 400 years. But, a look at the timeline reveals that they were in Egypt for 210 years. So, was the prophecy wrong? No, of course not, The Almighty Himself having revealed directly to Avraham Avinu, that his descendants would be in a land not theirs (Gen. 15:13).

Rather, this sentence of 400 years in exile was commuted 210 years. This was done by moving the beginning of the 400 years all the way back to the birth of Avraham's son Yitzhaq, 131 years before his son Ya'aqov's descent into Egypt.

The percentage of Jews surviving the exodus from our current exile does not have to end up being as low 20 percent. If we merit having a higher percentage survive, the question is "How will The Holy One, Blessed Be He commute this sentence, reducing our punishment?

Will a countable number higher than 20 percent simply survive? Or will the commuting of the sentence be much more subtle, perhaps even hidden, from us?

Will each goy who has through a false conversion (ie. through a false beth din)? And thus, will her children who are believed to be Jews, but really are not, be counted against the lost 80 percent?

Will the goyshe children born to proudly intermarried couples save the same number of Jews from the exile of Edom?

What about those Jewish babies, who were aborted, counter to Torah Law?

Or, will we be subjugated to a different strategy?

Will Jews who run away from Israel (and perhaps obtain a foreign passport like former K'nesseth Speaker Avraham Burg), forsaking the Land and the final battles for it, simply be lumped into the lost 80 percent?

What about those who just cannot handle it here in Israel, for whatever reason? Will they be lost, too, or will they just have fight even harder to get back, when they realize they have made a big mistake?

Then, of course, there is the big one, the Holocaust. Will those lost in the Holocaust be counted against the 80 percent, saving millions of Jews this time around? (Shuqi)

I have no idea how this will pan out. But, besides tefilllah, tzedaqah, and teshuvah, I would like suggest that we remain calm, and know that who are ideally supposed to be here in Eretz Yisra'el, not in Egypt, and not in Edom (The West). And while here, we are not suppose to cry about it, like the Erev Rav.

Israeli Leftists: "Jews, Stay In France!"

י״א לחודש האחד עשר תשע״ו

Arutz 7: Labor voters don't want French Aliyah?
Supporters of Zionist Union and Meretz do not welcome immigration by French Jews, surprising poll finds.

Gil Ronen, 1/19/2016

Most of the people who voted for the Zionist Union (Labor / Hatnua) and Meretz would not encourage French Jews to immigrate to Israel, a surprising new poll found.

The poll, which is cited in conservative-nationalist website Mida, was carried out by pollster Prof. Avraham Diskin under the auspices of the Shaarei Mishpat college of law.

The respondents were asked – "Would you recommend to a close friend or relative in France, who is well-off as far as status is concerned, to make Aliyah to Israel?"

Most of the people who vote for the right-wing responded affirmatively. A total of 64.5% of Jewish Home voters said "definitely yes" or "yes, I think so," as did a total of 57% of Likud voters. The rest chose "I think not" and "definitely not."

However, most left-wing voters appeared to prefer to see the Jews stay put in France. Only 46% of the Zionist Union voters selected the positive answers, and among Meretz voters, only 17% would have encouraged the hypothetical French friend or relative to make Aliyah. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
I have been saying this for years, that the term “Zionism” has long since been hijacked. But, the re-invention of the term by the [un-] Zionist Camp of Herzog and Livni is only the tip of the iceberg.

Pining for a land for the Jews, any land, even Uganda, pushing for German to be the official language of such a land, and the collaboration with the Nazis by the so-called “Labor Zionists” should all be clues to the fact that the current application of the term “Zionism”’ has absolutely nothing to do with Zionism.

Using the word "Zionist" to re-brand the Labor party and Tzipi Livni's Hatnua was a brilliant move, opines Akiva Bigman in Mida, but Livni and Labor head Yitzchak Herzog may be "stretching their own definitions anew." If the majority among the group they represent does not recommend making Aliyah, this looks like "a new kind of Zionism," which "recommends that Jews remain in the Diaspora, while the minority that remains in the Land of Israel calls Obama every time it wants to build a new porch."

Hijacked.

At least “post-Zionists,” like Yossi Beilin, who declare that there is no longer any need for a Jewish state, are intellectually honest on this point.

Anyone who has not yet seen this, must wake up, and admit that they have been living mental and spiritual exile, or have succumb to the anti-Zionist indoctrination brainwashing, or most likely both.

Of course, the Left does not want French, North African, tradition and religious, Jews to make aliyah, and it is not just because of their views, and the way they will undoubtedly vote. The Left does not want to build up the Land. The Left does not want a Jewish state. The left wants an assimilated, Western progressive, potential member of the European Union, just like all of the previous Labor “Zionists.” In other words, they want a non-Jewish nation, just like the rest of the goyim, an accepted member of the globalist (ie. anti-nationalist) community.

Why can only so few Jews see what is so obvious to anyway, looking back at our history, and paying attention to the news?

Some in the nationalist camp have long suspected that the reason the Left has been less than exuberant in calling on French Jews to make Aliyah is that most of these Olim are Sephardic Jews with traditional, right-wing views.

Oh sure. The secular, Ashkenazy elite was perfectly happy to welcome (religious and traditional) Moroccan Jews into Eretz Yisra'el, so that they could enlist in the IDF, and take up the place of a more privileged Jew from North Tel-Aviv.

Liberal, secular, Ashkenzy Jews racists? You had better believe it.

In this week's Torah portion, B'nei Yisra'el see the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, and because of it, escapes the wrath of Pharoah and his soldiers.

Members of the Labor (AKA "Zionist Camp") and Meretz Parties are not only telling French Jews not to cross the Red Sea which has been parted for them, but are also telling them not to leave Egypt in the first place.

Those found in our history, who forsake our Divinely Promised Homeland, include the Erev Rav (Ex. 13:18) and the Meraglim (Num. 13-14). Take your pick.

But, I suppose that I should be grateful of those like Gil Ronen who are exposing this stuff, albeit too little, too late.

The only reason that a topic like this has made it into the mainstream news media, is because it has become too obvious to hide. Unfortunately, the indoctrination into this new "Zionism" is going to take some time, or some dramatic event, to wear off.

But, no one should be in the least bit surprised by the results of this survey.

And until, the so-called "nationalists" call for at least the encouragement of more Torah observance within Eretz Yisra'el, I will continue to view them as being in the same category.

Putin's Call to Jews: A Test and a Temptation, How Will You Fare?

י"א לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

Tablet: Putin to European Jews: Come to Mother Russia!
When members of the European Jewish Congress shared their concerns about heightened anti-Semitism at home, the Russian president invited them to ‘return’

Vladislav Davidzon, January 19, 2016

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Jews facing anti-Semitism in Europe to return to Russia. The comments, reported by the RBC, a Russian media outlet, took place during a meeting in Moscow with a delegation from the European Jewish Congress, which expressed concerns over the culture of anti-Semitism in Europe, “the worst since World War II,” said its president Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor. In reponse, Putin said: “During Soviet times they left, so let them return.”

Putin then made a “come here” gesture with his forefinger and, in an uncharacteristically gentle manner, instructed the Jewish delegation and the Jews of Europe, saying: “Here, to us. They should come to us.” (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Spain and Portugal have already made similar offers for Jews to return. Under German reparations for the Holocaust, an Israeli citizen may not be turned down for a German work visa. Germany, Austria, Poland, and presumably other countries, are offering opportunities for grandchildren of Jewish citizens who fled Europe during the Holocaust to apply for citizenship.

Muslim, Jew-hating violent France, not only has a chief rabbi who appears to be encouraging Jews to stay, but also has a former K'nesseth Speaker as one of its citizens, Avraham Burg.

Denmark's chief rabbi is also disappointed by calls for aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel).

Vladimir Putin is not the only Russian encouraging Jews to live in Russia. Rabbi Alexander Boroda, head of the Chabad-affiliated Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, seems to as well.

So, you see, Putin's gestures to Russian Jews are nothing new. They are part of a larger trend.

In this week's Torah portion Beshalah, those of B'nei Yisra'el who survived the plague of darkness, have left Egypt, and are preparing to cross a Red Sea, which has yet to part miraculously.

Most are afraid, believing themselves surrounded by dangers, the Egyptian soldiers on one side, and certain death by drowning in the Red Sea, on the other. Some cry to return, "better to be slaves in Egypt and alive, than free and dead."

And now, we are standing at the edge of the same sea. However, many, if not most of us, have already made it to Eretz Yisr'ael (Land of Israel). Yet, there are still many of us who are tempted to leave, even more so, by the apparent welcoming, open arms of the lands of our previous exiles.

Can you imagine that? There are those Jews who are actually tempted to leave our Divinely Promised land? Those who prefer to have their hashqafoth (Torah perceptions) dictated by their feelings, instead of having their feelings influenced by the Torah?

Certainly there are heterim (permissions) to leave Eretz Yisra'el. But these are only for temporary periods of time. And if everyone leaves, at this crucial juncture, then who will be here to fight to keep our only true Homeland? No one? We will just wait around in exile for Mashi'ah to arrive and do all of the work, fooling ourselves that it is actually safe there in the first place?

The temptations from the outside, from our the lands of our exile are clearly a test, a filtering out. Only this time, instead of sticking around those lands, waiting to be taken by the plague of darkness, these Jews are actively seeking out the darkness, and subsequent death from it!

Israel and El Salvador's Romantic Bad Break-Up

ח׳ לחודש האחד עשר תשע״ו

YNET: El Salvador threatens to move its embassy to Ramallah
In reaction to Israel's decision to close its embassy in San Salvador due to budget cut, El Salvador says this will strengthen voices within country opposed to ties with Israel.

Itamar Eichner , 01.17.16

A severe diplomatic crisis has broken out between Israel and El Salvador due to the Foreign Ministry's decision last week to close its embassy in San Salvador.

The closure is part of the Ministry’s plan to close five diplomatic missions abroad due to budget cuts. Diplomatic sources said that El Salvador is considering closing its embassy in Israel and moving it to the area controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave Israel a diplomatic letter which stated that it received the news of the closure with shock, disappointment and complete surprise. They were particularly hurt by the fact that they learned about the decision from Yedioth Ahronoth. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Foreign Ministry, huh?

Why it just seems like the other day that the head of the State of Israel’s Foreign Ministry was accused by Education Minister Naftali Bennett of being a Leftist bent on isolating Israel from the rest of the world.

And it seems like the other day, because it WAS the other day when this occurred!

Central America

Anyone even remotely familiar with the history of the State of Israel should know that El Salvador, along its neighbor Costa Rica, is one of the State of Israel’s biggest fans.

The report continues…

Moreover, the new Ambassador of El Salvador, Werner Matias Romero, a very senior diplomat who served as the head of El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the past, came to Israel only two months ago with the aim of strengthening relations between the two countries on all levels.

Romero said that his country still hopes to reverse the decision: "I am very worried that this decision will open a Pandora's box. What Israel has done is to bite the friendly hand that was outstretched to it. This is not how one acts towards friends. It could definitely strengthen the voices in El Salvador opposed to ties with Israel.“

And so, maybe Israel’s intel has revealed that El Salvador is quickly sliding down the cliff into Leftist Jew-hatred, suggesting that it should cut its losses in Central America, and boost its co-dependent investments elsewhere.

The closure of additional embassies in the world, such as in Minsk, in Jew-hating Belarus, also suggests simple, but selective, cost saving measures.

Until תשע״ו/2006, El Salvador, and Costa Rica, were famous for insisting on maintaining their embassies in Jerusalem, instead of Tel-Aviv like most other countries. However, using the Second Lebanon War as an excuse, both nations moved their embassies out of Jerusalem to Herzliya. If they were concerned about safety, this was certainly the wrong move to make, Hertzliya being more at risk of missile fire than Jerusalem. It seems more likely that this action was taken out of fear of Arab reprisals. If this was the case, then good riddance.

Furthermore, El Salvador is threatening the ultimate slap in the face to the State of Israel, moving its embassy to Ramallah. Wait a minute... If this were to remain El Salvador's embassy to Israel, wouldn't that be more of a slap in the face of the Pseudostinians, demonstrating support for Israel's control over Yehudah and Shomron (Judea and Samaria)?

Confused? I sure am.

So, what is behind the closure of the embassy in El Salvador? Self-destructive behavior on the part of the Leftist controlled Foreign Ministry? Or a strategic move, on the part of the current Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Netanyahu?

Only time will tell.

Naftali Bennett vs. Israel's Foreign Ministry

ח' לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

YNET: Foreign Ministry employees announce Bennett boycott
In response to an interview in which Education Minister Naftali Bennett seemed to cast aspersions on the loyalty of Israeli diplomats, Foreign Ministry employees decide to stop cooperating with Bennett and announce they will boycott his foreign visits.

Itamar Eichner, 01.16.16

Condemnation has come in from across the political spectrum following Education Minister Naftali Bennett's statements that seemed to cast aspersions on the loyalty of Israel's Foreign Ministry employees.

At the end of the week Bennett stated that the actions of Alon Liel, former head of the Foreign Ministry, showed that he is a prominent left-wing activist who calls for increasing international pressure on Israel in order to end the occupation in the territories. This, Bennett said, reveals something about the DNA of the Foreign Ministry's employees.

Bennett's comments came following revelations that Liel had consulted with left-wing group Breaking the Silence.

In response, the employees decided to stop cooperating with Bennett and to boycott his visits abroad.
"I'm beginning to think that the Foreign Ministry has a problem in its DNA," Bennett said during an interview on Radio Tel Aviv. "There are always complaints about the Foreign Ministry. There is a profound problem with people like Alon Liel, who was at the ministry for a long time.

"They ask where the hasbara is. What hasbara? When you have the number one pyromaniac at the head of the system, what hasbara is there?" Bennett continued.

He further added that Alon Liel was responsible for Israel's foreign relations and is now trying to isolate the country. "After all that they shout that Israel is isolated in the world. It bothers me greatly that the man who was responsible for advancing Israel's international standing is now doing everything he can in order to harm it.”

On Friday a committee of Foreign Ministry employees published an official response, announcing: "The State of Israel's education minister has expressed distorted views against Foreign Ministry employees.

"In saying that the ministry's employees need their DNA checked, he is casting doubt on our loyalty to the state, its institutions and the government," the statement continued.
"The outrageous statements of individual retirees, who have left the Foreign Ministry, are not an excuse for a minister of the State of Israel to unreservedly lash out against employees. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

It bothers me greatly that the man who was responsible for advancing Israel's international standing is now doing everything he can in order to harm it.”

Interesting…. Am Yisra’el is supposed to remain a people, separate and distinct from other peoples. Obviously this is not uber-leftist Alon Liel’s goal, if Bennett’s accusations are true. Like most Leftists, his goal is probably for Jews to "blend in," and be like every other Western nation, emphasis on the word "Western," and "blend in," code for assimilate (ie. disappear).

Nevertheless, Liel's apparent interest in isolating Israel from the rest of the world does seem to be the end result. He may believe that he is weakening Israel’s hold on Yehudah and Shomron (Judea and Samaria). However, that is simply under his control as he believes it to be.

Naftali Bennett
Minister of Education

Hasbara-fan Bennett remains true to the State of Israel's co-dependence on the “international community” goyim.

However, the irony does not stop there. The civil servants, in other words, the paid employees, in one government ministry refuse to cooperate, and even shun, a government minister from another department, giving the term “gridlock” a whole new definiation.

Who is really in control of the government? The people we voted for? Or the people who were hired long ago, by the people we voted out of office? Scary thought, yet this is the reality in Israel.

This situation is presented perfectly in the 1980’s BBC sitcom “Yes Minister,” in which the civil servants, who are impossible to fire, are revealed to be those who are really in charge of their nation’s government.


The message of this show?

The elected officials are stupid, and the government would fall apart without the civil servants. We should be grateful for the civil servants. Even though they shamelessly manipulate everything, and everyone, behind the scenes.

Food for thought.

But, I digress...

The remainder of the YNET report then descends into chaos. Can you make heads or tails of it?

"We are taking these statements very seriously and are therefore briefing all Foreign Ministry workers to cease cooperating with Minister Bennett until he takes back his words and apologizes," the statement added.

In response, Bennett's office stated: "The minister's statements in the interview were directed at those who act against the State of Israel such as Alon Liel, the former director general of the Foreign Ministry.

PM Netanyahu

"The ministry's employees are working with devotion during difficult days for the country, and their mistaking these comments only proves that," the statement continued.

Following Bennett's remarks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also the foreign minister, released an official statement rejecting the comments.

I checked for a Hebrew version of this report, but without success.

The only point which is clear is Bennett’s admonition of Foreign Ministry head Alon Liel. (Yeah, we got that.) Then it appears that he gives every other employee in the Foreign Ministry a backhanded compliment. And then, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, Netanyahu rejected the comments. But, which comments?

This lack of clarity of “He said, He said,” may be the fault of YNET. But, the confusing description of what is taking place both within and between government ministries also seems quite appropriate.

The Plight of the French Jew

ערב שבת קודש פר׳ בא תשע״ו

YNET: French olim despair over work barriers in Israel
Prime Minister Netanyahu promised to welcome them with open arms, but French doctors and dentists are hardpressed to have their diplomas recognized and so have soured on making aliyah.

Yifat Erlich, 01.11.16

Until two years ago, David Tibi, 46, was a very in-demand dentist in Paris. So much so that even former Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim flew to France to entrust his teeth in Tibi's capable hands. But the wheel of fortune has turned and now Tibi is sitting at home. Not because he made a professional mistake, but because he made a different mistake: making aliyah.

Saturday marked exactly a year since the attack on the Hypercacher after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on French Jews to immigrate to Israel, promising to receive them with open arms. Miraculously, the Health Ministry has still not heard of Netanyahu's promise. The ministry responsible for licensing health care professionals and paramedical has become a barrier to making aliyah. Thousands of French Jews - doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and dieticians - do not come to Israel due to the difficulties their profession's registration office give them. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Leave it YNET to suggest that aliyah can ever be a mistake. (sigh) No surprises there.


Besides that, it is important to point out that the dilemmas and concerns of the Jews currently stuck in France are not like the whining often heard from North American olim (immigrants to Israel). The French are usually not tripped up like North Americans by any new and different, cultural norms they encounter here. They are genuinely stuck between a rock and a hard place. Not only do they recognize that they need to leave France; they want to leave France, and they want to come to Israel.

On one hand, they have a chief rabbi with an interest in keeping the Jews in France, insisting on their right to wear kippoth on the streets, soon to be completely overrun by Muslims. On the other hand, they have an Israeli bureaucracy which is being anything but helpful. Eyebrow raising speeches by Prime Minister Netanyahu, and even the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, encouraging French Jews to make aliyah have been any match against the State of Israel's bureaucratic, front line soldiers. French Jews are really feeling just how stuck they are.

Alternative destinations for immigration, such as Canada, and in particular predominantly French speaking Quebec, thus seem more attractive than Israel.

I believe that somewhere, somehow, a stumbling block is being placed before them. At first, I thought it was just the French Jews' own particular test, their spiritual challenge, and need to jump through hoops, before being able to settle in the Land of Israel. Now, I am not so sure.

There are many in the government, as well as those who are really calling the shots, who do not want anymore religious Jews to enter the country. Not all French Jews are religious. But, most are traditional, exuding a right-wing, reactionary stance, and Sepharadi/North African, with practical experience with Muslims. These Jews are considered dangerous, being a great challenge and taking up too many resources, to indoctrinate them into die-hard State loyalty.

Too many of these French Jews have woken up to the concept of states being unreliable, in protecting its citizens. So, their naive idealism over the State of Israel as a refuge will hopefully only go so far, in service of the State. That is, if most of them succeed in making it here, in the first place.

I do not believe it is any coincidence that the above news report from YNET was published during this week's Torah portion "Bo." In this Torah portion, from the Book of Exodus, we learn of the very unhelpful people, those who have no connection to Eretz Yisra'el (the Land of Israel), who join Am Yisra'el (the Jewish People) in our exodus from Egypt. Haza"l, Rishonim, and other gedolim have been warning us since of the great harm that they have done, and will continue to do us.

וְגַם-עֵרֶב רַב, עָלָה אִתָּם, וְצֹאן וּבָקָר, מִקְנֶה כָּבֵד מְאֹד.... (שמות יב,לח)

And a mixed multitude went up also with them;... (Ex. 12:38)

Our tradition teaches us not to end words of Torah on a negative note. And so, I will do just that.

Using the lashon of Haza"l, while in hiding during the Holocaust, Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtel hy"d wrote that treif birds will be in control of Eretz Yisra'el. But, not to worry! Because this situation will only be temporary!

May Rabbi Teichtel's words come to fruition, speedily in our days.

The True Dangers of a General Strike in Israel

ג׳ לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

There is a joke among "preppers" and other survivalists...

Q: What do you call a power outage? 

A: Practice

If you do not get the joke, then I highly recommend that you read on.

A few weeks ago, a general strike was averted at the last minute. I checked the news in the morning, like everyone else, to check if buses were running, of if I would have to track down a cab, and then when I found one, probably have to fight over it with 10 other people.

But, it was averted. So, no big deal. Right?

Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu)
(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Guess again. The only things which were accomplished by this threat of a strike, real or orchestrated, had nothing to do with whether union workers were getting paid fairly or not.

The Finance Minister looked good, if not heroic, thus strengthening his political influence.

The union leader looked good, and maintains his seat of power, until he can position himself for an even better position in the future, perhaps in the private business sector.

And whether or not the workers actually got what they wanted in the deal, both the government and the union can say to their constituents, "Look at us. We sure showed them!"

But, most importantly, the masses have been reminded of their vulnerability, and dependence upon the establishment. 

I remember the general strike of תשנ"ז/1997, as if it was yesterday. I was living in Tel-Aviv at the time, and had only been in Israel for a few months. In fact, the strike ended up lasting for almost as much time as I had been in the country.

Although transportation services were still operating, government, banking, postal, and several other services were at a stand still. Garbage seemed to pile up over night, and then keep piling up. I do not know if you could possibly imagine the smell we had to endure. Needless to say, there were concerns over the health hazard of it all.

It also did not matter if you had money in the bank. It the Caspomat (ATM) ran out of cash, then you did not get any cash. Checks were useless, unless you went to cash them at a money changer for a higher than usual fee. The worldwide goal of a cash free economy had gotten a booster shot.

Fortunately, the religious accountants, knowing, and interested in adhering to, the halakhah (Torah law) necessitating the payment of employees on time, broke the picket line, went into work, and deposited salaries into people's accounts.

How about that? Predominantly secular Tel-Aviv was saved by Torah observant employees of its municipality. Who would have thought? Don't worry. Tel-Aviv residents have long since forgotten the event, assuming they even knew about this, in the first place.

Furthermore, bank managers also crossed the picket line, refilling the Caspomats with cash.

The dispute was eventually resolved, the general strike stopped, and everything went back to normal, right? Wrong.

Even though the general strike affecting the entire country stopped, the strike continued in Tel-Aviv, by its city employees. The trash still was not getting picked up, and continued to pile up.

But, then as you might have guessed, this dispute was also eventually resolved, and we all rejoiced, and proceeded to go back into denial of the situation. "Nah! That could never happen again!" Could it?

Now imagine this...

Truck drivers stop working. Or better yet, the Arabs we are so dependent on hold a general strike. It does not matter if there is enough food, if it does not get to you, and perhaps does not even get picked!

What would do you do? Are you prepared? Do you have cash on you? Will your cash even be accepted? If so, are you prepared for the inflation which will certainly ensue?

Do you have any food and water stored? What about an extra gas balloon, in order to cook your food? Do you know where to find free food? Do know which plants are edible?

Have you decided that I am just one of those "nuts," yet, you hear about on reality television shows?

Just stop and think about it, for a minute.

How many of you even thought about carrying pepper spray, knife, baseball bat, or any other weapon for that matter, five months ago? And now? Most of you have at least thought about it.

So far, here in Jerusalem, we have not been shut down by any snow storms, as in previous years. But, the winter is not over yet. Can you imagine that while there was a pile of snow outside, people were actually worried about their food going bad, because the power was down? The thought to store food in a a bucket of snow, never even occurred to them.

In a crisis, most people get injured, or even die, not because of the crisis itself, but from panic and lack of preparation.

Do the scenarios above seem too far-fetched for you? Do you really feel safe in your Katamon or Ramat Aviv bubbles?

After all, things have "calmed down," and the Prime Minister has promised to protect us. So, everything is A-Okay, right?

I guess that only time will tell.

Mordechai Mayer Released by Shabbak (ISA). Now What?

ב׳ לחודש האחד עשר תשע״ו

YNET: Released Shin Bet detainee: they wasted five months of my life
Mordechai Mayer, placed in administrative detention for five months on suspicion of belonging to the Jewish "Revolt" terror group, released to nighttime house detention and barred from West Bank.

Elisha Ben Kimon, 01.06.16

Mordechai Mayer, 18, from Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank, arrested five months ago on an administrative detention order on suspicion of belonging to a Jewish terrorist organization was released last Sunday without being charged but was given a restraining order barring him from the West Bank.

Mayer was released the day the indictments were filed in the Dawabsheh murder case. He was arrested a few days after the attack on the Dawabsheh family home in Duma. "It was all a big lie from beginning to end," he told Ynet on Tuesday. "They just harassed me, just as they did to all the others who were detained."

Mayer was taken initially to Rimonim prison for two months and was then moved to Eshel prison. Also detained at the same time were Evyatar Slonim and Meir Ettinger, considered one of the main targets of the Shabak's Judea Brigade and the leader of the "Revolt" group. Ettinger is still in detention, and in the coming days it will be decided whether he will be released. As of now there is no knowledge of an indictment being prepared against him.

Mayer recounted that "six or seven policemen came for me in the morning, issued me with an administrative order and told me I was going to administrative detention. They did not let me take anything. They threw me right away into a cell without explanations. They hurled false accusations at me and did not let me speak at all. I feel that they have stolen five months of my life for nothing. There is a sense that they are hunting after those who wear a kippah and have peyot."

Mayer spent some of his time in detention with Slonim: "We mainly learned Torah together and strengthened our love of the Torah and the country", he said. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Mordechai Mayer has been released, after five months of incarceration, with limited access to counsel. The Shabbak, with support of the Israeli "justice" system, was able to keep him, and other boys, locked up, under the auspices "administrative detention," something left over from the British Mandate, which allowed the British to hold Jewish freedom fighters, whom they thought were threats to their maintenance of control over Israel, pretty much indefinitely.

Often these Jewish freedom fighters from organizations like Etze"l and Lech"i were turned over to the British by their fellow Jews from Ben-Gurion and Rabin's Haganah/Mapai.

The administrative detention and probable torture of these boys was even supported after the fact by the Defense Minister, the Justice Minister, and the head of the so-called "Jewish" Home Party himself, Naftali Bennett.

Anyone else see that history is repeating itself?

I am guessing the Shabbak actually does have a plan. Maybe the goal here was simply to crush them, and to scare anyone else who holds The Almighty and His Torah in higher authority than the deMOCKratic State. Maybe they actually think this was enough to scare the hilltop youth and stop them, at least temporarily. But, from doing what? I have no idea. Goatherding?

Better yet, perhaps they will simply wait, and observe, and monitor the chatter, and then decide upon their next step. The Israeli Government has a pattern of gathering data from its operations, large, and small, as well as orchestrated.

Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon
Minister of Defense

On the other hand, "Bogie,...I am not so sure. All we know about him, is that he thinks that a "Torah State" is not something to work toward, and that those who do choose to work toward such a thing, are dangerous.

Or maybe, the Government intended to kill two birds with one stone. The State's representatives can now declare that they are perfectly ready to "do what needs to be done" to Jews, in an attempt to justify "doing what needs to be done" to Arabs.

Naftali Bennett

Of course, everyone involved on the State's side of this conflict, including "Jewish" Home Party head Bennett, has failed to consider one important factor: emumah (faith). This is what they are ultimately afraid of, and what they see as the ultimate threat to the existence of a secular, "democratic," State, a State which is increasingly unable to call itself even cosmetically Jewish.

"Bogie," the Minister of Defense himself, declared his belief that desiring a Torah State was a disastrous thing, and that those working toward such a goal were dangerous. So, what would he say to a Torah Kingdom instead of a State?