The UN and Israel's Disengagement

B"H 

What does the UN have to do with Israel's settlements and why is a special UN observer force necessary ? Who is observing whom and what ? Please also note that most UN employees stationed in Jerusalem are Arabs !

Strange UN vehicles are cruising through Jerusalem these days but hardly anyone seems to pay attention to the signs attached.

Photos: Miriam Woelke with special credit to FRUMLIFE who noticed the UN vehicles first.

Settler Movement demonstrating for "Regulation Bill"

Preparing posters for the demonstration

B"H

Here are some of the photos I took at this afternoon's demonstration. The national religious settler movement was demonstrating in favour of the REGULATION BILL the Knesset was supposed to vote for. 

Unfortunately not as many people as expected joined the demonstrations. Lets say that 1000 people were there but I guess that many other national religious Jews had to go to work and cannot just join a demonstration taking place in the middle of the day. 

The Ulpana people should have made much more publicity and instead only running a campaign in Hebrew also concentrated on English speakers. Handing out brochures in Hebrew and opening a facebook page in Hebrew is not enough. While running a protest, you have to work out a justification campaign in English too. A blog and / or website would be an additional idea ! Don't underestimate today's media world !

When I walked into the protest tent at around 11am this morning, some of the national religious protesters showed their doubt whether the haredi Knesset parties would join them. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef had ordered his SHASS party to vote against the bill but, in the end, the SHASS Knesset members just stayed away from the vote in order not to vote at all. The protesters foresaw this behaviour and didn't trust the Haredim although they would be anxious having them as protestors too. Someone said that SHASS may be too busy taking care of the TAL LAW ensuring young haredi Yeshiva students not to be drafted into the Israeli army. 

In the end, the bill failed but not only due to the haredi parties (SHASS and Yahadut HaTorah). Netanyahu's ministers, LIKUD members and coalition members got too afraid and didn't show any guts against the Prime Minister. They preferred to keep their positions and seats instead of standing up for our country. Why do we have to vote at all when Knesset members just care about themselves, their money and their position ? Including SHASS. Israel Eichler from Chassidut Belz, at least, had a reason for not supporting the settlers: Certain national religious Knesset members made a big fuss against Haredim in the past. The religious Zionist always bash Haredim when it comes to "joining the army".

Instead of being united, the religious parties fight each other and thus help Netanyahu. The bill could have changed the settlement situation into something more positive and legal but by rejecting the bill, everything just remains the same mess. Netanyahu won and all the other Knesset members (except for 22 of them showing courage) "shit their pants". Excuse my words !!!

The junction between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank of Israel and the Supreme Court down to the Knesset was blocked by the national religious youth movement. However, the roads were not completely blocked, as the left - wing press is telling you. The youth only blocked the roads with posters as soon as the traffic lights turned RED for the cars. When the lights switched to GREEN, the youth immediately left the roads and let the cars pass.

Journalists are gathering. What I noticed was that various journalists were blocking the roads themselves while the youth movement did not. What the media was looking for were headlines and therefore, many times, it was them blocking the roads. Thus we could see what a journalist does for a headline.

Red light for the traffic: The youth blocked the road and protested

Green light for the cars: The youth left the road and let the traffic pass.

In the end, the police closed the road down to the Knesset. However, there was no need for the cops to interfere, as it was a peaceful demonstration.

Settlements disappear and Palestinians spread.

Inside the protest tent

Photos: Miriam Woelke

ULPANA demonstration in brief

B"H

I am trying to put together photos from today's demonstration of the national religious settler movement. The Knesset was due to vote about the so - called REGULATION BILL demanding the following:

The so-called Regulation Bill requires anyone claiming ownership of land upon which homes are being built to file a challenge and prove ownership within four years of the start of construction upon the property.

When the tiny neighbourhood Ulpana was built at the Beit El settlement in 1999, neither Israel's left nor the Palestinians were protesting against it. Only years later, the Jewish left conviced the nearby Arab neighbours that the land where Ulpana was built on, actually belongs to the Palestinians. As a result of this, the Left together with the Palestinians filed a court case and Israel's Supreme Court made up a verdict: The Ulpana residents have to leave and the neighbourhood is going to be destroyed. 

First reports are claiming that the bill did not pass, as various ministers and Knesset representatives were too scared to vote against Netanyahu's order not to vote in favour of the bill. Yesterday, Netanyahu himself apparently had threatened his ministers and LIKUD Knesset members. Otherwise they would loose their jobs. And when it comes to jobs and seats, most of Israel's Knesset politician give in and prefer thinking about themselves only and not necessarily about the country.

HERE you can find a report about what is going on written by my friend FRUMLIFE. I was in touch with her throughout the demonstration and told her details. I am going to write a report, including many photos, soon !!!

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The ULPANA Files

 Ulpana in Beit El

Photo: Haaretz

B"H

Israel's Supreme Court decided that the ULPANA neighbourhood in Beit El has to be evacuated. Reason: Palestinians from a nearby village sued the small town of Beit El and thus filed a complaint at the Supreme Court. 

Beit El is a national religious town, approx. 15 km north of Jerusalem. About 5800 people live there and in 1999, a new neighbourhood called ULPANA was built. Today, approx. 84 families live in Ulpana and Beit El is fighting against an evacuation of the neighbourhood. 

Benjamin Netanyahu wants to help but also claims that he is bound to respect the verdict of the High Court. As we all know, the Supreme Court tends to left - wing ideology and if it comes to Israel's left oder Palestinians sueing the Israeli govenrment, the court favours the left. No wonder that Beit El lost the High Court case. 

Netanyahu favours a solution with, at least, five Ulpana houses taken apart and rebuild a few hundred meters further on the legal land of Beit El. The costs would be enormous: 14 million Shekels (approx. 3,6 million $ Dollar).

The Ulpana case is extremely complicated and, these days, I am going to speak to a few representatives from Beit El residing in a protest tent in Jerusalem's government district. Furthermore, I am planning a trip to Beit El in order to see the location myself. It sounds rather strange to me that when Ulpana was built in 1999, the Palestinians were not protesting but only years later. Suddenly they claimed that the new Jewish neighbourhood had been built on their property.

Here are a few pictures of the protest tent near the Knesset

"Netanyahu, we are not from Sudan !"

Referring to the illegal African problem in Tel Aviv. Meaning that the inhabitants of Ulpana cannot just be deported like illegal foreigners.

The protest tent

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Palestinians stoning Israeli cars

  

Daily life in Israel: Israeli cars passing Palestinian areas are being stoned all the time. Especially Jewish settlers have been suffering from this, as they need to cross certain streets in order to get home to their settlements. 

The video shows the latest incident from last week. Location: Hebron - Gush Etzion / south of Jerusalem.

Credit to Frumlife posting this ! 

First Yahrzeit of the Fogel Family from Itamar

B"H

Tonight begins the first Yahrzeit of one of the worst terror attacks in the history of our country. Exactly one year ago, the Fogel family was murdered in their house in Itamar. A special event is going to take place in Jerusalem next Tuesday in order to commemorate the Fogels.

The two Palestinian killers were sent to jail for the rest of their lives. Many Israelis demanded the death penalty but, instead, we had to look at the murderers smiling face in the courtroom. They admitted having killed the entire family only because they were Jews.

Links:

Photos from the crime scene in Itamar

Interview with Tamar Fogel

Video: How the Israeli army threw Jewish settlers out of their houses

B”H 

Today before dawn, the Israeli army was storming an illegal outpost near Kiryat Arba / Hebron. The soldiers broke the doors and pulled the settlers, including their children, out of their homes. A disgrace for our country !

GUSH KATIF - A chapter in the story of Israel

In my opinion, the most interesting stand at the book fair 2011: 
The settlers who were thrown out of Gush Katif in 2005.

 Photos: Miriam Woelke

B”H

In August 2005, the Expulsion from Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip took place and former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did his utmost to get the Jewish settlers out in order to return the Gush to the Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli government expected peace but the opposite has been taking place. The Hamas took over and has been firing rockets and missiles onto Israeli territory since.

Today almost all of us know that the expulsion was a big mistake. The Sharon government had promised a great deal of compensation to the settlers but not everything has been carried out. People lost their homes and their jobs. Until today, many settlers are suffering from a trauma of being thrown out of one’s own home and squeezed into temporary trailer homes.

The MERCAZ KATIF – KATIF CENTER was established in Nitsan, located between Ashdod and Ashkelon. The Center is offering tours in Hebrew and English documenting the history of the Disengagement Plan of 2005 and the uprooting of 21 thriving communities. Furthermore, the tour will lead you to the present housing of former Gush Katif inhabitants who also guide the tour.

The KATIF CENTER offers different tours. From two hours to an entire day. 

If anyone is interested, please book in advance. For reservations call Orit Berger 054 – 5953953 or oritberger33@gmail.com

Available in ENGLISH & HEBREW: http://www.gushkatif.co.il/

Further Links:

Katif.Net (in English)

Photos from Gush Katif

Photos: “Shavua HaSefer Ha’Ivri – Week of the Hebrew Book” in Tel Aviv

B"H

This early evening, I went to Rabin Square (Kikar Rabin) in Tel Aviv where the "Hebrew Book Week" is taking place until June 25th. Further details on the "Book Week" elsewhere in the country HERE !

I didn't come to buy anything, as I have plenty of books at home which I still haven't read. What I was trying to do is finding the religious book stands. Chabad has a stand. Especially offering TANYA.:-)

Security check at the entrance.

Chabad at the book fair.

The stand of the half - religious Bar Ilan University

In my opinion, the most interesting stand at the book fair: The settlers who were thrown out of Gush Katif in 2005. I spoke to one of them and received incredible details. 

More on this I am going to publish in my next article !

 Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Interview with TAMAR FOGEL from Itamar

B"H

A little more than a week ago, 12 - year - old Tamar Fogel returned home from a youth trip and found her parents and three of her siblings brutally murdered. A few days ago, the Israeli second TV channel interviewed Tamar (see video below).

Tamar Fogel says that her parents always supported "Achdut". Jews should not fight each other.  Jonathan Pollard ' s second wife, Esther, had come to the Shiva and given  a teddy baer to Tamar. The 12 - year - old admires Jonathan Pollard and calls him a "Zaddik - Righteous" who has been in jail for 28 years.

Until about five years ago, the Fogel family had been living in Gush Katif until former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave Gush Katif to Gaza (and thus, to the Hamas). Tamar Fogel wants more settlements to be build. Furthermore, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the Fogels' sitting Shiva and said: "Hem Rotzchim, anachnu bonim - They are murderers, we build !" Tamar Fogel states that, later on, she spoke to Netanyahu privately and asked him why he wants to build settlements and then, influenced by foreign politicians, throws the settlers out again.

I really admire Tamar for not going crazy and keeping up her ideology. As she says in the interview: "Everything comes from G - d !"

Links: 

Funeral of the Fogel family

Should the pictures of the massacre of the Fogel family have been published ?

Should the pictures of the massacre of the Fogel family have been published ?

B"H

The Israeli government decided to publish the photos of the massacred Fogel family from Itamar. The world has to see what Palestinian terror does and what we Jews have been dealing with for decades or even centuries. Unfortunately, Arab propaganda has been more efficient all over the world than showing the Israeli side.

In 2004, Israel had already decided to publish a video from a bus explosion in Jerusalem. However, the world is not interested in the Israeli side but mostly stands with the Arab terror. Either because many countries, such as Germany, are afraid that Al Khaida is also coming to them or others simply believe the Arab side and regard the Jews as the aggressor. Jewish victims don't have a lobby at the UN. The world is more interested in Charlie Sheen than in Jewish victims. The drug addict and idiot Charlie Sheen sells much better than a stabbed family from Itamar. 

I very much doubt that the publication of the photos of the massacre from Itamar will change the world opinion. Nevertheless, some people may think twice before they say something the next time. Moreover, other countries rather kept quiet instead of immediately condemning the murderous act.  

After publication, a new discussion arouse in Israel. The opposition didn't agree to the publication and thinks the world would believe Israel without violent photos of the victims. Our left - wing opposition keeps on dreaming about friendly Arabs, a teddy baer Hamas and "everything is so great if we just give in to the Arabs". On the other hand, the publication has also caused a halachic discussion. There are some rabbinic opinions that it was the right act publishing the photos but others (e.g. Yehudah Meshi Zahav) claiming that it is against Halacha, as the honour of a dead body is being violated.  

The haredi website KIKAR SHABBAT published a video showing ZAKA taking care of the dead bodies inside the house of the Fogel family:

http://www.kikarhashabat.co.il/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%9E%D7%A8-2.html