"And The Sons Will Return To Their Borders" (video)

I don't post this video to propagandise for the controversial Gush Emunim movement - but rather to illustrate the thinking behind the movement, as glimpsed in an explanation by one of its leaders, former Knesset member Hanan Porat, who passed away this month.  The video has been around for some time, but I wasn't aware of it before it was brought to my attention. (So, hat tip: Shirl in Oz)

And for a discussion of the Palestinian Statehood Bid featuring Mark Regev and Professor Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics click here.

"Hate Is Not An American Value" (video)

"Rich-man antisemitism," it has been termed by one historian.  You know, the perception that Jews are plutocrats and consequently wield a disproportionate amount of power in the world.

A code-word for Jews in antisemitic circles that perhaps don't want to be seen to wear their judeophobia on their sleeve is of course "international financier".  It very often goes hand in hand with nutjob conspiracy theories, of course.

And this sort of antisemitism - viewing a shadowy cabal of mega-rich Jews as exerting undue influence over the fates of nations - has reared its extremely ugly head at the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations in the United States, along with a disturbing amount of anti-Israel rhetoric.

Not everyone, however, be they ever so liberal, seems to want to admit that this is so - thus leading Democrats have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the deplorable Jew-hatred.

That's why the following video has been made by the Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI).  Says  ECI's chairman, William Kristol:

"It’s not surprising that elements of the modern left are antisemitic.  It is surprising that respectable liberals have praised the protesters while ignoring the antisemitism. Liberals have pretended to see nothing hateful and hear nothing hateful, and therefore have said nothing to rebuke their allies. Will they now speak up?”

"We Are Speaking Of A Network": A Malicious Game of Join The Dots

The following piece (entitled "The Cold War On The Truth") by that stalwart British champion of Israel Jonathan Hoffman (widely praised by those who despair of the lily-livered approach that characterises too much of the Anglo-Jewish "leadership" for his leonine courage or bulldog tenacity - take your pick!) is cross-posted, with his permission, from the Jewish Chronicle blogs.

Writes Jonathan Hoffman:

'The MEMO [Middle East Monitor] meeting in the House of Commons on Tuesday night ("The Cold War On British Muslims") has been well covered by Tom Wilson on Harry’s Place and by Richard Millett.

I was there too and found the meeting profoundly depressing and not only because Parliament played host to such an anti-intellectual event. The fact is that there are reasons for British Muslims to be under closer surveillance by the security services than Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians or Plymouth Brethren. Namely, the July 2005 bombings that were detonated by British Muslims; the "underpants bomber" Abdulmutallab who was President of UCL [University College London] Islamic Society; the failed nightclub bomb in Haymarket in June 2007; the failed plot to blow up airliners in August 2006; and many other similar incidents and arrests.

But instead of squarely facing up to the issues of extremism all we got was conspiracy theorising and scapegoating. First Dr Daud Abdullah, the director of MEMO, said darkly "we are speaking of a network".

And who is that network? Why, two think tanks: Policy Exchange and the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC). They according to Abdullah were responsible for increasing the pressure on Muslims, in particular for the government’s reassessment of the "Prevent" programme which was said to have increased surveillance of Muslims.

See here

(In fact the reassessment is supposed to address the situation whereby "Prevent" was giving a platform to extremists in the mistaken view that militant Islamists were an antidote to Al Qaeda (in reality they are a conveyer belt to Al Qaeda)).

And then came the bizarre "join the dots" Danse Macabre. Professor David Miller and two colleagues spoke about their study The Cold War On Brisih Muslims which was launched at the meeting. The Report looked at the funding of Policy Exchange and the CSC. Both draw on a wide range of funders. Policy Exchange is funded inter alia by the Peter Cruddas Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Lord Ashcroft and Richard Briance. The CSC is financed by the John Templeton Foundation, the Nigel Vinson Charitable Trust and the New Heritage Foundation.

But if you had been at the presentation you would not have realised that the range of funders for these two thinktanks was so broad. You would think that they were funded entirely by pro-Israel Jewish businessmen. Thus we got from Tom Mills only a cursory reference to the Peter Cruddas Foundation (the largest funder of Policy Exchange). The only funders Mills seemed to be interested in were those with an Israel connection. So we were treated to a forensic dissection of the Israel- and Jewish Community-related philanthropy of the Charles Wolfson Family Trust, the Rubin Foundation, the Stanley Kalms Foundation and the Traditional Alternatives Foundation.

Obvious takeaway message: Muslims are being victimised by certain think tanks – in particular by the policies they recommend. Those think tanks are funded by rich Jewish businessmen who also fund Israel-related causes. So the sources of the victimisation of Muslims are pro-Israel rich Jewish businessmen.

If the possible social consequences of indoctrinating young Muslims with this drivel was not so tragic, this malicious "join the dots" parlour game played out in the Palace of Westminster would be laughable.

But as it is, it is an utter disgrace - and to have a Professor at a UK University associate himself with it and preside over such a presentation is unspeakable.'

"How Can They Sleep At Night, Knowing The Peril They Have Brought Onto Their People?": A Bereaved Mother On The Israeli Cabinet's Prisoner Release Swap

There has been much written already on the deal that will see the kidnapped young soldier Gilad Shalit freed by Hamas  in exchange for the release by Israel of over 1000 Palestinian prisoners.

Melanie Phillips has written a characteristically incisive piece here on the subject.  So, too, has Elder of Ziyon here.

Among the prisoners to be released is the person who took the life of Malki (pictured), the teenage daughter of Arnold and Frimet Roth, of Melbourne and Jerusalem.  They blog here, and The Malki Foundation commemorates the daughter they lost so tragically.

Observes Frimet Roth today:

'Along with the entire nation, I am relieved and happy that Gilad Shalit will be returning home imminently. But I am shocked and deeply pained that this is being achieved by the mass release of cold-blooded murderers.

One of them is Ahlam Tamimi, a proud terrorist and the unrepentant murderer of my fifteen year old daughter, Malki. Tamimi transported the 10 kg. bomb, handed it to her accomplice and then led him on foot to the door of the target she had selected, Jerusalem's crowded Sbarro restaurant. Seven men and women and eight children perished. 130 people were injured. She was sentenced to sixteen terms of life in prison.

Tamimi declared that she does not regret what she did. She actually smiled when told the number of children whose lives she took. 

With today’s decision to free the terrorists, prime minister Netanyahu, a savvy politician to the core, conveys to us his disdain for the lives of ordinary citizens like my Malki; his disrespect for Israel's justice system; and his lack of regard for the soldiers who faced death in order to apprehend the terrorists about to be freed.

 Which rational soldier or police officer is going risk his life in the future to defend us from the monsters like Tamimi, sworn to murder still more Jews?

The prime minister is quoted this morning saying that his "heart goes out" to Israel’s many terror victims. His actions and those of his cabinet suggest otherwise. How can they sleep at night, knowing the peril they have brought onto their people?'

Egypt's Persecuted Copts: The Slaughter & The Sorrow (video)

For the Coptic Christians in Egypt the so-called Arab Spring is the bleakest of mid-winters. It is impossible not to be moved by the persecution they continue to suffer, including the abduction and forcible conversion to Islam of  many of their daughters, and the terrible barbarities perpetrated against this people.

The recent scenes from Aswan province speak for themselves - some of the brutality is particularly ghastly.

There are a number of videos online.  Here is one of the most harrowing:

Hat tip: Vlad Tepes blog
See also here and here

Starbucks: No More Smashed Windows In Londonistan?

Putting the pro-Hamas jackboot in: London, January 2009

Back in 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, there were disgraceful scenes of mob violence close to the Israeli Embassy in Londonistan.

Among the targets of the ferals' anger was a nearby branch of the global coffee shop chain Starbucks, a chain which has been the subject of picketing by BDSers (see here for instance), and was badly vandalised on that occasion reportedly because Starbucks' CEO in America, Howard Schultz, is Jewish.

It will be interesting to see whether Starbucks escapes the wrath next time.  For, in the words of a rightly incensed informant, the company via the internet has got  "into bed with Palestinian propagandists":

 "So I'm at Starbucks this morning and normally pass through the opening screen after logging onto the internet... but what do I see as one of the three featured items?"

Yes, what he saw was that on its "Digital Network" the company has been helping to publicise a slanted version of the Arab-Israeli Conflict ("Palestine: A Century of Shrinking") complete with a series of maps calculated to woo the unwary into the enemy camp - click here.

'Gee,' the outraged spotter continues, with understandable sarcasm,

'So after Israel was created, "war breaks out" between Israel and Arab states?  Hm.  Sounds pretty equitable to me. 

 1967: Israel captures the Siani?  Then occupies the region?  With no provocation whatsoever?  Wow, those bastards.  No wonder everyone's against Israel.

The first Palestinian intifada consisted of "mass civil disobedience?"  You mean they would like, block traffic and refuse police orders to move?  They sang songs of peace, and refused to stop?  Wow, now I hate those evil Zionists even more.'

Shouldn't we all be telling Schultz how we feel about his company helping to demonise the Jewish State?

Starbucks Coffee, Howard Schultz, CEO, 206-447-1575, info@starbucks.com, General comment form here

And perhaps patronising Starbucks' rivals instead?

I'm told Costas isn't that bad ...

Of course, for a caffeine-free kick there's always Max Brenner...

Update - The Simon Wiesenthal Center has issued the following Press Release:


October 12, 2011


Various members of the Simon Wiesenthal Center have alerted the SWC to this misleading posting on the history of the Land of Israel which ran on Starbucks Digital Network. The Center immediately contacted Starbucks headquarters.


The Center wrote in part, “…we'd like to hear from Starbucks about what steps you are taking to remove it and what steps… you'll be taking to assure that Starbucks won't serve as a platform for such material in the future.


The propaganda presentation called Palestine: A Century of Shrinking present maps that falsely assert that the historic Land of Israel belonged to the Arabs.


“The material presented on the Starbucks Digital Network is similar to other anti-Israel propaganda being promoted by extreme anti-Israel groups. We urge our members to join us in urging Starbucks not to allow itself to be a platform by extremists, “ said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWc Associate Dean.


Go to info@starbucks.com to let Starbucks know what you think of this, site case #7361732 in your email.

"The Colonel Gadaffi Of His Day"

As someone who's editing the papers of a British naval hero of Nelson's period (I would have been finished with that task long since had not Ray Cook prevailed on me to join him in the pro-Israel blogosphere!) I'm not overly fond of Napoleon Bonaparte.  But I have to admit that the Corsican adventurer did a great deal not only for France - but for Jews.

Now, however, a new French history textbook (described in the video below) is downplaying the Revoloution of 1789 that established the Republic on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, giving it a mere six pages in comparison to the rather more generous apportionment of space allotted to a black ruler in West Africa, and insulting the memory of their  mighty emperor (and liberator of the Jews) as "the Colonel Gadaffi of his day".

It's all due, of course, to the malign forces of political correctness which have already injected their poison into the history curriculum in Britain, ensuring - as I mentioned here - that names of heroes once known to all boys and girls are now obscure. Why, in the past week it's been reported that many young Britons identify Winston Churchill exclusively with a dog called Churchill in a television ad - knowing nothing of the real-life character - and some time ago it was reported that great British wartime leader is widely assumed to have been fictitious!

This loss of history is no trivial matter.  Arabs propagandists know the importance of history: look at how assiduous they've been in undermining the Jews' historical claims to Eretz Israel and positioning themselves as heirs to the ancient Canaanites. 

We join Henry Ford in dismissing history as "bunk" at our peril. Just as widespread ignorance of the Bible in the post-war post-Christian generations has sapped one of the traditional sources of gentile support for Zionism, "states which stop teaching their past consign themselves to history," as the video notes: