Am Yisrael Chai! Eretz Yisrael Chai!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
With Monday comes Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day...
...and with Tuesday comes Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day
...Hazal [Sages] wrote: ‘The Jewish People is compared to the dust of the ground and to the stars of the sky. When they sink, they sink down to the dust; when they rise, they rise into the stars.’”
This time of year as Independence Day approaches, Gouri’s words always resonate. One of those “Only in Israel” experiences is that incredible combination of sad and happy as the ceremonies for Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers and terror victims fuse back-to-back with the Yom Ha’atzma’ut festivities, this year on April 23.
...As we blow out the Remembrance Day candles and prepare for Independence Day’s fireworks displays, it seems almost natural this year to add the Shehechiyanu blessing, praising God “for keeping us alive, sustaining us and bringing us to this moment.”
For after all, we’ll still here, battle-scarred but not beaten.
Our very existence is worth mentioning as an achievement - if only for the pleasure of annoying our many enemies. The fact that we can celebrate Independence Day at all, albeit wiping away a tear for those who gave their lives and didn’t make it to the country’s 59th birthday, is noteworthy.
...People abroad often forget that most Israelis live ordinary lives worrying about ordinary things: family, health, finances. We argue about politics. And how. But it is a family argument. And at least we aren’t concerned about the neighbors hearing the shouting.
There’s terrorism, but we don’t have to deal with anti-Semitism. Indeed, we’re free to laugh at ourselves with famous Jewish humor and don’t have to worry whether saying things like “famous Jewish humor” is insulting.
...Another year has gone by without our prayers for peace being answered. But despite the prayers of our enemies, we’re still here, not just surviving, but thriving.
And that’s why this Independence Day, as every other, I will hang the blue-and-white flag and raise a glass in that quintessential Jewish toast: “Lehaim - To life!”
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Labels: Am Yisrael Chai, Israel, Israel Independence Day, Israel Memorial Day, Judaism, Messianic Judaism, Yom Haatzmaut, Yom HaZikaron, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 4:43 PM
Breaking News: American Government Decides, "We're god, Get Used to It"
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Under the headline Exclusive: IAF to ask US for world's most advanced jets, the Jerusalem Post reports:
[U.S. Defense Secretary Robert] Gates was here for talks with government officials on a range of key strategic issues including American plans - which Israel has objected to - to sell smart bombs to Saudi Arabia.How would America go about doing that? By maybe, possibly, sorta, kinda, one day in the near future responding to the Israeli Air Force's interest in the American F-22 stealth fighter jet. Although that interest was not discussed during Gates's visit to Israel this week.
...On Thursday, Gates tried to ease Israeli concerns about the planned American weapons sale to Saudi Arabia as well as other US Gulf allies, saying that Washington remained committed to preserving Israel's military edge over its neighbors.
Gates also said his 24-hour trip to Israel did not include any discussions on taking military action against Iran. He reiterated his belief that diplomacy was the best course of action for halting Iran's nuclear program.In other words, Gates wants America to get in on the arms sales so they can beat the Russians and the Chinese to the checkout line. Don't fool yourself into thinking that a nice package of diplomatic sway comes as a free gift with every bomb purchase: America is no martyr. Trying to sell high-tech weaponry to the Arabs not only puts money in the bank, it appeases their little minions the world over at Israel's expense. After all, why should America care whether or not the Arabs have the bomb? Washington's not within shooting range, right? Who cares if a few military installations in Iraq and a nation of loyal allies (who also happen to be Jews) die in the process, as long as the fat cats keep their pockets lined and their homes nice and tidy?
...Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv before his departure, Gates said he had urged Israeli leaders to look at the deal in terms of the "overall strategic environment" and stressed that Israel's neighbors had other alternatives for purchasing arms.
"I'm confident that the Russians would be very happy to sell weapons to countries in the region," he said. Gates said he affirmed the US would continue to help Israel maintain its qualitative military edge, but did not say whether the Saudi deal would go through. Israel is particularly worried about the planned sale of advanced air systems that would vastly upgrade the striking ability of Saudi warplanes, some of which could be stationed just several hundred kilometers from Israeli airspace.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack wins the coveted Quote of the Week Prize with his classic:
"[Israel's military edge] is something that we are dedicated to helping Israel preserve for a number of different reasons - for their defensive needs, for the deterrent nature of that edge, as well as allowing Israel to take calculated risk in the interest of peace.FYI:"...the State Department on Thursday didn't indicate that the F-22 would be available to help preserve that edge." In fact, there's still heavy debate going on in Congress as to whether or not the F22 will even be made available for sale in the future. Suddenly, we realize that this article isn't about Israel obtaining much-needed weapons technology at all; it's about America playing puppetmaster with Jewnocchio, aka the Olmerde government, whose collective nose is growing longer by the nanosecond.
On a more heartwarming note, "Before leaving Israel, Gates visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, accompanied by Peretz." How nice. He remembered to visit the museum honoring the six million murdered in the name of appeasing terrorists bent on world domination...er, I mean, "taking calculated risks in the interest of peace."
It took the deaths of six million Jews to convince the United Nations to grant a fraction of land to the Jews. How many more have already been murdered in the ongoing battle to retain Israel as our own? How many will die, still, for the right to live as Israelis--as Jews?
Labels: America, Gates, IDF, Israel, Judaism, Olmert, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 9:03 PM
Yom HaShoah
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Labels: Holocaust, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel, Judaism, Messianic Judaism, Persecution, Yom HaShoah, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 11:03 AM
Praise Adonai!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Over three thousand years ago, we were a people enslaved, delivered into freedom by the power of the Great and Mighty G-d.
Now, we are a people still fighting against enslavement, raging against peoples and governments whose ideologies of hatred and fear seek to wipe us off the face of the earth. We face enemies both foreign and domestic, some of whom even call us "ally" or "friend".
For us, the Jewish people, war isn't a possibility; it's an inevitability on all fronts at this very hour. Once again, we must rise up with the conviction of Moshe if we are to witness HaShem achieve victory in our midst for our people.
We must praise HaShem at this hour, before the battle has even begun; we must express our trust in Him in order that He may claim victory in the midst of Eretz Yisrael! It is in praising Adonai that we can show our greatest and most powerful support for our nation and our people at this season in time. This year, may we not only shout "L'Shana Haba B'Yerushalayim!" but may we also be willing to do what it takes to see this word come to pass in our lifetime!
PRAISE THE HOLY NAME OF ADONAI!
PRAISE THE G-D OF ISRAEL!
PRAISE ADONAI TZVAOT!
L'shana haba b'Yerushalayim!
Baruch haba B'Shem Adonai!
AM YISRAEL CHAI!
Let us praise our G-d in unity, that we may be blessed with the annointing of salvation:
Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony.
It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard,
over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Tziyon.
For it was there that ADONAI ordained the blessing of everlasting life.
Praise the Name of G-d, the Holy One of Israel! Let all the earth praise His Holy Name! Let Israel proclaim victory in the Name of Adonai!
Remember, THIS is what we are fighting for; THIS is who we are, and who we have every right and responsibility to be:
Baruch haShem for Messiah Yeshua! Chag Pesach Sameach!
Labels: IDF, Israel, Judaism, Messianic Judaism, unity, Yeshua, Zahal, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 9:35 PM
