News Clips
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
News Clips:
Embattled Muslim aide to leave Pentagon job: Heshem Islam's "resume didn’t add up" [Israpundit]
At last, the truth about Heshem Islam, Muslim outreach aide to Defense Secretary Islam comes out in this WorldNetDaily report, here. As we predicted Mr. Islam’s embroidered resume did not stand up to the light of day and he was asked to vacate his post at the Pentagon.Britain's Encounter with Islamic Law Daniel Pipes [NetWMD]
Our friend Stephen Coughlin, the Pentagon’s lone Islamic Law and Jihad Military doctrine expert is vindicated and will begin a new assignment at the conclusion of his current Joint staff agreement with the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD).
Beneath the deceptively placid surface of everyday life, the British population is engaged in a momentous encounter with Islam. Three developments of the past week, each of them culminating years' long trend – and not just some odd occurrence – exemplify changes now underway.Betar, Hasbarah launch Islamic State Apartheid Week [Jewish Tribune 2/12/08] Seriously, read it all!
First, the UK government has decided that terrorism by Muslims in the name of Islam is actually unrelated to Islam, or is even anti-Islamic. ...last week the Home Office completed the obfuscation by issuing a counter-terrorism phrasebook that instructs civil servants to refer only to violent extremism and criminal murderers, not Islamist extremism and jihadi-fundamentalists.
Second, and again culminating several years of evolution, the British government now recognizes polygamous marriages.
Third, the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, endorsed applying portions of the Islamic law (the Shari'a) in Great Britain. Adopting its civil elements, he explained, "seems unavoidable" because not all British Muslims relate to the existing legal system and applying the Shari'a would help with their social cohesion. When Muslims can go to an Islamic civil court, they need not face "the stark alternatives of cultural loyalty or state loyalty." Continuing to insist on the "legal monopoly" of British common law rather than permit Shari'a, Williams warned, would bring on "a bit of a danger" for the country.
TORONTO – A growing number of local university students, under the leadership of Betar Canada and Hasbarah Fellowships, have decided that enough is enough with the ongoing Israel-bashing on campuses. They launched Islamic State Apartheid Week last Tuesday at York University. Within hours, Zionist student activist Sammy Katz had received numerous death threats via e-mail.Hizbullah announces Imad Mugniyah killed [Israpundit]
Imad Mugniyah, Hizbullah military commander and arch terrorist mastermind, who allegedly planned the Beirut US Embassy Marine Barracks and Buenos Aires Jewish center bombings that killed hundreds, has been assassinated in a Damascus, Syria car bombing according to this YnetNews.com report from Israel. Hizbullah accuses Israel, but Israel issues a 'no comment'.My new goal for the week: learn how to say 'no comment' in Hebrew.
Laila Tov!
Labels: activism, Israel, Jewish, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 10:33 PM
Time is on our side...so we'd better start using it
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Most Pathetically Un-Jewish Comment of the Week:
When asked about Israel's ability to strike Iran on its own, [Minister of Public Security Avi] Dichter voiced doubt: Israel's status as the world's fourth largest defense exporter notwithstanding, he said, it is not a world power. "It is a state, and it can only be a power for a few hours. The fight against Iran has to be led by a world power."
-Dichter: U.S. Report Could Lead to Regional 'Yom Kippur' [Israel National News]
I make a habit of reading a lot of Israeli news and Israel-focused blogs every week, and I have to say, I'm getting really bored with this whole "point the finger" attitude I'm seeing here. John Bolton says George Bush needs to put Condi Rice in her place. Condi Rice needs to start respecting our friendship with Israel. Blah, blah, blah. When are we going to get off of our tuchuses and start acting on behalf of ourselves, instead of blaming others for not doing the job?
When Ezra and Nehemiah led a remnant of Jews back to Jerusalem, most of the exiled Judeans remained in Babylon, reasoning that the Messiah would eventually come and they'd all be taken care of miraculously, no effort required. Yeshua, on the other hand, informed His people--our people, literally speaking, "us," that He would not come again until we proclaimed, "Baruch haba b'Shem Adonai". Greeks think that time is this mysterious third person, but Jews know better. We know that time, zman is marked and measured by the actions we take, whether it is celebrating the feasts or fighting against our enemies, our time is measured by our choices, and as far as I'm concerned, we need to stop referencing a second-hand watch, lest we weep by the rivers of Babylon for yet another generation.
Somewhere in the peanut gallery, I hear one smartnik shouting, "Well, then, what do you suggest we do about it?" To him, as well as to all of those listening I suggest that you read the Torah and find out.
Labels: activism, Iran, Israel, Judaism, Messianic Judaism, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 2:44 PM
Yhoshuas Arise!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Catching up on the news over at Israpundit, a post by Felix Quigley catches my eye: Jewish people must go on the offensive. RIGHT ON! I scan the post. I like Felix and I agree with many of his arguments-- not all, but many. One, however, stands out like a sore thumb: The Jewish people have always underestimated the Arab people, and the Muslims if I am to push the circle wider.
You know what I say to that? The Jewish people have always underestimated themselves and their G-d.
Look at our history, just glance at it, and you will see that we are the people of signs, wonders, and miracles from above. Our nation wasn't founded by a warlord with great armies, nor a group of empassioned rebels with arms: We began when one guy heard the voice of G-d telling him to separate himself from everyone else, and he did it. One man. One G-d. That is our nascence and our essence.
Our population has grown larger over the years, but every recorded moment in scripture focuses on that individual relationship between G-d and prophet, G-d and warrior, G-d and King, G-d and human being. All of these relationships transcend to the communities surrounding them: G-d instructs D'vorah, who aids Barak in leading an Army of Israelites; Yeshua instructs His talmidim, who go out to Israel and the goyim to preach the truth of Messiah. The relationships are also reciprocal: Rut, a foreigner, chooses to follow G-d and thus enters into the line of Moshiach; David praises Adonai in such a way that he is labeled "a man after G-d's own heart." Our history as a people consists of a series of individuals willing to reach out to Adonai with all their heart, soul, and strength, and, in return, Adonai blesses the entire nation through these faithful servants.
Today we are a large and fragmented group. We are divided by religious ideas, political beliefs, geography, and even economy. We each have our own leaders we turn to, but we have no centralized leadership, no unifying force... or so we like to think. The truth of the matter is that we can be as united as the 12 talmidim. We have the same Messiah: the same Ruach that was given to them is free to us as well. We can be today's Hadassahs, Davids, D'vorahs, Ruths, Kefas, Shauls, Yochanans, Moshes, Avrahams-- if only we are willing to believe in the power HaShem has given us, and the power HaShem has over this world.
What other nation of priests has cowered in the face of evil so much so that they have shaped their traditions and sacrificed their truths in order to conform to the ways of their enemies? The concept makes no sense! Yet, this is exactly what we have done time and time again since we wandered the ground of Sinai. We continue to do it to this very day: the latest issue of the Messianic Times is filled with letters to the editor arguing over whether or not believers should celebrate Christmas! What pagan nonsense is this, and why are we wasting our time on it when there is work to be done?!
This is only one of many issues we face as a nation that is under constant threat of survival. Scroll down on the Israpundit front page, and you will find a series of headlines from various sources under the post title of U.S. losing on all fronts and yet, what do you hear from American Jews but, "America supports Israel, so what do we have to worry about?" Still more Israeli Jews are busy drowning their sorrows in Tel Aviv nightclubs, left at a total loss for what to do in this time of turmoil.
A growing number of Jewish Americans and Israelis recognize the threat to be real, and are responding to it through a well-organized grassroots movement known as the J-blogosphere. What do the Messianic Jews have to say? How are we responding to the threats we face as a nation? How are we fighting for our survival and countering the vicious attacks placed against us, the people of Israel, on a daily basis? Where is our network? Where is our communication? How many Messianics in the Diaspora even have contact with the believing community in Israel? We are sorely lacking in actions-- and faith without works is dead. When is the Messianic community going to grow up, get with the times, and start paying attention to the current events that are truly impacting us as the nation of Israel? Will we be the individuals who will rise up to defend our nation in such a time as this, or will we be the indistinguishable masses led off to Babylon when all is said and done?
Labels: activism, Israel, Jewish, Judaism, Messianic Judaism, Yeshua, Zionism
posted by Shoshana @ 6:14 PM
