Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Gresback deserves your vote Nov. 8

I want to start by offering a sincere thank you to everyone who has stepped up to offer their services to fulfill elected positions in our state government.

One of those individuals is my friend, Tim Gresback. In the more than a decade Ive known Tim, Ive always been impressed with his orientation to finding workable solutions to whatever law case he was working on. Therefore, Im very thankful he has offered to serve District 6 in our Idaho House of Representatives. He will use those same skills to work in the legislature on the many issues they will face in the coming years. His awards and recognition from the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association and Idaho State Bar Association speak volumes about how highly respected he is.

If elected and should he take a position on an issue that I dont agree with, at least I will be confident that Tim thoroughly researched the bill and voted his conscience in support of what he believed was best for our great state. Please consider Tim when you cast your vote on Nov. 8.

Loves home deliveryof her newspaper

My husband and I lament the news that our newspaper can no longer be delivered to our home, at least temporarily. We hope its only temporary.

If you are reading this letter, you already know the benefits and importance of local journalism.

While digital news has its place, here is what is great about a paper newspaper. You can underline worthwhile passages. You can scrawl notes to your spouse in the margins. You can use it as a coaster for your coffee. You can cut out articles to send to your elderly aunt, or save in a scrapbook, or, better still, post on your fridge. You can pass it on to someone else. You can use it after youve read it to line a bird cage, hold soil as you pot a plant, start a barbecue, or keep weeds at bay in your garden.

If the sun hits it while you are reading, it doesnt glare at you. Nothing flashes or blinks at you. You can see the little box ads where people thank caregivers, and other human-level items. Best of all, you can see the entire page at one time, so you dont have to keep re-adjusting your eyes as the page reformats.

Whats good about home delivery? Well, thats just pure joy. You can step outside, barefoot, in your bathrobe, and pick it up. Nothing must boot up, whir, beep, update or reconfigure. And, if you are really lucky, you can wave to a neighbor, hear a bird chirp and maybe even smile at the paper delivery person.

Heres hoping someones schedule permits the delivery route to be reinstated.

Womens right over body not inalienable

Our University of Idaho professor emeritus, Nick Gier, stated the problem correctly in his Aug. 25 column: Many Jews are upset at the overturning of Roe vs Wade. Jewish author Walter Ruby, Gier notes, points to the event as nothing less than the Christianization of American law.

Gosh, I hope that turns out to be true. Otherwise, were left with the continued Judaification of American law. For me, as a Catholic, that America should be more Christian than Jewish is a splendid and welcome idea. I dont object in the slightest to a move in that direction.

Gier quotes Rabbi Barry Silver, who claims that Floridas new abortion law violates his freedom to practice Judaism according to his own beliefs. Yes, it does. But abortion is murder of the unborn. No Jew, Muslim or nominal Christian, for that matter, should be free to practice that abomination.

In 2021, Sheila Katz, CEO of the U.S. National Council of Jewish women, affirmed that abortion is a Jewish value. Many other Jewish leaders say similar things. But, though abortion may be a Jewish value, it is certainly not a Christian value. Behavior which many Jews sanctify, true Christians must condemn. The Jewish/Christian struggle is old, and never the twain shall meet.

Two thousand years ago, the Jews cried, Crucify him. They did. But, alas, it didnt work out very well. For Jesus had the audacity to rise from the dead; and a new triumphant religion was born.

Meanwhile, in 70 A.D., the old Mosaic religion died, but never rose again. Rome destroyed its temple, did away with the Jewish priesthood and ended animal sacrifices.

What we have today is recrudescent, rabbinical Judaism. It erroneously asserts that women have inalienable rights over their own bodies. It holds abortion as almost sacrosanct. Modern Judaism is in error. But I doubt Nick Gier will agree.

Columnists fixationon masks, mouths

Again (Daily News, Aug. 20), we are treated to another of Mr. Pezeshkis audition letters to serve in a Trump White House (courts and godforbid). Start by demeaning your target with phobic attacks, a consistent pattern. Then infuse your language with an insipid, impulsive hatred. Follow that with nicknames, constant repeating of falsehoods to make them true, hurled forth with arrogant bombast, and vacuous supporting evidence. Chucks analysis of the hospital crisis? Nope, nada! Theyre fine. Read the same week you know someone whose family member died on a helicopter flying extra hours from the Palouse to the nearest hospital taking patients and you realize how dangerous Chucks pronouncements are.

Another lesson Chuck has internalized is, know your own weakness integrity and attack your enemy of being flawed in that area. With so much venomous spew and constant demeaning characterizations, Chuck and integrity have nothing in common.

What becomes clear over his many commentaries, is Chuck has a pathological oral fixation. From his continual mentioning of mouths and the mouths of children, its the only conclusion to draw. Denied his primal need to see you and your childs mouth, he lashes out. Vilified by Trump World, Dr. Fauci makes the easiest target for Chucks bullying. Had we followed Mr. Pezeshkis strategies, like banning masks and dont bother getting vaccinated, the outcomes would have been twice as many dead and yes, only a few 100 would have been children (cold comfort for those parents). But Chuck would have been able to gaze upon mouths to fulfill his desires, saving him untold personal trauma.

We also know he wont stop. Like Trump, Chuck will only strike out more irrationally next time. And as with Trump, there will be those good people in the community to stand up against his egregious behavior.

Originally posted here:

Letters to the Editor | Opinion | dnews.com - Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Category: Judaism | Comments Off on Letters to the Editor | Opinion | dnews.com – Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Life is a supreme Jewish value. So much so that its customary to make charitable donations or monetary gifts in multiples of 18: the numerical value of the Hebrew word for life:chai. When we drink in celebration we say, LChaim, as popularized by the song from Fiddler on the Roof.

We Jews place life on a pedestal not only in times of celebration but in times of mourning too. Anglo-Jews from Britain and communities in the former Commonwealth, for example, are likely to conclude a condolence call with I wish you long life.

In Islam, on the other hand, life appears to take a backseat to death. The goriest murders, butchery, death, and suicide seem not to faze Muslims at all. Whereas Jews are preoccupied with life, the Muslim thinks more about death. In a 2004 op-ed,Aspiration not Desperation, Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook detailed the final words of a suicide bomber, describing her joy at the prospect of blowing herself to smithereens.

I always wanted to be the first woman who sacrifices her life for Allah. My joy will be complete when my body parts fly in all directions.

These are the words of female suicide terrorist Reem Reyashi, videotaped just before she killed four Israelis and herself two weeks ago in Gaza. What is surprising about this horrific statement is that she put a positive value on her dismemberment and death, distinct from her goal to kill others. She was driven by her aspiration to achieve what the Palestinians call shahada, death for Allah. She had two distinct goals: To kill and to be killed. These independent objectives, both positive in her mind, were goals greater than her obligations and emotional ties to her two children. This aspiration to die, which contradicts the basic human instinct for survival, is at the core of the suicide terrorism fervor.

Contrast this with the Jewish concept of dying al Kidush Hashem, in sanctification of Gods name. Every Holocaust victim, every Jewish terror victim, is considered to be a holy martyr. But Jews dont strive for that holy eventualitywe dont court death for the sake of martyrdom. Which is what all too many Muslims seem to do.

Most people cant stand the sight of blood, but blood doesnt seem to generate the same revulsion in Muslims.Take the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates what we Jews still call theAkedat Yitzchak, the binding of Isaac. The Muslim version, which of course postdates Jewish scripture substitutes Ibrahim for Abraham, and Ismail for Isaac. Jews remember theAkedahby reciting the story from the Torah before the congregation on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Muslims, on the other hand, celebrate their version of the story with mass slaughter of livestock. So many animals are killed on this holiday, that in 2016, the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh ran red with blood.

InThe value of life in the Jewish tradition: Towards understanding Jewish bioethics, written in 2009, Professor Michael Barilan of the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, writes about protecting the ability of animals to procreate and bring new life and what we as humans are supposed to learn from this:

Judaism is possibly the only religion that prohibits all forms of castration. This taboo creates grave challenges to pet owners, modern animal farming and scientific research. However, when one becomes aware of the ubiquity of sterilization in the utilization of animals, one may also appreciate the subtle protest Judaism articulates against the mechanical exploitation of animals. The prohibition on sterilization of animals and humans underscores further the special regard in Judaism to the capacity to generate life. According to Sefer Hahinnukh, castration articulates a nihilistic attitude towards life. Contemporary scholarship on Judaism and human rights also interpret Gods admonition Choose life! as a call for hope and engagement in worldly life, not as a strict refusal to recognize situations in which loss of life is the more dignified and just course of action.

In regard to shedding blood, Barilan writes,

Ironically, the first prohibition on bloodshed is articulated in terms of the death penalty. Whoso sheds mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the Image of God made he man.

The Torah does not tell us directly, do not kill the way God proscribed eating from the tree of knowledge. From the story on Cain and Abel we learn that this knowledge is self-evident; every person must recognize it naturally.

Many Muslims, apparently do not. There is ample evidence of the Muslim thirst for bloodshed.

As Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook documented in their aforementioned op-ed, Palestinian society actively promotes the religious belief that their deity craves their deaths. Note the words of a popular music video directed at children, broadcast hundreds of times on PA TV, which depicts the earth thirsting for the blood of children: How sweet is the fragrance of the shahids, how sweet is the scent of the earth, its thirst quenched by the gush of blood, flowing from the youthful body.

Life is so important to Jews that we are allowed to break just about any religious commandment in order to save the life of a human being. Look at that last sentence carefully. There israbbinical consensusthat we are commanded to breach Torah laws not only in order to saveJewishlives, but in order to save the life ofanyhuman being in peril.

In Jewish law, human life comes first. We understand how important a mans life isany mans lifeby the early mention of the concept in Scripture:

And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him. (Genesis 1:27)

Judaism is life-affirming. Islam, on the other hand, cares little for life, and instead embraces death with a whole heart. More from Marcus and Crook:

PA ideology rejects the value of life that other societies hold supreme. As expressed by a senior historian, Professor Issam Sissalem, in a lecture on PA TV: We are not afraid to die, and do not love life.

This attitude was echoed by Nidal Malik Hasan in wrapping up a presentation he created for his fellow doctors, two years before he killed thirteen and wounded 29 at Fort Hood: We love death more than you love life!

According to theNational Post, the sentence originates with a 7th-century Muslim commander who threatened his enemies with the prospect of an army of men that love death as you love life.

ThePostthen references a 2004 interview with Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah. Professor Richard Landes quotes the same interview inLessons from Kafr Qana:

We have discovered how to hit the Jews where they are the most vulnerable. The Jews love life, so that is what we shall take away from them. We are going to win, because they love life and we love death.

Landes, describing Muslim awareness of their own obsession with death, writes:

Even as they deplore it, Arab intellectuals acknowledge the depths of the problem:Wrote Tunisian intellectual Al-Afif Al-Akhdar:

Why do expressions of tolerance, moderation, rationalism, compromise, and negotiation horrify us [Muslims], but [when we hear] fervent cries for vengeance, we all dance the war dance? Why do other people love life, while we love death and violence, slaughter and suicide, and [even] call it heroism and martyrdom?

InDeath: a beautiful Gift for a believer(compiled by unknown), the author describes hating death as the provenance only of the ignorant:

Hatred towards death and love of the world is the outcome of an ignorant persons mind, who thinks that the happiness of this world is his prosperity and good fortune. The world beset with numerous troubles and anxieties is about to end in misery and does not enjoy eternity, perpetuity and sincerity. A poet has referred to this in the following words Do not give your heart to this world, for its example is of an unfaithful bride who has never loved you, even for a night.

Unknown also writes:

[Hazrat Qasim], the son of [Imam Hasan Al-Mujtaba], when asked concerning death at Karbala, answered:death to me is sweeter than honey.

He continues (emphasis added):

Usually, most of the people are alarmed and fearful upon hearing the word `death, and to them, death appears dreadful and terrifying, whereas, according to the Islamic ideology, this terminology or this subject has a different appearance and can be perceived in a different way. Basically it can be said that those who fear death, consider it to be a negative entity.

According to this insight, death is an end of life and a moment of everlasting separation of man with his life. They believe that with death, the compounded substances of the body suffer a breakdown and return to nature and man too, is nothing except this very broken-down body. Hence, with death, everything ends with no hope remaining!

Indeed, with this view and insight, death is darker and more dreadful than every other thing and perhaps, no calamity, pain, sorrow and tragedy can be greater and more painful than the tragedy of death, because death would mean the burial of all the desires, hopes, longings and in short, the termination of all things for man that man who loved life and eternity very dearly.

Anyway,Islam does not possess such a dark and fear-instilling view of death because according to the Islamic view, death is a positive entity.

The idea of death as a positive entity is informative, hereperhaps more than anything else. Jews and incalculable numbers of Muslims stand in diametric opposition to each other when it comes to our most essential and sacred beliefs.

But it is more than that, of course. Its more than our differing views on life and death, but the gruesomeness of the Muslim culture of death, the horrifying bloodlust that accompanies those beliefs; the nature of the killings; and the lack of even the tiniest drop of the milk of human compassion when choosing their victims.

{Reposted from the EoZ blogsite}

Link:

On Jews, Muslims, and Matters of Life and Death - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

Category: Judaism | Comments Off on On Jews, Muslims, and Matters of Life and Death – The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Against the backdrop of a global climate catastrophe and a war raging in Ukraine, Israel has continued its systemic encroachment of Palestinian land. It is shocking that recent developments have not received wider coverage. Like the grave humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, the issue has lost the world's attention.

In May this year, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the eviction of 1,200 Palestinians from Masafer Yatta, a region of eight scattered villages in the occupied West Bank. The eviction order was first made in 1999 after Israel declared the area to be a closed military zone. Following a legal challenge, the Palestinians were allowed to stay until the court reached a final verdict. Their fate has thus been in limbo for over two decades, but this delay didn't lessen the impact of the outcome; it was dreadful nonetheless. It is a microcosm of the story of Palestine.

The inhabitants of Masafer Yatta have lived there for generations. Their livelihood comes from rearing cattle, and they live in caves in the hillsides. In its ruling, though, the court said that the Palestinians have no claim to the land as they possess no legal documentation. In other parts of the world, such logic is used to justify voter suppression laws. It is inherently discriminatory.

READ: Israel Supreme Court rejects appeal against demolition of Palestinian homes

All this was happening while Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman was wheeling and dealing with Israel for diplomatic and economic gains. Publicly, he has maintained the stance that no deal with Israel will ever be made until a two-state solution is found. But privately, he has been pushing Arab allies to normalise their diplomatic and military relations with the occupation state. The Abraham Accords were signed by the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan after a covert 2020 meeting between the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the prince.

Donald Trump hailed the step as a harbinger of peace in the Middle East, but the truth is that the accords were never about Palestine. They are an alliance formed with the primary aim of countering the influence of Iran, and each partner has its own ulterior motive. The UAE, for example, wanted to appease the US to get a lucrative arms deal and F-35 fighter jets. Saudi Arabia wanted to appear like a modern state and move on from the Jamal Khashoggi murder. And Israel wanted to open the skies for civilian flights over Arab states. The discussions did not even produce a settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

And that sums up why the Palestinian cause has been left in limbo for years. As long as the Arab world is dealing with Israel, the Palestinian issue will never be a cause worthy of pursuit. This includes historic meetings between the US and Arab leaders. During the build up to the 1978 Camp David Accords, Egypt's President Anwar Sadat started negotiations by demanding that Israeli settlements on occupied land should return to 1967 levels, but he abandoned this position under pressure from the Jimmy Carter administration.

The year 1967 has huge significance in the history of the Palestinian struggle, not least because that's when Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem to add to the Palestinian land it took by force in 1948. With the 1967 war, Israel increased its occupation of historic Palestine to 85 per cent of the Palestinian territories. This was a direct consequence of UN Resolution 181 in 1947 which rubber stamped settler colonialism by handing over control of 55 per cent of historic Palestine to Israel for a "Jewish state", even though Jews owned just six per cent of the land at the time. It set in motion the 1948 Nakba which ethnically cleansed a majority of the Palestinian Arabs from their land.

It has to be remembered also that the systematic eradication of Palestinians from their homeland was endorsed by the British during the First World War. The 1917 Balfour Declaration promised British support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. The terms of the declaration were included in the 1923 League of Nations mandate for Palestine handed to Britain.

The institutions and countries responsible for creating the present-day mess in Palestine are also those which hold the key to access to the global economy. Politics and economics are closely intertwined. Improved diplomatic relations with the West creates better trade and economic opportunities for the Arab world. With that in mind, the Palestinian cause has always been treated as an inconvenient obstacle.

Ideological stands often come at a heavy cost, evidenced by the economic hits taken by the Western alliance after imposing strict sanctions against Russia since February's invasion of Ukraine. Even Iran was forced to sign a nuclear deal in 2015 under threat of Western sanctions. Isolation in today's globalised world can be threatening to the structural integrity of monarchical regimes. Indeed, being cut off from the global market poses a problem for any country.

READ: Israeli authorities issue demolition notifications in occupied West Bank region of Masafer Yatta

However, just because a country chooses to trade does not mean they surrender their domestic priorities. Quid pro quo is the foundation of all trade agreements. The importance of OPEC countries in the global oil market could be used as leverage to apply pressure on Western governments to address the Palestinian issue properly and meaningfully. For the past fifty years however, the Arab world has approached the Palestinian cause with an air of fatigue.

The 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty arguably highlighted this feeling most prominently. Having supported Iraq during the Gulf War, Jordan's King Hussein wanted to improve relations with the US, which in turn wanted him to make peace with Israel. Hussein hesitated, fearing a domestic backlash. He took the ill-fated Oslo process as a green light, though, and made peace with Israel. This unlocked military aid and F-16 fighter jets from the US, as well as $700 million in debt relief.

For decades, Arab states have undermined their own public show of support for Palestine by signing deals behind closed doors that have the effect of legitimising the Israeli occupation. A two-state solution and peace in Palestine will always remain a pipe dream unless the Arab world backs its stance with concrete action. Unfortunately, it has failed Palestine, for which the future looks bleak.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

More:

The Arab world has failed Palestine, leaving it in limbo - Middle East Monitor

Category: Palestine | Comments Off on The Arab world has failed Palestine, leaving it in limbo – Middle East Monitor
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

The Government of Japan today signed a contribution agreement worth JYP 200,000,000 (approximately US$ 1.5 million) with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

This important contribution will allow UNRWA to continue offering essential in-kind food assistance to over one million Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip, rendered dependent on food aid by repeated cycles of conflict, the continuing blockade and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am very happy to share with you that the Government of Japan has decided to contribute JPY 200 million to UNRWA at this critical time. This contribution represents our determined commitment and continued solidarity with Palestine refugees, Mr Takashi Hattori, Deputy Representative of Japan to Palestine, said.

Welcoming Japans donation, UNRWA Director of External Relations and Communications, Ms. Tamara Alrifai, said: This generous contribution from the Government of Japan is a proof that solidarity with Palestine refugees comes from near and far. UNRWA thanks Japan for its continued support , which allows for the provision of essential humanitarian support at a time of acute need.

The Japanese donation will allow UNRWA to cover the cost of quarterly in-kind food assistance for 53,940 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugees. Over 68 per cent of households in the Gaza Strip are severely or moderately food-insecure. Some 72 per cent of female adolescents in Gaza suffer from vitamin D deficiency, and 64 per cent suffer from vitamin A deficiency. Any disruption in the delivery of in-kind food assistance would risk further exacerbating these conditions.

The Government of Japan has been a dedicated donor to UNRWA since 1953. In 2021, the Government of Japan was the 5th largest contributor to the Agency. The current contribution is this years third from Japan to the in-kind food programme in Gaza in 2022, following a US$ 5 million donation in support of food-dependent Palestine refugees in June. It is thanks to the enduring support of donors like the Government of Japan that the Agency is able to provide vital services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East in the face of continuous challenges.

More here:

Japan contributes US$ 1.5 million in food assistance for Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip - occupied Palestinian territory - ReliefWeb

Category: Palestine | Comments Off on Japan contributes US$ 1.5 million in food assistance for Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip – occupied Palestinian territory – ReliefWeb
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Im an atheist but Im pretty sure I just witnessed a miracle, thanks to the Palestinian-American comic Mo Amer. His new semi-autobiographical Netflix sitcom Mo is hilarious and, no matter your background, I guarantee youll find a lot of it relatable. If you are of Palestinian heritage, as I am, however, Mo is far more than just a laugh: its a groundbreaking piece of television.

Palestine is not exactly a major theme in popular culture. If you do hear the P-word on TV its usually during the news and its normally nothing positive. Its the same for Arabs in general, of course. If we are on the telly, were usually terrorists. And, if were not being demonised, we tend to be the punchline not the people delivering the punchline. Palestinians, however, are dehumanised on a whole other level. You cant even say the P-word without it causing problems: an anchor on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation once had to apologise for using the word Palestine (instead of Palestinian territories), for Gods sake. Being Palestinian means constantly being told you dont exist or being accused by certain pro-Israel voices of being antisemitic simply because you assert that you do exist. I have written only a handful of articles about being Palestinian; every time I file one I have anxiety attacks for days because of the inevitable character assassinations and online trolling that occur after publication.

All this is why Mo, a show that is unapologetically about being Palestinian-American, is such a big deal to me. My jaw was hanging open in disbelief as I watched. Wait, Id think, are they really saying Palestine multiple times in one episode? Did they really just mention Palestinian farmers having their olive trees burned by Israeli settlers a regular occurrence that news outlets either tiptoe around or ignore? Did they really talk about all this and make it funny to boot? I cant tell you how significant it is to see being Palestinian treated with humanising humour. Mo of this please.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

The headline of this article was amended on 31 August 2022 because, due to an editing error, an earlier version misdescribed the author as Palestinian-American. As the article made clear, she has Palestinian heritage.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Read more from the original source:

For anyone with Palestinian roots like me, Netflixs sitcom Mo is groundbreaking TV - The Guardian

Category: Palestine | Comments Off on For anyone with Palestinian roots like me, Netflixs sitcom Mo is groundbreaking TV – The Guardian
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KETK) A federal judge denied a motion on Wednesday that asked the court to reconsider bond for a Palestine man indicted in the San Antonio smuggling incident that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants.

Christian Martinez, 28 of Palestine, was indicted in July on four counts relating to the incident and after a detention hearing it was ordered that Martinez would be detained pending trial.

The court ruled that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the the community.

That decision was upheld Wednesday after Martinezs attorney asked the court to reconsider, but the decision is subject to reconsideration should additional information be presented on the issue that would reasonably assure his appearance in court and the safety of the community.

Martinez has been charged with:

Court documents show a search warrant revealed texts from Martinez showing a truck loading manifest. An informant told authorities Martinez said the driver was unaware the air conditioning unit stopped working and was the reason why the individuals died, according to documents.

Originally posted here:

Palestine man indicted in San Antonio smuggling incident to continue to be held without bond - KETK | FOX51 | EastTexasMatters.com

Category: Palestine | Comments Off on Palestine man indicted in San Antonio smuggling incident to continue to be held without bond – KETK | FOX51 | EastTexasMatters.com
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Solidarity move, representatives from various diplomatic missions meet the representatives of Palestinian civil society organizations. (Photo: via Al-Haq TW Page): In a

What a humiliating failure for the group of diplomatic missions in Palestine that are now supporting the six Palestinian human rights NGOs that Israel has dubbed terrorist organizations and closed down! The irony is that most of these missions are active accomplices of Israels apartheid and occupation of Palestine.

When South Africa lived under an apartheid regime, there was a powerful international campaign to sanction and isolate that country. The European Union and the international community have yet to assume their responsibilities and impose sanctions on Israel for committing crimes against humanity, against the Palestinian people (yes, we are part of humanity). Their solidarity move now, as Al-Haq Organization calls it, is a hollow gesture in my opinion.

They are there to protect the investment they poured into these six Palestinian NGOs [Al Haq, prisoner advocacy group Addameer, Bisan Center for Human Rights, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and Union of Palestinian Womens Committees (UPWC)] back when they were hoping for two states (state-building they called it) to develop the West Bank and Gaza Strip for their Road Map to nowhere.

Now they are crying unfounded allegations of terrorism about Israels claims against these six NGOs, when they have not only routinely ignored, but also vigorously protected, the Jewish states most fundamental false allegation of all, that Palestine belongs to Jews worldwide rather than to its indigenous population of all religions.

They are deeply concerned as they have so often talked out of both sides of their mouth, and worried about the reduction of space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and are searching for convincing evidence to be provided, naturally, from the point of view of the occupier of the occupied territories. Its Israel that dictates whats lawful and whats unlawful to these pathetic missions.

reduction of space for civil society in the OPT. These actions are not acceptable. The further reduction of civil space in the OPT remains a source of concern. We stand firm with NGOs to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association in the OPT. A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for a two-state solution. As we stated on 12 July, no substantial information We are deeply concerned by the raids which took place in the morning of 18 August, as part of a worrying was received from Israel that would justify reviewing our policy towards the 6 Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as terrorist organisations. Should convincing evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly.

The Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden that issued the above statement on 18 August 2022 are oblivious to Israels underlying logic, which brooks no Palestinian resistance whatsoever and therefore defines as terrorism both legitimate Palestinian armed struggle as well as non-violent civil activity.

On the rare occasions they are deeply concerned and worried about Israels violations of UN and international humanitarian law (Fourth Geneva Convention and Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court), which prohibits the transfer of the occupying population to the occupied territory, a war crime, they are, in the same breath, more deeply concerned and worried about Israels security.

And that is why Israel repeatedly overreaches with impunity whether in the illegal Jewish colonization of the occupied territories or the illegal judaization efforts in Jerusalem or its preemptive operation in Gaza, or its extrajudicial executions in Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarem. Let us hope this arrogant overreaching by the Jewish state will ultimately be its demise.

Its time for these missions to show absolute solidarity with the Palestinian people and to speak strongly in favor of justice for the Palestinian people.

I would like to invite the representatives of the diplomatic missions in Palestine that are now issuing ludicrous statements of solidarity with the six Palestinian NGOs, first to acknowledge what has been staring them in the face for so long, that their two-state proposition is dead: Palestine, with its historical borders, is a single territorial unit. No distinction is made between the part of Palestine which fell under Zionist occupation in 1948 or 1967. Palestine is an integral part of the great Arab homeland, and it is the natural home of the Palestinian people.

And second, I would like to invite these representatives to participate in the March for Return and LiberationBrussels, October 2022. The Palestinian people, 60% of whom are outside Palestine, are going to continue their struggle for return and liberation.

Caption: Oslo will fall under the shoes of refugeesDown with Oslo!masarbadil.org

Not only is the two-state path dead, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path is on the rise. Down with racism, Zionism and imperialism Down with the Oslo Accords!

Note: First published on Medium here.

___________________________Rima Najjar is a Palestinian whose fathers side of the family comes from the forcibly depopulated village of Lifta on the western outskirts of Jerusalem and whose mothers side of the family is from Ijzim, south of Haifa. She is an activist, researcher and retired professor of English literature, Al-Quds University, occupied West Bank.

Read more from the original source:

Diplomatic Missions In Solidarity With Palestinian NGOs Active Accomplices Of Israels Apartheid - Countercurrents.org

Category: Palestine | Comments Off on Diplomatic Missions In Solidarity With Palestinian NGOs Active Accomplices Of Israels Apartheid – Countercurrents.org
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Fall means back to school, and while we may not be returning to lessons in a classroom, there's still plenty of fun things to learnas in the cornucopia of new seasons of cooking shows premiering on WTTW over the next couple months! Learn about what's coming below, and don't forget to keep checking back on WTTW's Food siteor sign up for our food newsletter, Deep Dish, for recipes from these shows and more!

Friday, September 2 at 9:00 pm

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 70th year on the throne this year, legendary London department store Fortnum & Mason held a competition to crown a new pudding in honor of the queen. Watch as the five top home bakers compete before a panel of judges led by Mary Berry and featuringThe Great British Baking Show winner Rahul Mandal. The winning recipe is already available to find online, but we suggest you wait to look and enjoy the show first!

WTTW Passportmembers can stream the whole show now.

New season premieres Saturday, September 10 at 12:00 pm

Photo: Courtesy Cook's Country

Season 15 ofCook's Country, the homier offshoot ofAmerica's Test Kitchen, will feature everything from Japanese steakhouse fare to tater to hotdish to okra and shrimp stew. Catch a sneak peek (or taste) now with their recipe for Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.

WTTW Passportmemberscan stream several recent seasons ofCook's Country. Try more of their recipes.

New season premieres Saturday, September 10 at 3:00 pm

Pizza Carbonara. Photo: Courtesy Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Television

It's hard to believe we're already on season 6 ofChristopher Kimball's Milk Street Television, but we're delighted to have more! Tacos from Los Angeles and Mexico City, Greek appetizers, Brazilian pizza, and more are on the docket this season.

WTTW Passportmemberscan stream all the seasons ofChristopher Kimball's Milk Street Television. Try more recipes fromMilk Street.

New season premieres Saturday, September 17 at 11:00 am

How She Rollsis different from the other shows on this list: it's newer, only entering its second season; and it's not a cooking show. Instead it follows Carrie Morey as she grows her Charleston, South Carolina biscuit business while also raising a family and reconnecting with her mother.

The first season is available to stream by WTTW Passport members.

New season premieres Saturday, September 17 at 4:00 pm

Photo: Courtesy Pati's Mexican Table

Pati Jinich travels to the northeastern Mexican border state ofNuevo Len in this eleventh season ofPati's Mexican Table, discovering some surprising Sephardic Jewish culinary roots in the region. It's a return to the border for Jinich, who produced a special tracing the Mexican-American border last year.

Most seasons ofPati's Mexican Table are available to stream for free. Try some recipes fromPati's Mexican Table.

New season premieres Saturday, October 1 at 1:00 pm

Photo: Courtesy Lidia's Kitchen

This may be only season 10 ofLidia's Kitchen, but it's year 25 of Lidia Bastianich's time on public television. Make sure to check back for a recipe or two from the upcoming season in the coming weeks!

WTTW Passportmembers can stream recent seasons ofLidia's Kitchen.

New season premieres Saturday, October 8 at 12:30 pm

Tea smoked tofu with wakame salad. Photo: Courtesy Sara's Weeknight Meals

Sara Moulton is another longtime public television presence, and in season 11 ofSara's Weeknight Meals she visit Vancouver and Juneau, then brings home recipes from Chinatown and salmon-filled rivers.

WTTW Passportmembers can stream several seasons ofSara's Weeknight Meals.

New season premieres Saturday, October 22 at 3:30 pm

Join Diane Kochilas for a fourth season of exploring the cuisine and history of the Greek islandsa sun-dappled place that will be especially appealing when this season premieres at the end of October!

All seasons ofMy Greek Table with Diane Kochilas/ are available to stream for free.

Read the original:

A Fall Full of Cooking Shows on WTTW - WTTW

Category: Sephardic | Comments Off on A Fall Full of Cooking Shows on WTTW – WTTW
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

The World Premiere of Michael Shapiro's VOICES is set to take place at New York City's famed Central Synagogue, Thursday, November 10, 2022 (652 Lexington Avenue, E. 55th Street). Tickets for the concert are free and available to the public starting Monday, September 12 by registering at the Central Synagogue website. This performance will feature Daniel Mutlu, the Senior Cantor of Central Synagogue, Ember Choral Arts, and the American Modern Ensemble, conducted by Deborah Simpkin King.

The concept for VOICES was born more than twenty years ago when Michael Shapiro served as Music Consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. After reading poetry by Sephardic victims during the Shoah, he wrote the hour-long choral and chamber ensemble as a requiem: "not solely [as] a work of remembrance, but as a warning." The composition is varied in tone and includes hints of cabaret, religious observance, and transcendent echoes that reflect the international impact of the Holocaust on Jewish people from different countries. According to Shapiro, "the composition delivers an ending that bespeaks longing for a Jewish homeland, through which the voices of those stilled by evil and tyranny will be heard."

The video broadcast from Central Synagogue will be live-streamed on its YouTube and Facebook channels, and a recording will be issued through Paumanok Records. The performance marks a creative collaboration between the internationally recognized Ember Choral Arts (formerly Schola Cantorum on Hudson), which has served the Manhattan and New Jersey areas since its founding in 1995, and the American Modern Ensemble (formed by Victoria and Robert Paterson) which spotlights contemporary music via lively programming and performs a wide repertoire, using a robust combination of instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors.

Michael Shapiro guest conducts internationally and is Laureate Conductor of The Chappaqua Orchestra. He has written over 100 works for orchestral, theatrical, film, chamber, choral, and vocal forces. His music has been performed by many of the world's great orchestras and performers in North America and Europe, and much of his music is recorded and available on major platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. His music is regularly broadcast throughout the world, including SiriusXM, National Public Radio, BBC, CBC, ABC-Australia, Polskie Radio, and over 50 commercial radio stations in North America. His score for the classic film Frankenstein is his most popular work and has been performed over 50 times internationally including the upcoming premiere of the new operatic version at the LA Opera. For more information, please visit http://www.MichaelShapiro.com

Daniel Mutlu is Senior Cantor of Central Synagogue. A first-generation American born to Turkish Jewish parents, he has earned glowing reviews from The New York Times as a member of NYC's The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and has performed with many premier musical ensembles including the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Ars Lyrica, Houston Bach Society, Alarm Will Sound, and Park East Synagogue Choir. He can be heard as tenor soloist on the Naxos eight-disc set of the Complete Haydn Masses, Requiem: For the Living, Music Omnia and The Choir of Trinity Wall Street's release of Handel's Israel in Egypt (nominated for a Grammy Award). Mutlu tours internationally as the main soloist of the Night Holocaust Project. His singing has been featured in films such as The Song of Names and A Cantor's Head.

Deborah Simpkin King serves as the conductor and founding Artistic Director of Ember, Director of Music and Arts at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ, conductor at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, and MidAmerica Productions. She plays an active role in the vibrant Manhattan choral scene and is committed to serving the next generation in the arts through guest conducting, published work, and education initiatives. Dr. King is at the leading edge of the new music industry, working with composers and young singers through the Big Sing Jr. PROJECT: ENCORE which she founded.

Paul Shaffer, whose background is in Orthodox Judaism, will take part in a Q&A with VOICES composer Michael Shapiro prior to the event. Shaffer is an Emmy, Grammy, ASCAP and WGA Award winning singer, actor, composer, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist. Shaffer is best-known as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick for the entire run of both late-night shows: NBC-TV's Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993) and CBS TVs Late Show with David Letterman (1993-2015).

Central Synagogue is a Reform synagogue led by Senior Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. Core to its mission is the belief that Judaism can and does change the world. The Central community is inclusive of anyone who wants to explore Judaism and its services are live streamed to tens of thousands of viewers on a weekly basis. Designated as a NYC landmark in 1966 and added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1970,Central Synagogue was nationally recognized as a US Historic Landmark in 1975. Built in 1870-1872 and designed by Henry Fernbach in the Moorish Revival style, Central Synagogue is among the oldest existing synagogue buildings in the United States and is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in New York City.

Read more from the original source:

World Premiere of Composer Michael Shapiro's VOICES to be Presented at Central Synagogue in November - Broadway World

Category: Sephardic | Comments Off on World Premiere of Composer Michael Shapiro’s VOICES to be Presented at Central Synagogue in November – Broadway World
Tags:

Posted By admin on September 2, 2022

Simona Cerrato/Flickr

The Prophet of the Andes: An Unlikely Journey to the Promised Land by Graciela Mochkofsky (trans. from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman); Knopf, 288 pp., $30

Most people think that scripture is a noun, but its actually a verb. That is, scripture is an event, a relational activity. Its what happens when people read or hear a text and they transcend themselves. Like mercury releasing gold from ore, scripture releases something pure from people, compelling them to change how they live. Nothing illustrates what I mean better than the story of Segundo Villanueva, a poor Peruvian who in 1948, when he was 21, found a copy of the Bible in a trunk he had inherited from his father.

Bibles were rare in Catholic Peruvian households. You attended Mass to hear the Bible; you did not read it. And what you heard was incomprehensible Latin. But Villanuevas copy was in Spanish, he did read it, and he was as inspired as he was perplexed. God was speaking to him directly, showing him the right way to live, but the Bible also contradicted Catholic doctrine and practices. So Villanueva embarked on a spiritual quest to live according to Gods law, eventually converting to Judaism and leading a community of converted Peruvian Jews to Israel. Argentine journalist Graciela Mochkofsky tells Villanuevas singular story in The Prophet of the Andes.

For 15 years, Mochkofsky absorbed Villanuevas labyrinthine journey from the Andes to the Holy Land, speaking with his family, friends, and associates across multiple continents. She writes with an inviting tone and easy rhythm that reflect Villanuevas spirit of open curiosity and clear thinking. Hers is a laudable work, and Villanueva deserves a biography: hes a modern mix of the biblical figures Zerubbabel, who led the exiled Israelites from Babylon back to Jerusalem, and Ezra, who read them the Torah so that they could again obey Gods commandments. Yet Villanuevas actions are so sensible, youd think his story would be common. Any discerning reader can see the same incongruencies he did. For example, the God of the Bible demands that we observe the Sabbath on the seventh day, yet priests told Villanueva that it was a mortal sin not to attend church on Sunday. God prohibits the worship of idols and graven images, but as Mochkofsky asks, What, if not idols, were the images of saints, the statues of the Virgin and the Lord of Miracles used in processions? God forbids eating unclean animals, yet pork was a staple in Villanuevas community. Then there was circumcision, which God requires of his male followers. So why werent Catholics circumcised?

As Villanueva read further, moving from the first part of the Bible to the second part, he noticed the tone was notably different, that the Gospels were full of inconsistencies, contradicting each other and what came before, and at times defied common sense. The Epistles of Paul were especially dubious, as Paul claimed there was no longer an obligation to follow Mosess lawthat circumcision was of the heart, not the foreskin. But if Mosess law was eternal, Villanueva wondered, how could it expire? So, whom should one trust: Gods friend Moses or this guy Paul?

Disillusioned with the Catholic Church, Villanueva took his questions to various Protestant clergymen. After joining the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, because its adherents at least observed the Sabbath on the proper day, he founded his own communityIsrael of Godand, in 1967, temporarily moved into the Amazonian jungle, away from hostile neighbors.

There, Villanueva studied various versions of the Bible, but he grew concerned that errors could have crept into the translations. He resolved to learn Hebrew, which led him to Limas small Jewish community. Soon, Villanueva concluded that Jesus was not the Messiah because, as anyone could see, the predictions of the prophets did not come to pass after Jesuss deathwolves, for example, did not dwell with lambs. So Villanueva literally ripped the false, Christian portion from his Bibles and concluded that his community must convert to Judaism.

Although the rabbi of Limas synagogue answered Villanuevas questions, he refused to convert the Peruvians. Considered upper class by national taxonomies, Perus Sephardic Jews didnt want to mix with provincial mestizos. Undeterred, Villanueva relied on other books: Jewish Traditions and Customs and then the Shulchan Aruch, from which the Israel of God community learned how to pray, light Shabbat candles, make challah, observe holidays, and generally live like Jewish people. Yet for that to truly happen, Villanueva decided they had to move to the Holy Land. So he changed the groups name to Bnei MosheChildren of Mosesand eventually persuaded the Israeli Chief Rabbinate to officially convert them to Judaism and support their emigration to Israel. In 1990, 42 years after Villanueva discovered his Bible, the Bnei Moshe were placed in a controversial West Bank settlement, where they were known as the Peruanim.

But like a nave American Buddhist who discovers that most Buddhists in Asia drink alcohol, eat meat, and dont meditate, Villanueva was disappointed to learn that only about 20 percent of Israeli Jews were Orthodox. The Peruanim had to decide which Orthodox sect theyd join. But Villanueva, who assumed the Hebrew name Zerubbabel Tzidkiya, rejected the Talmud and the authority of the rabbis of all sects, wanting to follow the Word of God only as it was found in the Torah. He even discounted the rest of the Tanakh, all the books of the Prophets and Writings that were added during the Babylonian captivity. As a result, Villanueva was shunned by Israelis as well as Peruvian converts, who by then were misleadingly called Inca Jews.

Abandoned by all except his close family, Villanueva died at age 80, in 2008. His tomb on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem says he was a descendant of the conversos of Portugal who went back to his origins. Today, many Latin Americans are discovering that theyre descended from these conversos, the Iberian crypto-Jews who converted to Catholicism to escape persecution by the Inquisition. My Venezuelan wife, for example, was raised Catholic but surmises that she has Jewish ancestry because her grandparents spoke Ladinoa mixture of Spanish and Hebrewand on Friday nights they lit candles and baked challah. Yet Segundo Villanueva never claimed Jewish roots. He simply took the Bible seriously, and acted accordingly. Im genuinely surprised that millions of other believers havent done the same.

Permission required for reprinting, reproducing, or other uses.

Randy Rosenthalhas a masters degree in theological studies from Harvard University, where he teaches writing. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications.

Read more:

Zeal of the Convert - Randy Rosenthal - The American Scholar

Category: Sephardic | Comments Off on Zeal of the Convert – Randy Rosenthal – The American Scholar
Tags: