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Tens of lovers of the Land of Israel, from Jerusalem, Kiryat Arba Hevron, Gush Etzion and southern Hevron showed a Jewish presence yesterday (Tuesday) on the Neguhot road, which, as we recall, partially passes through the Palestinian Authority.

This unbearable situation, which exists for years already, must be corrected immediately and complete Israeli sovereignty must be reinstalled on the Adurayim-Neguhot road.

The car convoy departed from Kiryat Arba Hevron. Cars were proudly waving the Israeli flag. The convoy arrived at Neguhot and held a march near the place where an Arab terrorist had thrown a Molotov cocktail at an egged bus two days ago, burning the legs of an 18 year old girl .

After the march, the activists went to plant trees in the Bet Hakerem neighborhood of Neguhot where two months ago two houses had been destroyed. It was heartwarming to see how the two families had not been broken by this political destruction of their house and managed to rebuild a home (much more simple than the original ones) in which they live, despite the very harsh physical conditions.When we were there, youngsters were preparing the roof for the upcoming rain by putting plastic sheets on top of the building.

Against the government’s weakness, the families in the hills of Neguhot express strength and courage.

Zionism 2010 at its best!

At a time when the political echelons show weakness and a willingness to capitulate, we, the people, must initiate activities that express and increase our Jewish sovereignty and stronghold over the Land of Israel.

The Neguhot activity was organized by Women in Green and the Action Committees of Efrat-Gush etzion-Kiryat Arba-Hevron-southern Hebron.

For details: Nadia Matar 050-5500834, Yehudit Katzover 050-7161818

Videoclip by Rivka Ryback from Yeshabulletin (separate clip in English and hebrew)
http://www.youtube.com/user/dobiim4444

Photos: http://www.yeshabulletin.com/FIGHT%20BACK/FightBack.htm

With Love for Israel,

Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green) POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
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Dear Friends,

Below please find 2 upcoming activities:
1) Reminder: a car convoy to give chizuk to Neguhot in response to the increase in terror attacks in the past months. In Neguhot we will help the pioneers continue to build their homes and safeguard the land by planting trees. Note that the time of departure is 9:30am and not 9:00am as previously announced.

2) Details about Caroline Glick’s lecture in Shdema this coming Friday.

With love for Israel,

Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover
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Announcement by Women in Green and Action Committees of Efrat-Gush Etzion-Kiryat Arba Hevron

SIMPLE MATHEMATICS:

A month ago - terrorist attack at Kiryat Arba Hevron gas station
Last Thursday - murder in Shavei Shomron
Friday - attempt at stabbing attack in Machpela Cave
Today - Molotov cocktail attack near Neguhot
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135214

FREEZE DECREES BUILDING
+ removal of roadblocks + planting
+ 2 state solution declaration + removal of fences
+ agreeing to release terrorists + marching all over
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= terror, weakness, capitulation = sovereignty over Erets Israel

TUESDAY, December 29, 2009
MARCH + CAR CONVOY TO NEGUHOT

Departure at 9:30am from Kiryat Arba Hevron gas station Until Neguhot: March, planting, building

Organized by the Action Committees of Efrat-Gush Etzion-Kiryat Arba Hevron and Women in Green
Details: Yehudit Katzover 050-7161818 Nadia Matar 050-5500834 Miriam Fleishman 052-4295557 Yehudit Ben David 052-6699154
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FRIDAYS IN SHDEMA

The event in the Land of Israel Cultural Center in Shdema this past Friday started with a demand to the Prime Minister in relation to the murder of Rabbi Meir Chai HY”D. “Get a hold of yourself immediately and stop caving in to the Arab enemy” said the members of the Committee for a Jewish Shdema and Women in Green. “The murder of rabbi Chai HY”D was expected. When you open roadblocks, when you agree to release hundreds of murderers, when you instill in the Arab enemy hopes for more and more concessions, you weaken Israel and every weakness invites another terror attack. Now, more than ever, it is our obligation to fight with even more determination for each and every place in the land of Israel, and that is what we are doing in Shdema, among other places.”

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Rabbi of Efrat, spoke about the parashat hashavua and described how the story is relevant to today’s events.

Yehuda, expert in negotiations, wanted to soften Joseph. He told him how his father is already very old and how much he will hurt if he loses another son. In his dealings to achieve what he wanted, (i.e.
Binyamin) Yehuda was making sure to use arguments that would have an effect on the person he was dealing with. Rabbi Riskin said that this was a tremendous lesson in negotiating. One needs to understand how the head of the other side is working. This is in sharp contrast to today’s government that is acting like a beaten wife, added rabbi Riskin. The government thinks that if we give and give- that we also will receive. But that is not the case. We must know the mentality of the other side and stand firm on our interests and not on that from the other side.

Rabbi Riskin was disturbed to hear about the situation in Shdema. That the Arabs had been allowed to build an entire complex despite it being area C, belonging to Shdema, with the financial help of international organizations like USAID and we the Jews are not even allowed to fix anything let alone build. The plastic sheets that had been put up last week to protect us from the rain had been torn down. Likewise, we found a booklet in Shdema by the World Health organization whose members must have gone up to Shdema during the week , planning how to take away Shdema from us, and purposely left their traces there.

The Friday event, in which tens of people participated, was accompanied by erev Shabbat music from Eli Gilboa, resident of Kiryat Arba Hevron, and his accordion.

This coming FRIDAY January 1st, CAROLINE GLICK, senior contributing Editor of the Jerusalem Post, will be talking in SHDEMA on “Obama and Israel”. The lecture will be at 10:00 am.

Caroline will be speaking in Hebrew and there will be simultaneous translation into English with earphones.

The Committee for a Jewish Shdema and Women in Green

For pictures by Rivka Ryback:
http://www.yeshabulletin.com/FIGHT%20BACK/FightBack.htm

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green) POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
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Dear Friends,

A lot has happened in these past few days. Following are a few announcements related to these events.

1) First, about the hesder yeshiva saga:

Unfortunately, the Iggud Hayeshivot Rabbis have shown weakness and have forced Rabbi Melamed to sign a document, naively hoping that this would appease Ehud Barak and convince him to allow the Har Bracha yeshiva to stay within the Hesder program.

What made things worse was that the Rabbis’ capitulation came on the same day that the media divulged a shocking IDF document that was leaked and that described how the IDF is preparing for an additional expulsion of Jews and for actually fighting the Jews of Judea and Samaria who might oppose the upcoming destruction of homes. Instead of loudly protesting this document, and demanding from Netanyahu to oust Ehud Barak from the government, the Rabbis continued to try and please Barak.

For the article in Hebrew with pictures of the actual document:
http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/197996
For shortened article in English summarizing the Hebrew document:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/176806

Ehud Barak was not impressed with the signed document and has announced that the Hesder arrangement with Har Bracha is over.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135147

Luckily, many in our camp have not been impressed by the Rabbis’
capitulation either and continue to proudly declare that soldiers have joined the army to fight the Arab enemy and to protect the people and the Land of Israel, and not to carry out leftist policies of expulsion of Jews from our homeland.

Below please find a translation of a petition supporting Rabbi Melamed’s position. In addition, two days ago, soldiers in reserve have hung up a sign near the community of Avnei Hefetz, saying: “We are all students of Har Bracha”.

Ultimately, it is up to us, parents, grandparents and families of soldiers, to pass on a clear message to our boys in the army: You have joined the army to fight the enemy and protect your people and your homeland. We trust you that over the years you have been blessed with a Jewish conscience and thus you will never obey an order that goes against your people and your land.

2) Women in Green continues with the “Build the land of Israel”
project. In the next few days we will give you more details. Meanwhile you can enjoy the following Arutz 7 story about our Women in Green building event in Netzer last week:
Video: Freeze-thawing ceremony in Netzer:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135131
Thank you Yoni Kempinski for posting the story. Thank you Rivka Ryback for filming and editing the movie.

3) Update on the struggle for a Jewish Shdema:

In SHDEMA, plastic sheets on the windows and two kerosene heaters taken from Bet Hashalom in Hevron, protected against the cold the tens of participants who came to Shdema on Friday of Hanukka.

Despite the bitter cold, the heavy rain, the mist and the winds, tens of people from around Israel came this past Friday of Hanukka to Shdema.

Rabbi Yisrael Ariel warmed the heart of all with his very clear lecture on the real borders of the Land of Israel. “We are here in Shdema because of the pact of Hashem with his People promising us this land, and not because of it being an abandoned military base, said Rabbi Ariel.

Musician Zvi Zelevsky played the guitar and sang his excellent songs.
The public wanted “encore” and “encore”.

On the walls there was an exhibition of amazing paintings by artist Garik Zilberman on the topic of Hanukka.

The activity for the children was adapted according to these days of “freeze decrees”. Large amounts of Lego were brought to Shdema and the children proudly defied the decrees against building- building from Lego a huge hanukia, the Bet Hamikdash and a new community (the Civil administration did not come to stop the young builders).

The large puddles created by the blessed rain provided the children with an additional fun activity of paper boats floating in the water.

The Friday before, erev Hanuka, historian Dr Arieh Morgenstern and Rabbi Uziya Sharbaf, with the moving introduction by Rabbi Eliyahu
Aviad- spoke about the students of the Vilna Gaon (the GR’A) and their aliya to the land of Israel, which this year we are celebrating as being 200 years later.

Dr. Morgenstern spoke about the historical aspects and Rabbi Sharbaf about the spiritual motives behind their aliya to Israel. The students of the GR’A basically launched a new era by canceling the three oaths and starting activism, long before the first and second aliya.

In the past year and a half, Shdema has become a vibrant Land of Israel Cultural Center to which tens of people are drawn, every Friday morning, adults and youngsters, religious and not religious, all deeply understanding that it is inconceivable to give away Shdema to the Arabs. In order for Shdema to stay in Jewish hands we have to increase the Jewish presence at the site. The Land of Israel Cultural Center in Shdema is unique for it combines, on the spot, the actual struggle for the Land of Israel together with lectures on our right to the Land of Israel, concerts and exhibitions all flavored with erets Israel scents. In these days where our right to our land is being questioned, we must, even more than before, increase the Jewish presence at the site.

This coming Friday at 9:30am, we will hear a lecture in Shdema by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Rabbi of Efrat on the topic: “Are we commanded to convert the world?” (lecture will be in Hebrew).

The Committee for a Jewish Shdema- Women in Green For details: Yehudit Katzover 050-7161818 Nadia Matar 050-5500834

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Petition of Hesder Yeshiva Educators in Support of R. Melamed December 17, 2009 by Gil Ronen
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135066

Support for Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Head of Har Bracha Yeshiva, is growing. A petition supporting Rabbi Melamed in his ideological showdown with the Minister of Defense, signed by rabbis and educators countrywide, has reached Arutz Sheva.

The letter reads as follows:
An open letter
>From rabbis/educators in the Hesder yeshivas
To the yeshiva students, and youth awaiting conscription

Dear students and youths!

We turn to you at a time in which many in the country are discussing the relationship between Torah commandments and the authority of the military commander.

As educators who send their students to serve in the IDF, we are committed to answer this question in a clear and precise way, as we were taught by our greatest rabbis: Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren of blessed memory, Chief Rabbi Avraham Elkana Shapira of blessed memory, Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli of blessed memory and Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neria of blessed memory.

We have therefore written the following before you:

May you only be strong!

By the grace of G-d we have been given the gift of living in a time of redemption. A time of ingathering of exiles, of establishment of the State and a Jewish defense force, the Israel Defense Force or IDF. All these constitute a great sanctification of G-d’s name and are steps toward the complete redemption.
To our sorrow, for some time now, the army is also being used for purposes that have nothing to do with defending Israel, and are contrary to the will of Hashem, as it appears in the holy Torah. This situation throws the soldiers of the IDF into a reality in which there is a contradiction between the commandments of G-d and the orders of the military commander.

Therefore, we must teach ourselves and all of Israel, that our belief in Hashem the G-d of Israel and the acceptance of the yoke of His Kingdom, are the source of our devotion in the war to assist Israel.
We need to make it clear to everyone that this loyalty to Hashem stands above all other loyalties, to the government or to the army.

Through this very trouble shall we be delivered.

We will make it clear that while it is true that the army has one commander ­ he, too, must be loyal to the G-d of Israel. This clarification will uplift our army to loyalty to Hashem our G-d, a loyalty through which the true Israeli military consciousness shall be clarified. It is not “my power and the might of my hand that hath gotten me this wealth, but the Lord your God… gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8).

The Gemara in Sanhedrin Tractate teaches us that it is a mistake to declare loyalty to a flesh and blood king without noting that our primary loyalty is to the Word of Hashem!

The Yad Ramah [a 12th century Jewish sage from Spain ­ ed.] explains the passage by saying that any declaration of loyalty must be carried out in the fashion of the sons of Gad and Reuven, who told Joshua: “As we obeyed everything that Moses told us so shall we obey you, only let the Lord your G-d be with you as He was with Moses; Every man who goes against your orders will be put to death, may you only be strong.”

They declared loyalty and then lessened it, in case they would be ordered to transgress against the Torah and its commandments.

We teach our students, the Hesder Yeshiva students, to be loyal soldiers out of a commitment to to the Word of Hashem. We are certain that the Name of the Lord which we bear is what strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies, and it is what awards us with salvation and the glory of victory.

Signed,

Rabbi Yigal Abutbul, Rishon LeTzion Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Ben Tzon Elgazi, Kerem BeYavneh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Shmuel Eckstein, Afikei Daat Hesder Yeshiva in Sderot Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai, Kiryat Arba Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Shlomo Binyamin, Lev LaDaat Hesder Yeshiva in Sderot Rabbi Ariel Bareli, Afikei Daat Hesder Yeshiva in Sderot Rabbi Ohad Baruchi, Tverya Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Eyal Gefen, Rishon LeTzion Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Gross, Mitzpeh Eshtamoa Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Amir Garti, Shavei Shomron Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Erez Vatik, Shavei Shomron Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Shiloh Tovi, Afikei Daat Hesder Yeshiva, Sderot Rabbi Elisha Yinon, Beit Shean Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Yakir, Beir Orot Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchak Levi, Kerem BeYavneh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Yishai Lange, Beit Orot Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Yair Frank, Shiloh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Nachum Tzafri, Elon Moreh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Noam Konigsberg, Shaalabim Hesder Yeshiva Rabi Eliyahu Shachor, Elon Moreh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Kerem BeYavneh Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Shalom Shmidt, Ramat Gan Hesder Yeshiva Rabbi Yedidya Shimon, Rishon LeTzion Hesder Yeshiva

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green) POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
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by Nadia Matar

Dear Friends,

Yair Stern, the leader of Lehi (Lohamei Herut Yisrael), wrote an article on the holiday of Hanukkah entitled “The Miracle of Hanukkah.”

It was written on the eve of Hanukkah 1942, and was published in the Kislev 5702 issue of the organization’s internal newspaper Bamahteret:

“The miracle of Hanukkah […] What is a miracle? A cruse of oil that seemed as if it would burn for only a single day, burned for eight days. The miracle of Hanukkah - like every miracle - was not what was visible, what could be measured, what could be calculated. A miracle is something that cannot be calculated by arithmetic, nor can it be perceived by the intellect, since it is elevated above the intellect and exalted above any comprehension. The miracle is […] something that forcefully and daringly breaches the boundary of the reality. The miracle is the grandeur of majesty and the sublimity of holiness.

There is nothing more sublime and holier than a national war. The nation’s war for its honor, its freedom, and its life. The life of a nation without honor and without freedom is no life. Consequently, any nation worthy of respect, small or large, takes its life in its hands and goes forth to national war. The course of the war is determined by the degree of the nation’s willingness and its steadfast resolve to fight to the end, whatever may be, to be killed rather than to surrender. Although these “immeasurable” values do not always determined the outcome of the war, it is these that determine its historical fate, that is: its value for the future of the nation.

Whatever the war’s outcome will be, defeat or victory, conquest or enslavement, these do not determine the future of the nation for all time, but rather [this is determined by] the war itself, its nature, and the people’s stance in the face of danger, facing the enemy.

[…]

The war of the Hasmoneans - a war that began with a daring outburst and ended with freedom and rule, this war was and always will be a sign and portent for Israel and for the non-Jews. Israel! This name is a symbol of the constantly fighting nation: “for you have striven with God and men, and have prevailed” [Gen. 32:29] was said to Jacob. From then on we have always striven. And this was always the war of the few against the many, the war of who seemed “weak” against who seemed “strong.” During the time of Joshua we invaded this land, and we were as “grasshoppers” in the eyes of the mighty peoples who dwelled in it, but the “grasshoppers” prevailed over the children of the Anakim. Gideon and his three hundred men crushed in battle the camp of Midian, who were “as thick as locusts.” David the youth went forth to confront Goliath the giant Philistine, and cut off his head. Deborah went forth to the battle. Jael and Judith avenged their people. The sons of Mattityahu raised the banner of revolt and the few defeated the myriads of the uncircumcised […] The wars of the Hebrews, their tradition of heroism, call for the war of the few against the many in all generations, to NILI and our war, against foreign rule.”

This is what Yair said about Hanukkah.

Dear friends, the freeze decrees not allowing any Jewish building in Israel’s Biblical Heartland are a declaration of war against the Jews of Judea and Samaria. Let it be clear to all: the freeze decrees are the first step on the way to the elimination of all the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and the expulsion of 350,000 Jews from their homeland, for the purpose of establishing in their stead a Palestinian state, that, as is well-known, will constitute a threat to the little pre-67′State of Israel.

Our opposition to the freeze decrees is therefore a struggle for the survival of the entire state.

We must set forth on a resolute and uncompromising struggle against these decrees. Protests are important, but not enough. There was a large demonstration on Wednesday. It is important to raise our voices against the decrees, but we should not invest all our energy in this. The lesson of Gush Katif is that quiet, organized, and orderly demonstrations will not decide the outcome and will not change decrees because Israel is no longer a democratic country. In a country in which the electorate votes right and nevertheless receives policies of the left, politicians are not influenced by old-fashioned demonstrations; at least not here in Israel.

(In contrast, demonstrations in front of the Israeli consulates abroad are important, because they put pressure on Israel; see below, for details on the demonstration by Americans For a Safe Israel.)

Here in Israel, the government must receive a stiff message from the field, that we simply will not let this happen.

The blocking of the communities by tens of residents to the inspectors from the Civil Administration was a good start.

Now the struggle must intensify.

So that this time there will really be a struggle, and not a fake struggle as there was five years ago in Gush Katif, Moetzet Yesha (the Council of Jewish Settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza) cannot be allowed to head the camp.

Moetzet Yesha is limited. It is dependent on government budgets, and therefore it is capable of engaging only in protests, large but quiet demonstrations (like Wednesday’s), and political pressure. All these tactics were used in Gush Katif but did not prevent the expulsion.

The true struggle must be waged by extraparliamentary bodies.

What is struggle?

Struggle today is to rebel against the immoral and anti-Jewish decrees, to proudly violate them, and to send a clear message to all: Never again! They will never again succeed in carrying out a destruction program. Jews will never again be expelled from their homeland.

In our humble opinion, the main struggle now must be conducted in two arenas:

1) Construction, construction, and more construction throughout Judea and Samaria. A few days ago our movement, Women in Green, issued a call to establish a fund for light construction for couples and families on the hilltops. In the coming days we will, with God’s help, distribute a short video that will exemplify and explain this step. God willing, the lovers of Eretz Israel will mobilize for this project, and we will succeed in erecting houses throughout Judea and Samaria,especially outside the boundaries of the existing communities. We must pass on a clear message: we will not agree to be ghettoized or limited. The Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel and we will continue to settle, build and expand in it.

2) Expanding the phenomenon of soldiers who already today declare that they will not participate in the expulsion of Jews from their land and the handing over to the enemy of our land, our homeland. Women in Green gives its support to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed from har Bracha, who stated outright that if an order in the army conflicts with our loyalty to Eretz Israel - the order must be refused. We cannot leave the rabbis in the front lines. We, too, parents to soldiers, must send a clear message that we send our sons to the army to fight the Arab enemy, to defend the homeland and the people, and not, Heaven forbid, to expel Jews from their land. The greater the phenomenon of soldiers loyal to their people and their homeland who declare, already now, that they will not give a hand to the implementation of the policies of the extreme left, the faster the authorities will understand that they do not have the ability to realize their plan.

The more successful we will be in the two areas described above, the more it will put real pressure on the politicians and make it clear that unlike five years ago, when our camp was so well-behaved and docile during the expulsion of our brothers from Gush Katif and Northern Shomron, this time, we are determined to fight for the right of the Jewish People to their G-d given Biblical Homeland.

As Yair Stern wrote: we, the people, are in a “national war. The nation’s war for its honor, its freedom, and its life.” May it be His will that we receive inspiration from the heroic Maccabees, who did not fear and proved that the little Jewish people is capable of fighting and besting great empires. Like then, today as well, the struggle, unfortunately, is not only against the Greeks, but also against the Jewish Hellenizers who collaborated with the Greeks.

If we succeed in awakening and in understanding that the responsibility and obligation to join the struggle is incumbent on each and every one of us - then we will do and, with God’s help, we will prevail.

A happy Hanukkah holiday and Shavua Tov,

Nadia Matar

Below please find the details about AFSI’s important demonstration:

AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL/AFSI will lead a demonstration on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, from 11AM-12 noon, in front of the Israeli Consulate, 42nd Street and Second Avenue, NYC.

People of conscience will gather to protest against the immoral, illegal, discriminatory construction freeze in Judea and Samaria, ordered by PM Bibi Netanyahu.

Participants will carry menorahs to signify that on this second day of Chanukah, the warmth and courage of the Chanukah lights will melt the freeze.

Signs will read, “Let My People Grow”, “End the Freeze of Appeasement”, “Likud - Honor Your Mandate to Preserve the Land of Israel”, “Bibi - You were elected to save Israel, not sell it out,” “Obama -Stop Iranian Nukes - Not Jewish Homes.”

Speakers will be grass roots activists following the cry of Judah Maccabee - “All who are faithful follow me!”

Contact the AFSI office, 212-828-2424; 1-800-235-3658; afsi@rcn.com for additional information. http://www.afsi.org/

=============================================
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
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Dear Friends,

Below please find two articles that relate to the upcoming Shalit deal. An article by Prof Louis Rene Beres and a release by Helen Freedman from AFSI.

Interestingly, the freezing decrees against the Jews in Judea and Samaria came exactly at a time when, in Israel, one should have a huge outcry against the upcoming release of a 1000 terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Israel could have done and still can do many things to release Shalit without capitulating to Arab terror and without having to release terrorists:

1) Pressure on the Gaza Strip. Declaring that each day that goes by and Shalit is not released, Israel will cut off electricity, water and other supplies. For those who might be under the impression that Gazans are starving please take a look at the pictures in the following link. This provides pictures taken in Gaza very recently for Eid celebrations — they were in an Palestinian Arab paper. Were you under the impression that the Gazans were starving (because of big bad Israel)? You’ll change after seeing this:
http://www.paltoday.com/arabic/News-64161.html

2) Each day that goes by and Shalit is not released, Israel should arrest another Hamas and PA leader/activist who roam freely anywhere and everywhere.

3) Worsening the condition of Arab terrorists in prison. Few people know that Arab terrorists in Israeli jails enjoy hotel conditions. Their cells are equipped with TV, DVD, radio and sometimes even computers. They enjoy festive meals. Each Arab terrorist is allowed to study and many have completed B.A’s and M.A’s in jail. Most of them enjoy visitation rights of their families and even conjugal visits of their wives. All this should have been stopped from the day Shalit and other soldiers were kidnapped.

4) Last but not least, instead of sending its soldiers and elite units against the Jews in Judea and Samaria who might commit “the crime” of building, Israel has the capability of organizing a military operation to enter the Gaza Strip, destroy all terror organizations, free Shalit and finally reinstall Jewish sovereignty over this piece of our Land that foolishly has been given away five years ago to the Arab enemy.

We know that this last option is not what this government wants to do but we, the people loyal to the Land of Israel, must constantly remind ourselves and the world that we have not given up on going back to the Gaza Strip and rebuilding Gush Katif. Firstly because the Gaza Strip (known as “Eretz Grar” in the Bible) is as much part of the Land of Israel as Judea, Samaria, Galil, Negev and Golan. Secondly, because only when Israel is in full control of all areas, including Arab towns and villages, we can be sure there will be no Arab terror and kidnappings.

With love for Israel,

Nadia Matar
Women in Green
———————

Trading Israeli Gilad Shalit for Palestinian Terrorists - An Illegal and Perilous Exchange
Louis René Beres - Dec 07, 2009
Purdue University
http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/news/article.php?id=4843

Under long-standing international law, every state has a primary obligation to protect its citizens. Yet, it appears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may soon be prepared to exchange Palestinian terrorists for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Any such exchange, however humane to Shalit and his family, would imperil thousands of other Israelis.

A core element of all civilized legal systems is the rule of Nullum crimen sine poena, “No crime without a punishment.” This principle, drawn originally from the law of Ancient Israel and reaffirmed at the post-War Nuremberg Trials, is part of all international law. It applies here.

To the extent that U.S. President Barack Obama should concur in this impending deal - effectively, an American act of complicity with terrorists - our own country would be in violation not only of international law, but also the law of the United States. Such violation would be two-fold because all international law has been made part of US law (the “supreme law of the land”) by Article 6 of the Constitution, and by a number of landmark Supreme Court decisions.

For Israel, there is also a pertinent and portentous history of terrorist exchanges. In June 2003, the Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center, in anticipation of then-planned terrorist releases, condemned Israel’s freeing of 100 Palestinian prisoners. Later, almost five times that number were freed by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In her letter to the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet, Shurat HaDin, Director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, wrote that releasing terrorists for any reason would reignite Arab terrorism against defenseless Jewish men, women and especially children.

Nitsana was correct. Soon thereafter, at least two newly released Palestinian terrorists proceeded to launch suicide bomb attacks in Israel. In these attacks, one “military target” of the heroic fighters was a cafe filled with mothers and their babies.

Every state has an indisputable core obligation under international law to prosecute and punish terrorists. This obligation derives in part from “No crime without a punishment.” It is codified directly in many authoritative sources, and is also deducible from the binding Nuremberg Principles (1950). According to Principle 1: “Any person who commits an act which constitutes a crime under international law is responsible therefore and liable to punishment.”

Terrorism is a serious crime under international law. The precise offenses that comprise this crime can be found at The European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism. Some of the Palestinian terrorists previously released were also guilty of related crimes of war and crimes against humanity. These are Nuremberg-category crimes, so egregious that the perpetrators are known in law as Hostes humani generis, “Common enemies of humankind.”

International law presumes solidarity between states in the fight against all crime, including terrorism. This presumption is mentioned as early as the seventeenth century in Hugo Grotius’ The Law of War and Peace. Although Israel has a clear jurisdiction to punish any crimes committed on its own territory, it also has the right to act under broader principles of “universal jurisdiction.” Its case for such universal jurisdiction, which derives from an expectation of interstate solidarity, is found at the four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949. These Conventions impose upon the High Contracting Parties the obligation to punish “Grave Breaches.”

No government now has the legal right to free terrorists in exchange for its own kidnapped citizens, military or civilian. Terrorism is a criminally sanctionable violation of international law that is not subject to manipulation by individual countries. In the United States, it is clear from the Constitution that the President’s power to pardon does not encompass violations of international law. Rather, this power is always limited precisely to “Offenses against the United States.”

In originally capturing and punishing Palestinian terrorists, Israel acted on behalf of all states. Moreover, because some of the terrorists had committed their crimes against other states, Israel cannot properly pardon these offenses against other sovereigns. Although Mr. Netanyahu’s impending prisoner exchange would not, strictly speaking, represent a “pardon,” it would have exactly the same effect.

No state possesses the authority to pardon violations of international law. No matter what might be permissible under its own Basic Law, any impending political freeing of terrorists by Israel would be impermissible. The fundamental principle is also established in law that, by virtue of such releases, the releasing state itself must assume responsibility for past criminal acts, and for future ones.

Under international law, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s impending exchange - effectively analogous to a mass pardoning of criminals - would implicate the Jewish State for a “denial of justice.” This could have practical consequences. Although it is arguable that punishment, which is central to justice, does not always deter future crimes, such an Israeli freeing of terrorists would undermine the Jewish State’s legal obligation to incapacitate violent criminals from committing new acts of mass murder.

A tragic aspect of modern international law is sometimes the need to make hard and painful choices in order to safeguard larger populations from future harms. Mr. Netanyahu should now act accordingly.

LOUIS RENÉ BERES was educated at Princeton (Ph.D., 1971), and is author of many books and articles dealing with international criminal law.

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1751 Second Ave, New York, NY 10128
Tel: 212-828-2424; Fax: 212-828-1717;
afsi@rcn.com; http://www.afsi.org/

Contact: Helen Freedman, Executive Director

Dec. 7, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SHALIT DEAL MOTIVATES MORE KIDNAPPINGS & STRENGTHENS HAMAS

(Based on a Bulletin put out by Palestinian Media Watch, Dec. 6, 2009)

Americans for a Safe Israel recognizes the extraordinary difficulty in coming to a decision regarding the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for PA terrorists, many of whom have blood on their hands and are serving life sentences for murder.

It is our belief that the Israeli government might know where Gilad Shalit is being held prisoner and if so, should use its military might and expertise to rescue Shalit from his captors. Instead, it has put the Shalit family and the country through the torturous exercise that seems to be heading for the exchange of Shalit for 1,000 unrepentant terrorists. The record shows that released terrorists return to their pattern of murder and mayhem bringing death and suffering to innocent Israelis.

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik quote from this month’s Al Ayam. Hani Al-Masri, Dec. 1, asserts that “Israel understands only the language of force, since kidnapping is the only thing that leaves
open the gates of hope for freedom for prisoners with long prison terms. This encourages others towards self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland” Abdallah Awad writes, Dec. 3, “Only, only-says the
Hebrew state - by force, detainment, capture, and kidnapping of occupation soldiers, is it possible to free Palestinian prisoners “whose hands are stained with blood”

Similar quotes have been heard throughout the debate on the prisoner exchange. Can Israel really open the gates wide on future kidnappings and attacks on Israeli citizens? We believe that especially at this
time of Chanukah and miracles and the bravery of Judas Maccabeus, the Israeli government must act to instill pride and strength in its people. It can only do this by “Just saying NO” to internal and
external pressures that would have Israel appease its enemies and weaken itself.

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Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
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Dear Friends,

A few thoughts about the recent freezing decrees we, residents of Judea and Samaria have received. I must say, there is great potential to turn the curse into a blessing if we act correctly.

Let me first say kol hakavod to those mayors who organized and participated in the protest in Efrat against the freezing decrees. Efrat mayor Oded Revivi and other mayors poured cement and started the foundations of a synagogue. An important message was passed on to all: We, the mayors, declare we proudly and publicly defy the anti-Jewish building freeze decrees.

Now, in order for this not to be a one-time statement, this must continue. And we must be careful not to fall in the trap they are planning.

Let me explain:

The healthy reaction by almost all communities seems to have scared of Netanyahu a bit. What bothers the authorities the most is the unity in our camp. Moderates and less moderates, all united, came out strongly against the decrees.

In dovish and secular communities like in the Jordan valley or bet Arieh, the mayors physically blocked the entrance to the Civil Administration informers. Some were even arrested. More moderate communities, such as Efrat and Gush Etzion, were as strong in their terminology as more hawkish Yitzhar and Har Bracha. Dovish Ariel mayor compared the decrees to the “saison”.

When there is unity and determination in our camp around the issue of Erets Israel, the government cannot implement their decrees. So what do the authorities do? They implement the policy of “divide and conquer” which helps them neutralize some leaders and keep them quiet.

For instance, in the past they said that unlike Yitzhar and Kiryat Arba, the communities of Gush Etzion and Ariel are “in the consensus”. As long as some leaders actually believed this sad joke, they wouldn’t come out to fight for other areas because ‘we are in the consensus” so we shouldn’t rock the boat”, “we should be well-behaved”.

Netanyahu and Barak managed to burst the bubble of the “you are in the consensus” joke. The decrees made it clear. Alon Shvut, Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Neve Daniel are exactly like Yitzhar, Bet El and Har Bracha.
All are part of the freeze, meaning all are meant to later be expelled (G-d forbid).

So how is Netanyahu going try and fix this? News reports say that he will allow mere 84 projects to be built, anyway, around Yesha. How smart! Shimon Peres, the general of ‘divide and conquer” policies must have advised him.

If our mayors in Judea and Samaria will fall into that trap, they each will now bicker who will get some bread crumbs from these 84 permits and mayors who will receive these permits will then immediately be good boys again. A mayor who will receive, for instance, 12 permits will not struggle anymore for the larger cause and for other places to be allowed to build. He will keep his head low just to be able to build these 12 “divide-and conquer” bread crumbs. That is how, G-d forbid, they will manage to end the amazing uprising we have seen in the last few days.

So we hope and pray that the mayors will not fall for this. That they will stay united and declare: Don’t try to buy us with 84 bread crumbs. We are not fools. Unless you completely thaw the freeze everywhere, in Gush Etzion and in the Shomron and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, we will continue to defy your decrees. We will turn a blind eye to all our residents who hopefully continue to build. We will build, build, build, anyway.

Let’s see what happens in the next few days. Let’s remember that the authorities managed to destroy Gush Katif because they had managed to neutralize and convince some Yesha leaders and Rabbis to collaborate with them (probably by promising them all kinds of “divide and conquer” bread crumb promises) and thus making sure there would not be a real struggle in our camp but rather only symbolic demonstrations.

Now is the time for the Yesha leaders to do a tikkun (correction) of the mistakes made in Gush Katif.
The last few days of uprising show we are on the right path. But now Netanyahu-Barak will try to break this healthy defiance with handing out candies and bread crumbs.

We, who still are traumatized by the betrayal of some Rabbis and Yesha leaders during the Gush Katif and Northern Shomron expulsion, will this time keep close watch of their moves. Let’s pray our mayors and Rabbis do not fall in the trap Bibi and Barak are planning. Let’s pray they can raise to the challenge.
If they do, and manage to stay loyal to the Land of Israel, we will thank Bibi for finally awakening the national camp and pushing it to finally struggle for the Land of Israel in an uncompromising way.

Shabbat shalom,

Nadia Matar

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Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
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Dear Friends,

1) At a time when Jews are being told that they are not allowed to build in the land of Israel and Civil administration workers and police roam our streets in our towns in Judea and Samaria to look for Jews who might commit “the crime” of building, bringing us back to the pre-48 days of the “Saison” when leftists were searching for Lechi and Etzel members in order to inform and betray them to the British authorities (For details please see: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3813174,00.html ), below please find the mind boggling article that appeared in Sunday’s Haaretz newspaper, in Hebrew and English, describing how the JNF (Keren Kayemet leYisrael) donated 3000 trees to the Palestinian Authority to help them build an Arab town near Ramallah.

We had to read the article more than once to actually believe it.

All donors to the JNF must be advised that monies that they are giving to plant trees in Israel are being used to help the Arab enemy take away Erets Israel from the Jews! This is certainly a breach of trust and a reason to stop donating to the JNF.

It is important the JNF hears from you all. Call, fax and email your protests by clicking on:
http://www.kkl.org.il/kkl/kklmain_blue_eng.aspx

2) Women in Green’s letter, “Needed: a build the Land of Israel Fund” written by Yehudit Katzover and myself a few days ago, got a lot of positive reactions of friends of Israel all over the world who want to help and be part of this exciting Zionistic project. To answer your questions as to how to donate; until this new fund will be established you can send your donations (all currencies accepted) to Women in Green -Building Israel, POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072. For those interested in US tax deductions, please send us an email to nmatar@netvision.net.il .

With love for Israel,

Nadia Matar
Women in Green
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A new Palestinian city takes root - with JNF trees
By Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz.com
November 29, 2009

Hirui Amara excitedly held a bunch of pine seedlings and was quick to dip their soft roots in a bucket of water. Several seconds later he was next to an elderly man, and helped him plant one of the seedlings.

This was the end of an exciting day for Amara, who heads a Jewish National Fund greenhouse at Golani Junction.

Amara and five other JNF employees took part, 10 days ago, in an extraordinary project that involves the JNF assisting in planting trees in the area where a new Palestinian city, Ruwabi, is scheduled to be built north of Ramallah. The name means “City of Hills.”

As a first step, the JNF contributed 3,000 tree seedlings for planting in what is meant to be a forested area on the edges of the new city. At the same time, the forestry experts of the JNF have been advising the city planners on the matter.

Suhil Zaydan, one of the JNF’s forestry managers, is serving as liaison between the organization and the city planers.

“There have been a number of meetings, both at the location where the city will be built and also at the JNF greenhouses,” he says. “We have contributed with our know-how, by advising on how to prepare the ground for the planting and how public gardens should be planned, as well as the best times for planting, and what kinds of trees it is preferable to plant. We did not talk about politics and we shall not talk about it - we deal with trees and understand forestry, botany and greenhouses.”

The ambitious project of building a city from scratch has drawn an estimated investment of $800 million, mostly from Palestinian and Qatari sources.

The plan is for 6,000 housing units over a 6,300 dunam area that is supposed to provide housing for nearly 40,000 people and employ some 10,000 Palestinian workers. The project is aimed at the Palestinian middle class.

Zaydan says that a new kind of planning attitude is involved.

“There is no other city like it in our area with regards to the ecological-forestry aspects of planning. Everything will be natural, and there is great attention to preserving nature, the trees, the springs, the streams, the topography and other values, such as antiquities. During the planning stage the natural resources are taken into account,” he said.

Ruwabi will be located nine kilometers northwest of Ramallah. A few days ago, at what will be one of the entrances to the city, workers were busy setting up a large sign advertising the project.

Several hours before traveling to the site of the tree planting, Amara was ready at the greenhouse for the truck to arrive so that the seedlings could be loaded.

“This is not a regular day of work,” he said. “Today there is a sense that something special is happening. This is a project that grants hope to young people for a better future. I am proud that I am party to this thing.”

Like a proud father who nurtured his children, he walked through the rows of seedlings.

“These are seedlings of high quality from every respect - thickness, shape, health, development of its roots,” he said.

The seedlings originate from locations throughout the country where seeds were collected and were planted at the greenhouse under conditions favorable to their species.

A bumpy ride along a dirt path comes to an end at the foothills of the settlement of Ateret, at the edge of what will be Ruwabi. Dozens of people are there to plant, ranging in age from youth to people in their 60s, waiting for the truck with the seedlings.

Everyone brought tools from home. One person has a metal hoe with a serial number dating back to Ottoman times.

“This is a very old hoe which belonged to my grandfather,” he tells the JNF people, who are amazed by the fact.

Michael Weinberg of the JNF acknowledges that there is a great deal of “professional pride in the project. We are helping in any way we can.”

Kneeling to touch the earth, he is optimistic: “There are excellent conditions here.”