Video: So What Is the Conflict About, Anyway?

Middle East conflict explained in the best way possible. 

From Prager University

By Dennis Prager

Note- might not work on phone.

Why is the Middle East Problem so intractable? Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated talk show host and best-selling author, answers that question in this thought-provoking video course.

Short Video: Truth About the West Bank

Short video that clearly sums up the West Bank situation.
Note- Might not work on phone.

By: DannyAyalon

Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon explains the historical facts relating to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The video explains where the terms "West Bank", "occupied territories" and "67 Borders" originated and how they are incorrectly used and applied. Also follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DannyAyalon andhttp://facebook.com/DannyAyalon

                                            

Israeli Terror Victims Oppose Releasing Terrorists for Negotiations

Israeli Terror Victims Oppose Releasing Terrorists for Negotiations

By: Rachel Avraham

From: unitedwithisrael.org

Most Israeli terror victims say “no” to releasing convicted Palestinian terrorists especially when it won’t save a life. 
The majority of Israeli terror victims are opposed to releasing terrorists in order to jump start peace negotiations with the Palestinians, says Mark Belzberg, Chairman of One Family, an Israeli organization which assists Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism.

Belzberg is responding to a US suggestion that Israel release Palestinian terrorists from the pre-Oslo period as a goodwill gesture to encourage the Palestinian Authority to negotiate with Israel. Israel has agreed to release 82 Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands in the course of four stages over the next eight months, yet has refused to set free Israeli Arab security prisoners.

“Whenever terrorists are released, it brings back the horror and terror, even if the released terrorist wasn’t the one who did it to you,” said Belzberg. “It hits the terror victims in the heart. It brings back grief and anger and it is very difficult for them.”

Although Israeli terror victims oppose releasing terrorists, Belzberg reports that the victims are often less opposed to releasing terrorists if it results in saving a Jewish life. “Jews are willing to do any thing to save another Jewish life,” he says. “The Jewish people are willing to pay a price to save someone from injustice.”
For example, Belzberg says, half of the Israeli terror victims supported the Gilat Shalit prisoner exchange for this reason. Although it was painful for them to see murderers walk free and in many cases return to terror, they saw the tangible benefit that a young man was able to have his life back, he says. Belzberg also argues that many victims would consent to releasing Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the freedom of Jonathan Pollard, viewing it as a means to correct a miscarriage of justice that would permit Pollard to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Yet, the vast majority of Israeli terror victims do not support the idea of releasing Palestinian terror victims simply in order to pursue peace talks that they doubt will lead to peace between the two peoples. “If you took a life, you should be punished … If you are releasing a person who should be executed, there is a sense of injustice being done,” Belzberg says.

Since a great number of released Palestinian terrorists have returned to terror upon their release, the victims are skeptical about any value to such a deal, he adds.

And, while he understands that the Americans are making this request for pragmatic reasons, assuming the Palestinians are unlikely to agree to negotiations otherwise, nevertheless, Belzberg added, in speaking for the victims, that “this Palestinian request shouldn’t be condoned.”

Part V History Segment- From War to War

 This one is long, of course.
From: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel's diplomatic challenge was to translate its military gains into a permanent peace based on UN Security Council Resolution 242, which called for acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

However, the Arab position, as formulated at the Khartoum Summit (August) called for no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, and no recognition of Israel. In September 1968, Egypt initiated a war of attrition with sporadic, static actions along the banks of the Suez Canal, which escalated into full-scale, localized fighting, causing heavy casualties on both sides. Hostilities ended in 1970, when Egypt and Israel accepted a renewed cease-fire along the Suez Canal.

 

1973 Yom Kippur War

Three years of relative calm along the borders were shattered on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day of the Jewish year, when Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise assault against Israel (October 6th), with the Egyptian Army crossing the Suez Canal and Syrian troops penetrating the Golan Heights.

During the next three weeks, the Israel Defense Forces turned the tide of battle and repulsed the attackers, crossing the Suez Canal into Egypt and advancing to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Two years of difficult negotiations between Israel and Egypt and between Israel and Syria resulted in disengagement agreements, according to which Israel withdrew from parts of the territories captured during the war.

1982 Operation Peace for Galilee

Israel has never wanted a conflict with its northern neighbor, Lebanon. However, when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) redeployed itself in southern Lebanon after being expelled from Jordan and perpetrated repeated terrorist actions against the towns and villages of northern Israel (Galilee), which caused many casualties and much damage, the Israel Defense Forces crossed the border into Lebanon.

Operation Peace for Galilee resulted in removing the bulk of the PLO's organizational and military infrastructure from the area. For the next 18 years, Israel maintained a small security zone in southern Lebanon adjacent to its northern border to safeguard its population in Galilee against attacks by hostile elements.

Second Lebanon War

In May of 2000 Israel withdrew all its forces from the security zone in southern Lebanon. Lebanon however failed to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and1559, which call for the dismantling of Hezbollah- an Islamic militant group and political party based in Lebanon- and the deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon.

As a result of this failure, violence erupted in July of 2006, following Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers and bombardment of Israel's northern cities. In the ensuing conflict, which came to be known as the Second Lebanon War, over 4,000 rockets were fired at civilian targets in Israel. The fighting concluded in August of 2006 and UNSC Resolution 1701 was passed, calling for the unconditional release of the captured Israeli soldiers, the deployment of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim FOrce In Lebanon- created by the UN to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and help the government of Lebanon restore its effective authority in the area) and Lebanese soldiers throughout southern Lebanon, and the establishment of an embargo on weapons supplied to Lebanese armed groups.

2008 Gaza Operation

Following Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank, and the election of Hamas in 2007, terrorism against Israel increased. Thousands of rockets have been fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in damage to property and both physical and psychological injury to the population living in the south; and creating a situation in which Israel was forced to take military action in the form of Operation Cast Lead (December 27, 2008 - January 18, 2009). Related questions:

History of Jews In Israel Remembered Today

From: Aish.com

This coming monday, the 15th of July, Jews from all over the world will be fasting to commemorate the 9th of Av. 

On Tisha B'Av (9th of Av), five national calamities occurred:

• During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 10 Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding them from entering the Land of Israel (1312 BCE).
• The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. 100,000 Jews were slaughtered and millions more exiled (586 BCE).
• The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. Some two million Jews died, and another one million were exiled (70 CE).
• The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The city of Betar – the Jews' last stand against the Romans – was captured and liquidated. Over 100,000 Jews were slaughtered (135 CE).
• The Temple area and its surroundings were plowed under by the Roman general Turnus Rufus. Jerusalem was rebuilt as a pagan city – renamed Aelia Capitolina – and access was forbidden to Jews.

Other grave misfortunes throughout Jewish history occurred on the Ninth of Av, including:

1. The Spanish Inquisition culminated with the expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492).
2. World War One broke out (1914) when Germany declared war on Russia. German resentment from the war set the stage for the Holocaust.
3. On the eve of Tisha B'Av 1942, the mass deportation began of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto, en route to Treblinka.

Voorhees, NJ:

Fast begins: Monday 8:28 pm

Fast ends: Tuesday 9:01 pm