Survivor Of Islam - Brigitte Gabriel Speaks Candidly

Survivor Of Islam - Brigitte Gabriel Speaks Candidly

Ynet News: Telling our story

Op-ed: Israel’s story is about returning to ancient homeland, not just Holocaust legacy

Benny Levy Published: 12.27.10, 11:01 / Israel Opinion

Almost every day we’re told of further deterioration in Israel’s position in global public opinion. This has grave concrete implications, to the point of calls rejecting the state’s right to exist. Israel is failing to curb this phenomenon. Many tend to blame the faulty English of some ambassador or the fact that the IDF’s spokesman fails to provide “positive footage.”

Yet this is nonsense. Israel is losing the battle because it aims to explain itself with arguments on the operative level, while the world is asking “what the hell are the Jews doing there?” A leading Israeli public relations expert who returned from a PR campaign overseas recently lamented that “they simply don’t understand us.” Well, why should they?

Most of the world’s citizens at this time are unfamiliar with the Jewish people’s historical connection to the Land of Israel. Many view us as refugee who have no connection to this territory and who escaped European distress to find shelter, randomly, in Palestine.

When President Obama asserted in his Cairo speech that the aspirations for a Jewish homeland originated in our undeniably tragic history, many around here were insulted. “Why did he say that? After all, we’re not here because of the Holocaust.” Yet Obama is not at fault. After all, the Holocaust is the narrative presented by Israel itself to its guests (and to its own sons.)

Wasn’t Obama taken directly to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum after landing here? Don’t we take our millions of guests there to teach them “who we are and what we’re doing here”?

The custom of bringing Israel’s guests to Yad Vashem first carries a loud message. It creates the impression that the Holocaust is the reason and justification for the state’s existence; it places Israel on a podium of victimization, refugees, and the quest for a shelter.

However, Israel’s pillars were laid dozens of years before the Holocaust. Its cornerstone is the Zionist idea. Israel is first and foremost a national revival enterprise. Historian Barbara Tuchman once wrote that Israel is the only nation in the world “that is governing itself in the same territory, under the same name, and with the same religion and same language as it did 3,000 years ago."

No easy task

Israel’s full story – national revival and a return to an ancient homeland that is the only place where the Jewish idea can materialize – is fascinating and exciting. It has “buyers” and it softens up resistance. “You have a case I weren’t familiar with” is a remark I heard dozens of times from people exposed to this story for the first time. Our right to live here is inherent in this story.

The Jewish people returned to its historical homeland consciously and righteously, not by coincidence. Israel, with all its flaws, is the amazing realization of a 3,800-year vision of Jewish nationalism. Being a nation that seeks justice and charity is the essence of Judaism and the reason for the ancient pact: “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”

Judaism is a recipe for the conduct of a nation and the individuals who make it up. Its application requires the existence of a Jewish national framework, and there is no place that is more natural and right for managing this Jewish state than the Land of Israel.

The State of Israel is not 100% Jewish or 100% democratic (there is no such thing in reality,) yet it is the most Jewish-and-democratic state in the world. Only in Israel the two aspects of Judaism – the religious and national – come into being, and the commitment to Judaism takes on its full significance.

This is our real story, and without it Israel has no purpose, no justification, and no hope. Imparting this story to the world is a very difficult task, yet without it we’ll be unable to restore Israel’s deteriorating position and image here and abroad.

Benny Levy is the founder of chairman of the Shivah – Being a Free Nation in our Land non-profit organization

Ynet News: Patient transferred from Syria to Israel

Young Druze man studying dentistry in Damascus suffers brain hemorrhage, rushed to Haifa hospital through Quneitra Crossing

Hagai Einav Published: 12.24.10, 10:45 / Israel News

 An 18-year-old Druze from Majdal Shams was transferred Friday into Israel through the Quneitra Crossing in the Golan Heights, after suffering a brain hemorrhage while studying in Syria.

"He is a young and talented man who went to Syria to study dentistry, like many other students from villages in the north Golan Heights," Head of Majdal Shams Council Daulan abu Salah told Ynet.

"His family was informed of the incident last Saturday, and he has since been hospitalized at Al Shami Hospital in Syria, waiting to be transferred to Israel.

"As a regional council we offered the family support with the help of the social services department, and also appealed to Israeli elements in an effort to obtain a crossing permit for urgent medical treatment in Israel," he added.

The patient was then taken via helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

Medical emergency chopper at scene (Photo:Avishag Shaar-Yashuv)

On Thursday, the family was informed that the Defense, Health and Interior Ministries authorized all the necessary permits in order to transfer the young man – who is in serious condition – into Israel.

However, shortly before crossing the border, the Red Cross announced that it has not completed all the necessary preparations, and the mission was delayed by a few hours.

IDF officials stressed that even though the border crossing closes at 6 pm daily, the post is manned 24-hours-a-day and could be opened for an authorized humanitarian crossing in a relatively short period of time.

After finally crossing into Israel, a Magen David Adom ambulance took the young man to a Lahak Aviation helicopter, which flew him to Rambam Medical Center.

"It cost more than NIS 30,000 (about $8,300), and because HMO insurance does not cover aerial evacuations and the State does not include it in its health services, the family had a hard time raising the money," said abu Salah.

"Fortunately, many village residents came to their aid, and we hope we will be able to save this dear man's life," he concluded.

Ynet News: Stabbing victim's friends shocked

Neighbors, acquaintances of Kaye Susan Wilson stunned by brutal attack in mountainous area outside Jerusalem. 'Who could hurt such a gentle woman?' says her housekeeper tearfully

Roi Mandel Published: 12.19.10, 21:19 / Israel News

Searching for Logan Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg

Kaye Susan Wilson, the 46-year-old tour guide who was bound and stabbed multiple times Saturday in a mountainous area outside Jerusalem, continues to recover at the Jerusalem Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, and digest the news of her friend's death.

Wilson's neighbors and friends at the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Ze'ev were shocked by the news of the attack, and wondered who could hurt "such a gentle woman".

"What did she do to these insane people? She never had a problem with anyone," said Tamam Shawamra, who has been working as Wilson's housekeeper in recent years.

"She is such a good woman," she noted tearfully, while holding the Sunday paper with the picture of Wilson on the front page.

Wilson in the hospital (Photo: Aviel Magnezi)

 Tamam and her son Yosef, who also worked for Wilson, described her as a generous and very modest woman who never got into trouble.

"She is like my sister," said Yosef, "She would leave me the key and trust me to take care of her house while she would go travelling for a few days, sometimes even a week.

"She had many friends that used to stay with her. She never argues with anyone, I don’t understand who would do this to her," he added.

Tamam and Yosef said they plan to visit Wilson in the hospital. "This is absolutely horrible, what did she do to make them stab her and her friend? Look at her, what a gentle face of a good woman. Who could do such an awful thing," Tamam said while barely holding back her tears.

The two ruled out the possibility of a personal attack. "I never saw her fight with anyone, I can't imagine that it has anything to do with her. There are plenty of crazy people in the world that would do such a think," noted Tamam.

'Loves life'

On Saturday, police officers arrived at Wilson's house in Givat Ze'ev and spoke with her neighbors in an effort to find out more details.

"I heard about the incident in the news and suddenly a few police officers appeared and told me what happened," Shulamit Avital, Wilson's landlord and neighbor recounted on Sunday.

"They asked me to open the door to her apartment and took out some documents and personal belongings. No one knows the details of the incident," she added.

Avital, who rented an apartment to Wilson two months ago, said she hardly got to know her.

"I knew she was a tour guide and that she was gone for days at a time because of her work. I don’t know much about her life, and I've never seen her friends around – only her and her dog," she said.

Wilson has been working at Shoresh Tyulim guided tours company for the past few years. Her colleagues described her as "a happy woman who loves life and loves the land of Israel very much."

Aviel Magnezi contributed to this report

Ynet News: UK Imam prays for Carmel Fire victims

Leaders of European Muslim, Jewish communities convene in Brussels to discuss initiative for better relations between communities. Delegation meets European Council President Herman Van Rompuy

Ynetnews Published: 12.09.10, 07:47 / Israel Activism

Rabbi Schneier and Herman Van Rompuy  Photo: Michael Thaidigsmann

Over 50 leaders of Muslim and Jewish communities from across Europe convened in Brussels on Monday for the first Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders to discuss initiatives for better relations between the two communities.

At the opening session Imam Dr. Abduljalil Sajid from Britain spoke prayers, in which he included the victims of the recent Carmel fire disaster in Israel and the floods in Pakistan.

The meeting is co-organized by the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU), the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the European Jewish Congress (EJC). Earlier on Monday, a delegation met with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, to whom a common statement was presented which calls for closer cooperation between the two communities in Europe and steps “to ensure that Jews and Muslims are able to practice our respective faiths fully and unimpeded by intrusive, discriminatory and unfair governmental regulations.”

The leaders’ declaration urges “cooperative projects to succor the poor and homeless of all backgrounds, to help protect new immigrants who are threatened by hatred and xenophobia, and to heal the environment, bringing together Muslim and Jewish youth for joint programming.” It also denounces all forms of violence in the name of any religion or ideology.

FFEU President and WJC Vice President Rabbi Marc Schneier called the first Brussels Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish leaders “a promising beginning.” He stated: “Today, we have hopefully kick-started a movement that will spread across Europe. The recipe really is quite simple: our two communities must focus more on what unites us than what separates us. We also must restrain the radicals within our own ranks and make sure they don’t gain the upper hand.”

'Starting at the micro level'

Dr. Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, declared: “I think it is very important that Jews and Muslims start talking more with each other, and less about the other. Pointing the finger at the other side and accuse it of being the root cause of all evil on this planet may be easy and convenient, but most of the time it is wrong – and counter-productive.

"How are all the disparate nations of Europe going to co-exist if citizens of the same country can’t share neighborhoods? We need to start at the micro level to succeed at the macro level. We need to pay attention to every level of intolerance, hate and xenophobia.”

Senior representatives of both faiths from Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States attended the one-day gathering, which concluded with a Diplomatic Dinner attended by numerous ambassadors posted in Brussels.

Ynet News: Palestinian firefighters help battle Carmel blaze

Head of Palestinian team says assistance is a 'humanitarian gesture' that has nothing to do with Israel-PA relations

Hassan Shaalan Published: 12.05.10, 14:18 / Israel News

Twenty-one Palestinian firefighters arrived at the Mount Carmel region on Sunday to assist Israel in its battle against the huge wildfire which has claimed the lives of 41 people.

Palestinian fire truck in Israel Photo: AFP

"I've dreamed of visiting Haifa for a long time," Ibrahim Ayash, the head of the Palestinian rescue team told Ynet, "But unfortunately I came at a very sad time."

'Humanitarian gesture.' Palestinian firefighters in Israel (Photo: AFP)

The Palestinian firefighters entered Israel through the Salem crossing. They were accompanied by Civil Administration personnel. "We arrived in Haifa two hours ago, and we are supposed to help extinguish the fire that has spread in the Carmel Forest," Ayash said. "I consider our assistance a humanitarian gesture."

According to Ayash, the Palestinian people viewed the disaster with a great deal of sorrow.

He said the cooperation has nothing to do with the relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "We came here to help without addressing the issue of Jews and Arabs," Ayash added. "We will stay in the Carmel region until the fire is put out."

The Palestinians joined hundreds of firefighters who have been battling the fire since it erupted on Thursday.

Ynet News: Israel to send aid to Haiti

After medication sent to combat cholera outbreak, Israel Aid Agency intends to set up permanent trauma unit, train local teams in island's second largest city

Ronen Medzini Published: 11.24.10, 20:07 / Israel News

The Foreign Ministry sent some 200,000 doses of medication against cholera to Haiti this week, where more than 1,000 have died already from the outbreak. Israel also intends to set up a permanent trauma and emergency unit on the crisis-ridden island to assist in treating the thousands of patients.

Trauma unit within four months (illustration) Photo: AFP

The international cooperation branch of Israel Aid Agency announced it intends to come to the aid of Haiti which less than six months ago was hit by a devastating earthquake which left the island in ruins. It intends to assist both by sending medicines and by long-term aid.

Haitian hospital (Photo: AFP)

"This is an aid project in a place where we see a need not being filled by others," said Dr. Yossi Peretz, a senior consultant for medical and humanitarian issues. "Many groups are operating there, but not all with good reputations and not all with appropriate coordination and to satisfactory levels from the point of view of the local authorities."

The unit will be located in the island's second largest city, Cap-Haïtien, which was chosen after authorities said there was a tangible need for a quality unit in the city, Peretz said. Cap-Haïtien has more than a million residents, and the unit's operations will also assist in developing the economy.

"We came to an agreement that we'd build a large unit meeting Israeli standards," Peretz said. "This is a pilot project. There is currently no infrastructure for trauma victims and the wounded, and there is a lack of experience and knowledge. We have taken it upon ourselves to build and train, and we are now preparing to take out the equipment. This will require many containers and Israeli construction and training teams, all 'blue and white' (from Israel). We intend to finish the project within four months and hand it over to them."
 
The UN has recently called on states around the world to contribute some $164 million to increase international efforts to combat the cholera outbreak, which has claimed the lives of 917 people so far and infected at least 14,600. According to Save the Children, 40% of those who died did not receive adequate medical attention. According to UN estimates, the number of those infected is liable to reach 200,000 – some 2% of the Haitian population.

Mending Hearts...Building Bridges

A few days ago I watched on the TV news a report about an Israeli (Zionist) association of cardiologist doctors and surgeons who are treating children worldwide - "Save a Child’s Heart (SACH)". They are treating kids with heart problems and illness from many countries and places like SE Asia, Africa, Europe, Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority. A great number of treated kids are from enmity countries to Israel and about 1000 children from the Palestinian Authority were treated successfully.

I'll not speak for those doctors and refer you to their website links so you can get the impression first hand.

http://www.saveachildsheart.org/14-en/Sach.aspx


"Betty's Story" (English) - The Story of Save a Child's Heart activities around the world with a focus on little Betty from Ethiopia 



http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/xinhua/2010-10-04/content_960812.html

Ynet News: IDF rescues Lebanese woman caught in border fence

Troops patrolling northern border detect elderly woman tangled in barbed wire fence on Lebanese side near mine field, safely return her to Lebanon in coordination with UNIFIL forces

Hagai Einav Published: 11.14.10, 23:49 / Israel News

Troops carrying woman Photo: The IDF Spokesperson's Unit

An IDF force patrolling along the northern border Saturday detected an 80-year-old woman whose clothes had tangled in the Lebanese side of the border fence. The troops informed United Nations personnel stationed at the area and rescued the woman together.

The elderly woman was caught in a part of the fence which was adjacent to a mine field and when it became clear the Lebanese Army could not assist her, the IDF stepped in.

A joint military force pulled the woman into Israeli territory while the Lebanese Army observed the rescue operation. After making sure the woman was not injured UNIFIL representatives contacted the Lebanese Army and coordinated her return to Lebanon via the Rosh Hanikra crossing.

 Rescue operation. 'Woman posed no security risk' (Photo: The IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

An IDF source told Ynet the woman posed no security risk and was in evident distress. "As a humanitarian measure it was decided to help her and return her safely to her village in Lebanon," he said.

 
"The woman's rescue was performed by a joint force of engineering, scouts and Golani troops who are intimately familiar with the area and who managed to release the woman from the fence and transfer her to the Israeli side safe and sound."

Ynet News: Restoring Poland's Jewish past

Special Israeli-Polish collaboration has Polish inmates renovating, restoring Jewish cemeteries ruined in WWII

Noah Klieger Published: 11.09.10, 12:07 / Israel Jewish Scene

POLAND – Sixty-five years after Jewish cemeteries were demolished by the Nazis, they are now being restored and renovated by the unlikeliest of volunteers - Polish inmates.

Jewish cemetery in Warsaw Photo: Visual/Photos

 

Hundreds of prisoners from some 50 Polish jails have been spending the last few months renovating and performing restoration work on Jewish cemeteries as part of a special and unprecedented collaboration between Israel's Prison Service and the Polish prison service. More prisons are scheduled to join the project in the future.


It should be noted that the prisoners participating in the project have volunteered to do so after learning of its significance from their wardens.

The project was first conceived in 2005 when Israeli and Polish prison service representatives met during an international conference and decided to cooperate in various fields.

The Polish representatives later told their Israeli counterparts that the warden of a prison in Lublin had initiated the renovation of a local Jewish cemetery and that dozens of prisoners volunteered to take part in the effort. The Israelis were also told that the plan had been coordinated with Poland's chief rabbi and the Director of Poland's Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage, Monika Krawczyk.

The Israeli Prison Service officers immediately saw the project's huge potential and shortly thereafter offered their Polish counterparts to turn the initiative into a national project.

Haim Shmulevich, former Prison Service legal advisor and a Polish native speaker was appointed as the Israeli contact person. Last January, he and Prison Service discipline director Benny Poloczek held a tour of Poland to monitor the project's progression and finalize the necessary details of its expansion.

Jewish philanthropist

As the project's scope grew bigger it became apparent there was need for outside funding. This is where Brian Anderson, a British tycoon who moved to Israel six years ago, came into the picture. Anderson, 54, is the son of a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to England after WWII.

He made his fortune working as an importer of Far East products since his teen years. The son of ardent Zionists, Anderson visited Israel frequently as a young man. In one of his visits, he met his wife Irit, with whom he has three daughters. After retiring and making aliyah, Anderson created a donors club for the benefit of various causes in Israel which mainly consists of wealthy British Jews. The club's members provide funding for terror victims, lone soldiers and IDF wounded veterans.

Last year, one of Anderson's friends introduced him to the Prison Service. When he learned about the cemeteries campaign he decided to recruit his fellow philanthropists and raise the necessary funds to keep the project going.

Tombstone maker's secret

On Monday, several of a donors, together with a Prison Service delegation attended a special ceremony marking the completion of the first stage of the unique collaboration in the Polish city of Radom. A monument built by the Polish prisoners using old Jewish tombstones was unveiled.

An interesting story lies behind these tombstones. During the German occupation, a Polish tombstone maker decided to move 70 gravestones from the local Jewish cemetery to a warehouse near his house. Choosing the most extravagant headstones, he planned on selling them when the time came. In doing so, he in fact saved them.

The Germans used the thousands of tombstones that remained in the cemetery to build a runway for their fighter jets and to pave a road from the city to the airport. After the war, the Communist regime prohibited citizens from holding on to items of historical value, thus preventing the Polish tombstone maker from selling his treasure.

The tombstones were discovered only decades later when Haim Kintzler, chairman of the Radom Jews association visited his hometown and learned of the cemetery's sad fate. When he discovered the hidden tombstones, he recruited the help of the mayor of Radom and together they convinced the tombstone maker's sons to return them to the municipality, which promised to feature them in a special new museum.

It took Kintzler 13 years to realize his plan and showcase the tombstones. While the municipality could not afford to keep its promise, a solution was found with the help of the organizers of the Polish cemeteries renovation project. It was decided that a monument featuring the tombstones would be set up to mark the special project.
 
Monday's ceremony in Radom was attended by the Polish justice minister, municipal officials, Israeli Prison Service representatives, Brian Anderson and 20 members of his donors club, as well as Israeli Ambassador to Poland Zvi Rav Ner.

Ynet News: Muslim president inaugurates Jewish school

Azerbaijan leader applauded at Jewish education center in Baku, says hopes 'school's graduates will be proud Jews and proud Azeri citizens'

Dmitriy Prokofyev Published: 11.07.10, 08:23 / Israel Jewish Scene

A Muslim president of a Muslim country inaugurating a Jewish school is not exactly a common event. And yet, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev recently visited a Jewish education center in the capital city of Baku, accompanied by his education minister, minister for religious affairs, mayor and other senior officials.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. 'Courage and wisdom' Photo: Reuters

Upon his arrival, the president was applauded and cheered by the ceremony's attendees. "I hope the graduates of this school will be proud Jews as well as proud Azerbaijani citizens," he said.

President Shimon Peres sent a televised greeting to his Azeri counterpart in honor of the occasion, expressing his deep appreciation of the unusual gesture in building the large Jewish center in Baku.

"I would like to salute you for your courage and wisdom, in this pragmatic world we live in, to maintain values of building schools and centers for all religions so that not a single book is buried and not a single prayer is lost. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the traditional way you treat the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Your father and you will always be remembered as great personalities, who have a vision and act courageously and humanely."

Israel was represented by Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who was impressed by the national and religious tolerance in Azerbaijan, blessed President Aliyev and the citizens of his country, and installed a mezuzah on the entrance gate.

Another important guest was Israeli businessman Lev Leviev, who donated funds to the center.

Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, a Shiite country and neighbor to Iran. It is a very rich city, as Azerbaijan is a major exporter of oil to Western Europe, and has about two million residents. Its Jewish community has some 30,000 members.

The school, intended for 450 students, was built in a luxurious neighborhood on a hill facing the sea. The compound, which stretches over 3.5 acres, has three modern buildings housing a school, a kindergarten, a daycare center, sports facilities, a concert hall and a synagogue. The money was invested by Leviev's Or Avner fund.

The education center's inauguration was preceded by a meeting between Aliyev, Rabbi Amar, Leviev, and Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities Berel Lazar.

The route leading to the president's residence was blocked to traffic, and police officers standing in every corner saluted the convoy. Rabbi Amar was shocked, noting that "this is the first time traffic in a city is blocked to allow Israel's chief rabbi to get through."

Against anti-Semitism

During the meeting, President Aliyev turned to Leviev as an old friend. The two have known each other for many years thanks to the Jewish businessman's humanitarian gestures.

Aliyev told the rabbis, proudly, that his country's Jews never experienced anti-Semitism and that he himself was unfamiliar with the word "anti-Semite" until he traveled abroad for academic studies.

He showed proficiency in the affairs of his country's Jewish community and invited the chief rabbi to inaugurate a government-funded synagogue slated to be built in Baku in the next two years.

During the meeting, I asked Lev Leviev about the luxurious project and the activity of the Or Avner fund during the financial crisis.

"Crisis or no crisis, the fund continues to operate and donate," he replied, "because this is a real investment in our future as a people. We are gaining more and more Jews. This way we'll be stronger, and I have no doubt you will be blessed by God. We now have more than 500 active communities in the Commonwealth of Independent States alone, and they are developing dynamically."

Why did you choose to build the biggest and most luxurious education center you've ever established in Baku of all places?

"Because of real needs and a coincidence. We have a very intelligent community here, but it's very assimilated, with many mixed families. When the child goes with his father to the mosque on Friday and with his mother to synagogue on Saturday, it turns on a red light. We simply have to give that child the option to receive Jewish education, and for both parents to agree to send him to a Jewish school it has to be a school of the highest quality. At the same time, we received a great response from the political echelon, which even provided the land for free."

What next?
 
"The education center in Baku is only one chapter. Several weeks ago we opened a school called Or Avner in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, now we are opening one in Azerbaijan, and in Hanukkah we will open a similar center in Minsk."

Ynet News: Jaffa square named after Muslim leader

Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality decides to commemorate Islamic Movement's Sheikh Bassam Abu Zayid. 'He was very likeable to Jews because he made sure to maintain moderation, coexistence,' says Meretz councilman

Yoav Zitun Published: 11.07.10, 22:48 / Israel News

Sheikh Bassam Abu Zayid

Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality has decided to name a Jaffa square after Bassam Abu Zayid, who was a senior figure in the Islamic Movement in Israel and founded the movement's Jaffa branch.

Abu Zayid, who passed away in July of 2008, was considered by Jaffa's residents to be one of the foremost religious authorities.

A square located on the corner of Dolphin and Yehuda Hayamit Streets is to be named after the sheikh, who remained neutral during the internal split of the movement into northern and southern branches.

Since his death a public battle has taken place regarding his commemoration, led by Jaffa council member Ahmad Mashrawi (Meretz), who resigned from his post at the municipality over the issue.

Mashrawi. Resigned over battle Photo: Afaf Mashrawi

"The fact that Sheikh Bassam was not a member of any branch, northern or southern, makes him very likeable to Jews because he made sure to maintain moderation and coexistence," Mashrawi told Ynet. "There are hundreds of streets named after Jews in Jaffa, some of them biblical characters, even in Ajami neighborhood, which is absurd."

Likud councilman Arnon Giladi expressed surprising support for the move. "The Likud supports the commemoration of people who contributed to coexistence and moderation for the benefit of Israel's prosperity, whether they were Arabs or Jews," he said.

Another street will also be named after an Arab, the seventh so far. It will carry the name of George Hananiya, who chaired Jaffa's Orthodox Union and was one of the city's most beloved leaders.
 
 

Giladi. Supports move Photo: Ofer Amram

The city council is also embarking on a neighborhood-naming spree, as part of which Giladi has suggested calling his neighborhood after former Prime Minister Menachem Begin. However he encountered opposition on the part of Councilwoman Haviva Avi-Guy, of the Pensioners' Party.

 

"Begin was the first prime minister to bring peace. If we commemorate prime ministers, as we have the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, it would be proper to honor him with a neighborhood as his namesake as well," Giladi responded.

Ynet News: Israelis attacked on way to Jerusalem pub

Three students and Australian tourist take wrong turn on way to Jerusalem's city center, find themselves in heart of Arab neighborhood of Issawiya. 'Dozens of young men began throwing stones and sticks at us. It was a well-planned ambush,' driver recounts

Yair Altman Published: 11.05.10, 13:04 / Israel News

Three students from the central city of Givatayim and their Australian friend will never forget their nightly drive to Jerusalem's city center. The three, who picked up the young woman from the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus, almost paid with their lives after taking a wrong turn.

"There were four of us in the car, and we planned to sit in a quiet pub on Ben-Yehuda Street and talk," the driver, Assaf Ben-Ari, told Ynet on Friday morning. "There were no signs, and since we don't live in the area we didn't know how to turn back. We took a right turn on one of the curves and found ourselves on a one-way road in an unfamiliar area."

Shortly afterwards the four began feeling discomfort, which was soon replaced with real fear.

"After driving for a minute, we saw a 12-year-old boy walking on the side of the road. We explained to him that we lose our way and asked how to get to Ben-Yehuda Street. He said in an Arabic accent that he didn't speak Hebrew and called someone. That's when I began realizing that something was wrong," Assaf recounted.

As he and his friends were waiting, Assaf noticed that all the store signs in the area were in Arabic. "An older person arrived and he and the kid began laughing at us. They told us to continue driving on the same road, while the older one was on the phone and simply sent us into a well-planned ambush."

'Look of murder in their eyes'

The group had no choice and continued driving according to the instructions, and found themselves in the heart of the neighborhood of Issawiya. They decided to turn back, but were shocked to discover that the road had been blocked.

"I don't know how they managed, but only two minutes later they set up a barrier which included a barbed-wire fence, chairs, and iron pipes. We were in shock. We suddenly heard an explosion sound in the back, and saw the boy and the adult who we spoke to throwing bricks at us."

'It was like a nightmare' (Photo: Assaf Ben-Ari)

The car's rear windowpane was smashed, and young men began coming out of the neighborhood houses and throwing stones at the vehicle. The driver began speeding into the center of Issawiya.

"My friend contacted the police, and after we managed to get away I stopped and contemplated what to do. I had never encountered such a situation of helplessness without any preparation, and with friends and a terrified tourist," Assaf said.

Meanwhile, "the entire neighborhood woke up and dozens of young men gathered next to us and waited for us with sticks and stones. I considered escaping from the vehicle or even hiding until the police arrived, but I knew we wouldn't stand a chance if they found us outside the car. Several minutes later we were surrounded, and I realized that I must drive my car into the barrier if I want to get out of here alive."

At that moment, he began driving fast while being hit with stones and iron pipes from all directions. "I pressed the gas pedal with all my might, and simply drove into the barrier at 110 kilometers an hour. The barbed-wire fence was caught under the wheels and dragged along. There were sparks in the air."

Part of barbed-wire fence in improvised barrier (Photo: Assaf Ben-Ari)

After crossing the first barrier, the group was shocked to discover a second trap. "Several meters ahead they placed a row of taxis attached to each other in order to prevent us from passing. Luckily, we managed to get through a small gap between the pavement and the wall, a moment before another taxi arrived to close us in."

At the same time, three Border Guard jeeps arrived in the area and ensured that there were no injuries. According to the police, "The fighters dispersed the rioters and the matter has been handed over to the minority department."

"It was like entering a nightmare. They had a look of murder in their eyes," the driver said after the incident. "Had we stayed there one more minute we wouldn't be alive anymore. It wasn't just an attempt to stone us, but an intentional desire to lynch us only several meters way from the university."

Gil Naveh contributed to this report

__________________________________________________________________

Stones thrown at ambulance treating Palestinian

Paramedics treating injured Palestinian flee Issawiya after stones damage their vehicle

Yair Altman Published: 11.06.10, 20:46 / Israel News

Stones were thrown Saturday at an ambulance and an MDA mobile intensive care unit near the village of Al-Azariya just a day after some young Israelis were attacked as they drove through nearby Issawiya, in east Jerusalem. The ambulance teams had been called to village to treat a young man who had fallen from the fifth floor of a building.

At about 6 pm, an ambulance was called to Al-Azariya, in the vicinity of east Jerusalem. Due to the critical condition of the patient, the intensive care unit was called. As paramedics treated the patient, a number of teens from Issawiya began throwing stones at the vehicle, making the paramedics' task difficult. The windscreen of the vehicles was damaged, as was another Israeli vehicle that was driving behind them.

 
Hagai Bar-Tov, an MDA paramedic, spoke of those minutes of fear. "On the way to the hospital, as the paramedics treated the patient… we had to take care of our own lives at the same time," he said. "A shower of stones fell on us… Luckily the vehicle was armored, so the windscreen was damaged but not completely broken in."
 
"Unfortunately, we see once again how terror groups operate without limits, even when it's clear to all that ambulances don't do any damage anywhere in the world" said Danny Rotenberg, MDA spokesman in the Jerusalem region. "The team, which was in the middle of intensive treatment saving the life of a seriously wounded Palestinian patient, feared for its life, making the situation even worse."

Police said they had begun searches in the area to find those responsible for throwing the stones. The police view the incident gravely, as they do the attempted lynch of three students from Givatayim and an Australian tourist. Police sources said they intend to increase operations against stone throwing in Issawiya, to pressure the local population to keep public order.
 
The students and tourist, who only wanted to go to a pub in the city, almost paid with their lives after making a wrong turn. They said they followed the directions of children in the neighborhood and almost reached the center of Issawiya. When they tried to go back they saw the street was blocked, and saw the eldest child who had given directions throw stones at them. None of the group was injured, despite the shower of stones.

Ynet News: Egyptian refusenik: I'm pro-Israel

Maikel Nabil Sanad claims he's first conscientious objector in Egypt, blames Palestinians for conflict, says doesn't want to shoot Israeli defending his state

Roee Nahmias Published: 10.25.10, 11:52 / Israel News

Maikel Nabil Sanad is perhaps the most unusual Egyptian you've heard of recently. He is 25 years old, a veterinarian, graduate of a university in Asyut, and now officially a conscientious objector to military service in the Egyptian army.

"The army told me its final decision was that I must present myself for an officers' course on October 22 in Fayid and start obligatory service of three years," he wrote on his blog last week. "I thought about this a lot and decided to refuse to serve in the Egyptian army, and accept the results, whatever they would be, even though I knew the results would be hard because I am the first young Egyptian to refuse to serve for pacifist reasons."

Sanad also explained his decision: "I am a pacifist, I am against bearing arms and participating in military and paramilitary organizations. Recruitment goes against my conscience. I don't want to act against my conscience, whatever the price. I also am not willing to be a pawn on the chessboard of an arms race, struggles and bloodbaths in the region. I don't want to point a weapon at a young Israeli, recruited into obligatory service, defending his state's right to exist. I think obligatory service is a form of slavery and I have worked for years for my freedom."

Egyptian soldiers (Archive photo: AP)

He claims the military establishment began a propaganda campaign against him. "They accused me of collaboration, of treachery, of working for foreign interests. In light of this campaign, I began fearing for my life if I were to serve in the army, especially in an organization that enjoys censorship, a non-neutral military judicial system etc. In my desire to preserve my life, even if I sit in jail for years, I prefer this to the adventure of being killed in the army."

Conscientious objection in Syria too

This is certainly unusual case of an unusual young man, and when one speaks with him his unusual thinking is also evident – certainly to Israeli ears.

"Though they haven't contacted me directly, they managed to get the message to me that I should sign up, but I decided against it," he said to Ynet. "I thought about it a lot and decided this because I am a pacifist and believe in peace."

Sanad says he is not a lone voice. "I lead a political movement called 'No to Obligatory Service.' Some 20 or 30 activists work on the ground but our Facebook group has some 3,000 members. And what's more, I was happy to learn that our ideas took wing in the Arab world, and a similar group with similar ideas has been set up in Syria. I am trying to spread the ideas as much as I can."

As the conversation progresses, it becomes clear that these are not the only strange ideas Sanad has. "I am pro-Israel," he says. "I don't want to take part in anti-Semitic operations or those that negate Israel's right to exist in the region. I see Israel as a liberal, modern state with a religious character. I have friends in Israel and I think Israelis have a right to defend themselves."

Operation Cast Lead: A 'normal' response (Photo: AP)

The young Egyptian doesn't even hesitate to say the Palestinians are to blame for the conflict with Israel. "If the Palestinians had a democratic leadership, everything would be solved," he says. "Take the war on Gaza for example (Operation Cast Lead) two years ago. Hamas started it. They refused to hold elections in Gaza and took control of the regime. They planned a dictatorial and fundamentalist regime. They refused to speak to Israel, fired rockets at it and caused it to defend itself."

He says the IDF response to the rockets was "normal" compared to any nation in the world. "I don't see what the difference is between that and Turkey's response against the Kurds in northern Iraq. It's exactly the same."

'They say I'm a spy'

When asked if he is afraid to express such views in public, he says, "I have been speaking like this for eight years already, and I have been arrested a few times for political reasons. It's not new. I am a serious supporter of peace, tolerance and mutual forgiveness."

He adds that he fears nothing. "I have lived all my life under risk and I'm used to it," he claims. "They are already saying in the Egyptian media that I'm a spy."

He explains his attitude to Israel thus: "From a young age I read a lot about the Israeli-Arab conflict. I understood the Arab media hid facts that support Israel. I tried to contact Israeli activists and started asking them questions, such as, 'Is it true that Israel is a militaristic state?' or, 'Is it true that Israel wants to expand and reach the Nile? That's how I learned. I understood a lot about the state, society and its laws. Many Arabs living in Israel told me how they are really treated and how much they prefer living in Israel above any Arab state. I also read about Israeli pacifist organizations."

Despite his love for Israel, he has not had a chance to visit because Egypt forbids his exit from the country. "I am forbidden from leaving for the next three years because of the military service I am supposed to do, and I imagine this prohibition will be extended," he says, but also notes that "the Israeli nation must know there are many Egyptians who support it, that we love Israel and support its right to exist. The picture painted by the media that all Egyptians hate Israel is false. This picture is not correct, and I want to make that clear to you."

Ynet News: US: Lincoln prof. calls for Israel's destruction

History Professor Kaukab Siddique insists statement calling on Muslims to 'stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dismantle Israel – if possible by peaceful means,' was blown out of proportion. 'I am against Israel, not against Jews," he says

Ynet Published: 10.24.10, 09:27 / Israel News

Lincoln University History Professor Kaukab Siddique is in the eye of a new storm in the United States, after several statements he made calling for the destruction of Israel prompted US senators to urge an investigation in the matter.

Speaking at a recent Labor Day rally, Siddique said: "We must stand united to defeat, to destroy, to dismantle Israel – if possible by peaceful means... For the Jews, I would say, 'See what could happen to you if the Muslims wake up.' And I say to the Muslims, Dear brothers and sisters – unite and rise up against this hydra-headed monster which calls itself Zionism.'"



Siddique's statements followed several articles in which he questions the validity of the Holocaust and calling it "a hoax."

Originally from Pakistan, Siddique, 67, is a vocal critic of what he calls "Israel's record of human-rights abuses in the Palestinian territories." Nevertheless, he maintains that his Labor Day statements have been misunderstood.

'I don't believe in laying low'

The professor's remarks sparked outrage among pro-Israeli groups and as Lincoln University is a Pennsylvania State-sponsored school, State Senator Daylin Leach – and numerous other members of the State Assembly – have urged Lincoln president Ivory Nelson to ensure the professor's "anti-Semitic diatribes" had not made their way into the university's classrooms.

"We support academic freedom and certainly a professor has the right to criticize Israel, or any other entity or policy he wishes," they wrote. "However… the Holocaust is not a theory or opinion. It is historically documented fact, denied only by those with a hateful or anti-Semitic agenda."

A Lincoln statement said it had "not been made aware of any instance in which Siddique's views were taught in his classes or shared in any public forums on campus."

Siddique said Thursday that he stands by his statements and "would not back down from detractors out to threaten academic freedom," adding that he had the support of his faculty and students and that he would continue to speak his mind, despite pressure from those who have referred to him as an "anti-Semite."

"I got a little fired and said a few things that were pretty strong," said Siddique. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't say them again. I don't believe in laying low."

"When I refer critically to the 'Jews' I am referring to the current leadership of the 'state of Israel' and to their major supporters, not to the Jewish race as a whole," he said in an email to CBN News.

"Most of my readers and listeners understand this; if it was taken to mean otherwise, then I offer my apologies to those I have offended.

"I am not anti-Semitic. . . . I am certainly not hostile to, nor do I discriminate against the Jewish people because of their lineage," he maintained.

Yitzhak Benhorin, in Washington contributed to this report

Ynet News: Haitian kids to undergo surgery in Israel

Stephanie Ann, Jean Francois and Jacqueline suffer from heart defects preventing them from performing physical exercise. Holon's Edith Wolfson hospital, where they will soon be operated on, gives them new hope

Meital Yasur-Beit Or Published: 09.21.10, 07:42 / Israel Activism

Twelve-year-old Stephanie Ann Elisabeth never attended a gym class or rode on a bicycle. A congenital heart defect makes it hard for her to perform any kind of physical activity. Now, she may be able to realize her dream of playing volleyball after undergoing surgery in the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

Stephanie Ann, Jacqueline and Jean (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Stephanie Ann arrived in Israel from Haiti together with 2-year-old Jacqueline Santos and 3-year-old Jean Francois Drensky. All three came to Israel with their mothers in order to undergo heart surgeries for their various birth defects as part of a project organized by the Save a Child's Heart foundation.

The first Haitian boy to arrive in Israel was 6-year-old Woodley Elysee who came directly after the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean country. Since then, Woodley has been treated and returned to Haiti.

 Woodley Elysee with member of the IDF mission to Haiti (Photo: Noam Barkan)

"Had we not operated on him he would have died soon after," Dr. Sion Houri, head of Pediatric ICU in Wolfson, said Thursday. Today Woodley is a healthy, full functioning little boy.

 Kids and their mothers at Wolfson Hospital (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Meanwhile, Lydia, Stephanie Ann's mother still awaits her daughter's operation.

"All those years they told us it was impossible for her to exercise or ride a bike," she says. "Now, we're supposed to stay here for three months and we have high hopes." Stephanie Ann says shyly that she's a 7th grader in a Port-au-Prince high school, that she does not have many friends and that her dream is to play volleyball.

Lydia says that she heard little about Israel before coming. "We looked Israel up on the internet and I saw there were religious people wearing black here," she relates. "In Haiti people wear black when someone dies."

The family were very fortunate during the earthquake, the mother says. "No one was hurt and the house wasn't ruined either. My workplace was completely destroyed. I have a good friend who lost her husband and her leg. Haiti will never be the same. Many homes are still in rubbles," she says.

Jean Francois on his mother's lap (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Dr. Huri explains the importance of the procedures the three kids will undergo in Israel. "I hope we can operate on some of them next week and on the rest after Sukkot," he says. "Because of their heart defects they can't run or play any kind of sport. They're fine as long as they don't exert themselves.
 
"Their condition is dynamic and would have deteriorated had we not treated them," he said, adding that the children are in risk of developing neurological problems but that he hoped they would return to form within 90 days.

The Save a Child's Heart foundation was established 15 years ago and has since arranged surgeries in Israel for more than 2,400 kids, half of whom were Palestinians and the rest from third-world countries like Iraq, Morocco, Angola, Zanzibar and Romania.

The foundation receives funds from the European Union and Israel's Ministry of Regional Development and hopes to facilitate the operations of 250 children this year.

Kongsi Raya

By: Manggis, 10-Sep-2010

Assalamualaikum

Shalom Aleichem

To the bloggers whoever you are, of whatever faith you are and to the faithless.

Today 9th September, the Jews are celebrating their Rosh Hashanah; therefore I would like to wish Happy New Year or Shana Tova Umetukah to the Jewish community all over the world including the few remaining Jews in Malaysia.

But tomorrow is the end of Ramadan 10th September, and I would like to greet the Muslims Eid Mubarak and may Allah accepted your fasting and give you barakah.

Being a multi-religious, multi-cultural country, Malaysians are used to sharing celebrations and festivals. This phenomenon is called Kongsi Raya. The word “kongsi”, is perhaps a Chinese word (D, please verify), which means “sharing”. Malaysians started to notice this many years ago when Hari Raya (the end of Ramadan celebration) was shared with the Chinese New Year. For the Chinese, the greeting is “Kong Si Fat Chai”, so in Malaysia we turned this term to become “Kongsi Raya” to signify the sharing of this Chinese New Year festival with Hari Raya.

Kongsi Raya is very rich and jovial festivals since the Malays and the Chinese will have their Big Makan (feast) almost at the same time. For both the Chinese and Malay communities, festivals means feast. It also means, visiting each other. For the Chinese the Big Feast is celebrated with their family on the eve of the festival followed by gambling sessions with family members and friends. Gambling in Chinese festival is almost a must. It’s significant and important to the Chinese culture because Chinese largely think, life is a gamble. To succeed, one needs a kind of gamble to take risk, to try new things and to explore the unknown. Gambling sessions is a practise to be bold to control one own destiny by chance.

While for the Muslims the feast is celebrated differently with their families after the Shalat (prayer) Eid-ul-Fitr, which will be mid-morning. But for Muslims, especially in Malaysia (not elsewhere, I think), prior to the feast is a special time, i.e. the time for the ritual of “forgiving and forgetting”. During this ritual, the younger family members will ask forgiveness from the elders, i.e. children to their parents etc... This is a special bonding event where the children will kiss the hands of the elders; this is the time when the elders will feel most appreciated, despite their children being distance, either physically or emotionally. They will recalled for any differences and ask for forgiveness, and make “halal” of whatever they (the younger ones) have taken either knowingly or unknowingly. This is the moment, when bad relationships are mended between relatives and friends. Our usual greetings to each other are:

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin, Halalkan Makan dan Minum.

“Maaf Zahir dan Batin” means, forgive me for all the wrongs that I have done outwardly or internally.

In the Muslim family household, this event of forgiving and forgetting is so special and sweet that no family members would wish to be alone during hari raya. They would almost feel like outcasts if they have no family homes to go to. Where ever they are, they would wish to come home to see their father and mother during this period. Since most elders live in the villages, big cities in Malaysia would be like ghost towns and empty during the festival, for the city dwellers would certainly return home to visit their elders. For those who really cannot go home, they will try to reach home, these days via telephone or other means of communications. For Malaysian Malays overseas, this moment will be celebrated by big gatherings. No one, really want to be alone during this period.

In addition, for the Muslims, this period is also celebrated by giving away alms and charity (sedekah). The compulsory alms (zakat fitrah), must be paid before the prayer Eid-ul-Fitr, the amount paid is equivalent to a day meal for yourself. Malaysia has numerous well organised alms collection centres throughout the country and will re-distribute the collection to the poor and needy. In addition, during this period, most people will perform their 4th Muslim ritual of giving alms (zakat) due to their wealth. This is a Muslim form of taxation. Remember, non-Muslim do not pay zakat. It is not obligatory for them to perform this. For all Malaysians (Mulsims and non-Muslims) they pay the normal income tax. In addition for Muslims, they must pay their obligatory alms. So Muslims pay double taxation. In order to adjust for this “slight injustice”, the Government allows, for Muslims to claim tax rebate for the alms paid.

Sometimes, I heard accusation that non-Muslims pay jizyah in the Muslim world, this is not true especially in Malaysia, Muslims pays double taxation. I pay double taxation. But I am a happy tax payer and am proud that I contribute to my community.

Many delicious cookies are made or purchased during hariraya; some are traditional while many are being created to suit the time and modernity. For example, many cookies these days are made from cornflakes, chocolates, nuts and other ingredients imported from the western cultures. Many people make a lot of money for making these cookies for sale “Hari raya cookies making “ is now a well-known, once a year business enterprise. My own favourite cookies are the pineapple tarts.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated in a very grand (raya) way in Malaysia and that is why it is called hari raya. This is the day when you must wear your best cloth, usually new ones. In old days, only during hari raya that you get a change of clothing. So usually, my parents will give me two new clothes which will last me for the whole year. So of course this is also a flourishing business time for tailors and dress makers. As our economic position is improving a lot, it is not uncommon, for the tailoring business to accept orders one year in advance, i.e. as soon as hari raya ends, the tailor would receive new orders for the next year raya celebration.

For children, eid-ul- fitr is also magical and important. Apart from the celebration means they can play with fire crackers, it is also time for them to have as many cookies as possible. In addition, they will receive money. This is what children look forward to, since during hari raya, they will be able to collect some extra pocket money, from “duit raya”. During my childhood days of duit raya for the Malays ranges from 5 sen to one ringgit, if I am lucky. These days, it ranges from 20 sen to two ringgit typically. But of course, children will get more from their uncles, aunties or relatives.

Copying the tradition of the Chinese ang paw, also money given away for children during Chinese New Year, these days, duit raya is given in green packet, while ang paw is in red-packet. Come to think of it, the traditions of giving ang paw packet red or green and playing with fire crackers are non-Islamic. These are local cultures possibly from China infused into the Malay culture and adopted during the Muslims festival.

On the 7th night before the end of Ramadan, usually in the village, it is traditional for the Malays to lit up their compounds with light from little kerosine lamps. These nights are called “malam tujuh likur”. Again, I do not think, this is part of the Muslims tradition. I would like to think, this tradition to be the remnant of the Hindu tradition on their light festival (the Deepavali). Anyway, Malaysia is a melting pot, everything can, Malaysia Boleh.

One tradition which was invented during the last 10-20 years, as Malaysia become a modern country, is the “open house culture”. When city dwellers come back to their cities, they want to celebrate hari raya with their friends. Hence, they make an open house party where all friends and relatives are invited. It is open house, which means, friends of friends of friends are all welcome. By right, you do not need an invitation to come to any of this sort of party. Gate-crashers are welcomed. Important people, like Kings, Sultans and Politicians have their open houses on the first or second day of hariraya. In some cases, for example Tun Mahathir’s open house, received as many as 30,000 people in one day. Tun and his family shake hands with each and every one of these 30,000 people! And to each one, he will greet “Selamat Hari Raya Maaf Zahir dan Batin”.

In Malaysia, (unlike in other Muslim countries), hari raya is celebrated in a very grand way; it almost lasted one whole month of Shawal!

The other nice feature of hari raya, because Muslim calendar is based on lunar cycle, the Muslim year is short by 10 days. This makes hariraya, shifted by 10 days every year. Hence, Kongsi Raya is now an event shared between other faiths that have their festival based on lunar/solar cycle. A few years ago, Kongsi Raya was with the Chinese New Year, i.e. when hariraya was in February or January. Then Kongsi Raya happened during Christmas (December), after that Deepavali (November), this year Kongsi Raya is with the Jewish Rosh Hashanah (October). Unfortunately, this Jewish celebration is almost unknown to me. I wish Hanan can tell us a bit more of this festival. Of course, I can read about it in Wikipedia, but surely the celebration will have its own local flavour. I wonder how the Israelis celebrate this festival in Israel.

I wonder also how, the Palestinians celebrated the end of Ramadan. In Gaza, they must have celebrated this celebration modestly. My heart feels for them. I wish both the Israelis and their Palestinian cousins have this culture of “forgiving and forgetting’. I wish they will take advantage of both the festivities (Eid-ul-Fitr) and Rosh Hashanah, to shake hands, to forgive and to forget the past. I wish they reconcile with each other and they determine to start afresh and new. May you Israelis and Palestinians ”kongsi“ the land together. No more fighting and no more killing.

I wish for peace in the Middle East. May Allah grant peace and friendship for these two groups of people.

Wassalam.