Israel Land of Shalom. Impressions written by "D"

Preface

Despite the "Friendship prior Peace" website is closed since a few months, I'm very pleased for the opportunity to publish a very special trip report of "D" (the name is kept "D" for confidentiality reasons). I was very surprised by D's tour to Israel. I couldn't manage to meet D face to face due to the very short notification, but I managed to call D and we have a phone conversation before leaving Israel.

I could hear in D's voice during our conversation his satisfaction of visiting Israel, even it was very short. I asked D to write his impressions from his visit and I'll be more than happy to publish it on "Friendship prior Peace" even the web blog is no longer active. I want to thank deeply from my heart for his dedication and time to compose his impressions for the benefit of anyone who reads this blog.

Hanan Leshnovolsky
_______________________________________________________

Israel Land of Shalom

Written by: "D"

In the last year I had been thinking about visiting my Malaysian uncle's homeland. I was blessed with the opportunity to go in July. I had made quite a few entries on Friendship Prior Peace Blogspot and i wanted to experience the Holy Land for myself. I just return from Israel after a week.

It is my hope to share my trip and experiences of going to Israel, Good and Bad.

Three hours before boarding El Al the security check-in staff arrived with four music stands. They proceeded to screen the people in the line. My screeners put me through a long winded interrogation. At one point I was introduced to the El Al Chief Security officer, another El AL Senior Officer along with an EL AL Junior Officer. All my luggage was screened for explosives and i got a full screening for bomb residue. I felt uncomfortable and understand how Muslims feel when they think they are being singled out at Airports. Finally, I was allowed to board the plane.

The attendants on El Al flight were cordial. I was still a little unbalanced. Upon arriving in Tel Aviv I felt much better. Tel Aviv is a very dense city with an interesting milieu of Jewish cultures. People were very friendly in helping me navigate to my Hostel. One Israeli had his GPS on his IPhone directing me as we approached my bus stop. Tel Aviv is hot and humid but to my surprise no mosquitoes.

Tel Aviv never sleeps and has an active 'disco-disco' nightlife. Walking the beach my first night. There were lots of people swimming around. Several food kiosks and promenade with local bands playing music. Lots of interesting music.The Mediterranean ocean is actually warm. Not your Pacific ocean type coldness.

The most interesting sight was Religious Hebrews dancing on the sidewalk and on a busy street with very interesting tunes and handing out brochures to locals.

Tel Aviv Gordon St Shabbat

Religious Hebrews Dancing

Tel Aviv Beach

Jerusalem the cradle of the Abrahamic religions Christianity, Islam and Judaism is like a city within cities. Jewish, Islamic and Christian sections within the City squeezed together like sardines. The Jewish quarter has the newest buildings which were rebuilt after the Jordanians demolished most of the site in the 1967 war. Interestingly, there is a tiny Mosque in the middle that was untouched and preserved by the Israeli's. There was a Jewish family that had converted to Islam and donated their small house which the Mosque was built on. That is why there is a tiny minaret next to a huge Synagogue in the picture. Of course the Wailing Wall is the most prominent site for the Jewish Religion. People come to pray and write their wishes on paper which is inserted into the wall. In Jerusalem we passed by multiple Holy Sites including the Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa, Holy Church of Sepulchre, Church of Gethsemane and others. Jerusalem itself is a smorgasbord for archeologists. Even outside the Old City I saw archeological remnants everywhere. An unknown tomb of a wealthy jewish remnant recently discovered by Hebrew University, ancient jewish tombstones hundreds of them on the slopes. You could probably excavate everywhere around Jerusalem and find something there.

Garden of Gesthemene

Garden of Gesthemene

Jerusalem Overview

Jewish Tomb

Al Aqsa

Mosque and Synagogue

Wailing Wall

Wailing Wall Tunnel

Touring Bethlehem and Jericho I got to experience the security wall. Let me describe it as best I can. Firstly, it is not possible to make a value judgement from the brief period crossing the wall. However, i can tell you what i saw and what people I’ve talked to say about it. In order to cross into East Jerusalem you must pass through the wall from Israeli to Palestinian control areas. The wall is intimidating to say the least. Tall with sensors,cameras and barbwire. You cross by yourself through a narrow corridor and pass through a checkpoint where an IDF soldier in a booth checks your identity (Passport). He waved us through. I saw Arabs/Palestinians pass-through using finger print hand scanners. The soldier was respectful and did not question us or stop any persons. Passage was quick without any issues. There weren't any crowds on both-sides as expected because it was on a Shabat (Saturday). We met our Palestinian guide Sam on the other-side. Sam described the wall and hardship it had caused to the Palestinians. Travel has become a difficult daily occurrence. You must have permission and biometrics (hand) coded. There is apparently a curfew period of when you can cross and return, as well as, restricted passage once you cross into the Israeli side i.e. proof of work and path you are allowed to take to work. I wondered if the security wall was necessary ? Speaking with Rachel the night clerk at the Hostel later. I realized the motivation behind the wall. Before the building of the wall. The last Intifada resulted in many deaths as a result of a slew of suicide attacks. The daily occurrence sometimes twice a day lead to the building of the wall. Israeli parents stopped sending their children to school and there was a paranoia about taking public transportation or being in public places. My feeling is the wall should be taken down as soon as possible when both sides come to a mutual agreement.

Message bodyMary’s' Grotto, Sheppard’s Field and the Church of the Nativity were the highlights in Bethlehem. As a Christian city, Bethlehem's Christian population is dwindling. It will be a sad day if the community ceases to make a presence in the place of Jesus's birth. We had to go through two road checkpoints between Israeli and Palestinian control areas. Again, IDF soldiers were respectful and cordial. They chatted with our bus driver in a cordial tone. There were no concerns as tour guests on the bus. They waved us through quickly. Israeli IDF conscripts are a mix of youthful and senior ranks. It seems to me the media, at least in the West likes to show clips of aggressive IDF soldiers but it is not what i observed. Jericho is believed to be the oldest city in the world. It is 244m below sea (lowest point) level and therefore a natural spring as the water table sits beneath the city. It is amazing as you see a water fountain springing out in the middle of the Judean Desert at 42C. We passed through a Palestinian checkpoint. They were cordial and waved us through. We had lunch at mall and got to view archeological remnants.

Border crossing

Border crossing

Marys Grotto

Sheppards Field Display

Jericho Spring

I enjoyed the Dead Sea and Masada tour the most. For several reasons. I travelled to Israel with knee problems. I have an old work injury on my right knee acts up once in a while. My muscles lock up and prevent me from bending. So I use a cane or brace when it acts up. Also, my feet were irritated from walking on the beach in Tel Aviv and my scratching didn't help. The Dead Sea apparently helps blood circulation and is good for your skin especially with skin disorders like psoriasis. I was reminded of the biblical narrative of Namaan and the Jordan River. At the beach you apply mud on your skin for treatment and immerse yourself in the dead sea which is full of salts and minerals. It disinfects your body and permeates through your body. After two hours of soaking and rinsing. I felt relaxed and my the muscles in my knee loosened up. The skin irritation went away. It really helped my blood circulation. At least, for me i had full movement in my knee.

Masada is a symbol of Jewish 'Chutzpah' (Audacity). It was the last stronghold that the Romans (10th Legion) sieged. The siege lasted 3 years whereby the Romans built a seige ramp using Jewish slaves at Masada. Zealots held out in defiance until it became apparent that Masada would be bridged. Preferring death before slavery. 10 men were chosen to complete the task of killing the tribe leaving one to kill the 9. Today Israeli Soldiers take an oath in remembrance of Masada. It is also a popular place for Bar Mitzvah's. How did the Zealots survive on top of a mountain for 3 years? An ingenious method of ancient engineering. Aqueducts were carved on the mountain sides to collect rain water from the mountains that were directed into carved cisterns. They also built a bath-house, food (Dried Fruits) and fuel storage (Olive oil). Infact, Masada was one of Herod's palaces.

My tour Operator Mr. Manashe reminded me of my uncle. I really liked him and told him he reminded me of my uncle at the end of the tour. Here he is feeding an Israeli (Tristram’s Grackle) bird by hand. The bird actually flies onto your hand and picks the food out your hand. On the topic of animals. I love the cats in Israel. They are so mellow. I find them so pleasant to look at and they like to pose for pictures. They're not well groomed but short-haired cats. Israeli's love their dogs you see them jogging and cycling with their pets everywhere. They even bring them into restaurants. At a Pizza Hut restaurant I spoke to a Israeli with her old blind dog. I asked about the cats. She mentioned that most of them are strays.

Aquaduct Model

Aquaduct

Cistern Reservoir

Mr. Manashe Feeding Bird

Masada

Israeli Cats

My favourite Felafel and Donair eatery is north of Gordon St along Dizengoff St. The donair meat just melts in your mouth.I love the lemonade as it goes down well on a hot day. My last night was spent walking the beach in Tel Aviv to Old Jaffa. I had stumbled across a large crowd of Israeli Jews, Arabs etc having a night out barbequing. I was amazed by the people barbequing 'kabobs'. It smelled so good. They use tiny BBQ (tray sized) Charcoal Briquettes. I wanted to go over and ask for some. The whole pathway along the beach smelled of Kabobs I ended up walking to Old Jaffa (old quarter) with all the castle like buildings. At one location it looked like an abandoned building but loud screeching sounds permeating from the inside. To my surprise looking through the door gate there were hundreds of bats clinging to the ceiling, flying back and forth.

BBQ Kebab

BBQ Kebab

Donair Eatery

Old Jaffa

Old Jaffa

Dead Sea

Dead Sea shore

Judean Desert Sea Level

The flight back was much more relaxed and security at Ben Gurion went much smoother. I found that Airport Security were very respectful and cordial unlike my maiden voyage from Canada. El Al Attendants were very much more relaxed and pleasant. They paid special attention to the children on the flight. Israeli's have a deep deep love for their children. It is apparent when you see them holding and hugging them. They are like little treasures that cling to their hearts. Perhaps it is because as a society they've experience suicide attacks, rocket attacks or fighting so many wars that make them dote their children so much. One thing i noticed about EL Al flights, credit to the pilots. The horizontal pitch at cruising altitude was very steady and comfortable.

As a land that is steeped with religious traditions. I felt a peace and tranquility in Israel. My daily prayers were for the Peace of Jerusalem. Protection for Israeli's (Arabs, Jews and Christians) from the front, back and sorround her with Yahweh's divine presence.

Israeli child

Israeli Mall

Ben Gurion Airport

"Friendship prior Peace" is closed

The "Friendship prior Peace" web blog is closed starting 1-May-2011.

No updates, articles and commentary will be posted.


Friendship with our enemy is naive.
As long as Islam treats the Jews as infidels, the Palestinian conflict will remain.
As long as butchery between Muslims is a way of life, it is no wonder that it will be easily turned against the Jews.


The Muslims must mature from their barbarism and the Palestinians from their terrorism. They must proof the world that they are human and tolerant.


Since I think a big turmoil is in front of us, friendship will need to wait for decades.


This web blog will remain as a tomb or statue of a good will that was spoiled by evil murderous people guided by faith or wrongly interpreted the faith. It doesn't matter, either is evil.

Maybe someone will revive it in the future...

Ynet News: 'Murdered simply for being a Jew'

Preface

The "Oslo agreement" is talking about free Jews entarnce to "Joseph's Tomb". Here is the part of the document:

Hanan

______________________________________________

Thousands bid farewell to Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was killed Sunday morning in a shooting at Joseph's Tomb, allegedly by Palestinian policemen. 'It was cold-blooded murder,' says victim's aunt Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat. Brother of teen injured in incident: 'They knew what they were getting into, and level of risk involved, but they wanted action'

Yair Altman Published: 04.24.11, 16:31 / Israel News

'Just wanted to pray.' Ben-Yosef Livnat Photo: Curtesy of The Shomron Settlers' Committee

Thousands gathered at Mount Olives Cemetery in Jerusalem to bid farewell to Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was killed Sunday morning in a shooting at Joseph's Tomb, presumably by Palestinian policemen.

Among the participants were right-wing activists, rabbis and public figures, as well as Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat, who is Ben-Yosef's aunt.

Windshield sustained bullet holes Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg

Prior and during the funeral procession, participants shouted "vengeance," but Noam Livnat, the victim's father, said "revenge is irrelevant because the perpetrators will get what they rightfully deserve."

 
Limor Livnat's father, Azriel Livnat, compared Ben-Yosef's death to that of Shlomo Ben-Yosef, the first Jew executed by the British authorities during the mandate period.
 

Funeral procession (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

A member of the settlement project told Ynet that "even if they find the murderers, they will probably sit in prison, get an academic degree on the expense of the tax payer, earn the respect of their own people for being Jew killers and eventually find their way back to freedom in this or the other deal, just like what happened in the Itamar massacre."

No eulogies were made due to the holiday, but Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat said over her nephew's fresh grave: "I woke up this morning and received a phone call from Ben-Yosef's mother, who told me that he was murdered by a terrorist masked as a Palestinian police officer.

Limor Livnat and Ben-Yosef's grandfather (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

"It was cold-blooded murder. Ben-Yosef went to pray with other Jews, and he was murdered simply for being a Jew," she said.

"It's hard to grasp these things. This is why that area should be under the control of Israel. My own private nephew, a personal sacrifice, I hope that he's the last victim," she said.

'Went withut rabbi's permit'

Meanwhile, the police asked the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court to remand three Breslov Hasidim, aged 19 from Jerusalem and Bnei-Brak, for five days, for violating a restricted military zone order.

The motion said that the three, along with 15 other hasidim, entered the Joseph Tomb compound on Sunday morning sans the proper permits. The act resulted in the shooting incident that left one Israeli dead and five others injured.

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court ordered to release the three under a two-day house arrest.

The court permitted the three to attend prayer services with the escort of family members and ordered them to pay bail of NIS 5,000 each (about $1,400).

The 17-year-old brother of one of the wounded men arrived at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, where they have been hospitalized.

"They knew what they were getting into, and the level of risk involved. But they considered it as action," the brother told Ynet.

"They only wanted to pray; sometimes fate can be pretty bad and unpleasant," he said, adding "they have a rabbi that coordinates these entries. This time they came without a permit or authorization of the rabbi.

"When the visits are coordinated nothing happens – the rabbi looks after us. However this time the rabbi wasn’t there with them; it was a crime for them to enter the tomb without the rabbi or a permit," noted the brother.

Raanan Ben-Zur contributed to this report

Ynet News: Mideast without Christians

Op-ed: Christians must realize Israel’s fate intertwined with fate of non-Muslims in region

Giulio Meotti Published: 04.18.11, 21:14 / Israel Opinion

This is the saddest Easter in the long epic of Arab Christianity: The cross is near extinction in the lands of it origin. The much-vaunted diversity of the Middle East is going to be reduced to the flat monotony of a single religion, Islam, and to a handful of languages.

Protests in Egypt (Archives) Photo: AP

In 1919, the Egyptian revolution adopted a green flag with the crescent and the cross. Both Muslims and Christians participated in the nationalist revolution against British colonialism. Now, according to the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights, more than 70 Christians a week are asking to leave the country due to Islamist threats.

The numbers are telling. Today there is only one Middle Eastern country where the number of Christians has grown: Israel. As documented in the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, the Christian community that numbered 34,000 people in 1949 is now 163,000-strong, and will reach 187,000 in 2020.

In the rest of the Middle East, the drive for Islamic purity is going to banish all traces of pre-Islamic pasts. This has affected not only Christians, but other non-Islamic communities too, such as the Zoroastrians and Baha’is in Iran (the late also found refuge in Israel, in Haifa.)

The silence of the global forums, the flawed conscience of human rights groups, the self-denial of the media and the Vatican’s appeasement is helping facilitate this Islamist campaign. According to a report on religious freedom compiled by the US Department of State, the number of Christians in Turkey declined from two million to 85,000; in Lebanon they have gone from 55% to 35% of the population; in Syria, from half the population they have been reduced to 4%; in Jordan, from 18% to 2%. In Iraq, they will be exterminated.

Should the exodus of Christians from Bethlehem continue in the next two or three decades, there may be no clergy left to conduct religious services in Jesus’ birthplace. In Iran, Christians have become virtually non-existent since 1979, when Khomeini ordered the immediate closure of all Christian schools. In Gaza, the 3,000 who remain are subjected to persecution. In Sudan, Christians in the South are forced into slavery.

Israel’s flag a symbol of hope

In Lebanon, the Maronites, the only Christians to have held political power in the modern Arab world, have been reduced to a minority because of Muslim violence and Hezbollah’s rise. In Saudi Arabia, Christians have been beaten or tortured by religious police. Benjamin Sleiman, archbishop of Baghdad, is talking about “the extinction of Christianity in the Middle East.”

The Christian Egypt was symbolically represented by former United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a Christian married to a Jewish woman whose sister was the wife of Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban. In 1977, Boutros-Ghali, who was then Egypt’s foreign minister, accompanied President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem.

Sadat, who as a child had attended a Christian school, was killed because the treaty his signed with the “Zionists,” among other reasons, and his cold peace is now under attack from the new rulers in Cairo.

In 1948, the Middle East was cleansed of its ancient Jews. Today is the Christians’ turn. Just as Islamist totalitarians have ruthlessly persecuted Christians in the Middle East, they have been waging war for the past 63 years to destroy the Jewish state in their midst. That’s why the fate of Israel is intertwined with the fate of the non-Muslim minorities.
 
Should the Islamists prevail, the Middle East will be completely green, the colour of Islam. Under atomic and Islamist existential threats, the remnant of the Jewish people risks being liquidated before Israel’s centennial in 2048. It’s time for Christians to recognize that Israel’s survival is also critical and vital for them. During the Holocaust, when most Christians were bystanders or collaborators, the Yellow Star was a symbol of death for the Jews. Today, the white flag with the beautiful six pointed star is a symbol of survival and hope for both Jews and Christians.

Giulio Meotti, a journalist with Il Foglio, is the author of the book A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism

Glenn Beck peels the scorching onion (truth is scorching)

Recently I was watching Glenn Beck's shows. I was astonished by his brilliant interpretation of what is going on in our world. Glenn peeled off the onion leaf after leaf as truth is exposed in is most bitterness, scorching as a fresh onion.

He peeled of the true face of the US president Barack Obama and his staff of advisors and cabinet. He peeled off the combined plan of the extreme Islam to dominate the world starting with the middle east by wiping off Israel from the map. Isn't it a kind of the "Protocols of the eldest of Muslims" (with the analogy to what is claimed as "The protocols of Eldest of Zion")? The Protocols of the Eldest of Zion" is a fiction while the plan according Islam is to Islamize the world either by good will or by the Jihad sward. This is not a fiction, it is written in blood today, it was written in blood in the past and it will be written in the future.

I still wonder if friendship can be established in such circumstances. More generations must pass to wait for that moment.

You can watch the shows attached hereby. I hope you'll watch all of them.

















































If this is not the truth or almost the truth, than what is the truth?

Ynet News: Itamar massacre solved; 2 arrested

Preface

In relation to the slaughtering of the five members of the Fogel family in Itamar, including a 3 months baby girl, Israeli security forces managed to fing and arrest the beasts who did it. The sights from the butchery arena can be viewed here: http://friendship-prior-peace.blogspot.com/2011/03/pictures-and-video-clips-from-itamar.html.

Another reason to reject "Freindship" while the Palestinians are still teaching their youth the hatred of Jews.

Is this the vision of Islam?
Is this called Jihad?
Palestinians must wash their own dirty laundry. No one will do it for them. Till then, no one in the world will be able to like them except the leftist and anarchist hypocrites.
Is our world a safer pleace to live with such beasts?
Cold blooded beast who slaughtered a 3 month baby girl.

Hanan
___________________________________________

Joint investigation of Fogel family murder by Shin Bet, IDF and police culminates in the arrest of two Palestinians. Both suspects admit involvement in terror attack; say they wanted to 'die martyrs' death'

Hanan Greenberg Published: 04.17.11, 12:21 / Israel News

Cleared for Publication: Shin Bet, IDF and police have arrested two Palestinians, both residents of the village of Awarta, in connection to the Fogel family massacre in Itamar in March.

The first suspect is Hakim Mazen Awad, 18, a high school student whose father was active in the Popular Front terror organization. Awad has a prison record. His uncle, who was killed in clashes with IDF forces in 2003, was involved in a June 2002 terror attack in Itamar, which left five dead.

Hakim Mazen Awad Photo courtesy of the Shin Bet

The second suspect, Amjad Mahmad Awad, 19, also a student, is affiliated with the Popular Front.

Amjad Mahmad Awad Photo courtesy of the Shin Bet

The two suspects confessed to their involvement in the murders, and said that they sought to carry out a terror attack in order to kill Israelis. They expressed no regret over the murders.

The Shin Bet arrested the two subsequent to a strenuous investigation, which included the interrogation of multiple persons of interest in the case.

On April 5 and April 10, IDF forces arrested Amjad and Hakim. The investigation into the attack revealed that the two decided to carry out a terror attack and attempted to acquire weapons three days before the March 11 attack.

In order to obtain the weapons they turned to a Popular Front militant in their village, but he refused to acquiesce to their request. And yet, at midday on Friday March 11, they decided that they would go to Itamar that night, armed with knives and carry out the attack.

Masterminds of evil

At approximately 9:00 pm the two cut the settlement fence and entered its ground, masked. At first, they entered a neighboring house, found it empty, and stole an M-16 rifle, clips and a Kevlar vest. From there they moved onto the Fogel home.

Before entering the house the murderers noticed that there were children in the home. Undeterred, they still chose to proceed, killing two of the children immediately after breaking in. Parents Ehud and Ruth were murdered next. According to the investigation's report, the two struggled with their attackers before succumbing to multiple shotgun wounds.

Before fleeing the scene, the two stole an additional gun from the Fogel home. When they had already left the house and saw a patrol car outside, they feared they would be captured. At that point, Amjad insisted on going back into the house and searching for additional weapons. Unfortunately, this was when the Fogel's baby girl started crying. Fearing it would attract attention, the two murdered her, as well.

As for the two surviving children, the murderers said they hadn't noticed them. Had they found the two, both said, they would not have hesitated to kill them, as well.

The Fogel family home after the attack

The heinous deed done, the two, who are not related, returned to their village on foot and appealed to Hakim's uncle, Salah Awad, also a Popular Front militant, for assistance, giving him a detailed report of the attack they had carried out.

Salah Awad helped them conceal their weapons and bloodstained clothes, and later, he transferred the stolen weapons to a Ramallah resident, for hiding. The latter was arrested after the weapons were discovered in his possession.

Israeli security forces also arrested five of the two's family members and friends in connection to the case.

Complex investigation, chilling reenactment

The Shin Bet noted that even though the murderers are affiliated with the Peoples Front, it appears that they acted of their own accord and were not following orders. The issue is still under investigation.

A senior Shin Bet official said that the massacre had the characteristics of a "lone-terrorist" attack and even though it was carried out by two people, it was difficult to receive any information in advance which could have prevented the attack.

A senior Shin Bet official said that the massacre had the characteristics of a 'lone terrorist' attack and even though it was carried out by two people, obtaining intelligence to thwart such attacks in extremely difficult.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the two offered a dispassionate account of the attack, and "a chilling reenactment." Shin Bet officers described it as one of the most "shocking, cold, remorseless and detailed description," they had ever come across.

Amjad noted that he went to Itamar to "die a martyr's death", which strengthened his willingness to carry out an act of terrorism. During their interrogation the two suspects made no distinction between the murder of the parents and the children, describing it simply as an act against five Jewish Israelis.

The village of Awarta, with 8,000 residents is known as a breeding ground for terror and has quite a few hostile elements. Nevertheless, following the massacre and the series of arrests carried out by the defense establishment, the residents renounced the massacre and even attempted to point the blame away from the village.

The Shin Bet said that in spite of the time that passed between the murder and the case's resolution, it was a major achievement.

Following today's discoveries, Ruth Fogel's brother, Yochai Ben Yishai told Ynet: "We are very proud of the State and the security services. But on a personal level, there is no consolation, the pain remains sharp."

Yishai added that "the capture of he murderers gives us a sense of satisfaction on a national level but we must get to a point where these people are deterred before they take action and not just apprehended after the murder."

Ynet News: Hamas: Body of kidnapped activist found

Preface

Can we trust the Palestinians and make with such people peace?
Can we trust those evil Muslims?
Are they human beings?
Are they beasts?
Where are those so called moderate Muslims to speak?
Muslims among themselves must vomit from their society the evil. If not then their moderate destiny is sealed with blood from their own brothers.
Who can be a friend of such people?

Another good reason to close this "Friendship prior Peace" web blog.

Hanan
__________________________________________


(Video) Body of International Solidarity Movement member kidnapped in Strip said to be found in Gaza City, mere hours after news of abduction break. Hamas police arrest two suspects

News agencies Latest Update: 04.15.11, 05:57 / Israel News

VIDEO - The body of an Italian pro-Palestinian activist abducted Thursday by Islamic extremists has been found hanged in a Gaza City house, after a clash between Hamas police and the abductors, Hamas officials said in the early hours of Friday morning.

The officials said Hamas police stormed an apartment in Gaza City belonging to a member of the extremist group that released a video of the activist. Hamas police said they found the man dead from an apparent hanging. Security officials added that two men were arrested and others were being sought in the killing.

The International Solidarity Movement had identified the kidnapped activist as Vittorio Arrigoni, 36, a member from Italy. An Italian doctor was reportedly on his way from Israel to examine the body, a Hamas official said.

Arrigoni, a pacifist and blogger, had lived in the Gaza Strip for some time. Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, identified him as one of the group's members. Arrigoni had not been heard from in the past 24 hours, Arraf said.

Italy's government condemned Arrigoni's kidnapping and "brutal murder" on Friday.
 

Arrigoni in the Gaza Strip (Photo: AP)

The Italian foreign ministry "denounces in the strongest manner the act of vile and senseless violence committed by extremists who are indifferent to the value of human life," a statement said.

The ministry expressed "its deep horror over the barbaric murder and its most sincere condolences to the family."

Arrigoni's abduction was first kidnapping of a foreigner since Hamas overran Gaza in 2007. In the past, all foreign kidnap victims in Gaza had been released unharmed.

According to accounts, Gaza police were surrounding the small house where the clash took place. A police officer said the body was inside, adding that two people were arrested in another location in connection with the abduction, and a third was being sought.

A video released earlier Thursday night showed a man with a thick black blindfold and a large bruise on his face. Apparently seated, he was held in front of the camera by an unseen person.

Video posted by kidnappers

 
In a message on the video, an extremist group calling itself "Monotheism and Holy War" demanded that Hamas free its leader, Sheikh Abu Walid-al-Maqdasi, who was arrested in early March; and two other members whose names had not been previously known. The Hamas government had no immediate reaction.

Early Friday, the group – beleaived to be affiliated with al-Qaeda – posted a statement on its website denying responsibility for the abduction.

Before the body was found, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was aware of the kidnapping, was in touch with Arrigoni's family and was taking steps to ensure his safety. "Foreign Minister Franco Frattini is in touch with diplomats in the country and is following the situation with great attention," the statement said.

'A heinous murder'

Hamas' Interior Ministry called a special press conference following the recovery of the Italian peace activist's body in Gaza.

The ministry denounced the act: "This is a heinous murder which does not represent our religion, values and costume," it said in a statement, adding the act "harms the Palestinian people's goals." Hamas police have launched a full inquiry in the case.

Hamas itself is a fundamentalist Islamic group, but it faces challenges from even more extremist offshoots of Islam, including Walid-al-Maqdasi's group, that take inspiration from al-Qaida and the world jihad movement. Hamas has denied that al-Qaeda has a presence in Gaza.

Kidnappings of foreigners were common before the Hamas takeover. Most of those abducted were foreign correspondents, including Alan Johnston of the BBC, who was abducted and held for 114 days before being freed in July 2007, just after Hamas overran Gaza, expelling forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

ISM operates in the West Bank and Gaza and is known for trying to prevent the Israeli military from carrying out its missions. Arraf said this activist has been going in and out of Gaza for more than two years. He was working with farmers and fishermen.

The ISM incident that got the most attention was the 2003 death of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer in southern Gaza while trying to block its path.

'Fighting an occupation is in my DNA'

Since his murder, online videos of an interview Arrigoni held earlier this year have surfaced on the internet.

"I arrived in Gaza on August 23, 2009 on a boat of the Free Gaza Movement with about 40 activists from 17 different countries," he said. "We arrived and broke a siege lasting since 1967. I remember this day as one of the happiest in my life."

Arrigoni said he came from a family of partisans. "My grandfathers died fighting an occupation, another occupation, the Nazi-fascist occupation in Italy. For this reason, my DNA, my blood probably has parts pushing me to fight for freedom and human rights."

Arrigoni said that there are people who are willing to devote their lives to support the people in Gaza despite their governments' complaisance and "cooperation with the Zionist-Israeli regime."
 
He said that he and his friends came to Gaza to "face the snipers as a human shield" and did what the UN should be doing to enforce international law.

Elior Levy, Reuters and AFP contributed to this report

This is what Vitorio Aggrosini was thinking.