Open Letter to Amnesty International

I have just completed reading your report about the way Israel treats Palestinians in the West-Bank and it was sad to read how unfair and slanted this report is.

Even before the 1967 war, Palestinians were kept in refugee camps by their host countries and how they were not only restricted but also massacred by the thousands!

YOU NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT IT!

They are still being restricted by their own and still:
YOU SAY NOTHING ABOUT IT in Lebanon, they are being killed!

Jordan has weekly quotes as to how many may enter, a bride missed her wedding because after standing in line for hours the bus was filled and she couldn't get to her wedding.

Egypt refused ti take back Gaza strip when the peace treaty was signed with Israel, so did Jordan. (they knew why...)

If there were less attacks on Israelis in the past few years, it's not because the Palestinians have all of a suddenly decided to live in peace with Israel, it's because the separating wall has made it harder for them to infiltrate suicide bombers.

As to the check points... How else can Israel defend its citizens from those suicide bombers?

"Arab Red Crescent" ambulances that wait to pick up the injured, often serve a secondary role, a role that is illegal under international law.

They have been photographed as they transport gunmen, Molotov cocktails, suicide bellts, suicide bombers and rock to confrontation locations, secure in knowledge that Israel will NOT fire on these "medical vehicles".

AND STILL YOU SAY NOTHING ABOUT IT!

Israel has offered the Palestinians an olive branches, many times, the Gaza strip was handed over to them, instead of rebuilding it, with the billions of dollars that have been given to them, Arafat became a billionaire, and I have no doubt that so have Henyia and Abu-Maazan.

It's NOT Israel that have abusing them, it's their own leaders, and you say nothing about that in your report.

People... children, women, the aged, are being bombed daily in Sderot, you think that is OK, not one word against that. North of Israel were bombed daily until summer of 2006.

WHERE WERE YOU?

It was the Hezbollah that started the second war of Lebanon 2006 by kidnapping two soldiers.It was Hamas that kidnapping one soldier from Israel's territory, does Israel not have the rights to defend her citizens?

If those are the conclusions and your opinion about the situation in the Middle-East, then you are nothing but a group of bigotry people, who can't see beyond your noses.

You do NOT care about the rights of all the people, you care only about the rights of some of them.

That makes your organization absolutely useless!!!

Hudna

Is the Palestinian Goal A Peace Agreement or“Hudna” [cease fire]?
by Itamar Marcus

Executive Summary
Israeli Arab Knesset Member Abd-Al Malek Dahamshe was interviewed on Palestinian Television. A viewer called in to the studio and commented that, “Our problem with Israel is not a border problem, but one of existence”. Dahamshe responded: “We exaggerate when we say ‘peace’... what we are [really] speaking about is ‘Hudna’ "
[Israeli Arab Knesset Member Abd-Al Malek Dahamshe, PATV, 1 September 2000]

“Hudna” is an Islamic term meaning cease fire. MK Dahamshe accepted the position expressed by the caller, by referring to the agreements with Israel not as “Peace” but rather as a cease fire.

This report investigates to what extent this position of Dahamshe reflects the position of the Palestinian Authority. When Palestinian officials speak to their own people in Arabic, do they anticipate that a permanent agreement with Israel will be peace agreement ending the conflict with Israel, or that it is just a “Hudna” a temporary cease fire?

Findings
The research demonstrates a clear and unified world-view within the Palestinian leadership, in speeches to the nation, in educational programs, and through school textbooks published by the Palestinian Authority. Consistently Israel is defined as a colony that stole the land of “Palestine” having no right to exist. Therefore within the framework of the “justice”, there is no room for Israel’s permanent existence. The Arabic Palestinian lexicon contains many expressions to describe the negotiations with Israel in this context: “The permanent agreement is a stage”; “The Oslo accord is to gain a foothold”; “All the agreements are temporary”. In this context the Oslo process is part of the process of liberating “Palestine”. The recurrent justification given for the need for a temporary agreement with Israel is “because of current balance of power”. From the positions expressed within the Palestinian Authority it is evident that Dahamshe’s position whereby the permanent status agreement with Israel is to be viewed as “Hudna”, is the rule and not the exception.

The following are examples where PA leaders have stated this explicitly:
1. Faisal Husseini, Palestinian Authority Representative for Jerusalem Affairs:
Oslo accords are a Trojan Horse:

“Had the U.S. and Israel realized, before Oslo, that all that was left of the Palestinian National movement and the Pan-Arab movement was a wooden horse called Arafat or the PLO, they would never have opened their fortified gates and let it inside their walls…
This effort [the Intifada] could have been much better, broader, and more significant had we made it clearer to ourselves that the Oslo agreement, or any other agreement, is just a temporary procedure, or just a step towards something bigger... We distinguish the strategic, long-term goals from the political phased goals, which we are compelled to temporarily accept due to international pressure. … [Palestine] according to the higher strategy [is]: ‘from the river to the sea.’ Palestine in its entirety is an Arab land, the land of the Arab nation.” [Al-Arabi' -Egypt, 24 June 2001]

2. Abd El Aziz Shahian, Palestinian Authority Minister of Supplies: "Oslo is just the first step in the destruction of Israel":

“The Palestinian people accepted the Oslo agreements as a first step and not as a permanent settlement, based on the premise that the war and struggle in the land is more efficient than a struggle from a distant land [i.e. Tunisia, where the PLO was based before Oslo -Ed] ... the Palestinian people will continue the revolution until they achieve the goals of the ’65 revolution...”.
[P.A. Minister of Supply Abd El Aziz Shahian, Al Ayyam, 30 May 2000]
[The “’65 Revolution” is the founding of the P.L.O. and the publication of the Palestinian charter that calls for the destruction of Israel via an armed struggle.]

3. Othman Abu Arbiah, Arafat’s Deputy: "The Palestinian state is just the first stage":

“... At this stage we’ll prevail in our struggle [toward] the goals of the stages [plan]. The goal of this stage is the establishment of the independent Palestinian State, with its capital in Jerusalem. When we achieve this, it will be a positive [step] and it will advance us to the next stage via other ways and means... ‘Every Palestinian must know clearly and unequivocally that the independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital is not the end of the road’. The [rise of] the Palestinian State is a stage after which there will be another stage and that is the democratic state in all of Palestine [i.e. in place of Israel].” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 25 November 1999]
[Othman Abu Arbiah is Arafat’s aide for Political Guidance and national affairs, and the Director-General for National Affairs, a senior position in the Palestinian national educational structure]

4. Sheikh Yousuf Abu Sneina, the preacher of the Al-Aqza Mosque: "All of Israel is “Palestine” forever":

“The Islamic land of Palestine is one and can not be divided.
There is no difference between Haifa and Nablus, between Lod and Ramallah, between Jerusalem and Nazareth, between Gaza and Ashkelon. The land of Palestine is Waqf land that belongs to Moslems throughout the world and no one has the right to act freely or the right to make concessions or to abandon her. Whoever does this betrays a [trust] and is nothing more than a loathsome criminal whose abode is in Hell!”
[The Preacher of Al Aqza Mosque, Sheikh Yousuf Abu Sneina, PATV, 8 September 2000]

5. Abdullah Al-Hourani, Chairman, Palestinian National Council Political Committee: "The conflict remains eternal - all of Israel is Palestine":

Interviewer: “How do [you] read the future of the peace process…?”
Al-Hourani: “Whether they return to negotiations or not, and whether they fulfill the agreements or not - the political plan is a temporary agreement, and the conflict remains eternal, will not be locked, and the agreements being talked about are regarding the current balance of power. As to the struggle, it will continue. It may pause at times, but in the final analysis, Palestine is ours from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River.” [Al Hayat Al Jadida, 14 April 2000]

6. Imad Alfalugi, the Palestinian Authority Minister of Communication:"Israel “the Occupation State” will cease to exist":

“Our people have hope for the future, that the Occupation State ceases to exist, and that it makes no difference [how great] its power and arrogance...”.
[Minister of Communications, Imad Alfalugi, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 18 November 1999]

7. Salim Alo’adia, Abu Salam, Supervisor of Political Affairs:"The goal has not changed - the “liberation of Palestine”:

“When we picked up the gun in ’65 and the modern Palestinian Revolution began, it had a goal. This goal has not changed and it is the liberation of Palestine.” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 20 January 2000]

8. Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, Palestinian Authority appointed Mufti of Jerusalem & Palestine: "We have not forgotten about Jaffa or about Acre":

“We are discussing the current problems and when we speak about Jerusalem it doesn’t mean that we have forgotten about Hebron or about Jaffa or about Acre….we are speaking about the current problems that have priority at a certain time. It doesn’t mean that we have given up... We have announced a number of times that from a religious point of view Palestine from the sea to the river is Islamic.” [PATV, 11 January 2001.]

Note: Jaffa and Acre are Israeli cities. The “sea to the river” is all of Israel.

9. Dr. Ahmed Yousuf Abu Halbiah, PA Religious leader, member of the Palestinian Sharianic (Islamic religious law) Rulings Council, and Rector Advanced Studies, the Islamic University:“All the agreements are temporary”:

“We the nation of Palestine, our fate from Allah is to be the vanguard in the war against the Jews until the resurrection of the dead, as the Prophet Mohammed said: The resurrection of the dead will not come until you do battle with the Jews and kill them… We the Palestinians, are the vanguard in this issue, in this battle, whether we want to or whether we refuse. All the agreements being made are temporary...” [Preacher Dr. Ahmed Yousuf Abu Halbiah, PATV, 28 July 2000]

10. Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, a Palestinian Authority religious leader:" “We will enter Jaffa, Ramle and Lod and all of Palestine, as conquerors”:

“We are positive that Allah will help us triumph. Our belief is firm that one day we will enter Jerusalem as conquerors, enter Jaffa as conquerors, Ramle and Lod… and all of Palestine, as conquerors… [ed. note: Jaffa, Ramle, and Lod are Israeli cities.]

“If He [Allah] asks them [Arab leaders], on Judgment Day: ‘the majority of Palestine was lost in ’48 and what did you do? And the remainder was lost in ’67, and now it is being vanquished again.’
How shall we respond to our Lord?…

“Palestine shall be the burial grounds of the invaders just as it was for the Tartars, and the Crusaders and for modern colonialism… The Tradition relates to us that Allah’s cherished one [Muhammad] said: ‘The Jews will battle against you but you shall emerge masters over them.”
[Preacher Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, PATV, 12 April 2002]

11. Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, a Palestinian Authority religious leader: “We will blow them up in Hadera, we will blow them up in Tel-Aviv”

“We will blow them up in Hadera, we will blow them up in Tel-Aviv and in Netanya... We will fight against them and rule over them until the Jew will hide behind the trees and stones and the tree and stone will say: 'Moslem! Servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, kill him’… We will enter Jerusalem as conquerors, and Jaffa as conquerors, and Haifa as conquerors and Ashkelon as conquerors....” [Preacher Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, PATV, 3 August 2001]

12. Dr. Ahmed Yousuf Abu Halbiah, a Palestinian Authority Religious leader:
“We will not forget Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, the Galilee Triangle, and the Negev”

“Even if agreements were signed [regarding] Gaza and the West Bank, we will not forget Haifa, Acre, Jaffa, the Galilee Triangle, and the Negev. It is only a question of time…”[Ed note: All are Israeli cities or regions.] [Preacher Dr. Ahmed Yousuf Abu Halbiah, PATV, 13 October 2000]

13. Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, PA religious leader:" Palestine shall return to its former days..Israel shall pass.."

“Who is responsible for the loss of Palestine, the good land that the passages of the dear Koran bless many times, and [for] deceitfully labeling it Israel? Who is responsible for the loss of Jerusalem... The Prophet [Muhammad] soothes us with many Hadiths that Palestine shall return to its former days.... We must prepare a foothold, for the coming army of Allah, by divine predetermination. May it be Allah’s will, this oppressing state shall pass, Israel shall pass...” [Preacher Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Madi, PATV, 8 June 2001]

Conclusions
What is clear from the Palestinians is that their goal of destroying Israel has never been abandoned. Indeed, the message from the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to their respective people are direct opposites of one another:

Israel leaders are saying:
The permanent status agreement will be painful, but we will accept it because it will mark the end of the conflict with the Palestinians and the Arab world in general.

The Palestinian leaders are saying:
The permanent status agreement will be painful, but we will accept it because it is not the end of the conflict. This is one stage leading to Israel’s destruction. The words of MK Abd-Al Malek Dahamshe constitute the conceptual basis for the Palestinian Authority’s policies:

“We exaggerate when we say ‘peace’...
what we are [really] speaking about is ‘Hudna’ ”.



http://www.pmw.org.il/specrep-31.html

IDF's History

The IDF traces its roots to Jewish paramilitary organization in the New Tishuv starting with the Second Aliya.

The first such organization was Bar-Giora, founde in September 1907. It was converte to Hashomer in April 1909, which operated until the British Mandate of Palestine came into being in 1920.
Hashomer was an elitiest organization with narrow scope and was mainly created to protect against criminal gangs seeking to steal property. During the WW1 the forerunners of the Haganah/IDF were te Zion Mule Corps and the Jewish Legion.

After the Arab riot in April 1920, the Yishuv leadership saw the need to create a nationwide underground defence organization and the Haganah was founded in June of the same year. The Haganah became a full scale defense force after the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine with an organization stracture, consisting in three main units: The Field Corps, The Guard Corps and the Palmach.

During WW2, the successor to the Jewish Legion of WW1 was the Jewish Brigade.The IDF founded following the establishment of the State of Israel, after Defense Minister and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion published the order of its creation on May, 26, 1948. The order called for the establishment of the Israel Defense Force (IDF), and the abolishment of all other Jewish armed forces.

Although, Ben-Gurion had no legal authority to issue such an orer, the order made legal by the cabinet on may,31. The two other Jewish underground organization, Irgun and Lehi, agreed to join the IDF if they would be able to form independent units and agreed not to make independent arms purchases. This was the background if the dispute wich led to the Altalena Affair, when following a confrontation regarding the weapon it brought resulted in a battle between Irgun members the newly created IDF. It ended when the ship was shelled. Following the affair, all independent Irgun and Lehi units, were either disbanded or merged into the IDF.

The Palmach, a strong lobby within the Haganah, also joined the IDF with provision, and Ben-Gurion responded by disbanding its staff in 1949, after which many senior Palmach officers retired, notably its first commander Itzhak Sadeh. The new army organized itself during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, when Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, declared war on Israel.
Twelve infanty and armored brigades were created: Golani, Carmli, Alexandroni, Givati, Etzioni, the 7th and 8th amored brigades, Oded, Harel, Yiftach and Negev.
After the war, some of the brigades were converted to reserve units, and other were disbanded. Golani and Givati are still on service.

Immediately after the 1948 war, Israel Defense Forces shifted to low intensity conflict against Arab Palestinian guerrillas.

The 1956 Suez Crisis was the IDF first test of strength after 1949, an the new army proved itself by capturing Sinai Penninsula from Egypt, which is immediately returned.

In the 1967 Six days War, Israel captured the Sinai Pennisula (2nd time), West Bank and Golan Heights from the surrounding Arab states, changing the balance of power in the region, a well as the role of the IDF.

In the following years leading up the Yom Kippur war, the IDF fought war of attrition against Egypt in the Sinai and a border war against the PLO in Jordan, culminating in the battle of "Karameh".
The surprise od the Yom Kippur war and its aftermath completley changed the IDF procedures and approach the warfare/ Organizational changes were made and more time was dedicated to training for conventional warfare. However, in the following years, the army's role slowly shifted again to low intensity conflict, urban warfare an counter-terrorism.

It was involved in the Lebanese Civil War, intiating operation Litani and later Lenanon war, where the IDF ousted Palestinian guerilla organizations from Lebanon. Palestinian militancy and Hezbollah has been the main focus of the IDF ever since, especially during the first and second Intifadas, operation Defensive Shield, Gaza War and Lebanon war 1 & 2, causing the IDF to change many of its values and published the IDF spirit.

IDF's Marva Program

Marva - General Description:
Marva is an IDF program that allows young Jews to learn and experience the basics of IDF and Israeli life. The program lasts between seven to eight weeks and each week, students are stationed at a different base.

Program Outline:‏
This program is open to participants from all over the world. The program is conducted in simple Hebrew, allowing for significant improvement of Hebrew skills. Activities range from camp craft, navigation, and topography to hikes, lectures, seminars and walking tours, participation in training exercises, and being in the field. Emphasis is placed on Israel’s security situation during lectures on specific social and political issues. The program is based in the Southern Negev on a Gadna base, but participants will spend considerable time in various other parts of the country, including Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, the Galilee, and more.‏

General Information:
Category: General Short Term Programs

Organizer: Tnuat Aliyah

Dates Information: This program runs more than once a year. Contact the organizer for further details.

Length: 8 weeks

Requirements: Minimum Age: 18
&... Maximum Age: 28

Target Population: Jewish Tourists

Special Requirements:
*Excellent physical condition.
*High motivation.
*Minimum of aleph level Hebrew.

There is no ulpan as part of the program. If your Hebrew is not sufficient, we suggest you do an Ulpan prior to the program.

Marva -- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: QUESTION: What is Marva and how did it come about?
A: Marva began in 1982 as an advanced Gadna (the educational youth branch of the IDF) style program. It originally started on a base called Marva (Sage) in the Gallil.

Q: QUESTION: What is the goal of the program?
A: One of the great forces in the Israeli experience is the army. It is one great leveler and probably the best tool for absorption of new immigrants. Yet in most western countries the word Army bring out negative connotations. The goal of Marva is to expose foreign students to the complexities of the problems and challenges facing the Israeli Army, and the role of the IDF within the framework of Israeli society. It must be emphasized that one who does Marva is not doing army service and is no way part of the IDF. The course is open to any Jew who is interested in learning about the IDF. You do not have to think about Aliyah or army service. During the course participants will have to deal with army disipline, the challenge of the mind will be harder than the challenge of the body.

Q: Do I need to speak Hebrew?
A: Since the program is given in Hebrew the more Hebrew you know the more you will gain out of the program. There is a Hebrew test as part of the application procedure. You need to be able to carry a conversation, even if it's only on a "street level."

Q: Do I have to be especially fit?
A: You must be physically healthy and have documentation. Beyond that you do not need physical strength but you do need determination and stamina.

Q: What is the application procedure?
A: If you are applying from abroad, see your local Aliyah representative. If you do not know how to contact your representative abroad, or you are in Israel, contact Tnuat Aliyah.

Q: Where is the program located?
A: Today's main base is the Gadna base at Sde Boker however during the program participants travel all over the country.

Q: What are the living conditions like?
A: Army accommodations. Be aware that it is located in the Negev and the heat in the summer is very dry and the winter nights can be quite cold.

Q: How many people, on an average, do the program?
A: There are approximately 40 people in each session from all over the world.

Q: What will I learn there?
A: You will learn, topography, camp craft, history, celestial navigation, as well as current events and their effect on the army and riflery. You will visit army bases and see army projects with other sectors of Israeli society. For around 6 weeks of the program you will be "on the road," including one week at the Wingate Institute for physical fitness training. Most of all you will learn how to act as a group and how to help others in your unit to achieve a common goal - as such you will learn the true secret of the Israeli army moral and team cooperation.

For more information, contact your local Shaliach or call or write to:
Marva Program - Tnuat Aliyah
Shmuel Hanagid 7 - POB 92
Jerusalem 91000
(972)2-620-4407

Quotes by previous program participants:
"Marva is a chance to see a side of Israel that only Israeli soldiers get to see".

"On one occasion we stood on a runway as six f-16’s taxied by. Wow. We met many soldiers and spoke to them. We were considered soldiers and for a short time at least experienced a little bit of what it is like to be a soldier in a country in which the army is survival itself."

"Marva is not only about what we get out of it. It is also about what we can give to others. Our presence can help boost the morale of soldiers and provide pride for Israelis".

"In short, Marva is a great way that Diaspora Jews can at least show how much we love and appreciate Israel, and how much we appreciate the sacrifice that real Israeli soldiers make so that we can have a country of our own."
~ Anthony Herman, Melbourne ~

Israel - IAF's Fighter Jets History

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as חיל האוויר, Heyl HaAvir, "Air Corps") is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded at the same time as the formation of the State of Israel. Its current Commander in Chief is Aluf Ido Nehoshtan.

Early years (1948–1967)
Preceded by the Sherut Avir, the air wing of the Haganah, the Israeli Air Force was officially formed on May 28, 1948, shortly after Israel declared statehood and found itself under immediate attack. At first, it was assembled from a hodge-podge collection of civilian aircraft commandeered or donated and converted to military use. A variety of obsolete and surplus ex-World War II combat aircraft were quickly sourced by various means to supplement this fleet. The backbone of the IAF consisted of 25 Avia S-199s (purchased from Czechoslovakia, essentially Czechoslovak-built Messerschmitt Bf 109s) and 62 Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXEs. Creativity and resourcefulness were the early foundations of Israeli military success in the air, rather than technology (which, at the inception of the IAF, was generally inferior to that used by Israel's adversaries). Many of the first IAF's pilots in 1948 were foreign volunteers (both Jewish and non-Jewish) and World War II veterans, who wanted to collaborate with Israel's struggle for its independence. The IAF's humble beginnings made its first air victories particularly impressive and noteworthy.

Israel's new fighter arm first went into action on May 29, 1948, assisting the efforts to halt the Egyptian advance from Gaza northwards. Four newly arrived Avia S-199s, flown by Lou Lenart, Modi Alon, Ezer Weizman and Eddie Cohen, struck Egyptian forces near Isdud. Although damage was minimal, two aircraft were lost and Cohen killed, the attack nevertheless achieved its goal and the Egyptians stopped. The Avias were back in action on May 30, attacking Jordanian forces near Tulkarem, losing another aircraft in the process. The Israeli Air Force scored its first aerial victories on June 3, when Modi Alon, flying Avia D.112, shot down a pair of Egyptian Air Force DC-3s which had just bombed Tel Aviv. The first dogfight against enemy fighters took place a few days later, on June 8, when Gideon Lichtaman shot down an Egyptian Spitfire.[1] As the war progressed, more and more aircraft were procured, including Boeing B-17s, Bristol Beaufighters, de Havilland Mosquitoes and P-51D Mustangs, leading to a shift in the balance of power. By the end of the war in early 1949, the IAF had secured air supremacy over Israel,[2] one that has not been seriously challenged since.

The Israeli Air Force played an important part in Operation Kadesh, Israel's part in the 1956 Suez Crisis. At the launch of the operation, on October 29, Israeli P-51D Mustangs severed telephone lines in the Sinai, some using their propellor blades[2], while 16 IAF DC-3s escorted by fighters dropped Israeli paratroopers behind Egyptian lines at the Mitla Pass and Et-Tur.

During the 1950s, France became a major supplier of warplanes to Israel, but relations between the two countries deteriorated just before the Six-Day War, when France declared an arms embargo on Israel. Consequently, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) significantly increased its aircraft and weapons production (initially based on the French models) and Israel switched to the United States as its principal supplier of military aircraft.

The Six-Day War
In three hours on the morning of June 5, 1967, the first day of the Six Day War, the Israeli Air Force executed Operation Focus, crippling the opposing Arab air forces and attaining air supremacy for the remainder of the war. In a surprise attack, the IAF destroyed most of the Egyptian Air Force while its planes were still on the ground. By the end of the day, with surrounding Arab countries also drawn into the fighting, the IAF had mauled the Syrian and Jordanian air forces as well, striking as far as Iraq. After six days of fighting Israel claimed a total of 452 Arab aircraft destroyed, of which 49 were aerial victories. The Israeli Air Force admits losing 46 aircraft, 12 to Arab air forces.
[edit] The War of Attrition
Main article: War of Attrition

Shortly after the end of the Six-Day War, Egypt initiated the War of Attrition, hoping to prevent Israel from consolidating its hold over the lands captured in 1967. Israel's goal in the fighting was to exact heavy losses on the opposing side, in order to facilitate a ceasefire. The Israeli Air Force consequently undertook repeated bombings of strategic targets deep within enemy territory and repeatedly challenged Arab air forces for aerial supremacy, all the while supporting operations by Israel's ground and naval forces. On July 30, 1970, the tension peaked: An IAF ambush resulted in a large scale air brawl between IAF planes and MiGs flown by Soviet pilots — five MiGs were shot down, while the IAF suffered no losses. Fear of further escalation and superpower involvement brought the war to a conclusion. By its end of August 1970, the Israeli Air Force had claimed 111 aerial kills while admitting losing only four aircraft to Arab fighters. Notable operations of the War of Attrition include:

* Operation Rooster 53 – September 26, 1969: IAF Super Frelon and Sikorsky CH-53 Yas'ur helicopters carry paratroopers in a raid to capture an advanced Soviet P-12 radar deployed in Egypt near Suez. A CH-53 helicopter carried the 4-ton radar back to Israeli held territory, tethered underneath it.
* Operation Priha (Blossom) – January 7, 1970 – April 13 1970: a concentrated series of strikes against military targets in the Egyptian heartland.
* Rimon 20 – July 30, 1970: the IAF ambushes and shoots down 5 Soviet MiG-21 fighters.

Yom Kippur War
During the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, the Israeli Air Force shot down 277 enemy warplanes, accounting for over a third of the IAF's total kills since 1948, but at the price of 53 pilots and over 100 of its own aircraft (104 according to Israel, 180–200 according to some western sources, 280 according to Soviet estimates[3]). The IAF suffered heavy losses mainly due to the introduction of new Soviet air defense equipment and doctrine: medium range SA-6 mobile SAM batteries and point defence provided by short range Shilka radar guided SPAAG and SA-7 Strela MANPADS (employed by Egyptian infantry), advancing with the mechanized forces and covered by older but longer range and still very dangerous SA-2 and SA-3 anti aircraft missile batteries. Nevertheless, throughout the war, the IAF managed to assist IDF ground forces, and kept up strikes on targets in Syria and Egypt.

One of the first encounters of the war was the Ofira Air Battle, involving two Israeli Phantoms versus 28 Egyptian Mig-17s and Mig-21s, and resulting in 7 downed Egyptian planes and disengagement of the rest. On October 9, 1973, two F-4 Phantom quartets attacked and destroyed the Syrian General Staff Headquarters in the heart of Damascus, damaging Syrian Air Force Headquarters as well. During the war, IAF helicopters proved to be highly useful in the logistic and MedEvac roles.
[edit] Growth (1973–82)

Ever since the Yom Kippur War, most of Israel's military aircraft have been obtained from the United States. Among these are the F-4 Phantom II, A-4 Skyhawk, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and E-2 Hawkeye. The Israeli Air Force has also operated a number of domestically-produced types such as the IAI Nesher, and later, the more advanced IAI Kfir, which were unauthorised derivatives of the French Dassault Mirage 5 (Israel bought 50 Mirage 5's from Dassault Aviation, but these were not delivered due to the French embargo emposed following the Six Day war). The Kfir was adapted to utilize a more powerful US engine, produced under license in Israel.

In 1976, IAF C-130 Hercules aircraft participated in Operation Thunderball, the rescue from Entebbe, Uganda, of the hostages of Air France flight 139.

Bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor
On June 7, 1981 eight IAF F-16A fighters covered by six F-15A jets carried out Operation Opera (also referred to as Operation Babylon or Operation Ofra) to destroy the Iraqi nuclear facilities of Osiraq. Among the pilots that took part in the attack was the late Colonel Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. The planes returned to Israel very low on fuel.
[edit] 1982 Lebanon War and its aftermath
Main article: 1982 Lebanon War

Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War, Syria, with the help of the Soviet Union, had built up an overlapping network of surface-to-air missiles in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. On June 9, 1982 the Israeli Air Force carried out Operation Mole Cricket 19, crippling the Syrian air defence array. In subsequent aerial battles against the Syrian Air Force, the IAF managed to shoot down 80 Syrian aircraft without losing a single fighter plane in an air to air combat. IAF AH-1 Cobra helicopter gunships destroyed dozens of Syrian armored fighting vehicles and other ground targets, including some T-72 main battle tanks.

In 1986 an IAF F-4 Phantom, piloted by Captain Aharon Achiaz, was inadvertently damaged midair and abandoned, resulting in the capture of flight navigator then-Captain Ron Arad by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia Amal. To this day, the whereabouts of Arad has not been disclosed by his captors.

For many years after the war's official end, and throughout Israel presence in Lebanon, IAF AH-1 Cobras continued to mount attacks on Hezbollah and PLO positions in south Lebanon.

Bombing of the PLO headquarters in Tunis
On October 1 1985, In response to a PLO terrorist attack which murdered three Israeli civilians in Cyprus, the Israeli air force carried out Operation Wooden Leg. The strike involved the bombing of PLO Headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, by F-15 Eagles. This was the longest combat mission ever undertaken by the IAF, a stretch of 2,300 kilometers, involving in-flight refueling by an IAF Boeing 707. As a result, PLO headquarters and barracks were either destroyed or damaged.

High Tech age (1990 and beyond)
Many of the IAF's electronics and weapons systems are developed and built in Israel by Israel Military Industries, Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit and others. Since the 1990s, the IAF has upgraded most of its aircraft with advanced Israeli-made systems, improving their performances. In 1990 the IAF began receiving the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship and started equipping its aircraft with the Rafael Python 4, Popeye and Derby missiles.

During the first Gulf War of 1991, Israel was attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles. Israeli Air Force pilots were on constant stand-by in their cockpits throughout the conflict, ready to fly to Iraq to retaliate. Diplomatic pressure as well as denial of IFF (Identify Foe or Friend) transponder codes from the United States, however, kept the IAF grounded while Coalition air assets and Patriot missile batteries supplied by the U.S. and the Netherlands sought to deal with the Scuds. In 1991, the IAF carried out Operation Solomon which brought Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

In the late 1990s, the IAF began acquiring the F-15I Ra'am (Thunder) and the F-16I Sufa (Storm), two of the most advanced variants of the F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, manufactured specially for Israel according to IAF requirements. The first of 102 F-16I Sufas arrived in April, 2004, joining an F-16 fleet that had already been the largest outside the US Air Force. The IAF also purchased the advanced Israeli air-to-air missile Rafael Python 5, with full-sphere capability, as well as a special version of the Apache Longbow, designated AH-64DI or Saraph. In 2005 the Israeli Air Force received modified Gulfstream V jets ("Nachshon"), equipped with advanced intelligence systems made by Israel Military Industries.

The Israeli Air Force took an extensive part in IDF operations during the al-Aqsa Intifada, including the controversial targeted killings of Palestinian militant leaders, most notably Salah Shakhade, Mahmoud Abu-Hunud, Abu Ali Mustafa, Ahmed Yassin, Adnan al-Ghoul, Jamal Abu Samhadana and Abed al-Aziz Rantissi. While this policy is criticized due to the collateral damage caused in certain instances, Israel claims it is vital in its fight against terrorism and that IAF pilots do whatever they can to avoid civilian casualties, including aborting strikes.

Deir Yassin's Massacre

By: Steven Plaut 

FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, April 11, 2005


This week is the anniversary of the events that took place in the Arab village of Deir Yassin in 1948. In recent years, Deir Yassin has been converted into a bludgeon by the Far Left, the Neonazi Right, and Israel-bashers in general.

Deir Yassin is the ultimate "Man Bites Dog" news story supposedly based on the inversion of players. It is recited endlessly by the very same people who have nothing to say against a century of countless massacres of Jewish civilians by Arabs. The church in St. John's Wood in London is just one of many examples of outfits "commemorating" the "victims" of Deir Yassin this week.

Deir Yassin was a not-at-all innocent Arab village sitting near the only road into Jerusalem in 1948. In the previous December, the UN had voted to partition what was left of Madatory Palestine into two states, one a Jewish state and the other an Arab state to be named Palestine, of approximately equal sizes. The Jews of Israel accepted the plan, while the Arab states and the Palestinian Arab leadership rejected it. Had they accepted it, a Palestinian state would have arisen peacefully in 1948.

In response to the UN resolution, Arabs launched attacks against Jews everywhere in the country and in particular placed the city of Jerusalem under siege. The Jewish population of Jerusalem was quite literally starving. The only road into the city passed through the area of Deir Yassin, and the Arab militiamen in the town were stopping all convoys from passing through.

Since Israel had yet to be formally proclaimed, the only Jews doing the fighting were members of three poorly-armed militias. The main one was the Hagana, commanded by David Ben Gurion and the socialist Zionist party. There were two smaller ones operating independently under the command of the dissident "revisionist Zionist" movement, the Etsel and the Lehi.

Poorly-trained irregulars of the two latter militias were ordered to attack Deir Yassin to relieve the siege. They did so in ferocious hand-to-hand fighting, in which some Deir Yassin villagers were killed. The Bash-Israel lobby has always maintained that the villagers were "massacred" in cold blood, despite a distinct lack of evidence.

Those who participated in the battle claim the villagers were killed when the Jewish militiamen fired into homes from which fire was directed at them.

The village was successfully taken and the siege of Jerusalem was lifted. Large numbers of Jewish militiamen had been killed in the house-to-house battle for the village. Approximately 100 Arabs in the village died, a number that was later greatly inflated by anti-Jewish propagandists to 250.

Part of the problem was that the mainstream socialist Zionist parties themselves magnified the supposed misbehavior of the two opposition militias in order to discredit them in the coming political contest for control of the emerging Jewish state. This trend has been echoed in recent years, and Deir Yassin has become the "massacre of choice" for anti-Semites trying to prove the Jews are bloodthirsty barbarians. In part these have based their claims on a document by a Hagana officer, one Meir Peil, who was not actually present at the battle but surveyed the village AFTER the fighting was finished.

Peil claimed he thought there had been looting and intentional killing of some villagers. The problem is that Peil is also a leftwing radical and not exactly a neutral source. Other less politicized sources tell a different tale. Even some Arab sources confirm that no massacre took place in Deir Yassin.

Meanwhile, a few years back the ZOA issued a new study, Deir Yassin History of a Lie, a 32-page analysis (with 156 footnotes) by ZOA National President Morton A. Klein. (For a free copy, please call (21....)

 Among other things, the ZOA study shows that the original claim of 254 dead was not based on any actual body count. The number was invented by Mordechai Ra'anan, leader of the Jewish soldiers who fought in Deir Yassin. He later admitted that the figure was a deliberate exaggeration in order to undermine the morale of the Arab forces, which had launched a war against the Jews in Mandatory Palestine to prevent the establishment of Israel. Other eyewitnesses to the battle estimated that about 100 Arabs had died.

Despite Ra'anan's admission, the figure 254 was circulated by Palestinian Arab leader Hussein Khalidi. His claims about Deir Yassin were the basis for an article in the New York Times claiming a massacre took place--an article that has been widely reprinted and cited as "proof" of the massacre throughout the past 57 years.

Meanwhile, there have been numerous exposes of the lies that have been invented surrounding the battle for Deir Yassin and these have largely discredited the Peil "eyewitness" report.

A massacre did take indeed take place, following the events in Deir Yassin, which had occurred on Friday morning April 9, 1948. On Monday morning, April 13, 1948, an Arab mob, chanting "Deir Yassin", massacred a bus convoy of Jewish doctors and nurses who were headed to Hadassah hospital on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. Seventy-eight members of Hadassah's medical staff were murdered in cold blood. Only recently was it revealed that some of the Hadassah nurses had found refuge in the nearby compound of the British consul, only to be turned over to Arabs by the Brits, and the Arabs proceeded to slaughter them in "revenge" for what they thought had occurred at Deir Yassin.

Both sides used the symbol of "Remember Deir Yassin" in 1948 during the war.

There were Jews who intimidated Arabs with the slogan and there were Arab commanders who rallied their populace with the same adage. Meanwhile, what has fanned the flames of Deir Yassin has been the United Nations decision to confine more than three million Palestinian Arabs to refugee camps, promising them the "right of return" to Arab villages that no longer exist.

In recent years a group of pro-Arab propagandists in the US have stared holding annual "memorials" for the "victims" of the "massacre" in Deir Yassin. The late Edward Said had been a member and the group includes such people as anti-Semite Norman Finkelstein, Saudi-financed ex-congressman Paul Findlay, and PLO propagandist Hanan Ashwari.

These are people who have never denounced Arab massacres of Jewish children, which were committed not by poorly trained irregulars in the heat of a crucial battle, but by Islamofascist terrorists awash in money and under the direct personal command of the PLO.

Steven Plaut is a professor at the Graduate School of the Business Administration at the University of Haifa and is a columnist for the Jewish Press. A collection of his commentaries on the current events in Israel can be found on his "blog" at www.stevenplaut.blogspot.com.

Blood Libel History

For thousands of years Jews have been accused of blood libels. Blood libels are false accusation against Jews use human blood in certain aspect of their religious rituals and holidays.

In General, the libel alleged something like this:
A child, normally a boy who had not yet reached puberty was kidnapped or sometimes bought and taken to a hidden place (the house of a prominent member of the Jewish community, a synagogue, a cellar, etc.) where he would be kept hidden until the time of his death.

The description of torture and human sacrifice in the antisemitic blood libels run contrary to many of the teaching of Judaism.

* The Ten Commandments in the Torah forbid murder!!!

* The use of blood (human or otherwise) in cooking is prohibited by the kosher dietary law.

* Blood from slaughtered animals may not be consumed, and must be drained out of the animal and covered with earth. (Lev 17:12-13)

* Blood from sacrificed animals may only be placed on the altar of the Great Temple in Jerusalem.(which no longer existed)

* Furthermore, consumption of human flesh violate kashrut.

While animals sucrifice was part of the practice of ancient Judaism, the Tanakh (old testament) and Jewish teaching portray human sacrifice as one of the most evils that separated the pagans of Canaan from the Hebrews. ( Deut' 12:31, 2 Kings 16:3)

Jews were prohibited from engaging in these rituals and were punished for doing so. (Ex' 34:15, Lev' 20:2, Deut' 18:12, Jer' 7:31)

* The first recorded blood libel against Jews was by the Graeco-Egyptian author Apion, who claimed that Jews sacrificed Greek victim in their temple. This blood libel from ancient Greek time pre dates Christianity and is usually thought of as an act of antisemitism.

This resulted in an attack on Jews in Alexandria in 38 CE in which thousands of Jews were did.

* The last recorded blood libel against Jews was on August 2009, a Swedish Newspaper, "Aftonbladet" published an editorial:

"They plunder the organs of our sons".

Claiming that Israeli soldiers are abducting Palestinians to steal their organs prompting furious condemnation and accusation of an anti-Semitic blood libel from a rival Swedish publication.

IDF Steals Palestinians' Organs

Top Sweden newspaper says IDF kills Palestinians for their organs. Report ties claims to New Jersey crime syndicate, prompts accusations of anti-Semitism from rival newspaper.

A leading Swedish newspaper reported that Israeli soldiers are abducting Palestinians in order to steal their organs, a claim that prompted furious condemnation and accusations of anti-Semitic blood libel from a rival publication.

"They plunder the organs of our sons," read the headline in Sweden's largest daily newspaper, the left-leaning Aftonbladet, which devoted a double spread in its cultural section to the article.

The report quotes Palestinian claims that young men from the West Bank and Gaza Strip had been seized by the Israel Defense Forces, and their bodies returned to the families with missing organs.

"'Our sons are used as involuntary organ donors,' relatives of Khaled from Nablus said to me, as did the mother of Raed from Jenin as well as the uncles of Machmod and Nafes from Gaza, who all had disappeared for a few days and returned by night, dead and autopsied," writes author Donald Boström in his report.

Boström's article makes a link to the recent exposure of an alleged crime syndicate in New Jersey. The syndicate includes several American rabbis, and one Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, who faces charges of conspiring to broker the sale of a human kidney for a transplant.

Boström also cites an incident of alleged organ snatching from 1992, during the time of the first Palestinian intifada. He says that the IDF seized a young man known for throwing stones at Israeli troops in the Nablus area, who was shot in the chest, both legs, and the stomach before being taken to a military helicopter which transported him to "a place unknown to his loved ones".

Five nights later, Boström says, the young man's body was returned, wrapped in green hospital sheets.

"The sharp sounds from the shovels were mixed with the occasional laughter from the soldiers who were joking with each other, waiting to go home. When Bilal was put into his grave, his chest was revealed and suddenly it became clear to the present what abuse he had been put through. Bilal was far from the only one who was buried cut-up from his stomach to his chin and the speculations about the reason why had already started," he writes.

But the liberal Sydsvenskan - southern Sweden's major daily - had harsh criticism for the rival paper, running an opinion piece under the headline "Antisemitbladet" (a play on the name Aftonbladet).

"We have heard the story before, in one form or the other. It follows the traditional pattern of conspiracy theory: a great number of loose threads that the theorist tempts the reader to tie into a neat knot without having been provided with any proven connection whatsoever," writes leading columnist Mats Skogkär of Sydsvenskan.

"Whispers in the dark. Anonymous sources. Rumors. That is all it takes. After all we all know what they [the Jews] are like, don't we: inhuman, hardened. Capable of anything," the opinion piece says. "Now all that remains is the defense, equally predictable: 'Anti-Semitism' No, no, just criticism of Israel."

The Foreign Ministry reacted angrily on Tuesday to the report. Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor said the newspaper's decision to publish the story is "a mark of disgrace" for the Swedish press.

"In a democratic country, there should be no place for dark blood libels out of the Middle Ages of this type," Palmor said. "This is an article that shames Swedish democracy and the entire Swedish press."

A Foreign Ministry official said that Israel's embassy in Stockholm have communicated a harsh condemnation to the Swedish government and the newspaper itself.

The Silent Partners of Hitler

A journalist for Toronto's Globe and Mail details the continuing, wretched story of Swiss collusion, as financiers and dealers in stolen goods, with Nazi Germany. The story isn't simple, and the culpability extends far beyond Swiss bankers.

For instance, Vincent notes that a US intelligence report from 1945 suggested that even the International Committee of the Red Cross, with headquarters in Switzerland, smuggled ""Nazi assets and valuables across Europe in diplomatic pouches.

A number of Swiss firms may also have worked closely (and profitably) with the Nazis. While it was known in official circles that Switzerland flagrantly abused its neutrality, its complicity was only lightly considered by the Allied victors, largely because of pragmatic realpolitik. Although Swiss banks, throughout the war, paid Germany needed foreign currency for gold bullion usurped from the central banks of conquered countries and for bars refined from the gold gathered from the ring fingers and teeth of millions of slaughtered Jews, they were not pursued by any international courts. Secret accounts established by beleaguered Jews before they disappeared were ignored, too.

An amount approaching $6 billion (in current dollars) may have been involved. Only under intense international pressure, generated at first by the World Jewish Congress, have the Swiss begun, reluctantly, truculently, to open their bank records for review. Vincent provides a thorough summary of what is known about Swiss actions during and since the war, and to humanize the issue, draws on a number of interviews with individuals attempting to find out about family accounts, and especially on the efforts of the surviving descendants of Abraham Hammersmith, a Viennese textile exporter, to reclaim their past. The history of the Hammersmith family, many of whom died in the Holocaust, is a kind of record in miniature of Jewish suffering and Swiss mendacity. A clear, angry, important (though interim) work that treats significant matters with clarity and intelligence.

Holocaust Denial

One of the most notable anti-Semitic propaganda movements to develop over the past two decades has been the organized effort to deny or minimize the established history of Nazi genocide against the Jews. In the United States, the movement has been known in recent years primarily through the publication of editorial-style advertisements in college campus newspapers. The first of these ads claimed to call for "open debate on the Holocaust"; it purported to question not the fact of Nazi anti-Semitism, but merely whether this hatred resulted in an organized killing program. A more recent ad has questioned the authenticity of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. These ads have been published in several dozen student newspapers on campuses across the country.

Similar propaganda has established a beachhead on the computer Internet. In addition to creating their own home pages, Holocaust deniers have sometimes "crashed" the sites of legitimate Holocaust and Jewish discussion groups in a blatant effort at anti, Jewish provocation and self-promotion. Additionally, Holocaust deniers have advertised their Web sites by purchasing innocuous-sounding, inconspicuous classified ads in college and community newspapers.

These paid advertisements and Internet activities have been a national phenomenon since 1991. Though there is no evidence that they have persuaded large numbers of students to doubt the settled record of events which comprise the Holocaust, their appearance has generated acrimony and has frequently caused friction between Jewish and non-Jewish students.

This is precisely the intent of the Holocaust deniers: by attacking the facts of the Holocaust, and by framing this attack as merely an unorthodox point of view, their propaganda insinuates subtle but hateful anti-Semitic beliefs of Jews as exploiters of non-Jewish guilt and Jews as controllers of academia or the media. These beliefs, in fact, bear comparison to the preachings which brought Hitler to power in prewar Germany.

This pamphlet has been designed to provide a brief summary of the propaganda campaign known as Holocaust "revisionism," or Holocaust denial. What follows is (1) a "Q&A" description of the movement, its history, and its leading activists, as well as a review of legal and scholarly responses to this propaganda; (2) a summary of the movement's most common allegations, with brief factual responses, and (3) a selection of quotes by the leading propagandists, demonstrating their anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi agendas.

It is highly unlikely that this report will dissuade the Holocaust deniers from their mendacious and hateful campaign. But this information should provide students and educators with the facts to make informed decisions and vigorous responses to these bigoted lies.

(For further details concerning the Holocaust denial movement, see also the Anti-Defamation League publication, Hitler's Apologists: The Anti-Semitic Propaganda of 'Holocaust Revisionism')

Bleeding Heart

To you, the citizens of the "bleeding heart" world...

Before you attacking us with words, claim that we are brutal, talking about how emotionless we are, before you sending another e-mail or chat to the world that claims that the Israelis are the problematic, before you determine that we are the bad guys and the rest are week and miserable, I wonder if you know these things:

1) When you were born, you left the hospital with flowers and presents -
Babies in Israel, left the hospital with gas mask and self defending kit.

2) When you learn in the kindergarten how to draw and sing -
Kids in kindergarten in Israel learns what to do in case of alarm and where is the shelter.

3) When you celebrate for the good days -
We celebrate that "they" didn't succeed to eliminate us during all these years.

4) When you have a memorial day for a friend or relative that died in old age -
We memorize that six millions of our nation murdered just because they were Jewish and our soldiers who dies in daily basis to defend us from Islamic terrorism or any other threats.

5) When the age of 18, you start your academic studying, we must join the army (IDF)
and not necessarily that we come to 20 years old.

6) When you are planning vacation overseas and ask about sea and pampering -
We, first of all, have to check if there are any warnings about the place.

7) When you build your house in your country with big guestroom and playroom -
We obliged to build our with a "strong-room".

8) When you go out to have fun, going out to a movie or restaurant, a host is waiting for you in the entrance - We have a guard to check that no one will come to explode and kill innocent people.

9) When you take the bus in the morning on your way to your work or arrangements -
You don't need to be frightened and you don't need to look at the rest of the passengers and search for suspects.

10) When you drive across your wonderful country from north to south or from east to west -
You don't need to be afraid of an ambush.

11) In the last war of your country, takes part your grandfather, now at the age of 87 -
I already took part in 4 wars, and I am only 37.

But this is our reality and we don't have problem with that. We never complained and we never looked for any mercy. There were better days that we hoped for peace, but when there are leaders in the twentieth century from other nation, that announce that it will be better to eliminate the Jewish state...

I assumes that we forced for many years in this reality that when you read this letter you discover that it is non-realistic to live like that. So when you are in your peaceful and pastoral country and sometimes hear news about the Middle-East, please do me a favor and don't even think you know who or what is right.

And if you do want to know better - You invite to live here and then...
We Will Talk!

Why Do People Hate the Jews?

God cursed the Jews, therefore they don't deserve a country - (the statement of H.R.H.
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud: 'Our hatred for the Jews dates from God's condemnation of them for their persecution and rejection of Isa (Jesus Christ), and their subsequent rejection later of His chosen Prophet.

The Jews cause trouble wherever they are For example: "People all over the world have come to realize that Hitler was right, since Jews . . . are bloodsuckers . . . interested in destroying the whole world which has . . . expelled them and despised them for centuries ... and burnt them in Hitler's crematoria ... one million ... six millions. Would that he had finished it!"
~ Anis Mansour, Al-Akhbar, August 19, 1973 ~

Jews (or "Zionists") control the world or are plotting to control the world, based on the Protocols of the elders of Zion (see Hamas Charter for example and "Knight Without a Horse" - the popular Egyptian TV drama and see Mahathir Mohamed - OIC Congress address )

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Why Do People Hate the Jews?

It has been said that the history of almost all of the Jewish holidays can be summed up succinctly: "They wanted to kill us; we won. Let's eat." Why has anti-Semitism been so pervasive in so many countries, in so many time periods and for so many reasons? (One begins to wonder. Perhaps there is something wrong with the Jews and Judaism? After all, there is an old Yiddish saying -- "If one person calls you a donkey, ignore him; if two people call you a donkey, buy a saddle.")

Between the years 250 CE and 1948 CE - a period of 1,700 years - Jews have experienced more than eighty expulsions from various countries in Europe - an average of nearly one expulsion every twenty-one years. Jews were expelled from England, France, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Bohemia, Moravia and seventy-one other countries.

Historians have classified six explanations as to why people hate the Jews:

Economic -- "We hate Jews because they possess too much wealth and power."
Chosen People -- "We hate Jews because they arrogantly claim that they are the chosen people."
Scapegoat -- "Jews are a convenient group to single out and blame for our troubles."
Deicide -- "We hate Jews because they killed Jesus."
Outsiders -- "We hate Jews because they are different than us." (The dislike of the unlike.)
Racial Theory -- "We hate Jews because they are an inferior race."

As we examine the explanations, we must ask -- Are they the causes for anti-Semitism or excuses for Anti-Semitism? The difference? If one takes away the cause, then anti-Semitism should no longer exist. If one can show a contradiction to the explanation, it demonstrates that the "cause" is not a reason, it is just an excuse. Let's look at some contradictions:

Economic -- The Jews of 17th- 20th century Poland and Russia were dirt poor, had no influence and yet they were hated.

Chosen People -- a) In the late 19th century, the Jews of Germany denied "Choseness." And then they worked on assimilation. Yet, the holocaust started there. b) Christians and Moslems profess to being the "Chosen people," yet, the world and the anti-Semites tolerate them.

Scapegoat -- Any group must already be hated to be an effective scapegoat. The Scapegoat Theory does not then cause anti-Semitism. Rather, anti-Semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient scapegoat target. Hitler's ranting and ravings would not be taken seriously if he said, "It's the bicycle riders and the midgets who are destroying our society."

Deicide -- a) the Christian Bible says the Romans killed Jesus, though Jews are mentioned as accomplices (claims that Jews killed Jesus came several hundred years later). How come the accomplices are persecuted and there isn't an anti-Roman movement through history? b) Jesus himself said, "Forgive them [i.e., the Jews], for they know not what they do." The Second Vatican Council in 1963 officially exonerated the Jews as the killers of Jesus. Neither statement of Christian belief lessened anti-Semitism.

Outsiders -- With the Enlightenment in the late 18th century, many Jews rushed to assimilate. Anti-Semitism should have stopped. Instead, for example, with the Nazis came the cry, in essence: "We hate you, not because you're different, but because you're trying to become like us! We cannot allow you to infect the Aryan race with your inferior genes."

Racial Theory -- The overriding problem with this theory is that it is self-contradictory: Jews are not a race. Anyone can become a Jew - and members of every race, creed and color in the world have done so at one time or another.

Every other hated group is hated for a relatively defined reason. We Jews, however, are hated in paradoxes: Jews are hated for being a lazy and inferior race - but also for dominating the economy and taking over the world. We are hated for stubbornly maintaining our separateness - and, when we do assimilate - for posing a threat to racial purity through intermarriages. We are seen as pacifists and as warmongers; as capitalist exploiters and as revolutionary communists; possessed of a Chosen-People mentality, as well as of an inferiority complex. It seems that we just can't win.

Now we know what are NOT the reasons for anti-Semitism

3500 Years of Persecutions

3500 years of persecution. Yet, the Jews survived. Persecution of Jews has occurred on numerous occasions and at widely different geographical locations. As well as being a major component in Jewish history, it has significantly impacted the general history and social development of the countries and societies in which the persecuted Jews lived.

Jewish Persecution - History of AntiSemitism

DATE - PLACE - EVENT
250 C.E. - Canhage - Expulsion
224 C.E. - Italy - Forced Conversion
325 C.E. - Jerusalem - Expulsion
351 C.E - Persia - Book Burning
357 C.E. - Italy - Property Confiscation
379 C.E. - Milan - Synagogue Burning
415 C.E. - Alexandria - Expulsion
418 C.E. - Minorca - Forced Conversion
469 C.E. - Ipahan - Holocaust
489 C.E. - Antioch - Synagogue Burning
506 C.E. - Daphne - Synagogue Burning
519 C.E. - Ravenna - Synagogue Burning
554 C.E. - Diocese of Clement (France) - Expulsion
561 C.E. - Diocese of Uzes (France) - Expulsion
582 C.E - Merovingia - Forced Conversion
612 C.E. - Visigoth Spain - Expulsion
628 C.E. - Byzantium - Forced Conversion
629 C.E. - Merovingia - Forced Conversion
633 C.E. - Toledo - Forced Conversion
638 C.E. - Toledo - Stake Burnings
642 C.E. - Visigothic Empire - Expulsion
653 C.E. - Toledo - Expulsion
681 C.E. - Spain - Forced Conversion
693 C.E. - Toledo - Jews Enslaved
722 C.E. - Byzantium - Judaism Outlawed
855 C.E. - Italy - Expulsion
876 C.E. - Sens - Expulsion
897 C.E. - Narbonne - Land Confiscation
945 C.E. - Venice - Ban on Sea Travel
1009 C.E. - Orleans - Massacre
1012 C.E. - Rouen, - Limoges & Rome Massacre
1012 C.E. - Mayence - Expulsion
1021 C.E. - Rome - Jews Burned Alive
1063 C.E. - Spain - Massacre
1095 C.E. - Lorraine - Massacre
1096 C.E. - Northern France & Germany - 1/3 of Jewish Population Massacred
1096 C.E. - Hungary - Massacre
1096 C.E. - Ralisbon - Massacre
1099 C.E. - Jerusalem - Jews Burned Alive
1100 C.E. - Kiev - Pogrom
1140 C.E. - Germany - Massacres
1146 C.E. - Rhine Valley - Massacre
1147 C.E. - Wurzburg - Massacre
1147 C.E. - Belitz (Germany) - Jews Burned Alive
1147 C.E. - Carenton, Ramenu & Sully (France) - Massacres
1171 C.E. - Blois - Stake Burnings
1181 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1181 C.E. - England - Property Confiscation
1188 C.E. - London & York - Mob Attacks
1190 C.E. - Norfolk - Jews Burned Alive
1191 C.E. - Bray (France) - Jews Burned Alive
1195 C.E. - France - Property Confiscation
1209 C.E. - Beziers - Massacre
1212 C.E. - Spain - Rioting and blood bath against the Jews of Toledo.
1215 C.E. - Rome - Lateran Council of Rome decrees that Jews must wear the "badge of shame" in all Christian countries. Jews are denied all public sector employment, and are burdened with extra taxes.
1215 C.E. - Toulouse (France) - Mass Arrests
1218 C.E. - England - Jews Forced to Wear Badges
1231 C.E. - Rome - Inquisition Established
1236 C.E. - France - Forced Conversion/Massacre
1239 C.E. - London - Massacre & Property Confiscation
1240 C.E. - Austria - Property confiscation. Jews either imprisoned, converted, expelled, or burned.
1240 C.E. - France - Talmud Confiscated
1240 C.E. - England - Book Burning
1240 C.E. - Spain - Forced Conversion
1242 C.E. - Paris - Talmud Burned
1244 C.E. - Oxford - Mob Attacks
1255 C.E. - England - Blood libel in Lincoln results in the burning / torture of many Jews & public hangings.
1261 C.E. - Canterbury - Mob Attacks
1262 C.E. - London - Mob Attacks
1264 C.E. - London - Mob Attacks
1264 C.E. - Germany - Council of Vienna declares that all Jews must wear a "pointed dunce cap." Thousands murdered.
1267 C.E. - Vienna - Jews Forced to Wear Horned Hats
1270 C.E. - Weissenberg, Magdeburg, Arnstadt, Coblenz, Singzig, and Erfurt - Jews Burned Alive
1270 C.E. - England -The libel of the "counterfeit coins" - all Jewish men, women and children in England imprisoned. Hundreds are hung.
1276 C.E. - Bavaria- Expulsion
1278 C.E. - Genoa (Spain) - Mob Attacks
1279 C.E. - Hungary & Poland - The Council of Offon denies Jews the right to all civic positions. The Jews of Hungary & Poland are forced to wear the "red badge of shame."
1283 C.E. - Mayence & Bacharach - Mob Attacks
1285 C.E. - Munich - Jews Burned Alive
1290 C.E. - England - King Edward I issues an edict banishing all Jews from England. Many drowned.
1291 C.E. - France - The Jewish refugees from England are promptly expelled from France.
1292 C.E. - Italy - Forced conversions & expulsion of the Italian Jewish community.
1298 C.E. - Germany - The libel of the "Desecrated Host" is perpetrated against the Jews of Germany. Approximately 150 Jewish communities undergo forced conversion.
1298 C.E. - Franconia, Bavaria & Austria - Reindfel's Decree is propagated against the Jews of Franconia and Bavarai. Riots against these Jewish communities, as well as those in Austria, result in the massacre of 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.
1306 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1308 C.E. - Strasbourg - Jews Burned Alive
1320 C.E. - Toulouse & Perpigon - 120 Communities Massacred & Talmud Burned
1321 C.E. - Teruel - Public Executions
1328 C.E. - Estella - 5,000 Jews Slaughtered
1348 C.E. - France & Spain - Jews Burned Alive
1348 C.E. - Switzerland - Expulsion
1349 C.E. - Worms, Strasbourg, Oppenheim, Mayence, Erfurt, Bavaria & Swabia - Jews Burned Alive
1349 C.E. - Heilbronn (Germany) - Expulsion
1349 C.E. - Hungary - Expulsion
1354 C.E. - Castile (Spain) - 12,000 Jews Slaughtered
1368 C.E. - Toledo - 8,000 Jews Slaughtered
1370 C.E. - Majorca., Penignon & Barcelona - Mob Attack
1377 C.E. - Huesca (Spain) - Jews Burned Alive
1380 C.E. - Paris - Mob Attack
1384 C.E. - Nordlingen - Mass Murder
1388 C.E. - Strasbourg - Expulsion
1389 C.E. - Prague - Mass Slaughter & Book Burning
1391 C.E. - Castille, Toledo, Madrid, Seville, Cordova, Cuenca & Barcelona - Forced Conversions & Mass Murder
1394 C.E. - Germany - Expulsion
1394 C.E. - France - Expulsion
1399 C.E. - Posen (Poland) - Jews Burned Alive
1400 C.E. - Prague - Stake Burnings
1407 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attack
1415 C.E. - Rome - Talmud Confiscated
1422 C.E. - Austria - Jews Burned Alive
1422 C.E. - Austria - Expulsion
1424 C.E. - Fribourg & Zurich - Expulsion
1426 C.E. - Cologne - Expulsion
1431 C.E. - Southern Germany - Jews Burned Alive
1432 C.E. - Savory - Expulsion
1438 C.E. - Mainz - Expulsion
1439 C.E. - Augsburg - Expulsion
1449 C.E. - Toledo - Public Torture &. Burnings
1456 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1453 C.E. - Franconia - Expulsion
1453 C.E. - Breslau - Expulsion
1454 C.E. - Wurzburg - Expulsion
1463 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attack
1473 C.E. - Andalusia - Mob Attack
1480 C.E. - Venice - Jews Burned Alive
1481 C.E. - Seville - Stake Burnings
1484 C.E. - Cuidad Real, Guadalupe, Saragossa & Teruel - Jews Burned Alive
1485 C.E. - Vincenza (Italy) - Expulsion
1486 C.E. - Toledo - Jews Burned Alive
1488 C.E. - Toledo - Stake Burnings
1490 C.E. - Toledo - Public Executions
1491 C.E. - Astorga - Public Torture & Execution
1492 C.E. - Spain - Expulsion
1495 C.E. - Lithuania - Expulsion
1497 C.E. - Portugal - Expulsion
1499 C.E. - Germany - Expulsion
1506 C.E. - Lisbon - Mob Attack
1510 C.E. - Berlin - Public Torture & Execution
1514 C.E. - Strasbourg - Expulsion
1519 C.E. - Regensburg - Expulsion
1539 C.E. - Cracow & Portugal - Stake Burnings
1540 C.E. - Naples - Expulsion
1542 C.E. - Bohemia - Expulsion
1550 C.E. - Genoa - Expulsion
1551 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1555 C.E. - Pesaro - Expulsion
1556 C.E. - Sokhachev (Poland) - Public Torture & Execution
1559 C.E. - Austria - Expulsion
1561 C.E. - Prague - Expulsion
1567 C.E. - Wurzburg - Expulsion
1569 C.E. - Papal States - Expulsion
1571 C.E. - Brandenburg - Expulsion
1582 C.E. - Netherlands - Expulsion
1593 C.E. - Brunswick - Expulsion
1597 C.E. - Cremona, Pavia & Lodi - Expulsion
1614 C.E. - Frankfort - Expulsion
1615 C.E. - Worms - Expulsion
1619 C.E. - Kiev - Expulsion
1635 C.E. - Vilna - Mob Attack
1637 C.E. - Cracow - Public Torture & Execution
1647 C.E. - Lisbon - Jews Burned Alive
1648 C.E. - Poland - 1/3 of Jewry Slaughtered
1649 C.E. - Ukraine - Expulsion
1649 C.E. - Hamburg - Expulsion
1652 C.E. - Lisbon - Stake Burnings
1654 C.E. - Little Russia - Expulsion
1656 C.E. - Lithuania - Expulsion
1660 C.E. - Seville - Jews Burned Alive
1663 C.E. - Cracow - Public Torture &. Execution
1664 C.E. - Lemberg - Mob Attack
1669 C.E. - Oran (North Africa) - Expulsion
1670 C.E. - Vienna - Expulsion
1671 C.E. - Minsk - Mob Attacks
1681 C.E. - Vilna - Mob Attacks
1682 C.E. - Cracow - Mob Attacks
1687 C.E. - Posen - Mob Attacks
1712 C.E. - Sandomir - Expulsion
1727 C.E. - Russia - Expulsion
1738 C.E. - Wurtemburg - Expulsion
1740 C.E. - Liule Russia - Expulsion
1744 C.E. - Bohemia - Expulsion
1744 C.E. - Livonia - Expulsion
1745 C.E. - Moravia - Expulsion
1753 C.E. - Kovad (Lithuania) - Expulsion
1757 C.E. - Kamenetz - Talmud Burning
1761 C.E. - Bordeaux - Expulsion
1768 C.E. - Kiev - 3,000 Jews Slaughtered
1772 C.E. - Russia - Expulsion
1775 C.E. - Warsaw - Expulsion
1789 C.E. - Alsace - Expulsion
1801 C.E. - Bucharest - Mob Attack
1804 C.E. - Russian Villages - Expulsion
1808 C.E. - Russian Countryside - Expulsion
1815 C.E. - Lubeck & Bremen - Expulsion
1820 C.E. - Bremes - Expulsion
1843 C.E. - Austria & Prussia - Expulsion
1850 C.E. - New York City - 500 People, Led by Police, Attacked & Wrecked Jewish Synagogue
1862 C.E. - Area under General Grant's Jurisdiction in the United States Expulsion
1866 C.E. - Galatz (Romania) - Expulsion
1871 C.E. - Odena - Mob Attack
1887 C.E. - Slovakia - Mob Attacks
1897 C.E. - Kantakuzenka (Russia) - Mob Attacks
1898 C.E. - Rennes (France) - Mob Attack
1899 C.E. - Nicholayev - Mob Attack
1900 C.E. - Konitz (Prussia) - Mob Attack
1902 C.E. - Poland - Widespread Pogroms
1904 C.E. - Manchuria, Kiev & Volhynia - Widespread Pogroms
1905 C.E. - Zhitomir (Yolhynia) - Mob Attacks
1919 C.E. - Bavaria - Expulsion
1915 C.E. - Georgia (U.S.A.) - Leo Frank Lynched
1919 C.E. - Prague - Wide Spread Pogroms
1920 C.E. - Munich & Breslau - Mob Attacks
1922 C.E. - Boston - MA Lawrence Lowell, President of Harvard, calls for Quota Restrictions on Jewish Admission
1926 C.E. - Uzbekistan - Pogrom
1928 C.E. - Hungary - Widespread Anti-Semitic Riots on University Campuses
1929 C.E. - Lemberg (Poland) - Mob Attacks
1930 C.E. - Berlin - Mob Attack
1933 C.E. - Bucharest - Mob Attacks
1938-45 C.E. - Europe - Holocaust

Israel's Tourism

Israel Cities - Short Definition:
* Akko (Acre) - an ancient town with a historic port the most sacred Baha'i site
* Beer Sheva - the de facto capital of the Negev region
* Eilat - the 'Goa of the Middle East', Israel's window on the Red Sea, a vibrant resort city
* Haifa - center of the Bahá'í Faith, home to the Shrine of the Báb and Terraces and the German Quarter
* Jerusalem - a city sacred for millennia to three religions: Jews, Christians and Muslims
* Nazareth - the hometown of Jesus, now the largest Arab city in Israel
* Tel Aviv - the most vibrant city in the country, includes the White City, a site of Bauhaus architecture
* Tiberias - a modern resort town with an ancient background on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee
* Safed (Tzfat) - fascinating city filled with artists and mystics, home to ARI who established Kabbalah school of thought

Other destinations
* Beth Guvrin - a chain of caves which was used for various purposes in ancient times
* Caesarea National Park - ancient Roman city and much of it remains
* Dead Sea - a sea of hypersalinated water that keeps people afloat and the lowest point on Earth
* Ein Avdat - beautiful steep canyon and a popular hiking spot
* Masada - high on a plateau above the Dead Sea, the scene of the Zealots' last stand against the might of Rome
* Megiddo - an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city and the location of several key battles, both ancient and modern
* Mitzpe Ramon - crater/cliff in the middle of the Negev desert and the largest of three similar craters found in Israel
* Sea of Galilee - the home of Christ and the largest freshwater lake of the country
* Zippori - an archaeological site with the best preserved mosaics in a Roman town

Israel Country Guide:
Israel means many things to many people. For millions of travelers around the world, this is the ‘Holy Land', spiritually sacrosanct for the three great monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Archaeology buffs, eco-tourists and beach bums all find their own reasons to visit. For others, Israel evokes images of war, suicide bombings and broken peace treaties. However you view the country; Israel is an undeniably beautiful slice of the world, with alternating scenes of sea, desert, ancient towns and verdant nature reserves.

Israel's past
Weeding through Israel's convoluted history is both exhilarating and exhausting. There are crumbling temples, ruined cities, abandoned forts and hundreds of places associated with the Bible. One minute you're snooping around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the next you're amid dancing rabbis at the Western Wall. A short itinerary will leave you breathless. And while a sense of adventure is required, most sites are safe and easily accessible.

Urban centers
Israel's three big cities each have a distinct character and atmosphere. Jerusalem is forever holy and the domain of the ultra-religious. In Tel Aviv you're more likely to spot latte-sipping liberals, internet entrepreneurs and late-night ravers. Haifa has a gritty industrial feel but, as the world center for the Baha'i faith, it has an added complexity making it all the more intriguing. From the Dead Sea to the sea grottoes at Rosh HaNikra, there is plenty to see in between.

Israel's people
Most of all, Israel is about its incredibly diverse population. Jews come from all over the world to live here while about 20% of the population is Arab. Politics are hard to get away from in Israel as everyone has an opinion on how to move the country forward - with a ready ear you're sure to hear opinions from every side of the political
spectrum.

The most obvious division in Israel's society is between Jews - who make up 77% of the population in Israel proper and 15%-40% in areas currently controlled by Israel (parts of the West Bank) - and non-Jews (mostly Israeli-Arabs), who make nearly all of the rest. In terms of religious loyalty, 77% are Jewish, 16% are Muslim, 4% are Christian and 2% are Druze (a Muslim offshoot considered heretical by mainstream Islam). While equality is theoretically guaranteed, in practice there are many restrictions on the Arab population, both legal and 'de facto' (difficulty in obtaining building permits, increased security checks, etc).

There are also deep divisions within Jewish society. First is the ethnic division between the 'Ashkenazim', who lived in Europe for nearly 2000 years and are generally considered wealthier and politically better connected, and the 'Sephardim' and 'Mizrahim', who immigrated from the Middle East, Hadramaut and North Africa (Sephardi and Mizrahi immigrants from Europe tend to match the socio-economic profile of Ashkenazim.) In recent years, the divide between these ethnic groups has, however, grown much less acute.

While ethnic divisions have weakened as the native-born population has increased, religious tensions between 'secular' and 'orthodox' Jews have increased. The spectrum ranges from the stringently-orthodox 'haredim', only 15% (2008 est.) of the population but able to wield a disproportionate amount of power thanks to Israel's fractious coalition politics, to 50% who are 'modern orthodox' and finally 45% who consider themselves secular, although still adhere to some traditions. While secular Jews are widespread throughout all of Israel, orthodox Jews tend to concentrate mostly in certain cities such as Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Ashdod.

Holidays of Bahai Faith
Shrine of the Báb is the second holiest site to the Bahai Faith, located in the northern city of Haifa
Shrine of the Báb is the second holiest site to the Bahai Faith, located in the northern city of Haifa

Israel's time is + 2 hrs from GMT so when it's 6PM (GMT), 1PM (EST), it's 8PM in Israel. Daylight saving time (Summer time) begins on the last Friday before April 2nd, and ends on Saturday between the Jewish holidays of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

Public Holidays in Israel follow the Jewish calendar and as such vary from year to year although tend to fall within the same few-week period. Different levels of activity stop in Israel depending on the festival or holiday, and different areas will see different levels of activity on these days. The public transportation, for example, tends to completely stop its activity in many holidays. In the Jewish tradition, a new day begins with the appearance of three stars in the sky, which means that Jewish holidays begin in the afternoon hours a day before the official date. In general, Israel is a secular country, so most festivals won't see big changes in the levels of activity. Official national holidays are bolded.

Holidays
* Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), Falls between Sept 5 & Oct 5
* Fast Day of Gedaliah (Tsom Gedalyah ben Ahikam), Falls two days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
* Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Falls between Sept 14 & Oct 14. The holiest day of the year - this is the day 'when everything stops', including all shopping, public and private traffic, etc.
* Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) (Sukkot*), Falls between Sept 19 & Oct 19 (Only the first and last days are national holidays, however there may be some disruption during the intermediate days)
* Assembly of the Eighth Day (Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret), Falls between Sept 26 & Oct 26. Street festivals and dancing are common in most cities and towns on the preceding evening.
* Yitzhak Rabin's Remembrance Day (Yom Hazikaron le Yitzhak Rabin)
* Feast of Rededication (First Day) (Hanukkah), Falls between Nov 27 & Dec 27. Celebrated much less than in the US.
* Tenth of Tevet Fast (Tsom Asarah b-Tevet)
* Fifteenth of Shvat (Tu Bishvat). New Year of the Trees (similar to an Arbor Day)
* Fast of Esther (Ta`anit Ester)
* Memorial Feast for the Triumph of Esther (Purim*), Falls between February 24 & March 26. Street parades are common on this day.
* Passover (Pesach), Between March 26 & April 25 (Only the first and last days are national holidays, however there may be some disruption during the intermediate days). No bread or grain products are sold or served in most places during this week.
* Seventh day of Passover (Shvi'i shel Pesach), Falls between April 1 & May 1
* Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah), Falls between April 7 & May 7. At 10 AM, air raid sirens sound and the entire country comes to an eerie standstill for two minutes. Places of entertainment are closed on this day and its eve.
* Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day (Yom Hazikaron), Falls between April 14 & May 14. Air raid sirens sound and the entire country observes a minute of silence in the morning and preceding evening.
* Independence Day (Yom Ha-Atzmaut), Falls between April 15 & May 15. Large street festivals, city-wide parties and fireworks are common on the preceding night.
* 33rd day of the `Omer (Lag Ba'omer), Bonfires are common on the preceding night.
* Jerusalem Day (Yom Herut Yerushalayim), Large parades and festivals occur in Jerusalem.
* Pentecost (Shavuot), Falls between May 15 & June 14
* Seventeenth of Tammuz fast (Tsom Shiva` Asar b-Tammuz)
* Ninth of Av fast (Tisha B'Av). Destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples
* Fifteenth of Av (Tu B'Av). Festival of Love

Regions
Israel possesses a number of diverse regions, with landscapes varying between coast, mountain, valley and desert landscapes, with just about everything in between. Beyond the towns and cities, each region of Israel holds its own unique attractions. The metropolitan areas of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv form very much their own regions; from north to south, however, Israel's regions are as follows:
Regions of Israel.

Galilee
Can be divided into the Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee hill ranges, as well as the Jezreel Valley and the Sea of Galilee

Israeli North Coast
Sometimes called "Western Galilee", extends along the Mediterranean shore from Haifa to Rosh Haniqra and the Lebanese border. Also includes the Carmel Range.

Israeli Coastal Plain
Most developed part of Israel, between the Carmel Range and Gaza. The part north of Tel Aviv is known as the Sharon.

Shephelah
The fertile, hilly hinterland between the Coastal Plain and the Judean highlands

Negev
Desert covering much of the south of Israel, including Machtesh Ramon

Disputed Territories
Golan Heights
Mountainous area north-east of the Sea of Galilee. Occupied in 1967 by Israel, annexed in 1980, but still claimed by Syria.

Palestinian Territories
Two physically separate territories, the West Bank in the east and the Gaza Strip in the southwest. Internationally recognized as not a part of any country, government services (security, medical service, etc.) are provided by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, or a combination, depending on the exact location as a result of the Oslo Accords.

Israel's Promise Land

The history of the Jewish people begins with Abraham, and the story of Abraham begins when G-d tells him to leave his homeland, promising Abraham and his descendants a new home in the land of Canaan. (Gen. 12). This is the land now known as Israel, named after Abraham's grandson, whose descendants are the Jewish people. The land is often referred to as the Promised Land because of G-d's repeated promise (Gen. 12:7, 13:15, 15:18, 17:8) to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.

The land is described repeatedly in the Torah as a good land and "a land flowing with milk and honey" (e.g., Ex. 3:8). This description may not seem to fit well with the desert images we see on the nightly news, but let's keep in mind that the land was repeatedly abused by conquerors who were determined to make the land uninhabitable for the Jews. In the few decades since the Jewish people regained control of the land, we have seen a tremendous improvement in its agriculture. Israeli agriculture today has a very high yield.

Jews have lived in this land continuously from the time of its original conquest by Joshua more than 3200 years ago until the present day, though Jews were not always in political control of the land, and Jews were not always the majority of the land's population.

The land of Israel is central to Judaism. A substantial portion of Jewish law is tied to the land of Israel, and can only be performed there. Some rabbis have declared that it is a mitzvah (commandment) to take possession of Israel and to live in it (relying on Num. 33:53). The Talmud indicates that the land itself is so holy that merely walking in it can gain you a place in the World to Come. Prayers for a return to Israel and Jerusalem are included in daily prayers as well as many holiday observances and special events.

Living outside of Israel is viewed as an unnatural state for a Jew. The world outside of Israel is often referred to as "galut," which is usually translated as "diaspora" (dispersion), but a more literal translation would be "exile" or "captivity." When we live outside of Israel, we are living in exile from our land.

Jews were exiled from the land of Israel by the Romans in 135 C.E., after they defeated the Jews in a three-year war, and Jews did not have any control over the land again until 1948 C.E.