The view from my veranda

150123 Shabbat Shalom. Tel Aviv terror, PM in Washington, Argentina Nisman

150123
23rd January 2015
Shabbat Shalom dear friends.
Wednesday mornings terror attack in Tel Aviv was carried out by one young Palestinian whose mind was poisoned by Hamas and local religious leaders. He got on to a commuter bus and within seconds stabbed the driver, who fought back. Finding resistance he ran to the back of the bus stabbing everyone in his way. Incredibly, the driver stayed in control of the bus, careful to avoid hitting other vehicles.
Three prison warders on their way to the Law Courts saw the long, articulated, bus weaving then stop at green traffic lights. The driver – Herzl Biton – despite severe injuries managed to open the doors and the terrorist came out, running fast, stabbing a woman as he passed her before the three prison warders first shot in the air then shot the terrorist in the leg to stop his evil rampage.
 
The reaction of Hamas was one of victory. The young attacker was from Tulkaram, a Palestinian city in the West Bank close to Netanya and Haifa. Apparently he was out with friends til late last night, woke up this morning, bought a large kitchen knife this morning, somehow came over the border with the sole intention of killing Jews/Israelis. Within ten minutes of the attack the Palestinian media was rejoicing. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Palestinian-cartoons-praise-Tel-Aviv-stabbing-attack-388440
I am happy to report that Herzl Biton is finally in stable condition, although still in ICU. A brave man indeed.
Prime Minister Mr Netanyahus visit to the United States may be ill timed considering the up-coming Israeli elections; not the actual visit, because he was invited to speak at the annual AIPAC conference, but his office should have gone through the accepted protocol for a country’s leader who intends visiting the United States, especially Washington, most certainly to speak in Congress. I don’t expect you to agree with me,  the flurry of anti-Obama feeling on the right and in Israel is strong, but it was a serious breech of protocol on the part of the Prime Ministers Office. His Head of Protocol should have known better.  However……. however there was no fuss when President Clinton invited Shimon Peres to the USA and Washington just a month before Israeli elections. Improper maybe, worthy of such a furore? No, I think not. As usual Martin Indyk is at the centre of the critics.
Dennis Ross spent many years trying to bring some sense to the Israel Palestinian talks. I can’t call them peace talks because peace was never on the agenda of the Palestinians. Here Dennis Ross tells us all, from his vast experience, stop giving the Palestinians a free pass. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/05/opinion/stop-giving-palestinians-a-pass.html?_r=2
Those of us who are of a certain age remember the duo of Eldridge Cleaver and Angela Davis as the Black Panthers of the ’60’s. Cleaver has visited Israel and now clearly supports Israel, Davis is still an anti-Semite. It has nothing to do with black, white or pink, we are all panthers fighting for our right to exist in honour. Chloe Valdary is young, beautiful and black American. Chloe is also one of Israels greatest proponents. This is a video she made to honour the memory of Dr Martin Luther King.http://vimeo.com/116919841
Canadian Foreign Minister Baird on the Palestinian demonstrations against him: “On his historic trip, PM Harper said we would stand with Israel through fire and water, I say.. also through eggs and shoes!”  “The great struggle of our generation is terrorism and far too often the State of Israel and the Jewish people around the world are on the front lines of that struggle. And as I’ve said before, Canada doesn’t stand behind Israel; we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it.”
I realised how wise Baird is when he went to Mahane Yehuda Market for a full portion of felafel in an Iraqi Pita before flying back to Canada!! 10 piping hot Felafel balls, tehina, humous, salads and pickles with a few chips (fries for Americans) then rolled up in a delicious wrap and ready to eat!!!http://www.timesofisrael.com/canadas-fm-a-jewish-state-today-is-more-important-than-even-a-few-years-ago/
Another world leader who came to visit this week was  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who arrived in Israel with a very large delegation of entrepreneurs. After an extensive tour of Israeli innovations and businesses Japanese PM told the delegation that he looks forward to extensive cooperation with Israeli businesses.
 
Corruption at its very worst. Alberto Nisman’s death – the latest traumatic development in a case that has yet to secure a single conviction more than twenty years after 85 people were murdered in the worst antisemitic atrocity since the Second World War – was discovered hours before he was due to appear before a congressional committee to present new evidence that, the Prosecutor said, implicated President Cristina ​Fernández de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman in a deliberate cover-up of Iran’s involvement with the attack. “Alberto Nisman was the 86th victim of the AMIA bombing,” Soibel said. Perhaps the worst part is that Timmerman was a Jew, rescued by Israel who went back to Argentina and betrayed his faith, his country and the 84 people killed in the vile terror attack on the AMIA for a pot of Iranian goldhttp://www.algemeiner.com/2015/01/19/alberto-nisman-was-the-86th-victim-of-the-amia-bombing-skepticism-meets-official-argentine-suggestion-that-special-prosecutor-committed-suicide-video/
I can’t remember where I saw it but I searched an interview on Al Jazeera which fascinated me. Jan Morrison decided to stop blaming the victims. In the interview he responds to the accusation that the Charlie Hebdo journalists “asked for it” by dishonouring Mohammed. Long but well worth reading the transcript. http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2015/01/jason-morrison-slaps-down-al-jazeera-paris-terrorist-apologists.html 
People tend to think of Jerusalem as the place to pray and Tel Aviv as the place to play. Admittedly there is a difference of only one letter but totally mistaken! Just look at the projects for the coming year in Jerusalem. Incredible! Not just schools and pools but theatres, cinemas and so much more.https://jerusalemconstruction.wordpress.com/
Pat Condell talks the talk and offends the left and those who are scared of his truth. This is perhaps his most important and most pertinent video to date. Why I support Israel.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHC8KC5cLs8
I love Israel. I love the fact that Israel dispenses love and hope all over the world. Operation Smile gives hope and a new smile to children with cleft palates. http://www.operationsmile.org/
Zvi spoke this week at the beautiful and incredibly active Avichai Centre in Jerusalem, speaking to a fascinated audience. The subject of the evening was the Exodus from Egypt and its relevance to today. After the biblical explanations Zvi was introduced to speak on the modern day Exodus of the Jews of the Former Soviet Union.  He told of things even I didn’t know – aspects that make his incredible story even more spectacular.http://shabbatshalom-theviewfrommyveranda.blogspot.co.il/2009/11/soviet-jewry-40-years-after.html
Shema Yisrael – Hear Oh Israel – the prayer we say when we wake up and when we go to sleep. It is the first prayer taught to our children and the last when we close our eyes to this world. It is a very special prayer and a declaration of faith. It comes in many forms, the familiar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxO09BUrkMk and the infinitely unfamiliarhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02addQMDYA and it is turned into a personal prayer and song by Sarit Hadad.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KLZ3YvBwRw  orhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUzEfu9pTWA
With love from Jerusalem, exquisite in the morning sun, a hazy ethereal light over the city I love so much. The view from our veranda is always beautiful, but today it is especially so; the rolling hills shrouded in mist, the buildings softened by the winter sun. Somehow it is as if the bride of Shabbat has put her white voile dress over herself to remind us that tonight Shabbat will welcome her as we light the candles and sing Lecha Dodi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWmcQpzUMHY
Sheila
Please please pray for Canon Andrew White who is currently undergoing his autologus stem cell treatment for Multiple Sclerosis today. He is unable to receive this treatment in the West so has to endanger his life by returning to a highly dangerous part of the world in order to receive his own stem cells to keep him on his feet and speaking.

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