The Cave of the Patriarchs. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The New York Times is re-labeling the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, in order to make Jews seem like occupiers of Muslim holy sites. The Cave of the Patriarchs is mentioned in the first chapter of the Hebrew Testament, Genesis 23:9. Genesis was written about 3,400 years ago, but the oral recording of the Bible preceded that. Islam is 1,400 years old. Therefore, the “Cave of the Patriarchs” was the name in use for at least 2,000 years before Muslims could possibly have formulated an alternative name.Israel controls Hebron now, and has a strong claim to the area. So whether your criterion for authoritative naming is who originated it or who controls the area now, the Jewish people possess that authority.As with the Temple Mount, the Times went from: (1) Using the official name; to (2) giving equal billing to the two religions’ names — the Israeli name followed by the Muslim name; to (3) calling it the Muslim name followed by the Israeli name; and (4) calling the Cave the Ibrahimi Mosque, without referring to its Jewish name.
The New York Times Renames Holy Sites to Make Jews Seem Like Occupiers
Kosher Kilts and Plaid Skullcaps: Scotland’s Jews Get a Tartan – The New York Times
Kosher Kilts and Plaid Skullcaps: Scotland’s Jews Get a Tartan
By STEVEN ERLANGER
MARCH 31, 2016
The new tartan combines colors from the Scottish and Israeli flags — both blue and white — with a central gold line to represent the gold from the Ark, silver to represent the Torah and a deep red to symbolize Kiddush wine.
The Jews of Scotland finally have a tartan to call their own. Or, disputatiously, they seem to have two of them.Rabbi Mendel Jacobs, who calls himself the only Scottish-born rabbi in Scotland, has drawn a wave of attention for his “Jewish Tartan,” the first kosher Jewish tartan registered with the official Scottish Register of Tartans, established by the Scottish Parliament in 2008.
Source: Kosher Kilts and Plaid Skullcaps: Scotland’s Jews Get a Tartan – The New York Times
Labour has a serious anti-Semitism problem – and Jeremy Corbyn is failing to fix it
By Jonathan Arkush
1 April 2016 • 5:42pm
Jonathan Arkush, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, has called on the Labour leadership to “exorcise” the party’s “antisemitic demons”, following a string of incidents within the party.Earlier this month, Mr Corbyn came under pressure to suspend Vicki Kirby, the vice chair of the Labour’s Working branch, who was promoted despite tweeting that Jews have “big noses” and “slaughter the oppressed”.In the past few days, it has also emerged that Labour councillor and former Lord Mayor of Bradford Khadim Hussain was suspended from the Party after promoting a cartoon on social media bemoaning the emphasis schools place on teaching the Holocaust “and the six million Zionists that were killed.”
Source: Labour has a serious anti-Semitism problem – and Jeremy Corbyn is failing to fix it
Eichmann Letter Rediscovered
Our memory of the Eichmann trial is still fresh in our memory following Amos Hausner’s visit in 2015. Recently, Eichmann’s handwritten letter pleading for mercy following his conviction was rediscovered:
After he was convicted and sentenced to death in Israel for his role in the annihilation of millions of Jews by Nazi Germany, Adolf Eichmann pleaded for his own life.
“There is a need to draw a line between the leaders responsible and the people like me forced to serve as mere instruments in the hands of the leaders,” pleaded Eichmann — the Nazi war criminal who oversaw the lethal logistics of the Holocaust — in a letter dated May 29, 1962, the day that Israel’s Supreme Court rejected his appeal.
Eichmann asked the Israeli president, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, for a pardon, arguing, “I was not a responsible leader, and as such do not feel myself guilty.”
Holocaust haunts Lithuanians as painful past comes to light
Ruta Vanagaite
After Daniel Gold’s presentation in 2014, we were left wondering about why we hadn’t already heard much about how Lithuanians had supported, aided and abetted German efforts to persecute Jews in their country. This article is welcome news.
Lithuanians are taking an agonising closer look at their forefathers’ role in killing Jewish neighbours during the Holocaust, a dark chapter of the Baltic country’s history that was hidden for decades.
A series of books and films has triggered national soul-searching by making the point that while Lithuanians were the victims of Nazi and Soviet occupation of the country, at times they too were perpetrators of crimes and their victims were Jews.
Bestselling author Ruta Vanagaite, who co-wrote “Our People” (Musiskiai) with top Israeli Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff, is the latest to spark difficult discussions.
Writing the book turned out to be deeply personal and painful when she discovered her grandfather had collaborated with Nazis by working for a commission compiling lists of Jews in 1941.
CHRISTCHURCH: 5 Broken Cameras: Sunday March 6
On Sunday, the award-winning documentary “5 Broken Cameras” will be shown at the Workers’ Education Association in Gloucester Street Christchurch. One of the filmmakers, Emad Burnat, will also be attending and the organisers promise an extended Q&A period. The showing is part of nationwide tour.- Kia Ora Gaza
- Christchurch Palestine Organisation
- The Solidarity Movement for Free Palestine and
- New Zealand Palestine Solidarity Network
- The film presents a one-eyed pro-Palestinian view of the Middle Eastern conflict; and
- Does not attempt to present a perspective from the settlers’ or the security forces’ perspective; and
- The film itself has been artistically and technically, well produced.
- That Israeli security forces use unnecessary force; some have noted that there is footage which has been heavily edited in order to contrive its message; and
- That it ignores the fact that Palestinian violence caused the security fence or wall to be constructed.
Evictions in Walled Old City Stir Up a ‘Hornet’s Nest’
Kudos to the NY Times for admitting that an article that they ran on evictions in the Old City should have also included interviews from both sides of the argument.
Editors’ Note: January 26, 2016
The Jerusalem Journal article on Jan. 15 about Palestinian residents of Jerusalem’s Old City who face eviction by Israeli organizations gave an incomplete description of the legal disputes in several cases. The descriptions were based on the tenants’ accounts; the article should have included additional information from court documents or from the landlords. (The landlords are organizations that have reclaimed properties owned by Jews before Israel was established in 1948.)
Source: Evictions in Walled Old City Stir Up a ‘Hornet’s Nest’
France’s Hollande: ‘Intolerable’ for Jews to hide skullcaps | The Times of Israel
President Francois Hollande: Following Marseille machete attack, president says citizens should not be forced to hide for fear of assault because of their religion
“It is intolerable that in our country citizens should feel so upset and under assault because of their religious choice that they would conclude that they have to hide,” Hollande said following Monday’s attack on a kippa-wearing teacher in the southern city of Marseille.
The French leader’s comments came two days after a machete-wielding teen who claimed inspiration from the Islamic State attacked the Jewish teacher, lightly injuring him.
The knifing of Benjamin Amsellem prompted Zvi Ammar, head of Marseille’s Israeli Consistory, to warn Jews against wearing a traditional skullcap — known as a kippa — in public, sparking a debate over the issue.
Source: France’s Hollande: ‘Intolerable’ for Jews to hide skullcaps | The Times of Israel
New Poll: Over 70% of French Public Believes Antisemitism on Rise in France | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com
70 percent of the French population do not think Jews should refrain from wearing yarmulkes, though 71% say antisemitism is increasing in France
While a majority of French respondents to a new survey believe Jews should not stop wearing their skullcaps in the wake of a series of recent attacks, an even greater number considers antisemitism on the rise in their country, the French-Jewish news service JSS reported on Sunday. According to the Odoxa survey, conducted for French digital channel iTélé and the weekly magazine Paris Match, 70 percent of the French population do not think Jews should refrain from wearing yarmulkes, though […]
WELLINGTON: Stuart Palmer Event Confirmed
We have heard that some were under the impression that the date, time or venue had changed for this fascinating event. In fact, it’s business as usual with Stuart Palmer on Thursday, 14th January. There is no change in date, time or venue.
The talk is entitled:
BRITISH JEWS: MAKING THE DECISION TO LEAVE BRITAIN AND ENCOUNTERING A STRANGE NEW WORLD
What drives a person to uproot themselves from a comfortable existence in Britain and make a new life in the unknown in Israel? What do they find? How well do they get on in Israel?
Doors will open at Thursday Jan 14, 7.15pm and people should go through the door in the front of the Lifepoint building complex that faces Hopper street (NOT the main Lifepoint entrance) and up the stairs and through the lounge area. ushers will guide you.
The talk will commence at 7.30pm with light refreshments to follow.
Please RSVP to joannamoss12@clear.net.nz, ph (04) 802-5956, mobile (022) 154-7865
You can read more about Stuart Palmer from the original event notice here.
