Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Well Said. Worth Repeating A Thousand Times
ZOA: American Israel Public Affairs Comm. (AIPAC’s) Demand that Antisemitic Israel-Haters Omar/Tlaib be Allowed to Enter Israel is Wrong
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and Chairman Mark Levenson, Esq. released the following statement:
The ZOA respectfully urges AIPAC to retract its mistaken criticism of Israel’s just and proper decision to refuse to admit Jew-haters Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar for their planned visit to incite hatred and boycotts against Israel, designed to destroy the Jewish state.
AIPAC’s unwarranted criticism of Israel did tremendous harm to Israel and to AIPAC’s repeated declaration that they support the policies of the democratically elected government of Israel, and whose mission is supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship and the security of Israel and the United States.
AIPAC’s mistaken criticism of Israel was widely quoted by the media, including major American networks and cable stations (including Fox, CNN, NBC and others); was retweeted over 6,200 times (far more than a typical AIPAC tweet); encouraged and gave a free pass to politicians to join in AIPAC’s criticism of Israel; and gave grist and succor to hostile-to-Israel groups, including J Street, to unfairly condemn Israel and Israeli officials.
AIPAC’s criticism moreover misstated the object and goals of the planned Tlaib/Omar trip. AIPAC’s July 15, 2019 tweet that “every member of Congress should be able to visit and experience our democratic ally Israel firsthand,” ignored the facts that (i) Tlaib and Omar refused to participate with their Congressional colleagues in the large Congressional mission that actually did experience Israel firsthand, and (ii) Tlaib’s and Omar’s itinerary had absolutely nothing to do with “experiencing our democratic ally Israel firsthand.”
The Tlaib/Omar itinerary included no meetings with Israeli officials, no meetings with ordinary Israelis, and no visits to Israeli sites. Tlaib and Omar didn’t even call their trip a visit to “Israel.” Instead, their itinerary touted a trip to non-existent “Palestine.” The Tlaib/Omar visit was arranged by a terror-supporting group, Miftah. Miftah has accused Jews of the antisemitic blood libel and has praised suicide bombers for murdering Jews. The itinerary was designed to defame and incite against Israel.
AIPAC’s tweet moreover ignored the necessity for Israel to follow its anti-BDS laws; the fact that Congresspersons are not above the law, and the fact that self-respecting nations do not need to admit avowed enemies that wish to destroy their people. ZOA provided examples of government officials from foreign nations and territories – including Austria’s president – whom the U.S. properly barred from admission to the U.S, and even a member of Israel’s Knesset, as well as a member of the Palestinian Parliament Hanan Ashrawi.
If there was a Congressmember who demanded that France or Italy or any other country must be boycotted and destroyed, no self-respecting lobby would condemn France or Italy for refusing admission to that member of Congress.
Moreover, while AIPAC merely tweeted its approval of Israel’s offer to Tlaib of a humanitarian visit to her grandmother the next day (on August 16), AIPAC failed to criticize or even mention the fact that Tlaib then turned around and rejected Israel’s approval of her request for a humanitarian visit. Tlaib’s rejection of the humanitarian visit, that Tlaib herself had requested, demonstrated Tlaib’s true nefarious intentions, and the wisdom of Israel’s initial refusal of admission.
Additional Potential Harmful Effects of AIPAC’s Tweet: Further, although we do not believe that this was AIPAC’s intent, AIPAC’s mistaken tweet is being viewed by many as overall support for Omar and Tlaib, is being used by hostile-to-Israel groups to malign Israel, and may have emboldened Tlaib and Omar to become even more outrageous in their hatefulness.
Tlaib is now calling for boycotts against Bill Maher, because Maher expressed opposition to anti-Israel boycotts. (See “Tlaib Urges Boycott of Bill Maher After He Slams BDS Movement,” by Yaron Steinbuch, New York Post, Aug. 18, 2019.) Tlaib and Omar also just publicized a vicious antisemitic cartoon on their social media. And they’ve hurled their typical absurd false racism and Islamophobia accusations against Israel’s leaders – which AIPAC failed to respond to. (See “Of Course: Ilhan Omar Plays the Victim After Israel Ban, Gaslights and Cries Racism,” by Katie Pavlich, Town Hall, Aug 15, 2019.)
Additional Reasons Why Israel Was Correct to Deny Tlaib and Omar Admission: ZOA and others in the pro-Israel community and honest journalists have independently pointed out numerous reasons (in addition to those discussed above) why Israel was correct to not admit Tlaib and Omar for a visit designed to promote hatred and boycotts against the Jewish state, and Israel’s destruction.
See, e.g., “Omar and Tlaib Rightly Blocked From Visiting ‘Non-Existent’ Country Palestine”, by Michael Goodwin, New York Post, Aug. 17, 2019; “Israel’s Ban of Tlaib, Omar was a Tough Call — But Entirely Justifiable,” Post Editorial Board, Aug. 16, 2019; “ZOA Applauds Israel for Refusing Entry of Israelophobic Jew-Haters Tlaib and Omar,” Aug. 15, 2019; “Zionist Organization of America Defends Israel’s Decision to Block Tlaib and Omar from Visiting Israel,” Breitbart, Aug. 15, 2019; Tweet by philanthropist Adam Milstein; “RJC Supports Israel’s Decision to Bar Entry to Reps. Tlaib and Omar,” Aug. 15, 2019; “Nothing Good Can Come From Omar and Tlaib Visit to Israel,” Interview with Mark Zell, Land of Israel Network, July 23, 2019; “No Entry to Israel for Tlaib-Omar,” Americans for a Safe Israel, Aug. 15, 2019; “Brooke Goldstein: Israel Smart About Omar, Tlaib – They Are Enemies of the Jewish State,”Fox News, Aug. 16, 2019.
Further, the director of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs’ Program to Counter Political Warfare and BDS, Dan Diker, explained that Tlaib and Omar’s planned trip was nothing short of an “act of political warfare.” Former Israeli Ambassador Alan Baker noted that the blame lies with Omar and Tlaib and pre-existing hostile-to-Israel actors, and that: “Israel, like every other country, has the sovereign prerogative to deny entry to any person.” (“Why Israeli Ban on Two US Congresswomen’s Visit Won’t Drive a Wedge Between the Countries,” Aug. 18, 2019.)
AIPAC should retract or correct its demand that Israel allow Israelophobes Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to come to Israel.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Omar Going To Israel--What Should She See
US Congresswoman Ilhan Abdullahi Omar — A Suggested Itinerary for Her Trip to Israel
Here are some suggestions for her itinerary:
Perhaps she can visit a Gaza school and check out the marching five years olds with mock knives and guns. Or, maybe not. Terrorists hide their rockets and ammunition within schools and hospitals.
A day trip to Ramallah is a good idea. She might find out that residents there don’t actually want the Israelis to withdraw and leave them to fall under the control of despots, both domestic and foreign.
A tour of Islamic archaeological sites is in order. Huh! What archeology of what? What history?
And in the afternoon she can go to the 120 member Israeli legislative body, the Knesset, where 12 Arabs and 3 Druze are full members representing their constituency.
She could visit the Israeli Supreme Court and see the Arab legislators and jurists.
(PS How many Jews are found in the Legislative body and Supreme Court of the 21 Arab nations surrounding Israel? What Jews? What Legislative body? What Supreme Court? The Jews were all driven out upon the re-birth of the State of Israel in 1948, penniless, all their wealth and possessions seized after centuries of living there as second class citizens (dhimmi). jsk
Not too far away are the Israeli medical centers where medical personnel of all backgrounds work side by side treating patient of all backgrounds and she will find most of the people waiting in the queue for treatment are Arabs paid for by the Israeli government
Moving on … visit:
Tel Aviv! New high rises, Israel as global leader of start-ups. She just missed Tel Aviv Pride Day where 250,000 participants marched down the avenues celebrating their human rights for which death is ordered by Muhammed.
What is a trip to the Israel if incomplete without a stop at the Western Wall, the remaining remnant of the ancient Hebrew Temple dating back 3000 years
She will incidentally run into Nigerians, Koreans, Russians reverently praying at that Wall.
A call at an African embassy is in order. There she might learn about how Israel is the leader in smart water management including advanced water technology and desalination and how it exports the technology to developing nations, especially in Africa.
When she leaves Israel she will be flying near the Leviathan natural gas fields and may learn that by “conservative estimates the fields contain enough natural gas to meet Israel’s domestic needs for 40 years”.
Luckily, she will not fly over war-devastated Syria or Lebanon.
It would be a buzz-kill.
(You don’t really expect her to report her trip with the facts above. Israel is, at the moment, in a bind feeling obligated to allow an elected American Congressperson to visit, despite her declared enmity. And… there is no question she will return to the US loaded with malicious lies and propaganda right out of the mouth of her hero, Mahmoud Abbas.) jsk
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Hamas Keeps Cropping Up!
Powerful Tlaib Backer Connected
to Hamas
image: https://aanews-structure-psyclone.netdna-ssl.com/client_assets/aanews/media/picture/5ce4/38b8/6970/2d64/5fa4/0d00/Slideshow_800px-Rashida_Tlaib_on_Voice_of_America.jpg?1558460625
Kane Farabaugh, Voice of America News [Public domain]
The self-described youngest Muslim lawmaker in America won election to Virginia's House of Delegates despite Facebook posts comparing support for Israel to the Ku Klux Klan.
Despite Samirah's past transgressions, his progressive platform proved enough to eke out a victory in deep blue Northern Virginia.
RELATED: Dem Rep Blamed America for Islamic Terrorism
But troubling new developments – including a connection to Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Hamas – threatens to derail his aspirations.
Per Twitchy:
This thread on a member of the VA legislature and former volunteer for Rep. Rashida Tlaib is both disconcerting and fascinating.
A volunteer for Rashida? We’re SHOCKED! SHOCKED we say!
...
So his dad is a security risk.
This just keeps getting better.
BONUS STORY: Radical House Trio's Growing List of Embarrassing Failures >>
Read more at http://americanactionnews.com/articles/powerful-tlaib-backer-connected-to-hamas#7pmoHVKfXj7ZLqbW.99
Monday, May 20, 2019
There Can Be Nothing Good Coming From This Trip!
How Rashida Tlaib is Beating AIPAC and Turning the Future of the Congress Against Israel
“He who deals deceitfully shall not live in my house; he who speaks untruth shall not stand before my eyes.” Psalms 101:7 (The Israel Bible™)
Rashida Tlaib (Photo via Wikimedia)
The media is whitewashing Rashida Tlaib’s junket for freshman Congressmen to Israel, which is being sponsored by an outstanding humanitarian NGO. What they aren’t telling you is that the second sponsor is a rabidly anti-Israel NGO founded just to produce propaganda and a history of turning U.S. politicians into antisemite.
Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib has only been in office for five months but she has already been the focus of criticism for anti-Israel and antisemitic comments. In the most recent case, she described a “calming feeling” that came over her when made she thought about how the Palestinians created a “safe haven for Jews” after the Holocaust. Rather than rebuke or correct the freshman congressman, the leaders of the Democratic Party expressed outrage of any criticism or claims that her statements were grossly inaccurate representations of historical events. Tlaib’s pride at creating a “safe haven” for Jews seems inconsistent with her objection to a New York Times headline that (accurately) reported on hundreds of rockets being fired at Israel. When Tlaib was sworn in (on a Koran), she was elated when she arrived at her office. A friend had posted a sticker on a world map, obscuring Israel and relabeling it ‘Palestine’.
This misperception of global and geographic realities was consistent with her plan to organize a junket for freshmen Congressmen to visit a region in the Middle East the invitation referred to as “Palestine and the Occupied Territories.” Palestine does not exist on any map depicting reality and it is to be assumed the junket will fly into Ben Gurion International Airport located in Israel.
Tlaib’s trip to Israel will take place on August 17-22. This is when Congress takes its summer recess. As such, this is also the time when the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) sponsors a trip for freshman congressmen. The bipartisan AIPAC trip, led by senior House representatives, is intended to foster positive relationships between these new politicians and America’s closest ally in the region. Since the two trips will overlap, the politicians will not be able to attend both. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-D) has announced she will be skipping the AIPAC trip.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress, told Jewish Insider that the trip is meant to show “the human impact on Palestinians, and what an opportunity of value to have a sitting congress member that has a living grandmother in the Occupied Territories.”
Tlaib was born in Detroit but her grandparents live in Israel. Her father was born in Jerusalem and her mother was born in Samaria.
When Tlaib announced the trip, she identified the sponsor as the Humpty Dumpty Institute, a not-for-profit organization based in New York City. On its website, the organization claims it is “dedicated to tackling difficult global and domestic issues by establishing innovative and strategic public/private partnerships that provide sensible solutions to serious problems.” The unusual name was conceived by three founders after witnessing the aftermath of the horrific Rwandan genocide. Feeling the world was broken, they conceived an organization that would put together the pieces after government efforts had failed.
Humpty Dumpty Institute seems to be an organization with high-minded humanitarian ideals so Tlaib identifying them as the sponsor of her junket gave it the veneer of respectability. Her trip to the “occupied territories” has a second sponsor whose role has been given much less media attention: MIFTAH, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy.
MIFTAH was founded in 1998 by Hanan Ashrawi, a politician in the Palestinian Authority who was a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). In 1988 during the First Intifada, when she joined the Intifada Political Committee.
In 2003 Ashrawi was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize. Michael Kapel, a member of the board of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, protested the decision, describing Ashrawi as “an apologist for Islamic terror.” In fact, MIFTAH describes known suicide bombers as “the ranks of the resistance movement.”
As a tool for Ashrawi, MIFTAH is quite effective and its anti-Israel activities are well-documented by NGO Monitor. MIFTAH publishes articles advocating for Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) which accuse Israel of apartheid policies. MIFTAH also shared an article about the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights in which Israel is compared to the Ku Klux Klan.
In March 2013, MIFTAH published an article written by Nawaf al-Zaru that repeated the antisemitic blood libel that Jews use Christian blood to bake Passover matzah.
In 2016, MIFTAH organized a Congressional junket for five US Congressmen to visit east Jerusalem and Ramallah similar to the one Tlaib is hosting. Following the trip, one of the congressmen, Hank Johnson (GA-D), made comparisons between Israeli settlers and termites. After significant criticism, Johnson apologized for his “poor choice of words.”
On that trip, the Congressmen met with Shawan Jabarin who has ties to the PFLP, which is recognized by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization. This raises the question of whether the Congressmen traveling to Israel with Tlaib in August will be meeting with acknowledged terrorists.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Even CNN Knows Tlaib Doesn't Remember History
They Sided With Hitler: CNN Host Notes An Important Fact Omitted From Rashida Tlaib's Holocaust Remarks
Source: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has once again created a headache for her party. Her remarks about the Holocaust have sparked another wave of allegations that the Democratic Party is tolerating anti-Semitism. She made these remarks on the Yahoo! News Skullduggery podcast (via Fox News):
"There’s always kind of a calming feeling, I tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors — Palestinians — who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people's passports," Tlaib said on the podcast's most recent episode, published Friday. "And, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And, I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways, but they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them."[…]There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a statement. "More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about that fact.[…]Late Sunday, Tlaib tweeted: "Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.
Well, the truth is that your views are trash, you’re a step away from pretty much being a full-blown anti-Semite, and no one normal has a “calming feeling” about one of the most heinous crimes against humanity, with the exception of that generic SS officer pulling the trigger. This has to be one of the biggest equivalence flops in recent memory. I mean you cannot get any denser than this, folks. Losing land during the 1947 UN mandate that created the State of Israel is not the same as an entire nation dedicating their socio-economic system to the destruction of a people because of nothing more than pure hatred. The Holocaust was a national effort to wipe out the Jewish people. The Nazis discussed it in ways we often read about when it comes to manufacturing products. It was grotesque. There was an industrial capacity dedicated to killing people. It made genocide into a science. It was evil. This is not the same as the issues surrounding on the issue of the right to return, which even the most left wing of Israelis wouldn’t support. It’s virtually the end of the country of that were to be adopted.
CNN is often mocked and criticized for their liberal bias and the endless stream of anti-Trump trash reporting. But you give credit where credit is due and host John King fact checked Tlaib, calling her out for rewriting history concerning the creation of the Israeli state. He did agree that the GOP was twisting the "calming" portion of her remarks, but he also noted that during World War II, Palestinian leaders were allied with the Nazis and held the same goal of wiping out the Jewish people when Israel was created that the Nazis held during the Second World War. Yeah, when you pick the wrong side of a war, you’re going to lose some things, especially if you side with Hitler.
CNN Fact Checks Dem Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s Comments On Israel
John King: Tlaib "ignored the fact that Palestinian leaders at the time allied themselves with Hitler and that total war is how the Arab world reacted to the declaration of Israeli independence."
Does She Not Get It Or Is So Filled With Hate That Everything Wrong Is Because Of Israel?
Tlaib: When I Think About The Holocaust This Way I Get A 'Calming Feeling'
Source: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Just when we think that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) couldn't get any more anti-Semitic, she proves us wrong. Her latest remark is rather cringeworthy too. During an interview with Yahoo News' podcast "Skullduggery," she explained her take on the Holocaust.
"There’s always kind of a calming feeling, I tell folks, when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors — Palestinians — who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people's passports," Tlaib said.
"And, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And, I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways, but they did it in a way that took their human dignity away and it was forced on them."
Republican leaders were quick to slam Tlaib's comments, and rightfully so.
"There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance. More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about that fact," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this is far from the first display of heinous anti-Semitic comments coming from Democrat House members this year, and it’s clear this is now the norm for their caucus. It’s long past time for Speaker Pelosi to take swift action and make it clear that these vile comments have no place in Congress."
House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-WY) called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) "to finally take action against Representative Tlaib and other members of the Democratic caucus who are spreading vile anti-Semitism."
"All of us, regardless of party, must stand as Americans against the evil of anti-Semitism," Cheney said. "If the Democratic leadership continues to stand by in silence, they are enabling the spread of evil. History teaches us that anti-Semitism begins with words and becomes something far worse. Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer must act now."
I'm honestly not sure what's more disgusting: the fact that Tlaib made these comments or that Democrats have to tip toe around anti-Semitism instead of calling out and condemning those who threaten the Jewish people.
Democrats claim to be the party that stands up on behalf of minorities. They claim to represent women and minorities yet here they are, allowing multiple members of Congress to continually say things that hurt a minority group: Jews.
We, as a nation, need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our beliefs when this type of hate speech is being protected. It was this kind of logic, this belief that one group of people are more superior than another, that got us into the Holocaust to begin with. It's a dangerous road to go down and one we should know better to toy with. Every anti-Semitic remark made is a new seed of racism and hatred that's being planted.
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