Celebrating with joy :)

The Purim is celebrated, across Israel, across Jewish communities in the world.
I want to share with you some of the pics of pure joy of Purim :)
Hope you will enjoy:

 resembling carnival in Rio

 my favorite

 this looks like from USA's Christmas Parade

 child in orthodox neighborhood

 cute ETs?

 who said Frankestein has passed away?

 Persia a bit different way ;)

 hitch-hiking? ;)

 what fun it is for children

as everywhere.....

British MP proves to be racist

true face of the British MP

Oxford is one of the oldest working universities in the world. It is believed to stand for debate and freedom of speech. Yet British MP George Galloway, already banned from entering Canada for supporting Hamas, stormed out of debate over Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Christ Church college in Oxford after beginning of the speech of his opponent, third year student Aslan-Levy. British MP asked: "Are you Israeli?" and after receiving confirmation he gathered his belongings and saying "I don't discuss with Israelis" left the building to amazement of shocked audience.

Well, the MP of, presumably, democratic state apparently cannot stand that somebody may not agree with him. The Parliament Member proved to be against debate and hearing both sides. European politician is praising Hamas declared to be terrorist organization by EU.

Here you may see him praising Hamas .

No wonder Israeli or Jewish students at British universities have been in trouble lately (or not only lately) even if they are British for generations. The example is set by MP members obviously.

I wouldn't be much surprised to hear MP Galloway will propose throwing Jews from UK as they were thrown from England in 1290, or banning Judaism, or supporting officially Hamas. I am only surprised that he uses democracy he so viciously hates, just like the free debate that is among its sources. 

The difference in approach

There has been published a photo of Palestinian boy seen through cross-hairs of sniper's riffle on Instagram page. The first media to publish the story was Israeli one. Several hours later it is in most papers I took the trouble to look and of course with a lot of outrage.
There should never be such a photo made and investigation into the matter (already started) is necessary.
Yet I can't help but compare this situation, outrageous as it is, with authorities opening inquiry and Israeli media writing about it with the conduct of Palestinian authorities naming streets, squares or schools after terrorists, paying rents to families of terrorists doing their time in Israeli prisons or to the families of suicide-bombers (quite often money that are given to them as humanitarian help). Who praise and glorify killing of Jews.

There is no country, territory or nation always righteous, 100% good. Maybe in some worse fairy tales ;). The test of peace-inclination or democratization or equality is how law and authorities treat people.

Are they equal in the eyes of law? May they study, work, pay equal taxes, be protected by police? Will their crimes and misconducts be treated seriously or will it depend against whom they were aimed?
Israel gives equal rights to all her citizens and treats crimes against Arabs just as one against Jews, against Christians just as those against Haredim and so on.

PA authorities call for Jew-free Palestine, call for murder of Jews, praise terrorists and pay them good money.
Yet it is Israeli authorities that get bad opinion and are harassed by media.

Just a reflection.....

Blood libel - is it REALLY a history of the past?

The false accusation of Jews stating that they use Christian children's blood to produce matzos for Passover was originally invented, as far as we can nowadays state, in 1144 in England. It was concocted after the death by stabbing of a local boy, William of Norwich. Later on it was given, as a phenomenon, the name 'blood libel' and remained as such in history.
As a consequence pogroms in York and London followed and even 2 years ago DNA tests confirmed that members of one, Jewish family were pushed to their deaths into the well in Norwich around that time (the remains were uncovered and examined recently). Also, the cult of William, who was declared saint, followed.
And thus from possible explanation for murder plotted by cunning murderer looking for scape goats and antisemitism of 12th century England (in 13th century Jews were expelled for long ages) the blood libel was created.

For centuries it was often recalled and used against Jewish communities, until 16th century mostly in Western Europe, later on more often in Eastern one.
By the 20th century few probably believed it but it proved to be such a good antisemitic tool creating strong emotions that it was used by some repeatedly.

For example on the 1 May 1934, Der Sturmer, the most viscous antisemitic paper in Nazi Germany, published big cartoon with the headline 'THE JEWISH MURDER PLOT AGAINST NON-JEWISH HUMANITY IS UNCOVERED'. The picture presented two particularly hideous looking Jews holding a vessel to collect the blood streaming from the naked bodies of just murdered by them angelic Christian children. 
Not surprising at the time in this particular paper!

Sometime during the history (possibly in crusaders time) blood libel made its way to Middle East and was occasionally popular among Arabs there but never to the same extent as it was in Middle Ages in Europe, however the denial of its truth publicly made by Suleiman the Great signalizes it was well known. It was behind the Damascus affair and big pogrom of 1840.Yet the big revival in Arab world of this accusation invented in 12th century England happened after the II WW. Today it is often publicized in many ME countries as a fact (sic!!!!!!). For example in an address that aired on Al-Aqsa TV a Hamas run TV station in Gaza, on March 31, 2010, Salah Sultan, founder of the American Centre for Islamic Research in Columbus, Ohio, the Islamic American University in Southfield, Michigan and the Sultan Publishing Co. and described in 2005 as "one of America's most noted Muslim scholars," alleged that Jews kidnap Christians and others in order to slaughter them and use their blood for making matzos. Sultan, who is currently a lecturer of Muslim jurisprudence at the Cairo University stated that: "The Zionists kidnap several non-Muslims – Christians and others... this happened in a Jewish neighborhood in Damascus. They killed the French doctor, Toma, who used to treat the Jews and others for free, in order to spread Christianity. Even though he was their friend and they benefited from him the most, they took him on one of these holidays and slaughtered him, along with the nurse. Then they kneaded the matzos with the blood of Dr. Toma and his nurse. They do this every year. The world must know these facts about the Zionist entity and its terrible corrupt creed. The world should know this." (Translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute)

Horrible as it seems blood libel is taught to some Muslim children in the contemporary Middle East.

You would have thought it has vanished from 21st century Europe, wouldn't you?
Yet, it is not exactly true. In the UK, where once it was invented, blood libel was revived once again in the form - given slightly changed realities - nearly exact to the one used by Der Sturmer.

On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year Sunday Times in UK published cartoon drawn by Gerald Scarfe presenting PM Netanyahu building wall with bricks connected by Palestinian blood.

Some ask what the fuss is about? It was a joke. Yet in relation to a country that is constantly threatened by its neighbors as destined for annihilation, in relation to people who were nearly extinguished in Europe just 70 years ago, and on the very day when there was the remembrance day about this genocide; in a country that invented blood libel and whose PM of a war time (with all due respect to his brave deeds and decisions) when asked by desperate for war material Nazis for 10,000 trucks in exchange for a million Jews refused to negotiate the deal responding "What would I do with one million Jews? Where would I put them?"is a very bad joke.

Purim

This coming Saturday there will start Purim (at sundown).
Purim is a holiday rooted in the Book of Esther, when Persian Jews were threatened by genocide and saved by the intervention of beautiful Jewish queen.
It is very special book. The only one of Biblical books where the name of God is not mentioned. Yet He is omnipresent. Starting with Washti ceasing to be a queen after she refuses to show herself naked (as many Biblical scholars claim) before pure masculine and very drank king's party serving effectively as king's prey. She did right yet she ceased to be a queen. But the purpose might be to let Esther become queen.

When Jews are threatened by immediate danger Esther is horrified by the perspective of going  to king without being fetched by him. It is masculine world and she is but one of his many women even if a queen. Yet Achashwerosh (by some scholars believed to be Xerxes I) admits her. But earlier there is a passage about responsibility towards group and loyalty towards group and single member - Esther fasts and with her fast all Jews. It is also about our destiny and free will. Esther may choose to do nothing yet Mordecai reminds her that this plight might be the exact reason why she became queen in the first place. We have a free will and choice to cooperate with God or not. Yet this choice has its consequences for us.
We don't get to choose the time we live in but we are hold responsible for what we do with this time.

Purim is very joyful holiday. Children put on costumes (it is sometimes called Jewish festival), everybody is enjoying themselves. Children are given small presents and adults are allowed to drink more than usually. Oh, and there are served wonderful little cookies - Hamantaschen (ears of Haman) -  with different fillings made of prunes, nuts, fruit, poppy seeds or almonds an raisins. Some families have recipes for those fillings going from generation to generation.

HAPPY PURIM TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!

Story of one intervention

There are many stories about relations between Israelis and Palestinians. Some are really horrible, some sad, some funny, some give hope.
Let me share with you one recent, hope-giving story:

13-years-old boy in a very serious condition (kidneys and lung serious problems) was in the hospital in Yenin (PA territory, West Bank). His condition was life-threatening and possibilities of help in this hospital were slim. What did his mother and doctors do? They called Israeli Army. The army did in fact send ambulance that took this boy to hospital in Haifa. He is improving.

In the ambulance there were three soldiers: Jew, Druize and Christian.

Only in Israel!!!!!! :)

There are different WALLS

After beginning of second intifada, due to growing number of suicide terrorist attacks Israel built the wall between PA territory and Israeli territory. The number of suicide terrorist attacks dropped by 90%!!!!!! How many lives were saved! It should be praised (yes, drastic measure BUT living in country whose residents and guests are under constant threat wouldn't you love to make your children safer? To protect some at least against hatred so condescend that calling for killing anybody: child, elderly, women or even peace supporters just being in the wrong place? Anybody providing most will be Jews? THAT speaks volumes about hatred!!!!!!!

And yet THIS particular wall has been since the constant topic of condemnation by different activists. Why? Because it saves Jewish lives? Because it makes it harder for Arab terrorists to fight with Israel (something supported by those activists and large piece of media at least in Europe notto mention some politicians)?

After all there are many walls in the world on borders. You probably haven't heard about most! So, as they say a picture says more than thousand words let me tell you a little story in pictures:

Here is US-Mexico border wall:

Here is Greece-Turkey wall:

Both built and designed to control illegal immigration working on black market, saving some tax-dollars (euros) certainly not human life, none questioned by EU, UN or significant number of any activists.

Here is wall between India and Pakistan (both nuclear weapon possessing):

Here is wall between North and South Korea:

Here, finally is what wall between PA and Israel protects against and the graph (last picture) showing decrease in suicide-terror attacks:

We say human life is priceless. I happen to agree and believe in it. And this is THE ONLY of walls on borders that actually protects it. And this is the most viciously attacked one! I hope you believe in protecting life as well. Lives of people in Israel, the country her neighbors constantly call to destroy and murder all Jewish inhabitants, have to be protected. I believe more than work-market and tax-money in EU or US come to this.
If you agree please share as wide as possible.
THANK YOU!  

How EU is fighting with Israel and Germany paying for Holocaust denial

European war on Israel

Please read carefully above. And as a means of comment I will add few of my own observations and hard data from other sources:

- schoolbooks used in UN sponsored and organized schools in Gaza and West Bank that are printed for European taxpayer money, do not mention Holocaust. They mention 4,000,000 Palestinian refugees (there were approximately 700,000), they never mention approx. 950,000 Jewish refugees thrown from Arab countries as the result of the same conflict. Considering Germany is the nett payer to European budget we sadly realize Germany is paying for Holocaust denial!

- had it not been for EU money PA wouldn't be able to organize such terrorist attacks as they did. As Arab and Muslim countries (including wealthy ones) are not so eager to help Palestinians (with the notable exception of Iran but only when it come to the weapons, never in caring for civilians) only EU money allow PA authorities to concentrate only on hate against Israel and trying to hurt her (that is when they are not occupied with transferring the EU taxpayer's money into their private Swiss accounts). Only for European and Israeli money does PA have health care or school system and now it is blaming EU for budget hole (yes, it never feels responsible for its own affairs),

- Swedish authorities put a pastor on rial few years ago for stating publicly during sermon  that homosexuality is a sin. He wasn't opposed to gay rights, he just said what the Bible says. People may not agree but he was not told they don't agree, he faced criminal trial. The same Sweden supports with all might PA where (in Gaza) the routine punishment for homosexuality (not even proven, suspected) is the capital one.

- there goes under big banners some article (currently running) about racists comments by Israeli football supporters. While this is very ugly it is far from unknown in Europe (last year few European club were punished by FIFA for racist remarks by their supporters, they didn't make it to front pages). And Israeli authorities are reacting. When streets and schools and unis in PA territory are named after terrorists who murdered many innocent victims nobody gives a damn.

- last month has seen antisemitic program prepared in Ireland by Catholic organization (Trocaire) for schools. It was withdrawn after protests. And for Holocaust remembrance day British paper published satiric picture of Israeli PM building bloody wall.

Europe reminds today itself in 30s. And The Guardian looks more and more like der Sturmer. Time to wake up as people are shown things as they might have looked to Deladier and Chamberlain in Munich. This time the role of Czechoslovakia is to be played by Israel. Despite "NEVER AGAIN" few are trying to remember! But throwing Czechoslovakia under the Nazi bus wasn't going to appease this ideology, neither is going to appease Hamas's bloodthirstiness repeated like mantra by so many they are the victim. No, they are aggressors killing Jews while denying rights their own subjects all by UN and EU money!

Just for dessert link about how it is today to be a Jew in Europe. Doesn't remind you Kristalnacht stories?
antisemitism in Europe


SHAME!!!!