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Settler leader’s vision for peace: millions of American Jews must move to Israel and Palestine

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on 57 Comments
David Wilder

David Wilder

The other day we ran a post by David Wilder, spokesman for the settlers in occupied Hebron, because his community plays an important role in Israeli politics but its views are not well-known in the U.S.; our mainstream press doesn’t report them. Wilder then commented on that post and directed readers who want to know more about settlers’ views to a document he wrote called, “Breaking the Lies. Revealing the Facts. Questions and Answers about Hebron.” Wilder writes at the outset, “You may not agree with all that is stated, but at the very least it is straightforward; as we say it, as we believe it, and as we live it.” The following Q-and-A appears on page 14. 

What’s your solution to the present conflict?

There aren’t any magic answers or simple solutions. The situation here is very complex. No one is willing to make real compromises because the issues are primarily religious and no one is willing to compromise on religion. However, I believe the beginning of a solution is recognition by Jews, primarily in Israel, but also elsewhere, that Eretz Yisrael [biblical name for land that includes the West Bank] really belongs to the Jewish people. If Jews reject this concept, how can we expect our enemies to accept it?

The second part of a solution is mass Aliyah to Israel. Today there are six million Jews in Israel. When there are 12 millions Jews here, the Arabs will take us more seriously. Presently most Jews do not live in Israel. If this land is so important to us, why aren’t they here? When the Soviet Union opened its gates, allowing Jewish emigration to Israel, Arafat begged them to prevent Jews from coming to Israel. This is one of their greatest fears. People will come to Israel. If not because of love of Israel, then because of Obama the First, or the Second or the Third. Jews from Europe will come home to Israel as massive extremist Islamic populations fill France, Spain, England, and elsewhere. When Judea and Samaria are populated by millions of Jews, peace talks will change, out of necessity. What will the White House suggest doing with a million displaced people?

Note that Wilder moved to Israel from the U.S. in 1974. Our headline is based on the fact that most Jews outside Israel live in the U.S.

Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is senior editor of Mondoweiss.net and founded the site in 2005-06.

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57 Responses

  1. seafoid on February 26, 2014, 10:23 am

    Bukra fi mishmish

    Wilder belongs in a psychiatric facility.

    • philweiss on February 26, 2014, 12:31 pm

      Bukra fi mishmish– I was told — means that apricots have a very short season, so tomorrow they’re over.
      I adored this expression when someone said it to me in Palestine.
      Seafoid, can you explain its meaning?

  2. John Douglas on February 26, 2014, 10:33 am

    “When the Soviet Union opened its gates, allowing Jewish emigration to Israel, Arafat begged them to prevent Jews from coming to Israel.”

    I think Wilder leaves out an important point here about Jewish emigration from the former Soviet Union to Israel. In the 1970s through the 1980s, with the Cold War raging, there was a PR push from the U.S. Government and American Jews to “Free the Russian Jews”. When the Soviet gates were opened Soviet Jews flew to Italy or Austria where they caught planes for … where? Between 1970-1990, with the U.S. intent upon freedom, Soviet Jews were free to come to the U.S. and about one-half did. see: “Israel Affairs” Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2011, 7–20. I recall pressure then from Israel and American Jews for the U.S. to restrict Soviet Jewish immigration (so that they may be ‘more free’ to choose Israel?) In 1990 the U.S. withdrew automatic refuge status for Soviet Jews (the Germans did likewise) and the ‘freedom’ to choose Israel was total. I don’t know if Arafat begged as described, but there was definitely begging going on.

    • Shingo on February 26, 2014, 10:37 pm

      I recall pressure then from Israel and American Jews for the U.S. to restrict Soviet Jewish immigration (so that they may be ‘more free’ to choose Israel?)

      In the 90s they had the same problem with so many Russians Jews choosing Germany over Israel. so they lobbied the German government to limit the amount of welfare Russian Jewish immigrants could claim to force them to migrate to Israel.

  3. seafoid on February 26, 2014, 10:35 am

    I bet Wilder NEVER had a real job.

  4. jimby on February 26, 2014, 10:40 am

    It seems to me the russians going to Israel was a HUGE step in the moral degradation of the state of Israel.

    • The JillyBeans on February 26, 2014, 8:46 pm

      The mob problem in Israel seems to indicate this, the Russian Jewish mobs are a significant problem. You can thank them if you’ve ever been an Ecstasy user. Apparently they’ve started to finally do something about it.

    • Shingo on February 26, 2014, 10:38 pm

      Maybe, and many weren’t even Jews.

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 7:40 am

        @ Shingo

        Really? How many is “many” of those claiming to be Jews who came from USSR are not really Jews? According to Wikipedia, the current total number who are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, which includes anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent, is estimated at around 21,649,500 – of which 6,332,900 already live in Israel. The US has a significant number of Hollywood celebrities who are half-jews but claim to feel Jewish more than whatever their other half is. I haven’t heard of any of them moving to Israel. And, as for the settler’s concern about serial Obama1,2,3–if memory serves, despite the likes of Sheldon Adelson, didn’t 77% of Jewish Americans vote for Obama? (BTW, I predict Hillary will be the next POTUS, the female Americans will assure it & GOP has no possible winner in sight. )

    • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 11:40 am

      The Russians and the coming of age of the uneducated Haredim and Bibi’s welfare reforms

  5. eljay on February 26, 2014, 10:47 am

    >> No one is willing to make real compromises because the issues are primarily religious and no one is willing to compromise on religion.

    The issues are, primarily:
    – past Jewish terrorism;
    – past and on-going ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homes and lands;
    – the establishment of an oppressive, colonialist, expansionist and supremacist “Jewish State”;
    – the supremacist “Jewish State’s” 60+ years, ON-GOING and offensive (i.e., not defensive) campaign of aggression, oppression, theft, colonization, destruction and murder;
    – the supremacist “Jewish State’s” refusal to honour its obligations under international law; and
    – the supremacist “Jewish State’s” refusal to enter into sincere negotiations for a just and mutually-beneficial peace.

    >> The second part of a solution is mass Aliyah to Israel. Today there are six million Jews in Israel. When there are 12 millions Jews here, the Arabs will take us more seriously.

    So…the problem with Israel isn’t that it’s an oppressive, colonialist, expansionist and supremacist “Jewish State”, it’s that it’s not a sufficiently-populous oppressive, colonialist, expansionist and supremacist”Jewish State”.

  6. Walid on February 26, 2014, 11:13 am

    Wilder’s invitation to all the American Jews is premised on continued American handouts to Israel. With no more Jews in America, Israel’s joy ride at the expense of American taxpayers would end. Who’d be left in the US to campaign for Israel?

    • CloakAndDagger on February 26, 2014, 12:46 pm

      Who’d be left in the US to campaign for Israel?

      The Xtian zionists, of course.

      With all the jews conveniently located in one spot (a small spot), the prophesy of destruction by the returning Messiah could be fulfilled for Armageddon.

      • Shingo on February 26, 2014, 10:39 pm

        Xtian zionists have very little influence in Washington because ultimately, they don’t have the big bucks to give to political leaders, nor do they have influence in the media.

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 8:32 am

        @ Shingo
        Here’s an informative article on the Influence of Christian Zionism in Washington, circa 2009: Political Influrence Of Christian Zionism in USA:
        http://www.aucegypt.edu/GAPP/casar/speeches/Documents/US-Arab%20Issues%20Series%20I%20Spring%2009%20-%20Eng.pdf

        While I agree they don’t have many Sheldon Adelson cash cows in their relatively poor Protestant ranks, and certainly they don’t write for the mainstream media, they are more significant than you say.

  7. amigo on February 26, 2014, 11:34 am

    This is the third image (correct me if I am wrong) we have had to endure of this racist bigoted criminal in circa 1 week.

    But I should not complain when I think of the Poor Palestinians of Hebron who have to breathe the same air as this war mongering Arab hating gargoyle.

    • Bumblebye on February 26, 2014, 12:52 pm

      He’s up-chucked another (very) lengthy chapter of the world according to himself here:
      http://mondoweiss.net/2014/02/palestinians-twentieth-anniversary.html/comment-page-1#comment-644199

      He introduces it:

      “King David Street’ or ‘Street of the Martyrs’ – Shuhada?

      A couple of years ago, prior to the first ‘Open Shuhada Street Day’ protests and demonstrations, I was asked to respond to a number of questions posed concerning Israel’s presence in Hebron (and throughout Judea and Samaria) as well as the issue of “Shuhada Street,” a kilometer stretch of road, running through Hebron’s Jewish community. At that time I wrote a lengthy document, offering answers to many of the questions and statements put forth by others.
      With very few changes and additions, I’m posting that article here. It is longer than the normal blog piece, but as a result of the current ‘Shuhada Street’ events, including visits to Hebron by Arab MK Zuhabi, who also participated on the Marmara, as a guest of those attemting to murder Israeli soldiers, and today’s visit by Meretz MKs, it is most important that ‘the other side’ of this issue be brought to light.”

      So much so wrong with that man’s mind.

  8. seafoid on February 26, 2014, 12:32 pm

    Wilder might as well say that millions of Jewish women need to fellate him. Not going to happen.
    Imagine choosing to live in Kiryat Arba. Imagine raising kids around Wilder and his fellow travelers.

    • CloakAndDagger on February 26, 2014, 12:50 pm

      What if all these settlers moved to the US? The thought that they could be my neighbors once they are expelled by the locals horrifies me. As an American, the only solution is for Israel to become one state with equal rights for all – and no charity from my tax dollars, and no automatic immigration to the US.

  9. anthonybellchambers on February 26, 2014, 5:27 pm

    Final status agreement, from the Israeli side, means retaining the majority of the illegal ‘facts on the ground’ that they have so assiduously constructed in violation of the Geneva Conventions and in clear breach of international law.

    The illegal settlements on the West Bank have been constructed specifically to retain the primary underground aquifer that supplies the main West Bank water supply and is intended to retain effective control of the occupied territory.

    Any real peace agreement would need to stipulate the complete vacation of all illegal settlements. Tragically, this will not now happen and there will be a 3rd intifada as a result which will inevitably lead to Israel using its nuclear WMD.

    • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 6:29 am

      Maybe the Palestinians will decide to end their daily suffocation under the pincer movement that is the IDF and the PA (Vichey) cops by a 3rd intifada that is broad, strong and peaceful, like the 1st intifada–only with more foreign supporters joining them?

  10. ToivoS on February 26, 2014, 8:08 pm

    I was struck by this statement from Wilder: People will come to Israel. If not because of love of Israel, then because of Obama the First, or the Second or the Third.

    It seems that no matter how much Obama capitulates to Israeli and lobby demands there is nothing he can do to gain their trust. White politicians are OK, but brown ones are not. What an incredibly racists society. There is absolutely no way that the Palestinians can live in peace alongside people like that.

    • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 6:55 am

      @ ToivoS
      I too was struck by that statement from Wilder. He doesn’t recognize that Obama has given more to Israel than any POTUS, and this despite the sad economic state of the USA during his terms in office. Perhaps Wilder senses that, despite this, and despite the fact Obama’s loyalty runs to and from the likes of his campaign finance queen, Zionist Penny Pritzker, Obama just can’t quite hide his lack of love for Netanyahu? Is Wilder projecting his disdain for Blackie and Brownie onto our POTUS, thinking if he were Obama he’d hate the Zionists too?

      Anyway, looks like Obama’s putting his credibility a tad on the line next Monday with Bibi N, and following up with Abbas in March: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/world/middleeast/shrugging-off-past-setbacks-obama-plans-personal-role-in-middle-east-peace-bid.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

      Must have gotten a call for help from Kerry…

      I don’t see Obama making a difference in the I-P “framework” Kerry’s been peddling, except to kick the can down the usual endless “peace process” road. I mean, Obama’s not going to speak over the heads of Congress directly to the US people, nor will he threaten to stop aid to Israel or stop use of the UN SC veto to immunize Israel from accountability. Looks like he needs the Zionist cash and media support to fight the Democratic good fight to (1) retain the “spread the wealth” meat in Obamacare, and (2) do more tinkering to bring down the jobless rate a tad. And, maybe (3) keeping the senate in Democratic hands, and (4) putting more Democrats in key federal judiciary posts? Immigration reform is his 5th priority? What would be his 6, 7th priority before he leaves office? I imagine the I-P thing is about 8th on his POTUS bucket list. Kerry’s April deadline will quickly slide to December… Will the Palestinians wait all that time before trying to get more state status at places like the UN?

  11. just on February 26, 2014, 8:25 pm

    He’s a maniacal, narcissistic sociopath.

    Daniella Weiss is, too,

    That is all.

  12. Keith on February 26, 2014, 8:44 pm

    “Jews from Europe will come home to Israel as massive extremist Islamic populations fill France, Spain, England, and elsewhere.”

    There will likely be an increase of Jews fleeing Europe in response to both actual and perceived anti-Semitism as a result of the increasing popularity of neocon inspired, US supported rise of the neo-Nazi parties in places such as the Ukraine where a successful imperial destabilization has occurred. For the neocons and other Zionists, this is a win-win situation. More Jews for Israel and improved support for Israel as a “safe haven” among American Jews. Perceived anti-Semitism is the mother’s milk of Zionism and they seek to foster it where possible. Witness the neocon support for the Ukrainian neo-fascist “freedom fighters.” Max Blumenthal has written about this, I don’t know why Mondoweiss is ignoring this important and relevant topic. I provide a quote followed by a link.

    “White supremacist banners and Confederate flags were draped inside Kiev’s occupied City Hall, and demonstrators have hoisted Nazi SS and white power symbols over a toppled memorial to V.I. Lenin. After Yanukovich fled his palatial estate by helicopter, EuroMaidan protesters destroyed a memorial to Ukrainians who died battling German occupation during World War II. Sieg heil salutes and the Nazi Wolfsangel symbol have become an increasingly common site in Maidan Square, and neo-Nazi forces have established “autonomous zones” in and around Kiev.”

    “Svoboda’s openly pro-Nazi politics have not deterred Senator John McCain from addressing a EuroMaidan rally alongside Tyahnybok, nor did it prevent Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland from enjoying a friendly meeting with the Svoboda leader this February. Eager to fend off accusations of anti-Semitism, the Svoboda leader recently hosted the Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine.” (Max Blumenthal)
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37752.htm

    • ToivoS on February 26, 2014, 11:56 pm

      Good response Keith. There does remain a few Jews in the Ukraine. It seems obvious that the Zionist want them to move to Israel. What better way then to support those antisemitic elements inside the Ukraine. Imagine the outcry from Israel if the US were to publicly welcome any Ukrainian Jew admission into the US because of antisemitic outbursts among the Kiev Maiden “peaceful demonstrators”. No, no that was not the point — we want them to come to Israel.

      It is one crazy world where those Ukrainian forces that supported the holocaust are now considered part of the solution for Israel’s “demographic” problem.

      • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 12:33 am

        I bet it was the same in Poland in 1946. Power and money and f#ck ordinary people and their property rights.

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 7:02 am

        Looks sorta consistent to me–remember the Transfer Agreement?

    • Walid on February 27, 2014, 12:22 am

      “Witness the neocon support for the Ukrainian neo-fascist “freedom fighters.”

      It was more than just support, it was actual US/Israeli involvement. For the story behind the “Fuck the EU” leaked Nuland comment that details it:

      http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/02/07/ukra-f07.html

      It isn’t only in Ukraine, yesterday Israel more or less declared its open involvement in the war on Syria.

      • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 12:36 am

        Ya Walid

        Have you got a link for that wrt Israel and Syria ?
        Wouldn’t be the first time they picked the losing side in a regional war.
        http://bachirquotes.blogspot.ch/

        They never understood what the locals want. They think war is always the answer.

        Qatar not looking great at the moment either

        http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/26/qatar-foreign-workers-slave-conditions

        Qatar and Israel are 2 of the horsemen of the apocalypse.

      • Walid on February 27, 2014, 2:14 am

        Here an Israeli with the Washington Institute discusses on the Australian ABC and a couple of days ago it was in the news about Israel’s mobilization on the Golan off Quneitra. There were past reports of Israel treating the wounded Nusra rebels on the Golan (with visits by Netanyahu) and providing them with cash to return to the fighting in Syria. Also a couple of days back, news about Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir, the new rebel leader in Syria having just arrived from Israel where he was trained.

        http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-27/israel-increases-involvement-in-syrian-conflict/5288182

        http://www.globalresearch.ca/israel-support-to-al-qaeda-rebels-new-free-syrian-army-fsa-commander-trained-in-israel/5370130

        I posted a link to an article last week about Qatar’s involvement and the pipeline it wanted to pass through Syria instead of the proposed Iranian one.

        The former team of anti-Syria cheerleaders have stopped cheer leading. Saudia has taken Prince Bandar off the assignment, Qatar has slunk back into the shadows, Turkey has closed its borders to the rebels is actually shelling them from across the border and the Europeans are in a panic on how to cope with the returning fighters that have become fully versed in the art of killing people for no reason. France and the UL are actually stopping new ones from leaving and Norway was in the news about its big concern.

      • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 8:33 am

        Yislamu

      • Ellen on February 27, 2014, 9:34 am

        The kafalah system of sponsoring immigrant labor — awful as it is — is not particular to Qatar, but is used throughout the Middle East, including variants of it in Israel. Though while Qatar gives lots of lip service about prosecuting violators of labor laws — it is only that. Most labor sponsors are Qataries and they are practically untouchable as they will almost never ever prosecute their own. This creates a sense of lawlessness. I imagine Israel has a better record to actually prosecute abuses of labor and to provide safe harbor to victims of abuse at the civil level. Nothing like this exists in Qatar.

        Qatar is under the spotlight because it absolutely depends on massive amounts of foreign labor at this time. The largest population group is young male foreign labor.

        The crux of the mentality behind acceptance/justification of the horrendous kafalah system is a tribal mentality of us and “them.” A mentality where a Qatari has vastly more rights than a non Qatari (as a member of the tribe) and a Jew also has more legal rights than a non-Jew under Zionism.

      • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 10:00 am

        Qataris represent 10% of the population of Qatar
        The population is 75% men, 25% women

    • puppies on February 27, 2014, 1:09 am

      Keith – The inconvenient part of this is that most officially Nazi groups in Europe openly admire the Zionist, with the probable exception of Greece and France (bur in the latter the Beitar are the armed brown shirts anyway.) So before we buy it, it’s a good idea to check if the genocide supporters of Ukraine have turned Israel admirers too.

      • Keith on February 27, 2014, 11:29 am

        PUPPIES- “So before we buy it, it’s a good idea to check if the genocide supporters of Ukraine have turned Israel admirers too.”

        Indeed, there are indications that this may have occurred at least to some degree among the leadership. Israel Shamir notes: “Historically, the liberal–Nazi alliance did not work because the old Nazis were enemies of bankers and financial capital, and therefore anti-Jewish. This hitch could be avoided: Mussolini was friendly to Jews and had a few Jewish ministers in his government; he objected to Hitler’s anti-Jewish attitude saying that “Jews are useful and friendly”. Hitler replied that if he were to allow that, thousands of Jews would join his party. Nowadays, this problem has vanished: modern neo-Nazis are friendly towards Jews, bankers and gays. The Norwegian killer Breivik is an exemplary sample of a Jew-friendly neo-Nazi. So are the Ukrainian and Russian neo-Nazis.”
        http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/02/24/the-brown-revolution-in-ukraine/

        There are other indications, however, that among the neo-Nazi cadre, anti-Semitism may be quite real. In spite of that, it is well to remember just how well Zionists and Nazis worked together in the past. Hopefully, it will be of interest to some that “Zionism in the Age of Dictators” by Lenni Brenner has been re-released. A quote followed by a link.

        “The WZO tried to extend its relationship with Nazism. On February 26, 1937, Feival Polkes of the Haganah Labor Zionist militia, met with Adolf Eichmann in Berlin.” (Lenni Brenner)
        http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/02/24/zionism-in-the-age-of-the-dictators/

      • puppies on February 28, 2014, 9:37 am

        @Keith – Correct. There is no reason for ziomania or adoration of “Israel” not to coexist with antisemitism, this time without quote marks. Who can be more antisemitic than the Zionists anyway?

        By the way, Brenner’s Z in the Age, etc. has been online for years:
        http://www.marxists.de/middleast/isrpalndx.htm

        The site also has the highly useful, condensed, Schoenmann.

    • Sibiriak on February 27, 2014, 9:55 am

      Keith:

      US supported rise of the neo-Nazi parties in places such as the Ukraine where a successful imperial destabilization has occurred.

      I’m not so sure it was so much real support as use. Now that a “pro-Western” regime is in place and neoliberal policies can be implemented, their usefulness may come to an end.

      Today’s stories:

      “Ukraine’s PM-designate Arseniy Yatsenyuk warns of ‘unpopular’ steps to save the economy…”

      —

      Ukraine has asked the International Monetary Fund to help prepare a new financial aid program …

      —

      The White House has sent financial experts to Ukraine to help its new leaders deal with the economic crisis…

      • Keith on February 27, 2014, 12:50 pm

        SIBIRIAK- “I’m not so sure it was so much real support as use.”

        The support was real enough as was the planning and direction from Washington. In other words, the US didn’t just take advantage of a useful situation, rather, the US/NATO/EU was the driving force behind the Putsch. If, however, you are trying to say that the US support is contingent upon the continued usefulness of these neo-Nazis, then, of course, that is true, and is fairly standard.

      • Citizen on February 28, 2014, 7:44 am

        More austerity for the people, more money for the bankers. Greece, again. Actually, our bailout of TBTF banks and our current lingering severe recession is itself a form of austerity. And Obama’s bank reform measures has left intact the key deregulations Clinton signed with two strokes of his pen that would have stopped the wall street criminal gamblers. And as well, now there’s only 5 gigantic banks to play big time casino with our money–they should be broken up or taken over by the government.

    • Sibiriak on February 28, 2014, 9:02 am

      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26380336

      13:24:Mr Yanukovych says the new government in Ukraine has no genuine authority from parliament. “People who preach violence” have come to power he says. Andriy Parubiy, Dmytro Yarosh and Oleh Tyahnybok are people who “strike fear into Israel”.

  13. Shingo on February 26, 2014, 10:44 pm

    Presently most Jews do not live in Israel. If this land is so important to us, why aren’t they here?

    The answer is pretty obvious. They would rather not and that number is growing.

    This is one of their greatest fears. People will come to Israel.

    And Wilders’ greatest fear is that they won’t and that the Arab demographic increase will lead to a majority. It looks like the Zios are getting desperate. Israel is only the 3rd most popular country in the world, who wouldn’t want to live there?

    What are you waiting for? ]
    “For the life of me, I don’t understand the Jews living in France. I don’t understand the Jews living in Poland. I don’t understand the one Jew living in Afghanistan (nor the one living in Eritrea) and I can’t believe there are still 100 Jews in Egypt, Algeria, Iraq or Botswana. I don’t understand the Jews living in the Ukraine and, to be honest, I don’t much understand the Jews living in America either.”
    http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/what-are-you-waiting-for/

    That’s their problem, they don’t understand because they have no clue.

    • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 10:02 am

      “Presently most Jews do not live in Israel. If this land is so important to us, why aren’t they here? ”

      Most US Jews do not believe the fairy story about God giving the land to the Jews.

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 10:31 am

        @ seafoid
        According to this Israeli Jew, here’s the top 10 reasons American Jews have given to him why they don’t move to Israel: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/2287#.Uw9WTv3UbLQ

        The main one seems to be they like their comfortable and materialistic life in America.

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 10:45 am

        OTH, here’s why a former American, a female professional, loves living in Israel: http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/1582552/jewish/Moving-to-Israel.htm

      • seafoid on February 27, 2014, 11:31 am

        @ Citizen

        From the link

        “I’ll make aliyah only under MY conditions… not G-d’s.”

        Basically that’s it. Judaism now is about Israel, not G-d . G-d wants to move to Israel. It’s no good being Jewish in Cleveland. Bullshit.

        “- THAT is what it comes down to. Every Jew without exception should be yearning to come home.”

        Why ?

        “They broke through their fears and material desires to take their place in history and join the millions of Jews already here in our homeland. They have chosen to BUILD the land and nation of Israel, not stay behind in the dying Exile. ”

        Somewhat partisan

        “Today, hundreds of Jews attained their goal of coming home, and planting themselves in the Holy Land of Israel. I don’t say they made a dream come true, because in order to dream, one has to be asleep. I am talking about people who were determined to make aliyah a conscious goal. They yearned for Israel, and they came. What our brothers and sisters did today was realize the aspirations of our ancestors for the last two thousand years. ”

        Horseshit.

        ” You will be remembered for generations for changing the destiny of your family line. Your future seed will now be Israeli because of the goal you set for yourself.”
        Dubious

        ” And it is not always easy to make aliyah. Though it is luxurious to live in this Land and have virtually all your neighbors be Jewish, with the country celebrating Jewish holidays and every Friday before the Sabbath the air takes on a different feeling, you are coming as someone from a different culture, one that is NOT Jewish. Here, you will learn what it really means to be a Jew ”

        PFO

      • Citizen on February 27, 2014, 11:12 am

        This article from 2010 says many American Jews move to Israel for the basket of freebies they get as incentive to make the move, plus because Jewish Education is much cheaper in Israel and health care is free. http://972mag.com/north-american-jews-moving-to-israel-because-its-cheaper/19110/

  14. talknic on February 27, 2014, 2:31 am

    “There aren’t any magic answers or simple solutions”

    Israel could have ‘simply’ adhered to its legal obligations to International Law and the UN Charter. Too late now. Israel,with the assistance of idiots like Mr Wilder, is too deep in ‘facts on the ground’ sh*te, if it were to now adhere to the law, it’d be sent bankrupt. Now it must negotiate its way out of the mess it has created and the Palestinians have absolutely no legal obligation to forgo any of their legal rights in negotiations. Meanwhile Israel is still in breach of the law

    “No one is willing to make real compromises..”

    No one except the Palestinians, willing to forgo most of their rightful territory for peace with Israel http://pages.citebite.com/e9p5s8u2yhcd Israel meanwhile, after having been given 56% of 1948 Palestine and illegally acquiring by war another 50% of what remained of Palestine http://wp.me/pDB7k-Xk , has offered to generously swap non-Israeli (Palestinian) territory for non-Israeli (Palestinian) territory so Israel can keep non-Israeli (Palestinian) territory/. What a bargain!

    “because the issues are primarily religious..”

    They are in fact primarily legal issues and the Palestinian claim is based on the Law, the UN Charter, relative conventions and UN/UNSC resolutions, NOT religion. It is illegal for an Occupying Power to claim for itself the territories it occupies or has acquired by war.

    “However, I believe the beginning of a solution is recognition by Jews, primarily in Israel, but also elsewhere, that Eretz Yisrael [biblical name for land that includes the West Bank] really belongs to the Jewish people. “

    Problem. It DOESN’T belong to Israel… (UNSC res 476) If Israel wants peace, they must recognize the complete opposite of Wilder’s idiotic claims

    “The second part of a solution is mass Aliyah to Israel”

    Second part to WHAT solution?

    “When the Soviet Union opened its gates, allowing Jewish emigration to Israel”

    The Soviet Union ‘allowed’ emigration to Israel? AMAZING!! States can allow emigration, i.e., people to leave. They cannot ‘allow’ emigration to another specific state.

    “When Judea and Samaria are populated by millions of Jews”

    Illegally.

    The guy is quite insane

  15. dwilder on February 27, 2014, 4:45 pm

    Baruch Goldstein – 20 years later
    by David Wilder
    The Jewish Community of Hebron

    The past week or so has witnessed a spate of “Remembering Baruch Goldstein” articles and video in the international media. This because the past week marked the 20th anniversary of his attack at Ma’arat HaMachpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in Hebron. This week was also declared ‘international open shuhada street week.’ All the more reason for negative publications about Hebron in the world press.
    The later I have written about quite extensively. The former, not very much.

    First, to be clear. I do not agree with, or justify what Baruch Goldstein did twenty years ago. I believe I can say, as I have stated many times before, that the Jewish Community of Hebron also rejects such violence and bloodshed as a means to deal with the issues plaguing us. The reason I am so sure is simply because people do not do it. People do not go out and randomly shoot at other people, who are not endangering their lives.

    People here are armed. We are licensed, either by the Ministry of the Interior to carry small arms, or by the IDF, to possess rifles for reasons of self-defense, and self-defense only. Once a pistol or a rifle is in the possession of any given person, they can, theoretically, do with it whatever they want. If a person wants to go outside and start shooting people, there is nothing to stop him. The fact is that Jews don’t randomly attack and shoot people, not in Hebron, and not anywhere else. This is not the way to achieve whatever aims we might have. It not right legally, morally or ethically. It is wrong.

    As a result there are very few people who have illegitimately used weapons against Arabs for reasons other than self-defense. And those who have are imprisoned for very lengthy periods of time.

    When journalists ask me about our reaction to Baruch Goldstein, after replying, I inquire as to whether they ask my Arab neighbors what they think about Yahya Ayyash. About 99% of them don’t know who I’m talking about. Ayyash was nicknamed ‘the engineer.’ Bombs he assembled killed over 70 Israelis in numerous terror attacks in the 1990s. He trained his successors to follow in his footsteps following his death at the hands of Israeli intelligence. At his funeral, attended by well over 100,000 people, Arafat called him a saint. (Two days after Goldstein’s attack, Yitzhak Rabin, in the Knesset, said, “I am ashamed to be a Jew.”)

    How many Jews have committed such acts? Five, six, maybe seven. How many Arabs? Between 1989 and 2008, over 800 Arab suicide-homicide killers have murdered Jews. Who is the only one remembered? Baruch Goldstein.

    I asked former MK Mossi Raz, demonstrating in Hebron this week, if he would also demonstrate to mark the 18th anniversary of Israel’s killing of Ayyash. Of course, the answer was a stark no.

    I knew him. He was my friend. He was also a doctor. A very very good one, at that. He treated both Arabs and Jews. His trauma treatment was legendary in Israel in medical circles. His on-the-spot diagnoses were, after weeks of hospital tests, found to be 100% on the mark.

    He was also the only on-duty doctor in Kiryat Arba, just about 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the first intifada, following drive-by shootings and terror attacks, he was frequently the first medical person at the scene. As such, he witnessed horrible sights. It is said that he would sleep at night with earphones in his ears, allowing him to hear reports of attacks, without disturbing his wife’s’ sleep.

    Why did he do what he did? This is a question, that as far as I know, nobody really knows the answer to, 100%. To the best of my knowledge he didn’t leave behind any notes or messages. However, just two months earlier, I was present at the scene of the murder of his close friend, Mordechai Lapid and his son Shalom, just outside the gates of Kiryat Arba. He tried to save Mordechai’s life, in vain.

    At the beginning of that fateful week, the then General Shaul Mufaz visited with the Kiryat Arba leadership for an emergency meeting. Baruch Goldstein, as the doctor of the area, was present. Mufaz told of intelligence information concerning a planned terror attack in the area of Machpela towards the end of the week. Baruch Goldstein was asked to ‘be prepared.’

    The Saturday night prior to the attack, during evening prayers, Arabs inside Machpela chanted ‘itbach el-Yahud,’ ‘Slaughter the Jews.’ The IDF did nothing to stop this. The night before his attack, the evening of Purim, while reciting Megilat Esther, when we read in the how Haman planned to annihilate the Jews, again, Arabs yelled and screamed, ‘itbach el-Yahud.’ Despite Goldstein’s protests, nothing was done to stop it.

    The next morning he arrived there early, shot and killed twenty nine Arabs as they prayed, wounding dozens of others.

    It seems, as much as can be assumed, that he very simply cracked, deciding, ‘if anyone is going to be killed here today, it will be Arabs and not Jews.’

    That doesn’t make it right, in any way, shape or form. But that’s what happened.

    Baruch Goldstein was not a bloodthirsty terrorist whose goal in life was to kill as many people as he could, as often as he could. He was a brilliant doctor, whose purpose in life was to save other people’s lives. His purpose in life was also to actively support and promote Jewish life in the State of Israel. For that reason he left the United States, as did the rest of his family, and move to Israel, to take an active role in the rebirth of the Jewish homeland. It seems that this too was a reason behind his acts, witnessing terror murders, one after the other by Arabs, with Israel’s leadership standing on the side, watching, doing nothing to prevent the next terror killing.

    He made a tremendously appalling error, which cost the lives of many people, which cost him his own life, and which left an indelible stain on Israel. That having been said, and realizing the horror of his act, it must be examined and remembered in the perspective of what was happening around us and to us. Had there not been an intifada, with some 160 Jews killed, with very little government attempts to protect the Jewish victims, he never would have broken and committed the acts that he did. And we cannot and must not forget that what he did, as ghastly as it was, was miniscule compared to the terror and death Israelis have faced at the hands of hundreds of Arab terrorists over the past decades. Terror continuing to this very day. Are not rockets, shot from Gaza into Ashkelon, acts of terror? (Or perhaps, this is war?)

    Clearly, the agenda of those protesting, and the articles appearing over the past couple of weeks have nothing to do with human life, human rights and/or suffering. Rather, that agenda is purely political, overtly anti-Israel, anti-Jewish Hebron and in many cases, covertly anti-Semitic, in an attempt to create an atmosphere of incitement, justifying continued Arab violence and terror against Jews in Israel, wherever they are, with the immediate goal being the creation of another enemy Arab state on our land, with a further, more far-reaching aim, that being, the destruction of the state of Israel, and the implementation of those very words intoned at Machpela, here in Hebron, twenty years ago: itbach el-Yahud.

    • Shingo on February 28, 2014, 3:19 am

      I believe I can say, as I have stated many times before, that the Jewish Community of Hebron also rejects such violence and bloodshed as a means to deal with the issues plaguing us. The reason I am so sure is simply because people do not do it.

      Except for the unprovoked attacks on Palestinians, Palestinian children going to school, vandalism etc.

      People do not go out and randomly shoot at other people, who are not endangering their lives.

      We’ve already seem ample footage of them doing precisely that.

      If a person wants to go outside and start shooting people, there is nothing to stop him.

      Not allowing them to carry weapons is one way they could.

      This is not the way to achieve whatever aims we might have. It not right legally, morally or ethically. It is wrong.

      Of course it is wrong, but it not only happens, the IDF/Israeli police are doing it every day. We’ve seem too many examples of IDF and Israeli police standing idly by while settlers attack Palestinians.

      And speaking of wrong, why is it therefore not wrong to assume Jews have more right to be on the land than Arabs?

      At his funeral, attended by well over 100,000 people, Arafat called him a saint.

      How many people attended Begin’s and Shamir’s funeral? Did they not receive the highest honour by being elected to Prime Minister? Both were responsible for the deaths of many more than 70 Arabs.

      Between 1989 and 2008, over 800 Arab suicide-homicide killers have murdered Jews. Who is the only one remembered? Baruch Goldstein.

      I don’t know how you can claim that the suicide attacks have been forgotten. In the minds of most Israeli supporters, Palestinians are synonymous with suicide bombing and many will argue they are still going on today – even though they ended in 2005/2006.

      And in case you might have forgotten, Israel killed more Palestinian children in that period than all the Israeli victims of suicide attacks.

      Baruch Goldstein was not a bloodthirsty terrorist whose goal in life was to kill as many people as he could, as often as he could.

      Thank you for the background on the Goldstein episode. Your version of events sounds plausible, though I suspect it is selective. What you have demonstrated is that you are prepared to recognize Goldstein’s humanity and flaws as a human being. What Goldstein did is something pretty much all humans can be driven to do under the right circumstances.

      The fact is that the there are very few people who are true bloodthirsty terrorist whose goal in life is to kill as many people as they can. Even Ehud Barak was honest enough to admit that if he were a Palestinian, he would probably join a terrorist group. In other words, he understands that the misery Israel imposes on their lives would give many people reason to turn to violence and even suicide.

      While you might deplore the actions of Goldstein, you still don’t accept the humanity of his victims.

      And we cannot and must not forget that what he did, as ghastly as it was, was miniscule compared to the terror and death Israelis have faced at the hands of hundreds of Arab terrorists over the past decades.

      And there in lies the problem David, because the same could be said of the actions of Arab terrorists compared to the far larger scales of violence and injustice they have suffered at the hands of the IDF. Such is the circle of cause and effect. For Goldstein, it was the spate of terror attacks and taunts. For those Arab terrorists who incited Goldstein, it was what was done to them by Israelis.

      It all eventually comes down to the bottom line. The fact that you are your community/ethnicity and your interpretation of religious teachings has led you to believe the land belongs to you (for whatever reason) and that your actions to take that land and dispossess the inhabitants is justified. What you have also justified is that they should accept your truth and accept that because your Hebrew religious texts say God gave you the land, that this is a universal truth. That they should have accepted their expulsion in ’48 and ’67 and every year since as something that God ordained and that any resistance on their part has been irrational.

      And from this basis, you fail to accept their human rights. They are simply an nuisance that stands in the way of your entitlement.

    • just on February 28, 2014, 7:06 am

      Wilder– you have an IOF that commits war crimes on a daily basis, has killed civilians in your name with the disproportionate bombings of Gaza, etc ( with chem weapons), protects your illegal squatters — nay, enables their terror and thieving, a government that has an apartheid “legal system”. In your attempt to defend the indefensible, you have failed. Goldstein was a terrorist. Israel is committing terror minute by minute.

      “Had there not been an intifada, with some 160 Jews killed, with very little government attempts to protect the Jewish victims, he never would have broken and committed the acts that he did. And we cannot and must not forget that what he did, as ghastly as it was, was miniscule compared to the terror and death Israelis have faced at the hands of hundreds of Arab terrorists over the past decades.”

      “miniscule”? The use of this word alone to describe Goldstein’s massacre of people at prayer says a lot about you. You are barking up the wrong tree here… peddle your wares (caca) elsewhere.

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