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The title speaks to 2 of THE major issues (if that’s the most appropriate term to use) very much on the mind of religious Jews in Israel, and hopefully in the US as we approach the end of Chodesh Mar-Cheshvan and Rosh Kodesh Kislev. The other two issues are, of course, the election campaign and the economy — in Israel, the US and internationally.
Firstly, Jonathan Pollard. Here is neither the place, nor the time for a rehash of Jonathn Pollard’s This author has compiled a category entitled Jonathan Pollard where readers can view blog posts dating back to January, 2006. To be informed about the entire Pollard case, click on Justice for Jonathan Pollard: the official website authorized by Jonathan and Esther Pollard.
This is a time for besieging both Prime Minister Olmert, to bring up Jonathan’s case with President Bush and for the president to pardon him, as he has with 14 others thus far and undoubtedly will for others.
One can make their feelings known by calling the White House daily, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9AM to 5PM in the US and between 4 PM and Midnight Israel time at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414 or faxing messages at 202-456-2883 or 202-456-2461.
A new toll-free number 077-5664503 has been established for Israelis to call. This is crunch-time. We all know the score! It’s time for Jews to step up massively for Jonathan’s sake, as well as our own. MB
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The 2nd issue, at least as crucially important as Jonathan Pollard’s freedom, is Beit HaShalom, “Peace House” in Hevron.
This author was bombarded with emails on Tuesday evening regarding a massive wave of police troops headed for Hevron. Having read of the Motsei Shabbos dead-of-the-night Yassam pogrom at the Federman-Tor Farm a few weeks ago, and the deception perpetrated by IDF superiors upon a group of young yeshiva student soldiers in order that they guard the perimeter, there was fear that the police and/Yassam were coming to evict those living in the building. Subsequently, it was established that this time, the police were in fact after terrorists and that they left Beit HaShalom alone.
Readers will recall that when the Federmans and Tors were ousted and the farm made a shabbles by Yassamnikim, young yeshiva student soldiers were assigned to guard a perimeter under false pretenses that “they were participating in a mission to help catch a terrorist.”
With Rosh Chodesh Kislev on Thursday evening, a number of Beit Shemesh residents, along with hopefully many others, are travelling to Hevron for Mincha and tefillos (Yom Kippur Katan) to join with our brethren at Beit HaShalom and in Hevron. Those in Israel and those visiting from Chutz L’Aretz interested in showing solidarity with brethren against the regime’s threatened evictions are encouraged to come to Hevron over the next days. MB
While speaking of the pogrom at the Federman-Tor Farm, the Jerusalem District Court today ruled that “Noam Federman was allowed to return to the same location from which he and his family were forcibly evacuated nearly one month ago.” Defense minister Ehud Barak, who perpetrated the vicious pogrom, is appealing the ruling to the “High Court.”
‘Federman Can Return to Destroyed Home’
Excerpts;
“It is not clear to me,” presiding Judge Moshe Drori wrote in his decision, “why it was necessary to embark on an operation involving 100 police officers in order to evict a man from a closed military zone which was closed 10 months earlier, without any warning, without any attempt at negotiation, and without checking the claims of the other side.”
Around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 26, security forces, in a surprise operation, destroyed an outpost, nicknamed ‘Federman Farm,’ which consisted of two unauthorized homes belonging to the families of singer Sinai Tor and Federman.
“I haven’t heard any claims which would support [Federman’s] inclusion in an order declaring a closed military zone,” the decision read. “[He] is not suspected of conducting a terror attack against Israeli communities, which is one function of the order, and certainly the closure of this area does not apply to [Federman].”
“Indeed,” the judge continued, “producing this order [implies an attempt] to prevent a ‘terrorist infiltration,’ and it is inconceivable that [Federman] be included in this category. For this reason he should have been permitted to remain in the closed territory in order to protect the Israeli communities from terrorist attacks and infiltration, and not have been expelled from the area.”
“The methods by which [the State used to evacuate the outpost] were unconstitutional and not proportional, inasmuch as they prevented Federman from living in a significant portion of the land of Israel,” the ruling read. “The petition by the State is defective [because of its] grave discrimination. I have not heard any explanation as to why the State chose to evacuate a man with a family which includes a wife and nine little children at 1:30 at night. I don’t see how this kind of thing exhibits an obligation by the state to protect its children.”
The Israel National News report on the Jerusalem District Court ruling notes;
Judge Drori cited the evil of Sodom and Gomorra in his ruling: “I would like to note that the State’s representative apparently did not take notice of the Weekly Torah Portion that was read aloud around the time he made his claims. It is written there that G-d decided to overturn Sodom and Gomorra because of their heavy sins. Yet even there, where the sins were 77 times worse than we could imagine, the Creator enabled the Patriarch Abraham to plead for them before He delivered any punishment.”
Meanwhile, as the defense minister works on his next move against Jews, these war headlines are in the news on Wednesday;
Kassam Attack [On Western Negev], No Injuries
Israel Closes Gaza Crossings [Again, After Allowing Supplies in] After Rocket Hits Western Negev
Arabs Throw Stones at Bus Near Ofrah