Shabbos War News: 5 Kassams, Mortars Since Friday, Olmert: No Shalit, No Open Crossings, IAF Retaliates Hitting Munitions-Makers and Tunnels; Cyprus Unloads Suspected Weapons Ship, Pipe Bomb Thrown at IDF, 15 Terrorists Escape PA Prison

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Hamas Ups the Stakes, Attacks Near Kibbutz Yavneh [Friday Rocket Attack Northeast of Ashkelon and Ashdod], by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu (Israel National News)

Excerpt;

“Terrorists also fired two Kassam rockets and a mortar shell on Gaza belt communities during the Sabbath.”

Olmert: No Shalit, No Open Crossings, by Ronnie Sofer

Erekat: Demand for Shalit is Blackmail

Excerpt:

Senior Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat accusing outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of “blackmail” on Saturday. Olmert had stated that Israel would not agree to a temporary truce with Hamas prior to the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. read more

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Parsha Mishpatim 5769 — Setting Jewish Standards of Honesty, Principle and Unity

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by, Moshe Burt

Parsha Yithro concludes with the high moment to date in world history; The Asseret HaDibrot (The 10 Statements) on the 6th day of the month of Sivan.

How does it transpire that Yithro, Moshe Rabbeinu’s Father-in-Law, a former member of Pharaoh’s ruling circle, one who had tried every avodah zora before finding Hashem; merit that the format for law enforcement and justice in the B’nai Yisrael would flow from him?

In questioning that very point, there are numerous pertinent citings regarding Yithro in Yishai Chasidah’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Jewish Personalities (pages 306-309). read more

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Friday War News: Gaza Rocket Attacks Continue, Stolen Israeli Aid — Empty Medicine Bottles Made Explosives, Thrown at IDF, Olmert Spokeman: Schalit or No Gaza Crossings; Stonings Near Jenin, Explosive Seized Near Bethlehem, 2 Terrorists Nabbed near Shechem

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Commentary:

Will Olmert and Livni get away with imposing a “deal” on the new Israeli government including release of 1,000 terrorists, to return to kill and maim more Jews, in exchange for Gilad Schalit? Meanwhile, “Dumb and Dumber” keep talking appeasement of terror as the violations mount to the current “ceasefire.” MB

Two Kassams Launched at Sderot

Kassam Lands in Eshkol Region; No Casualties or Damage

Israel: Gaza Crossings Will Wait for Gilad Shalit’s Return [Olmert’s Spokesman Mark Regev: No Deal Has Been Finalized], by Hana Levi Julian (Israel National News) read more

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Official Vote Result, or “The Right-Wing Won but Likud Lost”

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Commentary:

The soldiers, diplomatic corp., etc. votes, counted last on Thursday and previously thought to alter the Knesset seat distribution, was added to the to the other 99% of the vote and turned out to be inconsequential to the outcome.

The quote above, included in the headline; “The Right-Wing won but Likud lost” is a parody from Moshe Feiglin on one of THE all-time classic post-election epitaphs which was uttered by Shimon Peres in explaining how Binyamin Netanyahu squeeked past him in the 1996 elections: read more

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Thursday War News: Another Gaza Mortar Violates Ceasefire; Firebomb, Rocks Pelt Jews in Yesha, 20 Terrorists Nabbed

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Mortar Shell Fired From Gaza Hits Eshkol Region, None Hurt

Firebomb Attack in Beitar-Illit

Israeli Lightly Wounded by Palestinian Rock-Throwers [Southwest of Kalkilya]

Israeli Car Pelted With Stones Near Hebron; None Wounded

Several Cars Damaged in Hebron Stone-Throwing

Soldiers Arrest 20 Wanted Terrorists [in Ramallah, North of Jerusalem, in Bethlehem and next to Efrat]

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Election Results UPDATE: Kadima Clings to 1 Seat Lead; Do IDF Votes Hold Victory Margin?

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Commentary:

With over 99% of the vote counted on Wednesday, Kadima still clings to a slender 1 Knesset seat lead over the Likud as the real results seem to closely relate to the exit poll data .

The nearly completed actual results showed that the Arab parties gained 1 seat to total 11 while the Left dropped 16 seats vs their position in the current Knesset while the Right picked up 19 seats and the Religious parties dropped by 4 seats vs the current Knesset. Israel National News reports that the soldiers vote could affect which party garners the most Knesset seats: read more

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Exit Polls: Kadima Holds Slim Lead, Likud Closing-In on Real Count

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Commentary:

Israel’s polls closed at 10:00 PM and the major Israeli media exit polls [here, here and here] and initial election returns showed Tzipi Livni and Kadima with a slim 2 Knesset seat lead over the Likud and its party leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

These exit polls indicate that Kadima won 28-30 Knesset seats while the Likud garnered 27-28 Knesset seats. Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party won 14-15 seats while Ehud Barak and the Labor party showed 13 seats on all of the exit polls. Shas finished fifth winning between 9-10 seats. read more

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Monday War News: IAF Retaliates for Sunday’s Rockets on South, Humanitarian Aid Continues Despite Rocket Attacks, IDF Explodes Bombs Found Near Hevron, Molotovs Thrown at Cars, Buses, 5 Terrorists, 93 Illegals Nabbed

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IDF Bombs Hamas Police Station [Other Targets] after Rocket Attacks, by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu (Israel National News)

Excerpts:

“Israel Air Force F-16 planes strafed two Hamas terrorist positions, including a police station, in Khan Yunis in south-central Gaza, in the pre-dawn hours Monday. No injuries were reported, but the targets sustained damage.”

Humanitarian Aid Continues Despite Ongoing Attacks [No UNRWA Shipments, but World Food Program, World Health Organization and CARE Continue], by Hana Levi Julian (Israel National News) read more

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Parsha Yithro 5769: What Brought Yithro to B’nai Yisrael?

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by Moshe Burt

We learn that when Yithro had heard all that Hashem did for B’nai Yisrael, he left Midian with Tzippora and Moshe’s two sons and went to join with the Jews.

We are not absolutely certain as to whether any one specific event Yithro heard boosted him to circumcise himself and to go out to join the B’nai Yisrael, and if so, which exact event it was, or whether it was the sum total of all he had heard which convinced him to become a Jew.

In the sefer Ner Uziel: Perspectives on the Parsha, Rabbi Uziel Milevsky z’l writes on Parsha Yithro (p. 380-383) writes indicating that were Yithro have come to join the Jews after Yetziat Mitziyim or after the cri’at Yam Suf, it would have been unlikely that he could have joined with the Jews due their concern as to what his motivations might be; i.e. whether he was anxious to be on a winning team, on the right side, not unlike many athletes who, when reaching free agency status, seek the best deal, to earn more that their peers, to join onto the team which has gone all-the-way. Rabbi Milevsky cites indications that B’nai Yisrael didn’t accept Gerim during the reigns of David HaMelech and Shlomo HaMelech when B’nai Yisrael was at the zenith of prestige and power in the world. read more

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