Motsei Shabbos Reflections on Parsha Beshalach: Easier to Remove the Jew from Bondage than to Remove the Bondage from the Jew

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In the Parsha HaSheva of parsha Beshalach, this author touched on an area which turns out to be a vort, a drasha unto itself.

Our Parsha opens by stating; “It happened when Pharoh sent out the people that Hashem did not lead them by the way of the Philistines, because it was near, for Hashem said, ‘Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war, and they will return to Mitzriyim.’” (Sefer Sh’mos, Perek 13, posuk 17)

R’ Baruch Abba Rakowsky, in a citing from Torah Gems asks why, after escaping from such a terrible enslavement, would the first problem they faced drive them to return to Mitzriyim? He reasons that all that the B’nai Yisrael had wanted was to be freed of their terrible physical work. They never dreamed of liberation from the enslavement. Because of the absence of such a dream, there was ample reason to fear that at the first sign of difficulty they would return to Mitzriyim. (Torah Gems, Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Volume 2, page 100) read more

Shabbos War News

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Arabs, Leftists Destroy Jewish Orchard on Tu B’Shvat Holiday

Excerpts;
“One left-wing activist hit a security guard with his car.
The incident occurred Saturday morning at Sde Boaz, a hilltop community in Gush Etzion located at the region’s highest point, between Neve Daniel and Betar Illit.”

IDF Soldiers Wound Palestinian Near Jenin Checkpoint

Excerpt;
“The Palestinian ran in the direction of the checkpoint, and troops shot him in the legs after he ignored both calls to stop and warning shots fired in the air.” read more

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Olmert Regime: EU-led Trusteeship — Return to British Mandate Rule

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Why Not an EU-led Trusteeship? Shlomo Breznitz (Jerusalem Post)

Commentary;

Today’s politicians are in denial. The elistists, in their “peace panic,” think that they have come up with an interesting, new, novel, workable concept to separate Jews from their heritage — The Land of Israel. World Net Daily’s Aaron Klein reported earlier this week about a proposal for “transferring control of Judea and Samaria to a European task force.”

Never mind that we have been there, done that once before, that an EU-led Trusteeship is nothing more than recycling the British Mandate of the 1920s through the 1940s which preceded the modern-day State of Israel as we know it. read more

Rapid Conflict Incident Resolution: Resolution Before an Incident or Incidences Fester into Something Larger

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Weekly Commentary: Exploiting the Window Before Iran May Get the Bomb, by Dr. Aaron Lerner (IMRA)

“It means exploiting an appreciation of the nature of media coverage of conflicts (brutally put – the bad press for bloody battles in five civilian areas that take place simultaneously is almost the same as the bad press for one battle).”

Commentary;

It seems apparent that the working assumption on which rapid conflict incident resolution is an Israel once again self-reliant as to national defense and security and not dependent on 3rd parties; super-powers, peacekeeping forces, etc. It also assumes a strong government which does not quake before false and bogus mainstream nedia coverage. read more

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Friday War News

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PA Security Forces Arrest 7 Iranian Arms Experts in Gaza

Excerpts;
“Deputy Defense Minister Efraim Sneh told Army Radio that ‘Israel was fully aware of the presence of Iranian officials in the West Bank and Gaza, who were assisting Hamas and Islamic Jihadf with money, weapons enhancement and training.'”

“‘Iran is fighting Israel all the time, on every front,’ said Sneh. ‘But Israel is prevented from fighting it directly and only hits its agents,’ he added.” read more

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Shteinitz Warns of Egyptian Intentions Towards Israel

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by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)

Commentary;

While most of what Shteinitz says here is right on, there is one glaring aspect which betrays him as yet another cheap politician with the wrong priorities; the Israeli propensity in recent years, the too tired dependency on 3rd parties, i.e. “U.S. pressure on Egypt, at the behest of Israel, could help improve the situation”, to secure Israel’s national defense. MB

Excerpts;

Ex-Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee MK Yuval Shteinitz says that abandoning the Philadelphi Route on the Gaza/Egyptian border was one of Israel’s worst errors. read more

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Former Justice Minister Ramon Brought to Justice

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A-G, State Attorney Hail Ramon Verdict

For context, click here.

Commentary;

For those counting, another proponent, Haim Ramon, who was complicit in the Expulsion from Gush Katif and the Shomron has fallen by way of court conviction for indecent behavior. MB

Excerpts;

Attorney General Menahem Mazuz and State Attorney Eran Shendar expressed their satisfaction Wednesday over former justice minister Haim Ramon’s conviction of committing an indecent act against a female soldier who worked for him at the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the two stressed that “the day on which an Israeli minister is convicted is not an easy one.” read more

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Thursday War News

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IDF Discovers 10-Kilogram Bomb West of Nablus

Hebron: Soldier Lightly Wounded When Hit by Stone

Kassam Lands in Western Negev; None Wounded

2 Kassams Land Near Sderot; None Wounded

Wanted Tanzim Terrorist Arrested in Tulkarm

IDF Soldiers Kill Three Palestinians in West Bank

Excerpt;
“IDF troops shot and killed a Palestinian who tried to infiltrate Israel through the security fence near the Kalandiya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem. Earlier, in a predawn raid in Nablus, IDF troops from the Golani Brigade’s Reconnaissance unit shot and killed two Fatah terror operatives during a gunfight.” read more

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With All of the Commissions of Investigation and All of the Findings, The Lessons of Lebanon are Lost on Dumb and Dumber

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They Would Not Listen, by Moshe Arens (Haaretz)

For context, click here.

“Rocket fire from Gaza occurs almost daily, endangering the civilian population in the south. It is a small-scale version of what happened in the north. Unless something is done about it soon, it will surely turn into a larger-scale version as time goes on. Yet our ground forces are not being ordered to put the Qassam rocket launchers out of range of our civilian population in the south.”

Full Text;

Now that we are beginning to learn what was said in the inner councils – at meetings with the prime minister, at meetings of the ministerial security committee and at sessions of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff – it is becoming clear that our leaders just would not listen to opinions that were contrary to theirs while discussions were being held on the conduct of the Second Lebanon War. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then chief of staff Dan Halutz stubbornly clung to their fantasy that the war could be won from the air, while Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni thought that we could get the UN Security Council to pull us out of this mess by calling for a cease-fire, leaving Hezbollah undefeated. read more

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Former Ambassador Ross Expresses Support for Pollard

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Former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross Calls for Pollard Release

For context, click here.

Commentary;

As much support as former American ambassadors and officials can give toward Pollard’s release, such release will not come until Israel’s governmental leaders lobby and press honestly for that release. That means, totally frank, up-front and honest efforts made by Israel’s leaders, NO petitions left at home in secure, locked desk drawers, etc.

Until this occurs Jonathan Pollard continues to languish in prison in the US.
MB read more

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