Israel and The Sin of Expulsion

Pendulum Starts Back: Leading Haaretz Columnist: Retreat was Based on False Assumptions, More Retreats Would be Mistake

IAF Hits Kassam Unit Preparing to Launch

IDF Forces Nab Islamic Jihad Member Near Jenin

Kassam Rocket Attack Launched [from] Samaria

Qassam Fired From West Bank

Katyusha Rockets Neutralized in S. Lebanon

MK Yatom: The Disengagement Led to Increased Terrorism

Beit Haggai [Chevron Hills] Residents to Protest Deteriorating Security

For tracking back on this story, click here.

Feiglin Set to Drop Out of Likud Race

Excerpts:

“Moshe Feiglin is set to hold a press conference Sunday where he’s expected to announce he is dropping out of the Likud primaries race.”

“Feiglin associates told Ynet the decision was taken after senior Likud figures told them recent changes in the party’s charter were meant to remove criminals, rather than Feiglin, from the Likud.”

“His associates said Friday that the press conference is aimed at ‘finally closing this chapter and coming down to terms with all those who exploited his power in the past and have recently tried to harm him.‘” read more

Weekly Commentary: Former Shin Bet Chief Avi Dichter Squanders His Integrity for Shot at Being a Minister?

Excerpts;

“Yes. Shin Bet Chief Avi Dichter knew full well that one has to consider considerably more than a few months of ‘numbers’ in order to get an indication if the retreat policy is panning out.”

“But politician Avi Dichter apparently has more important things to concern himself with than the truth. Things like not offending the man who will decide Dichter’s placement in the Kadima list or what cabinet post Dichter will get if Kadima’s performance at the ballot box comes close to its performance in the recent polls.” read more

Palestinians Fire at IDF Near Karni Crossing

IDF Arrests 6 Fugitives, Including Jihad Members

IDF Soldier Lightly Wounded in Face in Jenin Clash

Border Police Arrest Armed Arabs Near Maale Adumim

IDF Operating on Many Fronts Against Terror and Rocket Attacks

Soldiers Uninjured in Shooting Attack

10 Terrorists Arrested in Tulkarem District

Violence Directed at IDF Troops in Hevron Area on Friday

IDF Evacuates Three Illegal Outposts in West Bank

Previous reports cite 25 new outposts being built during Chanukah. This momentum must continue so as to keep police and army busy; fighting Arabs while dismantling a few outposts only to find a slew of them built in wake of those dismantled. Classic Revava — keep them chasing around, not know which fires to put out first. MB

Much Speculation Surrounding Kadima List

Excerpt;

“The list for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Kadima Party remains a mystery at this time, the subject of much speculation.”

Other Kadima News;

Sheetrit: More Concessions to be Expected

Commentary;

Kadima’s winning the election is highly problematic, regardless of what the polls say, owing both to the history of breakaway parties and the large number of divisive political loose cannon explosions waiting to happen. And by election day, the Jewish Nation may just be, to lift a line from Ehud Olmert, “too tired of giving up …” MB read more

While Sharon and Kadima plot it’s next unilateral pullbacks and expulsions based on the oft-chance that they may be elected, and while Bibi’s Likud Platform delineates what “difficult concessions” they will make, what they will keep and what will be handed to Arabs, here is what the “PA(sic)” says about Israel;

PA to Israel: “Be gone. Die Anywhere You Like, But Don’t Die Here.”

IDF finds Explosive near Hebron; No Damage Caused

IDF: Hizbullah Uses Russian Rockets [in Firing on Israel]a>

Suicide Bomber [Thursday, at Tulkarim] Planned Attack at Children’s Party

10 Credible Terror Warnings on Friday

Parsha Mikeitz/Shabbos Chanukah 5766:
The Message of Yosef for the Observant — A Time for Indignation.

By Moshe Burt

Two years ago, this author made a big splash at the Shul’s Shabbos Chanukah Oneg.

Shortly before the Oneg, this author read Jay Shapiro’s book “Almost Midrash” and gave over a vort on Yosef encorporating a story entitled “Duaf of Memphis” from Shapiro’s book (about Duaf, the former Barber whose meteoric rise through the ranks of Pharoh’s army and monarch culminated in his being appointed as the Viceroy’s right-hand man) and the dialogue of Page 13 A & B of Gemora Megillah Esther (the dialogue between Achashveirosh and Haman resulting in the evil decree against the Jews). The point of the Torah Vort of course was that with longevity in Shushan and throughout Achashveirosh’s Empire, as with Mitzrayim, the Jews were disparaged as either useless or too powerful, and in both cases, antagonists conveniently forgot about Yosef. The point was made as a lesson to the secular which sadly has repeated itself again and again throughout history in different ways whenever Jews got comfortable, complacent in where they were at the time and forgot who and what they are. In forgetting, they assimilate and, in our time, Chanukah evolves into “spin the dreidel”, cutsie, yet shallow assemblies in Conservative Synagogues to make it seem like they are doing something for Jewish youth, yet totally miss the meaning and message of what Chanukah is really all about. That was the focus of the Rav Kahane article recently received which was put out as an email and on the Sin of Expulsion blog. read more