Quranet - A bridge between the Islamic world and the West

The Israeli Presidential Conference held recently to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel a project called Quranet was shown- an educational tool which reveals the beauty of the Quran and its respect for human dignity. This is a website in which every person in the world can find a Quranic answer to his/her educational questions.

A report form the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that Quranet transforms the Quran into a unique and useful educational tool for parents and teachers, and thereby renders the beneficial power of the Quran widely accessible.

Quranet interweaves the Quran, in unprecedented fashion, with modern educational approach, thereby helping the Islamic world and the West to understand each other.

Quranet reveals the beauty of the Quran and its respect for human dignity, thereby providing a resounding response to warped exploitation of the Quran for the justification of terror.

Since many issues are common to Islamic and Western culture, we aspire to develop Quranet into a social network in various languages, and create communities with shared interests, thus establishing a bidirectional bridge between the two cultures.

How does Quranet work?
The user selects a particular issue from the list of contents, and receives the relevant Quran verse. He or she can then study a brief description of an everyday event, illustrating how the verse can be utilized to convey a message to the child. The session concludes with a brief educational-psychological explanation of the process.

The material has been developed in Hebrew by a group of Bedouin students of education and their lecturer. With an introduction by three distinguished sheikhs, it was recently published in book form by Ben Gurion University Publishing House.

See how Quranet works in the presentation

What happens when we repay evil with good? ... the one who used to be your enemy may become your best friend (Sura Fussilat, Ayat 34)

Sensational Victory of Justice in Paris

The Verdict: Philippe Karsenty is 'Not Guilty'!

France-2’s Al-Dura movie may be rightly called “a total fake”, “totally staged”! Thus reports Endre Mozes of Take A Pen http://www.take-a-pen.org/english/Articles/Art21052008.htm present at the court hearing.

Was France-2's Al Dura movie a brave revelation of an Israeli brutality - or an irresponsible distribution of one more false Palestinian accusation of Israel with a murder it never committed; the most powerful blood libel of the 21st century?

For years the world believed to the short France-2 film as a revelation.

Now the Paris High Court of Justice acknowledges in its verdict the evidence collected by experts in all these years and allows calling the Palestinian-made France-2 film a "totally staged fake, a forgery". This is a breakthrough.

The most difficult question is now: will this truth spread in the world as widely as the libel did? The answer may have historical effects.

France-2 gave the video gratis to hundreds of TV stations and thus the story spread across the world like wildfire. The Al-Dura images, together with France2's accusation against Israel, became the most powerful icons of hatred in decades against Israel and the Jews. Hundreds of innocent people were killed in the upheavals incited, Jewish American-French journalist Daniel Pearl was beheaded live on video, as revenge for Al Durra.

Hundreds of millions of credulous honest people around the world also believed the accusation. A European Nobel laureate and many other famous intellectuals compared Israel to Nazi Germany, referring to the Al Dura tragedy.

The Al-Durra story had from the beginning all the ingredients of humankind's greatest epics: a tragic story, full of doubts and mysteries, may be not true at all, however influencing the life of masses of people and even mainstream history; beyond logic and beyond imagination.

In the course of time experts from the whole world built up evidence that this Al-Dura film was not authentic, but heavily edited, probably totally staged.

On November 14, 2007 the reason of France 2's obstinate secrecy became clear on the court's demand to see the raw footage. France2-selected 18 minutes-long part only of the known 27 minutes to be presented in the courtroom. The judges and we the audience in the small room couldn't see one single frame supporting France-2's Al-Dura film and years-long statements. Some omission, editing and staging became absolutely obvious.

The day of the verdict, 21 May 2008 came after eight years of growing doubts and after four years of legal fight in Paris courts between the giant France 2 state television and young journalist Philippe Karsenty.

The verdict had been anticipated in huge tension, but today Charles Enderlin and France-2 were absent. They obviously knew they had lost the case. Enderlin, in the last year, has lost much of his previous great prestige as a reliable expert on Palestinian and Israeli matters and become perceived to be, in the best case, a credulous victim of a Palestinian fraud. Naturally, the defendant, Philippe Karsenty and many others were there also experts and media activists who had contributed to revealing the truth, and citizens from all over Europe, the US and Israel who came to Paris to watch the court proceedings and today’s verdict from up close.

The Verdict: On 21st May, 2008, at 1:55 P.M. the panel of judges of the Paris Court of Appeal, presided by Judge Ms. Laurence Trebucq, rendered the short verdict that:

- Philippe Karsenty is NOT GUILTY.

The consequences of this decision are :-

a) that Karsenty’s harsh criticism of France 2’s film in 2004 that the film was a 'fake', a 'forgery', 'totally staged' – has not been libelous, but legitimate.

b) This also means that the court recognized that the Al-Dura story, the 21st century’s most devastating media campaign against Israel, using the heart-breaking image of the frightened and, as if, dying 12-year old boy – based solely on a heavily edited film and testimony of one Palestinian cameraman Talal Abu Rahme, the sole eye-witness, is not a reliable source.

c) An important detail is that in the full judgment document (not read in the court and to be published only later) the court accepted the argumentation of Karsenty's lawyer that journalistic productions made under totalitarian regimes, like Hamas, where people are regularly killed in short street tribunals for their views, are inherently less reliable and must be scrutinized before accepted as proofs.

d) This verdict means, most importantly, that Israel is not guilty, again, as proven 1) in the Jenin accusations, 2) in the staged libel of the Gaza-beach tragedy, 3) in the 'apartheid wall' fabrications, and 4) in many other co-productions of Pallywood, the Palestinian news industry and some greedy Western media.

e) And this verdict means that France-2 and Charles Enderlin ARE GUILTY; at least of negligence, of distributing such a capital accusation without due or even minimum checking. Later, when the fraud became growingly obvious, France-2 of Director Arlette Chabot added insult to injury by suing the critics and keeping the evidence, the raw footage, hidden so long. This was certainly not a mistake already but arrogance of a monopolistic state TV.

The future? In Paris, the city where Captain Dreyfuss was unjustly sentenced twice and rehabilitated much later, TV France 2 may also become from the accuser of yesterday to the accused libelous party tomorrow; for disseminating its fake Muhammad Al-Durrah movie and unfounded libelous accusations without due diligence done.

Most important and urgent now is the dissemination of the truth revealed about the Al Dura forgery. If mainstream media won't do this willingly, we all who know now the truth have to urge them to do so.

The media have to correct their literally lethal libelous mistakes and rebuild their morality. The remaining most important question now is: will this truth spread in the world as widely as the libel did? The answer may have historical effects

Catastophe for Who?

Like most people I know, there is incredible skepticism whenever we hear that in the conflict with the Hizbollah or the Palestinians, “don’t worry, UNFIL or some other international organization will “monitor” what’s going on in order to maintain the peace, the cease fire, hudna or whatever".

This week again, the integrity of UNIFIL has been brought into question because of the airy fairy way its role has been defined. Under its rules of engagement, UNIFIL is controlling the Lebanese countryside but is not allowed in the villages without approval of the Lebanese army. So guess what? Hizbullah is no longer operating in the open areas, but rather inside the villages.

Comments as to the ineffectiveness of UNIFIL also come from anti-Hizbullah Shi'ite mufti of Tyre, Ali al-Amin, blasted UNIFIL in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday.

"Peace mission?" he said of UNIFIL. "You must be kidding. I will tell you what UNIFIL troops in southern Lebanon are. They are tourists, simple, faint-hearted and ignorant tourists’. He went on to say that UNIFIL "should be helping the Lebanese army guarantee democracy, but it is a mere illusion. The events of the last few days have strengthened Hizbullah even more.

"Everyone knows that the national army is too weak to take Hizbullah on, and UNIFIL forces pretend not to see anything. Hizbullah has built its own cable telephone system and is getting re-armed right outside their [UNIFIL's] bases. Can they really do nothing to stop it, can they not report it?"

Another issue in the PR war is the ongoing matter of Arabs who became refugees in 1948. The constant claim that they were expelled is being disclaimed not just by the Israelis but now also by more and more Palestinian and Arab journalists.

According to a senior Palestinian journalist writing in a Palestinian daily. The plan to leave Israel was initiated by the Arab states fighting Israel, who promised the people they would be able to return to their homes in a few days once Israel was defeated. The article in Al-Ayyam concludes that these Arab states are responsible for the Arab refugee problem.

In a report by Palestinian Media Watch www.pmw.org.il , it is noted that “a backbone of Palestinian English-language propaganda is the myth that Israel expelled hundreds of thousands of Arabs from Israel and created Arab refugees. But in recent years, PMW has documented an increasing willingness among Palestinians to openly blame the Arab states and not Israel.”

1. Jawad Al Bashiti, Palestinian journalist in Jordan, writing in Al-Ayyam, May 13, 2008 "Remind me of one real cause from all the factors that have caused the "Palestinian Catastrophe" [the establishment of Israel and the creation of refugee problem], and I will remind you that it still exists... The reasons for the Palestinian Catastrophe are the same reasons that have produced and are still producing our Catastrophes today.

During the Little Catastrophe, meaning the Palestinian Catastrophe the following happened: the first war between Arabs and Israel had started and the "Arab Salvation Army" came and told the Palestinians: 'We have come to you in order to liquidate the Zionists and their state. Leave your houses and villages, you will return to them in a few days safely. Leave them so we can fulfill our mission (destroy Israel) in the best way and so you won't be hurt.' It became clear already then, when it was too late, that the support of the Arab states (against Israel) was a big illusion. Arabs fought as if intending to cause the "Palestinian Catastrophe". [Al-Ayyam, May 13 2008]

2. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Palestinian Journalist in PA official daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, December 13, 2006"...The leaders and the elites promised us at the beginning of the "Catastrophe" in 1948, that the duration of the exile will not be long, and that it will not last more than a few days or months, and afterwards the refugees will return to their homes, which most of them did not leave only until they put their trust in those "Arkuvian" promises made by the leaders and the political elites. Afterwards, days passed, months, years and decades, and the promises were lost with the strain of the succession of events..." [Term "Arkuvian," is after Arkuv - a figure from Arab tradition - who was known for breaking his promises and for his lies."] " [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, December 13, 2006]

3. Asmaa Jabir Balasimah, Woman who fled Israel in 1948, Al-Ayyam, May 16, 2006
"We heard sounds of explosions and of gunfire at the beginning of the summer in the year of the "Catastrophe" [1948]. They told us: The Jews attacked our region and it is better to evacuate the village and return, after the battle is over. And indeed there were among us [who fled Israel] those who left a fire burning under the pot, those who left their flock [of sheep] and those who left their money and gold behind, based on the assumption that we would return after a few hours." [Al-Ayyam, May 16, 2006]

4. Son of man who fled in 1948, PA TV 1999
An Arab viewer called Palestinian Authority TV and quoted his father, saying that in 1948 the Arab District Officer ordered all Arabs to leave Palestine or be labeled traitors. In response, Arab MK Ibrahim Sarsur, then Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, cursed those leaders, thus acknowledging Israel's historical record.

"Mr. Ibrahim [Sarsur]. I address you as a Muslim. My father and grandfather told me that during the "Catastrophe" [in 1948], our district officer issued an order that whoever stays in Palestine and in Majdel [near Ashkelon - Southern Israel] is a traitor, he is a traitor."

Response from Ibrahim Sarsur, now MK, then Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel: "The one who gave the order forbidding them to stay there bears guilt for this, in this life and the Afterlife throughout history until Resurrection Day." [PA TV April 30, 1999]

5. Fuad Abu Higla, senior Palestinian, Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, March 19, 2001
Fuad Abu Higla, then a regular columnist in the official PA daily Al Hayat Al Jadida, wrote an article before an Arab Summit, which criticized the Arab leaders. One of the failures he cited, in the name of a prisoner, was that an earlier generation of Arab leaders "forced" them to leave Israel in 1948, again placing the blame for the flight on the Arab leaders.

"I have received a letter from a prisoner in Acre prison, to the Arab summit: To the [Arab and Muslim] Kings and Presidents, poverty is killing us, the symptoms are exhausting us and the souls are leaving our body, yet you are still searching for the way to provide aid, like one who is looking for a needle in a haystack or like the armies of your predecessors in the year of 1948, who forced us to leave [Israel], on the pretext of clearing the battlefields of civilians...
So what will your summit do now?" [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 19, 2001]

Conclusion

It is clear from these statements that there is general acknowledgement among Palestinians that Arab leaders bear responsibility for the mass flight of Arabs from Israel in 1948, and were the cause of the "refugee" problem. Furthermore, the fact that this information has been validated by public figures and refugees in the Palestinian Authority media itself confirms that this responsibility is well-known - even though for propaganda purposes its leaders continue to blame Israel publicly for "the expulsion."

Isn't the North of Israel an Amazing Region?

This morning’s paper reports on another massive increase in tourism here in Israel, 41% above the first 4 months of last year. There seems to be no doubt we will hit the 2.8 million target for this year.

As well as being good for the economy, this increase offers so many more people to see the real Israel, an Israel certainly not reported in the international press. A recent letter from a contact in Ashkelon says ”We are indeed having a bit of a rough time, 12,14,20 shells a day landing in or around the area. Not only does the BBC / Sky not report it, even our news hardly reports it any more!”

In a recent discussion at the offices of the the local city council, I happened to remark on this increase in tourism and was told that there seems to be reluctance on the part of tour offices to include Haifa in the itinerary of tourists. The local council has offered any group staying a minimum of 2 nights at a city hotel, a free guided tour of the city, yet there still seems to be a reluctance to accept this offer.

Now I know I am prejudiced since living here in Haifa for more than 26 years but I leave you to judge, where would you find such a beautiful daily drive on a visit to the supermarket as that in the picture? There is so much to see in this city of ours.



After attending the Machal dinner for the 1948 war veterans,see last blog, a group of us got together with our Machal friend to take a tour of Acre. Now I have been to Acre many times with friends of ours but our guide, Danny, who lives in Acre was able to show us many new things and we spent 5 hours until our feet felt as though they were dropping. Interestingly, he also commented on how the tourists seem to miss out his city. The tour of the underground Crusader city

Machal Reunion and "Israel Arab Reader"

I recently received a copy of the seventh edition of “THE ISRAEL-ARAB READER”
by Walter Laqueur and Barry Rubin published by Penguin Books. Having spent much of the last 6 years doing a little to try to counter the tsunami of lies by anti Israel forces around the world, I felt that I was well acquainted with recent history.




Having now read this book with its chronological, comprehensive references to speeches, letters, articles and reports, it is quite clear how much information I had been missing. This is a great reference book for those who are trying to get the truth across to a skeptical media.

The book commences with the Bilu Group Manifesto in 1882 and this seventh edition now adds the last 7 years, including the Gaza withdrawal, the Hamas election victory and the 2006 Lebanon war.

This week I was honoured to be able to attend the last dinner of the world reunion of Machal volunteers, http://www.mahal-idf-volunteers.org/about/Machal.pdf who helped Israel get through its war against the mass of Arab armies with their declared aim of eliminating Israel at birth.

Israel’s War of Independence, first began on November 30, 1947, the day after the United Nations adopted the resolution calling for the partition of the Land of Israel, and culminated on May 14, 1948, with the end of the British Mandate, the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel and the invasion of Israel by regular Arab armies. The second period began the very next day and ended with the signing of the last of a series of armistice agreements, the agreement with Syria, on July 20, 1949.

The military campaign conducted by the Haganah and, later, by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), endeavored to make the utmost of the human and economic potential of the Yishuv (the Jewish community in the pre-state Land of Israel) and of the Jewish people throughout the world. Their efforts were directed to mobilizing military equipment and manpower in Israel and from the Diaspora.

During this period approximately 3,500 overseas volunteers, mostly Jews,
but non-Jews as well from 43 countries, were also recruited and integrated into the military network. Most of the volunteers were recently discharged soldiers who had
served in the Allied armies during World War II. The name chosen, in the autumn of 1948, to designate this group was – “Machal”, an acronym of the Hebrew words, “Mitnadvay Chutz La’aretz”, “Volunteers from Abroad,” Overseas Volunteers, or Machalniks, as they came to be known.

Some of these Machalniks, mostly in their 80’s came to Israel to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the State and the stories told were fascinating, intriguing and emotional.

It was a great pleasure to be amongst these people who helped the state overcome the Arab armies at such a crucial time

Reflections on a Birthday

So there it is – gone. After all the razz-a-matazz, all the planning (good and bad), all the security concerns, the tons of meat and chickens barbequed, we now settle back into a routine. Yes there is the Presidents conference to come this week, the guest list impressive. It seems the Swiss are put out by not being invited. Well, if they feel it unjustified, maybe they should consider what their business deals with Iran are going to cause for Europe in general and Israel in particular.

The routine we are returning to also involves helping others and one of the first aid crews to enter Myanmar after the cyclone was, yes, you guessed it, the Israeli team. Talking to the Israeli media, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3541463,00.html Josh Krieger of the Latet organization reported of the difficult sights and the great damage caused by the storm, as well as of the difficulties posed by the authorities.

"You see a chaos which is only now being treated. Trees on the roads, destructed houses, roofless houses, water and fuel shortages," he said.

Krieger is one of the only volunteers who managed to enter Myanmar, after the ruling junta refused to allow aid teams to enter its territory. Many international aid crews, including United Nations organizations, have been waiting In Thailand for days in hopes of receiving an approval to enter the country.

Meanwhile Hamas is desperately trying to generate sympathy for the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1209627049950&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Gaza officials said Saturday that they switched off all three turbines that had been generating electricity for hundreds of thousands of Gazans. Energy official Kaanan Obeid said Israel hadn't provided enough diesel to run the power plant. Ninety percent of Gaza City was plunged in darkness Saturday night, Obeid said.

Whilst true that Israel didn't deliver as much fuel as planned to Gaza last week because Palestinian terrorists attacked the crossing used to deliver it, it is also reported that Hamas is taking supplies for itself. Now I wonder what for? Surely not the rockets and mortars?

And finally, looking at the overseas media and the programs on the BBC reporting on the birthday, all I can say is that in general, the anti Israel feelings and deligitimisation of the State are very healthy and surviving on the incessant use of incorrect and distorted information, but then what’s new?

Independence Day in Haifa

There we are – it’s been and gone! The rapid change of moods from the somber Remembrance Day to the enjoyment of Independence Day has once again passed over successfully in spite of the 11 “hot” terror threats.

With a sudden burst of enthusiasm we invited friends round to an “open house”, to eat and watch the traditional start to the Independence Day celebrations of the torch lighting ceremony on TV. Most of the invitees said the perhaps wouldn’t come as there were firework displays, family commitments, etc.

In the end everyone did turn up even though the last couple arrived at close to midnight but there was still enough pizza and wine to go round. We eventually got to bed around 1:30 am.

I find the torch lighting ceremony quite emotional with each of those invited telling the audience about their background. Immediately prior to lighting the torch they declare “To the glory of the State of Israel”

This year the emphasis on the torch invitees was on education and voluntary work and included young and old, Jews, Christians, Druze, Muslim and Bedouin. A reflection of the multiculturism that is so natural in Israel.

Amongst the torch lighters were:-
Ralph Goldman, 93, honorary executive president of The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He lit the torch with Shmuel Falik, 13, of Miami, who was born on Independence Day.

Galila Ron-Feder-Amit, one of Israel's most prominent and renowned children's book authors, a foster mother of children from broken homes and a volunteer helping underprivileged kids. She lit the torch with Ronni Ackerman, 13, an actress in The Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Ronny Douek, a businessman who has been working for 20 years now as a social entrepreneur for the welfare of children and youth. He lit the torch with Pnina Nivetzag, 18.5, a graduate of the Aharai! ("Follow me!") youth movement.

Dr. Erika Landau, who has been working for 40 years now to educate generations of gifted and talented children to lead in all areas of life. She lit the torch with Zurarish Weba, 18, who is about to join the IDF and is active among youths who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia.

Dr. Yitzhak Kadman, CEO of the National Council for the Child, which engages in a variety of activities for the sake of Israel's children. He lit the torch with eight-year-old Niv Caspi, a resident of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom near the Gaza Strip.

Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman, founder of the Migdal Ohr education network, which is active in the fields of education, welfare, aiding children at risk, immigrant absorption and bringing people closer together. He lit the torch with Tamir Abukasis, 13.5, an eight-grader at the Bnei Akiva yeshiva, who escaped a Qassam rocket attack in Sderot but lost his sister Ella who protected him with her body.

Uri Jakobovitch, an agriculturist at the Sdeh Bar farm for youth at risk, where he arrived about four and a half years ago in the footsteps of his older brothers. He lit the torch with Reuven Bentolila, 17, who immigrated to Israel from France in 1999 and was evacuated from Gush Katif as part of the 2005 disengagement plan.

A Bedouin who lit the torch had her car torched in her village; such is the pressure that those who want to co-exist in peace come under from their own communities.

This is the face of Israel

Really a Cease Fire?

There is much talk of a possible “cease fire” between Hamas and Israel, however the Western understanding of a cease fire is far from the Arabic understanding.

The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hudna_050508e.htm defines the a cease fire as “Tahadiya” which is a modern, secular term adopted by the Palestinians meaning a “lull in the fighting” and used exclusively in relation to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It has no religious Islamic validity and in practical terms means an agreement between two rival sides, sometimes with the intervention of a third party, not necessarily as part of negotiations or a written agreement (such as a gentlemen's agreement, or an understanding).

Thus it is less binding than a “hudna” , a truce, which is an Islamic term. For that reason Hamas preferred to use the term “tahadiya” both in relation to the current contacts with Egypt and to the Cairo Agreement of 2005. That is because a “tahadiya” does not commit Hamas to recognizing Israel and permits it to carry out military activities except for engaging in actual fighting .

Thus far it seems that what has been agreed according to ITIC is that :-

i) Hamas agreed to a six-month lull in the Gaza Strip, during which time Egypt would work to extend it to the West Bank .

ii) The lull had to be mutual and simultaneous , and include the “ lifting of the blockade ” and the opening of the crossings, including the Rafah Crossing. The crossings would be opened as the lull went into effect. Mahmoud al-Zahar said that an agreement had been reached [between Egypt and Hamas] regarding the principles and commitments involved in reopening the Rafah Crossing.

iii) The other Palestinian organizations had to agree to the lull within a “national agreement.” Omar Suleiman would invite their representatives to Egypt to discuss the issue.

iv) Once the other organizations had agreed, Omar Suleiman would initiate contacts with Israel to achieve its agreement to the lull and to set up a time table for its implementation. Israel and Egypt would immediately take steps to prepare public opinion for the lull and to provide the Gaza Strip with basic supplies, especially fuel.

v) Egypt will ask the president of the Palestinian Authority for his agreement to open the crossings. Mahmoud al-Zahar noted that Hamas was close to an agreement with the PA regarding how the Rafah Crossing would be administered.

vi) The release of Gilad Shalit would be delayed until after the lull went into effect. Mahmoud al-Zahar said that the main obstacle was Israel's refusal to release terrorists who had been sentenced to long terms.

We have seen the ineffectiveness of such agreements in the past. Even the agreement via the UN for the peacekeepers in Lebanon has become a joke. Hizbollah is reportedly twice as strong as it was before the war and the UNIFIL peackeepers have not stopped Hizbollah’s build up one iota.

So once again it looks as though we are being conned into a cease fire in order that Hamas can regroup to fight another day – AND IT WILL!!

Not the Holocaust story again!

Today is Holocaust Day and there is a feeling of melancholy that pervades the atmosphere. The sirens around the country sounded at 10:00 am and I was at that moment at a very busy junction near the local shopping mall.

The only things moving were the traffic lights, changing from green to amber and red. All the cars, buses and taxis were suspended in a time warp and people were standing to attention at the side of their cars.

Yes, this day still requires a remembrance of what actually happened, not what so many Arabs and anti Semites try to convince the world with their “version” of what happened.

My wife was born in Amsterdam, nine of her Uncles and Aunts perished in the Holocaust and it is still painful for her to watch the programmes on TV recalling the events of the darkest of periods of mans inhumanity to man. Her family was also holed up in an apartment under similar conditions to Anne Frank as were many of the Jewish community of Amsterdam.

If anyone is in any doubt then the web site http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/blholocaust.htm gives a very full account of what happened.

As the Arab propaganda machine churns out more and more distorted data, casting their doubts on what really happened, Palestinian Media Watch http://www.pmw.org.il/ report on a Hamas educational program that claims Jewish leaders planned the Holocaust to kill "disabled and handicapped" Jews to avoid having to care for them. As much of the world prepared to commemorate Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Hamas TV presented its latest sinister twist on Holocaust denial.

The Hamas TV educational program, broadcast last week, taught that the murder of Jews in the Holocaust was a Zionist plot with two goals:

1- To eliminate "disabled and handicapped" Jews by sending them to death camps, so they would not be a burden on the future state of Israel.
2- At the same time, the Holocaust served to make "the Jews seem persecuted" so they could "benefit from international sympathy."

In response to one of my e-mails, one of my contacts writes “why do you exclude Christians? They too are and were deeply affected by this atrocity. In fact many Christians gave their lives to stop the monster that was Hitler and his henchmen?

We are all in this together and as time passes we are all under the same attack from Radical Islam.” And he is right, we should not forget the role so many of them played in risking their lives to save Jews and, of course, many of them gave their lives as a consequence. Yad Vashem here in Israel fully acknowledges the role played by Christians. Let’s also not forget the number of gypsies also murdered by Hitler. See the newly launched YOU TUBE videos at www.youtube.com/user/YadVashem