The outcry of an Israeli woman, a peace activist

The letter below is from a friend, a peace activist who for many years headed MASHAV, the Israeli development agency, and was involved many UN agencies in the international arena dealing with human rights and specifically human rights. She feels betrayed and ignored by former "friends".

This is an abridged version and i can send the full letter on request.

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For more than 25 years, I was a true militant of peace, creating dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian women, believing strongly in peace-education and in building bridges between communities! What a terrible wake-up I had!!! How could I be so naïve? Peace???   With whom??? With Hamas ??? -  A terrorist group that doesn’t value the lives of its own brothers, maintaining them as refugees for more than 75 years for political purposes; taking the billions of dollars provided by the EU, US and other generous donors, to buy weapons and to build underground tunnels, instead of investing in education, health and economy, and using civilians as human shields, and then accusing Israel of the killing of innocent people in Gaza.  

For the information then of those who prefer to ignore the truth: Israel is apparently the only country in the world to have liberated territories, gained during a defensive war, for the purposes of achieving peace.   And what has it received in return?  Years of more and more terrorist attacks against innocent civilians!...

Wake up, dear world!  Can’t you see the reality? How dare you judge us when you ignore true facts and rely on lies and false information? Why don’t you take the time to check the information you get before sharing fake news, and before rushing to join demonstrations against Israel, adding your voice to all those antisemites who were just waiting for the “right” moment to express their hate against the Jews and against Israel, with slogans such as “Free Palestine from the river to the sea”.

I furthermore wonder how the UN which is responsible for the “Child Rights Manifesto”, signed by most of its Member countries in 1989, does not take a minimal initiative with the International Red Cross organization to protect the rights of dozens of children who were so taken as hostages; and who are being held in despicable conditions? How can the UN not act for their immediate release?  And where is the Red Cross??

The world must realize the magnitude of the tragedy we are facing, and must understand that this war is a matter of good vs evil, civilization vs. barbarism…  For us, the Jews, this is a second Holocaust, and it must be recognized as such.  

Where are my own rights, and the rights of my children and grandchildren, to live a normal life?  I realize though and with much sadness that I am asking a stupid question!!  Who really cares??

This is a question of moral compass, and choosing not to unequivocally condemn the inhumane crimes committed by Hamas on that tragic day of 7 October is not OK.

Today, I have decided to stop trying to explain to some of my colleagues from women’s organizations, regionally and internationally, from the human rights’ associations around the globe, and from colleagues from UN WOMEN and UN specialized agencies with whom I have cooperated for decades, contributing to the empowerment and well-being of women in the developing world, that silence on their part cannot be an option.  I had expected them to stand-up in full solidarity with the women in Israel.  I had expected them to take a very clear stance against terror… I had expected them to call for the immediate release of the hostages…  I know, all of them consider rape in a war zone as a crime, but that seemingly is only as long as the victims are not Jews!

I had expected the UNWOMEN to comprehend the enormity of the tragedy, to recognize the fact that what happened on the 7 of October was a mass feminicide, since women were violently raped, tortured, humiliated before being savagely murdered.

UNWOMEN your silence regarding the war crimes committed by Hamas against Israeli women is UNFORGIVABLE!  Your organization will go down in the history books sitting idly by…

Furthermore, I just heard that the UN has appointed Iran’s Ambassador to chair the Human Rights Council!  To laugh or to cry??

 We have no choice but to defend ourselves from a murderous terror organization, and its allies, that seek the annihilation of the Jewish people and the destruction of Israel.   Nobody can convincingly deny that this is their final objective.   So, what do you expect us to do?  To let them exterminate us? However, we will win! We will win because we have no other alternative if we want to survive as a nation.   As Golda Meir once said, “we will win because we have no other place to go”.

We need to make sure that the civilized world will prevail in the war against evil and terror.  For our struggle is also the struggle of democratic and civilized societies.

Yesterday, I heard with horror and immense pain that my friend and colleague, Vivian Silver, was declared dead after her remains were found at her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, among the tortured innocent victims of October 7 massacre.  Vivian, a lifelong feminist, a fearless leader who has devoted her entire life to the cause of peace and to Arab-Jewish partnership, who was one of the founders of the Israeli movement Women Wage Peace!  

Another friend and colleague of mine who had been kidnapped from her house by Hamas, together with her grandchildren, is Dr. Shoshan Haran, a woman who, through her humanitarian organization “Fair Planet” has dedicated her career to the wellbeing of the poorest of the poor in Africa, ensuring food security and helping local women farmers to overcome their hardships. Shoshan’s husband, her brother and sister-in law, have been found murdered in kibbutz Be’eri.

My soul and my heart are broken…

However, despite my hard “wake-up” from many years of naivety and blindness, during which I did not want to believe that there exists an incredible hypocrisy, a lack of integrity and a double standard when the issue involved is about Israel and the Jews, I refuse to lose my humanity - even in the grip of the trauma caused by the Hamas horrendous carnage…  And so, I will continue my own battle for women’s rights and social justice, whenever and wherever it is necessary.  This engagement is due to the support and sympathy I personally received during this dark period from true friends, whom I salute for their courage and humanity. Their solidarity is particularly appreciated in this time of adversity, where the global waves of antisemitism that we are watching play out on social media can make Jews feel alone.

Reports of Palestinians Torturing Israeli Mothers and Childen Emerge

Despite the attempts of Hamas and its PR flaks to show a humanitarian face to the terror group, and to portray Palestinian civilians as victims, the truth is coming out as the returned captives tell their harrowing stories. It is becoming clear that the local residents were part and parcel of the brutalizing, beating and torture by the Palestinians of other kids.

At first it was just hints, as elderly returnees swatted away the hands of Hamas handlers “helping them” from jeeps and ambulances, or Israeli teenagers dismissing with disgust attempts to induce them to wave as if bidding farewell to a kind host.

 But now the horror stories are being reported of torture, mental and physical, to which Israelis were subjected. Eitan Yahalomi, 12, was according to his aunt, in an interview to French television, subjected to unending blows from Palestinian civilians as he was snatched and taken on a motorbike to Gaza captivity. That was just the beginning. Eitan was forced to watch, again and again, films of his neighbors being slaughtered and dismembered on October 7. He was threatened at gunpoint if he cried or made sounds.

 Other children were kept in total isolation for 12 or 13 days. They were covered with lice and received no treatment. Mothers were separated from their children and told their daughters were gone. Despite assurances that mothers would not be separated from children, Raia was just taken away just before her daughter was released.

Thomas Hand, father of 9-year-old Emily, says the little girl thought she had been held hostage for a year and now cries herself to sleep. “The most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering, you couldn’t hear her. I had to put my ear on her lips. She’d been conditioned not to make any noise.” “Last night she cried until her face was red and blotchy, she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want any comfort, I guess she’s forgotten how to be comforted. She went under the covers of the bed, the quilt, covered herself up and quietly cried.” When she met her older sister, she was unable to show emotion.

Meanwhile, Israel is up in arms at the refusal of Hamas to deliver as promised the red-haired Bibas children, Ofir 4 years and Kfir 10 months old, and their mother Shiri. Hamas reported that these hostages had been handed over to other Palestinians and that they could not located them.

 

There is also the case of 84 year old Alma Avraham, returned to Israel in near-death condition, with a very weak pulse and body temperature of just 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Celsius), denied essential medication, and refused visits by the Red Cross, which apparently is unwilling to demand basic humanitarian rights to Israelis. They even refused to pass on essential medications to the prisoners. Today there is reported to be slight improvement in Alma’s condition, although her life remains in danger.

Gaza Most Densely Populated Area - Not Really.

 The Gaza Strip is frequently referred to as one of the most densely populated areas in the world. According to the CIA, it has a population of 2,098,389 in an area of 139 square miles (slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.), which would be a density of 15,096 people per square mile, which is less than the density of the city of Tel Aviv (21,793/sq. mi.). If you compare Gaza to a country, then it would rank fifth but is not even close to the top two ­­– Macau (56,247) and Monaco (51,167).

 
Gaza City is the 63rd most densely populated urban area in the world at 42,059 per square mile. This is far below Bnei Brak in Israel (76,000 per square mile). A more apt comparison is Manhattan, which is 23 square miles compared to Gaza City’s 17. Its population density is more than 70,000 per square mile.
 
Sources: World Population Review.

First All Female Tank Crew Saves Many Israelis

 

These Israeli women took out dozens of terrorists 
and saved an entire Kibbutz on October 7th.

Hamas Attempts To Ignite Judea And Samaria

• Since October 7, 2023, when the war in the Gaza Strip began, Hamas has been working to ignite Judea and Samaria to open another front that will engage Israel’s security forces, part of the concept the “unity of the arenas” which Hamas and the “axis of resistance” developed earlier. Senior Hamas terrorists, led by Saleh al-‘Arouri, deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau and in charge of Judea and Samaria for Hamas, are again urging the residents of Judea, Samaria, east Jerusalem and Israeli Arabs to join the campaign, attack settlers, clash with Israeli security forces and carry out attacks, including inside Israeli territory. They called on the operatives of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security apparatus to use their weapons to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel.
• As part of the campaign to encourage the activity of the residents of Judea and Samaria, calls to the Palestinian public to carry out terrorist attacks are published on Hamas-affiliated social networks and channels, led by the Islamic Bloc (Hamas’ student faction at the universities in Judea and Samaria). Hamas also officially declared “days of rage,” mainly on Fridays, when the public was asked to demonstrate and clash with Israeli security forces.
• Not wanting to open another front and to foil Hamas’ plans, immediately after the war began, the Israeli security forces increased their counterterrorism activities in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem. Their actions are directed primarily against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure and its leadership. So far, the security forces have arrested about 1,850 wanted persons, about 1,100 of them Hamas operatives.
• The PA also understood the danger and the possibility it would lose control. Therefore, as soon as the war began, Mahmoud Abbas instructed the Palestinian security forces to increase their activity in the Palestinian cities, warning that otherwise the situation could become chaotic. He also ordered them to prevent any protest against him personally, and to use force to stop Hamas supporters from demonstrating.
• In practice, the public’s response to Hamas’ calls has been limited

For full analysis by The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center go to https://tinyurl.com/4356shsd

$13b. in hidden foreign funds linked to 300% antisemitism rise in US universities

An in-depth study uncovers the corrosive impact of undocumented funding from authoritarian regimes on academic freedom.

By ZVIKA KLEIN NOVEMBER 23, 2023 12:07 https://tinyurl.com/ypdbs6tt  

 Approximately $13 billion in undisclosed foreign funds, a substantial portion from authoritarian regimes, has been linked to a staggering 300% rise in antisemitism at US universities, according to a new study, “The Corruption of the American Mind,” which has brought to light this deeply troubling trend.

The meticulous research, spearheaded by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) and conducted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has found that over 100 American colleges and universities failed to report these significant contributions, in direct violation of legal requirements.

“Institutions of higher education...received billions of dollars from foreign donors that were not reported to the US Department of Education as required,” the study highlights, shedding light on a severe lack of transparency.

The implications of these undisclosed funds are profound and far-reaching, the study reports. “Institutions receiving such undocumented money, campuses receiving undocumented funds, exhibited approximately twice as many campaigns to silence academics as those that did not...From 2015-2020 institutions that accepted money from Middle Eastern donors had on average 300% more antisemitic incidents than those institutions that did not”.

This alarming statistic underlines the corrosive influence of such funding on the academic freedom and social environment of universities.

Free speech 'under siege'

Delving deeper, the study utilized a wide array of data sources, including the FBI’s crime database and the Anti-Defamation League, to conduct a multifaceted analysis of the situation. The findings paint a picture of an academic landscape where free speech and democratic norms are “under siege,” and antisemitic sentiments are alarmingly on the rise.

The influx of undisclosed funds has not only led to a doubling of campaigns against free speech, but also significantly heightened the exposure of students to antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric. The study notes, “Increased campaigns to punish scholars for their speech were associated with increased levels of such campaigns from both the Left and the Right.”

Furthermore, a national survey of college students as part of the study revealed that those attending universities with undocumented funding reported experiencing more antisemitism, adding a personal dimension to the statistical findings. This direct impact on the educational environment raises serious concerns about the influence of foreign funds on the values and experiences at the heart of American higher education.

Leading the list of countries providing the highest levels of undocumented funding is Qatar, contributing an astonishing $2.7 billion. This is followed by England, China, Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, India, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. These contributions, particularly from countries with differing values and political agendas, have raised significant concerns about the influence of foreign funds on academic freedom and democratic values.

Burning Fields in Gaza

Cross posted from Grandma's Army 

My family has had quite a long history with the Gaza Strip. My husband and I joined a newly formed moshav in the Negev, seven kms. from Gaza in 1960, where my four children grew up. My oldest son, who is a farmer, and his four married children, plus his youngest unmarried daughter, still live there with their growing families

In 1949, Arab terrorists, known as Fedayeen were trained and equipped by Egyptian Intelligence to engage in hostile action on the border, and infiltrate Israel - to commit acts of sabotage and murder. The Fedayeen operated mainly from bases in Jordan, so that Jordan would bear the brunt of Israel’s retaliation, which inevitably followed. The terrorist attacks violated the armistice agreement provision that prohibited the initiation of hostilities by paramilitary forces – nevertheless, it was Israel that was condemned by the UN Security Council for its counter-attacks!

 Since then, terrorism from Gaza has “rocketed”. We have experienced it all: suicide bombers, kidnapping, mortar bombs, rockets, well over 100 tunnels dug out in order to infiltrate into Israel.

Death and destruction has become the way of life for young Gazans who are taught to hate and destroy – as they did when Gush Katif was given to them with all the greenhouses intact.

 In 2018, rioters began a series of mass protests at the borders. This was the first Hamas supported invasion attempt, with rioters throwing firebombs, blazing kites, and shooting at IDF soldiers. Thousands of acres of cultivated farmland, nature reserves, and forests were burnt – up to a distance of 40 kms. from the Gaza border.  The green landscapes in the fields worked by the Israeli settlements and villages on the Gaza borders had been turned to black and scorched earth.

A few girls from my moshav decided to change this grim scenario and to introduce some colour into the burnt territories. They felt that, by organizing a fashion show they would increase public awareness to the terrible damage being caused by the many fires, which were burning up the crops, nature reserves, trees, etc. in the Gaza periphery.

 

To show  that, in spite of the hate and destruction which emanates from Gaza, life in Israel goes on. To show that the people of Gaza cannot break our spirit - to instil some light and colour into the black landscape. They recruited a few friends who were willing to be photographed and procured the services of a stylist. The venue they chose was in the fields of kibbutz Be’eri which had been burned a few hours previously. They said that when they arrived the fields were still burning.