RUTHFULLY YOURS

Africa, mysterious and mostly unknown to the West was called the “Dark Continent” in the late 1800s. In fact, many Jews found beacons of light in African nations.

Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Rhodesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Congo and Ivory Coast had Jewish populations, some dating back centuries, largely unknown in the diaspora but clinging to an ancient faith.

Some migrated from the really dark corners of entrenched anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe.

Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, had a thriving Jewish population in Salisbury (now Harare) and Bulawayo where Jews from Lithuania migrated in the 1800s. A close friend of mine recently showed me a movie of children in the Bulawayo synagogue marching with stars of David embroidered on their shirts singing songs about Palestine in the 1940s.

I was in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the 1950s where large cities like Meknes, Fez, Casablanca. Rabat, Marrakesh, Oran and Djerba, had prominent synagogues, attended by thousands and local shops sold menorahs, candelabras and religious clothing.

When the Arabs declared war on the nascent Jewish State, Arab governments in Africa sponsored harassment of their Jewish populations and a large exodus of Jews began. Most of the small number who remained fled after the Six Day War of 1967. In many non-Arab and non-Muslim countries, decolonization unfortunately heralded coups, revolutions and tribal wars, prompting a Jewish exodus from the continent.

In the early years of decolonization, Israel reached out with targeted aid programs to what became known as the “emerging continent.” But when in the wake of the 1973 war OPEC threatened African states with economic punishment if they did not follow orders to isolate Israel, most fell in line, severing or sharply curtailing relations with Israel. Indeed, African nations joined in the anti-Israel fulminations at the United Nations.

From 1984-1988 Benjamin Netanyahu, now Israel’s Prime Minister, was his nation’s Representative to the United Nations. During his tenure he met many representatives from Africa ex officio and established cordial relations with some. One of his goals was to reestablish relations with African nations by offering agricultural, technical, medical and scientific cooperation. And he has been overwhelmingly successful.

Israeli involvement in Africa has been transformational aiding in control of epidemics, treatments for infectious diseases, crop management with innovative irrigation, water purification, computer education–the list is endless. Israel has improved millions of lives in virtually every nation in Africa.

African students travel to Israel to learn new modalities and technology and Israeli experts assist on site in building and maintaining facilities.

September marked the beginning of the Jewish New Year and ends with Yom Kippur, known as the “Ten Days of Awe,” a period of introspection. People throughout the world, not just Jews, need to consider: if it weren’t for Israel, the world would be a much less safe place.

No one should forget that in June 1981, a surprise Israeli air strike destroyed an Iraqi nuclear power plant. If not for this courageous attack, al-Qaeda could have gained control of a nuclear arsenal in 2014 when it asserted control over the western Iraqi city of Fallujah, as it raised its flag over government buildings and declared an Islamic state in this crucial area. Then, in 2007, it was déjà vu as Israel destroyed the Syrian nuclear plant. As Vice President Dick Cheney previously told American Thinker, after seeing the photographs taken by Israeli intelligence, he pushed for U.S. air strikes to destroy the Syrian reactor, the al-Kibar complex. But the Bush administration refused to act, forcing Israel to go it alone and destroy the reactor.

Consider that ISIS still controls large portions of eastern and central Syria. It seems that without Israel’s existence the world will have to deal with not only the nuclear rogue regime of North Korea, but also many countries in the Middle East.

As Nikki Haley, the U.N. ambassador, pointed out, the Iranian regime has twice exceeded the amount of heavy water (a form of water in nuclear reactors) it was allowed to have. Iran has refused to allow international inspectors to check all of its military facilities, and there are hundreds of undeclared sites that have suspicious activity that inspectors haven’t looked at. In addition, the Iranians have tested ballistic missiles, continue to support terrorism, and have engaged in smuggling arms.

Although America is known as the “policeman of the world,” Israel should be known as the “policeman of the Middle East.” The Gulf States are recognizing Israel’s role in deterring Iran. These states know they need to work closely with Israel to confront Iran and are stepping up their cooperation with the Jewish State. They are considering moving from mainly secret intelligence-sharing with Israel to steps that would include setting up direct telecommunications links over flight rights and the lifting of some restrictions on trade.

It is not just the Gulf States, but also the world that relies on Israel’s intelligence and sees this small country, the size of New Jersey, as a role model on how to deal with terrorism. In recent years, Israel has provided intelligence that has prevented dozens of major terrorist attacks around the world, saving countless lives. Governments are working closely with Israel to keep their countries and citizens safe.

“This development shows the utter failure of the BDS campaign in Canada,” said B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn on the Palestine Film Festival’s rejection of the anti-Israel boycott movement.

B’nai Brith Canada is recognizing that the Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) has defied the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. This year’s edition of TPFF, which took place on Sept. 20-24, featured no fewer than five Israeli films, demonstrating the lure of Israeli cinema for even non-traditional audiences.

Among the Israeli films shown at TPFF was In Between, a story about three very different Israeli-Arab women living together in Tel Aviv. In Between received financial support from the Israeli Film Fund, which was established by Israel’s Ministry of Culture and Sport. By contrast, the film has stirred controversy among Israeli-Arabs for its raw depiction of violence and misogyny among the more religiously conservative elements of that community.

The anti-Israel BDS movement calls for a blanket cultural boycott of all “projects involving Israel,” especially those supported by its government and other official agencies.

“This development shows the utter failure of the BDS campaign in Canada,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “By showcasing Israeli cinema, TPFF has supported the Israeli economy and the arts, despite fierce opposition from some Palestinian-Canadian figures.

“A serious question must now be asked of those who promote the bigoted BDS agenda in Canada and abroad: If even Palestinians in the Diaspora can’t be bothered to boycott the Jewish State, why should anyone else, including Roger Waters?”

B’nai Brith has recently launched a campaign to counter former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters‘ anti-Israel message by partnering with award-winning author/filmmaker Ian Halperin to present screenings of his latest film, Wish You Weren’t Here, across Canada.

By: Aidan Fishman, Interim National Director, B’nai Brith Canada League for Human Rights

Israel’s recent actions at the Temple Mount are a microcosm of what ails the West, reflecting a profound lack of confidence about moral legitimacy, sovereignty, and the right to defend against aggression. After jihadists used weapons stashed in a mosque to ambush and kill two Israeli security guards, Israel, one of the most “hawkish” Western nations, took measures to improve mosque security. Palestinian and Israeli Arabs responded with fury, refusing to enter the mosque and threatening more violence if the security measures were not immediately reversed. When Gulf States including Jordan and Saudi Arabia pressured Israel to capitulate, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intimated that the Gulf States had a legitimate right to make these demands. Israel relented, removing metal detectors, and reportedly opting for installing a “less provocative” hi-tech security system.

Some will say that the site controversy means that Israel must walk on egg shells, lest security measures affecting the Temple Mount “status quo” incite Arab violence, similar to the second intifada after Ariel Sharon visited the site in September 2000. Yet the key to deterring Islamic supremacist violence is practical strength rooted in moral confidence. Israel’s conciliatory measures strengthen its opponents while weakening its viability. Israel’s land concessions have emboldened, not mollified, jihadists who call for “Palestine from the river to the sea,” i.e. Israel’s destruction.

The Temple Mount, which sits on Mount Moriah, is the holiest Jewish religious site. On it, Abraham offered to sacrifice Isaac, and the First and Second Temples were built. The al-Aqsa mosque was constructed only after Muslim conquest. Following Israel’s War of Independence, Transjordan (now Jordan) retained the Old City of Jerusalem and prevented Jews from entering the area.

All this changed in 1967’s Six Day War, in which Israel defeated the Arab aggressors who sought its destruction. This war saw Israel reclaim Temple Mount from Transjordan, as part and parcel of the liberation of Jerusalem, Israel’s historic and current capital.

As Israeli author Yossi Klein Halevi recounted on the anniversary of the Israelis’ victory in the Six Day War:

[Colonel Motta] Gur and [Major Arik] Achmon rushed up a flight of stairs leading to a large plaza—the golden Dome of the Rock and the silver-domed al-Aqsa. Gur radioed headquarters: “The Temple Mount is in our hands.” He wasn’t just making a military report, but staking a historic claim. The focus of centuries of Jewish longing, the place toward which Jews prayed no matter where they lived, was now in Israeli hands.

The brigade’s chief communications officer, Ezra Orni, retrieved an Israeli flag from his pouch and asked Gur whether he should hang it over the Dome of the Rock. “Yalla,” said Gur, go up. Achmon accompanied him into the Dome of the Rock. They climbed to the top of the building and victoriously fastened the Israeli flag onto a pole topped with an Islamic crescent.

Except then the flag was quickly and unceremoniously lowered. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, watching the scene through binoculars from Mount Scopus, urgently radioed Gur and demanded: Do you want to set the Middle East on fire? Gur told Achmon to remove the flag.

An unplanned victory ended in a spontaneous concession…Dayan’s intention was to minimize bloodshed and prevent the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from becoming a holy war.

Despite its theological, historical, and legal claims to this site, Israel has consistently sought to placate the implacable. Israel finds itself in the absurd situation of willingly ceding sovereignty to hostile foreigners. Since Muslim authorities administer the site, Jews are discriminated against in their own land—they are not allowed to pray at the Temple Mount even though it is within Israeli control. As Klein notes:

[S]mall groups of religious Jews ascend the Mount, seeking to maintain a Jewish presence. As they walk about the stone plaza, they are accompanied by Wakf guards who watch their lips to ensure that no prayers are being recited. Jews attempting to pray on the Mount are escorted away.

Leaders of Hamas maintain that under no circumstances will they agree to lay down their weapons. Hamas is, in fact, continuing full-speed-ahead digging tunnels under the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Hamas is planning to use the tunnels to smuggle armed terrorists into Israel.

The accord with Hamas requires Mahmoud Abbas to lift the sanctions he recently imposed on the Gaza Strip, such as refusing to pay Israel for the electricity it supplies to Gaza. It also requires Abbas to resume payment of salaries to thousands of Palestinians who served time in Israeli prison for terror-related offenses.

Above all, Hamas wants to use the agreement to be removed from the U.S. State Department List of Foreign Terror Organizations.

The Russians are closing their ears to what Hamas itself declares day after day: that its true goal is to eliminate Israel and that it has no intention of abandoning its murderous, genocidal agenda.

The Palestinian terror group Hamas has once again made clear that its true intention is to pursue the fight against Israel until the “liberation of Palestine, from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) sea.” Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, says that despite the latest “reconciliation” agreement reached with the Palestinian Authority (PA) under the auspices of the Egyptian government, it will continue to prepare for war with Israel.

While some Western analysts have misinterpreted the agreement as a sign that Hamas is moving towards moderation and pragmatism, leaders of the Islamist movement maintain that under no circumstances will they agree to lay down their weapons. Hamas is, in fact, continuing full-speed-ahead digging tunnels under the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Hamas is planning to use the tunnels to smuggle armed terrorists into Israel.

Just last week, two Hamas terrorists were killed when the tunnels in which they were working collapsed, in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip. The terrorists were identified as Khalil Al-Dumyati and Yusef Abu Abed.

The news about the collapse of the tunnels coincided with the reports of the new “reconciliation” agreement reached in Cairo between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA). This means that while the Egyptians and Abbas’s representatives were discussing with Hamas leaders ways of ending their 10-year-long dispute and achieving “national unity,” Hamas terrorists were busy tunneling under the Gaza Strip to prepare for attacks on Israel.

When I made Aliya from the UK years ago, Israel was far different from where it is today. It suffered from lack of water, few energy resources, a weak economy, high unemployment, low currency reserves, low tech and international isolation.

Now Israel has built desalination plants, recycles 90% of its wastewater and discovered huge natural gas deposits. It has become the Startup Nation, with theworld’s 3rd most stable economy. It is at the forefront of medicine andcybersecurity. Together with its humanitarian activities and global development programs, Israel has now raised its profile on the World stage and is especially appreciated in the USA, Africa, India and China.

Just a few weeks into my eleventh year and this progress continues to amaze me. Israeli ground-breaking medical research has just discovered a molecule that canrestore damaged hearts and micro RNA that reduces susceptibility to epileptic seizures. Potentially life-saving treatments include an anti-rabies vaccination,transplants using lab-grown bone, and the curing and prevention of melanoma.

Dozens of innovative Israeli medical devices have been launched or announced recently, e.g. spectacles that read text to the visually impaired; a system that gives mute, “locked-in” patients the power of speech; a minimally invasive implant totreat congestive heart failure; a one-second per year treatment for glaucoma; hyper-MRI scanners to detect cancer; bandages that stop massive bleeding in 40 seconds; and a soft suit exoskeleton to allow stroke patients to walk again.

Recent Israeli global humanitarian activities include disaster relief for USA, the Caribbean and Mexico; expanding the free treatment for wounded Syrians; aid for South Sudan and Sierra Leone; firefighting in Montenegro; free surgery for children in Ghana and Fiji; plus renewable electricity and clean water for Ugandan schoolchildren.

Latest technological breakthroughs include advanced systems for driverless cars andbuses, wave energy systems for China, India, Chile, Gibraltar and now Mexico. Israeli companies make water purification systems that utilize ultraviolet light and hybrid biofilters. Israelis developed hyperspectral imaging for amazingly detailed photos and video, including on a new Israeli satellite that monitors the environment. Israeli start-ups plant solar trees; use 3D printing for facial surgery and prosthetics; construct high-tech fish farms and produce smart pesticides to combat fruit fly androotworm infestation.

Israelis even beat their swords into ploughshares with unmanned drones delivering purchases to customers and military training systems being adapted for tennis, basketball and soccer.

Israel’s economy goes from strength to strength with international trade andexports on the rise. Israel’s 300 cybersecurity companies exported $6.5 billion last year. Tourists visit Israel in record numbers and unemployment is at a record low. Massive foreign investment in Israeli start-ups means that they no longer have to make early exits, but grow to become Unicorns (over $1 billion in value).

Far from being isolated, Israel is the “go-to” place for international organizations, politicians, companies and celebrities. The World Health Organization has just appointed the first Israeli for 21 years to its Executive Committee. Israel’s Prime Minister has been feted in Latin America. Visiting Prime Ministers include fromGeorgia and the Ukraine plus the first-ever visit from a Quebec Premier. Recent delegations to Israel include business leaders from Iowa, Chicago and Australia;Massachusetts police, French doctors, Indonesian Muslim leaders and JordanianSheikhs.

Barely a week goes by without the announcement of another airline’s new service to Tel Aviv or Eilat. In the same week Air Canada and Air Transat began separate services from Montreal, Canada. China’s Hainan Airways has launched its direct flights to Shanghai. El Al and Aerolíneas Argentinas are soon to begin scheduled flights from Buenos Aires and Ryanair will be flying in from Rome.

Following Israel’s lightning Six-Day War victory over the Arabs, Israel’s military leaders determined that the time was ripe for the acquisition of a new tank to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield. The Soviets had begun supplying the Arabs with more modern T-62 tanks and Israel needed to maintain its qualitative edge.

After conducting extensive tests and trials and examining alternatives, the Israelis determined that the British Chieftain tank, Britain’s own successor to the venerable Centurion, would be best suited for Israel’s needs. In 1968 Britain’s Ministry of Defense agreed to the sale but the following year, the British Foreign Office, which had always maintained hostility toward the Jewish State, nixed the deal.

Israel was outraged and its prime minister, Golda Meir, personally visited London to persuade Prime Minister Harold Wilson to change his mind, but to no avail. The Foreign Office was to have the last word on the matter. To add insult to injury, the British had agreed to sell Chieftain tanks to Israel’s enemies, including Libya!

Britain’s perfidious conduct turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for it planted the seeds for the development of the Merkava tank, Israel’s own indigenously designed creation. In 1978, the Merkava was unveiled to the world and has undergone continuous improvements since that time. It is currently the mainstay of Israel’s vaunted armored corps, and is rated to be among the finest tanks in the world.

Throughout its history, Israel has had to endure similar betrayals. For example, up until 1967, France had been Israel’s principle supplier of jet fighters but just prior to the Six-Day War, it imposed an arms embargo on Israel. Israel had already placed an order for 50 Mirage V fighters, which it had paid for in full but the French refused to deliver them and like the British, ended up selling them to Israel’s enemies. That betrayal planted the seeds for the development of Israel’s indigenous Kfir fighter bomber, which saw combat during Operation Peace for Galilee and saw service with the U.S. Navy, and the air forces of Columbia and Sri Lanka.

In the summer of 2014, Israel was forced to go to war yet again, this time with the genocidal Arab terrorist group, Hamas. Hamas has deliberately placed its military infrastructure adjacent to civilian areas, cynically exploiting Gaza’s civilian population as human shields. In some instances, Hamas appallingly used UNRWA schools to store weapons and as a platform to fire rockets and mortars at Israel. Israel quickly identified the sources of fire and retaliated in measured fashion with precision guided munitions, neutralizing the threats.

Barack Obama, who had always harbored deep-seated hostility and resentment toward Israel, tried to force Israel into accepting a lopsided ceasefire agreement brokered by the pro-terrorist regimes of Qatar and Turkey. To facilitate this goal, he adopted a series of measures aimed at pressuring Israel. He ordered the State Department to issue a travel advisory against Israel. The following day, his Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive prohibiting U.S. carriers from flying to or from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport after a rocket launched by Hamas fell harmlessly about a mile south of Tel Aviv airport. These directives were insidiously designed to inflict economic harm on Israel.

But Obama did not stop there. While Hamas was firing rockets at Israeli cities and digging tunnels for the ghoulish purpose of kidnapping kindergarten-aged children, he ordered the Department of Defense to withhold shipments of Hellfire missiles to Israel. Israeli Apache attack helicopters utilized the Hellfire missile in support of ground operations and where pinpoint precision was required.

It was an unprecedented move. While Israel was at war with a genocidal enemy committed to its destruction, Obama decided to withhold vital military equipment in an effort to place Israel at a military disadvantage.

Despite his best efforts to harm Israel, the Israelis decidedly won the 2014 Gaza War and taught Hamas a lesson it would soon not forget but Israel drew lessons of its own. It realized that Obama was at best, an unreliable ally and Israel could potentially be held hostage to the irrational whims of an unfriendly administration in times of war.

Following the Gaza War, the Israeli company Rafael, maker of the battle-tested and proven Spike precision missile, was asked by the government to modify the Spike so that it could be integrated with the Apache platform. Rafael obliged and soon after, Israeli Apaches were photographed equipped with the NLOS (Non-Line Of Sight) variant of the Spike.

Both the Spike and the Hellfire are precision guided but the Spike possesses capabilities lacking in the Hellfire. It has a range of up to 25 km, surpassing the Hellfire’s and renders the Apache less vulnerable to anti-aircraft defenses. The Non-Line Of Sight option means the target can be hit without the operator actually seeing the target and the missile can be guided via a laser designator or real-time wireless data link. The operator can also abort the mission after launch or change targets. This is an important feature that enables the operator to limit collateral damage should civilians suddenly appear or alternatively, to direct the missile toward a more valuable or dangerous target. The dynamic and fluid nature of the modern battlefield makes this feature invaluable.

During his tenure, Obama’s relationship with the Mideast’s only democracy was at best, acrimonious, and often times marred by petty feuds initiated by Obama or his shills, who took their cues from their boss. But Israel owes Obama a debt of gratitude for it was his misguided petulance during the Gaza conflict that produced the successful marriage between the Apache and the Spike NLOS, thus providing Israel with an even greater qualitative edge over its enemies.

President Trump said he’s looking at “maybe, ultimately, peace in the whole of the Middle East” before a bilateral meeting today with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump called it a “great honor” to meet with Abbas and his team, “who have been working very hard with everybody involved toward peace.”

“I think we have a pretty good shot — maybe the best shot ever — and that’s what we’re looking to do,” he said. “And I just want to thank you for all of the time, all of the meetings, all of the work. It’s a complex subject; always been considered the toughest deal of all. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians — the toughest of all.”

“But I think we have a very, very good chance, and I certainly will devote everything within my heart and within my soul to get that deal made. Our team is expert; your team is expert. Israel is working very hard toward the same goal, and I must tell you, Saudi Arabia and many of the different nations are working also hard.”

Trump added, “We’ll see if we can put it together. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. But I think we have a good chance, and it’s a great honor to have you with us.”

Abbas said he was “very delighted” to meet again with Trump. “And if this is any proof to anything, it means — it attests to the seriousness of Your Excellency, Mr. President, to achieve the deal of the century in the Middle East during this year or in the coming months, God willing,” he added.

“And we are very certain that you, Mr. President, are determined to reach real peace in the Middle East. And this gives us the assurance and the confidence that we are on the verge of real peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis,” he said. “And I would not be giving away any secrets if I say we have met with your brave and active delegation more than 20 times since your ascension to power in the White House. And if this is any indication to anything, it indicates how serious you are about peace in the Middle East.”

Abbas pledged that Washington “will find utmost seriousness on our part to achieve peace, because peace serves our interests and the interests of the Israeli people.”

The Palestinian leader said Rosh Hashanah and the Islamic New Year, which begins Thursday evening, falling “together within a 24-hour period” indicates “it means that we can coexist peacefully together.”

“Once again, Mr. President, we count on you,” Abbas added.

Trump thanked Abbas for the “very great sentiment, frankly” and told the Palestinian leader “you have millions of people rooting for you, that I can say.” CONTINUE AT SITE