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Jerusalem in June
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| Last
uploaded : Sunday 29th Jun 2003 at 01:10 |
| Contributed
by : Sheila Raviv |
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Shalom Dear Friends,
What a week!!!! This has been a time of old friends and old stories wrapped in new words, parading lions and supporter lions, unfulfilled promises double speak and media lies.
Several conferences took place last week. The Keren Hayesod Conference, Jewish Agency General Assembly and the JDC conference. Walking through the hotels was a delight. Filled to 100% capacity and buzzing with folks whose prime thoughts were on Israel. No armchair Zionists here, each and every one of them had a purpose and a task.
In addition to the delight of having Paul Hariton
(Venezuela and USA) staying with us, Zvi and I had the honour of guiding Rosanne Diamond (USA), Danny Liwerant (Mexico) and Saul and Lucy Same (Australia) around the Pride of Lions of Judah which decorate Safra Square.
What a happy topic, friends and lions, but what of the other subjects I mentioned..unfulfilled promises, double-speak and media lies?
Meetings have been going ahead at a death defying pace between Mohammed Dahlan of the Palestinian Authority and Amos Gilad the Israeli expert on the West Bank and Israeli negotiator. Great promises have come out of the talks as a result of President Bush's welcome, if somewhat tardy, demand for a cessation of Hamas terror
activities. Since the promises of Dahlan for a 3
month cease fire, this week has seen two shootings; two major suicide bombings averted by discovery and a cache of 60 kilos of explosive material found next to a kibbutz in the Negev..all on Israeli sovereign soil.
I have a feeling that both Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen and Mohammed Dahlan fully intend fulfilling their promises. There are several issues which will defy their intentions. One, as long as Arafat is in the picture he will continue to represent terror and encourage it. Two, the moment that one curtails the activities of Hamas, those intent on terror, death and
destruction will simply cross over to Islamic Jihad and Fatah and Hisbollah and any one of the myriad of other bringers of death. Until the full cancerous network is exposed, starved of funds and excised there will be no peace. There was not before 1948 and there will not after 2003. Only then can we begin the re-education process toward peace.
Now to the double-speak. When British or American
troops die, or terrorists act anywhere else in the world, retribution is considered both righteous and sweet. In Israel? Better to see more Jews die than Jews reacting to the death of their loved ones!!!!!
It really is hard to swallow.
On the up side, the centre of town is filled every evening with delighted crowds as Ben Yehuda, Yoel Solomon, Hillel and Shamai Streets are closed off to traffic and filled with handicrafts, food bars, music, dancing, and joy. This is the second year of "Chotsot ha'ir" which Mayor Olmert started to bring life, business and happiness back to the centre of town, so badly hit by bombings. By the way, did you know that
the first Ben Yehuda bombing was before the founding of the State?
I call on you all to boycott the BBC and write to
them. The BBC commissioned and aired a disgraceful programme which claims that Israel is a police state which can be compared with Iraq. The BBC team abused the freedom of movement and democratic right to reach
and speak to whomsoever they wish to create a damning and downright anti-Semitic piece of propaganda. Among other aspects they claim that Israel's nuclear industry puts it on the same level as the rogue states of this world and additionally made unsubstantiated claims that Israeli troops had used nerve gas in the
territories. In this very costly programme which was intended to highlight the Israeli nuclear industry, they choose to bring in Prime Minister Sharon's alleged actions in Sabra and Shattilla, the nerve gas issue and many other issues intended to blacken Israel's name. The programme's original airing was meant to be
in March but the impact was denied because of the
Iraqi war. This programme is nothing short of a
racist attack. After long diplomatic negotiations in which they refused to bow to logic and fairness AS OF
TOMORROW THE BBC TEAM IS BEING BOYCOTTED BY ISRAEL..
I beg of you to act. Wherever you go quote Martin
Luther King who said "Like life, racial understanding is not something that we find, but something that we must create."
Have a wonderful weekend in which you celebrate your
Sabbath with love.
G-d Bless you.
Sheila
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