- Israel's Interests in Syria
Prof. Efraim Inbar
- Who Will Succeed Abbas? PA TV Station Holds a Contest
David Singer
- Belgian Anti-Semitism
Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld
- An Open Letter to the Arab League
Dr. Mordechai Kedar
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Global Agenda 4:15 AM
Middle East 5:43 AM
Inside Israel 2:15 AM 5/22/2013
Prof. Efraim Inbar
David Singer
Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld
Dr. Mordechai Kedar
Goldstein on Gelt
Ask the Rabbi
David Wilder was born in New Jersey in the USA in 1954, and graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a BA in History and teacher certification in 1976. He spent 1974-75 in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University and returned to Israel upon graduation.
For over eighteen years David Wilder has worked with the Jewish Community of Hebron. He is the English spokesman for the community, granting newspaper, television and radio interviews internationally. He initiated the Hebron internet project, including email lists of over 15,000 subscribers who receive regular news and commentaries from Hebron in English and Hebrew. David is responsible and continues to update the Hebron web sites, portraying various facets of Hebron, utilizing text, audio, video and pictures. He conducts tours of Hebron's Jewish Community and occasionally travels abroad, speaking at Hebron functions.
David Wilder is married to Ora, a 'Sabra,' for 33 years. They lived in Kiryat Arba for 17 years and have resided at Beit Hadassah in Hebron for the past 14 years. They have seven children and many grandchildren.
Links to sites David recommends:
www.davidwilder.net
www.hebron.com (English)
www.hebron.org.il (Hebrew)
www.machpela.com
www.ohrshlomo.org (Hebrew)
www.ohrshalom.net (Hebrew)
www.womeningreen.org
www.zoa.org
(others to be added)
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Nisan 12, 5772, 4/4/2012
Video and photos from expulsion from Beit HaMachpelaVideo and photos from expulsion from Beit HaMachpela All photos and video: David Wilder |
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Nisan 10, 5772, 4/2/2012
Beit HaMachpela Expulsion Orders-Hypocrisy at its Worst
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Nisan 6, 5772, 3/29/2012
Beit HaMachpela
Tags: Hevron ,Beit HaMachpela |
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Nisan 4, 5772, 3/27/2012
Curing the Migron MigraineLate yesterday, seeing the court decision about Migron, I don’t remember if choice words passed my lips, but they certainly entered my mind. But the judgment wasn’t overly surprising given the judges’ comments during oral arguments. Additionally, any other verdict by these three justices would have been shocking. After all, what could one expect from Salim Joubran, the only Arab on the court, (who, incidentally, or perhaps not so incidentally ruled to allow Jews to be evicted from Beit HaShalom in Hebron)? Would an Israeli justice who refuses to sing the Israeli national anthem rule that Jews can live anywhere in Israel? Miriam Naor was in line to be president of the supreme court following the blessed exit of Dorit Beinish. That appointment was torpedoed by a Knesset law, sponsored by nationalist leader Yaakov ‘Katzela’ Katz, paving the way for the appointment of Asher Grunis as head of the court. She certainly wasn’t going to support a ‘nationalistic’ community comprised of a population that prevented her from attaining this prestigious position. And as for Grunis, his vote really didn’t make any difference, being outnumbered with two votes already recorded. Therefore, by voting against the compromise he notified the Israeli right that he’s ‘not in their pocket’ so to speak. As with the original Migron court decision, (as with other such rulings, such as permitting the expulsion from Gush Katif in 2005) this had nothing to do with justice or law. The facts of the case prove that, without any doubt. Had the truth been otherwise, the government never would have negotiated a ‘compromise’ with the community’s residents; they already would have been brutally expelled and their homes razed. There are many disturbing facets to this issue. As has already been written, this decision is intended to initiate a snowball proposed to roll over and delete all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. And that is a real problem. But I think it’s the least of our problems.
(Click CC to see english subtitles) Earlier today I found an interesting article on a web site called Middle East Monitor – MEM. The article is called ‘the Judaisation of Jerusalem’ by Dr. Abdel Sattar Qassem.
The first paragraph: The Judaisation of Jerusalem has occupied a prominent place in the Arab and Muslim media recently, and is the focus of many statements made by officials and heads of state on the grounds that the city's future concerns those who care about Islamic and Christian holy sites there. Recent conferences in Doha and Beirut released statements confirming Jerusalem's Arab identity and the need to protect the holy places as well as cultural and historical monuments which characterise the city. The second to last paragraph: Jerusalem cannot be saved by money alone; it needs the people. If they are patriotically, psychologically and ideologically sound, then funds will strengthen their position. But if they are incapable, then all the funds in the world will not help them; only people can keep a cause alive. It is no secret to most Palestinians that the goal of the Israelis, and those Arabs and Palestinians who collaborate with them, is to conquer Palestine and transform Palestinians into consumers without any real human existence. Here is one facet of the real issue. The Arabs want Israel. They believe Israel is Palestine. Jerusalem and Israel are synonyms. One does not exist without the other. The connection between Jerusalem and Migron? For a moment, let’s play a game, called make-believe. Let’s make believe that all the Arab claims for Migron are valid and legitimate. (They’re not. But ‘make-believe.) And let’s pretend that the Israeli government, realizes the stated Arab aim is the destruction of the state of Israel (they don’t realize this, but again, let’s make-believe). As a result, the government takes a strategic decision to ensure that the Arabs understand that we understand, and that we have no plans to allow them to reach their goals. The next step is a practical, tactical pronouncement. In our make-believe game, that assertion takes the form of a no-nonsense declaration, whereby Israel says, ‘the hell with ‘right and justice.’ A point must be made. That point, includes not only the continued existence of Migron, despite its seeming illegalities, but also massive expansion of the community, proclaiming loud and clear: Israel belongs to Israel; and if you (the Arabs) don’t comprehend – here, we’ll show you! After all is fair in love and war. And this war is about love – the love of our land. Ah, but this is all make-believe. Because Migron is legal, because the Israeli government refuses to acknowledge our enemy’s intended goal, and G-d forbid, that we should ever take a proactive national position, affirming our allegiance to our homeland. Our neighbors watch their televisions; they see the state of Israel decree, time and time again: this land really doesn’t belong to us. So why then, shouldn’t Dr. Abdel Sattar Qassem write about the Judaisation of Jerusalem. If this hypothesis is repeated often enough, he knows, we will eventually believe it, and act accordingly. As he writes, this subject is being widely discussed in Arab media. One would think, that any normal government, seeing, hearing and grasping Arab intent, (not make-believe’ rather ‘real) would not ‘compromise’ over a place such as Migron. The national, elected leadership would, in no uncertain terms, ensure that this community continues to exist, expand, thrive. That, of course, brings us to the second major problem: who is running our country? A court of pseudo-justice, without any care for the continued existence of Israel as a country and without any authority to make strategic or tactical decisions necessary to ensure our survival? I can only thank G-d that such a court did not exist when David ben Gurion pushed through the historic decision to create the State of Israel in May, 1948. For if this outcome had had to go through Salim Joubran, Miriam Naor and Asher Grunis, we would not be here today. Migron is today, for Binayamin Netanyahu, a throbbing migraine. The only way to rid himself of this headache is not to destroy Migron , which is tantamount to cutting off his head. Rather the real medicine is to allow this wonderful community to blossom, and to build others, by the dozens, throughout Judea and Samaria, letting Dr. Qassem and others like him know that after a 2,000 year exile, we, the Jewish people, have come home and we’re not going anywhere. We are here to stay. |
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Adar 27, 5772, 3/21/2012
Bamba’s Baby’s BequestThe Olympics are in sight. This summer the international sports events will catch headlines internationally. Individual nations prepare for the illustrious sporting phenomena in various stages. The people involved are not the only factor taken into consideration. After all, they represent their country, their homeland. Their heritage. So it was that Israel chose the ‘Bamba baby’ to symbolize this nation at the 2012 London olympics. For those unaware, Bamba is a national pastime. Ask any child who can mutter the word Ema (Mommy). Bamba is the 2nd or 3rd word in any baby’s vocabulary. A tasty, munchy, peanut-flavored snack, this nibble is a favorite amongst all ages, religions, and nationalities. (It is rumored that “Bamba packets” were discovered during archeological excavations at several ancient tels in Israel (together with empty soda bottles.)) However, it seems that Bamba, with all its importance, is not taken kindly to by everyone. After all, anyone on a diet, or those who eat only ‘healthy’ food, do not partake in this crunchy treat, and undoubtedly raised a ruckus when they discovered that this nosh, the ‘bamba baby,’ was to represent them at the most important of international events. And so it was that the inevitable decision to leave the ‘bamba baby’ at home in Israel this summer was made. The kids cried, and the company wept, but the parents cheered. After all, should the tidbit’s picture appear all over the place, surely the tot’s would demand more and more. This could cause a social revolution amongst the younger generation. So Israel’s Olympic committee had to go back to work, to find a suitable replacement to embody the Jewish state at the Olympics. Not an easy task. How to follow in the footsteps of the adorable doll? What could better exemplify Israel amongst the nations of the world? I began pondering this predicament and suddenly, out of the blue, had a brainstorm. Perhaps the ‘Bamba Baby’ is first on Israel’s list of national heritage treasures. But, this having been struck down; so what could be number two? Of course, the Kotel, the Wall in Jerusalem, is the most important place in Israel, in the world. But there is a place, of major major significance which actually preceded Jerusalem. That is Machpela, the tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs in Hebron. What could better represent our people, especially in London, this summer! What is the significance of London to Ma’arat HaMachpela? Actually London symbolizes British leadership. It was the British who appointed Haj Amin el-Husseini as Mufti of Jerusalem in 1921. Later a Nazi, meeting with and working with Hitler during World War Two, he incited and initiated the 1929 riots in Israel. British decision-makers abandoned Hebron’s Jews to their horrid fate when, during Arab riots that summer, a British officer watched as Jews were raped, tortured and butchered. Then, only three days later, the survivors were forcibly expelled by those same British, who determined that the Jews and Arabs could not continue living together in Hebron. Being that the Arabs outnumbered the Jews, it was simpler to remove the Jews. (So was told to me by a survivor of that calamity.) In 1931 Jews returned to Hebron, only again to be thrown out in the spring of 1936, following continued incitement of the Mufti, being told that they could no longer be protected. Thus, leaving Hebron Judenrein until its liberation in June, 1967. For the first time in almost 1,000 years. So what could be more fitting than to have all Israelis, representing Israel in the 2012 Olympics, wearing charms of Ma’arat HaMachpela, the tombs of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in London. This holy site is literally the source of Monotheism. The belief in one G-d begins in here. What could better epitomize our national heritage than the roots of Machpela? At present, there are others claiming that the tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is not a Jewish holy site, that it has nothing to do with Jewish heritage. What better a way for Israel, as a country, as a people, as a land, to exclaim, at this international happening, loud and clear, with no uncertainty or doubt: Ma’rat HaMachpela, the first holy site in Israel, represents us amongst the people of the world! The implications are mind-boggling. Perhaps those who never have heard of Machpela, might become curious and visit. Tens and hundreds of thousands of people from around the world might join the already 700,000 people who visited this site last year. Thus, justice would be served. The very nation that turned the Jews out of Hebron would have, at the least, indirect responsibility for an ingathering of peoples, Jews and gentiles, into Hebron. This could very well be remembered in the annuals of Jewish history as Bamba’s Baby’s Bequest. |