New Evidence About the Tragedy of Ethiopian Israel

The following evidence sheds light on the circumstances of the initial “spark” that exploded into the Ethiopian rioting.

The police investigation of the shooting incident which led to the death of an Ethiopian man, Solomon Tekah, revealed that the police officer shot at the ground, as he had insisted from the beginning. An autopsy of Tekah revealed that only a bent sliver of the bullet was lodged in his body, proving that the bullet first hit a hard surface. Furthermore, the remaining part of the bullet was found lodged in the ground at the scene of the shooting.

A Walla! report related the policeman's version of what happened that fateful day. The off-duty policeman went out with his wife and his children to the park in the evening and saw three young Ethiopian men beating up a 13-year old boy and trying to steal his money and phone.

The policeman approached the scene, ordering them to leave the boy alone but they ignored him. The officer then identified himself as a policeman, but to no avail - the men began cursing at him and threatening him. The policemen then decided to leave the scene since the boy had run away and he noticed that the men seemed to be drunk.

However, shortly later the three men returned and began throwing rocks at the officer, hitting him in the head, chest and shoulders. The officer called for back-up, but meanwhile, feeling like his life was in real danger, pulled out his gun to warn and deter the men. He shot towards the ground and a nearby wall. "I didn't shoot in the air out of fear of harming passersby since it's a populated area," the officer said at the investigation. The evidence regarding the bullet revealed in the investigation cited above, corroborates the officer's testimony.

____________________________________

This means that the bullet that hit the ground fragmented and a piece struck the victim, ending his life. [was this from Shamayim?]

The officer and his family is being threatened. By whom? This needs to be further investigated to see if “outside parties” are stoking the fire.

This entire ordeal is symptomatic of the dichotomy between the older generation and the younger generation of Olim. Especially that the Ethiopian Community is an ancient and very poor segment (albeit ghettoised) of the African community. The parents, Rabbis and Kessim are very mild, faithful and devoted to Jewish religious life. Not so for many of the younger ones, who are trying to find their way in the permissive and ill-guided "Israeli Youth Culture.” They can be looked upon as victims themselves. Trying to fit in, but frustrated because of the thousands of years of their Traditions that come in conflict with the modern Israeli lifestyle (and add to this the breakdown in morality, a sure sign of the end).

Remember the Yemenite Children fiasco? There were protests then also, met with severe police action and governmental overview. The Israeli Government just did not get it!

Now a repeat of that disaster is occurring within the Ethiopians, not torn asunder physically from their parents, but rather ideologically torn asunder.

Rabbi Dov Lipman wrote a good article, Lessons from the Ethiopian community protests, about his being stuck amidst the protesting for 5 hours, and his attempts to mediate, and the reactions of the other Israelis stuck in their cars. His impression was that the Israelis in the cars were sympathetic to their protests; however, after a number of hours they became agitated at the disturbance of their lives.

This “explosion” onto the pages of the papers and internet could be announcing the psychological breakdown of Israeli society [especially that the mossad purchased cigars for Bibi - ouch, big trouble brewing]. One cannot deny that the Zionist Dream is faltering.

Parshas Chukas – The Makom of Eternity

THE MAKOM OF ETERNITY

By Roy S. Neuberger

Why is a human corpse the basic source of tumah?

Years ago, I drove Rabbi Avraham Halevi Jungreis zt”l – the father of Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis a”h – to a funeral. After letting Rabbi Jungreis off, I went to find a parking spot. When I returned, the funeral chapel was crowded, but I needed to find Rabbi Jungreis inside, so I entered an open door at the back of the building, thinking this would be a way around the crowd. I passed through a room and saw a table covered with a sheet. There was something under the sheet, and then I saw an arm sticking up.

I ran! Forget the shortcut! 

Why are we afraid of the dead? 

It’s just a body that was alive recently, and now the neshoma has departed. 

I am squeamish about dead bodies in general. For example, if I see a dead bird on the sidewalk, I like to move it out of the way, so I take a stick and push it into the grass. But I don’t even like touching it indirectly.

Why is death frightening? And what does this have to do with tumah? Why are we forbidden to enter the Sanctuary after contact with a corpse?

I believe the answer goes to the very foundation of our Jewish existence. If our perspective is not eternal, then our priorities are totally confused. Nothing in life makes sense if it is not viewed in the perspective of eternity. This kaveochel is Hashem’s perspective, and the Bais Hamikdosh is the place where we as a nation unite with Hashem.

“The Rambam … tells us (Hakdama l’parshas Teruma) that the unique and unprecedented display of the glory of Hashem that we witnessed when He rested on Har Sinai did not end [there].… Instead it now came to rest in the Mishkan…. [which] was … the continuation of Har Sinai.” (Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l on Shavuos)

As Torah Jews, we are expected to distinguish between our neshoma and our guf. If we do not keep in mind that our neshoma is eternal, then there is something wrong. The trauma associated with death is the antithesis of all that is represented by the Bais Hamikdosh. Death and the Bais Hamikdosh cannot mix. 

At the beginning of our Yom Tov cycle, how do we end the Pesach Seder? “Then came Hakadosh Baruch Hu and slew the angel of death!” (Chad Gadya) That is the essence of Torah perspective, and that, it seems to me, is why we are so frightened by death. We see ourselves! I imagine myself – excuse me! – disintegrating in the ground and it frightens me terribly, which I am sure is the result of my spiritual shortcomings. I remember reading that Rabbi Pinchas Scheinberg zt”l once said of death: “It’s like walking from one room into the next.” He was not afraid!

May we all soon reach the madreiga in which we are able to see beyond death! May we once again be zoche to walk upon Har Habayis! May we see the Kohanim at their avoda, hear the voices of the Leviim and soon see the Bais Hamikdosh in its eternalkedusha!

*          *          *          *

Roy Neuberger, author and public speaker, can be reached at roy@2020vision.co.il.

© Copyright 2019 by Roy S. Neuberger

Rabbi Winston – Chukas: Aaron, Miriam, and the Red Heifer

Dedicated in LOVING memory of my father, Yisroel Ya’akov ben Tzvi, z”l. May his 

Neshamah have aliyah after aliyah, and may he be a meilitz yoshar for Klal Yisroel.

This is the statute of the Torah which G–D commanded…

 (Bamidbar 19:2)

PARASHAS CHUKAS IS not considered to be one of the most dynamic parshios. It has drama, to be sure, especially the incident of hitting the rock and the subsequent punishment of both Moshe and Aharon. And that was after the nation had already lost their sister, Miriam. Three of the greatest people the world has ever known, either taken or sentenced to be taken, in one parsha.

Yet, for all that drama, Chukas does not stand out. Perhaps because so many negative events occur, perhaps because it only briefly discusses them, as if in passing: Moshe and Aharon were told to do THIS, Moshe and Aharon did THAT instead, and Moshe and Aharon were PUNISHED. Next section.”

But if you look at the events through the “glasses” of Kabbalah, everything looks different. It’s like innocently opening a door to what you think is just a closet, and instead finding yourself looking in on a huge and important meeting. It can shocking and overwhelming. All of sudden, Parashas Chukas is one of the most historically “important” of all.

Do you know what it is like? It is like speaking to your manager, who starts off telling you about the various different changes the company will be making in the upcoming year, which you listen to with interest. Then he just happens to mention, quite matter-of-factly, before leaving, “Oh, and by the way, we’re letting you go.”

Wait. What?

How could such an important piece of personal information be mentioned so casually?! The manager should have called the person into his office, and sat them down. Then he should have COMPASSIONATELY explained the circumstances that led to their firing, intermittently apologizing before complimenting them on their past service and wishing them the best with their future. Even if the manager didn’t really care, he should at least act as if he does.

In our parsha, G–D is the Manager, the Jewish people are the employee, and Moshe Rabbeinu is what is being lost. Just as a loss of salary can result in tremendous hardship, the loss of Moshe Rabbeinu resulted in even GREATER hardship. We didn’t just lose a livelihood. We lost access to the Messianic Era, and given all the terrible history that has happened since then, it was a CATASTROPHIC loss.

Because as the Leshem explains, Moshe Rabbeinu was the last individual to have the capability to single-handedly bring Moshiach. In fact, HE would have BEEN Moshiach. But after he could no longer lead the nation into Eretz Yisroel, it feel upon at least the majority of the nation to bring history to an end “early.” Given “two Jews, three opinions,” the likelihood of THAT happening is, well, not good.

If so, then why doesn’t the Torah make a bigger deal about the national and historical loss? Maybe it has to do with something Rashi mentions at the end of the Chumash, when the people mourn the death of Moshe. He says that, unlike with respect to the death of Aharon HaKohen, only the men mourned the death of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Why not the women as well? Shouldn’t the loss of Moshe Rabbeinu have at least equaled the loss of Aharon HaKohen? Rashi says that it didn’t because Aharon helped resolve shalom bayis issues, and apparently that had a greater impact on them than everything Moshe Rabbeinu did for them.

Really? Patching up their marriages mattered more to them patching up the nation? How many times had Moshe Rabbeinu interceded on behalf of the nation, saving them from destruction? Did Aharon threaten G–D to remove himself from the Torah, as Moshe Rabbeinu did at incredible personal risk, just to save the nation? 

This is the reason why we lost Moshe Rabbeinu. If ever there was a case of you don’t know what you have until you lose it, this was it. Of course they knew that Moshe Rabbeinu was a great man and leader. They knew that he would be the greatest prophet that ever lived. They understood that all Torah, which is their ticket to the World-to-Come, came into the world through him.

They KNEW it, but didn’t APPRECIATE it. Just because a person knows something doesn’t mean that they appreciate it. On the contrary, hypocrisy and spiritual inconsistency is the result of this very problem. That’s why when people get that appreciation after the fact, they have such regret, often saying, “If I knew that…then I would have done X or wouldn’t have done Y!”

Shalom bayis is something easily appreciated. If a couple is fighting, it hurts NOW. If they are having problems with neighbors, it bothers them NOW. If they have a difficult time keep their children in line, it drives them crazy NOW. The problems are tangible and immediate, and therefore, so was Aharon’s contribution to fixing them.

Moshe’s contribution was next level. It was in an area of life a person had to work to reach. If you did, then knew what it meant to lose Moshe Rabbeinu, and you cried about the loss. If you didn’t, then you didn’t have such a deep and emotional reaction to the loss.

This is why, perhaps, the decree of his death is in Parashas Chukas, which begins with the red heifer. It is the quintessential statute, but that doesn’t mean, as Rashi shows as well, that a person can’t understand aspects of it. If you delve into, insights arise.

Likewise, if the Jewish people had taken the time and made the effort to appreciate who Moshe Rabbeinu REALLY was, they might have justified overturning the decree. As we see later in Parashas VaEschanan, there was a chance to do so, but the people didn’t justify it. And we’re still suffering in exile thousands of years later as a result.

________________________________

Looking forward to the Red Heifer

UPDATE TO WHAT WE KNOW . . . IS IT TIME?

A "What If” Scenario
UNVERIFIED REPORTING

HOWEVER INTERESTING
was this a 4th of July prank by the DS

Reports are verified and other reports are debunked

Listen but do not panic

Trust in HaShem

Events to take note of:

Pence abruptly cancels trip, is summoned to White House, sparking speculation
Move initially described as ’emergency,’ but officials later downplay incident but won’t say why, only to clarify it’s not related to national security or Trump’s health timesofisrael. Fake news or diversion?

MADRID (AP) — Authorities in Gibraltar said they intercepted an Iranian supertanker Thursday that was believed to be breaching European Union sanctions by carrying a shipment of Tehran’s crude oil to war-ravaged Syria. apneas DS?

Iran condemns ‘illegal interception’ of oil supertanker in Gibraltar
Panamanian-flagged carrier is believed to be in violation of EU sanctions against war-ravaged Assad regime; US welcomes ‘excellent news’ of ship’s seizing timesofisrael UK REACTION: Real news, not fake.

Putin admits submarine that caught fire, killing 14, was nuclear-powered
Blaze broke out in vessel’s battery compartment on Monday; officials had previously refused comment on incident timesisrael Coverup? Or real news?

A fire aboard a secret Russian nuclear research vessel that killed 14 Russians may have been involved in secret operations by Moscow to support underwater drone operations. Drudge: Free Beacon. Smoke screen?

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says it’s in contact with signatories of the Iran nuclear agreement and will discuss with them what steps to take should the country ramp up uranium enrichment this weekend. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran will increase its enrichment of uranium to “any amount that we want” beginning on Sunday, ramping up pressure on European nations to save the faltering nuclear deal from the damage inflicted by U.S. sanctions. apneas DS?

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill suspending Russia’s participation in a pivotal nuclear arms treaty. Putin’s decree, released on Wednesday, formalizes Russia’s departure from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with the United States following Washington’s withdrawal from the pact. apneas Real troubling news

Give us Back the Occupied Territories Now!

We need a Leader like 

“*Yiftach, from the Tribe of Gilead”

(Judges 11:14-15, 21-24)

יד וַיּוֹסֶף עוֹד, יִפְתָּח; וַיִּשְׁלַח, מַלְאָכִים, אֶל-מֶלֶךְ, בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. 14

And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon;

טו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, כֹּה אָמַר יִפְתָּח: לֹא-לָקַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-אֶרֶץ מוֹאָב, וְאֶת-אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. 15

and he said unto him: 'Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.

כא וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-סִיחוֹן וְאֶת-כָּל-עַמּוֹ, בְּיַד יִשְׂרָאֵל--וַיַּכּוּם; וַיִּירַשׁ, יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵת כָּל-אֶרֶץ הָאֱמֹרִי, יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא. 21 

And the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

כב וַיִּירְשׁוּ, אֵת כָּל-גְּבוּל הָאֱמֹרִי--מֵאַרְנוֹן, וְעַד-הַיַּבֹּק, וּמִן-הַמִּדְבָּר, וְעַד-הַיַּרְדֵּן. 22 

And they possessed all the border of the Amorites, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan.

כג וְעַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הוֹרִישׁ אֶת-הָאֱמֹרִי, מִפְּנֵי, עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְאַתָּה, תִּירָשֶׁנּוּ. 23

So now the LORD, the God of Israel, hath dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel, and shouldest thou possess them?

כד הֲלֹא אֵת אֲשֶׁר יוֹרִישְׁךָ, כְּמוֹשׁ אֱלֹהֶיךָ--אוֹתוֹ תִירָשׁ; וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מִפָּנֵינוּ--אוֹתוֹ נִירָשׁ. 24

Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God hath dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.

In Parshat Chukat

JPost Article by Ariel Natan Pasko:  This past week saw the economic component of Trump’s “Deal of the Century,”unveiled in Bahrain. Kushner presented the administration’s ideas on how to “economically rehabilitate” the “Palestinians,” nothing new there. The political component, the part that presumably will deal with borders, sovereignty, etc. is being held off until after Israeli elections in September.

The Palestinian Authority refused to participate as anticipated and squawked about the meeting, give us back the occupied territories now!

Its a common refrain of the “Palestinians,” and in parts of the world today; but truth be told, it goes all the way back to the beginning of the Jewish people.

This week’s Torah reading is Chukat, and at its end, we find the story of Israel’s conquest of the East Bank of the Jordan river. The nation had skirted Edom and Moab, then requested from Sihon and then Og, Amorite kings, permission to peaceably pass through their territory.

Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites: “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”


They refused and decided to go out to war against Israel. Moses, as any good Jewish leader would, ordered the IDF of the time, to counter-attack full force and, “Israel put him [Sihon] to the sword, and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok...Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding towns. Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.” (Numbers 21:21-26)

Actually, quite similar to modern Israel’s peace overtures to Egypt and Jordan after the 1948 war, being ultimately met with the 1967 war thrust upon Israel. Unplanned, Israel’s victory then led to possession of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Part of the Jew’s ancient homeland, which Israel then began to repopulate.

Give us back the occupied territories now!

We then find in the Haftarah reading, Judges Chapter 11, three hundred years after the Torah story above, the king of Ammon making war against Israel, on behalf of his kinsmen Moab, in an attempt to reclaim the lost territory. The elder’s of Gilead appoint Yiftach to lead the military resistance.

Yiftach sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?” The king of the Ammonites answered Yiftach’s messengers: “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.” (Judges 11:12-13)

יב וַיִּשְׁלַח יִפְתָּח מַלְאָכִים, אֶל-מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי-עַמּוֹן לֵאמֹר: מַה-לִּי וָלָךְ, כִּי-בָאתָ אֵלַי לְהִלָּחֵם בְּאַרְצִי. 12 

And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying: 'What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come unto me to fight against my land?'

יג וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי-עַמּוֹן אֶל-מַלְאֲכֵי יִפְתָּח, כִּי-לָקַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-אַרְצִי בַּעֲלוֹתוֹ מִמִּצְרַיִם, מֵאַרְנוֹן וְעַד-הַיַּבֹּק, וְעַד-הַיַּרְדֵּן; וְעַתָּה, הָשִׁיבָה אֶתְהֶן בְּשָׁלוֹם. 13 

And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah: 'Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; now therefore restore those cities peaceably.'

By the way, what took them three hundred years to try and reclaim it?

Unlike Peres, Rabin, Barak, Sharon, Olmert,

 ”how did a real Jewish leader respond to claims 

of returning so-called “occupied territory?”

“Yiftach sent back messengers to the Ammonite king, saying...Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.”

He then recounted all the history from leaving Egypt, to asking permission to cross territory, and being attacked, “Then the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and his whole army into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.”

But, Yiftach doesn’t make a historical claim, or say that Israel’s right to the land comes from capturing it after being attacked. He ends with absolute faith in the God of Israel and clearly states Israel has no right to give it away, “Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess.” (Judges 11:14-15, 21-24 above)

End of discussion…

Maybe if Israeli leaders today, would deal with the Arab world and “Palestinians” the same way, they would get the same results as Yiftach’s leadership achieved, “And Ammon was subdued before the Children of Israel.” (Judges 11:33)

לג וַיַּכֵּם מֵעֲרוֹעֵר וְעַד-בֹּאֲךָ מִנִּית עֶשְׂרִים עִיר, וְעַד אָבֵל כְּרָמִים, מַכָּה, גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד; וַיִּכָּנְעוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. 33

And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto Abel-cheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Give us back the occupied territories now!

Yes indeed, Sinai, Trans-Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, etc. are all parts of the Promised Land of Israel! (Deuteronomy 11:24)

א וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; וְשָׁמַרְתָּ מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ, וְחֻקֹּתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וּמִצְוֺתָיו--כָּל-הַיָּמִים. 1

Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and ...

Ariel Natan Pasko, an independent analyst and consultant, has a Master's Degree specializing in International Relations, Political Economy & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites and in newspapers. His latest articles can also be read on his archive: The Think Tank by Ariel Natan Pasko.

Rabbi Mizrachi – Israel Is On Fire - Civil War And Riots

While the Rabbi speaks about Parshas Korach, there is as always much wisdom about the Torah of Hashem plus current events

Not Long Ago, Not Far Away

If you think the Holocaust could never happen today, watch this and think again…

It seems too ridiculous to be true. But it’s not. It’s horrifying what the Students for Justice in Palestine say and do. It has been just over 70 years since the end of the Holocaust. What happened to “Never Again?”



What is SJP?

SJP stands for Students for Justice in Palestine. They paint themselves as a harmless student organization. All 189 chapters around North America must be banned. Because what they really do is try to boycott Israel and falsely accuse the democratic state. They hate Jews. They hate Israel – all they stand for is hatred. Will anyone stop them? The silence is deafening.

SJP and the Holocaust

And what is SJP’s view on the Holocaust? Well, considering that the founder, Hatem Bazian, is a terrorist and all the members hate Jews, their views should not surprise you. The scary part is the extent to which they profess their beliefs. They deny the Holocaust while praising Hitler.

Here are some of their frightening Holocaust related comments:

Amal Tabel – SJP, U of Houston: “Hitler should have killed the Jews when he had the chance that dog.”

Rawan Qaddoura – SJP, McMaster U: “Every time I read about Hitler, I fall in love all over again.”

Heba Asi – SJP, UT Arlington: “I honestly don’t feel that sympathetic about the Holocaust..#SorryNotSorry”

Halima Eid – SJP, San Diego State U: “We need to put Zionists in concentration camps. Now that would be a life experience for them.”

Those are not things peaceful organizations say. Sadly, these students are allowed on campus. They want another genocide, and that is not something to take lightly.

Where is the outcry? Why does the media ignore this terrifying problem that is ever so present on campuses around North America? It makes you wonder. Who will stand up and cry “Never Again?”




Source: Israel Unwired

Chief Rabbi Lau and Chief Rabbi Yosef Met with the Ethiopian Community Rabbis and Kessim

B”H Sanity Restored

The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, met on Thursday with the Chief Rabbi of the Ethiopian community, as well as its Kessim (priests) and leaders.

"The Chief Rabbis and community leaders agreed to end the protests during the meeting," the Chief Rabbinate said in a statement.

The Chief Rabbis said that the discrimination against the community should not be ignored and called upon the Israel Police to act with restraint towards the members of the community to prevent violence and allow community members to protest against the tremendous pain of Solomon Tekah's death. The chief rabbis also noted that the Chief Rabbinate is continuously working to resolve all the issues facing the Ethiopian community through dialogue and mutual understanding.

ALERT: Pidyon Shvuiim

"I Thought They Would Take Him to The Hospital, But They Took Him To Jail”

The latest in the string of tales of European relations with Israel and the effect of seeming antisemitism in bureaucracy is the shocking case of Yitzchok Amar, a 26-year old Jewish man being held in a Ukrainian prison.

Amar and his wife, mother-in-law, and infant were visiting the Ukraine last month, on a tour of the holy Jewish sites. They were driving on a darkened highway at night, when according to wife Miriam’s testimony, a car pulled onto the road without signalling. The Amar’s vehicle flew out of control in an attempt to avoid them, and the two cars were sent hurtling off of the road into a large, empty grassy area.

For nearly an hour, the Amar family waited for some assistance to arrive, but the crash had gone unwitnessed. Three Ukrainians lay dead in the other car.

“I thought it was the end,” says Miriam in video footage. Yitzchok screamed for help, as Miriam’s mother bled profusely from her mouth.

Once the police arrived, the Amars experienced a false sense of hope. Miriam and her baby were put into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. Amid the shuffle, however, it became clear that Yitzchok would not be receiving medical assistance for his injuries. He was being taken to jail.


In the weeks that have passed, Ukrainian officials have concluded that the young father can be released with the payment of a hefty $200,000 fine. Yitzchok is currently sharing a cell with two Muslims, and according to Miriam’s reports, stabbings in the jail are a daily occurence.

The young woman has turned to crowdfunding, in hopes that the draw to fulfill the mitzvah of “pidyon shvuyim,” or releasing a Jewish captive, will help bring her husband home.

In the meantime the young mother, eye still visibly bruised  from the crash, will remain home alone with her 11-month-old, awaiting his father’s return.

Donations are being accepted for the next 9 days only, as the prison has placed a time restriction on the fine.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL CAMPAIGN

UPDATE: AN APOLOGY TO THE KESSIM . . .

. . . WITH PROMISE OF AN INVESTIGATION WOULD QWELL THE RIOTING

BE SMART, POLICE COMMISSIONER

DO WHAT IS CALLED FOR

THEY ARE DEEPLY HURT AND UPSET

YOU WILL BE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND GAIN RESPECT

[isn't this what you do with your cousins?]

NEW INFORMATION

Sammy Brucha, director of the youth center where the young man who was shot was staying, told Channel 13 News, "This is very difficult, this is a boy I raised from the age of 10. I have no words to describe the pain. The boys here are shocked and scared, I hope they will investigate this case properly. It’s inconceivable that they shoot a boy so easily."

MK Gadi Yevarkan (Blue and White) said, "We understand how much we still have to repair our society. In Israel, there are thousands of robberies every week. How does it happen that when a criminal is an Israeli of Ethiopian origin, the policemen are so quick to pull the trigger?”

"Unfortunately, one thing is for sure. From the get go I do not believe the results of the PID investigation if they even examine the case at all. This incident is different from other ones, and the police must fight crime in order to protect public order and to provide security for citizens. But no grocery robbery demands the killing of boys who have made a mistake," Yevarkan added.

MK Penina Tamanu-Shata (Blue and White) added that "it's hard to digest, shooting at boys like ducks in a shooting range. The blood of young Ethiopians has been abandoned. Our children's lives are less secure and the reaction of the community will be harsh, and this is because of the failure of the Israeli government and its branches, including the failure of the Minister of Internal Security and the PID, to deal with the situation."

"Unfortunately, things are getting worse. This time they will not cover up the killing of a young man under his place of residence. His blood cries out to the skies," she said. arutzsheva

____________________________

UPDATE
An article by Ron Jager, on the arutzsheva website was very unkind, while professing the “benevolence” of Israel in its dealings with the Ethiopian Community. 

But why single them out for benevolence? Are they not like the Iraqi Jews, Syrian Jews, Iranian Jews, and other Jews (coming from undeveloped countries) that ‘settled’ on the Land of Israel in the early days of its re-emergency into the social and political reality of the world? Why? Just because they are brown or black? 

The 10 Tribes were banished from Judea and Samaria thousands of years ago, which sent them into the far corners of the globe. It is unfair to expect in the current condition of Israel that they could easily blend in to the disabled cultural condition that currently exists today. Many peoples are scratching their heads in amazement and disbelief that the State of Israel has developed as it has. There are many many things that are unjust and less than benevolent happening to many Olim that have come from modern or semi-modern countries to Israel. 

While technological innovations single Israel out as a most advanced country, there are still 2 million children living in poverty. How an advanced country with innovative technology could throw untold amounts of *vegetables and *fruits into the mediterranean ocean because of the “economy” when that food could be directed toward organizations that cater to poverty stricken Israelis. There must be a way to redirect this nutritional bounty (that is only so because of the “true benevolence" of HKB”H) to the deserving. Why not innovate warehouses situated all over the country in the economically depressed areas and fill them with this *BOUNTY? Why not ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY to FEED THE POOR?

Mr. Jager, you need to spend some time inside the Ethiopian Community helping them with what they need to adjust, adapt, and grow into their G-d given opportunity. They are part of Jewish history that has come home.

The Tale of Two Protests

This is a sample of the resulting  70 plus years of terrorist friction between the so-called palestinians and early “settlers” (because that is who they were) who paved the way for the Israeli State. Unfortunately.

* * *

MAYBE AN APOLOGY SHOULD BE GIVEN:  Tekah, a member of the Ethiopian community in Israel, was fatally wounded Sunday night when an off-duty police officer spotted a group of young men fighting in the Kiryat Haim neighborhood of Haifa. [the off-police officer shot an (UNARMED) him]

Would they shoot and kill an Israeli who was fighting with another Israeli? 

NO WAY! 

The riots first started Monday, following the death of 19-year-old Solomon Tekah in Haifa Sunday night. Dozens of police officers injured, along with protesters, passersby, and a fireman. Stones thrown, cars set on fire, and roads blocked. ArutzSheva

Meanwhile

Why They Are Beating Chareidim, 
but Ethiopians Are Allowed To Protest

Why are our Yeshiva boys being bloodied for protesting the arrest of two frum Jewish haredi girls while allowing the Ethiopian community to protest wildly. These girls do not belong in the IDF. They are religious homebody girls. The authorities are behaving as if they were European Ges..... (I’ll leave that word up to your imagination)!


Much of that was yesterday.

Police Forbid First Response Motorcycles To Approach Protests yeshiva world news. During the protest, a mounted police officer lost control of his horse when the horse slipped and fell injuring the officer and a protester. Volunteers from United Hatzalah as well as ambulance teams from Magen David Adom rushed to aid the injured. One United Hatzalah medic was accosted by the crowd who almost succeeded at toppling his ambucycle during the scuffle.

“We didn’t come to Israel for our children to be murdered”

WE HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED EQUALLY

Today we read that 85 injured in the Ethiopian protest. A protest about the (possibly racist) murder of one of their youths. Another misguided event in the daily happenings of this government. A government that worries and is consumed with their egos and power. JPost



[…] four years after the 2015 report by Justice Ministry director-general Emi Palmor was released demanding major reforms in the treatment of Ethiopian-Israelis, there has been progress, but it has been a mixed bag. The mixed bag part looks worse this week following the killing of Ethiopian-born Israeli Solomon Tekah, 18, by an off-duty police officer in an incident that may lead to the officer being indicted. JPost

Two of the most discriminated of Israel are fed up.

Intelligence chimes in:

 BARAK PANDERS TO CHAREIDIM: Vows To Get Rid Of Chareidi IDF Draft Law  yeshivaworldnews

Au Contraire: Erdan vows to stop ‘anarchy’ as police disperse Ethiopian Israeli protests
Officers use stun grenades to clear main intersection in Tel Aviv after protesters set vehicles ablaze; dozens injured after a day of often-violent protests over killing of teen. timesofisrael.

Mr Erdan: the police need to learn DISCRETION; how about some sensitivity retraining?

THIS IS NOT ANARCHY, 

THIS IS PAIN, THIS IS DISCRIMINATION!

Liberman could not be left out of this. “Religious Mechinot are Private Militias”
Right out of Lenin and Marx!  Do we need any more proof? JPost



______________________________

*It’s time for a government based on Torah values of “Emes” (truth) and “Rachamim” (kindness and fairness).

Historical Delusion

PA: Pilgrims' Road is a myth

“Abbas spokesman denies historical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesman of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas“

ArutzSheva

In that case, if you believe that:

Then the Palestinians are a myth!

Rabbi Glazerson: Israel/Yishmael and Mashiach is Near

KABALISTIC INSIGHT ON THE ISRAEL ISMAEL CONFLICT




STRONGEST TORAH CODE TABLES - MESSIAH IS NEAR

Amb. Friedman: Welcome to History

It's the first time in the history of the State of Israel that our embassy has held its Independence Day event in the city of Jerusalem," Ambassador Friedman said in his address. 

"Welcome to history."

"It's a day on which all Americans celebrate our many blessings as a nation and we remember those, including the men and women of our armed forces, who sacrificed everything so that we could become the greatest force for good the world has ever seen.

He turned to Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Last year, Mr. Prime Minister, we were about halfway there, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. You spoke beautifully and you gave us one suggestion. You said, 'next year in Jerusalem.' And here we are."

"In two days we celebrate 243rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a brilliant document that fundamentally changed the way we think about the relationship between a government and its citizens. The Declaration of Independence provided that every human being was created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"The notion that essential human rights come from G-d and not from man was a revolutionary concept. It made those rights permanent, undeniable, and immune from the vagaries of politics, not only in the United States, but extending throughout the entire world.

The ambassador asked: "How did our founding fathers know which rights G-d considered to be unalienable?"

"I'm sure that our founding fathers read the teachings of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and other great thinkers. But I'm even more certain that they read the Bible, especially because all of the unalienable rights identified in the Declaration of Independence come from the Bible itself.

"Many believe, and certainly our founding fathers believed, that the word of our creator is expressed in the Bible. And as recognized by the Prophet Isiah, the word of G-d emerged right here from the city of Jerusalem.

“To understand this connection between the birth of our nation and the city of Jerusalem is to understand all that has transpired since between Israel and the United States. It is to understand why the pilgrims risked their lives in the 17th century to reach a new world and establish what many of them referred to as the new Jerusalem. It is to understand why the United States opened a consulate in Jerusalem in 1844, 104 years before the creation of the State of Israel, at which time the new consul-general planted an American flag at the Jaffa Gate and declared that the United States thereby extended its protection to the Jews of Jerusalem," he said.

"It's to understand why the United States, under the leadership of President Harry Truman, was the first to recognize the reborn State of Israel in 1948. It's to understand why, 1995, the United States Senate, and the United States House of Representatives passed, by overwhelming majorities, the Jerusalem Embassy Act recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and mandating the transfer of our embassy to that city.

"And it is to understand why, today, the United States embassy proudly stands in the city of Jerusalem."

They’re After The Jews Again . . .

ANOTHER ANTI-ISRAEL AP HITJOB: 

"US Duty Free Owners Give Millions To Israeli Settlements"

yeshiva world news;  The following is an unedited AP article:

When travelers shop at dozens of duty free stores at airports worldwide, they may be paying for more than a bottle of vodka or a box of chocolates.

The Falic family of Florida, owners of the ubiquitous chain of Duty Free Americas shops, funds a generous and sometimes controversial philanthropic empire in Israel that runs through the corridors of power and stretches deep into the occupied West Bank. An Associated Press investigation shows that the family has donated at least $5.6 million to settler groups in the West Bank and east Jerusalem over the past decade, funding synagogues, schools and social services along with far-right causes considered extreme even in Israel.

The Falics support the ultranationalist Jewish community in Hebron, whose members include several prominent followers of a late rabbi banned from Israeli politics for his racist views, and whose movement is outlawed by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. They back Jewish groups that covertly buy up Palestinian properties in east Jerusalem, and they helped fund an unauthorized settlement outpost in the West Bank.

They have supported groups that are pushing for the establishment of a Third Temple for Jews at the holiest and most contested site in the Holy Land. They also have given more money than any other donor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a strong supporter of settlements, and have donated to other leaders of his Likud party.

The Falics’ philanthropy is not limited to the settlements, and they support many mainstream causes in the U.S. and Israel, such as hospitals, athletics and helping the needy. But they are a key example of how wealthy U.S. donors have bolstered the contentious settlement movement.

“Far-right foreign donors are a pillar of the settlement enterprise,” said Brian Reeves, a spokesman for Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group.

Most of the world considers Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem to be obstacles to peace that gobble up territories claimed by the Palestinians for a future independent state. The international community overwhelmingly believes the settlements violate international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own population into the territory it occupies.

However, Israel considers the territories “disputed,” and says the fate of the settlements should be determined through negotiations.

Response To AP Article

In a response to AP questions through his lawyer, Simon Falic, who spoke on behalf of the family, said Jews should be able to live anywhere in the Holy Land, whether it’s Israel, Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem or the West Bank. He condemned violence and claimed none of the groups he supports do anything illegal under Israeli law.

“We are proud to support organizations that help promote Jewish life all over the Land of Israel,” said Falic, whose business is based in Miami, Florida. “The idea that the mere existence of Jewish life in any geographical area is an impediment to peace makes no sense to us.”

Since the capture of the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, the settler population has grown to about 700,000 people, roughly 10% of Israel’s Jewish population. In recent years, it has received a boost from Netanyahu’s pro-settler government and from a far more tolerant attitude by President Donald Trump, whose top Mideast advisers are longtime settlement supporters.

This growth has been fueled in part by fundraising arms for leading settlement groups in the United States, which allow them to collect tax-deductible contributions from thousands of American donors.

Data on American philanthropic support for settlements is limited, mainly due to a lack of transparency requirements. But according to a past investigation of U.S. tax forms by the Israeli daily Haaretz, fundraising organizations in the U.S. raised more than $230 million for settlement causes between 2009 and 2013 alone.

Other big donors include casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a backer of Netanyahu and Trump, who donated $5 million in 2014 through his charitable foundation to the Israeli university in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, according to IRS records. Billionaire Ira Rennert, financier Roger Hertog and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, are also among prominent Jewish-American donors to settlement causes. The names of scores of lesser-known donors adorn buildings, playgrounds and even park benches throughout the West Bank.

The Falics Family

The Falics stand out for the wide scope of groups they support and their close ties with leading Israeli politicians.

The family has two main charitable organizations, the U.S.-based Falic Family Private Foundation and the Segal Foundation in Israel. It is not clear whether the U.S. foundation contributed to the settlements, because its financial reports do not outline its recipients.

The Segal Family

The Segal foundation, operating since 2007, gave away roughly $15 million in its first decade. This foundation’s financial reports also do not outline recipients, but the AP analysis identified at least $5.6 million in donations to settlement and far-right causes by searching through the Israeli records of more than two dozen settlement organizations. Other funds went to other causes, including the country’s amateur American football league, a Jerusalem hospital and a Jewish seminary in northern Israel.

Falic said the family’s support for Jewish life “should not imply the exclusion of anyone else, including Christians and Muslims.” However, critics say activities billed as harmless philanthropy have come at the expense of Palestinians and their claim to a state.

“Everyone should be aware that when they shop at ‘Duty Free Americas,’ their dollars could potentially finance some of the most extreme right-wing actors in Israel,” said Ran Cohen, founder of the Israeli Democratic Bloc, which aims to expose anti-democratic trends.

Duty Free Americas is headed by three Falic brothers: Simon, Jerome and Leon. The chain operates over 180 stores at airports and border crossings in the U.S. and Latin America, including New York’s JFK, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Ronald Reagan and Dulles in Washington, and Miami International, according to the company website. Leon Falic told the trade publication TRBusiness that the privately held company last year posted over $1.65 billion in sales.

Simon Falic said that under Jewish tradition, it is customary to donate 10% of one’s earnings to charity.

During the decade ending in 2017, they donated about $35 million, according to U.S. and Israeli tax records. Over that time, their U.S. foundation distributed about $20 million. Their U.S. tax filings say that nearly all of the foundation’s contributions went to “various worldwide Jewish organizations,” but do not offer details.

Simon Falic provided the AP with a detailed breakdown of the foundation’s 2017 donations, much of which went to mainstream Jewish causes such as WIZO, a women’s organization that operates scores of Israeli daycare centers, shelters and training programs; Friends of the IDF, a fundraising branch that assists Israeli soldiers; and Chabad, a network of religious institutions. They also contribute generously in the U.S. to medical research, synagogues and Jewish schools.

Most of their donations in Israel, however, do not appear in these forms. Instead, that money is channeled from Panamanian-based companies through the Israel-based Segal foundation, whose name is a Hebrew acronym based on the brothers’ first names.

Falic said the reason for this is not because Panama is a tax haven, but because his brother Leon lives there, and a number of their companies are based in Panama. But the lack of transparency there makes tracking their donations more difficult.

Falic described himself as a “big supporter” of Netanyahu, who has allowed Israeli settlements to flourish during his 10 years in office. Although Falic said he has not contributed to Netanyahu since 2014, collectively the Falics have donated more than $100,000 to Netanyahu over the years, making them his biggest donors, according to Israeli public records.

The Falics are also prominent figures in Israeli right-wing circles. In April, Simon Falic mingled with the mayor of Jerusalem, Ambassador Friedman and other dignitaries in the VIP section of a special Passover service at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Friedman, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, evangelical preacher John Hagee, conservative TV host Mike Huckabee and Netanyahu’s son, Yair, have been among the many politicians and VIPs to attend parties at Simon Falic’s Jerusalem home.

The Falics also support American politicians, both Democratic and Republican. Since 2000, they have given over $1.7 million to pro-Israel politicians, including Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Oded Revivi, a settler leader, described Simon Falic and his family as generous and influential, but also modest and shunning publicity.

“You understand that he knows the most important people. He sits in the most influential junction,” said Revivi. “They’ve been extremely helpful and extremely generous.”

Among the projects and investments the Falics have in the West Bank is the Psagot winery, an award-winning vintner that is also a centerpiece of the burgeoning settler tourism industry. The family has also built a sprawling biblical theme park in the West Bank settlement of Shilo, revered as the ancient site of the biblical tabernacle. The site attracts tens of thousands of evangelical Christian tourists each year, but has also drawn criticism for what some say is a narrow historical interpretation that minimizes Muslim history.

The Falics funded the construction of a synagogue and mikveh, or ritual bath, in 2014 in what was then the unauthorized West Bank outpost of Kerem Reim. Kerem Reim was retroactively legalized three years later.

All Donations Legal

“All of these donations were entirely legal,” wrote Falic. “Any insinuation or allegation to the contrary is patently false and defamatory.”

Israeli records show the Falics also granted over $100,000 to two groups that seek the re-establishment of the Jewish Temple on a contested site in Jerusalem. Revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, that same area houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site. The competing claims to the hilltop compound are a frequent flashpoint of violence.

Falic said the family is not involved in efforts to establish the Third Temple. But he described Yehuda Glick, a former lawmaker and leading figure in the Third Temple movement, as a friend, and said he finds it “ludicrous” that Jews cannot pray at their holiest site. Glick, who survived a 2014 Palestinian assassination attempt, was among the guests at a Passover barbecue hosted by the Falics at the winery for families who had lost relatives in Palestinian attacks.

Perhaps the Falics’ most controversial area of activity is Hebron, a city where several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves amid some 200,000 Palestinians.

Relations between the populations are notoriously tense, and some of the Jewish leaders are followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose “Kach” party was outlawed in Israel in the 1980s for calling for a mass expulsion of Arabs from the country. The U.S. also branded Kach a terrorist group.

Falic’s associates in Hebron include Baruch Marzel, Kahane’s former aide, who remains a prominent political activist in Israel.

According to the AP analysis, the Falics donated roughly $600,000 to “Hachnasat Orchim Hebron,” a group that hosts visitors to the Jewish community and provides snacks to Israeli soldiers protecting the settlers. Marzel’s wife Sarah is one of the group’s founders, and Marzel is deeply involved.

They also have given about $50,000 to the “Fund for the Rescue of the People of Israel,” which served as a fundraising arm of Lehava, a group that opposes Jewish-Arab couples in an anti-assimilation campaign and often is accused of using intimidation or even violence.

Falic said he was not aware of any connection to Lehava, and said the donations, made in 2011 and 2012, were to assist needy families. He noted that he opposes assimilation and intermarriage but also rejects violence. Israeli financial records show the fund has links to several Kahane disciples, including Marzel.

Marzel is a well-known figure in Israel, easily recognized with a wild brown beard. He continues to call for mass expulsions of Arabs, and has a long history of clashes with the police. During the recent election campaign, he was a leading figure in “Jewish Power,” a hard-line party led by Kahane followers.

Marzel said the Falics “do a lot of good things” and called them “good Jews,” but said they did not work closely together. Yet photos and videos on Facebook show Simon Falic and Marzel warmly embracing at social events in Hebron and Jerusalem. In one 2016 video, taken at Falic’s spacious Jerusalem home, the two men and Third Temple activist Glick hug and sway together as a well-known Israeli pop singer serenades them.

Falic said his connections to Marzel were primarily through a “beautiful project” that runs food trucks serving pizza, ice cream and snacks to Israeli soldiers protecting the residents of Hebron.

“While I may not agree with everything he has said, the work we have done that has been affiliated with the Hebron community has been positive, non-controversial and enhances Jewish life in the Hebron area — which we strongly support,” he said.

Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist in Hebron, disagrees. He said the seemingly harmless project serves the settler cause at the expense of Palestinians.

“We are suffering from settler violence,” he said. “When I tell the soldiers ‘protect me,’ they tell me ‘we are not here to protect you. We are with our own people, who are the settlers.’”

In Jerusalem, the family contributed more than $1 million to causes affiliated with Ateret Cohanim, which facilitates the sale of Palestinian properties in and around the Old City to Jewish settlers, an act of treason in Palestinian society.

Aviv Tartasky of Ir Amim, a monitoring group looking at Israeli-Palestinian relations in Jerusalem, said Ateret Cohanim often hides the identities of the purchasers, who are religious, nationalist Jews.

“When they come to live inside a Palestinian community, it can disrupt life for the community,” he said.

Ateret Cohanim says the Jewish people have a right to live anywhere in Jerusalem. Executive director Daniel Luria declined to comment on the Falic family, saying he does not discuss his donors.

But Falic doesn’t hide his support for what he called Ateret Cohanim’s efforts “to bring Jewish life back to all of Jerusalem.”

“It is unfortunate,” he added, “that a Jewish family dedicated to this cause is newsworthy.”

____________________________

It doesn’t pay to answer back the antisemites; it won’t change their minds

Russia Adopts Measures to Protect Children – That We Could Learn From

Putin Says Liberalism ‘Eating Itself,’ 

Migrant Influx Wrong

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired a new broadside against Western liberalism at the Group of 20 summit in Japan, saying that policies such as welcoming migrants have hurt people’s interests.

Speaking after the summit in Osaka concluded on Saturday, Putin charged that Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and a drop of popularity of traditional parties in Europe have been rooted in growing public dismay with mainstream liberal policies.

He said Trump’s election victory was driven by growing disenchantment with liberal policies.

“The liberal idea has started eating itself,” Putin said at a news conference. “Millions of people live their lives, and those who propagate those ideas are separate from them.”

He also charged that the influx of migrants to Europe has infringed on people’s rights. “People live in their own country, according to their own traditions, why should it happen to them?” Putin said.

The Russian leader added that while “liberal ideas remain attractive as a whole,” election results show that people want change.

Putin hailed his meeting with Trump on Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit as “business-like and pragmatic.”

“We addressed almost the entire list of issues of mutual concern,” he said. “Of course, we talked about the situation in various parts of the world. Overall, these consultations were useful.”

He said the claims of Russian meddling in the U.S. election were part of the agenda of his talk with Trump.

At the start of Friday’s meeting, the Russian leader laughed when a reporter shouted about Trump warning Putin “not to meddle” in the 2020 presidential election.

Asked Saturday whether the issue was discussed during the meeting, Putin said that “we talked about it,” but didn’t elaborate.

He said he believes it’s necessary to “turn the page” in relations with the U.S., which have plunged to the lowest level since the Cold War era.

In November, Trump abruptly canceled a scheduled round of talks with Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina over Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian navy ships and their crews. Russia has kept the seamen in custody pending trial.

Putin said that Trump raised the issue during Friday’s meeting and made it a priority.

The Russian leader said the naval incident was a provocation staged by the former Ukrainian president, and signaled that the Ukrainian seamen could be released after their trial is over.

“We should wait until it’s over and then could deal with it,” he said. “They were only fulfilling an order, but they violated the Russian law.”

Putin said he and Trump agreed that the nations’ top diplomats should continue discussions on a possible extension of the New Start nuclear arms reduction treaty that expires in 2021.

They also talked about the need to encourage the development of bilateral economic ties, Putin said.

He also responded to criticism from singer Elton John, who accused Putin of duplicity after he offered a critical view of the Western emphasis on LGBT rights.

“I deeply respect him, he is a musical genius and we all love his performance, but I believe he’s mistaken,” Putin said.

John and the filmmakers of his biopic “Rocketman” have sharply criticized a Russian distributor’s decision to censor scenes from the new movie featuring gay sex and drug use.

Putin argued that Russia’s ban on “propaganda” of LGBT culture among children is aimed at protecting them from aggressive proselytizing by the LGBT community.

“Let a person grow up first before making a choice,” Putin said. “Let the children in peace.”

He said that “our attitude to the LGBT community is absolutely calm and unbiased,” but added that “this part of community aggressively enforces its point of view on others.”

[. . .]

Speaking after the summit in Osaka concluded on Saturday, Putin charged that Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and a drop of popularity of traditional parties in Europe have been rooted in growing public dismay with mainstream liberal policies.

He said Trump’s election victory was driven by growing disenchantment with liberal policies.

“The liberal idea has started eating itself,” Putin said at a news conference. “Millions of people live their lives, and those who propagate those ideas are separate from them.”

[. . .]

Putin hailed his meeting with Trump on Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit as “business-like and pragmatic.”

[. . .]  (AP)

Source: YeshivaWorldNews

Amb. Friedman at the Opening of the Pilgram’s Road

כִּ֚י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:

1The word that Isaiah, son of Amoz, prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

 אהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמ֑וֹץ עַל־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:

2And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall stream to it.

 בוְהָיָ֣ה | בְּאַֽחֲרִ֣ית הַיָּמִ֗ים נָכ֨וֹן יִֽהְיֶ֜ה הַ֚ר בֵּֽית־יְהֹוָה֙ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ הֶהָרִ֔ים וְנִשָּׂ֖א מִגְּבָע֑וֹת וְנָֽהֲר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו כָּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם:

3And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths,” for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

 גוְהָֽלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ | וְנַֽעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־הַר־יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶל־בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵֽלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֚י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:

4And he shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

 דוְשָׁפַט֙ בֵּ֣ין הַגּוֹיִ֔ם וְהוֹכִ֖יחַ לְעַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים וְכִתְּת֨וּ חַרְבוֹתָ֜ם לְאִתִּ֗ים וַֽחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹת לֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֨א ג֚וֹי אֶל־גּוֹי֙ חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹֽא־יִלְמְד֥וּ ע֖וֹד מִלְחָמָֽה:

Mashiach IY”H Will Walk This Path One Day

Who is Mashiach ben Yosef

WHO IS MOSHIACH BEN YOSEF?
By Ari Goldwag  (Rashi, Vilna Gaon, 

I would like to give a little idea of who exactly is Moshiach ben Yosef, and I would also like to weave in some strands of the dvar Torah that I said in my Parsha Podcast on Vayeshev.

Firstly, let us understand why we need two different Moshiachs.

The Moshiach we’ve all heard of is Moshiach ben Dovid, who we mention in our tefilos.

The lesser known is Moshiach ben Yosef. His job is the physical aspects of Klal Yisrael. He brings the Jewish people back to Eretz Yisrael (kibutz galuyos). He takes part in rebuilding the land of Israel. He builds the physical structure of the Beis Hamikdash. He is also privy to the secrets of the Torah (חכמת הנסתר). His job is to destroy Esav (see Rashi on Genesis 30:25). His power is the rectification of יסוד – the אות ברית קודש. He has full dominion over his physical desires – he rises above them and merits miracles. His power is also the power of Emunah/Bitachon – absolute trust in Hashem which also corresponds to יסוד. This also merits miracles, as per my earlier post “Bringing Miracles of Redemption.”

The role of Moshiach ben Dovid on the other hand, is to bring the Shechina into the physical structures that Moshiach ben Yosef builds. Moshiach ben Dovid brings the Shechina into the Beis Hamikdash, into the Land of Israel, into the Jewish people. He is the מלך – which means that he reveals מלכות which is equal to שכינה.

This is why we say first ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב – To Jerusalem your city return with mercy, before we even mention Moshiach ben Dovid. We say ובנה אותה בקרוב בימינו בנין עולם – rebuild it soon in our days an eternal building – this is reference to Moshiach ben Dovid. Then we say וכסא דוד עבדך מהרה לתוכה תכין – and the seat of David your servant quickly prepare in its midst. Here we see that it is a two step process, starting with the job of Moshiach ben Yosef and culminating with the job of Moshiach ben Dovid.

According to the Gemara in Succah, Moshiach ben Yosef is destined to die. The Gr’a holds that this is לאו דוקא, and says that in fact, the length of the gallus has already atoned for whatever would have necessitated his death. His שיטה is עוד יוסף חי – Moshiach ben Yosef will yet live.

Another interesting point which I have seen in more than one place is that besides for there being a single human being named Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid, there is a force within the Jewish people that corresponds to their role. This is actually similar to how you may have specialized cells in your body that perform a certain specific function, say the cells in your eyes. Nevertheless, every single cell in your body contains the same DNA, with that very information that makes those eye cells specialized. The only difference is that the other cells, say in your hand, do not express and bring out that specialized nature to its full expression. Nevertheless, that power exists everywhere within a person.

Thus, every Jew can donate to Moshiach ben Yosef’s role, for there is a small piece of Moshiach ben Yosef in every Jew. In fact, people who work for Nefesh B’nefesh, as an example, are actually fulfilling one of the roles of Moshiach ben Yosef – kibbutz galuyos. When we bring spirituality into our lives or the lives of others, we are activating the Moshiach ben Dovid in each of us. This brings us a step closer to Geulah and effectively lightens the load of each of the Moshiachs.

Returning to Yosef, we see that his job was to take care of the physical welfare of the Jewish people. This was expressed in his dream with the stalks of produce, and later in his role of providing for Egypt and more specifically the seventy souls that descended to Egypt with Yakov. His role as the knower of the secrets of the Torah is also mentioned in numerous sources, and is hinted to by his name צפנת פענח – the revealer of secrets. It is also hinted to in the reference בן זקנים – the gematria of the bold is 207 which is the same as the word רז – secret (בעל הטורים).

Yosef was the master of תיקון הברית as he displayed in his difficult encounter with the wife of Potifar. He was also the quintessential בעל אמונה. He had the ultimate faith in Hashem and throughout the story of his trials stood steadfast in his faith in Hashem, never questioning, only constantly moving forward and staying strong. He himself constantly reassures his brothers that he bears them no ill will, but rather from the onset it was the will of Hashem that Yosef be sent to Mitzrayim.

Yehoshua bin Nun was from the tribe of Efraim (son of Yosef) and he fulfilled the role of Moshiach ben Yosef in his time – conquering the land of Israel and dividing it amongst the Jewish people.

Very interestingly, according to the site http://keitzmeguleh.blogspot.com, the current year (5769) corresponds to the first year of Yehoshua’s conquest. Exactly what this means and how this will play itself out remains to be seen. (For more on that, please see his post Geulat Mitzraim to Yemot HaMoshiach)

Last point I would like to make is the pshat I said in my parsha podcast about Yosef’s second dream. It is clear from the psukim that the second dream was a different dream (חלום אחר) as opposed to Paroh’s dream which the Torah says ויחלום שנית – he dreamed a second time. Whereas Paroh had a repetition implying the dream would soon materialize, Yosef’s second dream was a totally different dream with a totally different message.

The key to the message of the second dream is that the sun, moon and stars were bowing down to Yosef. The almost silly sounding question is, what do stars look like when they bow down?

The answer is that the prophets tell us that before Moshiach comes, the sun, the moon and the stars go out (יואל ד:ט”ו). They are extinguished, and then we are told that we no longer will be provided with light from the sun, but rather Hashem Himself will be our light. The message underlying this concept is that whereas until Moshiach Hashem directed the world through the מזלות – the constellations and the heavenly bodies, when Moshiach comes, Hashem Himself will be the One Who directly is involved in the world, with no more intermediaries. This is why the sun, moon and stars go out, to signify that they are no longer the conduits, but rather Hashem will now be leading us directly.

The concept of bowing – השתחוויה – is that one shows that he totally nullifies himself in the face of the one he is bowing to. This is what was happening in Yosef’s dream. He saw of vision of the ultimate future when the sun, moon and stars would ‘bow,’ as it were, to Yosef’s emunah. This emunah would bring about the days of Moshiach where Hashem himself would deal directly with the world. This emunah – which by definition taps into the concept that Hashem is directly involved in our lives – was what Yosef represented, and to this they bowed – showed their lack of existence – and were extinguished. The eleven stars represent the fact that all of the Jewish people will bow to Moshiach ben Yosef – that is, we will learn from him the power of Emunah and absolute trust in Hashem that will bring about Hashem’s full display of His direct involvement in our lives.

May we merit that day soon.