Friday, December 29, 2017

Arab MK: I'd rather die than sing 'Hatikva'

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Arab MK: I'd rather die than sing 'Hatikva'

Israeli-Arab lawmaker says he'd prefer to die rather than sing Israel's national anthem. 'Israel's flag is a worthless rag'.

An Israeli Arab Knesset member mocked the Israeli flag, Israeli national anthem, and other national symbols of the Jewish state Tuesday, saying that he identified as a "Palestinian" while deriding Israel as an "occupier" since its establishment in 1948.

Jamal Zahalka, a five-term veteran MK from the Arab ultra-nationalist Balad party, which became a faction within the predominantly Arab Joint List party ahead of the 2015 election, grew up in the Israeli-Arab town of Kafr Qara, near the city of Umm al-Fahm in the Wadi Ara region.

After aligning himself with the Palestine Liberation Organization as a teenager in the 1970s, Zahalka was jailed for two years, before going on to become a pharmacist.

An outspoken opponent of the Jewish state, Zahalka has used his seat in the Knesset since 2003 to attack Israel and promote the Palestinian Authority's cause from within Israel's parliament.

On Tuesday, Zahalka sat down with Channel 12 for an interview set to be released in full Tuesday night.

During the interview, Zahalka reiterated his rejection of the concept of "Israeli-Arabs", describing himself as a "Palestinian with an Israeli identification card".

Despite serving in Israel's Knesset, Zahalka had no qualms about expressing his own personal distaste for the country's flag and other national symbols.

"I would rather die than since the Israeli national anthem," said Zahalka, claiming that Israel has 'occupied' Arab land since its establishment in 1948.

"Seventy years have passed, but Israel is still an occupier."

"Let's get rid of the [Israeli] flag, the national anthem, and the [other] symbols of the state, and then maybe you and I can come together."

"That flag [the Israeli flag] is worse than a rag.

Jerusalem has always been dear to the Jewish people

Middle East historian says US president's recognition changes nothing for Jews who have dreamed of Jerusalem for 3,000 years.

 

Professor Moshe Sharon, a historian of Islam who has been called "Israel's greatest Middle East scholar," said that US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel "did not change anything as far as the Jewish people are concerned."

"The Jewish people had Jerusalem as the capital of their hearts even more than the capital of their country," Professor Sharon told Arutz Sheva. "Even when the country was not there, the yearning for Jerusalem was always there in the heart of the Jewish people."

He said that President Trump's recognition was "very important" in that it recognized reality, but it "doesn't make any difference" for the Jews, who have had Jerusalem as their capital for 3,000 years.

He said that Jerusalem has never been important to Muslims except for when the city has been controlled by non-Muslims.

Professor Sharon also said that he does not expect a new intifada to break out in response to Trump's decision. "I think we've already passed the time of disturbances in the West Bank and Jerusalem. And from now on the Palestinians will have to get used to the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel."

EighthNight of Chanakah 2017

The old city on its finest. Zot CHanakuh dressed up and full of officials for the eighth night lighting

Nikki Haley vetoes Jerusalem resolution on behalf of Washington

Nikki Haley vetoes Jerusalem resolution on behalf of Washington The US has vetoed the Egyptian-drafted resolution that called for rescinding any change in Jerusalem's current status. The resolution was drafted after US President Donald Trump's recognition of the city as Israel's capital. Before the vote, the Palestinians threatened to appeal to the UN General Assembly, where the US has no veto power, if the US vetoes the resolution

The UN Security Council convened on Monday to discuss the Egyptian draft resolution asserting that any country's decision to change Jerusalem's current status quo will be rescinded. Fourteen UNSC member states voted in favor of the resolution but the United States vetoed it. The last time that the US used its veto power before today in the UNSC was in February 2011.

Before the vote, the Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour announced that if the US vetoes the resolution, the Palestinians will appeal to the UN General Assembly, where Washington has no veto power. As previously reported by JOL, the draft resolution calls for all states to avoid sending diplomatic missions to Jerusalem and refrain from recognizing any measures going against UN resolutions concerning the city.

"If the United Nations' history in the peace efforts proves anything, it is that talking in New York cannot take the place of face-to-face negotiations between the regional parties," said the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley during today's session. "It only sets back the cause of peace, not advance it."

"Resolution 2334 demanded a halt to all Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem – even in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. This is something that no responsible person or country would ever expect Israel would do," Haley added. "And in this way, Resolution 2334 did what President Trump's announcement on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel did not do: It prejudged issues that should be left in final status negotiations."

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon harshly criticized the draft resolution and thanked the US for standing by Israel. "Members of the Security Council can vote another hundred times to criticize our presence in Jerusalem, but history won't change," said Danon. "While the Jewish people celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah that symbolizes the eternal connection to Jerusalem, there are people who think that they can rewrite history. It's time for all countries to recognize that Jerusalem always was and always will be the capital of the Jewish people and the capital of Israel."

"From now on, we are opposed to the United States being a mediator or a partner in the peace process," Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas said during the hearing from Ramallah. "We are determined to go once more and even several times more to the UN to receive the status of full membership in the organization."

Ahead of US Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Israel, senior-level White House officials told reported that they "cannot envision any situation under which the Western Wall would not be part of Israel."

Yesterday (Friday), a senior-level White House official told reporters ahead of US Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Israel, that the administration "cannot envision any situation under which the Western Wall would not be part of Israel."

"As the president said, the specific boundaries of sovereignty of Israel are going to be part of the final status agreement," The official clarified and added that as of now, Pence's visit to the Western Wall will be an official visit of a vice president and not a private visit.

The vice president's visit to Egypt and Israel was supposed to begin on Sunday, but was postponed until Wednesday due to a US Congressional vote on tax reform. Pence's visit comes amid an outrage in the Arab World over President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Later, another administration official wrote: "We note that we cannot imagine Israel would sign a peace agreement that didn't include the Western Wall."

Identical Twins Dazzle With Magic! #GotTalent

What do these words have in common

  See if you can figure out what these seven words all have in common?
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess
 
 
Give it another try...
Look at each word carefully.  You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer.
 
REMEMBER I ONLY SENT THIS TO MY SMART FRIENDS
 
NOW DON'T LET ME DOWN
 
No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters...
Answer is below!
 
 
Answer:
 
In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.
 
Did you figure it out?
 

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Rabbi Yehuda Lave

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