Hamas fires from foreign Press building in Gaza January 2009 - Unintentional News from Alarabiya-TV

Shirat Devorah: Dire Consequences.....

Jerusalem - Legendary Kabbalist Warned Israeli Leaders Of Dire Consequences If it Backs Off Now From Destroying Hamas
(originally published 1st Jan. 09)

Jerusalem - Speaking to a gathering of students Tuesday night (30th December 08), the elder Kabbalist, Rabbi Eliyahu Leon Levi of Bnei Brak, warned that the war against Hamas should not be taken lightly.

"The Hamas has long-range Grad missiles that are aimed at our country's strategic facilities," he stated. "The threat is a life and death danger for the people of Israel. Imagine the catastrophe if a nuclear facility was damaged, causing the release of radioactivity in the air. People must be awakened to the severity of the danger and the Israeli army must strike at the enemy with its full force, without any mercy and external considerations."

On several occasions, Rabbi Leon tipped off the Israeli military about threats to the country's security. Years ago, the kabbalist elder revealed the existence of an extensive network of underground tunnels both on the Egyptian-Gaza border and in the Gaza Strip. On another occasion, the Rabbi alerted Colonel Moti Yogev who in turn reported to the Israel Air Force of the approach of an enemy ship, stockpiled with arms and missiles, on the way to Gaza. The air force checked out the ship, and Rabbi Leon's report was found to be accurate. The threat was dealt with.

Rabbi Levy said that Gaza had become stockpiled with tens of thousands of missiles, like Lebanon. "Air force strikes are of limited effectiveness," he declared. The Hamas has built a massive network of deep underground storage facilities, fortified with layers of concrete." He said the missiles came from Iran, by way of Egypt. Once in Egypt, the missiles are transported by trucks to the border of Gaza, where they are smuggled into Gaza in small vehicles via a two-kilometer underground highway. "In this fashion," he explained, "Hamas is being supplied with an unlimited arsenal of weapons and supplies. Only ground forces can destroy this secret supply route, by locating the tunnels and blowing them up, even if it means casualties to our troops. This ground operation has to be carried out now, before it is too late," he warned.

To support his forecast, he reminded the gathering of a miracle during the first Gulf War, during a prayer gathering of hundreds in Herzliya, a short distance away from the central gas storage facility, Glilot. During the prayers, the Rabbi said he "received a spiritual fax," that a rocket was on the way. In the words of Avraham Ben Shushan from Kiryat Arba who attended the prayer rally, "Rabbi Leon suddenly announced that a rocket was headed towards the area and that everyone should disperse and find cover." Moments thereafter, the sirens sounded and a missile landed nearby. "They were aiming for the gas storage facility," Rabbi Leon said, "But our prayers knocked the missile off course."

In addition, he said, "You don't have to be a prophet to see the increasing sympathy for Hamas on the part of the Arabs in Israel. Danger threatens us from without and within."

Rabbi Leon said that every Jew had to enlist in the fight. "Those of us who are not in the army must become spiritual soldiers with the same day-and-night spirit of sacrifice and sense of duty as our boys in uniform. It is our prayers that give fuel to our fighter planes and tanks and direct our missiles on course."

Rabbi Leon listed several spiritual offensives: In our battle against the Hamas, the Jewish people in Israel must unite by judging all Jews in a scale of merit, even blatant sinners. Even those who seem to transgress unwittingly out of compulsion, because of a lack of Jewish education and the cultural pollution of the times, we must view them with love and judge them favorably, the Rabbi urged.

He also called upon students to increase supplications for salvation, including the tearful nightly recital of "Tikun Hatzot," the special midnight lament.

Especially important, he emphasized, was the upcoming "Shovavim" period, when for six weeks congregations will gather all over Israel for special prayers, called "Tikun HaYesod," over sexual transgressions.

"It is well known that our enemies arise against us due to our sins," he reminded the crowd. "By each and every one of us doing deep, heartfelt repentance, we can uproot and cancel the harsh decree. Through fervently praying with all of our souls, begging G-d to forgive us for the sins which have brought this cruel enemy upon us, we can influence the situation on the ground. Just as the united prayers of the Jewish people have brought us rain, so too they can save us from the present danger.

Shirat Devorah

Shin Bet Chief: Hamas will resume arms smuggling to Gaza within a few months

Israelis stole the land stolen from Palestinians... true or false?

War

There is a war.

Inside every Jew there is a war. A war against his inner Evil.

What goes on in Gaza is a playing out of what is going on inside of the Jewish people.

Why does Israeli government try to make peace with its sworn enemies?

Why does the Israeli government seek to make a truce every time they gain the upper hand against the cruel, ruthless ones who hate us?

Simple:

BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY HOW WE ARE FIGHTING THE INNER WAR!

Why doesn’t the Israeli government let the army “go all the way”? Because WE won’t let our inner army (Tzivos Hashem) “go all the way”. They are concerned about what the world will think, to the point of letting victory slip from their fingers because WE are concerned about what others will think (including certain voices from within ourselves) if we would finally shecht (slaughter) our drive for evil.

They are keeping evil alive because we are.

The time has come for complete victory, without compromise.

vision of geula

Robert Goot: Just defence despite death toll

The view that Israel is using disproportionate force against Hamas
is a misconception.

No way has yet been found to conduct even the most justified war without causing harm to innocent civilians.

During World War II, Royal Air Force bombers flattened entire German cities in response to Nazi bombing and rocket attacks against civilian targets in London and elsewhere. Most of the German dead, numbering in their tens of thousands, were civilians. Regrettably, on occasions the RAF's unintended victims included Allied prisoners of war.

Australian troops fighting in Vietnam, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan have also sometimes caused more casualties among civilians than among the enemy. Yet nobody would have the right to call Australian troops murderers.

There is simply no such thing as a mistake-free war when it comes to avoiding civilian or "friendly fire" casualties.

To apply different, and much harsher, standards to Israeli forces engaged in putting an end to more than 8000 Hamas rocket attacks deliberately aimed at killing and maiming Israeli civilians, and which constitute a war crime, is therefore the height of hypocrisy.

Nearly a million Israelis live under the threat of being bombed. They get only 15 seconds' warning of an attack.

Israel's right to use force to defend and protect its citizens from armed attack is well recognised in international law. Its attempts to minimise civilian casualties among Gazans include targeting Hamas military infrastructure only and telephoning and leafleting civilians in combat zones before raids, even though Hamas also gets the benefit of these warnings.

Faced with rocket and mortar attacks against its own citizens, neither Australia nor any other country would expect its military forces to behave with any greater level of restraint.

Hamas's strategy of attacking Israeli civilians while using Palestinian civilians as human shields is directly responsible for the current suffering in Gaza.

Hamas deliberately locates its missile launchers, weapons factories, tunnels and arms caches in densely populated residential areas, schools, homes and even hospitals and mosques.

Indeed, Hamas legislator Fathi Hamad recently boasted on Al-Aksa TV: "Palestinians formed human shields of women, children, the elderly and the mujahideen in order to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It was as if they were saying to the Zionist enemy: 'We desire death like you desire life.' "

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Saturday-night Rocket Attack on Ashdod, Unilateral Ceasefire as of 2 AM

Red Alert sirens sounded at 10:25 PM local time earlier this evening, followed by two explosions - one distant and the other about a half-mile from my home, in a residential area. This Grad missile landed in the middle of the street, damaging a power line, destroying several cars and damaging a bus. Several of the residents who live in the proximity were treated for shock. Miraculously, no one was injured.

The miracles here continue: earlier on Shabbat, a Grad missile hit a synagogue in Moshav Tifrach near Ofakim. The missile destroyed the synagogue, but it hit shortly after the Shabbat morning prayers when everyone had left the premises.

Hashem is chastising us to better our ways while showing His unfathomable love for us.

*****

Nothing's new under the sun. While the residents of Ashkelon, Beersheva, Sderot, and Ashdod are listening to missiles exploding in the street outside their home, the Prime Minister has declared a unilateral ceasefire while claiming that the Gaza Operation's objectives have been completely met.

Really? Let's ask the ruling triumverate of Olmert, Livni, and Barak a few simple questions:

1. Have the missile attacks on the south of Israel ended? Definitely not.

2. Has Gilead Shalit been freed? No.

3. Has Hamas been defeated? Certainly not.

4. Can anyone guarantee that new armaments won't be smuggled into Gaza? No.

What objectives have been accomplished?

As we have written repeatedly throughout the last three weeks, unless emuna and teshuva become national policies, nothing will have changed. The anti-emuna politicians are turning a valant military accomplishment into an utter failure. It's wake-up time, Israel. Without emuna, there can be no victory. In addition to emuna in Hashem, we must have emuna in the absolute justice of our struggle against international terror. Hamas is none other than a proxy of Iran and Syria. If we prematurely terminate an unfinished task, the coming challenge will be even more difficult, Heaven forbid.

May Hashem have mercy on us.

Lazer Beams

BBC Silent about being Terrorized in Gaza: Discretion or Cowardice?

Richard Landes notices the BBC is being silent about being terrorized in Gaza.
When I was interviewed on the BBC last week, I commented on the pervasive intimidation of the MSM in Gaza, which is one of the reasons that there were none there when the hostilities broke out. I pointed out that the last journalist resident in Gaza, Alan Johnston, now the editor in chief, only survived because he was so openly pro-Palestinian, and even he got kidnapped and brutalized.
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Hamas terrorists kill innocent Palestinian in Gaza

The Abir Yaakov Fund for the South of Israel

The missile attacks against the south of Israel have not only maimed people and destroyed property, but have destroyed people's incomes, their children's emotional health, and even marriages, Heaven forbid. There are a long list of damages that the victims will never receive government aid for.

My dear and esteemed friend Yaakov ben Rachel Kalati, who founded the Keren Erez fund that did so much for the widow and orphans of the unforgettable tzaddik Erez Levanon of martyred, saintly, and blessed memory, is now doing enormous good work in giving financial aid to the people of southern Israel.

The "Abir Yaakov" Fund for the South of Israel is named after the famed Kabbalist, scholar, and miracle-worker Rabbi "Abir" Yaakov Abu Chatzera (illustration, left), whose yahrtzeit is today, the 20th of Teveth. The "Abir Yaakov" was the grandfather of the Baba Sali, one of this past generations greatest tzaddikim. Yaakov Kalati has also formed the fund in loving memory of his father Nuriel ob"m and of the "Ramban" - Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman - whose yahrtzeit is also today.

Emuna Outreach endorses the "Abir Yaakov" Fund for the South of Israel. Those who would like to help their needy brothers and sisters in the south of Israel who have so valiantly maintained a stiff upper lip under the relentless Hamas terror can contact Yaakov by email, at: yaakov(at)kalcom.com, and he'll tell you the best and easiest way to donate, with no administration costs and all of your donation money to the needy of Israel's war-torn south. May the mitzva of charity protect you always, amen.

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Ari Goldwag: The Moon and the war

As I was reading the article mentioned in the previous post about the moon, I wondered what the significance is to the phenomenon that the tides and waves are caused by the moon's gravity. What could the message behind this be?

I was נתעורר to some interesting thoughts when I saw a piece from the Ben Ish Chai.

He is explaining how the concept of מים - water - has to do with the concept of מודים - admitting. He points out that if you spell out the letters of מים you get the following: מ"ם יו"ד מ"ם. When you take the middle letters, you find the word מודים. We need, of course, to understand what this signifies.

I started thinking about something we say at קידוש לבנה. We say כשם שאני רוקד כנגדך ואיני יכול לנגוע בך כך לא יוכלו כל אויבי לנגוע בי לרעה - just as I am dancing in front of you and I can not touch you (the Moon), so should my enemies be unable to touch me for evil. As we say this, we raise our feet in a little dance, similar to the motion of kedusha.

This also needs explanation. What kind of tefillah is this? Just like I can't touch the moon, my enemies should not be able to touch me? This seems like such a strange thing to say. What's the פשט?

Coming back to the concept of the Moon, it has no light of its own - all its light is from the Sun. It represents Klal Yisrael who reflect the light of Hashem, but it also represents the idea that one can only accomplish when we recognize that we have no power of our own. וזכרת את ה' אלוקיך כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל - you should remember Hashem your God, for He is the one who gives you power to be mighty. When we forget where our success stems from, we lose our might. When we realize that we are only reflecting Hashem's light, it indeed shines brightly through us. When we think we produce our own light, Hashem allows us to try to create our own, and we are left with nothing.

When we make that motion, up and down, reaching for the Moon and recognizing that it is beyond our grasp, we inject humility into ourselves. We have learned the lesson of the Moon that only reflects the Sun's light and does not create its own. This humility is what gives us the power against our enemies - the power that is Hashem's - ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון - Hashem will fight for you and you will be quiet! This, I believe, is what we are saying - Just as I am dancing and can not reach you (humility!), so should my enemies be unable to touch me for evil (with Hashem's help).

It struck me that this motion that we do as we reach for the Moon and recognize our inability, is the same motion that waves do. They go up and down, up and down, constantly pulled by the gravity of the moon, constantly reaching up and coming back toward Earth. The motion of the water itself hints to that power of הודאה - of admitting. The waters are pulled to admit by the ultimate representation of admittal - the Moon. This is why the word מים contains the word מודים, because the motion of the worlds waters teaches us the lesson of הודאה.

This could also be why the Torah, which is compared to water, can only be acquired with humility. The Gemara in Nedarim says ממדבר מתנה וממתנה נחליאל - כיון שעושה אדם עצמו כמדבר שהוא הפקר לכל תורה נתנה לו במתנה - when a person makes himself like a wilderness - ownerless to all - the Torah is given to him as a present. The Torah can only be acquired by one who has made himself empty of ego, because the Torah is the ultimate source of Hashem's light, which can only shine through one who has no light of his own.

I heard the following story from a reliable source close to the Gadol about whom this story was told.

It was Friday, the seventh day of the Gaza war, and the ground troops were getting ready to invade Gaza that Friday night. The shamash of the Gadol received a phone call from one of the higher ups in the Israeli army, who asked to receive a bracha for the impending military operation. When the shamash brought this request to the Gadol, he responded that he could not give a bracha for the operation if it would begin that night, as it would involve too much desecration of Shabbos. Not only that, but the operation would not see any סימן ברכה if it began on Shabbos.

The Shamash called back the general and relayed the words of the Gadol. The response was that the army had strong reason to believe that Hamas would begin attacking over Shabbos, and they wanted to begin with a surprise attack. The shamash reiterated the Gadol's words that if they would begin the operation on Shabbos, they would see no סימן ברכה, and added the Gadol's reassurance that nothing would happen over Shabbos.

Indeed, nothing happened over Shabbos, and on Motsaei Shabbos, the shamash received a call from the same general. He said that the army had decided to take the Gadol's advice into account, and had waited until after Shabbos to begin. The Gadol gladly granted the requested bracha, and the operation then began.

The power of this story is that there was a surge of humility that would be with the entire IDF throughout its fight against this enemy whose entire existence is pride. Hashem has shown tremendous miracles at every stage, and continues to do so. Let us hope that the humility will continue, and Hashem will surely continue to shine His light through us, until it bursts forth to the entire world, may it be speedily in our days.

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Hamas Shoots Down Fatah People in Gaza... Arabs Killing Arabs

WARNING! Disturbing video. HAMAS KILL FATAH IN GAZA

This is hard to watch. Maybe if some people who are still convinced that Israel is unjustified in going into Gaza, this will show them why. Now, not to make a mistake, the Fatah is a terror organization as well, and both are our enemies and want our Land. Both murder Jews in terror attacks. However, the reason I am showing this video is to show the savageness of these Klingon/Romulan/Alien Monsters, because if they do this to their own brother Arabs, just think what they would do to us!

Again, this very disturbing to watch, I cannot emphasize it enough! Don't view if you are squeamish.

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Emuna (Faith) Live Broadcast, today in Jerusalem

The weekly Wednesday live Emuna broadcasts continue today, according to our normal schedule:

5 PM - Rav Lazer Brody: English (10 AM, EST)

9 PM - Rav Shalom Arush: Hebrew (2 PM, EST)

The general public is invited to attend the lessons in the Yeshiva, Shmuel HaNavi Street 13, Jerusalem. Our viewers on the web can see the lessons live here. G-d willing, we'll post permanent links to the broadcasts tomorrow. Don't miss today's lessons, because both Rav Arush and Rav Brody will be speaking about the current war in Gaza.

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Israeli Soldiers Helping Palestinians...

Interesting how CNN misses these kinds of photos.

Israel Sends Humanitarian Aid to Gaza 28 Dec. 2008

Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza Statement (Former Prime Minister of Israel)

FOX NEWS: Would you agree that HAMAS is to blame?

What's the Secret?

A Grad missile landed ever so close to a gas station in Ashdod last week. If the missile would have landed a few feet away on the other side of the station, it would have created an explosion that would have rocked the whole city. Instead, virtually no damage was done. What's the secret?

Our sages teach that the Shabbat guards over whoever guards the Shabbat.

Sign at the entrance to the gas station that could have become a mega-explosion during a missile attack last week, but was completely spared: "Welcome - a Sabbath observant station."

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Oh Sheez, We Won

With incredible blessings from HaKodesh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, Blessed Be He), it appears Israel is about to win the Israeli-Hamas war. The people came together, the soldiers blessed Hashem, we stood as one. Hashem blessed Israel with a skilled army chief who prepared, and a reasonable defense minister who backed him up.

The faith of the country was increased. Not in the might of the IDF or the hand of man, but in humble faith to G-d.

And as in 1967, Israel won (G-d willing). Soldiers came home with miraculous stories of survival and salvation. Yes, the army truly did a good job in equipping, planning, and training. And yes, the soldiers were motivated. And yes, the intelligence services did a fantastic job of spotting the enemy sites.

But the enemy defense map that fell into the hands of the Israeli unit, that was a miracle. The unit that avoided 3 booby-trapped houses, that was a miracle. The units that avoided trap after trap, spotted and killed the enemy in their own tunnels, those are miracles.

And the incoming fire - the missile that went down the man hole, that was a miracle. The missile that hit the gas main, under maintenance and shut off, that was a miracle. The missile that landed by the synagogue during the few times it was empty, that was a miracle.

And perhaps the most serious miracles of all - - - the members of the Knesset kept their mouths shut. The generals kept their mouths shut. The commanders kept their moutsh shut. Even the government leaders kept their mouths shut. The army spokespeople did their job, were allowed to do their job, and did it well. They did interviews, they posted videos, they emailed bloggers. And everyone let them. In Israel, that is a massive miracle!

The people saw the miracles and many recognized them. But not the politicians...

As they closed in on victory, one tried to stop it ("ok, ceasefire now"). One started to get hubris ("oh, we're crushing them, yeah we're crushing them"). And one just didn't know what to do. The military strategy was excellent. The political strategy...well, it's somewhat "oh sheez, we won, what now?".

They can't reoccupy Gaza, that would admit leaving was wrong. They can't leave Gaza without a reliable peace partner, there isn't one. They need Egypt to patrol the border, they won't do it. Egypt won't permit a peacekeeper border force on their side, Hamas vows to kill any that come on their side. Which means Israel has to own the border, which admits leaving was a mistake (and puts Israel in the position of "controlling" all Gazan imports and exports).

Oops.

What they wanted to do was beat up Hamas a bit so they would stop attacking Israel negotiate a functional future. Hamas proved they truly were a dedicated suicide organization, as they committed organizational suicide (death by Israeli soldier) rather than admit defeat. So now Hashem handed the Israeli government a victory IT DID NOT WANT.

They don't believe in The Land, they'll give up parts of their own country to anyone who says they'll make nice nice. They don't believe in the Torah, though the Torah (parshat Haazinu) told them they'd suffer missiles from a non-nation, from Hamas! They don't believe in the navi'im, though the navi Zephaniah says if you leave Gaza you'll lose Ashkelon and Ashdod - a lesson learned live under fire.

Now Hashem has forced the Land upon them, and taught them the lessons of the Torah and from the navi.

...And they don't know what to do. They're struggling, fighting!, to maintain their secular post-zionist (whatever that means) outlook and figure how to salvage a return to the Roadmap, Land for Peace, Oslo, Wye, Sharm el Sheik, and the hope of the PLO rather than Hashem, Torah, and the hope of Moshiach.

This stage ends with the external enemy that's been a thorn suddenly fading away. The non-nation, the vile nation, "Hamas", gone as a threat and concern.

Hashem, please grant the politicians the wisdom to go in the right direction, or turns their hearts to do so.
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SDEROT TERROR

Vote for Israel

CNN is pushing a poll showing that 45% vs. 55% of Americans favor "Palestine" over Israel in the war in Gaza. We must respond with numbers and be heard. We must stand together. Thousands of these emails are going out across the world right now. Be a part of supporting Israel. See also the hateful messages being left if you need motivation to become involved. Please pass this to all concerned. If you have not already done so, please click on the link and then simply click on the Israeli flag. YOU CAN VOTE MORE THEN ONCE IF YOU WAIT TWO HOURS!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE
NOTE: IF THE PAGE DOES NOT WORK REFRESH YOUR BROWSER

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