Monthly Archives: December 2021

Gaza, The Terrorist Enclave

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In November 2021, the United Kingdom took the long overdue step of recognizing the entirety of the Palestinian Arab group HAMAS to be a terrorist organization. In making the decision to mark the ‘political wing’ as no different than its ‘military wing,’ British Home Secretary Priti Patel said “Hamas is fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic” and that the group has “significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities.“

This has long been plain to see for anyone who read the group’s foundational charter which includes such noxious declarations as “Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious” and “In face of the Jews’ usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised“, “Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people,” and “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it.”

The immediate ramification of the British action is to make it illegal to be a member of Hamas or to express support for the group, including by flying its flag or wearing a T-shirt to that end. The maximum penalty would be 14 years in prison.

But the impact should have much greater consequences.

By recognizing that the entirety of Hamas is a rabidly antisemitic terrorist group, it marks the Gaza Strip, which is administered by Hamas, as a terrorist enclave. It is a new term that needs to be properly institutionalized as an expansion of established governmental terms like Foreign Terrorist Organizations, State Sponsors of Terrorism and Terrorist Safe Havens.

Hamas winning parliamentary elections in 2006
Hamas meeting with Taliban to congratulate them for expelling western forces in 2021
Masked Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, March 2008. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Hamas drags a suspected ‘collaborator’ through the streets of Gaza in 2012
Hamas schools and camps train children to kill Jews
Hamas is a terrorist organization which runs the Gaza Strip from which it has launched repeated wars and terrorist attacks

The United States had long ago marked Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), along with other Palestinian groups operating out of Gaza including the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC). The list of Palestinian Arab groups hell-bent on killing Jews is long and the designation enabled the government to block funding of such terrorists and to block their assets with EO 13224 of 2001. Subsequent amendments to that executive order limited the travel of members of these groups, and enabled monitoring agencies to track their activities with the support of numerous western countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and Switzerland.

The U.S. State Department similarly maintains a list of countries which are State Sponsors of Terrorism, including Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. These countries are subject to a variety of sanctions.

State also recognized the threat of terrorist safe havens in its reports which defined them as “ungoverned, under-governed, or ill-governed areas of a country and non-physical areas where terrorists that constitute a threat to U.S. national security interests are able to organize, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, and operate in relative security because of inadequate governance capacity, political will, or both.” These locations enable terrorist to operate freely, threatening civilized society at any time they choose.

In summary, the U.S. government identifies terrorists, countries that support terrorists, and areas that enable terrorists to flourish. But Gaza, governed by Hamas (an FTO) and supported by a state sponsor of terrorism (Iran), doesn’t exactly mean the criteria of a “terrorist safe haven” because it HAS the political will and directive to commit terrorism. As such, it sets a new low water market in depravity and requires a new category designation: a terrorist enclave.

Actions Against Terrorist Locations

The U.S. State Department developed “Long-term Programs and Initiatives Designed to Counter Terrorist Safe Havens and Recruitment.” Its stated goals include “protecting the United States, our interests, and our allies by reducing the ability of terrorists to radicalize, recruit, mobilize, and inspire acts of terrorism.” But the department has been seemingly tepid in taking forceful actions.

In response, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) produced a plan in 2011 as it noted that the State Department had “multiple reporting requirements,” but failed to provide a “list of its efforts to address terrorist safe havens.” Therefore, the GAO took the important step to “identif[y] eliminating safe havens as a priority action against which all elements of national power – including military, diplomatic, financial, intelligence, and law enforcement – should be applied.”

One of the most important resources to extremists is safe haven. Safe havens provide the enemy with relative freedom to plan, organize, train, rest, and conduct operations.

U.S. Department of defense, national military strategic plan

The United States has long understood that Hamas is a terrorist group supported by state sponsors of terrorism. It is therefore past time to label the Hamas fiefdom of Gaza as a terrorist enclave, and to develop a comprehensive set of actions against this noxious hotbed of extremists.

Related articles:

Hamas’s Willing Executioners

The West Definitively Concludes Hamas is a Terrorist Group

Gazans Support Killing Jewish Civilians

The United Nations Can Hear the Songs of Gazans, but Cannot See Their Rockets

The Scary Growth of Terrorist Propaganda

Why Blockade Gaza

The United Nations Narrows Its Focus on Certain Hatreds

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The United Nations was founded to promote peace among nations and has used the platform to try to eliminate the underlying causes of war which often include prejudice. It has recently begun to narrow its focus on certain types of hatred.

Since the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the global body started to focus on terrorism. It listed two particular groups, ISIS and al-Qaeda, which it considered a more global nature than many more localized terrorist groups like Boko Haram but sought to quell terrorism and violent extremism everywhere. It launched various committees to address the scourge.

On December 14, 2021, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, addressed the group focused on counter-terrorism with a message that broke from historical norms:

“As we scan the global horizon, the terror threat is more diverse, spreading offline and online amidst growing mistrust, polarization, weak governance, organized crime and conflict.  We see a resurgence of terrorist and violent extremist groups motivated by xenophobia, white supremacy and other forms of racism and intolerance, including misogyny.“

The UN has long discussed the evils of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, general forms of hatred. Now, the head of the UN called out specific forms of hatred – white supremacy and misogyny – in a discussion about counter-terrorism. While these are undoubtedly important matters to call out, why were other forms of hatred ignored? Antisemitism is the most far-reaching hatred in the world. Islamic fundamentalism has killed millions but the UN declared “that selective application of the term “violent extremism” only to Muslim believers reinforces intolerance and discrimination.“

Seemingly, while Islamic fundamentalism is a term frowned upon, the UN is now comfortable calling out white supremacy.

The death of George Floyd, the January 6 Capital riot and the dearth of COVID vaccines to poor countries are coalescing at the UN as an indictment of the western world as the current noxious source of violent extremism in the world. Will this distract the global body from the terrorists backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and elsewhere as the leading state sponsor of terrorism pursues nuclear weapons?

Courageous Jews On Hostile Campuses

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College campuses have become extremely hostile places for Jews. The spike in anti-Semitic actions and anti-Israel vitriol spewed by both teachers and students are forcing many Jewish students and their parents to seek a course that is both safe and rewarding.

Those concerns and desire to find a blueprint forward brought fifty people to a Westchester synagogue to hear from two notable speakers.

On December 13, 2021, Tikvah’s Jewish Parents Forum presented a panel on “Raising Courageous Jews: A Guide Through the Cultural Minefield” at the Young Israel of Scarsdale. The group dedicated to “Preserving Jewish, Zionist, and American Values for the Rising Generation,” featured Jonathan Silver, Editor of Mosaic, and Liel Leibovitz, a Senior Writer for Tablet.

After Silver’s opening remarks, Leibovitz took the podium and essentially offered the audience his “Get Out” advice which he summarized in four points:

  • Jewish institutions won’t save you; the forces of culture are too great
  • Know who your friends are; it is now the moment to choose sides
  • ‘Do’ Jewish. Membership cards are meaningless; one needs deep engagement in Jewish life
  • Stop going to the expensive universities which despise your values

The approach made many in the audience uneasy. Several were the products of Columbia University (like Leibovitz) and other well-regarded institutions and hoped that they would hear methods for giving their children courage to stand for their Jewish values and the Jewish State. Instead, Leibovitz asked for the parents to have the courage to buck their instincts and send their kids elsewhere – or nowhere.

Silver seemed a bit uncomfortable with the suggestion as well, but for a different reason. Tikvah is dedicated to “bringing Jewish thinking and leaders into conversation with Western political, moral, and economic thought,” not to flee from the conversation.

So let me offer some of my own thoughts here which will be expounded upon in future articles in the FirstOneThrough blog and elsewhere where the articles are openly shared.

I start with a quote from a hero of Roger Hertog, the president of Tikvah, Winston Churchill:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Success and failure come-and-go, rise-and-fall like a spinning wheel, but courage is the engine that keeps propelling people forward through the various ups-and-downs. If we want to raise courageous Jews who will not break with Jewish values and the Jewish State, we need to give them life skills that will allow them to flourish in the good times, sustain them in the difficult times and a desire to stay on the path.

Parental Modeling

Asking a child to be a proud Jew and supportive of the Jewish State begins with instilling those values from a young age. Starting the conversation in the senior year of high school or once they’ve entered university is oftentimes too late.

Children are sponges and learn behavior from watching. When they are brought up appreciating Israel and Judaism and see that their family actively engages in the great aspects of the religion and peoplehood and stands up to fight and defend Jews, Judaism and Israel, their instincts are already trained.

  • Belong to a synagogue and attend classes
  • Donate to Jewish causes
  • Write to government officials and the media when anti-Semitic and anti-Israel articles are posted
  • Talk about Israel and Judaism at the dinner table
  • Attend seminars both on education and political matters
  • Vote in elections
  • Visit Israel
  • Bring your children to protests
  • Be involved in Jewish activities at your children’s school

Education and Conviction

It is much easier to have courage when one has conviction about the cause.

Sending children to Jewish schools and camps is a critical way to make them appreciate their history, culture, religion and the remarkable nature of the Jewish State. Being in Israel with peers is a wonderful way to connect with Jewish history, such as made available from Birthright Israel.

Young adults on a Birthright trip to Israel

College campuses tend to be much more liberal than society at large. Liberals’ focus on empathy drives them to support those perceived as weaker and more vulnerable. Pro-Palestinian supporters have leaned into this theme to draw progressives to their cause. Young adults need to understand that Israel is the most liberal country for over 1,000 miles in any direction, as it lays the foundation for deeper engagement.

Our educational system needs a different approach for discussing Zionism, doing so via teaching critical thinking, critical listening and engaging narratives. That is a longer discussion for another article.

Recognize Audience / Be a Critical Listener

Today’s mainstream media is growing ever more hostile about Israel. The media has normalized an anti-Zionist lexicon that is also increasingly anti-Jewish. Understanding language and the forum is critical for knowing how and when to show courage.

There was a time when society at large resembled a bell curve. Most people sat in the middle on particular issues and there were fewer people on the extremes of right and left. Social media and the death of news in favor of editorials have now magnified those margins. In the beginning, it just appeared that the fringe was large as they were loud. Unfortunately, society continues to move towards a barbell shape with people and politicians in the middle lurching to more openly radical positions.

On campuses in particular, students are being asked to take sides on issues which they may or may not have any vested interest or real concern. Leaders, followers and participants now show up at rallies in calls for “allyship,” the comfort of belonging, or simply classic peer pressure. While they may look like a menacing horde, they are still individuals.

Courage requires intelligence. It does not mean taking on every situation in the same way, responding to every action or to every person in the same manner. It is important to help our young adults listen critically to their classmates and distinguish between those groups and individuals that should be engaged in conversation and those that should be confronted aggressively, both directly and indirectly.

Tactics and Support

The anti-Semites and anti-Zionists have playbooks which are being shared in universities around the world. They include: “die-ins” and “apartheid weeks”; boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) resolutions; keeping Jews and Jewish organizations out of school clubs and student government; taking over Middle East Studies departments with anti-Zionist lecturers; anti-Israel and anti-Semitic speakers on campus; etc. These are the manifestations that make campuses feel unwelcoming to Jews which showcase the animus towards the “Chosen People” and God’s “Promised Land.”

It can be very overwhelming to young adults who are simply looking for a quality education and a nice time on campus to deal with such organized hate. Fortunately, there are groups who can help students understand that they are not alone in confronting the mob. It is easier to be courageous with company.

College groups like Students Supporting Israel are springing up on various campuses. StandWithUs gives students materials and information to stand up to misinformation and malicious activities. Fuel for Truth focuses on pro-Israel education for young adults. Club Z is helping train teens to be articulate proactive Zionist leaders. Hillel provides students a Jewish experience on campus. The Louis Brandies Center helps students understand their legal rights when confronting abuse. Students should visit these institutions on a regular basis and not be reactive to negative events on campus.

Each organization uses a variety of approaches in combatting the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel venom. An example may be handing out notices in front of the “apartheid wall” exhibit, about Neta Sorek, an Israeli teacher and feminist who was a strong supporter of making peace with Palestinian Arabs. She was slaughtered while walking in a monastery garden by two Palestinian men who slipped through that “apartheid wall.”

Of course, there’s always the excellent choice of attending Yeshiva University, a proudly Jewish and Zionist university, among the top ranked universities, where the demand to be courageous for Jewish values and the Jewish State is commonplace.

It is a sad state of affairs that one has to talk about the courage required to be Jewish and a proud Zionist on college campuses today. We must prepare our children appropriately, and support those organizations which stand with them in these critical and volatile years.

Related articles:

Is Columbia University Promoting Violence Against Israel and Jews?

‘The Maiming of the Jew’

In San Francisco Schools, Anti-Zionism is Anti-Racism

Follow the Money: Democrats and the Education Industry

‘Critical Race Theory’ in Palestinian Schools Calls For The Murder of Israeli Jews

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“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.“

– Diogenes (412 – 323BCE)

Americans are engaged in an emotional debate about the nature of American society and how it should be taught in schools. Some left-wing activists have put forward the notion that America’s basic foundation was not about equality as stated in the Declaration of Independence but about slavery and inequality which existed at the time, and continue to permeate society. These progressive activists have been effective at changing school curricula based on ‘Critical Race Theory’ (CRT), banning certain books as being insensitive and promoting others which challenge the premise that America is a welcoming multi-cultural society with a narrative that it is actually systematically racist and biased towards White people.

For example, in New York City, a school is having 7th and 8th graders engage in a two-day exercise to “undo the legacy of racism and oppression in this country that impacts our school community.” California approved a program for high school students based on CRT. The list of schools continues to grow.

It has not been without controversy.

Many Americans strongly object to teaching White children that they are inherently racist or should be embarrassed about what White people did hundreds of years ago. Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (a Black woman) said “People are being taught the true history, but I just have to say one more thing: It goes back to how we teach the history. We teach the good and we teach the bad of history. But what we don’t do is make 7- and 10-year-olds feel that they are somehow bad people because of the color of their skin. We’ve been through that, and we don’t need to do that again for anyone.“

Over 100,000 people voiced their displeasure with the California school action. In Virginia, the Democratic hopeful for governor incorrectly repeatedly said (aka lied) that CRT was not being taught in lower schools, and lost his election bid due to the anger of the electorate. Many American parents vociferously object to a new form of racism to be taught in the classroom and are demanding a voice.

The dynamic inside of Palestinian schools is even more problematic, with deadly consequences.

Palestinian Schools Educate Youth to Murder Israeli Jews

The culture of murder starts for Palestinian youth as they approach their schools which are often named after terrorists, like Dalal al-Mughrabi, who killed 38 Israelis including 13 children. The Dalal Mughrabi Elementary School in Hebron lets students know that terrorism is a way to gain fame and glory. According to Palestinian Media Watch, there are at least 28 Palestinian schools named after terrorists and over 40 more schools with names that glorify martyrdom.

Inside of the schools, classrooms are filled with calls for violence and “martyrdom.”

In Hebron, the Wasyah Al-Rasoul elementary school for boys has classes in which teachers glorify Dalal’s attack. In Jerusalem, textbooks describe the firebombing of Israeli buses as “barbeque parties.” Social studies textbooks call for the use of “armed force” against the “Zionist Occupation.” Math textbooks use examples of the number of “martyrs” killed by “Israeli occupation against the holy sites of Islam.“

In May 2021, IMPACT-SE, a group that monitors Arab textbooks, published a report about what is being taught in Palestinian grades 1 through 12. It is an important read (to donate to IMPACT-SE click here) and can be summarized by the following excerpt:

“The latest IMPACT-se analysis of the new Palestinian curriculum found it has moved further from meeting UNESCO standards and the newly published textbooks were found to be more radical than those previously published.
There is a systematic insertion of violence, martyrdom and jihad across all grades and subjects. Extreme nationalism and Islamist ideologies are widespread throughout the curriculum, including science and math textbooks.
The possibility of peace with Israel is rejected. Any historical Jewish presence in the modern-day territories of Israel and the Palestinian Authority is entirely omitted from the textbooks.“

The vile lesson plans were not confined to Palestinian Authority schools but were found widespread in the United Nations’ UNRWA schools as well.

The consequences of teaching violence and hatred are not surprising as seen recently by attacks by Palestinian teachers and youth.

Pictures showing the 14-year-old Palestinian terrorist with her knapsack of schoolbooks and the knife she plunged into her Jewish neighbor’s back (photos from IMPACT-SE)

Teaching violence produces violence.

US Politicians on Palestinians’ ‘Critical Jew Theory’

Some western governments have tried to stop the incitement to terror in Palestinian schools but have often found that their efforts failed due to Palestinians flatly refusing to change their stance on armed confrontation with Israeli Jews.

Belgium strongly objected to having its donations fund a school named after a terrorist and freezed funds on October 9, 2017. In response, on August 23, 2018, the Palestinian Authority changed ‘The Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Elementary School’ to ‘The Belgian School’, seemingly ending the matter. Not so. Within three days, the PA named TWO schools not funded with Belgian donations after the terrorist, a spit in the face of all Belgians.

In the United States, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) re-introduced the ‘Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act’ on April 5, 2021. Jointly co-sponsored by a bipartisan group including Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), and Rep. David Trone (D-MD), the act sought to “ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars promote dignity and tolerance, and that the educational materials such schools employ do not incite hatred” in Palestinian textbooks. It seemed not remotely controversial.

But not for progressives.

In response to the proposal for peace, far-left anti-Israel politicians brought forth their own bill to “protect” Palestinian youth. On April 15, 2021, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) urged that “Congress must stop ignoring the unjust and blatantly cruel mistreatment of Palestinian children and families living under Israeli military occupation.” She was joined by a list of alt-left politicians in co-sponsoring the legislation including Bobby L. Rush (IL-01), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Andre Carson (IN-07), Marie Newman (IL-03), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Cori Bush (MO-01), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04).

These progressives seek protection for the 16- and 14-year-old Palestinians who attacked Israelis and are seemingly fine with the hateful venom taught in Palestinian schools.

For US politicians the educational battle is not confined to US schools but Palestinian ones as well, pitting the alt-left ideology against everyone, including moderate Democrats.

On November 16, just a few days before a member of the Palestinian political-terrorist group HAMAS who taught in Palestinian schools shot and killed an unarmed Israeli civilian, the Sherman proposal for teaching peace advanced in the senate. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) advanced the act, stating “The Middle East will never experience peace until Palestinians stop teaching their kids to hate Israel, and American dollars should not fund this anti-Jewish propaganda. The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act would give us a closer look at what Palestinian schools are teaching and whether or not American money is supporting antisemitism.“

Unfortunately, Palestinian children are not only taught violence and hatred in schools funded by the misguided charitable urges of western governments, but are becoming a protected class for alt-left politicians who excuse every attempt to murder Jews.

While ‘Critical Race Theory’ is being advanced by radical progressives to besmirch all White Americans, ‘Critical Jew Theory’ continues to be instilled in Palestinian schools to attack Zionists, with the ongoing support of those same alt-left extremists.

Links to contact politicians referenced above to share your thoughts:

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA)
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL)
Rep. David Trone (D-MD)
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)

Related articles:

Empowering Women… To Murder

The Proud Fathers of Palestinian Terrorists

Gazans Support Killing Jewish Civilians

In Defense of Foundation Principles

Palestinian Arabs Do Not Want Negotiations or a Two State Solution

Eight Attestations On Jerusalem

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The Jewish holiday of Chanukah celebrates Jews rededicating their holy Temple in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago. The physical manifestations of today’s celebrations include additional prayers as well as the lighting a menorah in a slightly different form than the one that existed at the Temple, as that one had seven branches while the ones lit today have eight. The eight branches commemorate the eight days that the small jug of oil found at the Temple was able to keep the menorah lit until new batches of purified oil were made and brought to Jerusalem.

Lighting menorah on the seventh night of Chanukah at the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem, December 2021 (photo: FirstOneThrough)

Modern commemorations do not focus on the many battles fought by the Jewish fighters over the Greeks. That is a mistake. It is time to use the holiday to fight the current global slander about Jewish Jerusalem. Just as the historic Jewish Maccabees fought dozens of warriors riding elephants in the fields of the land of Israel, we must confront and defeat the elephants in the room: the lies of Muslim appeasement that have been allowed to fester in discussions about the Jewish State’s capital city.

Eight Attestations On Jerusalem

  1. Jews have an Inalienable Right to pray on Temple Mount
  2. Banning Jews from living and praying in their holiest city is blatant anti-Semitism, as is denying Jewish history
  3. There is no “Judaizing” Jerusalem, as Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the 1860’s, and have devoted themselves to the city since 1000BCE
  4. The security of Israel demands that its capital sit well within its borders
  5. Divided capitals are a function of war, not peace. The place known as “East Jerusalem” only existed for a few years, 1949-1967
  6. No part of Jerusalem was ever contemplated to be part of Palestine. Not only is “East Jerusalem” not an actual city, but there is no basis to call it “Occupied Palestinian Territory”
  7. Jerusalem Arabs have been and are offered Israeli citizenship
  8. There is no ethnic cleansing of Arabs. The Arab population in Jerusalem has grown faster than Jews since Israel reunited city

These plain facts are challenged repeatedly on the world stage to such an extent, that some of these statements appear extreme, further underscoring the importance of repeating them clearly. Everyone should write their local papers and elected officials about these facts, share the statements on social media and counter the lies loudly whenever seen.

Jews have an Inalienable Right to Pray on Temple Mount

There are a handful of basic rights that all human beings have, such as control of their persons and ability to follow a religion of their choice. It extends beyond borders and sovereignty and relates to individuals and communities as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Whether one likes or recognizes a particular government, the right to practice and worship belongs to that person as an individual and member of a faith-based group.

So while some may think the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a terrible regime, no one would deny that Muslims should have a right to pray in their holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the KSA. A person need not be a Catholic or think that the Vatican is a legitimate government to affirm the right of Catholics to come to the St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City.

So it is for Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Regardless of one’s opinion of the State of Israel, Jews from around the world have an inalienable right to pray at their holiest location.

Banning Jews from living and praying in their holiest city is blatant anti-Semitism, as is denying Jewish history

The United Nations has sided with the dozens of Muslim countries at the United Nations in support of banning Jews from living and praying in their holiest city. They have declared that Jews praying at the Temple Mount is a “provocation,” inverting cause-and-effect in a logic that would declare Blacks moving into a neighborhood a provocation to White Supremacists.

To defend the illogic as not anti-Semitism, Muslim Arabs have challenged the basic history of Jews that the Temple did not exist, and if it did, it was not in Jerusalem. They even go so far as to declare that Jesus was not a Jew but a Palestinian Muslim. These are not just outrageous fabrications but additional forms of vile anti-Semitism.

There is no “Judaizing” Jerusalem, as Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the 1860’s, and have devoted themselves to the city since 1000BCE

Jews have focused their religion on Jerusalem since King David moved the capital city from Hebron to Jerusalem around 1000BCE. His son Solomon built the First Jewish Temple there, and it has been the center of Jewish prayer since that time. Regardless of where Jews lived or what foreign power controlled the Jewish holy land, Jews directed prayers and prayed about Jerusalem.

It is therefore no wonder that Jews have been the majority in Jerusalem since the 1860’s. Jews moved to, lived and prayed in the city before the introduction of modern Zionism. There are over 70,000 Jews buried in eastern Jerusalem, many from hundreds of years ago. Today’s State of Israel protects (or should protect) the rights of Jews in Jerusalem, but that political entity is separate from the deep Jewish roots and connection to the holy city.

The security of Israel demands that its capital sit well within its borders

Israel is a very small and skinny country with many neighbors. Several of those neighbors do not recognize the country’s right to exist and are at an official state of war with the Jewish State.

Israel’s capital city sits roughly in the center of the country, including the Israeli territory of Area C. Theoretically, not including Area C would place Jerusalem abutting another state. No country puts its capital city at risk in such fashion, even if it were at peace with its neighbors. There is no statement – however well intentioned – that can both support the security of Israel AND suggest the capital of Jerusalem be adjacent to another country.

Chanukah lights in the Old City of Jerusalem, November 2021 (photos: FirstOneThrough)

Divided capitals are functions of war, not peace. The place known as “East Jerusalem” only existed for a few years, 1949-1967

Capital cities like Berlin and Beirut were divided during periods of hostilities. Once peace was established, the cities were reunited.

“East Jerusalem” similarly existed during a period of war between Muslim Arab states and Israel. Its existence was merely the result of the Armistice Lines established in 1949 between Israel and Jordan, which specifically stated that the lines were not to be construed as actual borders. The city was reunified in 1967 after Jordan attacked Israel again, just as it had in 1948. The brief, unhappy nineteen years of division came to an end decades ago.

No part of Jerusalem was ever contemplated to be part of Palestine. Not only is “East Jerusalem” not an actual city, but there is no basis to call it “Occupied Palestinian Territory”

Despite historic facts, the United Nations refers to “East Jerusalem” as an actual place and describes it as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” This is fiction twice over. Not only does East Jerusalem not exist, it was never contemplated to be part of a Palestinian State, even by the United Nations.

The UN 1947 Partition Plan placed Greater Jerusalem and Greater Bethlehem in a Corpus Separatum which would have been internationally administered. It was to be neither part of a Jewish State nor an Arab one. There is therefore no bearing on reality to call the eastern part of Jerusalem as “OPT.”

Jerusalem Arabs have been and are offered Israeli citizenship

Israel has continued to offer all Arabs in the eastern portion of Jerusalem Israeli citizenship since it officially annexed the area. Thousands of Arabs have taken that citizenship and thousands more have applied. These Israeli Arabs have the same rights as other Israeli citizens.

Not that you would ever learn such facts from listening to Palestinian Arabs, the United Nations or their propaganda outlets in the media.

There is no ethnic cleansing of Arabs. The Arab population in Jerusalem has grown faster than Jews since Israel reunited city

The Arab population in Jerusalem has ballooned, especially relative to the Jewish population. From 1990 to 2019, the Arab population grew 3.4 times while the Jewish population grew only 1.9 times. Over that same period, housing for Arabs in the city grew by 188% while it only grew by 64% for Jews. When Israel reunified the city in 1967, Arabs made up 26% of the city’s population while they constitute 36% today.

Smears that Jews are “ethnically cleansing” Arabs are not only patently false, but attempt to whitewash the history of Muslim Arabs ethnically-cleansing Jews from Judea and Samaria in 1949, and from various countries like Morocco, Syria and Egypt in the decades after the founding of Israel.

Menorah at the Kotel, November 2021 (photo: FirstOneThrough)

The world is being barraged by outright lies about Jerusalem, including on the rights of Jews and the actions of Israel. We must all do our part to spread the light of truth in the face of anti-Semitism that grows increasingly darker and more bold.

Related articles:

Jerusalem, Israel. One and Only

The Jewish Israeli Rosa Parks

The Arguments over Jerusalem

Denied No More

The New York Times All Out Assault on Jewish Jerusalem

Evicting 70,000 Dead Settlers From Jerusalem

Will the UN Demand a Halt to Arabs Moving to Jerusalem?

The United Nations and Holy Sites in the Holy Land

Jerusalem Donut Crawl 2021

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This year’s Chanukah donut / sufganiyot (filled donuts) crawl took us around Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem and surrounding suburbs. The selections were plentiful and the quality varied significantly.

There are a number of observations to share before reviewing each location. First, many places emphasize toppings and appearances which often do not correlate to taste. Second, out of the way and unpopular places were amazing. Lastly, some places that had great reviews had long lines and sometimes ran out of any donuts (and thus were not reviewed).

Roladin (Mamilla Mall)

Roladin is a big chain with locations all over Israel. They have a large selection of fancy sufganiyot on Chanukah. However, the quality and taste varied depending on the selection, and generally, the taste did not live up to the hype or presentation.

The sufganiyot looked really great and the chocolate truffle seen above had great flavor. Unfortunately, most of the others like pistachio had little taste other than sugar. The cookies and cream, while tasty, relied too heavily on the Oreo cookie on top.

Kadosh (Ben Yehuda Street Area)

The food at Kadosh is amazing so don’t just stop in for the donuts and stay for breakfast or lunch. The problem is that there is a long line to get in – even just for donut pickup – as they have a great reputation. The donuts basically met the high expectations: excellent dough, nice flavor while not being too sweet. They were differentiated in presentation from many places, as it placed a dollop of filling on one side and had a sugar coating.

Gourmandises by Yoel (Ben Yehuda Street Area)

Go through the Friends of Zion Museum to locate a nice cafe in the back run by a French couple with amazing desserts. Gourmandises makes wonderful light sufganiyot which were tops in regards to flavor and texture of the dough. The icing and filings were light and tasty and avoided the heavy sugar found in many others. Try the pistachio and roses. Or the lemon. Or just about any of them – I had six! Remarkably, there were no lines at all.

Boutique Central (Ben Yehuda Street Area)

The small cafe was recommended to us but the sufganiyot were more of a pastry with no filling. The dough was tasty but disappointed overall.

Boutique Central donut had no filling

Uri’s Pizza (Me’a She’arim)

One can easily miss this place on a side street, and, as it’s not a classic bakery, one would imagine an easy skip for a donut crawl. Not so. While the donut was simple and not beautiful, the dough was light and the filling was just right.

Brooklyn Bake Shop (Me’a She’arim)

Brooklyn sells out fast and we did not get to sample their donuts but heard they were amazing.

Brooklyn Bake Shop with sign in green that they were sold out of donuts

Brizal (Me’a Shearim)

Brizal is near Brooklyn and there’s a reason they had donuts while Brooklyn did not. They looked nice but are inedible. Sweet and artificial. We threw the two we purchased out after the first bite.

English Cake (Mahane Yehuda)

English Cake supplies the sufganiyot found in many of the small stores located around the city. Like Roladin, they look pretty but rely too heavily on sugar as a substitute for taste.

Sweet Nation (Mahane Yehuda)

Like English Cake, Sweet Nation has a beautiful presentation as a cover for a sugar fix. Most of the flavor comes from the fancy toppings. Very festive, but not for a foodie.

Beautiful sufganiyot at Sweet Nation relied heavily on the toppings

Delicases de Paris (Emek Refa’im)

After the great experiences of the French bakeries of Gourmandises and Kadosh, hopes ran high for the two French bakeries on Emek Refaim. Both were disappointments. Delicases sufganiyot had heavy dough that resembled a challah roll – dense and completely off.

Moulin Dore (Emek Refaim)

Moulin Dore was probably the biggest disappointment. The heavy dough was coupled with a spoiled filling. Simply horrible and tossed in the garbage.

Ne’eman (Emek Refaim)

The third stop on Emek Refaim was not a French bakery but a tried and true location. Unfortunately, Ne’eman’s donut simply had little flavor, even while the top and icing were quite good.

Pat BeMelach (Efrat)

Outside of Jerusalem is a great cafe with tasty food and great sufganiyot. The icing, filling flavor and dough texture were all great in every flavor we sampled – and there were many!

Summary

Here’s a table summarizing our review of the sufganiyot of Jerusalem for Chanukah 2021.

BakeryDough textureDough flavorfilling amountfilling flavortopping flavorpresentationoverall
Gourmandises by Yoel101010778.59
Pat BeMelach8798.5778.5
Kadosh888.587.588
Uri’s Pizza996 7NA57.5
Roladin4475.57.58.56.5
English Cake65757.58.56.5
Sweet Nation5584786.5
Ne’eman542687.55
Boutique Central970NA66.57
Delicases de Paris1284564
Moulin Dore1280462
Brazil2000031
Results of the Jerusalem 2021 Donut Crawl

Israeli sufganiyot are quite different than those found in Brooklyn, NY and varied widely in terms of quality. Top scores go to Gourmandises, Pat BeMelach (in Efrat) and Kadosh. We understand that Brooklyn is very worthwhile as well, although it was sold out of donuts when we arrived. Roladin donuts are fine and are easily found throughout the country. We hope you enjoyed the holiday!

Related articles:

Brooklyn Chanukah Donut Crawl 2020

Chanukah Donuts: Brooklyn 2019

Brooklyn’s Holiday Donuts

Why Does Rep. Jamaal Bowman Lie to Constituents?

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Freshman Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is having a very difficult time balancing a line between his moderate district and the alt-left Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) which supported him in infiltrating the Democratic Party. His gut instinct seems to be to duck and deceive.

While fellow Democrat President Biden was able to assemble a bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and pass it with ease, Bowman opted to vote against the president and much of his party and bonded instead with with the Socialist pack of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib. His constituents in lower Westchester were furious. Even local politicians who would normally avoid chastising a fellow party member in public, did so including:

  • Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye) who said she felt the “protest vote spoke more of his unwillingness to accept compromise than actually accomplishing anything.”
  • Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner who said “if he got his way, we would’ve gotten nothing.“
  • County Legislator Tyrae Woodson-Samuels (D- Mount Vernon) said “I’m just worried what type of message this sends to regular, hardworking families, to our businesses and to our communities.“
  • Westchester activist Amy Siskind said she was “deeply disappointed” in Bowman’s vote.

To manage the public anger, Bowman decided to lie about his vote and sent out an email blast to his district that misrepresented his vote on the bill.

email from Rep. Bowman updating his work over September/October 2021 in which he lied about his vote in the Infrastructure Bill.

As seen in the section marked in red above, Bowman said he supported the “framework” of the infrastructure bill. Someone not aware of the nuances of political chicanery would naturally assume the Bowman voted in favor of the bill when he did not. Bowman did not write anywhere that he voted against the bill, and instead added language about his support for infrastructure to deliberately deceive the people he serves.

It will be interesting to see how Bowman opts to communicate his trip to Israel in November. He snubbed a bipartisan bicameral trip with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and opted to go to Israel with J Street, a left-wing group, in an insult to both Coons and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett who took two distinct meetings on the same day with American politicians. He then insulted Israelis by tweeting an inversion of truth in Hebron even while the DSA seeks to expel him as a member since he visited Israel in the first place.

Bowman is being attacked by both his far left comrades and the significant center for his actions. His lying to everyone will not cover up his extremism but lay bare his being an inappropriate choice to serve his constituents.