The UN Treats Murdered Jews Worse Than Victims of Other Terrorist Attacks, Even When Killed In A Synagogue

Posted on January 13, 2022 by First.One.Through

The office of the United Nations Secretary General has a template for how it responds to acts of terrorism. The thrust of the official statements has four parts, modified for the particular event or based on the attitude of the crime:

Condemnation. The act may be called an “attack” or “terrorism” which the head of the UN either “condemns” or “strongly condemns”
Condolences. Connecting with the impacted victims, the UNSC would offer “deep condolences” or “sympathies”
Demand for Justice. The statement would call for the perpetrators of the crime to be captured and punished
Solidarity. Lastly, the leader of the global body would express solidarity with the people of the nation. If it was a community of faith that was attacked, the language might change slightly or be omitted

This format has been used consistently with few exceptions. Well, it actually doesn’t apply to the Jewish State or even for Jews.

Here are some quotes from the United Nations Secretary General after attacks against civilians around the world:

Nigeria January 10, 2022: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the appalling attacks perpetrated over the weekend in Nigeria’s Zamfara State in which scores of civilians were killed. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The Secretary-General urges the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in bringing those responsible for these heinous crimes to justice. The Secretary-General reaffirms the solidarity and support of the United Nations to the Government and people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism, violent extremism and organized crime.“

Somalia November 26, 2021: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns yesterday’s deadly terrorist attack on a United Nations-affiliated convoy in front of the Mucassar School in Mogadishu, resulting in many casualties. The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured. He calls on the Somali authorities to bring those responsible to justice. The Secretary-General expresses the full solidarity and support of the United Nations with the Government and the people of Somalia in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism.“

Uganda November 16, 2021: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Uganda on 16 November. The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of these despicable acts of violence and wishes a full recovery to those injured. The United Nations expresses its hope that all persons involved in the commission of these attacks will be swiftly brought to justice.”

Tunisia, Kuwait and France June 26, 2015: “The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France today. Those responsible for these appalling acts of violence must be swiftly brought to justice. The Secretary-General affirms that, far from weakening the international community’s resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism, these heinous attacks will only strengthen the commitment of the United Nations to help defeat those bent on murder, destruction and the annihilation of human development and culture. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in today’s attacks and expresses his solidarity with the peoples and Governments of Tunisia, Kuwait and France.“

In cases where the attack happened against a house of worship, the format is generally the same with slight tweaks:

Mosque in Afghanistan October 15, 2021: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the despicable attack today on the Imam Baragah mosque in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. The Secretary General expresses his deep condolences to the bereaved families and wishes those injured a quick recovery. The perpetrators of this latest crime against civilians in Afghanistan exercising their right to freely practice their religion must be brought to justice.”

Mosques in New Zealand March 15, 2019: “The Secretary-General is shocked and appalled at the terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. He extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of New Zealand. The Secretary General recalls the sanctity of mosques and all places of worship. He calls upon all people on this holy day for Muslims to show signs of solidarity with the bereaved Islamic community. The Secretary-General reiterates the urgency of working better together globally to counter Islamophobia and eliminate intolerance and violent extremism in all its forms.“

Church in Philippines January 27, 2019: “The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack on 27 January at the Jolo Cathedral in Sulu in the Philippines. He expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded. The Secretary-General calls for the perpetrators of these crimes to be swiftly brought to justice. He reiterates the support of the United Nations to the Government and people of the Philippines in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism, and to carry forward the peace process in Bangsamoro region.“

Church in Pakistan December 18, 2017: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack on a Methodist church in Quetta, Pakistan. He extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes speedy recovery to those injured. He calls for the perpetrators of the attack to be brought to justice.“

The Secretary General treated each attack roughly the same.

But the sentiment changed for attacks against Israel and Jews.

Jerusalem January 9, 2017: “The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack by a Palestinian assailant which took place in Jerusalem yesterday. He conveys his condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a swift recovery to those who were injured. Violence and terror will not bring a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — quite the opposite. All those responsible for such acts must be brought to justice, condemned and disavowed. Their acts should not be allowed to deter from the need for a renewed commitment to dialogue.“

The call by UNSG Antonio Guterres for the Arab terrorists to be brought justice was an outlier.

Tel Aviv June 8, 2016: “The Secretary-General condemns tonight’s terrorist attack in Tel Aviv in which at least four Israelis were killed by Palestinian assailants and another four injured. He conveys his condolences to the families of the victims and the Government of Israel. The Secretary-General reiterates that there is no justification for terrorism nor for the glorification of those who commit such heinous acts. The Secretary-General is shocked that the leaders of Hamas have chosen to welcome this attack and some have chosen to celebrate it. He calls upon the Palestinian leadership to live up to their responsibility to stand firmly against violence and the incitement that fuels it.”

How can anyone be shocked that Hamas celebrates attacks when its entire mission is about killing Jews and destroying Israel?

Synagogue if Pittsburgh October 27, 2018: “The Secretary-General is deeply shocked at and strongly condemns the shooting today at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue in Pittsburgh in the United States. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The shooting in Pittsburgh is a painful reminder of continuing anti-Semitism. Jews across the world continue to be attacked for no other reason than their identity. Anti-Semitism is a menace to democratic values and peace, and should have no place in the 21st century. The Secretary-General calls for a united front — bringing together authorities at all levels, civil society, religious and community leaders and the public at large — to roll back the forces of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hatred, bigotry, discrimination and xenophobia gaining strength in many parts of the world.“

Where is the call to bring the perpetrator to justice? Why wasn’t there an expression of solidarity with Jews specifically – not lumping them in with other groups?

Synagogue in Jerusalem November 18, 2014: “The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s attack on a synagogue in West Jerusalem which claimed four lives and injured several persons. He extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. Beyond today’s reprehensible incident, clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces continue on a near daily basis in many parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Secretary-General condemns all acts of violence against civilians. Attacks against religious sites in Jerusalem and the West Bank point to an additional dangerous dimension to the conflict which reverberates far beyond the region. The Secretary-General calls for political leadership and courage on both sides to take actions to address the very tense situation in Jerusalem. All sides must avoid using provocative rhetoric which only encourages extremist elements. In this regard, the Secretary-General welcomes President Abbas’ condemnation of today’s attack. The steadily worsening situation on the ground only reinforces the imperative for leaders on both sides to make the difficult decisions that will promote stability and ensure long-term security for both Israelis and Palestinians.“

This is outrageous. Four rabbis were slaughtered with meat cleavers while they prayed in a synagogue and the UN Secretary General used the opportunity to berate Israel. Not only did he not call for the Arab terrorists to be brought to justice, the UNSG PRAISED the leader of the Palestinian Authority who was then going to reward the terrorist families with funds for life.

*Palestinian Arabs holding the pictures of the two Arab terrorist who slaughtered Jews in a Jerusalem synagogue and throwing candies as they celebrated the murder of Jews, November 2014.*

Anti-Semitism is the oldest and most popular form of hatred, and the Jewish State of Israel suffers more terrorist attacks than any other country. Yet, the United Nations is seemingly incapable of unambiguously condemning the vile hatred and attacks. If the head of the United Nations cannot stand in solidarity with Jews and demand that anti-Semitic terrorists be brought to justice, it is time for Israel to consider leaving the global body and manage its affairs only on a bilateral basis with countries of conscience.

Eyal Gilad Naftali Klinghoffer. The new Blood Libel.

There’s Nothing Worse Than Terrorism in France

A Core Tenet of Zionism Is Combatting Anti-Semitism

Posted on January 12, 2022 by First.One.Through

Zionism has been defined as the “Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews.” Gil Troy, a historian and author of a new book “The Zionist Ideas,” expanded upon that definition and says Zionism has three principle components: that Jews are a nation; that Jews have ties to their particular homeland in the land of Israel; and that Jews have a right to establish a state in that homeland, much like other people have rights to their own country.

That view of Zionism purely through a nationalistic lens enables many people to view Zionism as inherently racist. While Zionist advocates – like Troy – clearly articulate that Jews’ attachment to Israel does not mean that other people do not have attachments to the land as well, and that Israel welcomes the one-quarter of its population that is not Jewish with full rights, the anti-Zionists consider the core of the movement as exclusionary. The sentiment that nationalist populism inherently poses a risk “to the fundamental human rights principles of non-discrimination and equality” as stated in a 2018 United Nations report, puts Zionism in the crosshairs. The phrase “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination” as once declared in UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 of 1973, gets new air.

Zionism is more than the nationalistic movement of Jews reestablishing a thriving community in their homeland. It is a mission to combat anti-Semitism by providing a safe haven and a base from which to attack the noxious hatred.

Historic Zionism

Jews have always been Zionists. For thousands of years, Jews have prayed facing Jerusalem. Their daily prayers are replete with calls to rebuild their holy city. Jews have lived in and moved to the land of Israel throughout their history. The Jewish nation and religion are bound to the land. Jews were a majority in Jerusalem decades before the first Zionist Congress.

The connection of Jews and their Promised Land is a bedrock laid down in the bible and thousands of years of history. It naturally set the foundation for viewing the modern Jewish State through a three-part nationalist lens of people, religion and land. And it led humanitarians like Henry Dunant (1828-1910) to call for the rightful restoration of Jews to their homeland many years before Jewish Zionists articulated their vision.

But modern Zionism is more than the nationalist yearnings of thousands of years as articulated in Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah, written in 1878. It is a clarion call to fight and end Jew hatred.

*Members of the Israeli Defense Forces “sing” Hatikvah in sign language in 2013.*

Modern Zionism as a Safe Haven

The man credited with founding modern Zionism is Theodor Herzl (1860-1904). While completely assimilated and secular, Herzl saw a world which only saw him and others like him as foreign Jews.

He was horrified at the conviction of a secular Jew, Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935) in France on trumped up espionage charges. The anti-Semitism on bold display in the courtroom and media convinced Herzl that Jews would never be tolerated anywhere if they could not find peace in a liberal society like France. He said:

“The Jewish question exists wherever the Jews live, however small their number. Where it does not exist it is imported by Jew immigrants. We naturally go where we are not persecuted, and, still persecution is the result of our appearance.”

The pogroms in Russia (Ukraine, Poland) from 1881 to 1884 as well as Kishinev in 1903 and 1905 further cemented the opinion of Herzl and many other early Zionists that Jews would never be able to live in peace where they were treated as despised foreigners. Zionism was a tool to address systemic anti-Semitism. The principle was that only in a place where Jews governed themselves could they escape persecution.

The situation for the Jews in Europe and the USSR actually got worse after Herzl. On January 20 1942, the Wannsee Conference in Berlin, Germany, developed the “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem,” calling for their extermination. Nazi Germany and its supporters killed one-third of the global Jewish population. The horrors of the European Holocaust which confirmed the radical anti-Semitism prevalent in the world, most likely encouraged many nations to support the reestablishment of the Jewish State just a few years later.

Modern Zionism Fights Anti-Semitism

Today, Israel does not simply seek to be a safe haven for Jews but actively fights anti-Semitism and anti-Semites around the world.

In 1960, years after the Holocaust, agents of the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, captured former Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and brought him to Israel to stand trial for his crimes.
In 1976, after Arab terrorists hijacked an Air France plane to Uganda, Israeli commandos flew in to rescue the innocent.
In 1991, when the situation of Ethiopian Jews became dire, Israel launched Operation Solomon which air-lifted 14,325 people out of the country and resettled them in Israel.
In 1994, after Iran and Hezbollah blew up the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina killing 85 people, Israel sent a team to investigate.
In 2015, after Muslim terrorist targeted killing Jews in a kosher supermarket in Paris, France, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed French Jews and said “any Jew who chooses to come to Israel will be greeted with open arms and an open heart, it is not a foreign nation, and hopefully they and you will one day come to Israel.“

The government of Israel has a special division for world Jewry called The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. A core mission of the office is “monitoring and treating the scourge of anti-Semitism.” No other government in the world has an office dedicated to its diaspora and to fighting the terrible hatred it endures.

Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Racism But Anti-Semitism

Using the false precept that all forms of nationalism are inherently racist and that Zionism is a particular exclusionary Jewish supremacist movement, schools are indoctrinating students that anti-Zionism is anti-racism and should be embraced. Similarly, the Black Lives Matter movement endorsed boycotting Israel, and the Democratic Socialists of America have all guns blazing with vile smears that Jews in Israel and the United States exploit Black and Brown bodies as a way to turn a profit.

When Zionism only portrays itself as the rightful national aspiration of Jews to self-determination in their homeland, it opens itself up to noxious attacks. A core tenet of Zionism is the fight against anti-Semitism which should be broadcast, as it makes abundantly clear that anti-Zionism is inherently anti-Semitic.

The Anti-Zionist Lexicon – Vilifying Israel

To Answer the Question Tying Anti-Semitism, Understand The Two Types of Anti-Zionists

To Serve Jews, United Nations Style

Time to Define Banning Jews From Living Somewhere as Antisemitic

Anti-Asian Hate Crime, Obfuscated by New York Times

Posted on January 10, 2022 by First.One.Through

An Asian immigrant attacked on the streets of New York died the other night. Yao Pan Ma, 61 years old, was collecting bottles and cans for the cash deposits in April 2021, when he was set upon by a man who threw him to the ground and stomped repeatedly on his head. The Asian man suffered severe head trauma and died from his injuries in early January of 2022.

Crimes against Asians are not common compared to other minority groups but have been trending upwards after many years of decline. They bottomed out in 2015 and 2016 and have risen in every year since.

*Anti-Asian hate crimes from 2004 through 2019 according to the FBI*

The attackers of Asians had historically been White people but in recent years, Black people have been committing a greater percentage of the racist attacks. From 2004 to 2011, Whites committed 4.9 times as many anti-Asian attacks as Blacks, close to the White-to-Black population ratio. However, from 2012 through 2019, Whites committed 2.5 times as many attacks as Black people – roughly half of the rate of the prior eight year period.

*Anti-Asian attacks by Whites (left) declined by 17.5% while those attacks by Blacks grew by 61.8%*

The New York Times reported on the death of the Asian immigrant on January 10, 2022, tucked inside its National section. It included no pictures, and interestingly, declined to mention that the killer of the Asian man was a Black man.

*New York Times article on the death of an Asian man from a hate crime*

The Times was clear that the attack was considered a hate crime by the police, and mentioned the attacker’s name and age. But not his race. The paper has written often about the spike in anti-Asian attacks over the past two years, but only mentioned the race of the attacker if the person was White.

Racism and hate crimes are terrible, and should be clearly called out. However, when the media only does so when attackers are White and deliberately omits doing so when the attacker is Black is worse than #AlternativeFacts. It is absolution via omission, a tacit blessing to the heinous acts for a select group of Americans.

Covering Racism

New York Times Finds Racism When it Wants

Is the Southern Poverty Law Center Part of the Problem of Anti-Semitism?

If a Black Muslim Cop Kills a White Woman, Does it Make a Sound?

The Hate Crime Offenders

Abortion, “Settlements” and Judeo-Christian Communities of Faith

Posted on January 9, 2022 by First.One.Through

There are very few subject matters that excite people to such a degree that they become passionate even when there is no personal stake in the matter. The curious thing about two of them – abortion and the “settlements” – is that the left and right are similarly inconsistent about the rights of the self and those of the impacted.

Abortion

The left-wing considers abortion a personal matter for the mother. They consider the impacted party – the fetus – to have no rights, even up to the point of birth. Their “pro-choice” position argues that if you don’t like abortions, then don’t have one. Each person can decide on their own what works best for their circumstance. Some pro-choice people have even suggested that men should have zero say in the entire abortion discussion.

The right-wing that is “pro-life” doesn’t dismiss that women are a factor in the topic, however, they feel that the fetus also has rights. Some people in this camp feel that abortions are a form of legalized murder of innocent babies. The moves taken by some states like New York which have removed any penalties or restrictions for an abortion up until the moment of birth are viewed as sickening. The idea that men should have no say in laws regarding infanticide are considered outrageous and repugnant.

“Settlements”

The left-wing has tacked to a different course when it comes to Israeli Jews living over the 1949 Armistice Lines between Israel and TransJordan. They feel that the rights of Jews to live in the area commonly called the “West Bank” is wrong as it impacts Palestinian (formerly Jordanian) Arabs who do not want them living there in their call for a Jew-free country. Rather than follow their own advice on abortion – if you don’t like it, don’t do it – they have attempted to stop others (Jews specifically) from living in “settlements.”

The right-wing has similarly taken the inverted path on Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. They stand fully behind the rights of Jews to live where they want, especially in the Jewish holy land. The fact that Palestinian Arabs don’t like it is irrelevant. The impacted party must learn to live with the actions of people who use their agency to control their lives.

Changed Laws

The see-saw between right and left has pulled laws in different directions over the decades.

Abortion was illegal throughout the United States until 1973. The law continues to be challenged by different states which expand upon the rights of women (like New York described above) or for the rights of the unborn, as in Texas and Mississippi.

International law not only allowed but encouraged Jews to live throughout historic Palestine. The 1920 San Remo Agreement and the 1922 Mandate of Palestine not only called for Jews to live everywhere in the land, but specifically prohibited anyone from being banned from living in any part of the land (Article 15) – even in what became TransJordan (Article 25) – because of their religion. The United Nations reversed that in 2016 with the passage of UNSC 2334 which made it illegal for Jews to live over the 1949 Armistice Lines.

Abortion rights advocates demand that abortion rights are human rights and fight the laws viewed as discriminatory and will push for access even if laws are passed which they view as inherently misogynistic. Settlement activists similarly view UNSC 2334 and various calls to ban Jews from living somewhere as deeply anti-Semitic. They are fighting against the laws and attempts to boycott Jews who live in the Israeli territory of Area C.

The Distant Passion

The Deciding Party with Agency

There are nearly 4 billion women on the planet, so it stands to reason that there are many people who feel a vested interest in abortion rights. A woman in Ireland may look at the status of abortion in Texas and know that the decisions there have no immediate direct impact on her. However, she may feel both a connection with the women of Texas, and believe that the trend line in one part of the world may ultimately impact the situation for her thousands of miles away.

So it is with Jewish settlements. While there are a paltry few million Jews, there are hundreds of millions of Christian Zionists and others excited to see the rebirth of the Jewish State and want to ensure its success as they believe it confirms their faith. They stand amazed at the thriving democracy and technology marvel that Jews have built in the middle of the illiberal Middle East and are confident that God is blessing the Jewish people and will also bless those who bless the Jewish people.

The reality is that everyone – not just those with a vested interest – would likely be fine with abortions and settlements if there were no impacted party. The tension exists because there are others in the mix, and that dynamic is what ignites the passions.

*Israeli buildings in the Judean Desert in Area C*

The Impacted Party

In the abortion debate, many religious people believe that life begins at conception. Even those less religious intuitively understand that there is something unique about a fetus, especially in the third trimester, when an abortion cannot be equated with a woman getting a tattoo or body piercings. The pro-life community believes that the rights of the unborn – at some point during pregnancy – are as great as the rights of the mother.

The right and left do not side with the party with agency or the impacted party but whom they prioritize. The right sides with Jews and the unborn while the left tilts towards women and Arabs.

The split can perhaps be best summarized by the religious Judeo-Christian community versus the secular and Muslim community. The religious Judeo-Christian community generally believes that a fetus is more than a mass of cells and has inherent human dignity. They similarly attempt to live lives infused with the values of the Bible, and believe that the land of Israel is not simply holy land as it is to other faiths, but a uniquely Jewish Promised Land. The secular world believes neither, and wants to keep the beliefs of others out of their lives and politics.

The pro-life and pro-Zionist factions have tremendous overlap, not just in conservative politics but in the religious Judeo-Christian communities. The pro-abortion and pro-Palestinian groups similarly overlap in their anti-Judeo-Christian worldview, which they have attempted to characterize as a “White Patriarchy,” as a method of demonizing those alternative views.

Ongoing debates on abortions, settlements and a variety of issues will feature a slew of creative invectives, but at the core is the battle between the devoutly secular and the Judeo-Christian communities of faith around the world.

Prostitution and the Hijab

The Noose and the Nipple

When Power Talks the Truth

Decrying Anti-Semitism While Blocking Jews

Posted on January 4, 2022 by First.One.Through

The State of New York has the most Jews in the United States and the greatest number of anti-Semitic hate crimes.

Beyond the dense Jewish areas of New York City and Westchester County, lie more rural Rockland County and its neighbor to the north, Orange County. Many ultra-Orthodox (Hasidic) Jews live there in towns including Monsey (in Rockland), and Monroe and Kiryas Joel (in Orange).

Unfortunately, many of their neighbors do not like them, and the Jews are facing an increasing amount of anti-Semitic graffiti, attacks and insults.

The Republican party in Rockland County posted a video warning of a “takeover” by the Hasidic community in August 2019.
A man burst into a rabbi’s home in Monsey and stabbed several people, killing one, in December 2020.
A playground at North Garnerville Elementary School was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti in April 2021.
A man in Haverstraw said that he would gladly run over Hasidic Jews at a town public meeting in November 2021.

Several of these blatantly anti-Semitic events were condemned by State Senator James Skoufis, which was appreciated by the Jews in his district. However, many of those Jews may not be aware of the anti-Semitic controversies surrounding Skoufis himself.

As detailed in a lawsuit, Wagschal v. Skoufis, the State Senator has been aggressively fighting the Hasidic community’s desire to expand. Skoufis posted on social media in August 2018 that Jews seeking to establish a new hamlet was “nothing but a revenge-fueled attempt to inflict harm on the people of Monroe and Orange County,” and a “complete lack of regard for the broader community” as he promised to “fight every step of the way to stop this disgraceful, offensive proposal.” His post drew many cheers from anti-Semites who posted that the Hasidic community was a “CURSE,” a “cult,” “cancer,” and “bigoted“; with one user writing that new laws “need to be enacted [to] limit how many children [the Hasidim] actually have.”

Wagschal asked Skoufis to repudiate the vile posts on his Facebook page, which Skoufis did not do. Instead, he blocked Wagschal, which, in turn, led Wagschal to sue his State Senator. Skoufis did subsequently allow Wagschal to post on his page again.

Skoufis’s fighting the Hasidic community in his district would continue.

The Town of Chester in Orange County in Skouflis’s 39th district, had approved the development of a 117-acre site for residential development but then thwarted the project when the site was acquired by Jews. New York Attorney General Letitia James fought against the housing discrimination and won her case in June 2021. After the loss, Skoufis said “There is no place for discrimination — regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, or otherwise — in our communities,” yet he would go on to fight Jews elsewhere in his district.

Skoufis sponsored a bill about “community preservation funds for the town of Blooming Grove” which sought to enable a town abutting the Jewish community to develop a conservation fund. New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the bill saying that “there have been well-documented tensions in Orange County between local elected officials and members of the Hasidic community. Similar tensions in the nearby Town of Chester resulted in litigation. It would be inappropriate to sign this legislation at this juncture, while facts are still being gathered about the situation.” Skoufis said the veto was “extremely disappointing” and will bring the bill forward again in 2022.

*NY State Senator James Skoufis has been fighting ads that say he both supports and attacks the Orthodox community in his district*

The move of blocking Jews is not confined to Skouflis’s district. Just outside of the 39th district is the town of Airmont which has also been accused of discriminating against Hasidic Jews in zoning laws. Over the state border is Mahwah, NJ which gathered over 1,000 signatures in an online petition called “PROTECT THE QUALITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IN MAHWAH.” The comments on the petition would have made the infamous Nazi Joseph Geobbels blush.

The outright anti-Semites and blatant anti-Semitic acts are easily decried by public officials. But knowing their constituents’ prejudices, those same elected officials are pushing to change laws to block Jews from moving into neighborhoods. They know that if it can be blessed by such liberal icons as Barack Obama on a national level against the Jews in Jerusalem, it can certainly be accomplished by local politicians in New York.

The Nerve of ‘Judaizing’ Neighborhoods

Time to Define Banning Jews From Living Somewhere as Antisemitic

Westchester County, NY Should Adopt the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism

2021 First One Through Summary

Posted on January 2, 2022 by First.One.Through

The year 2021 saw a spike in readership during the May 2021 Gaza War and then a decline to much lower levels. The dynamic of Facebook pulling back on showing articles continues to impact readership with Facebook readership down by 50%.

The most popular articles were:

Overall, there were 158 articles written during the year, averaging about 700 words each.

The top countries reading the articles remained the same as last year: United States, Israel, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa, with South Africa readership declining significantly. The biggest rise in readership came from Ireland, jumping to #7 from 15th place. Other countries with a jump in readership include: Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

The articles are being translated into more languages including German, Dutch and Norwegian. Hopefully more people will translate the pages and repost the articles in the coming year, including into French and Spanish. The only request is to include a link to the original articles.

… and in other blogs

I have now written over 1,000 articles totaling over 860,000 words since May, 2014, without any compensation from advertisements or requests for donations. The only asks are to share the articles with friends and elected officials, and have others subscribe to the blog.

Wishing you a very healthy and peaceful 2022.

“Politics Aside,” It’s All Politics for UNRWA

Posted on December 31, 2021 by First.One.Through

UNRWA is a deeply flawed organization that manages to get worse.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East claims that its mission is one of humanitarian work devoid of any politics but that is plainly not so. It proclaims to be independent when it it is clearly not.

From its website:

“Independence is understood to mean that “humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented.” In other words, without independence and the autonomy that it affords the Agency, UNRWA would be at risk of being diverted from its humanitarian trajectory and its commitment to the other three Humanitarian Principles of humanity, impartiality, and neutrality.“
“It is only by being truly independent that UNRWA can respect the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and therefore only be driven by humanity.“

While UNRWA claims to understand that neutrality, impartiality and independence are critical for its mission, it remains a tool for the roughly 30,000 Palestinian Arabs who work for the agency, the 6.4 million (and growing) people who are registered with the agency, and the global anti-Zionist community which enjoy ripping at the seams of the Jewish State.

In time for the holidays and tax planning, UNRWA continues to ask Americas for money, seemingly unsatisfied with the $7.6 billion that tax payers have given to the Palestinians since 1993, which has yielded no peace. The agency which claims that politics is poison to its mission, led with politics in its 2021 year-end appeal:

*UNRWA led with distorted politics in its year-end appeal for donations*

UNRWA asked for money for “families in Gaza and Lebanon to secure their basic needs, giving them options and hope. (UNRWA’s emphasis),” ideally with donations of as large as $1,000. The reason that they need this money is declared in the opening lines: “Occupation, repeated military assaults, crippling blockades.” Are these three lines anything but smears and politics? Are they even factually correct? Since when is Lebanon under theses stresses? The Gazans initiate the repeated military assaults and are the cause of the blockade.

Knowing that it led with inflammatory language, the second paragraph backtracks and starts “Politics aside,” Indeed, politics. What else can be expected from an organization run by the largest political machine in the world, which makes it particular inept at carrying out humanitarian missions.

UNRWA is a prison which keeps millions of people tethered to the organization with the threat that if they deregister, they will no longer be classified as refugees and not entitled to millions of dollars from Israel.

It unilaterally extended its mandate beyond the contours of its formation which called for its wards to be either compensated or settled somewhere, with the declaration in April 2020 that it will live on until “a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.” That’s ridiculous. Why would a future-compensated descendant of a refugee living in Lebanon continue to need free housing, healthcare and education from UNRWA while Israelis and Palestinians debate water rights in the Jordan Valley?

*Entrance to UNRWA’s Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem portrayed as a keyhole with a key on top, demonstrating that the pathway to ancestors’ homes is via UNRWA.*

And it is bad at what it does. It is proportionately staffed by 20 times as many people as the UNHR which cares for actual refugees. Palestinian parents who have a choice, send their children to non-UNRWA schools.

UNRWA is a political tool dressed as a humanitarian organization. It is an embarrassment for the UN, the Palestinians forced to stay tethered to the over-staffed beast, and the well-meaning countries and people who fall for the marketing and advertising blitz with donations of hard-earned monies.

Queen Rania of Jordan – herself a Palestinian Arab – at a United Nations event in September 2009 to mark the 60th anniversary of UNRWA

Shut UNRWA in Gaza Immediately

UNRWA Is Not Just Making “Refugees,” It’s Creating Palestinians

UNRWA’s Ongoing War against Israel and Jews

Help Refugees: Shut the UNRWA, Fund the UNHCR

This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 28 (Hikers)

Posted on December 30, 2021 by First.One.Through

On December 28, 2007, three frustrated Palestinian Arabs were riding in a jeep when they saw two Israeli men and a woman hiking. Ahikam Amihai (20) and David Rubin (21), both of Kiryat Arba were killed while the woman managed to hide behind a rock in the riverbed and escaped. Of the three Jews, Ahikam was especially known for his “love for hiking in Israel. Ahikam knew every spring, every path. He hiked throughout Israel at every opportunity, walking quickly, glancing for a moment at the map, sleeping and eating in the field. Thousands of photos carefully marked and placed in albums document these hikes.” One of the caves he investigated yielded a discovery of a new life form – something of a hybrid between a scorpion and shrimp.

The Palestinians were obviously upset at seeing the Israeli Jews walking in nature on what they perceived as purely Arab land with “their filthy feet.” The desecration was too much too bear, so they resorted to firing on the hikers with assault rifles.

*Hikers at the opening of a cave in Nahal Telem*

The three Arabs who killed the two young men acted on their own, even as Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas all claimed responsibility for the attack. Such is the collective frustration of the Palestinian people at seeing Jews taking nature hikes with impunity.

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This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 27 (Kitchen Staff)

Posted on December 29, 2021 by First.One.Through

On December 27, 2002, two very frustrated Palestinian Arabs broke into a yeshiva kitchen on Friday night, as young men prepared Sabbath dinners for over one hundred students. The two Arabs were armed with battle vests, M16 assault rifles and hand grenades as they faced off against boys carrying food to their friends in the town of Otniel. The upset Arabs killed Noam Apter, 23, of Shilo; Yehuda Bamberger, 20, of Karnei Shomron; Gavriel Hoter, 17, of Alonei Habashan; and Zvi Zieman, 18 of Reut.

The Palestinians were clearly worried that these Jews might prepare some offensive food items that would insult Arab heritage. The Jewish Sabbath gefilte fish and chicken soup were not considered native to Arab lands, and served as an insult to the Arab palate.

The two protesting Arabs who killed the four boys were members of Islamic Jihad which is considered a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, The United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Israel. Its primary sponsor is the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose leader said in 2000 “the Palestinian people must continue the blessed Jihad and standing against the enemies of Islam…The Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah forces must continue the struggle in a united way. Indeed, the only solution is the elimination of the root of this crisis, which is the Zionist regime imposed on the region.“

Iran and Palestinian Arabs angered over the menu choices of Israeli Jews mark this day with celebratory meals.

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This Day in Palestinians Resorting to Violence History: December 27 (Tourists)

Posted on December 29, 2021 by First.One.Through

On December 27, 1985 several very frustrated Palestinians attacked people standing in line at the El Al counters at the airports in Rome, Italy and Vienna, Austria. Seven Arabs used assault rifles and hand grenades against hundreds of people waiting to get on flights to Israel. They killed nineteen people and injured over one hundred.

The Palestinians were worried that these tourists might buy strawberries from the West Bank and generally support the Israeli economy. They anticipated that these pro-Zionists might also one day support blockading the Gaza Strip and erecting a security barrier in the West Bank to stop further acts of resistance.