BARUCH DAYAN EMES: Israel Mourns: Bodies of Kidnapped Teens Found Near Hevron Intensive 18-day search ends in tragedy as IDF confirms the three kidnapped teens were murdered.

Murdered (L to R): Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha'ar, Naftali Frenkel

courtesy of the families

In a tragic end to an intensive search by the IDF, intelligence services and police, it has been released for publication this evening (Monday) that IDF forces have discovered the bodies of the three teenagers abducted 18 days ago as they hitchhiked home near the town of Alon Shvut in the Gush Etzion region. 

Eyal Yifrah 19, from Elad; Gilad Sha'ar, 16, from Talmon; and Naftali Frenkel, also 16, from Nof Ayalon, went missing on June 12th, and officials soon identified Hamas as the culprits. Their bodies were found near between the Arab village of Halhul and the Jewish village of Carmei Tzur, near the city of Hevron, where the search operation for them - dubbed Operation Brother's Keeper - had been focused.

The bodies were apparently found together, bound and buried in a shallow grave in a field at approximately 5 p.m. The families of the boys have been informed of their tragic loss.

An emergency cabinet meeting has been called for 9:30 p.m. to discuss the government's response.

Last week the IDF authorized for publication the identities of two Hamas terrorists being hunted for being "deeply involved" in the kidnappings of the boys. The two, Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha, are well-known Hamas terrorists operating in the Hevron area.

Kawasmeh, 29, was first arrested in 2004 for security violations, and since then has been arrested at least four more times. In an interrogation in 2010, he admitted working on behalf of Hamas in the Hevron area. He has participated in Hamas training camps and has helped the terror group to recruit new members.

Abu-Eisha, 33, was first arrested in 2005, and remained imprisoned until 2006. He was released, only to be arrested again in 2007. His brother was killed while conducting a terror attack in 2005 against an IDF patrol. His father has also been arrested numerous times for security offenses.

A total of 413 terror suspects, mostly Hamas members, have been arrested during IDF operation; Kawasmeh and Abu-Eisha, however, have not yet been found, but are now presumably being hunted on suspicion of murder.

During the past 18 days Israelis and Jews throughout the world had mobilized, holding prayer rallies, social media campaigns and solidarity marches calling for the return of the boys. As recently as yesterday officials were still saying they working working under the assumption that the boys were still alive, as no information had been received to the contrary.

News of their murder will leave Israel, and the Jewish people, in a state of mourning.

The news comes on the same day as an inquiry into the handling of the police investigation into the kidnappings found five senior police officialsguilty of mishandling the investigation. The officials were dismissed from their post for mistakenly classifying a call by one of the teenagers - who said he was being kidnapped - as a prank.

It is with great sadness that we report to the community of the tragic murders of the three missing Israeli boys. Their bodies were found just north of Hebron today.

    YAAKOV NAFTALI BEN RACHEL DEVORAH

    GILAD MICHAEL BEN BAT GALIM

    EYAL BEN IRIS TESHURA 

Demand the release of 16 year old American student Naftali Frenkel kidnappers by Palestinian Terrorists.

On Thursday, June 12, 2014, three Students attempting to hitchhike home from from school were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists. It is the responsibility of the United States Government to ensure the safe and timely return of it's citizen and son, Naftali Frenkel, aged 16. We demand that President Barack Obama and his administration use all means necessary to assist the Israeli Government in their efforts to locate these captive children in line with their strict stance of "No Boy will be left behind".

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/demand-release-16-year-old-american-student-naftali-frenkel-kidnappers-palestinian-terrorists/Qy2N4R2H

Raw Video: IDF Strike with Audio on Gaza Terrorists

11th Annual Ariel Avrech Memorial Lecture with Michael Medved

Hafachta: Eli Schwebel

The A Team Orchestra Featuring The Schwebels and Meshorerim Choir

Yumi Lowy "Hora Set" At Wedding

Austrian Jewish soldiers at the Kotel

Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News: Dress Codes: Revealing the Jewish Wardrobe at the Israel Museum

From Irene, since I cannot appreciate this as much as she does:

---

Imagine wearing a wedding dress made of velvet so fine and fabulously embroidered, that when you die, it will be unstitched and reworked to make a Torah ark curtain.  

http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/memo.html

 

Imagine a young mom, adorned with pearls and wearing a special dress finely embroidered with silver thread, showing off her first baby, knowing that she will wear that same garment to celebrate each of her babies, and will wear it a final time as a shroud when she meets her Creator. 

http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/memo.html

 

She will protect her children by stitching little shells onto their clothes in asymmetric patterns with red thread to protect them from small pox and other diseases. She may “confuse the evil forces intent on harming young boys by dressing them in girls’ clothing.”http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/child.html

 

Imagine a young woman, preparing for her marriage to a man whom she will probably outlive, including in her trousseau the scarf she will wear when she mourns him and a second scarf she will wear when the children she creates with that man die before their fifth birthday .  http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/memo.html

 

Dress Codes: Revealing the Jewish Wardrobe,

http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/home/ an exhibition at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem promises, “From India to Tunis, New York to Baghdad: dresses, suits, wedding outfits, undergarments, and children’s clothing:  a spectacular range of 19th to 20th century Jewish garments from around the world, offering a multi-cultural view of dress, its significance, and its influences on the styles of today.

Quite aside from the fashion, the exhibition records much about Jewish life.  For example, the description of a late 19th century ikat-dyed brocaded silk coat from Bukhara, Uzbekistan notes, “Due to its strong smell, the use of ikat was initially considered repugnant, and was exclusively a Jewish practice; however as the process was perfected it came to be a highly esteemed specialty.”

 http://www.imj.org.il/exhibitions/2014/dresscodes/en/hidden.html

 

The website of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a nice article about the exhibition. http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Culture/Pages/Dress-Codes-Revealing-the-Jewish-Wardrobe-24-Feb-2014.aspx

Israel Matzav: Terror victim's mother blasts Obama's silence on kidnappings

Sherri Mandell, the mother of terror victim Koby Mandell HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) has blasted President Hussein Obama for his silence on the kidnapping two weeks ago of three Israeli teenagers. I received this by email from Jack W.

Sherri Mandell ~ "Say Something."

I would like to know why President Barack Obama has still failed to publicly condemn the kidnapping of Naftali Frenkel here in Israel, who is both an Israeli and American citizen. Two weeks ago, Naftali, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach were kidnapped by terrorists on their way home from school. There has not been any word from them since. I would like to know why President Obama and the First Lady don’t say that Naftali and the other two boys are like their children, as they said about the girls who were kidnapped in Nigeria. Michelle Obama said she was outraged and heartbroken about those girls. I would like to know why the President and First Lady have made no public statements at all about our boys, and especially about Naftali, an American citizen.

After my 13 year old son Koby, also an American citizen, was killed by terrorists in 2001, a law was introduced in Congress called the Koby Mandell Act. It later passed as an omnibus rider (my son’s name was erased), which opened an office in the Department of Justice called the Office of Justice for the Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT). The office’s mandate was to actively pursue terrorists who murdered Americans abroad.

At about the same time, the government initiated a Rewards for Justice Program to pay for information leading to the arrest of overseas terrorists. Yet, no terrorist killers of Americans in Israel have ever been apprehended under that program. In fact, today when I checked the Rewards for Justice website, there was not even a listing for my son’s name. His murderers have not been found, yet the Justice Department has seemingly deleted him from their consciousness. They are not looking for his killers. In fact, according to their list of atrocities, no Koby Mandell was ever killed in Israel by terrorists. They have closed his case, if it was ever opened. And if you search the Office of Victims of Overseas Terrorism, you will not find his name either, except in reference to the first version of the law.

Yet the Koby Mandell Act promised that the US government would vigorously pursue the killers of American citizens, including those killed in Israel. So far, not one of them has been brought to justice with the help of the American government.

The OVT’s primary responsibilities are to work to ensure that when Americans are injured or killed in terrorist attacks overseas, investigations and prosecution remain a high priority. Another responsibility is to honor and respect the rights of victims and their families. The office is also meant to monitor the investigation and prosecution of terrorist attacks against Americans aboard.

With these lofty goals, you would think that there would be a picture or at least a mention of Naftali on the website. Or a mention of Koby. Or of the many Americans citizens killed by Palestinian terrorists in Israel. But when it comes to Americans who are the victims of Palestinian terrorism, the Justice Department, like the President remains silent.

Please write to the President at whitehouse.gov and demand that he make a statement about Naftali and the other two boys. Ask him why the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism is silent.

Ask the President simply…to say something.

Then again, I think we can do without Michelle holding any stupid signs....

#BringBackOurBoys

Please please please have the boys in your prayers…

ושבו בנים לגבולם!

Yaakov Naftali ben Rachel Devorah

Gilad Michael ben Bat Galim

Eyal ben Iris Teshura

Israeli Prime Minister Begin's remarks at Camp David Agreement (1978)

Prime Minister Begin in one of his best speeches ever! This is his reaction to a German request for a Palestinian state

Ted Cruz Delivers Passionate Speech On Kidnapped Israeli Teens

Bobby Rechnitz was honored this past Wednesday night with the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal. “Recognizing Bobby Rechnitz for his pivotal role of his stewardship and sustaining the bilateral relationship between the United States of America & State of Israel”

Rabbi of the Western Wall Shmuel Rabinovitch meets actor Michael Douglas at the Kotel, June 20, 2014

Yisroel Werdyger & Neranenu Choir Sing London School Of Jewish Song Medley -- מקהלת "נרננה" בביצוע פרחי לונדון עם הזמר שרוליק ורדיגר

The Sameach Choir - Sunday 22nd June 2014 - Manchester

The Sameach Choir singing 'Acheinu Kol Beis Yisroel' at an event in Manchester with a song for the 3 kidnapped Yeshiva boys in Israel.

See With Your Own Eyes How The Israeli Public Treats The IDF

Israel Names 2 Hamas Suspects in Teens’ Kidnap Both Hamas men have previously served time in Israel jails. Both are missing from their Hevron homes.

Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu Aisha from Hebron are believed to be the Hamas terrorists involved in kidnapping Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frankel.

The Shin Bet has cleared for publication that it suspects Hamas Hevron terrorists Amer Abu Aisha and Marwan Kawasmeh played pivotal roles in the kidnapping of three Israeli teens.

Eyal Yifrach, 19, Naftali Frenkel, 16 and Gilad Sha’ar, 16, were kidnapped while hitchhiking home from yeshiva in Gush Etzion on June 12.

Security forces from the Shin Bet and IDF have worked together in Operation Brother’s Keeper to hunt for Kawasmeh, 29, and Abu Aisha, 32, almost since the night the boys were kidnapped, according to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

“Since then, the Shin Bet and IDF have conducted a wide-scale search aimed at capturing the wanted suspects. The first aim is to track down the location of the abducted youths,” the Shin Bet said in a statement released to media Thursday night.

Both previously have served time in Israeli prisons, and both are missing from their homes.

Kawasmeh, a barber, has in the past been detained both by Israel and the Palestinian Authority forces, according to Times of Israel. His uncle, Abdullah Kawasmeh, served as commander of the Hamas military wing in Hevron until he was killed in a clash with Israeli security forces in November 2003.

Kawasmeh himself was first arrested and convicted at age 18, serving a 10 month prison sentence for Hamas-related terror activity. He was subsequently arrested four more times, and held under administrative detention at least twice. In 2010 he confessed under interrogation to being recruited a year earlier by the Hevron regional Hamas military wing. He participated in military training in local caves, learning how to find raw materials to assemble bombs. He also took part in recruiting other Palestinian Authority youths to Hamas. He was again convicted and sent to prison, where he served time until March 2012. His four brothers, all associated with Hamas, were arrested the day after the boys were kidnapped, as was his wife — who was released 24 hours later.

Abu Aisha, a locksmith who is married with three children, was first arrested in November 2005 at age 24, at about the same time his brother Zaid, also a Hamas terrorist, was killed while trying to throw an explosive at IDF soldiers. Abu Aisha was placed under administrative detention until the following June, then freed until he was re-arrested in April 2007, when he spent several weeks in custody again. In addition, Abu Aisha’s father Omar was arrested and convicted by Israel, serving prison time a number of times for Hamas terrorist activity as well, according to the Times of Israel.

Security personnel have intensively interrogated the wives of both men in the Hares neighborhood where they both live, according to Palestinian Authority media, but the report has not been confirmed by Israeli sources. Both men reportedly attend prayers together regularly at the same mosque, but neither has been seen since the night of the kidnapping.

Other suspects connected with the two and who are also suspected as accessories in the operation have already been arrested as well, counter-terrorism officials said.

Terrorism Victims Move to Seize Iran's Internet Domain Names

They’re fighting terror — one IP address at a time.

Sixty victims of terror and their family members​,​ who are looking to collect a total $1.2 billion in legal judgments against countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea​,​ are taking the unprecedented step of trying to seize those nations’ Internet domain names.

‘THE IRANIANS MUST BE SHOWN THAT THERE IS A STEEP PRICE TO BE PAID FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISM.’

 - Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner

The victims, including American Seth Klein Ben Haim, who was injured in an Iran-sanctioned 1995 Palestinian attack on a bus in the Gaza strip, filed a federal court lawsuit Tuesday in Washington, D.C. against the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

ICANN is a Commerce Department agency that controls the Internet’s global domain name system and collects fees from countries like Iran for its use of .ir and other IP addresses used by the Iranian ​government.

“This is the first time that terror victims have moved to seize the domain names, IPs and Internet licenses of terrorism-sponsoring states like Iran,” said victims’ attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.

“The Iranians must be shown that there is a steep price to be paid for their sponsorship of terrorism. In business and legal terms it is quite simple – we are owed money, and these assets are currency worth money,” she said.

In the past Darshan-Leitner has successfully seized $120 million in Iranian assets from sources like real estate, historic artifacts and bank accounts for victims.

Ned Rosenthal, an intellectual property lawyer who is not involved in the case, called the victims’ legal strategy “very creative and very aggressive.”

But Rosenthal and his colleague Beth Goldman were skeptical that the suit would ultimately prevail.

“I don’t know that ICANN even holds that kind of money or assets to pay out,” Goldman said, explaining that the power to control IP addresses and domain names often belongs to third party registries based in each country.
“It’s unclear what ICANN can do or what their authority is,” she added.

Rosenthal noted that if ICANN tried to shut down a domain name belonging to an ally like Great Britain’s .uk there would be massive pushback.

Other victims in this case include the children of the late Leah Stern, a Staten Island woman who was killed in a double suicide bombing by Hamas in Jerusalem’s open-air fruit market Mahane Yehuda in 1997.

Her family won a $300 million federal court judgment against Iran in 2003, though they’ve been unable to collect on the award.

A spokesman for ICANN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Comparative Religion Studies The contrast between these two photos is astounding.

Today’s class will be a quick one. In the top half of the photo, we observe hundreds of religious Muslim women on the Temple Mount, cursing at Jews, and praising the kidnapping of 3 Jewish boys. In the bottom half of the photo, we observe hundreds of Jewish women at the Kotel, crying and praying to God for the safe return of the 3 kidnapped boys. If you understand the difference, give yourself an ‘A’. Class dismissed.

The Buck Stops There…

Who is the Rabbi?

Antonio Villaraigosa: Why we must support Israel

By ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, former mayor of Los Angeles.

Published: June 25, 2014  http://www.ocregister.com/articles/israel-627062-israeli-boys.html

The recent kidnapping of three Israeli teenage boys by terrorists in the West Bank is an appalling reminder of the cruelty guiding radical elements in the Middle East and of the need for vigilance and solidarity by all those who cherish the sanctity of human life and fundamental values of human rights.

I was in Israel last week when the boys were abducted. In fact, I passed very near the spot where it took place the following day. The stark contrast between the humanity and benevolence visibly on display on my visit to Israel and the open hostility in Gaza and the West Bank is a rude wakeup call to those who too often level criticism against Israel.

The sight of Palestinians in Gaza and Hebron dancing jubilantly in the streets and passing out sweets to celebrate the kidnapping is as depressing as it is concerning. This attitude bodes ill for reconciliation and co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians.

Comparisons that some have drawn between the kidnapped boys and Palestinians imprisoned for terrorism is equally disturbing. Imagine a terrorist group seizing several teenagers in downtown L.A. and demanding the release of convicted murderers. Absurd? Something anyone in their right mind would consider doing? Yet this is what such comparisons amount to.

One of the most moving aspects of my visit to Israel was a tour of Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem. Despite the communal strife in the region, I was taken by the humane care provided all patients, more than 30 percent who were Palestinian. It is difficult to understand why Israel’s neighbors feel such deep hostility toward it. Rather than emulating Israel’s tolerance they attack and vilify it.

I also visited Israel’s southern desert region, the Negev, with its capital, Beer Sheva, where I witnessed some of the most advanced research on water technologies and solar energy in the world. It is not an exaggeration to say that the R&D going on in Israel in these and other fields has immense potential to solve many of the challenges facing the entire region. This potential can be utilized in California, where an Israeli firm is constructing the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere. We too can benefit a great deal from Israel’s expertise in addressing acute water crises.

Israel, a desert country which previously faced chronic and acute water shortages, has essentially solved the problem with the largest and most cost efficient desalination plants in the world. Areas facing similar challenges, be it in California or the Middle East, have much to learn.

Participating in a high-level policy conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, and in my meetings with Israeli leaders and senior policy makers, including with the Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister, I was impressed by the steadfast determination to protect Israel and equally fierce commitment to humane values which are the hallmark of Israel’s political leadership. Theirs is not a job to be envied, as they safeguard Israel’s security, despite extremely trying circumstances. Here too there are many lessons to be learned by all who hold these values dear.

The contrast between the fundamental human decency coursing through Israeli society and the inhumanity and cruelty of those who have kidnapped these boys could not be more stark. This is something that transcends conflicting political interests; it is a clash between values, between the very lifeblood of enlightened society versus blind hate and brutality.

In Israel, I saw a country deeply yearning for peace, but profoundly frustrated at the obstinate intolerance of so many of its neighbors and the very concerning trends transpiring throughout the region.

The spread of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria should be a sobering wake-up call to any who harbor illusions about the direction the “Arab Spring” has taken. This is not a theoretical or esoteric problem. The same elements currently seizing control across vast swaths of territory in the Middle East share a radical ideology with those who kidnapped these three Israeli youths and who perpetrated 9/11.

We need to unequivocally condemn these kidnappers. Hamas, which continues to propagate the destruction of Israel and seeks no peaceful co-existence with the Jewish state, needs to be recognized for what it is: a terrorist organization that cannot play a legitimate political role as long as it continues to adhere to its violent campaign against Israel and commitment to its demise.

We need to support peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but there can be no peace while young boys are kidnapped, and terrorists seek violence and destruction. This is not just Israel’s problem; it is in our national interest.

Governor Huckabee in Israel with #BringBackOurBoys sign for #EyalGiladNaftali

JERUSALEM – Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee is currently on a week long visit in Israel on what has been defined as a fact-finding tour, focused on the challenges facing Israelis in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, as well as the threat of anti-Israel delegitimization efforts such as the BDS movement.

Huckabee, immediately after landing in Israel, went directly to the home of Avi and Rachel Frenkel, parents of Naftali, one of the abducted teens, an American citizen. “I went to offer support, to give them strength,” Huckabee told reporters Tuesday (Jun. 24) morning, “and I went away with them giving me strength. They are a remarkable family, a family of faith, and their faith gives them a real sense of optimism.”

Huckabee was asked how he would act in regards to the current abductees’ crisis in Israel if he were president. “Naftali Frenkel is an American citizen. Because he is a citizen we have not only an emotional response but a constitutional duty to ensure that the whole world understands that this takes it to a new level for the US. You kidnap an American citizen; now all bets are off. You hurt that kid and you don’t want to know what the results would be. One of the sides is a kidnapped child. The other is a kidnapper. The two sides here are good and evil. Evil kidnaps children. Good does all it can to get those children back and to punish anyone who would be a part of that.” Huckabee said he would offer all the resources and intelligence at his disposal and other forms of assistance as requested. He believes a clear message should have been conveyed in support of an abducted American citizen, a message the Obama administration failed to communicate.

He condemned the Palestinian Authority-Hamas unity government recently established, stating he was appalled by the union. “How can the US approve of, and work with a government that’s made up in part of a terrorist organization? We say we don’t negotiate with terrorists, we certainly shouldn’t fund them.” Huckabee believes the US should have cut off all funding to the PA after the unification. “It is beyond me to understand why there would not be worldwide condemnation. I think we see the worthlessness of the UN through all this that it’s remained incredibly silent.” He praised PM Netanyahu for his actions regarding the PA-Hamas unity government.

Huckabbe had very warm words for Israel, praising Israel’s advancement, development and technology, as well as its democracy and society which enable equality of rights for everyone.

His visit includes a stop at the Sodastream factory which has been the recent target of BDS activity. “It should be obvious to anyone that the company provides extraordinary opportunity not only for work but for social gatherings. It should be given national and international awards instead of being targeted by BDS, which is inexplicable to me.” He described BDS as an “irrational, anti-Semitic effort on the part of some organizations and nations.”

Regarding the Presbyterian Church’s decision to boycott companies providing services in Judea and Samaria, Huckabee shared that he was embarrassed by the decision, calling it absurd. “Who can possibly be behind such an absurd decision that has no basis in good policy, good economics, or good sense?” Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, believes that this decision, together with other factors, is bringing to the decline of the Presbyterian Church.

One of the goals of his visit is to raise awareness regarding the three abducted boys in the US. During his visit on Monday with the two Chief Rabbis Huckabee stated: “It’s one thing if people hear that three Israeli soldiers have been kidnapped or captured. That gets our attention, but this hits our hearts very differently. When a person who is American hears this story, they don’t react as an American; they don’t react as a Zionist. I’m both, I react as a father.” Both chief rabbis thanked Huckabee for his efforts to bring knowledge of the present crisis to the American public.

Daniel Gordis on Menachem Begin in Conservative with Rabbi Meir Soloveitchik

Jay Leno in Israel! Funny monologue at the Jerusalem Theater (Genesis Prize)

Last night, Jay Leno hosted the Genesis Prize ceremony in Jerusalem. Since my invitation got lost in the mail, and I have not seen any available video of Jay’s MC’ing, I looked to the internet to get more insight into Jay’s jokes. And there were apparently some real corkers!

Leno’s mostly political quips included references to ongoing media reports about the strenuous relationship between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reminding the audience that May is Jewish American Heritage Month in the U.S., with Obama “calling it an opportunity to renew our ‘unbreakable bond with the nation of Israel.’ And he knows it’s unbreakable because he’s been trying to break it for the last five years.”

Leno also joked about U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s role in trying to broker peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in recent months, explaining he did some research ahead of his visit and that “According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, here in Israel the most popular boys name is Noam. Noam is the most popular boy’s name in the country. The least popular boys name? John Kerry.”

Leno familiarized himself with local indicted headline makers for his monologue, taking shots at former President of Israel Moshe Katsav, who is currently serving a seven years sentence for rape, indecent acts, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, saying “Israel had some great leaders, David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin. People were really touched by them. Well, of course, not as many people as were touched by former President Katsav.”

A more recent aim was former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, sentenced earlier this month to six years in prison on two counts of bribery. “You guys are tough”, quipped Leno, “You sentenced your former Prime Minister to six years in prison — did you hear Olmert’s defense? Not the best strategy. He blamed the whole thing on the Jews.”

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones in Israel for son's bar mitzvah

Picture of the day, by Malka Reich, פיקיוויקי Pikiwiki From the coast of Herzliya beach you can see all the way to Netanya

#BringBackOurBoys -- Congregation Etz Chaim of Hancock Park Hashkama Minyan Los Angeles, CA

Praying for the Kidnapped Boys Under the Chupah

Israel Matzav: 'Palestinian' children on Temple Mount give three-fingered salute to kidnapping

Profile

Moshe Feiglin

Public Figure · 3,857 Likes

 · June 22 at 9:25am · 

Look at this cute picture, photographed today on the Temple Mt., sponsored by Israel's police department.
These sweet 'Palestinian' children and their teachers are celebrating the abduction of our children, holding up their three fingers in what has become the viral sign of joy at the kidnapping. For this abomination alone Internal Security Aharonovitch should be fired!
www.jewishisrael.org

UN Watch Brings Mothers of Kidnapped Teens Before World Media

GENEVA, June 24, 2014 – Invited by Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, Rachel Frankel, the mother of 16-year-old Israeli-American kidnap victim Naftali Frankel, who was one of three boys abducted on June 12th, addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council this morning to appeal for international support of the boys' safe return. (Click here for video of her speech).

Mrs. Frankel, together with Iris Yifrach and Bat-Galim Shaar, the mothers of the two other kidnapped teenagers, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar, met this morning with UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri.

All three mothers flew from Israel to Geneva to urge the 47-nation Council and the international community to do everything it can to help find the boys and bring them home safely. So far, the Council has been silent on the plight of the abducted teens.

Mother of Kidnapped Israeli-American Teenager Naftali Frankel Appeals to UN

Rachel Frankel, mother of 16-year-old kidnap victim Naftali Frankel -- accompanied behind her by Iris Yifrach and Bat-Galim Shaar, mothers of the two other teenaged kidnap victims, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar -- today addressed the United Nations for the first time, on behalf of the human rights group UN Watch.

Text of Rachel Frankel's speech at the UN Human Rights Council 

On behalf of UN Watch, my name is Rachel Frankel, and I live in Israel. I’ve come here today as a mother. Twelve days ago, my son Naftali, and two other teenage students, Eyal Yifrah and Gilad Shaer — whose mothers are sitting behind me — were kidnapped on their way home from school. Since then, we’ve heard nothing — no news, no sign of life.

UN Watch, which has been the most active NGO voice at this Council session on critical human rights issues, invited Mrs. Frankel to come to Geneva to use the NGO's slot to address the Council.

“UN Watch condemns the kidnapping of the three boys, which the ICRC rightly described as a war crime, and calls for their immediate, unconditional and safe return,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
“This heinous act violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits targeting civilians and the taking of hostages. Today we stand in awe of the three mothers' strength of spirit, and are grateful for the opportunity to offer her an international platform, together with the other two mothers, to appeal for the safe release of her son and the other two boys. We hope the international community will urgently heed their call."

Mother of Kidnapped Israeli Teen, Invited by UN Watch, Addresses UN Human Rights Council, Appeals for Help

With your permission, I’d like to tell you about the boys. My son Naftali is 16. He loves to play guitar and basketball. He’s a good student and a good boy — a combination of serious and fun. Eyal loves to play sports and cook. Gilad is an amateur pastry chef, and loves movies.

My son texted me — said he’s on his way home — and then he’s gone. Every mother’s nightmare is waiting and waiting endlessly for her child to come home.

We wish to express our profound gratitude for the waves of prayers, support and positive energy, pouring in from around the world.

Being in this assembly, I wish to thank the UN Secretary-General for condemning the abduction of our boys, expressing his solidarity with the families, and calling for their immediate release.

And I thank the International Red Cross for stating clearly that international humanitarian law prohibits the taking of hostages, and for demanding the immediate and unconditional release of our boys.

At the same time, I believe much more can be done — and should be done — by so many. That is why we three mothers have come here today — before the United Nations, and before the world —  to askeveryone, to do whatever they can, to bring back our boys.

Mr. President, it is wrong to take children, innocent boys or girls, and use them as instruments of any struggle. It is cruel. This council is charged with protecting human rights. I wish to ask: Doesn’t every child have the right to come home safely from school?

We just want them back in our homes, in their beds. We just want to hug them again.  Thank you, Mr. President.

Huckabee: Touch This Boy and You'll Have Hell to Pay

Mike Huckabee – television host, former Arkansas governor and former Republican presidential primary candidate – landed in Israel Sunday and went directly to visit the Frenkel family, whose son, Naftali, has been abducted by Hamas. He said he had come to show solidarity with the Frenkel family, and noted that Naftali Frenkel is an American citizen.

"I'm here not just as an American but as a father,” he said. “I think every parent in the world feels something at the pit of their stomach with the thought of something like this happening to their own child.”

"Americans need to hear this story,” he said. “This is an American citizen, this is one of us. And even if he wasn't – this should not happen to any young man or to any parent... Whoever is behind this must feel enough pressure to realize that the only decision they have to make is not when they give these boys back but how soon, and as safely as possible.”

When asked by Arutz Sheva about the United States' call, last week, for “restraint on both sides,” Huckabee said – “What's to restrain? What are the Israelis supposed to do? This to me is nonsense. The only restraint at this point is the restraint by whoever has these boys to do nothing to hurt them. G-d help those people if they touch a hair on these boy's heads... I think the Israelis have every right to say – and America should join this message – you touch that boy who's an American citizen and you will have hell to pay for it.That should be the only message we are sending right now.”

“We recognize this is an incredibly sensitive and difficult circumstance on the ground, and we feel all sides should exercise restraint,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki stated at a press conference on Wednesday.

Netanyahu has 2 pieces of advice for the Presbyterian church

Java, Indonesia - One Year After Closing Amid Controversy, Nazi-Themed Cafe Reopens In Indonesia

A picture made available on 22 June 2014 shows Indonesian men wearing recreated historical World War II Nazi-German soldier uniforms during the re-opening of the Soldatenkaffee cafe in Bandung, Indonesia, 21 June 2014.  EPA


A picture made available on 22 June 2014 shows Indonesian men wearing recreated historical World War II Nazi-German soldier uniforms during the re-opening of the Soldatenkaffee cafe in Bandung, Indonesia, 21 June 2014. The Nazi-themed cafe has sparked controversy among Indonesians after its re-opening as it closed last year due to death threats to its owner. The cafe, which displays swastikas and portraits of Adolf Hitler, has been named after a Paris' popular cafe among German soldiers during World War II. The manager of the cafe stated that all the aspects of the business are legal because it is seen from a historical perspective, without supporting or carrying a particular ideology.  EPA/STR

Java, Indonesia - A year after it closed amid death threats and widespread outrage from the international community, a Nazi-themed cafe has reopened in the western Indonesian island of Java, replete with decorative swastikas and a portrait of Adolph Hitler.

AFP (http://bit.ly/1qBNTbn) reports that after the SoldatenKaffee closed last year an attorney for its owner, Henry Mulyana, said that Mulyana planned a relaunch with a different theme.

The German translation of SoldatenKaffee is “The Soldier’s Cafe.”

Sources say at Saturday’s relaunch SoldatenKaffee patrons saw much of the same, including swastika-emboldened Nazi iron eagles and an array of Nazi propaganda posters.

Mulyana told reporters that the theme of his cafe has in fact been updated, and that it is now WWII-themed eatery due to the addition of pictures of Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin.

“From the beginning I have said that the SoldatenKaffee is not a Nazi cafe. This cafe’s theme is second world war,” Mulyana said. “All aspects of the SoldatenKaffee are legal. We have a lot of customers from Europe and they don’t have a problem with the second world war theme, because it is seen here from a historical perspective.”

Bring Back Our Boys- Shmueli (#BRINGBACKOURBOYS)

Vintage Ben Zion Shenker

Robert Rechnitz to be Honored at Peres Congressional Gold Medal Reception

(Friday, June 20th, 2014)

Preparations are being completed for Israeli President Shimon Peres final official visit to the US as head of state. Among the events and meetings being planned in conjunction with the primary purpose of President Peres is the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony scheduled to place on Thursday, June 26 in the Rotunda of the US Capitol.

“The intent and goal of the legislative process awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to President Peres which will culminate in the Ceremony itself is to send a strong message to the world that the Congress of the United States by virtue of 2/3 of its members co-sponsoring the legislation stands shoulder to shoulder with the State of Israel” says Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group who spearheaded the creation of the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal Committee.

An exclusive reception will be commemorated in conjunction with the official Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring

Robert Rechnitz, founder and chairman of both the Jerusalem Conference and Iron Dome Tribute will be held prior to the Ceremony with the participation  of President Peres and Senator Kelly Ayotte who introduced the legislation in the Senate.

“Recognizing Bobby Rechnitz for his pivotal role of his stewardship and sustaining the bilateral relationship between the United States of America & State of Israel” will be highlighted by President Peres according to a statement released by the Shimon Peres Gold Medal Committee.

“Having the vast majority of members of Congress support the be bestowing of America’s highest award to an Israeli head of state forges the unbreakable bond between the people of the United States and Israel

” said Robert Rechnitz who was instrumental in successful  advocating for the Peres legislation to pass.

Indeed for many years Robert Rechnitz has been a leader in cementing US Israeli relations by working with House Foreign Affairs Chair Ed Royce, Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Elliot Engel, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), a member of the Senate Appropriations Energy & Water subcommittee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein among others.

(Studio B – YWN)

 

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/242008/robert-rechnitz-to-be-honored-at-peres-congressional-gold-medal-reception.html#sthash.vOxIvwSS.dpuf