Islam And The West

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Image of Emir Feisal who went on to become the King of Iraq and Chaim Weizmann who went on to become the first president of Israel. It was taken in Syria and dated 1918.

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Global anti-semitism may aid the housing market in Israel. Africa Israel Residence Ltd. owned by diamond tycoon Lev Leviev says that rises in anti-semitism may cause a rise in next year’s housing market:

“Africa Israel Residence Ltd., the Israeli housing developer controlled by diamond tycoon Lev Leviev, sees anti-Semitism abroad as one of the factors that may drive sales this year.

“Signs of growing anti-Semitism in the world may act as a catalyst to apartment purchases in Israel by foreign residents, despite the economic crisis,” Africa Israel said in its quarterly report, posted on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s Web site Sunday.” (Source: Jerusalem Post)

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The Israeli daily Haaretz reports that a small number of soldiers who took part in the recent anti-terror operations in Gaza may have been pagans.

Quoting Omer a serving solider in the Israeli Defense Force the paper said he saw his pagan gods during combat in Gaza and he is not the only pagan in Israel:

“Like many other soldiers who took part in the Gaza operation, Omer, 20, occasionally took a few moments to pray, but he did not pray to the Lord of Israel. Omer considers himself pagan, and has sworn allegiance to three ancient gods. During combat, he says they appeared before him, giving him strength during the most arduous moments.

Omer is still in the army, and therefore refused to be interviewed for this story. Yet he did say he belongs to a religion whose goal is to revive worship of ancient gods.

In an online Hebrew-language paganism forum, Omer’s accounts of his Gaza experience are standard fare. Another user recalled how he prayed to Anat, the Canaanite god of war, while serving in an elite combat unit.

The two soldiers are part of a tiny community of pagans that has developed in Israel. Influenced by movements in the United States and Europe, followers believe in multiple gods….

…Due to Jewish sensitivity to idol worship, which is perceived as a sin, most Israeli pagans reveal their beliefs only to those who share them. They usually keep religious gatherings, such as the “holiday of equality” (Vernal equinox) on March 21st, secret.

Alon Kobets, 29, a neo-paganist from Rehovot, is one of the few who decided “to come out of the closet.”

“Some people live in fear, but I’m past hiding my faith,” he said. “Some guys live with religious families. They can’t tell their parents, ‘I don’t believe in Judaism, I’m a pagan.’ They’d chop off their heads.”

Several years ago, Kobets took an interest in Wicca, a neo-pagan religion founded 50 years ago in England. Wicca calls for worshiping nature and an ancient goddess. Kobets abandoned Wicca upon enlisting in the IDF, but enthusiastically re-embraced it after completing his army service….

…Kobets says neo-paganism is a pluralistic religion, and every follower sets his own worship method. Nonetheless, the pagans interviewed for this article agreed their faith runs counter to Judaism, and added that they do not consider themselves Jewish.

“Judaism is a religion, it’s something imposed and artificial,” said Samuel, who runs a paganism forum on the Web portal Tapuz.

“I don’t consider myself a Jew, but I do consider myself Israeli,” he said.

Kobets agrees. “There is a problem with Judaism. Judaism contradicts paganism. Judaism has only one god, and if you do not believe in him, you will be driven off with stones.” (Source: Haaretz)

I wonder what the Christian Zionists have to say about all this paganism and Israel?

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Strenuous efforts have been taking place between Israel, intermediaries and the Hamas movement all aimed at securing the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Galid Shalit. Shalit is an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped in a cross border raid by Palestinian Arabs in June 2006.

As is the way in such situations the whole process hinges on Israel releasing Arab prisoners it holds in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Since news of a possible prisoner exchange has become known two Israeli victims of Arabterror have warned the Israeli government of dire consequences.

Meir and Shvuel Schijveschuuder whose family was killed in a terror bombing have warned the authorities that they aim to kill any freed terrorists:

“Many Israelis who have lost loved ones to terrorist attacks have protested the government’s plan to release terrorists who have murdered in exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. On Monday, brothers Meir and Shvuel Schijveschuuder issued an ultimatum: If the terrorists are freed, bereaved families will take the law into their own hands and kill the terrorists in revenge.

The brothers announced their plan to the world in an interview with the Hebrew-language daily Yediot Acharonot. The interview was printed on Monday morning.

The Schijveschuuder family was decimated in the 2001 bombing of the Sbarro restaurant in downtown Jerusalem. Parents Mordechai and Tzira were killed, as were 14-year-old Ra’aya, four-year-old Avraham Yitzchak and two-year-old Hemda.

Meir and Shvuel made it clear that they would go after all released killers, and not only those who attacked their family. “The plan is to reach each and every one who has Jewish blood on his hands and to give them a field trial – the meaning should be clear,” Shvuel said.” (Source: Arutz Sheva)

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El Al is the national airline of Israel. Since the start of the year negotiations have been ongoing between the airline and rabbis from the orthodox community in Israel to introduce “kosher flights”.

The community wants El Al to cater for them by having full separation between men and women, male flight attendants and no movies during flights.

Image source: Arpingstone

It seems that that the negotiations are taking longer than expected and now the rabbinic committee on transportation has asked the Israeli public not to fly with El Al:

“After failing to reach a deal with El Al that would see the company operating separate flights for the ultra-Orthodox sector, rabbis are now calling on their public not to fly with the Israeli company at all, and prefer foreign airlines instead….

…the rabbinic committee on transportation has published a statement urging the public to fly only with airlines that offer movie-free flights, or flights with designated areas that are movie-free.

They also included a list of the recommended airlines, and specified which of them also applies a modest dress code for its crew….

..Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf, who is taking part in the efforts to introduce “kosher flights,” told Ynet that negotiations with El Al were ongoing, and expressed hope that an agreement will be struck soon.

Although on El Al’s major flights every passenger can turn off his personal TV screen, and on some of the other flights the company operates a “movie-free” zone, the rabbis ordered their followers to refrain from flying wit the Israeli airline.

Goldnkopf explained that “contrary to El Al, these companies screen only movies showing water and scenery, and not dirty movies.” (Ynet News)

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