The Aristocrats: Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef recently said Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment to President George W. Bush for supporting Israel's pullout from Gaza. But he is not alone. Evangelical Christians in the U.S. are making the same charges.
The Golden Gaffe: Commenting on the Israeli cabinet's 11th hour decision to leave synagogues standing in Gaza, Sever Plotzker wrote, "Sometimes a politician wins his place in posterity with a single vote. Interior Minister Ophir Pines did so [last week], when without fear or favoritism he voted in the cabinet against the decision not to demolish the buildings that formerly served as synagogues in the Gaza Strip and are now only empty structures of concrete and flooring. The Jewish people are the people of the book, not the people of the stone. A quorum of ten Jews with a Torah scroll can pray anywhere: The holiness is in the book, the prayer, and the faith, not in the surrounding walls. Synagogues with all the sacred books and ritual objects removed from them are no longer any 'holier' than empty auditoriums. They can be demolished without any religious compunction. The proof is that in the State of New York, dozens of synagogues were demolished with the blessing of the Orthodox rabbis, after their contents were moved to other locations.
"The courage and determination of Minister Pines, like his friend [Hiam] Ramon, are striking against the backdrop of the cowardice of the Likud ministers and other Labor Party ministers, who closed ranks-once again-with the sharp turns taken by the prime minister. It is ridiculous to even think that people like Tzippi Livni and Benjamin Ben-Eliezer are really convinced that a Jew must not demolish a synagogue in Gaza. They know full well that this refers to the demolition of 19 empty concrete monstrosities. What exactly is 'sacred' about abandoned real estate, which was mostly built over the last 20 years, and is lodged like a symbol of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip? Nothing is sacred about it; the spirit of God rests on the Jewish synagogue only as long as there are Torah scrolls and praying Jews inside. Turning the structures that served as the synagogues of Gaza into another kind of 'holy place,' the demolition of which is forbidden by the law of the Torah, brings political Judaism in Israel closer to idol worship. In this case, the worship of walls and floor tiles."
Adding his own thoughts on the subject in Ha'aretz, Nehemia Strasler said, ".The rabbis have humiliated the Torah of Israel. A synagogue acquires its sanctity from the Torah scrolls and the worshipper. As soon as they are no longer there, what remains is stone and concrete. The rabbis had no religious reasons, only a political one: to prove to everyone that they are stronger, more influential, and can bend the government to their will. The Palestinians declared from the beginning that they would not preserve the empty structures that had been synagogues. They have neither the power nor the will to do so. For them, the buildings are symbols of occupation. The goal of the rabbis and the right-wingers was to put the Palestinians in an impossible situation, to prove to the Israelis and the world that these are 'barbarians.' Indeed, President Moshe Katsav said patronizingly that 'they didn't respect the sacred objects of Judaism,' and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said: 'This is a barbaric act of people who have no respect for sacred sites.' We do have respect, he implied. But the fact is that out of 140 mosques abandoned in 1948, 100 have been completely destroyed and 40 are either in an advanced state of deterioration or serve as stores, warehouses, or garages." (Yedioth Ahronoth, 9/12/05 & Ha'aretz, 9/15/05)
The Messiah Of Ariel: Despite his efforts to convince religious Jewish evacuees from the Gaza settlement of Netzarim to move to the settlement of Ariel, Ron Nahman, the mayor of Ariel, is finding it a hard sell. Nahman described how he had doubled the number of the city's residents by exploiting the new immigrants from the former Soviet Union. But he's missing the religious element. "I need a religious vanguard to hoist the flag. I haven't been able to persuade the religious public to move here," he said in reference to the former Netzarim settlers. For instance, during a tour of Ariel, Nava Mann from Netzarim asked, "Perhaps the religious public is scared of the influence of the goys? And how many people here aren't Jewish? I've heard that it's 30%. And is everyone in the city equal? We've heard that there are churches here. If we live here, that will turn us into Christians. Is the goy population equal to the rest of the citizens? And where do the goy children go to school? As a Jew, don't I have any advantage?"
Despite energetic denials, it seems that Nahman's motivation to strengthen the Jewish identity of Ariel has quite a bit to do with its image, which is reflected in Mann's questions and only getting stronger, of having a Christian-messianic character. In Ariel, in the Land of Israel, about a hundred messianic Jewish believers live in the settlement in community frameworks that have a Protestant character. Some are comprised mainly of Russian speaking families, some are English speaking families, and there are even quite a few native Israelis who have chosen to belong to this community. The Haredi Yad Leahim organization, which fights missionaries, is convinced that these are missionary organizations that want to convert Jews in general, and new immigrants specifically. The organization has serious complaints about the link between the Ariel municipality, its mayor, and Christian communities in the southern U.S. They say the children of Ariel go in delegations to the Christian communities in America that have donated money to Ariel.
"We believe in Jesus, but consider ourselves Jews, messianic Jews," explains Ina (not her real name), who emigrated from Moscow 14 years ago and who heads the Tikvat Shomron messianic-Jewish community. "In our view, Christianity is the continuation of Judaism, and Jesus is the messiah. We observe the Jewish holidays as well as the Christian holidays." Hanna Weiss has been a settler in Ariel since immigrating from the U.S. 17 years ago, and has drawn around her a small group of Jews who believe in Jesus. "I combine my faith that I learned as a little girl in Christianity with the Torah of Israel," she said. Last Friday, the seventy families from Netzarim, who are living temporarily in Ariel, made a decision regarding their future. Sixty percent voted in favor of moving to a temporary community in Yevul and afterwards building the permanent community in Halutzit. Just forty percent voted to stay in Ariel. The future plan is to move Netzarim and Atzmona to permanent communities called Halutzit A and Halutzit B, near Kerem Shalom. (Ma'ariv, 9/9/05 & Yedioth Ahronoth, 9/18/05)
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall: Globes reports that Hurricane Katrina damage is jeopardizing all U.S. foreign aid programs for 2006. Not only Israel's special aid request for developing the Negev and Galilee is at risk, but the regular civilian and military aid Israel is due to receive in the next fiscal year could also be in danger. A well-informed U.S. source said, "Israel will be lucky to get $1 billion for developing the Negev and Galilee in 2007. It can forget about getting $2 billion." There is talk in Washington about suspending U.S. foreign aid in 2006, or an across-the-board cut in aid to all countries. U.S. aid to the Palestinians is also at risk. (Globes, 9/11/05)
A Tailwind For Calm: The latest survey of Palestinian public opinion conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 84% see the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as a victory for Palestinian armed resistance, with 40% giving Hamas credit for it, 21% crediting the Palestinian Authority, and 11% saying that Fatah is responsible. Still, 62% oppose and 35% support continued attacks against Israel from Gaza, and 60% support and 37% oppose the collection of arms from armed factions in Gaza after the full Israeli pullout from the Strip. 77% support and 22% oppose the current ceasefire. 56% oppose and 37% support the suicide attack that took place in Beersheva around the end of August. 73% of Palestinians support and 25% oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 lines as its borders that would start first in Gaza and gradually extend to the West Bank. Expectations for the future after the Israeli withdrawal are mixed. Optimism prevails, particularly in Gaza, in the following areas: better economic conditions (64%); progress in the peace process (57%); establishing a link between Gaza and the West Bank (57%); viewing the Israeli withdrawal as the end of occupation and the start of independent Palestinian statehood (56%); and believing that further Israeli withdrawals will take place from West Bank settlements in the future (60%) But pessimism remains, particularly in the West Bank, with regard to continued Israeli control over the Rafah crossing, which would make Gaza one big prison (57%), and the expectation that internal infighting will follow the Israeli pullout (60%).
Turning to the Palestinian political scene, the survey found an increase of support for Fatah in upcoming legislative elections, from 44% last June to 47% now, and a drop in support for Hamas, from 33% to 30% during the same period. 11% will vote for other factions, and 11% are undecided. The top four vital considerations for Palestinian voters in the parliamentary elections are the ability to fight corruption (24%), the name or affiliation of the party list (19%), the ability to improve economic conditions (15%), and the ability to reach peace with Israel (14%). Poverty and unemployment are seen as the most serious problems confronting Palestinians today (40%), followed by Israeli occupation measures (25%), corruption (25%), and internal anarchy and chaos (8%). In a closed question, in a contest for the office of Palestinian president between Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah), Mahmoud Zahhar (Hamas), and Mustafa Barghouti (others), Abbas comes in first with 44%, followed by Zahhar at 21% and Barghouti with 19%. The poll was conducted from September 7-9, 2005. (PSR Press Release, 9/11/05)
Hitting The Fan: Ze'ev Schiff reports in Ha'aretz that a wastewater war could be brewing between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel will dedicate its largest desalination plant on the Mediterranean Sea at the end of this month. It will be located in Ashkelon, not far from northern Gaza. However, a classified report has been filed with the Israel Water Commission stating that if the Palestinians go ahead with their plans to lay a sewage pipe that drains into the sea in northern Gaza, it will "paralyze the largest desalination plant in Ashkelon and pollute the nearby beaches.Crippling the work of the desalination plant by piping sewage into the sea from northern Gaza is intolerable for the water economy. Any attempt to lay a pipe that drains sewage into the sea and pollutes our coastline must be physically stopped." Schiff observed, "This kind of stern language was not even employed when Syria and the Arab countries tried to divert the headwaters of the Jordan years ago, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Six Day War. The water and sewage problems that Israel and the Palestinians face today are proof that unilateral disengagement is impossible. The conclusion is that understandings and agreements are unavoidable. Those who try to do without them end up resorting to military force.
"Unlike the past, now there are several major powers prepared to intervene in the event of a serious crisis. Some of them (the United States, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the European Union) have been asked to help the Palestinians solve the sewage problems in the Gaza Strip. They can impose strict conditions that will keep matters from deteriorating. To the credit of Palestinian water commissioner Fadel Kawash, he appears to be aware of Israel's concerns. 'In principle, I accept that there cannot be unsupervised discharge of sewage, to the sea or anywhere else. Both sides will suffer if the situation gets out of hand,' says Kawash. 'The fighting has been bad for us. The foreign contractors have left, and the only ones still around are the Swedes. Today we have one sewage pipeline from the Gaza Strip to the sea, in the vicinity of Gaza City (Sheikh Ajlin). Waste flows in the direction of Israel in the Wadi Hanun area. I agree that spilling sewage into the sea should not be allowed. But bear in mind that there is a huge pool of sewage near Beit Lakiya, covering some 400 dunams of land.'.This is a dangerous business-in many respects even more dangerous than terror. Terror attacks and Qassam rockets can be fought with fences and firepower. But Israel cannot block Palestinian sewage with secure borders. Deterioration on this front is a recipe for all-out war." (Ha'aretz, 9/16/05)
Taking Stock Through Bonds: In a lead editorial about what's needed to rebuild the Gaza economy, the Beirut Daily Star wrote, ".It is not just the Israelis who can do something to address the economic plight of Gazans. Palestinians, particularly the Diaspora community, can also be of help. The bulk of the Palestinian Diaspora outside of the Levant live in either the United States or the Gulf. Unlike their compatriots at home, many Palestinians abroad enjoy the benefits of higher education, business networks, and employment. They can now use their resources to help improve the lot of Gazans at home. According to Palestinian Authority estimates, private-sector investment fell by over two-thirds since the start of the Intifada. Encouraging a return to higher private-sector investment levels is seen as crucial to the revitalization of Gaza' economy. Palestinians abroad can use their knowledge, expertise, and entrepreneurship to encourage investment, create jobs, and expand economic opportunities in the territory.
"Economic development will no doubt be a crucial aspect of Gaza's long-term success. In order for the logic of peace to prevail over the logic of conflict, Palestinians will need to see huge improvement in their economic conditions. The widespread poverty and the absence of job opportunities have contributed to the appeal of militancy and extremism. It was these horrid conditions that contributed in part to the start of the first Intifada in the impoverished Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza in 1987. The private sector can often do more-and more quickly-than the government, and this is especially true in Palestine. Between Israel's occupation and former Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's autocracy, the Palestinian public sector has been undermined to the point that it is nearly destroyed. The world is watching to see what will become of Gaza, and the Palestinian Diaspora is watching the events with special interest. But it is urgent that the Diaspora do more than just watch: their resources and skills are now urgently needed in their homeland." (Daily Star, 9/14/05)
Pack Up The Winnebago: The Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Palestinian tourism ministers signed a cooperation agreement to promote regional tourism. The cooperation includes a joint brand and regional attractions. Joint marketing, investment, and logistics committees will set up, and movement between countries will be regularized. Measures include joint marketing of tours and hotels, the exchange of information among tourism organizations, and joint press conferences, tourism exhibitions, and advertising workshops. A joint website will also be used for marketing purposes. Tourists will be able to vacation in Israel, tour the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, and return from Cairo. A study by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found an increase in hotel activity within the Palestinian Authority, with 25,000 guests during the second quarter of 2005 (32.3% more than in the same period last year). Hotel overnights totaled 74,000 during the second quarter, 18% more than during the first quarter and 30% more than during the same period in 2004. All parties intend to ask the U.S. to cancel travel warnings against visiting the region. A joint Israeli-Palestinian tourism committee plans to take action to open a quick crossing for tourists at the roadblocks and to cooperate with representatives of the Palestinian Authority at events held on both sides of roadblocks. (Globes & Yedioth Ahronoth, 9/15/05)
Not Found In Foder's: One tour unlikely to be found in the joint activities mentioned above is the "terror trail tour" being offered by a right-wing Israeli group called Shurat Hadin, which is headed by attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, who made headlines when she defended the rights of a teacher who refused to teach the "Rabin legacy" at his school and has filed multiple damage suits against the Palestinian Authority based on terror attacks carried out by the tanzim. The hard-edged tour includes lectures from Mossad and GSS agents, a visit to an IDF roadblock near Jenin, a demonstration by Border Police troops, observing the trial proceedings of Hamas activists, and, to finish it off, a romantic cruise on the Sea of Galilee.
The new package deal, which costs $1,670 per person-not including airfare and a mandatory donation of no less than $500 to Shurat Hadin-is being pitched to American businessmen, doctors, and high-tech execs who can afford to pay for this luxury, are tired of visiting the holy sites, and want to get a first-hand taste of the war on a terror. Buying a bus ticket would be cheaper. But that would deny these tourists the pleasure of meeting Benjamin Netanyahu at the Sheraton Plaza in Jerusalem, intelligence briefings, and an "authentic meal in the Hatikva neighborhood," as Shurat Hadin is promising. The package deal also boasts about meetings with "informants and collaborators" described as "Arabs who infiltrated terror cells and provided intelligence in real time." The tourists will also be treated to a trip to the IAF base in Palmahim to hold a "conversation with the members of a unit that carries out the targeted killing operations and to review their weapons." Finally, everyone on the tour will meet with Raanan Gissin, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's foreign media adviser. (Yedioth Ahronoth, 9/11/05)
The Aristocrats: Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef recently said Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment to President George W. Bush for supporting Israel's pullout from Gaza. But he is not alone. Evangelical Christians in the U.S. are making the same charges. Jesse Stines of the Blue Ridge Mountain Church in Elk Park, North Carolina, warned that America's support for the withdrawal could lead to more disasters. "We have watched this for years and every time America makes decisions against Israel we suffer the consequences through disasters," he said. Stines, who has visited Israel on numerous occasions, says he has been warning people that disengagement would see "the wrath of God released upon our nation.If we continue on this Road Map-not to peace, but to hell-Hurricane Katrina is only the beginning of the disasters that will hit this nation."
Stines has more company than Rabbi Yosef in his unique understanding of weather patterns. At a conference of right-wing Israeli and American political and religious leaders held over Labor Day, a common theme among the Christian leaders was a comparison of the heartaches of the Jewish settlers who were evacuated from the occupied territories and the immediate subsequent devastation and evacuation of the American victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some of the evangelical leaders, such as author and conference speaker John McTernan, ventured to say that the hurricane's devastation was a possible divine judgment of American's Road Map policy in the Middle East. Knesset members participating in this gathering included Yuri Shtern (National Union), Yair Peretz (Shas), Benny Elon (National Union), Gilad Erdan (Likud), Gila Gamliel (Likud), and Eliezer Sandberg (Shinui). (Ynetnews.com, 9/10/05 & Jerusalem Post, 9/11/05)