Duma, visions, Israel, HaShem--and us

I see a vision of Israel’s future. That vision comes from the Prophet Yechezkel. It’s a vision that says,

“Behold, I [HaShem, G-d of Israel] take the Children of Israel from the nations to which they went [in exile], and I shall gather them from around and I shall bring them to their soil; and I shall make then into a single nation in the land upon Israel’s hills” (Yechezkel, 37: 21-22, ArtScroll translation, New York, 2012).

I can see this vision clearly. It’s as real to me as life itself.

I see this vision of Yechezkel every day--from my window. It lies before me brightly in the winter sunlight.

I live in Israel. I have been ‘gathered in’. Yechezkel’s prophecy has come true.

I see a second vision of Israel. This vision comes from the prophet Zechariah. It’s a vision of strife, pain, war and conflict. It comes from the Part of our Redemption Story where, in the days just before Redemption, we see--within a period of war—how Jew fights against Jew (Zechariah 14:14).

We are in that ‘period of war against Israel just before Redemption’. We see today how Jews have been accused of murdering Arabs in an Israeli-Arab village called, Duma.  As a result of that accusation, I see Jews torturing Jews in a Jewish prison in Israel.

I see it clearly (Ido Ben Porat, “Cops, ISA [Internal Security Agency] publicly beat Duma suspect, says relative”, Arutz Sheva, December 3, 2015); Hezki Ezra, “Lawyers expose brutal torture against Duma suspects”, Arutz Sheva, December 17, 2015; Uzi Baruch, “Rights group demands Justice Ministry check illegal torture”, Arutz Sheva, December 17, 2015; Eliran Aharon, “Protesters demand Shin Bet stop abusing Jewish prisoners”, Arutz Sheva, December 19, 2015).

On July 31, 2015, an Arab house was fire-bombed by unknown arsonists in Duma. Three Arabs within that house were murdered in that fire. Just hours after the incident, Jewish officials accused ‘Jewish terrorists’ for that crime. They didn’t wait for an investigation. Jewish youth--some married, some minors--were ‘detained’ for the attack.

Imprisoned, several things happened. The religious rights of some detainees were denied to them (Ari Yashar, “Breaking their silence: Mothers of teen Duma suspects to protest”, Arutz Sheva, December 8, 2015). The police used false figures in their initial arrest warrants (Yoni kempinski, “[Israel’s Internal Security Minister] Erdan admits there's no evidence in Duma case”, Arutz Sheva, December 4, 2015). The police offered no evidence to indict them.

Yet, these detainees remain hidden in a Jewish prison. Some cannot see their lawyers. In a democracy, that should be a violation of a prisoner’s legal rights. Some, we have been told, suffer terribly from torture. Can a Jewish State allow that?

This is the vision of Zechariah. Is this what’s happening in Israel?

Through the lens of the vision of Zechariah, I see Jews within the Israeli government working extremely hard to prove to us that they have not tortured any Jews and that they have captured the true perpetrators of the Duma crime. But I also see Jewish officials presenting these detainees to us as guilty without trial, with no evidence offered. Can a Jewish Israel allow this?

Why should Duma make us remember the prophecies of our Tanach? The answer is simple: Israel’s Declaration of Independence declares that this Jewish State of Israel is to be “based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel“ [emphasis mine] (“Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel”, mfa.gov.il, May 14, 1948).

Duma returns us to Israel’s founding document. Duma returns us to our prophets—and to our sense of a Jewish justice as ‘visioned’ by those prophets. Duma reminds us of the ideals embedded in our Declaration of Independence.

This is why Duma is about more than a vision. The prophets referred to in our Declaration of independence spoke words of HaShem. It was He who empowered the prophets. It was He who gave us Jewish justice. 

Duma is a test. The test is, how will we as a nation respond to the Duma case? Will Duma help us heal the soul of Knesset Yisroel (the national transcendent soul of Israel), which has been fractured by disunity? Or, will Duma make that fracture worse?  

I don’t know the truth in this case. I don’t know if interrogators crossed a line into torture. I don’t know if the laws they used to justify their interrogation techniques are simply bad laws. I don’t know why some of the Jewish boys detained for this crime have been prohibited from speaking to their lawyers. I don’t know why some of these boys have had their religious rights stripped from them. I don’t know if a recent ‘film’ of a wedding really does show what we are told it shows (celebrating the murder of the Arab infant in the Duma arson).

As this case unfolds, we may never find the truth. But then, maybe this case isn't about truth.

Maybe, it’s about us. Maybe, it’s about how we work together to create a national unity regarding this case—or how we allow this case to fracture us.

We can create a national unity for this case. We can do that through justice. For example, we must demand justice in the form of due process for these detainees. We must demand justice through a trial in open court where nothing will be hidden. We must demand a full investigation into the treatment of these boys, to discover exactly what happened to them and when those things happened. We must demand to know what medical advice interrogators received regarding these boys—along with if, how and when that advice was followed by interrogators. Finally, we must ask, how does Jewish justice fit into this case?

Duma has happened for a reason. That reason is probably not  simply ‘fact accumulation’ or 'evidence'.

HaShem watches us as we respond to Duma. He watches all of us.

May He bring our Redemption speedily in our time. G-d knows, we need Him.

Kerry’s plan for an Abbas-inspired peace: blame Israel

US Secretary of State John Kerry is a busy man. He works hard for peace.

He works for peace by consoling a rogue Iran (Shianee Mamanglu-Regala, “U.S. accused of bowing to Iran as it seeks to ease visa restrictions while ignoring Tehran nuke violations”, christiantoday, December 23, 2015). He works for peace by listening patiently to a China that spits and threatens (Karthick Arvinth, ”China warns US against 'provocative actions' in South China Sea”, International Business Times, December 22, 2015).

But working ‘with’ China and Iran isn’t Kerry’s first love. His first love is working against Israel.

Here’s how that works:  

-When the 2013-14 peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) began to falter in late 2013, he blamed Israel (Lori Lowenthal Marcus, “Kerry Blames, Threatens Israel if ‘Peace Talks’ Fail”, JewishPress, November 8, 2013).

-When those same peace talks looked like they would collapse, he blamed Israel (“Kerry blames Israel for feared collapse of peace talks”, middle east eye, April 4, 2014).

-When—a few days later--those talks had, basically, collapsed, Kerry blamed Israel (Raphael Ahren, “Kerry focuses blame on Israel for collapse of talks”, Times of Israel, April 8, 2014). He said Israel carried the lion’s share of responsibility for that failure (ibid).

-When it was clear to all that ISIS was spreading like a wildfire across the Levant, Kerry blamed Israel. He said Israel’s failure to close a ‘peace’ deal with Mahmoud Abbas was fuelling ISIS’ spread (Tova Dvroin, “Kerry Blames ISIS on Failure in Israeli Peace Talks”, Arutz Sheva, October 17, 2014).

-When the current wave of Arab terror in Israel was a month old, Kerry blamed Israel for that terror (Lee Smith, “John Kerry Blames Israel For Palestinian Terror”, tablet, October 15, 2015).

In December, 2015, he continues to blame Israel. He’s announced that, because of the failure to achieve ‘peace’ with Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) could collapse (“US Secretary of State Warns of Collapse of Palestinian Authority and Its Consequences”, ndtv, December 6, 2015). If that collapse occurred, PA officials have added, ISIS will take over the PA (Elad Benari, “Erekat: Make peace or ISIS will take over”, Arutz Sheva, December 11, 2015).

This most recent blame-Israel gambit could be Kerry’s best anti-Israel move yet. This ‘PA can collapse’ is no new, crack-pot insanity. It’s a time-tested accusation. It’s been around for more than a decade. Kerry’s contribution to it is, he vaulted it onto the international stage. As soon as he publicized it on December 5-6, 2015, it went viral across the globe. 

  

Here’s a brief history of the ‘blame-Israel-for-a-PA-collapse’ game:

-The PA was going to collapse in in August, 2015 (“US warns Palestinian Authority could collapse following terror ruling”, i24news, August 11, 2015).

-The PA was going to collapse in February, 2015 (Noam Amir, “IDF security assessment: The Palestinian Authority can collapse at any moment”, Jerusalem Post, February 13, 2015).

-The PA was going to collapse in 2014 (Amira Hass, “The Palestinian Authority Is on the Brink of Collapse, Study Says”, Haaretz, March 21, 2014).

-The PA was going to collapse in 2013 (Khaled Elgindyin, “Ramallah Unravels - The Collapse of the Palestinian Authority”, brookings.edu, January 17, 2013).

-The PA was going to collapse in 2011 (Vita Bekker, “Palestinian Authority faces financial collapse”, financialtimes, September 21, 2011).

-The PA was going to collapse in 2009 (Branko Brkic, “Palestinian Authority could collapse if Abbas resigns?”, DailyMaverick, November 10, 2009).

-The PA was going to collapse in 2006 (Charles Levinson, “World Bank: Palestinian Authority faces collapse”, Mail&Guardian, May 8, 2008). 

-The PA was going to collapse in 2004 (“Annan fears Palestinian collapse”, BBCnews, January 28, 2004).

Most of these stories blamed Israel—directly or by suggestion--for a PA collapse. Truly, it’s an accusation that has never gone stale. 

The PA-is-going-to-collapse accusation might become the near-term mantra for Kerry’s ‘blame Israel’ strategy. It’s certainly a wonderful way to work against Israel. As the PA's Erekat suggested (above), blaming Israel for a PA collapse makes Israel the instant villain, who introduces ISIS to subvert peace--and destroy the PA.

That accusation (and ISIS threat) helps Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the PA. For Abbas, ‘peace’ means 'Palestine' replaces Israel (PLO Charter). Therefore, he loves to hear Kerry blame Israel. He believes that the more Kerry blames Israel, the weaker Israel becomes—and the closer Israel gets to ‘disappearing’.

That’s not true. But Abbas doesn’t care about truth. What he cares about is, an Israel that’s been ‘Kerry-ized’ into diplomatic isolation is an Israel ripe for attack.

You see that thought-process unfolding on Israel’s streets. The more Kerry blames Israel, the more confident Abbas becomes that he can kill Jews with impunity. Isn’t that why we’ve seen so many stabbings and car attacks lately against Jews in Israel?

Kerry wants an Abbas ‘peace’. Kerry works hard for that ‘peace’.

He can’t wait to blame Israel.

The tenth of Tevet and modern Israel

The twenty-second day of December, 2015 is also the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tevet. On this day more than 2,500 years ago, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar began a siege of Jerusalem (Rabbi Noah Weinberg, “Siege of Jerusalem”, aish, reprinted in 2015 from December 30, 2000). We remember this day as a day of tragedy for the Jewish people.

But nothing much happened on that first day of siege. There was little damage done (ibid). No Jews were killed (ibid).

If nothing much happened, why do we call this day, ‘tragic’? Why do we remember it by holding a public fast-day in its name every year?

It’s a tragic day for a couple of reasons. First, it led to the destruction of the first Holy Temple in 586 BCE. Second, the siege that began that day lasted perhaps three years and had a horrific ending. Both the Holy Temple and a capital city (Jerusalem) were destroyed.  

Finally, we remember this day because we have come to realize in retrospect that that one day was the beginning of a very long line of disasters for the Jewish people (ibid). These disasters included two exiles, the ultimate destruction of Two Holy Temples (more than 500 years apart) and the murder of countless Jews.

That’s why this day is tragic. It’s why we hold a public fast.

We commemorate this long-ago siege-day of Jerusalem not only for the tragedies that resulted from it then, but also because this one day carries a message that resonates with us today.

That first siege day sent a message to the Jewish people. It was a wake-up call. It signalled that, if a foreign enemy was shutting them in, Jews were not behaving as they should.

It was a reminder that the Jewish people needed to wake up and fix their problems (ibid). They didn’t wake up. They failed. The siege then led to the destruction that followed.

The destruction that fell upon the Jews back then had been avoidable (Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, “Asara BeTeves: An Avoidable Siege”, Torah.org, reprinted from 2013). No destruction would have occurred if the Jewish people had listened to the Prophet Yirmiyahu.

They didn’t listen. They refused to listen (ibid).

Today, we are still under siege. We are still not listening.

We are besieged by Edom, the Christianized West, which leads an anti-Israel diplomatic attack against us. We are besieged by Yishmael, the Arab enemies of Israel who would destroy us and replace us with an Islamic Caliphate. We are besieged by anti-Jewish Jews abroad and in Israel who give aid and comfort to those who would destroy us—and who bring shame to the Jewish nation.

When we fast on this day, we should remember that long-ago wake-up call. We should remember we are surrounded by hate. We should remember we are besieged by Jews who would destroy our religious identity in the name of a Man-made ideology called, ‘democracy’.

Today is not just a day to fast. It’s a day to remember. It’s a moment to understand that when we fail to follow HaShem, the G-d of Israel, we pay a price.

May our fasting bring merit to the nation of Israel. G-d knows, this Jewish nation needs all the help He can give us.

French Jews, American Jews--and Redemption

A Jewish ingathering into Israel from exile is a hallmark of the Jewish Redemption. It’s the ultimate Return to the Jewish Holy Land that was Promised more than 3,300 years ago. It was a Promise made by HaShem, the G-d of Israel.

This Promise was serious. It wasn’t a one-time-offer in our Tanach (the ‘Jewish canon’). It wasn’t mentioned once and then forgotten.

It appears repeatedly. It appears so often, you can’t miss it.

It’s in our Torah (D’varim 30:3-5). It’s repeated at least three times in Yishaiyahu. It’s repeated at least four times in Yirmiyahu—and three more times in Yechzkeil. It appears repeatedly in what’s called, the Trei Assor, a collection of writings of twelve ‘minor’ Prophets.

It’s ubiquitous. It’s in our Tanach. It’s in our daily prayers. We mention our Return every day, three times a day. It’s a Promise that’s with us constantly.

Jews have lived with this Promise since our current exile began in 70 CE. Now, since 1900 CE, this Promise has become reality. 

Look at the numbers. Over the last 115 years, the number of Jews in Israel has jumped dramatically. While it’s difficult to get accurate population numbers for Jews in Israel in 1900, it seems reasonable to say there were perhaps 60,000-70,000 Jews in Israel in 1900 (this figure seems a fair compromise taken from available data; most data do not report 1900 population figures; most report 1915 when, most say, there were some 83,000-85,000 Jews in Israel).

Today, there are more than 6.3 million Jews in Israel. That’s close to a 7000 per cent increase.

One might argue that no other country has experienced that kind of growth for the same time period (this excludes growth-through-conquest). Israel’s Jewish growth is a miracle, especially when you consider Arab progroms, wars, suicide bombings and intifadas against Jewish Israel.

Within our Jewish Heritage, there is a concept called, HaShem’s Shechinah (G-d’s ‘presence’). Originally, that Shechinah dwelled on the Temple Mount, our Har HaBayit, the Home of the Holy Temple. When the Second Temple was destroyed (70 CE), the Shechinah left the Temple Mount.

It followed the Jews into exile. Wherever it rested, Jews were protected. When it ‘removed’, HaShem’s Protection no longer covered the Jewish people. The result was Jewish suffering.

Today, many say that HaShem’s Shechinah is withdrawing from exile. As that happens, exile becomes increasingly dangerous for Jews.

They say the Shechinah returns to Israel. Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen so many miracles surrounding the creation and survival of the State of Israel. Perhaps that’s why Arabs cannot drive us away. Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen such an ingathering since 1900.

Here are some numbers. In an 1897 Russian census, there were perhaps 5,100,000 Jews in Russia (“Population—Jewish over the centuries”, strangeside.com/population-jewish-over-the-centuries, no date). Today, there are perhaps 186,000 Jews in Russia. The Shechinah withdraws from Russia.

In 1900 Europe, the total European Jewish population appears to have been 8,977,581 (Joseph Jacobs, “Statistics,” Jewishencyclopedia: The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, 2011). Today, it’s closer to 1,400,000 (“Vital Statistics: Jewish Population of the World”, JewishVirtualLibrary, ‘Europe’, 2014). The Shechinah withdraws from Europe.

This precipitous drop in Europe’s Jewish population, 1900-2014 is not simply due to the Holocaust, 1940-1945. In 1950, the earliest post-war census available, there were 3,500,000 Jews (9,500,000 before Hitler) remaining in Europe (“Jewish population of Europe in 1945”, Holocaust Enclyopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, August 18, 2015). This represented a 60 per cent drop in the Jewish population, due to the Holocaust. But since that census, the Jewish population has dropped another 60 per cent, to 1,400,000. The Shechinah withdraws from Europe.

That withdrawal continues in France. It leaves French Jews vulnerable.

France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community, 450,000+ Jews. But anti-Semitism in France has reached such a level that a super-majority of these French Jews now considers aliyah to Israel (Shimon Cohen, “80% of French Jews considering aliyah”, Arutz Sheva, November 16, 2015). Today, French Jews ‘get it’. The Shechinah no longer protects them.

French Jews feel the ‘vacuum of hate’ that spills onto them as the Shechinah withdraws. They know the time has come to Return.

Through this awakening of the Jews of France, the Promised Ingathering accelerates. Because of the Jews of France, Redemption draws closer.

Few think about France. Most think about America. They talk primarily about America’s Jews.

But with French Jewry starting to commit to Israel, it’s beginning to look like our focus on America’s Jews could be misplaced. America’s Jews don't come to Israel. They back away from Israel.

Instead of talking about those who back away from us, we should be talking about the Jewish community of France. We should be marveling at how these French Jews could create the ‘critical mass’ needed to trigger the Jewish Redemption. We should look at these brave Jews and ask, can the French ingathering trigger the Redemption? 

Stay tuned. This movie has just begun.

UN neglects reality by obsessing over Israel

The UN lies. It does not specialize in helping humanity. It pursues a different specialty. 

It demonizes Israel. It loves to attack Israel for defending itself against an unending series of Arab anti-Israel terror campaigns. 

The UN is truly obsessed about Israel. It can't condemn Israel enough.

From the way the UN behaves towards Israel, you'd think the Arab-Israel conflict was the only conflict in the world. You'd think the Arab-Israel war was the only terror hot-spot in the world.

If you thought that, however, you'd be wrong. Outside Israel, there are terror hot-spots that threaten to tear apart Africa and the Arab-Levant. Outside Israel, the world threatens to explode from terror attacks.  

You can see how terror outside Israel really lights up the world in this 3:50 minute video below. You can see, in other words, how psychotic the world's supposedly 'humanitarian' activists are: they ignore explosive terror to bash a tiny (but Jewish) Israel.

In this video, you'll see a 15-year time-lapse presentation of terror attacks world-wide. These attacks appear on a world map in the form of yellow flashes in varying degrees of brightness. The brighter the flash, the greater the fatalities of a terror attack.

Israel is app in the middle of the map. Israel is practically invisible on the map. The large flashes (representing major terror attacks) that are near Israel are generally not in Israel.  Mostly, they occur in Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya.

According to this map and its graphics, Israel is a shockingly small hot-spot when it comes to terror in the world. More terror against humanity occurs outside Israel than in Israel--or the Palestinian Authority. 

You will also notice that the map begins to light up with terror towards the end of 2009. From that point, you can see how brightly and how often terror-flashes explode. 

The UN must have missed all that. It was too busy attempting to criminalize Israel (the 2009 Goldstone Report, the 2014 Gaza war and the 2015 Gaza Report) to notice. It was too busy inviting the Jew-hating 'Palestine' to become a UN Member (2012, 2013).

The UN's obsession over Israel is a self-defeating delusion. The UN behaves towards Israel like a doctor obsessing over a paper-cut while his body is being ravaged by cancer.

We all know how that medical delusion will work out. Don't think the UN's Israel-delusion would be any different. It won't. 

The video is called, "15 years of terror   a time-lapse map". Take a look:

UN Humanitarians have a clear agenda. They are not interested in humanity. If they were, they'd go after the real terror hot-spots--in Africa, the Indian sub-continent and the Arab-Levant. 

The UN won't do that. Their agenda has only one focus: to de-legitimize the world's only Jewish State. 

This isn't news. The world has carried this delusion for more than 2,000 years. It's as strong as it's ever been.

Why would the UN work so hard to harm the world's only Jewish State when there's so much horror and pain in the rest of the world?  You tell me.

As you saw in the dramatized map above, The world burns from terror attacks. The UN doesn't care. It just wants to attack the Jewish State. 

At least, that's the way it seems.

Watch: UN gets F for performance, A for Israel-bashing

The UN is supposed to protect humanity. But the UN has a problem. It doesn’t do that. It fails.

It ignores the bad guys. It condemns the good guys.

For example, if you’re a Jewish nation, you are not protected. Israel, the world’s only Jewish State, is also the only democracy in the Middle East. Its Arab population has more legal rights than Arabs have in any Arab nation in the world. But Israel is nonetheless condemned at the UN’s Human Rights Council more than all other nations combined. The UN ignores Arab countries where Rights violations are far, far worse than anything found in Israel.

If you’re a Christian, you are not protected. We know this because Christians are harrassed and abuse by 151 countries (Nelson Jones, “Are Christians really the world’s most persecuted religious group?”, NewStatesman, April 10, 2014). Among these, there are 50 countries—perhaps 25 per cent of the planet—where  the persecution of Christians is particularly severe and often unrelenting (World Watch List, opendoorsusa.org, 2015).

The Palestinian Authority persecutes Christians. It's on the list of the 50 worst countries (World Watch List, above). It ranks 26^th for persecuting Christians (ibid). Israel does not appear on that list.

But at the UN, the PA is not condemned for abusing Christians. Israel is condemned (Benjamin Weinthal, “UN report blasts Iran for persecution of Christians, other religious minorities”, FoxNews, March 21, 2014).

The UN fails to protect Christians. It fails to condemn the bad guys.

If you are a woman, you are not protected. Around the world, women face serious abuse issues (“The World's Women 2010, Trends and Statistics”, Department of Economics and Social Affairs, United Nations, 2010, pp 127-138). Women in many nations are repeatedly subjected to violence (ibid).

Israel is not one of those nations where violence against women is a significant problem. But Israel is the only nation in the world to be condemned by the UN over women’s rights (Itamar Eichner, “Israel only nation condemned in UN for women's right violations”, YNETnews, March 20, 2015).

This week, we saw the UN at work once again abusing the world’s only Jewish state—while ignoring the bad guys. In a new press release, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)  shows how it ignores Arab terror and expresses ‘serious concern’ over Israel’s right to defend itself (“Press briefing note on Burundi, Israel / Occupied Palestinian Territory, Cuba and High Commissioner speeches”, United Nations Human Rights Council, ohchr.org,  December 15, 2015).

In this press release, the UNHRC says it continues to be “gravely concerned” at the unrelenting violence it sees in Israel and in Judea-Samaria (ibid).

This sounds appropriate. Jews in Israel know exactly what ‘unrelenting violence’ means. In a single 120-day period ending December 13, 2015, Jews in Israel saw 169 violent Arab attacks against Jews (Tova Dvorin, “In numbers: 22 dead, 252 injured in 3 months of terror”, Arutz Sheva, December 15, 2015). That adds up to more than one violent attack every day for three months straight.

During this same 120 days, Arabs attacked Jews with rocks more than 24 times per day (“Ari Yashar, “2,225 rock attacks in the last three months”, Arutz Sheva, December 16, 2015).

These are good definitions of ‘unrelenting violence’ against Jews. But that’s not what concerns the UNHRC.

The UNHRC press release acknowledges that the current wave of Arab stabbings, shootings and car rammings against Jews is unacceptable (ibid). But that’s not what concerns the UNHRC.

The UNHRC press release acknowledges that Jews have been murdered by Arabs at an alarming rate (ibid). But that’s not what concerns the UNHRC.

What concerns the UNHRC is what you see in this video:

The Arab ‘youth’ in this video slashes at IDF soldiers with intense aggressiveness, great speed and unpredictable movements. He only stops his attack when he is shot and killed.

Generally, police and security personnel are trained to shoot until the attacker stops (“The use of deadly force”, chiefsview, March 5, 2013). That’s exactly what you see in this video. Yes, he is shot multiple times. But if you look closely at the tape, he continues to move while on the ground—until he stops moving. That’s when the shooting stops.

Was this ‘excessive force’? Or, was it legal 'lethal force'? Does the UNHRC know the difference?

The UNHRC says this type of response from Israeli security forces has resulted in “alleged” (sic) attackers being killed and injured (ibid). The UNHRC adds that it voices “deep concern over reports of excessive use of force by Israeli forces” (ibid).

What is 'excessive force'? Does the UNHRC have the training and expertise to define ‘excessive force’ for such a close-quarters-aggressive attack as you just saw? 

Have you ever been confronted by an aggressive, slashing, fast-moving attacker who has already stabbed the man standing right next to you? Do you know the police protocol for that scenario? Does the UNHRC? 

The UNHRC applies a ‘20/20 hindsight’ thought-process to an extraordinarily intense and dangerous situation. That is not how ‘excessive force’ is determined.

A knife can be as deadly as a gun. An edged weapon "can amputate body parts, puncture entrails, slice arteries and veins, and with a hard thrust the point of an edged weapon can penetrate body armor as simply as a butter knife slices through butter”, (Paul Pawela, “Rethinking Knife Training”, policemag, September 17, 2009).

As you saw in this video, the attacker didn’t just display a deadly weapon. He pulled out that weapon and stabbed a soldier. Then he lunged at the other soldiers. He stabbed while moving with speed and unpredictable changes of direction.

These soldiers faced a situation that was violent, life-threatening and rapidly evolving. The attacker posed an immediate threat to the safety of each soldier he attacked. Each of these soldiers had to make a split-second judgment as to how much force to use against someone who gave them no space or time for safety. In such a dynamic situation, they had the right to shoot (“Edged weapon defense: is or was the 21-foot Rule Valid?”, usadojo.com, 2014)--and to shoot multiple times.

One has legitimate grounds to argue that those soldiers have the right to shoot until the attacker stops moving.

Has the UNHRC redefined this standard? Who accepts such a redefined standard--human rights activists or national security forces?

Does UNHRC have the expertise to redefine security force law--or is it simply using its bully pulpit to question Israel’s right to follow accepted security protocol to defend itself?

The UN does not protect humanity. It certainly doesn’t protect Jews—or Christians. It defends and shields the bad guys.

The UN fails.

The Palestinian benefits of genocide

Genocide is an international crime. It’s unspeakably evil. It’s a crime against all of humanity.

Genocide means one group seeks to destroy another group. It’s a form of communal hate. It means individuals will be murdered not because they have committed a crime, but because they are members of a hated group.

Genocide is committed not only by leaders’ orders or armies. It’s also committed by private individuals (Article IV, Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948).

Genocide does not happen in a vacuum (Itamar Marcus, “The Genocide Mechanism”, Jerusalem Post, April 26, 2009). The hate of a population anxious to murder others needs to be stoked and nurtured (ibid). In addition, genocide must offer some kind of benefit (ibid). Without that benefit, it might not get popular support (ibid).

The Palestinian Authority (PA) offers its citizens a ‘genocide-benefit’. In the PA, those who commit acts of genocide against Jews receive two concrete benefits: fame and money.

Those who attack Jews can become famous. Those who die during such attacks become even more famous.  Statutes, public memorial plaques, football teams, tournaments, schools, public buildings, roads and stadiums are named after those who are killed trying to kill Jews.

Jew-killers (successful or not) who are killed during their attacks aren’t called criminals; they’re called national heroes. They’re called religious ‘martyrs’.

If their death was spectacular enough, new-born Arab babies will be named after them. They will receive pubic burial attended by national officials. Headlines will lionize them because, the PA says, they have died for their religion.

PA culture and education do little to prepare PA youth for the future. Schools promote genocide, not career or higher education. Unemployment is high. Wages are low. PA youth have no future—but not because of Israeli ‘occupation’. Israel treats Arabs better than any Arab country in the world.

PA youth have no future because the PA doesn’t give them a future. It gives them hate.

Normally, hate can’t feed a family. But PA hate does. Individual acts of genocide in the PA don’t just bring fame (above). They also bring money--because Jew-killing is like winning the lottery. 

This is why you’ll see videos of attacks by Arab youth that look incredibly stupid. For example, you might see a 16-20 year-old with a knife running wildly at three or four heavily armed and padding-protected Israeli soldiers.

These attacks are not stupid. They are financial investments.

In a culture where you’ve got no real education, no job prospects and no future, attacking Jews is a ticket to income stability, economic security and official PA support to your survivors if you die. There is no finer financial opportunity in the PA.

Murdering Jews pays (Ted Poe, “Crime pays ‑ for Palestinian terrorists”, Jerusalem Post, March 18, 2014). The PA pays salaries to all who try to kill Jews (“PA daily: PA pays salaries to prisoners, released prisoners, prisoners’ families, and families of martyrs”, Palestinian Media Watch [pmw], October 8, 2014).

The salaries paid to these lucky few are substantial by PA standards. According to one report, terrorists in Israeli prisons receive a higher average salary than PA civil servants and military personnel (Itamar Marcus, Nan Jaques Zilberdik, “Palestinian Authority Paying Salaries to Terrorists with U.S. Money”, gatestoneinstitute, July 28, 2011). Here’s the breakdown, as of 2011:

Average monthly salary:

Civil Servants recipients receive an average salary of 2882NIS/month;

PA military personnel receive an average salary of 2,704NIS/month;

A PA Arab in an Israeli prisoner for murdering a Jew receives an average salary of 3,129NIS/month.

There’s also a cash-incentive plan. The more Jews you kill, the more cash you’ll get (ibid).

The PA analyzes the details of each terrorist attack (Edwin Black, “Abbas' PA Pays Prisoners Salaries According To How Many Israelis They Murder”, militantIslammonitor.org, February 8, 2015). Senior PA officials--as high as President Mahmoud Abbas—study the specific carnage caused by each terrorist act (ibid). PA leaders then approve ‘appropriate’ salaries and honorary ranks in either the PA government or the military (ibid).

In 2014, the perennially cash-strapped PA paid out something like $3-7 million USD a month as salaries and other financial rewards to terrorists and their families (ibid).

This policy of putting terrorists on the official PA payroll is part of a PA law called, the ‘Palestinian Law of the Prisoner’ (Ted Poe, above). That law gives a financial incentive to genocide. That law institutionalizes the ‘genocide-benefit’.

That law does something else: because the PA has so enshrined these rewards into its law, a US Federal Court, in February 2015, found the PA guilty of officially supporting terrorism (“Jury Finds Palestinian Authority Liable for Intifada Terror”, thecounterjihadreport, February 23, 2015). You may remember this case. The Judge handed down a verdict against the PA which required it to pay victims more than 280 million dollars. That amount was then almost tripled because of the terror aspect of the case.

The Court found that the PA offered direct financial support to individuals convicted on terrorism charges. It also found that the PA pays families of PA Arabs killed during terrorist attacks. The Court ruled that such activities make the PA liable for damages for attacks during which PA terrorists killed and wounded Americans (ibid).

The Pa suffers heavy unemployment and serious economic uncertainty. These killer-martyr payments offer the greatest economic security a family can earn. Martyrdom and Jew-killing bring far greater economic benefit to a deprived family than education.

In America, you can achieve instant financial security by winning a lottery. But the actual chances of winning a big American lottery are probably something like 700,000-to-one.

PA genocide-by-private-individual is different. In the PA, individual genocide means your chance of winning financial security for yourself or your survivors is close to 100 per cent. All you have to do is attack a Jew with a knife.

PA genocide committed by a private individual works because it pays. It’s the ‘genocide-benefit’. The longer it pays, the longer the terror will continue.