'JEW NEWS' WEEKEND ROUNDUP

1. Rav Lau Cautious on Papal Visit

by Hillel Fendel

Israel’s former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau explains Pope Benedicts’s two “mistakes” and how he differs from the last pope – but says we shouldn’t rebuff his visit to Israel.

Speaking with Arutz-7’s Hebrew department, Rabbi Lau, now the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, said:

‘The current pope is totally different than his predecessor. John Paul II was a bishop in Krakow during the Holocaust, saw the Holocaust with his own eyes, and did not agree to baptize any Jewish child given over by his parents to Polish neighbors or to a church for safekeeping. He said, ‘We owe a debt to our older brother, the Jewish People.’ These are facts; I can even name names."

“But the current pope was born in Germany and was a member of the Hitler Youth," the rabbi said. "I don’t know if he was in the German Army, but his background is totally different than that of his predecessor.”

The Vatican’s official biography for Pope Benedict XVI states, “During the last months of the war he was enrolled in an auxiliary anti-aircraft corps.” His Wikipedia entry states, “he was drafted at age 16 into the German anti-aircraft corps. [ then trained in the German infantry, but a subsequent illness precluded him from the usual rigours of military duty.”

The Pope's Two Grave Mistakes

Rabbi Lau, himself a child survivor of the Holocaust, stated that the current Pope “made two grave mistakes, in my opinion, in his relations with us over the past year, casting a shadow over the entire issue. First, he agreed to reinstate Bishop Richard Williamson, who denied the Holocaust, and who said there was no systematic murder of Jews. [Williamso said that what happened was that ‘only’ 200 to 300,000 Jews died in the war, but not in the Holocaust, because he says there was no Holocaust. He also said there were no gas chambers. The pope agreed to reinstate him after he apologized – but even then he didn’t retract his words, but said only that he wouldn’t have said them if would have known that they would offend his friends in the Church…”

Pope Benedict’s second grave error, Rabbi Lau said, “was at the Durban II conference two weeks ago. Everyone knew that it would be a stage for incitement against Israel and that the star would be [Iranian President Mah Ahmadinejad… But despite this, the pope announced that his representatives would attend and that he blesses the participants. Many countries boycotted the conference, including the U.S., Poland and Germany, but the pope sent a delegation. The European delegates who were there left the hall when Ahmadinejad spoke – but not the pope’s delegates. They remained there throughout the whole speech.”

Despite the above, Rabbi Lau says, “We must not rebuff the visit. We need not bend over backwards or flatter him, but it should not be rejected. This is a visit initiated by the pope himself so that he can follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. We must welcome him, if only for the fact that millions of Jews still live in the Diaspora, and many of them in places where the Catholic Church is strong, such as Latin America, Poland, Ukraine and elsewhere. We must not give our enemies ammunition or pour fuel on the fire; we must not endanger even one Jew.”

2. Another Cash Infusion for Hamas
by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

For the second time in two months, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has approved the transfer of millions of dollars in cash to banks under the Hamas regime in Gaza. Kibbutz activists are attempting to prevent the cash infusion, while a legal forum observes that Netanyahu had previously opposed the very same policy by the Olmert government.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu instructed officials to authorize the transfer of 54 million shekels (12 million U.S. dollars) from banks in the Judea and Samaria half of the Palestinian Authority to banks in the Hamas-controlled PA in Gaza. The authorization was issued just after talks between the Prime Minister and Tony Blair, the lead envoy of the Quartet (the U.S., the European Union, Russia and the United Nations).

The ostensible purpose of the monies to be sent to Gaza banks is to help pay the salaries of PA employees in the region. However, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' spokespersons say that the sum covers only a quarter of the needed monthly payments.

Kibbutz Movement and Land of Israel Forum Oppose

In reaction to the decision to send money into institutions under the Hamas regime, activists from the Kibbutz movement blocked Erez Crossing into Gaza on Thursday. Kibbutz activists said they would do what they could to block physical access to Gaza, in the hopes of preventing the influx of cash. Their primary demand is that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held captive and incommunicado by Hamas since 2006, be given treatment equal to that accorded PA prisoners in Israeli jails before any further money ends up in Hamas-controlled territory.

The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, meanwhile, has requested that the Israeli government halt the money transfer altogether. "All the cash which enters the Gaza Strip adds up to the cash balance of the branches of the banks, which absorb the money," said Nachi Eyal, the Legal Forum's General Director. "The cash finds its way to the whole banking system in Gaza, including the National Islamic Bank which Hamas opened last month."

This means, Eyal continued, "that the government of Israel is lending a hand to the strengthening of Hamas, and is aiding the terrorist organization which seeks [Israel' destruction by, amongst other things, providing salaries to the Hamas personnel." Of more concern is that "the cash is used to pay for the goods smuggled through the tunnels of the Philadelphi line, and perhaps even for the weapons which will return to Israel, mostly to Sderot, Ashkelon and the belt around Gaza, in the form of Kassam rockets."

Not the First Time

The Legal Forum director added that Netanyahu, who had previously opposed such transfers, received a mandate from the public to lead the government in a different direction than that espoused in the previous administration, "in which Israel subsidized Hamas."

But this month's planned cash transfer to the Hamas regime is not Netanyahu's first. In April, the government authorized the transfer of an identical sum of 12 million dollars to Gaza's banks. That transfer also received its final approval from Netanyahu following a meeting with Blair at which the PA's need for back salaries was outlined. 

3. European Shechita in Danger
by Hillel Fendel

Despite the EU Parliament's vote Wednesday to legalize “shechita,” the Jewish method of humane animal slaughter is still very much in danger.

It was reported on Thursday that the European Jewish Community “hailed” the European Parliament’s vote to legalize the traditional Jewish method of slaughter into European law. However, it was later clarified that in fact, the Parliament only has consultative status in this case, and that the European Union’s Council of Agricultural Ministers will have the final say when it convenes next month.

“Shechita,” as the Jewish method of animal slaughter is referred to in Hebrew, is currently forbidden in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania; Switzerland permits shechita for poultry only. Switzerland and Norway are not member nations of the EU.



Though the EU Parliament vote represents a significant victory for the coalition of the European Jewish Congress, as well the Conference of European Rabbis and Shechita EU, the fight is far from over. The Parliament resolved only to “introduce laws” that would be binding across Europe to allow animal slaughter "in accordance with religious rites.”

However, the final text of the proposed amendment to EU law will be brought before the above-mentioned Council in June – but not necessarily in a manner favorable to Jewish interests. The Council, which will convene on June 22-23 in Brno, Czech Republic, will vote on a proposal to require that all animals be pre-stunned before slaughter.

If the regulation passes, EU Member States would ban a practice that has been governed by halakhah (Jewish Law) and observed by Jews for thousands of years. Pre-stunning is forbidden by Jewish Law, and thus a ban on kosher slaughter in the European Union may be a reality as of next month.

A spokesperson for the European Jewish Congress, which has been spearheading efforts to legalize shechita all across Europe, confirmed to Israel National News that “only if the Council decides to pass exactly the same proposal as amended by the Parliament will this change of legalization take place.” The spokesperson further acknowledged that though the Council must take the Parliament vote into account, it is “unlikely” that the same vote will pass in the Council.

"The regulation must not be drafted to allow Governments in Europe to threaten our culture and our freedom to observe our religion," said Philip Carmel of the Conference of European Rabbis. "We will be working very closely with Member States to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all Jewish communities in Europe when they agree upon the final text in June."

Rabbi Michael Melchior, former chief rabbi of Norway and a former Knesset Member, has said that kosher slaughter is more humane than the more common methods of animal slaughter. "The shechitah process ensures that the animal loses consciousness immediately," he explained. "We have been dealing with this issue for many years, and there are many scientific studies that back us up."

The anti-shechita campaign has been viewed as anti-Semitic by many Jews in Europe. When Holland outlawed the kosher slaughter of large bulls in 2002, Rabbi Melchior responded, "They simply don't want foreigners, and they don't want Jews. I won't say this is the only motivation, but it's certainly no coincidence that one of the first things Nazi Germany forbade was kosher slaughter.”

“I also know,” the rabbi said, “that during the original debate on this issue in Norway, where shechitah has been banned since 1930, one of the parliamentarians said straight out, 'If they don't like it, let them go live somewhere else.'" 

4. AIPAC Blasted Over PA State
by Gil Ronen

The largest pro-Israel lobby group in the U.S., the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is coming under fire from both left and right for the position it has adopted regarding a possible PA state. In the group’s conference this past week, AIPAC delegates were asked to endorse two congressional letters that express unequivocal support for a “viable Palestinian state” while insisting that PA terror come to an “absolute” stop.

According to a report on JTA, the move by AIPAC was an attempt to find a “middle road” and reconcile differences between the U.S. and Israeli governments over the idea of a “Palestinian state.”

In a statement, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) said it “opposes this move by AIPAC because supporting or promoting a Palestinian Arab state under prevailing conditions is seriously mistaken and because AIPAC is thereby supporting a major policy affecting Israel's vital interests despite the fact that the Israeli government has not supported such a policy.”

“ZOA is mystified that AIPAC is supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state despite the fact that Mahmoud Abbas refuses to accept Israel as a Jewish state and other PA leaders refuse to accept Israel at all,” the press release said. “AIPAC has always said that it supports the policies of the Israeli government, but it now supports a Palestinian state while the Netanyahu government has taken no such position,” it added.



ZOA called AIPAC’s letter-endorsement campaign “especially troubling” because it promotes Palestinian statehood while Mahmoud Abbas refuses to accept Israel or even to depict the country on PA maps; continues to permit incitement to hatred and murder of Jews in the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps; does not arrest and jail terrorists; retains the Fatah Constitution’s calls for terrorism and Israel’s destruction; and honors vile terrorists.



Peace Now, Too

From the other end of the Jewish political spectrum, Americans for Peace Now encouraged activists to call lawmakers and to say one of four pre-worded sentences, including, “I am pro-Israel, and I want you to support the Obama administration’s peace efforts in the Middle East" and, “I am pro Israel, and I want you to support the president’s effort to open the window for responsible engagement with a Palestinian unity government.” 

5. Call for Mass Attack in US
by IsraelNN staff

Al-Jazeera recently aired footage of Kuwaiti professor Abdallah al-Nafisi. In the video, translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Nafisi expresses ardent support for terrorism, and suggests that terrorists use biological warfare against the United States in order to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians.


Nafisi also suggests that Muslims pray for the success of white supremacist groups that seek to carry out attacks within the U.S.

In addition, Nafisi attacks those in the Arab world who he perceives as traitors, to laughter and applause from his audience. Among those in the Arab world who should be silenced using “any means possible” are journalists who oppose terrorism, anyone who supports dialogue with Jews, and senior Palestinian Authority officials Saeb Erekat and Mahmoud Dahlan, Nafisi says.

One group that has won Nafisi's support is Hamas. According to Nafisi, Hamas' virtue is made clear by the fact that its politicians are personally involved in attacking Israel.

Another group Nafisi praises is Hizbullah, which he claims has advanced weapons laboratories and even exports weapons to eastern Europe.

6. PA Arabs Want Pope on Their Side
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Arabs in eastern Jerusalem told Reuters they intend to exploit next weeks’ papal visit to involve the Pope in a “war for each piece of land…every tile in the house” in the capital. The statements add evidence to charges

 that the Pope’s visit already is involved more with politics than religion.

Adnan Husseini, former director-general of the Muslim Waqf department in Jerusalem and now special advisor to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, told the news agency, "There is a battle on every piece of land in Jerusalem. In every room, every house in Jerusalem there is a battle.”

He said he will tell the German-born Pope about what he calls “harsh” Israel policies, which include demolitions of illegally-built Jewish and Arab homes alike. Husseini said he wants to get the Pope actively involved because he is sure the United States, which has criticized the demolitions, is not “capable of putting pressure on Israel.

Pro-Arab activists complain that existing legislation, which bars people from rights in the city if absent for more than seven years, is aimed at Arabs. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat recently announced a new building plan that provides new housing units for Arabs, but Husseini charged that if the municipality were serious, it would not demolish existing units.



The Vatican already has run into a political minefield with statements from its veteran diplomat, Cardinal Renato Martino, during the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign in Gaza, which he compared with a Nazi camp. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor responded, “We are astounded to hear from a spiritual dignitary words that are so far removed from truth and dignity.”

A sharper reaction came from Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who stated that the clergyman’s comments are like others “used against Israel by terrorist organizations and Holocaust deniers.”

Intentions by Arabs to exploit the Pope’s visit were made clear last month, when Arab Catholics visited the Vatican and gave him a black and white checkered keffiyah, the Arab scarf that is associated with Yasser Arafat. The Pope obligingly wore the scarf while talking with the Arab delegation.



Other planned stop filled with political innuendo is a trip to the Arab city of Sakhnin in the Galilee, where the town mayor in January led inciting crowds against the Operation Cast Lead campaign. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov has unsuccessful tried to convince the Vatican to avoid meeting the mayor because of his “support for terror.”



Israel has succeeded in changing the itinerary so that the Pope will not be able be photographed at the separation barrier, one of the favorite targets for anti-Zionists who call it the Apartheid Wall. Palestinian Authority legislator Essa Qaraqie said Thursday that the papal entourage will pass near the barrier but that military officials prohibited Arabs from building a stage.

The last time a pope visited Israel was in 2000, several months before the outbreak of the Oslo War, also known as the Second Intifada. The visit by Pope John-Paul II, who was born Karol Józef Wojtyla, also was laced with politics.

Shortly before the pope arrived, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem told an Italian newspaper, “Too many lies about the Holocaust, Wojtyla free us from the Jews. Six million Jews dead? No way, they were much fewer. Let's stop with this fairytale exploited by Israel to capture international solidarity. It is not my fault if Hitler hated Jews; indeed they were hated a little everywhere. Instead, it is necessary to denounce the unjust occupation endured by my people. Tomorrow I will ask John Paul II… to support our cause.” 

7. Supreme Court Avoids Jewish Law
by Maayana Miskin

The Supreme Court rarely makes use of Jewish law in its rulings, according to a study released this week. The study found that Supreme Court President Justice Dorit Beinisch was the most averse to using Jewish sources.

The study was conducted by Doctor Yuval Sinai of Yishma, the Implementation of Hebrew Law group at Netanya Academic College.

Dr. Sinai found that the frequency at which Jewish law was used as a source when deciding cases varied widely, depending on the judge in question. Justice Elyakim Rubenstein was most likely to quote Jewish sources, Sinai found, and did so in 77 rulings, which constituted 27 percent of his total rulings.

Court President Dorit Beinisch, on the other extreme, quoted a Jewish source in just a single ruling. “Not only that, but she clearly took efforts to avoid quoting Biblical verses or Talmudic sources in her rulings,” Sinai said. In addition, he said, Beinisch expressed displeasure on at least one occasion with Rubenstein's use of Biblical verse in his verdicts.

Deputy-President, Justice Eliezer Rivlin was also unlikely to quote Jewish sources, and has done so only twice, Sinai found.

Sinai also examined the behavior of past judges and found that Justices Jacob Turkel and Mishael Cheshin were both relatively likely to quote Jewish sources, with 18 percent and 12 percent of their rulings respectively citing Jewish law. Former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak quoted Jewish law in six percent of his rulings.

Jewish law is one of the sources to which justices are asked to refer, along with international law, treaties signed by Israel, and legal precedent in other countries.

The Supreme Court, as the High Court of Justice, has often been asked to rule on subjects relating to Jewish practice in the state of Israel, such as the question of whether conversions performed by non-orthodox Jewish groups should be recognized as valid for purposes of aliyah (immigration), whether same-sex marriages performed abroad will be recognized in Israel, and whether Christians of Jewish descent who consider themselves Jewish should be allowed to immigrate to Israel as Jews.

Comments

[katman]

it is interesting how the stock market S and P 500 hit the number 666, not once but twice before it went back up. nice place to call a bottom..

[K-Sensor]

Good idea doing the round up. Maybe this should be the name and direction of your site, the the war on deception is also fitting.

Regarding the Pope, we all know the Catholic Church is thick with the Jewry. It can only be seen as Order Out of Chaos.

[katman]

the pope is nothing more than the modern day incarnation of the high priest of dagon, the fish god of babylon that started around the time of nimrod the great hunter, the great grandson of noah.

[Z.O.G.]

Uh-oh, katman, you'd better watch out! Now roscoe is going to excommunicate you!

:-D

[katman]

http://www.infowars.com/top-nazis-planned-eu-style-fourth-reich/

here you go peter. its those wascally nazis. they are at fault for the problems of this world. no why peter? because alex jones and his helpers say so. patriotards , oh patriotards. why do you listen to this man? why?

[Wolf]

What self respecting "National" socialist would envision an economic union where Germany would lose control of her currency?

A union that would be the leading proponent of Holocaust denial laws?

A union that would be dominated by Jewish banking families?

A union that would turn a blind eye to mass third world Muslim mud immigration?

A union on the verge of allowing Turkey full membership?

Alex Jones if a fucking liar.

[katman]

some of the tards are starting to see it now, wolf. jones is coming out of the closet, him and that little jew helper of his, the sayanim, jason bermas and the other little english jew helper of his, paul joseph watson. maybe as is typical behavior for jews, they are getting just a tad too pushy and are not having any sense of timing, etc. stadtmiller always tries to say that in so many words his station is different, etc. but what pisses me off royally, is that he gets his news feed from infowars. i mean what the hell. can't these people do their own research for crying out loud. it is a insult. he says well he is not in the business of scaring people, yet he does the same thing as GCN. good grief....

[Z.O.G.]

The "Red House Report" is a complete hoax.

Paul Jewseph Watson based his entire article on a Jew hoax.

LOL