On the 1st April 2015, Iraqi born British Pro-Israel activist Orim Shimshon came to visit Israel and we invited him to give a talk to a room full of other Pro-Israel activists and followers of his activism. In addition there were 2 other speakers at the small private event which was hosted by Bat Zion Susskind, Mr Tom Trento founder of the "United West" as well as Mr Jeremy Dery, an ex-Likud representative who used to work with Israeli Druze politician Ayoob Kara.

If you have some time then I suggest you listen to these talks



Orim Shimshon (Ayman Shalash)



Tom Trento



Jeremy Dery



Pics of the event

An Op-Ed by Ianiv Lowy

Ianiv Lowy is an Israeli born Canadian citizen. He has a Masters degree in Government, Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security studies from the IDC in Herzliyah Israel. To contact him please send emails to ianivl3@gmail.com








When you speak with the average Israeli, they almost tend to go silent on the matter of who the last effective Prime Minister was in terms of Israel’s security and use of military resources. Perhaps it is because they live in the moment and for the moment, and Ariel Sharon is unfortunately infamously known as the Prime Minister that unilaterally withdrew all Israeli settlements and military positions from the Gaza Strip. This ultimately led to the situation today with Hamas ruling the enclave and if not launching themselves, allowing other terror groups in the strip to freely launch rockets into neighboring Israeli towns and cities. It would be easy to contest and say it wasn’t entirely Sharon’s doing for the situation today, considering how the Bush administration was so keen on seeing that their “road map to peace” plan go into effect and allow elections openly knowing Hamas wouldn’t play by the rules of democratic elections. That discussion can go on for ages and should be left for another day. The issue at stake is today’s situation, and how Israel should handle the recent spate of events unfolding including the recent kidnapping and murdering of three Israeli teens in Hebron as well as the continuous rocket barrage from Gaza. With that being said, no Prime Minister proved as effective as Ariel Sharon when it came to silencing the terrorists.



We tend to quickly forget who was almost single-handedly responsible for ending the 2nd Intifada and silencing the Palestinian terrorist groups. Before him both Benyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak faced early elections because they couldn’t handle the heat. Then came Ariel Sharon, and he put into effect immediate harsh measures. Those measures need to be put back on the table. Netanyahu needs to remember what Israel was like when it faced a serious threat greater than today with suicide bombers causing mass casualties. While the situation right now is a serious threat, it is on a fairly lower scale than what was during the 2nd Intifada and that plays to Israel’s advantage, because Netanyahu needs to just flex that same muscle and it would guarantee the silence he is requesting of Hamas. Amassing troops along the Gaza border and then going on public air to issue a warning and stating that Israel will meet silence with silence is only prolonging the inevitability of more rocket fire. This strategy might work for the next month, three months or even a year but it won’t solve anything. Before Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister for a 2nd time, he was an avid right-winger supporting Sharon’s tactics. Once in power though, he chose the path of diplomacy trying to improve Israel’s image in both the political and media arenas. It clearly makes no difference, anti-Israel advocates are for the most part anti-Semitics cloaked in sheep clothing, it’s something only Jewish people can understand and identify with because it’s been the same old story since the beginning of time and even he knows it. Therefore, let’s show what Israel is made of again because we know we can and we know we do not have to answer to anyone when it comes to the safety and well-being of the country we fight so hard for day in and day out. Let’s go back to Ariel Sharon’s tactics that is, targeted killings of any and all terrorists, home demolition of terrorists, night curfews and arrests, and creating a buffer zone.

We need to start by showing that if you like to target civilians just because they hold Israeli passports, then you will be targeted for assassination. Any and all Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, and other terrorist group members must be made accountable, whether high ranking for allowing it to happen or if driving a car on the way to a mortar shell launch. They must all be made fresh targets. Ariel Sharon did this so effectively to the point where all PA and Hamas administrative members were dressing up in costumes and women’s clothing and driving in unmarked cars for fear of their life. This strategy must be put back in place. Forget the media, forget the backlash, this is about Israel’s right to a quiet and peaceful life.



Whether by targeted killing, arrest, or just knowing the involvement of a terrorist in any operation or attempt to operate against Israel and Israelis, their homes must be demolished. Ariel Sharon had no problem demolishing anyone involved in attacking Israel during the 2nd Intifada, especially those of terrorists who had succeeded in attacking or bombing Israel. Once Ehud Olmert came into power, he allowed this issue to become a matter for the courts where they placed serious restrictions on the ability for the IDF to continue demolishing homes. However, let’s face the facts, Ariel Sharon faced a lot of opposition abroad and from the courts during the execution of this plan but once it started bringing positive results, everyone went silent. It needs to be put back on the table and back into action, without a place to sleep these terrorists will be exposed and their families punished for raising casual murderers with no human remorse.

Perhaps one of the most effective of Sharon’s policies was the fact that once 8 or 9pm came around, no one was allowed to leave their homes in both the West Bank and Gaza. Anyone who did was asking for questioning or an arrest or was out for the purpose of attacking the IDF. That helps filter some of the perpetrators and allows the military to strategically deploy across the territories so that they can search houses, buildings, etc. for weapons and for terrorists. Human rights activists can cry wolf all day long but the fact of the matter is, if you want to start rounding up all the ammunition that these terrorists are hiding in their homes, their schools, their mosques and their businesses there is arguably no better way than to have them all stay out of the army’s way while the searches and questioning are conducted. It proved quite effective back then and I see no reason why it wouldn’t right now.

Some might contest that creating a buffer zone means re-occupying parts of the Gaza Strip. While the West Bank has security zones and checkpoints in place, Gaza terrorists are free to roam awfully close to the fence and launch rockets into Sderot or Ashdod and other neighboring Israeli cities. This needs to stop. Using military resources to create trenches, protective zones, guarding posts, etc. the IDF can effectively make life for rocket launching terrorists that much harder if not impossible without being caught in the act or before the act. It would definitely expose them much quicker and make it that much harder for them to strike at any Israeli town or city. Even after the 2nd Intifada and up until the unilateral withdrawal, the IDF buffer zone made it near impossible for terrorists to get close to Israel. It doesn’t have to be permanent, it just needs to be there long enough until all the terror groups in the strip understand that the fun is over for them and they either shape up or shift out.



The best part about deploying all those tactics is that Netanyahu can still go and play the diplomatic game. Truth be told, whether some nations or most nations condemn the actions, they were all so quick on the trigger to condemn the killing of an Arab teen in Jerusalem without even knowing if it was a revenge killing but some of them, including President Obama and his foreign secretary John Kerry, took days to condemn the kidnapping of the three Israeli teens. Netanyahu had to personally call EU President Ashton and implore her to make a public condemnation about the kidnappings otherwise she never would have. So if the world doesn’t care and in fact doesn’t even put in a single effort to help and protect the one democracy in the middle east, the only one that is keeping the region afloat not just with security but economically, then why should Israel care what they think anymore? The answer is that Israel shouldn’t, not until it can live peacefully and freely, and only then should Israel be open for any suggestions from outsiders with little or no concept or understanding of the region with which Israel resides in.

Due to the fact that the #BringBackOurBoys FB page https://www.facebook.com/BringBackOurBoysNow keeps going down, I'm documenting the images here that people are posting... Feel free to come back every now and then to see if there are new pics.

I originally published this article on Israellycool blog.

Well there I was minding my own business, as you can see, and then out of nowhere, all my childhood memories of Apartheid appeared before my very eyes. Right there I froze, finger on trigger (camera), tears filling my eyes and no tree close by to hug. At first I didn’t know what it was but then I realized that I am witness to the Israeli Apartheid that BDS has been talking about for so long now. I was lost for words, until now of course and well I decided I need to show the world how well the Apartheid system in Israel is doing.

Excuse my tourettes but #BDSfail!!!!

I originally published this article on Israellycool blog.

I recently stumbled upon this guy, Tamir Yacobi, while scanning my Facebook news feed for interesting content. Turns out that he attended a “Breaking The Silence” event in Tel Aviv recently, to give his testimony.

However, he ended up “Breaking The Silence” on the entire lot of them there by his opening words simply being too positive for their liking. He started to give his testimony about his experiences in the IDF and moments after he started talking, he was demanded to leave the stage and then casually frog marched off of it by 2 hired security guys. That single moment proved the complete bias and hypocrisy of far-left wing Israeli organizations such as “Breaking The Silence” – they didn’t even bother to let him complete his testimony, at least for the purposes of being fair.



If you are confused, Mr Yacobi is Pro-Israel and merely wanted to expose this organization for the hypocrites they are, by giving his truthful testimony and only that.

So I decided to make contact with him and he granted me permission to copy his video to my Youtube account, for the purposes of adding English subtitles to it.

This is what took place.



Does this seem fair to you?

His full testimony can be seen here!

This article was favorited by Roseanne Barr on Twitter.
See image at end of article.

Hen Mazzig is the campus coordinator for StandWithUs Northwest.

Over the past year, I've been invited to speak at over 150 college campuses around the U.S. about my experiences as a commander in the Israeli Defense Forces. I've spoken at the University of Washington, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, NYU, Columbia, Swarthmore, and many more. I looked forward to meeting and talking with students who were critical of Israeli policies and who would question my perspective. What I did not expect was that, instead of a free exchange of ideas, I would often be faced with well-organized efforts to silence me and other pro-Israel voices.

In the last few years, the "Boycott Divestment and Sanctions" ("BDS") campaign has grown on college campuses. Presented as a "human rights movement," its apparent goal is a broad-based boycotting of the Jewish State because of alleged human rights violations. However, a YouTube video of anti-Israeli activists at Galway University shows the real face of BDS.



The Three Stages of a BDS Campaign

The BDS campaign is a new front in the Arab-Israeli conflict, directed at Israel. Its tactics are simple.

Stage 1: Start a student group and build relationships with other minorities' student groups. Get them to like you. After convincing them that you are an ally, get them to support your anti-Israel narrative. Tell them that you're not against Jews, only against the Jewish state. If you have Jewish students in your anti-Israel group, bring them along to the meeting and have them speak about how Israel's existence conflicts with Jewish values. Portray the Palestinians as the underdog.

Stage 2: Arrange displays on your campus--the bigger the better. Put up an eight-foot high cardboard "Wall" that you claim is a smaller version of the separation fence that Israel built to protect against suicide bombers. Include a mock checkpoint. Bring anti-Israel speakers. Use language that will resonate with the other student groups. Do all of this preparation to make your campus receptive to your anti-Israel message. Remember, most people are naive and uniformed. If your message is highly emotional and uses the language of the political left, many students will side with you wanting to learn more.

At the same time, start lobbying members of student government. Meet with them often as you can. Get them to know and like you. Start "educating" them with biased and misleading information. Get them to believe that Israel is a "criminal state." You may even want to run for the student senate to become a senator yourself, a tactic just recently used at Loyola University, where nine student senators who voted for a BDS divestment resolution were BDS leaders at the school.

Stage 3: Bring a Boycott and Divestment resolution to the student government. Last year, BDS supporters at over 20 colleges introduced anti-Israel divestment resolutions in their student senates and demanded that the senators bring their resolutions to a vote. In recent weeks, we've seen anti-Israel resolutions introduced at several more campuses. Some were defeated. Some passed.



A Growing Trend

This is how it's happening all across the globe, from Kings College in London to South African universities. To be sure, though, the BDS campaign isn't really about divestment. Its supporters know that Israel is a thriving country, with companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel and so many others investing billions in its economy. To that end, they knew very well that even if some several hundred universities agreed to boycott Israel, they would have a a negligible impact on Israel's economy.

BDS organizers say so themselves in their handbook. They very clearly say that boycotts, divestments and sanctions have nothing to do with hurting Israel financially. Rather, they know that pushing for boycotts and divestment from Israel is just a way of promoting an anti-Israel political agenda. BDS advocates know that the student senators will become the leaders of tomorrow who will influence our countries' policies. They believe that, even if they lose, they'll have had the chance to damage Israel's reputation and undercut American support, even if only a little at a time.

The perfect resolution target for BDS is a non-political campus where most students know little about Israel and there are few pro-Israel students. Loyola University in Chicago fits that description. There, pro-Israel students learned about the resolution only after it passed. BDS got its members in the student senate to introduce and pass an anti-Israel divestment resolution with no notice. Unlike the UCLA debate that lasted for hours and hours and failed; Loyola's BDS members faced no opposition. When pro-Israel students can organize an opposition, the truth comes out and, as we saw at University of Michigan, BDS resolutions are often defeated.

Notably, faculty efforts to join the BDS campaign has achieved mixed results. Earlier this year, a few smaller academic associations, made up primarily of university faculty and researchers, passed BDS-sponsored boycotts against Israeli academic institutions. When the American Studies Association passed the most recent boycott, their decision was publicly condemned by over 200 university presidents. The Association of American Universities also released a statement opposing BDS academic boycotts.

However, BDS has been successful on the student level. And it continues to grow. I am currently involved in the fight before the University of Washington's Student Senate against a BDS resolution demanding the University endowment's divest from, among other named companies, Caterpillar Corporation. Caterpillar manufactures bulldozers used by the Israel Defense Forces. But the University of Washington endowment holds absolutely no Caterpillar stock. So why do BDS advocates want to target an investment that does not exist? Because they don't actually care about divestment. Rather, they wish to destroy Israel's image.

How far will it go? We already seen acts of violence and one unacceptable use of derogatory epithets used against Jewish students at some. Even if some BDS supporters are Jewish, that does not cleanse the campaign of the increasing stench of anti-Semitism. We can fool ourselves and say that BDS campus campaigns are not directed against the Jewish students, but BDS does not target Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Afghanistan, or Pakistan. Instead, in the name of human rights for Palestinians in the Middle East, BDS targets only the one Jewish state, Israel, which consistently is rated as having the highest level of "freedom" of the 57 countries in the Middle East. Can they really say that they're concerned about human rights?

Hen Mazzig is the campus coordinator for StandWithUs Northwest.

This article was originally published in "Minding The Campus" and permission was granted by Hen Mazzig to re-publish in this blog.




This article was favorited by Roseanne Barr on Twitter.

Hen Mazzig: The BDS Bullies Take Over http://t.co/2D4qu2GwHG
— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 31, 2014

Well Roseanne Barr has finally seen the light and decided to not only retweet many of Israellycool's Twitter posts but she has also decided to follow Israel Muse as shown below in the screenshot of my Twitter feed.

Pro-Israel blogger Israellycool has been monitoring her progress quite closely and she has made a clear and strong shift from being very anti-Israeli to being more of a supporter of Israel. However I am not sure what made her change her tune, especially considering her boyfriend Johnny Argent is extremely anti-Israeli and at times anti-Semitic. He hangs out with self-hating useful idiots such as Gilad Atzmon. I had many arguments on twitter with both Johnny Argent and Gilad Atzmon in the past and it's clear who was influencing who there. Let's hope she will stay on the side of fact and reason.

@Salsahavok @israelmuse @johnnyargent but you are clearly working for the Jewish ethnic cleansing state ...
— Gilad Atzmon (@GiladAtzmon) May 18, 2013

@israelmuse @jethrosteve @GiladAtzmon In re: "interesting logic:" Do you take seriously the absurdity of what Goyim call the Old Testament?
— Johnny Argent (@JohnnyArgent) May 18, 2013

Here is the screenshot of my Twitter feed

(BLOG) Roseanne Barr follows Israel Muse on Twitter http://t.co/IZIvafjcwm

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 30, 2014

Top lawyer and political commentator Alan Dershowitz to participate in crowdsourced interview on Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

This live interactive video chat will be held on Monday, June 2, at 1pm EST (5pm GMT or 8pm GMT+3) at this web address https://www.wizeo.me/#!profile/26.




Alan Dershowitz, a longtime professor at Harvard Law, established author and high profile policy commentator, will answer all questions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, his career,and the finer points of law on Monday, June 2, at 1pm EST (5pm GMT or 8pm GMT+3). In this crowdsourced interview, he will share insights gathered from over 100 court cases, 60 published works, and 50 years in academia.

With Middle East peace talks making headlines in recent weeks, Alan’s chat promises to be a topical discussion of the shifting political landscape.

The interview will take in an interactive group video chat on Wizeo, a live video chat platform that raises funds and awareness for nonprofit organizations. Alan’s Wizeo session benefits the Boston-based organization Combined Jewish Philanthropies. CJP is a community organization that advocates for a safe Israel, and passes Jewish life and learning to future generations.

Anyone can join this rare opportunity to interact with one of the world’s most admired legal minds by donating to CJP on Alan’s campaign page on Wizeo.Your donation is your admission to the event.



ABOUT COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
www.cjp.org

CJP, Greater Boston's Jewish Federation, brings together the people, partners and resources to fulfill the most important needs and aspirations of our community. Rooted in compassion and justice and driven by innovation, we care for the vulnerable, forge strong connections with Israel and above all, inspire the next generation to embrace Jewish life and learning.

ABOUT WIZEO
www.wizeo.me

Wizeo offers exclusive video chats with interesting and influential people, each known as a Wiz, to help nonprofits raise support and awareness for their causes. This revolutionary crowdgiving platform offers an effective triple win-win experience. The nonprofit wins by expanding their reach and acquiring new donors at no up-front cost. The donor wins by getting memorable face-time interaction with a Wiz. Wizzes win by activating their star power and influence towards a cause they care about.

(BLOG) Join a live interview with Alan Dershowitz on Wizeo http://t.co/VWaTktwdyB

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 28, 2014

Haifa University conferred its highest distinction on a number of dignitaries this year, including former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk.

The honorary degree was awarded in recognition of Mr FW de Klerk's leadership which has brought about the end of the policy of racial segregation in South Africa; for his actions to promote constitutionalism and a shared life; and for his promotion of pluralism and equality without prejudice.

The ceremony took place today, Tuesday 27th May, in Haifa.

He was then interviewed on Israel's Channel 2 News by Udi Segal. I have translated the Hebrew in the video for you to understand and have also provided a transcript of the video below:





Newscaster:
John Kerry, threw the word Apartheid into the Middle East debate a few weeks ago, which is what the radical Left in Israel also claims, but the person who knows the word Apartheid very well, the person who ended this racist regime as the President of South Africa, FW De Klerk, he is now the one who said today in a special interview with Udi Segal that this comparison is unnecessary and not fair.

On the other hand he says to learn from his experience to initiate this and to walk in the enemies shoes in order to try solve the conflict. Tonight he is receiving his honorary doctorate from the Haifa University. Here are his words:

Udi Segal:
This man who made history when he brought down the Apartheid regime with Nelson Mandela, former South African president FW De Klerk, rejects the international comparisons and he states, as someone with experience, that Israel is not an Apartheid state, and as opposed to Kerry's comment, Israel is not on the way there.

FW de Klerk:
You have closed borders but America has closed borders, they dont allow every Mexican who wants to come in come in. You have Palestinians living in Israel with full political rights represented in the Knesset. You dont have discriminatory laws against them that they may not swim on certain beaches or anything like that. I think its unfair to call Israel an Apartheid state. If Kerry did so I think he made a mistake.

Udi Segal:
To be fair, Kerry said that Israel can be an Apartheid state if it will not go to the 2-state solution. Do you think it can be an Apartheid state?

FW de Klerk:
The test will be, does everybody living then in such a unitary state, will everybody have full political rights? Will everybody enjoy their full human rights? If they will, it's not an Apartheid state.

Udi Segal:
In other words this is not the situation and Israel might only get to this state in the case where 1 state has 2 Nationalities.
De Klerk claims that the situation is different between the 2 states (IL & SA), that the idea of separation couldn't have worked in South Africa but could be the most moral solution in Israel, however it may disappear.

FW de Klerk:
In the case of South Africa, we became economically totally integrated and it no longer made sense. We became an economic omelette and once you make an omelette out of eggs you can never separate the yellow and the white again. So no, in our case, the concept of separateness failed. Im not saying its the right solution for Israel but there will come in Israel a turning point where if the main obstacles at the moment which exist through a successful 2 state solution are not remove, the 2 state will become impossible. So, as an outsider I would say, believing that a 2 state solution might be the best one, you will have to move fast, see the window of opportunity, jump through it, it might close.

Udi Segal:
This evening De Klerk received the honorary doctorate from the Haifa University.
It's his 6th visit to Israel. He knows and loves Israel and he is careful not to give advice but give hints as to what the way is to get out of this deadlocks of the negotiations. In short, Netanyahu and Abu Mazzen are doing the opposite of this.

Its called trust.

FW de Klerk:
When we had deadlocks, our biggest success was when Mandela put himself in my position and went out of his way to understand my position and I at the same time put myself in Mandela's position and went out of my way to accommodate his core concerns and to break a deadlock you need initiatives. We sat down and said lets draw a list, what do we agree upon? ,and the list was longer than we expected and then slowly but surely we worked first on the easier things, where it was more easy through a give or take process to find each other and we reserved the most difficult ones for later and in the end we forced ourselves, we weren't forced by outside forces, we forced ourselves to say we have made such big progress, we must now resolve these difficult points.

Here is a short version with only his English comments

FW De Klerk: "It is unfair to call Israel an Apartheid state" http://t.co/KugrLhI9ec

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 27, 2014

Middle East Monitor are at it again with their Pallywood imagery, they do this all the time. Whats worse is they get away with it too....this image has nothing to do with the article in question at all......see below!

#PALLYWOOD STRIKES AGAIN AT "MIDDLE EAST MONITOR" http://t.co/YUXtSAROHo

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 26, 2014

On the 19th February 2013, Pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon came to visit Israel and I invited him to give a talk to a room full of other Pro-Israel activists and followers of his blog. Activists included Bat-Zion Susskind Sacks, Steve Ornstein from IsraelSeen, Laurence Seeff, Times of Israel blogger Maurice Ostroff and members of the Israeli Zionist organization Im Tirtzu.

If you have an hour and a half then I suggest you listen to this talk, it is excellent. The video contains slides that were shown at the talk Elder gave. However if you want the audio only then use the MixCloud file below the video.





MixCloud file

(AUDIO) The 'Elder of Ziyon' Talk In Israel http://t.co/W3GYiyvFqq

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 25, 2014

NOTE: As per request from Ryan, he has asked that his talk not be released yet until further notice. I have disabled his talks only but you can still view the last video which is of Kay Wilson. Please check back here in a few weeks and you will be able to listen to the talk Ryan gave. Thank you.

On the 19th May 2014, Metis and Pro-Israel activist Ryan Mervin Bellerose, gave a talk to a room full of Pro-Israel activists who are pictured and mentioned in my previous article here.

The talk was about 1 hour and 40 minutes and included a short Q&A section, as well as a final story from a terror attack survivor named Kay Wilson. Due to the length of this talk, I have split it up into 4 parts below. If you would like to hear the entire talk in one, then see the MixCloud file below these videos.



Part 1 - Indigenous Beginnings



Part 2 - Two Weeks In Israel



Part 3 - Audience Q&A



Part 4 - Kay Wilson Terror Survivor Story





Complete Talk on MixCloud

(AUDIO) The 'Ryan Mervin Bellerose' Talk In Israel http://t.co/NxDWmQiobw

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 25, 2014

I pose this question specifically to the people who think that Palestinian Arab protesters are peaceful....See the image below and share your view. What would you do in this situation?

(BLOG) Palestinian Terrorism: What Would You Do? http://t.co/bKPDXgUj8z

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 23, 2014

When you put displacement of people into perspective, you see that the 1948 displacement of Palestinian Arabs, which was actually caused by their own leaders and other Arab states, was and still is quite a joke in comparison to the rest of the world...see below!

(BLOG) Putting The "Palestinian Problem" Into Perspective http://t.co/vmAyol7p7Q

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 23, 2014

A room full of Pro-Israel activists including our hostess Bat Zion Susskind-Sacks, Aussie Dave & Brian John Thomas of Israellycool, Laurence Seeff , Irwin Blank, Reuven Kossover, John Sekulow, Michal Dar-El, Sara Chana Mandell, Diane Bederman of Times of Israel, the Ambassador of Costa Rica Rodrigo Carrera Jimenez, a Zionist Israeli Arab Bishara Shalash, a terror attack survivor Kay Wilson and the man with the biggest heart, among other things, Ryan Mervin Bellerose.....thanks for a wonderful and humorous speech Ryan! - see below!

UPDATE: Click here to listen to the talk Ryan gave.

UPDATE: Click here to listen to the talk Ryan gave.

(BLOG) Meeting Ryan Mervin Bellerose http://t.co/tkwHjuuPh2

— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) May 20, 2014

An Op-Ed by Ianiv Lowy

Ianiv Lowy is an Israeli born Canadian citizen. He has a Masters degree in Government, Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security studies from the IDC in Herzliyah Israel. To contact him please send emails to ianivl3@gmail.com

It’s funny to think that I was planning to write this article two weeks prior to the Boston Marathon bombing. It was something that I had been evaluating, researching and for the most part just simply thinking about for months; and that is why is it that when Muslim children and young adults in the 21st century decide they want to explore their roots they end up flying half way across the world to their home town whether it be it Bahrain, or Saudi Arabia, Chechnya or anywhere else in the Middle East, Gulf region, Caucus region, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. the list goes on where there are large Arab and/or Muslim populations and then they come home all radicalized? Is it supposed to mean that what they are discovering is that Islam at its ancient, historical and modern cores is defined as grassroots evil, violent and destructive? Truth be told, no religion in the world was formed on the basis of evil or violence or murder or death. They were formed as a means to find peace and to live among others in civilized peace. Islam is no exception, however, it definitely has been lost in translation and its followers are all over the place making their own interpretations, and making their own assumptions with no unity but also no one to blame but themselves, a responsibility they have yet to mature up to.



I’m Jewish and I was born in Israel. I lived in Israel the previous 6 years of my life before moving back to North America. A healthy chunk of the reason I moved back was to rediscover my roots. It certainly wasn't the intentional part, in fact when I first decided to move it was because I was simply adventurous and young and felt like Israel would be a great place for many things like partying and having fun, beaches, great weather, warm people, great food, it’s a better gateway than Canada is to travel to other parts of the world, and so forth. Unknowingly, I was discovering my roots, I learned all about my peoples’ history, my country’s history, the culture, improved on my Hebrew, I even ended up with 2 degrees from Israeli universities. When I discovered my roots, I didn't become radicalized. Yes at times I had true anger and rage towards our Arab and Muslim neighbors, towards the Palestinians, etc. but I wasn't ready to sneak into their marketplaces, schools and busy intersections to go blow myself up and cause mass casualty and havoc. Judaism doesn't have one mention of that, and it’s safe to say all Jews know that. I feel it would also be safe to say that although Catholicism led to the Holy Wars, it was still war fought between militaries and armies, they never averted to terrorism based on causing maximum destruction and civilian causalities. I don’t believe Catholic or Christian churches preach that anywhere. Unfortunately I am not attuned with the Koran but it would be my educated guess to say that it doesn't mention killing yourself to inflict maximum causalities on others who aren't Muslim; it doesn't say make bombs and kill people who live differently than you. It does however; seem to be the only religion with such a conflict of interest that it became such a touchy subject for us all. Jihad has 5 pillars, none of which suggest violence and suicide are the solution. These days though, you might go and ask one Somali cab driver who agrees with you, the next one who will want to change the subject, and the third one who might actually have the nerve to argue with you meaning you might be talking to someone who is on the verge of being radicalized. Then they wonder why Islamophobia exists.



Islam in that sense is a very fragile religion. One man interprets it how he wishes based on the mosque he goes to. That mosque is based on the Imam who is then based on his fundraisers; it’s similar to the way government is structured and other religions. Unfortunately for Islam though, when your roots are located in countries with totalitarian dictatorships that prevent practically any and all forms of modern education, then you will go back to where you were born to discover that you do not have just 3 cab drivers with different explanations and beliefs but more like 3 million different views. Typically what we have been seeing is homegrown terrorists are kids and young adults who are for lack of a better word losers, outsiders with little to no friends, probably bullied and made fun of for all we know because of who they are. They seem to have failed to assimilate into the western world, or at least believe they have. At that point when they return home to find their roots, they practically go out looking for the preachers with the radical viewpoints because it brings them a sense of belonging, of family, of honor and of trust that no one else is giving them. They are fragile and a perfect score for the extremists. Does this mean bad parenting? Partially yes, and the other part I would say is due to the fact that there are still mosques even in Canada and USA that have these Imams preaching this madness, and just like all Jews know about what’s going on their communities, and just like all Catholics and Christians know it too, it alarms me how much people of the Muslim communities seem to keep a mum on it.

In Judaism the last thing we could afford is to be reigned in on because we didn't pay attention to our own children in our own backyards, schools, and synagogues only to find out they laced a backpack full of C4 & TNT and blew up a public building. It would be a complete shame, completely against the religion. It would then make all the anti-Semites and biased activists point the finger at Israel. Most other religions would agree that it is completely against the book. When it comes to Islam however, somehow they keep getting away with these hall passes. They don’t have to explain much except that they are shocked and appalled like everyone else. No one seems to be demanding that they reign in on their own people, since they know and understand them the most. The Muslim communities of the West have to clamp down on the bullshit (pardon my French) that lurks through their streets. I find it extremely hard to believe they don’t know about it. That they don’t know which mosque is preaching what, to whom and by who is to me a whole load of nonsense and blatant ignorance. Why is it that everyone else is urged to do so but they don’t seem to want to tackle the elephant in their room? It’s because the governments of the West want to believe that affirmative action prevails over logical evaluation. They fear upsetting the Muslim communities, making them feel left out; making them feel like assimilation isn't working. The irony here is that they only fear this because it will lead to radicalism. So they make it a taboo to speak about and leave them be. What they seem to fail to comprehend, most likely on purpose, is that these people came from 3rd world dictatorships that prevented them from proper educations, which feeds them lies and teaches them hate. They ran away as fast as they could from those countries, so they should feel privileged to live in the West. They should be thanking our countries for taking them in and should therefore respect all ways of life and laws within the lands in which they now subside. We shouldn't be paying them lip service and treading on thin water to please them, it should be the complete opposite. Otherwise the policy should always be an open door; if you don’t like it here please feel free to go back to the radical Islamic nation state you came from. Take for example what happened in Denmark when the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed were drawn. What gives you the right to start smashing in windows, lighting stores and streets on fire and chanting death to America and hunting the cartoonist down so you can slaughter him? If you don’t like the freedom of expression and freedom of speech with which Denmark has provided you then please there is the door, go back to Saudi Arabia where no such freedoms exist.



I am not preaching violence nor am I preaching retaliation at the very least. What I am preaching is that the Muslim communities must do a lot more than what they currently are to rid the radical elements that exists within their own people, and that western governments must not only help them to do so but must put extreme pressure on them to do so. They need to recall why they ran away from the tough and usually treacherous life they once had in the Gulf or Middle East or whichever 3rd world dictatorship and be extremely appreciative and ready to help and make change in their new 1st world lifestyle, otherwise they will never truly be a part of the educated world and Al Qaeda will never cease to exist.

(BLOG) Op-Ed: Exploring The Core Issues Of Islamic Roots http://t.co/yvORiFHbl4
— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) April 22, 2013

The Media Review Network (MRN), known on twitter as @mrn1sa, has appeared on the anti-Israel scene like a fish to water. The self proclaimed exposer of the supposed “Zionist Apartheid” against Palestinians, has taken the lead spouting lies and distortions of half truths about the conflict and so doing serves to perpetuate the libel of Israel's “crimes”. This group who claim to “foster bridges of understanding among the diverse people of [South Africa]” continuously prove themselves to be a divisive force, creating an environment of misunderstanding and hatred towards one thing, Israel. While aiming to “dispel the myths and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims”, they serve to reinforce a particular stereotype of the anti-Semitic Muslim who will ignore dictatorships, violence, human rights abuses, poverty and genocide everywhere in the world (especially those committed by fellow Muslims in Arab countries) except when it imagines Israel is the perpetrator!



In interactions with numerous pro Israel twitter accounts, MRN has been caught out blatantly lying about various aspects of Israeli society.

This article will point out some of the most obvious lies.

Lie 1



MRN claimed that Israel does not allow Arabs or any non Jews for that matter into the Israel defense Force (IDF). This vicious lie ignores the many Arab heroes who have faithfully served in the IDF. Most recently, Major Ala Wahib, a general in the army has written about his strong Zionist feelings. Anet Haskia, a Muslim Arab woman, has sent her children to the army and is proud of it and her country, Israel. The Bedouin Arabs are among the most sought after recruits as are the Druze who declare their loyalty to both Israel and the army regularly.



Lie 2



Another lie that MRN claim is that Israel illegally use White Phosphorus against Palestinians. Firstly, according to a Harvard law school document the use of WP is legal as an illuminator and a smoke screen. The Red Cross has stated that Israel's use of WP is legal under international law. This hasn't stopped MRN from making unfounded statements.

Lie 3



MRN recently claimed a member of the South African Zionist Federation said that South Africans are the best people to judge what is and what isn't apartheid. Thus implying he said “If South Africans say Israel is Apartheid it must be true”. What MRN failed to do is state the full quote and its context. Having spoken directly to Mr Avrom Krengel and many people who attended the seminar the truth was discovered. What he actually said was that "a tactic BDS movement people use is to get the South African government to encourage this view of Israel as an Apartheid State, as they “should” know what Apartheid is" he also added that "it is important to educate people the truth about Israel and its value as a democracy". That's a big difference and highlights one of the multiple manipulations MRN uses in promoting their vile smear agenda against Israel.

Lie 4



It would be interesting to know exactly which “Institutionalised regime of domination amounting to Apartheid” MRN is referring to. Israel is the only country in the Middle East to give those Arab refugees from the 1948 war, full citizenship and rights. There is no distinction between an Arab citizen or Jewish citizen of Israel. Indeed many prominent Israeli Arabs have arisen, for examples the Supreme court Judge who sentenced former Israeli President to jail. There are Israeli Arab ministers in Israel’s parliament. Arab doctors treat Jewish patients, next to Jewish doctors who treat Arab patients. Many Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza enter Israel to receive some of the best treatment in the world for free.



The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have their own governments, the PA and Hamas respectively. These governments decide the day to day living of Palestinians and have been accused of corruption from Yasser Arafat hiding billions of dollars of aid in overseas bank accounts to Abbas who has similar accounts. While supposed to be democratic, Abbas is currently in the 9th year of his 4 year presidency term. Hamas was elected under through rule of might in a bloody civil war with the PA and has not had an election since 2006. With these facts one has to ask, who is really practicing Apartheid. The answer is NOT Israel.

Anyone who is proved to lie and manipulate should be called out. It is one thing to care about the Palestinians but it is quite another to use lies and distortions to promote a hidden agenda, which in the case if MRN, is undeniably the destruction of the State of Israel, rather than the rights of Palestinians.


References:

• An Officer and a Muslim Zionist - http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=5727
• Not the Typical IDF Soldier’s Mom - http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4312531,00.html
• Israel’s Use of White Phosphorus Not Illegal: Red Cross - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/13/israels-use-of-white-phos_n_157648.html
• The Use of White Phosphorus and the Law of War - http://www.offiziere.ch/wp-content/uploads/White-Phosphorus-and-the-law-of-war.pdf
• Israel is Not an Apartheid State - http://reclaimingtruth.info/the-truth-2/israel-is-not-an-apartheid-state/

(BLOG) At the "Media Review Network", if the truth doesn't suit them, they create their own version... http://t.co/9CjBgbEkbT
— Israel Muse (@israelmuse) March 29, 2013

This is a story about a friend of mine's father...

Moshe Kahtan, scion of an old and prominent Baghdad family, was the last Iraqi Jew to escape the country before the 1967 Six-Day War.

Having left Iraq in the 1950s to study in London, Moshe had to make the most difficult decision of his life and went back to Baghdad in 1965, knowing full well that as a Jew, he would be prevented from leaving again.

In this film, made by his son David, Moshe tells us of his “two years of hell” in the city of his birth, and gives an account of his near-capture by the Iraqi navy.

Created by avivvana.com - To celebrate the 64 years of Israel's Independence they filmed the IDF, the Israel Defense forces, and captured our amazing soldiers -creating this piece to instill warmth and pride around the world for the most decent and courageous soldiers.

Alan Dershowitz describes how pro-Israel Jewish college students are facing isolation and how American Jewry must respond to the BDS movement. From a private gathering of the American-Israel Friendship League, thanks to Nitzy Cohen.