Israel News Guide » The Muqata

Never a Dull Moment in Israel Edition

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:23:00 +0000

1. Media Personality Yair Lapid announces he is entering politics to run for the Knesset. Lapid’s party immediately polled-in at around 20 seats….mostly at the expense of Tzippi Livni’s Kadima party.

Lapid’s father Tommy Lapid founded the “Shinui” party which lasted for some time and was based on advancing the secularity of Israel.

2. The Knesset is so much fun these days — today, Labor MK Raleb Majadele verbally insulted Yisrael Beiteinu MK Anastasia Michaeli…who responded by throwing a cup of water at him.

Lets see it on video…

3. Kadima MK Nachman Shai makes surprise visit to the Temple Mount (after going to the mikva, and wearing sneakers).

MK Shai was accompanied by MK Uri Ariel. Ariel summed up the meeting: “There is great importance to increase love and unity among Israel, and specifically the Temple Mount in United Jerusalem. I am happy that MK Shai agreed to be part of this enterprise and I hope that others participate as well.

MK Shai said: I came to the Temple Mount, one of the holiest places to Judaism and Islam to learn about its religious, historical and polticial importance. Obviously, the Temple Mount is a very sensitive site, and I also enjoyed myself here. (Datili)

4. Channel 2 News scoop: One of Yair Lapid’s senior advisors…none other that squeaky clean ex-Kadima party hack (and previous Prime Minister of Israel), Ehud Olmert.

5. Noam Shalit — father of abducted and released IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, announces he is entering the Knesset political race, and is joining….the Labor party. (JPost)

6. Reports that Karnit Goldwasser, widow of abducted and murdered IDF soldier, Ehud Goldwasser is considering entering the Knesset political race….(scoop — waiting for formal announcement)

7. So much more…will update soon.

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Wave of Violence Against Chareidi Population

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:51:00 +0000

As if the violence against the Orot Banot schoolgirls isn’t bad enough, now some self-styled revenge vigilantes have been attacking Chareidi/Ultra-Orthodox school children…and adults.

1. From the Israel HaYom news-site:
Ultra-Orthodox girl attacked by secular passenger on bus

A young man reportedly got on a bus in Jerusalem, shouted “the cursed ultra-Orthodox,” and threatened a 10-year-old girl ‘

Exploiting Holocaust Imagery

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:19:00 +0000

This past Saturday evening, there was a ultra-Orthodox protest in Jerusalem against the media’s ongoing blistering attacks on the entire Chareidi population of Israel.

Raising people’s ire was the use of Holocaust imagery, as demonstrators wore “Jude” yellow stars — similar to those that Jews were forced to wear in the Nazi era of the Holocaust, and others wore concentration camp prison uniforms.

Every media outlet in Israel reported on it the following day; how outrageous and wrong it was for Holocaust imagery to be used. The NY Times grabbed the story and ran with it (the image above is from their website)…
Israel’

The Taliban Geniza?

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:48:00 +0000

Everyone is familiar with the concept of the “lost tribes” of Israel that were scattered to the ends of the globe. This has led many over the past few hundred years in a quest to find them; India, China, Japan…(even organizations like Shavei Yisrael that are dedicated to finding these tribes and bringing them home to Israel).

This past Friday, Israel Channel 2 news reported a startling discovery; a cave in Afghanistan, with buried scrolls, manuscripts and fragments — of Jewish origin.

The importance of this find could even rival that of the Cairo Geniza. (The earliest example of Yiddish writing was found in the Cairo Geniza).
The JPost has the scoop:
The scholarly world is abuzz over the discovery of ancient Jewish scrolls in a cave in Afghanistan’

Fighting for the Soul of Beit Shemesh

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:33:00 +0000

There is an ongoing war in the Beit Shemesh/Ramat Beit Shemesh municipality, as the “Sirikim” (Ultra Orthodox Chareidi Extremists) have been targeting a national-religious girls elementary school “Orot Banot” which is at the edge of a religious neighborhood and at the edge of a Chareidi neighborhood. The “sikrikim” thugs have been spitting at the school girls (1rst graders!) and calling them all sorts of names: prutzot (sluts), zonot (whores), and more.

The following heartbreaking video report was broadcast last week, and has been subtitled into English by the Mom in Israel blogger. I highly suggest you find the time to watch it.

Tonight, there is going to be a demonstration outside the “Orot Banot” school in Beit Shemesh. While the initial organizers of the demonstration are from rights groups that I don’t always see eye to eye with, I understand that many more mainstream organizations will be attending as well. I have even heard reports that moderate Chareidim plan on attending to express their outrage at the violence directed at the school children.

I will update this post a bit later with more thoughts on the issue — and how its imperative for moderate Chareidim to vocally express their outrage at the behavior of the sikrikim.

95% of the Ramat Beit Shemesh Chareidi population are offended by the behavior of the sikrikim. Not actively expressing their disgust, no matter what the reason (the Gedolim didn’t tell us to demonstrate, Chareidi politicians are taking care of it, the demonstration is too political, the demonstration will lead to Lashon Hara, etc.) are all excuses that are tantamount to “Shtika k’Hodaa” — or silence is admission (agreement with the sikrikim).

More later.

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Who Said This Nationalistic Statement?

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Having grown up in the yeshiva educational system in the United States, I was a bit surprised that I had no clue who said the following:

הארץ אשר שבנו לרשתה אחוזת אבותינו היא, ואין לאיש זר חלק ונחלה בתוכה. כי אויבינו שדדו נחלתנו ויאחזו בה בעון ובעוול, ועתה כי הצליח ה’ את דרכנו לקחנו את נחלת אבותינו וישבנו בה

The land which we have returned to, to inherit, is the legacy of our fathers, and no foreigner can have a part in it. Our enemies have stolen our legacy from us and have unjustly taken it, and now G-d has made our path successful, we have retaken our fathers’ legacy and we have settled in it.

Who said this, in what context, and what party were they from?

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The Way G-d Intended Jews to Live.

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:53:00 +0000

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen such ideas articulated — but this is the first time I’ve seen them so disconnected from traditional Judaism that views Israel as a central theme in the religion.

The following is a letter from a Jew living in the USA who can’t fathom moving to Israel because its not nearly as spiritual as living in the United States, where she gets to keep 2 days of every holiday instead of 1. She addressed to letter to Shmuel Katz, and it was published in the 5tJt
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Chanuka Special: Biblical Archeology Second Temple Artifact Found

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:01:00 +0000

In a rare Second Temple (Bayit Sheyni) period archeological find, Israel’s Antiquities Authority announced today that a small, yet significant artifact was found as part of the City of David archeological dig.

The artifact apparently served as authorization that a particular item or food was considered ritually pure for use in the Temple. The item was found underneath the Robinson Arch, 15 meters North of the Southwest corner of the Temple Mount. The item was located in the layers of dirt which covered the foundations of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount — which was the primary road during the second Temple period.

The excavated dirt was carefully sifted through by 3,500 volunteers, mostly Israeli high school students in the Emek Tzurim national park. The 2 cm artifact is made from tin, with the Aramaic words on it, “-daka” and “-leh” Daka in Aramaic means “pure” and “Leh” is part of G-d’s name.

According to the directors of the Antiquities Authority, archeologists Dr. Eli Shukrun, and Professor Roni Reich from Haifa University, the words mean, “Holy to God.” The artifact was a type of “bag check” for items brought to the Temple, ascertaining that it was holy and could be used.

The Mishna (Oral Torah) in Shekalim, Chapter 5, uses the word “Chotam” — or signet seal. The Mishna lists 5 different types of signet seals, and this particular one is not listed — thereby adding an additional historical fact not detailed in the Mishna. (sources)

Happy Chanuka!

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Chol HaMoed Chanuka

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:58:00 +0000

The following poster appears on the Kiryat Bialik mall — it is not a photoshop.

On the bright side, at least they have a clue of the concept of “chol hamoed” (and that Chanuka is pretty close to it from a practical point of view)

h/t: Gee a Moron

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Shlissel (Key) Challah: The Loaf of Idolatry?

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:13:00 +0000

JUDAIC STUDIES ACADEMIC PAPER SERIES, Authored by Shelomo Alfassa:
The Origins of the Non-Jewish Custom Of “Shlissel Challah” (Key Bread) ‘