Israel Muse (aka Documenting Israel)

The 'Orim Shimshon', 'Tom Trento' & 'Jeremy Dery' Talks In Israel

2015-04-06T10:54:00.002+03:00

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

Ianiv Lowy: Time To Deploy Ariel Sharon Tactics

2014-07-18T09:19:00.000+03:00

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.

#BringBackOurBoys Pictures

2014-06-15T14:18:00.000+03:00

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.

Tel Aviv Bus Apartheid....NOT!

2014-06-13T11:51:00.001+03:00

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!!!!

Tamir Yacobi “Breaks The Silence”

2014-06-12T00:52:00.000+03:00

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!

Hen Mazzig: The BDS Bullies Take Over

2014-06-01T01:15:00.002+03:00

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

Roseanne Barr follows Israel Muse on Twitter

2014-05-30T11:12:00.000+03:00

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

Join a live interview with Alan Dershowitz on Wizeo

2014-05-29T00:19:00.000+03:00

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

FW de Klerk: "It is unfair to call Israel an Apartheid state"

2014-05-28T08:58:00.003+03:00

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

Pallywood Strikes Again At "Middle East Monitor"

2014-05-26T18:14:00.002+03:00

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