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Conflict

The Danger of the Islamic Month of Ramadan

April 7, 2022 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 123:44

In Islam, fasting is one of the major acts of worshiping Allah. Muslims believe that its spiritual dimensions purify the soul, instill self-reflection and inspire virtuous living.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. During this month, Muslims worldwide fast and abstain from sexual relations from dawn to dusk (then they can eat as much as they want until dawn the next day.) The fast excludes the elderly, the weak, the mentally ill, and those who have chronic illnesses.

The Muslims believe that a fasting person is rewarded manifold for all good deeds, and whoever fasts and prays during Ramadan with pure intentions will have their past sins forgiven.

During the month of Islam’s holiday of Ramadan, Muslims feel more zealous for their religion and the Jihad (Muslim holy war) which motivates them to launch more attacks against the infidels and all those who are viewed as enemies of the Islamic world.

Muslim worshippers gather for Friday prayers, next to the Dome of the Rock Mosque on the Temple Mount one day before the beginning of the Ramadan, last Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

During Ramadan, Muslims believe that fasting and prayer bring them closer to Allah. Often Muslim families wake up together before sunrise for an early breakfast. They also invite one another to break their fast (every evening) together thereby strengthening friendships and ties among neighbors, families, and friends. Many people also bring meals to mosques to share with the community, especially the poor, the needy, the traveler, and those without family. Together, they attend nightly Ramadan prayers at the mosque.

This year, even before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Palestinian Authority did its utmost to incite religious hatred and violence, spewing the libel that Israel is organizing an “escalation of hostilities” at the Temple Mount.

While the PA-incited terror rages, the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the visits of Jews to the Temple Mount – Judaism’s holiest site – as “invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque” and warned of Israel’s alleged “malicious intentions.” They exaggerate by saying that there is a continuation of invasions by Israeli officials during the “blessed month of Ramadan, which will cause an explosion in the occupied Palestinian territories.*

The reality is that “Al-Aqsa Mosque” is only a small part of the Temple mount, and while Jews are permitted to enter the Temple Mount for limited hours of the day, and are only allowed to walk around the periphery, they are strictly prohibited from praying and entering the mosque itself. 

In order to continue their incitement of an imaginary Israeli plan to “break into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque”, the PA conveniently ignores this reality and refers to the entire Temple Mount as the “Al-Aqsa Mosque.” They claim that Jewish visits there are totally unacceptable at any time, and warn against “the occupation’s* attempts to implement a plan to break into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan,” and against the “consequences this will have for the security and stability of the region and the world.”

While Jews visit the Temple Mount almost every day, Palestinians still claim that the continued Jewish visits to the Mount are a “new crime” and threaten that their response “will not be a regular light response.”

The PA incitement regarding the Temple Mount falsely claimed that “settlers are escalating their violations” and warned against non-existent attempts by “settler organizations under the auspices of the occupation (Israeli) police” to cause “an explosion”

“[PA] Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Fadi Al-Hadmi said: ‘The occupation authorities and the settlers* are escalating their violations in occupied East Jerusalem on the eve of the blessed [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan.’ (the opposite is actually true.)

Just before Ramadan started, The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: ‘At a time when official Israel is attempting to hold the Palestinian side responsible for the escalation that it is creating and for its consequences under the slogan “the [Muslim fasting] month of Ramadan,” it is implementing a racist occupation policy, is continuing in its aggression against the Palestinian people every day, and is seeking to be aided by anarchy and violence to carry out its colonialist plans.’”

The Palestinians are actually turning the tables. They promote the lies that Israel has “cunning intentions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the month of Ramadan” and that the “occupation authorities”* are permitting “extremist settlers” to invade the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the entire Temple Mount). Furthermore, the PA contends that Israeli news warnings of Palestinian disturbances during the month of Ramadan are simply a prelude to Israel’s cunning intentions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque; the PA warns of the consequences of these attacks.”

As Palestinians carry out terror attacks and violence in E. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the Israeli police must use force to stop these attacks by any means. In turn, the PA accuses Israel of perpetrating the crimes that they warned about in the first place.

*PA terminology: 
“Occupied Palestine Territories” – the entire Land of Israel.
A “settler” – every Israeli Jewish citizen living in “Occupied Palestine.”
“Settler organizations” – Israeli authorities and government
“Settler’s terror” – “racist occupation policy” that is aided by anarchy and violence.

Palestinians wave a PLO flag at a tense protest at Damascus Gate during Ramadan 2021 | File photo: Oren Ben Hakoon

Right after Ramadan started on Saturday, violence started at Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem late on Sunday after the evening Ramadan prayers. The Israel Police which had been preparing for months for such confrontations, determined to stop them.

Many young Palestinian men rioted near Israeli police officers. A crowbar was thrown at police officers who responded by drawing guns (without shooting) against the Palestinians who gathered around them. Some of the Palestinians threw stones and bottles. One police officer was hit on the head while another officer broke his arm. The Israeli police do everything to keep order without causing harm or death.

During the rioting, Israeli officers attempt to arrest only those responsible for the incitement. However, sometimes, things go out of control and there is no choice but to use harsh measures.

While the Israeli police do everything possible to maintain the peace on this Ramadan holiday, the Palestinians choose to disrupt. This coming Friday will be dangerous, as tens of thousands of Muslims gather on the Temple Mount for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.

The Israeli police are anticipating possible violence and preparing for such. Even one incident in this volatile situation can get out of hand and cause a disaster. Please pray.

Filed Under: Conflict, Holidays, MainStoryWidget Tagged With: Jihad, Ramadan, Terrorism

The Cause of the Current War in Israel

May 16, 2021 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

The Arab propaganda (including Jordan which has custodianship of Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem) is claiming Israel doesn’t respect worshippers and international law safeguarding Arab rights. East Jerusalem tensions have resulted in clashes between Police and Palestinians on the Temple Mount around the Muslim Al-Aqsa mosque, at the height of the Ramadan fasting month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was safeguarding the right of worship but would not tolerate rioting in the compound of the Temple Mount that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel was forced to take police action against rioters in Jerusalem.

No one is talking about the elections in the PA west bank, the first since 2006, that were supposed to take place at the end of May. (They are now delayed indefinitely.) Abbas, the president of the PA territory was concerned that if the election went forward as scheduled, his party, Fatah, might lose ground to two Fatah splinter groups, and Hamas would take over the territories, as it did in Gaza.

Abbas had to prove to the young radical Palestinians he can be as anti-Zionist as Hamas. He knows the formula of firing up his young people – spreading fake news about Israel trying to take over the Temple Mount by “storming” their holy Al-Aqsa mosque. Adding to the fuel is his denial that the Temple Mount was ever the site of the Jewish Holy Temples. This is the same fiction -perpetrated by his predecessor, Yasser Arafat. Their policy is to reject any history or facts connecting the Jews to Jerusalem. Hamas in Gaza took advantage of the situation to target Jerusalem.

Fake news that the Jews aim to destroy Al-Aqsa and replace it with the Third Temple has been going on for years. Regardless of evidence refuting it, once a lie is repeated many times and spread, it becomes a fact to those who wish to believe it.

The reality is that even when an Israeli politician wishes to visit the Temple Mount, he must get permission from a PA Preventive Security Service officer, as did Ariel Sharon in 2000, a visit that ignited the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising in the West Bank) which went on for four years with many suicide bombings and killing of many innocent Israeli citizens.

It is preposterous but true, that any Israeli, even a high-ranking government official, must request permission from an Arab minor ranking officer to enter the holiest Jewish site in the world. Or because he does, it will cause a bloody outburst of violence.

The Palestinian youth continue to accept the fabrication of this fake news as being true. The fake news continues to claim that the Jewish state does not allow the Muslims to pray in the Al-Aqsa mosque when the truth is that Jews, not Muslims are forbidden to pray on the Temple Mount. Israel’s law grants freedom of worship to all religions. Any statement to the contrary is just an excuse to carry out an intifada, which was most certainly planned in advance.

  1. At this time, even Jordan blames Israel for allowing right-wing religious Jews entry into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount, claiming it provokes Muslim passions and raises the risk of igniting the area. “Israel’s illegal actions have dangerous repercussions on the stability of the region.”
  2. Another cause for the clashes is the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where Palestinian families face eviction. Jordan’s King Abdullah II (whose Hashemite family claims descent from Islam’s Prophet Mohammad and draws legitimacy from its custodianship role) accused Israel of attempting to change the demographic status of the holy city, which contains sites sacred to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Jordan had earlier provided the Palestinians with land deeds in Sheikh Jarrah stating it proves previous Israeli owners’ claims to the property are groundless. “The eviction of Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah from their homes is a war crime.”

Several hundred Jordanians protested near the fortified Israeli embassy in Jordan’s capital, yelling “Death to Israel” and calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador while opposing the unpopular peace treaty with Israel. Many citizens in Jordan are of Palestinian origin.

The Legal Battle in Sheikh Jarrah

What is the legal battle over property rights in Sheikh Jarrah?

The plots in dispute were purchased by a Jewish endowment before Israel’s Independence in 1948.

After the 1948 partition of Jerusalem into east and west, with the Israel-Jordan border dividing them, the Jordanians took possession of the Old City of Jerusalem and gave the area of Sheikh Jarrah land to some Palestinians.

After the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel won control of the entire city, Israeli laws were made allowing Jewish-owned land to be reclaimed from the Palestinians. The Jewish owners then began claiming property inhabited by Palestinian families, some of whom are now facing eviction from homes that they have lived in since 1948.

Last Friday, right-wing Israeli Knesset member, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the neighborhood to announce he would be opening his parliamentary office there. That provoked more protests and violence.

The legal dispute in this East Jerusalem neighborhood must be resolved on a governmental level. The government cabinet could rule that the land and homes in question remain in the possession of the Palestinian residents. However, at this time, there is no functioning government, and the responsibility to resolve the dispute falls to the Israeli Supreme Court, which has a majority of left-wing judges that rule most of the time contrary to the ruling of the government.

Right-wing Religious Jews on the Temple Mount?

Anticipating riots and violence on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem police decided to cordon off the area outside the Damascus Gate and entered the al-Aqsa mosque compound last week to guard the place but ended clashing with Palestinian protesters.

The riots caused the Police to limit buses carrying Israeli Arab worshippers into Jerusalem for prayers on Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the Muslim calendar.

Muslim worshipers pray outside in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Saturday night.

As violent as the riots became in the following days, the Israeli police deserve credit for not using deadly force.

A New Intifada

Last week, Hamas’ leaders announced their detailed plans to open a new intifada against Israel on May 9. May 9 was an excuse based upon a combination of three events: Jerusalem Day – Israel’s annual national day celebrating the unification of Jerusalem in 1967; Muslims marked the holiest day of the month of Ramadan, and Iran (who supports Hamas) marked its own Jerusalem Day, the purpose of which is to call for the destruction of Israel and end Jewish rule in Jerusalem.

Hamas’s leaders kept their word. The combination of Arab violence in Sheikh Jarrah, the Damascus Gate, and the Temple Mount, along with balloon bombs and rocket launches againisIsrael from Gaza, arson fires, and terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria, are precisely what Hamas’ leaders said would transpire.

What About Fatah (the PA)?

Fatah (the Palestinian authority party in the territories of Judea and Samaria a.k.a. “The West Bank,”) for its part has been a full participant in the violence. The PA took credit for the drive-by shooting of three young Jewish students at a bus stop in Samaria last Monday, who were critically wounded. One of them died of his wounds three days later, and the other two are still fighting for their lives.

Conflict Background 

In 63 BC, Judea became a protectorate of Rome under the administration of a governor but was allowed a king. The governors were corrupt and often would attempt to squeeze as much revenue as possible from the citizens of their regions and take for themselves as much money as possible. 

Jerusalem, the capitol city of the only remaining Jewish nation, was totally destroyed in 70 AD following the Romans’ victory over Judah’s Great Revolt against Roman rule over the Jewish nation. It is estimated that as many as one million Jews were killed in this Great Revolt against Rome and many were sold into slavery outside the country. 

The Great Revolt of 66-70 AD and the Bar Kokhba revolt that followed 80 years later, were the greatest calamities in Jewish history before the Holocaust. A large part of the Jewish population was either massacred or exiled, and these failed rebellions resulted in total loss of Jewish political authority in Israel and Judah for over 2,000 years until 1948.

After the last revolt, the conquering Romans annexed Judea as a Roman province, and changed the name to Syria-Palestina (later known as Palestine), and built on the ruins of the destroyed Jerusalem the Roman city they called Aelia Capitolina. All this was an attempt to remove any connection of the Jewish people to the land and the city. The Romans systematically drove the Jews out of Palestine. That began the history of the Diaspora as the Jewish people spread over Africa, Asia, and Europe. Some Jews remained and became a minority in their own land.

In the 7th century, the new religion of Islam spread throughout the known world. Palestine and Jerusalem were conquered by the Muslims. They built on the Temple mount their Mosques. 

When the Zionist movement started in Europe in the late 19th century, and as a result of great persecution of the Jews in Eastern Europe, Jewish pioneers immigrated to Palestine and started building the land which was occupied by the Turkish Muslim Othman Empire. These new immigrants bought land to build settlements and cities. The British claimed authority of the land under a League of Nations Mandate (temporary keepers) after Germany, and its Muslim ally Turkey capitulated ending WWI. The French and British as victors divided the spoils of war.

All of this time, there were Jews who lived in Jerusalem. After Israel won the war of Independence in 1948, the Old City of Jerusalem (as well as the territories of Judea and Samaria) fell into the hands of Jordan. The Jews who lived in the old city, including the area that is called now Sheikh Jarrah, were evicted from their homes and fled to Israeli West Jerusalem. The Arabs took possession and began squatting on the Jews’ property.

After Israel won the 1967 Six-Day War, the old city was united with the new City and Israel elected to reinforce its historic and legal rights to reclaim Jewish property and holy sites. 

To reassure the Arabs that Israel had no intention to change the Status Quo, then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan’s made the infamous decision to allow the Temple Mount – the holiest place in Judaism, as well as the site of important mosques – to remain in the hands of the Waqf, a Muslim religious authority. Ironically, freedom of religion was observed everywhere except on the Temple Mount where Jews were forbidden to pray and restricted in their visits to the site. The Muslims abhorred the Jew’s “filthy feet” even walking on their “Holy Grounds.” 

Even though Dayan believed that he acted in the country’s best interests, it set a precedent that led to the Arab Muslims claiming possession of the entire site.

In 1967, Israel passed a law permitting Jews to recover property lost to them in the 1948 war. As far as Sheikh Jarrah was concerned, it eventually led to a long, drawn-out legal case in which Jews sought to recover this property from Arabs who had been living on it for decades without legal title or paying rent.

Now, as the case is about to be heard by Israel’s Supreme Court, there is a concern that pictures of “poor” Arab Palestinians being evicted from what is considered their homes would be bad for

Israel’s image. The world, including the US, still equates Israel to the Palestinians. “Both sides” are urged to do their best to avoid violence, even though it’s only the Palestinians who are rioting at the site and bombarding Israel with rockets and missiles.

While the Jews who own the four houses in question in Sheikh Jarrah have the law on their side, it would be better for Jewish security that they lose their case. They believe that evicting the illegal Arabs occupying the premises will do more harm than good since enforcing the law will only provide an excuse for more violence.

Arab refugees fled the country in 1948 and 1967, mainly because their leaders urged them to get out to avoid the fighting and promised them to win the next time when they would be able to return and have even more property once the Jews had been driven into the sea. A much fewer number of Arabs were driven out by Israel as a result of bitter fighting during the war. An Israeli law canceled the property rights of those who left to go to an enemy country, which applied to all of the Arab refugees.

The world forgets the fate of more than 800,000 Jews from Arab and Muslim lands who were expelled from their homes after Israel became a nation and their possessions confiscated. They were never offered compensation for their losses.

Even if Jews have the right to recover their property in Jerusalem, does this mean that it is wise to do so at this time? It will and did, stir up resentment, both among Palestinians and foreign opponents of Israel.

By giving in to the Arab invaders, Israel may gain a period of quiet; however, as with the case of Dayan and the Temple Mount, at the end of the day, it will not serve Israel’s best interest, and violence will continue as the militant Palestinians like Hamas, will always find an excuse to fight Israel, whose stated goal is that one day the Land of Israel and Jerusalem will be theirs.

Filed Under: AntiSemitism, Conflict, History, Terrorism Tagged With: Al Aksa, Background, Fatah, Hamas, Intifada, Temple Mount

Threat From the North

December 22, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

“I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
(Psalm 18:3)

Soldier wiring a discovered Hezbollah tunnel for destruction.
Soldier wiring a discovered Hezbollah tunnel for destruction.

Last week Israel discovered “terror tunnels” running from Lebanon directly into Israel by which  Hezbollah intended to sneak in terrorists “under our noses”.

Thank God, Israel destroyed the tunnels before they became operational.

Tensions have remained high on the northern border since the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 which lasted 35 days. It began when Hezbollah terrorists launched a raid into Israel, killing eight soldiers and kidnapping two others who also died.
Israel warned Hezbollah not to interfere with the tunnel demolition or face the Israeli Defense Force’s (IDF) massive military force.

Hezbollah, in turn, threatened to attack Israel with its vast rocket arsenal.
The first tunnel the IDF discovered started in a Lebanese civilian home and was at least 200m (650ft) long, running 40m inside Israel near the border town of Metulla. (At that time the area was declared a closed zone.) The second tunnel was discovered close to that area and two others were found shortly afterward.

In the opinion of an Israeli army colonel, the tunnels were part of a plan by Hezbollah to “conquer the Galilee” region of Israel in a future conflict.

Imagine; had Israel not discovered those tunnels, thousands of hate-filled terrorists would have emerged from them directly into northern Israel, storming the homes of unsuspecting Israelis. Men, women, and children would have been massacred and many taken hostage. Waiving flags victoriously, Hezbollah terrorists would yell “Allah Akbar” and “we have liberated the Galilee.” And should Israel respond, Hezbollah would fire thousands of long-range missiles into every part of Israel.

Soldier using equipment to search for tunnels.
Soldier using equipment to search for tunnels.

Thank God for “Operation Northern Shield,” launched Dec. 4th whereby Israel foiled the plans of the enemy. Israeli intelligence collected data over a span of four years and the hi-technical engineering army unit developed ways and means to detect and destroy dozens of tunnels along the common border.

This impressive operation, in cooperation with high-ranking army commanders, intelligence units and members of the political echelon was planned out in secrecy for four years until the day of the operation in order to ensure the ability to catch the enemy by surprise. This is a miracle in itself.

Hezbollah, a Shi’a Islamist militant organization and political party based in Lebanon headed by Hassan Nasrallah, does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and has been accused of carrying out a string of bombings and plots against Jewish and Israeli targets around the world over decades. Israel has also reportedly carried out killings against Hezbollah figures.
Hezbollah has built up an extensive arsenal since the 2006 conflict, possibly possessing up to 150,000 rockets.

Israel has said it will not allow Hezbollah to obtain advanced missiles and frequently carries out airstrikes on arms being transferred to the organization through Syria.

Tension on the Lebanese Border

The situation is very delicate and can spark an eruption, if not treated carefully. Soldiers on both sides of the “Blue Line,” bordered with concertina wire separating them are within touching distance. The “Blue Line” is the demarcation between Lebanon and Israel set by the UN after the end of the 2006 war.

Lebanese soldiers rushed to the point of conflict on Monday after Israeli troops rolled out barbed wire along the border, protesting that the wire was placed on their side of the border.
The Israeli army said the wire was installed entirely in Israeli territory, in coordination with UN peacekeepers. Both Israeli and Lebanese soldiers are so close that even a small incident can cause an explosion. Israeli backup soldiers are on watch to make sure Hezbollah terrorists are not hiding anywhere close, trying to interrupt or sabotage Israeli efforts. It is a very volatile situation. An IDF statement said, “Operations along the border continue as planned, both on overt and covert levels.”

Proof to the World

On the diplomatic level, Israel succeeded in proving to the world the schemes of its enemy to the north – Hezbollah. Even CNN sent one of its own cameras down into the tunnel to document the plans of Hezbollah against Israel. On Tuesday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit put out an English-language video aimed at the international community showing the danger Hezbollah presents not just to Israel but also to the citizens of Lebanon.

[Film from newscast, video will have English speaking in the middle]

UN Interim Forces in Lebanon, who were called to the site, confirmed that two of the tunnels cross the Blue Line. “These constitute violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701″ (by Hezbollah).

Israel has called on the international community to impose new sanctions on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the heavily armed mini-army with an arsenal of some 130,000 of rockets that can reach nearly every part of Israel.

PM Netanyahu, during a tour of the northern border, said: “we shall totally nullify the Hezbollah tunnel threat.” Israeli officials have indicated that the IDF may operate within Lebanese territory, if necessary, to destroy the tunnels.

Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for the tunnels being dug inside its territory. Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, said Tuesday that the United States assured him that Israel has “no aggressive intentions” with its Operation Northern Shield.

The IDF will construct an access to the first Hezbollah terror tunnel near Metula as a model. It will become a site for diplomats and foreign correspondents to visit and see with their own eyes (and cameras) what Israel has discovered. [Read More About Hezbollah]

Please pray for our leadership to have Godly wisdom and strength in facing of these issues. Please stand with us in faith on the promises and Word of God. We know that the God is Israeli’s protector. He never slumbers nor sleeps. Please pray with us for the people of Israel, asking God to open the eyes of the hearts of many as they are looking for help from men. May many realize that God is our Helper.

We love and appreciate you very much. We would love to hear from you – any comments, questions and/or prayer requests. Again we would like to thank you for your prayers and financial support. We pray for you too from Zion, for God to supply all your needs and bless you greatly.

For the salvation of Israel and the nations,
In His love,
Simcha and Bella Davidov, Ashdod, Israel

Filed Under: Conflict, Newsletter Archive, Politics

Hezbollah

December 21, 2018 By Bella Davidov Leave a Comment

A Brief Background

After the British mandate left Palestina in 1947, (a name given to the land of Israel by the conquering Romans), the Arabs refused to divide the land and attacked the Jews in the land from all sides. Against all odds, Israel won the war of Independence and became a nation in 1948. The name of the land was changed back to the land of Israel and Jewish citizens to Israelis instead of Palestinians (all people living in the land before 48 were called Palestinians, Jews and Arabs.) Many Arabs fled in the war to neighboring countries, mainly Jordan and Egypt.

Lebanon was at that time multi-sectarian, with Sunni Muslims and Christians being the majorities in the coastal cities, Shia Muslims in the south and east, and Druze and Christian in the mountains. The Lebanese government operated under the influence of the elites Maronite Christians and the western world. However, the Muslims opposed the western influence of the government.

The Palestinian Arabs formed the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and Fatah brigade to fight Israel.

After the six-day war with Israel, Jordan lost the West Bank and allowed Fatah under the PLO and their leader, Yasser Arafat, into the country from where they stepped up their guerrilla attacks against Israel. However, after many fights with the PLO who turned against the Jordanian leadership, they were expelled to southern Lebanon along with Yasser Arafat, where they regrouped.

The enlarged PLO presence in Lebanon and the intensification of fighting on the Israeli–Lebanese border stirred up internal unrest in Lebanon. The PLO recruited militants from among the families of Arab Palestinians who had fled to Lebanon during the Israeli independence war.

Demographic tensions over the Lebanese National Pact led to the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) where militia clashed with Palestinian factions over their terror attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory.

A PLO terror attack on March 11, 1978, was the last straw for Israel. An Israeli bus was seized by terrorists, and 38 Israeli civilians including 13 children were killed, with 76 wounded. The Israeli air force, navy, and land units entered south Lebanon with the aim of capturing the strongholds of the terrorist groups. Heavy face-to-face fighting resulted in Israel taking over the south Lebanon region, 300 terrorists were dead and many civilians fled to northern Lebanon, among them many terrorists. Israel suffered 18 dead soldiers.

Eventually, Israel withdrew back to the original border. UNIFIL units were stationed in the demilitarized zone. Another force, the Christian militia who were favorable to Israel and were supported by the Israeli army, formed the army of south Lebanon there.

However, terror attacks continued now from northern Lebanon which fired Katyusha rockets and missiles into northern Israel. Simultaneously, Israeli and Jewish targets were hit around the world. The situation became unbearable, forcing Israel to launch another large-scale military operation in 1982.

This new operation, called “Peace in Galilee” targeted the terror organizations who had returned to southern Lebanon. Heavy fighting broke out between the Israeli army and PLO terrorists who also had headquarters in Beirut. Many Katyusha rockets were fired into northern Israeli northern population. Israeli paratroopers fought terror pockets in villages along the road from the border to Beirut.

The Israeli army got tangled up in the Lebanese war against thousands of terrorists who were hiding in densely populated areas with the help of the Syrian army. The result was the defeat of the Syrian army, the death, and capture of many terrorists and much ammunition being taken by Israel. The PLO was expelled from Lebanon, including Arafat who fled to Tunisia.

Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon in 1985 but kept control of a 12-mile security buffer zone, held with the aid of proxy militants of the South Lebanon Army (SLA). Israel suffered many losses, about 1200 soldiers died in the first Lebanon war between the years 1982-2000. The war also resulted in the surfacing in south Lebanon of another terror organization, Hezbollah.

Eventually, the Israeli army had to withdraw also from the militarized zone in southern Lebanon in 2000.

The Rise of Hezbollah

Hezbollah, which means in Arabic “Party of Allah”, is a Shi’a Islamist militant organization and political party based in Lebanon headed by Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah, along with its military wing is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union.

Following the Islamic revolution in Shīʿite Iran in 1979 and the Israeli operation in Lebanon in 1982, a group of Lebanese Shīʿite clerics formed the Hezbollah organization, which holds to an extreme Shīʿite ideology with three main aims: Jihad (holy war) against all foreigners in Lebanon, the destruction and annihilation of Israel; and spreading the Islamic revolution and turning Lebanon into another Islamic republic like Iran. Since its beginning, Hezbollah organization considers Israel an enemy and never refers to it by its name but rather calls it “occupied Palestine,” or the “Zionist enemy.”

Hezbollah organization uses guerrilla and terror warfare in order to achieve its goals. It promotes suicide bombing, kidnappings, car bombings and grand terror attacks around the world and against foreigners in Lebanon, which gives other terror organizations inspiration to do the same. Hezbollah was based in the predominately Shīʿite areas in southern Lebanon, and southern Beirut. Throughout the 1980s, Hezbollah engaged in attacks against Israel and fought in Lebanon’s civil war (1975–90). It also worked at establishing a comprehensive social services network for its supporters.

Being a proxy of Iran and Syria, Hezbollah remained a militia organization after the end of the Lebanese civil war In May 1991, when the other militias were dissolved and continued to fight a sustained guerrilla campaign against Israel in southern Lebanon.

After the Israeli army withdrew from the militarized zone in southern Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah took control over the area, with the help of Syria and Iran. It built many headquarters and strongholds, built military infrastructures, and a massive missile and rocket arsenal. Hezbollah members were trained in progressive fighting techniques by Iranian military and intelligence personnel, who helped build bunkers across the Israeli border in South Lebanon, and assisted in forming command headquarters and control and surveillance systems within the organization’s headquarters in southern Beirut.

On July 12th, 2006, Hezbollah executed a preplanned artillery attack across the Israeli northern border. They ambushed two Israeli patrol vehicles, killing three Israeli soldiers, wounding two and kidnapping two.

IDF (Israeli Defense Force) began a war against Hezbollah with an aerial attack on thousands of targets within Lebanon: Hezbollah’s rocket system, Hezbollah posts, arms storages, training camps, command headquarters, Beirut Airport, and bridges. The Israeli Air Force dropped pamphlets calling Lebanese citizens of settlements in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes.

Hezbollah began firing hundreds of rockets towards populated areas in Israel. The citizens of Haifa and northern Israel had to reside in shelters and protected areas. On July 14th, Hezbollah fired at an Israeli missile boat, in which four naval soldiers were killed. The war escalated into massive attacks and crackdowns on all terrorists who were hiding in civilian facilities.

In the 33 days of the war, there were 164 Israeli citizen casualties (119 soldiers and 45 civilians) and hundreds injured. Approximately 4,000 rockets hit the north of Israel and significant economic damages were incurred. Hezbollah had also lost hundreds of its members and the organization’s strategic fighting ability was hurt. Its headquarters in South Beirut were destroyed.

On August 11th, the United Nations’ Security Council issued a resolution calling for “a complete halt of acts of aggression, and especially those committed by Hezbollah and the military actions of Israel.”

The UN resolution called for the withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Force from Lebanon and for the South Lebanon Army and UNIFIL to take control over the south Lebanon area, prohibition of carrying arms without the consent of the Lebanese government; and the prohibition of the trade or transfer of arms to Hezbollah. Lebanon had to see to the disarmament of armed militias and the unconditional release of the Israeli soldiers imprisoned.

Somehow Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, emerged from the war with Israel as heroes throughout much of the Arab world. Hezbollah used its new position to attempt to topple Lebanon’s government after its demands for more cabinet seats were denied.

In May 2008, clashes between Hezbollah forces and government supporters in Beirut were sparked by government decisions that included plans to dismantle Hezbollah’s private telecommunications network. Nasrallah saw it as a declaration of war and mobilized Hezbollah forces, which quickly took control of parts of Beirut. In the following days the government reversed its decisions and granted the Hezbollah-led opposition the desired veto power.

A wave of popular uprisings in early 2011, known as the Arab Spring left Hezbollah in a difficult position. After applauding revolutionary movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Bahrain, the group found its interests threatened by a similar movement against its key ally, Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad. As protests spread throughout Syria and the civilian death toll mounted, Nasrallah spoke out in support of Assad, echoing Assad’s denunciations of the Syrian opposition as being agents of a foreign conspiracy. The conflict soon escalated into a full-blown civil war.

Since 2012, Hezbollah has helped the Syrian government during the Syrian civil war in its fight against the Syrian opposition, which Hezbollah has described as a Zionist plot and a “Wahhabi-Zionist conspiracy” to destroy its alliance with Assad. It had deployed its militia in both Syria and Iraq. Nasrallah publicly confirmed Hezbollah’s involvement and vowed to fight until the rebels had been defeated.

On May 6, 2018, Lebanon held its first legislative election since 2009. Hezbollah got a politically dominant position in the government for the first time. Top-level positions in the parliament nonetheless remained the same, including Hariri as prime minister.

Hezbollah has been described as a “state within a state”, and its military strength has grown significantly with its military wing that is now considered more powerful than the Lebanese Army. The organization has seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite TV station, social services and large-scale military deployment of fighters beyond Lebanon’s borders, Hezbollah receives military training, weapons, and financial support from Iran, and political support from Syria.

Filed Under: Conflict, From the Newsletter, History, Terrorism Tagged With: Hezbollah

Terror Strikes Israel

November 26, 2018 By Bella Davidov 1 Comment

Direct Gaza rocket hit into an Ashkelon apartment.
Direct Gaza rocket hit into an Ashkelon apartment.

When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Israelis left their homes, greenhouses, and farms intact. Immediately, the Palestinians entered and destroyed everything. And as soon as Hamas took control by force in 2007, they spent all international monies donated to them on rockets, ammunition and building tunnels.

Hamas terrorizes Israel by firing thousands of rockets indiscriminately into southern Israeli cities and villages. They even use their own citizens as human shields and store rockets near or even inside hospitals, mosques, and schools. They fire rockets from residential areas and civilian facilities and dig tunnels from beneath homes and civilian institutions.

Despite the terror attacks, and for humanitarian considerations, Israel continues to supply electricity and water to the Palestinian people. Thousands of truckloads of supplies of meat, vegetables, canned food, milk products medical and school supplies and more from Israel have crossed into Gaza for consumption and use by the citizens.

Hamas could have decided to improve the economy and offer Palestinians a better life. Instead, it has focused only on attacking Israel and maintaining its goal of “return” to Palestine (the entire land of Israel) and the destruction of the Jewish state.

Hamas concentrated on building tunnels: Tunnels to Egypt brought consumer goods, fuel and, of course, weaponry; tunnels into Israel were to kidnap or kill Israelis and infiltrate Israeli territory. However, Egypt has closed the tunnels, and Israel has developed high-tech capabilities to detect and destroy them.

In the last eight months, Hamas has mobilized thousands of Gazan civilians on the border fences along with its own armed men; carrying grenades, guns, and other weapons. The goal is obviously to enter Israel, in order to kill and destroy as much as possible. With Israeli soldiers defending the border, all are pushed back, except for a few who are caught and arrested. Several who cut through the wire fence were shot, killed or wounded. Despite all this, every Friday, after their prayers, Hamas calls its citizens to storm the border fence by the thousands. Unfortunately, they were able to destroy Israeli border fields, trees, and livestock with fire.

If only Hamas would stop using its citizens in their fight against Israel; if only they understood that their dream of destroying Israel and taking over the land is a fantasy that will never come true. If only they would concentrate on economic recovery rather than building tunnels and amassing Iranian rockets and missiles. If only they would cooperate with Fatah and put away their arms. If only they would recognize Israel’s right to the land. Then there would be peace and quiet.

Should Israel topple Hamas and then leave? There is a real risk that either an ISIS affiliate or Islamic Jihad would take over. Both are much more militant than Hamas, and things would get worse. War with Hamas, who uses its own people as human shields, would cause many civilian casualties, including women and children. The ensuing global anti-Israel outcry would seriously hinder present Israeli diplomatic efforts for support against Iran. This would obviously be most sorrowful, especially in light of Israel’s new relations with Sunni moderate Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf nations, who oppose Iran.

For these reasons, Netanyahu agreed to the cease-fire, hoping that the Egyptians will help Israel achieve quiet at least for a bit longer.

Filed Under: Conflict, From the Newsletter, Politics Tagged With: Gaza, Hamas, Palestinians

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Terrorism in Israel

The time has come for Israel to stop giving a pass to Arab Jew hatred

This entire article appeared in Israel Hayom newspaper. It is about anti-Semitism and the subtle lies that have supported it throughout modern history.

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