Who are the Israelis?

[Mindful]

^ The delegitimizations of the ancient Jewish presence in Jerusalem began in the Seventh Century C.E. by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan—the fifth caliph of the Umayyad dynasty of Syria— who built the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. That was placed over the legendary site where Jews believe Abraham was poised to sacrifice his son Isaac. Fast forward to July 2000 and the Camp David Peace Talks under the auspices of former President Clinton between then Israeli PM Ehud Barak and the late PA President Yasser Arafat. Arafat disputed the Jews building the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, instead suggesting they may have been in Nablus.

When asked how significant the archaeological evidence of the three Millennia Jewish presence in Israel is, Dr. Hanson replied:

It is everywhere. Somebody said, “You want to learn about America, take a book. You want to learn about the land of Israel, take a shovel.” You dig down and from Jericho to Shechem to Nablus, which is currently a Palestinian city, that is sitting on top of an area that was Jewish. Joseph’s Tomb, Rachel’s tomb, Bethlehem, it is everywhere. All you must do is look. There are ongoing archaeological digs, that are controversial. Beyond that, there are Jews who desire to live in these places where you have an historical Jewish presence for thousands of years. Settlements have gone up, some of which have been deemed illegal by the international community. What? It is illegal for Jews to live in their own land. If you are Jewish, you cannot live in Hebron.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the goal of the Palestinian Authority. When a Palestinian state should ever arise in this land, all Jews must leave. The Jewish settlers and settlements must be dismantled. They must leave. Palestine must be judenrein. If they do not leave, what would be the fate of the settlers who have the audacity simply to want to live near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where Abraham, at least in tradition, is buried, the other patriarchs and the matriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob? Not a pleasant one. It would not be possible.

 

[rylah]

Tze'elim stream, Judean Desert.

 

[rylah]

 

[Asclepias]

We have a Who are the Palestinians thread, so just to be fair...

Golda Meir

The original Hebrews looked much like these guys...

Lemba tribe in southern Africa has Jewish roots, genetic tests reveal - World Jewish Congress

Genetic tests carried out by British scientists have revealed that many of the Lemba tribesmen in southern Africa have Jewish origins, according to a report by the BBC.

www.worldjewishcongress.org

 

[rylah]

We have a Who are the Palestinians thread, so just to be fair...

Golda Meir

The original Hebrews looked much like these guys...

Lemba tribe in southern Africa has Jewish roots, genetic tests reveal - World Jewish Congress

Genetic tests carried out by British scientists have revealed that many of the Lemba tribesmen in southern Africa have Jewish origins, according to a report by the BBC.

www.worldjewishcongress.org

There's no statistical significance,
neither matters if they stay where they're practicing Christianity.
They can build other "Jerusalems" as in the US, or build the real one and only.

And tell me, who are the marker in the study?

 

[rylah]

"Not with our forefathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, we, all of whom are here alive today." (Devarim 5:3)

New week, with a reflection on the previous...

So much waiting to be accomplished...

'Am Yisrael Chai!

Shavua Tov!

 

[rylah]

Ben Gvir reveals a historical document: "Netanyahu's commitment to arrange Jewish prayer to the Temple Mount"

PM Netanyahu said yesterday that the chairman of the 'Otzmah Yehudit ('Jewish Power) party,
Itamar Ben Gvir, addressed him on the eve of the election. "I'm ready to resign my candidacy and support the Likud party", he said through an emissary, but he had one condition -
that I allow Jewish prayer in the Temple Mount.

It may sound logical, but I know it would have ignited the Middle East and angered a billion Muslims against us. I said there is a limit, there are things I am not willing to do to win the election, I will protect the State of Israel. "

Ben Gvir responded this morning: "I proposed to the prime minister to keep what he himself said," and read from the document in the studio: "Netanyahu wrote that 'the right of the Jewish people to its sanctuary, the Temple Mount, cannot be challenged. All the more so when we give freedom of worship to all religions in Jerusalem."

×× ×××ר ×צ×× ×ס×× ××ס××ר×: "× ×ª× ××× ×ª×× ××¢×××ת ×××××× ××ר ×××ת"

××"ר ×¢×צ×× ×××××ת ×ת×××ס ×××××¤× ynet ×××¢× ×ª × ×ª× ××× ×©×¡××¨× ××ר××©×ª× ××שר תפ×××ת ×××××× ××ר ×××ת ×ש×× ×©×××ר "×××¢×ר ×ת ××××¨× ×ת××××". ×× ×××ר, שק××× 20 ×××£ ק×××ת ש×××× ×××××¨× ×××ס××£ ×× ×× ×××××, ××ס××£: "×××¨×ª× ×©×××¢×× ××××× ××× ××ש××. ×ª×§×¢× ×× ×¡××× ×××"

www.ynet.co.il

...

978 Jews Ascended the Temple Mount on Tisha B’Av

"We will soon be privileged to raise the House of Hashem and turn Tisha B'Av into a day of rejoicing."

www.jewishpress.com

 

[rylah]

Harel Tal - NE'IMA LI (How Pleasant)

How pleasant, how pleasant to me
How pleasant Your city Y-ah pleasant to me
How pleasant the land of doe very fair to me

How awesome pleasant and beautiful
To her longs my soul and yearns
For the Wall her children desire
For a long time in her haven't dwelt
For her building my spirit aspires
See the splendor and brilliance of My Hall

For the Wall her children desire
For a long time in her haven't dwelt
And now when will return to her
And inherit her in My fate

They will ask for her Shalom
And raise her memory in their joy
Please appraise them raise and come ascend
To the Mount of My holiness and the House of My abode

 

[rylah]

A teenage pop sensation becomes a soldier, and the Israeli army tries to cope

RAANANA, Israel — As one of Israel's biggest pop stars, Noa Kirel's shining face adorns billboards, and she appears daily in an array of commercials, reality television shows and teen dramas. Famous since 14, her YouTube videos have garnered millions of viewers, and last month she signed a multimillion-dollar music deal with Atlantic Records, reportedly the largest by any Israeli artist with a U.S. label.

But for the foreseeable future, every media interview, every public appearance, every television taping and photo shoot must be strictly coordinated with the Israeli army.

Kirel, 19, was drafted into the army six months ago under Israel’s mandatory conscription law. As teen pop superstardom encounters military conformity, it is proving to be a challenge for the wildly popular singer — who cannot walk down the street without being mobbed by fans — as well as for the army brass.

“It’s not easy, but there is something very authentic about it,” Kirel said during an interview at her family home.
When she’d breezed into the room, with long sleek hair, bright blue eyes and a flawless complexion, she was instantly charismatic and immediately fussed over by her manager, publicist and mother. Two soldiers were also present, assigned to monitor and clarify her comments.
In the short time she has served, Noa, as she is affectionately known by her fans, has already stirred a handful of controversies. In February, on the day of her draft, a nerve-racking affair at which recruits part from their parents, the paparazzi were there in full force vying for a first photo of her in uniform.

After a month of basic training, which Kirel said she enjoyed because she was ordered around like every other recruit and forced to do “normal” chores such as cleaning toilets, she was placed on the “talent track,” allowed to form her own music act and dispatched to perform for the troops.

In no time, however, a short video clip of her singing with two male backup dancers clad in military fatigues and heavy combat boots went viral, drawing ridicule and criticism on social media. The backlash caused the army to cancel all military dance roles.
More recently, a commercial for a cable television company featuring Kirel in U.S. military fatigues singing “Let the Sunshine In,” from the musical “Hair,” left some in the army’s top echelon uncomfortable at the sight of an active-duty soldier in a foreign uniform performing in a video inspired by the 1960s antiwar movement.
“The Israeli army has always enlisted soldiers from all different backgrounds and with all sorts of needs and talents, including famous ones,” said a senior officer in the army’s manpower directorate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity according to military protocol. “It’s a challenge having Noa, but the army’s goal is to draft everyone and find them a place where they can serve Israel in their own way.”

Most Israelis are drafted into the military at 18 with the exception of most Arab and ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens, and while the army has absorbed celebrities into ranks before — think “Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot, who was already crowned Miss Israel before her service — it has not dealt with anyone quite on this scale.
A recent article in Billboard magazine likened Kirel’s situation to that of Elvis Presley, who was called to serve in the U.S. Army also when he was at the peak of his success in 1958.
[Why a growing number of religious women want to serve in the Israeli military]
For Kirel, who had to inform Atlantic Records during the contract negotiations that she would be going into the army for two years, fulfilling her military service was never a question — though she could have received an exemption on health grounds because she has only one kidney.

“I felt that because I was famous I had to serve to set an example to others,” Kirel said. “I know people abroad will probably not understand this, not understand why I have put everything on hold, but it was clear to me that I had to do this.”
Roberto Ben Shoshan, Noa’s manager, said splitting time between her work and army duties is having an impact on her career, “but she is doing something that is very important to her.”

Dan Arav, dean of media studies at the College of Management Academic Studies in Rishon LeZion, said it is mutually beneficial when a huge star enlists in the military.
“The army is always trying to project a positive image. It is part of their marketing tactics, and for those who are joining the army, they want to tell themselves they are doing something of significance,” he said.

During Israel’s early years, the army was “the main platform to boost the careers of young, rising stars,” said Raz Shechnik, who writes about culture and media for the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. He said nearly all of Israel’s iconic musicians got their start in one of the army bands. But by the end of the 1970s, the army had deemed musical ensembles unnecessary and all but the orchestra was disbanded.
Some young Israeli celebrities started looking for ways out of the army because it interfered with their careers, most notably supermodel Bar Refaeli, and many faced sharp public criticism for shirking a duty most Israelis see as an important responsibility.
More recently, the army has sought ways to accommodate celebrities, Shechnik said, for instance by offering Kirel and her pop star boyfriend Yonatan Margi a way to maintain their fame, keep their privacy and serve like others their age.

The army has yet to find a solution, however, for the growing number of teenagers who have become stars on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Anna Zak, a model with more than 1 million followers on Instagram, and Gal Gvaram, with more than 350,000 followers on Instagram and 60,000 fans on TikTok, are good examples.
Both are serving but not on the talent track. Instead, Zak was deemed an “active artist” and put to work in the army’s induction center, her famous face regularly used for public service messages, and Gvaram was placed in an administrative position in army headquarters, allowing her time to post to her followers.
“People aren’t accepted to the talent track just because they are popular on social media,” said the senior army manpower officer. “But we are sensitive to their careers while they’re in the army.”

For Kirel, even with the challenges, she welcomes her new role.
“Obviously, I am performing at much smaller venues and in front of a much smaller audience than I am used to, but I am there with the soldiers, and we are all wearing the same uniform. It is very meaningful for me,” she said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/a-teenage-pop-sensation-becomes-a-soldier-and-the-israeli-army-tries-to-cope/2020/07/31/81c3f380-c5e4-11ea-a825-8722004e4150_story.html

(Comment)

Yep, she volunteered, didn't have to.

 

[rylah]

Orthodox ‘Marathon Mom’ Pleads with Olympics Not to Hold Race on Sabbath

An Orthodox Jewish runner aiming for Tokyo pleads with the Olympic Committee not to hold the marathon on Shabbat.

An Orthodox Jewish woman who hopes to represent Israel at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year is trying to persuade the International Olympic Association not to hold a key athletic event on Shabbat.

In an interview on Monday with the UK paper The Telegraph, New Jersey-born Bracha “Beatie” Deutsch — a champion marathon runner, mother of five children and resident of Jerusalem — explained that there were two conditions on her participation at the Games, only one of which was within her control.

As a marathon runner, Deutsch is within touching distance of the qualification standard for Tokyo of 2 hr 29 min 30 sec, having clocked in at 2 hr 32 min in January’s marathon in Jerusalem. But a bigger hurdle is the decision of Games’ organizers to hold the marathon on a Saturday.

“When I set myself the goal of representing Israel in the Olympics, the marathon was on a Sunday,” the 28-year-old Deutsch told the newspaper. “They then moved all the outdoor distance events to Sapporo and condensed them into four days. The women’s marathon is on Shabbat.”

Deutsch’s attempts to overturn the International Olympic Committee’s decision have fallen flat, despite hoping there might be room for negotiation now the Games have been postponed until 2021.

“I wrote to them to see if there was a possibility of switching the marathon with the race walk [on Friday],” she said. “So far, they’ve not been very receptive.”

Deutsch, who immigated to Israel from the US at the age of 19, said that the Olympic authorities needed to show more cultural sensitivity.

“I don’t think the world needs to bend over backwards for me because I have my religious values, but the Olympics is meant to be a unifying event for people from all types of backgrounds ‐‐ it’s about diversity,” she remarked. “In a time when everyone is trying to be more accepting and accommodating of gender, race ‐‐ everything ‐‐ I feel like they should be more tolerant.”

An International Olympic Committee spokesperson told The Telegraph: “While we put athlete considerations first in all decisions, particularly health and welfare, we are unfortunately not able to adjust the schedule to the particular situation of each individual athlete.”

Orthodox 'Marathon Mom' Pleads with Olympics Not to Hold Race on Sabbath | United with Israel

An Orthodox Jewish runner aiming for Tokyo pleads with the Olympic Committee not to hold the marathon on Shabbat.

unitedwithisrael.org

 

[rylah]

The Spiritual Ramifications of Living in the Diaspora

 

[rylah]

Menashe Zalka joins 'Students for the Temple Mount'

The only player in the professional league who serves in active combat reserve, Menashe Zalka, captain of Hapoel Hadera, joins the public support for the movement.

 

[rylah]

Quarter To Africa with Shaanan - IRON LION ZION

 

[rylah]

Heartwarming: 44% want Miriam Peretz to be next President

A survey conducted by the Direct Pulse Institute indicates huge support for the candidacy of the bride of the Israel Prize for life work achievements

The polling company Dikert Pulse today (Monday) published the results of a poll ahead of the state presidential elections that are expected to be held in the Knesset in 2021.

According to the results of the survey, the leading candidate is the bride of the Israel Prize, Miriam Peretz, who received 44% of the votes.

It is followed by the chairman of the Jewish Agency, Yitzhak (Buzhi) Herzog, who received 18%, followed by the Minister of Health, Yuli Edelstein, with 14%, followed by the chairman of the Labor Party, 'Amir Peretz, with 9%.

The survey data show that while the politically identified candidates are gaining sympathy among the political camps from which they came, Peretz is gaining sympathy among both.

https://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/445796

 

[rylah]

HaGiveret Miriam Peretz - Life Dedication to Education

She might not be a popularly known figure outside Israel,
but definitely has a big warm place in the heart of the nation dwelling in Zion.

Born April 10, 1954 in Capablanca Morocco.
Daughter of Itou to the house Va'aknin, and Ya'akov to the house of Ohayoun.

Giveret Miriam Peretz is an Israeli educator whose two sons, IDF officers, were killed in battle during their service. Since then, she has been lecturing among youth and IDF soldiers.

The bride of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement for 2018, for her activities to strengthen the Jewish-Israeli spirit.



During the program "Almost Shabbat Shalom" I met Baruch Ben Yigal, the father of the late warrior Amit Ben Yigal who was killed during an operational activity in the village of Yaved. I tried to comfort Baruch: "We are going to live and now you have a choice, what life do you want to choose?"

Western Wall Yeshiva - Unconditional Love and the Connection in the Altar:

 

[rylah]

Nasrin Bracha Kadri - Eize Yom Tov (Whatever Beautiful Day)

Nasreen Bracha Kadri (Arabic: نسرين قادري; born September 2, 1986) is an Israeli singer who converted to Judaism. Kadri was born into an Arab-Muslim family in Lod, and grew up in Haifa.

 

[Mindful]

 

[rylah]

Shiri Maimon with Shim'on Buskila - Ya' Mama

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

The Pre-Redemption Pre-Party

How sad should we be about the destruction of Jerusalem – when we live in the time of a rebuilt Jerusalem? Malkah Fleisher joins Yishai to talk about all the stuff that broke during the 9 Days, the Aliyah Revolution CD, and your Imagination Vacation. Then, Rav Mike Feuer on the Decalogue on Israeli trucks with stickers that read: Ein Od Milvado!

Listen inside:

The Pre-Redemption Pre-Party

How sad should we be about the destruction of Jerusalem - when we live in the time of a rebuilt Jerusalem? Malkah Fleisher joins Yishai to talk about all the stuff that broke during the 9 Days, the Al

www.jewishpress.com