Baruch HaShem.  Today we are celebrating Israeli Independence Day despite the fact that there are many that feel that the State of Israel should not exist.  In the sixty years that the State of Israel has existed it has experienced many miracles and the country has prospered inmany ways.  It is hard to imagine that there are those that cannot see a divine hand in the creation of the nation.  Looking at the battles that were fought when the Israelis were out numbered not only in the amount of soldiers but in the weapons available.  However, the last sixty years has also brought about much heartache and loss of lives.  There are few families in Israel that has not been affected by the loss of war and terrorism. 

The recent actions of the Israeli Government has caused even many Israelis to question the right of the nation's existence.  The actions of the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip where 10,000 Jews were uprooted from their homes and communities by order of the Israeli government was seen by many as being the last straw.  It also hurt the relationship of the Israelis with the United States government which was pushing the disengagement. 

As Americans we need to show our support of the State of Israel.  We can do this in several ways; by buying Israeli made products, becoming penpals with Israelis, and of course by coming to the Land of Israel on a tour and showing and telling the people yourself of your love and support.

Starting tonight we enter into Yom HaShoah, which serves as a day of remembrance for those that died in the Holocaust.  For those who have never experienced Yom HaShoah in Israel, it is hard to conceptualize.  Imagine a country where at 10:00 a.m., air-raid sirens are sounded for two minutes. When the sirens sound, all over the country, people stop what they are doing and stand at attention.  Cars pull off the highway and people get out, standing at attention and observing a time of silence.  The whole country comes to a standstill as people pay silent tribute to the Holocaust victims.  I remember the first time I witnessed this in Israel.  It was stunning to witness an entire country displaying such a strong sense of honor and patriotism. 

In my travels today I find many people cringe away from discussing the Holocaust, finding its horrors too disturbing.  There are even some who try to deny it even happened!  Recently, I was asked why “the Jews” can’t just “let it go?”   To this I reply that we must never allow what happened to fade into oblivion because if we forget … we will relive it.  We must understand that it did happen and why so it will never be repeated.  You must understand that the Holocaust survivors are beginning to die out.  It is now up to our generation to make sure that what happened to them is not forgotten.  We must understand that the last Holocaust targeted mainly the Jewish people, but, today we have an enemy who is threatening a “new Holocaust”, and the new “targets” will be not only Jewish, but you as well.

When I am in Israel I always take time to stop at the grave at Oscar Schindler and put my stone on his grave as my way of saying thank you and letting the people know that I have not forgotten what he did.

When I first read the article on Arutz Sheva I was irratated.  For those who are not familiar let me explain.  The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) took issue with an ad that the Israeli Ministry of Tourism had made in their latest advertisments for tourism in israel.  One of the things that the British took issue with is the fact that Israel placed Qumran on their list of places to visit.  The phrase that went with the picture of Qumran in the background was "It takes six hours to cross Israel. Imagine what you can experience in seven days."  The British told Israel to change it.  Without protest or investigation, Israel did so. 

While Qumran is situated near Kibbutz Kalya, located on the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, it is an area which was liberated by Israel in the Six Day War in 1967.  However, it is not controlled by the Palestinian Authority in any way.

Why then does Britian which also realizes this continues to give Israel a hard time about it?   Why did they then claim that it misleads readers "into thinking that Qumran Caves are located within the Green Line, while they are actually located in the Palestinian territories."

It seems like Britian along with several other countries have nothing better to do than to tell Israel what to do instead of looking at the decline of their country and their takeover by Islam.

On 19 March 2008 a story broke on Israel National News about the deal that the Shas Party has made concerning Jerusalem.  The story aired on the Tovia Singer show and deals with the concessions that Israel is making and the pressure that the Unites States is placing on Israel to go back to the pre 1967 boundaries.  Please check out the information and send it those who you know. 

From the Aruzsheva website: Aaron Klein, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for WorldNetDaily, reports that the son of Shas party head Rabbi Ovadia Yosef blasted his father for remaining in a government which is seeking to divide Jeruslalem. Rabbi Jacob Yosef accused the ultra-Orthodox Shas party of "selling Jerusalem" for 478 million Israeli shekels, or $138 million. Earlier this month, the Knesset's Finance Committee approved $138 million in government funds to Shas' educational institutions as part of the party's coalition agreement with Olmert. 

mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/shows/ts/tovia080319-1.mp3

 An agreement has been made between The Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of Tiberias for the creation of an archaeological park modeled on the Ancient Roman city that existed on the shores of the Sea of Galilee 2,000 years ago. Plans are being made for visitors to enter the park through a recreated ancient Roman gate, and follow the stone walls of the Byzantine city to the cardo, which is the main street that is paved with stone tiles and that leads from the gate to the Roman city. It is reported that the new center will feature a visitor’s center, recreation facilities for children, an amphitheater and more.

When the city of Tiberias was created, the religious Jewish people would not visit the city because it was considered unclean since it was built over an ancient cemetery.  However, later the Sanhedrin (the highest rabbinic court during the Second Temple period) was located in Tiberias where the last meeting was held in 425. It was here that the Sanhedrin was recreated in 2004.

When Herod built the city he had a hard time getting the people to come and settle in Tiberias.  Later the area became home to the gravesites of several important Torah scholars, including Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Rambam), Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai and Rabbi Akiva.

On 19 March 2008 a story broke on Israel National News about the deal that the Shas Party has made concerning Jerusalem.  The story aired on the Tovia Singer show and deals with the concessions that Israel is making and the pressure that the Unites States is placing on Israel to go back to the pre 1967 boundaries.  Please check out the information and send it those who you know. 

From the Aruzsheva website: Aaron Klein, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for WorldNetDaily, reports that the son of Shas party head Rabbi Ovadia Yosef blasted his father for remaining in a government which is seeking to divide Jeruslalem. Rabbi Jacob Yosef accused the ultra-Orthodox Shas party of "selling Jerusalem" for 478 million Israeli shekels, or $138 million. Earlier this month, the Knesset's Finance Committee approved $138 million in government funds to Shas' educational institutions as part of the party's coalition agreement with Olmert.

 mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/shows/ts/tovia080319-1.mp3 

The Israeli Antiquities Authority has released information on the latest discoveries made near the Temple Mount.  It is the fisrt time that building remains from the First Temple period were exposed so close to the Temple Mount.  The find was made approximately 100 meters west of the Temple Mount where a layer of finds from the latter part of the First Temple period (8th-6th centuries BCE) was recently discovered in an archaeological salvage excavations that are being carried out in the northwestern part of the Western Wall plaza.

In a recent interview, Henry Siegman, which serves as Director of the United States/Middle East Project and an expert on Middle East negotiations, says that no peace will be possible between Israel and Palestinians unless Hamas is brought into the process. According to Mr. Siegman the idea of peace negotiations without Hamas present is a fantasy.

Personally I find this line of reasoning outlandish.  One cannot negotiate with terrorists.  If leaving Hamas out of the peace negotiation process means that there will be no peace treaty than so be it.  Israel has bowed to the demands of the US to give up land in the name of peace with the only reaction from the Arabs of increased violence.  Hamas has stated that they do not and will not recognize Israel's soverienty.  With this being the case why would we want to negotiate with these people?

Baruch HaShem! On Tuesday, the Wakf Muslim trust officials were stopped from performing unauthorized construction work on the Temple Mount. For some time now the Muslim group has been doig work on the Temple Mount where they have dug trenches for a line and have claimed that they were replacing some of the tiles. A trench dug during construction work on the Temple Mount.  According to the Jerusalem police chief Cmdr. Aharon Franco, the Wakf officials had planned to carry out the work because of the recent violence in the Gaza Strip.

In June of 1967 the Temple Mount was given back to the Muslims as an act of faith which proved to have been a mistake. While Israel maintains overall security control overt the site, the Wakf is charged with day-to-day administration. There have been several times over the past few decades that the non Muslim population was not allow access to the Temple Mount.

Perhaps now that work has stopped we can learn the truth over the allegations made by independent Israeli archeologists who have charged Islamic officials with destruction of antiquities at the site and accused the government and the Antiquities Authority for turning a blind eye due to the political sensitivities involved.

                 Tudor Parfitt  is a 63 year old professor at the University of London's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies, who has written a book The Lost Ark of the Covenant: Solving the 2,500 Year Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark in which he postulates that the ark is not in Egypt as the writers of the Indiana Jones series portrayed but instead is found in the basement on a dusty bottom shelf in a museum in Harare, Zimbabwe.               

 In my opinion, his theory is just as ludicrous as the claims made by Indiana Jones.  Parfitt’s work along with a special being aired on March 2 on the History Channel examines the idea that a drumlike object called the ngoma lungundu was taken into Africa by the Lemba tribe.  Allegedly, the object was in Solomon’s Temple and was taken by the Lemba tribe which is believed to have the genetic marker that is found in those with the name Cohen. The object that the Lemba tribe has is considered holy and has a fire that would come out and kill their enemies and sometimes Lemba members.               

 After the story unfolds Parfitt admits that the drum like structure is not the original ark during the time of Moses but follows the Lemba legend that the original ngoma destroyed itself some 400 years ago and had to be rebuilt by priests to replace the previous Ark.               

You can get the full story of how Parfitt believes he has found the ark at the website:

 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1715337,00.html