On Yom Kippur, Jews around the world look into themselves and assess their past year, ask for forgiveness from those they have offended, forgive others, commit to living a righteous life, and share responsibility for “life’s failings” with all who are around them.
Israel too has been looking into the hearts and souls of the people. Despite great upheaval and debate over proposed judicial reforms and misplaced animosity towards specific communities within the country, it is expected that Israelis will pull together, find a solution, acknowledge shared values and commitment to the Jewish state and the state for the Jews. What is most important is the recognition that there are serious geo-political threats coming from many directions and that affects everyone. All the institutions of government must pull together to weather this storm.
There is increasing provocation for terrorism coming from the Palestinian Authority, and it's gripping Arabs as well, and it has destroyed any objective expectation of a two-state solution. Israelis are acknowledging the dramatic failure of the Oslo Accords of 1993 which did not bring peace. Today's level of terrorism is the worst since the 2nd Intifada, and there is no sign of peace with either the PA or Hamas, the latter a listed terrorist organization; the former foments and rewards terror but is not yet a listed terror organization.
One who has looked deeply, understood Israel’s mistakes in negotiations for peace, and seeks to educate others on the culture and politics of the Arab communities is Dr. Mordechai Kedar. In last week's CAEF Web Talk Kedar speaks to what both Israel and the West ignored, and continues to misunderstand about the Middle East. Hugh Kitson, film director and producer introduces the 15th episode of Whose Land?, a documentary feature that he directed and produced for Title Deed Media.
Watch Palestinian Arab Betrayal of the Oslo Accords
Watch all 15 episodes here.
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME) provides many facts about the failed Oslo Accords and plans by Yassar Arafat, from the outset, to destroy Israel and send the Jews fleeing.
Israel Addresses Antisemitism Appoints Special Envoy
Barbara Kay, reports in The National Post on September 23rd, that the new Special Envoy for Combatting antisemitism, is a noted Canadian, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, daughter of Canada’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism, Hon. Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal Minister of Justice.
Kay notes that, “More than 80 years after the Holocaust, old forms of antisemitism have mutated into new paradigms. It will be part of her (Cotler-Wunsh’s) mandate to ‘connect the dots’ between the tropes of traditional and contemporary antisemitism, which have maligned Jews as, variously, an intolerable religion, an intolerable race, and now an intolerable nation.”
Further, Kay points out the new envoy will pursue acceptance of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, remind everyone of the three D’s that “point to obsessive anti-Zionism as antisemitism of the kind exemplified by the (the newest incarnation of an antisemitic scheme, masquerading as a serious discipline ed.), ICSZ (Institute for Critical Studies in AntiZionism): Delegitimization — Israel has no moral or historical right to exist as a nation-state; Demonization — Zionism is a racist ideology, Israel an apartheid regime; and Double Standards — no other nation on Earth is as irredeemably villainous as Israel.”
Sadly, there are Jews who think they can divorce Judaism from Zionism, but that is foremost a sign they lack knowledge that Zion is a major part of the Torah. It is certainly a sign of disrespect to discount Zionism which 80-90% of Jews consider important to their own Jewish identity. Jews' denying Zionism seems like a rather obscene tantrum.
It is utter nonsense to claim that loving Zion, believing in Jews’ historic and legal rights to self-determination in their ancient homeland, somehow harms others, when all evidence points to the harm done to the Jewish people by anti-Zionists, and the Palestinian Arab leaders who in the past and now, are intent on killing the Jews, eradicating Israel, and creating another intolerant Islamist state.
CAEF Supports the Resignation of the Speaker of the House
On Friday September 22, Speaker Anthony Rota recognized 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero”, prompting MPs and dignitaries in the House to offer a standing ovation.
CAEF welcomes today's news that the speaker has taken responsibility for this debacle and resigned. But it does not end there by any means.
This is a national embarrassment with international consequences - one which impacts every Canadian - not just the Jewish community.
Next steps.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as leader of the country, must take responsibility for this international incident and not pass the buck.
Moving forward, there must be a full review as to procedures and protocol when inviting individuals into the seat of Canadian government to be honoured.
The incident highlights the need for full release of the Duchene Commission Final Report as we recently called for in the name of accountability. See CAEF letter to the Federal government re: Release of Holocaust Records.
The Federal Dept of Justice must undertake a full review as to whether a denaturalization process is in order in relation to the entry into Canada of this individual. The integrity of Canadian citizenship requires an answer to the obvious question. Did Hunka fully disclose all the circumstances of his wartime activities?
Stronger Together to #EndJewHatred offers free webinar on IHRA, The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of Antisemitism, with Rabbi Corey Margolese. It is important for everyone to know what is contained in IHRA and what is not. The Impact of IHRA in combatting Jew hatred will come form adoption and implementation. You can be an advocate for moving this forward. Attend and Learn how to Help.
This is what Yom Kippur 2023 Looks Like in Israel
Read report below from the Bedein Center for Near East Policy Research.
The Sept. 21 2023 session of the UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) Donors Conference coincided with the burial of six young people killed by a molotov cocktail that exploded in their hands, as they rushed the Gaza fence… in a “right of return” march led by counselors from UNRWA schools in Gaza.
The context; the "UNRWA school curriculum" which imbues UNRWA children with the doctrine of the "right of return by force of arms" to villages that existed before 1948.
The responsibility of the 67 UNRWA donor nations and 33 relief agencies that donate a whopping $1.6 billion to UNRWA each year could not be clearer.
Do the UNRWA donors not have a responsibility to step in and intervene when UNRWA educators do not mince words in the protection of children from violence?
After a summer in which armed operatives of terrorist organizations used UNRWA schools as a base of operations during UNRWA summer camp activity, would it not be appropriate for UNRWA donors to demand that UNRWA conduct an arm inspection of all UNRWA facilities?
Now that UNRWA has reinstated a text book for the 4th grade which lauds Dalal E Mugrabi, a terrorist who led a lethal attack on a civilian bus in 1978, which resulted in the murder of more than 30 Jews, including 13 children, should the UNRWA donors not demand that such a text be removed from a UNITED NATIONS curriculum?
With vast amounts of funds handed to UNRWA food and medical supplies delivered in cash, widespread reports allege that UNRWA donations wind up in the coffers of terror groups and organized crime, has the time not come for donors to demand fundamental oversight of cash delivered to UNRWA for genuine humanitarian needs? Professional reports of UNRWA, as they appear at UNRWA.org, make no mention whatsoever of the necessity to account for massive cash donations.
Will UNRWA donors look into allegations that UNRWA medical and food supplies are sold on the open market?
Last but not least, will UNRWA donors look into the full curriculum used by UNRWA. which is based on the directives of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, not on the philosophy of the United Nations, which is dedicated to unwavering principles of peace, harmony, and reconciliation
In the words of the scholar Arnon Groiss, who has examined more than 1,000 texts of the PA used by UNRWA:
Palestinian Authority schoolbooks used by UNRWA feature three fundamentals, each of which stands in sharp contrast to the values of the United Nations:
Delegitimization of Israel’s existence and the Jews’ very presence in the country, which includes denial of their history and the existence of any Jewish holy places there.
Demonization of both Israel and Jews, with implications regarding the Jews’ image in the eyes of children who hail from a traditional society.
Incitement and the absence of a call for peace with Israel. Instead, there is a call for a violent struggle for the liberation of the whole country.
SUPPORT CAEF, HELP DOCUMENT THE TERROR TRAINING AND INCITEMENT BY THE PA, DELIVERED BY UNRWA TEXTS AND TEACHERS. TELL THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO STOP FUNDING JEW HATRED, TERRORISM, AND MURDER OF JEWS.
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